Doing these “In My Kitchen” posts has made me realise how quickly time is passing – it honestly felt like just last week that I did January’s edition.

Straight into it then…

In my kitchen…

Is the most delightful and fun tea mug with strainer and lid which I received from (to be technically correct) our nephew and his lovely wife.  I brewed a cup of vanilla tea from Seychelles that I received from my brother a thousand years ago but couldn’t pick up the vanilla – guess it has been standing too long.  No matter, my mug drinks beautifully and it will be super awesome to use the lid during the winter months to keep my tea warm.  Thanks again Simon and Elaine, I will treasure my lovely mug, always.

In my kitchen…

Is a new milk jug that has been added to my ever growing collection of little jugs.  A girl can never have too many little jugs.  How could I possibly resist buying this adorable very useful flagon when it only cost R19.99!  It has a matching sugar bowl which for some unexplainable reason I did not purchase – now worries as my aunt was kind enough to buy the last one on the shelf for me a couple of days ago- it too only cost R19.99.  It is probably just as well that I live out of town or I may need to join a support group for people who can’t resist and own large quantities of little jug and bowls.

In my kitchen…

Is the coolest cupcake / muffin carrier.  I have been wanting one for the longest time but have been unimpressed with the cost and look of the ones available BUT then my aunt (yip, the same one who kindly got me the sugar bowl) found this little fellow sitting on a shelf just waiting to be bought.  How could I resist – it was very reasonably priced and the tray inside inverts to form a shelf so you can store 24 cupcakes, 12 per level.

In my kitchen…

Are the first figs of the season which were rescued by our handyman / gardener who had put “scarecrow” cd’s in the tree to keep the indian miners from pecking away at our fruit but alas it did not work as they feel feathers for the cd’s blowing about in the wind and munch away at the fruit regardless, so Lando decided it best to rescue what he could for me.  I have not as yet made anything with them but have got as far as selfishly sitting crossed legged on the couch munching one after the other – delightfully delicious!  I have a couple of recipe ideas so hopefully I will be bringing you some delicious recipes soon.

In my kitchen…

Is a vase full of green (unripe) lemons.  Sadly a branch of our tree cracked and fell to the ground – might have been the heavy winds or the weight of the fruit – not sure.  Unfortunately they are bone dry inside so until I can figure out what to use them for other than their zest (possibly preserved lemons), they will remain a feature of the house.  Do you have any ideas?

In my kitchen…

Is a sachet of fresh mini broccoli that Pete received from his sister for his birthday.  I am very intrigued by this idea of growing veggies on your kitchen windowsill.  All that’s required is to cut off the top third of the sachet, open the seed packet inside, pour said seeds over organic soil and keep moist – and within 10 to 20 days you will have mini broccoli ready to be eaten.  I will keep you posted on the progress.

In my kitchen…

Is a set of flexible pairing knives for intricate cuts and inspired garnishing, another gift for Pete from his sister.  They have lovely short blades which look super sharp.  Will let you know when we have mastered turning tomatoes and the like into pretty flowers.

What’s in your kitchen this month?  Please remember to link back to Celia’s blog Fig Jam and Lime Cordial if you partake in the fun.

The Preface reads as follows…

“Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826) was a French lawyer and politician, whose book The Physiology of Taste, published in 1825, is still inspiring chefs and food enthusiasts alike, particularly through his essay ‘On Gourmandism’.  It contains some of the most famous dinner-table witticisms and aphorisms in history, including ‘Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.’

