Monday 1 June 2015

In My Kitchen - June 2015

Here's what's happening in my kitchen at the moment...

 

 
 
Doughnuts: 
 

 
My kids football club held a doughnut drive as a fundraiser. Needless to say, it was a HUGE success!
 
 
 
Mandarins and Meyer Lemons:
 


 
My parents have had a mandarin tree and a Meyer lemon tree in their garden for as long as I can remember. The mandarin tree is right near the path to the front door and I can't tell you how many times I've plucked a sweet orange sphere off the tree and wafted in to the house smelling of either the blossom or the fruit. We (my siblings) still get bags of delicious fruit to take home. A little slice of my childhood.
 
 
 
Hot Chocolate:
 


My hot beverages of choice are either Twinnings Afternoon Tea or a flat white, but my kids love a hot chocolate on a Saturday and/or Sunday afternoon after playing football in the cold and rain.


Marshallows:


...and seriously, what is hot chocolate without marshmallows?
 


Tortilla Press:


My tortilla press gets plenty of use. I bought it on our last trip to the States. We were in Flagstaff, Az. and I had just polished off a plate of Huevos Rancheros for breakfast when I told my family that the next tortilla press I saw would be mine. I would buy it as a souvenir and would turn into a tortilla making machine when I got home. I promised to make as many tortillas as they could handle. Low and behold, less than 15 minutes later I was in a kitchenware shop purchasing a shiny tortilla press. I've been making tortillas ever since.



Flour:


 
FLOUR. My kitchen runs on it. I have a lots of it. I have lots of different kinds of it. I use it every day. I am part flour...
 
 
 
Feijoas:



We have two feijoa trees. I have lots of feijoas.



Asian After Work by Adam Liaw:


 
After last months In My Kitchen where I raved about Adam Liaw's book Adam's Big Pot, I convinced myself that I needed to have his previous book.... for comparison/research, ahem. And yes, this book is a gem also. Fancy some Hot-Buttered Onigiri with your after-work-distress beer? Or how about a big bowl of slippery Hailam Noodles to slurp after a hard day at the office? And you'll be needing some Sesame and Honey Ice Cream to finish I suspect too. Simple, tasty and approachable meals to make for one or more. Perfect for busy people who love a midweek Asian fix without hitting the take-away. PS: the day I was drooling over, I mean, browsing through Adam's book I was eating a breakfast of Walnut and Tahini Scrolls. They aren't in Adam's book, but you can get the recipe here.
 


 Anyway, that's my kitchen for now.


Pop on over and check out the links to bloggers’ kitchens around the world at In My Kitchen on
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
 
 
 



37 comments:

  1. Your kitchen always looks like such an inviting and exciting place to be Jennifer! I need to try out some Adam Liaw recipes it seems, and I definitely need to invest in a tortilla press on our trip to the US this year! Homemade tortillas sound like a party in the making :)

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    1. Thanks Amy. Most people collect tea towels or rinky-dink models of local landmarks or replicas of significant sites to souvenir, I collect food and kitchenware. Go figure.

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  2. Love, love, love Feijoas... miss the large tree/bush I had in a former garden. Lovely post, Jennifer xo

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    1. My parents have always had a feijoa tree and we planted two when we moved into to our place. They have amazing flavour.

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  3. Stunning photos and I could so go for enjoying your hot chocolate and marshmallows with some of your scrolls too!
    Thanks also for this month's IMK view!

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    1. Thanks Joanne. Sounds like you'd fit right in here.

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  4. Lots of mandarin photos in various IMK posts this month!

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  5. OMG those scrolls!! Checking them out right now. I have the Asian After Work too - I think it's the one book I've cooked from repeatedly this last twelve months. Every time I open it I see something new. I think I need a tortilla press in my life too :)

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    1. Haha those scrolls are delicious. They make a great weekend breakfast. I split them and toasted them and slathered them with Candied Orange and Cinnamon Butter . So good.
      Adam's is such a great book. I just cooked the beef korokke with miso-mustard mayonnaise and his kachumber to go with for dinner. Kicking goals. :)

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  6. Lovely photos, love all the elements, especially the old tablespoons. a tortilla press- now that is an amazing thing to own and use.

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    1. Thank you. I have a thing for old spoons and wooden spoons.

