Part 1: How to become published food bloggers?

WE WERE SO stoked to be featured in the latest Real Magazine, in a sister vs sister cook off and thought we would share with you the fruits of our labour and a bit of a run down of how we got to do it.Vanessa and I were both eight months pregnant when we managed to score a face to face with the Editor and Art Director of Real Magazine (New World's foodie magazine), we literally waddled in, to two very surprised faces when they both realized that we really did do things 'together'!


HOW TO SCORE A FACE TO FACE?

It really is a 'who you know' kinda senario, I used to work at Fairfax Media Magazines, designing and art directing lifestyle magazines. When Vanessa and I started getting serious about our blog and about our cooking, food styling and photographing, I started getting serious about trying to get us a foot in the door. I started with the Photo Editor at Fairfax, showing her our work, and wondered if she could advise us. Thankfully she quite liked our photo's, and the ball started rolling. She started to mention us to Editors, Art Directors and we sold a few pics that were published in some of the food, gardening and lifestyle magazines. Then we did a job for Life and Leisure Magazine, and finally we had some published work that we could use in our portfolio. (This is invaluable, so even if you have to do some jobs for free, or cheap to start with, your gain is getting a portfolio of published work to use to promote yourself).

Real Magazine - July/ August 2012

THE MEETING

We had about 20 minutes to show them our photography, food styling and we talked (rather frantically) about what we were all about (sisters who loved food, photography, like to write about it blah blah) but the clincher was when we started talking about our sister vs sister food fight - two sisters, one ingredient, very different results, and the faces lit up a bit, so we kept talking (again, way too fast) and we left feeling hopeful we might get a phone call in the near future.

THE BRIEF

A few weeks later the phone rang and Claire, the Editor said "hey girls, lets give it a go and see if it captures the reader's imaginations". Yep, we tried to act all professional, and not yelp....YIPPPPEEEE ! but lo and behold a wee little....yippee......left my lips and went down the phone line. So our brief was set.  Cook Off #1 was Apples. 


WHAT WAS EXPECTED?

• Intro's for each recipe explaining why we chose the dish
• 2 x Apple based recipes + photographs of the finished dishes
• Photos of apples on a light background with space for a heading
• Photos of the kids and us cooking (not as easy as it sounds!)
• Photos of us together (self timer) and profile shots of each of us
• Interesting facts about apples
• Tips for cooking our dish

How it all looked published in the magazine.

WORKING MOTHERS , NEWBORN BABIES

Even though Vanessa and I have two older children, we failed to remember the newborn stage, and kept uttering out loud, " It will be easy, newborns sleep a lot don't they?" even Claire, Real Mag's Editor emailed us saying sorry about the timing, she couldn't even achieve anything for the first six weeks when her son was born. But, with our blinkers shining bright, I had my baby daughter, Eliza a week before the brief was set, and Vanessa had baby Leo a week after,  and off we went  co-ordinating some sort of working life, and baby sleep sync program.

THE INTERVIEW
When we heard we were also going to be interviewed, we assumed it would be by telephone, so we thought, "Great, we can literally stay in the pj's and keep up appearances!", but NO.....that wasn't to be the case, they wanted to see us, and get off the cuff quotes. Thankfully, the journalist who turned up, was a woman called Katherine, who as a mother to young kids herself, was understanding to our chaos, and didn't seem to mind our half finished conversations. Somehow, she managed to fill in the blanks and make us sound like we had it all together.

Just like newsreaders we looked the part from the waist up.

THE COMPETITION

Little did we know the big plan with the Sister vs Sister concept was to get the public voting. And little did we know, sibling rivalry that has lay dormant for a few years, has returned with some gusto. What dish would you vote for? Vote here

JULY 24, 2012

Vanessa's Apple Custard Tart

51% (354 votes)

Ingrid's Sweet Apple Yorkies

49% (341 votes)

WHO's WINNING?

It's pretty close, but Vanessa has the edge with 51% of the vote, it seems voters love the nostalgia of a good custard pie, and the timings seem to be very important. The baked pancake requires resting, so that adds an extra 20 mins to the process, an issue for some time-poor cooks.

In our next post Vanessa goes into more detail about the food, the photoshoot and behind the scenes.

Ingrid's Dish: Sweet apple yorkies 

I love pancakes, but I hate waiting for them. With a new baby and a toddler, I haven't got time to stand over a hot element cooking them, making sure they don't burn. I also made the rule in my household that the one cooking them always gets the first pancake, however, the first pancake always seems to be the malformed, or the thinnest, the one that doesn't bubble. A stack of oven-warmed pancakes arriving on the table just so everybody can eat them together just doesn't cut it for me either. I want them straight from the pan, butter still sizzling and hot enough to melt my refrigerated golden syrup swirls.

This baked eggy puffy cloud packed with sticky gooey caramelised apples is about as close as I can get to my idea of breakfast heaven on a cold winter’s day. It's sort of a sweet version of the Yorkshire pudding (which appeals to my English Hull-born bloke) and also why I call my dish Sweet Apple Yorkies.

