All posts filed under: In the kitchen

A Hunting we will go….

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Times passed, imagine getting dressed up like this to go hunting for Sunday’s dinner! The hunting season here is starting soon, the hunters and their dogs have been looking around our area for any signs of rabbit and hare burrows or the beautiful pheasants that they might catch a glimpse of. I dislike immensely the sounds of guns,whistles and hound dogs on a Sunday morning and with that -No further Comment! Why all this?…To explain the meaning behind the dish Chicken Cacciatore… Chicken cacciatore is one of the dishes I remember when I was little, but I can’t remember anyone mentioning this name. After reading the ingredients of this recipe some time ago and making it more than once, and after tasting the flavorsome sauce it all came back in a flash of tingling taste buds. Cacciatore is Italian for “hunter”, and refers to the heavily flavoured sauce that covers the meat. Cacciatore (the original recipe) composed of onions,mushrooms,herbs and chicken or rabbit  and would have been the main dish of the hunters expedition,maybe a …

Baci di fichi *figs dipped in chocolate and hazelnuts

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What’s more appealing than a little chocolate and a love message. All over the world Baci chocolates are given as tokens of love. A whole hazelnut covered with granules of hazelnut and dark chocolate with a magical message of affection. My childhood memories are vivid of these “special” chocolates, everyone opening these petite chocolates and one by one reading the message…nothings really changed in my adult years. I came across this recipe and just couldn’t resist the indulgence! Figs dipped in chocolate and hazelnuts. Divine!      

Apple Cake…Crumbs

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With friends visiting from Australia, this week has been a buzz, I’ve changed hats so many times this week. I’ve enjoyed their visit immensely and I’m sorry the week has flown so fast…wanting to make something sweet for an afternoon coffee, one of my never fail quick apple cakes is this one. I can’t tell you where the original recipe has come from…it’s one of those family ones where I think everyone has a copy! Believe me you can rely on this one, it’s a sure thing!

Picnic Summer Days

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We’ve had glorious Summer days this week, and what better way to spend lunchtime outdoors with a picnic lunch. These egg and spinach rolls are just the thing… “Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.” – John Lubbock

Creamy Eggplant and Cherry Tomato Flan

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What more could you ask for on a Summers day, this flan can be served hot or cold accompanied by a tossed green salad, a glass of chilled white wine over a little chat with girlfriends. The flavours of sweet eggplant,garlic and cherry tomatoes, magically combine in this flan, a real Summer treat. Read on for the recipe…

Pita Bread Pizza

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You know those days when you have a list of things to do, and in the end you get it all done…but oh no what’s for dinner? Tonight was one of those nights… Pita bread pizza’s…Quick,easy and delicious… Pita breads are so versatile…Place pita bread on ovenproof paper,sprinkle a little olive oil and place under grill.When that side is cooked,flip pita and start putting on your favourite toppings.Fresh tomato,red pepper,sliced turkey, mozzarella cheese,sun dried tomatoes,oregano,and chilli flakes. A few minutes under the grill,until cheese has melted and wow! dinner is ready,serve with a fresh green salad Enjoy!

Whistle Stop Cafè –no fried green tomatoes!

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I’m sure everyone thinks of the Whistle Stop Cafè and Fanny Flagg in her country overalls making famous -  fried green tomatoes. But I’m not frying green tomatoes today instead conserving them under oil. One of my Nonna’s recipes. An image comes to mind of when I was little…helping my Nonna pick green tomatoes ready for conserving under oil…I remember how I use to sit at the farms laminated kitchen table and watch my Nonna prepare jars and jars of green tomatoes.I instantly think of this image every year when the gardens full of tomato bushes with their plentiful supply of juicy plump tomatoes. So sneaking out to grab a few green tomatoes, I’m on the run to get them pickled and undercover before anyone notices…   Recipe: Preserved Green Tomatoes 1 kg of green firm tomatoes 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup of water fine table salt estimated guess 300ml of olive oil depending on jar size. 1 garlic clove oregano and fennel seeds   Slice the green tomatoes into thin slices,layering and salting …