Gourmet Worrier

Gourmet Worrier tag:www.gourmetworrier.com,2008-12-13://1 2010-03-12T04:08:54Z Movable Type Pro 4.23-en Red Car tag:www.gourmetworrier.com,2010://1.310 2010-03-12T04:08:05Z 2010-03-12T04:08:54Z

If you happen to know the owner of this cute, red, vintage car can you let them know that 1. I *really* love their car and 2. I almost got hit by an oncoming bus whilst taking this photo? Note...

Ms.Gourmet http://www.gourmetworrier.com

If you happen to know the owner of this cute, red, vintage car can you let them know that 1. I *really* love their car and 2. I almost got hit by an oncoming bus whilst taking this photo?

Note to self: Best not to stand in the middle of a major intersection when next in Malta, no matter how cute the car is!
]]> Rosewater Strawberries with Lemon Ricotta Cream tag:www.gourmetworrier.com,2010://1.309 2010-03-10T01:09:55Z 2010-03-10T01:24:33Z

After the freakish hailstorms we experienced over the weekend, I think it's safe to say that summer has well and truly left us. That coupled by the fact that we are now in our warmer pyjamas of an evening and...

Ms.Gourmet http://www.gourmetworrier.com After the freakish hailstorms we experienced over the weekend, I think it's safe to say that summer has well and truly left us. That coupled by the fact that we are now in our warmer pyjamas of an evening and we had to turn the heating on this morning.

After I dropped the children off to school yesterday morning I began to hear stories of flash flooding and emergency evacuations from other parents. I soon realised that our measly leak was nothing but a mere trickle in contrast to some of the more ruinous stories. One school family with three young boys under six, have had to move out of there home indefinitely as their house has been severely damaged by the flash floods.

I must say it has not been the kindest of transitions, but rather an aggressive ripping away of what has been. Nevertheless, seeing that summer has all but departed from Melbourne, I thought I'd mark her passing with one of our favourite, yet simplest treats - fresh strawberries doused in rosewater served with some lemon ricotta cream.

We often have this for breakfast or as a mid afternoon snack or a light dessert in the evenings. Hence, the absence of plump, juicy strawberries are one of the things that Fussy truly laments about summers end - well that and the end of day light savings.

]]> Rosewater Strawberries with Lemon Ricotta Cream

Ingredients

250g punnet of fresh strawberries, hulled & sliced

375g fresh ricotta

Zest of a lemon

½ cup of caster sugar

¼ cup of thick cream

A glug of rosewater

Method

1. Place all the ingredients, except the strawberries in a food processor and blend until creamy and smooth.

2. Douse the strawberries in a little rosewater and then serve them with the lemon ricotta cream.

]]> Saving Tomatoes tag:www.gourmetworrier.com,2010://1.308 2010-03-08T04:40:58Z 2010-03-08T08:35:35Z

It's been a hilariously stressful weekend here in Melbourne. We've had freakish hailstorms and flash flooding that resulted in us having to spend the better part of the weekend mopping up the mess as our gutters couldn't keep up with...

Ms.Gourmet http://www.gourmetworrier.com It's been a hilariously stressful weekend here in Melbourne. We've had freakish hailstorms and flash flooding that resulted in us having to spend the better part of the weekend mopping up the mess as our gutters couldn't keep up with the great amount of rain in such a short space of time.

Needless to say, our backyard was ravaged by humongous hails stones the size of golf balls, but thankfully I was able to salvage some of our treasured tomatoes.

To make matters worse, Stephen fell off the ladder yesterday mid repair and broke his foot, so we spent the better part of our Sunday afternoon at the Royal Melbourne Hospital's emergency department!

The upside to all our drama is that we are now waterproof, so if the heavens decide to open up on us again we can rest assured knowing that we are now safely ensconced in a warm, dry house once again.

]]> Zuppa Inglese tag:www.gourmetworrier.com,2010://1.307 2010-03-04T11:18:17Z 2010-03-04T11:19:29Z

One of the great things about living here in Melbourne is that we are surrounded by a rich and diverse food landscape. Hence, Melbourne has often been referred to as a 'melting pot' as the subsequent waves of immigration over...

