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In My Kitchen - May 2012

2/5/2012

 

In My Kitchen - May 2012

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The year is whizzing by and at the beginning of every month we pay a visit to Fig Jam and Lime Cordial, the website and blog of talented baker and cook Celia, who features a segment titled 'In My Kitchen'. Celia posts links from cooks from around the world, who generously invite readers into their kitchens to share What's Cooking, What's Eating, What's Reading, What's Shopping and What's Happening at the hearth. 

In my kitchen this month...

There is something old and something new. The old wooden spoon in the photograph above belonged to my mother and I have not been able to part with it. I love seeing how the edges have worn down from stirring many a pot over the decades. The cookery book on the left also belonged to my mother. It was posted to her by her mother (my grandmother), who remained in Hungary after my parents made the ocean voyage to Australia in 1956. It must have been devastating for the family to be separated in that way. I cannot begin to imagine the bittersweet journey.

This treasured volume titled Az Inyesmester Nagy Szakacskonyve (orThe Great Cookbook aka The Art of Hungarian Cooking) was published in 1955 and, before posting it, my grandmother had beautifully inscribed the first page with her own name and address, as the sender, together with my mother's name and street address in a now heritage listed area in Acton, Canberra. There is also an inscription from my father, dated 1955. Looking at this book and knowing how much my mum loved to cook from it brings a tear to my eyes.
The cover on the spine has sadly deteriorated with time, but I found it interesting when the covering fell away to see shredded newsprint packed into the space underneath. The image on the left shows the book as it is today, the image on the right (from an antiquarian bookstore) shows an intact original. After seeing this, I have firmly decided to take the book to a reputable bookbinder to see if it can be restored.

Also in my kitchen is Nigel Slater's Ripe, my latest acquisition from the UK Book Depository (pictured top right). It's a big, delicious, beautifully written hardcover gem, subtitled A Cook in the Orchard and I have flagged numerous recipes which will soon be added to my repertoire! Watch my Books for Cooks pages in coming weeks for a review.

There are Hachiya persimmons in my kitchen. The heart-shaped Hachiya can be fully relished only when the skin is wrinkled and the sweet flesh inside is soft, translucent and deliciously over-ripe. The persimmon is one of autumn’s offerings, in its peak in Australia from March through to May. Fruiting persimmon trees with a blaze of burnt orange foliage can be spotted now at local nurseries. 
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Hachiya persimmons
In my kitchen is some amazingly flavoursome Carrot and Cardamom Jam, created by Ken Fuz of Black Horse Fine Foods. Ever the gentleman, Ken very kindly gave me a jar of this jam and suggested I try it as a glaze for roast meat. I did and it is delicious! I will post a snippet with the recipe in coming weeks. 
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In my kitchen are orchard fresh feijoas from Jonathan Banks at Pialligo. Not dissimilar to a guava, feijoas can be made into ice cream and jam, but once I have cut one in half and scooped out the succulent, exotic flesh, I can't stop eating them! Therefore I would never have sufficient quantities to use. They are easy to grow too!
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Feijoa fruit
In my kitchen is a pile of cookbooks by Claudia Roden, one of my favourite cookery writers. I couldn't resist The Food of Spain when I spotted it in a local bookstore recently (you understand these things, don't you!?). There is an excellent article about Roden, her life, her cooking and her books here.
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In my kitchen is a pomegranate. It is so beautiful, almost perfect. Every morning on my drive into the office, I see a fully laden pomegranate tree in the front garden of a house. You cannot miss the brilliant hue of the fruit. I would love to have a pomegranate tree someday.
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Pomegranate - almost perfect!
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Little buttons will soon peek from the peat moss and mushroom compost
In my kitchen (well, in my bathroom actually, is a mushroom kit. Peter has never been to a mushroom farm, nor has he seen how quickly mushrooms grow! I can't wait to show him the results.

Also in my kitchen is a paella pan (a bargain at Aldi), together with Herbie's paella spice blend with saffron and Essential Ingredient paella rice... just waiting to be used. I plan to cook a BIG serving of seafood paella for my daughter, Lauren, and her man, Kale. What's your favourite main ingredient in paella?
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And finally, in my kitchen are Golden Delicious and Jazz apples. The Golden Delicious is lovely eaten fresh from the hand and also perfect for cooking. Try eating slices of Golden Delicious with fresh ricotta for a sublime snack! We're buying ours from the Capital Region Farmer's Markets and also from Jonathan and Robyn Banks at Pialligo.

Jazz apples are a natural cross between a Royal Gala and a Braeburn apple. A new variety, Jazz apples are seriously crunchy, so make a delicious eating apple, but we have also used them for juice. Delicious! There's more loads more info on Jazz apples here. Thank you to the team at Media Moguls, who sent me some Jazz apples.
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Golden Delicious apple
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Jazz apple

My friends...

