Come visit the world in my kitchen

Please come visit the world in my kitchen!

My newest project! still work in process
http://comevisittheworldinmykitchen.wordpress.com/

Such a country thing to do.....

Saturday, 30th August 2008.

As I was walking home from the supermarket, I found this just outside the fence of a strangers home!

Free lemons. Now what can I make with them! Lemon ice-cream? Lemon meringue pudding? Lemon Cheesecake? Lemon Cordial? lemonn Finger Biscuits?

Awards and a big bunch of Roses!

August 30, 2008

I have been awarded this LOVELYl award from a wonderful lady, named Sally. She writes the beautiful blog called

http://pinkbytes.blogspot.com/

Please take some time to read her blog, it is well worth the visit, Such wonderful reading materals and beautifuly presented, as well as great cooking and baking ideas!

Thank you so much Sally! I was rather suripice to be given an award.

The rules for this award are quite simple.

1. Choose 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and their contribution to the blogging community.

2. Each award has to have the name of the author and a link to his/her blog.

3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name of and link to the blog that presented her/him with the award.

4. The award winner and the one who has given the prize has to show the link of Arte Y Pico blog so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5. Show these rules.

Now, whom shall I give it to?

1. Anna at .............. http://atannaskitchentable.blogspot.com/

2. Linda at.............. http://wwwthinkingaboutfood.blogspot.com/

3. Kerry at ................http://kerry-meandmythree.blogspot.com/

4. Laura at................http://www.hungryandfrozen.blogspot.com/

5. Sarah at.................http://sarah-cooks.blogspot.com/

HAPPY BLOGGING to you all.

This is how Chocolate is meant to be!

Gooey warm chocolate pudding with a smidgen of vanilla ice-cream ozzing down slowly melting down the sides. What else do you need on cold and wet winter night?

Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding

1 cup (120g) self-raising flour
3 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 cup (125g) caster sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup (125ml) milk
60g butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanillia essence
1 cup (185g) soft brown sugar

Preheat oven to moderate 180 C. Brush a 2 litre heatpoof dish with meltedt the flour and I tablespoon cocoa into a large bowl and add the caster sugar. Make a well in the mixture.

In a jug, beat the egg and add the milk, melted butter and vanilla essence. Pour the liquid into ingredients and, using a wooden spoon, stir until well combined and lump free. Pour into the prepare dish.

Combine the brown sugar and the remaining cocoa and sprinkle evenly over the batter. Pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water gently and evenly over the ingredents in the dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the pudding s cooked, a sauce will have formed undernealth.



**I like to use coconut milk or creeam instead of using milk. I also LOVE to add some chopped nuts or chocolate pieces.

Daydreaming of France!

16 August 2008.

This afternoon I curled up on the sofa to spent the afternoon daydreaming of living in the france country side; through a wonderful Australian auther called Mary Moody. Mary is a fairy well-known Australia she has been a prolific gardening auther and a former presenter on ABC's show "Gardening Australia" She is a wonderful auther, as you read her books it is like she is right next to you telling you personally about the time spent in France, as well as heaps of juicy bits of her personal life, including one or two love affairs, and the issues relating to her loving, caring husband finding out about them!

She was writen some lovely bestsellers including Au Revoir (2001), Last Tango in Toulouse(2003) amd The long Hot Summer (2005). Today, I was looking at her book, "Lunch with Madame Murat" It is part travelogue, part history, part culinary adventure, and a wonderful visual journey through the riches of life and food in rural France.

After spending a few hours looking at the book, I decided to make Creme Brulee. The recipe can be found in this lovely book.

Creme Brulee

Serves 8

1 L Milk
1 Vanilla Pod
1 soup spoon Corn Flour
6 Egg Yolks
100g Sugar
Sprinkling of Brown Sugar

Add vanilla pod to the milk and bring to simmering point but do not boil.

In a bowl mix all the other ingredients, slowly adding the milk and stirring well.

Remove the vanilla pod and pour the mix back into pan.

Cook until it starts to thicken, stirring constanly. Pour into eight individual ramekins and leave to cool. Just before serving, spinkle brown sugar on the custard and heat with a blow-torch or under a grill until carmelised.

Sleeping Marmalade

I've been out trying to find a wedding present for a girlfriend, (no luck, will continue hunt next weekend) came home to find Marmalade fast asleep!

Feeling the wonderful warmth of soup on a chilly winter night!

9th August 2008.

Another cold, wet, and chilly day in Melbourne. The need for some warm comfort food for our evening meal was required. Parsnip and Pear Soup with Herb and Cheese Scones seemed to hit for our taste bubs.

