GourmetGirlfriend

Are we there yet?

2012-02-27T10:46:00.001+11:00

We are but a few weeks back in to the new school year & I am already asking when the holidays are.

You know I'm not a big fan of the whole school routine.

It is exhaustipating.

I don't mind making the lunches- in fact I quite like coming up with yumminess for them & I find it kind of therapeutic standing at the bench getting the food ready.

It's the alarm clock I hate.

Like.....really really hate!

And I would really like to know why haven't we invented the 4 day work week yet?

Two day weekends are so not long enough...I mean come on!

I would really like to be doing way more of this....

I usually put the uniforms in the machine in a panic on Sunday night in a kind of 'Where did the weekend go?' type haze......

The whole routine thing & me are not friends.

I keep asking 'Are we there yet?'

Anyway I'm ready for a break & I am SUPER DOOPER excited to be heading with the family to Womad in a couple of weeks time.

So much fabulousness.

You know we love music......A LOT.

And this is a great family friendly music event. Our lads are VERY VERY excited!

It will be a quick break but sometimes that is all you need to give you a bit of a pep in your step.

Are you exhaustipated already too?

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S BROCCOLI, PEA & DILL SOUP:

Some soups are the ultimate fast food.

This is one of them. It is so great to have quick soups when you feel tired. They are easy to make & give you a bit of an energy boost.

This recipe doesn't require long cooking times & can easily be made in one pot and blitzed with a stick mixer.

It is super tasty and is delicious served hot with good Sourdough bread & butter or as a chilled soup- like a Gazpacho. If doing that serve it with some finely cubed cucumber on top as a garnish. Super yum.

Do you love Dill as much as me?

I LOVE it.....but I know it is one of those herbs that some people really don't like.

And I think it goes really well in this soup.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1 onion
1 head of broccoli cut into florets (don't waste the stem- cut that up too!)
1 clove garlic
1 bunch dill (set a little aside to garnish)
1/2 packet frozen peas
sour cream
vegetable stock (about 2 cups)
1 tblspoon Extra virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

METHOD:

Heat a saucepan to medium heat and add the EVOO.

Add onion & garlic, fry till translucent.

Add broccoli & peas.

Add the vegetable stock till it just covers the veg.

Bring to the boil & turn down to a simmer for about 10 minutes or until broccoli is cooked through.

At this point add the bunch of dill & blitz with a stick mixer till liquidized.

Serve with a dollop of Sour Cream & some chopped dill.

I am really looking forward to seeing First Aid Kit at Womad.... this track is from their latest album:

50 years of LOVE.

2012-02-17T14:14:00.001+11:00

In January my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

FIFTIETH!!!!!!

That is half a century!

Not bad eh?!

Worthy of a party.

A BIG party.

Man oh man that is an amazing achievement in anyones books.

Sometimes life is hard yakka and in a marriage there is always someone else to consider.

And then there are the five children they had that were also VERY much there as well.

They had their troubles and most of us kids had our troubles with them too at some stage or another.

I have been living with my husband for nearly 25 years and totally get how marriage is not easy.

Most of my memories of their union are joyful, happy & loving.

No marriage is fun - ALL the time.

All marriages require work, require attention, require negotiation.

Sometimes we are better it than other times.

Sometimes it feels easy.

Sometimes it feels really really hard.

Sometimes happiness comes with sadness.

Sometimes loving someone doesn't mean you like them all the time.

I don't reckon it is REAL if it is not like that.

But what I see in my parents marriage is:

50 years of friendship.

50 years of love.

50 years of respect.

50 years of family.

50 years of living life with passion.

They have been and continue to be inspirational people who at the heart of everything they do is LOVE.

In January we helped them celebrate this HUGE achievement.

FIFTY years together.

Their five kids.

Many many of their friends- new & old.

There were lots of people.

Young & old.

All different.

All unified by their love of my Mum & Dad.

The guests were asked to write a short passage of something they loved about them.

It was fantastic.

Us kids took turns in reading out these messages.

Some anonymous.

Some not.

Some whimsical.

Some serious.

All loving.

It was a great party.

Food.

People.

Music.

and a whole load of that magic ingredient.....

L O V E.

HUGE congratulations to you both.

I love you.

xxx

MY BROTHER'S FAMOUS CHICKEN LIVER PATE:
One of my brother's was a chef. He has since changed career.
He trained under the very gorgeous Maggie Beer.
She is EVERY bit as lovely in real life as she seems.
You may well have bought her fabulous pate.
Well.......my brother made his famous pate recipe (this is not Maggie's recipe but my brothers own) for the party- it was A HUGE hit.
It always is.
Many of the people at the party have asked for the recipe.
I hope it becomes one of those dishes that when eaten conjures happy memories of a fabulous celebration.
Food is great like that isn't it. Reminding of us significant events.
Like me- my brother LOVES to share.
He was more than happy to have me publish his recipe for you all to enjoy.
I made it a couple of weeks ago using Milawa organic Chicken livers. It was D I V I N E!!!!!
And very very simple! go on give it a go. You won't regret it.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1 large onion
1 garlic
Bay leaf, salt, pepper, nutmeg, crushed cloves,juniper berries, some green herbs like thyme and parsely
1 – 1½ cupsred wine
250g butter
300g chicken liver

METHOD:
1. Sauté onion garlic andherbs and spices - on medium heat until translucent

2. Add red wine, simmer for a few minutes

3. Add butter and allow just to melt

4. Blend all this up in vitamiser or food processor – take out the bay leaffirst! Do this while it is stillfairly hot – so you will have to be extra careful not to burn yourself

5. Add liver and blend until all smooth. Adding these while the onions and wine is still hot ensuresmore even cooking.

6. Put into cooking dishes – oven proof bowls or terrine dish

7. Put in double boiler: cover dishes with foil, put in oven tray with akettle of boiling water and covertray with foil.

8. Cook in moderate oven 150 -170º, for 30 minutes or so. Just to barely cook the pate, leavingit pink inside.

9. Refrigerate.

10. Once cold, cover with a thinlayer of barely melted butter and cracked pepper; or as Maggie Beer does, withaspic and juniper berries.

Note this does not have a very long fridge life: approx. one week

I'll let Nina weave her magic with this one:

Wearing my Teflon Coat

2012-02-13T11:58:00.001+11:00

Last week saw the beginning for school for my Number 4.

He hopped into his school uniform with the excitement that comes for the beginners.

It is either that or anxiety.

Number 4 has been waiting and waiting for the day.

And so it came.......

And so off he went.......

Another one.

It makes me a mix of happy & sad.

Happy for him at all that is ahead.

Sad for me that it signals the beginning of the next part of him growing up.

But I still have another with me.

So off we went alone.

Just the littlest & me.

Imagine!

That for me is something I have not been able to do for over 10 years.

Just me and ONE child.

It was liberating.

Back when I had only one child I was a beginner too.

Bound by my own stress & worry & nervousness that comes as a new parent.

Not able to just purely enjoy the moment.

Always thinking about sleep time, whether I had packed the right snacks etc etc.

Not anymore......those things don't worry me.

I know it works itself out.

So we went to Ikea and I felt free.

Free to enjoy.

Free to take time.

Free to just be.

Free to let my littlest run....

Let the judgers judge.

Let the grumps grump.

Let the brows crease as people look at me letting my child climb & run.

He is doing no harm.

He is being a child.

He is still able to enjoy the freedom of living in the moment.

I will help him make that last as long as I can.

Much like I don't let the minutiae of parenting get to me anymore I have also learned to wear a teflon coat to protect me from the people who judge the way I parent.

Sometimes the teflon coat gets holes and I need to patch it up.

Sometimes I wish I had the quick responses to their barbs.

They always come later don't they....the comebacks.

Darn it.

Just once I wish I could deliver a line of awesomeness that silenced those judgers.

Never mind.

They're not really listening anyway.

MADHUR JAFFREY'S RED PEPPER CURRY (Lal Masale Wali Murghi):
This curry is a real long time fave- for most of my family. I know my sister cooks it fairly regularly too.
my kids and I love to try and say it's name really fast- tongue twister style.
My sister gave me my copy of Madhur Jaffrey's classic- 'Indian Cookery' way back in 1992! It is still going strong despite being well splashed with cooking ingredients.
This curry is from that book.
It is a great curry for kids as it is flavoursome but doesn't need to be hot- the chilli is optional and it tastes fab without it.
Madhur like Charmaine Solomon is one of the best recipe writers for curries out there I reckon. Both of their books have stood the test of time.
Don't be put off by the list of ingredients!
As long as you have a food processor it is a VERY simple recipe.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1 large chicken, jointed - or pieces of your liking. You will get a much tastier dish if you cook meat with bones.
2 onions
1 inch piece of ginger
4 cloves garlic
25g ground almond
350g red capsicum
2 teaspoons coriander
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chilli (optional)
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons oil
225ml water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper

METHOD:
If your spices are whole grind them (it really is worth roasting them gently before you do this to release more flavour).

Place onion, ginger, garlic, red capsicum (or pepper), almond meal, & all spices in the food processor and blitz till a paste.

Heat a heavy based saucepan to a medium heat & add oil.

Add the blitzed mix and fry gently. Stir until the oil starts to separate from the paste.

This will take about 10 minutes or so.

Put the chicken in and stir to coat all pieces.

Add water, lemon juice & black pepper.

Reduce heat and allow to simmer gently for an hour or so.

Serve with rice.

I love this song by Mick Harvey...it seems appropriate. What works for some doesn't for others....compassion and understanding are good things to remember.

Getting it right....

2012-01-31T13:05:00.001+11:00

As the Summer holidays draw to an end I always reflect on the holiday that has been.

Preparing myself mentally for the feeling of loss I have Every. Single. Time.

The loss of my constant companions.

I love the noise of the Summer holidays with my crew of five.

Listening to the slow drizzle of small humans into the lounge room in the morning to snuggle with each other on the couch to watch cartoons.

The same cartoons I snuggled on the couch to watch with my siblings all those years ago.

Easing into breakfast that is more like morning tea by the time the hunger calls them to the table.

Weet-Bix is devoured and so the day goes.......

Children around.

Mumma in the kitchen.

Meals driven by hunger....not by the clock and need to keep routines.

Pyjamas are the clothing of choice.

Bare feet.

Unmade beds.

Happiness.

And then WHOOSH.......

Just like that the house falls silent.

My Summer companions are back at school.

Every holidays I start with this nagging sense that because we have chosen to have a big family it means that I have to say 'No' to a lot of requests.

The disparity between the ages makes doing a lot of things really really hard.

Dragging the littlest around to activities that the older kids like is just asking for meltdown city.

It usually ends in tears. Mine mostly.

I have talked to another friend- who is a mumma of many- of this conflict.

The feeling that the big ones give up a lot because of the little ones.

I think about it a lot.

I have talked to my mum about it. Also an experienced mumma of many.

There is no denying the feelings are there.

What I looked for this holidays was what my lot gain by being in a family of many.

No matter our family- the size, the type, the way we parent- we all strive for this feeling of 'Getting it Right'.

We can't.

At least not all the time.

But we can try to give our kids the best we can.

And my kids genuinely enjoy being with each other.

On reflection of this Summer holiday just about to end...... I am happy that I have given my kids space, time & freedom to be.

To be a friend.

To be an explorer.

To be a thinker.

To be a scientist.

To be a musician.

To make mistakes.

To be a learner.

To be a cook.

To just be........

Perhaps they don't miss out on that much after all.

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S EDAMAME & TOFU:
Summer holidays and hungry tummies means dinner time comes & a mad scramble to satisfy the Hangriness (hungry= angry)!
This is a quicky but a goodie!
I always have a supply of frozen Edamame. And i usually have various types of Tofu around too.
This meal is perfect as I can get it to the table in the time it takes the rice to cook- 15 minutes!
It is super nutritious and soooooo good!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1 packet of frozen soybeans
1 packet of marinated spicy tofu (from Asian grocer- or substitute with firm tofu)
1 red chilli
4 cloves garlic
szechuan pickled veg - or I used fresh Wombok
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
oil

METHOD:
Heat a pan or wok to a high temp.
Add a tablespoon of oil.
Add cabbage and garlic & chilli.
Fry till fragrant & cabbage is soft.
Add edamame.
Stir till edamame is defrosted.
Add tofu.
Add oyster sauce, fish sauce and sugar.

Heat through and serve with fluffy rice.

There were a lot of ball games at our place over summer...mostly driveway or beach cricket but I love this song and we listened to a lot of Jim Noir this Summer so it seems perfect:

Decluttering

2012-01-18T11:25:00.000+11:00

Recently I spoke of my desire to make a few changes for myself this year.

One of my goals is to de-clutter.

I am aware that de-cluttering of my personal space will allow me to de-clutter my mind too.

Do you feel like me?

Are you overwhelmed by stuff?

Both physical stuff and mental stuff?

I know I am.

Whilst I LOVE all my bits & pieces and could NEVER EVER be a minimalist, I do see that a re-organisation of my physical space will allow me to reorganise my mind space too.

I need that.

I need to make some room in my head.

Some room for some quiet.

So when my lovely friend Bec invited me to join her in doing the 40 bag challenge I leapt at it.

I feel like I am going into rehab.

We are doing it together to keep each other honest.

I am sure we will have to have meetings too!

To support each other. They may or may not involve coffee & cake....

I like doing things like this with others.

Do you?

Do you want to join in?

We are starting in late February.

Let me know if you are in!

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S CARAMELISED CAPER CABBAGE:
Yesterday I had a cabbage love-in with Pip & Michelle about how much we LOVE cabbage!
I know this is not a universally held adoration. BUT us three would eat cabbage any ol' way. We LUBS it you see!
I made this recipe up last year & have made it quite a few times since.
My kids LOVE it too & ASK me to cook it for them! YAY!
I love it served with a crumbed Pork chop- because I love PORK & cabbage...a culinary marriage hard to beat.
But it is also great with fish, chicken or just on it's own! YUM.
I serve one wedge per person- so cut as many wedges as you have people.
1 wedge = 1/4 small cabbage.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1 head purple cabbage
1 orange (zest & juice)
3 tablespoons baby capers
3 tablespoons butter

METHOD:
Slice the cabbage into wedges- keep root intact to help cabbage keep it's shape.

In a pan melt half the butter till sizzling.

Add the capers and cook till crisp. Remove and set aside

Add the cabbage and the remaining butter.

Cook on a medium heat for about 5 mins or until you can see the cabbage is caramelizing.

Turn and do same on other side.

Now add the orange juice & half of the cooked capers to the pan & turn heat right down.

Pop a lid on and cook through till cabbage is soft (about 5 minutes more).

Remove lid and serve.

Sprinkle remaining capers and orange zest onto each wedge.

My boys have been spending lots of time playing music together.....it made me think of these VERY talented siblings.

Family weekends

2012-01-16T12:50:00.004+11:00

We spent the week unwinding.

No gaming.

Just old school family games.

You know I am all for rewinding.

Taking back childhood.

Slowing things down a little.

Sometimes the pace of life just gets too fast and childhood is one of the things that is getting faster & faster.

It's too fast for me and I am grown up!

It is important to me as a parent to find a balance between progressing with my children in our awareness and engagement with the ever changing world but allowing some time to go slow & be children.

I guess fundamentally it is what I do with my approach to food too.

I am happy to use some very modern gadgetry to help me but at the heart of it I like to use simple & excellent quality produce grown by people who care about producing food with love.

I try to use Organic products wherever I can.

I like most of all to buy my produce direct from the farmers.

Otherwise from Melbourne's other lovely markets.

Melbourne now has a wide range of farmers markets across the city where you can engage with the people who grow the products you buy.

We are so lucky to have this all at our feet!

It is one of our family's favourite weekend activities.

The kids love it as much as me & hubby.

They talk to the farmers too, asking them questions. listening carefully to what they have to say. Learning important stuff.

We don't usually have a list of things to buy but just buy what takes our fancy- and usually A LOT takes our fancy and we struggle with our trolley and the five kids back to the car!

It is a whole lot nicer in every way than fighting our way through the ghastly stupidmarket to do our shopping!

Look at these pics of Saturday morning's farmers market at Collingwood Children's farm, where we did our shopping on Saturday.

Would you rather be stuck at the checkout or here?

I know where I would rather be.....

Hard to believe it is in inner city Melbourne isn't it!

You can find our more about Melbourne Community Farmers' markets here.

One of the reasons I was there this Saturday was to finally meet in real life the very gorgeous people behind Daylesford Organics. The business of Kate & Bren.

You may know of Kate from Foxs Lane. She of the magnificent crafty uber cool Vintage caravan and travels around Australia with her DIVINE family & tell us all about it in heart-wrenchingly honest style! Yes her. OH me oh MY!!!!!

Well, Kate & I have been writing little missives to & fro a while. It was certain we would meet one day 'In Real life'. We share a slice of our souls I am sure.

And now they were back in town & I was DAMN sure I was going to get to squeeze that Ace Ladycakes as soon as I could!

So we took our troops to meet that Foxy lady and her foxy family that day.

It was fantastic to finally hug.

To squeeze that loveliness.

And then we went home with dozens of golden loveliness in boxes from those Foxes (I'm getting all Dr. Seuss on you!) and I needed to make Mayo!

I had another of my gorgeous friends coming over for lunch (my beautiful friend Colette from Ut Si cafe & gallery )and was making a massive steak sandwich to share between lots of hungry adults. I needed a good herby Mayo to go on that steak sanga- and boy did those eggs make good Mayo!

And then because Kate & I had had NOWHERE near enough of each other I invited them to come for dinner at our place that night after the markets.

It was one of the BESTEST ever days.......a day filled with things so dear to my heart. Music, food & LOVE. Shared with people I care about.

Happiness & LOTS of it.

I went to bed a very happy lady....in fact I am still smiling days later at the thought that it won't be long before our families get together again.

I could not have been happier to have these beautiful people at our table sharing beer, home made pizza, coffee & life.

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S HERBY WHOLE EGG MAYONNAISE:

Did you know how EASY mayonnaise is to make from scratch?

It really is.

I like to use the whole egg as I can't stand the waste. And it is easier! No separating the eggs....

I grew up eating Mayonnaise that my Mum made. It was always delicious. And although it will keep in the fridge for a few weeks I don't recall it ever lasting that long!

You can add whatever herbs you wish.

I had some fresh Basil & lots of parsley so that is what is in this recipe and I used my own Mustard (recipe for that here).

This recipe makes about 3 cups.

I HOPE you NEVER buy shop bought mayo again!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

2 organic eggs
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups vegetable oil
1/2 tspn salt
1/2 bunch Parsley
1/2 bunch Basil
2 tblspoons Mustard

Add herbs, mustard & salt to food processor and blitz.

Add eggs, mustard & vinegar and process till combined.

Set food processor on to a slow speed and drizzle oil in a slow & even stream to the egg & herb mix until it is a nice thick consistency.

Put into a sterile container & refrigerate.

It will keep in the fridge for several weeks.

And because tonight I have a date with Polly Jean I just HAVE to share an ol fave of hers with you:

Take Five

2012-01-11T13:34:00.000+11:00

Today I am home after what felt like a whirlwind trip to Adelaide for my parents
50th wedding anniversary party.

FIVE decades of marriage!!!

And oh boy what a party!

My parents are well known for their parties.

There have been many of them over the years.

They always had great music, great food & great people.

That's what makes the magic I reckon.

I will write about the party soon.

But as I was downloading my piccies from our trip I couldn't help but be AMAZED at a couple of shots that really stuck out.

I am the youngest of 5 children & as you know I have 5 of my own now.

When I was about 4 my mum was offered an amazing photo shoot experience by a photographer in Adelaide for about $10!!!!!!

There are quite a few amazing shots from this shoot and for many many years an enormous poster size one adorned a wall in their home. A fabulous portrait of us five kids.

I am forever taking photos and on the way home yesterday I took one of my 5 in front of the now closed Ararat gaol.

My five

I couldn't help notice the similarities......

I am the littlest wearing the star shirt & clogs OF COURSE!

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S GREEN CURRY PASTE:
Do you love Green curry as much as me?
Did you know how easy it is to make your own paste?
I hope once you have made this paste that you will NEVER buy another pre-made paste ever again.
It is delicious & easy & keeps in your fridge for weeks & weeks or even better you can freeze little portions and it will keep almost forever!
Best of all the food processor does all the work!
What's not to love?
Yu can add whatever mix of ingredients you like- chicken, tofu, vegies, prawns-you name it!
This makes about a cup of paste and generally speaking you will only need about 1-2 tablespoons per curry.
I will be making this tonight as I have some paste and I don't feel like a 'hard work' meal. I'll just get the chook out of the freezer and add vegies that I have available. Easy!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

4 tblspns roughly chopped lemongrass
1 tblspn galangal (if using fresh, soak for 1/2 hour)
5-6 cloves garlic
1 spanish onion (red onion)
2 whole coriander plants (I slice plant through the roots to wash well- make sure you add the roots too- SOOOO much flavour!)
zest of whole lime
8-10 green chillies (remove seeds if you wish to make it LESS hot)
10 whole black peppercorns
2 teaspoons coriander
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons shrimp paste (Blachan- the most god awful smelling paste that gives flavour of HEAVEN!)
1 teaspoon salt
3 cloves
2 tblspns vegetable oil to help blend

METHOD:
Add all ingredients to blender and process, use extra oil if necessary to achieve to a smooth paste.
Place some into a small jar to keep in the fridge and put the rest in little zip lock bags in the freezer so you don't ever have to buy it at the shop again!

NB: (I will blog a full recipe version but here's a cheat's guide to making the paste into a gorgeous Green curry)
Just add 1-2 tblspoons paste to a medium pan with a little oil & some very finely sliced kaffir lime leaf (shredded is probably a beter description- and it will still taste great if you don't add this so don't panic if you don't have any).
Fry until fragrant.
Add about 200g of diced chicken and stir till cooked.
Add about 2 cups of coconut milk, a tablespoon of fish sauce & 2 teaspoons palm sugar (brown will be just fine).
Add whatever veg takes your fancy.
Bring to simmer and turn heat right down. Add a little water if needed.
Adding some thai basil will give it lovely perfume & flavour too.
Serve with fluffy Jasmine rice & LOADS of fresh coriander!

Here's the Jackson FIVE singing about how to be the life of the party.......seems perfect really!

Last minute panic

2011-12-13T15:13:00.000+11:00

Whenever the end of year comes around I always find myself saying the same old thing.

'Where did the year go?'

'How is it December already?'

This year, more than most I am shocked at how we are already less than two weeks away from Christmas.

Ok - I might have just had a slight panic attack as I looked at my calendar to check exactly how far away we were!

Less than two weeks.

Really???!!!!

I have not bought ONE present.

I haven't even put up the tree.

Oh dear.......

Perhaps I need to get onto it all.

On the plus side.....

My kids have made THE most beautiful wreath ever!

And they have started making lists.......

Asking for gorgeous things like:

a magnifying glass

a packet of water bombs

new clothes

and then this.....

Roast Pork and crackling for dinner.

I love my kids!

Fancy asking Santa for that.

Gorgeous.

It just makes me smile.

I think I am going to re-invent the Christmas tree this year seeing as hubs has gone away O/S for work and won't be back for a week and I can't reach the Christmas tree in the shed on account of being super dooper short and not so good at climbing ladders.

I don't really like the idea of a broken back for Christmas.

I got some really lovely Washi tapes the other day.

Maybe I can do something with that?

What about you?

Are you super organised at this time of year or do you like to leave it to a last minute panic like me?

POSTSCRIPT: Here is what I did with that Japanese Washi tape....looks pretty good huh! The kids love it- they think it looks a little like Elmer the elephant from the kids books. I like that. It will do just fine until Hubs comes home and we get the other one out.....but I really do need to paint that woodwork .......

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S HOME MADE EGG PASTA:
I had some people ask how to make pasta at home.
I think comparing homemade fresh pasta and the packet stuff is a bit like comparing instant coffee to real coffee.
The texture and taste of fresh pasta is SUBLIME.
I am only putting the pasta dough recipe here. You can add whatever sauce you like!
Lately we have been making good ol' Aglio e Olio (go here for that recipe) or gorgeous Summery pesto variations - some that the kids have invented (the picture below is of a gorgeous recipe we made from the fab Whole Larder Love's great online cooking series) & who can beat just fresh tomatoes with a little EVOO & fresh basil in Summer. YUM. Fresh ingredients at their best.
In most family households Spaghetti Bolognese would be the dish you could serve to any child with an 'it's my favourite' response.
Not so much in our house.
I have one child out of my five- my most adventurous eater in fact- who has never liked it. Until I started serving it with fresh homemade pasta. He loves it now.
We have been making fresh pasta more and more often over using the packet stuff.
At first it will take a while but as you practice I hope you too see the benefits of making a little extra effort. It takes a little longer to make but it only takes a couple of minutes to cook! And this is a FAB ting to do with you kids. I promise you will make just as much mess as them anyway so let them have a go!
At my place there is a battle to help make it. From the goopy dough mixing to the rolling.
Years ago Pasta machines were expensive and hard to find. Now they are relatively cheap & easy to find at any good cookware store- or online.
The key is to use LOADS of flour for dusting and to let the dough rest for an hour BEFORE you roll it through the machine.
This allows the gluten in the flour to settle and relax. It will make it MUCH easier.
It is also important to use good strong flour. Buy 00 flour. It is now easy to get hold of- even some supermarkets carry it.
Following the rule of 100g pasta per person this recipe is for 4.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

400g 00 flour
4 organic eggs
a little EVOO-extra virgin olive oil ( about a tablespoon)

METHOD:
You could add ingredients to a food processor to amalgamate if you like to help kick start everything or go the old fashioned method of:
Place flour on the bench or table in a large circle.
Make a well in the middle and crack the eggs into the centre.
Using one hand swirl your fingers around so you catch more and more flour until all the
ingredients are well mixed.

Now knead the dough well with a pushing & rolling motion until the dough feels quite elastic.
This takes about 10 minutes.

Now roll into a large ball and wrap in glad wrap and place in fridge to rest for an hour.

Remove from fridge and place on a VERY well floured bench.

You should be able to feel immediately how much softer the dough is. It should be quite pliable now.

I roll mine into a sausage shape and cut out the portions. As we are making enough for four, the easiest way to do this is to cut it in half and then half again to get equal amounts.

With your pasta machine secured to the table or bench you need to start at the biggest setting and let your pasta pass through.

Now fold it in half and pass it through the same setting. (My 3yo is the Master of this job- noone else stands a chance of getting to roll the dough!)

Repeat this step about 4-5 times.

This helps strengthen the pasta.

Now you are ready to pass it through the machine at smaller settings until you get to desired thickness.

On my machine it goes from 1-9 but I only ever roll it to 8.
That makes it quite fine. If it were finer than that it would be difficult to keep intact.

Don't be afraid to flour again and again.
Flour the machine, flour the pasta, flour the bench, flour, flour, flour!

And especially as you have finished batches you need to flour them so they don't stick together as they are sitting on the bench.

The flour will come off in cooking but if you are not liberal it will get stuck in the machine and make it very difficult to manage.

Most machines will have the option to make spaghetti or tagliatelli- so you choose what shape you would like.

My kids like Papardelle which is the very thick long strands. I love it too.
The pictures below are of Papardelle.

To do that you just roll out pasta to desired thickness and then cut free hand with a knife.

Once you have rolled out all your pasta you need to get a LARGE pot onto the boil with a generous pinch of salt.

The size of the pot is important here as you want your pasta to be able to roll around in the pot freely.
It also means the temperature can rise again quickly to a rolling boil.

Once the water is at a rolling boil add your pasta and cook for about two minutes- taste a little and check.
As I have said before I add my pasta to the pan that has the sauce so that the last bit of cooking time is in the sauce. It allows the sauce to incorporate into the pasta itself making for a much more delicious result!

If you have made more than you need- just sit the rolled out spaghetti over a (clean) broom handle and let it dry overnight. Now you have your very own dried pasta!

Papardelle Bolognese

Tagliatelle with Pesto, Roast Cherry tomatoes & Fior de latte

Todays tune is courtesy of my eldest boy....such great rolling out pasta music don't ya think! Pasta tastes much better with a bit o' Bossa!

Perfection is a dream

2011-12-01T11:29:00.001+11:00

I think sometimes about what people imagine goes on at my place.

I wonder if they imagine a pristine & silent place.

Or if they know it is a place of happy noise and chaos.

I wonder if they imagine me serving a gourmet meal to a table of perfectly groomed and well behaved boys who eat everything I serve.

Or if they know that a lot of the time I will be serving weet-bix to a straggling crowd of begraggled and noisy boys.

I wonder if they imagine that I wash the sheets on Thursdays every week.

Or if they know that I am lucky to ever actually get to the sheets after the umpteen other loads that need attention first.

I wonder if they imagine that I have a calender where I have everything written down that I need to remember.

Or if they know that I forget lots of things as I am lucky to even get the time to write in my calendar let alone look at it.

I wonder if they imagine that my house is kept tidy and ordered and that when the kids ask for something I will know exactly where it is.

Or if they know that my house is a home and not a showpiece and so along with that comes mess and a disshevelled order and that I can dream up a million other things to do other than housework. And that some days I truly dream of being one of those super neat freaks (and i am guessing that Hubs might just dream of me being one of those too)....and then I wake up from my daydream and remember I am me! And Hubs comes home to the same gal he fell in love with a hundred million years ago.

I wonder if they imagine that I am level headed ALL the time and speak softly and lovingly to my children all the time.

Or if they know that I lose it too. When the constant demands on me become overwhelming and I am drowning in doing everything for everyone. ALL. THE. TIME. And that shouty mumma gets let out. And that very soon after regretty mumma makes an appearance , embarrassed at her childish behaviour.

I wonder if they imagine that I love what I do all the time.

Or if they know that like every single person on the planet I have days where I think a million other people would be better at my job than I am.

We all set an idea of PERFECTION.

What it looks like.

How we achieve it.

But on those days when I give myself a hard time about not doing a very good job, I try to remember what I tell my kids ALL the time.

Perfection is a non-reality.

It is something imagined.

Something dreamed up.

Something unachievable.

It is ok to drop your bundle.

It is ok to not be doing a great job all the time.

It is ok to not cope with everything all the time.

It is ok.

It really is.

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S SPAGHETTI AGLIO E OLIO:
This is one of the QUICKEST and BESTEST meals to serve when you have dropped your bundle and serving weet-bix AGAIN seems a bit much! Or at any other time. It is incredibly nutritious and delicious.
My kids all LOVE it.
If your kids like Garlic Bread they will love this. Us grown ups love it too.
It is a gorgeously simple Pasta dish that's origins I have read to be either from the Naples or the Abruzzo region of Italy- it is quite probable like all regional cuisine that there are varieties for each region.
Variations include the addition of chilli, anchovy fillets or sometimes fennel seeds.
It is a classic example of simple is best!
The rule of thumb for pasta portions is 100g per person.
Make the sauce about 5 minutes before the pasta is cooked and transfer the pasta into the cooking pan with a ladleful of the water and cook in the sauce for the last 2 minutes of the cooking time. This is true of most pasta dishes. The pasta absorbs the sauce and it makes for a more delicious meal.
This recipe is for 4.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

5 tblspoons EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
6 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped extra fine.
S & P
parmesan or pecorino cheese to grate.

METHOD:
On a medium heat in a nonstick fry pan heat EVOO until warm. Add garlic.
Fry gently for about a minute- just long enough to be fragrant. It is VERY important not to burn the garlic as it will be very bitter.
Add the parsley.
Add S & P.
Stir through.

Transfer pasta into the frypan and cook through for last 2 minutes of cooking time.

Serve with grated cheese.

And today's listening pleasure is a favourite of mine from way back. Just perfect to cook too, to dance in the kitchen to or to eat to. My family love him. Hubster and I watched an amazing doco on him probably over ten years ago now. It was love at first listen. We passed on the doco to our extended family who all fell in love as we did..... An amazing man- Ladies and Gentleman please meet Mr.Paolo Conte.

Making choices

2011-11-28T12:13:00.001+11:00

I had one of the most amazing weeks this week.

Filled with lovely catch ups with lovely people.

Some of whom I haven't seen in many many months.

Day after day I smiled, laughed, talked, hugged & cried.

It was so so magnificent.

Inevitably I am left, once the quiet sets in....reflecting & it feels like a little sadness has crept in.

I talked yesterday to a lovely friend about the idea of making choices.

Of being informed.

We were talking of this in relation to food; about the growing of produce, the ethics of it, the journey of the food from the paddock to the plate. And how we are able to make choices about what we eat because we are informed.

But today I am left thinking about it in terms of my friendships.

I was thinking about how we need to think about our friendships in the same way.

Are the ingredients balanced?

Are they respectful & nurturing?

Are they wholesome?

Are they non-toxic?

Do the flavours complement one another?

Or is the friendship stale & a little manufactured?

Does it require a lot of work to get it to taste right?

Are the ingredients of the very best quality?

I might be taking the analogy a little far but what I am getting at is that as I get older I think more and more about living as the 'true' me. Living with honesty is very very important to me.

I need to make choices about what is the best way for me to do that.

It doesn't make sense to make a huge amount of effort in sourcing food and produce of excellent quality & cooking gorgeous food to nurture my body if I am not making the same choices in regards to nurturing my soul. It is vital to have balance.

So last week was a reminder to me of how my choices over recent times have been very clearly about that.

About making choices that are good for me.

I realised then that it was a quiet happiness that had crept in.....not sadness after all.

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S CHEESE & BACON ROLLS:
Give me one child who doesn't like these!
One child in the classroom will inevitably have these in their lunchbox on any given day.
My kids have been nagging me to have them in theirs so we finally got around to making them.
They are really sooper doop easy- the kids did all the work. If your kids like playing with playdough they will like making these!
When we were eating them my mr8 said to me " I like that we know exactly what is in the things we cook." It made me feel happy- happy that he cares about that.
Like everything the quality of the ingredients you choose will determine the quality of the final result.
You make a simple basic bread dough first and then portion it and add the toppings. You could change the topping to other things if you wished. Just follow the bread dough part and make the rest up!
If you want to add whole seeds, fruit or olives into the dough itself- add in the last minute of kneading.
This recipe made 8 large rolls.

BASIC BREAD DOUGH RECIPE

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

500g strong flour (if you can find bakers flour use that- we used our 00 flour, plain flour will work too)
300g lukewarm water
1 sachet yeast
1 tsp salt
20g EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
5 rashers of free range bacon, trimmed & diced
1 cup of good quality cheddar cheese, grated
1 organic egg, beaten

METHOD:
In a jug add lukewarm water, sugar & yeast and sit until the mix begins to bubble.

On your kitchen bench place the flour and salt in a mound, create a well in the middle and pour in yeasty water slowly as you mix the dough with your hands.

(You could do this in a food processor if you want- but the kids LOVE to do this bit!)

Knead the dough till well amalgamated. Add a little more flour if it is to wet.

Rub a little EVOO in a stainless steel bowl and let the dough sit covered with cling film for about 25 minutes. This is called- the first prove.

While this is happening you can finely dice the bacon and grate the cheese. And in a small container beat the egg.

Once the dough has risen, shape into individual balls and sit on baking paper on the tray that will go into the oven. Let the kids make whatever shapes they like. Who said rolls needed to be round?

Brush the tops with the beaten egg and add bacon and cheese as you like

Heat the oven to 180C.
Cover rolls with a teatowel and allow to sit for another 25 minutes or so. This is the second prove.
Uncover and place in oven for 25 minutes or so.
Transfer to a wire rack for cooling.
Good luck saving some for the lunchboxes the following day!

Todays listening pleasure is the lovely Ane Brun- I have been listening to her Duets album LOADS over the last few weeks since she released her latest song-Do you remember. Do you do that? Revisit artists old songs when they release new ones.....maybe it's just me!

The Conflict of Independence

2011-11-15T14:38:00.000+11:00

When our children are born we look at them all defenceless and completely dependent.

We wash them, we feed them, we tend to their cries.

And then as they grow we begin to teach them.

Teach them to wash themselves.

Teach them to feed themselves.

Teach them how to dry their own tears, how to resolve their own conflicts.

We teach them to be resilient, how to manage when things don't go their way.

How to lose with grace & dignity.

How to consider other people & how our own behaviour affects others.

We teach them that we live in a big big world but that as humans we have a responsibility to each other.

We watch as our children make little mistakes as they navigate this growing independence.

