Monday 31 October 2011

Pickled Prawns / Pesto Frittata Bites / Freeze Chicken Stock in Ice Cube Trays



Blog Post & Recipe: Pickled Shrimp


Essentially, then, this recipe boils down to one simple step: "Throw all the ingredients in a jar and chill overnight." Easy, peasy!


Blog Post & Recipe: Pesto Frittata Bites


I was asked to bring an egg dish, which usually means a frittata. But when you go to brunch at the home of the hostess with the mostess plus, you best bring something real nice. So I went all fancy on you: I tucked my frittata recipe into mini-muffin cups.


Blog Post & Recipe: Weekend Project: Freeze Chicken Stock in Ice Cube Trays


When ready, crack the ice cubes into a large bowl, and then transfer to a zip-lock bags. Each ice cube equals about one ounce of liquid. If they seem to stick together, carefully toss the bags on the counter — they should easily break back into individual cubes.



Sunday 30 October 2011

Coconut Cake From Emily Dickinson / Acorn Spaetzle / 3 Chickpea Recipes



Blog Post & Recipe: A Coconut Cake From Emily Dickinson: Reclusive Poet, Passionate Baker


This week, the Poet's House in New York City put on exhibit an original manuscript of a Dickinson cake recipe that contained coconut.


Blog Post & Recipe: Acorn Spaetzle


This is a pretty standard recipe for spaetzle, only I add some acorn flour to the mix to make them earthier, nuttier and generally more rustic; I think they go better with wild game that way. While there are a few online sources for acorn flour, you pretty much have to make it yourself — here are instructions on how to make acorn flour.


Blog Post & Recipe: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's chickpea recipes


When you're cooking your own, soak them overnight in a generous amount of cold water. Next day, drain and put them in a large pan with fresh water (don't add salt at this stage, as it makes the skins tough) and bring to a simmer, skimming off any scum that rises to the top. Cook for about two hours, until they're very soft, then leave to cool in the cooking water

Chickpea stew with lamb meatballs ... Chickpea and pumpkin salad ... Herby chickpea pancakes



Saturday 29 October 2011

Toasty Pumpkin Chickpea Fritters / Achari Paneer Tikka – Skewered Indian Cheese With Pickling Spices / Tauge Goreng



Blog Post & Recipe: Toasty Pumpkin Chickpea Fritters!


A light, crisp layer of panko breadcrumbs coat a cozy fall-inspired filling of mashed chickpeas, rich golden pumpkin, nutty hemp seeds, garlic, a hint of maple and a splash of bright cider vinegar.


Blog Post & Recipe: Achari Paneer Tikka – Skewered Indian Cheese With Pickling Spices


Achari comes from the word “Achaar” which means pickle in Hindi. Tikka is any kind of boneless meat or vegetables baked or roasted on skewers ... Paneer complements the strong flavors of the spice mix perfectly but you can use lamb, chicken or shrimp.


Blog Post & Recipe: Tauge Goreng


Humble, yet delicious, easy and quick to make. No wonder is popular in Indonesia and SE Asian country. Every household seems to have their own version. Some recipe add prawns, some add tofu and tempe, or simply nothing other then mung bean sprouts itself as a star. This is my version of tauge goreng, I always serve it with hot steaming Japanese, or Jasmine rice, no other side dish needed.



Friday 28 October 2011

Eggplant Parmesan Sliders / Mussel Conchiglie / How to Cook Perfect Welsh Rarebit



Blog Post & Recipe: Eggplant Parmesan Sliders


Top off the patties with homemade tomato sauce and a slice of fresh, melted mozzarella


Blog Post & Recipe: Mussel Conchiglie


Despite the cream, it tastes light and fresh but luxurious too. The shells are very good at scooping up the sauce and hiding mussels within them. Of course I had to put my own spin on it and add some lemon zest for some citrus flavour that I find essential with seafood.


Blog Post & Recipe: How to cook perfect welsh rarebit


Most rarebit recipes, with the exception of Nigel Slater's quick version, loosen the cheese with a liquid: milk or ale, in Jane Grigson's version; cider for Cheese Society; port for Mrs Beeton; or stout, which comes with the weighty recommendations of both Mark Hix and the Bareham / Hopkinson team.



