Meal of the Year

My 10 year-old son came home from fishing, face beaming, with 2 beautiful looking salmon! All other plans for dinner were immediately cancelled (leftovers), as I started to think about how to cook these magnificent creatures of the sea.

I don't cook fish much, even though I love it, so I was a bit stumped for ideas. I rang my partner, who just happens to be a dab hand at fishing and cooking. 'Simple is best' is his philosophy when it comes to cooking fresh produce, especially from the sea. He recommended cooking the fish in a parcel in the oven. I wandered out to the wintery herb garden to see what flavours I could find.

The coriander has re-seeded from my summer crop, little babies grow like grass everywhere (my mum calls me the 'coriander queen' - I can grow it year round down here on the coast). I decided thyme and parsley would go well, along with sage and rosemary. I just love rosemary, with nearly any meat. It is especially delicious with chicken. I remember growing up and only having rosemary with lamb, but that was awhile ago now... how food and flavours have changed. I went back inside and looked at these beautiful, white-fleshed fish, their eyes glistening. We had a moment, I took my time.

I placed all my aromatic herbs in the fish cavity along with butter and sliced lemons (from my mum's lemon tree). I salted the skin with Murray River Pink Salt and added more sliced lemons on top, then wrapped them in foil with some Rowallan Olive Oil from my local farmers market (one of the best oils in our region, in my opinion). Baked for about 20 mins and served with rice and steamed green beans, tossed in olive oil and garlic.
This was the meal of the year in my house so far. I felt happy to be eating such fresh produce, locally and home-grown goods and to see my boy grinning from ear to ear was just priceless. He wanted dessert but I was just so sated, I want the flavours to last forever. I know the memory will.

Orange Poppy Seed Cupcakes

I searched and searched for gluten free muffin recipes on the Internet and through my growing library of  cookbooks. Many of the recipes required flour which I didn't want to use. A lovely lady I work with misses out on many sweet treats because of flour - so these are for her. She doesn't know it, and doesn't need to. My reasons for cooking are sometimes personal. There is deep satisfaction in cooking for people, seeing their smiles and knowing that for a moment, or a day they are instantly happy.

After some research, I decided to combine a couple of recipes I found based on the ingredients I had in the pantry and turn them into cupcakes!

Surprisingly, they turned out really light and moist and passed both the child taste test and the girls at work...

RECIPE

[Print Recipe]

Ingredients

3 eggs
½ cup honey

¼ cup melted butter or oil

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1 tblsp orange juice

1 tblsp finely grated orange rind

1 tblsp poppy seeds

3 cups almond meal

warmed orange juice & butter, extra to baste (approx. 60ml)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C.

2. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, honey, melted butter/oil, baking soda, salt & orange juice.

4. Stir in lemon/orange rind and poppy seeds.

5. Whisk in almond meal.

6. Spoon batter into muffin cups. (I filled mine halfway as I didn't want them too big)

7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown, springy to touch.

8. Baste cakes with a little melted butter and warmed orange juice.
9. When cool, spoon over orange icing or cream cheese frosting.

* You could easily substitute the orange juice for lemon, make sure it is freshly squeezed though - it tastes SO much better. 

* Make sure to finely grate the rind

Enjoy!

Lemon Curd Muffins

Lemon muffins with lemon curd

[Print Recipe]

Makes about 8 large muffins

Heat the oven to 190°C. 

Line a muffin tin with paper cases.

Sift 200gm (1½ cups) SR flour into a bowl, mix in 100gm (½ cup) golden caster sugar.

Mix together 1 egg, 75ml sunflower oil or melted butter, 150ml milk and ½ tsp vanilla extract in a bowl.

Make a well in the dry mix, add some of the liquid mix into the centre, then stir in (this helps the dry and wet mixes mix together), continue to stir in the wet mix, add some lemon juice if desired.

Fill the muffin cases half full with the batter, then place 1 tsp of lemon curd on top. Top up the muffin cases with remaining batter. Place in pre-heated oven on the middle shelf.
Bake for 10-15 mins (check and give an extra 5 mins if needed), until risen and firm.

For the sugar coating, microwave the lemon curd on high for 20 seconds until melted. Put the sugar into a shallow bowl. Brush on the melted lemon curd top of each muffin and dip the tops of each muffin in the sugar to coat the tops.

