In My Kitchen- February 2015

It's been a busy, busy week in the InTolerant household

BigJ is back at work for good and littlej has started another year of school. I peeked inside her math textbook, recoiled, shuddered and slammed it shut hard. There were hardly any numbers, it was full of letters and symbols and...stuff that looked scary. Surds and sines and imaginary numbers and things that looked like they belonged on one of The Big Bang Theory's whiteboards rather than in my daughters homework.
I can cut a chicken to serve 8 and divide a cake into 16 slices, but that's about the extent of it. She'd better not need any help from me in this subject!

The start of this week has also bought the start of this month- and we all know that means the latest edition of In My Kitchen, yay :) To check out what's happening in lots of kitchens around the globe, just go to darling Celia's blog here for the full list, and of course feel free to join in the fun as well



In My Kitchen...
is a stunning Mother of Pearl Caviar Spoon that my Mum bought back from the Philippines. Stainless steel and silver spoons aren't used for the precious, expensive little fishy eggs as they might leave a metallic taste or taint... now if I only had some caviar!

In My Kitchen...
are some beautiful blue glassware, courtesy of my friend Pony. She said she was tired of my old, thick, scratched ones and it was well past time for some new. The prettiness is just a sign of her unerring good taste, if it wasn't already obvious in her choice of friend :)

In My Kitchen...
also from Pony, so cute little Mason Jar Mugs. Won't these be nice full of maple syrup alongside some pancakes!

In My Kitchen...
a great cookbook from a chef I really admire. Full of interesting and inventive dishes that I just can't wait to get my teeth into

In My Kitchen...
a fun and fantastic Paella Set from MiddleC. I've been wanting a paella pan for ages, but couldn't justify it- isn't it nice when someone takes that decision out of your hands :)

In My Kitchen...
are some Korean Ingredients that BigJ fell in love with on a recent trip there for business. He absolutely adores the Ssamjang paste and we've been having lettuce wraps filled with grilled steak,rice and veggies smeared with this lovely, pungent, spicy sauce

In My Kitchen...
are some elegant Korean Table Utensils that BigJ bought back for me. The poor guy didn't have much time at all for sightseeing or shopping, but he still managed to get his priorities right and bring home presents for us all :)

In My Kitchen...
is some Earl Grey infused chocolate from T2. The bergamont flavours of Earl Grey match beautifully with the smooth chocolate- yummo

In my Kitchen...
is a Heat Proof Glove. With all the bottling/preserving/jamming I've been doing lately it's come in really handy for grabbing hot jars without scalding my hands as I would usually do

In My Kitchen...
speaking of preserving, here is my new Bottling Funnel. So much easier for filling jars with volcanically hot jam than just tipping it in and hoping it doesn't splash, or ladling it in tentatively in terror

In My Kitchen...
is a very small selection of my Summer Preserves. Plum Jam, Plum Sauce, Tomato Jam and Pickles are just the start of my collection- chutneys and passata are still to come

In My Kitchen...
are some plumdiddlyumptious fresh Figs just bursting with sweetness! Such a wonderful fruit indeed and wonderful sweet or savoury or just straight off the tree

In My Kitchen...
alien looking but also delicious, Rambutans. Similar to lychees they are going into a big bowl of fruit salad to have with my lactose free yoghurt in the morning

In My Kitchen...
another alien looking fruit, Prickly Pears. Who knew that a cactus could taste good?

In My Kitchen...
Carob Pods found at the local markets. I grew up with carob instead of chocolate for treats and just love its earthy sweetness. My family might shudder when I have a steaming cup of hot carob instead of cocoa, but it's all joy to me

So Dear Readers, do you have any weird and wonderful goodies in your kitchen this month, and have you ever eaten Prickly Pear before?

In My Kitchen- January 2015

Happy New Year Dear Readers!


I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that the New Year brings you lots of fabulous Fun, Family and Foodie Adventures!

With the start of a new year and the start of a new month, it's time for another In My Kitchen post. January is an extra fun post as I get to show many of the lovely Christmas pressies my wonderful family and friends gave me over the Festive Season- I'm a very blessed little Chef indeed :)

If you'd like to join in the foodie fun, check out Here for  the delightful Celia's monthly roundup of In My Kitchen Posts



In My Kitchen...
is this GINORMOUS Monster Crab Claw! My present to me this Christmas. Yes, that is a full sized dinner plate that it's sitting on :) BigJ had to crack it for me as it was just waaay too hard to get into. The  lovely, warm, garlic-buttery goodness was well worth waiting for though. Delicious!

