Light and easy, bird.

This will just be a quick one. A mid-week tally count.

Roasted Chicken Breast Wrapped in Pancetta with Leeks & Thyme

I chopped half a leek (the biggest leek I’ve ever seen – the vegie man was super proud of his product!), some thyme, S&P, oil and a knob of butter. Draped the pancetta over the chicken breast, sat it on top of the leeks and into the oven for 25 minutes. Served with some cous cous and a few peas. Done and dusted.

Plenty of time for watching the season finale of All Saints and reading my book. A perfect mid-week night at home.

Xx

PS – sorry for the lack of photo, but I got a bit excited and before I knew it, the plate was empty and then I remembered!

If you can’t take the heat, hire some sous-chefs!

Mammoth. That’s what my weekend in the kitchen with Jamie was. Apart from it being a par for the course big weekend of eating, drinking and dancing at the farm with friends, I tackled four recipes from the book and though they probably weren’t the four quickest and easiest recipes, when you’re feeding 11 people and celebrating a 30^th birthday, you don’t do things by halves.

Overnight Slow-roasted Pork

Roast Leg of Lamb with Aubergines and Onions

Potato Rösti

1980’s-style Black Forest Swiss Roll

It all began on Thursday, with a trip to the butcher for the pork shoulder and the leg of lamb. Followed by a two trolley session at Woollies with Gem.

After a few wind-down cleansing ales on arrival at the farm on Friday night, it was, before we knew it, the middle of the night and time to make a start on the pork. Stu helped me rub crushed fennel seeds and salt into the skin then we placed in it the baking dish with chopped fennel bulbs, chopped carrots and some garlic cloves (expertly peeled by Gem – a fun job after a few wines!) and into the pre-heated-to-max-oven for 30 minutes before turning down to 100 and heading to bed at 2am!

Not only did I dream of the pork, but I woke in a panic several times, running out to the kitchen, to be met by amazing aromas and finding it beautifully roasting away. I shuffled back to bed.

As much as we were tempted to pull it out and eat it for breakfast – seriously, you cannot imagine how fantastic the smells in the house were – I left it to continue it’s slow roast, all the way through until 1pm. A whopping 11 hours in the oven. We pulled the meat of the bone and put it in the fridge for later.

Why, you ask, did I do this? Because I needed to free up the oven for everything else! If only the farm had an industrial catering kitchen, but alas no… By this stage, Sarah had arrived and was looking forward to taking up her post in the kitchen, so we made a start on the logs. Yes plural. Two chocolate logs. One in the oven while mixing the next one and making the syrup (I’ll just say here that my “splash” of brandy was about half the size of Sarah’s “splash”, though no doubt she’ll tell a different story!). Chocolate sponge, spread with cherry brandy syrup, chocolate cream, whipped cream and sprinkled with cherries. Now you roll. Quite a challenge, but incredibly fun. And all the creamy choc goodness that oozed out the end had to be eaten by someone, so why not two people who’d been slaving in the kitchen all day…

Chocolate logs in the fridge to set, time to start the lamb. Into the oven for half an hour, then throw in wedges of eggplant and red onion and back in the oven for an hour. Meanwhile, I made a tomato sauce with tinned plum tommys, anchovies, parsley stalks, garlic and red wine vinegar, left to simmer for half an hour, while Sarah and I took turns to chop matchsticks of potato for the rosti.

A small break to head up into the paddocks with the rest of the gang to watch the sunset and have a cheeky vino.

Back down the hill and into the kitchen, it became a frenzy of activity and my sous-chefs excelled themselves. While I flitted about the kitchen, yelling orders left right and centre, the girls took it all in their stride, chopping, topping, tailing, stirring, squishing, tearing and frying.

Half an hour later we served up a pretty spectacular dinner – Happy Birthday Stu!

More than one of us went back for seconds, so a short break was necessary. Some dance floor action suited, making space for the dessert. I have to say, the choccy logs were amazing.

If I had to sum it up I’d say: Farm = good food, good wine, good friends, good times.

And thank god for the sous-chefs, otherwise dinner might not have been served until the wee small hours. It was definitely a mammoth effort.

Xx

Too much my friend. Too much.

I know it’s pasta, so it’s not exactly going to be light, but he called it Summertime, so I at least thought it would be fresh and zingy.

Summertime Tagliarini

But it’s almost 2 hours since I ate dinner and I am still struggling to come to grips with the fact that this is the first recipe in my experiment thus far, that I can honestly say I will NEVER cook again.

