If I get to spend Saturday playing in the kitchen, the whole week that follows is much easier, in so many ways.
Ingredients are prepared, treats and loaves are baked, and frankly, I’m just a nicer person for having had the chance to unwind.
Yesterday, I messed around with making my own Malaysian curry powder…
Here’s my final blend…
- 150g coriander seed
- 40g fennel seed
- 25g cumin seed
- 25g white peppercorns
- 5g black peppercorns
- 25g dried Kashmiri red chillies (seeds removed)
- 10g Kashmiri chilli powder
- 20g ground turmeric
- 5g cardamon powder
- 1 star anise
- 5 cloves
- 10cm piece cinnamon
I pounded the star anise, cloves and cinnamon with a mortar and pestle, then roasted them with the coriander, fennel, cumin, peppercorns and whole chillies in a dry wok for a few minutes until fragrant. The mix was blitzed in a large food processor and then combined with the chilli powder, turmeric and cardamon powder. As the mixture was still quite coarse, I ground it down further in small batches in a coffee/spice grinder. A handful of dried curry leaves was added at the end.
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We made seven and a half litres of stock (beef, chicken and fish), following the instructions in this great YouTube clip – it was nice to give the old pressure cooker a workout…
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A discussion with Linda about sourdough bagels inspired a batch…
I’ve written two bagel posts in the past – a step by step tutorial on yeasted bagels and one on sourdough bagels. The links are here:
Yeasted Bagel Tutorial
Sourdough Bagels
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I turned a couple of experimental loaves into dry breadcrumbs – the slices were dried in a 100C oven for two hours until crisp and then whizzed in the food processor. Crumbed flathead fillets are one of Small Man’s favourite meals…
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And finally, I made a rabbit pie for dinner, although I didn’t get to take a photo before Big Boy tucked in!
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Anything exciting happening in your kitchen this weekend?
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Thanks for the pressure cooker video, Celia – it’s great. I have one but don’t think to use it as much as I should. This has reminded me about making stock in it. I made a batch about 6 months ago with a leftover chicken carcass & then forgot about it again – need to tie a knot in my finger, or something.
Much excitement in my kitchen today as I watch my new sourdough starter romping into life!
Amanda, our pressure cooker is usually stashed away as well – I’m generally not a huge fan of pressure cooked meals. Having said that though, it was absolutely perfect for stock, I couldn’t believe how much we turned out in a couple of hours! Can’t wait to see your first sourdough loaves! :)
Everything looks wonderful!
I made garam marsala once- and have been content to buy it ever after! :)
The bagels look perfect.
And I love the little bunny cut out on the pastry!
I made American picnic fare- potato salad, baked beans, watermelon slices and grilled meats for our Independence Day celebration.
Happy 4th July! I’ve never known what American picnic fare was, but I love that it includes baked beans and watermelon! :)
Garam Marsala is my next project, I think!
4th of July weekend here…. I wish there was more stuff happening, but too much activity outside the kitchen prevented me from doing much today
but, I intend to make some nice ribs tomorrow and some bread – a few ideas are brewing in my mind, nothing set in stone yet
You did amazing this weekend! But, I’m not even slightly surprised! ;-)
Happy 4th July to you too, Sally! Ribs..hmmm…they’re a favourite at our house!
what an inspiring array of different edibles you produced..no cooking here..just sewing pyjama bottoms from as new white op shop flannel sheets..i want to make about four pairs and i will wear them with purchased long sleeve white cotton tea shirt tops..the reason for this is because i don’t like pyjama tops..they ride up and wind around..not comfortable..thanks for the reply to my sourdough starter question..happy cooking..jane
Jane, I haven’t done any sewing for ages, but I used to sew all the time. The flannel sheets sound like a great fine, particularly if you got four pairs of pj pants from them! Hope we get to see some of your sewing projects on your new blog! :)
I have been using a pressure cooker for about fifty years and since Mom taught me well have never have had a problem with one. I cook everything from risotto (perfectly), polenta (brilliantly) and Italian Sunday “gravy” (with pork, beef, sausages, bracioli, neck bones, meatballs, etc.) in only thirty minutes Vs three hours.
When using a pressure cooker with friends or young family around I never leave the kitchen being a couple times I’ve found people trying to remove the lid before the pressure has been released. Please keep this in mind.
P.S. Most of my family in northern Italy use a pressure cooker… when making polenta it is only a ten minute procedure instead of 45 minutes to an hour.
Gian, thanks for the warning. Our “new” pressure cooker (about five years old now, but there was an earlier one) can’t be opened when it’s pressurised – the handle simply won’t move. Either way, I’m always in the kitchen when it’s on. Haven’t tried it for risotto, that’s definitely worth investigating!
I love the experimenting in your kitchen! I can always find something inspiring in your posts. We’ve been doing a lot of kids cooking this week – dominated by cupcakes and having fun with coloured icing and lollies on top!
Thanks Sonia! Kids cooking – gotta love school holidays! :)
I like the look of that rabbit pie. I don’t blame big boy for tucking in.
