In My Kitchen, April 2011

April 15, 2011 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

In my kitchen…

…is a blue Chinese teapot that I bought for my sister-in-law Katey. She likes her teapots to have a handle on the top, so when I saw this one at the Chinese grocery store for just $6.95, I picked it up for her…

In my kitchen…

…is a copy of Abla’s Lebanese Kitchen. I borrowed Maude’s copy to make fattoush salad, and was so impressed that I bought my own. It’s written by Abla Amad, legendary chef of Abla’s Restaurant in Melbourne…

In my kitchen…

…is our all-in-one Römertopf dinner. I layered orzo and lentils with continental sausage and then topped it with pieces of confit duck…

In my kitchen…

…is a gift from my lovely friend Tezza, a Royal Albert mug based on a hundred year old design. I’ve made the boys promise that they’ll never put it in the dishwasher…

In my kitchen…

…is a batch of our rocky road, filled with toasted almond slivers and homemade marshmallows. I coated it in my new chocolate blend, and it’s very moreish…

. . . . .

Tell me, what’s happening in your kitchen this month?

If you’d like to do an In My Kitchen post on your own blog, please feel free to use this format, and to leave a comment here linking back to your post. We’d all love to see what’s happening in your kitchen every month too!

Posted in In My Kitchen | Tagged Abla's Lebanese Kitchen, confit duck, dark chocolate rocky road, homemade marshmallows, homemade rocky road, romertopf baker, Royal Albert | 45 Comments

45 Responses

on April 15, 2011 at 12:16 am Joanna @ Zeb Bakes

I am a devoted fan of In my Kitchen and I always want to run downstairs and take photos and then I arrive there and see the dogs on their rugs, the crumbs on the table and the general mess and think… mmm maybe not today…. as usual I wish I was ten minutes away and could tuck my feet under your table and have some of that gorgeous looking duck confit, drink green tea and nibble on that rocky road…. one day when I have perfected my tessering I’ll be there xxx
- on April 15, 2011 at 9:06 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  It’s a little bit of make-believe, Jo. My kitchen is so often messy and full of stuff, but when I go looking, I can always find a few things that are pretty and make me cheery! ;-)
on April 15, 2011 at 12:52 am norma

After my blog diappeared and lost all I am now working on blog #2 which will be ready mid-May and I will tell you what is in my kitchen, I really like these posts you do.
- on April 15, 2011 at 9:07 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Look forward to it, Norma! All the best for the new blog!
on April 15, 2011 at 1:47 am Helen (grabyourfork)

Such luscious looking Rocky Road and I love the tea cup! So pretty.
- on April 15, 2011 at 9:07 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Helen, thank you! The tea cup is so very pretty – such a pleasure to drink out of!
on April 15, 2011 at 5:41 am Kitchen Butterfly

I like the look of the rocky road…..and I’m glad to see another person who can’t stop buying cookbooks :-)

On a sad note, there was a shop closing down and selling off their romertopfs. I put it my head to remember……and then promptly forgot, till they were shut. Sigh!
- on April 15, 2011 at 9:08 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Hehehe… Oz, I don’t buy a lot of cookbooks, but this one was quite irresistible. Gorgeous photos through-out, and the sort of food we love to eat!
  - on April 18, 2011 at 9:54 am spiceandmore
    
    ahem…you “don’t buy a lot of cookbooks”? Is this accurate? :) :)
    - on April 18, 2011 at 9:57 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
      
      Yes, smarty, I don’t buy a lot of cookbooks. I do, however, buy a lot of chocolate moulds and bundt pans. ;-)
on April 15, 2011 at 6:52 am cityhippyfarmgirl

How lovely does that rocky road look! That front cover of the Lebanese book looks gorgeous too.
Kitchen happenings for me…. Trial one of sourdough hot cross buns, trial two to commence soon. Caramelised onion tarts have been popular. My favourite tea is dwindling and if I don’t get some again soon there may be a little stomping of feet…. and I tried to make almond butter using the utensils that I had….didn’t work. So now I have to make a sweetie of some sort or another with almond meal. It could be worse!
- on April 15, 2011 at 9:09 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Brydie, look forward to seeing how you go with your HXB. I sometimes make sourdough ones, but they’re hard work! I once tried making peanut butter too, but it was pretty useless – I don’t think my equipment’s up to the challenge…
on April 15, 2011 at 7:19 am Manuela

Hi Celia!