It seemed harmless and summery enough – pine nuts, lemon juice and zest, chopped parsley, grated parmesan and olive oil, stirred together and stirred through the cooked pasta.

Simple enough, but it was the richest, most full on pasta I’ve ever eaten. I couldn’t finish it and it’s not very often that I find myself in that position!

I’m kind of glad to find that there’s a recipe in the book that has caused some grief – I wish it wasn’t such uncomfortable grief, but hey? – it makes me appreciate all the good experiences just that little bit more.

Though it hasn’t done anything to change my opinion of the pine nut. It may be small and innocent but it’s no friend of mine.

Xx

Time out dinner.

This weekend I headed out of town for some down time. I wanted a weekend of sleeping in, watching DVDs, reading books and generally mooching about, so I headed to Mum’s farm, lit the fire, let the cat in and settled in for the weekend.

Roast Rack of Lamb with Potato and Cauliflower Dauphinois

Unfortunately by the time I went into town on Saturday to buy supplies, I’d missed the butcher and couldn’t get a rack of lamb at the supermarket, so had to settle for lamb chops instead. Not ideal, but still tasty.

Mum and I were only recently discussing how underrated cauliflower is as a vegetable (it really is damn good), so I was pretty excited by its addition to the classic potato dauphinois. I layered the potato slices and the chunks of cauliflower, plus a sprinkling of thyme then poured over a cream and milk concoction that had been simmering and infusing with garlic, nutmeg and bay leaves – super tasty. Into the oven for 40 minutes covered with foil, then remove the foil and sprinkle over some grated parmesan and back in the oven for 10 minutes to melt and brown.

Meanwhile I browned the (seasoned with S&P & rosemary) chops and popped them into the oven briefly.

Served with steamed beans, it was a perfect country dinner of meat and three veg, enjoyed in front of the fire, totally chilled out.

I promise I will try to do this again with the proper rack of lamb next time. With those tasty dauphinois, I can’t say my arm would really need to be twisted to do the re-attempt…

Xx

Can I get a bib with that?

I’ll start by apologising that it’s taken me a few days to post the après-lobster post, as you have all been keen to hear the result!

Unfortunately FSL (fish shop lady) was obviously still not convinced by my courageous attempt to tackle the ALIVE lobster as when I arrived to pick him up, ready for the trip home (I hear jaws music at this point, imaging Lobby attempting one last rush for freedom!) FSL proudly handed me a very dead and very much chopped in half lobster. Misreading the disappointment/annoyance on my face as relief (seriously FSL?), she said “I thought I’d help out by killing him and cutting him in half, so you didn’t have to worry and next time, I suggest you just buy the lobster tails like everyone else”. Ten points go to FSL for persistence, but seriously what part of I WANT AN ALIVE LOBSTER did she not understand!!!

A bit of a disappointing start to the evening, though just between you and me, I was a teeny bit relieved he was already dead. But lesson learned, for the next lobster recipe, I’m heading to the fish markets to hand pick him from the tank!

Sticky Fingers Lobster

Warm Salad of Crispy Smoked Bacon and Jerusalem Artichokes

I made a paste with crushed black peppercorns, garlic, shallots, lemon juice, honey, ginger and olive oil and smothered to lobster halves with it, into the oven for 15 minutes then served with fresh chilli and coriander.

I thought that Dad and I might need something else to accompany the lobster so searching the salad pages, I decided on the Jerusalem artichokes coz I’ve eaten but never cooked them before. Throwing them into some salted boiling water, they instantly give off a really earthy smell. It was quite amazing.

Bacon and red onion finely chopped and sautéed, add the boiled Jerusalem artichokes for a few minutes to crisp up then serve on top of gem lettuces (I used baby cos) and radicchio (which I love but unfortunately couldn’t get at three F&V stores, so had to go without), add some balsamic and oil to the bacon pan and put back on the heat to thicken for a few minutes then pour over the whole salad.

So Dad and I sat down to our lobster feast and even though I’d thought to grab the pliers from my tool box to make the most of the lobster experience (sticky fingers can only go so far, one needs to rip it apart with something a little more heavy duty!), I didn’t think to buy us bibs… At the end of the lobster session, both Dad and I were covered in spots of lobster juice – it was like a Jackson Pollock painting. And I was scrambling around trying to retrieve pieces of lobster claws from the all over my apartment. It was yet another Pretty Woman moment – “slippery little suckers” – but without the friendly waiter to catch my flying lobster!

