Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Food & Friends’ Category

Happy New Year!

Posted in Food & Friends on December 31, 2010| 24 Comments »

(2011 fireworks, photo credit: http://www.smh.com)

Best wishes to you all for a wonderful 2011!

May it be filled with fun times and an abundance of delicious food!

 

Read Full Post »

Foodie Christmas

Posted in Food & Friends on December 30, 2010| 42 Comments »

I hope you all had a happy Christmas!

Every year we receive fabulous foodie gifts from our friends and neighbours.  Maude made me more of her wickedly addictive lime pickle (I start begging in November), we’ve already eaten our way through half a jar of my aunt’s achar pickles, Carol baked me almond bread for Christmas, and Iris’ magnificent pan de pascua is nearly all gone!

This year we also received handmade red and gold stars and a box of origin chocolate from the wonderful Moo…

Diana and Ian gave us a knob of black garlic – something I’ve been keen to try ever since reading about it on Roz’ blog earlier this year.  It has a delicious and unusual flavour – a little like caramelised garlic with a touch of balsamic vinegar added – and a quite distinctive, almost mushroomy aroma.  The cloves are completely black and so soft that they can be spread like a paste. Fascinating stuff and not yet made here in Australia, I believe.

Maude bought us some fantastic books, including Christine Ferber’s jam book for Pete, and a collection of Nigel Slater’s short essays for me…

And Cliff, as only he could, gifted us with a giant King Crab claw…

We picked all the meat and combined it with new season garlic, chilli oil, homegrown tomatoes and anchovy fillets, then stirred the mixture through spaghetti and topped it with fried breadcrumbs, flaked almonds, a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh basil.  Simply sublime…

Did you give or receive any exciting food gifts this Christmas?  We’d love to hear about them!

Read Full Post »

Christmas Corn

Posted in Food & Friends, Frugal Living on December 25, 2010| 23 Comments »

This Christmas morning, we went to the backyard and harvested some fresh corn – five cobs for our breakfasts, and four as a Christmas present for our girls.  They enjoyed them enormously and in return, gifted us with three super fresh eggs…

Hope you’re all having a wonderful Christmas Day!

Read Full Post »

Merry Christmas

Posted in Food & Friends on December 24, 2010| 35 Comments »

Wishing you all a joyous,

contented,

loving, peaceful,

blessed, delicious

Merry Christmas!

. . .

With ♥ from our family to yours,

Peter, Celia, Big Boy, Small Man,
Queenie, Bertha, Harriet, Francesca,
Maggie and Rosemary

 

Read Full Post »

Christmas Countdown

Posted in Food & Friends on December 22, 2010| 30 Comments »

There’s just enough time for a little last minute baking before Christmas!

Here’s what’s on the agenda for today:

1. Another batch of spiced nuts – this wonderfully easy recipe is always a huge hit at Christmas!  I use brazil nuts, almonds and walnuts, which are tossed in beaten egg white, brown sugar and spices, and then baked in a moderate oven.  They’re the perfect Christmas nibbly, and a great hamper filler…

2. I’ll be baking up some of my frozen shortbread dough into cookies (they’re my mum and dad’s favourite)…

3. World Peace cookies have been on my mind for days now, so I’ll put that worm to rest and bake a batch today…

Our mini hampers are packed – each one has two jars of jam, biscotti and mixed nuts…

How are the Christmas preparations going on your end?  I hope you’re all having fun – it’s been so mild in Sydney this year that it’s actually been a pleasure to play in the kitchen!

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »