All posts filed under: In the kitchen

Mulberry Cream

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  View Full Album This was truly a colorful cooking experience. This cream is made with fresh mulberries, a little messy, but hey all in the fun of cooking. Mulberries are in season at the moment,from May until September, a dark grape nearly black colour, shiny, with a mixed taste of sweet and sour flavour, wonderful for making jams, jellies and ice –creams. Always best to eat this fruit straight away as they’re hard to conserve. There are many wild mulberry trees along the walkways around our place and our street at the moment is stained a dark violet colour. We have four large mulberry trees along the side of our house, planted nearly fifty plus years ago, they were planted to divide not only the vineyard, but used in silkworm farming. Recipe: Mulberry Cream Serves 4 300 grams fresh mulberries 2 tablespoons liqueur (optional) 3 tablespoons sugar 250 grams mascarpone 500 ml fresh liquid cream Preparation Wash and pat dry mulberries. Pass through sifter collecting the juice. To the mulberry juice add sugar, liqueur …

#2 Yoghurt Cake

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#2 Handwritten Recipes  Last weekend while sharing my zucchini cake with a new group of friends. I met a lovely lady who lives in my area close to home. After trying my zucchini cake she was happy to disclose a few recipes to me…hence #2 of handwritten recipes. I thought she would write for me one of those traditional Italian Torte, or biscuit recipes,  instead she gave me this recipe of a yoghurt cake, light, delicate and soft as fairy floss.    The fun part about this cake is that all the measurements are used with the tub of yoghurt. She was so enthusiastic about telling me about this revolutionary measuring method I wish you could have shared the moment with me. As she lived across the road from where we were, she dashed across the road, grabbed the recipe at hand with note-book and pen and wrote down this recipe for me. A great moment, and one to remember. It’s been difficult “fitting” into the local Italian community of traditional ways and customs, and  believe …

What’s happening in my kitchen?

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After following Celia, and her marvellous blog, Fig Jam and Lime Cordial, her link can be found in my blog roll, she asked   ” What is happening in your kitchen this month”  Well, already half the month of June has flown, and my kitchen has been a buzz. The vege patch is overflowing with fresh greens, a few bbq’s have been had with beautiful spring days, and this weekend will be the same…heading towards the end of the month is our wedding anniversary..and little old me celebrates another 40ish birthday.  In my kitchen…  On the bench top there’s always a vase of fresh flowers…my personal touch for me, that the house is complete. At the moment I have roses in full bloom and lavender. No commercial fragrant sprays, these roses leave their perfume throughout the whole house.  In my kitchen…  I always have a cookbook out for inspirations, my favourite at the moment is Seasons by Donna Hay. It’s a beautiful cookbook of recipes, the best from her magazines…complete with beautiful photographs of the changing seasons…a real “escape” …

Pucker up – Hot Lips

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Spaghetti with Garlic, Oil and Peperoncino* Aglio,Olio e Peperoncino Red Hot Peppers, Hot Lips, Hot mouth, sweating brow, flowing nose and crying eyes. Yes, I think I put  in too much peperoncino.  But I adore this  classic and way too easy pasta dish, and yes, the tri-colori * three colour banner is flying all Italian. This is one of those dishes where the temptation to eat another serving, if your flaming lips can  handle it, you just can’t resist. Each mouthful of spaghetti is like a heat bomb of  taste, a fire cracker of heated sparks of peperoncino, a tingling sensation , feeling like  you’ve just had a quick  silicon lip enhancement. Yet another four ingredient recipe, Spaghetti,garlic, oil and peperoncino. Recipe -2 servings 300 g of spaghetti ( dried pasta, good quality) 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic,  grated 1 tablespoon peperoncino-I use dried red chilli flakes (use less for less heat) Preparation Cook spaghetti as instructions on the box. Boil water before adding the salt, try not to over cook the pasta and save a spoonful of this starchy water for …