Thursday 27 October 2011

Toad-in-the-Hole / Korean Kimchi Stew / Mushroom & Beetroot Frittata



Blog Post & Recipe: Classic English Toad-in-the-Hole


I first posted a recipe for Toad in the Hole back in 2003. I wasn't quite satisfied with that recipe, and based on feedback from readers and a bit more experimentation, recently updated the recipe.


Blog Post & Recipe: Korean Kimchi Stew


I first came across Soondoobu Jiggae (or, soft tofu stew to me and you) at Koba, on Charlotte Place. A bubbling stew in a hot stone pot, it as packed with little clams, silky soft tofu and the punchy heat of kimchi. Further exploration with my chopsticks revealed a perfectly poached egg in the broth.


Blog Post & Recipe: Mushroom and beetroot frittata


Frittatas are easy-peasy, weeknight food. Something you can make in one pan, cram full of vegetables and top with whatever is in the fridge. Nutritionally this particular frittata combines antioxidant rich beetroot, with B vitamin and antioxidant containing mushrooms, plus protein packed eggs. I topped the frittata with a dairy free kind of pesto, made from coriander, miso, garlic and walnuts.



Wednesday 26 October 2011

What to Save & Freeze for Stocks / Roast Butternut Squash & Chickpeas / Gnocchi di Pane e Prugne (Bread Gnocchi with Prunes)



Blog Post: Stockpiling Your Scraps: What to Save & Freeze for Stocks


• Bones and carcasses ... Vegetable & herb scraps ... Seafood shells & bones ... Cheese rinds


Blog Post & Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash & Chickpeas


This recipe is reminiscent of chana masala, a savory dish of stewed chickpeas with spices and tomatoes. For a fall version, butternut squash has been added, pre-cooked by roasting pieces in the oven with spices.


Blog Post & Recipe: Gnocchi di Pane e Prugne (bread gnocchi w/ prunes)


This recipe is from the far north of Italy in the region of Trentino-Alto Ridge where the influence of Austro-Tyrolean food is prevalent. Some staples in their diet are wurst, cabbage, potatoes, apples, butter, polenta & dumplings. Yes this is Italy! These little bread gnocchi are called Knodeln which is a German word referring to a bread dumpling.



Tuesday 25 October 2011

Pickled Cabbage Rolls with Mushroom & Brown Rice Stuffing / Beetroot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting / Chicken Katsu Don



Blog Post & Recipe: Pickled Cabbage Rolls with Mushroom and Brown Rice Stuffing


This is the vegan version of the Romanian traditional dish "sarmale" which usually contains ground pork/beef meat.


Blog Post & Recipe: Beetroot cake with cream cheese frosting


The recipe is based on Joanne Chang’s classic carrot cake recipe from Flour. If you don’t like beetroot, make it with carrot, and be sure to make it in your favourite baking pan.


Blog Post & Recipe: Chicken Katsu Don


My mom always make Chicken Katsu with chicken tenders so that’s how I make it, but you can use chicken breasts or thighs. If you use chicken breasts, make sure to cut each piece thin so it will cook faster ... Even though you don’t like deep frying, shallow deep frying is less scary and the easiest way to deep fry.



Monday 24 October 2011

Pumpkin Rice Noodles / Roasted Figs with Sage in Red Wine / Irish Ale Battered Fish & Chickpea Chips



Blog Post & Recipe: Pumpkin Rice Noodles


This pumpkin noodles with minced pork is one of my favorite noodle recipes. I love to order this at my favorite Taiwanese noodle house.


Blog Post & Recipe: Roasted Figs with Sage in Red Wine


To add to the earthy bite of roasted figs we snipped some fresh sage to the recipe. Wonderful, fragrant sage rounded off the roasted figs beautifully and the addition of some red wine really finished off the recipe perfectly.


Blog Post & Recipe: Irish Ale Battered Fish + Chickpea Chips


These chips are somewhat time-consuming upfront, but well worth the trouble. Totally delicious and marginally more healthy than potatoes because chickpeas are protein packed. In fact, you could make a meal out of the chickpea chips alone.



Sunday 23 October 2011

Bone Marrow Dumplings / 5 Quince Recipes / Roasted Blackfish with Olives and Sage



Article & Recipe: How to Cook the Rest of the Animal


From the section titled “Getting to the Marrow”

Marrow is more versatile than you might think. Apart from eating it straight from the bone, you can use it like you would any other fat, adding it to dumplings, hamburgers, and dessert. It is also an excellent fat for sautéing and frying.

