Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Spices

July 6, 2011 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Once upon a time, spices were worth more than gold.

Great wars were fought over them, trade routes were forged to supply them, and for many years they were exclusive to only the wealthy upper classes in Europe.

How times have changed!  Every two years, I replenish all my spices with a visit to the Aum Spice Centre in nearby Croydon (many foodies insist this should be done every six months, but I can’t bear the wastage).  The photo above shows most, but not all, of the spices and ingredients I was able to buy for $60.

I bought raw peanuts and urud dal for lemon rice, and white sesame seed for dukka and bagels…

I always use a lot of coriander, both seed and powder, and needed more star anise, turmeric and cinnamon for my new curry powder mix.  I also bought a packet of caraway seed to make harissa…

My all-time favourite chillies are these dried Kashmiri ones. I keep trying more exotic varieties, but I always come back to these simple chillies, with their gorgeous redness, moderate heat and sweet flavour. And at $3.50 for 200g, they’re an absolute bargain…photo below is about 20g or 35c worth…

I buy Kashmiri chillies in dried pods, flakes and powder…

On a whim, we picked up some pomegranate powder.  It wasn’t expensive, although I’m not sure what to do with it.  Any suggestions?

Asian junk food is quite irresistible – Malaysian tapioca chips and locally made bhuja mix – both hot and spicy.  The red bits in the bhuja mix are slivers of dried chilli!

I’m well and truly stocked up for the coming year.  And as both our sons have recently developed a palate for hot food, I’m anticipating lots of curries and spicy dishes in the near future.  Off to check out Mamta’s Kitchen now for inspiration!

. . . . .

Aum Spice Centre
19 The Strand
Croydon NSW 2132
(02) 9744 1177

Posted in Food & Friends | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 46 Comments »

Saturday Happenings

July 3, 2011 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

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.

. . . . .

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…

. . . . .

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

. . . . .

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…

. . . . .

And finally, I made a rabbit pie for dinner, although I didn’t get to take a photo before Big Boy tucked in!

. . . . .

Anything exciting happening in your kitchen this weekend?

Posted in Food & Friends, In My Kitchen, Recipes | Tagged , , , | 56 Comments »

Black Salt

July 2, 2011 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

My friend Moo is always sending us interesting things in the mail.

This was his latest discovery – Swedish black salt flakes.  The huge crystals of sea salt are coloured with vegetable carbon, and shine like black onyx…

I indulged five grams of crushed crystals into yesterday’s batch of sourdough ciabatta – mixing some in with the dough itself and sprinkling the remainder on the top of the loaves prior to baking…

The finished loaves don’t really taste all that different (perhaps marginally a little saltier from the topping), but they are visually appealing…

A little of the black colour remained in the dough, giving a slight marbled effect to the crumb…

As always, it’s enormous fun to play with new ingredients! Thanks Moo!

Posted in Food & Friends | Tagged , , | 59 Comments »

Caramelised White Chocolate Cookies

June 30, 2011 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Here’s my first attempt at working the caramelised white chocolate into a cookie.

Based on a white chocolate cookie recipe from Mrs Fields Best Ever Cookie Book!, these showcase the distinct flavour of the caramelised white chocolate, without being overly sweet. As always, I’ve changed the methodology a bit, adding a long rest in the fridge before the dough is shaped and baked. I think it always results in a prettier cookie!

  • 250g (1 cup) unsalted butter
  • 375g (2½ cups) plain (AP) flour
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), sifted
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 85g (3oz) caramelised white chocolate
  • 110g (½ cup) white sugar
  • 105g (½ cup, packed) brown sugar
  • 2 large (59g) eggs, at room temperature
  • 10g (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract (we always use homemade)
  • 230g (8oz) dark chocolate chips, preferably 70% cacao

1. Cut a 60g (4 tablespoon) chunk off the butter and chop it into smaller pieces.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sifted bicarb of soda, and salt.  Stir in the dark chocolate chips.

3. Gently heat the caramelised white chocolate to soften if necessary. Scoop it into a small pyrex or ceramic bowl with the 60g butter and melt in the microwave in short bursts, being careful not to scorch the mixture. Stir until smooth and then allow to cool slightly.

4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the remaining butter with the two sugars until combined, but not fluffy.  Beat the eggs in one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla and the caramelised white chocolate mixture.

5. Add the flour and choc chips and mix until just combined.  Scrape the dough into a container, cover and store in the fridge until firm, at least a couple of hours.

6. Preheat the oven to 150C (300F) with fan. Scoop rounded tablespoons of the stiff dough and roll into balls, placing them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment.  Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time.

7. Cool the cookies on the tray for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  This recipe makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , , | 48 Comments »

Lemon Rice

June 28, 2011 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

One of my favourite Indian dishes is lemon rice.

This version is based on a recipe from Mamta’s Kitchen, a wonderful Indian cooking resource managed by my friend Kavey and her husband Pete.  It was a great opportunity to use my new curry leaves, which have now dried crispy…

Here’s my take on Mamta’s recipe:

  • 3 cups cooked rice (cold)
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon dried channa dal
  • 12 curry leaves
  • 1 onion,  chopped
  • ¼ cup shredded coconut
  • juice of 1 lemon (1 – 2 tablespoons, to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 dried Kashmiri chilli, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1. Heat the oil until hot in a large non-stick pan.  Add the mustard seeds and fry them until they start to pop.  Be careful not to get your face too close to the pan.

2. Add the channa dal and curry leaves, and stir until the channa just starts to brown.

3. Add the onions and fry until soft.

4. Add the salt, turmeric, chilli and coconut and stir well, then scatter in the rice, breaking up any lumps with your fingers as you go.  Add the lemon juice and then stir well until the rice is warmed through and uniformly yellow in colour.

I sometimes add a handful of peanuts to this dish, and it’s also quite delicious made with lime instead of lemon  juice.  It’s a tasty, easy Sunday lunch, and a great way to use up leftover rice!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , , | 44 Comments »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »