Monday 1 February 2016

In My Kitchen - February 2016

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




Chocolate Covered Everything


That saying "too much of a good thing" definitely applied our Christmas chocolate supplies.  I do love chocolate, but the amount we were given for Christmas was more (much more) than we could eat straight from the box, so I've been making the most of it by putting it into all sorts of sweet treats. Chocolate Mousse anyone?



Condiment Caddy


My newest obsession is trays and caddies to store cutlery, sauces, condiments, napkins etc for easy storage and portability.  I've got one for Japanese sauces (above), one for knives/forks/spoons/S&P, one for vinegars, one for pickles, one for hot sauces, one for all the stuff I need for when I fire up the BBQ... the list goes on. They are really handy to grab off the shelf or out of the pantry... not to mention aiding and abetting my OCD.



Homemade Pasta


When you have laying hens, you'll find any excuse to use their delicious eggs.  Pasta is a case in point.  Nothing compares to the silkiness you get from rolling your own dough made with the freshest eggs.  I made these tiny tortellini one afternoon, but ran out of time to photograph the final dish.  If you're interested in making your own filled pasta, my recipe for Ricotta and Spinach Tortelli with a Simple Tomato Sauce is very similar in ingredients and technique.  But be warned, you my never want Barilla again.



Spice Temple by Neil Perry



One of our favourite restaurants is Spice Temple.  When there's something we want to celebrate, we make a booking.  But now, with the publication of this book, we can knock out a bowl of egg noodles with XO and bacon whenever we darn well feel like it... no birthday or anniversary required.



Tomatoes:


Homegrown tomatoes are the best.  Every year I stress out about not planting enough, then by late February I'm cursing because I have so many tomatoes, I'm stuck in the kitchen on stifling days making ketchup, tomato sauce and passata... this year, I'm sure, will be no different.


Coffee, always Coffee


After quite a lot of scorching weather, we've had a few milder days to see out the end of the boys school holidays.  Cooler weather and imminent early starts mean sleep ins and coffee in bed.  Ethiopian from the local roasters.


So, that's my kitchen for now.

Pop on over and check out the links to bloggers’ kitchens around the world at In My Kitchen with Maureen at Orgasmic Chef.

14 comments:

  1. You have such a wonderful kitchen. The Neil Perry book sure caught my eye as did the caddy. I love things that make bringing stuff outside easier. Thanks for linking up to In My Kitchen! I love a peek into your kitchen.

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  2. Love, love, love your kitchen :) As always and forever! The trays are really cute, it's such a good idea!!

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  3. I love the caddies; what an attractive organization solution. Extra points to you for the patience it must have taken to create that crowd of tortellini.

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  4. Love your sauce caddy! Spice Temple is one of my faves as well, I think it has gotten better and better over time!

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  5. Oh my goodness, Jennifer...Where do I start? Yes. Japanese caddies are the best! And how wonderful that you've got fresh eggs and tomatoes! Yes please to homemade (beautiful looking) pasta and sauce =) P.s. Ditto to the delightful chocolate mousse.

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  6. Absolutely love the condiment caddies. Brilliant idea and I will have to work on finding some! Your pasta looks gorgeous. The same goes for me and tomatoes, by mid summer I'm overwhelmed and cranking up the oven to roast them and purée into sauces. The good news is that my frozen supply of sauce lasts most of the winter until I can get more fresh tomatoes from the garden.

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  7. I'm going to try making pasta using your recipe. My ducks will be laying full force soon. The condiment caddy is a great idea!

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  8. I'm usually not a big fan of celebrity chefs, but I adore the food at the Spice Temple. I din't realise Neil Perry had a book out - must find it!

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  9. I want a coffe bowl like yours, gorgeous. What a great idea with the condiment caddy. I'm super impressed with your home grown produce and you have inspired me to get my new pasta maker into action.

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  10. What a beautiful coffee bowl, wouldn't mind waking up to that :) Pasta looks great too. Thank you for the peek inside your kitchen.

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  11. Jennifer I know how you feel about tomatoes. I always have way too many.

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  12. Your pasta looks gorgeous Jen! I must make some as like you I have chickens and their daily bounty :) Jan x

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  13. Jennifer, your spinach & ricotta tortellini is beautiful! You make me want to make some right now, but I'll save your recipe for later reference - steak is calling me tonight :) Love homegrown tomatoes, my bro-in-law has 30 plants this year so expecting to make a lot of passata, relish and sundried tomatoes very soon! Did you make those caddies or buy them, they're very handy. Wonderful seeing you for #IMK xx http://missfoodfairy.com/2016/02/09/in-my-kitchen-february-2016/

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  14. i love caddies too. i love to organise things neatly and spend lots of time decanting into bottles and jars. funny how tomatoes etc just keep on keeping on. and yum to chocolate mousse.

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