Cooking with DKG: Episode 742

I have so many thoughts swirling around, ready to pop out as a blog post, but no time to coherently master them into submission. So you'll need to put up with a quick recipe instead, because god knows there aren't enough recipes swirling about the cyber world.

This isn't anything ground breaking just a combination of some of my favourite flavours and the result of reading a dozen recipes featuring the words Smoked Salmon and Ricotta.

Quick Salmon, Ricotta and Tomato Pasta

500g pasta
200g Smoked Salmon
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved or whole (as you like)
2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
1 Tablespoon olive oil + extra for serving
1Tablespoon butter (homemade in the Thermomix is nice - ha ha)
2-3 Tablespoons Ricotta
2-3 Tablespoons Sour Cream
Handful of parsley
Salt and Pepper

Cook pasta. Drain.
Return pot to low heat.
Add olive oil and butter and garlic. Cook for a minute or two, stirring.
Add tomatoes, zest. Cook for a minute, stirring once or twice.
Add smoked salmon, ricotta, sour cream, parsley. Stir until ricotta and sour cream have combined to a smooth sauce.
Add cooked pasta, salt, pepper, extra olive oil to taste. Heat through briefly while stirring.
Serve.

* This quantity gave us dinner for four plus enough for lunch for Big Jay. Probably we could have squeezed out two lunches if we weren't such greedy little piglets last night.

I love these flavours. The lemon zest really gives it a boost. It's a warmer months style of pasta for when you're sick of spag bol (I rarely get sick of it but...). Will said he wanted to eat it every night which is a pretty good endorsement.

Obviously you can add whatever you have in the fridge: frozen peas, rocket, baby spinach, capers, make it with sliced chicken or proscuitto instead of salmon. We had it with funky little pasta shapes I bought at Costco which look a little like shark eggs or alien pods but I think it would work with any type of pasta at all.

Enjoy!

Cyber Dinner Party at Chez DKG

Since I'm suffering from total writers' block and don't want to be bothering you with my anti Climate Change bollocks, anti Labor government rants (enough of that on FB) I thought I'd write about my other favourite subject right now: food.

So here are the two recipes I'd make if you were popping over for a quick Sunday night dinner. Strangely these were the two things I did actually make today; the former for our dinner, the later to bring to playgroup.

Pasta with Chorizo Seafood Tomato Sauce

500g packet of curly fettucine (or pasta of choice)
Big dash of olive oil
500g green medium prawns, peeled and deveined
400g firm fish fillets (I used red snapper), cut into 3cm cubes
2 chorizo sausages medium diced
1 clove garlic finely chopped
6-8 tomatoes peeled and chopped or 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes or combination of both
1 large mushroom or 4-6 button mushrooms finely sliced
Dash of GOOD balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
3/4 cup vegetable stock or water
Zest of 1 small lemon

Cook pasta and set aside.
In a large pot (I use pasta pot) heat oil and add garlic and chorizo. Cook on low-medium heat for a couple of minutes. Turn up heat to medium and keep stirring. Add mushrooms.
Cook until chorizo is becoming crispy and mushrooms have cooked down. Be careful that garlic doesn't burn.
Add tomato, stock, vinegar, herbs and cook for 10 minutes or so, until the sauce thickens and tomato cooks down.
Add prawns and fish, mix through the sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook.
Once prawns turn pink and curl it's ready. Mix the lemon zest through sauce. Then the cooked pasta. Keep on the heat for a minute or two.
Serve with a sprinkle of parsley or coriander.