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  7. Your kitchen is just so interesting Jen!! Love the story about the citrus and how lucky you are to have some fresh fruits like that. We don't have this opportunity here since we have four seasons but we have other fruits. My boyfriend found out a way to have fruit trees this weekend on the internet, in like big buckets and they have to have a special care and all. He's really into it and have a green thumb (that I don't have) so maybe one day I can show my citrus too hehe :) & now, I want new cookbooks, thanks to you :P

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    1. It is lovely to be able to grow our own fruit and veg. We are lucky with the climate. May be if you plant your fruit trees in large containers and on wheels (or able to put on a trolley) so you can put them in the sun when the sun is out and put them out of the frost when the weather is cold.

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  8. What a great peak into your kitchen. I adore your spoons in your first pic and how special to still be getting fruit from your folks orange and lemon tree.
    Have a great day.
    :-) Mandy xo

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    1. Those old trees at my Mum and Dad's place have seen some things I can tell you.

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  9. Your kitchen must be such a comfortable space to be in because you always have the BEST stuff in it. I bought and electric tortilla maker from the states once along with a power converter that cost a fortune and had to toss it out because it was just crap. I wish I had bought something like yours. Maybe I'll get my sister to bring one when she comes to visit from the states in August.

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    1. Haha, thanks Maureen. Definitely get your sis onto it. I'm so glad I got my tortilla press when I did. It was worth lugging up and down the west coast of the US for weeks.

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  10. Adam Liaws book sounds great and your photos are lovely

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  11. Ooh those lemons and mandarins! And those feijoas! And the hot chocolate! And tortilla press! Love it all :)

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  12. Jennifer, I just clicked on your tahini and walnut scroll recipe (and pinned it). Geez it looks good.

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  13. Doughnuts and football. They seem like opposites. And yet… I had thought about buying a tortilla press but in the end, for the volume we'd use, a rolling pin is just as easy though nowhere near as satisfying!

    Always interesting to see what happening. xxx

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    1. Oh they are opposites - but the doughnuts were in high demand (you tend to get that with 12 year old boys).

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  14. I've never heard of feijoas - they look interesting! Is it a fruit? Your kitchen looks like a happy place - complete with all the elements to make your fantastic recipes! Oh and those football players must have been some happy boys! :)

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    1. Thanks so much Jessica. Yes, the feijoas are a type of guava. Sometimes known as pineapple guava. You cut them open and scoop the flesh out with a spoon. Great eaten fresh, in smoothies, in fruit salad, made into a compote or jam.

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  15. I've seen many posts recently, a lot from NZ, using feijoas. What do they taste like? What do you use them in?
    Those certainly are big marshmallows! Lovely post, cheers Kirsty

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  16. Your photo's are gorgeous. I'm just about to pick the kids up from school and you have inspired me to give them hot chocoltate - with marshmallows of course! I'm loving that tortilla press, what a great idea, I've not seen them here.

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  17. I have both of Adam Liaw's books, they are brilliant for simple uncomplicated and quick week night meals that taste great. I'm sure you'll get loads of use out of them

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  18. I have never seen or used a tortilla press! I am sure it makes a huge difference to how tortillas come out (mine are never proper tortillas really). Love the lemons and mandarins too :)

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  19. What a lovely fresh haul you have in your kitchen. I love that it's citrus time and am waiting on a delivery of oranges from a friends orchard up in the Riverland. What will you do with the Feijoas?

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  20. What a great IMK this month. I planted a fijoa tree 2 years ago, so I was hoping to get fruit this year... Bu no... I only have one tree and read that you can still get fruit, but you will always get more fruit with 2... do you know if that is the case? I also have home made tortilla, but I always roll them out... I think a trip to the kitchen ware place for a press is in order... Thanks for sharing, you always have such amazing photos :) Liz xx

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  21. Jennifer, after seeing your "slice of childhood" photo and reading your description of it, I could practically smell the citrus. What a fragrant memory! Hot chocolate with marshmallows were a part of my childhood (in Minnesota), so that evoked memories for me. I'd never seen a feijoa (had to Google it) but having a glut of them sounds like a good thing!

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  22. Yay! You have so many amazing stuffs in your kitchen. Thanks for the kitchen view. :) Have a fab week.

    xx Jhuls

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  23. My Kiwi friends always rave about feijoas - how wonderful to have trees in your own backyard! We have a tortilla press too, but I must confess it doesn't get as much use as it used to! :) x

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  24. What produce! The lemons, mandarins, guavasteens look delicious! Thanks for sharing a peek.

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