The teapot looks so quaint. I like the cup as well. Your rocky road looks so good, my marshmallow never seems to turn out. Nice cover shot on the cookbook.

Not much happening in the kitchen right now. We’re itching to get the greenhouse planted, so there’s lots of outdoor work right now. Once the heater works properly in my greenhouse, I’ll be transplanting all the tomatoes and pepper plants that fill the windows in the house!
- on April 15, 2011 at 9:10 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Manuela, a heated greenhouse! Don’t tell Pete, he’ll be jealous.. ;-)
on April 15, 2011 at 8:17 am Jo Smith

In our kitchen is a key lime slice made with the first limes from our tree. I’m not sure if they’re ripe – they’re green and sour but also big and juicy and they’ve been on the tree for a while…. also a bowl of homemade yoghurt with raspberry sauce.

That rocky road looks delicious. I just tipped 4 egg whites down the sink from the lime slice cause I didn’t want to make meringues. If only I’d read your post earlier we could have had marshmallows!
- on April 15, 2011 at 9:11 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Jo, we have so many egg whites here that we’re perpetually looking for things to do with them! Small Man’s just asked for chocolate icecream for the school holidays, so there’s going to be more whites again soon…
on April 15, 2011 at 8:28 am Abby

Love these posts so much, Celia! In my kitchen right now is my kids’ first ever batch of Rice Crispy treats and a take-out pizza because I was too tired to cook tonight! ;-) And I have to tell you that my mom was so inspired by my homemade vanilla (made by following your post) that she decided to make her own…I sent her your link and she’s starting today. =)
- on April 15, 2011 at 9:12 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Abby, thank you! I hope your mum loves her vanilla extract as much as I do – I can’t bring myself to use anything else anymore! :)
on April 15, 2011 at 8:45 am Jan

I love your kitchen posts too and am so envious of your beautiful mug – it’s exquisite. Once upon a time, I had a big, rambly sort of kitchen with timber beams on the ceiling, and a big, old dresser. I ‘dressed’ that kitchen as if it were a doll and changed its ‘outfits’ and made little areas that pleased me and took photos. I cooked lots and felt at home there. Then the dog died, the cats died, the grannies in the flat died (I began to think it was my cooking!). Now I have a smaller kitchen, it dictates tidiness so I feel that ‘in my kitchen’ something is missing.
- on April 15, 2011 at 9:14 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Jan, the thing I like most about these posts is that they force me to look into my kitchen for interesting things – and there’s always something there if I look hard enough! I’m sure there’s treasure in your little tidy kitchen too (and I’m sure your cooking is wonderful :)).
on April 15, 2011 at 9:08 am dianne

I love the blue and white tea-pot!
At the moment in my kitchen I have a pot of tea brewing – 2/3rd English Breakfast tea and 1/3rd Earl grey tea. I find this to be just the perfect brew.
- on April 15, 2011 at 9:15 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Oooh Dianne, my friend Carol would enjoy your blend – I’m not an Earl Grey fan myself, but she loves them both!
on April 15, 2011 at 10:32 am Christine

Oh, yes, I could quite easily go a piece of your Rocky Road right now as it happens! And that teapot!! Could it get any sweeter? Ahh!

In my kitchen? 3 loaves of freshly baked bread, drying purple wool, garlic that needs to come down and be planted out and a seven year old raiding the cookie jar!
- on April 15, 2011 at 9:15 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  I wish I was in your kitchen Chris, there aren’t any cookies in mine at the moment! ;-)
on April 15, 2011 at 10:32 am Lorraine Not Quite Nigella

In my kitchen is a lot of mess! There was a lot of cake baking and experimentation in my kitchen this month :P Love the mug- such a pretty pattern!
- on April 15, 2011 at 9:16 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Thanks Lorraine – it is very pretty! Royal Albert have a whole range of heritage patterns at the moment!
on April 15, 2011 at 11:21 am Amanda

I’m a fiend for a blue and white teapot and have too many of them.
I also had Abla’s book in my hot little hand just yesterday in a book shop, but managed to resist the temptation – for now.
- on April 15, 2011 at 9:17 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  I actually like very plain teapots, Amanda, but this one really caught my eye. Katey loved it too! :)
on April 15, 2011 at 3:18 pm Sonia

