 The months are zooming by and here we are at the mid-point of the year once again. The last few leaves, in various shades of autumn, have been blown off my Japanese maple tree by bitterly-cold wintertime winds. And the temperature has already dropped down to minus four degrees C this week! Thankfully, before that heavy frost I had picked all the lemons from the potted bushes on my front verandah. We've been enjoying the fruit in warming dishes, such as scallop and saffron risotto, slow-roasted lamb shoulder, and chicken roasted with lemon, tarragon and garlic. Let's now take a look at the other goodies in my kitchen:  On our last trip to Kiama in summer, I bought myself a new wooden platter-come-chopping board. It's almost too pretty to be used, and I have to admit that I was rather perturbed the first time Peter sliced into a loaf of bread, leaving a deep cut in the wood. Call me a fusspot, but I have covered a clear plastic chopping sheet sitting on top of the board now.  At the conclusion of our weekend in Yass, we popped in to the Visitor Information Centre. To our delight, we discovered a good selection of locally produced food and wine, so we stocked up on a few bottles of locally-produced extra virgin olive oil from Homeleigh Grove, and a bottle of Pinot Noir from Di Bartolo Vineyard. The Fairy Wren on the label of the bottle really took my fancy.  Whilst in the Yass Valley, we enjoyed a couple of great meals at the Duck 'n' Fishes Cafe, Cooradigbee Homestead, and it was there that I discovered this air-dried, shredded Angel Hair chilli from Essential Ingredient. It's lovely as a garnish, both in terms of flavour and presentation.  I used a pinch of it to juzz up a risotto of Tasmanian scallops and saffron, prepared in the Tefal Cuisine Companion in a recipe not too dissimilar to this one of mine.  Ever since our visit to Stockholm a couple of years ago, I've been looking for pearl sugar. Peter presented me with a jar of it after I had made my Scandi cardamom scrolls. I know I could have simply ground some sugar cubes in a mortar and pestle, but somehow I never got around to doing that.  There's a pile of fabulous new books awaiting my review; including a how-to on Backyard Chickens by Dave Ingham, and Hippie Lane the Cookbook by Taline Gabrielian. Please stay tuned, as I'll be showcasing these on the blog over the next few weeks.  That's all for now. Please pop in and say hello to my friend, Sherry, from Sherry's Pickings, who is now hosting the IMK series (thank you, Sherry). Happy cooking to you. Over to you. Tell me dear readers, what's happening in your kitchen this month? And how's the weather in your part of the world?
30 Comments
The little bird on your wine label is cute -- and I bet it helps sell the wine, too. I'm vulnerable to choosing wines that have pretty or humorous labels when I don't have any real info about what's inside the bottle.
Lizzy
2/6/2017 02:40:37 am
Thanks so much, Mae.
Lizzy
2/6/2017 02:41:00 am
I'm not quite sure, Francesca, but it's delicious! 1/6/2017 12:15:29 am
oh yes i love cute labels too. i can't resist them. i know what you mean about chopping boards. i always feel like a monster when first using them and ruining their beautiful smooth wood. pearl sugar looks interesting and how about the chilli threads? thanks for joining in this month!
Lizzy
2/6/2017 02:41:13 am
Thanks for hosting, Sherry. x
Lizzy
2/6/2017 02:41:25 am
I do too, Amanda. x
Lizzy
2/6/2017 02:41:37 am
Hi there Gerlinde. 1/6/2017 11:58:55 am
This IS a nice looking cutting board/ platter! I don't have that many wood boards -- they all get beaten up pretty quickly. That plastic cover is a good idea. Anyway, good stuff in your kitchen this month -- thanks.
Lizzy
2/6/2017 02:41:47 am
Thanks John.
Eha
1/6/2017 08:52:50 pm
So interesting what we can learn from reading these monthly compilations! Shall be looking up 'Essential Ingredient' - that angel hair chilli looks v tempting! And 'Homely Grove' olive oil: would love to compare it to my present long term Australian supplier! And 'Hippie Lane' cookbook - there was a time when I would have thought it very unsophisticated to have anything to do with 'hippie' [tho' I was living close to Nimbin at the time: funny!] . . . . and then there is something called 'maturity' :) !!
Lizzy
2/6/2017 02:41:58 am
True, Eha x 2/6/2017 05:15:01 am
Love the idea of the angel hair chilli - was it overly hot? I'll look out for some. It looked a treat with the yellow of the saffron rice. But - oh no, don't cover your lovely cutting board. Let the cutting marks add the character over many years of use. 2/6/2017 05:52:42 am
I was actually looking at Hippie Lane the Cookbook by Taline Gabrielian this morning in the bookshop - I'd love to know what you think about it and whether it is worth purchasing. Oh no Lizzy...a chopping board covered in scratches and scrapes are the memories of great foods cooked. I have one I just use for bread and the deep grooves tell the tale of the countless loaves I baked, endless supply of toast to the family and the thousands of school lunches prepared x
Andrea
2/6/2017 07:38:01 pm
Always love seeing what's in your kitchen, gives me inspiration! Also, I really must call into Yass, we are not far and yet we pass by always in a rush to get to Canberra. I love the fairy wren label, we have a family of fairy wrens in our garden! Think I'll look out for the chilli next time I go to Orange and visit the Fresh Ingredient! Looking forward to hearing about your new books on the blog xx 3/6/2017 09:58:56 am
The angel hair chilli is one thing I wish I had in my kitchen, it really makes for a pretty presentation. 4/6/2017 03:18:01 am
Yep Liz, minus 4 is pretty much the norm for the upcoming week! I hope winter is kind to us this year. Love the pretty Fairy Wren on the pinot label. I got an education lesson this week in why pinot noir can be so pricey, as they have the extra step of thinning out the fruit bunches on the vine. Virtually tossing money onto the ground! Thanks for the IMK tour this month. Cheers, Kirsty 6/6/2017 01:11:50 am
I have been on the lookout for pearl sugar for ages, I'm so jealous you have some! The angel hair chili looks awesome too. 6/6/2017 02:28:21 pm
What a jolt to see your colorful Fall leaves while I'm reveling in the colors of Spring. The chili threads add such a visual "pop" to your scallops and risotto - was there a pronounced flavor hit as well?
Lizzy
11/6/2017 03:02:25 pm
Thanks everyone for popping in to comment. Apologies I haven't responded. We're still overseas xx 13/6/2017 03:20:36 am
Japanese maples are my favourite Liz! Love the air dried chilli too, must go find some at Essential Ingredient in Prahran I think. And those scallops looks delicious! Hope you're having a great OS trip xx 17/6/2017 07:18:40 pm
Liz, no worries about responding anytime soon -- I didn't get a post done for June and will be gone again til mid-July. Let's catch up in August! In the meantime, I enjoyed peeking in your kitchen. Your risotto looks mouthwatering and the angel hair chili is a fabulous complement. I loved the names of the restaurants where you dined, and also that beautiful little bird on the wine label. Pretty autumn leaves, too! Enjoy your travels, and your kitchen when you're home. :) xo 23/6/2017 06:26:01 am
Love that angel hair! Do let me know if that Backyard Chickens book is any good. I'm always looking for reliable info on our six girls! Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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Hi. I'm Liz. I'm a writer, cook and traveller based in Canberra, Australia.
I love the process of writing and the stringing together of words to form a story borne from the wisp of an idea. I also greatly enjoy cooking and travelling. Join me as I share with you my favourite recipes, postcards and morsels from my adventures, conversations with cookery writers and chefs, and news on food and cooking.  Search by topicNB: I use Australian standard measuring cups and spoons in my recipes.
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