Herb and cheese scones

3 cups self-raising flour
1 teaspoon salt
pinch cayenne pepper
50g butter, chilled, chopped
1/2 cup mixed herbs (such as oregano, rosemary and basil), finely chopped
1/3 cup grated light tasty cheese
1 cup reduced-fat milk

Preheat oven to 220°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
Sift flour into a large bowl. Add salt, cayenne pepper and pepper. Mix well to combine. Add butter. Using your fingertips, rub butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add herbs and cheese to flour mixture. Stir well to combine. Add milk. Mix with a flat-bladed knife until a soft dough forms. Knead lightly on a floured surface. Pat dough into a 2cm-thick round. Using a 5cm cutter, cut into 12 rounds. Place rounds close together on a baking tray.
Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden and well-risen. Makes 12.

Pear and Parsnip soup

30g butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

250ml milk

500ml vegetable stock

2 tablespoons plan flour

pinch cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

4 parsnips

2 pears

Cook parsnips and pear (peeled and cut) in vegetable stock, once cooked and cool, puree.

Mix butter in a saucepan, add flour, salt, and cayenne papper, cook a few minutes.

Gradually add milk and the bay leaf, bring to the boil, stirring constantly.

Stir in cooked parsnip and pear mixture and simmer for a few minutes.

Remove bayleaf and serve.

Leek pikelets with Smoked Barramundi

4 August, 2008.



While hunting though the frigde looking for something to make for dinner, I came across some Smoke Barramundi which I had forgot about. and wondered if I could use it instead of Rainbow Trout, in a recipe I found in this months copy of Australian Gourmet Traveller. I also used duck eggs instead of normal chicken.



(Recipe as found in magazine. page 90)

Leek pikelits with smoked rainbow trout and soft-boiled egg
Serves 4
Cooking Time Prep time 15 mins, cook 30 mins
110 gm butter, coarsely chopped
1½ leeks, thinly sliced
300 gm crème fraîche, plus extra to serve
1 green onion, thinly sliced, plus extra to serve
2 lemons, finely grated rind only
6 eggs, at room temperature
100 gm (2/3 cup) plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
200 gm smoked rainbow trout, bones removed, coarsely flaked (see note)
To serve: lemon wedges


1 Melt 70gm butter in a saucepan. Add leek and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft (6-7 minutes), transfer to a bowl and cool slightly. Add crème fraîche, green onion and lemon rind to bowl, season to taste and stir to combine. Separate 2 eggs, adding yolks to leek mixture, then stir in flour and baking powder. Whisk eggwhites and a pinch of salt until soft peaks form, fold into leek mixture and set aside.


2 Melt 10gm butter in a large frying pan over medium heat until butter foams. Add ¼-cups of pikelet mixture and cook in batches until bubbles appear on surface (2-3 minutes), then turn and cook until golden (1-2 minutes). Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining butter and pikelet mixture, wiping out pan with absorbent paper between each pikelet. Keep pikelets warm in a low oven.


3 Meanwhile, cook remaining eggs in gently boiling water until soft-boiled (5-5½ minutes). Cool briefly under running water, then break in half. Scoop eggs from shells with a teaspoon. Serve immediately with leek pikelets, smoked rainbow trout and lemon wedges.
Note Smoked rainbow trout is available from select fishmongers and delicatessens. Substitute with good-quality smoked salmon.

Luv-a-Duck Massaman Curry

2 August 2008.

After experiencing yet another one of Melbourne's cold winter day, (with only 29 winter days left for the year) I felt like spending some time heating up in the kitchen. (Although defrosting seems more like I felt!) I started to prepare tomorrows nights dinner. Massaman Duck Curry. Massaman Curry is one of those curries that sits very well and develops complexity and depth with time; it tastes great if you let it sit overnight so that the spices penetrate the meat and potatoes. I find that the tastes just do not "come together" until the next day.

Massaman Duck Curry served with Potatoes
(Recipes from Luv-a-Duck), serves 4

4 Duck Legs cut in half
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of good quality massaman curry paste
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup duck stock
1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
500g baby chat potatoes
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
5 cardamom pods lightly crushed to release flavour
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
1 tablespoon fish sauce
Steamed jasmine rice to serve

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the duck legs and seal until evenly browned then transfer to a plate.

Add 2 tablespoons coconut cream to pan, cook over medium heat for 20 seconds or until hot.

Add curry paste and cook for 1 minute or until aromatic. Return duck and juices to pan.

Add coconut milk, stock, peanuts, potatoes, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cardamom pods, sugar, tamarind concentrate, fish sauce and remaining coconut cream. Stir to combine.

Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until duck is tender.

Serve with rice.