Entertaining!

  Hot & Sour Soup 500g shark 1 packet mild Singapore laksa paste (I know I know I know, but sometimes needs must) 1 t salted shrimp 1 t tamarind 2 T of the oil leftover from spicy smoked mussels ½ an onion peeled and finely diced 4 cloves garlic peeled and finely diced 1 thumb ginger peeled and finely diced 2 silverbeet leaves or other leafy green 1 tin coconut cream 500 g fish stock 2 serves noodles I used ramen 1/4 cup fresh lime juice Fry the onion, garlic and ginger in the oil, add the spice paste, salted shrimp and tamarind stir it all around until it is cooked a bit then add the fish and cook for 5 minutes then add the stock and simmer for 10 minutes. When you are ready to serve it add the coconut cream, bring to boil again then add the noodles,  when boiling yet again add the silverbeet or greens. Once wilted turn off and add the lime juice.

I received a delivery of jam, the fruit was left in the bowl at Kidsbarn for lockdown so Emma knocked up a batch of jam with it, I scored a bottle on the proviso it appeared on the blog so this is what I did.  I based in on a recipe from a book called Harbour Kitchens which was a fundraiser many years ago for the schools in Lyttleton. There is a classic recipe from the witt of Joe Bennett for fish and chips if you can get your hands on a copy.  This is an adaptation of the Lemon Yoghurt Cake by Jane Simmons. False Pretences Cake  Zest of 2 lemons 1 ¾ C sugar 2 eggs Juice of half a lemon 4/5 C of greek yoghurt Half a jar of orange, pineapple and kiwifruit or other jam ¾ C oil 2 1.2 C flour 2 large t baking powder  Line a largish tin with baking paper, I lined a smallish tin, then had too much mixture, so I lined another tin spooned the rest of the mix into that and it was too big! So I lifted it out and transferred to a loaf tin, what a palave...

Whew last day of lockdown, we made it again. I was thinking about it today, it is quite a good reset for the people without the stresses of business or illness. Last lockdown the s tay home ethos hung around for some time and life was less busy and there was much less crashing around. But alas I note I had reverted to my old ways and prior to this one it was game on again with work, meetings, events and adventures. So now I am back on the go slow, I have found myself reading the newspaper and sorting the bloody photos on my phone, things I always have aspirations of doing but never find time. So not too many complaints from this camp with this shorter lockdown, but I could have well done with an in house audience for my dinners. I had a crack at brining potatoes today, I read something on the internet about it, I am not sure it was worth the effort but there was a discernible saltiness to the skins which I enjoyed, it met my salt addiction needs admirably.   Lamb Steaks wi...

I gave my fillet steak another go tonight, steak tartare, not for everyone but I surely love it! I used an   Anthony Bourdain recipe, you might recall him, he had a TV show and went off of eating junkets all over the world, but he ate EVERYTHING, so raw steak and egg is nothing. I never saw it but he was very entertaining I understand. I have a book or two, one it is a lecture from cover to cover you need to be paying attention and getting it right. Another one is the only cookbook in the world I have come across with the C word in it, other than my wikedstepsister’s Clean Eats from a Filthy Mouth. Although it is almost de rigueur to swear these days, I must have been ahead of my time, I heard them say fuck again on RNZ tonight. Anthony was an advocate and   exponent of classic French bistro, he had one in New York, typical of an American to be a self-professed prophet on another culture. Here it is dinner for one.  Steak Tartare with Avocado and Salad Turnip For th...

I can report that the scallops were next level last night, nothing like cheese sauce and good bread! Another lap on the bike this morning, this time out of town, warm and sunny, but quite a bit of puffing on those hills. I spoke to two people in Melbourne which made me thankful to be in little old Hawera! There has been cheap beef filet in the supermarket, so I snaffled a few for the freezer but kept some out to eat. Lunch was a serious overindulgence in the sourdough with mayo and roast chicken so I opted for a glass of this fresh juice and a quick stir fry for dinner. Sunday night is online quiz with some friends, where I get to learn how little I really know, no different tonight. Tonight I tested pitting the banana through the juice, it spat the lot into the waste receptacle with a dribble of juice going through, experiment over, use the stick blender.   Morning Juice 12 carrots 4 oranges 1 lemon A large thumb sized piece of ginger 4 pieces of fresh turmeric 2 b...