Nasturtiums - a first recipe ramble
" Besides being delectable, these floral “greens” seem indulgent, whimsical, and oh-so-gourmet." Kitchen Lane The painting is by Monet. He loved them so much that one of the alleys in his garden at Giverny - the main one in fact - was lined with profuse beds of nasturtiums. Everybody says they grow like weeds - are weeds in fact - in the western world anyway - having originated in Central and South America - and then having been brought back by the conquistadores, they spr
1 day ago
Old-fashioned canapés - first recipe
"If you don't have the time to prepare something good then just serve some olives or nuts." Beverley Sutherland Smith Well you would perhaps wouldn't you? - or just open a bag of crisps because canapés - the retro kind - often take a lot of work. This is a photograph of some of Beverley Sutherland Smith's canapés, styled in a very old-fashioned way on a silver platter with the bottle of champagne in a silver bucket. The kind of thing you would get served at a fancy cocktai
Oct 30
From the street to Michelin stars - first recipe
"there is no such thing as ‘traditional, authentic cuisine’ anywhere. It’s constantly evolving." Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn - Michelin star chef Bangkok Before I return yesterday's book to a shelf somewhere I thought I should do a first recipe thing on it, as it will be placed on a shelf that has already been given the first recipe treatment. I also decided retrospectively, having researched a bit, to cover two different dishes here - the first and third recipes in the book.
Oct 17
Old-fashioned asparagus
"No good will come from matching asparagus with anything that might overshadow its gentle nature. Any accompaniment needs to know its...
Oct 2
Defeated by a first recipe
"sometimes the wall is just a wall. There’s nothing to be done but go somewhere else." Margaret Atwood This book has been sitting on my...
Sep 18
A lot of fuss - but maybe worth it
"as I'm a pastry cook at heart, I've been making all sorts of herb-laden tarts, including this lovely tomato one. It's very simple." ...
Aug 21
Mushrooms and Chinese costermongers
This is a first recipe post - one from Beverley Sutherland Smith in her book simply called Vegetables . In this case, however, I first...
Aug 12
The mysteries of authenticity
"While the concept of a fried roll originates from China, the specific combination of chicken and ham is not a traditional Chinese...
Jun 20
The problems with first recipes
"Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life so. Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something." Henry...
Apr 15
Classic Thai - a first recipe
"I would definitely classify this as one of the world's greatest soups. I have enjoyed it for some twenty years and have never had quite...
Apr 2
Asparagus in Hong Kong
"I can get quite excited in Hong Kong when I am served a dish of crisp asparagus that is tinged with sesame oil." Madhur Jaffrey And...
Mar 7
Nigel's essential marinades
"little kitchen lifesavers" Nigel Slater This is the last of my Nigel's A Cook's Book Essentials - a group of first recipes, and these...
Nov 16, 2024
Party time in the wilds of Nillumbik
Nillumbik is our local council area. It calls itself 'The Green Wedge Shire' - because over 90% of it's 431.94 square kilometres of land...
Oct 21, 2024
A green sauce for almost everything
"There are no green sauce rules — only what tastes good to you." Margaret Eby/Food and Wine Today I'm back to Nigel Slater's batch of...
Oct 10, 2024
Cool as a cucumber
"Pert as a pear-monger I'd be, If Molly were but kind; Cool as a cucumber could see The rest of womankind" John Gay 1732 I was going to...
Sep 26, 2024
Simple essentials - Nigel's first recipes
"Small details that make a big difference" Nigel Slater It's first recipe time and working my way through my bookshelves I have come to...
Sep 3, 2024
Not quite Pasta alla Norma
"Eggplant is slowly fried until burnished and rich with olive oil, then served with pasta in a garlicky tomato sauce and garnished with...
Aug 10, 2024
My kitchen bit by bit - 2
"Anything can be a lodestar in a person's life, I suppose, and for some fortunates like me, the kitchen serves well." MFK Fisher Which...
Jul 23, 2024
Rambling around osso buco
“the meat soft as the leg of an angel who has lived a purely airborne existence.” Billy Collins This post is all down to a first recipe...
Jul 21, 2024
Stephanie's idea of 'simple'
"A lot is said about simplicity in modern, Fench-influenced cookery. I find it very difficult to find a suitable definition of a simple...
Jun 28, 2024