Tuesday 1 September 2015

In My Kitchen - September 2015

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







Dark Coconut Toffee Organic Chocolate:
If you hang out with me long enough (like for say, 5 minutes), you'll soon realise that I like chocolate. Whenever I see a new flavour, brand, variety, size or shape, I must try it.  I have a whole pantry shelf dedicated to chocolate.  Willy Wonka's got nothing on me. Oh, and check out the fine print - butter and sea salt, CRUNCHY AND TOASTED. They didn't need to convince me, but I'm glad they did.




Capi Ginger Beer:
My sons cooked dinner last night.  When it's their turn to cook, they trawl through cookbooks and magazines with the freedom of knowing they can choose whatever they like to cook and eat.  (Last night they cooked Piri Piri Pork Fillet with Apple Slaw.)  When they cook, it usually means a quick trip to the store. (Because they inevitably choose something I don't already have in the house - and if you saw my pantry and fridge you'd wonder how they managed it, but they do.)  On our shopping trip, they found this ginger beer. (They don't get soft drink very often, so ginger beer is a treat) and asked if they could try it.  According to the Dan Murphy's website, "Capi Ginger Beer is a blend of fresh Australian ginger juice, lemon essential oils, chilli and capsicum extract.  The up-front aromas immediately reveal the fresh ginger, while the lemon essential oils ensures a perfectly balanced flavour profile.  Finally, the chilli and capsicum extracts provide the perfect amount of spice kick on the back palate."  The boys gave it a big thumbs up (the grown-ups drank gin mojitos). I did have a sip, and it was really refreshing. Might have to find a cocktail to test it on.




Cacao Nibs:
These crunchy little nuggets have been making an appearance on my granola and porridge at breakfast time lately. They were sprinkled in and on some Cacao Nib Muffins with Dark Chocolate Glaze earlier today.  They are chocolaty, without being sweet. Which is pretty sweet when you want a punch of cacao in the face without the sugar high. Which, if you're anything like me, is pretty often.





Tomatoes in Cans and Bottles:

Fresh tomatoes at this time of year suck.  I've used up all my homegrown preserved tomatoes, so I headed to the fabulous local Italian delicatessen and stocked up on all manner of canned and bottled toms.  I can make pasta sauce to my hearts content until the fresh ones start appearing in my garden.  (I'll tell you a secret.  I'm just a little bit in love with the packaging. I like to open my pantry and gaze at my stash. Does that make me weird?)




Colavita Black Olive Tapenade:
My eldest son is mad for olives and he loves this stuff.  It's so quick and easy to slap on some crackers for an after school snack. And seriously, finding healthy snacks is a full time job.



Mr Pitta Traditional Pitta:
I usually make my own pitta (recipe here), but on days when I run out of time/energy, I turn to Mr Pitta.  It's the second best pitta around. All my Greek friends tell me so.



Honey and Co.: The Baking Book by Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich:

I'm a sucker for a good baking cookbook, I will not lie, and this is a good one.  Check out my slightly adapted versions of their Pistachio, Rose and Strawberry Buns and Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Sandwich Cookies with Tahini Cream if you don't believe me.


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 

26 comments:

  1. I always love a little peek inside your kitchen Jennifer! I love the design of those tomato tins too! They are practically art work! It sounds like this chocolate/cocoa freak needs to get some cacao nibs into her life, and I'm heading over to check out that baking book right now, because obviously I don't have enough yet ;)

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    1. Another baking book is an absolute must... for you and for me. *wink*

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  2. How fun! Thanks for the peek into your kitchen. I really must do it again, I've only done one In My Kitchen post.

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    1. Yes, you really must. I'd love to have another look at your kitchen.

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  3. I like the sound of the Capi ginger beer, the cocoa (cacao?) nibs (where did you find those?)... and the dark chocolate. I really love those Italian tomatoes and their tins too... so pretty... but I do force myself not to buy them because I don't want to see Aussie producers go down the gurgler. Likewise with my paprika... those tins should be in frames : )

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    1. I got the cacao nibs/cocoa nibs (it says cocoa nibs on my bottle - I believe they're the same thing) from a delicatessen in town. They are very popular in baking at the moment, so I dare say they'll be in supermarkets before too long. I buy Australian canned tomatoes for everything other than pasta sauces. San Marzano are the ultimate for pasta sauce (and can art).

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  4. I sprinkle cacao nibs on smoothies and overnight oats - I really like the crunch and slight bitterness. I noticed the brand of that chocolate bar was Alter Eco - what a great name.

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  5. That ginger beer sounds like a winner and those tomato cans are so decorative!

