In my kitchen…
…is a platter of chocolate treats for Karen’s 50th birthday – I tempered a combination of 250g each of Fairtrade Callebaut 811 (54%) and 823 (Milk) and moulded the blend into cane toads, a birthday card and fleur de lys squares. I then dipped Drambuie-soaked Persian figs in the leftovers…
In my kitchen…
…are treats for the school drama club…a large batch of Supernatural brownies…
…and our ever reliable butterscotch bars…
In my kitchen…
…is a container of organic cocoa, a gift that lovely Jo from Queensland surprised me with…
I used some of it to make two Tiger cakes…
…one of which went with us to Uncle Steve’s place for lunch…
In my kitchen…
…is my latest succulent experiment. I’ve planted surplus cuttings in old tea light holders and found them a spot on the sunny kitchen windowsill…
I’m not sure how well they’ll manage without drainage holes, but they’ve certainly brightened up the kitchen…
In my kitchen…
…are heart shaped sourdough rolls, sliced for breakfast toast…
In my kitchen…
…is a huge tin of amazing Italian anchovy fillets. As I mentioned to Greg and Katherine recently, I think anchovies are a gift from God…
In my kitchen…
…with thanks to all my friends who emailed me frantically to tell me about the Peters of Kensington deal of the day, is a baby Emile Henry risotto pot. It’s much smaller than my other one, and cost just $34…
The first thing I cooked in it was a baked version of our chicken and chestnut rice…
In my kitchen…
…are June’s Hungarian cabbage rolls. They’re soooo good and I was such a pest about them that she finally made a batch just for me…
Finally, in my kitchen…
…is a bottle of 1999 Clare Valley riesling. I took the arty Hipstamatic photo below after we’d had a glass or two.
Aged riesling is one of the great secret (I believe) of Australian wine. We buy riesling from the Clare or Eden Valleys in South Australia (they’re usually very reasonably priced) and stash them under the house for ten years or so, during which time they turn into luscious, golden treasures…
. . . . .
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 do so. We’d love to see what’s happening in your kitchen this month! Please link back to this blog, and let us know when your post is up, and we’ll add it to our monthly listing.
Here are this month’s posts…
Siobhan @ Garden Correspondent
Johanna @ Green Gourmet Giraffe
Amanda @ Lambs’ Ears and Honey
JJ @ 84th & 3rd
(first IMK post!)
Lizzy@ Bizzy Lizzy’s Good Things
Anne @ Life in Mud Spattered Boots
Mrs Mulberry @ Mulberry & Pomegranate
Rebecca @ The InTolerant Chef
(late November post)
Kari @ Bite-Sized Thoughts
(late November post)
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Reblogged this on Linda's New Garden & Wildlife Journey and commented:
yummy
Awesome roundup, probably your best ever, I think!
What a wonderful chocolate gift for your friend’s Bday, she is a lucky lady!
Loved everything, although you may remember how I feel about anchovies… still working on getting a good relationship with them. The tiger cakes are spectacular, and the heart shaped sourdough rolls melted my heart!
A toast to your last In my Kitchen of 2012!
Thanks Sally! Anchovies aren’t for everyone, which is just as well, because there’s more left for those of us who truly love them! :) Hope it’s all going well and you’re slowing down a bit as the year comes to a close. What a busy time it’s been for both of us! xx
Your succulents in the old tea light holders will do just fine if you do not over water, better to under water.
Thanks Norma! They’re actually doing remarkably well – I can see through the glass when they need water, which is a good thing! :)
My succulents have done very well without drainage holes. Lovely treats and treasures this month Celia :)
That’s very encouraging Tandy, thank you!
I love the idea of the tea light succulents. I have to do that same thing… Now to burn the rest of those candles…
Anna, the tealight holders were just 50c each from Ikea. After I planted these ones, I went looking for some more! :)
There is a lot going on in your kitchen, Celia! That wine attracted my attention: I wanted to drink a glass or 2 with you! Those brownies look to die for & your home-made chocolates look irresistable too! MMMMMM!
Thanks Sophie! The wine was fantastic – Big Boy and I made short work of the bottle. Pete doesn’t drink much, so it’s nice to have an adult son to share it with! :)
As always.. I feel like I’m standing next to you in your kitchen, looking around and seeing all sorts of creative genius. I love those heart-shaped buns.. the chocolate dipped Drambuie-soaked Persian figs.. how do you even come up with these ideas? Just loved all of this!! xx
You are always so kind, thanks Barb! The Persian figs are very addictive – I didn’t get to dip them all, and I just sit there and eat the undipped ones, straight out of the jar! :)
Hi Celia, great post. Your succulents look great. As others have said, the secret is not to over water them. Your cakes, as always, are magnificent. You are a very talented cake maker. I am not very good at cakes so I appreciate it when others excel. 10 year old riesling sounds absolutely fabulous. I would like to come and visit and share some:)
Here is the link to my IMK post for this month: http://passionfruitgarden.com/2012/12/01/in-my-kitchen-december-2012/
Thanks for being so lovely. Have a great festive season. G
Glenda, you and Maus SO have to come over and help me drink up the wine cellar! There’s (cough cough) still a few bottles of riesling left under there.. :) xx
Now drinking is something we can do!!
Those cabbage rolls reminded me instantly of my mother. They were one of the wonderful Hungarian dishes on her repertoire, Celia. I agree, this is a really good post, so many good things and all just in time for the festive season. Love the tiger cake. A slice of that would go very nicely with my macchiato right now. ; D
Lizzy, the cabbage rolls were SO good, I don’t know how June makes them so delicious. I was hinting shamelessly, and she gave up and finally cooked up a huge pot (our neighbour Dredgey got some too). And I would love to share a slice of tiger cake with you! xx
Oh my, how to chose a favourite out of all of your wonderful bounty this month Celia – as always such wonderful treasures.
Can’t believe the year is at an end already and the next IMK post will be in the New Year.
:-) Mandy xo
Mandy, it’s such a busy time of year, isn’t it? Hope you’re having a great one, and that the festive season is starting for you as well! xx
I want some of that tiger cake and a glass of wine! How does the risotto pot work? I love risotto but struggle with the consistency…
Alison, we tend to make risotto in the wok and curry in the risotto pot! We have used it for risotto before though (the large one, that is), and it’s been fine – the curved base allows for stirring and doesn’t catch and burn.
I can’t decide which bit of this post excites me most. I think the brownies but then the tiger cake and I love the tea light idea. :)
Thanks Maureen! The tea light succulents are making me very happy – I talk to them every morning when I go into the kitchen. :)
I think I’d like to go crawling around under your house. There’s always so much delicious baking going on at your house. Like Maureen, I can’t decide just what I’d like to start with. The tiger cake and the brownies and definitely some of Karen’s birthday chocolates xx
Charlie, come over and we’ll go exploring under the house together. Bring the scout’s headlamp. :)
Sweets, Wine & a Pot of Food – I will be right over – ha! Your kitchen must smell divine. Have a Great One:)
Renee, thank you – it DOES smell good at this time of year!
Oh yum Celia, those treats look divine!!! That tin of anchovies would be absolutely demolished in seconds in our house – they look fantastic, perfect with that great looking reisling I’m sure!!!
Mrs Mulberry, I find the anchovies absolutely irresistible – they’re not as salty as some, and I like them simply on toast! :)
Oh those heart shaped rolls! What a lovely way to start the day indeed :) everything else is just scrummy too, but I bet I can make you jealous with my jars of TRUFFLED ANCHOVIES! Tania from My Kitchen Stories mentioned them and kindly put me onto them- yummo!
Truffled anchovies? They sound amazing Becca! :)
I love that chocolate platter, and the little tea light planters :) And the heart shaped bread!
Thanks Kari! And thanks for joining in this month too! :)
What a wonderful IMK post, Celia! That is quite the birthday platter! WOW! (By the way, my birthday is in January.)
You really are quite the baker and I’m always impressed when you show us your latest efforts. Those Tiger cakes look very good! And you sure have taken to succulents, haven’t you? You’re building quite a collection, made even more special because you’ve done all of the planting yourself.
Thanks John! I’m prone to what Pete calls “enthusiasms”. :) And I’m quite besotted with the succulents at the moment!
There is nothing in our kitchen so glorious as all your chocolate. The hub did a spiced pulled pork in the slow cooker today. Other than soup, I’ve been a slacker… need to step up my game. :-)
Hugs, Maz
Maz, the pulled pork sounds wonderful! I don’t own a slow cooker, but I can imagine that after hours of simmering, it would be incredibly tender!
Celia, it looks like your kitchen is the place to be this month! Karen is quite the lucky lady! I love the swirls on your tiger cakes (so pretty!) and how adorable is that heart shaped roll?! Just lovely. I agree with you about the anchovies by the way…
For your chestnut rice- is teriyaki a typical sub for light soy? I can’t find light soy by me and I’m looking for a good alternative.
PS- IMK is up!
Hope you are enjoying your weekend :)
Em, teriyaki is a sub that we often use in our family, but I’m surprised you can’t find light soy. As I understand it, light soy just refers to the regular Kikkoman soy they sell at the supermarkets – the dark soy is the sticky, thick stuff. Hope you had a great weekend too! :)
Hi Celia,
Sorry! I should have been more clear..the light soy I was thinking of is actually different than the Kikkoman variety. I saw it in a food magazine once and it’s quite light in color and a little sweet in taste (and of course I forget the name!) Over here, we usually refer to Kikkoman as dark or regular soy, and rarely call it light. So when you mentioned light soy in your recipe, I just assumed that it was the one I was looking for! Confusing, right? Sorry about that! I hope all of my rambling makes sense. If I ever come across this mysterious light soy, I’ll let you know :)
Aaah ok. I hope you track some down, Emilie! :)
I especially like the succulent garden…trying to think how you could give them drainage holes….I have a great sunny kitchen window..I”m thinking about what’s in my kitchen now and hope to post later today or Monday! Thanks for this great idea once again.
Linda, look forward to seeing your post! So far the plants have been ok without drainage holes, although I understand that algae can become a problem as the pebbles at the bottom are frequently wet.
It’s up – my In My Kitchen post for December…you are too smart with this idea – I have so much fun deciding what to share!
If you have or could get a glass drill – you could drill holes for drainage!
I loooooove the little plants and the heart-shaped bread! Adorable!
My post is up! http://www.pinkpolkadotfood.com/in-my-kitchen-in-december-2012/
Thanks Zirkie! And thanks for playing! :)
Celia- I love -Love- LOVE your kitchen.
I’m not going to even try to pick out what i like best- it is all wonderful!
You could put down a layer of pebbles in your tea lights and that would keep the water on a different level until the roots from the succulents need it. Just don’t water too much and that would be sufficient protection.
Heidi, I did put pebbles at the bottom, but I’ve heard that these can sometimes get algae on them because they’re wet and in the light. Having said that, the big advantage so far has been that I can see when the little cups dry out and need watering! :) I adore your kitchen too (but you know that) – going to try wreaths today (still trying to source wire).
Forgot to mention- I put up an IMK post this month, too!
http://www.heidiannie.com/
By the way love the chocolate frogs. Harry Potter inspired?
Zirkie, not chocolate frogs, chocolate cane toads. They’re a big pest here in Australia! :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_toad
Amazing again Celia. The tiger cake, the succulents and that you have the patience to actually temper chocolate! My IMK is in the works, where does the time go?
Pamela, thank you – I’m a very lazy chocolate temperer – I melt the chocolate, bung in a hunk of chocolate, and come back a bit later when it’s done. :)
I heart the heart sourdough bread :) Oh and I’m hearting the anchovies too ! and yes hearts go out to the Reisling :)
Love the succulents in the tea light dishes too , so sweet !
Thanks Claire – I could have all those things in the one meal I reckon – anchovies on heart shaped toast, washed down with old riesling. :)
Oooh, good reminder that I need to blog about your amazing tiger cake! In fact, it’s been ages since I made it, I ought to repeat it again. I love the look of your risotto pot… great colour.
Caroline, I’m so glad you liked it, although credit where it’s due, it really is Ms Medrich’s cake recipe! I’m in love with the fig coloured Emile Henry pieces! :)
“I then dipped Drambuie-soaked Persian figs in the leftovers…”
Sigh. Drool. ::Rose shakes herself and comes to. ::
Aged riesling huh? Tar :)
One of these days, on my way down to the gong, I’m going to stop by with a bottle.. ;-)
[…] (linking in with the lovely Celia@ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial) […]
So many lovely things happening in your kitchen this month Celia. Seeing your brownies reminded me of a thought I had this week…that brownie really is so much nicer than plain old chocolate cake- there really isn’t any comparison! Did the drama club gobble them all up? :-)
Brydie, I think you’re right about brownies – they’re consistently good, whereas chocolate cake is often inconsistently good. And yes, they were a bit hit, thank you!
Hi Celia
Nice work. and a lot you have done…..those can toads are the delicious frogs Ive ever had,,,I hope that I will eventually post a December in my kitchen but danger and beware ,….my blog got hacked this week and I am just peacing it back together. Warning all, secure your website ( ( I have asked some one how).
Love an aged reisling…..under the house you say??
Tania, I’m so sorry to hear about the blog! I hope everything’s ok now. Maybe the next place we all go should be BYO, and I’ll bring the grog.. :)
You have a fabulous kitchen as always, Celia. Such wonderful birthday treats and the tiger cake looks divine. It’s been on my to do list for a while but I think it will get bumped up. A lady brought some home made raw chocolates to work the other day (raw cocoa butter, the cacao and something else) and they were divine.
Jo, thanks again for the cocoa, it’s been delicious!
