Author: PK
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Pasta: Fusilli
Fusilli is an excellent pasta shape for light sauces. It’s helix shape sucks in and holds the sauce.
I like to make my own using my Philips Pasta And Noodle Maker.
Here is a 15 minute ready meal if you make a simple tomato sauce using passata, before hand and freeze it. Boil the pasta as you heat the sauce and bring the two together with some Parmigiano-Reggiano and basil.
Enjoy,
PK
Here are a couple of more pasta shape and pasta recipe posts.
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Jamie Oliver’s Perfect Poached Eggs
You can make poaching eggs as complicated as you like. It sometimes puts me off making them.
So I love Jamie Oliver’s simple full proof methods that he demonstrates in the video below. The first method he shows did it for me. He just simmers the water and then plops the egg in. No whisking! No vinegar! No worries.
It really works so give it a try 🙂
Perfection:
Jamie’s video:
Enjoy,
PK
P.S. If you prefer your eggs hard boiled please checkout my method here.
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Insalata Di Polpo: Octopus Salad Antipasto
The colours, textures and flavours in this dish are so amazing that I almost couldn’t bring myself to eat it. Almost 🙂
I love the simplicity of the ingredients. All you need is some pickled baby octopus, julienned carrot and snow peas (both for crunch), some pasley/coriander and a splash of lemon.
Enjoy,
PK
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PK’S Red Wine And Green Peppercorn Sauce
One of my favourite meals is a thick juicy beef steak smothered in a creamy pepper sauce. I make a white wine version that makes for a mean surf and turf but this is my red wine version with green peppercorns and crème fraîche.
Steps
- Making the sauce (~15 minutes)
- Serving
Ingredients
- 1 small handful of parsley, finely chopped
- 1 small handful of spring onions (green tops only), sliced
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp green peppercorns
- 1/4 cup red wine (I used a Merlot)
- 1/2 cup beef stock (try Italian Beef Stock: Brodo Di Manzo)
- 1/2 cup crème fraîche
- 1 tsp brandy
Equipment
- 1 chef’s knife
- 1 chopping board
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 small saucepan
Making the sauce
- Chop the small handfuls of parsley and spring onion tops.
- Add to the saucepan along with the 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1 Tbsp green peppercorns and the 1/4 cup of red wine.
- Cook on low, stirring often, until the red wine has thoroughly reduced.
- Add the 1/2 cup beef stock and 1/2 cup crème fraîche.
- Mix everything well and simmer until you get the consistency you desire.
- Add 1 tsp of brandy and mix again.
Serving
I served the sauce over a pork rack replete with crackling, steamed vegetables and Yorkshire puds.
Enjoy,
PK
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Crème Fraîche
Crème fraîche is made from a high fat content cream that has be soured using friendly bacterial cultures. It is smoother than sour cream and much less tangy.
It holds up well when heated due to its fat content, making it perfect for cooking. It is also perfect for serving cold alongside cakes and pastries.
I use it in my soups, stews and pastas (like my spaghetti carbonara).
Here is another example, baked salmon with creamy pearl cous cous.
Please let me know what you like serving it with.
Enjoy,
PK
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Ginger: Grow And Eat
Ginger root (originally from Southeast Asia) is one of the most common spices used in cooked dishes, baking, drinks and confectionery. It pops up in European, Indian and Asian cuisines having been traded and planted around the world.
It is easy to grow in warm climates. I simply buried a few roots about 10cm down in rich organic soil and waited for new stems to appear. Unlike galangal the leaves suffer a bit in the Perth summer sun and that might guide your choice of planting location.
Ginger flower – By Venkatx5 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20134351
You can wait for the stems to die and harvest the whole root but I just go out when I need fresh ginger and dig a bit up. You can then cut off what you need and replant the rest.
When cut it has a pungent smell that is both sweet and peppery.
If you would like to see recipes using ginger please click here.
Enjoy,
PK
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Dried Crab Snack: Tamagogani
Tamagogani, a popular Japanese snack, are dried and seasoned little hermit crabs.
You just know I had to try one when a friend of mine brought some back after being in Japan for a holiday. I found them overpowering fishy and with a curious sweet finish.
I have since read that the best way to eat these is by dipping them in soy sauce and then drinking them down with lots of beer.
Enjoy,
PK
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JAPANESE CUISINE
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What Are Rillettes?
Rillettes are a preserved meat product, traditionally using pork meat that has been salted, cooked and stored in its own fat.
As such it is a type of confit.
Wow it is a show stopper! It tastes a bit like rough textured pate and despite appearances, is not fatty or greasy.
Try serving it on crusty bread alongside other preserved meats and pickled vegetables.
I also love it in salads and it makes a mean sandwich with cheese, tomatoes and leafy greens.
Enjoy,
PK
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Bamboo Shoots
Edible bamboo shoots are as the name suggests the young tender shoots of bamboo. Raw they contain they contain toxins but these are leached out when the shoots are boiled prior to sale.
I buy them canned and always have some on hand for my stir fries, rice dishes, soups and even salads.
They are delicately sweet and although tender they give your dish a nice bit of crunch.
They keep well in a sealed container of water for a few weeks in the fridge.
Here is a shoot prior to harvesting.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Haragayato
Enjoy,
PK
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BROWSE INGREDIENTS POSTS
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Anderson’s Balsamic Vinaigrette
A good friend of mine knocked up this simple vinaigrette for me the other day. It took a simple green salad to the next level and I suspect it will also make an excellent marinade for any meat you throw it at.
The best part is you make it the way you like, so have a little fun and experiment a bit!
Here is his rough method:
- Simply mix equal parts of balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a jam jar.
- Put on the lid and give it a good shake.
- Add a bit of Dijon or hot english mustard depending on whether you are going for a sweet or spicy taste respectively.
- Shake again and taste, adding more mustard if required.
- Add a squirt of lemon juice and shake again.
- Taste, adding more lemon juice if needed.
Then drizzle on your favourite salad.
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