How to choose ... How to prepare and cook ... Recipe: Bone Marrow Dumplings


Blog Post & Recipes: On the Savory Side: 5 Quince Recipes


Quince are too astringent and rather unpleasant to eat raw and their skins are quite tough and even waxy. But once you get beyond this, when cooked and baked, they're sheer bliss.

Fennel and Garlic-Crusted Pork Roast with Warm Quince and Apple Compote ... Rosemary Quince Glazed Chicken ... Slow-Roasted Leg of Lamb with Roasted Quince ... Spicy Quince and Apple Chutney ... Quince Skillet Tart with Savory Prosciutto Pastry


Blog Post & Recipe: Cook the Book: Roasted Blackfish with Olives and Sage


Instead of overpowering the delicate fish, the sage and olives do a wonderful job bringing out its oceanic sweetness with hints of brine and herbal green notes. The lemon lends that acid zip that every piece of fish benefits from and a sprinkling of hot chile at the end gives it a pleasantly warm top note.



Saturday 22 October 2011

Caribbean Bean Puree / Chicken in Beer / Smoky Eggplant & Lamb Pide



Blog Post & Recipe: Caribbean Bean Puree


The ingredient list for this recipe may seem a little strange. Black beans and bananas? You are just going to have to trust me on this one.


Recipe: Chicken in beer


Takes about 2 hours to prepare, but well worth it. The flavors are deep and substantial. I added more carrots than the original recipe called for, but I like eating them – they were saturated and drenched in the cooking juices.


Blog Post & Recipe: Smoky Aubergine and Lamb Pide


Pide are rather similar to lamacun* and are apparently sold on every street corner in their homeland. I topped mine with aubergine (which I blackened on the gas hob before scooping out the smoky flesh); lamb, minced; spices like coriander, cumin and cinnamon; onion, garlic and a little tomato.



Friday 21 October 2011

Raw Butternut Pumpkin with White Wine Mushroom & Sage / Briam / One Pot Roast Beef



Blog Post & Recipe: Butternut Squash with White Wine Mushroom and Sage


But did you know that butternut squash is amazing raw? I think it taste better than cooked.


Blog Post & Recipe: The Briam


This is a main dish that can be served both straight out of the oven but also at room temperature. It is actually preferred to be eaten the next day as the flavors become fuller and deeper overnight.

Briam (Greek Baked Vegetables)


Blog Post & Recipe: One Pot Roast Beef


I’ve made a roast beef before, but this one is special because you can just throw everything in a pot and let it go – no searing, no marinade, no rub – just a simple dish of perfectly cooked roast beef and lots of veggies that absorb all of the flavor of the garlic, rosemary, and, of course, butter. Kramer and I ate this all week, so it’s a great dish to cook on Sunday and use throughout the week.



Thursday 20 October 2011

Roast Tomato Soup / Pickled Jalapeño Peppers + Pickled Daikon / Roast Jerusalem Artichokes with Hazelnut Gremolata



Blog Post & Recipe: Roasted Tomato Soup


I roasted the tomatoes with shallots and added thyme, because I’m on a tomatoes & thyme kick. But you could add any herb you’d like.


Blog Post & Recipe: A Peck of Pickled Peppers


Once you have determined the amount of liquid you will need, add that and the remaining ingredients to a pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour this mixture back over the peppers, screw on the lids, and refrigerate for a few days (or as long as you can wait)

Pickled Jalapeño Peppers ... Pickled Daikon


Recipe: Roasted sunchokes with hazelnut gremolata


This is a great technique for when sunchokes are in season. The insides are so tender it is almost creamy, while the edges are delightful bits of crispy goodness. Topping them off with the gremolata bring everything to life. The vibrant parsley and lemon with a bit of a punch from the garlic are wonderful with the toasty nuts.



Wednesday 19 October 2011

Peppers, Chillies & Calf’s Liver / Sour Noodles / Baba Ghanoush Soup



Recipe: Peppers, Chillies and Calf’s Liver


An easy stir fry of calf’s liver, red bell pepper, leeks, shallots and chillies.


Blog Post & Recipe: Sour Noodles


I set out to make a sour noodle after having a crazy sour broth at a Thai place last week. I dressed these noodles with a bunch of lime and a little sriracha and they came out sour and delicious.


Blog Post & Recipe: baba ghanoush soup + abundance


I love super garlicky baba ghanoush. It’s so flavourful and easy to make at home. This soup is no different. You kind of just roast everything off, combine the veg with some liquid and let it rip in the blender/food processor.



