In my kitchen…
…are a kilo of spunta potatoes. We’re planning to grow this variety, so we bought a kilo at the markets to try them.
The spuntas are white skinned with yellow, floury flesh. To ensure a fair taste test, I pricked the skins and dry-roasted them in a hot oven. They were absolutely delicious with a little butter and salt…
In my kitchen…
…are challah loaves, my contribution to the Mellow Bakers’ October bake-off. This Jeffrey Hamelman recipe uses two whole eggs and four egg yolks, resulting in a golden crumb. In addition, eggwashing the crust gave it an amazing glow – as Joanna pointed out, it’s a little reminiscent of polished antique wood!
In my kitchen…
…are two bone china mugs from the new Maxwell & Williams Kimono range, bought for my mother’s birthday. Bone china used to be prohibitively expensive, but in recent years the price has dropped dramatically, and these gorgeous, dishwasher-safe mugs were just a tiny $10 each…
In my kitchen…
…are thick steaks being salted, according to a method taught on the Steamy Kitchen blog. Don’t worry – the salt doesn’t stay on the steaks; it’s there to draw liquid out of the meat to ensure a tender finished dish. It works well too, although it’s important to ensure the salt doesn’t stay on too long, or the meat becomes quite salty (even though it’s washed off after an hour)…
In my kitchen…
…are Syrian figs – a new discovery for us. We love figs, but we’ve mainly used Turkish or Persian (the little wild ones) until now. These Syrian figs are sun-dried, smaller than their Turkish counterparts, and very sweet. Perfect for eating straight!
In my kitchen…
…are treasures from Roula and Mary’s stall at Flemington Markets. Below are baby king browns, oyster mushrooms, and fresh shitake from Korea. Roula also gave me a container of magnificent dried porcini – when I lifted the lid to take a photo, the aroma filled the whole kitchen!
Tell me, what’s happening in your kitchen this month?
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Those spunta look like they’d be perfect for roast potato bread which is my first contribution to MB this month. So many breads to bake, so little time. I’ve got two rising in the kitchen at the moment.
And if you arrived with one of those challah here I would probably want to frame it :)
There are piles of yellowing apples, two wet poodles, tubs of flour, two new Moomin mugs from a store that is closing after 26 years, the remains of Brian’s chile con carne which got turned into a spicy soup with the addition of some short noodles and a big spoonful of yoghurt… and a dozen or so of those Dan cookies, mine made with cape raisins and dark chocolate…
Jo, that’s very clever – I love the idea of turning leftover chile into soup! I shall have to go and google cape raisins now… :)
Wow this makes me sigh – not much happening in my real kitchen except half finished cupboards! I must admit it’s kind of fun improvising in the laundry on the camp stove though and I can see the kitchen taking shape…
Hang in there, Sarah! I can’t wait to see what you finished kitchen will look like – hope you’ll post photos! :)
We are having a potluck Saturday, about fifty people for Octoberfest. We are doing bratwursts on the grill. I’ll also probably do a veggie tray and perhaps a potato salad, maybe some salsas and a guacamole. I found the best recipe for party food is lots of finger foods, more salty foods then sweet, a good offering of water and lemonade. (all that talking is thirsty work) and m&ms.
Maz, that sounds like outrageous fun! :) Do you do handmade paper decorations as well? I’m sure I told you this, but last Christmas, we decorated my mum’s table with your Christmas geese, placed in amongst the food platters.. :)
Yes, I’ll take all of the above please!! I actually have one magnificent 380g fresh porcini in my kitchen. Unfortunately it was bought and not found.
I hope you have a cookbook published one day. It will save my constant printing and losing the choc slab cake and focaccia recipe!! (Making slab cake for birthday in the village tomorrow!)
Anna
Anna, I’ve never seen a fresh porcini! So pleased that your focaccia is working well!
Will try and post my photo of the box of porcini at the butchers (yes, strange). The butcher had bought them at the market yesteray morning – they looked like something out of a fairy tale. Just need to work out how to resize photos from new camera…..
Lovely post!
Not too much, I’m afraid. Last couple of weeks has seen my diary explode and am out most weekday evenings, some weekday lunches and over the weekend.
Not much time to spend in the kitchen.
But it should calm down to normal soon and will be back indoors then!
My kitchen aspires to be like yours :) In my kitchen this month
– an empty mooncake box waiting to be thrown out
– a truffle that I bought in adelaide – good for pasta
– various bottles of wine from a friend who works for a wine company
– and not much else!
I hope your mum liked the cups, they are lovely Celia.
My kitchen over the last few days has seen a trifle- which Monkey Boy said was the bestest ever, and some truly disgusting chickpea pancakes (that so didn’t work). A new organic vege box, and not nearly enough espresso consumption…which will be remedied today.
Kavey, sounds like a great social fortnight! :)
Wink, a whole truffle! I’ve never had one of those – how exciting! :)
Brydie, she loved them, thank you. Hope to see photos of your trifle – we love trifle here! Did you use peaches and red jelly? :)
Wonderful looking kitchen. I’ll be over in the next few years ;-)
In my kitchen … 9 bloomed bars! It must be the noticable change in temp this week. Arghhh!
