tapenade

Ancient Rome had similar dishes using olives and anchovies but the Provençal tapenade is named for its ubiquitous ingredient of “tapenas” or capers. Traditional tapenade always includes black olives and capers but additional ingredients may vary. This well-researched recipe is by Felicity Cloake for The Guardian. Spread it on bread or crackers as an hors…… Continue reading tapenade

stewed chicken with shimeji mushrooms + carrot kinpara

This sweet and sour Japanese style stew is easy to make and just delicious. And carrot kinpira, a Japanese way of cooking root vegetables, is an excellent accompaniment. Serve them with rice. Bring some salted water to boil in a small saucepan. Trim the green beans, cut them into shorter lengths and cook them in…… Continue reading stewed chicken with shimeji mushrooms + carrot kinpara

vanilla custard with roasted rhubarb and strawberries

For a recent celebration, Mary made this dessert. It’s another fabulous recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi, this time from SIMPLE. The custard is made with double cream and is reminiscent of a crème brûlée without the crunchy layer. And the wonderfully red and tart fruit is a perfect foil. Preheat your oven to 200ºC (390ºF). Cut 200g…… Continue reading vanilla custard with roasted rhubarb and strawberries

marinated mushrooms with tahini yoghurt

If you love mushrooms, this is for you. The recipe is from PLENTY by Yotam Ottolenghi.  The original recipe uses shimeji and chestnut mushrooms but since I didn’t plan ahead, I used button mushrooms. Slice 450g (1 lb) of mushrooms and put them in a large bowl. For the marinade whisk together 75ml (2½ fl…… Continue reading marinated mushrooms with tahini yoghurt

rabbit in a chocolate sauce

Dishes with chocolate are found in many South American countries and were no doubt influenced by traditional Mexican mole negro. The chocolate, which is entirely sugar free, lends a depth of flavour to the sauce. This recipe from The South American Table by Maria Baez Kijac was adapted by David to suit our rather small…… Continue reading rabbit in a chocolate sauce

maple ice cream with salted buttered walnuts

In Australia, most maple syrup is A grade. B grade is produced later in the season and is darker, with more minerals, a higher viscosity and a stronger maple flavour. Luc, our local Canadian importer and ambassador of maple syrup, assures me that the closest here is Coles Brand. My can of B grade, however,…… Continue reading maple ice cream with salted buttered walnuts

seafood japchae

Japchae is amongst the most popular dishes in Korea. It’s a stir-fry of noodles, vegetables and, in my case prawns and squid. The transparent noodles are made of sweet potato starch and have a lovely chewy texture. Soak 6 – 8 whole dried shiitake mushrooms in boiling water for a few hours before you start…… Continue reading seafood japchae