Chocolate Orange Tart

1 quantity Almond Shortcrust Pastry (I use the Thermomix - doh! - recipe)
125g Philly Cream Cheese, softened
300ml Thickened Cream
120g Chocolate (I used good quality dark chocolate)
2 Tablespoon Caster Sugar
2 large Free Range Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla essence
Zest of 1 Orange
Optional: Pear Jam or Marmalade

Roll out pastry and line an oiled tart tin (20-22cm).
Place baking paper on the pastry and fill with baking beads (??) for blind baking.
Bake at 200deg for 10 minutes. Remove beads and paper. Bake for a further 10 minutes.
Turn oven down to 170 deg.
While the pastry is baking make filling.
Melt Chocolate in the microwave - in 30 second bursts at 80% power.
When chocolate is melted whisk through sugar until smooth.
Add soft cream cheese and whisk until smooth.
Add cream, eggs, zest and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
At this point I spread the pear jam in a thin layer over the base of the tart, then pour in the chocolate mixture. If you're not using the jam just pour in the filling.
Don't over fill. You need a couple of millimeters of visible crust at the edge.
Bake for about 25-35 minutes. You want it to be set but not dry or cracked, it should still look a little wobbly in the centre. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, then chill.
If I have leftover filling I bake in oiled patty tins or muffin tins. It's yummy.

There you go. I hope you enjoyed dinner.

If you give these recipes a whirl let me know how they turn out. The tart is a bit fiddly but I love the Jaffa flavours. The pasta is a real winner, those flavours really zing along.

Bon appetit.

Under the weather

Isn't that a funny saying? But so apt today. I'm feeling unwell, a yucky head cold which means my nose is running like a tap, my throat is aching and my head is throbing.

Last night we were literally under the weather as we watched, and listened to, the most magnificent storm roll over Sydney. Is anything nicer than being cosy inside your home, your children sleeping in their warm beds, while a huge, loud storm plays out in all it's glory outside your windows and above your head? Bliss.

It's been a big week and weekend, probably the biggest of the year in terms of physical workload. I enjoyed it but I'm glad it's over.

Saturday was my dad's 70th birthday party which we held at our home. Just a small get together (dad's not the most social person on earth), finger food and drinks on our deck. This involved lots of shopping and cleaning (may I take a moment to thank my wonderful hubby Big Jay who rolls up his sleeves and helps out big time during these stressful times when I'm running around like a headless chicken on crack) and a great day of food preparation with my MIL, my sister J and her friend R (who had flown in from Ireland only two days before). There's something gorgeous and old school (damn you Cake Boss, I can't get that phrase out of my mind!) about a group of women hanging out in the kitchen, preparing food, talking, laughing.

Sunday was the kids' school fete which was bigger and better than ever after being cancelled last year because of the BER (may the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits JGill). I was in charge of the cupcake and gingerbread man decorating stall and because I had only ever seen it done once (at a chocolate festival I attended in Melbourne last year) and because I had no idea how many kids we would get through I over ordered big time and spent lots of time worrying about whether we'd have enough icing, smarties, serviettes...

The day was fun and my kids certainly had a ball but our stall was on the quiet side and we had lots and lots of uniced cupcakes and gingerbread people leftover. So after getting home absolutely exhausted on Sunday evening I sat up and iced about 50 cupcakes to take to the canteen on Monday (those cupcakes might as well get used up and I have never met a kid who doesn't love a cupcake). At least I got to watch the last two episodes of True Blood while I was icing away and all I can say is Alan Ball you are a wicked man, why do you keep us hanging like this at the end of each season.

I barely got any sleep on Sunday night, having gone to bed very late (I couldn't stop myself watching My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, which was rather interesting reality tv) and then woke up on Monday with this head cold. Took a lot of effort to get through the day at work without collapsing face first onto my keyboard.

Then last night Marianna and I decorated about 50 or so gingerbread folk to take to the canteen today... And then, because a martyr's work is never done, I sat up and finished cutting out, addressing and packaging up the invitations for the Year 6 farewell (which I am co-ordinating, being a Year 5 class mum this year).

I have woken up this morning feeling like someone has used my head for a ball during a particularly energetic AFL grand final. I suspect I'm in the final half of my 48 hour cold but I'm not at my best and would give almost anything to get back into bed with my Kindle and finish The Mermaids Singing which strangely seems to be a book I can't quite get into.

Despite all that whining I do feel a great sense of achievement and also relief. I am definitely on the downward slide of the work mountain which builds up at this time of the year. While there is still lots to do between now and the big day on the non-denominational festive season calendar a huge part of the pressure has now lifted.