Ms.Gourmet http://www.gourmetworrier.com
In terms of food and more specifically ingredient sourcing, the surrounding suburbs are like an eclectic larder that I can pick or choose from as both the need and inspiration arises. Thus, if I need to source Middle Eastern ingredients I need to look no further than Sydney road, Brunswick. If it's chicken soup and matzoh balls I'm hankering after, then I'll head down to Carlisle Street in Balaclava. Or if it's a bottle of Limoncello I'm after then I know that I need to head towards the general vicinity of Carlton.

And so last Saturday, Hoover and I jumped into the car and headed toward Lygon Street in search of that brilliant Italian scarlet liqueur called Alchermes. I was fortunate enough to find a bottle at King and Godfrey, which just so happened to be my first guess. So that gave Hoover and I some time to chill at Brunetti before heading back home to prepare and assemble our Zuppa Inglese.

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Zuppa Inglese

It would be better if you were to make this the day before you intend to serve it so to allow the savoiardi biscuits to soften and the mixture set. I used a large trifle dish that is approximately 20cm in diameter and 11cm deep.

Ingredients

For the Crema Pasticceria

2 litres of full fat milk

8 organic egg yolks

1 cup of organic plain flour

½ cup of caster sugar

1 tsp of vanilla extract

Zest of a lemon, in large strips

4 tbsp pure cocoa

And

300g vaniglia & cocoa savoidari, roughly chopped

300ml thick cream

½ cup of Alchermes

250g fresh strawberries, optional

50g of dark chocolate, grated

Method

1. In a large saucepan, combine the egg yolks, flour and sugar with a whisk until fully blended or until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to whisk constantly as you add the milk a little at a time. Place the saucepan over a medium heat and cook, stirring continually with a wooden spoon as the mixture slowly comes to the boil and the crema thickens, this should take 10 -15 minutes.

2. Remove from the heat and transfer half of the crema into another saucepan. While it is still hot add the cocoa and stir thoroughly, until well combined. Allow both the vanilla crema and chocolate crema to cool.

3. Arrange a third of the chopped savoiardi biscuits in a single layer in the bottom of a trifle dish (about 20cm in diameter and 11cm deep) covering the bottom completely, then drizzle a little of the Alchermes liqueur over the savoiardi biscuits. Using a spatula then spread half of the vanilla crema over the layer of savoiardi biscuits.

4. Repeat layering of savoiardi biscuits, Alchermes liqueur and all of the chocolate crema. You can add the strawberries at this point if you like. Finish with another layer of savoiardi biscuits, Alchermes liqueur and the second half of the vanilla crema. I like to finish off my Zuppa Inglese with a layer of thick cream and some grated dark chocolate.

  5. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

]]> Marcella's Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter tag:www.gourmetworrier.com,2010://1.306 2010-03-01T11:43:32Z 2010-03-02T02:41:09Z

I've been making Marcella's simple, yet exquisite tomato sauce for years, but never thought to blog about it until recently. You see I just so happened to mention on twitter that I was about to throw a tin of San...

Ms.Gourmet http://www.gourmetworrier.com Marcella's simple, yet exquisite tomato sauce for years, but never thought to blog about it until recently. You see I just so happened to mention on twitter that I was about to throw a tin of San Marzano tomatoes into a saucepan with an onion and a rather large amount of butter and was instantly inundated with recipe requests via my facebook page.

I naively assumed that you were all making your pasta sauce this way, because this is the *only* way to make tomato sauce, right? But I was soon to discover that some of you have yet to discover Marcella's sublime tomato sauce with onion and butter.

I kid you not, once you try this luxurious tomato sauce you'll probably never revert back to the garlic, olive oil and basil version that you were raised on. This dear reader is how tomato sauce ought to taste - pure, honest, sweet, rich and buttery.

One thing I will insist upon is that if you are going to make this sauce then do use San Marzano tomatoes. Sure you can use any old tinned tomatoes, but there is just something extraordinary about San Marzano tomatoes. Oh and if possible try and get your hands on some good organic butter and while you're at it why not grab some good quality sea salt too?

]]> Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter

Adapted from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

Ingredients

2 x 400g tins of San Marzano tomatoes

6 tbsp French butter, unsalted

1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half

Sea salt, to taste

Method

1. Place the tomatoes, onion, butter and salt in a saucepan and cook uncovered at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes or until the fat floats free from the tomato.