We reflect on our own mistakes and our own unique journey into adulthood hoping that some of the mistakes that we made won't be made by our children, hoping that we have somehow given them the tools to make that path a little easier than it was for us.

In our family we are watching as our eldest begin the years into young adulthood.

As a parent I am watching and feel conflict as a parent that I have never felt before.

I always felt confident as a parent when they were little. I knew that what I was doing was right.

That I was giving them the right tools to make their way through early childhood.

Now I am not so sure.

There are fights- not big ones but we really haven't had any before.

It doesn't feel familiar.

It makes me feel uneasy.

Makes me question whether I am doing the right thing.

That teenage confidence of 'knowing everything' and ever growing need for independence has crept in.

The secret world of youth.

It is so necessary and right for young adults to have a little bit of secrecy from their parents....but it feels uncomfortable for me and that tug of anxiety is always there.

I know we will make it through and that the groundwork we have paved is solid.

But it is hard.

Really truly hard- the hardest part by far.

What is it that is hard?

I have thought about that a lot.

It is the beginning of really & truly letting go.

Having to trust that I have given him everything he needs to make it through. I have to let go of the safety line a little at a time and trust that he can indeed do it on his own.

The conflict of independence is knowing that independence is exactly what we want without really wanting to let them go from us at all.

After all wasn't it just yesterday that I held this babe, who is now well & truly taller than me, in the crook of my arm?

Whoever pressed the fast forward button would you mind pressing pause while I catch my breath just for a second.

Thankyou.

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S HOMEMADE HORSERADISH MUSTARD:
Most people don't know how easy it is to make your own mustard.
I love really hot mustard. The kind that blows your sinus to bits- like a good Wasabi hit.
I grow my own horseradish- well really it grows itself (blogged about it here).
I love it in mustard. We got a beautiful batch of Horseradish mustard in our latest delivery from Bruny Cheese and it is all but gone. I promised one of my kids- who LOVES it- that we would make our own . It is HOT so use it sparingly! Also it is worth noting that the flavour develops over a couple of days.
Here is the recipe- it will be enough to fill a small jar.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1/2 cup good quality mustard powder
1/2 cup of vinegar
1/3 cup of brown mustard seeds
60g fresh horseradish, cleaned, trimmed & peeled
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 juniper berries
5 whole peppercorns
1 clove of garlic

METHOD:
Grind the peppercorns, salt, garlic & juniper berries in a mortar & pestle to a fine paste.

In a food processor blitz the horseradish with the vinegar until a fine paste.

In a small bowl add the horseradish vinegar to the mustard powder.

Add the ground ingredients, whole mustard seeds and the sugar.

Stir through and place into sterilised jar.

Voila!

Let it sit for a couple of days before you use it to let it's full flavour develop- if you can resist!

This track is a live version of one of my favourite Calexico tunes. Enjoy.

The power of words

2011-11-11T12:20:00.001+11:00

I love words.

I think I always have.

My mother has said I always have....I believe her.

Recently I spoke of how much I miss reading.

I think about reading a lot- I wish I could translate that thinking into actual reading.

While I have been stuck in my readers block I have been thinking about the power of words.

I have ALWAYS been confused & a little dismayed by this old rhyme:

STICKS & STONES MAY BREAK YOUR BONES
BUT WORDS WILL NEVER HURT YOU.

Do you remember being recited this as a child?

I do.

It NEVER made sense to me.

I have always been in awe of words.

By the messages we can convey with them.

By how we can use them to express how we feel.

They have an incredible power..... more powerful than most things.

Words can last a lifetime- can change the direction of our lives.
Words can fill our soul with joy & warmth.
But INCREDIBLE hurt can be inflicted by words- hurt that stays buried & aching forever.
Broken bones mend.

I love to read how different people put words together.

I guess it is EXACTLY this that I miss about reading other peoples words.
I miss how when I read, it opens a window into thoughts that perhaps I couldn't put into words or pictures that I couldn't portray.

This week I read some lines from Charles Dickens- still as powerful & magnificent as he ever was.

Such inspired language. So rich & beautiful.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
English novelist (1812 - 1870)

It reminded me how & why I love words so very much.

I was left taking a deep long breath. Flummoxed by the beauty and fullness of his words.

It left me still.

It had reminded of the power of words.

GOURMETGIRLFRIEND'S ZUCCHINI FRITTERS with DILL & FETA:
Zucchini's are just BEAUTIFUL at the moment. I love them but I konw lots of people who are not fussed.
Try this EASY PEASY recipe and enjoy. It is the same basis as Potato latkes- you can just substitute the zucchini for Potato. Your kids could make this recipe quite easily.
They are great served on their own or as an accompaniment.
I served mine alongside a pan-fried Snapper fillet for a really quick dinner last night. So simple & delicious!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

2 zucchini, grated
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
a bunch of dill, chopped
S & P
200g feta, crumbled.
olive oil for shallow frying
sour cream to serve- optional

METHOD:
Squeeze the grated zucchini to remove excess moisture.

Add eggs, dill, feta, flour, baking powder & salt & pepper.

Mix ingredients well.

Heat a non-stick pan to medium heat.

Add 2 teaspoons of Olive Oil.

Use a tablespoon to pick up a large spoonful of mixture and add to pan.

I fried 3 at a time.

Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes.

Remove and serve immediately topped with a little dill, some crumbled fetta & a dollop of sour cream.

Years go by.....

2011-10-30T10:29:00.000+11:00

Another year has swept by.

Soon to celebrate my birthday I am left reflecting....

Flooded with thoughts.

Yesterday I sat in a moment.

Struck by the beauty.

The beauty of what I live with.

Five beautiful beings.

One beautiful husband.

I am so lucky.

So lucky to have what I do.

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S LAKSA
Laksa is one of those dishes that when you have for the first time it CHANGES your life. Opens your tastebuds to a whole new culinary adventure.
I LOVE it. One of my fave comfort foods.
It takes me me back when Hubby & I were first going out and we would head to our fave little Asian restaurant- where we were such regulars that the owner would just nod his head knowing exactly what we had come for.
Here we are nearly 24 years later and I am still having Laksa with my best friend. We both LOVE it. Most of the time I make it at home as it's super tricky to get out with our lot.
It is another dish that changes according to what I have available. The basic mix is the same & then you add what you like. Different every time.
It seems complicated when you see the list but it keeps in the fridge (or you could freeze single portions in zip-lock bags).
Last week someone opened my eyes to adding large chunks of Chargrilled Eggplant- oh me oh my- why have I never had that??!!! My fave veg and in laksa! I am so adding it next time!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
(Makes about 600ml of Laksa paste.)

FOR THE LAKSA PASTE:

4 tblspoon Belacan (Malaysian shrimp paste)
2 tablespoons Turmeric
2 teaspoons Coriander seeds (roasted & ground)
125g fresh lemongrass (2 stems) finely sliced
90g galangal or ginger
50g red chillies (about 4)
150g shallots (about 4)
10 garlic cloves
100g Macadamia nuts
2 cups of Canola oil

Blend in a food processor till the ingredients are a fine paste. Add a little water if you need to.
Spoon into a sterilised jar and keep in the fridge. Or put individual portions (you need about 8tspoons to make Laksa for 4) into the freezer in small ziplock bags.

FOR THE LAKSA:

2 1/2 cups of Coconut milk
2 teaspoons Chiu Chow chilli oil
2 1/2 cups of chicken stock
4 teaspoons of fish sauce
3 teaspoons lime juice
300g egg noodles
150g rice vermicelli
12 fried tofu puffs
150g char siu (recipe here or buy some at your local Chinese BBQ restaurant)
150g chicken, cut into strips
a handful of fresh coriander
a handful of vietnamese mint
2 small chillies sliced finely
4 teaspoon fried shallots (available at Asian grocer)
4 lime wedges
3 kaffir lime leaves sliced super fine
200g bean sprouts (washed well)

N.B. You can add whatever meat, seafood or veg you like. Mix up your favourites. If it is raw meat/seafood or veg that needs to be cooked add it just after you have fried off the paste and follow the recipe from there.
Prepare noodles according to the instructions and keep warm while you prepare the soup.
In a large pan put 8 teaspoons of laksa paste and fry on a medium heat till fragrant ( I don't add any more oil as there is plenty in the paste already)- about 5 minutes. Add the shredded kaffir lime & the chilli oil (optional) now.
Add chicken (and stir through- it doesn't need to cook fully as it will cook in the soup).
Add chicken stock and coconut milk and bring to a simmer & cook for 10 minutes.
Add tofu puffs and let warm through.

In each bowl serve equal portions of noodles and then add a large handful of washed bean sprouts.
Ladle soup to cover and add meat and tofu puffs to each serve.
Sprinkle very generously with fresh herbs and fried shallots.
Serve with a wedge of lime to squeeze over.

Sooooo good!

Todays song...a fave of both mine & hubby's:

Navigating change

2011-10-24T13:18:00.000+11:00

Navigating change is so hard.

So much harder when you are delving into the unknown.

In our heads we roll around ideas of how things might go.

How we might deal with things as they present themselves.

It helps us prepare for things.

Helps us build resolve.

Build courage.

But life doesn't always follow a plan.

And sometimes what we have in mind isn't really how it turns out.

I have always been pretty good at being able to be spontaneous.

I've been able to deal with change really really well.

It used to be easy.

Now it's hard.

Last year a huge event blew everything I had always known out of the water.

It changed me.

It changed everything I knew.

Now I feel afraid.

Afraid of change.

Afraid of the unknown.

I have been learning to accept that this is ok.

A natural course for someone in my situation.

I have been trying very hard to go easy on myself.

To do what is good for me.

That isn't always easy for the people close to me who aren't used to this new me.

But it is hardest of all for me....I don't know this new me very well either.

I am learning to say no.

That has never been easy for me to do.

But navigating change is not easy.

I just need to trust myself and believe it is ok.

And that it will be ok.

It will.

Be.

OK.

GOURMETGIRLFRIEND'S QUICK & DELICIOUS TOFU
I make this quite often for lunch.
I love the slippery silkenness of Tofu.
I know lots of people don't like it. Only one of my kids really loves it. He loves it when I make this, we devour it together!
It is SUPER quick and I always have tofu in the cupboard. I eat it as is.
SO yummy! it is my sort of comfort food.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1 pack of silken tofu
3 tablespoons Sesame oil
1 red chilli (or a teaspoon of chilli oil)
1 clove garlic, crushed or finely chopped
a 2cm chunk of ginger, sliced into extra fine strips
1 stem of spring onion - sliced finely
some freshly chopped coriander
2 tablespoons soy sauce.

METHOD:

Slice tofu into large chunks in a shallow bowl. Add spring onion, chilli, coriander & soy sauce on top of tofu.

In a small pan heat sesame oil till hot and add garlic & ginger and immediately take off of heat and pour over the tofu.

It will sizzle and the perfume of the flavours will envelop you!

Eat immediately.

Today's track is another duet featuring Willy Mason. After listening to Lianne La Havas all week I re-visited Willy mason's music. I love it. This time he is singing with the very lovely Isobel Campbell (she sang with Belle & Sebastian for a while but she is also a cellist.)
It is such a lovely track...hope you enjoy:

Music

2011-10-20T12:34:00.001+11:00

Every week I spend hours & hours listening to and seeking out new music.

I love it.

It fills my soul.

Gives me solace when I am sad.

Raises my spirits.

It makes me smile.

It makes me cry.

It makes me laugh.

It helps me cook.

I get super excited when I discover something great.

It is something I love to share.

Like my cooking.

That is why I set out my posts here like that.

A recipe.

A song.

And I love that I know others that love to share too.

Very often what I post is not necessarily new discoveries but old favourites.

Or tracks the kids have been putting on.

This week I am posting a new track.

A track that I CAN NOT stop listening to.

I love it when a song gets in your bloodstream.

This is one of those......

An artist's name I hadn't heard before (Lianne La Havas), in a duet with one I do (Willie Mason).

I hope you like it as much as I do.

Her new EP was playing while I cooked this dinner..... and it's playing while I write today's post!

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S VIETNAMESE STYLE WARM QUAIL SALAD:
This recipe is surprisingly easy & super quick (the marinating time is the longest). It uses a spice mix that I always have in my cupboard. I make it myself. It doesn't take very much time & you end up with quite a bit. If you store it in your pantry in an airtight container you can use it for lots of things. I love to use it for Salt 'n' Pepper tofu- a lunch special I make for myself fairly regularly. The fragrance of this spice mix is too divine for words!
If you don't want to use Quail- it would be equally delicious with chicken or duck!
The spice mix comes from Martin Boetz's cook book for his LONGRAIN restaurant. It ALWAYS reminds me of some VERY VERY special friends in Sydney (you know who you are! x)...we may or may not have had WAY too many Caprioskas there together.....it was NECESSARY!

SALT AND PEPPER SPICE MIX RECIPE:
(makes 1 1/2 cups)

50g szechuan peppercorns
1 tblspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cloves
2 star anise
1 piece of cassia bark
5 small red chillies
100g sea salt.

DRY Roast spices (this means DO NOT add ANY OIL) in heavy based pan till you are smelling the heady & delicious fragrance- about 2-3 minutes. Let cool and grind till fine.
Store in an air tight container.

FOR THE QUAIL:
500g Quail Breast
2 tablespoons Salt'n'Pepper spice mix
3 tablespoons dark soy
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon (3 cloves) garlic crushed

Mix together all ingredients in a bowl.
Work through well so that the Quail is well coated.
Set aside for at least 2 hours to marinate- or overnight if you have time.

Heat a non-stick pan to medium-high.
Place the breast skin side down and fry (I did not add any extra oil) for approx 3 minutes. Turn and fry for no more than a minute.
Remove and place n a plate.
Let sit for 5 minutes.
Then slice into large bite size slices (I sliced each Quail breast into 3)

FOR THE SALAD:
1 lebanese cucumber- peeled into fine strips (use a veegatable peeler)
1 carrot- finely julienned
a handful of vietnamese mint
a handful of regular mint
a handful of coriander
2 cups of bean sprouts (make sure they are rinsed)

In a large bowl mix all of the salad ingredients well.
Sprinkle generously with Nuoc Cham (click here for recipe). You can omit the chilli if you want to serve it to kids.
I did and added fresh chilli to ours.

Place well tossed salad on plate and place Quail on top.
I served it with Jasmine Rice as my kids are super hungry at the moment but it would be delicious just as a salad on it's own.

Here's the track that I talked of....'No room for Doubt' by Lianne La Havas with Willie Mason:

Stories

2011-10-12T14:11:00.000+11:00

Over the last little while I have been lamenting on how I seem to have lost my ability to read as I used to.

I love books- I have written about it before here and here.

I look at cook books a lot. But I have stopped reading other forms of literature.

And I am missing it.

I spend a lot of time as a stay at home mum looking on the internet, conversing with my buddies on twitter & facebook. I love that- it gives me a sense of community. It is great to chat with other people who share similarites with me- like cooking, raising kids, making stuff, thinking about stuff.....you know...the important stuff.

I love that i can come and go as I please. Take a little bit here, give a little bit there.

Being a stay at home mum is a pretty challenging job.

My long time readers know how much I love it.

I love it A LOT!

Each and every day I am thankful that I can do it.

I don't enjoy my job everyday but I am thankful that I am doing what I do.

Conversing online makes it less of a solitary exercise. I can feed my brain a little.

And I have met some truly lovely people- people that I would not have met otherwise. These people have helped me through some particularly hard times over the last year.

But lately I have been thinking of how I can find a better balance.

How I can switch off from my electronic world and get my head back into books again.

I have an ever growing pile of books on my bedside table that has toppled and spills across the floor.

My tendency after a very tiring day doing my job is to head over to the internet to see what all my buddies are looking at, reading short snippets here & there. Stuff that is important & stuff that is well written.....but not BOOKS.

I have been reading cookbooks to cook with- of course. I have several bookshelves filled with them. Here's one of them.

One of the other reasons I love cookbooks is because they give me a peek into the world of the culture that the food has come from; stories of the people & histories of nations.

I don't want to feel like I have to read.

But I do want to read because I feel like reading....it is the desire that I crave.

In the back of my head I am thinking of a plan to help me.

Those people that know me know my resistance to making a plan. I think I am a bit averse as I don't like to fail.

No PLAN= No FAIL.

But maybe it's time I learnt to plan......... and learnt to accept failure.

I have started to make To Do lists- but my rule is they have to have things on them that are not housework jobs but things that are good for me....this one includes something about reading. I set the bar pretty low in the reading stakes.....but in my super busy days I have to keep it realistic too.

I always tell my kids failure is natural part of the learning curve....so how come I find it so hard to practice that in my world?

I have some ideas swimming around to help me out.

I'm thinking of getting some other people to join me.

I don't like doing stuff alone......it's fun to share!

Do you have the same trouble?

I would love to know how you overcame your reading block- if you did?

CLAUDIA RODEN'S TURKISH LAMB STEW with AUBERGINE SAUCE (Hunkar Begendi):
This recipe comes from Claudia Roden's book ARABESQUE- a taste of Morocco, Turkey & Lebanon.
I love her recipes and this book was about her revisiting the countries she had first written about in the 1960's (opening up their cuisine to many of us for the first time) to see how their cuisine & culture had changed since that time. I have a very well thumbed original copy of her Middle Eastern cookery in one of my cookbook shelves. I have very quickly fallen in love with this book also.
I made this dish last week and had a request to blog the recipe.
I fell in love with the story & had to cook it. I also have a deep love for Eggplant- and so do my kids so I was keen to try this.
The name of the dish means "Her Majesty's delight". The story is that it was served to the wife of Napoleon III - Empress Eugenie in 1869 when she was entertained by Sultan Abdul Aziz. The Empress was so taken with the pale,creamy aubergine sauce that she requested the recipe. The Sultan's cook refused however, explaining that he could not pass on the recipe as "He only cooked with his eyes and nose."

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1 large onion, chopped
3 tblspoons Extra Virgin Olive oil (EVOO)
1 kg boned Organic lamb leg or shoulder, chopped into medium chunks
500g tomatoes (tinned is fine- use chopped ones)
1 tspn sugar
1 clove garlic (not in Claudia's recipe but I CANNOT cook without it!)
S & P
3 large eggplants (aubergine)
75g butter
3 tblspoons flour
500ml milk
good grating of fresh nutmeg
50g Gruyere cheese (or other good quality cheese).

