Well friends, today is a big big day in my world. Firstly, 29th June would have been my Mum’s birthday. So it’s always a special day when my sisters and brother think about Mum a lot. This year she’s on my mind even more than usual because it’s also the official launch date of my book of her recipes.

Yeah, I know. I can hardly believe it - but as of today I am officially a published author.  Wow.

Leading up to today, I wasn’t really sure just how it would feel. Excited - definitely. A little nervous for sure. But today I’m on even more of a buzz than I thought I would be. You see, over the weekend I had my first ever book launch. Let me tell you, there’s nothing like the well wishes of family and friends, especially friends of my Mum’s to get a book launch off to a good start. A big big THANKYOU to everyone who came along made it such a brilliant event.

Now I know I’m making is sound like I throw book launches all the time, but this was in fact not only the first book launch I have hosted. It was also the first I had ever been to. So I thought this week I’d share my learnings so if you ever are lucky enough to be launching a book you’ll be all over it.

how to host a book launch in 10 easy steps.

i. Decide on a theme
It’s really about letting the style of your book dictate the vibe of your launch. Given that my book is a collection of my Mum’s recipes, a cosy afternoon tea that would enable me to showcase a few of her treasures seemed like an easy choice.

ii. Choose a date & time
Pretty self explanatory.

iii. Find a venue
You’ll need to take into consideration your theme and the approximate number of guests for this one. The local cafe in the town where I grew up was first choice for my afternoon tea. The fact that it is owned by my brother’s girlfriend was an added bonus.  For the city crowd, however I thought a casual drink on a Sunday afternoon would be more in order.

iv. Design & send out invitations to everyone you know
Another no brainer but don’t underestimate the power of an individual invitation rather than a notice in the local paper. From experience over 80% of the people who attended my launch were from a direct invitation from me or a forwarded one from people I had targeted.

v. Put an ad in the local newsletter / paper
Local media can be such a great way to target people whose contact details you may not have.

vi. Write a media release & send to the local press
This may or may not get you some publicity but the bonus I found was that there were many requests for a short article and some photos to publish after the event.

vii. Bribe your boyfriend and family to help
I feel very blessed to have a large family of willing helpers. From my sisters Naomi and Kate who did a splendid job of looking after sales, in spite of reception issues with our mobile electronic banking facilities. To my sister Sas who brought plenty of moral support and my adorable nephew Jack. To Naomi’s fiance Joel who proved himself to be a very adept events photographer. To my Irishman who took care of many behind the scenes details, while still finding time to share some of his gaelic charm.

viii. Pickup your books
I like to work on ‘just in time’ for most things in life and I thought I was being incredibly organised asking for my books to be delivered the Monday before the event. If only the printer had understood my request life would have been much calmer and saved me a friday afternoon trip to Wetherill Park to pick up the books en route. Next time I’ll allow some more fat.

ix. Bake some scones & caramel slice
Lucky for me, Rea the owner of the Merino Cafe was cool for me to bring my own food to showcase some recipes. There’s nothing like delicious edible samples to bring a recipe to life.

x. Greet your guests and have some fun
To be honest I had a ball. It was great fun catching up with family and friends and family friends. Any excuse to get together should be made the most of. And don’t forget to get out your best book signing pen.
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The stonesoup word and pictures online bookshop is now open and ready for your order. Alternatively you could swing by the Merino Cafe in Gunning or the Gunning Newsagent to pick up your copy of ‘and the love is free’ - the story of an amazing Mum told through her family recipes.

For Sydneysiders I’d like to extend an invitation to join me for my Sydney launch. Would love to see you and your friends there.

cousin rosa’s pasta with ricotta

It’s been ages since I wrote about my cookbook fetish and even longer since I updated my books-for-a-cook inspiration page. I know I’ve been a bit slack in that department. But that doesn’t mean my love of cookbooks has waned in recent times. The truth is it has gone from strength to strength.

One of the things that has definitely deepened my appreciation of books in general and recipe books in particular has been going through the process of writing and designing a book myself. I’ve been on a seriously steep learning curve but is has been quite a journey. A journey that is beginning to take me further out of my depth now that I’m entering the sales and marketing phase. But I’ve also discovered a perk to this gig. Now when I buy cookbooks, it’s all in the name of ‘research’ - a legitimate business expense to help me get to know the competition and all that.

There is one ‘competitor’ in particular that I’d dearly love to get to know better. If the truth be told, I even kinda wish we were related - cousins or something. Her name is Rosa Mitchell. Sicilian born and raised in Melbourne where she is the cooking force behind Journal Canteen, one of the best cafes in the city.

I had heard of Rosa some time ago but it wasn’t until last month that I was fortunate enough to lunch at Journal. And what a fine lunch it was. Simple and fresh and tasty and all round a lovely experience. It almost made me consider moving South.

Instead I decided to take the less life changing option of buying the book. It’s fair to say the ‘My Cousin Rosa‘ has been the most impressive cookbook to enter my collection since I discovered the Moro series.

There’s something about Rosa that I just love. Her Italian approach to food for one. The simplicity of it. The authenticity. The yum factor. The history and stories that are an integral part of the experience. But there’s more to her book than winning reipes and nostalgic design. Reading My Cousin Rosa gives you a glimpse of the life of an amazing lady and cook and really makes you wish you had a cousin like that.

