I found these in Woolies of all places. Right in the middle of the fresh produce aisle. I’ve sliced them and will gently cook them until al dente. 

I thought they would look nice with some fresh green peas and some BBQ’d lamb chops, mint sauce and a pat or four of Lurpac butter, which should dress them nicely. I like colourful food. Nothing looks more inviting on a plate that some colour.

I remember some of the woeful school dinners I was subjected to as a child. Grey balls that deflated when you stuck your fork into them (Brussel sprouts). Limp white cauliflower that disintegrated when you attempted to pick it up, so much so, that even a cheese sauce could not save it, and worst of all, the beige disks that had had the life boiled out of them. These were once proud carrots, but now tasted of nothing in particular (it was even worse if they were covered in gravey and you couldn’t tell them apart from the parsnip because they were all the same colour). Ugh.

I did, however, like the pudding we named dead mans arm at one particularly nasty British private school I was unfortunate enough to attend. It was a suet roll filled with raspberry jam and covered in lashings of pale, insipid looking custard. Oddly, it was surprisingly good. I hated the lemon tapioca they did, it was slimey and cold and thoroughly disagreeable. I would swap my serve for an extra chop. (Some children have no discerning palate, luckily for me.)

I love Brussel sprouts now. Cooked quickly and minimally, they retain a slight crunch and that beautiful colour, and, if you dress them generously with butter, salt and pepper, and a whiff of lemon juice, they are divine. Veggies should be lightly cooked so they still retain their vibrancy. It makes them much more interesting, and indeed, tasty. We do, after all, eat with our eyes.

Kind regards,

J

Over the last couple of weekends we have entertained good friends and shared some beer and wine and pleasant conversation. It seems that the more you share what you have, the happier you are. Well, that is what happens in my little world. Last weekend we did the BBQ thing with a roast chook, tapas style chilli garlic prawns, marinated lamb skewers and some interesting south-east asian salads and greek accompaniments. Don’t you just love a multicultural society?

Tonight there is a sage studded roll of pork belly roasting on the BBQ over a pan of potatoes, home-grown carrots and cider soaked beetroot. The crackling will be crisp, and the meat tender and juicy. A serving of juliened apple and fennel bulb salad dressed with a fruity white balsamic vinegar will go well. So will the aged cider to wash it all down.

The sun is setting over the Indian Ocean. My fig tree is heavy with fruit waiting for some warmer weather to encourage the ripening… then we will enjoy the deliciousness of summer. Prosciutto wrapped, fresh figs stuffed with blue cheese . Just gorgeous. Even better with a chaser of chilli garlic prawns and lashings of fresh crusty bread.

Kind regards,

J.

Well, last night we had a wonderful dinner at the Gala Ball. Three generous courses interspersed with entertainment, much wine and beer that made for a good night to be had by all.

This morning we slept late and made our way downstairs for a leisurely breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant. The cooked fair is always a good bet and savouring the taste and smell of the cooked bacon and delicate scrambled eggs is a wonderful thing if you are feeling somewhat seedy. I truly pity those who have lost their sense of smell as a good deal of the flavour of food is tied up with the volatile chemicals that enable you to appreciate the deliciousness of having your olfactory organs stimulated.

All was well in my little world until a family of four came into the restaurant.

The waitress showed the family past our table and on further into the restaurant. Nothing untoward with this? No, except for the fact that the Mother of the family must have marinated herself in a perfume that was quite poisonous. Seemingly oblivious, it trailed behind her like a cloud of radioactive fallout. Does your family not notice either?

It is 8:30 am, why do you need to smell of something so strong that it overpowers the taste of everyone’s breakfast? The stench lingered for a good five minutes in the air around me. I was grateful that she wasn’t sat at the next table as the poor unfortunates in such a position would have struggled to taste anything other than this woman’s perfume. Why? Do you really need to make yourself stink that much, to the extent that it is offensive to others around you? Is it the smell, or the burning of my eyes? Even my coffee tasted of that artificial pong.

I know that if you wear perfume regularly that your nose becomes accustomed to the smell and you don’t notice it so much. But please, this is a case of less, or better yet, none is more. If you are going out to eat, remember that not everyone likes that strong, cloying aroma of someone elses perfume (or aftershave for that matter). I want to taste my bacon and scrambled eggs or pancakes with maple syrup cleanly. Go use soap if you think you may be stinky. Eat outside near the smokers, they won’t notice, but please, don’t spoil my pleasure, it’s inconsiderate and somewhat rude and I will hate you for it.

Don’t get me started on confined spaces like elevators either…

Sheesh.

kind regards,

J

Prepped and ready to go...

