tag:blogs.cuisine.com.au,2009:/cuisine/1 2009-05-04T02:03:26Z Movable Type 3.36 tag:blogs.cuisine.com.au,2009:/cuisine//1.33 2009-05-04T02:02:03Z 2009-05-04T02:03:26Z

Monika Jansch Much more than a last-minute dressing for fish or sliced into a gin and tonic, lemons make lip-smacking preserves and pickles. I must have written about my lemon tree before. It has survived several brutal prunings because of leaf gall, it has had several limbs amputated, its trunk has been severely sunburned and now it has had to endure almost total neglect as I can't legally water it as it grows in the middle of the lawn. I fear it might finally have decided it is all too much. Every morning I am picking up 10 to 20 lemons shed onto the lawn. It seems to be saying, "I cannot tolerate the weight of this fruit and I am so tired and thirsty". It does get quite a few buckets of shower water but it seems it is not enough. I have made lots of preserved lemons, I have given away pots and pots of lemon curd and now I'm making big batches of Greg Malouf's fabulous lemon and date chutney, and the recipe below from food writer Tom Jaine. And I am keeping most of my friends in lemons. I have two treasured bergamot oranges. I had six fruit from the larger of the trees and the fragrance from the peel is absolutely lovely. It contributes the scent that makes good Earl Grey tea instantly recognisable. On the other hand, the very expensive espaliered meyer lemon I succumbed to from a fancy nursery has completely disappeared. Aunt Peggy's powder puffs Powder puffs are sometimes known as sponge kisses and should be soft to bite into. I tried one recipe that failed (the cakes were sticky) and then rang a friend who hails from the country who tracked down this, Aunt Peggy's recipe. Leave them for three hours in an airtight tin before filling with cream. From The Cook's Companion. tag:blogs.cuisine.com.au,2009:/cuisine//1.32 2009-05-04T01:46:05Z 2009-05-04T01:56:03Z

Monika Jansch Pot-roasted blue eye and finish with an Apple tarte tatin. For more Mother's day recipe ideas search here.]]> tag:blogs.cuisine.com.au,2008:/cuisine//1.31 2008-09-18T05:58:34Z 2008-09-18T06:00:47Z

Monika Jansch Globe artichoke, sausage and sage salad, Mum's potato salad and Broccoli, almond and oregano salad. What are you favourite salads?]]> tag:blogs.cuisine.com.au,2008:/cuisine//1.30 2008-09-18T05:53:13Z 2008-09-18T05:57:47Z

Monika Jansch Trout with almonds and cherry tomatoes and Salad of trout.]]> tag:blogs.cuisine.com.au,2008:/cuisine//1.29 2008-06-26T00:47:54Z 2008-07-04T05:17:21Z

Risoni is a rice-shaped pasta traditionally used in soups. It is also referred to as orso, which means barley in Italian. Risoni, or orso, is available from supermarkets and food stores along with other dried pastas. I first found it...

Monika Jansch Risoni is a rice-shaped pasta traditionally used in soups. It is also referred to as orso, which means barley in Italian. Risoni, or orso, is available from supermarkets and food stores along with other dried pastas. I first found it when holidaying at the home of my mum's former catering partner in WA. I was cooking field mushroom risotto and she produced it as an alternative to arborio rice. I was about halfway through my chef's apprenticeship, had never come across risoni before and was dubious. However, she assured me she used it all the time and that I should cook it exactly the same way I would cook risotto. The result was excellent and I've never looked back - mushroom risoni has become a Strode family staple. I prefer the mouth feel of risoni to rice and it is much more forgiving than arborio. The following recipes Osso bucco, gremolata and risoni pilaf, Pumpkin, bacon and sage risoni and Vegetable and risoni soup are just a few examples of how to use risoni, although the possibilities are endless. I'm even keen to experiment with a sweet risoni pudding. Jane Strode]]> tag:blogs.cuisine.com.au,2008:/cuisine//1.28 2008-06-11T00:18:02Z 2008-06-11T01:19:03Z

Sharp and tart, rhubarb's lip-smacking qualities perfectly partner a good dose of sugar in these warm desserts....

Monika Jansch Sharp and tart, rhubarb's lip-smacking qualities perfectly partner a good dose of sugar in these warm desserts.]]> Rhubarb yeast cake and Rhubarb gingerbread sponge pudding. See for more Rhubarb recipes.]]> tag:blogs.cuisine.com.au,2008:/cuisine//1.27 2008-05-16T06:54:25Z 2008-05-16T07:06:35Z

Out of all the countries I've visited, Italy is where I have spent most time and it's always close to the top of the holiday home wish-list. When I was four, my parents and I travelled through Europe in a...

