It’s far from winter at the moment, but it is raining cats and dogs outside. Perfect soup weather, and a satisfying soup to make and eat is minestrone. For me it really consists of whatever vegetables I have at hand, plus pulses and pasta. For an indulgence you can add sausages, but the one below are simply the basics, brought together by beef stock and tomatoes. Yum.
Let’s go Moroccan today. I might have very little experience with Moroccan cuisine restaurant-wise, but whenever I come across a recipe I tend to get very excited. Perhaps it’s the unique ingredient and flavour combinations – having dried fruit in savoury dishes, the heady but well-balanced mix of spices. It has a lot in common with Chinese cuisine in the way they both strive to balance all elements of taste – salty, sweet, sour, hot. The most successful Moroccan-style dish I’ve cooked so far is chicken tagine. I don’t have an actual tagine dish, so I cooked it in a casserole pot. This version uses prunes, almonds and honey as the sweetener. I like to serve it with curried apple couscous. Awesome!
With all the rain, my garden is quickly growing into a jungle. But it’s a colourful one at that. I love the vibrancy of the hibiscus with its multi-coloured stimen.
My mate and I baked double choc chip cookies one weekend. I had one left and decided to create a little dessert with ice cream and strawberries.
I’m starting a series on Spring time around where I live. Firstly, some flowers from my garden.
Interesting photo, almost monochrome.
The first batch of brownies I ever baked.
Rich and completely, yum, I used this recipe, adding a touch of vanilla extract and some crushed walnuts.
Last Wednesday – the day when the Outback came to Sydney – literally. This is of my street at 6am that morning.
Spring is also the beginning of azalea season. They’re always lovely and bright.
And for dessert, my orange and almond cake with orange sauce and cream. More successful than my last effort, for sure.
Static and Silence 