Deb, I was really pleased with how it turned out. I had confitted the rabbit the day before in white wine and duck fat, and then made the sauce with flour and stock (I wanted to avoid using cream). It was still creamy and rich. Plus I got to bake it in my new rectangular pie dish! :)
my bagels were a bit, shall we say, interesting. One day I’ll learn to actually follow a recipe, rather than read it, think “I’ve got the gist” and then just go for it! They tasted good though – just the shapes were a bit un-bagel-ish, and not like your beautiful ones. Definitely one I’ll keep working on. I would use my pressure cooker at least 3 or 4 times a week. Love it. And I so agree with you about a weekend in the kitchen (and the garden) making me a much nicer person!
Linda, I’m glad they tasted good! I got the boys to shape this lot, and I think they did a good job – bagels are usually a laborious process, but it was much easier when I didn’t have to shape them all myself! :)
Aww, look at your sweet rabbit face on the pie – it even has whiskers!! Too cute. Your curry powder looks great wonderful! I discovered a reputable Indian restaurant not far from us recently also sells small tubs of their homeground spice mix! We have some of their curry powder (yummyyy) but I’d really like to go back and give their garam masala a go too. What did you think of the sourdough bagels? I haven’t tried these…
This weekend saw lots of pancakes in the kitchen, also some corn fritters by the 11yo, nothing to complain about there :)
I really wanted to take a pic of the whole rabbit face! It had one ear down and one up – from an assorted pack of cookie cutters that I found at Aldi. That is really fabulous that the Indian restaurant sells their mixes – usually they’re coveted secrets!
Pancakes and corn fritters – I love that your girls are so adept in the kitchen!
The sourdough bagels are an old recipe which we’ve made several times before. We love them, although they’re a lot of work and all eighteen bagels are eaten in a heartbeat, particularly by Small Man and Pete, who just eat them plain like donuts! :)
Here’s the link:
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2009/09/05/sourdough-bagels/
Yesterday was probably the only day I haven’t cooked in a while. The day before I attempted salted macarons the real French way. They didn’t look too good but they sure were tasty.
Your curry powder… I swear I can smell it as you describe it.
Love the little bunny on the pie!
Claire, salted macarons! Can’t wait to read about them! :)
The curry powder looks tasty!
I made pizza for lunch. I had a batch of dough in the fridge and a ball of mozz so the rest was simpy. :-)
I couldn’t get to the store today so there is a big echo in our fridge. (My car was making steam punk effects. :-( I managed to scrape together a few things for dinner. Must go to store tomorrow!
Maz
Maz, with your garden at the moment, I’m sure there was plenty to adorn a pizza with! Hope the car recovers!
Beautiful pie , your pastry looks perfect. I love the idea of spending a day in the kitchen though I can’t remember the last time i did. there is always something to inspire me on your blog. I don’t have a pc though, one exploded when we were kids, and I’ve never got myself one after that. The family dog almost left home on the spot and we small kids cried for hours…
Thanks Jo! I love a really productive Saturday – often I’ll start at 6am and play around all day – the dishwasher will often go at least a couple of times before dinner!
Pressure cookers are much safer these days, but I doubt that will help you overcome scarring childhood memories..an exploding one must have sounded like a gun going off in the kitchen! Scary stuff..
You have had a productive day in the kitchen. My pressure cooker is lurking in the back of a cupboard somewhere. I had a great excuse to cook up big–an early 4th of July potluck with other local Americans. Baked ricotta with tomato and red capsicum sauce, roasted mixed olives, apple and berry cobbler and, of course, bread. It was the first time I’d roasted olives and they are so nice.
Liz, I didn’t realise you were an expat! Happy 4th July! Hope you had a wonderful time. Please do tell more about the olives – did you roast salted olives, or fresh ones?
Yes, I still claim to be a Yank, although I’ve live in Australia for a long time. The olives were brine cured. I buy them by the bucket to put in bread. I just sprinkled them with a bit of oil, crushed garlic, rosemary, black pepper and some lemon peel, and roasted them until they were a bit wrinkly. The flavour is really intense and quite salty and the oil in the bottom of the pan was amazing. The green olives are a bit hard and they softened up nicely.
What a lovely way to unwind! Lovely pie, I’ve been having trouble getting hold of a bunny, I need one for the last week of July so I might special order it tomorrow. Yours is just so cute with the face too!
Tomorrow is my day to play around with the kitchen, I’m going to make satay paste and rub, cakes, and maybe another go at gfree bread.
Becca, we had a Border Range rabbit (http://www.borderrangerabbit.com.au) – maybe you could call them and see if they have a distributor in Canberra? It was most delicious too. I only bought it after I’d had a discussion with the Sydney distributor, who assured me that the rabbits were raised in barns rather than cages like they are overseas. I understand that you can’t have a free range rabbit without having a plague, but it’s good to know they were trying to raise them in a human environment.
Pete won’t eat rabbit – he finds it too gamey, but the boys and I made short work of that pie! :)
Hope you nail that gf bread one of these days!