That cup is glorious!
I made my first batch of hot cross buns. They came out perfect and very yummy but I will never make them again. It was seriously hard work!
- on April 15, 2011 at 9:18 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Sonia, they’re a lot of work, aren’t they? It’s like you need to do deep breathing exercises first. Last year I made one giant hot cross bun, and this year I think I’ll do the same. It was fun! :)
  
  Here’s the link..
  
  https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2010/04/05/hot-cross-bun/
on April 15, 2011 at 3:46 pm thecompletecookbook

I am in love with your Royal Albert mug – tea must taste so much nicer in that.
:-) Mandy
- on April 15, 2011 at 9:18 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Mandy, it really does! :) Thank you…
on April 15, 2011 at 4:32 pm Marilyn

Oatmeal cookies with peanuts and chocolate chips, beer bread, pudding tarts. Chicken tacos cooked in a crock pot for the guys…. Artichokes! Lots of Artichokes!
- on April 15, 2011 at 9:19 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Goodness, how the year has flown! I seem to recall you mentioning artichokes last year!! :)
on April 15, 2011 at 6:29 pm Liz

What a gorgeous mug! I succumbed to the baking bug today so we have three dozen hot cross buns based on a honey oat recipe that I love and a double batch of Dan Lepards semolina buns. We also have a lonesome little rockmelon that came up in the yard and I babied until it matured. And–dare I mention it–I’ve got a corned beef tongue on the stove cooking for dinner.
- on April 15, 2011 at 9:23 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Liz, good for you – I’ve never had corned tongue before! Hot cross buns sound very nice, and I adore those semolina buns – must make some more! :)
on April 15, 2011 at 11:31 pm heidi

I love seeing into your kitchen, Celia! And I LOVE the teapot- then again I am rather partial to ALL teapots!
The rocky road is really beautiful- a bit unfair to all of us who can’t do chocolate past chocolate chip cookies!
It sounds like everyone is doing hot cross buns.
Maybe I will too, this year.
I’m still hobbling around and not doing much in my kitchen or anywhere else-
But Hot Cross BUNS?!
maybe.
- on April 17, 2011 at 4:33 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Heidi, I love what’s happening in your kitchen this month (folks, check it out here), and especially your HXBs!! xx
on April 16, 2011 at 1:17 pm InTolerantChef

Unfortunately my kitchen is a complete mess! All the jobs half finished- garbage bag tied and waiting to go out, dishes stacked for dishwasher, recycling piled on floor, big bowl of dog scraps on bench, oven trays stacked to cool on floor before putting in drawer, kettle and toaster still out of cupboard, breakfast dirty dishes on bench…..
then looked at the clock and ran out of door to work promising kiddies $10 to finish it when they get home from school!
Great idea I thought….. until my mother in law dropped over un announced before they started :(

In my kitchen this month is a new resolution to finish what I start! And not rush in the mornings!
- on April 17, 2011 at 4:34 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Becca, I shouldn’t laugh, but it reminds me of that Spray and Wipe commercial with Paula Duncan where the mother-in-law arrives after they’ve had a big party the night before.. :)
on April 16, 2011 at 11:04 pm Anna Johnston

Oh I’m in love with that gorgeous tea cup Celia, I bet its the business to sip your cuppa from in the morning too :)
What’s happening in Anna’s kitchen this month, not sure if I’ll get through it in one month, but I’ve decided to bite the bullet & set some cooking goals. I’ve never felt comfortable in the arena of baking….., its about time I did.
- on April 17, 2011 at 4:35 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial
  
  Anna, baking! Girl, if anyone can do it, you know you can!
on April 19, 2011 at 3:36 pm Susan

Oh I want some of that rocky road!!
on April 21, 2011 at 2:12 am Choclette

I’m with Jo, your In My Kitchen series is great. I love to see what you’ve been up to and your latest acquisitions. That mug looks very special – actually the rocky road looks pretty good too ;-)

In my kitchen is a tray of crystalised primroses that are in the process of drying. I’m crossing fingers they’ll turn out all right so I can use them for Easter decorations.
on April 21, 2011 at 5:59 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Susan, Choc, thank you! The rocky road has been very popular!

Choc, I’ve never made crystallised flowers before – look forward to seeing how they turn out!