2. Stir the sauce occasionally and mash any large pieces of tomato in the saucepan with the back of a wooden spoon. Season to taste and discard the onion before tossing the sauce through some gnocchi, ravioli, spaghetti, penne, or rigatoni. Serve with a generous amount freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

]]> The Green Door tag:www.gourmetworrier.com,2010://1.305 2010-02-26T11:12:39Z 2010-02-26T11:12:13Z

Ms.Gourmet http://www.gourmetworrier.com

lf you walk from Marsalforn to Qbajjar all the way around to Xwieni Bay you'll eventually stumble across the famous salt pans. Turn around and look towards the cliff and there you'll find the green door. ]]> Pure Shamelessness tag:www.gourmetworrier.com,2010://1.304 2010-02-24T11:45:31Z 2010-02-24T09:48:48Z

My sister and I recently spent a lazy Sunday afternoon in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. It was lovely to catch up and chill and have a decent, uninterrupted conversation minus our children! Oh and to drink wine mid-afternoon, how so very...

Ms.Gourmet http://www.gourmetworrier.com Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. It was lovely to catch up and chill and have a decent, uninterrupted conversation minus our children! Oh and to drink wine mid-afternoon, how so very non-maternal and decadent is that?

Anyhow after hitting our usual haunts - Kleins Perfumery, Brunswick Street Bookstore, Flowers Vasette and Il Papiro we finally ended up at Mario's for coffee and cake. My sister insisted that I try some of the meringue, nut, and fruit torte thingy that she was having. Upon tasting the torte I then insisted that I needed just one more mouthful so to confirm that it was in fact *amazing*!

It was so incredible that I shamelessly hailed down the nearest unsuspecting waitress and enquired as to whether or not 'there were any eggs in the mix'? She stared back at me blankly, unaware of my surreptitious attempt to garner a list of ingredients so that I could replicate this little beauty at home at a later date.

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I smiled and thanked her for being such a darling!

A couple of days later I quizzed Gillian about Mario's exceptional torte as it was still plaguing me. She told me that she had never tried it, but that she did make something similar, minus the dried fruit. So the recipe below is inspired by Mario's heavenly torte with a dash of Gillian and a fair bit of tweaking from moi!

Spiced Chocolate & Hazelnut Meringue Cake

I think that for a better result you should make this meringue cake the day before you intend to serve it. The cake will rise slightly when cooked and will then fall and crack slightly upon cooling.

Ingredients

300g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

100g dark chocolate (I used Lindt 70% cocoa solids)

1½ cups of brown sugar

6 organic egg whites (save the yolks for ice cream)!

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground cardamom

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F Gas Mark 4 and line the base of a 9 inch or 21cm spring form pan with baking paper.

2. Place the egg whites in a large metal or glass bowl and beat until firm peaks form. Gradually add the brown sugar and spices, beating well between each addition.

3. Using a metal spoon gently fold in the hazelnuts and dark chocolate until the mixture is just combined. Then spoon the mixture into the spring form pan and smooth the surface with the back of the spoon.

4. Cook for 40 minutes and then turn the oven off and allow the meringue to cool in the oven to room temperature. Remove the cake from the oven and cover with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight.

5. Serve with thick fresh cream or zabaglione ice cream.

]]> H2Ope for Haiti tag:www.gourmetworrier.com,2010://1.303 2010-02-22T09:45:53Z 2010-02-22T12:13:19Z

After the terrifying earthquake that struck Haiti I too was left feeling overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of the tragedy. Soon after the disaster I read about a first-hand account over on Jeanne's blog of a qualified Boeing 747 pilot...

Ms.Gourmet http://www.gourmetworrier.com first-hand account over on Jeanne's blog of a qualified Boeing 747 pilot who had flown a relief flight to Haiti after the earthquake.

Rather than 'stand idly by as others suffered' Jeanne of Cook Sister and Between Hemispheres decided to organise her efforts and resources and is currently co-ordinating H2Ope for Haiti in conjunction with BloggerAid to raise funds for Concern Worldwide. Jeanne selected Concern Worldwide because of its long track record and quick response after the quake to provide clean drinking water and water purification tablets. This non-governmental international humanitarian organisation founded in 1968 works tirelessly in an attempt to reduce and eliminate extreme poverty in the world's poorest countries.