In My Kitchen...
this absolutely delicious Curry Paste from Celia She made me promise not to mess with it AT ALL and follow the directions absolutely. Just for the record, I did...nearly :) The recipe wanted the chicken boiled in the sauce until cooked, the only thing I changed was that I browned off my chicken cutlets first. Flabby, pale chicken skin is not appealing at all, but crispy, tasty, browned skin is much nicer. My family LOVED it! I definitely need to find this sauce here in Canberra, I can see it becoming a firm favourite indeed

In My Kitchen...
a present from Ali , some Barberries. I've not used these before, so look forward to trying them very soon

In My Kitchen...
from Liz, is this beautiful local honey. So sweet and pure, Honey Delight for sure :)

In My Kitchen...
is a very amazing, very addictive Pedro Ximenez Caramelized Balsamic Sauce. Sooooo gooood! Gorgeous with cheese, strawberries or figs, even on ice cream

In My Kitchen...
is yummy Saffron White Balsamic. It made an appearance on our Christmas greens, adding a lovely tangy sweetness that really made them special

In My Kitchen...
for a touch of sleek sophistication on the table, is this very pretty Black Sea Salt. BigJ bought me so many gourmet treats for my Christmas Stocking didn't he :)

In My Kitchen...
because you can't have salt without pepper, is this cove/cinnamon/nutmeg tasting hot pepper. Very nice for a change from the usual

In My Kitchen...
some beautiful bottles from BigJ and littlej. Perfect for the hot weather and helping to make sure I drink my 2 litres of liquid a day

In My Kitchen...
would have been a fantastic gift from BigJ- if it was the right one for my machine! Sadly it doesn't fit my large Kenwood, and being a sale item we can't get a refund from the store :(  Not to worry though, this mincer will soon be making an appearance on ebay with all profit gong towards the right model for my machine instead

In My Kitchen...
are kilos and kilos of plums from my friend Pony's tree. Supposedly an ornamental variety, it fruits prolifically each year with small, sweet, little morsels that shall be transformed into sauce and jam by littlej and I

In My Kitchen...
are the first of my tomato harvest. These particular ones start off dark purple and turn red as they ripen. Nothing beats the taste and sweetness of homegrown tomatoes

In My Kitchen...
a present from MiddleC, is the cookbook from my favourite TV show, Duck Dynasty! I may not have access to all the ingredients like bullfrogs, but there are enough down-home favourites to keep me busy indeed

So my Dear Readers, have you made any New Year Resolutions, and have you broken them yet? :)

 

In My Kitchen- December 2014

Happy Summer and  Merry Christmas Dear Readers!


First of December already and the first day of Summer.....wow, where did the year go?
While some minds might be turning to Sugar Plums and Turkeys, mine is turning to darling Celia's monthly In My Kitchen series where we can explore the globe one kitchen at a time and see who's being naughty or nice this time of year. Check out the list of posts here and join in the fun



In My Kitchen...
is just a tiny bit of the produce I'm picking every day. So many berries that I'm freezing them, green beans just coming in and a mix of pretty purple and green snowpeas- yummo!

In My Kitchen...
is a Beautiful Bowl of Berries from my garden. A gorgeous mix of raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, youngberries and logan berries. They are a glorious tangle of plants in the backyard, so it's hard to tell most of them apart- but that's what I planted and they all sure taste good

In My Kitchen...
is my Christmas Lunch Master List. I've been buying things bit by bit lately or as they come on sale, then stashing them in the freezer or pantry in readiness for the Big Day. We like the full roast dinner which happens to leave mountains of left-overs for the next week or so- very handy in the hot weather when you don't want to cook too much

In My Kitchen...
just happens to be a Turducken. This strange chimera-style creature is quite rare, seemingly only in season for a very few weeks over late November to December. To be honest, I wouldn't have bothered with it but for the fact that it was 60% off and only cost me $23 for this 2.5kg beast. I sure do love a bargain! :)

In My Kitchen...
is a picnic lunch I packed lately for a meetup with some fellow Canberra Bloggers. Stuffed into my favourite little Tiffin Box was a mix of dolmades, truffle salami, baba ganoush, cherry toms and cucumber, goat cheese, pinot paste, gerkhins and cherries. What a wonderful feast indeed!

In My Kitchen...
is a cute little tin box I just had to buy myself. It will be used for something very important....but of course I can't tell you what it will be...shhhh.....

In My Kitchen...
just a few more Cookie Cutters for my collection. I have looking for cutlery ones for ages, and these are juuust right

In My Kitchen...
are some yummy sliced pickles just waiting for all the ham sandwiches after Christmas. I always buy a really big ham just so we can live off it for a couple of weeks over the hot weather. We like it brushed with glaze and baked; sliced and fried for breakfast; chopped into omelettes or scrambled eggs; cold with  salad; and of course on sandwiches with all the fixin's

In My Kitchen...
is something I just might be a bit inordinately proud of- my very first homegrown Garlic Braid! I know it's not the biggest or bestest you may have seen, but it's all MINE. I grew the purple Australian garlic from scratch, dug them, dried them, and plaited them all by myself. I just don't know if I can bear to eat them! Luckily I have another variety of garlic still growing, so I might be able to at least start on this one with the promise of more to come to comfort me

In My Kitchen...
sitting on the extreme end of the bench (because she knows she shouldn't be up there at all) is my little friend watching over me. She is such good company during the day, following me around for companionship and racing around like a mad thing for no apparent reason at times too. My little friend knows that she won't get any attention in the morning until I have visited my personal litter-box, and as she knows this is straight after I wake up (sorry if TMI) she solves the problem by nipping sharply at my heel or toes as a gentle reminder to GET UP! Who needs an alarm clock?

