Monthly Archives: August 2011

just how hot is hot?

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I did a post at the end of summer on my tiny gas metre box garden. Nothing flash. Just a few pots of greenery that keep me centred. The chilli plants happily flowered and grew, they even got through the Noah’s Ark of winter rain thrown at them. Then they turned red, actually they are still turning red. Slowly changing from subtle green, to come on- I dare you red.

Now when I planted these little fella’s I wanted something a little feisty. The packet said hot, actually it said piccante. It was an Italian heirloom variety. So anything labelled piccante, and I have high hopes.

Not gaspingly, oh for the love of god, find me a river and submerge my firey mouth.

 But, hey…Oooo, yep, that’s a bit hot right there.

Something like that anyway.

So they have been turning red, and I’ve slowly been collecting them on my kitchen window sill. A little fiery red mountain growing. Each day I wonder, just how hot they are.

these look like a completely different variety, but I'm sure they came out of the same packet.

Blueberries are also flowering. Last season there was just a tiny handful of flowers that seemed to take six months to actually develop the fruit. This year with quadruple the flowers, I’m hoping the fruiting doesn’t take quite so long.

Rosemary is also happy. I just have to remember not to remember it. It’s never happy when I give it too much love and attention. Neglect, and the odd whisper of I’m still watching you, and it seems to thrive.

There are some other pots as well that look empty, but have sleeping seeds in them. What’s in there though and I wouldn’t have a clue. I planted them one evening and then got rushed inside. Distracted for the next few days, I never quite made it back out to write what I had planted and where. So now, wouldn’t have a clue what was in there.

Never mind, who doesn’t like surprises….especially the plant kind.

Now, speaking of surprises, I think it might be time to find out just how hot that chilli really is…

Just how hot is hot?

Slow Sunday

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A group of friends

A table of food

And a whole lot of lovely conversation

********

What’s on the menu?

Plain sourdough

Quinoa Sourdough

Butter made from cream- from this local dairy

Caramelised Onion Tart with Labne

Apple Cabbage Pecan Salad

Baked Ricotta

Strawberries in Lemon

*********

* Slow Sunday was originally me hiring a commercial kitchen for the day, to cook locally produced foods, for a seasonal menu. One long table, ten people, and the promise of real food, slow food, unhurried conversation and chance to show what beautiful food is available to us here in sunny Sydney. Alas, not to be… this time. The kitchen changed hands and 3 weeks before, they cancelled the booking. Disappointing, as it had taken me a little while to summon the courage up to book it. However, lunch with a few friends on a much smaller scale menu was decidedly lovely…and perfect for a slow Sunday.

Moroccan Chickpeas- Frugal Friday

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Super quick, and super easy. If you prefer dried chickpeas just soak them before hand, and for the tomatoes if you have fresh ones available in abundance use them. Garlic is also another thing I would usually put in here, but not having access to Australian garlic for the moment, most dishes are garlic less. If you have it at home though, whack it in.

Moroccan Chickpeas

In a pot add a couple of good slurps of olive oil

a diced onion

2 tsp coriander

2 tsp cumin

1 can chickpeas

1 can tomatoes

rinse the can out with half water, pop it in

2 bunches of chopped English spinach

2 chopped carrots

and whack the lid on for about 10 minutes.

Salt to taste and serve with basmati rice or cous cous, a dollop of natural yogurt, a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of turmeric.

10 minutes to prepare, and ten minutes to cook

word was out, rosetta rolls were in

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The word was out. The hunt was on. Rosetta rolls were in.

Rosetta rolls, were the latest thing to plant them selves in my head. An idea that jiggled around like a salsa dancer with funny itch. Ok, maybe not quite like that, but the seed had been planted. I wanted to make rosetta rolls. Those crusty little Italian rolls in the shape of flower, quite often hollow inside, and if my memory served me correctly more than moderately delicious stuffed full with prosciutto and fresh mozzarella. Once an idea implants itself within, it’s pretty hard to shake off that salsa dancer with the funny itch, so I sent out a call for help.

The Bread Goddesses (Celia and Joanna) heeded the call and the hunt began in earnest. Not much longer than 48 hours after the call had gone out and I had a press in my hand. Now that was surprisingly quick for something at the start of my search seemed completely futile, and that clearly I would have to travel to Italy to go and find my own bread stamp. I was certainly willing…sometimes these kind of things just need to be done.

First batch I did a sourdough version and a yeasted version.

