Saturday 3 January 2015

What's in my kitchen, January 2015

First of all, happy new year! Here's to a bright and shiny new year and all the fabulous possibilities it brings.

In my kitchen is...

Leftover Christmas luxuries that have still to be eaten. We have some lovely red pepper paste, some quince paste, some crackers and some dukkah. Every year, Mr Fork gets a ham from work for Christmas, and so every year, he has cheese and ham toasties until he can't look at another toasted sandwich for some time. Cheese also calls for a cheese plate for when guests drop by and hence, some quince alongside!


In my kitchen is...

Festive chocolates! Who can say no to some festive Merryteaser goodness?  This box was a gift to the family. When Ellie ripped off the wrapping, I don't think she recognised what was inside, and handed it to me with a dismissive, "here mama, you have it!". Don't mind if I do darling! She then turned to the many Peppa Pig goodies she was given instead. Priorities!


In my kitchen is...

A vegan grain loaf. Christmas traditionally is a simple breakfast at our place while Ellie (and now James) opens presents. We then go to the relatives for a conventional Christmas lunch, with turkey, ham, plum pudding and all the trimmings. It's been my job to bring the vegan option (which, to cater for unexpected diets, I also make gluten and dairy free as well). This year I tried something new, and made a barley and cous cous spiced loaf. While it was delicious, it didn't carve up into slices the way I would have liked, so it turned out more of a casserole I suppose. It was definitely tasty though! Shown here served alongside roasted root vegetables, simply done with some rosemary, salt and olive oil.


In my kitchen is...

Bubbly sourdough starter, courtesy of Celia's Priscilla. I have named my starter Lorenzo, son of Priscilla. I have attempted a couple of sourdough loaves, but they are too shameful to blog about yet. Possibly in a future IMK post...


In my kitchen is...

Some anaemic looking scones, baked for morning tea with a friend. They weren't particularly delicious, but the thing that makes them notable, and therefore worthy of a feature is that Ellie insisted on mixing the dough and pressing out the scones herself. "I do it mama!" I was told. And so, instead of the automatic no that wanted to escape my mouth, I found myself saying yes to my two year old. The look of delight on her face was priceless, and the concentration on her face as she (over)worked the dough and (took forever to) cut the scones melted my heart. So yes, they are a little floury, a little tough and more than a little rustic... but these scones were made with love. I will note that they were also choked down with much love, bless my guests.


In my kitchen is...

Speaking of love, this boston bun was in my kitchen this month, brought over by a friend to have with tea. It's from a chain bakery, Baker's Delight, and I'm including it because when I took it out of the paper bag to serve, I was tickled by the decoration on top and I have to wonder what the baker was thinking! Is it a heart? Do I have a dirty mind??


I am linking this post in with Fig Jam and Lime Cordial's monthly In My Kitchen event. Go have a peek through other kitchens around the globe!

What's in your kitchen this month?

22 comments:

  1. LOL your Boston bun made my laugh!!! :-) Lorenzo looks fantastic!!! Penelope daughter of Priscilla is fantastic and has made me lots of loaves! I have barley in the cupboard and never know what to do with... Thanks for the inspiration :-) Liz xx

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    1. I just am not sure what to make of the bun :-) I have to say the loaves were user error and not the fault of Lorenzo. I do hope he lives up to the standard set by Penelope now! I also use barley in soups and for making a lemon and barley water drink when I'm ill.

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  2. I've never seen merryTeasers. YUMMY!

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    1. That are so good... Like super sized maltesers!

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  3. This is my first time participating in the IMK hop; glad I found you! Loved the story about your two-year-old and the scones! I've posted twice about sourdough lately; thought I'd mention it in case you might find something helpful there. Looking forward to reading more of your blog!

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    1. Thank you for stopping by! I am always open to reading about successful baking and hopefully picking up some tips - I'll be sure to read your posts. Thank you for letting me know x

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  4. Made me laugh out loud to read your comment about the Boston "bun"! Happy New Year, what a good Mom you are.

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    1. Haha Liz, I'm glad it's not just me then! xx

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  5. What a lovely roundup. More fool Ellie for eschweing the Merryteasers. She won't do that next year! You paragraph on the scones made by Ellie and them being choked down with much love is delightful. This is what blogging is all about - litle moments captured to share with others and to keep to look back on in the future. Thanks for the festive tour. cheers Fiona.

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    1. Thank you for visiting and leaving such a lovely comment Fiona. I admit I wasn't sure whether to post the scones, but I was proud of her for her efforts and I wanted to share. Meanwhile, those Merryteasers are delightful and she is eating her fair share of the remainders now! L x

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  6. Lisa, I love that you named your starter. What made you come up with Lorenzo? It has a robust, majestic ring to it. Good luck with your baking.
    Cheers, Kirsty xx

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    1. I've been given to understand that all the best starters have a name and a lineage! I chose Lorenzo as he often called the patron saint of chefs and I thought my bread could use a good boost... But I hope it turns out robust and majestic like you've described too Kirsty! xx

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  7. It looks like there's plenty of delicious food in your kitchen! I also love that you named your starter, and had to giggle over your doubt at the heart topped boston bun. I say heart ;)

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    1. Perhaps I should give the baker the benefit of the doubt :)

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  8. oh my that boston bun! hilarious. i'm with you - i must have a dirty mind too. that barley and couscous loaf looks really interesting. barley is one of my fave things. so nourishing and reminds me of my mum and her thick barley soups. what lovely guests to eat the scones. have a great 2015.

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    1. I'm glad I'm not the only one!! I love barley, there is something about the texture that is really appealing to me. Happy 2015!

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  9. I love those Merryteasers - didn't know they sold them by the box - though its probably just as well!

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    1. I didn't know they sold by the box either... it's a dangerous piece of knowledge!

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  10. Lorenzo! That's a brilliant name! What sort of flour are you feeding him on? He's obviously enjoying it, he looks very bubbly and healthy! Not sure which recipe you're currently using, but the overnight dough one seems to work well with Priscilla and her babies, and lots of friends on Twitter have had success with it. Best to try it first off with white bakers flour (the supermarket variety is fine, and in fact I find it usually works better than organic flours). It's also very simple with most of the proving taking place overnight - perfect for working around a new bub! :)

    http://figjamandlimecordial.com/2014/12/12/an-overnight-sourdough-in-pictures/

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    1. Hi Celia... just a standard white bread flour. The starter is fabulous, its the actual loaf that I'm having difficulty with. I find my doughs are too wet and I can't shape them at all. I will need to experiment with different quantities I think. I followed your overnight method and just fell down at the loaf part. Experimenting is half of the fun though!

      Thanks for the encouragement :)

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  11. Another recipient of a Priscilla baby! I haven't used mine yet - soon I will! I agree with your husband - no such thing as too many ham and cheese toasties. I had one for dinner last night. Giggling over the Boston bun too :)

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    1. Toasties are amazing. My personal favourite involves asparagus and cheese and a very good bread... yum! Glad I'm not the only one to see the bun... :)

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