Category Archives: Winter

Winter + oven =

Posted on June 11, 2011 | 4 Comments

It is, in my view, the duty of an apple to be crisp and crunchable, but a pear should have such a texture as leads to silent consumption.
~ Edward Bunyard, The Anatomy of Dessert

I chanced upon this delightful post by Chef Millie and it sounded too delicious not to make.

So last night I made a slightly modified (to suit what I had in my pantry) version of this roasted pear, leek and chicken salad – and… tonight, I made it again (admittedly again modified to suit what I had in my fridge). I don’t think I have ever cooked the same thing twice in a row when cooking for others – but try it and you may just decide to make this for dinner every day for the rest of the week. Or month? ;-)

I actually felt a little guilty when John, Fran and Heather complimented me on this dish because it was really so easy. There is no real need to measure anything, and ingredients can be substituted. Everything goes into a baking tray, which goes into an oven – and you can read a book or take a shower then sit down for dinner and have just one tray to wash afterwards. Magic!

Last night, I roasted leeks, pear wedges and chicken breasts and plated it individually atop a bed of baby cos/romaine lettuce with toasted Turkish bread on the side.

Tonight, I baked yellow capsicum pieces, pear wedges, half a leek and chicken thighs and placed the tray on the table for everyone to help themselves. Along with this I toasted ciabatta with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper on each slice, and served up bowls of Nigel Slater’s pumpkin, tomato and cannellini bean soup for us all. I still had a bottle of sparkling Sauvignon Blanc from Mindfood magazine so that found its way to the table too…

Main modifications with this recipe: I used different parts of the chicken; smeared wholegrain mustard on the chicken and left out mustard seeds; added in rosemary last night, thyme tonight; changed the goats’ cheese to feta; used more garlic. I also left out the step at the end to heat the fat on the stove and deglaze with red wine vinegar, even though it sounded divine – purely to save time, will have to try it next time!

So I already knew that chicken + mustard + herbs + salt + pepper + oven is often bound to please, but baked leeks and pears together? – a revelation for me. The leeks went slightly pink and so sweet and melting; and pears – they are a total pleasure to eat raw, but when cooked – they are like a golden crown, a fancy something. I really like cooked pears – they make a meal special, somehow. Oh, and fennel seeds – I wish I had discovered them sooner. Now I have to actively restrain myself from this wild urge to spray them liberally on everything…

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Posted in All, Chicken, Vegetables & Salads, Winter

Tagged Chicken, leek, pear, winter

Auckland: Winter Day #5

Posted on June 8, 2011 | 1 Comment

Sometimes I forget that I live in one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen, in books or in real life.

Guess it’s those Auckland CBD buildings that make me suffer temporary memory loss in this regard ;-)

Anyway, Mr Golden Sun made an extended guest appearance this past Sunday (no complaints from me!) – and Gudrun and I joined a group of other lucky ducks on a harbour cruise. Such an irresistible combination is strong sun + big breeze + sparkling water.

We got to stop at Rangitoto Island (pictured above) for a few minutes… it was lovely to watch the different shades of blue flickering like mermaids’ tails in the moving waters, the sunlight shining through the impromptu tree stencils, the cute cabin houses… oh, and don’t you think Rangitoto looks like a thin pancake man stretching out to take a nap while an imp stealthily rises up in the middle of his belly?

We also got to watch a brave boy do a bungy jump – don’t think I’ll ever convince my brain to let me do it.

Great afternoon getting to know Gudrun better, seeing a previously unexplored part of Auckland and just having a time of total relaxation.

I don’t think we could ever hope to be bored if we just kept exploring. There are always so many things to see and hear and listen and touch and feel and think about!

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Posted in All, Winter

Tagged auckland, new zealand

Shéhérazade, Fès, Morocco

Posted on December 19, 2010 | 1 Comment

I went travelling from 18 Nov – 18 Dec. I’m now blogging about some of the places I went to… posts are not written in chronological order.