Sourdough Rosetta rolls– first batch

200g starter (100% hydration)

450g strong bakers flour

300mls water

1 1/4 tsp salt

(The difference between the colours is top and bottom shelf in the oven.)

(Second batch substituting 100g of the flour with semolina.)

Yeasted Rosetta Rolls- first batch

50g starter

1 tsp dried yeast

125mls warm water

2 tbls flour

whisked together and left for two hours, (this wasn’t a particular method, I just needed to go out.)

Then mixed in

450g flour

250mls water

waited 15 minutes then added

1 1/2 tsp salt

Prove for about an hour, quick knead and then another prove for another hour or so. (It was a cool day)

For shaping both kinds of rolls. I divided the dough into 8. Flatten quickly, then pulled the corners into the middle, with the idea of trapping as much air as possible. Flipped it over and gently tightened it all by using a pushing action going under the roll and spinning it around. On to tray and used the wonderful little stamp dipped in a little vegetable oil.

Baked at 240C with lots of steam.

Second go, and I didn’t bother with the yeasted ones, life is a whole lot nicer with sourdough. The same ingredients and quantities as the first batch but this time substituting 100g of the flour for semolina. This using a little rye flour with the stamp on top to hopefully stop the bread for joining again after using the stamp.

Any difference between the oil and rye with the stamp formation? Not noticeably. Some of the bread rolls had joined a little and some kept the perfect markings. With the addition of the semolina, I’m not sure yet. I think I’ll keep tweaking the semolina and bakers flour ratio though.

second batch with semolina

Anyone else willing to heed the call of the rosetta?…Or simply have a salsa dancer with a funny itch of an idea?

This post submitted to yeastspotting.

enthusiasm…

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I gave a friend a sourdough lesson the other day. I think it went quite well. Actually I think it went really well.

Not because of my untold clear teaching techniques, (nope, not at all) but because she had enthusiasm, and later that night when her first made loaf came out of the oven, that enthusiasm was still there. Bundles of it.

It was impossible not to get caught up in her enthusiasm. Enthusiasm, for wanting to completely change around her families eating habits. Wanting to make things from scratch, away with packets, and also embracing the sourdough. Jumping all in as she had only made three loaves of bread before and then deciding that she wanted to give sourdough a crack.

It’s so wonderful to find like minded people who think along a similar way regarding food, you can stop being the odd one out for a while and that’s… lovely.

I think I had subconsciously started to tone things down a bit, even here on the blog. Did people really want to hear over and over that if you make something from scratch it tastes better. That it makes so much more sense to eat seasonally. To know where your food comes from, to get to know what was going in to your kids bodies and how to cook that food. Not Michelin starred restaurant style food but good honest, eat it everyday kind of cooking. When someone is so enthusiastic about wanting to learn, and wanting to pass that knowledge on to their own children, it’s inspiring.

Really inspiring.

It reminded me that it is really important, this food journey that a lot of people are beginning to take on and the more people that shout it from the roof tops, (not in a jam it down your throat kind of way), but in a hey, I made this, and that makes me so freakin’ happy I can’t tell you... well I think it’s worth it.

Food should be so much more than something that gets squashed together in a factory, popped in some plastic and a box, and then to be selected from a supermarket shelf. I understand convenience, and I understand lack of time, but good food shouldn’t have to mean hours and hours in a kitchen. Good food can be as simple as good core ingredients. Great core ingredients even. Back yard tomatoes, a little local goat cheese, a drizzle of awesome olive oil, a grind of black pepper and a chunk of crusty bread.

Simple. Tasty. Healthy.

The more people start to question where their food is coming from, finding out what it is exactly on their plates, and getting excited about cooking, the more things will change for the better.

If someone does this with bubbling enthusiasm, a skip in their step and love in their heart…well I think I want to be a part of that.

Strawberries in Lemon

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Some delicious strawberries are starting to hit my kitchen bench. Just briefly.

Briefly as The Monkeys like to wrestle them out of my hands and flick them into the mouths quicker than you can say… hey, I was going to eat that.

I hid two punnets at the back of the fridge. It was the only way I was going to get this dessert out.

Strawberries in Lemon

2 punnets of strawberries (minus maybe a few…. they looked good to me too)

3 tbls raw sugar

3 tbls lemon juice

Let it sit for about an hour, letting all those juices think about things a while. Then put on the table with a flourish…. look what I just found at the back of the fridge!

*For an adult version swap the lemon juice for a sweet white wine.

