AN ACQUIRED TASTE

Over a bowl of superfood cereal chia ginger, the term ....it`s an acquired taste springs readily to mind. It is a mixture of sprouted quinoa ,amaranth, pumpkin, sunflower and wild hawthorn berry along with ginger and chia.
I made my decision to purchase the super food mix because it looked so inviting with luscious plump clumps and rich earthy colours of the ingredients packaged in clear wrap.
At this point I invite the reader to conjure the smell of wet hesian,( without a hint of exagerration) that is what the contents of the cereal tasted like, no amount of honey or dollops of cream could mask the taste and at $15.00 per 225grams there is a financial obligation to finish the packet........even faced with an ever increasing BMI and scales that quaver ..I can`t .
Seriously there is no one I dislike that much ....that I would even offer them to.

FISH HEAD CURRY and AN ADVENT CALENDAR

A fresh salmon head with spine connected, it is best to pre order from the fish monger, (then the carcase will be kept refrigerated once it has been filleted.)

Keep the eyes intact... (in some cultures the eye is a delicacy and highly sought part of the dish . In 1972 as a requirement in my matriculation year I read the novel by Solzhenitsyn...A Day In the Life...and have never forgotten his vivid description of a fish eye protruding from a bowl of grey liquid. ).....for plating and presentation purpose.

For preparation you will need ground ...cumin, coriander, tumeric and chilli, to make your dry curry powder....once these are mixed in a bowl, rub the mixture roughly all over the fish head... (snap or chop the spine away close as you can to the anterior cut and set aside for later.) Now place the fish head in a pan that has been prepared with fresh garlic rubbed over its surface and drizzled around the edge with grapeseed oil or palm oil (but make sure when sourcing your palm oil you select oils that have been derived from plantation grown crops ...these will come with a green panel on the label verifying their origins ....so not to aid the extinction of orangutans..)

An oil that has a neutral flavour and will allow the true flavours of the curry to shine through. Sear the head on both sides and then remove to a heated dish, drizzle over a little oil cover and place in oven on a moderate temperature.

Add to the remaining pan juices a processed mix of fresh garlic, small red chillies ...cut these in half and deseed one half , chopped palm sugar, fresh mint, coriander root and leaves with a little oil....stir over heat till bubbly and your kitchen is full of aroma.

Now to this mix add once sliced cherry tomatoes, red and yellow capsicums the hand strained juice of a lemon any leftover coriander and mint, finely chopped ginger, tamarind paste and the largest handful of fresh curry leaves you can get ( stalk removed )Two onions quartered and a handful of whole fresh green beans, ends trimmed. Lastly add a cube of palm sugar, a can of coconut cream and a fair quantity of bottled lime leaves
Bring this mix back to the boil stirring all the while ......now place the fish head back in the pan and spoon over the curry.... Cover with a lid or foil, turn off the heat and just let sit for 20 minutes and it will continue to cook itself.

In that 20 minutes prepare your cracked rice dish......this can obtained from any Asian food outlet.......
Place a cinnamon stick and whole cardamon pods in a pan with unsalted butter and cook till the fragrances are released, then add the drained uncooked rice to the pan move through the spices till they are well mixed then add salted boiling water to cover the rice ..Stir till the water evaporates and rice becomes plump, upon serving remove the cinnamon stick.

Enjoy....

During the week I dropped off an advent calendar to my granddaughter on a trip home from Melbourne, and only thought about purchasing my remaining son one. It is these little traditions that I love about Christmas and find very hard to deal with given my children are all adults, being fully aware of all the poverty and unrest in the world my empty nest despair doesn’t rate on anyone’s scale...nor should it.
I experienced a real wakeup call after an enquiry from my soon to be 22 year old as to the whereabouts of his advent calendar......Seriously..?

You know what?..It`s the simple things in this world that give me a lot of pleasure(hello friends and family !), it`s no excuse or reason for me to change because people grow up , move away or grow old... and I feel confident that my family don`t want or need me to , you see I have finally realised it is about the Christmassy traditions and a place they can come home to sit round a table and share their stories, eat my food because that is what mums do best...and I too am on a journey and get to share my story with the people I love and who love me.

Just because one is older in age does not always mean you have grown up.

This awakening is because my son Paul gathered all our family upstairs at Chinta Blue restaurant in St Kilda, amidst heat and noisy patrons I watched my family add to the clamour sharing tales and talking of their work. Invited friends joined us at the table...I may have been in another mind space at the dinner but once again my family was sending me the unspoken message that it`s not about distance and change or in my case fear of change, it`s about love of food and the ties of family.

And Dale unconsciously reminding me that you can turn and move a rock but it is always a rock.

Off to buy advent calendars.......