The first chapter covers “The Foundations of Pleasure”:-

1. “The world is nothing without life, and all that lives takes nourishment.
2. Animals feed: man eats: only the man of intellect knows how to eat.
3. The fate of nations depends on the way they eat.
4. Tell me what you eat: I will tell you what you are.
5. The Creator, who made man such that he must eat to live, incites him to eat by mean s of appetite, and rewards him with pleasure.
6. Gourmandism is an act of judgement, by which we give preference to things which are agreeable to our taste over those which are not.
7. The pleasures of the table belong to all times and all ages, to every country and every day; they go hand in hand with all our other pleasures, outlast them, and remain to sonsole us for their loss.
8. The rable is the only place where the first hour is never dull.
9. The discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of mankind than the discovery of a star.
10. Drunkards and victims of indigestion do not know how to eat or drink.
11. The right order of eating is from the most substantial dishes to the lightest.
12. The right order of drinking is from the mildest wines to the headiest and most perfumed.
13. To maintain that one wine may not be drunk after another is heresy; a man’s palate can be saturated, and after the third glass the best of wines produces only a dull impression.
14. Dessert without cheese is like a pretty woman with only one eye.
15. A man can become a cook, but he has to be born a rôtisseur.
16. The most indispensable quality in a cook is punctuality; it is also that of a guest.
17. To wait too long for an unpunctual guest is an act of discourtesy towards those who have arrived in time.
18. The man who invites his friends to his table, and fails to give his personal attention to the meal they are going to eat, is unworthy to have any friends.
19. The mistress of the house must always see to it that the coffee is excellent, and the master that the liqueurs are of the first quality.
20. To entertain a guest is to make yourself responsible for his happiness so long as he is beneath your roof.”

I will share excerpts from the 8 other chapters soon; On Appetite, Elementary Principles, The Theory of Frying, On Drink, On Gourmandism, On the Pleasures of the Table, On Restaurateurs and on Pheasant.

Filed under: Daily Blog Tagged: Cooking, Food, The Complete Cook Book, The Pleasures of the Table ]]> http://thecompletecookbook.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/the-pleasures-of-the-table-1/feed/ 48 thecompletecookbook The Pleasures of the Table http://thecompletecookbook.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/from-tripe-to-sushi/ http://thecompletecookbook.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/from-tripe-to-sushi/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:57 +0000 thecompletecookbook http://thecompletecookbook.wordpress.com/?p=4582 ]]> I have always said and still maintain that I have quite an adventurous palette when it comes to trying new foods and flavours – I do however have to draw the line at tripe!  This seems to be a common thread in the family except for my dad who has loved tripe and onions and curried tripe since he was a young boy.  A couple of years ago Pete (such a brave husband) said that he would be willing to give it a try if my dad cooked it.  All was going well until dad was banished to cooking his tripe outside (it really does leave your home smelling quite horrible) plus I made the mistake of telling Pete what I thought it smelt like whilst cooking (sorry can’t share that here), which put Pete right off having his first taste of tripe – they talk enough tripe when they are together though to make up for it.

Melody's Tripe and Onions - not sure even my real camera could make this look tasty

Fast forward a couple of years and my cousins MIL said that she would prepare some tripe for my dad as a birthday treat.  Melody was kind enough to prepare enough tripe and onions for a family of 20!  Dad enjoyed 2 healthy portions for his lunch while most of the family just quietly sat and watched.  Pete dished up a morsel onto a side plate and said that he enjoyed the flavour but thought the texture was going to take some getting used to.  My mom was equally as brave and said that she would also have a taste (maybe not the best idea) and said that it was the flavour that was a problem for her and not the texture.  Me, I still remain unchanged on my decision to taste tripe and don’t feel in anyway deprived by my adamant decision.  I just cannot do it!  I sit here with gritted teeth at the mere thought.

Dad is in his element with quite a few frozen tripe portions ready to be reheated whenever he feels like it.

My cousin Renee ended our ordeal (for us not dad) and became a hero to us all, by bringing sushi for birthday dinner starters.  Delicious!

Now this is more like it! No matter the camera, this is scrumptious.

Do you enjoy tripe or do you sit on the same side of the fence as me?  If you are on my dad’s side of the fence, I am sure Melody would be more than willing to share her recipe, let me know and I will get it from her to share with you.

Shame, not sure what happened with this photo - it tasted delicious though.

Brined Roast Chicken

For every one bird make up the following: -

Ingredients

1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1.5 litres of water

Method

1. Soak your bird for 24 hours in the fridge.
2. Remove from the brine, pat dry, season and roast as per normal.

Et voilà, brined and roasted chicken. Delicious.

The result of scheduled posts - this photo is not taken with my "real" camera

Apple Cinnamon Roly Poly

Ingredients

Sauce
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
2tsp butter

Roly Poly
½ cup butter
2 cups flour
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
¾ cup milk
6 apples peeled
5ml cinnamon

Method

1. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Once the sugar has dissolved switch off the heat.  Retain one cup of sauce.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
3. Rub the butter into the flour, salt and sugar.
4. Add the baking powder and milk.
5. Roll out to approximately 30cm x 40cm.
6. Grate the apples over the pastry and sprinkle with the cinnamon.
7. Roll up like you would a swiss roll and slice into 2.5cm thick slices.
8. Place into a prepared oven proof dish and pour over the sauce. Retain one cup of sauce.
9. Sprinkle over a little extra cinnamon before placing in the oven.
10. Bake for 40 minutes or until baked through.
11. Pour over the retained cup of sauce over the hot dish.
12. Serve warm with custard or lightly whipped cream or ice cream.