* For Sydney-siders locally grown strawberries are coming in soon, so keep a look out at your friendly local farmers markets.

in my kitchen…

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There has been a flurry of activity in my kitchen lately. Dishes are stacking up, ideas are being scribbled down, the floor is strewn with flour, and the cupboards have mysterious small grubby hand prints on them…

In my kitchen, is a cooling tray of gingerbread men, all ready to be bundled together for a little girl’s birthday.

In my kitchen is a waiting patiently gnome fairy that needs a new home for the same little girl’s birthday. The wings are a little shonky, but I’m hoping she won’t be scrutinising.

In my kitchen, is a whole heap of sourdough action. Portions of Suzie are being sent all over the neighbourhood, with less than satisfactory instructions of what to do with her (from my part.) Fingers crossed for everyone involved. May the sourdough gods be generous to all her new followers.

In my kitchen is some slashing practise after reading Zeb Bakes’ very informative post. The thing is, I got nervous. I was about to start and I hesitated… I stalled….oh the pressure! I don’t usually think so much about the technique, so hesitating made it pull a little. Mr Chocolate said that looks really good, which was nice, but it wasn’t the look I was aiming for though. There will be a whole lot more slashing practising from now on.

In my kitchen is the new ‘Feast’ magazine from SBS. I don’t get any magazines except for our gifted Sanctuary subscription, and I don’t watch so many cooking shows these days, but the magazine combines all that is wonderful from SBS, food, different cultures, and great articles in the one  magazine. Loving it. Especially as there is a roti canai recipe in there that looks completely do-able, and so far the old roti has eluded me.

In my kitchen is a bowl full of my dad’s back yard limes, whispering words of marmalade, cake, and juice to me….

*******

What’s happening in your kitchen?

* The lovely Celia does a monthly round up of all things wonderful happening in her kitchen. Pop on over to see what’s happening in her kitchen for this August.

strawberries and cream birthday cake

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He had said he wanted strawberries on it…and cream. Oh, and licorice.

Anything else little fella? 

Strawberries, cream and licorice cake please!

It was Little Monkey’s birthday and the food requests had come in. The other food to be eaten were minor details, the cake was where it was at.

Happy to oblige, I had an image in my head, and just hoped that I could cut the picture out of my mind and transpose it to a cake plate.

Basic cake recipe I used the same as the Pink Cupcakes, but doubled the recipe and baked it in a large spring form pan. The yogurt in it, really does give the cake a lasting quality, that seems to only taste better in the next few days, not going stale at all.

Cake was then sliced in half when cold, spreading bottom layer with some Summer Loving Jam, and half half mixture of home made vanilla bean mascarpone, and whipped cream.

Top layer on, and a thin crumb layer of the mascarpone mixture goes over all the cake, then smoothing over the final layer. Place strips of licorice and line up  strawberries.

Next, candles lit and birthday presents safely clutched in small fingers. Line up birthday diners, for an enthusiastic chorus of Happy Birthday.

Happy Birthday Little Monkey.

reassurred…

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Not particularly assured when seeing a small slug casually amble out of the kitchen sink after washing spinach for dinner and then using it all in the cooking… Did you have a friend oh slug, did you?…did you?

Reassured to find there wasn’t a whole lot of guilt at all about opening up a friends packet of marzipan chocolate she had given me, propping it up on my chest, while laying down to read awhile, before the afternoon rush… Was rather lovely actually.

Feeling far from assured when listening to someone make comments to you that feel less than polite, to smile awkwardly, walk away and wonder how people can be so rude and thoughtless…

Reassured, when Little Monkey rides his much anticipated first horse and then falls off after it bolts when a kid behind it waves a huge stick, has one minute of a cuddle and then gets back on…. Heart. In. Mouth. (Double. Hip. Spica. Cast!)

Not at all assured the first time I cut into a blood orange when I was a teenager. There was obviously something really wrong with it… Thank I goodness I learnt the ways of the blood orange…Happy blood orange season.

Reassured to find that the Goat Curry I had made was a really big pot full and would feed us for several days, and it was delicious…now, if only The Monkeys thought so.

*******

What have you been reassured by lately?

Goat Curry

In a large pot add

a good slurp of vegetable oil and your spices

2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp coriander

2 tsp brown mustard seeds

1 tsp cardamom

1 large knob of fresh diced ginger

1 large diced onion

Fry until fragrant for a few minutes and then add your goat meat, (I used 2 shanks, as I didn’t want it particularly meaty). Fry until meat is well coated.