UN Photo/Logan Abass The United Nations

]]> Concern International has been working in Haiti since 1994 and had over 100 staff members on the ground when the earthquake struck. Despite losing several team members in the tragedy, they have been quick to act with distribution of supplies. The money raised by this raffle will be paid directly into Concern Worldwide's account by Justgiving and will be used exclusively for the Haiti relief effort.

When you get a chance do go and take a look at all the wonderful prizes being donated by generous bloggers from around the world. As a part of this auction I have decided to donate Moorish by Greg and Lucy Malouf, as it's a current favourite of mine. I love this book so much that I will post it worldwide, hence the unique prize code for Moorish is: HFH15.

How does the online raffle work?

Unless stated otherwise, all prizes are available for worldwide shipping and tickets cost £6.50 each that's roughly $10.00 USD. Once you have chosen the prize(s) you wish to buy tickets for, take a note of their unique prize codes and click through to our Justgiving donations page where you will find complete instructions on how to buy your tickets and specify your chosen prizes.

Please read and follow the instructions carefully!

The raffle will run from Sunday, February 21 through until midnight on Sunday, 28 February. If you have yet to give to those who so desperately need our help in Haiti, then I urge you to participate in the H2Ope for Haiti fundraiser!
]]> Pistachio Nut Ice Cream tag:www.gourmetworrier.com,2010://1.302 2010-02-17T08:40:02Z 2010-02-17T08:40:57Z

I was thrilled when I eventually stumbled across Anissa Helou's recipe for pistachio nut ice cream, because her recipe is one of the few that doesn't use almond essence. I have no idea why people insist on adding almond essence...

Ms.Gourmet http://www.gourmetworrier.com Anissa Helou's recipe for pistachio nut ice cream, because her recipe is one of the few that doesn't use almond essence. I have no idea why people insist on adding almond essence to pistachio ice cream, because in my opinion the sickly, synthetic almond flavour overwhelms the delicate flavour of the ice cream.

Anissa wisely uses rose water to subtly flavour the pistachio nut ice cream, which in turn gives it that authentic Middle Eastern edge. The only liberty I took was to add the faintest hint of green food colouring, so to make the pistachio nut ice cream all the more appealing to my incredibly fussy eight-year-old son.

I'm happy to report that he loved it!

In fact, he inhaled it!

]]> Pistachio Nut Ice Cream

Adapted from Mediterranean Street Food

Ingredients

1 cup of raw pistachio nuts, shelled

250g crème fraîche

500ml full fat organic milk

¾ cup raw caster sugar

2-3 tbsp rose water

Faintest hint of green food colouring

Method

1. Put the milk and sugar in a saucepan and over a medium heat slowly bring it to the boil. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool completely.

2. Place the pistachios in a food processor and process until ground to medium fine. Add the ground nuts, crème fraîche and rose water to the milk and whisk it thoroughly until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.

 3. Put the mixture in your ice cream maker and proceed according to the manufacturers instructions.

]]> In Defence of Domestic Failure tag:www.gourmetworrier.com,2010://1.301 2010-02-15T09:31:21Z 2010-02-15T09:33:17Z

During the Summer holidays Hoover was determined to learn how to knit. Both my mum and my sister knit, I on the other hand don't. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I haven't knitted in almost twenty-five years. I know...

Ms.Gourmet http://www.gourmetworrier.com
And so a couple of weekends ago Hoover had a sleepover at her Nanna and Nunnu's farm in Kyneton. It was a special time for my parents and Hoover as they all realised that with the advent of school impromptu visits and sleepovers at the farm will become less frequent. Mum made sure that the weekend was special in that she not only taught my girl how to knit (left handed I might add), but Hoover got to take home her very own pair of smilie face candy pink knitting needles and the beginnings of a very impressive scarf.

]]> Little Swallow Café in town for a celebratory milkshake. Hence, once there Hoover was content with her chocolate milkshake and her new found knitting skills and I was happy with my sautéed mushrooms on sourdough toast with goat's cheese and hazelnuts.

Yesterday morning I made sautéed mushrooms and wilted spinach on sourdough toast with goat's cheese and roasted hazelnuts as I have since added this to our elaborate weekend breakfast menu. So in defence of my obvious domestic shortcomings, I'd just like to say that although I am a woeful knitter at least I can reproduce and better most things that I have eaten at a café or restaurant.