Tuesday 18 October 2011

Cauliflower Cream with Sausage & Green Capsicum / Stuffed Collard Wraps / Tongue Cured in Red Chile (Lengua Adovada)



Recipe: Cauliflower Cream with Sausage and Green Pepper


Fill ramekins with puree, top with peppers, sausage and chopped mozzarella. Bake for a few minutes (just until mozzarella melts) in a preheated oven on 180°/350°F.


Blog Post & Recipe: Superbly Stuffed Collard Wraps


Making collard wraps is quite simple. First you wash the leaves and pat them dry. Then, cut out most of the thick stem. Shmear your favorite spread on the leaf (I used my Thai Peanut Pumpkin Hummus) and pile on your toppings ...


Blog Post & Recipe: The Nasty Bits: Yak Tongue


Carne adovada translates roughly to "pickled meat," a vestige of days when pork was preserved in a mixture containing dried red chili powder and salt. In its modern version, the meat is smothered in a paste of dried red chili peppers, onions, garlic, and various spices. Dried red chili, that smoky-sweet powder so prevalent in the cuisine here, colors the paste bright-red and gives the mixture a rough, sandy quality. This red sludge will coat the meat and cook with the meat, so that after a two or three-hour period of braising, the scant liquid in the pan is thick-bodied and concentrated in flavor.

Tongue Cured in Red Chile (Lengua Adovada)



Monday 17 October 2011

Lamb & Pine Nut Sausage Rolls / Beetroot, Citrus & Ginger Juice / Curried Prawns with Cucumbers



Blog Post & Recipe: lamb and pine nut sausage rolls


prep time: 25 minutes
cook time: 40mins + cooling time (10-15mins)
makes 40 sausage rolls


Blog Post & Recipe: Beetroot, Citrus & Ginger Juice


It's hard to describe perfection, but imagine an earthy-sweet jewel coloured drink redolent with the mild flavour of beetroot as base with a few citrus-y top notes and a hit of sinus-clearing ginger to round it off.


Blog Post & Recipe: Curried Shrimp with Cucumbers


The shrimp and cucumber, which is cooked just beyond the tender-crisp stage, keeps things nice and light to balance out the rich coconut sauce. And you've got two options for the sauce. You can use a whole can of coconut to get a nice and soupy curry, which would saturate and flavor the bed of rice, or cut back to make things a less saucy.



Sunday 16 October 2011

Brioche / Stuffed Marrowbone / Beetroot Green & Bulgur Soup with Poached Eggs



Blog Post & Recipe: Brioche


If you're patient, in a few hours you can make brioche. You just need a teaspoon of yeast, a half dozen eggs and almost half a pound of butter along with the usual breadlike suspects.


Blog Post & Recipe: Stuffed marrowbone


Keep the bones you have so pain-stakingly cleaned for the next time - you can even put them in the dishwasher, leave them to dry thoroughly and store in a dry place - just like scallop shells


Blog Post & Recipe: Beet Green and Bulgur Soup with Poached Eggs


It's the egg, though, that really makes this soup. Poached in this satiny broth, the egg becomes extraordinarily creamy. When you break the yolk with your spoon, and the egg infuses the broth with its golden yellow goodness, it's an absolute revelation.



Saturday 15 October 2011

Peppery Oatcakes / Zucchini Soup with Garlic Toasts / Øllebrød med Æggesnaps – Rye Porridge with Creamed Egg Topping



Blog Post & Recipe: There's no Cheddar without an oatcake


However, my favourite was a small oatcake from the selection of Marks & Spencer that was speckled with coarsely ground black pepper.

Peppery oatcakes


Recipe: Zucchini Soup with Garlic Toasts


Here's a great soup for fall. It uses up some of those zucchini and is easy, fast and healthy. I just add wine and chicken broth and fresh chopped chives for added flavor.


Blog Post & Recipe: Øllebrød med Æggesnaps – Rye Porridge with Creamed Egg topping


It’s a dish that is great for using up the leftover end-pieces of Rye bread, but of course it doesn’t have to be leftover bread. It is high in fiber, low in fat and it has a slightly tart taste. It’s a solid meal which leaves you with a sensation of fullness and you often see it feed to babies.



Friday 14 October 2011

Braised Pork Belly with Caramel-Miso Glaze / Peanut Skins / Osso Busso with Quinoa



Blog Post & Recipe: Pork Belly


This is how I cook and this is how I think about cooking. Recipes are the tip of the iceberg—it’s what’s below surface of the recipes that makes cooking so exciting.

Braised Pork Belly with Caramel-Miso Glaze


Blog Post: What's Up with Peanut Skins?


But there seem to be benefits from eating peanut skins as well. Not only are they high in fiber, but they contain reservatrol, the same antioxidant that red wine is famous for, which is also an antimicrobial, and which in lab tests has been shown to lower blood sugar and may be an important weapon in the fight against cancer.

A more recent study in 2009 showed that roasting peanuts with their skin on actually increased the amount of antioxidants in peanuts.


Blog Post & Recipe: Crock Pot Osso Busso with Quinoa


You’ll want to use a larger Crock Pot for this dish, so that your shanks aren’t piled one on top of the other; while some overlap isn’t a problem, but ideally you’ll have them sitting side by side, flat on the bottom of the crock. If you don’t want to use a slow cooker, feel free to braise your shanks in a Dutch oven or other deep, heavy dish, in the oven at 200 degrees for 3 or 4 hours.



Thursday 13 October 2011

The Updated Noonday Reviver / Pumpkin Spice Latte / Okonomiyaki, Hiroshima Style



Blog Post & Recipe: Recipe Comix: The Updated Noonday Reviver


Our cast of characters / this time / consists of gin, stout and espresso.


Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Latte


Heat the pumpkin, sugar, and spices over medium heat for a few minutes, then add the milk and whisk until smooth and blended. Heat until the milk is simmering, then either pour into mugs, or, if you’re super fancy, blend for a few minutes until frothy.


Blog Post & Recipe: Okonomiyaki, Hiroshima Style


Recipes for okonomiyaki vary from region to region in Japan and there are two main styles of okonimiyaki the Osaka style where all of the ingredients are mixed up into a batter and cooked and the Hiroshima style where the ingredients are layered as the pancake cooks.



Wednesday 12 October 2011

Vegan Party Pies / Sushi Burrito / Miso Pig's Head



Blog Post & Recipe: Vegan Party Pies: Aussie "meat" pies for the footy


I couldn't guarantee Geelong would win. I decided I would at least succeed in making vegan party pies.


Blog Post & Recipe: Sushi Burrito


This is really just a sushi hand roll, but the burrito part is to encourage you not to see DIY sushi as difficult or requiring rules to be followed. There is virtually NOTHING that can not/should not be dropped into the middle of these rolls.


Blog Post & Recipe: the miso pig’s head


It’s basically an adaptation of the classic Izakaya staple motsu nikomi, a hearty stew of braised pigs tripe and vegetables in a rich miso broth, a dish that really highlights the natural affinity between offal and miso – Our take on it, using all the different tastes and textures of a pigs head lifts it to another level.



Tuesday 11 October 2011

Yaki Onigiri / Wild Rice Burgers / Basic Taco Meat Mix



Blog Post & Recipe: Yaki Onigiri


Some say that it’s the Japanese equivalent of a sandwich, well if that’s the case then the grilled version, yaki onigiri must be the equivalent of a toasted sandwich.


Blog Post & Recipe: Recipe: Wild Rice Burgers


The chewy texture of wild rice really lends itself to a burger, and we rounded out the nutty flavor with some sharp Asiago cheese and a hint of spice. To hold the burgers together, we used breadcrumbs and eggs.


Blog Post & Recipe: Basic taco meat mix


It’s hard to believe that I have never posted this really basic basic, but looking though my archives I have not. So here it is, a ‘taco meat’ mix that I make all the time in some quantity, freezing in portions. It can be used in tacos of course, as well as a sort of Western-tasting soboro to top rice. Try it in pita bread pockets too. I try to get as many vegetables as I can into the mix, making it almost an all-in-one type of recipe.



Monday 10 October 2011

Chicken & Egg on Rice / Braised Rabbit with Prunes / Baccalà Mantecato



Blog Post & Recipe: the chicken and egg situation


Its sinister translation literally means ’mother and child’ although we would prefer to describe it as simply chicken and egg on rice. There are many variations of this dish, this is an adaptation on the one we serve at Bincho


Blog Post & Recipe: Braised Rabbit with Prunes


Rabbit cooked with prunes is a classic French dish, known there as "lapin aux pruneaux". In this version we sear the rabbit pieces first in a little olive oil and butter, and then braise them in white wine with shallots, garlic, thyme, and prunes.


Blog Post & Recipe: Baccalà Mantecato


Upon further query it turned out to be salt cod, whipped up into a spread and gobsmackingly good. So smooth and creamy it was that I could have sworn it had some potato in, but part-owner Russell Norman told us no, it just requires emulsifying the cod with oil to make a smooth paste; labour-intensive but ultimately worth it..



Sunday 9 October 2011

Rosemary Roast Potatoes / Ginger & Fennel Granita / Avocado Cilantro Hummus



Blog Post & Recipe: Rosemary Roasties


They’re like a cross between chips and roast potatoes. No bad thing at all!


Blog Post & Recipe: Ginger & Fennel Granita


It has lovely heat from ginger with the light aniseed flavours of fennel seeds and a mild golden hue which makes it truly Indian!


Blog Post & recipe: Avocado Cilantro Hummus


I decided to combine my favorite food in the world… guacamole…. with some garbanzo beans and make a Avocado Cilantro Hummus ... After dipping some pita in it for a little snack, I shmeared it on a tortilla and then threw on some chopped grilled chicken, red onions and raw corn to make a little chicken guacamumus wrap.



Saturday 8 October 2011

Roast Grapes / Sopa de Ajo {Garlic Soup} / Crispy Fried Tofu with Sweet Chile Sauce



Blog Post & Recipe: Roasted Grapes


Carefully toss grapes with olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Roast for 10 minutes


Blog Post & Recipe: Sopa de Ajo {Garlic Soup}


Place oil, onion, and garlic in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for ~6 hours or until garlic is golden and tender.


Blog Post & Recipe: Crispy Fried Tofu with Sweet Chille Sauce


The Tofu is beautifully crispy, thanks to that crunchy coating ,before melting into your mouth with its softness. And that sauce, for all its simplicity, is extremely addictive. Sweet with a mild heat to it and plays a perfect partner to these cubed beauties.



Friday 7 October 2011

Fava Bean Puree / Greek-Style Lamb Burgers / Chorizo & White Bean Soup with Queso Fresco



Blog Post & Recipe: Fava Bean Puree, Pat and "The Chew"


No, this isn't hummus. It's what you might call the Italian equivalent though - fava bean puree, made with dried fava beans.


Blog Post & Recipe: Greek-Style Lamb Burgers


If you like Greek food, you'll love these warm toasted pitas stuffed with flavorful ground lamb patties, tzatziki, feta and fresh vegetables


Blog Post & Recipe: Chorizo & White Bean Soup with Queso Fresco


The chorizo flavored the broth with its spicy smoky flavor and made me really happy. I made a big pot and froze it in serving-size containers, so each time I made it I experimented with toppings. I tried grated mozzarella with a sprinkle of minced Italian parsley, which was good. But the dollops of salty, crumbly Queso Fresco cheese with minced cilantro and basil sprinkled over the top was the best.



Thursday 6 October 2011

Beetroot with Shallots & Herb Butter / Slow Roast Whole Celeriac with Salt Crust / Guavas Poached in Vanilla Syrup with Star Anise



Blog Post & Recipe: Beetrooted bliss


Here the fragrant creaminess of herb butter and the savoury moreish-ness of melting charred onion acts as a delicious smokescreen for discovering the real star of the show.

Beetroot with shallots and herb butter


Blog Post & Recipe: Recipe: Trina Hahnemann’s Slow Roast Whole Celeriac with Salt Crust


Preperation time for this is 5 minutes, tops. Clean your celeriac and cut off only the most grizzly bits. Leave the skin on, it’s delicious, nutritious and gives the crust great texture.


Blog Post & Recipe: guavas poached in vanilla syrup with star anise


I made a sugar syrup with 2 cups water and 3/4 of a cup of sugar and brought this to the boil adding a split and scraped vanilla pod and 3 star anise pods. I didn’t bother peeling the fruit, just sliced off the ends, and added this to the syrup allowing it to gently simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes.



Wednesday 5 October 2011

Stubby Beans / Ginger Tea / Tagine-Style Lamb Stew



Blog Post & Recipe: Cookbook : The Good Table by Valentine Warner Featuring Stubby Beans


The first recipe that grabbed me enough to try was Stubby Beans, this is Valentine’s preferred take on Baked Beans using “the stump” of the pig – the hock.


