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Hazelnut Brownies

July 4, 2012 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

This recipe, from Trish Deseine’s Chocolate, is somewhat ambitiously titled “The Best Brownies”.

They’re very, very good, but I’m not sure they’re the best I’ve ever tasted. They are, however, one of the quickest to make, giving even the speedy Supernatural Brownies a run for their money.  Better still, you could get away with using just one bowl if you were really feeling lazy…

  • 90g (3oz) unsalted butter
  • 120g (4oz) dark chocolate (I used Callebaut 811 54% this time, but they also work well with the Callebaut 70% dark)
  • 2 large (59g) free range eggs, beaten
  • 225g (8oz) white sugar
  • 90g (3oz) plain (AP) flour
  • 50g (2oz) hazelnut or almond meal (I used hazelnut this time)

1. Preheat oven to 180C (360F) or 160C (320F) with fan. Line a square 20cm (8″) baking pan with parchment paper, bringing the paper up the sides. Alternatively, simply grease the pan.

2. In a large pyrex bowl, melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave using short bursts and stirring frequently.  Allow to cool a little, then stir in the beaten eggs, working quickly to ensure they don’t curdle.  Stir in the sugar, flour and hazelnut meal. (Told you it was easy!)

3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 30 minutes.  Allow to cool in the pan before cutting and serving.

Posted in Recipes | Tagged | 60 Comments »

In My Kitchen, July 2012

July 1, 2012 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

This month’s IMK is dedicated to Barbara Harris of Winos and Foodies, who passed away yesterday. I hadn’t known Barbara very long, but she was always kind, and a highly respected member of the Australian food blogging community.

The last entry on Barbara’s blog was her joyous June IMK post. Our deepest condolences to her family and friends.

. . . . .

In my kitchen…

…is a beautiful new egg basket, woven from our rosemary prunings by our friend and neighbour Nic. I think it’s a work of art…

In my kitchen…

…are three varieties of apples.  The one at the back left are Pink Ladies – an old favourite of ours – but the Rouge Pinks on the right and the Stirma Pippens at the front are both new to us…

In my kitchen…

…are my new Turkish ceramics, purchased from Turkuaz Motif.  I loved the matching inside and outside fish! I bought this bowl, perfectly sized for dips and condiments…

…and a matching mini bowl for sauces and oils…

Here is a close up of the tablecloth we bought – our dining room is painted Egyptian red with sage green wood trim – and the tablecloth matches perfectly…

In my kitchen…

…is a Römertopf clay garlic holder, which arrived in the same Peters of Kensington order as the loaf pans…

In my kitchen…

…is the best purchase I’ve made in ages!  My new iPod dock takes up very little room, produces a reasonable sound, and lets me cook while dancing around the kitchen to Meat Loaf…

  . . . . .

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…

Roz @ Taste Travel

Rebecca @ InTolerant Chef

Shelley @ All Litten Up

Tandy @ Lavender and Lime

Christine @ Invisible Spice

Lizzy @ Bizzy Lizzy’s Good Things

Christine @ Food Wine Travel

Rose @ Greening the Rose

Mel @ The Adventures of Miss Piggy

Karen @ Soul Kitchen

Misky @ Misk Cooks

Claire @ Claire K Creations

Heidi @ Steps on the Journey

Sue @ Sous Chef

Anne @ Life in Mud Splattered Boots

Mandy @ The Complete Cookbook

Christie @ Fig and Cherry

Pamela @ Spoon Feast

Emilie @ The Clever Carrot (brand new blog!)

Shirley @ The Making of Paradise

Johanna @ Green Gourmet Giraffe

Brydie @ CityHippyFarmGirl

Jane @ The Shady Baker

Glenda @ Passion Fruit Garden

. . . . .

Posted in In My Kitchen | Tagged , , , , , , | 105 Comments »

Turkuaz Motif

June 28, 2012 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

You know how sometimes you come across folks who are so nice and so hardworking that you really want them to do well?

That’s how Pete and I feel about Metin Aydin and his wife Moya.  Their Turkish arts and ceramics business started as a stall at Orange Grove Markets and has now expanded to a permanent store in the Sydney suburb of Crows Nest.