METHOD:
Fry the onion until soft in EVOO. Add garlic and fry for a minute or so.
Add the diced lamb and cook till lightly brown.
Add tomatoes, S & P and sugar.
Cover and simmer for 2-3 hours with the lid on.
Check every now & then to make sure it does not dry out. Add water if it does.
Remove the lid for the last half hour and let sauce reduce.

For the puree- prick the eggplant with a pointed knife to prevent them bursting in the oven.
Place them on a large piece of foil on a baking tray and roast them in an oven preheated to 240C for about 45-55 minutes or until they feel very soft when you press them and the skins are wrinkled.
When cool enough to handle, peel and drop them into a strainer or colander with small holes to press out as much juice as possible.
Place the flesh in a bowl and mash with a fork. Set aside.

Make a bechamel sauce: melt the butter in a saucepan add the flour and stir over low heat for abut 2 minutes to cook flour.
Add milk & cook at a gentle heat while stirring to prevent lumps. Add salt and plenty of nutmeg. Cook for aobut 15 minutes or unitl the sauce has thickened.
Now add the eggplant and cheese. Stir through until cheese has melted.
Serve the meat stew in a shallow dish with the aubergine sauce all around.

I served it with a Basmati pilaf with brown lentils and a side of green beans with almonds. When the sauce is all mixed through it is AMAZING!

and todays listening pleasure....

Silence in the house

2011-10-10T12:29:00.000+11:00

School & kinder has gone back after a two week break.

My newly turned 3yo is in bed asleep.

There is a strange silence in the house.

One I haven't heard for two weeks......

I love having the chaotic sounds of the kids around.

I love not being woken by alarms.

I love looking over at the couch at the spray of children woven in amongst each other watching old fashioned cartoons to start the day.

I love taking our time over breakfast.

I love the weather of the September holidays.

Although this time the rain kept us inside for most of the first week.

But the sun came out & out came the Scrabble, Upwords & the Yahtzee...to play outside.

The recently turned 5yo is a self taught reader and was ever so happy to join in.

We all loved his starting words.

First this:

and then this (our favourite!):

The last Saturday before we went back to school we headed to our favourite beach.

A little hidden treasure of a place that we generally have to ourselves.

Bliss.

I love those days where you are sustained by nothing more than a packet of dry biscuits, a few sandy apples and the glorious sea air where time is forgotten.

It was the most magical day of our holidays.

All 5 were immediately involved in something.

Splashing.

Searching.

Sitting.

Listening.

Swimming.

Running.

It soothed me momentarily from the tug that I feel every holidays of trying to give all of my children- now at such varying levels of development- something to enjoy.

Here is a pictorial essay of some of the moments from that day that I will treasure.

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S DUKKAH:

Dukkah is an Egyptian spice mix. The word apparently originates from the Arabic word for 'Pound"-as the mix of spices & nuts is pounded after being dry roasted.

I make my own mixes although it is relatively easy to come by in various shops now.

I love to make my own as I can depend on it's freshness and also mix up the flavours to my own taste.

The following recipe is the one for the latest batch I made.

I used it alot over the holidays on my breakfast.

It is also lovely sprinkled on Basmati rice to serve alongside tagines or other middle eastern foods.

I was thinking the other day how lovely it would be on a pan-fried fillet of fish too, with a squeeze of lemon juice. YUM! I am going to do that this weekend I think!

Once you have made it store in an airtight container & it will keep for months. I hope you will find yourself sprinkling it all over the place! It is sooooo delicious & super easy!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1/2 cup of macadamia nuts (or hazelnuts)
1/2 cup of pistachios
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 tablespoons cumin powder
2 tablespoons coriander
1 tablespoon dried oregano ( I used my own dried Oregano from the garden- or substitute with the Greek dried )
1 teaspoon salt
a good grind of WHITE pepper

METHOD
Heat a heavy based pan over a medium heat.
Add nuts and roast till fragrant and just turning brown.
Remove and set aside.
Add the spices & sesame seeds to the same pan and roast till fragrant.
Remove.

Add the nuts to a mortar and pestle and pound till coarse- alternatively use a food processor and pulse till the mix is coarse. Be careful not to overprocess.
Place nuts, sesame seeds, S & P and spice mix in an airtight jar and sprinkle generously!

As we were on holidays I lazed over breakfasts and used my Dukkah quite a few times.
One of my fave brekky's was : Dukkah sprinkled geneorously on top of soft poached Organic eggs with a sprinkle of freshly chopped dill & a squeeze of Lime juice on toasted sourdough with lashings of avocado. Good enough for any time of the day!

On holidays I feel in love with this track. I played it many times......

A head full of thoughts......

2011-09-15T12:12:00.000+10:00

The other day a strange thing happened to me.

I had an urge to bake.

Bake cakes.

This may not seem surprising for someone who likes to cook but for me it is really out of character.

I'm not a mumma baker.

I bake bread.

I bake pies.

But I don't really bake the sweet stuff.

This week I just had ideas floating in my head about little mixtures of things.

I had 2 bananas in the fruit bowl that were just a little bit too ripe for the kids and given that they still cost about $110 a kilo while the crops recover from the floods, I am not going to let them waste!

I had some Macadamias too and wanted to use them.

I was inspired by Matthew Evans lovely brownie recipe that incorporated Walnuts (go here for the Brownie recipe- believe me it's worth it!)

I had a head full of thoughts about other stuff and I needed a distraction.

Does cooking do that for you too?

It takes me to a happy place.

A place where I allow my mind to be free.

To be in the moment.

Time to breathe.

To slow down.

To be in the moment.

That is why I love it so much.

In my busy busy world of wrangling about a gazillion children it is good for me to have somewhere I can let go of it all....

So when my weird desire to bake the sweet stuff happened I let myself go with the flow.

And I reminded myself to use a lovely and very precious gift that my lovely Hubster gave me many years ago.

The most beautiful tea set EVER. A gorgeous Jasper Conran design for Wedgwood. And there is only ONE teacup. Intentionally so that I would make time for myself. Only ME....imagine!

NOTHING beats tea that is made in a pot. A teabag just doesn't cut it. It is not just the flavour...there is something beautiful about the ritual of pouring tea from a pot. A few cultures give significant importance to tea ceremonies. I love that.

It is the slowing down.

The taking care.

The taking of a deep breath.

Morning tea that day was looking very good indeed!

It tasted very good too.

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S BANANA & MACADAMIA LOAF:
I was really happy with the way this worked out. When I started I really wasn't sure but the result was fabulous.
I hope it works well for you too!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

2 ripe Bananas
2 tblspoons Golden Syrup
3/4 cup of Sugar
1 cup SR Flour
1/2 vanilla bean (or use 1 tspn Vanilla extract)
1/2 cup Macadamia Nuts, chopped coarsely
30g melted Butter
1 egg
flaked almonds (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Place the bananas in a large bowl and squish with a fork.

Add butter, egg, vanilla bean and golden syrup. Mix well.

Add flour and sugar. Stir through.

Lastly add the Macadamia nuts.

Line a loaf tin with baking paper. Pour mix into tin and sprinkle almond flakes over the top.

Place in oven and bake for 50 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack.

Serve with tea from a teapot and sit quietly and enjoy.

I was listening to this as I ate my morning tea. One of my favourite Piano pieces- Beethoven's Sonata No.8 in C minor. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and enjoy.

A Little box of TRUST

2011-09-13T12:06:00.000+10:00

When one of my lovelies started school they were given a very special box by the teacher.

Inside it was 7 objects.

All represented something bigger than what it was......much much bigger.

This little box was full of love.

The teacher had armed each and every child in her class with something very special by giving them each this little box.

It was the ability to trust.

To trust her.

To trust their classmates.

But best and most importantly of all...

To trust themselves.

My VERY helpful 2yo was taking apart my diary from that year the other day and the copy I had written for myself of her note fell out.

When I read it I had tears.

It's message and values so strong and pertinent.

It's message valuable for all of us at every stage in life.

It resonated with me so strongly.

I might just pack myself a little box of objects like that and keep it in my bag ALWAYS.

Learning to really TRUST myself is something that is still very hard for me. I could do with the help of that little box I think.

Here is what the note said....

The ERASER us to remind you that everyone makes mistakes and that is ok.

The STAR is to remind you to shine & always try your best.

The TISSUE is to remind you to dry someone else's tears.

The BAND-AID is to heal your hurt feelings in your friends and in yourself.

The TOOTHPICK is to remind you to pick out the good qualities in your classmates.

The MOVABLE eye is to keep an eye out for each other.

The LIFE SAVER is to remind you that you can come to me if you need someone to talk to.

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S CHICKPEA & SPINACH TAPAS:
I love Chickpeas (I LOVE spinach too) and I often resort to using good quality tinned ones but you will get a superior dish if you have the time to prepare dried ones.
This is delicious served as Tapas with cold beer or as a side dish to any Tagine. My son took it to school and ate it cold for lunch.
It would also make a DELICIOUS filling for my stuffed Paratha! (recipe here)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

250g chickpeas, soaked overnight drained and then cooked in fresh water for 1-2 hours until soft. (or substitute with 2x400g cans)
5 tblspns EVOO
500g spinach, rinsed well and chopped
5 slices of bread, crusts removed and cut into small cubes
1 heaped teaspoon cumin seeds
a small handful of fresh Oregano (mine is going nuts in the garden at the moment!)
2 tblspoons Red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked Paprika
pinch of Saffron threads
S & P

METHOD:
Infuse saffron threads in about 3 tablespoons of boiling water to release the flavour & colour.Let it sit on the bench to infuse until you need it.

In a pan add 1/2 and add cubed bread. Cook till brown all over.

Remove bread and set aside.
Add the rest of the EVOO and add garlic, cumin seeds, smoked Paprika & spinach.
Add the chickpeas, Oregano and Red Wine vinegar and Saffron (and it's liquid!).
Cook through for about 5 minutes while stirring. Lastly crumble the croutons a little and add just before serving so they retain their crunch.
Season with S & P.

Serve and enjoy!

Who doesn't love the Big O?! Well here is a rendition of his masterpiece-Blue Bayou by two artists I love. M.Ward & Norah Jones.

Choosing favourites

2011-09-09T13:16:00.002+10:00

Do you have a favourite meal?

I have so many it would be singularly impossible to choose.

You know when people talk of the desert Island meal....I just can't ever answer.

It feels like when someone asks me if I have a favourite child?

I answer...."Yep, I have a favourite 13, 11, 8, 5 and 2yo".

I love them all.

They are each unique.

They are all wonderful.

Their differences excite me & interest me.

I don't need to have a favourite. They're all my favourites.

It is the same when i have to choose a favourite dish.

We are so lucky in Australia.

Picking a favourite cuisine on offer to us here is impossible for me.

Australia is a country made up of a mix of about 90 or so nationalities.

The amazing exposure to cuisine this gives us is truly magnificent.

We are able to buy so many ingredients now that were not available to us before.

We live in a country that has so many different climates and as a result gives us access to so many different fruits and vegetables.

I love the stories behind different dishes. I love to find out where they came from, how they evolved.

I love the window into culture that food gives us.

I love to collect cookbooks and read about the stories behind food.

I wrote about that a while back. (Click here to take you back to that post).

I read them in bed like other people read novels.

Anyway.......last night I had a real hankering for what I am going to say is ONE of my favourite dishes- Ma Po Dou Fu. It is literally translated as Pock marked woman's bean curd. Yeah...ok...not so flattering but boy oh boy the dish is a total winner! This particular lady was a restaurateur in Chengdu and was famous for her amazing bean curd.

It is from the Sichuan province of China. The food from this region is famed for it's distinctive 'hot and numbing' spice- Sichuan peppercorn. It is an amazingly aromatic spice and like curry spices it's complexity is brought out by roasting it a little before grinding it and using it. It is readily available in good Asian grocers. It leaves an amazing zingy numb sensation on your tongue. I LOVE IT. And the Sichuanese are not shy on Chili either- another love of mine.

I changed the recipe slightly (I'm really bad at keeping true to recipes...I just can't help but tinker!) as I had some eggplants that I needed to use and I have added them to this before with great success. So I will share my altered version here. Feel free to be a purist and omit them!

Thankfully Chinese cuisine has come a long way in this country since the days of Honey Prawns & Sweet and Sour pork.

For me trying this recipe is a bit like a test of a Chinese restaurant...a bit like the never ending search for the best Laksa in Malaysian places.

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S MA PO DOU FU:
This is a dish that is best cooked in a smoking hot wok. You could do it in a non-stick fry pan but don't be shy with the heat! Like all stir fry cooking it pays to be organised before you heat up your wok.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

200g pork mince
1 block firm tofu, cut into cubes
3-4 spring onions, chopped diagonally
1 bunch coriander, washed and chopped finely (use roots too- this is where all the flavour is!)
2 tsblpns Shao Xing wine
1 tblspn dark soy sauce
1 tspn sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
2 inch piece of ginger, chopped finely or grated
1 heaped tblspn chili bean sauce (buy this from the asian grocer) (use a little less if not a big chili fan- this sauce is quite hot!)
1 cup of chicken stock
1 tbslpn corn flour (add to stock)
2 tspns Ground sichuan pepper.
3 tblspns Canola oil
1 eggplant (optional)

METHOD:
Dry roast the Sichuan pepper until fragrant and grind in a mortar & pestle.

Add pork mince to a large bowl and add soy, shao xing wine, ginger, garlic and sesame oil. Mix through well. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes.

If you are using eggplant you can chargrill them while the pork marinates.

I cut my eggplant lengthways and then into chunks like this. I like it to be an rather large chunks and this also allows more surface to gain flavour from chargrilling.

Set aside in a bowl.

Now heat the wok to smoking point. Carefully add oil and then gently add the marinated pork mince to the wok.

Add the Sichuan pepper & the Chilli bean sauce.

Stir continually until the pork is cooked through.
Now add the stock (the cornflour is added to this to thicken the sauce).
Stir through.
Add tofu, spring onions and coriander and stir through gently for about a minute or until tofu is warmed through.

If you are adding eggplants do so now.

Serve with steamed Jasmine Rice. I have to add some Chow Chiu chilli oil.....and a sprinkle of more coriander & spring onion.

I hope you try it and it becomes one of your favourites too!

We have been loving this lately- it's an old favourite....the melifluous voice of Robert Fisher is so beautiful. My 11yo is going to give it a go on his guitar. Might be a while before he matches the gorgeous deep vocals though!

A new day

2011-09-07T13:39:00.000+10:00

Last night as I sunk into the couch nearly defeated by the ways of my fabulous 2yo and the great Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spill of 2011. (read here if you missed it)

I say nearly defeated very consciously.

Nearly...... because every day is a new day.

An opportunity to make right.

To try a little harder.

To see a little clearer.

To love a little bigger.

To forgive a little easier.

To enjoy a little more.

To let go a little better.

To hold a little closer.

To say a little less of the negative....

And more of the positive.

Today was a new beginning.

And despite the very clear (and very expensive) oil stain all over the floor.....

I was able to wake today and look at it and laugh.

Today we could start again.

A new day.

MATTHEW EVAN'S EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD BROWNIES:

I made these the day before as Matthew's gorgeous latest cookbook 'Winter on the Farm' was on the table and one of my kids had opened it onto this page and asked if I could make them. You may know of Matthew from the Gourmet Farmer series on SBS.
I am not the kind of mumma that bakes. I know that seems strange. Yes I love to cook but I don't do the whole muffins and cakes for the lunchbox thang. But I made a exception. When a recipe asks for an entire block of 70% dark chocolate it is really pretty hard to refuse- non?
Earlier in the year on our trip to Tassie we had spent the day with Matthew, Sadie & Hedley & other good friends making our annual Tomato sauce (you can read about that here).
He inscribed my copy of his book with the kindest of words....it was just what I needed to read yesterday. As I flipped it open to look at the recipe his words made me feel so much better after a very trying day....that and a few of the brownies of course!
Thanks Matthew!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

150g butter
200g chopped dark chocolate (70%cocoa)
4 eggs
300g sugar
a pinch of salt
100g plain flour
150g chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Grease a 20cm x 30cm baking tin and line with baking paper. The bigger the tray the less cakey the end result.

Put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl & place over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir till melted.

Set aside to cool to just above room temperature.

Using electric beaters, beat together eggs, salt & sugar in a large bowl until pale.
Fold in the chocolate mix, followed by the flour.
Last of all fold in the walnuts; try not to overmix or it will lose some of it's air.

Spoon into tin and bake for 25-35 minutes; when tested with a skewer it won't come out completely clean like it does when testing a cake but it should not have raw mix on it either.

Remove from oven and allow to cool in the tin. Turn out and cut into squares to serve.

Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days at the most.
(The last line made me laugh.....as IF they will last 3-4 days....ours are gone already!!!!)

I can vouch for their EXCEPTIONALITY!!! And so will my kids....they are dark chocolate fiends and really loved these! They were lovely and crunchy on the outside and gooey lovely dark chocolatey goodness on the inside with a little crunch of the walnuts. Sooo good!

Today the coveted Mercury prize was awarded to my fave rock Goddess Polly Jean Harvey for the second time but seeing as I posted a track by her on my last post I thought I would post a song by the dark horse of the prize this year. A collaboration between John Hopkins & King Creosote that created an album I love- Diamond Mine.
This track has the noises of a busy cafe in the background....I love it. Hope you do too. x

Mindful or Mindless?

2011-09-06T15:27:00.001+10:00

Once upon a time a good mother tried to sit down to watch a 40 minute video piece on being a more mindful mother.

Her intentions were good.

She had set the two littlest (5 & 2) with activities they were happily engaged in.

The silence should have been a sign.

Not a good one.

Quietly. Very quietly....... 4 litres of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) was slipping itself carefully ALL over the floor, into every crevice. Being sucked up voraciously into the dry floor. The 2yo was just checking to see if I really was being as mindful as I could be.

Clearly not.

Wheels were driving through it.

Hands were slipping through it.

And then........that mindful mother (even taking a few notes to remind myself of the really resonant parts....) only 10 minutes into the bliss of learning about how to give herself to the ones she loved ; came out to check on them only to discover that there was an oil spill of Exxon Valdes proportions quietly seeping into the wooden (THANKFULLY) floor.

You can even see the tracks of the getaway vehicle!

The video still waits......

SO......... for today I feel as if mindless might just be how I roll.