That IS a pain, Gill! Will you melt them down and restart, or just eat them? I once deliberately set out of temper chocolate, and then dipped it into tempered, to created something like a Time Out or a Flake. They were a pain to do, though, as the untempered choc kept trying to melt in the tempered! :)
My kitchen is filled with lovely Melrose apples.
And oatmeal cookies with almonds and apricots as a filling.
A corned beef brisket is simmering on the stove – and I’m peeling yukon gold potatoes to boil.
Nothing too exciting but all delicious.
Heidi! Delicious is exciting! :)
Celia, your blog is such a joy! In my kitchen is my sourdough starter with a lovely fruity smell, ready to start my first sourdough loaf tonight. Ten minutes ago there were also sourdough pancakes but they’re gone now. Yum!
Soon there’ll be powerballs – dates, sultanas, coconut, almonds, oats and cocoa – more yum.
Jo, thank you and jinx! We had sourdough pancakes for breakfast, and I have two loaves and some olive rolls rising as I type! :)
In my kitchen is one orange and almond cake, three chocolate mud cakes and two vanilla sourcream cakes.
Some with dark chocolate ganache, some with white chocolate ganache.
And some handmade sugar peonies which now look great but have taken a lot of practice!!
Emma, your cakes are gorgeous – so happy to read on your website that you’re booked up for the whole year! Good for you.. :)
Mmm, love baked spuds – in fact the youngest has lodged a request for them for dinner tonight – but only a little butter?? Surely not!!
Hehe…I looked again at the photo, Amanda, and you’re right – it might have been just a wee bit more than a “little butter” hahaha
Celia,
Your kitchen is pure luxury, as usual! Those breads were just perfect! Loved the poppy seeds, look like some bread make up…
Ah, of course, I loved the portraits of Rosemary and Frannie, they are so seductive those girls…
Claudia
C, on the video clip I posted in the braided breads post, the lady showed how to decorate the loaves by simply pressing a wet finger into a bowl of poppyseed or sesame seed and dotting it onto the loaves. I think they look very pretty too!
Our girls are looking particularly glamorous at the moment, their combs are all full and bright red!
I’m liking your kitchen!
Lee, thank you! Tomorrow, hopefully there will be some broadbeans in my kitchen. How are yours doing?
The biggest are about 6-8cm long – slow going/slow growing. It has been a cold week. The art nouveau school of cooking would pick and cook the whole pod at this stage. Can’t bring myself to do it.
In my kitchen, is an overflowing fridge waiting to be emptied to a catering venue, In my kitchen is a forgotton wrinkly quince waiting to be turned rosy pink and baked with apple syrup, in my kitchen are 5 dozen hot cupcakes cooling on the bench hoping the torrential rain humidity won’t make the wrappers peel, in my kitchen are some experimental scones made with gfree flour, oil and lemonade, in my kitchen is one harassed chef who will be glad whin tomorrow’s over!
Is that cape gooseberry raisins? I suppose you could make cape gooseberry raisins. I’ve just never thought of doing that.
Hi Frances, Celia asked me to explain – sloppy typing on my part –
should be Cape raisins. Simply a nice quality of raisins that we get in the UK from South Africa. Cape as in Cape Town I guess. It’s the way fruit from South Africa is branded here. So we get Cape grapes and Cape raisins and I think oranges and lemons too…. Hope that clears that up :)
Never met a dry baked spud with lashings of butter I didn’t like…. & yes please with the Syrian figs – aren’t they just the bees knees.., one of my latest food fads I can’t live without – & thanks for reminding me that bone china doesn’t cost what it used to…..coz “that tea mug” my momma bought me for my 18th (coz I’m a bit of a momma’s girl you see & I have to have a leisurely cuppa in the morning in *my mug* flew outa my hand (all on its own too) & broke into a million pieces….., my morning cuppa isn’t the same since. So….. Anna’s going a shopping.
And all I can say about those gloriously perfect bread braids is…. ‘showoff’…., (said with hugs n kisses & a friendly *jealous* smirk)…., your just way too good at fancy schmancy bread Celia.., I’m quite green with envy :)
Chef R, sounds like a big weekend for you – hope it’s a bit enjoyable and not just hard yakka (translation for non-Aussies: “hard yakka” is slang for “work” :))!
Anna, aren’t those Syrian figs just amazing? And that WILL be fun, shopping for a new mug! :)
This is all too much, all too perfect – where are the dirty dishes, the bellybutton fluff under the fridge, the wine corks on the floor…?
Ha! I clean my bench before I take photos – all the grotty stuff is on the other bench. I don’t like my blog to look messy, even if the kitchen does…hahaha
hehe my kitchen is filled with chaos! Mr NQN created this mess when he had to fend for himself and cook for one night! :P
Those are mighty fine looking challahs Celia. You are a star baker!
Mmm…dried porcini…yum!
Celia, I want to come and live in your kitchen – your “in my kitchen” posts make it seem such a glorious place to be.
In my kitchen, I have some jars of hedgerow jelly which is a sort of pinky orange colour from all of the rosehips. I also have a tin of coconut and ground cherry blondies that has just come out of the oven – crossing fingers they will be as good as I’m hopng!
I love your kitchen posts…they always are so interesting..thanks for sharing!
Thank you all! Choc, your hedgerow jelly sounds wonderful!