Kitchen potterings

Every now and then I get the urge to create something. Okay, more than just every now and then. Every time I watch Jamie or Nigella on TV, every time I catch a whiff of fresh basil leaves at the supermarket, every time I run on pavements stained with the juice of squashed berries, or run past a house at twilight and breathe in the smell of simmering stew. Food is all around us, hanging in the trees, growing underfoot, cooking in copper pots inside golden kitchen windows. Nothing makes me happier than trawling through recipes, picking ingredients and clutching them to my chest in the checkout line, imagining what I could create. Being a cook rather than a chef, and a humble cook at that, I have little to offer by way of original recipes. But what I can share are the tips and experiences I picked up on my merry way. So here is a sprinkling of a few (relatively) recent creations. Enjoy!

Marshmallow teacups

 

When everything in the pantry has outlived its expiry date, it's time to check the cupboard. And if you were to find these teacups inside, you would be in for a nice afternoon indeed. These teacups were assembled from Venetian biscuits, pink and white marshmallows, musk Lifesavers (cut in half) and chocolate freckles. Incredibly easy to assemble, just by dabbing icing in strategic places. The hardest part was cutting the musk Lifesavers in half to make the teacup handles. Those things put up a good fight.

 



  

Anzac biscuits 

An Australian favourite. But to differentiate my biscuits from the store-bought variety, I added coconut, orange zest and almonds. I was happy with the first batch that left the oven (being the warmest and gooey-est of their kind) but the more time they spent on the counter, the harder they got. However, I did enjoy the flavour combination. Might just have to tweak the ingredients for next time.

 

Orange and almond cake

People say that good things come to those who wait. An incredibly frustrating notion for an impatient soul like myself, who will stand and stare at the kettle, tapping my feet, despite being told that a watched pot never boils. But at least in the case of this cake, patience did prove fruitful. After watching two oranges boil for almost two hours, I was finally allowed to pulverise them to a messy pulp, mix in almond meal and sugar and send the damn thing on its way. After an hour of deep contemplation in the oven, the cake emerged, silent and proud and delicious. Every bite was as moist as I had hoped. Yum!

 

Pear and raspberry bread

 

I won't lie - banana bread is definitely my favourite. That warm rich aroma of brown sugar and butter as the bread is toasting is absolutely unbeatable. But because my guest was banana-averse, I picked up a packet of raspberries in the supermarket. And what a treat they were! Red, luscious, bursting and splitting with sweet tangy juices (after they had been defrosted of course). If I could offer any tips here it would be these:

• don't defrost the raspberries before putting them in the bread mixture to make sure that they retain their form and are plump and juicy when you finally bite into the bread
• don't skimp on the sugar - remember that raspberries are sour
• save some of the frozen raspberries for decoration on top, and for breakfast the next day!



 

 

 

 

Raspberry pancakes

 



 

Avocado on toast

 

A simple breakfast but healthy and easy to make. All you need is some good bread (I like Sonoma's soy & linseed sourdough), some ripe avocadoes, a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. If you want to take it up a notch, add finely sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with Persian fetta and chilli flakes. Amazing.  

 

Apple cinnamon teddy bear muffins

 

I have no excuse for this. Except to say that I had a teddy bear mould, some apples hanging around the kitchen with nothing to do, and a free afternoon! What better way to farewell autumn than with a picnic among the leaves. A teddy bear picnic. I used silver sugar balls for the eyes.

 



 

Flourless coconut & lime cake

I used a gluten free recipe that only called for limes, eggs, caster sugar, almond meal and coconut. Very simple to make. The hardest part was attempting to make candied lime slices for the top of the cake; I failed a little and just compensated with sugar flowers. Just before serving, I made a lime syrup which I poured all over the cake to make it uber moist. Delicious.

Happy cooking!

Hunter Valley

 

 

I've always wanted to visit the Hunter. But as with any place you really want to go, life finds a way of intervening and time slips between your fingers like sand, soft and unnoticed. So, for reasons beyond my knowledge or control, the valley remained a mystery for years. One warm weekend in Easter, however, all of that began to change.

 

 

Our journey began at the Hunter Valley Cooperage, a beautiful B&B run by Gay and Warren Cooper. Nestled deep within the Kelman vineyard, on a winding gravel path, it is a large sandstone house guarded by giant chess pieces.

 

 

The highlight of the house, besides the beautiful rooms and gardens, is the warmth and hospitality of its hosts. Gay and Warren Cooper spoil their guests with incredible breakfasts each morning, whether it be bircher muesli, poached cinnamon pears, eggs benedict or ricotta pancakes.

 

Eggs benedict

These ricotta pancakes (with banana and honeycomb butter) were far fluffier than their ancestors at Bill Granger's Sydney cafes. In fact, if there were such a thing as a Pancake Forecast, this dish would be Cloudy with a Chance of Honeycomb Rain. The pancakes tasted like whipped clouds on a plate.

The Hunter Valley Gardens are a must-see, especially for nursery rhyme lovers, due to the presence of Alice in Wonderland, Little Miss Muppet and even Jack and Jill rolling down a grassy hill.

 

Now, if there's one place that you must try in the valley, it's Simply D'Vine. As you may have divined from its name (sorry, I couldn't resist), the cafe is attached to a thriving nursery. If you weave your way between the fountains, terracotta pots and water features, you will find a small tranquil oasis at the back fence. There, on wobbly white chairs, sipping coffee out of mismatched mugs, I had the best French toast I have ever had.

 

 

 

 

The tendency of French toast to droop and slump under the weight of its buttery innards was completely avoided here by breaking up the bread into bite size cubes. Each cube was a delightful morsel of crispy cinnamon crusted edges which surrendered to a moist fluffy interior. The rich butteriness was offset by the slightly tart berries and berry sauce. Just genius.

 

 

 

 

 

And now for the big guns - Emerson's at Polkobin. I had heard a lot of good things, and when we got a last-minute booking at 8pm, it did not disappoint.

 

 

 

 

Butternut pumpkin terrine, salt roasted baby beetroot, fried binnorie labna with lemon and sage crumbs. Incredible. The perfect combination of textures, crunchy and chewy, hard and soft, salty and sweet. An amazing entree.

 

 



 

 

Pan fried Nulkaba quail, pine nuts, sweet corn, raisins, estate grown mulberry glaze. Another crowd-pleaser. Perfectly crunchy without being too oily or dry. Perfectly executed.

 

 



 

Slow baked pork belly, ash coated pork fillet, crackling cream, savoy cabbage, apple puree with Madeira sauce. Judging by the sound and speed at which D finished this dish, I think he thoroughly enjoyed it! Tender pork and amazingly crunchy crackling - the few pieces I tried were incredible.

 

 

 

Pan fried snapper, Jerusalem artichoke cream, chanterelles, fingerling fennell with brown butter sauce. Beautifully presented, and it tasted just as thoughtful and delicious as it looked. Soft fish flesh on a creamy base, studded with leaves and perky peas. Wonderful.

 

 

Unfortunately, the name of this dish eludes me, and the dessert menu has since changed, leaving me speechless to inform you of its ingredients. However, I do recall notes of meringue, caramel and honeycomb, and the presentation itself shows you that craftmanship was involved in the making of this dish.

Again, the name eludes me. But if I was a dessert forecaster, I would say that it was Fudgy with a Chance of Brownie Cubes and Chocolate Rain, which would require a spoon and fork for protection!

 

 

So next time you're dying to go somewhere, try to make a meal of it.

 

Until next time.