I hope to watch the end tonight.

And then the more mindful me will return.

I am sure you will forgive my current state of mindlessness given the trying circumstances.

Here is the video I was trying to watch....I hope you can get all the way through!

Luckily I had already made batch of my all in the pot chicken soup when this happened or it would have been take away.
The recipe for my soup is here.

Here's a song that always takes me to a calm place and gives me strength at the same time.

Slow to quick

2011-09-05T14:27:00.001+10:00

Stretching days.......

Dogs lying in the sun...playing while they lie on the warm ground.

Children outside all day.

The days are starting to get markedly longer.

By the time I even start to look at the clock to think of cooking it is usually past our usual dinner time.

Woops.

Luckily as we swing from one season to the next the things we desire for dinner changes from long slow cooked meals to meals that are quick and lighter in ingredients.

Last night was one of those nights.

The day had been full.

And dinner needed to be quick.

Hungry little birds with mouths wide and expectant.

Here's what I cooked.

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S YAKISOBA NOODLES:
I LOVE noodles. Like really really LOVE them. I love noodle soups, noodle stir fries, cold noodles, breakfast noodles.....you get the picture!
I only started cooknig these a little while ago. I think they are one of the easier of noodle dishes to cook. The simple mix of ingredients (Japanese simplicity) makes them a winner for fussier eaters.

I tend to add chilli to mine......but it is not very traditional to do so....I just can't help myself.
Last night I also made some Char Siu(Chinese BBQ pork) so I added that too but I normally just use chicken. My recipe for Char Siu is here.
I usually have dried noodles of MANY varieties in my pantry as I can't bear to run out. You can substitute fresh noodles here too. If using dry noodles prepare them and have them ready to go when you start the recipe. The thin Hokkien noodles would work too- these are readily available in the supermarket these days.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1 packet Soba noodles
350g chicken thigh fillet, cut into strips
2 carrots, julienned
1 onion sliced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
2 spring onion, chopped finely
qtr head of Wombok cabbage cut finely
4 tblspoons soy
1 tblspoon sugar
1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
canola oil for frying

METHOD:
Toast sesame seeds lightly by dry roasting them in a shallow non stick fry pan on a medium heat.
It is best to make a larger batch and keep them in an airtight container. Slice the onions.

Julienne the carrots and cut the spring onions & Wombok.
Slice the chicken.
In a small bowl mix the soy, sugar and sesame oil. Place in a microwave for a few seconds to warm through. Stir well.
Pour over chicken.

Heat your wok to smoking point. Add oil carefully.
Add the chicken and stir till cooked. Remove and set aside in a bowl.
Now fry the onions tills soft and add add all other vegetables except the spring onions.
Stir and then add noodles and the chicken and all its juices.
Add the spring onions and toss well.

Remove and sprinkle sesame seeds over each serve.

Today's listening pleasure is a new fave.....S U B L I M E. Hope you think so too. You know some people are born with outrageously fantastic talents....I am so thankful for this:

Reviving the Vegie patch

2011-09-02T12:06:00.000+10:00

Here is a glimpse of my daily uniform.

Clogs & a Marimekko apron is how you will find me on any given day if you drop in for coffee.

But not today.........

.........Today I'm donning the Blunnies. My other love.

Did you know that Blundstone boots have been being made In Tasmania since 1870!!! *pls see note at the end of the post

Spring is here....glorious sunny days!

Along with incredible Sunsets with glimpses of storybook moonlight.

I am chasing my tail a little with getting my seedlings organised but I just haven't felt like it.

But now the sun is out I want to be in it.

Doing stuff.

So this morning I got out my seed packets and got organised.

I gathered up some of the reserved toilet rolls and collected some of the amazingly rich soil from my chicken coop, raided the recycle box for some newspaper and found my string.

We may be building here soon and so my vegie patch lies fallow as it will have to move elsewhere. In the meantime I am using every other spot possible to plant my vegies & herbs.

It is a myth that you 'need' a vegie patch or space for that matter. You can grow vegies & herbs in very limited space & with very little money. You just need to be savvy!

Over time we have raided hard rubbish and collected old pots to use to plant in. You can use old polystyrene containers that fruit shops will give you if you ask- for FREE!

There is no reason that you can't plant your vegies in amongst the rest of your garden. There are no rules and vegies can look really beautiful. People just have in their mind that you HAVE to have them in a patch- NOT SO- who knew!

Last year at about this time I re-invigorated my vegie patch after leaving it fallow.

I wrote about it in length here.

I have left the vegie patch fallow this year as we are going to be building where the vegie patches lay.

So, I have planted most of my vegies under the fruit trees that are in pots. They get all the sun as the fruit trees have been without their leaves over winter. PERFECT! We have the trees in pots as we are still unsure about where they will end up. I wanted to use up the space below each tree. I see all empty space as an opportunity to plant something!

Underneath the Dwarf Nectarine I have Vietnamese mint, Silverbeet & Giant Red Mustard

In my garden I have Thyme, Parsley, Chillies, Sage, Oregano, Rosemary, Vietnamese mint, Coriander. Some are in pots, some are in the ground.

Under the Blood Orange is more Vietnamese mint & Giant Mustard

There is also Silverbeet, English spinach, Giant Red mustard, raddichio, Perrenial Artichokes.

Today I have planted seedlings for Climbing malabar spinach. It is the most beautiful plant and has succulent leaves that are great in salads or stir fries and some more Cavalo Nero. I talked about that beautiful veg here.

Seedlings are quite fragile and need gentle handling until they go in the ground. I like to buy heirloom variety seeds if possible. I have been buying my seeds from Diggers for years. If you live in Melbourne and are interested in Vegie growing, then visiting the Digger's garden is a MUST!!!!!!!!

I don't like the waste of the plastic seedling containers.

Here is a great way to plant your seeds using your old toilet rolls. We all have them and they usually just go in the bin.

There really is nothing like eating food you have grown yourself- go on have a try at it!

Here's what you do:

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S EASY PEASY SEEDLING PREP RECIPE:
Lots of people use egg cartons but it is not so easy to plant directly into the ground. I love this method.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

old toilet rolls- label with what you are planting
string
old newspaper
seeds of your choice
good quality soil (I dig mine out of my chook pen- so full of chooky goodness!)

Place folded up newspaper on a tray.
Water well so newspaper is sodden.
Place 4 rolls together on top and tie with string- this helps keep cylinders upright as they get soggy.
Fill with soil to the top.
Place 2 or 3 seeds in each toilet roll.
Press into soil & water gently.

The wet newspaper will help keep the seedlings moist.
Plant out when seedlings are about 10cm tall.

When you are ready to plant you can just cut down one side of the roll and plant directly into the soil. the cardboard will disintegrate over time.

N.B. You can achieve the same result by folding newspaper into a cylinder and tying a few together with string to help support. Toilet rolls are just easy as they are ready to go!

*kind readers have alerted me to the fact that Blundstone boots (although still owned & operated by the original Tasmanian family) have indeed succumbed to Chinese manufacturing :(
Here's a tune I have been enjoying this week:

Al fresco

2011-08-29T14:30:00.000+10:00

As the days stretch and the sunshine begins to take away the chill we have resumed our al Fresco life.

When we moved to this house a few years ago we replaced the front fence so we could be sure that the littl'uns were safely away from the road.

I made a point of making sure it was low enough that we could see out and also so that others could see in. And of course I had to paint the gate RED!

Our front yard is quite spacious and I just could not bear the thought of losing all that outside space by not having it safe for the little ones......and then there are the dogs!

The first year we collected a cane setting from someone else's hard rubbish pile and I zhoozed it up with a paint job and some cushions that I covered in fabric from Ikea. We literally loved it to bits until it went out in our hard rubbish pile all in bits.

This year I picked up a fab old table and chairs that I will paint Red....because it is necessary for me to have Red. It is still in the colour that I found it but it works a treat! We are loving it alot and will love this one till it too gets loved to bits like the last......

We live in a neighbourhood that is changing from being one of relatively elderly to the new young families.

I love to be able to see the young families wander by, parents pushing prams or chasing wayward newly able bike riders before they stray onto the road.

I love the trail of people walking their dogs.

I love to see the familiar older neighbourhood people who walk with incredible regularity and commitment.

Some of those at first seemed to make a point of not looking in at us in our yard. But slowly over time they have started to say hello. Started to look. Sometimes even stopping to talk. They smile at the lovely games my little ones are up to.

Little kids are great at stealing away that protective barrier that adults have that stops us starting a conversation with a stranger. They just start to talk & continue to talk and talk and talk.

So since we have moved here we have spent a huge mount of time in the front yard and have slowly learnt the names of many of the people who walk by. Some of them just smile and don't speak..and that is just fine. In fact that is fabulous. The joy felt by the gift of a smile from a stranger can sometimes be just the medicine we need.

We have MANY comments about how lovely it is to see us in the front yard enjoying life.

Have you noticed how rarely you see people in their houses in suburban cities these days? Most of us drive in the driveway and go inside. If we go outside it is the backyard where we go because it is private...away from others.

But I love people. People are interesting, exciting, full of stories and fabulous tales, sometimes so surprising and wonderful. Most people have something to tell us that we can learn from or about.....the key is that we don't give people the time or the opportunity.

Our front yard is all about trying to reconnect with people. I am all for it. People are great and I want to be able to enjoy them as much as I can.

On the weekends we try and have sit down lunch as well as dinner- any opportunity for us all to spend time together at the table I am ALL FOR IT!!! This is where magic happens. Conversations that we don't otherwise give ourselves time for.

And now that the sun has come out again we are invariably out the front. For breakfast and for lunch and soon....it will be dinner too. Al Fresco.......YES!

Yesterday we had extras at our table...friends of the children. I loved it! These are times that i am happiest.

The kids set the table.

We sat there long after the meal was eaten....chatting, sharing, laughing.

It really doesn't get much better than that.

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S LAMB KOFTA WRAPS with BLACK QUINOA TABBOULEH:
These are one of my kids all time fave things to eat. I love meals like this as everyone can just add what they want and omit what they don't.
We served Lebanese flat bread, Hommos, Tsatziki & Black Quinoa Tabbouleh.
This kind of eating is always a winner with kids who are fussier than others or friends who aren't as adventurous as mine and don't have to feel strange as they can keep ti as simple as they like. Although our guest yesterday LOVED everything!
This meal uses heaps of fresh mint which is just going nuts in our garden at the moment so I am happy to be using lots of it!
There are a few parts to the recipe so I will do it in parts.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

FOR KOFTA MIX:

500g lamb mince
1/2 red (spanish) onion, chopped fine
1 bunch mint, chopped fine
1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic
S & P
EVOO

METHOD:
Add all ingredients and amalgamate well.

Put a little olive oil in a non stick pan and heat to medium.

Grab a handful of mince and roll into a sausage like shape. Add to pan. Be sure to brown all sides and cook through.

Set aside on a plate.

FOR THE HOMMOS:
This is a quick method using Organic canned chick peas. You can of course soak & use dried ones.

1 can organic chick peas (drain but reserve the liquid- for this amount I usually use about 1/3 cup)
1 tablespoon Tahini (ground sesame paste)
the juice of one lemon (you could grate the rind and put it in the kofta mix if you like- YUM!)
salt
EVOO (about 1/4cup)

Add all ingredients in a food processor and blitz. Add more of the reserved chickpea juice to help soften.
Slowly drizzle EVOO into until it is the desired consistency. Check seasoning.
Blitz unitl the mix is nice and smooth. A hand blender works well for this too.

FOR THE TSATSIKI:

I have already written the recipe for TSATZIKI.
The recipe is HERE.

FOR THE BLACK QUINOA TABBOULEH:
Tabbouleh ordinarily uses cracked Burghul wheat but recently I have been using Quinoa as a substitute. My kids seem to really like it and I think it works really well. It is quite quick to prepare too.

1 cup black Quinoa (boil according to instructions on packet, drain and set aside)
6 tomatoes, diced finely.
3 small lebanese cucumbers, diced finely
1 bunch of mint, chopped finely
1 bunch italian parsley, chopped finely
4-5 spring onion, chopped finely (I didn't have any spring onion yesterday so I used the other half of the red onion from the kofta mix)
lemon juice
EVOO
S & P

METHOD:
Make a vinaigrette using EVOO & Lemon juice.

Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Check seasoning.

Now serve at everything at the table and wrap to your hearts content!
We sure did.......

We have outdoor speakers out the front so we can still listen to our favourite tunes...
Here's what was was on...could it be more appropriate??
The string players at my place having been playing this on the uke. it sounds pretty good I have to say!

Lamenting the lost morning person.......

2011-08-26T10:40:00.002+10:00

As my little cherubs bounced into my bed this week full of joie de vivre and the promise of a new day, I lay in my foggy morning state and lamented the days when I used to wake all bright & bushy tailed.

They come in and snuggle, wriggling with energy and ready-to-go-ness until finally I roll out of bed and begin my day hazily.

First stop is the coffee machine.

Nowadays I need all the help I can get.

Once upon a time I was like my children.

Hubster never was and it would drive me mad having to wait for him.

I hated that I felt we missed all those hours that could have been spent together....awake.

Now we both get up at the same time as our children to more or less start the day together.

When did it leave me....that ready-to-go-ness?

That ability to bound out of bed & seize the day with the same joie de vivre my children do.

I miss it......

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S POACHED GREEN EGGS WITH CUMIN SALT:
This morning after I had despatched various children to various spots I came home and really fancied something delicious for brekky. This is what I made myself.
Do you have those days...where cereal just ain't gonna cut it for brekky?
Try this...it is delicious & really pretty easy. It would also make a delicious light dinner. Or a great dinner if you are home alone and cooking for one!
Our bantams have just started laying again and I also had some beautiful fresh Cavolo Nero (Tuscan Kale) so I wanted to use them together. I love Cavolo Nero- it is probably one of my favourite greens. Do you know it? It used to be quite hard to find and we started to grow it ourselves but now it is much easier. You can substitute it wherever you would use spinach or silverbeet.
Here are some pics of it. I think it is really beautiful.

Did you know the key to perfect poached eggs is the freshness of the egg- it is that simple! If you have old eggs the white will dissipate in the water. Fresh eggs congeal beautifully to make the eggs you may have only been able to achieve when you eat eggs at a Cafe. Supermarket eggs are invariably old. It is one of the joys of having your own chickens- you know your eggs are always super fresh!
This recipe is for one- so obviously just adjust according to the amount of people you have.
NB: for the cumin salt I roast seeds and grind them but you can skip this if you wish. Fresh roasted & Ground spices will always give you a superior flavour. You can make larger amounts and keep in an airtight container.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1 egg
3 leaves of Cavalo Nero roughly chopped
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons salt
a small amount of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
a slice of sourdough toast
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
water

METHOD:

For the cumin salt just simply add the ground cumin & salt together.

Half fill a deep frypan with water, add a tablespoon of vinegar (this helps congeal the egg) and bring to the boil.

In a small frypan add a teaspoon of EVOO and gently fry the Cavolo Nero till just limp. I like to still have crunch. Cook for longer if you prefer it softer. Remove from pan.

Pop your toast in the toaster.

While it is toasting you can poach your egg.

Reduce the water from a boil to a very low simmer. Use a spoon to create a whirlpool action in the water and then crack your egg into the centre. I cook until when I touch the whit it is just firm...probably about 3 minutes.

Butter your toast and pop Cavolo Nero on top.

Remove egg carefully with a slotted spoon and place on top of Cavolo Nero.

Dust with a little cumin salt and fresh coriander.

Drizzle with a little EVOO.

Enjoy with a bowl of coffee!

I was listening to this at breakfast this morning.

Talking on the phone

2011-08-24T10:26:00.002+10:00

It's no secret that I quite like to talk.

I am actually really really good at it.

Sometimes I even say great stuff.

And if being good at it means doing it a lot.....

Well then perhaps I might even be a total winner.

Blue ribbon material.

Champion of the show even.

I totally wear my heart on my sleeve.

Hmmmm....you may have guessed that part if you come here often.

I think about things a lot too.

And sometimes- yes sometimes- I even think before I speak!

Other times I totally don't and get myself into trouble......

I am also really quite good at talking on the phone and in these modern times I am awesome at talking on Skype (waves to my beautiful Paris peeps!).

Hubster on the other hand.........

It's the growing up in a house without one that has made him a full phone-o-phobe.

Growing up in a small country town it was quicker for him to hop on his treadlie and ride around to tell his mates face to face than it was to talk on the phone.

He has just never got into the phone groove. A phone is a means to convey information, to book appointments, to conduct business. It ain't a thing you do for pleasure. No...phones & pleasure definitely do not go together.

Luckily we moved in together pretty quickly all those years ago so I didn't have to torture him with phone calls.

So when I saw this lovely lovely phone light at a very very lovely store I HAD to buy it for him.
I just knew it would be a phone he would actually use EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!


I bought it from The little Shop of Handmade. click here to go to their Facebook page.

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S FISH PIE RECIPE:
I love fish. This is a great way to cook fish if you are bit overwhelmed by the idea of it.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

500g firm fleshed fish (ask your fishmonger ) cut into large chunks
250g peas
1/2 bunch of dill
1/2 bunch Italian parsley
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
300ml milk
100ml cream (optional)
200g good cheddar (grated) also optional
2 bay leaves
300g potatoes (you can use others but I had bought some glorious Kipflers at the farmers markt on the weekend)
1 tablspoon dijon mustard
salt & WHITE pepper
1 onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
1 sheet of puff pastry (or enough to cover your pie dish)
1 egg, whisked ( to brush pastry)

METHOD:
Scrub your potatoes well. I like to leave the skin on as all the goodness is there but you need to make sure you scrub really well so you don't have gritty spuds!

I used beautiful Kipfler potatoes from the Farmers Market on the weekend.

Boil in salted water till nearly cooked. Drain, chop into similar size chunks as the fish and set aside.

In a medium size saucepan melt butter on a medium heat. Add onion, bay & garlic and cook until onion is translucent.

Add flour and cook for a minute, stir well. The mix will be quite dry.

Add milk slowly, stirring constantly. I use a whisk to make sure there are no lumps.

Continue to stir until roux has thickened. Add dijon mustard and stir well

Remove from heat and add peas, chopped herbs, cooked potatoes and fish. Season well.

Pour mix into pie dish.

Place puff pastry over the top and brush with egg.