The salad was a huge hit – there was supposed to be leftovers for my lunch the next day, but Dad had seconds (then thirds!), so my lunch was more like a snack! Jamie says this salad is his favourite warm salad and I see why - the earthy flavour of the Jerusalem artichokes is really quite cool.

All in all, the lobster experience was a success, but if I ever decide to return to the fish shop in question, I will be sure to keep my requests to the more simple kind, y’know, things already dead.

Xx

Who’s afraid of the green-eyed lobster?

Just a quick prelude to tonight’s dinner. I’m tackling lobster, so on Tuesday I went to the fish shop on my lunch break to order a whole, 100% alive, lobster. The experience went something like this…

Fish-Shop Lady (FSL): Hi, can I help you?

Me: Yes, I’d like to enquire about ordering a lobster?

FSL: You mean lobster tails?

Me: No, I mean a whole lobster. Alive.

FSL: Why? Just use lobster tails.

Me: Um, thanks for the suggestion, but I actually want to cook a whole lobster.

FSL: Why? Everybody else just uses lobster tails.


I am struggling with the serious lack of assistance – I mean, come on FSL! – and look around wide-eyed, pleading for help from someone else. I see Fish-Shop Man (FSM).


Me: Help…?

FSM: What is it you’re after?

Me: A lobster. A whole one. Alive.

FSM: You’re sure you don’t want to just use lobster tails?

Me: (starting to get a little antsy now) No, I’m sure I want to cook a whole lobster.

FSM: We can get you a whole COOKED lobster. How about that?

Me: No. I REALLY want a whole, alive lobster. Can’t you just order that for me from the markets?

FSM: Well yeah we can, but it’ll be expensive. And you’ll have to kill it yourself.

Me: (in my head I’m thinking, no sh*t Sherlock! But outwardly I push on…) That’s OK, I’ve got money to spend here (I’ve always wanted to say that – it’s so Pretty Woman!) and I’ve also got a recipe that tells me how to kill the lobster, so I’m all good. Can you order it for me?

FSM: Let me call my guy.


And so I wait, while he calls his “guy”.


FSM: (off the phone) Yep, he can you get you one. You’re sure you want it alive?

Me: Yep, alive. (Oh. My. God. Get the message.) I know you can kill them in the freezer…

FSM: Yeah, that’s the best way…

Me: But the recipe says to use a knife and stab it through the neck in one fell swoop.

FSM: I wouldn’t do that if I was you. You’ll lose all your fingers.

Me: Why, coz I’ll cut them off with my sharp knife or coz the lobster will snip them off with his claws.

FSM: The lobster’ll do it to you. They’re nasty buggers.

Me: OK, maybe I’ll go the freezer option then. Good tip.

FSM: I can pop him in the freezer for you an hour before you come to pick him up if you like. Make him a bit dopey for the bus trip home.

Me: Thanks! That’d be great. So I’m guessing this is a pretty random request – a whole lobster?

FSM: Yeah, most people just opt for the tails and if they do want a whole one, they tend to get it cooked already, so y’know, it’s dead.

Me: Got it. But what about the flavour. I mean, don’t they want to add their own flavours and stuff?

FSM: Well, I mean obviously yours will be a lot tastier.

Me: Thanks!

FSM: What are you planning to do with it anyway?

Me: It’ll have honey, chilli, coriander – that sort of thing.

FSM: Yum, sounds great. If I throw in another lobster for free, can I come for dinner too?

Me: Um…


Xx

Tasty Snags (not the new age kind…)

Cooking Sunday night dinner is now something I look forward to all week. It’s different to the meals I cook during the week because I have time. I have time to browse the book, shop for ingredients and put real effort into the cooking.

Proper Blokes’ Sausage Fusilli

This recipe had caught my eye more than once (and caught Ween’s eye – she’d put n a request!), so after we both had a flick through the book yesterday arvo, we decided that was what we wanted.

The sausages Jamie called for were Cumberland – easy to come by in any UK supermarket, but less so in my local Woolies – so we went for some tasty pork snags.

I squeezed the sausage meat out of the skins – quite a fun task I have to admit. I sort of felt as though as I was back in pre-school and crafting away! – into a hot frying pan with oil and used a wooden spoon to break them up a bit. They actually take a while to cook ad don’t break up as much as I thought they would – they stay as chunky bits, quite cool. Add fennel seeds and dried chilli (crushed in the pestle and mortar), then white wine, lemon juice & zest. Turn to low and simmer.