Sadly the reality of my being able to get lessons from Celia are nowhere near becoming a reality, HOWEVER, it does seem that I am now big because my ever loving husband has spoilt me by giving me a “real “camera – a Canon EOS 1100D no less and to boot with a second 300mm lens!  I have no idea what all of that means but I do know that it is a remarkable camera capable of taking the most incredible photographs and videos in HDMI!  Awesome!

The surprise was so overwhelming that I squealed like a little girl which scared my fur children near out of the fur then burst into tears of absolute joy.  This is a serious gift and quite honestly I was in shock at the enormity of it all.  I have officially calmed down and everything has now returned to normal in our home and I am in the throes of learning how to use this wonderful piece of equipment.

There was a little bonus of a free course but sadly they are only available in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban!  Guess I will be self taught until I can get to Johannesburg to visit family.  Thankfully the course is valid for a year from the date of purchase.  Quick update: The company that offers the course emailed me back and said the course will be available in Port Elizabeth during the course of this year.

I read the manual cover to cover doing exactly as instructed and quickly set to taking a few shots.  To date my models have not been very co-operative but for what they are worth, here are my first few practice shots.

Pity, I cut our old girls ears off - I have a lot to learn about composition

All our boy was interested in was sleeping

Our baby was not at all impressed with having her photo taken

The only way I could get our resident tortoise to stand still was by giving him an apple. Wish I could ask him how he damaged his shell.

Savoury Pancakes

Ingredients – quantities depending on how many you are making

Left over roast chicken broken into pieces or fried chicken breasts cut into thin slices
Button mushrooms sliced
Vegetable spice
1 to 2 garlic cloves crushed
White sauce – recipe to follow soon
Pancakes – recipe to follow soon
Grated cheddar cheese

Method

1. Fry the mushrooms in butter until tender and add the vegetable spice and garlic.
2. Add the chicken and heat through.
3. Place a portion of the chicken onto a pancake and spoon over white sauce.  Roll up and sprinkle with cheese.
4. Place under the grill until the cheese is melted.

It is always such an honour to receive an award and being able to share the appreciation by paying the love forward to other fellow blogging buddies.

The rules of this award are to:

1. Award your top 6 bloggers who have commented the most.
2. Be thankful.
3. You cannot award someone who has already been awarded and you cannot give the award back to me.
4. Don’t forget to tell the bloggers you’ve awarded.
5. If you don’t want to pass on this award, that’s okay to. Just admire it.

Well point number 3 ain’t so easy as my top 6 have already all been nominated so I am nominating the following bloggers:

1. My friend Michael over at Oishii – Michael loves to share great recipes which he discovers from popular restaurants, cookbooks, food magazines (Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, etc.), tv shows, friends, family, and other blogs as well as developing his own.  Michael doesn’t blog that often but when he does, you can guarantee an exceptional recipe every time.  Oh and  just in case you wanted to know, “Oishii” (pronounced “oy she”) is the Japanese word for delicious.
2. Second on the list is Linda over at Fired Up Cooking SA – Linda who also doesn’t blog that frequently, writes a monthly article called ‘Camping Chat’ for the Caravan and Outdoor Life Magazine  as well as their ‘Cook-Out’ articles.  Linda makes the most incredible meals over a camp fire from starters, to mains and even desserts.
3. My Australian chef friend Anna over at The Hospitality Guru has been privileged enough to meet the Queen no less.  Anna’s most recent accolades include having worked with the Prime Minister & Cabinet to create official events at Parliament House, dealt with famous performers and entertainers in preparation for the Australia Day live concert, to Manuka Oval working on the Prime Minister’s XI Cricket match.
4. Next up is Bobbi over at Bam’s Kitchen.  Bobbi currently lives in Asia and Bam’s Kitchen is a place where you can experience some very unique international dishes that even teenagers will enjoy.
5. Angie over at Angie’s Recipes makes the most magnificent meals that she photographs so beautifully!  Angie has taken food photography and turned it into culinary art and it’s easy to see why her recipes are so popular.
6. Last but certainly by no means least is Barbara aka Smidge over at Just a Smidgen.  Barbara is a poet, artist, photographer, aspiring cellist, and bon vivant who has a passion for baking, culinary creations and the wonders of existence of her my hometown,Calgary, Alberta.