Place in 175C oven for 25 minutes or until pastry is brown.

I served it with my Fennel & Brussel sprout salad.....mmmmm super yumolicious.

Here is Thom Yorke with his heart on his sleeve.......... I will NEVER get sick of this track...not EVER.

Drying my tears....

2011-08-22T11:46:00.000+10:00

Grief has gripped me for most of the last year.

The weather did for the rest.

We had been in a drought for a decade and then.....

Oh then!

Those clouds heavy and dark with moisture, let go of the tears they had been holding back for a decade.

They have been crying ever since.

Me too.

In the last couple of days the clouds have disappeared and given way to glorious indigo Spring skies.

Maybe......... just maybe it is time to wipe the tears just for a minute.

The blossoms are bursting, the luminescent green growth of new leaves is all around.

This morning after my bowl of coffee, finally able to be savoured in my favourite morning spot thanks to the sparkling sun.

I meandered around my garden and found so many reasons to dry my eyes.....

I hope the clouds go back to an occasional cry..........me too.

I need that sunshine.

It helps me see more clearly, see the beauty.

Helps me be more mindful of all the simple pleasures that surround me.

Here is what I found on my garden wander this morning.

My soul is smiling.

GOURMETGRLFRIEND'S FENNEL & BRUSSEL SPROUT SALAD:
I LOVE this salad. We have varieties of this very often.
At the farmer's market on the weekend I picked up a bulging bulb of fennel & some delicious little brussels so I had to make it.
I shaved a little home grown horseradish on too for a bit of extra zing.
You can swap the brussel sprouts for any kind of cabbage, also you can add apple or orange, change the herbs too. The basis for me is the fennel & the capers, the rest changes depending on what I have.
Be generous with the Capers!
It is beautiful with fish, chook, lamb. I served it alongside a Mushroom risotto the other night. Delicious!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

one fennel bulb, trim but save the frills (you can add these to the salad)
3-4 brussels sprouts
4 tablespoons of baby capers
roughly chopped parsley & mint
1 lemon (grate rind & reserve the juice for dressing)
Parmigiano Reggiano (shaved or ground)
1 tblspoon dijon mustard
EVOO (extra Virgin Olive Oil)
S & P

METHOD:
Finely slice the fennel & brussel sprouts. I use a kitchen Mandolin but if you don't have one just slice VERY finely.
Grate the lemon rind over the salad so the oil & all it's perfume lands on it too!
Add the chopped herbs
Add the capers and a good 1/2 cup of Parmigiano- I shaved mine this time but often I use ground.
Make a vinaigrette using the mustard, EVOO & lemon juice.
Drizzle generously, toss and season.

This morning I have been listening to an ol' joy. This song reminds me of early days with my gorgeous hubby....days of youth and promise of our days together ahead.

What's for dinner?

2011-08-19T15:04:00.004+10:00

This week my eldest wanted to have a friend come for a sleepover.

I love the kids getting together with their buddies.

It is one of the greatest benefits of the kids going to the local school. The friendships they build are with people that live in very close proximity. It makes playing with friends after school so much easier.

Now my eldest has gone to High school that changes significantly.

The kids come from a bigger area. Still reasonably local but not just a couple of blocks away.

When any of my kids ask for friends over I love to be able to say yes.

I can't always but it is very important to me that my kids feel good about welcoming their friends into our home.

I pretty much have an open door policy. I love my home to be a place that others want to be in.

A place that feels warm and inviting.

A place to share.

Laughter.

Tears.

Music.

Food.

I have a Mexican tin sign above my door that says "Mi Casa Es tu Casa".

It means "My house is your house".

It is very very important to me that my house is a HOME not a showpiece. I have written about it before here.

And I am aware that as my children grow older the feeling that you are welcome to bring your friends around is not so common. I really really hope my kids continue to want their friends to come here.

It made me laugh when the first thing my son asked about his friend coming over was "Whats for dinner on Saturday?"

I looked at him with a "You SURELY know me better than that" kind of look.

I don't really plan dinner. In fact I am really really bad- like actually hopeless- at making plans!

Dinner is very rarely planned and is more of a what's in the fridge/freezer and away we go type affair.

It drives my 11yo mad!!

Virtually on queue every single day as he arrives home from school he asks "Whats for dinner Mum?"

I'm kind of surprised he still asks as the response is always pretty much the same.

It goes something like this....(Ok. it ALWAYS goes like this).

"I don't know yet. I'll have a look what's in the fridge."

But I understood that my eldest wanted to make an occasion of his buddys' sleepover. I asked if he had a special request. It's nice to make it special. I get that. So I caved in and PLANNED dinner!

We are having my slow cooked Lamb Souvlaki.

I hope that my kids continue to invite their friends over......the more the merrier I say.

We decided on this dinner as it's an everybody loves it kind of meal- unless of course you are a vegetarian!

GOURMETGIRLFRIEND'S SLOW COOKED LAMB SOUVLAKI & TZATSIKI:
A friend of mine came around a couple of weeks ago to get advice about cooking Souvlaki at home. I sent her away with this recipe. She said it was a huge success. And it is really easy. I hope you find the same!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1 lamb shoulder (preferably with the bone for extra flavour, but not necessary)
5 (or more if you are like me!) cloves garlic
1 bunch oregano (if you can get hold of the Dried Greek oregano use that in it's place but use less as it is FULL of flavour)
2 lemons
S & P
EVOO
1 pack of Souvlaki wrappers
1 onion sliced finely
1 cucumber, cut into small dice.
1 cos lettuce
3-4 tomatoes, sliced
yoghurt (buy the Plain thick Greek style & if you want it to be lovely and thick then drain desired amount in a muslin cloth. This creates a gorgeous thick garlic sauce but is not necessary)

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 140C.

Add 4 cloves of garlic, oregano, rind of 1 & 1/2 lemons and a 1/2 teaspoon salt to a pestle and mortar. Grind till a paste. Add some pepper ( I prefer White but black is fine). Reserve 2 tablespoons of this mix for the garlic sauce (Tzatsiki)

Add EVOO and the juice of one lemon and rub really well into the lamb shoulder.

Place into an ovenproof dish and cover well with alfoil. Place in oven and cook for 3 1/2 hours.

At this point remove alfoil and turn up oven temp to 170C for a half hour. This will allow the outside of the lamb to caramelise.

Remove from oven and shred with a fork. The meat will just fall away from the bone.
Cover and let stand for 10 minutes while you make the Tzastiki.

Add desired amount of yoghurt to a bowl. After you have finely diced the cucumber, squeeze as much of the juice as you can out- this helps retain a thick sauce. Add to yoghurt. Add the reserved spice &garlic mix from earlier and stir through well. Drizzle a little extra EVOO over the top.

Add a little EVOO to a non stick pan and gently fry each souvlaki wrap on one side till just brown before placing on a platter. this keeps the wrap soft enough to fold without breaking and adds lovely flavour and texture. Place ingredients onto the browned side.

I serve all ingredients (Lamb, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, tzatsiki and any other ingredients you wish) on platters at the table for everyone to help themselves.

I was introduced to this song by a special friend who GETS the whole idea of having a house that other people want to be in. A HOME. My lovely friend visited today for coffee. It was lovely...as always.
This song makes me cry. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
I'm so grateful she shared it with me. I actually can't believe I didn't know it before.
It's my turn to share it with you. Listen very carefully to the words........& then pass me a tissue. thanks.

Spring Chickens....

2011-08-18T12:39:00.003+10:00

Yes!

It is coming!

Spring is busting its way through the cold woody trees.

The buds are bulging until they cannot be contained any longer and are bursting; displaying their magnificence.

Soon the fruit behind those blossoms will swell to give us our delicious summer stone fruits.

Me & my 2 littlest spring chickens went out walking to enjoy a rare break in the rain this week.

The winter has felt long.

And cold.

The chooks haven't been laying for months.....

Yesterday I went out to refresh their water and feed them the scraps.

And then there, right there was the biggest and bestest sign that Spring is very nearly here.


Thankyou very much ladies! We have missed your bounty.....

Our ladies had started laying again!
There is nothing like collecting eggs from your very own backyard chickens.
Except maybe the eating of them!

GOURMETGIRLFRIEND'S EGGPLANT & MOZZARELLA SANDWICH:
I always make my own breadcrumbs and quite often have some leftover. Once you have made your own you will never buy a packet of them again. it is so worth the little effort it takes.
They keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for quite a while.
Just use leftover bread (use good quality bread), take off the crust (feed them to your chooks!), and blitz in your food processor. It takes about 30 seconds!
I like to add extra goodness in with the crumbs. You can add all manner of things.
This crumb mix was made to coat loin pork chops so I had added loads of sage, lemon rind and Parmesan cheese. It goes amazing well on eggplant too. Did you know I LOVE eggplant? It is probably my favourite vegetable (along with beetroot). Some people do the whole salt thing. Me- well I have never ever had a bitter eggplant so I have never bothered.
I have made this dish several times. The eldest 2 boys LOVE it. It is really quite quick & easy and super scrummy. The mozzarella oozes out the sides....mmmm so good! It is substantial enough for a main course.

YOU WILL NEED:

1 large eggplant
home made breadcrumbs
EVOO
good quality Mozzarella (if you can, use Buffalo, if not use a good quality substitute)
pesto (hopefully you have some of this in your fridge!)
1 egg (beaten with a dash of milk)
flour for dusting
S & P

METHOD:
Season the flour well with salt & pepper.
Place the flour, the crumbs and the egg into 3 SEPARATE bowls.
Slice the eggplant into 1cm thick rounds. Cut an even number as you will sandwich them.
Slice the mozzarella.

Place a piece of Mozzarella on one side of the eggplant sandwich & paste the other with pesto as in pic below:

Now place the 2 pieces together and dust in flour, coat with egg and then with the herby crumbs.

Once all sandwiches are made add some EVOO to a shallow non-stick pan and fry on a gentle heat until brown.

Flip and do same to other side.
Drain on paper towel.

I think it is best served with a crunchy green salad with loads if fresh herbs. I add loads of dill as I really LOVE dill & eggplant together.

Today's tune is a new find courtesy of a lovely friend ;)
William Blake's words married with gorgeous music & voice.......how could it not be AMAZING?

Homework.....and why I believe it has no place in Primary Education

2011-08-12T15:26:00.004+10:00

Today I wrote a letter to the Principal & Vice Principal of my children's Primary school.

A few years ago I wrote a VERY long piece to them about why I believed Primary school children should NOT be doing homework.

A new system was implemented and is now under review. I jumped at the opportunity to once again state my position.

What makes me sad is I know that the majority of teachers everywhere are on my side so why is it that we are even having this argument?

Here is a copy of the letter I wrote today.

Dear (insert names of Principal & Vice Principal),
I believe home work has ABSOLUTELY NO place in primary school education.
I feel VERY strongly about this.

In the past I studied Early Childhood education. And although I am no longer teaching, alot of the principles I learnt about are a feature of my parenting.

I feel passionately about children and their welfare. This will NEVER leave me.

My whole ethos as a parent revolves around slowing down childhood.

We live in a world spinning so fast with technological advances & information overload from so many avenues.

As adults we struggle to keep up.
Kids are amazing at keeping up.

But at what expense to their well being is it?

And is the information they are exposed to really appropriate for their mental & emotional maturity?
I think alot of the time the answer is no.

As a parent I watch as others juggle the transporting of children from school pick-up to a different activity- some each day , and some more than one on the same day.

Some are whisked off to do more school-like work at tutoring.

Some of these children are putting in LONGER days than a work day. And they are not even teenagers. Some are not even in double figures. They are babes in the scheme of things.

And then these children come home only to be hassled to complete homework.

Why? Of what benefit is it to their education?

Here-in lies the heart of the argument for me.

Education is about SO much more than academics.

For me education should be all about learning to LOVE learning. Learning to LOVE asking questions.

Learning to acquire an appetite to find out MORE and to give people the skills to find out HOW to.

This should be the focus of the Primary years.

And to do this a child needs these things (a by no means exhaustive list) :

To feel happy.
To feel safe.
To feel valued.
To be able to rest.
To have friends.
To have time to play.
To have time to be read to.
To have time to socialise.
To have time to laugh.
To have time to hug someone they love.
To have time to do 'nothing' for a while.

In amongst the rush to encourage our children to 'be prepared' for life as a grown up, the meaning of homework has become blurred. We now seem to see it as a means to get children 'prepared for high school'. Only that has filtered down to little preps doing homework too….and so begins the fights & stress between parents and their children regarding 'getting the homework done'.

Research clearly show that children are no more prepared for high school by having done homework at primary school.

If it is indeed academic success parents are oping for the Queensland Education Dept. review on Homework (1994) found that "Academic success has been associated with ‘safe, calm and quiet home environments in which adults have the time and energy to interact with children’." (follow the link here: education.qld.gov.au/review/pdfs/homework-text-for-web.pdf) .

We all know that homes where parents are fighting about homework are neither calm nor quiet!

And the key part of that sentence is "time & energy to interact with children"- not…... "hound your child to get his/her homework done".

I understand that our school changed the whole approach to homework a couple of years back and integrated the new Work at Home system.

It was great to see such a progressive stance taken…..however I actually don't feel that much has changed.

I still see that in order to fulfil the homework Matrix my children would have to be sitting down for what I consider way too long in order to complete the tasks. On the rare occasion that one of my children has completed the Matrix it takes AGES!!!!!!!
I just don't think they should be sitting down at a desk at home AT ALL! They do enough of that at school.

They should be doing the things they already do when they get home, like:
Sitting with me and having a chat, going outside and playing in the sandpit or mud, playing with their brothers, making dinner, relaxing, patting the dogs, riding their bike, playing their instrument, reading a book, RELAXING!

I know as their parent that they do MORE than enough in their everyday life to fulfil the Matrix requirements. And you and I both know the true educational value in all of those things.

However I have not and I will not make them sit down and do homework. They do enough.

And my kids in comparison to most at our school do very little at all in terms of after school activities- and they go to bed a whole lot earlier too!

The team of teachers at our school are FANTASTIC, DEDICATED, DYNAMIC, PASSIONATE, & KNOWLEDGABLE. I consider myself lucky to have my children in amongst you all.

But when their school day is over I want them to just come home and enjoy being a CHILD without any more 'work'.

I hope to see that very very soon there will be a new homework system come into place at our school called "Go home and LOVE being a child."
We all know it doesn't last long enough!

And if not- be warned I will not EVER make any of my children do homework!

Yours sincerely (and hopefully),
Ruth
xx

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S HAPPY CHILDHOOD RECIPE:

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

LOVE
PATIENCE
HUMILITY
PATIENCE
A SENSE OF HUMOUR
TIME
WINE (for the parent of course!)
COFFEE (ditto above)
MUSIC

METHOD:

Mix together all ingredients in any given ration on any given day.
Watch carefully so as ingredients don't boil over.

Most of all take the time to enjoy the recipe you created.

Today's tune is Jose Gonzalez playing The Nest:

Lazy kind of days......and cardboard boxes.

2011-08-10T12:41:00.000+10:00

Do you have days when you just don't want to get out of bed?

The warm duck down is wrapped around you and the cloud of comforting 'just right' air envelops you.

Yet the alarm beckons.....

My alarm rings with a statement of "Mumma sandwiches must be made.....wakey wakey rise & shine".

And invariably I leave behind one or two little snugglers in my spot in the bed as I make my way to the kitchen.

They can stay.

They don't have to make sandwiches.

They don't have to get out of bed for anything at all.

I leave them be.

They will follow me soon enough...tummies gurgling for brekky.

Today after I dispatched the big ones, one by one off to school, I sat on the couch.

I could have stayed there ALL day.

It is a bit drizzly outside.

But a parcel arrives. I arise to answer the door.

It is in a big box.

We unwrap it.

The contents are inconsequential.

A box A box. my kingdom for a box!

Perfect indoor toy for the two littlest. I mean really is there anything better than a cardboard box?

GOURMETGIRLFRIEND'S WONTON NOODLE SOUP:
Wonton noodle soup is one of my absolute favourite foods. A bad one is sooooo dissapointing but a good one is close to heaven I think!
Mine is always different depending on what is in the pantry or fridge or garden.
It's surprisingly easy if you haven't made it before. DO give it a whirl!
It uses ingredients that I consider MUST ALWAYS have pantry items. Especially if you love Asian cuisine as much as me! It needs other ones too from the fridge but I make sure I ALWAYS have these as I make quite a lot of recipes that rely on them (I store little portions of pork mince in the freezer for dumplings and wontons).
The MUST HAVE pantry items are: dried noodles, maggi seasoning (as pictured below),

chicken stock, wonton skins (I always have these in the fridge),

shao xing wine (distinguishable by it's distinctive duck egg blue & red label as in pic below),

sesame oil. (Most of these things are at your local Asian grocer- it is worth finding a good local one in my opinion. I love asking about ingredients I haven't used before. Asian grocers are treasure troves.)
The most difficult part to this recipe is the making of the wontons. And it isn't actually that hard. They are very forgiving and once you have made it once I bet you will be going back for more.
Experiment with different flavours & noodles too! It is delicious with slivers of chicken or silken tofu....go crazy!
The recipe I have written here is the mix I used on that day. It tasted great but I haven't done it like that before- i will again though!. I had some gorgeous Giant Red Mustard leaves to use, some chilli and some Vietnamese mint- all growing in my garden asking to be made into something delicious. Vietnamese mint is one of those magical asian herbs- like Coriander- it was perfect for this soup, it added an amazing fresh zinginess that lifted the soup to another level. Soooooo good. and you could just feel it doing you good too! My kids LOVED it! It grows really easily- you really should plant some- you should! Giant red mustard is the same. It grows easily and loves to be plucked!

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 inch knob of ginger
a handful of Vietnamese mint ( i used 3 in the soup, 2 in the pork mince and another one to garnish)- I would often use coriander but didn't have any
1 red chilli
2 inch knob of ginger (1 inch grated into pork mince & other 1 inch sliced and put in broth)
2- 3 drops of Maggi seasoning (this is SUPER strong- don't over use this sauce. It is to me the 'secret' ingredient if you like, to the authentic flavour of Wonton soup but be very careful not to overpower the broth with it. )
200g free range pork mince
2 tablspoons sesame oil
1 egg
a bowl of water (for helping seal the wontons)
a pack of wonton wrappers
2 litres of chicken stock (if you don't have good home made stock you can substitute with a good powdered one)
a dash of LIGHT soy (it is more salty than dark so you don't have to use as much & will also leave the broth a lovely light colour)
green veg of your choice (I had Giant Red Mustard leaves in the garden so used those)
dried soba noodles (it was all I had in the pantry- i don't have any rules about which to use- but the rule I stick to is to make sure you boil the noodles in a separate pot as it will taint your broth otherwise)
extra salt if required

METHOD:
In a pot bring a prepare your dried noodles as per packet instructions. When cooked drain and run cold water to stop cooking process. I add a dash of sesame oil to keep noodles loose and to add flavour. Set aside.

