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Things are heating up in the kitchen AND in iVillage’s Food Blogger Idol competition. After receiving hundreds of amazing and delicious entries from some extremely talented home cooks, and after deliberating for many hours, we managed to narrow the list down to the five. And now? It’s time to vote. So let’s meet our finalists…
Nici Perriam
My mum used to be a Home Economics Teacher. I mean, she still is, but now she calls herself Head of Technology and she gets paid a lot more.
Times certainly have changed since she listed the humble class, known for teaching cooking and sewing, as her specialist area on her résumé.
For one thing, as the years at high school progress, the subject might be called Food Technology, and it’s unlikely that you would find students whipping up scones or devil’s food cake in lessons that are predominantly practical.
Today’s classes have a layered approach and teach students, not only how to feed themselves with proper meals, but also about making informed choices. The skills based curriculum has been passed over in favour of helping the next generation of home cooks become problem solvers, critical thinkers and analysts.
For example, last week my mum talked to her students about ethical food issues. They made pavlovas with free range eggs, fair trade chocolate and locally sourced fruit and cream. Cooking these days is not all about the end product, it’s about the process of nourishing yourself and your family, and when I look back on my own food education at school (pineapple milkshakes and creamed corn jaffles) I couldn’t be happier with the way the curriculum is developing. It irks me when I hear of students being forced to make, and often then consume, things like tuna mornay.
Hey, I love the comfort foods of yesteryear and so does my nine year old daughter, but tuna is such a strong flavour and I know many kids who hate the stuff. What an awful way to be introduced to cooking.
Being forced to make something with such a pungent taste and smell, it can be a polarising experience. My mum’s approach for the younger kids, which includes things like ‘Ready, Steady Cook,’ mini pizzas, healthy muffins and tacos, is a far more appealing introduction to the joy of creating edible masterpieces.
It’s from one of her assignments that I bring you the following recipe, with a little Nici shortcut, the trusty food processor. A classic that is so popular, I have to print out copies of the recipe to take to parties and work functions when I bring a plate to share.
Let me introduce the very easy, very delicious, and very vegetarian, Cheesy Sausage Rolls. These sausage rolls made their way home to me after my mum’s class cooked them and there were some leftovers. As so many that came after me, I asked for the recipe and they have been a staple in my repertoire ever since. They will be a hit with herbivores and carnivores alike but be careful around those with nut allergies and gluten intolerance as these babies contain bread and pinenuts.
You could leave the pinenuts out though, if you need to, and I have on occasion when I’ve been out of them at home. But, they do add something extra so leave them in if you can. These crispy golden rolls are delicious hot, cold or room temperature and can also be made small, medium or just halved, whatever suits your intended eaters.
I like to cut mine after they are cooked as the filling has a tendency to spill out a little and this keeps them nice and neat, adding to their visual appeal (not that they need it). Without further ado, let’s get cracking on the Cheesy Sausage Rolls.
Nici Perriam is a thirty-something, mum of one, from that big ‘ol country town that is Adelaide. She comes from a long line of foodies, starting with her two Austrian grandmothers, one who was a Pastry Chef, and the other worked in the David Jones Food Hall.
Her father’s family motto is ‘it’s all about the food,’ while her mother teachers high school kids how to cook and make good food choices. It’s a no brainer that Nici would grow up to love everything about creating and eating all manner of delicious delights. Amongst her healthy appetite and gutsy attitude about trying new things, Nici also discovered a love (and some say talent) for writing.
Although she wiles away her days at her university admin job, Nici wishes upon stars and prays to her fairy godmother that cooking, eating and then writing about it is a big part of her future.
Cheesy Sausage Rolls
Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by PAMPAS Pastry. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in their own words.
Ingredients
- 3 Sheets of PAMPAS Puff Pastry
- 1 Beaten Egg – To Glaze
- 2 Slices of White Bread
- 250g Grated Cheddar Cheese
- 1 Large Onion
- 3Tbs Cream
- 2Tsp Dijon Mustard
- 2Tbs Roasted Pinenuts (you can buy them pre-roasted)
- 1Tbs Fresh Chopped Chives
- 1Tbs Fresh Chopped Parsley
- Pepper and Salt to taste
Method
Step One.
Preheat your oven to 220°C and line a couple of baking trays with baking paper. Get out your puff pastry, separate the sheets and leave out to thaw.
Step Two.
Tear up the bread slices and add to a food processor with the chopping blade attached. Whizz until fresh breadcrumbs form.
Step Three.
Add the quartered onion, cheese, cream, mustard, pinenuts, chives, parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper (use your judgement as the mix is not really ‘tasteable’ unless you like raw onion). Whizz until well combined and forming a ball, a bit like dough.
Step Four.
Cut each pastry sheet in half to form six rectangles. Divide the filling between the six rectangles and press a line of filling down the centre of each one. Wrap the free edges over to enclose the filing and press to seal the two ends.
Step Five.
Flip the sausage rolls over and place seam side down onto the baking trays, leaving room for spreading. Brush each roll with beaten egg and using a sharp knife, create a line of vent holes down the length of the pastry.
Step Six.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.
Step Seven.
Use a serrated bread knife to cut the rolls into the desired lengths and serve hot or cold, with tomato sauce.
If you'd like to vote for Nici to be iVillage's new Food Blogger, you can vote by clicking HERE.
To see the delicious process in full, click through the gallery.
Whether you’re still finding your feet in the kitchen or you’re a self-confessed master chef, PAMPAS’ range of pre-rolled pastry sheets and shells are your blank canvas to create. Be it the humble family pie or pastry wrapped asparagus sticks for entertaining, PAMPAS provides you an easy way to create something new or simply make something that little bit better; so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying delicious meals with those you love.
