The province of Sichuan (Szechuan) in southwestern China has a bold, pungent and spicy cuisine. It’s known for it’s liberal use of garlic, chillies, vinegar and sichuan pepper. Here’s a great example of Sichuan braised eggplant from Serious Eats. Trim ¾ kg (1½ lbs) of small Asian eggplants and cut them into quarters lengthwise then into 10cm (4″) lengths. Pour…… Continue reading sichuan braised eggplant
slow-roasted lamb shoulder
Iranian in style, this fragrant slow-roasted lamb shoulder is easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. Serve it with rice and a fresh salad. Preheat your oven to 160ºC (320ºF). Cut 3 onions into wedges and scatter them into a large roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season to taste. Place the lamb shoulder on…… Continue reading slow-roasted lamb shoulder
sour cream panna cotta with berries
Cindy made this panna cotta (Italian for ‘cooked’cream’), the perfect dessert to follow our home-made pizzas. It’s a great make-ahead recipe that’s always elegant and delicious. She followed this recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen. For the panna cotta pour 1 cup of milk into a saucepan and sprinkle with 2½ teaspoons of unflavoured gelatine powder. Allow the…… Continue reading sour cream panna cotta with berries
zucchini, parmesan and basil soup
Do you keep those rinds from parmesan? Here’s a truly delicious way to use them and to eat your greens. The first step for this soup is to make a stock from the parmesan rinds. A pressure cooker helps to shorten this process. Cut 4 -6 pieces of rind into small pieces and cook them…… Continue reading zucchini, parmesan and basil soup
greek lemon chicken and potatoes
Looking for a simple meal that’s enticing and delicious? Here is a wonderful version of this Greek classic from Chef John at Food Wishes. Preheat your oven to 220ºC (425ºF). Cut a chicken into 6-8 pieces (I left the breasts whole as they cook more quickly) and place them in a large bowl. Season well…… Continue reading greek lemon chicken and potatoes
torta di cioccolata
This Italian-style flourless chocolate cake has a crisp crust, a wonderful rich dark chocolate flavour and a light, moist, melt-in-the mouth centre. I prefer my cakes not too sweet so I reduced the sugar in this recipe which comes from one of my favourite cake books, Bake your cake & eat it too! by Tamara Millstein. Preheat…… Continue reading torta di cioccolata
black truffle
When in France I spent some time in the Dordogne, the home of the Périgord Black Truffle. I felt compelled to bring one home and here’s what I did with it. 60º eggs on potatoes fried in duck fat with shavings of black truffle. Actually, these were really 62.8ºC (145ºF) eggs as I prefer my…… Continue reading black truffle
snapper with beetroot and olives
David has a way with fish. This amazingly colourful dish was not only stunning to look at but absolutely delicious too. In a medium bowl combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 crushed cloves of garlic, a 5cm (2″) piece of finely grated fresh ginger, the finely grated zest of 1 lemon and the crushed…… Continue reading snapper with beetroot and olives
baclava cheesecake
My friend Deborah made this for a recent celebration. What a brilliant combination of two delicious cakes! Preheat your oven to 180°C (350ºF). Place ⅓ of a cup each of blanched almonds and hazelnuts on a baking tray and bake for 5-8 minutes until toasted. Meanwhile, make the honey syrup by combining ½ a cup…… Continue reading baclava cheesecake
home-made pastrami
As a gift I was given CHARCUTERIE The Craft of Salting Smoking and Curing by Michael Ruhlman and Bryan Polcyn. It’s packed full of excellent recipes. This is how our home-made pastrami turned out. To make this you will need some beef brisket with most of the fat removed. For a 2¼kg (5 lb) brisket make a…… Continue reading home-made pastrami
michelle picker cooks 