PATHWAY TO A GARDEN REVISITED

Back in July 1999 I started recording my gardening activities and seasonal changes. The collection of my thoughts and observations were recorded under the heading ....Pathway to a Garden. It is interesting to note that on occasion when I compare dates  and passages of time between  then and the present ....interest in certain plants change but surprisingly the climate and the same challenges of weed control and chemical intervention in crop yields are issues still to be resolved . Did you know that some of our best loved plants  become  noxious weeds when they are released or escape and  take seed in agricultural or bush lands.  I plead guilty to using tradescantia otherwise known as Wandering Jew as a ground cover in a very desolate area of the garden and I have rued that decision ever since .When I became the new caretaker of my garden it possessed all the bones and great features of its former owner and designer, the garden along with the Castle  had been vacant for 4 years and had been pillaged  most of its  plants......so for my tenure I added my style to the garden....roses and irises ....the hothouse for vegetable propagation and a place for the radio an old transistor that runs on batteries and is at its best in the footy season with the Could Have Beens....on 774.ABC
My garden lends itself to leisurely walks, and a variety of plants to behold. there are various rooms to my garden and each offers a different vista. I offer picnic baskets to my guests in the garden as well  a visitors guide to all the great areas on offer in the locality
My entry has been long anticipated with so much going on in my world.
 I have applied to try out for Masterchef Series 5, with a lot of accumulated leave,a chance to show case my cooking ability at the audition and if I am successful..... to to learn so much more....it is  exciting.

For the times you really need something tasty but just can`t be bothered ....and the fridge does `nt hold any answers.....this is a tasty no brainer.......
combine a little over a 1/2 cup of peanut butter with a tin of crushed pineapple drained  and spread it on toast with  slices of gorganzola cheese and place under the grill till golden brown....or spread on a wholemeal muffin.....or just make up a sandwich with lettuce  and topped with  flat leafed parsley chopped..

R.I.P ISABELLA

In the space of one week the two females I nurtured ...one from birth and the other from 6 weeks of age  have left .....my daughter to take up a position in her dream job in Melbourne......the other female my cat Isabella died from complications of old age.
My daughter and her belongings had to be relocated to her new address , my cat had to be buried.
A week I never handled well and for all the wrong reasons.
There are over 100 roses growing in my garden and I added to it the rose Isabel Derby, a pink/orange flowering hybrid tea rose, in remembrance of Isabella.

CHRISTMAS TREE AND A SALAD

The tree is up , a black one this year with a colour theme of red, gold and silver baubles and four sets of Christmas lights with a crystal star on top.. all the presents have been bought ,  wrapped and are scattered beneath the tree.
Too early .....rubbish , I could do Christmas all through the year.,It`s about the colour , it gives a reason to open our doors to familiar faces , its about giving of your time or finding time to stop and chat , share a drink , a meal, our homes, family coming home ..we all lead very busy lives and Christmas time is no exception , but there is an anticipation of the gathering , the preparation of the shared meal an added vitality in our mood.

I served this salad with kangaroo shasliks and twice cooked sweet potato chips......

Sliced mushrooms enough to half fill your serving bowl, small jar of drained capers, juice of 2 lemons and the grated rind of one lemon tear about 300grams of goat cheese  and add to mix, 3 juicy fat garlic bulbs chopped  a good handful of drained pitted kalamata olives , one can of drained chick peas, a cupful of freshly chopped chives,  fresh coriander coarsely torn., 1.red onion thinly sliced, salt and pepper to season also add 2. tablespoons of wholegrain mustard mixed in a half a cup of carotino oil, run your salad spoon through the mix and then add a good gulp of balsamic vinegar when adding a cup of spinach leaves.......this is hearty enough to eat as a mains served with crusty bread or as a side to a grill.
If time permits, let the salad rest in the refrigerator before serving as this will allow the mushrooms to soak up the oil and vinegar , adding to their flavour.

HOW ANNOYING...

Self serve registers....did not take the jobs of real people .People who cheat on the veggies and fruit  by selecting a cheaper item on the register or a different item all together are  costing peoples jobs. Where I live our community is well served by  Safeway and IGA supermarkets .Retail competition gives the consumer better choice. IGA has a great fresh seafood deli and their liquor department carries a good selection of  quality wines and beers at very competitive prices  . The fresher vegetables and fruit and a more diverse general product range can be found at Safeway,

My mother lives in a neighbouring town and I take her shopping at the local Coles supermarket  most Saturday`s, the Coles store has a great bakery section and its range of cheeses is outstanding.
On more than one occasion I have returned kangaroo meat, rabbits and packaged salmon due to their lack of freshness.
Each occasion I have purchased  fresh marinara mix, scallops , prawns , whitebait and mussels from the seafood deli at Coles , I was met with a  poorly trained staff who. have no idea what they are serving or how to wrap the seafood items.
Safeway provides better service  and fresher produce, IGA offers better everyday prices and wine selection. Coles has a great bakery and cheese selection but  product knowledge in the seafood deli is a real let down.

