Crumbed sardines, beetroot, skordalia mayonaisa

Plate of crumbed sardines, beetroot and lemon wedges with a bowl of Greek skordalia mayonaisaGreek skordalia mayonaisa (mayonnaise) and grilled asparagus on toast

I’ve been teaching cooking classes for the last few years, discovering how much I like it. It’s an extension of writing recipes, really – wanting to put something new, inspiring and delicious under people’s noses. But you are really in the driver’s seat and can push the boundaries a little more … You see, a recipe book can be full of exciting things, but you can’t make people cook them. With a class, you have a captive audience! You choose something to cook, guessing people may not have cooked it before, hoping for positive results. If there are ooohs and aaahs, you get to witness them, and with a bit of luck, you hear people say they are going to make this at home. The kitchen is always filled with lovely chit chat as we cook together, and I also learn many things. Continue reading Crumbed sardines, beetroot, skordalia mayonaisa

Mekong fish soup with choko shoots

Bowl of Laos-style fish soup with rice vermicelli, choko (chayote) shoots, cabbage and herbsChoko (chayote) shoots – sechium edule – illustration by Alex Hotchin

Chokos are on my mind, even entering my dreams! (Well, this happened once – I dreamed I was living in the country near a friend and a block of land came up for sale that stretched behind both our houses. We decided to buy it together so we could plant a choko vine that would grow in both directions, reaching each yard. Ha ha, it was a lovely idea and made me grin when I woke up.) … An actual choko grows over our Melbourne back fence, coming from the courtyard of our Indian neighbours, Roopa and Giri. We probably would never have met them had it not been for this plant straddling the palings, and also an old plum tree down the back of our yard (we met for the first time while I was clambering on a shed roof picking plums, and offered them some of the harvest). We don’t see each other much (the nature of back fence neighbours), but when it’s choko season I pop my head over and a little exchange begins consisting of chokos, lemons, herbs, chit chat and recipes, and sometimes even cups of chai. Continue reading Mekong fish soup with choko shoots

Noodles with prawns, leek and lotus (or potato)

Japanese stir-fried noodles with prawns, leek and lotus root
I’ve written a little about ‘supper’ before … What does it even mean?! I just like the word, and think it goes with Christmas trees, vintage tunes and fancy drinks. Simple but beautiful dinners with nibbles and dessert either side. Australia doesn’t have snow in December, but we have all the produce of summer, no rules, and the flexibility to make Christmas whatever we want. I think many of us make different food every year, on the whim of whatever we feel like. I know of some local people who might be making nasi ulam with a bounty of Asian herbs and rice stained blue with pea flowers. I love that idea, and weirdly enough, think it sums up Australian Christmas. Continue reading Noodles with prawns, leek and lotus (or potato)

Grilled mussels with capsicum salsa

grilled mussels with capsicum and basil salsa and smoked paprika

Why open a mussel raw when you can cook it via steam and it will open itself? Because mussels grilled on a barbecue, cooked gently from heat beneath their shells, are INCREDIBLE! They’re rendered so delicate and soft, without any of the tightening that goes on when they’re steamed, and you would swear you were eating something extraordinarily rare and expensive, not something you buy for under $10 a kilo. So we – my husband and I – put up with the slightly time-consuming task of prising them open again and again. (My husband is a champion at it and doesn’t seem to mind the job, so sometimes I leave him to it!)  Continue reading Grilled mussels with capsicum salsa

Pomelo salad (with squid)

Pomelo and squid salad ingredients

Citrus is incredible at the moment. The colder it gets, the better it seems to taste, which helps me to remember that even the chilliest depth of winter is a season I should love (I try!). Friends sent a big bag of home-grown mandarins our way and I think they’re imperials (the most popular and common mandarins), but they’re so different to commercial ones. Their skin is still touched with green and inside they’re bursting with juice. They have more pips than usual, but their flavour is so sweet and real and wintery. Continue reading Pomelo salad (with squid)

Vietnamese pancakes

Vietnamese pancakes with bean sprouts, herbs and lettuce

My four-year old daughter is learning the sounds that letters make. L – luh – is for ladybird. D – duh – is for dad. V – vuh – is for Vietnamese pancakes! I grinned from ear to ear when she said this. I love that she worked it out by herself, but even more so that she’s as enthusiastic as her slightly nutty mother for this delicious meal that we’ve started eating at home. Continue reading Vietnamese pancakes