Blog Post & Recipe: ginger tea


There are better ways of doing it no doubt, but here's what I do: grate a little pile of the stuff, a palmful or so depending on how many need it, then steep in boiling water (a small teapot is best) for 3 minutes.


Blog Post & Recipe: John Willoughby's Tagine-Style Lamb Stew


There's lamb shoulder and butter and onion. There is a trio of warm spices (cumin, coriander, cinnamon) and apricot jam and red wine vinegar and garlic. There are chickpeas and red pepper flakes, prunes and parsley. In short, this stew holds everything but the kitchen sink.



Tuesday 4 October 2011

Browned Sardines / Roasted Cauliflower / Spanish Chilindron Stew



Blog Post & Recipe: Turning a humble can of sardines into an epicurean delight


I heat up the fish with a little butter then add sliced onions and minced garlic during the last 30 seconds (with no stirring so as not to break up the fish) so that the onion slices are still lightly crisp when the sardines are served.


Blog Post & Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower


Cut cauliflower cooks faster and there’s a lot more surface that gets browned (it’s what I do when I forget to start the whole cauliflower in time). But cooking it whole is easier, and it looks so cool while it’s roasting and does make a tantalizing presentation at the table.


Blog Post & Recipe: Spanish Chilindron Stew


It is rich, woodsy, and bright, a perfect combination of the “red food” many of us crave (spaghetti sauce, chili, etc – think about the colors in your favorite foods and you’ll find many of them are reddish) with the slightly austere, piney flavors that mark European wild game cooking ... As for what meat to use ... There is no reason you cannot toss in whatever you like.



Monday 3 October 2011

Portobello Mushroom Escalopes / Soften Brown Sugar Without a Microwave / Peel a Head of Garlic in Less Than 10 Seconds



Recipe: Portobello Mushroom Escalopes


Serve with polenta, or potatoes, or cous cous, or even in a bun as a veggie burger.


Blog Post & Recipe: How To Soften Brown Sugar Without a Microwave


As you can see, the sugar softened to the point where I could mash it easily with a fork. (It took just a few minutes.)


Video: VIDEO: How to Peel a Head of Garlic in Less Than 10 Seconds


Todd Coleman shows us an amazing trick for peeling an entire head of garlic in less than 10 seconds — no acrid fingernails, no knife required.



Sunday 2 October 2011

Garlic-Roasted Butternut Pumpkin / Creamy Dilled Foil-Packet Fish / Sweet Potato With A Poached Egg & Tangy Arugula Sauc



Blog Post & Recipe: garlic roasted butternut squash [ via ]


Tip: roasted cauliflower is made the exact same way and is a great pairing with the squash. Decrease the cooking time to 25 to 30 minutes.


Blog Post & Recipe: Creamy Dilled Foil-Packet Fish


Main dish in 20 minutes! ... The concoction that gets smeared on these fish fillets plus baking them in foil packets makes them tender, creamy, and full of flavor. Plus it's low in starch, if you're into that kind of thing.


Blog Post & Recipe: Sweet Potato With A Poached Egg & Tangy Arugula Sauce


I also find myself wishing more restaurants made tasty and healthier veggie variations on the classic poached egg meal. So, I’m constantly racking my brain for creative ideas on how to put a tasty twist on it. I’ve made it with an artichoke heart as the base with a red pepper aioli, and I’ve made it with avocado, sauteed tomatoes and shallots and a Greek yogurt hollandaise sauce. My most recent preparation, and perhaps my new favorite, was inspired by a ton of leftover arugula in my refrigerator.



Saturday 1 October 2011

Gaji Bokkeum (Stir-fried Eggplants) / Battered Fish / Parsnip & Cocoa Nib Cake



Recipe: Gaji Bokkeum (Stir-fried Eggplants)


Here, the eggplants are stir fried with simple seasonings, and the gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) adds a nice kick to the tender eggplants.


Article & Recipe: How to cook perfect battered fish


I rapidly graduated to the haddock, when it dawned on me that, with fish and chips, the fish, if fresh and well-cooked, is largely irrelevant, a mere supporting actor to the star of the show, its crispy coating.


Blog Post & Recipe: Parsnip and cocoa nib cake


To further feed the cliche, creating cake of a parsnip inclination turns out to be as simple as taking your favourite banana bread or cake recipe and substituting an equal amount of mashed parsnip for the banana component.