Overnight rain has a wonderful sound on a tin roof when you are curled up in bed all warm and snuggled. It’s too wet to play outside in the garden today, so my attention moves to what’s for dinner…

I have two smoked pork bellies in the fridge. One was brined with thyme and pepper, the other was marinated in honey and soy before both were smoked for hours over grape vine clippings.

I have a wonderful english translation of a french cook book by Stephane Reynaud titled “Pork and Sons”. Great porkie goodness is contained within its voluminous pages. Tonight however, Neil Perry’s recommended  “Sichuan Cookery by Fuchsia Dunlop” has caught my attention. Stephane can wait for a later post regarding rillettes, pate and confit…

I was reading through Fuchsia’s book and came across Red Braised Pork or Hong Shao Rou, and felt a bit of inspiration coming on. What have I got in the pantry?

So, the honey soy belly was cut up into decent sized chunks and quickly stir-fried in a good slug of peanut oil. Then minced ginger, spring onions, dark soy, Shaoxing wine, stock, fresh shiitake mushrooms, a wee bit of brown sugar and a star anise were mixed in together and left to barely simmer for two hours on the top of the stove. The liquid reduces down to an almost syrupy glaze and is fabulous served with stir-fried veggies and rice.

Hot and ready to eat Hong Shao Rou with stir fried veggies and brown steamed rice.

The thunder started not long after I commenced cooking, and the sweet smell of spiced pork filled the kitchen. I’m deafened by the heavy rain on the roof now, but satisfied that even if the power goes out, dinner shall be served by the glow of the log fire.

Kind regards,

J

The first beer (Coopers pale ale) didn’t touch the sides. The second was savoured out on the deck in the fading light. One of the nicest bits about living in the “bush” is that the wildlife make a big song and dance about settling down for the night. Black cockatoos fly back up the valley from their dalliance in town, frogs start croaking (in a good way) and the parrots and other birds slowly quieten as the sun dips behind the ridge into the sea beyond.

On the menu tonight:- fresh salmon, and cauliflower with cheese sauce. A crisp white wine.

Take a couple of slices of fresh salmon. Pinbone them. Gently rub them all over with a little extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and plenty of black pepper. Set them on one side while you deal with the other stuff. Test the wine.

Cut up the cauliflower and add to a pan with water and a pinch of salt and cook until done.

In another pan, saute off a dollop of butter and some plain flour (equal quantities of each) to make a roux. Cook it for a couple of minutes and then add milk, stirring constantly until the desired thickness is reached. Add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and  plenty of grated mature fresh parmesan so it tastes good and cheesy. Taste it! Then adjust the seasoning. Taste, taste and taste until you are happy. Spilling a wee bit of white wine into the pot at this point is a good idea. Leave the sauce to gently simmer on the stove while you cook the salmon.

Get a wide pan good and hot and place the salmon skin side down and enjoy the sizzle. Make sure the wine hasn’t gone off in the time you have been doing all this. You need to get the skin crisp (it’s the best bit!) and the salmon can be cooked almost all the way on this one side. When it’s close to being done (it still needs to be “pink” in the middle ie: medium rare) flip it over and sear it lightly on the top.

Plate up the salmon and cauliflower and pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower. A little chopped parsley over the top of the cauli looks pretty if you like green stuff. Serve with the crisp white wine you have been testing.

Enjoy.

Kind regards,

J

PS: in the morning serve a little of the leftover cheese sauce on your BLT… yum.

I was tired Thursday night. Ten hours on my feet and two and a bit hours of commute. What’s for dinner?

Well, we start with a beer, naturally. What’s in the fridge? Everything? I think Tapas style is in order tonight.

Ok, a yellow capsicum. What else? An onion, a generous serve of extra virgin olive oil, a slurp of the riesling from my glass and several chunks of bread sliced and toasted. Oh, and some very fresh lamb kidneys bought the day before (Hmm, that probably wipes out 50 % of my audience, but trust me).

The onion was chopped and the capsicum sliced into thin strips. Both were sautéed in some of the olive oil for about 20 minutes until they were slightly caramelised and soft and the pan was filled with the cooking liquer.

The kidneys were halved and the funny white finger like thingies you find in the middle removed, (scissors are good for getting rid of this but I’m too tired to get technical.) The kidneys  were salted and peppered and sauted in a big pan until the juices ran clear and the outer surface turned a gentle brown. A plate received the kidneys and then into the pan went a quick slosh of white wine and a little more olive oil and then magic, a thin sauce to pour over the kidneys when plated up.

The yellow capsicum, onion and browned kidneys just demanded a couple of slices of  thick crisp toast to soak up the juices. Peasant food yes, but ever so good. My belly was satisfied and the remainder of the riesling slipping down rather well…

 kind regards

J