In Sichuan (Szechuan) dan dan noodles or dandanmian is any dish served with a spicy sauce containing preserved vegetables, mustard stems, chilli oil, Sichuan pepper and spring onions (scallions). This version, from Everything You Want To Know About Chinese Cooking by Pearl Kong, Tien Chi Chen & Rose Tseng, includes sesame paste, peanuts and dried shrimp and is served with a bowl of chicken…… Continue reading dan dan noodles + cold dressed eggplant
lemon syrup cake
A tree full of lemons and some leftover whey (from cheese-making) inspired this cake. Grease and lightly flour a 20cm (8″) ring tin. Cream 240g (8½ oz) of butter, 1 tablespoon of grated lemon rind and 1 cup of caster sugar. Separate 3 eggs and beat in the egg yolks one at a time until combined. Sift 2 cups…… Continue reading lemon syrup cake
prawns in almond sauce + mexican rice
Nuts have been used to enrich sauces in Mexican cooking since Pre-Columbian times. Peanuts, or cacahuate, are thought to be indigenous to South America and were widely cultivated in Mexico. Almonds were introduced into the cuisine later, after the Spanish conquest in the 16th Century. This way of cooking prawns (shrimp) is quite simple and absolutely delicious. Soak 1 dried…… Continue reading prawns in almond sauce + mexican rice
home-made prosciutto
Having learned how to make salami recently we were inspired to try a whole prosciutto. The first stage was salting. We’re not experts so we allowed our butcher to give us the correct amount of salt for the 9.5kg (21 lb) leg. We surrounded the leg in the salt for 9 days (with a few spices added for good measure).…… Continue reading home-made prosciutto
panforte
Panforte translated means ‘strong bread’ and comes from the region of Siena in Tuscany, Italy. It was originally known as Panpepato or ‘peppered bread’ due to it’s spicy flavour. It dates back to the 13th century when it was used to pay taxes and is believed to have been carried on quests by Crusaders. My friends Mary, Caroline and I made 2…… Continue reading panforte
cheeseburger
A truly delicious cheeseburger made by Thomas. Thomas made the sweet potato burger buns following this recipe by Chef John of Food Wishes. For the burger itself he coarsely ground his own beef and simply seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Each burger was served with 2 thin patties which were cooked on a hotplate using this smashed burger technique…… Continue reading cheeseburger
christmas feast 2015
Our festive celebrations this year began with a wonderfully smooth French style chicken liver pâté thanks to this Jaques Pepin recipe with some homemade sourdough baguettes. For the main course Thomas cooked a ham, brined for 5 days and slow cooked with a little smoke and a brown sugar and mustard glaze. To accompany the ham we had a European style potato salad, a…… Continue reading christmas feast 2015
duck salad
A perfect summer meal or even a Christmas Day appetiser, this dish of crispy duck breast over a salad of buckwheat noodles and fresh vegetables has a variety of Asian influences. Rub some Hoisin (Chinese bbq) sauce onto the flesh of the duck breasts. Lay them on a plate flesh side down and score the…… Continue reading duck salad
chocolate cinnamon cake
Inspired by Mexican chocolate which is made with cinnamon, this cake is better after 2 days if you can wait. In a small saucepan combine 6 tablespoons of good cocoa powder, 1 cup of boiling water and 150g (5¼ oz) of butter and heat until the mixture is melted and glossy. Remove from the heat and place in a mixing…… Continue reading chocolate cinnamon cake
shakshouka
Shakshouka (or shakshuka), a baked egg dish which has gained popularity in many breakfast cafés here in Australia, is thought to have originated in Tunisia. According to Claudia Roden artichoke hearts, potatoes and broad beans were added to the original dish. It can be found in the cuisines of Libya, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt. In Israel, where it was introduced by…… Continue reading shakshouka
michelle picker cooks 