In a large bowl add pork mince, grated ginger, egg & sesame oil. Get your hands in there and amalgamate the ingredients very well. It will resemble a paste almost.

On a floured surface put a wonton wrapper so it lies as a diamond and add about a heaped teaspoon of pork mince mix to the centre.

Dip your finger into the water and baste the edges. Then fold over and squeeze the edges firmly to make sure they are sealed. Repeat till all mix made into wontons.

Now for the broth. Bring 2 litres of chicken stock to the boil. Add 1 inch of ginger slices, a sprig or two of Vietnamese mint, maggi seasoning and soy.

Once at a boil drop in the wontons. You will see the wrapper start to shrink around the meat mix to create that lovely little shape you know and love!

Cook the wontons for about 5 minutes. I added the mustard leaves only about a minute before I served- I love them to be crunchy.

In each serving bowl place a small amount of noodles, some wontons & some green veg. Now ladle over the broth till covered and add chilli & fresh herbs!

YUM!!!!!

My listening pleasure today is a band from Norway I've been listening to alot lately. Theya ren't new but I love them. They help add some quiet to my busy-ness:

How do you celebrate?

2011-08-08T11:16:00.002+10:00

A couple of weeks ago our eldest child turned 13.

We had talked about the impending celebrations for a while.

13 is a biggy.

We don't usually do the whole big birthday party thing.

I am kind of disillusioned by the way kids birthday parties have become another way to compete as parents. Surely being a parent is hard enough without all this competitive stuff?

Birthday parties have become big business.

The idea seems to be that the bigger & more fantastical the party you give the bigger & better you are as a parent.

And inviting every child in the class?!

I don't get it.

Why?

My children are certainly not friends with every child in their class so why would I invite them all?

Isn't a birthday something you celebrate with the people you love and who love you?

I know it isn't very popular to take this stance but I don't do what is popular in anything I do.

I do it because I believe in it.

Because I think it is right.

It is important to me that I live with honesty.

It doesn't make me popular all the time but I am the one who has to live with me and as me. I need to do what is right for me.

Mr. 13 had thrown around the ideas that are kind of common for a child of his age in terms of party ideas. Laser war parties, or go-karting, bowling etc.....

I struggled to get excited...and really so did he.

Then one night as we were sitting around the table chatting as a family sharing bad jokes, stories, insights, music, food & love; as we do.......then Mr13 said something.

"Mum I know what I want to do! I want to have my friends come around and just hang out; you know like we do. Just sit around the table chatting, maybe have a campfire & maybe we could do our Portuguese chicken for dinner."

His eyes had lit up.

Mine too.

It was fabulous. I couldn't have been happier. I love that he wanted to share his family with his friends. How could I not be happy with that?

He wrote the invites himself. He chose his friends carefully.

It will go down as one of my favourite parties EVER.

His friends were a delight.

They sat around the campfire.

They climbed the treehouse. They played ping pong. They played with potato guns. They jumped on the trampoline.

We ate sitting around the fire and then they toasted marshmallows for smores.

Kind of old fashioned stuff.... but on every single child's face was a SMILE.

It rained for some of it but we just found enough raincoats and stayed outside anyway.

What was so lovely was to see how they engaged with each other & with all of our family.

It was a great night.

We talked the next day and I asked Mr 13 what he thought of his party.

"It was everything I hoped it would be."

Me too...........

How do you celebrate birthdays?

GOURMETGIRLFRIEND'S PORTUGUESE STYLE CHICKEN:
You can change the ingredients for the marinade. Mine is never quite the same. I like that about recipes like this. It kind of evolves as you discover what you do and don't like & what is available to you. Have the confidence to try different stuff and see what works. For Mr 13's party I kept it relatively simple as I didn't want to scare off his friends!
We cook ours on our spit roast over charcoal in a special chicken press but you don't need to have this. It will be delicious cooked in a regular oven too. The marinade will make sure of this!
Splitting a chicken to flatten it for Portuguese chicken is super easy. I find using Chicken shears makes it even easier. Once you have done it once you won't ever be afraid again I promise!
Just cut the chicken from the parsons nose through to the neck- NOT the breast side but the other! Once cut turn over the chicken and give it a good punch to flatten it down. Hey presto! You are ready to marinade. Told you it was easy!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1 large organic chicken
5 cloves garlic
1 lemon (rind cut off and reserved & juice will be used too)
generous glug of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
2 teaspoons spanish smoked paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
1 large red chilli (remove seeds if you don't want it too spicy)
1 whole bunch coriander (be sure to rinse well as you want to use the ENTIRE plant- roots & all!)
S & P

METHOD:

Flatten the chook as described above.

Add all other ingredients to a food processor and blitz baby blitz, till it's a paste like consistency.

Smear marinade over every part of the chicken, bottom and top.

It is best to leave overnight but a few hours ahead will still be great.

We put ours into the press and it spins happily for a couple of hours basting itself as it goes. The result is incredibly juicy chicken as the basting keeps the juices in the chicken. Truly amazing.

If using a regular oven it will be best to place it on a rack and cook for an hour at 175C.

Here's how it looks out of the chicken press- so good!

We like to serve ours with my spicy wedges, roast pumpkin wedges that are cooked with a little garlic & rosemary and a crunchy green salad. Add a squeeze of lime if you like! YUM!

Happy Birthday Mr13! You make me so proud each and every day. It was a joy to be part of your celebration. xx

Making your limitations your strengths......

2011-08-03T12:21:00.002+10:00

My 11yo has had a really rough trot.

He is the one who has been having the nightmares.....you may have read about it here.

He is an incredibly intuitive child.

He teaches me things.

EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

Soul important stuff.

The stuff that helps us in difficult times.

He sees things others miss.

he hears things in songs that no-one else does.

He has amazed quite alot of people with his insights into things.

They are the sort of things that kind of make you do a double take.

He is only eleven after all!

We have been reading The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff (I blogged about that here too) with him.

Do go out and buy a copy. Do.

You won't regret it.

And you won't regret re-reading Winnie-the-Pooh either.

I have mentioned this book to several people and been happy to hear they know it. It is a treasure.

On Friday little Mr11 had an all day Basketball event. I'm exhausted just writing that!

He came home and I asked how it went.

He told me "It was great. I used something I learnt from the Tao of Pooh today"

Of course I was thrilled and wanted to know more......what was it that he had used? What was it he had heard in that book that helped him?

"Well mum it was the bit where they talked about knowing your limitations. You know how they said that if you know your limitations you can make them your strengths."

"Go on" I said..........my eyes were welling.

"Well I am not very tall and usually I try and run all over the court and try to get goals too but today I didn't try to do that. I left the tall kids to do that and I just ran and tried to get get the ball off the opposition. I think I did a better job. Normally I am trying to do everything and then I just get too tired to do anything well."

I held him tight. Really close.

I wanted a little of his wisdom to flow into me...........

MR.11's POTATO, LEEK & PARMESAN SOUP:

He is an amazing cook too. Today's recipe is his. He tried a Potato, Leek & Parmesan soup at a farmers market, loved it and came straight home to try and replicate it. He got it right first time and has made it quite a few times since. It is DARN good! The addition of the parmesan adds the most amazing flavour to this soup. Feel free to grate more on once served!
He made it for all of us for dinner last night.

PapaGourmet and the 5 boys at the Gasworks farmers market.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

2 leeks
2 onions
6 potatoes (we used dutch creams)
300g Parmeggiano Reggiano
nutmeg
salt
white pepper
chicken stock
good quality butter

METHOD:
Chop the leeks straight down the middle leaving the root section on. This allows you to hold the leek under a tap to wash away any dirt and keep it in tact. A useful trick!

Then trim leek and chop coarsely.

Chop onions.
In a pot (big enough to hold all ingredients) melt a good size knob of butter at a medium heat.
Add onions and leeks and cook till translucent.
Chop potatoes (we don't peel them- so make sure they are well scrubbed) into rough pieces.
Add them to the pot and add enough chicken stock to JUST cover the vegies (you can add more but we like this soup quite thick).
Grate a generous amount of nutmeg and season with Salt (don't add too much salt as the parmesan is salty- you can adjust at the end if you need to) and white pepper.
Cook till potatoes are soft (about 10 minutes).
Add grated parmesan and BLITZ BABY BLITZ! (my super technical term for using a stick blender).

Serve with crusty sourdough spread with good butter. You could add a dollop of cream if you were feeling super decadent! x

My kids love music as much as me...Mr.11's fave at the moment is Quincy Jones' Soul Bossa Nova. This is not Quincy's but another Bossa Nova clip I found on youtube that I thought was great. Bossa Nova is great kitchen music. Turn it up y'all!

You can NEVER have too many bikes....

2011-08-01T13:15:00.000+10:00

We were looking forward to giving our eldest a present he had been coveting for some time.

His 13th birthday provided the perfect opportunity to give it to him.

We are bike enthusiasts here.

I think that bikes are one of the most spectacular design objects of all time.

They are beautiful examples of the perfect marriage of form & function.

My bike is all about comfort. It has baskets on front and back and a comfortable seat for pootling around. It is sooo not about speed and all about comfort. Much like me really!

For others in the house it is about different things; road riding, mountain biking, riding fast.

Hubster has a collection of various bikes for various purposes.

Too many bikes?

NEVER!!!!

We have just finished 3 weeks of lost sleep watching Le Tour de France.

Hubster & I stay up watching in the dark & silent night whle the children are asleep.

The kids watch the highlights the following day, eagerly listening and watching the intricacies of this amazing event!

It was an amazing Tour this year...but then every year is really. An incredible feat of endurance, strategy & downright hard work!

I wrote in my previous post that our eldest turned 13.

And so he received the item he had been dreaming of for quite some time. A bike he had designed himself.

Here it is....hiding in the shed before meeting it's new owner.....

www.mojobike.com.au

To say he was happy with it would be a fairly LARGE understatement.
We all think it's a pretty spectacular machine. What do you think?

For his birthday dinner he requested Homemade Hamburgers.

We love doing that. A spread of different & delicious ingredients on the table so you can add what you want and omit what you don't.
Simple fabulous food using quality ingredients. You can't go wrong.

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S HOMEMADE HAMBURGER RECIPE:

This mix will easily make enough for about 9 burgers. Adjust up or down for the amount of people you want to feed. And you can play around with what you add into the mix too. The golden rule is to use quality ingredients (as always) and REALLY good bread! You'll never want a bought burger again. Have fun!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1kg organic beef mince
2 onions
3-4 cloves garlic
1/2 bunch Italian parsley & other herbs of your choice - last night I put basil in too
S & P
2 eggs
1/2 loaf of day old sourdough (strip of crust and cut into chunks)
a generous glug (4tblspns) good quality tomato sauce or relish - of course we used our 'Made in Tassie" sauce (see here for our blog about that)

METHOD:

In a food processor combine the onion, parsley (use the stalks too) and garlic. Blitz till combined.

Remove from bowl and place crustless sourdough loaf in. Blitz till it is crumbs.

In a large bowl add all ingredients and combine with your hands until mixture is well integrated.

Roll into fist size balls.

Flatten and cook on the BBQ (or frypan in a little oil) for about 4 minutes each side.

Serve alongside ingredients of your choice.

We have all sorts of things including; cheese, pickles, caramelised onions, bacon, beetroot, my beetroot confit, tomatoes, lettuce, mustards, horseradish, different sauces, chargrilled eggplant & zucchini, home made mayonnaise, and lots more. It's different what we have each time.

Here is the birthday boy's hamburger!

I was so sure he wouldn't be able to get his mouth around it. He proved me wrong.....

I have been listening to Kings of Convenience lots this week. In amongst the busyness it takes me to a peaceful place:

A fine young man.

2011-08-01T11:46:00.000+10:00

Yesterday our eldest child turned 13!
Exciting, momentous, magnificent wonderful times.
As his parent I could not be more proud of the young man he is growing up to be.
I tell him often.
I don't want to look back and regret not saying the things I felt.
And I want my boys to grow up knowing it is good and healthy and normal to speak your feelings with honesty.
He was as excited as it is possible to be.
He understands the significance of this birthday.
It is the one that means a leap towards adulthood.
His growth gives that away. He is taller than me now.
As one of his little brothers said yesterday- he is a man-child.
He knows this term from Rudyard Kipling's Jungle book.
It reminded me of one of my favourite poems.
You may well know it...
It is a fine treatise on humanity. It expresses all of the things I wish for my children to understand & to know and to live by.

My 13yo is well on his way.....

If
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

by RUDYARD KIPLING

I had a look on his iPod to see the song he was listening to. Here it is.
Perfect, just perfect.

Cuddles, couches & Winnie the Pooh

2011-07-25T12:39:00.004+10:00

Last night one of my children came out and said he had finished his last book and needed something else to read.

I LOVE that this happens. It reminds me how much he LOVES to read.

I love that my love of reading has been embraced by all 5 of my boys.

I am ever so aware of what a gift a love of reading is.

It is one of the few activites that we can do alone.

It can provide both solace & relaxation.

It can provide advice or humour.

It provides an opportunity to slow down and think.

It allows us to think of things we may not otherwise.

My 11yo EATS books. It is not uncommon for him to read 3 novels in a week.

How fabulous!

I am somewhat envious. Envious that I don't allow myself the time to do the same.

My bedside pile of books is a little out of control.

And I can't resist picking up new ones that take my fancy when I see them for fear of forgetting and not having them there on the bookshelf to look at sometime down the track.

I love houses that have bookshelves.

I love what looking at peoples book collections can tell you about them.

I love the feel of books, I love the smell of them. I love cover design. I love different typeface. Most of all I love words.

Last night when Mr.11 came in he noticed a book that has been sitting on the couch for a bit. I have been meaning to re-read it.

I was sitting on the couch reading and listening to music.

It was a copy of The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff.

I was reading this very book when I met Hubster 24 years ago.

I loved it.

I have ALWAYS been a huge Winnie the Pooh fan.

HUGE. FAN.

And I am very interested in Eastern Philosophy.

He read it after me.

He loved it too.

And it just seemed serendipitous that it should have appeared before mr.11 yesterday.

I think it may well help him through his nightmare ordeal that I wrote about in my recent post here.

Here's a snippet of the foreward.

The little ones were already tucked into bed and were fast asleep.

Hubster offered to read it aloud to the big two (13 &11).

We sat snuggled on the couch as he read to us.

Magic moments.

And we will do this every night till the book is finished.

I hope the kids love it as much as we both did.

But I think both of us will love it more this time as we share it with our lovelies.

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S PITHIVIER AUX CERISES:

A pithivier is the French term for a pie made with 2 discs of puff pastry. This one is filled with frangipane and cherries!
YUM.
I saw it on Rick Stein's French Odyssey the other night and thought it looked gorgeous. I am a HUGE fan of almond in pastry! This is my adaptation of his recipe.
Desserts are not my forte so I was apprehensive but it turned out beautifully. I was very pleasantly surprised and will definitely make it again.
I served it to a friend visiting from Paris. She told me it was better than the one she had there .....but she might have just been being polite!

YOU WILL NEED:

9 tablespoons unsalted butter (do buy good quality butter, it makes ALL the difference!)
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 1/4 cups almond meal (I ground my own and did not remove the skin)
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons Kirsch
1 1/2 cups cherries with pits removed (I used Morello Cherries)
2 sheets of puff pastry

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 220C.

With one piece of puff pastry cut out a 25cm circle.

With the other make it 30cm (THE LARGER ONE IS THE TOP!).

Place in fridge while you make the filling.

To make the filling, mix together the sugar and butter until light & fluffy.

Beat in the egg and 1 of the egg yolks.

Stir in the ground almonds, flour and kirsch.

Now gently fold through the cherries.

Place the smaller puff circle on a baking sheet.

Mound the frangipane mix in the centre. DO NOT SPREAD IT AROUND.

Be sure to leave a 2 cm edge all around the edge.

Lay the larger disc on topand crimp the edges to seal.

Make a small hole in the centre to allow steam to be released.

You may decorate the top if you like. I did- cause I wanted to make it look perdy!

I scored radiating arcs from the centre. If you do this be careful not to strike right through the pastry.

Now brush the Pithivier with egg wash.

Bake for about 15 minutes and then lower the temp down to 175C for 35 minutes.

Be sure to check the cake as it may brown quickly. If so cover lightly with foil to protect it.

Here's how it turned out:

Serve with good Vanilla bean icecream or whipped cream...or jsut as it comes! It is sooooo very delicious!

I was listening to this Bille track when Mr.11 came in last night.....perfect.

Running a hurdles race.....

2011-07-22T14:19:00.005+10:00

Over the last 6 weeks there has been a whole lot of disturbed sleep at our place.

One of our children - who has just turned 11- was exposed to the movie trailers for what I understand to be the scariest movies ever made.

Needless to say we aren't into horror films here.

It is well known that My Neighbour Totoro (a Japanese anime film by Hayao Miyazaki- click here to take you to a trailer for it.) is our family favourite. Too much Totoro is NEVER enough! That's how we roll.......

A child his age thought it would be cool to take a look at the horror trailers and share it with a few others.

Actually buddy - not so cool!

Mine wasn't the only one who lost sleep.....

My child was frozen in terror, unable to move, unable to follow his instinct to get away.

He looks back and gives himself a hard time about staying & looking but given the circumstances I reckon I understand that he didn't.

He was physically ill that night.

He spent the entire night cradled over a bucket.

And has struggled to sleep since.

Six weeks is a long time to be suffering from sleep deprivation for anyone!

He can no longer stay in a room without others being with him.

He is unable to have doors shut for fear of being trapped.

His oldest brother is worried for him and isn't sleeping the best either.

It will pass.

I know that.

I am sad however that a piece of his innocence was taken from him that day.

He doesn't feel safe anymore and that breaks my heart.