Monika Jansch Feed the yeast and you'll eat your dough Bread and pizza dough won't rise effectively unless the yeast is properly activated and all yeast needs is food and moisture plus warmth. To feed yeast, mix it with sugar, then add warm water. Test the water temperature before you add it: blood heat is about right. If the water is too cold or warm this will reduce yeast activity or kill it altogether. Once the yeast, sugar and water are mixed in a bowl, leave it in a warm place for about 10 minutes. Bubbles should form on the surface, indicating the yeast is active and ready to use. What do you think the best toppings are? Are you a purists or willing to push the pizza boundaries? ]]> tag:blogs.cuisine.com.au,2008:/cuisine//1.26 2008-04-10T07:01:00Z 2008-05-28T07:29:41Z

Much more than a last-minute dressing for fish or sliced into a gin and tonic, lemons make lip-smacking preserves and pickles....

Monika Jansch Much more than a last-minute dressing for fish or sliced into a gin and tonic, lemons make lip-smacking preserves and pickles.]]> lemon curd and now I'm making big batches of Greg Malouf's fabulous lemon and date chutney in his book Arabesque , and the recipe below from food writer Tom Jaine, Spiced lemon pickle. And I am keeping most of my friends in lemons. I have two treasured bergamot oranges. I had six fruit from the larger of the trees and the fragrance from the peel is absolutely lovely. It contributes the scent that makes good Earl Grey tea instantly recognisable. On the other hand, the very expensive espaliered meyer lemon I succumbed to from a fancy nursery has completely disappeared.]]> tag:blogs.cuisine.com.au,2008:/cuisine//1.25 2008-04-10T05:12:48Z 2008-04-10T05:30:59Z

Coffee is a subject close to my heart. My appreciation for it coincided with beginning my chef's training. When every aspect of the dining experience is taken seriously, a high standard for coffee is of great importance....

Monika Jansch Coffee is a subject close to my heart. My appreciation for it coincided with beginning my chef's training. When every aspect of the dining experience is taken seriously, a high standard for coffee is of great importance.]]> With the long hours everyone works, it is craved and revered. I was fortunate to receive guidance in the art of making a good coffee by several obsessive waiters. My favourite way to start a late shift at Rockpool was with a short black and a fresh date. During my time at Langton's restaurant in Melbourne it was hard to resist the offer of a fifth or sixth flat white when staring down the barrel of an 80-hour week but I don't recommend this habit. There's a theory that if coffee was discovered today it would be deemed an illegal substance due to its stimulating properties. True or not, I am thankful coffee has been consumed since about the 10th century and there seems little threat of it being outlawed. Jane Strode tag:blogs.cuisine.com.au,2008:/cuisine//1.20 2008-02-24T23:34:38Z 2008-02-26T04:28:11Z

What wonders one pot can hold; a whole, nutritious meal cooked and sometimes served in one pot, perfect for the busy lives many of us lead. Then there's the bonus of less washing up to do at the end. Of...

Monika Jansch Paella, Lamb and pea hotpot, and for the vegetarians a Lentil and sweet potato curry. What are your one-pot favourites?]]> tag:blogs.cuisine.com.au,2008:/cuisine//1.19 2008-02-07T06:09:01Z 2008-02-07T06:16:11Z

Taste good, smell good, look good - figs add style and flavour to sweet and savoury dishes. There were fat purple figs in the markets before Christmas at a special-occasion price. Is the season very early, I wondered, because of...

Monika Jansch Taste good, smell good, look good - figs add style and flavour to sweet and savoury dishes. There were fat purple figs in the markets before Christmas at a special-occasion price. Is the season very early, I wondered, because of the drought? Some fig trees crop twice, a smaller one early in the summer and the main one several weeks later. I hope this means the season will extend for many more weeks. Fig trees are hardy and notoriously difficult to eradicate. They can reappear from basal suckers after severe frost or fire or even poison. Fig-tree owners will probably have to share their luscious crop with the birds unless they want to net the tree or bag the fruit. Owners of large trees often have fruit to share and this is the time to make fig jam. I have written more about the varieties of fig available in Australia in The Cook's Companion. My favourite is the White Adriatic, a smaller fig with a green to amber skin and strawberry-red flesh. This fig is usually available until the end of February. Fig-loving friends prefer the Black Genoa, with deep-purple skin and dark-red pulp. Because the fruit is so delicate, it should be picked or bought and eaten as soon as possible. If it is slightly underripe, the stem end will ooze a sticky latex sap that can irritate the skin. Figs can be cooked at this stage. If they are to be eaten fresh, store them in a cool spot (not the refrigerator) on a wide paper-lined plate with stems facing up for a day to fully soften. Figs are marvellously versatile in sweet and savoury dishes. There is the classic combination of thin slices of prosciutto with sliced fig. They are also excellent with triple cream or full-fat cheeses such as gorgonzola. Figs eaten fresh can be peeled or not, as you prefer. Arrange peeled, quartered, ripe figs in a shallow dish, sprinkle with sugar and a little brandy (or green Chartreuse) and leave for two hours. To serve, spoon over some softly whipped cream and shavings of the very best dark chocolate. Many varieties have thin skins. To cook these figs, leave the skins on so they don't collapse. Whole small figs can be dipped in a yeast batter and deep-fried. Drain very well and sprinkle the fritters with cinnamon mixed with castor sugar. Or arrange them in a buttered dish with a little wine and bake to accompany grilled duck, as in the recipe below. And don't ignore the leaves. Apart from looking beautiful on a cheese platter, fig leaves can be oiled and used to wrap a chunk of fish for the oven or barbecue. The leaves will char and smoulder and give off an aromatic, coconut scent and the fish within will be super-moist. But don't eat the leaves - they don't taste great. Vino cotto, or vincotto, used in the following recipe, means "cooked wine" and is made by concentrating grape juice and sharpening it with wine vinegar. tag:blogs.cuisine.com.au,2008:/cuisine//1.18 2008-01-16T00:13:28Z 2008-01-16T00:18:30Z

