Another Perfect Day

The evening is so good it seems like lockdown 2020, we got the old Johnsey burner cranking, mind you I am wearing my flash Cactus Outdoors puffer. I had some macadamias but of course no nutcrackers, those boys are hard, I smacked one on the coal range the other night with the pestle & mortar bowl, (someone clever than me will advise which is which, the bowl or the tool) it cracked, but I knew there would be fallout, so I desisted. Tonight Jeanie & I had a crack with the available tools.

Experiment 1: Fencing pliers

Assessment 1 : Moderately effective, but would clearly result in a hand injury eventually

Nuts Cracked: 5

Experiment 2: Plumbing wrench

Assessment 2: Significantly safer and faster, but crushed the nut, so no whole ones from that option

Nuts Cracked: 8

Experiment 3: Vice Grips

Assessment 3: The one, far more control, resulting 25% whole nots and no safety issues

Nuts Cracked: 10

Courgette Fritters

2 courgettes, grated

2 eggs

½ c flour

¼ an onion, diced

A small handful of mint

A large pinch each of salt & pepper

Oil

Mix all ingredients together and fry in the oil, I use a soup spoon to portion them. Serve warm with mayo doctored with tarragon and preserved lemon, first course done.

Scallop Salad with Bacon and Celeriac Lardons

Salad greens

Scallops

Red onion

Capsicum

Toasted macadamias

Roasted celeriac, diced

Bacon, diced

Coriander

Oil

Dressing, equal parts lime juice and pomegranate molasses

Fry the bacon and celeriac in oil until crisp, then fry the scallops, mix all ingredients together in a bowl and eat.

Comments

The official blog launch, or is it lunch of entertaining!

Ok here is the thing, my key performance indicator, to use corporate wank language is how much fun I am having. I have had three rules for many years. 1. Don't hang out with shit people. 2. Avoid all things boring unless absolutely necessary. 3. Always have something to look forward too. (I stole this one off a friend) in recent years I have added 4. Only stay in Hawera 1 weekend a month. Oh how the mighty have fallen! (I ripped that line from Tom Waits) if you don't know who he is I am not surprised. 1. I now have a dog to hang out with for a month, His name is Murphy, and he is only borrowed. 2. All those jobs here in my house, like cleaning it, tedious shit like painting that window, weeding the garden properly, sorting the shed out, renovating my desk (an old table from Butcharts Bakery), even mowing the lawn, there it all is right there in front of me with all the time in the world to get on with it having ignored i...

A quick soup, best I can do in a short timeframe

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.

Give a cake a go day.

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...

Entertaining!

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