In my kitchen…
…are the shells from the greenlip abalones I bought last month. Aren’t they beautiful!
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In my kitchen…
…is super fresh Korean chilli powder, a gift from our friend Jay. His father grew and dried the chillis himself…
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In my kitchen…
…there is always sourdough. Lately I’ve been slashing my loaves using this new pattern I came up with. My friend Moo calls it the starburst slash. It works well for loaves baked in an enclosed pot…
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In my kitchen…
…there was chocolate slab cake. I’m always so happy to have two offset spatulas whenever I make this – one to spread the batter, one to spread the icing. Yes, yes, I know I could just use one and wash it in between…
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In my kitchen…
…is Pete’s homemade quince jelly and some clarified jamon butter. Mum’s very kind friend Russell dropped off half a dozen quinces for us from his farm.
Here’s a late night photo of our messy kitchen as everything was being made and cooled…
And here’s a photo of the quince jelly the following day. The jars were glowing like jewels – Pete has a deft touch with jellies, and they’re always crystal clear…
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In my kitchen…
…is freshly harvested ginger, a wonderful gift from Monkey Girl’s clever mum. The aroma of fresh ginger is astonishing!
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In my kitchen…
…is the resurgence of an old mania. I used to cross stitch when I was at uni and last week I came across a box of old patterns. It’s amazing how our tastes evolve – very few of the designs still appeal some thirty years later (really? I liked calico cats and Holly Hobby at 19?). Anyway, I thought I’d have another go…
In the process of looking for embroidery cotton, I came across this very old school project of Pete’s, made some 45 years ago. I wonder why we don’t teach boys to embroider any more?
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Tell me, what’s happening in your kitchen?
If you’d like to write an In My Kitchen post, please do so by the 10th June and send your link to Maureen at The Orgasmic Chef. Thanks for hosting Maureen! x
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
caught this post as I am ready to leave to the airport for our trip to California and then Hawaii… what a nice thing to have just before the hectic travel day starts
I will be joining this month, my post should come up at midnight our time…. it seems that I can only manage it every three months, I am in awe of you, Maureen and all the others who are so diligent about posting monthly!
I could not cross-stitch if I wanted to – my eyes are not the same they used to be and reading glasses make me queasy after a few minutes. (sigh)
How wonderful is this In my kitchen post…Love the idea of your roundup..hope to join in sometime;))
Not much cooking going on these last few weeks In my kitchen. We’ve been sick as dogs. I’m off to get some antibiotics before my head explodes. :-(
Old turn of the last century Applied Art schoolbooks used to have embroidery exercises for boys because “They might be surgeons one day” Home economics aren’t taught much here in the states which is silly in my opinion. Everyone lives somewhere, shouldn’t they know just a little about how run a house? Feeling grumpy, Maz.
Celia, Pete’s jelly does look fab. I made some apple and quince jelly today and I was very proud of it but I think Pete’s is even better. I also love to cross stitch.
Right now, I’m too busy gardening to do much in the kitchen. Love this time of year in northern New England. Payback for all the cold weather we Mainers must endure five or six months of the year ;)
Love the beautiful bread photos!
Your kitchen always holds such awesome treasures! I love cross stitch. They still teach knitting in some schools in Germany to all the students, even the boys. The embroidered horse looks very nice. The abolone shells look beautiful. Love the shimmering colors. Your bread slashing looks beautiful, like works of art. What is Pete’s secret to getting such clear jellies? Mine never turn out so beautiful.
I agree with Manuela – you always have such awesome treasures in your kitchen. If I posted, I would be showing lemons, apples etc. And the odd cabbage. NOT interesting – that’s for sure!! Great job – as always! ; o )
Lovely Roundup!
You should frame Pete’s project. Just love the form of the horse!
I guess they consider it sissy today. I think of it as an expression of talent.
It was my Daddy that taught me how to do needlework. And a fine job he did!
Ooh so many lovely things! I slashed a loaf today and I was so proud…not as many petals as yours though. I need more practice! Beautiful quince jelly…was it drained through muslin? Our Spanish one isn’t and is thick and solid like a fruit cheese. And those shells,oh, those shells!
That quince jelly looks fabulous. I hope I get some quince from my tree at Casa Debbio this year.
The jelly looks so good, great work Pete- a messy kitchen is a permanent fixture around here. I must try you new slashing technique, and get a better instrument to use. I think my eldest son learnt how to sew at school- not fine work like Pete’s but the basics of using a sewing machine, hemming or patching. I often see him repairing his jeans. He is 46- and feminism was alive and well in the 80s in schools.Equal rights and opportunities in schools were strongly promoted.
What a wonderful way to make a new acquaintance. I must drop by Maureen’s and thank her for hosting such a friendly event:) And thank you Celia for a taste of your kitchen. What treasures!
I love cross stitching too and one of my patterns is very much like yours. However, I’m an immaculate degenerate (macular degeneration) which means I can’t see fine detail – what dust? – so I’ve been looking for a magnifying light so I can make peaceful little stitches again. The light glowing through Pete’s quince jelly is beautiful and that’s a lot of eye-watering chilly powder – isn’t it a rich colour – and the little green shoot sprouting from the ginger looks so green and vulnerable, it’s very pretty.