Every six months of so, we pop in to see what new stock they have on offer.  It’s always such a feast for the eyes…

Pete was determined that we needed a new tablecloth.  He’d had enough of the dodgy bit of fabric that I’d found at Reverse Garbage which didn’t quite make it to the edges of the table.  Moya, bless her, unfolded and spread out half a dozen different tablecloths for us to look at, then waited patiently as we tried to imagine the intricate designs in our cluttered dining room. We ended up buying one that matched the paint colours in the room…

The shelves of the store are packed with brightly coloured plates, bowls and figurines, ranging from the affordable to the expensive. All their products are made in Turkey, and the ceramic pieces are hand painted with foodsafe glazes…

I looked at this plate a dozen times, but couldn’t justify the $50 price tag for the use I’d get out of it.  It is a one-off, handpainted piece, slightly larger than a dinner plate…

I did succumb to buying a few bowls though. At $15 each, I think they’re very reasonably priced, and I’ll often buy them as gifts.  The fish designs are new since our last visit, and I was quite taken with them…

The nicest thing about shopping at this store is that there is never any pressure to buy – Metin and Moya are completely happy for people to browse.  Mind you, it’s so mellow that I often end up losing an hour in there and coming home with a bag full of purchases…

If you get a chance, please visit Turkuaz Motif at either their store or one of their market stalls.

I don’t have any affiliation with the business at all – I’m just a very happy customer who wants them to do well so that I can keep buying their wares.  Please say hi for me if you pop in!

. . . . .

Turkuaz Motif
Turkuaz Motif have now closed their retail store, but can still be found at various Sydney markets.
Details can be found on their Facebook Page.

Metin: 0413 638 591
Email: info@turkuazmotif.com.au

Posted in Food & Friends | Tagged , , | 66 Comments »

Catching Up

June 27, 2012 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

I’ve been really busy of late – it’s that time of year when everything gets a little frantic. I haven’t had time to write full posts for all the things I’ve been making, but wanted to share them with you nonetheless…

. . . . .

I made a double batch of our very easy almond florentines…

. . . . .

A chick pea, potato and purple kale curry, using a curry gravy base made according to The Curry Guy’s recipe…

. . . . .

I’ve been experimenting with a tamarind chutney recipe.  It’s not quite right yet, but the failures have all been very tasty…

. . . . .

I combined the very moreish Darling Mills cornichons that we bought at Eveleigh Markets with mixed olives from the Cheese Shop.  When we were much younger, Darling Mills was our favourite restaurant, and the complimentary olives and cornichons were always the first item on the table…

. . . . .

Finally, we made and parbaked eight pizza bases for our neighbours Bernie and Jane. Making these at home is a doddle and sooo much cheaper than buying ready made – the bases work out at about 20c each, and freeze perfectly…

. . . . .

Hope you’re all having a fabulous week!  Please excuse me if I haven’t dropped by your blog for a visit recently – hopefully we’ll come up for air sometime soon!

Posted in Food & Friends, Frugal Living, Recipes | Tagged , , , , | 51 Comments »

Eveleigh Markets, Winter 2012

June 25, 2012 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Eveleigh Markets have become a Sydney institution.

Set up in old railsheds in nearby Darlington, these Saturday markets offer a wide (and expensive) range of gourmet produce.  We usually shop at Flemington, but we try to pop into Eveleigh every couple of months or so to check out what’s on offer.

Our most recent visit was prompted by a tweet announcing that new season, locally grown (NSW) truffles were available last Saturday.  The owners of the stall were knowledgeable and friendly, and didn’t seem to mind at all that I couldn’t afford their last remaining truffle at $170…

We bought potatoes for $5 a bag (about 1½ kilos)…

This stall dedicated solely to dog treats always makes me smile. We really do live in the first world…

I was very chuffed to meet my tweetpal, the gorgeous Ester from Country Valley Milk…

We purchased her blue cheese, unfiltered organic apple juice and some fabulous Pepe Saya handmade butter, made from Country Valley cream…

Ester’s stall was next door to Thirlmere Poultry – a small local (NSW) company breeding and supplying an assortment of free range fowl.  They have chickens, ducks and a few game birds on offer, as well as duck fat and offal.

We had an opportunity to chat with owner John Meredith today, a highly respected 35 year veteran of the Australian poultry industry, and a man with a great passion for the welfare and management of his flocks.  He advised us to always wash poultry before freezing it, to remove any pooled blood and to protect against salmonella. It was a joy to be able to buy free range birds that had been well cared for and gently processed…

Here is part of today’s haul.  We also bought a tub of Darling Mills marinated cornichons, some organic chestnuts, a French sorrel plant for the garden, and a 2.5kg free range Meredith duck…

Eveleigh Markets are well worth a visit if you ever have a couple of hours free on a Saturday morning.  Make sure to take plenty of cash!

Posted in Food & Friends | 82 Comments »

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