So onwards we march... my personal little reward is going to be seeing The Loved Ones next Saturday. What an awesome little horror movie that is promising to be. This blog is about nothing if not about tangents.

My Anything Goes Muffins

Here's the recipe for my "Anything Goes" Muffins. This started as a proper muffin recipe I found in a magazine but over the years I have discovered that I can change or substitute the ingredients and still end up with a yummy muffin. The good thing is that as long as you stick to the basic quantities of wet and dry ingredients you can use up many different leftover fruits and dairy sitting around in your kitchen. Give it a try and let me know what you like or don't like about it.

Ingredients

1 egg (large and free range, preferrably)

1 cup yoghurt (plain - I like to use Greek yoghurt for a nice tangy result - or fruit yoghurt or custard or buttermilk – whatever you have sitting around in the fridge)

1/3 cup oil (I use sunflower but you can use rice bran or vegetable or light olive oil –just don’t use full bodied olive oil as it’s too strong)

1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 ripe bananas) or grated pear or apple or carrots or berries of some kind (fresh or frozen) - be creative almost any fruit can be mashed, grated or finely chopped

Optional: some grated lemon or orange zest for extra zing and/or ½ cup of white or milk chocolate bits and/or some chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts or almonds - extra good if you toast them in the oven for a few minutes first, nice and crunchy) and/or craisins and/or sultanas - almost anything you like

1 ¾ cup self raising flour (or 1 ¼ cups s/r flour and ½ cup almond meal for something a little different)

¾ cup caster sugar (or fine brown sugar if you prefer)

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees if not fan forced or 170/175 degrees if fan forced - nice moderate oven, not too hot.

Beat the egg lightly in a big bowl. Add yoghurt and oil and mix with a fork. Add fruit and mix.

Sift flour and sugar over the wet ingredients and mix with a fork until just combined. You’ll get a thick batter. Make sure it’s evenly mixed throughout (no leftover dry flour on the bottom) but don't over mix.

Spoon into a 12 regular cup muffin tin or 24 cup mini muffin tin (I like to use paper muffin cases so that the tin stays clean). I like to add a whole almond or pecan to the top of each muffin, but that's up to you. Bake for about 20-30 minutes. Keep an eye on them after 20 minutes. You just want golden brown on top. It depends on your oven how quickly they cook and brown. If using mini muffin tin possibly only 15-18 minutes might do the job.

Enjoy and let me know if you give it a try. They keep reasonably well - still good after 2 or 3 days, just microwave fro 20 seconds if they start getting stale.

Treats

Rainy Sunday afternoon at home. Tired hubby on the lounge suffering from a Rugby League induced stupor. Will watching back to back movies (currently Where The Wild Things Are). Miss Stroppy Pants and I have been in cupcake heaven, trying out my new Kuhon Rikon icing set.

Just call me Domestic Goddess

Spent half the day baking for the school's Election Day Cake Stall yesterday.

That's Cranberry and White Chocolate Biscuits (these are super delicious and you make a huge amount from the recipe) on the left and Nigella's Totally Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies (very good but just too chocolatey for me) on the right.

All I can say is I went through a lot of butter and my KitchenAid got a thorough workout. I just love a few hours at home, in the kitchen, in peace. Heaven.

So hopefully there will be a few voters leaving my children's school today feeling happy and satisfied (which are two feelings you won't get from actually voting).

MasterSook

I am borrowing the title of this blog entry from my sister (hope that's OK, JB).

Have you ever seen such a big bunch of whiney little girls as the contestants on this season of MasterChef? Boo hoo, this is for my grandmother. Boo hoo, I've let down my team mates. Stop blubbering and cook.

Having said that, let me say this. GO, ALVIN! You cute little gay scientific officer, you!

Furthermore, this morning I won Julie Goodwin's cookbook in a Fountain Sauce competition. So it's all MasterChef, all the time, around here.

But I actually have something sensible to say about cooking following on from that rambling about all things MC.

Strangely, considering that Big (not so much now) Jay and I have been on a Leptin Green Coffee 800 based loosing weight frenzy these past six weeks or so, I have also been on a bit of a cooking frenzy this week. Because these recipes have come out so well I thought I might share them with you, loyal reader, just in case you're looking for something new to spruce up your winter menu.

1) Chocolate and Almond Brownies

I found these on the Taste.com.au website when I was trying to use up some sour cream I didn't want to throw out. I love brownies but have never found a really good recipe that has excited me.

These are good. The sour cream makes them moist, even after a couple of days. The almonds add a nutty crunch contrast which I love. I don't put in as much sugar as they suggest, I only put in about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup. I also use maple syrup instead of golden syrup. I have also added and/or substituted other types of chocolate including half dark cooking chocolate/half Mars bars (I had a couple of fun size laying about in the back of the fridge). The brownies always turn out just right.

2) 12 hour slow cooked lamb

I found a version of this recipe in a Gourmet Traveller which found it's way into my hands recently (great magazine, I've asked for a subscription for Mother's Day). I didn't use the spice mix in the original recipe because I didn't have the necessary ingredients and I didn't want a middle eastern flavour.

My version involves making a paste of an onion, some garlic (I used quite a lot, maybe 8 or 10 bits), lemon zest and juice and olive oil. I rubbed this paste all over a 2.5 kg leg of lamb and covered in plastic wrap and then foil and left in the fridge for 36 hours (I would probably leave for at least 24 hours). I then took it out of the fridge for an hour and put in the oven at 110 degrees for 10.5 hours (I know, I got impatient at the end). The lamb was absolutely beautiful, not quite fall off the bone, but very moist and tender and wonderful. Next time I might turn up the heat to 120 degrees or just find a little more patience and leave it in there for the full 12 hours.

3) Lamb, lentil and vegetable soup

This recipe is a variation on one I made a lot last winter (mainly because I wound up with a great deal of frozen, left over roast beef and lamb... long story). This recent version involved the left over slow roasted lamb, as above. I trimmed all the meat from the bone and placed in the slow cooker with 6 cups of stock (4 cups chicken, 2 cups vegetable - just what I had available, use what you have). Also a large tin of chopped tomatoes and a cup of dried green lentils (brown or red lentils or barely would work just as well). I diced up a whole lot of onion, garlic and celery and a small sweet potato (because I like them) and fried them gently in some olive oil to caramlise and add some flavour. I then tipped them into the slow cooked with the other ingredients. I would suggest seasoning to your own taste, I tend to cook a little bland because that's how the children like it and because Big Jay pours on salt and pepper onto everything before tasting a mouthful.

I left all this on for about 6 hours on low and then turned it up to high for about 1 1/2 hours at the end. You could probably just cook it on high for about 4 hours for a very similar result.

Hearty and delicious. A big pot lasts for a few days, including work lunches for me. The kids love it. When we have it for dinner I make some croutons out whatever bread or rolls we have laying about.

4) Spicy-ish Pumpkin Soup

This year I've been back shopping at Flemington Markets and the beautiful fresh produce always inspires me. Two weeks ago I bought a gorgeous medium sized Jap pumpkin for $2. After peeling and seeding I got 3.5 kg of pumpkin flesh from it. I put all that in the slow cooked with two chopped up onions, some garlic, ginger (I think it was the young ginger I bought which added an extra zing) and one bit of lemongrass, as well as two teaspoons of korma curry paste and one tin of Carnation Light Evaporated Milk, Coconut Flavour. This cooked for about 6 hours on the low setting. I then left it too cool for about an hour before putting it through the blender in batches (my hand held blender thingy has some awful fungal infection which should lead me to buy a new one but I can't bring myself to do so yet as this one is quite new and barely used, shame!).

Anyway, the result was a beautiful pumpkin soup with so much flavour - Big Jay and I just love it. However, it is just a little too spicy for the kids (next time I will omit the lemongrass and most of the ginger). The freezer is full of soup right now which gives me a satisfying feeling, knowing there is a quick meal only a microwave zap away.

OK, enough domestic goddess bollocks for one day.

We're off to the Swannies... and tomorrow is Will's 11th birthday and a soccer party.

I love you, I need you, I want you...

No, I'm not talking about RW or AK or any of my other objects of fantasy.

I'm talking about a kitchen gadget I was introduced to at Tetsuya's masterclass last week.

The Thermomix.

This gadget looks something like an oversized ice bucket sitting in the middle of a large plastic base. Nothing special really. But it's what it can do that makes it amazing.

This thing cooks and cools, so it can make risotto and ice cream. It whisks, blends, mixes, kneads, weighs. There is basically nothing it can't do (excuse the double negative).

Tetsuya used it to grind tea leaves to a powder so fine you could easily have snorted it, if that's the sort of thing you're into... snorting tea leaves.

Anyway, if anyone has a spare TWO GRAND sitting around which they would like to contribute to support my kitchen appliance habit please send all donations to ...

Yuck, Yuck and triple Yuck

I've been making smoothies lately. There's something about a warm summer morning that makes me crave an icy cold, creamy, banana and mango smoothie, made with a squirt of honey and an ice cube for extra icy-ness.

Anyway, on Wednesday morning (after our return from another wonderful short holiday break with our wonderful friends the G family in Port Macquarie) I went about making myself one of these delicious concoctions. In goes the milk, the chopped up banana, half a chopped up mango, the honey and ice. Bbbbbjjjjjjjjj goes my trusty Sunbeam magic wand thingy (what are they called?? and no, not that magic wand thingy - RIP BOB the first BTW).

Imagine my surprise, bewilderment, horror when the mixture turns a lovely shade of pale khaki instead of the usual tropical shade of pale orange. I stare at it, my morning brain trying to make sense of it all.

Hesitently I lift out the magic wand and look at the blade area (had a mouse impaled itself on it while I was away?). No, it was worse, much worse, than that. There was mould, thick, crusy, gray mould growing underneath the blades. Now before you start wondering about the hygiene standards at Chez Deep Kick Girl let me assure you all is well in that department. I always wash the blades thoroughly after use and dry in the appropriate manner.

After closer examination it appears that the mould has grown in the rubber seal area underneath the blades; a rubber seal which does not seem to actually serve any purpose, except to harbour germs and grow mould.

I have scrubbed it all again and soaked briefly in a bleach solution but I'm not sure I can ever bring myself to use this gadget again. Which may be a good excuse to purchase my new kitchen love interest...

Food, glorious food

As my boss Bob always says "I love food, I wouldn't eat anything else".


Part 1

One of my Chrissie pressies, from my gorgeous sister Jules, is a cooking class with Tetsuya Wakuda [obviously] of Testuyas Restaurant fame. Mum, Jules and I are going for a two hour masterclass next Wednesday.

What a fabulous and exciting prospect. Luckily it's not a hands-on class because stage fright is a major problem for me in these instances. (I once went to a David Thompson [of Sailors Thai] cooking class at the Sydney Seafood School and was asked to come up and assist him. I'm sure I did all the right things, though the details are a blur, but I certianly felt like a rabbit in the headlights.)

I'm really looking forward to sitting back and watching the master in action. What a cool present!

Part 2

While watching the Come Dine With Me marathon on New Year's Day I came to the conclusion that I would put in an application should an Australian version be created. I love the idea of the show and I'm sure I could do a reasonable job of putting on a dinner party (if I could ship the family away for the day and clear my foggy brain). It was the camera/being on television side of things which made me clammy and anxious; as you well know I turn into a dithering idiot (more so than usual) when in front of a camera.

However, from the safety of my sofa, I decided I would take on the personal challenge should the opportunity arise. I couldn't do much worse than some of the clowns who have appeared on the episodes I've watched over the years.

Imagine my surprise/excitement/relief/disappointment when I saw the ads for the upcoming Australian season, starting on 18 January! Somehow it had snuck up on me when I wasn't looking. I have checked the website and they are not advertising for new applicants. So I guess my chance to make a disgrace of myself of national television has come and gone. For the best really.

I'm giddy with excitement, happiness and a little sick at the thought of it.

Today I've bitten the bullet and purchased something I've been dreaming about for quite some time:

Yes, it's a KitchenAid Artisan in Almond Cream. A truly beautiful piece of kitchen machinery.

My crappy little hand held device (no, not that hand held device) has finally kicked the bucket and today an email arrived announcing a super special at my favourite online kitchen stuff store (www.evertenonline.com.au - if you need top quality kitchen gear at really good prices - no, I don't get a commission but I should). So I took it as a sign from, well, someone...

I've ordered it and with any luck it will be delivered tomorrow or Monday. Woohoo!

The bad news is the price, $649 on super special. Yes, that's a frightening amount of money for something which basically mixes things. But I'm looking at it from a few angles: it's an heirloom item; it should last until I'm of retirement age (at least the current retirement age, possibly not the new one); it's retro good looks will make it a gorgeous addition to my kitchen; it will make all those pavlova rolls I make for summer BBQs so much easier; it simply makes me happy.

I've been meaning to post about this for a while. The 4 Ingredients girls. Before I knock them I do want to say there is probably room for their sort of cooking. I can't loftily assume that everyone possesses a certain level of kitchen know-how and confidence; some people just don't feel comfortable in the kitchen. The problem is, if they have a tv show and a publishing deal, so should the home economists who write the recipes for Campbells or MasterFoods which appear on the back of the sachets and tins.

I saw them do a recipe the other day for Eggs Benedict. The 4 ingredients were: eggs, English Muffins, ham and Hollandaise Sauce. Hmmmm. What's wrong with this picture?

You can't just say "Hollandaise Sauce" as an ingredient. It's like saying I can make minestrone with one ingredient: a can of minestrone soup (open can, place in microwave safe bowl, heat, eat). This is not a recipe.

A lot of their recipes are like this. Sure there is room for simple but I think they are having a larf!

The pressure cooker and I continue our love affair. It's a wonderful thing.

Last week I made this gorgeous pork braise. So easy and delicious:

Brown 1kg of pork neck (or similar meat) which has been diced into 2 cm cubes. Take out of pan and cook some diced onion, carrot, celery and mushrooms with some garlic in the pan until starting to soften and get a little caramelisation happening. Stir through a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste and cook for a minute or two. Add back the pork with some chopped zucchini, tin of tomatoes, stock powder (I like to use Vegeta), a dash of water, seasoning. Put pressure cooker lid on and bring to low pressure over high heat. Stabilise and cook for 35 minutes. I served with pasta but it would be just as nice with rice or just in a bowl with a bit of crusy bread.

Then last night I made a mild lamb curry. Again easy and delicious:

Put 1kg of diced lamb in the pan with a tin of tomatoes, a large sweet potato diced into 2cm cubes, a diced onion, a couple of cloves crushed garlic, cup of water, a teaspoon each of garam marsala, ground cumin, ground corriander, tumeric, paprika, a few splashes of soy sauce, a tablespoon of honey. Put pressure cooker lid on and bring to los pressure over high heat. Stabilise and cook for 25-30 minutes. Serve with yummy basmati rice. [The seasonings and "heat" can obviously be adjusted - I tend to make these things very much on the mild side because both my kids scream blue murder if anything is even vaguely "spicy".]

Just call me Nigella.

If I do say so myself tonight's chicken, zuchini and tomato risotto cooked in my new pressure cooker was absolutely gorgeous! I would go so far as to say it was the best risotto I've ever made (and possibly ever tasted).

There's something about the pressure cooker which forces the flavours together beautifully. It was just right, creamy with just a bit of firmness in the rice itself. The savoury chicken flavour was beautiful.

I have now made three things in the cooker and I am learning that the recipes need to have about an extra 5 or 10 minutes of cooking time added to them. The lamb shanks I made on Sunday were nice but definitely not falling off the bone, which is how they should be. I think an extra 10 minutes would have made a big difference.

At this rate I may never need my other pots and pans again. There is almost nothing I can't make in this thing. [Obviously I still need my wok and my big pot for cooking pasta, but everything else can go.]

Luckily I have made it back to the gym as of this morning because all this hearty winter cooking is going to be tough on the waist measurement.