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  6. I love your IMK instalments, always so beautifully put together and so many interesting goodies.
    Have a super day.
    :-) Mandy xo

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  7. Oh gosh, I love your kitchen so much :) I also look at my cans and stuff in my kitchen a lot. Like everyday or when I feel down, it kicks a smile on my face :)

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  8. Those tomato cans justify a painting by Andy Warhol, they look so Italian! Wonderful things going on in your kitchen and aren't you lucky to have sons that like to cook.

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  9. Love this post Jennifer, especially the cocoa nibs - chocolate shot without the sugar :-) You have many wonderful things in your kitchen - the tapenade is making my mouth water! Happy September

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  10. Ooh, another baking book for me to hunt down - just what I needed!

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  11. Hi Jennifer. I just checked out your buns - wow they do look good - I love rose flavoured anything.

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  12. I have had that dark chocolate and it is divine! Love the cocoa nibs too, I put them on my oats and sometimes bake with them as well. They are pretty easy to find here, quite the "in" thing for a while now.

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  13. I LOVE that Alter Ego chocolate. SO GOOD. Also a fan of those Polpa tomatoes, I keep the cans for planting herbs on my balcony (love the paperless design!).

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  14. I've been collecting tomato tins for my best friend's wedding - she is incorporating them into her gifts for guests. I love the designs on the cans too! So many delicious things in your kitchen this month.

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  15. I love the packaging of those tomatoes too...reminds me of Italy and that just makes me happy so I'm a weirdo too!! I think that's great the boys cooking dinner Jennifer - skills for life. I'm just pouring over The hairy bikers big baking cookbook from the library - brilliant European recipes, perfect reading material for coffee and muffins indeed...Jan x

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  16. So many interesting things :) The Capi Ginger Beer caught my eye because I like Capi Mineral Water - especially great for travelling when I don't have access to my trusty soda stream or soda syphon for DIY sparkling water, and because the G.O. loves ginger beer. I make slow cooker corned beef simply cooked ginger beer and eaten cold that I think it would be amazing for.

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  17. So many interesting things :) The Capi Ginger Beer caught my eye because I like Capi Mineral Water - especially great for travelling when I don't have access to my trusty soda stream or soda syphon for DIY sparkling water, and because the G.O. loves ginger beer. I make slow cooker corned beef simply cooked ginger beer and eaten cold that I think it would be amazing for. EllaDee

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  18. So many interesting things :) The Capi Ginger Beer caught my eye because I like Capi Mineral Water - especially great for travelling when I don't have access to my trusty soda stream or soda syphon for DIY sparkling water, and because the G.O. loves ginger beer. I make slow cooker corned beef simply cooked ginger beer and eaten cold that I think it would be amazing for. EllaDee

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  19. Adore the designs of the Italian cans - absolutely gorgeous. Have the first Honey and Co book - intrigued by this one.

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  20. I always love seeing your IMK posts - your photos are uniformly stunning and the kitchen products appealing. I chuckled at your son's cooking experiences too. The ginger beer looks nice at least!

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  21. Jennifer, my hubby came home earlier than expected today and I was trying to feed him dinner between taking long and lustful looks at your post -- in a salubrious manner, mind you! After dishing up tonight's repast, I simply had to excuse myself to follow up with you. (Thank goodness he understands my penchants for tasty food, gorgeous photos, and excellent writing... yours appeased all three!) FYI, I'd gaze at your tomato stash, too -- you're not alone -- nor weird!

    Also, I didn't realize Colavita made tapenade. (Their EVOO is good -- have a bottle of it right now!) Will have to look for (or request it) at our grocers. Goodness, I love IMK! Thanks for your many contributions this month -- LOVED 'em all! (Cool that your boys experiment in the kitchen, too.) Last time I had a ginger beer was when I "ran away from home" (a year ago) and sampled it in some extraordinary Moscow Mule variations. Gimme a shout if you want a link to those drinks. :)

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  22. Loving all your cans and bottles of tomatoes/passata - and its ok, I would love looking in my pantry if these beauties were in there too Jennifer! I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for the ginger beer (we had a ginger & cucumber Sangria yesterday that this would be the perfect ginger beer to use) and Mr Pitta breads - where do you get them? Supermarkets? Delis? I love a good (great) pita bread for sure. Congrats on the boys making you a lovely dinner - so good to hear children loving cooking :) xx

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  23. I love the Capi brand of soft drinks. Their other flavours are great too. yum to cacao nibs. i love trying different sorts of chocolate too- that butter sea salt looks so good. yum to the tapenade...and i love all your cans of toms. so cute.

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