It has origins from the Apple Dutch Baby or the German Pancake and could be filled with just about any stone fruit or spice. Caramelised apples, however, are just perfect, and your whole family will get excited watching the magic of the custardy egg rising over the edges of the pan in the oven. One more rule however, these must be eaten immediately, or risk watching them fall.

Vanessa's tip: Top pancake with grilled bacon for a hearty brunch.

Ingrid's sweet apple yorkies

I used 2 x 20cm [pie tins but you could also use a large , 30cm wide, cast iron skillet or deep ovenproof  frying pan and divide the pancake into 4 when cooked – it would save on dishes!


What you need:
Caramelised apples 
25g butter
4 cooking apples peeled, cored and roughly chopped
¼ cup golden syrup

Batter 
¾ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
4 eggs

Method
1. Preheat oven to 200˚C or 180˚C fan. Divide the butter between the pans and allow it to melt in the oven for a few minutes.
2. Place chopped apples evenly over the pan. Pour over melted golden syrup and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the apples are caramelised.
3. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and gradually add the milk and vanilla , whisking to remove any lumps.
4. Add eggs one at a time. Lightly whisk the batter. Let it rest for 20 minutes. Pour batter over apples.
5. Bake for 20 minutes until the batter puffs up and the edges are golden. Serve with a dollop of natural yoghurt.

Preparation time: 30 mins + 20 mins resting time
Cooking time: 20 mins
Serves 4

TIPS
* Resting the batter allows time for the starch to absorb the liquid and air bubbles to form making your batter light and fluffy.
* Don't over mix your batter as you will get rubbery pancakes.
* Remember to have your table set and plates ready, as the yorkies will sink a few minutes after you remove it from the oven.

A tale about travel and a cheesecake

This post was suppose to be about using up lemons, but when I decided to make a classic baked cheesecake, it got me thinking about when I went traveling overland through the Middle East and I set about trying to order a birthday cake in Pakistan.

A bit random, I know, but bear with me. My trip took me from Egypt through Israel, Jordan, Syria, Iran, Pakistan and through into India. I was traveling with two girlfriends and one poor Aussie bloke, pre Sept 11. Six weeks in and after a 24 hour journey in a minivan with 24 people stuffed in every cavity, we arrived in the town of Peshawar, the city that borders the Khyber Pass route into Afghanistan. We were all in need of some rest, vitamins and decent food.

This Aussie bloke just happened to be in the worst shape, sick from all sorts of travel bugs, but mostly sick from lack of nutrition. He was pretty fussy, he only ate plain, simple food. His favorite dish being pasta with sliced tomatoes and grated cheese, followed by cheesecake. Now I can't imagine getting to adulthood and with all the options for food in Australia and picking this meal as my all time fav - however this was the case and it went against him when traveling in such countries as we did.

As it turned out, it was his birthday the week we were there, so us girls thought, lets cheer him up and make him his favorite meal. Easy, if your at home, easy if we were in Europe, probably easyish in Asia, but not so in Pakistan. But we weren't deterred, hey, we had mince and cheese pies at the Australian embassy in Pakistan, we must be able to get pasta, tomatoes, cheese and a cheesecake. So we set about our mission and by the end of the day we had procured our ingredients and found a local bakery that were willing to bake a cheesecake for us.

The next day, we surprised the Aussie bloke with his bowl of plain and simple pasta, sliced tomatoes and grated cheese. He just smiled. But wait, we said, there's more. We produced a cake box, he lifted up the top, and in sat a cake, a birthday cake, with grated cheese melted on top. He smiled.

fyi: Grated lemon rind not grated cheese on this one!

Donna Hay's classic baked cheesecake

330g cream cheese, softened
500g ricotta
4 eggs
1⅓ cups (295g) caster (superfine) sugar
¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
1½ tablespoons water
base
⅓ cup (40g) almond meal (ground almonds)
¾ cup (105g) plain (all-purpose) flour
¼ cup (55g) caster (superfine) sugar
90g butter, chopped

Preheat oven to 150°C (350°F). To make the base, place the almond meal, flour, sugar and butter in a bowl. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until a rough dough forms. Line the base of a lightly greased 20cm-round springform tin with non-stick baking paper. Using the back of a spoon, press the mixture into the base. Bake for 15 minutes or until light golden. Set aside. To make the filling, place the cream cheese, ricotta, eggs, sugar, lemon juice and rind and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor. Combine the cornflour and water until smooth and add to the cheese mixture. Process the mixture until smooth. Lightly grease the sides of the tin and pour the filling over the base. Tap the tin lightly to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and stand the cake for 1 hour, leaving the door closed. Refrigerate until cold and serve with fresh berries, or sprinkle with icing sugar and lemon rind (Ingrid's suggestion) Serves 10.