Such delicious wonders you have in your kitchen! I love the idea of this post!
Thanks Clare! Please feel free to join in if you’re so inclined! :)
[…] over to Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial to see all the fun things going on in kitchens across the […]
The succulents are so cute. I hope they survive and it’s a successful experiment! I wouldn’t mind a slice of that tiger cake and what a gorgeous Birthday platter.
Thanks Claire! Fingers crossed they hang in there – they’re doing well so far! How’s your jade plant going?
the marble cake’s definition is just perfection.
Thanks E! It’s a clever recipe – self-marbling, no less! :)
Everything looks delicious as always in your kitchen this month Celia! :D
Thanks darling! Hope all is well.. xx
I’ve just bought a large maglite……..just the thing to find our way under your house to the wine cellar.
Oh I must bake some of your butterscotch bars soon! and just love your chocolate birthday card.
Thanks Elaine! We need a Maglite for under the house.. :)
Celia…this month I just don’t know where to start in your kitchen, it all looks so good! The chocolate platter is sensational; lucky Karen. I could eat the brownies and butterscotch bars right now, and the tiger cake! I adore the sourdough heart, that is something I am going to have to try. The succulents are stunning too. Amazing work!
Thank you once again for the fun tour, my post is linked. Can you believe it is December?
Jane, hasn’t time flown? I reckon you’d love the hearts – such a clever design by Frieda!
[…] What’s happening in your kitchen this month? Why not join in with Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. […]
Mmmmmmm. Celia, that all looks so good. Butterscotch bars and tiger cake, chocolate platter, sourdough hearts … How I wish I was in your kitchen this month away from our grey skies and cold days. Your wine reminded me of the day we cycled along part of the Reisling Trail in Clare Valley so I shall close my eyes and pretend I’m back there!
My post is linked.
Anne, how great that you’ve visited the Clare Valley – I still haven’t! It’s one of our great wine regions..
That Zebra cake is going to be in my kitchen soon. I love it. I’ve just posted my IMK for December. Thank you!!! I love the chocolate platter as well. Everything looks delicious, if I’m being honest!
Thanks Oz! Hope you’re having a great December! :)
I have the exact same succulent plants in mini pots on my sunny kitchen windowsill. Love your blog!
Oh, that’s encouraging Caro, thank you! :)
Hi Celia.. I ve been a silent follower of your blog:0… I can be blog shy sometimes…:))) But I love what is in your kitchen this month and just wanted to tell you that.. I am absolutely fascinated with the way you temper chocolates and mould them into something you love. I must get my head around that as it is very impressive to give away.. To be totally true I did try to comment once but the comment section was closed I think. Lara
Thanks for stopping by, Lara! I’ve had to close comments on older posts – I was getting too much spam! :)
You are a shinging example of how to live a wonderful life using the same materials available to us all, in your case though discerning selected and treated with skill and talent :) My balcony succulents, as mentioned by other commenters, do fine in random pots without holes for drainage. The only thing of note in my kitchen are new bamboo cooking utensils from POK.
You, my dear, are very kind. x
I’m glad to know your succulents are doing well! :)
As always visiting your kitchen is a joy. Particularly like the swirly cakes and the succulents.
[…] Celia over at Fig Jam & Lime Cordial started this monthly round-up of what’s in peoples kitchens, I think it satisfies the nosiness in us all. If you want to see what other bloggers around the world have in their kitchen then click on this link. […]
Your IMK posts are always interesting, I must try anchovies again! My IMK is a bit late, but better late than never hey?!
[…] month, Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial hosts a feature called ‘In my kitchen’. After months of peeking in through the window […]
I could go a few of those anchovies on some of that heart sourdough ;) After months of reading other people’s I finally did an In My Kitchen post this month! Love the idea :)
love your chocolate baking – one of these days I am gong to make those butterscotch bars as I keep drooling over them. and will be interested to hear how the succulents go – they are amazingly hardy – I don’t think even I could kill them (and we once killed off a rosemary bush in a student household)
Have put up my in my kitchen post at http://gggiraffe.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/in-my-kitchen-edinburgh-edition.html
[…] I am taking a leaf of my friend OZ from Kitchen Butterfly who herself has also leaved Celia of Fig Jam and Lime Cordial, featuring a ‘what’s in my kitchen’ for the month of December. I did say that I […]
Celia, the brownies look divine, and so do the anchovies! I’ll have to look out for that brand.
Those chocolate frogs are so great! And I love the latest batch of succulents. They just get better and better. Finally got my IMK up, amidst all of the holiday cooking…
[…] What’s happening in your kitchen this month? Why not join in with Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. […]
[…] What’s happening in your kitchen this month? Why not join in with Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. […]