Meanwhile cook the fusilli then drain and add to the sausage sauce, with grated parmesan, a few chunks of butter and some chopped parsley (from Mum’s garden) and some of the pasta water. This pasta water thing is something that a lot of cooks seem to recommend and I have to say it is actually a really good tip when the pasta sauce is not a saucey or creamy one, as it just keeps the pasta from drying out too much. Toss it all together and serve.

It was absolutely delicious. I wouldn’t exactly call it blokey though. I think Jamie is the only man I know who would put lemon zest in a “manly” pasta sauce! I think if I was making it blokey, I’d add some HP sauce or something, just to give it a bit of bite as opposed to tang. But I loved the fusilli and the snags sans skins were sensational. Very new age…!

Xx

Inspired by my Inspiration

This week I went to the movies to see Julie and Julia. As I’d loved the book so much (after all, it inspired me to start my cooking experiment), I was careful not to go in with high expectations, as I didn’t want to be disappointed. Well, no chance of that. I absolutely loved it and insist you all go and see it. It’s fantastic.

As a non Meryl Streep fan (shock horror, I know!), I was blown away by her. As Julia Child, she was brilliant and so likeable. The film covers much more of the story of Julia Child’s life than the book did, which gave me a greater appreciation of how both these women came to be in the cooking situations we find them in.

I laughed and cried in equal measures. The scene where Paul Child comes home to find his wife chopping a pile (literally!) of onions in their kitchen is absolutely hilarious. The lobster killing scene in Julie’s kitchen made me laugh as much in the movie as it did in the book and certainly didn’t make the task of euthanising crustaceans seem any easier.

But I think the biggest thing that I took away from the movie was to keep going. I have had moments – exactly as Julie did – of wondering who on earth is actually reading my musings on food and cooking and is it really worth it, but the truth is, as nice as it is to know that people are reading (and I know you are) it’s more about the journey that I’m taking and the fun and challenges along the way. And the truth is, I am enjoying myself, so what more could I ask for. Other than for someone to buy me the DVD when it comes out in a few months…

Xx

Vegie Patch Extraordinaire

When Mum moved back to the country a year ago, I jokingly told her I wanted my fridge to be stocked from her ever-expanding vegie patch and up until this point, she’d adequately supplied me with the odd bit of fresh fruit, vegetables and bunches of flowers, but last night Mum arrived at my place with supplies and five minutes later, I couldn’t actually fit anything else in my fridge. Cabbage, tomatoes, capsicum, parsley, lettuce, avocado, mushrooms, celery – not all of it from Mum’s garden, but enough to feed an army!

Add to this a road-trip weekend involving more than one trip to a certain fast food outlet and tonight I decided to go a bit crazy on the veg-front. Let’s be honest, I needed it.

Must-try Red Cabbage Braised with Apple, Bacon & Balsamic Vinegar

The red cabbage that Mum grew in her vegie patch was seriously impressive (both of us whipped out the camera for the money shot) and thankfully Jamie had a red cabbage recipe, which he recommends as an accompaniment for pork. So I ducked in to Woollies and grabbed a pork chop on my way home. But that was only the thing I bought, because who needs Woollies when you’ve got Mum!

The red cabbage is chopped in chunks and braised for an hour with bacon, fennel seeds, onion, apple and balsamic vinegar. The smell in the kitchen was sensational.

Meanwhile I tried to figure out how to use everything else. Sorry Jamie, but I ditched you on this mission and followed my instincts. I cooked up a pasta sauce using the tomatoes (and not actually all of them!), capsicum, celery, parsley, chilli and some red wine, S&P and sugar. Then sautéed the mushrooms with some red wine and oregano. A pot of spaghetti on the boil and I’ve got a variety of lunches that will last me a week. How cool is that? I can’t wait to have my own vegie patch.

Anyway, back to dinner and my cabbage with a pork chop and steamed greens was extremely delicious, a good remedy for a long long-weekend and a touch reminiscent of Oktoberfest.

Xx

PS – I also cooked from Jamie on my weekend away. I did Rosemary-roasted Cubed Potatoes for Sunday night BBQ dinner at Ween’s parents farm. I didn’t take a photo, but I assure you they were crispy and delicious.

PPS – Last week I had take-away Thai for dinner for the first time since I started the experiment and I can’t tell you how ridiculously excited I was about the prospect of the whole thing. It was the eating at home, but not cooking that was so appealing. My goodness, it’s a rollercoaster with me at the moment. Extreme eating.