Just as I was topping the muffins with the lemon curd & sugar the kids came back from playing footy in the rain and freezing cold! What timing! Silence descended on my warm kitchen as these delights were literally wolfed down. What better gratitutde than the thanks of silent mouths enjoying my food. My Sunday, at best.

Lemon Curd

So many recipes, so little time to read them all....my options are to open up my son's school cookbook and see what the kids think! No double boiler, no fuss lemon curd, that tastes citrus sweet and divine. 

I whisk 4 egg yolks with 2/3 cup caster sugar, add 2-3 tspns lemon zest, 100 mls lemon juice & 60gm butter then bring to simmer over med-high heat, stirring constantly for approx 5minutes. Leave to cool then pour into sterilised jars. Lick the spoon and bowl clean.

Now, off to make some lemon curd muffins, though I may have to wait 'til tomorrow, as it's suddenly dark and I'm in need of leftover bolognese sauce on fresh sour-dough from the market this morning....Definitely need a glass of Maclarenvale red to wash it down....

Until tomorrow, when the muffins will be complete! Unless I eat all the lemon curd of course....

In the kitchen

Finding out about my father for the first time in my 40-something years is opening doors and vaults left, right and centre! Discovering he was in a band and meeting a fellow band member, who has ended up on holidays in my sleepy, wintery town is serendipity at its most splendid.

Photos, stories and anecdotes have spilled out onto the table, the 'lazy susan' spinning wildly, not sure which way to go! Food has played an important part in these sharing of memories, with a collaborative dinner cooked by myself and Clive, the banjo player in the 'Caedmon Singers' - my fathers' folk band of the late 1960's.
Moving around the kitchen tonight cooking up a storm - simmering the sugar syrup, sifting flours, marinating  chicken, reducing the sauce to create a rich, thick blend - food and memory, friends and warmth.

Bob Dylan's 'Blonde on Blonde' album played in the background while Clive cooked Marsala Chicken - a delicious dish with mushrooms and a rich, sweet sauce. I made steamed orange puddings with syrup & muscatels, dolloped with thick cream. [Thanks to a Jill Dupleix recipe from today's Age newspaper.]


Whilst I can never be in the kitchen with my own father, I can be with those he knew, creating a family-like bond with food to fill the space. A beautiful evening with new family friends, reconnecting to a long lost father who I will never see but now maybe won't stay so lost, in memory at least.

Scones

I have been thinking about scones for about a week or so now. I've only ever made them once and I'm determined to get them right - light and fluffy. Last time (about 15 years ago), they were like small pebbles. A co-worker suggested adding lemonade. I have also been told cream (not milk) by my dear friend Danni. I trust her, she is a fabulous cook and a creative being. So, the decision. Plain? Fruit? Pumpkin? Cheese?

I think I'll start with the Country Women's Assocation (CWA) recipe and go from there. In it's 53rd edition and first published in 1936, I think they have got something right. The first branch started up in 1924 at Nungarin, Western Australia, located 300 kms north-east of Perth with a small population of around 300. There are now State branches and regional groups. Their aims are virtuous, "to improve the well being of all people, especially those in country areas by promoting courtesy, cooperation, community effort, ethical standards and the wise use of resources" [CWA Cookery Book and Household Hints, 2009]. Not only do they have recipes, however, there are many tips and hints on keeping the home fires burning, from cleaning smoky ceilings with warm water and soda to making a feather pillow from freshly plucked poultry. Makes me realise how easy we have it now.

Back to the job at hand. Scones. I've just read the recipe and it calls for milk powder and water. Well, I guess out in the small country towns that's what you used (probably still do). I'm going to research further, and what better search engine than Google. Type in 'Scones' and you get 14,000,000 results. Wow, this may be more complicated than I thought. Ahh, the Internet, making life so simply complex.
I'm tempted by Donna Hay's recipe but she uses sugar and I don't want them sweet. Another day.
I click on the link to The AGE 'how-to-bake-the-perfect-scone' and from there, go to raspberri cupcakes version of the CWA scone. Now, I have the CWA cookbook sitting on my bench and it is quite a different recipe, so I'm going with the 'tweaked' version. It involves cream and milk - NO butter.