From My Kitchen...
I can see our Dining Room. Decked out already in Christmas Cheer

I love the golds with the wood and browns
 

In My Powder Room...
is my take on a Partridge In a Pear Tree. Yes it might be a quail, and there might not be a tree, but the pears are there and you can sort of get the right idea.. can't you?

Also From My Kitchen...
I have an uninterrupted view of my Upside Down Christmas Tree. I wished it looked as good in photos as it does in real life. I just love how everything hangs so beautifully without bumping or banging into each other. It's all botanical, and you might catch a glimpse of grapes, pomegranates, acorns, pine cones, flowers, pea pods and vines, leaves, ferns, berries, birds, butterflies, dragonflies, and various woodland creatures

In My Lounge Room...
is our other Big Tree, this one all in reds and golds. It's also botanical with rosehips, apples, pears, berries, grapes, pomegranates, acorns, ladybugs, butterflies, birds, chilli's and so much more as well

In My Library...
is littlej's tree. She has just started collecting her own decorations in blues, teal and mint green with the usual touches of gold and silver. It has acorns, leaves, ferns, olives, birds and peacock feathers all through it. It might not look like much now, but with another trip to our favourite Christmas shop this week, it will soon fill up and each year will see it getting bigger and better indeed

Finally, In My Hallway...
is a reminder of the True Meaning of Christmas. Trees and Santa can so easily take precedence over this miracle that sometimes we need to stop and recall the Reason for the Season

So Dear Readers, are you organised for Christmas, and what plans do you have for the Festive Season?






 

In My Kitchen- November 2014

Hasn't this year just flown by!

I always feel that way this time of year,  the trouble is, there's still so much left to do!

littlej has exam week coming up, then her Formal and Graduation Ceremonies, throw in a quick trip interstate, a birthday or 4, plus just the usual, and I bet the next couple of months will feel like they're not just flying by but breaking the sound barrier as well :)

Anyway, the start of each month is also time to grab a cuppa and catch up with some Bloggy Buddies with Celia's In My Kitchen Roundup. Check out what everyone else is up to here and maybe make a friend or two along the way...




In My Kitchen...
is a huge bowl of fresh Australian Peaches. The price was completely ridiculous at $3.40 a kilo- what a steal this early in the season!

In My Kitchen...
are some fun Mugs I picked up at Victoria's Basement as we never seem to have enough. Maybe if people could just rinse and re-use the same mug a couple of times...but that's way too hard apparently :)

In My Kitchen...
is a present for me from littlej, she's a very thoughtful girl indeed

In My Kitchen...
is some Wasabi flavoured Kewpie Mayonnaise. Very nice with just a touch of the wasabi burn that I adore. Great for the sinuses!

In My Kitchen...
another toy to play with, some Decoration Spoons. I thought I'd give them a go to see if they can help my plating skills look a bit prettier. The little spout at the end is supposed to help give you more control so you have nice lines and squiggles and don't just end up with blobs of goo on the plate

In My Kitchen...
are some cute little tins of Flower Flavoured Drops. Violet and rose- you know I just can't resist them

Not for the Kitchen...
but worth mentioning even though it's not Food, it's a Flavour... is some Jasmine flavoured Toothpaste! It's actually so lovely and such a nice change from the usual mint, mint or mint :)

In My Kitchen...
are some Dates bought back by a friend who's been travelling in the Middle East lately. The packet states that 'Whoever has seven Ajwa dates every morning, he will not be harmed that day by poison or magic'.

In My Kitchen...
are some absolutely humongous Tomahawk Steaks that I bought for BigJ. At more than 1.5kg each though, he may need some help getting through them. I plan on doing them with the sous vide method so they cook through slowly and gently to the perfect medium rare, then sealing them off on high heat to get a nice crust- yummo!

In My Kitchen...
are some Riedel Crystal Wine Tumblers from MiddleC. She occasionally gets some fantastic promotional freebies from work and these were one of those windfalls. I'm sure I'll be able to put them to very good use indeed

Next to My Kitchen...
is Christmas! Well, the beginnings of it anyway :) I can hardly wait to put the trees up each year, so I always start early. We were up at 12.01am on the first of November and started playing Christmas Carols- don't judge me- and I just love filling the house with beautiful reminders of the Holiday Season

So Dear Readers, what's going on in your Kitchen this month, and when do you put up your Christmas Tree?