Everyone loves a boiled corn cob smothered in butter, but grating the kernels produces some surprisingly 'sweet' savoury dishes too. Share your favourite corn recipes with us...

Monika Jansch Everyone loves a boiled corn cob smothered in butter, but grating the kernels produces some surprisingly 'sweet' savoury dishes too. Share your favourite corn recipes with us Everyone loves a boiled corn cob smothered in butter, but grating the kernels produces some surprisingly 'sweet' savoury dishes too. I emphasis in The Cook's Companion the need to rush sweetcorn from the garden to the pot so it stays sweet. This is certainly true if you are growing a non-hybrid variety such as golden bantam (an heirloom variety available from Diggers Seeds). However, most of the sweetcorn grown commercially and available for home gardeners is a hybrid, bred to have higher sugar levels and to delay the conversion of sugar to starch for days so the need for speed is not as urgent. These sugar-enhanced or super-sweet hybrids have names such as "breakthrough", and "honey and cream breakthrough". I have never seen corn sold by name, so this information is useful only if you are a home gardener deciding what to grow. Nonetheless, freshness is always preferable. Buy sweetcorn at a farmers' market or somewhere where it is sold with the silk and husk intact so you can check that the husk feels soft rather than tough. The wisps of silk should feel a little damp and the stem should look fresh and pale green, with no suspicion of brown. If you must store the cobs, wrap them in a slightly damp tea towel and keep in the crisper for two days maximum. Boiled sweetcorn rolled in butter is delicious. For an offbeat variation, try sprinkling it with a mix of sea salt and cayenne pepper, and squeeze over a lime wedge. At Asian markets you will see stalls where the pomelos and peaches are displayed alongside a saucer of mixed salt and cayenne, and there is always a lime nearby. The same combination of lime and cayenne would add a little zing to a plate of warm sweetcorn fritters topped with fresh crab, or try working lime juice and cayenne into butter and adding a slice of this to a sweetcorn soup. Share your favourite corn recipes with us. tag:blogs.cuisine.com.au,2008:/cuisine//1.17 2008-01-15T23:43:20Z 2008-01-16T00:36:02Z

Share your favourite Summer salad recipes...

Monika Jansch Share your favourite Summer salad recipes During summer I would happily eat salad all day. For breakfast it's a tropical or stone-fruit salad with muesli. Avocado, rocket and ripe red tomato make a wonderful salad for lunch and one of the salads featured today is perfect for dinner with some barbecued meat or fish. We are blessed to have excellent produce and the long evenings to enjoy them over dinner. I like to use herbs as often as possible and in abundance as they bring our taste buds to life. The addition of fruit in salads is refreshing, especially after a hot day at the beach. tag:blogs.cuisine.com.au,2007:/cuisine//1.16 2007-12-17T00:00:23Z 2007-12-17T00:23:37Z

For Jeremy and me, enjoying a meal is intrinsically linked to time spent with friends and family....

Monika Jansch For Jeremy and me, enjoying a meal is intrinsically linked to time spent with friends and family.]]> At Christmas, it all comes together in abundance. With the restaurant closed for the public holidays and a short break on the horizon, we can relax and catch up with the people we love. My family always hosts Christmas Eve dinner and the numbers vary over the years, sometimes swelling to more than 30 people, when chairs, plates and cutlery are BYO. It seems the whole house is rearranged to accommodate the six-metre dining table but we all thrive on the activity and anticipation of one of the year's most special nights. The kitchen is a hub of activity, perfectly orchestrated by mum, with jobs divvied out to anyone in a 10-metre radius. More than once I've rushed home from work to find a few mud crabs sitting nervously in the laundry sink waiting for me to prepare them as an entree or there's a turkey, duck and two chickens to be boned and stuffed. Our table was always filled with a mixture of family, friends and neighbours. The numbers may have shrunk a little these days and I'm not expecting any mud crabs in the sink this year but each dinner is as memorable as the last and this year, our son Hunter is just old enough to know Santa is coming. See all Cuisine's Christmas recipes here tag:blogs.cuisine.com.au,2007:/cuisine//1.15 2007-12-16T23:55:29Z 2007-12-16T23:59:50Z

Every family seems to have its own idea of the perfect trifle, and there is much to consider....

Monika Jansch Every family seems to have its own idea of the perfect trifle, and there is much to consider. ]]> trifle recipes on cuisine.com.au ]]>