Can’t live without basil…

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I have to admit I’ve grown to love and adore Basil. He’s great to work with flavouring my summer salads, ratatouille, and my pesto sauce for my pasta. He’s always on hand outside my kitchen door or in the veg patch, not much looking after needed, baking up the full sun and a little water. I remember basil growing in my grandmothers herb garden, and from a young age picking fresh basil leaves and watching my grandmother make pesto sauce and tomato sauce with basil.   Basil is associated with love rituals in some cultures. In Italy when a woman placed a pot of basil on her balcony, it meant she would be receptive to her lover. I placed mine outside my kitchen door, so that its only a dash away to add to any dish that I’m making at the time. I’m also not sure about the burning of basil, as noted by Bruce Burnett who is the author of the book – Herbwise:growing cooking wellbeing – a book about the creative use of herbs.   “When …

Two peas in a pod

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In the region Veneto, we have a large number of recipes with the base ingredient of rice. One of these favourite  well-known recipes is Rice with Peas * i risi e bisi . Taking the opportunity at the fresh growers market I purchased two kilo’s of fresh peas. Having a few recipes in mind, my choice is this one.   I know what you’re thinking, it’s just easier to buy a can of peas, or go to the freezer, but believe me there’s nothing quite like the taste of fresh peas. Let the senses glee with the sound of the crunch of the pea pod, the wonderful rich green colour, the perfume of fresh pearl peas, the taste and the silky glossy feel. I know I always think of my grandmothers shelling peas in the kitchen, but believe me they had it right, the  fresh taste makes all the difference.   This traditional plate is known to have been served to the Duke of Venice on the patron saints day of Saint Marks. The difference with this recipe apart from other risotto recipes is that the broth is added …

Eggplant Flowers

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In a mad lunchtime rush I was able to visit the fresh fruit and vegetable market yesterday. With the start of Summer upon us the range of seasonal produce at the moment is at a high, from green leafy salads, green beans, broad beans, peas, zucchini, the plump reds of tomatoes , peppers and cherries and the “Black Beauty” of the bunch the dark shiny, glossy purple  of Eggplant (melanzane).  Eggplant is one of those vegetables used a lot in Italian cuisine. The best known recipe I think you would know is ratatouille. But there are many recipes I’ve learnt since experimenting with many Italian dishes. Italian food is simple, each recipe using two or three main seasonal products. That ‘s the key, quality produce and what’s in season.  Italian food is also regional, what you may find as the main dish of Veneto – Treviso isn’t the same as you would find in Rome, Sicily or Naples.  Recipe:Eggplant Flowers * i “fiori” di melanzane, is one of my favourite eggplant dishes.  Ingredients for 4 persons  2 eggplants ( long type)  …

Handwritten Recipes

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I don’t know about you, but I haven’t received a handwritten letter in ages.  The computer world of clicking has taken over from the personal notes and letters I once received. The quick flash notes that I’ve written while connecting to friends have never had  that same personal touch as  receiving in the mail a handwritten letter.  The emotion and enthusiasm of going out to check the postal box, reaching for that envelope, looking at the handwriting and instantly knowing who’s it from. Our memory never fails us, a quick glance at the hand written address and instantaneously we recognise the handwriting. In a heart beat we open that letter and enjoy the feeling of that connection with the person who hand wrote that letter.  The last thing I received through the post was an Easter card from my mum. Mum’s part of the old school ways, and never forgets to pop in the post that Birthday card, anniversary of Christmas wish.  Apart from the quick one page grocery and the things to do list, there is one thing that I write and …

Cottage Pie

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I was brought up a Vegemite kid. What’s Vegemite?  you ask. For all of you  non Australians, it’s a black, creamy, salty, slightly bitter spread and it’s a required taste. From the lyrics of Men At Works 1981 hit song “Down Under”…I said “Do you speak -a  my language?” He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich. It’s all Australian.  Vegemite’s launching year was 1922, so it’s been around for a while.  It’s main ingredient is yeast extract, high in Vitamin B. And as the slogan song once played…put’s a rose in every cheek.   It’s usually spread on your morning toast but I’ve discovered a few recipes for this tasty ingredient..I like it so much that I have it sent over to me by anyone who’s coming my way, friends and family know that they can send me some in the post anytime,  and it’s always the first thing on my Christmas list. Here’s a recipe I make by adding a bit of Vegemite… Cottage Pie Recipe   Ingredients: Serves 4 for Dinner   800 grams lean minced (ground) …