Surely that's got to count for something no?

Mushroom & Spinach on Sourdough Toast with Goats Cheese & Roasted Hazelnuts

Ingredients

500g of field & button mushrooms, sliced

1 clove of garlic, minced

80g goat cheese, I used Meredith dairy goat cheese

A handful of spinach, washed

A handful of roasted hazelnuts

A glug of dry vermouth

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

4 slices of sourdough bread, toasted

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Method

1. Gently heat the butter and oil in a non-stick fry pan. Sauté the garlic and mushrooms for ten minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and cooked. Stir through the spinach and allow it to wilt slightly.

 2. Meanwhile toast your sourdough bread.

  3. Place the mushrooms and spinach on buttered toast and top with crumbled goat cheese and roasted hazelnuts and serve immediately.

]]> Taking Care of Hearts! tag:www.gourmetworrier.com,2010://1.300 2010-02-13T13:06:08Z 2010-02-15T08:54:33Z

Rather than give you a wonderful, rich, decadent dessert this Valentines Day I wanted to share with you this inspiring TED talk that Jamie Oliver gave recently about changing the food landscape in America....

Ms.Gourmet http://www.gourmetworrier.com TED talk that Jamie Oliver gave recently about changing the food landscape in America.

]]> Moules Frites at Le Pilou in Nice tag:www.gourmetworrier.com,2010://1.299 2010-02-10T11:33:31Z 2010-02-12T09:10:48Z

We were only in Nice for a couple of nights, yet there were two very important things that I wanted to accomplish in that short space of time. Firstly, I wanted to visit the Cours Saleya Market in the heart...

Ms.Gourmet http://www.gourmetworrier.com Cours Saleya Market in the heart of Old Town and secondly, I desperately wanted to fall into a heavenly big bowl of Moules frites.

That morning while we were at the Cours Saleya Market we just so happened to walk past a very, chic looking bistro called Le Pilou. Yet it was not the brightly painted interior or smart looking waiters that prompted me to make a dinner reservation right there and then. What sealed the deal for me was the humongous bowls of Moules frites that were being rapidly consumed by the satisfied and content looking patrons.

So later that evening just before dusk Gillian, Brendan, Stephen and myself walked along the Promenade des Anglais and headed towards Le Pilou au Cours Saleya. The reality is, you could have blindfolded me and I would have still found my way to Le Pilou as I could smell the intoxicating aroma of the Moules à la Marinière a mile off!

]]> Moules à la Marinière

I've been making mussels this way for years and it is my hope that one day I will own one of these nifty Staub Mussel pots to cook them in. Hence, good quality mussels that haven't been dredged shouldn't need to be soaked in cold water as they are absent of excess grit and sand.

Ingredients

2kg large Tasmanian Spring Bay mussels

1 cup of dry white vermouth

5 shallots, minced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

50ml olive oil

4tbs butter

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 fresh bay leaf

½ cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Method

1. Wash the mussels under cold running water and remove the beards.

2. Heat the oil and butter in a large, heavy based saucepan and add the shallots, garlic, thyme and bay leaf and cook very briefly.

3. Add the mussels and the vermouth and cover with the lid and allow the mussels to steam in their own juices for about 5 minutes or until the shells have opened. Mid-way through the steaming process I usually take hold of the saucepan with both hands, and while the lid is still on I give the mussels a vigorous shake. This allows the mussels to cook evenly.

4. Remove the mussels from the pot into a colander, ensuring that a heatproof container is underneath to catch the juices. Discard any unopened mussels.

5. Divide the mussels and the cooking liquid between four large bowls and sprinkle generously with fresh parsley. Serve immediately with French fries and lots of crusty bread.

]]> Between Hemispheres tag:www.gourmetworrier.com,2010://1.298 2010-02-08T07:20:50Z 2010-02-08T07:21:22Z

One of the main reasons why I started Gourmet Worrier was so that I could have a place to write as my focus has always been on 'words' not 'pictures'. Yet, very early on I realised that in order to...