20 minutes later....
OMG OMG OMG, I have just eaten the BEST scone ever! Why, oh why did I wait so long. Not only did they rise, they are the lightest, fluffiest pieces of heaven. So easy, no fuss (apart from quite a bit of flour thrown around. I am going to teach this to my little man. Ok, I'm off there are still 9 more on the tray and they need to be eaten, they must be eaten.....yum!

Tips:
Don't overwork the dough, pat it, no kneading!
Work fairly quickly.
Eat quickly too, with loads of jam and cream!
(p.s I added sugar and vanilla to my cream.)

Baby it's cold outside

Winter has hit with a big icy chill, bucket-loads of heavy, heavy rain and wind whipped straight up from the Arctic ice. It is the wind I dislike intensely but I get out in it anyway, embrace the enemy, my foe. What other options do I have? To be cold and bitter? Well, bitterly cold at the least.

What I do love about winter is food! Hearty casseroles, slow cooked, stirred lovingly & tasted at regular intervals, seasoned 'just right' and then indulged in. Usually with piles of creamy mashed potato, French style. Butter is no issue. In fact, I do like to include most dairy products in my mash - cream, milk, cheese, even yoghurt if need be...
I also love moist cakes. An afternoon cinnamon tea cake, or an almond & orange cake, eaten warm with fresh cream and orange flower syrup. The evening generally calls for a chocolate pudding, soft and delicate with a bit of sweet crunch on the outside, slathered in dark chocolate sauce, ice cream and cream. Dairy intolerance? Thank goodness NO!
I was reading a copy of Delicious at work when a fellow co-worker commented "fantasising again are you Dani?". I was taken aback and gushed, "this is reality, REALITY I am living here". I am memorising these recipes and going to cook them all. Yes indeed, so righteous about my food. I take it seriously. I know that many people don't get enough, and that many over consume themselves to death. What a strange world we live in.

So, tonight was all about leftovers. I'd made a hearty bacon-bone and red lentil soup during the week, just enough left for one big steaming bowl. The son and heir was happy with noodles, yes from a packet. Bad mother, bad. I had planned on a beef bourguignon, but as I type it's still in the oven, cooking slowly and luxuriously. It's going to taste amazing tomorrow. Dessert was the fail-safe chocolate pudding that I'd made for the kids yesterday, making sure to leave some for leftovers. Glass of red in hand, I am sated and can settle in for the evening 'cos baby it's COLD outside.

If in doubt, BAKE!

Given I am prone to doubt at times, and the usual parent-worrying type of behaviour I have a new mantra - "IF IN DOUBT, BAKE"

....and so I do. My son reaps the benefits of this and he never has to know the thoughts that go through my head that get him treats; from chocolate brownies, banana bread, muesli slice, jelly slice, Anzac biscuits, chocolate mousse, apple crumble with cream & ice-cream to lemon delicious pudding!

I was never much of a baker, well I told myself I couldn't bake. Then one day I decided that I could and I would. So I did. Simple. 

The power of thought is amazing, all it takes is the first step off that one-way treadmill, a couple of cookbooks, the world of the Internet, a few cooking shows AND of course, a great love. A love of food, yes, but also a love for life, a desire to see kids smile as their eyes glaze over in pure foodie delight. A love of fine things, of friends, of family, of art. 

And of course, self love comes straight out of the pan and into the heart. When I cook 'Love Cake' (adapted from Jamie Oliver) for the love of my life, I pour my heart and soul into the mix. I have a special heart-shaped bowl just for him. It gets left on the bench for midnight tastings and walk-by's. It is my way to say I love you, and, knowing how much he appreciates it, I feel incredibly loved in return. All I need is to see his face as he takes a bite, or the empty bowl, devoid even of crumbs.

Cooking is empowering. I can fulfill those I love in a most basic way. And the best thing? My recipients of goodness don't even know about it, they are just sated, their bellies content. And, I too am content.

A New Year

Spending the afternoon with those you love, drinking beers in the (kids) pool, eating ice-creams and chips - yes in that order - was just a lovely way to end and start a year. We chatted about the year that was, the family's that made us, and that sometime break us. Our personal goals, our wish list, completed or not. No grand promises or resolutions, just quiet reflections to be more creative, to push those boundaries. 