Extracted from Donna Hay

TIP: The only problem I had with this recipe, was trying to remove the baking paper from the bottom of the cake, so I would just grease the bottom of the cake tin, unless you don't mind the baking paper being there at serving.


More recipes using lemons


New York style lemon curd cheesecake 

Kohu Road Creamery and Cafe

It was raining, so with all four kids in tow, their weren't many options for a peaceful and pleasant morning! So Vanessa called and said, " Lets check out Kohu Road Cafe, recommended in our best cafes to take the kids list, at least we can bribe the kids with ice cream! Vanessa made it there quite easily, I got lost (not unusual when you don't ever look at a map and you try and wing it) but I asked at the local paint shop (Kohu Rd cafe is located in the industrial area of New Lynn) and I was told look for two green poles, parkings a bit of a squeeze, but it was so worth it as the coffee alone was amazing.

When I arrived, Vanessa looked like she had bedded down for the night - Jake was happily checking out the 50's caravan, which according to one boy, "No adults  were allowed". Fine by us....that was exactly what we were hoping!

The Food

Most of the food is on display at the counter and cooked on the premises. (you can see the chef in action whilst at your table). Its rustic cafe style rather than full on meals but sure to please a variety of tastes. I had a freshly baked bacon and egg pie and Jake couldn't go past the sugary jammy doughnuts. When Ingrid and kids arrived they tucked into brioches with their coffee and fluffy. There was also a soup option on the blackboard menu.

 

Like Ingrid said, the caravan was a definite drawcard for two boisterous boys so leaving came down to bribery with ice creams. There were about a dozen flavors on offer as well as a freezer stocked with takeaway options.

 

The Kids

We are constantly on the look out for places to go that suit the boys, babies and us. We both love our coffee and the cafe scene and struggle to find places that fit the brief. Kohu Road cafe is spacious, not too precious, welcome kids with big open arms, and the staff are super friendly. It's a working creamery out the back, and the cafe is sectioned off with used lolly trays (see Jake below resting up) that you can purchase for $10. Perfect for breakfast in bed, toys or crafts, or paint with blackboard paint, add a rope and hang in your kitchen. The caravan is a winner, complete with a flat screen TV and selection of DVD's. Three comfy couches in front of caravan in which to watch the kids.

Initially we were just buying cookies and cream ice cream for the boys and as it was Monday and we were both on our post babies diets LOL. There is always next Monday! Ingrid and I tucked into the BEST chocolate sorbet EVER! The staff assured us it was dairy free but full of sugar.  I told Ingrid, you burn sugar quicker than fat, so we should be right. Ingrid replied, No chance, if we sit around cafe's all day! I would make the trip from the shore just for the chocolate sorbet, it was that good!

A great cafe to serve the needs of both adults and kids, go early if you want to get the parks, and don't leave without an ice cream.


Kohu Road Creamery and Cafe, New Lynn 

www.kohuroad.co.nz

44 Portage Road, 

New Lynn

09 827 9990
Monday to Saturday from 8am to 4:30pm

What's in season: Yams, sprouts and cabbages

HOW TO COOK WITH YAMS: Most of us stick to the usual veges in our winter roasts. We often comment "I wonder how you would cook those? or they look interesting". Yams look pretty weird, they are small and knobby but have an appealing yellow/pink colour. They are super simple to cook and cook quite fast because they are so small. I decided to throw them in with a roast dinner, but jazz them up a bit with a honey and spice coating. Don't be scared and give them ago. If your kids like potato, they are sure to like the sweet sticky cute yams! 
How to eat yams

LEARN HOW TO LOVE SPROUTS: A big favorite of mine is brussel sprouts, which seems to disturb most people. In winter, I'm always throwing them into the roasting dish with other winter veg, drizzle some olive oil, add some rosemary or thyme, salt/ pepper and you have an easy throw together side to any meat. Just the other night, I threw in cut yams and sprouts, olive oil, a sprinkling of seasoning (cumin, ground coriander and cayenne pepper) and roasted them for around 30 mins, it was a perfect match for my roasted chicken legs. Check out some other easy ideas for sprouts below. 
How to love brussel sprouts

TWO WAYS WITH CABBAGE: My memories of cabbage are of coleslaw's at summer barbies or Dad eating his German sausages with sauerkraut. As an adult I have discovered the Asian influence adding cabbage and it many varieties to stir fries. It really makes a meal go further, is low fat and very very tasty! Try two very different takes on making a meal out of cabbage.
Cooking with cabbage

Vote for the winning dish

Real Magazine, New World's food magazine, set us a challenge, to each create a winning dish using apples. 

They have put it to the public vote....ekkkkk and everyday we both see the slider showing who got the most votes. It's driving us crazy, it's getting us all edgy and a spot of sibling rivalry has emerged! 

I never thought Vanessa would start a voting campaign against me on Facebook - but right back at you sis...x

SO CHECK IT OUT & GET VOTING

www.newworld.co.nz/inspire-me/out-of-the-mixing-bowl/sister-vs-sister