The chapter on Salads and Salad Dressings starts:

“Once the phrase “salad days” stood for youth.  Perhaps it still does.  For, in an era when salads are more popular than ever before, people have discovered that they mean slim waistlines, fresh complexions, a youthful zest for living and a youthful point of view.

No longer a mere dietary relief from the roast, salads now often appear as the main course.  They may mark the beginning of the meal or, doubling for dessert, its end.  The main thing is that, to please both dietitians and public taste, the salad bowl with its crisp greens has won a place on the American table at lunch, supper and dinner.

The secret of a successful salad is thorough crisping and chilling of all ingredients.  Salad greens should be thoroughly dried; fruits and vegetables well drained; meat, fish and cheese cut into bite-size pieces of uniform shape.  If you like onion or garlic you will add a touch of it, grated or sliced, to any except fruit salad.

Eye -appeal is important.  A colorless salad can be improved by a garnish of crisp radish roses, celery curls, carrot straws or curls, olives, pickle fans or parsley.  An orderly arrangement of the ingredients also improves the looks of a salad.

The Main-Course Salad: A salad used as the main course of a meal should contain some protein-rich foods such as chicken, meat, fish or cheese, and vegetables either raw or cooked.  for best results marinate meat or vegetables separately in a tart French dressing and combine them just before serving.  Mayonnaise or cooked dressings give added food value and body to salads of this kind.

The Mixed Green Salad:  A green salad served before, after or with a hearty main course should be light and tangy, the servings small, the dressing tart.  many salad greens are available – several kinds of lettuce, chicory, escarole, endive, tender young spinach and dandelion  leaves, water cress, sorrel and Chinese or celery cabbage.  Vary the greens and prepare them any way you wish – shred the leaves, tear them into bite-size pieces or serve them whole.

The green salad is a good place to get in the raw vegetables so strongly recommended by nutritionists.  With the greens mix sliced radishes, onions, cucumbers or tomatoes or shredded carrots or cabbage; and from time to time use something more unusual, such as thinly sliced cauliflower or broccoli flowerets, thinly sliced raw beets or shredded or julienne turnips.

The Salad Bowl:  Many mixtures are adapted to a salad bowl, which may be of wood, glass, pottery or china.  Green salads are especially suitable.  Pile the greens lightly into the bowl and sprinkle them with the dressing.  Toss them several minutes t coat the leaves well – a process which the French call “fatiguing” the salad.  A wooden spoon and fork are better than metal ones for this purpose.

A wooden salad bowl should never be washed.  After each use wipe it out thoroughly with a clean dry cloth, then with a piece of bread to absorb the oil.  Before adding the salad ingredients season the bowl by rubbing well with warm olive or salad oil, then with a cut clove of garlic.

Care of Salad Greens:  Salad greens should receive immediate care after purchase,  Separate the leaves and wash them, then put them immediately in the refrigerator to crisp thoroughly.  If you have a covered refrigerator pan, pile them lightly in it; otherwise wrap them in a clean cloth.  Dry them thoroughly before using them in a salad.

Avocado and Salmon Mould

Ingredients

Avocado

15ml gelatine
60ml hot water
1 avocado mashed
150ml mayonnaise
15ml onion finely chopped
Lemon juice to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
150ml cream lightly whipped

Salmon

15ml gelatine
60ml hot water
1 tin pink salmon
100ml mayonnaise
15ml tomato sauce
Lemon juice to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
100ml cream lightly whipped

Method

Avocado

1. Dissolve the gelatine in the hot water.
2. Place the avocado, mayonnaise, onion and lemon juice in a bowl.
3. Stir the gelatine into the avocado mixture.
4. Fold in the cream.
5. Pour into a ring mould and refrigerate.

 Salmon

1. Dissolve the gelatine in the hot water.
2. Place the tuna, mayonnaise, tomato sauce and lemon juice in a bowl.
3. Stir the gelatine into the tuna mixture.
4. Fold in the cream.
5. Pour over the avocado mixture and refrigerate.

De-mould and serve.