There are jars and jars of pesto  available from the supermarket shelves, they have their place on menus when time is tight and schedules have to be met.....but the best pesto is home made .....
The essential ingredient is basil which is pounded to a paste with olive oil, cheese , pine nuts gruyere cheese and fat bulbs of fresh garlic....
Be adventurous try combinations by adding  cooked chicken or maybe anchovies, sundried tomatoes or even capers ....

Whatever your choice leave to chill for a cold pasta salad.
use one tablespoon per person over pasta .

You can use pesto as a spread on crusty bread top with grated cheese and grill under the griller.

Try mixing the pesto with breadcrumbs for a great stuffing..

Blend the pesto with sour cream to make a dip or as a filling for baked potatoes.

The basic pesto recipe is a winner processed with tomato and a cooked chicken fillet, then  use as a filling in home made ravioli.

Add one tablespoon to stir fries,

Make a cream sauce , heating pesto and cream , reduce on high heat till the sauce thickens but do not boil. Serve as a sauce over meats , chicken or fish.

YOU MAY WELL ASK

Apart from the obvious, my Family and the Collingwood Football Club, I share my passion equally between the garden and cooking.

I am often asked how I find time for work. I am employed in the optical industry and see myself as a service provider, assisting in making people’s lives easier, I have no problem going to work.

My garden was designed to be viewed from all levels of the house. No matter from what level of the house you look at the garden it is there to greet you.

The past week I have spent my home time in the vegetable garden, like many home gardens there are tomatoes, beetroot, cabbage, turnips, celeriac, cauliflower, broccoli....and I have a whole patch of potatoes growing....I never need to weed as I use sugar cane mulch to cover the beds, this can be purchased from Bunnings or Dahlsens a bale covers 6 sq metres, more than sufficient for a home veggie patch......and any excess can be used around your flowering plants.

The orchard is resplendent in the pure green of the new leaves on the fruiting trees and shrubs, among them are figs, guava, peach, nectarine, pear, apple, nashi, feijoa, quince, kiwi fruit, strawberry, rhubarb, and gooseberry.

I am a devotee of Elizabeth David an English woman who taught herself to cook and found not only the practical side but also writing about food an absolute absorbing interest. Elizabeth David has taught me more about food than any television show instructing me to follow a recipe could ever have.

I cook to improve and seduce flavours from and add to..... meats, fish, vegetables and fruits. I cook out of my head rather than recipes .......it is from reading Elizabeth David that I now have a feel for food.

I was first introduced to Elizabeth David while reading the book Bittersweet by Matt McAllester.

That is one unforgettable book.

This week in the kitchen has been a little bit fancy but ever so easy with Moroccan meals ....you may well ask why........and the answer is because it was easy and interesting...coat your meat (any cut) or fish with cinnamon, sweet paprika, ground cumin and coriander....make sure the cut you are using is completely covered, then cover the bowl with wrap and refrigerate overnight or least 4 hours for flavours to permeate, then cook as you would normally. You may prefer to add this herb mixture to cover your vegetables that are to be oven baked.

You can also put this mixture of herbs in Greek yoghurt and add two small red chillies and use as a side serve to your meat chicken or fish.

GREEK LEMON SOUP

This is a heavy soup which makes a quick all in one meal

Bring 6 cups of chicken stock to the boil. Add 2 cups of rice and let it cook for 15 minutes. Add the juice of 2 lemons. Beat 4 eggs in a separate bowl and add some of the boiling stock, then slowly pour the egg mixture into the soup. Stir and season with course ground pepper. Serve in individual bowls with grated lemon rind sprinkled over.

GOOD MORNING

Wednesday 31st October 2012

The garden is still, the new rose buds have swollen to a point of popping, some have unfurled their petals and are displaying their graceful shapes and brilliant colours As temperatures are expected to reach 30 degrees today I will pick a few stems for inside before the heat affects the purity of the colour of the roses.
The hothouse is full of tomatoes that I have grown from selected seeds, some years this endeavour is more successful than others, I will revisit both the success and failure of my tomatoe crops another time.
The kitchen is the heart of my home, it is where we meet , greet, plan our days , our lives , discuss , often argue , shed a tear, make a cuppa, leave from  and its where I cook .

Do yourself a flavour favor........
chop fresh garlic and soften in pan with some rich oil add onions and heat till they are transparent,  add a chopped  fresh red chilli and seeds to the mix..... set the mix aside.... to the flavoured pan add about 500gram of fresh whitebait and heat till the fish turn white  sprinkle the whitebait with finely shaved parmesan......season with sumac...Place in a processor and mix to a paste.  Serve with cold fingers of toast.