HERE IT IS.

My first effort in my brand new pressure cooker. Beef Goulash, made with gravy beef, onions, mushrooms, paprika, tomato paste, stock and sour cream to finish.

The photo doesn't do it justice. It was delicious and tender and full of flavour. Prep time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 25 minutes + 5 minutes to thicken sauce.

I did struggle a little to get the lid on properly to start with but I guess it's a technique I'll need to master. I was skeptical that it would turn out. After all gravy beef normally requires 2+ hours to reach a tenderness suitable for eating. When I finally lifted the lid I wasn't sure what to expect but it was just as promised.

I am suitably impressed at this point. Sunday I'm doing lamb shanks so that will be Big Test #2. Report to follow.

So I've ordered a pressure cooker and I'm excited. Yes, I know the words "pressure cooker" entice images of exploding casseroles and steam burns but I am assured the new, second generation cookers available today are a much safer, easier and overall better appliance than the thin aluminium relic from the 50s and 60s which most of us have in mind.

The selling point for me is slow cooked meals in half an hour. For me one of the best things about the cooler months is using my slow cooker to do scrumptious lamb shanks (and lamb shank and barely soup), rich beef casseroles and tomato and mushroom chicken (such as the one we enjoyed last night). However these dishes take hours and hours to cook so usually I have them going on the weekends and then freeze the results. With our weekends being what they are this scenario doesn't happen all that often.

So now I have a better option. Apparently in my new pressure cooker I'll be able to cook the same meal but in half an hour or so. Magic.

I am armed with my Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Suzanne Gibb (that's Margaret Fulton's daughter) and awaiting my delivery of aforementioned pressure cooker and a large box of top quality meat from ButcherMan.com.au. Mmmmmmm.

Stay tuned. Reviews forthcoming.

I love Come Dine With Me, a BBC production shown here on Lifestyle Food.

It's a cooking program which runs over five nights and features five amateur home "chefs" who each host a dinner party at their home. The four guests give a score each evening and at the end of the week the winner gets one thousand pounds.

Unarguably it's less about food and more about the people who participate. Though I have picked up a decent recipe or two (the chicken thigh cutlets stuffed with mushrooms and wrapped in pancetta are super easy and totally yummy) most of these people are not Gordon Ramsay by any stretch of the imagination.

It may not be high brow entertainment but where else are you going to meet a bloke who not only owns a vol-au-vent cooking machine (like a home donut making machine but so much weirder) but also did an embalming course and embalmed his own father! But wait there is more. He has a picture of his dead mother, in her coffin, in the guest bedroom. Hands up who wants to stay the night!

I've never been brave enough to make real custard. It's always seemed like something a little too difficult. Not sure why I have suffered from this particular phobia, similar to my scone making phobia.

However, since Pavlova Roll is one of my staple desserts for entertaining (easy, delicious and popular with everyone) I always end up with spare egg yolks which I diligently put in the fridge with the aim of finding a recipe to use them in and then always end up throwing them away after a week at the back of the fridge.

So finally I found a custard recipe which seemed simple enough and I'm here to tell you that it's not only simple but it's the best custard I have ever tasted, even if I do say so myself.

As a community service announcement here 'tis: Traditional Vanilla Custard (for dummies... who like yummy custard).

PS As an added tip I recommend having a husband on hand who is happy(-ish) to stand there stirring constantly for 15 minues while you get on with more important things.

Penne with Pesto

Atlantic Salmon with Avocado Salad with Warm Orange Vinegrette

Saturday night dinner at the DeepKick residence. Why does it require a blog entry?

Because... are you sitting down?...

No, really! You need to be sitting down! YOU. WON'T. BELIEVE. IT!!!!!

MY HUSBAND COOKED DINNER.

Yes, Big Jay who generally can't boil water. For whom toast is an accomplishment.

All I can say is THANK YOU He Cooks. What started as a Christmas present idea with little prognosis of success has resulted in an enthusiastic husband who has signed up for the full course and is gingerly dipping his toe into my domain (i.e. the kitchen).

As Big Jay would say "Happy Days!".