He is getting better slowly through lots of talking & just because he is one heck of a courageous little fella.

And also because he is incredibly intuitive in his attitude to people and life.

One of the things he said during one of our many many talks over all this was profound.

Truly profound.

We were talking about life and how there are hard parts and parts that are easier.

And that this was one of the really hard parts.

His response was: "Yeah, you know I reckon life is like running a really really long hurdles race".

That would give you an idea into this little one's incredible insight for a child of 11!

It's so true though isn't it.

Just when we get over one hurdle there is another one and then another.

What I hope for him as he is leaping over this RIDICULOUSLY high one is that the next one is a long long way off.

We could all do with a bit of a break here.

And I am cooking simple dinners like this one:

GOURMETGIRLFRIEND'S SUPER EASY PANTRY SPAGHETTI:
This is a great pasta dish that most of us have ingredients for in the pantry.
Play with the ingredient amounts as you cook it to find how you like it best.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR FOUR PEOPLE:

400G spaghetti
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 red chilli chopped finely (deseeded if you don't want too much heat)
3-4 anchovies
good handful rocket, chopped
good handful of Italian parsley chopped roughly
1 lemon (using both the rind & juice)
3 tablespoons good quality EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Method:

In a large pot boil plenty of salted water and cook pasta. Remove 2 minutes before it is done.

Heat a separate pan to a medium heat (make sure it is big enough to hold all pasta later)- I use my Colombian black ceramic pot so I can serve ti straight to the table.
Add EVOO, chilli, anchovies & garlic.
Stir until anchovies melt and garlic is fragrant. Turn off heat.

Remove pasta 2 minutes before done and transfer to pan with oil.
Add a ladleful of salted pasta water, lemon rind, parsley, rocket & juice of lemon.
Stir through for 2 minutes so pasta absorbs all the goodness of the flavours.

Serve immediately with good bread.

I hope it becomes a quick fave at your place as much as it is here! x

Music has been helping my Mr.11 recover. Music is important to all of our family & I am thrilled that music is one of the things he has said is helping him through this tough time. This is one the tracks he has been playing on high rotation. Check the video too! Has one of our family's favourite activities......ping pong!

Ups and downs and out of control.

2011-07-14T15:25:00.001+10:00

A lot happens in a week doesn't it.

We have had a rollercoaster type couple of them.....bit exhausting really.

Two weeks ago we got a new puppy to join our 3yo Basset- Polly Jean.

Polly Jean

He is a rescue puppy-a black lab cross. Judging from his size at 20 weeks he is crossed with a dinosaur. He is H U G E!!!!

Leon

But sooooo unbelievably gentle and divine.

If any of you are familiar with the Story of Ferdinand- well Leon is the Ferdinand of the canine variety.

It has taken PJ a little getting used to. But we can see already they are good friends.

Which is what we hoped for. We all need a special friend.

All was going well and then Polly Jean got sick- sick with a ghastly and very scary illness.

My reaction took me by surprise.

I didn't cope very well.

We have had a tough year and I just didn't have the strength to deal with it.

But happily I have excellent vet care and beautiful support from my gorgeous family and Polly was looked after well in doggy hospital and is now home with her new best friend as if nothing ever happened.

Pets are so good for us.

And we become soooo attached.

Two of my handsome fellas.

It broke my heart to think something bad was happening to my lovely hound.

But like everything in my life at the moment I am learning to cope with the ups, the downs & the out of control.

It's not easy.

In fact it's R E A L L Y hard.

But I am lucky that around me I have some fine people with big hearts who are happy to share and give support.

We are still on holidays and it's still cold and a bit miserable.

We have been enjoying having hot lunches.

Today's was Spanakopita- Greek Spinach & Feta pie.

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S SPANAKOPITA:

This pie is really simple- the layering of the filo is the most fiddly. As long as you keep it moist you should be ok. You do this by placing a damp teatowel over the laid out filo while you assemble.
When buying it- try to buy it from the fridge section as it will be easier to manage than if frozen.

I like to make my last layer a kind of zhoozhy organza looking mess just for fun- i'm not really into perfection- in life or in cooking! And I reckon it looks really pretty too.
I do this just by scrunching up pieces of filo and placing them in clumps on the top.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

5 organic eggs
500g fetta
a bunch of silverbeet (or about a kilo of spinach)
1/2 cup of Grana Padano or Parmesan
a packet of filo
2 brown onions
3 cloves garlic
1 bunch dill, chopped roughly
white pepper
nutmeg
EVOO
100g unsalted butter (melted to baste pastry)
sesame seeds

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 175C.

Cut onions into dice. Chop garlic finely.

Take stalks of silverbeet, wash and drain.

In a pan add a tablespoon of EVOO and fry onions and garlic until translucent.

While this is frying off you can assemble the other ingredients.

In a large bowl add eggs and stir till amalgamated. Crumble the fetta & grated grana padano into this mix. Grind a generous amount of white pepper (you could use black but I think white is best for eggy things) and also a liberal amount of nutmeg. I am not shy with either of these. I don't add salt as the fetta has enough to season the pie.

Once the onion and garlic is translucent add the silverbeet and fry for a minute or so. Then turn off heat and allow to wilt in the steam for about 5 minutes or so.

Now add the eggy mix to the silverbeet and add the dill. Stir through so mixture looks something like this:

Grease a large rectangular dish with butter.

Open your filo pastry and unfold.

Place the first piece of filo onto oven dish and brush with melted butter. It is not necessary to completely cover the filo. Just a dob here and there will do. (Kids love this job as it is like painting!)

Repeat this with 10 sheets of filo.

Now place all of the silverbeet & eggy mix on top. Smooth it out across the dish.

Now repeat the filo layers until you have about 5 left. I scrunch these ones into the chiffon puffs.
Brush with butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Place in oven to bake for 45 minutes.

If top is getting brown too quickly place some alfoil on top to protect it from burning.

It is delicious served warm but also fantastical as a cold dish. It is great for school lunches too!

I love it served with a salad of cos lettuce, cucumber, loads of fresh dill and a zingy vinaigrette.

This week in my dramatic state I have been listening to lots of Opera. Did you know I loved Opera? Well now you do........and I may have been shedding a tear to this:

School holidays at home

2011-07-08T14:25:00.000+10:00

I have written about our school holidays before.

About how we keep it simple.

Much like the rest of our goings on.

No scheduled activities.

No school holiday programmes.

No early wake-ups to dash off to anything.

Just taking it real real slow.

Catching our breath.

Just lazy days spent in jammies.

Playing Ping Pong. Lots of it. In fact too much Ping Pong is never enough in our house.

Or maybe a game of make-believe Thunderbirds.

Or a jump on the trampoline.

Today a movie beckons as we snuggle on the couch. 'Herbie rides again' is the movie of choice!

And the kids have put out a call for my spicy wedges. It's been really really cold. My 10 yo asked if he could make them.

Of course I said "YES!!!!" So he did and they are gorgeous.

Did you know how easy they are? I have memories of supping on them as I drank too many ales. Good beer soaking material!

And they only take about 10 minutes prep and the rest is waiting as the lovely aroma fills your kitchen before you take them out of the oven & tuck in too soon and risk burning your mouth.

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S SPICY POTATO WEDGES:

Every time I make these the spice mix is a little different. Play around a little and find a fave mix or stick to what you love.

My 10 yo chose todays mix.

And as it cooks it smells MAGNIFICENT! I think he is on to a winner- Simple is best!

The basic method will remain the same no matter what spice mix you decide on.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1kg potatoes (desirees work brilliantly) cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
3/4 cup cornflour
1 heaped teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
1 heaped teaspoon ground cumin
ground white pepper
salt

METHOD:

Place all wedges into a microwave proof bowl. Pour enough EVOO to cover wedges.

Crush garlic cloves over potatoes and stir through so spuds are coated with garlic & oil.

Cover bowl with cling wrap and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes.

Remove from microwave.

Mix together cornflour & spices.

Transfer to an oven proof dish- preferably so all wedges lay flat.

Dust spiced cornflour over potatoes evenly.

Grind a good amount of salt over spuds and place in 200C oven for 25 minutes or until spuds look brown and crispy.

Remove from oven and serve with sweet chilli sauce and sour cream- or just as they come.

My kids love them as a side dish to accompany roast meats, steak, ratatouille.....or just as they come!

Today I doused some chicken wings with the same mix and baked them alongside the spuds. The chook comes out a little like fried chicken without the fried part.....crunchy and yumolicious.

Chicken & chips! YUM!!

And I am attaching a great little doco about one of my fave bands. We have been playing their music on high rotation this week. A jazz group from London- Portico Quartet. Very talented young musicians......

Independence & maturing palates

2011-06-20T11:59:00.002+10:00

A couple of weeks ago I had a conversation with the lovely Karen Martini of Mr. Wolf .

She was following up on a conversation we had ages ago about my two eldest boys (aged 12 &10) & their love for the spicy relish known as Kasundi. She wanted my boys to cook her recipe and to see how they liked it. She also wanted me to share our experience with you.

These 2 of my 5 little boys are the most adventurous eaters. They will now try everything that is placed in front of them and are VERY keen and VERY capable cooks in their own right. They also have a pretty good chili tolerance as they now eat with Hubby & I and we eat alot of food with chili.

I have written before about how this wasn't always so......hang in there if you have fussy eaters. Really in the scheme of things it doesn't really matter but I do have empathy as believe me I have them too! And I know the feeling all too well of wanting so desperately that your children will just eat what you cook without all the the palaver.

The irony is that my 10yo was my worst eater by FAR!!!

He survived for years on pretty much green apples & peanut butter sandwiches! YIKES.

It wasn't easy for me to witness and I certainly didn't want it to be that way. I would perservere with serving my delicious meals hoping that he would one day eat them. But every time.....every time- he would end up with a bowl of Weet-Bix!

I'm not really sure when it all changed.....but it has. I think that allowing them some independence in the kitchen has given them confidence to try new things and taken some of the mystery out of food. But really I am not sure.

My 12yo has heleped organise a party at school tomorrow to celebrate a class achievement and is planning on making a Roast Pumpkin quiche and a Morello Cherry Clafoutis when he gets home from school today to take in to share...as you do!

One thing I do know is that letting your kids be independent in the kitchen cannot hurt....can it?

My 10yo is amazing now. Much more adventurous than most adults actually. His latest request is lambs brains. Now I don't know too many adults that would be willing to give that a go- do you?

Anyway.....sometime into his new adventurous eating ways he discovered Kasundi and pretty much ate entire jars with a spoon. He LOVED it!

Before we knew it the jar was empty!

He kept asking if we could buy more. I told him it was easy to make and he was welcome to have a go.

Enthusiastically he found a recipe and got started. It was delicious. Spicy, tasty and rich.

Delicious on ham sandwiches, next to fish, alongside a curry- or just straight from the jar with a spoon!

They made Karen's recipe yesterday.

Here's some pics of them while they cooked. They make a fab kitchen team. Lots of fun, laughs & of course they choose great music.

We can learn a lot from how much fun kids have when they cook.

10yo carefully measuring spices

Peeling the garlic

The final result is DELICIOUS!!!!!

And guess what's in their sandwiches at school today?

So here's the recipe.........and the boys are very excited about giving a jar to Karen for her to try.

KAREN MARTINI'S INDIAN STYLE TOMATO & MANGO KASUNDI:

Karen's recipe makes about 600g or 6 cups. My lads halved the recipe.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

2 1/2 tablespoons brown mustard seeds
2 tablespoons Nigella seeds
500mls apple cider vinegar
250gms fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
20 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 x 810gm tinned crushed tomatoes
40mls olive oil
12 large red chillies, split, deseeded and chopped
5 firm mangoes or 1kg frozen mango flesh, cut into large chunks
6 cloves
2 large brown onions, finely diced
60gms flaked salt
250g brown sugar
2tbsp turmeric
6 tbsp cumin powder
2 tsp chilli powder
2 tblspoon of coriander seeds.

METHOD:

Soak Mustard seeds in hot vinegar and let sit for 30 minutes.
Place soaked mustard seeds in a blender, add the garlic & ginger and blend until smooth.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat for 1 minute and then pull off the heat for a moment to add the cumin, turmeric, coriander seeds and nigella seeds.

Fry for 20 seconds, then add the mustard seed mix, chillies and onion and bring to simmer over a medium heat.
Add the tomato, mango, brown sugar and salt.

Reduce to low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally for 1 hour, then pour into clean jars.

Here's the music that was playing. One of the kids faves:

The weekend is here....finally.

2011-06-17T13:28:00.001+10:00

Some weeks feel really really long....do you find that?

There are some weeks when Friday comes around so fast I wake up and it's midday before I even remember it's Friday.

Not this week.....

A large & very very sad milestone passed by in my family & friend's lives this week.

A lot of us felt very very heavy on the day and the days leading up to it.

The first anniversary of the death of my nephew. He was only 6mths old.

His loss continues to be so hard- it always will.

He should be here.....and he isn't.

Nothing can change that.

Most anniversaries involve celebrating but how do you celebrate something so sad?

Celebrate is just the wrong word isn't it?

Sadness makes your heart & soul hurt.

On the day I spent some time with a lovely friend and distracted myself from the sadness.

We chatted about other stuff and laughed.

The sun was out....that helped too.

All day long I thought about him & how much I miss him.

And once again.......once again I was reminded of the loveliness of some people who sent thoughts, hugs & love.

To anyone who is dealing with grief...my thoughts are with you, it's a tough road.

Just when you think you are doing ok things fall apart a little, the wheels fall off.

That's the bit I find the hardest- it's the unexpected ways the grief gets me.

When that happens I remember some wise words from a lovely lovely friend.......go gently.

So this weekend which I am so glad is finally here.....I am going to do just that.

Go Gently.....

And of course for me that means a bit of slow cooking........and comfort food.

Some delicious pork (including some bacon bones) arrived for me today from mount Gnomon Farm in Tasmania. We tried their products on our trip and LOVED them. Click here to visit their blog and read more about them and what they do.

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S TRADITIONAL BAKED BEANS:
I love cooking this as it is super dooper easy. And is there any better comfort food than Baked beans??
Once you eat these you will never look back!
For my hubby it is the ULTIMATE comfort food and he adds serious amounts of chilli & eats bowl after bowl.
Tonight I think I will eat it for dinner with a soft fried egg on top with some good crunchy sourdough toast. TOTAL COMFORT!
I have a friend who was vegetarian until she couldn't resist the temptation of the smell of Bacon anymore. It's soooo good isn't it?!!!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

2-3 bacon bones ( I used beautiful free range bacon bones- speck or a ham hock will also do)
300g dried white beans (today I used black eyed beans) if using dry soak overnight in water to reduce the cooking time. Rinse.
400g tinned tomatoes
garlic (I used 5 cloves because I LOVE garlic), chopped finely
2-3 bay leaves
2 sprigs of thyme
2 carrots diced
1/2 sweet potato
1 leek sliced finely
1 stick celery, diced
2 onions, diced
3 tablespoons treacle
water

METHOD:

Heat the oven to 130C.

In a heavy ovenproof casserole dish on a medium heat fry the onion, leek, garlic, carrot, celery and bay until the onion is translucent.

Add the thyme, sweet potato and treacle and stir through.

Add the bacon bones and tomatoes and enough water to cover. Bring to the boil on the stove before placing in the oven for 3-4 hours. (if using dried beans allow longer)

I check mine regularly to ensure it doesn't get to dry. Add more water as needed- just to the top.

When the beans are nearly done I remove form the oven & check seasoning (I don't do this till the end as the bacon bones have a large amount of salt already).

Remove the lid and increase the oven temperature to 180C.

Place beans back in to brown and caramelize on top- for about 30 minutes.

Serve in bowls and eat as is....or with good bread.

And this is the tune of my week.......

Pineapples & Stopping Hunger

2011-06-14T14:53:00.004+10:00

A couple of weeks ago I had the honour of being asked to submit a recipe to a recipe book being compiled by Oxfam to increase awareness on global poverty.

We are ever so lucky with all the food choices we can make in our wealthy nation. Not everybody is so blessed.

We can choose pretty much anything anytime we want. And that is just in relation to food.

A lot of the time it is easier for us to put the plight of others behind us. The images are disturbing & we get busy with other things and forget about others.

My kids donated their ENTIRE Christmas money a year ago to an Oxfam project to aid children in very difficult circumstances. It's my turn to do something now....

Oxfam is actively working to provide sustainable solutions in communities by educating people how to grow a variety of foods and teaching effective ways to store & preserve them.

A case study focuses specifically on growing Pineapple in Mozambique as life changing, growing where nothing else can.

The recipe book contains Pineapple recipes by many food related people including Kylie Kwong (I'm amongst TOTALLY awesome company!)

Click here to go to the Oxfam website to see more, read more & hopefully you will consider a donation to this fabulous cause.

You will also see a banner in my sidebar showing my support.

Here is the recipe I submitted:

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S OVEN BAKED SWEET CHILLI SALMON WITH PINEAPPLE SALAD:

This is a really simple & delicious dish that only takes about 30 minutes from the start to the table.
It is also great cooked on the BBQ.
Serves 4.
FOR THE FISH

4x200g pieces of salmon (or any fleshy fish)
sweet chili sauce
sesame oil
fresh ginger

FOR THE SALAD

1 half pineapple, cored, trimmed & cut into bite size pieces
200g mixed mesclun salad, rinsed
1 cup of fresh mint, rinsed & roughly chopped
1 cup of fresh coriander, rinsed & roughly chopped
2 large red chillies, sliced into fine strips (remove seeds if you do not like it too hot)
2 spring onions, sliced diagonally
1 lime, juiced
1 tblspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar

METHOD:

Heat oven to 200C.

Place Salmon in an oven proof dish skin side down.

Pour sweet chilli over to coat.

Grate a small amount of ginger over the top.

Finally, splosh a little sesame oil over the top & place in oven for about 10-15 minutes.

While the salmon is cooking you can prepare the salad.

Mix together all chopped salad ingredients.

Mix together lime juic, fish sauce & sugar until sugar dissolves.

Pour over salad and mix through well.

Place salad over fish & serve.

Serve with steamed Jasmine Rice.

You can click here to download the pdf recipe book with my recipe & recipes from Neil Perry (Rockpool), Matt Kemp (Balzac) , Ben Shewry (Attica) & others.

You can read the press release here.