Tuesday 1 March 2016

In My Kitchen - March 2016

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



KEFIR


I love the tang of kefir.  Sometimes I place a chai teabag and a touch of maple syrup in some kefir and let it steep overnight for an iced tea drink with a twist. It makes an excellent breakfast if you're pressed for time or not hungry enough for solid food... or when you're going to be running 10 kilometers and you don't want to run on a tummy full of Vegemite toast or porridge.



RICE NOODLE FISH by Matt Goulding


My husband bought me this eye candy.  He knows I'm totally obsessed with all things Japanese... and food.  He's a good guy.



BIGOLI de BASSAN


My whole family adores pasta.  I swear I could make pasta for dinner every single night and there'd be no complaints.  I think I'm just as in love with the packaging though.




CALLEBAUT DARK CALLETS


Normally I go for 70% cocoa solids for cooking, but sometimes you just have to have a packet of chocolate buttons for just nibbling on, right?



MATCHA


I've been on a matcha bender lately.  I've been making matcha lattes, which I thought were totally pretentious until I made one and now I'm positively evangelical about them.




 APPLES


We harvested our apples.  Apple everything from here to eternity... starting with this Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cake.

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.


35 comments:

  1. Delightful things in your kitchen this month. Your apples are wonderful and I have huge fruit tree envy. I love living along the water but the salt air isn't so good for growing food. I need to get more chocolate buttons. I used the last of them last month and now I'm out.

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    1. Thanks so much Maureen. The fruit trees are so lovely. It's a bit sad when I've picked all the fruit, but I love the pruning as well, so win-win. I even love them when they are fruitless and leafless. Winter orchards are a bit magical.

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  2. I adore kefir too.... had to stop buying the chocolate... I'm busting outta my jeans! Lovely apples, Jen xx

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    1. Haha Liz. That's why I run!!! Cheers and thanks for stopping by.

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  3. Your photos are so beautifully simple! They illustrate your cooking and dining splendidly.

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks so much Mae. I really appreciate your kind words.

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  4. We use the same chocolateeeeeeeee! I buy the boxes not the bags but it's the same one :) Love it! & kefir, I'm always intrigued by it and don't buy it. I should try it, I'm really curious now!!

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  5. I think I need to invest in Rice, Noodle, Fish as, erm, 'research', for our honeymoon in Japan next year, right? And I'm so jealous of your apple tree! What a beautiful harvest!

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    1. You must get the book. It's a fabulous peak into Japanese food and culture. You're gonna love the book and the place. Couldn't fit into your suitcase, could I?

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  6. The Matcha Tea and Japanese props is a lovely arrangement. I love Matcha too. Where do we buy Kefir? I haven't seen it about.

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    1. I got the Kefir from a local Greek deli. It's so good.

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  7. ooh chocolate and apples are food of the gods - and matcha intrigues me but I have only bought it once and found it a murky colour - I have seen such great colour since that I have told myself I will try again.

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    1. Thanks Johanna. Matcha does vary in quality. Obvs, the more you pay, the better the matcha.

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  8. I always have kitchen and photography envy every month I pop into your kitchen - and random inbetween visits too. I'm not sure I could break into that spaghetti packaging it's way too cool for skool.

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    1. Thanks so much Nancy. That's so lovely of you. I enjoy the photography as much as the cooking/baking and ...almost... as much as the eating.

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  9. Not much chance of me needing Kefir before a 10k run! Didn't realise you can buy it ready to go. Beautiful pottery and where did you get that chocolate? Looks addictive. Is it really dry down your way, awful here. Lovely shots, thanks. Maree.

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    1. Same place I got the Kefir - from a Greek deli - it's a treasure trove of goodies. Starting to dry out here to and with the current forecast, about to get drier.

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  10. I recently started with kefir as well. I never thought about a tea bag in it though, sounds tasty. Loving the chocolate, always important to have it on hand. Your apples look great, our apple season is a ways off but with spring coming I'm looking forward to some fresh produce from the garden soon,

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    1. Fresh apples a such a joy. I love a tart, crisp apple plucked straight from the tree. Though it has spoiled me from supermarket apples forever.

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  11. Your apples look gorgeous. My mum just pulled the last apple harvest off her tree today so yet again, I've got a crop of apples to play with. I must try your upside down apple caramel cake! As for the rest of these lovely things... oh golly. That Callebaut!!!! Totally endorse the snacking, I mean... the cook has to have a treat every now and then! And yay for kefir (I really want to try making my own this year) xx

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    1. I'm going to have a go at making my own kefir too. I've been reading up about it and it doesn't look that hard. Nothing like the healthy tang and creamy texture of a kefir shake.

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  12. Next time you are in LA, please look me up. I will introduce you to all the local Japanese markets and knick-knack (Daiso) shops. Matcha is fantabulous! BTW Your cutie pie glass bottle with the cow (diminutively standing next to the keifer) reads "large" =) Pasta / noodles are indeed brilliant...And packaging does matter!...Unless chocolate is involved =)

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    1. How lovely of you to offer. I will definitely take you up on it. I got the milk bottle out of a vending machine in the onsen ryokan we were staying in in Hakone. I carried it all through Honshu for a month.

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  13. Love the look of the Japanese Cookbook, your husband is worth keeping!

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  14. Lovely things in your kitchen this month. I have just bought a Kefir starter to try and make my own - I like that Chai tea idea.

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    1. I look forward to hearing about/seeing your kefir adventures. I also make simple shakes (with cinnamon/honey/acai powder/chia seeds etc) with kefir. Always makes me feel good.

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  15. What a lovely selection in your kitchen! I'm a wee bit jealous about the apples - the birds took all of ours when they were small green nuggets.

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    1. It's a full time job keeping the parrots away. Fortunately, we have plenty to go around.

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  16. How awesome to be able to harvest your own apples and I have never heard of matcha - will look into that.
    Have a happy week ahead.
    :-) Mandy xo

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  17. So many good things in your kitchen, really surprised that you can buy kefir in large containers where you are, I've not seen it in the UK yet. I quite like the tang too. I also like matcha and have a container too, but tend to forget that I have it to use in recipes. I've used it for a couple of recipe Irish Soda bread being one.

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  18. Where do you get the kefir? Do you just drink it plain?

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  19. Kefir? I've never had it, what are the benefits compared to cows milk? Is Rice, noodle, fish a cookbook? Where did you get that Borella pasta Jennifer? You're right, the packaging is great :) Love your matcha pot & cup, they're soooooo cute! Happy apple experimenting xx #IMK

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  20. i love your japanese tea service. so pretty. good luck with all the apples. yum to the chocolate buttons.

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