Tell me, what's been happening in your kitchen and what good things are you cooking and eating during May? And are the months whizzing by ever so quickly for you too?
link
4/5/2012 03:48:19 am

Wow! I love your kitchen!
The little chef on your Hungarian cook book looks like Uncle Felix in the original "Christmas in Connecticut" where he says," Everything is hunky-dunky!" My husband is Hungarian and I love to watch that movie with him because he translates all the little comments and muttering Uncle Felix does in the background of the kitchen scenes.
And the fruit is so beautiful- I've never seen a pom that fresh and perfect- the quince makes me sigh in envy and I've never even heard
of feijoas- what does the inside look like?
The apples are a joy to behold- Autumn is the most marvelous season- full of harvest! Here we are fully entering Spring and hope for a fruitful season of growing!
Thanks so much for the peek into your kitchen- my niece is in the Navy and currently stationed in Canberra- I'm going to send her a link to your blog. (She's a foodie, too- and sends me marvellous delights- like the honey in my post!)

heidiannie
4/5/2012 11:11:46 am

Wow! I love your kitchen!
The little chef on your Hungarian cook book looks like Uncle Felix in the original "Christmas in Connecticut" where he says," Everything is hunky-dunky!" My husband is Hungarian and I love to watch that movie with him because he translates all the little comments and muttering Uncle Felix does in the background of the kitchen scenes.
And the fruit is so beautiful- I've never seen a pom that fresh and perfect- the quince makes me sigh in envy and I've never even heard
of feijoas- what does the inside look like?
The apples are a joy to behold- Autumn is the most marvelous season- full of harvest! Here we are fully entering Spring and hope for a fruitful season of growing!
Thanks so much for the peek into your kitchen- my niece is in the Navy and currently stationed in Canberra- I'm going to send her a link to your blog. (She's a foodie, too- and sends me marvellous delights- like the honey in my post!)

Lizzy
4/5/2012 11:13:59 am

Hello there! You must come visit if you are ever over here visiting your niece. I haven't heard of Christmas in Connecticut, will google it and see if it comes up. Autumn is such a beautiful season here, but I do love spring so much. I wish you a very bountiful harvest. Thanks so much for visiting!

Laura (Tutti Dolci) link
4/5/2012 02:21:20 pm

I love the cover of Nigel Slater's "Ripe," and your wooden spoon is such a neat treasure from your mother!

Lizzy
4/5/2012 02:32:13 pm

Thanks Laura!

ChopinandMysaucepan link
4/5/2012 08:39:42 pm

Dear Lizzy,

I think my favourite items (for your sake) would be that wooden spoon and cookbook because it holds so many memories of your mother and grandmother. On so many occasions I wanted to give away to St Vinnies the set of crockery that mum bought when my sister and I first came to Sydney for high school in the early 80s and then my younger brother in the 90s. I have kept them simply because of all the memories and good food that we have had with them.

Lizzy
4/5/2012 09:25:08 pm

For my sake, Chopinand, they are indeed! Ah, how wonderful that you kept that crockery. And I'm sure it gets put to good use too!

Celia link
4/5/2012 09:53:18 pm

Oooh Lizzy, thank you, I didn't realise Nigel Slater had a new book out! He's one of my favourite tv chefs ever, I love his Simple Suppers shows. Such beautiful fruit in your kitchen this month, and such priceless treasure in your first photo, how incredibly precious to have those items of your mother's. Please do let us know how the mushrooms go - we've never been able to make a kit work! :)

Lizzy
5/5/2012 02:40:23 am

Hi Celia, mine too. He is really quirky and I love that! I love having my mother's cooking things... have a few other treasures of hers too, including her almost 50 year old Renaware stainless steel saucepans, that are still going strong! I am keeping an eye on the kit. Have always had good success, but must admit we had this one in the top of the cupboard for a while before setting it up, so I do hope it will produce! Thanks for stopping by and for hosting such a lovely initiative!

Glenda link
5/5/2012 03:21:06 am

Wow, so many wonderful things. You are lucky indeed. What is not to love about everything? But your mum's cook book and spoon are particularly special.

Lizzy
6/5/2012 08:03:09 am

Thank you Glenda, I do feel fortunate indeed! Aren't they just! Thanks for stopping by!

InTolerant Chef
6/5/2012 12:44:41 am


What a lovely load of goodies! I hit t he markets this weekend and stocked up big time too :)

Lizzy
6/5/2012 08:03:42 am

Good stuff! Love it when you get home from the markets and unpack all the goodies!

Anne@GtSlamseysFarm link
6/5/2012 09:22:32 pm

You’re so lucky to have feijoas, persimmons and pomegranates growing in your home country; I’m sure they taste much better than when they’re imported unripe into the UK. Your mother’s cookery book must been such a strong connection with her past – what a treasure.

Lizzy
8/5/2012 08:25:58 am

Hi Anne! I agree, we are so lucky. Sometimes we tend to forget these things and take it for granted. My mother's cookbook is a treasure. In amongst the pages are snippets cut out from various old newspapers of the time. Thanks so much for visiting.

Jane @ Shady Baker link
7/5/2012 12:47:20 pm

Another beautiful month in your kitchen Lizzy. I especially love the wooden spoon and the cook book from your mother, what a special little collection to have. I also love that you have a mushroom kit in your bathroom...everyone should do this! Thanks for the tour :)

Lizzy
8/5/2012 08:27:10 am

Hi Jane! Thank you. I am hoping the mushroom kit is going to work... the bathroom may be just too cold, I know they prefer warmish conditions. Thanks for visiting ; )

Bambi link
9/5/2012 12:34:38 pm

Oh Lizzy! Reading through all these, I can already feel the warmth of your kitchen! I would love to be in your kitchen, have some cuppa and listen to your stories! Thanks for sharing them.


Comments are closed.

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    Photo of Liz Posmyk, Food Writer, Cook and Traveller

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