To love and be loved, to enjoy our kids, to make the most of every moment. Whether that moment be lying in a pool with a rubber ducky around your waist, or whether it is spent starting that elusive first novel. Just to have my wonderful friends with me, travelling alongside me on the sometimes rocky road that I chose to travel, means more to me than words can express. It's often a feeling, a look out of the corner of the eye, a loud boisterous laugh at each other. But mainly just the company of friends, who love you warts and all. Sometimes friends come and go, for many reasons, but some are here to stay. Stay in my heart, that special place that is private, that is reserved for big love. 

Thank you my two dear 'wusbands' for your support, love and openness over the years. I look forward to many more laughs, food and friendship!

Chicken Soup for the soul

Chicken Soup, aka 'Jewish Penicillin' I'm sure is good for us all. Jewish or otherwise. While it is wonderful for the common cold, it also does wonders for the common soul. Having been sick for a couple of weeks and not quite being able to shake it, I decided to make soup. I always have a chicken carcass on hand and my freezer has frozen stock at the ready for moments like these. Moments when you just feel a little bit sick, and a little bit tired and flat. The process of making chicken soup is just as rewarding as the eating. The smells that waft through the kitchen, trickle down the hallway and into the bedrooms are uplifting, nurturing and, of course, yummy!

So, while the kids ran in and out of the sunshine and shadows blinked across my vision I got my biggest pot out and threw everything in and let it bubble away. In the meantime, I had some buffalo yoghurt from my friends' farm [Shaw River Buffalo] that needed using and a 20kg bag of lemons we picked up from a local farm for free (thank you!). I'd been wanting to try a new Lemon Yoghurt Cake recipe that I found on a most wonderful website called theydrawandcook.com. The recipes are all hand written/drawn. Quite an easy recipe and what came out of the oven was moist and almost cheesecake-like. My friend Amy popped around - I think she liked it when she had a 2nd piece! 

The soup, I decided, could wait for Sunday. I was still quite ill and only when 6pm Sunday evening rolled around could I think about food. I dished a bowl up for myself and my little man - he loves chicken soup, nearly as much as lasagne I think. A big call. I inhaled my big steaming bowl of deliciousness. And then I inhaled a second bowl. It made me feel good, simple. All other concerns receded and all I could think about was scooping up noodles and finding chunks of roasted chicken. I did add ginger at the last minute to ward off any more evils lurking in the vicinity. I was so full I couldn't fit any lemon cake in! My soul, and my stomach, were fulfilled - to the brim! So, thank you to all those Jewish grandmothers out there, for a wonderful bowl of goodness.

Birthday Sunday

I just love birthdays! And not just mine, I love to celebrate that one special day that we all have, that is our own. To celebrate the birth of a wonderful friend or family member, to see the joy on their face when opening presents, to cook or be cooked for, to be around those you love and hold close to your heart. It is pure joy.

Last week was my son's 10th birthday and we all gathered round, with a cornucopia of sweets, popcorn, chocolate cake and games. The kids laughed and whooped with joy running from one game to the next, stuffing as much food in their mouth as possible whilst drinking lemonade and running in the 3 legged race. It was a cool day but it didn't stop ten 10 year olds from starting a large scale water fight - they all went home soaked. Job done.

Today is my birthday and a little more sedate, though we did get wet wandering around Auckland's waterfront in a fine Spring mist. My friend's kids jumped in every puddle they could find, not fussed by the extra water. A surprise lunch at 'Soul' at Auckland's viaduct waterfront area started with bottles of wine and major decisions about what to eat! The menu was a delightful array of starters, and entrees, so difficult to choose. As the plates and platters arrived, a silence settled itself comfortably over our table. We ate, we offered tastings to each other, we shared the most basic of things. Food. I watched faces light up and heard the barely audible gasps of delight. We nourished ourselves and each other. They sang me happy birthday for maybe the fourth time, we clinked glasses, we smiled. Nothing else mattered at that moment of happiness, pure and simple. And as for me, my heart sang and my eyes glistened with the humble pride of being loved. I know that love is a luxury for some, I know that love can be brutal and unkind sometimes. So, I take love seriously. I am humbled completely by it and continually surprised by the generosity and love in all of us.