To be honest, I didn’t immediately like Morocco. When we got off the ferry, I missed Spain immediately, and a public toilet we used made my heart beat so fast I thought it might fall out. So it is that by nightfall on 23 November, I had started to prepare myself for a less than splendid dinner. I know this is totally rude and unfair, but it’s the truth. This was especially the case because the tour bus let us off a short distance away from the restaurant, and the alleyways we walked past were deserted and appetite-killing (to a pessimistic me, anyway)…

So it is that I was completely shocked and delighted by the dinner we did have at the end of our little walk. Actually, I felt a little teary-eyed.

It was, in short, magical.

This place was beautiful. I remember standing in one spot and rotating, slowly, drinking in the details – willowy trees, soft music, dim lights, pretty tables and chairs. The owner of the place and the waiters stood attentively, smilingly, ready to offer us either the room upstairs or the patio… of course we chose the patio. The weather and sky were perfect. All of us were gasping and exclaiming. I think they must get this a lot, for they just beamed patiently.

We started with some herb-infused bread and a spiced, flavourful harira (squeezed tomato soup). Few of us could resist a double helping of this… it tasted of herbs, spices and something less tangible – something I could only describe as carefully crafted to coat the tongue with pleasure.

For the main – a tagine of saffron chicken with tangy lemon and olives. The chicken was gently tender, nicely complemented by the olives and lemon – at once sweet and sour, but in subtle amounts. Again, my tongue could only smile without knowing how to describe what it was tasting. The whole time, we enjoyed glasses of good red wine.

Finally, we had something akin to crispy thin pancakes with milk, nutmeg, honey and cinnamon, topped with what I have just realised was pomegranate. Really, really nice. Freshly made, with a great texture and combination of sweetness and spice.

At the end of our meal, we were offered mint tea avec ou sans sucre… I love this refreshing minty drink without sugar. It slips down your throat like a warm sherbet of ice!

It hardly needs to be said, but this was what I needed to change my mind about Morocco – and glad I am that we had this dinner, for I was in superb spirits the next day – enough to really enjoy the Medina in Fes. :-)

Shéhérazade – 23, Arsat Bennis Douh Fès Médina, Maroc – Phone: +212 535 74 16 42

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Posted in All, Chicken, Eating Out, Soups, Travelling, Winter

Tagged fes, food, harira, Shéhérazade, tagine, travel

The wonderful world of rain

Posted on September 4, 2010 | 3 Comments

Short post tonight, since it’s really way way past my bedtime.

1. Thunderstorms, rain and wacky hail are so fantastic (when you are watching them crash and pour from within a warm room)… I LOVED watching it this evening and was much excited about it… poor Jono had to sit through my excitement :-)

2. Caramelised leek rings, fried flour-dipped monkfish, grainy bread, salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice make for a pretty good 4pm lunch.

Goodnight!

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Posted in All, Fish & Seafood, Winter

Tagged fish, hail, leeks, lemon, rain, wellington

Recipe for calm

Posted on July 28, 2010 | 2 Comments

Be kind to yourself.

When my nose decides that it’s actually a dribbly fountain or when my brain goes on holiday, I know what they are hinting at to me: that it’s time for a hot lemon, honey & ginger drink.

Lemon, honey & ginger drink

Ingredients:

Honeyco Honey Meisters Manuka Tonic Sweet Relief

Method:

Note: this drink also aids concentration at work.

Yields 1 serving – adjust quantities to taste and as desired.

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Posted in All, Drinks, Recipes included, Winter

Tagged drinks, honey lemon ginger, winter

Avgolemono

Posted on June 6, 2010 | Leave a comment

Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius.
~ Pietro Aretino

Did you think I’d given up cooking through “Falling Cloudberries”? I was afraid I had too. However, it isn’t December yet, so I guess I’m not allowed to give up!