Love the cross stitching! I used to do this as a child, but only very occasionally as an adult. Funnily enough, it was my Dad who taught me. I think it’s a pity that men don’t learn these skills anymore!
I love cross stitch but haven’t done it since I was in my 20s. You started me knitting dishcloths and I don’t have time to cross stitch. :)
The quince jelly is gorgeous and I too love the aroma of freshly dug ginger.
If that’s a messy kitchen, come on up here for lessons.
Hello Celia, this comment isn’t really about your IMK post (although I enjoyed it, as always), but to tell you that I made your Romertopf pulled pork yesterday and it was DELICIOUS. Thank you for sharing your recipe and process, and for introducing me to another favourite dish. Nicola
The jelly is beautiful! I can just see you all sitting down to a delicious cheese board with the quince jelly and another bottle of aged red you just happened to find in your stash. The gnarly ginger made me smile – I bet it smells and tastes so different form the stuff we get in the shops – properly spicy no doubt.
Oh dear – feel guilty looking at your cross-stitching. My love was for rug hooking and I see I have not just one, not two but three unfinished ones tucked behind all else ! If at once you . . etc . . .
Your sourdough loaves are amazing and I love the slash that you have invented!
We don’t teach anyone to embroider these days, let alone boys. I now have an offset spatula on my list! Pop over to my IMK when you have time to see the whole sumac I picked up.
I can testify that Pete’s quince jelly tastes as good as it looks… so good to bake ham.
I’m trying to grown my iwn ginger… hope it looks as good when I harvest it ☺
Just lovely Celia. The quince jelly especially looks divine. :)
Celia, your kitchen is a delight for the eye and palate! Thanks for sharing your sourdough “slash” design, too. Also, I admire needlework of any sort and that Grecian horse piece is stunning. (Apparently Pete is as multi-faceted as you!) Don’t beat yourself up about liking Holly Hobby at 19… I collected pet rocks. :)
Always love your kitchen inventory. When you say baking your bread in an enclosed pot… what kind of pot do you suggest?? Guess what I finally made the sour dough you kindly have mailed me last year. So hopefully it will turn out, I will let you know
I use a cheap enamel pot, Cornelia! There’s more info here: https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2015/02/03/priscilla-sourdough-tips-and-suggestions/
Hi lovely… I still remember how good it was to taste Pete’s quince jelly on your freshly baked bread and topped with fresh ricotta. Yum! Love your new slashing style. I loved seeing that embroidery piece… what a treasure. Do they even teach embroidery to girls these days?
Love the Korean chilli powder (I’m a bit jealous!) It sounds perfect – I’m sure there’ll be bought heat to do it’s job Celia :) Fresh ginger, you lucky girl. I’m sure it’s going to taste out of this world. Great seeing you for #IMK hope to see you soon x
Love the slashing Celia – do you do it before or after popping on the pot? Those cross stitches really bring back memories, I think I probably have a Holly Hobby one stashed somewhere too :) The wintery scene with the goose is rather nice though, and the horse is amazingly dynamic!
Sometimes you just have to have two spatulas! Who wants to wash in between LOL.
Pete’s quince jelly looks gorgeous. I used to cross stitch back in the day, boy has it ever been a long time. This summer might be a good time to start teaching the boys to sew. I love your new slash pattern, I’ll have to try it out. I just ordered some new blades, mine is dull and my slashes aren’t so pretty right now.
I have never seen a piece of fresh dug ginger like that. Love your new slashes love…and those little patterns. i can’t imagine you stitching those
You sourdough dough bread looks so beautiful Celia and love the “starbrust slash” :) Quince jelly look gorgeous… will done Pete.
oooh those jellies do look beautiful! And I bet that chilli smells awesome. We have some enbroidery my husband did when he was four, my mother in law had put it in a little frame luckily!
I would love to see your holly hobby patterns – would not really want it now but it makes me feel all nostalgic – hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane with the cross stitch – love all the bright colours in your kitchen – the shells, the chillis and of course the beautiful quince jelly (have never used the plural jellies about my mum’s quince jelly – always just quince jelly for us). And lovely smells of chocolate cake and ginger. Lovely as always.
Yes I wonder why we don’t teach boys sewing and embroidery anymore? My sister had Holly Hobby wallpaper in her bedroom so your post brought back childhood memories. I love the beautiful jewel like quince jelly, clarified jamon butter is new to me too.
Lovely things in your kitchen Celia. My father took up hooking rugs when he was home on an extended illness. From there he progressed to needlepoint and did some absolutely gorgeous work. The are now family heirlooms.
Natural objects like abalone shells and twisted ginger with the hairy part of the root still attached … such a nice subject for a very intriguing photo! Also wonderful: all the cooking and baking.
best… mae
Wow, if you think that was a messy kitchen you should see mine! I love the sourdough patterns you are using and I also would not bother to wash the spatula in between :)
oh yes i was a cross stitch fan years ago. love the quince jellies. and such beautiful shells the abalone have. no wonder the Kiwis make jewellery out of them. love the slashes in the bread too.