I got interested in charcoal after the black salt and decided never to use barbeque briquettes again. Chemical binders. YUK
Thanks Frances! Hope you don’t mind me deleting the rest of your comment – I don’t like to put through uncredited quotes out of respect for copyright.
Celia, how do you do it? You must work like the clappers. Even on a good day I don’t think I’d manage to do anything like that. Your curry mix sounds fantastic and very interested in the sourdough bagels – what was the verdict?
Choc, it was a long day, and Pete helped with all the stocks. Plus a lot of the stuff just happily cooked by itself – the bread was in the oven for crumbs, the bagel dough was rising, so the rest was just play.
The SD bagels are an old standby here – we adore them – especially Pete and Small Man. They’re a long process though, so there’s always deep breathing to build our chi before we start. :)
We made the curry up last night – it was delicious, and I’m feeling very chuffed with the mix.
Oh Celia – our weekends are pretty much the same. I love all the goodies you whipped up. I must admit though that I don’t quite make as many things as you have. But kitchen fulfillment does make us happier people. Lots of love!
Oz love, it really is true isn’t it! I can head into the week now full of beans. I have to say that having a freezer full of stock is making me especially happy at the moment!
I’ve been waiting for an excuse to comment on your Ciabatta bread recipe so this post will do…YUM YUM THANKS A MILLION…particularly from T, we LOVE it! Now for the blonde question…why do you call sourdough ciabatta “ciabatta” and yeasted ciabatta “pane de casa”?
Hehe…purely for my own distinction, Wendy – and because Pete referred to the ciabatta as our new “pane de casa”, since no-one wants to eat anything else now! :)
So glad T will now do anything for you when you bake him ciabatta – use your power for good, girlfriend. :)
I got to spend Saturday playing in my kitchen too–a very much-needed respite from life! We’re in full flow of goodies from the Farmers’ Market and garden, so yesterday I made & canned batches of garlicky dill pickles and blackberry jam. I also experimented with making a sour cherry-peach butter in my slow cooker–didn’t can that one as I want to taste it! Before the long weekend is out, I also have plans to make batches of pesto and yogurt, as well as a side and dessert for a July 4th BBQ tomorrow–still figuring out what those will be….
Nancy, sounds like you’ve had a really productive few days! Have a great 4th of July!
Hehe your rabbit on the pie looks delicious and it must be good if you only had a moment for a photo before he tucked in! :P
I’m sure you understand, love…”no, no, stop! I need to take a photo!!” ;-)
I love making my own spice blends and I should have done that this weekend! I have never cooked with rabbit nor made bagels so will have to add that to my list of things to do :)
Tandy, I’d love to read about your spice blends – have you blogged about them? Bagels are really popular here – the boys ask for them all the time! :)
I have blogged a few of my spice blends – ras el hanout and my own masala!
YUM, oh your so inspiring lovely. I love the photos, gorgeous colours. Great video. Stock is one of those things you really need to commit too. But, when ya do, oh its so worth it. Hope you had a splendid weekend. :)
Anna, we pulled out two boxes of fish stock yesterday and made paella, and I was so happy! :)
and I made 100 cupcakes, soup for 25, and helped prepare party snacks for 125 for the interval at a family ceilidh party in Scotland! Great fun, and exhausting!
Have you tried making dukkah? I have a great recipe if you can’t find one on the internet – great for dips with bread, or put in stews, or over roast veg etc!
Chocveg, yes, here’s my recipe!
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2009/10/02/dukkah/
What a busy weekend you’ve had! :)
Amazing that you asked. Yes I did do something exciting in the kitchen. The kids and I made ice-cream for the very first time. I am never buying it again. It was so easy to make and turned out great. I did make a modification to the recipe to make it even easier. Instead of spreading into a metal tray then covering with plastic wrap, I just used a bowl with a lid. Saved scooping it out every time I needed to whisk it.
Jason, it’s hard to go back to the bought stuff!! :) We have a cheap icecream maker – it really does work brilliantly – but I admire the fact that you made it without one!
Here’s our recipe:
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2009/09/11/vanilla-icecream/
And we also made Rum and Raisin – nice super-alcoholic stuff just for grown ups. :)
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2009/10/07/rum-and-raisin-icecream/
Glad you had fun!
Hi Celia!
Have been following your blog now for a few weeks (VERY distracting when I should be studying!) Love the bunny face on the pie pastry. I had rabbit pie last night but alas, no bunny face :)
What are you planning on cooknig with the curry powder?
Kat, thanks for stopping by! The curry powder was used (not all of it!) in a Malaysian chicken curry, with onions, chicken drums and coconut milk. Very simple, but my boys loved it!
I love my pressure cooker, I use it all the time. It makes dishes so flavourful and great for weeknight meals when you don’t have much time. I am planning on making a minestrone tonight in it with a ham hock!
See, I really have to get into the habit of using it more. But I’m actually far more inclined to let something stew long and slow on the stove or in the oven..
I tried to convince Mrs N that the plural of spouse was spice but she would have none of it.
I’m sure your spouse is the spice of your life, Cosmo.. :)