Ms.Gourmet http://www.gourmetworrier.com
And so I hesitantly picked up my Nikon and began to take photos of food, food and more food. The reason why I say 'hesitantly' is because I have never considered myself much of a photographer. Sure, I have taken thousands of travel and family photos over the years but I'm just a person who enjoys documenting life through pictures.

]]> Ilva and Bron's work for some time now and consider them to be two of the most talented food bloggers out there. Not just in terms of their gorgeous images, but also because of their unique cuisine and sheer stickability in terms of blogging, as both of them have been hard at for years.

One day I was chatting to Ilva about the 3191 project and I suggested that maybe we should try our hand at something similar. And so after countless email exchanges between Ilva, Bron and myself (google wave was yet to be launched) and the unanimous vote to include the ever so talented Jeanne - Between Hemispheres was born.

Hence, the concept is very simple really. Each week we share four photos from two hemispheres interpreting one theme. It's our intention to widen the circle and thus grow our collective, so that in the not too distant future Between Hemispheres will become a collaborative community that is vibrant, encouraging and supportive in its creative exchange. As yet we are unsure as to how and when the selection process will take place, but if you think it's something that you'd like to become a part of then please make your voice known to us by joining the conversation on facebook and/or twitter.

]]> Looking Up tag:www.gourmetworrier.com,2010://1.297 2010-02-05T00:40:45Z 2010-02-05T00:41:59Z

When in Rome do remember to look up every now and then, otherwise you'll be missing out on a whole lot of magic!...

Ms.Gourmet http://www.gourmetworrier.com

When in Rome do remember to look up every now and then, otherwise you'll be missing out on a whole lot of magic!

]]> Dealing with Rejection tag:www.gourmetworrier.com,2010://1.296 2010-02-03T10:34:42Z 2010-02-03T10:46:27Z

One of the ways I deal with rejection is to busy myself with multiple tasks and numerous new ventures. Yes, some of the more enlightened ones among us would refer to this as 'denial' but hey, it's my denial so...

Ms.Gourmet http://www.gourmetworrier.com new ventures. Yes, some of the more enlightened ones among us would refer to this as 'denial' but hey, it's my denial so I guess I'm entitled to outwork it my way.

Cooking is yet another 'coping mechanism' that I employ so to avoid feelings of loss and despair. Hence, the last couple of weeks leading up to D-Day have been a bit of a baking blur for me. Again, the more highly evolved mothers out there will probably laugh at my efforts to cope with the inevitable, but I find that the process in itself takes my mind off the obvious and the end result gives me something tangible and warm to fall into.

Hence, it's currently 11am here in Melbourne and my house is devoid of children, calamity and clamour, yet I will still bake as if I have a cast of thousands to feed. Plus later this afternoon I know beyound a shadow of a doubt that I will have two ravenous school children clawing at the pantry door, so my efforts and this roasted cherry tomato pie with crispy pancetta will not go to waste.

]]> Roasted Cherry Tomato Pie with Crispy Pancetta & Basil

This pie is basically an adaptation of Anastasia's spanakopita. It might be helpful to take a look at that recipe and the process photos before attempting this one.

Ingredients

1 x 375g pkt of filo pastry

250g cherry tomatoes, halved

150g pancetta

300g fetta

300g fresh ricotta

½ cup grated parmesan

3 organic eggs

300ml thick cream

A bunch of fresh basil & some fresh thyme

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Method
  
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Grease a 30cm round baking dish with some olive oil and set aside.
  
2. Place the cherry tomatoes cut side facing up on a separate baking sheet. Drizzle with some olive and then sprinkle with some fresh thyme and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Place the pancetta on a separate baking sheet and cook for 10-15 minutes or until crispy.

3. Allow the tomatoes and pancetta to cool and then place in a large mixing bowl. Add the fetta, ricotta and parmesan and stir until well combined. Crumble in the crispy pancetta and add the fresh torn basil leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste.

  4. Lay a couple of sheets of filo pastry on top of each other and then scatter a little of the tomato, pancetta and fetta mixture over the filo. Scrunch the pastry up and then place it into the prepared baking dish. Repeat the process until you have no mixture left and/or the baking dish is well packed with bunches of scrunched up tomato and fetta filled filo pastry sheets.

  5. Beat the cream and eggs together and gently pour the mixture over the pie ensuring that the pie is evenly drenched. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the pie to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

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