Tonight, I decided to try my hand at making this Greek dish from Tessa Kiros’ “Falling Cloudberries” to warm us up…
#56 Avgolemono (Chicken Soup with Egg & Lemon) – Page 82

I tripled the amount of carrot and celery used in this broth, and absolutely loved inhaling the aroma of this while it simmered slowly on the stove. No butter, no oil, just sweet veges, flavourful parsley, piquant peppercorns and – of course – a grand free range chicken.

Tessa Kiros’s recipe for this yielded 4 generous servings of sweet, comforting broth with a refreshing twist of lemon, creaminess from the egg and a smattering of rice to provide texture. We had the chicken (tender and still sweet) and vegetables on the side. I am so pleased with the result of this!

In other news, we visited La Cigale yesterday where I picked up some yummy turkish delight, and Mandy and I introduced ourselves to the whimsical world of macaroons…. oh, and I also had a lovely chicken liver parfait brioche, which made for a tasty breakfast. I kicked myself for not having my camera with me as we watched a man sifting almond sugar on to his tray of croissants, people surveying the spread of fresh organic vegetables, a grumpy woman selling jam…

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Posted in All, Chicken, Falling Cloudberries, Soups, Winter

Tagged avgolemono, chicken soup, Falling Cloudberries, lemon, soup, tessa kiros, winter

Que syrah, syrah

Posted on May 25, 2010 | Leave a comment

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future’s not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.
~ Doris Day, Que Sera Sera lyrics

Indulgence is…
walking in slippers on a rainy evening, feeling my wet toes wake and come to life. Feeling the wind tug on my umbrella, whipping around my cheeks. Sitting in a warm wine bar with Claire, sipping slowly a wide glass of spicy smooth syrah. Taking a brisk walk home beneath the silky black sky, face turned towards the now feathery sheet of drizzle, hands in pockets, body still warm. Arriving at home to smash garlic, grill chicken, zest a lemon, fry vegetables, cook pasta, crumble feta, grind black pepper, serve all atop oven-warmed plates. Watching 24 with Matt. Chatting in the lounge with John.

All in an evening.

Dreaming of life.

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Posted in All, Drinks, Impromptu, Winter

What to doooo

Posted on May 22, 2010 | 1 Comment

The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.
~ Calvin Trillin

Sleepless sleep. Ever have that? When you sleep, and wake up feeling like you never slept. Or haven’t slept for about a week straight. Head still full of unresolved dreams and other matters of little connection to happiness. It’s painful, in what I imagine to be an old arthritic way.

I traipse then, into the kitchen, to spot: egg whites in a bowl. OK. The wheels in my brain start spinning, ever so slowly, until I hear: omelette, light and fluffy, relax, go slow.

What I do to the 2 egg whites, then: I add 1 whole egg, whisk it all with salt and pepper, and turn the resulting mixture into an omelette. (My experience of this is a good light omelette – kind of like it!)

The morning goes by, and I am still at home. Feels strange to spend Saturday morning at home. Feels strange not to be hanging out with someone, or on a bus, or walking to a meeting, or – you know – doing something more significant than just… nothing. I take out my papers, thinking I will do some work. I put them all away again without reading a single sentence. Forget work.

When afternoon finds me tired out from dancing to ridiculous music and vacuuming the house with Shake & Vac, I find a saucepan, I take out my chopping board. Fry garlic. Add leek rings, dried marjoram, fresh rosemary, saute it all. Add cubes of monkfish fillet, mind dwelling on how soft it feels to touch. Add water, milk, salt, egg, mustard, pepper, dribble of cream – letting nothing but my senses guide me. I eat soup standing in the kitchen, without bread, without music. A few minutes later, Paul rings and thus begins a good afternoon catching up on the phone.

What to do on an imsomniac night: trying to figure that out now. Not reaching conclusions. What do you do after you’ve tried counting sheep, marshmallows, lions and ballerinas – and still can’t sleep?

[edit] I decided to make my first ever batch of scones, after all. It worked out perfectly as I had the required half a cup of cream, 2 lemons and rosemary sprigs handy! I referred to this recipe, and tweaked it a little.

It is now 12.38am. I think I should try sleeping again. Goodnight.