Then add 800mls canned tomatoes, and rinse then can out with another 400mls of water. Then add a large diced eggplant, ( or other vegetables). A small handful of kaffir lime leaves. Cover and simmer for about an hour.

Then add 400mls of coconut milk, season to taste and simmer for a further hour or so. Or until meat comes away from the bone, (or if using regular diced meat, until it becomes soft and tender.)

Serve with basmati rice and a dollop of natural yogurt.

little brothers

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Little brothers are for

teasing

laughing with

talking to

wrapping up in boxes

sending boxes to

having long phone coversations with

asking for help in sticky situations

wrestling

 admiring

and most of all…

loving them

because they’re not afraid of anything

and that’s your brother

********

I’m lucky enough to have my own little brothers, and for my boys to be little brothers.

Apple and Oat Bread

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I quite like the process of trying to work out what to put in a new bread every few weeks.

There are the regulars of course, like a well worn pair of slippers that I know how to just slip on. Making it is straight forward, I can easily do it with out that much thought behind it, and I know for the most part how it’s going to taste (sourdough does like to keep me on my toes a little though.) When I’m fiddling with different flavours though, I like the balancing act, the unknown factor…

It’s a bit like ordering from a menu in a foreign language. You think you get the idea of what it will taste like, and what it is that you might be ordering but there is always that element of surprise just waiting to be brought to the table.

Now in the past, I had played with using fresh apples a few times. I had cooked them beforehand, thinly sliced them, made them into chunks, grated them, but I think I’ve decided I like finely diced the most. You still get the apple-y taste, without it getting soggy and overly all apple. Grating the apple, while I like the moistness it gives to the loaf, I do find by doing this it loses the flavour a bit. So diced it was for this one, add some soaked oats, a little spice and we are away…

 Apple and Oat Bread

200g starter

100g finely diced apple

425g bakers flour

100g whole oats

50mls hot water

200mls water

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp coriander

1 tsp salt

Soak oats in the hot water until they plump up. Add all ingredients except salt. Mix well, let if it rest for about 40 minutes, add the salt mix again.

Proof for awhile, quick knead, proof, shape, proof. Bake at 240C with steam.

This post submitted to yeastspotting.

Lemon and Rhubarb Pie

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Tarty. Very tarty.

Not in a fishnets, leather and red stilhetto kind of way. More eye squinty, and lip smackable. Just the way I like it.

When I cook, I usually have someone in mind, with whom I’m trying to appeal to their taste buds. Fried rice, with all the vegetables raw and lined up on the side, that would be The Monkeys. Pasta after a really busy day at work, with floating double smoked bacon, followed by two blocks of his favourite chocolate? Well clearly that would be Mr Chocolate.

This time around though, and it was all about my taste buds. I had pie on my mind, rhubarb in the fridge and a bench full of backyard lemons that were all yelling one thing to me. Make me into something delicious!

So I did. Something for me and my tastebuds. A little selfish? Oh hell no. They get enough Monkey friendly, Mr Chocolate friendly things to eat. Of course they were more than welcome to eat the tarty fruity pie in front of them, and if they didn’t like it… well, not much of tragedy there really is there?

Little Monkey tried it. Monkey Boy tried it.

Both scoffed it down and would like another piece please. Oh…didn’t quite make it tarty enough now did I.

Mr Chocolate tried it, and did the eye squint I was expecting from him, yep, it’s good, but you know it’s not really my thing… thank goodness for that.

Now I just had to muscle the two kids out of the way for that last piece.

Lemon Rhubarb Pie

Pastry

200g cold cubed butter

300g plain flour

110g natural yogurt

50g sugar

1 tsp white vinegar

In a processor add flour, sugar and butter. Pulse until resembles bread crumbs. Tip into a bowl adding the remaining ingredients, mix together and then give a quick  knead on a lightly floured surface then cover and pop into the fridge.

Rhubarb

1 bunch of rhubarb

100g sugar

Trim edges, and cut into equal lengths, pop in a pot with the sugar over a medium heat, and cook until rhubarb has disolved to rhubarby mush. Put aside.

Lemon mixture

100mls lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbls cornflour

100mls water

Mix cornflour and water together, then add to remaining ingredients in a pot. Whisk over a medium heat until mixture thickens.

Roll out your pastry on to lightly floured bench, and then line a greased pie dish with it. Layer the lemon mixture on, then the rhubarb. Roll out a second pastry top and slit it, gently pulling it sideways to open up a little. Press down the edges and bake at 180C for about 50minutes.