So until I can find a way to infiltrate the Mitchell family and get myself invited to dinner, I’m planning on cooking my way through Rosa’s book. There’s cauliflower salad, lentil & pasta soup, diving looking meatballs in tomato sauce, marinated zucchini, a classic ragu which combines lamb shanks, pork hock and osso buco not to mention a chocolate and hazelnut tart.

Even Glen is loving Rosa and is insisting that she’s ‘our’ cousin. Tonight as I write, he’s making her soup of pasta and peas. If the smells coming out of the kitchen are any indication, I’m thinking Cousin Rosa may well be reappearing in the pages of stonesoup in the not to distant future.

In the mean time I highly recommend you try her pasta with ricotta. This has to be one of the simplest recipes of all time and as Rosa says - why would you bother with takeaway when all you have to do is boil some pasta and stir through some ricotta. I can’t belive I didn’t think of this myself and am ever so grateful to Rosa for opening my eyes.

Note. If you’d like to serve your pasta with a shaved red cabbage and parmesan salad like I did in the picture below - and I really recommend you do - just substitute in red cabbage in the salad recipe HERE.

our cousin rosa’s pasta with ricotta
serves 5

Adapted from Rosa Mitchell’s inspirational book, My Cousin Rosa.

Rosa has this down as serving 4 people but ‘d prefer to divide it between 5 - or at least leave some leftovers for lunch. I think my lack of Italian pasta-eating genes is showing.

If you’re in the mood to experiment Rosa recommends trying it with pesto and parmesan or diced ripe tomatoes and basil, or with bacon peas and parmesan. But she’s right that the ricotta alone is mighty fine. I’ve also experimented with flaked good quality tuna in oil and a squeeze of lemon.

500g short pasta
275g - 300g (10oz) whole milk ricotta
2 sprigs parsley, leaves picked & chopped
freshly grated parmesan cheese, to serve

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook pasta according to the packet directions. Mash ricotta with a fork. When the pasta is done reserve a cup full of cooking water. Drain pasta and return to the saucepan. Stir through ricotta and parsley. If it looks too dry stir through some of the cooking water until it looks good. Season and serve hot with cheese on the side.

little cookies & cream cheesecakes

If you had asked me this time last year whether I would have written and be publishing a cookbook in the next 12 months, I’m pretty sure my answer would have been in the negative. Sure I had this idea kicking around in my head that a collection of my late mother’s recipes would be a great project to pull together and a lovely way to remember and celebrate her life. But I also knew that it’s a long long journey from idea to published author. And well my friends, what a journey it’s been.

This week I come to you with an announcement or two and to sweeten the deal I have a recipe on hand. Using only 4 ingredients, these little beauties are as easy as they are delicious. But I digress. Announcements are in order, and then we’ll talk chocolate.

i. Online Bookstore
The release of my first book, ‘and the love is free’ is all on track for what would have been my Mum’s Birthday 29th June. My online bookstore is now open and ready to take pre orders. Get in quick as the first 100 copies to sell online will be numbered and signed and of course individually dedicated. There’s a sample of the contents and a few of the recipes to give you a taste just click on the cover image HERE.

ii. Book Launch - Gunning
It seems only right to have my first book launch in my home town of Gunning. We’ll be at the Merino Cafe from 3.30pm on Saturday 27th June. If you do happen to be in the area, please drop in for some afternoon tea and a chat. You can see the invite on Flickr HERE. If you need directions drop me a line on jules[at]thestonesoup[dot]com.

iii. Good Food & Wine Show Sydney
Those wine loving gals from Kampai have kindly invited me to hang out with them for the Sydney edition of the Good Food & Wine Show 3rd - 5th July. It’s going to be great fun so head to the Kampai Wine Experience stand if you want to say hello and learn about their in home wine tasting and even pick up your very own copy of ‘and the love is free’.

iv. Book Launch - Sydney
With the arrival of a limited number of hardcover copies from the printers (they take an extra 4 weeks) it seems like the perfect excuse to have a few late Sunday afternoon drinks and sign a few books. Venue is to be confirmed but keep Sunday 19th July free.

v. Mailing List
It’s been a long time in the making but the stonesoup mailing list is now up and running. Sign up here for monthly recap of recent blog posts plus exclusive news and special announcements. Or if email updates aren’t your thing, check out the RSS links or my Twitter feed.

Anyway back to chocolate and cream cheese. A match made in heaven. These little cheesecakes were a total winner at a dinner party a few weeks ago. As a little sweet treat to follow a rich wintery stew of beef cheeks, they didn’t hang around for long. Nor did they take to long to whip up, always a good thing if you ask me.

little cookies & cream cheesecakes
makes 12

Inspired by Sonja Berynk from the Campbell Arnott’s consumer kitchen.

I just love the idea of using biscuits (cookies) that have been softened and moulded as a tartlet shell. So easy and so cute. I’ve included instructions for warming in the oven but Sonja recommends using a microwave, either way is fine.

If you prefer a crunchy shell serve them as soon as you fill them. I prefer to make them a few hours in advance. This gives the moisture in the filling a chance to soften the bases into cakey fudgey goodness.

Cookies & Cream Tim Tam Crush are one of my babies from my day job desiging chocolate biscuits. They were launched earlier this year. If you can’t get your hands on them, Tim Tam Original would work well - you won’t need the whole pack though. If you aren’t lucky enough to live somewhere where you can buy Tim Tams, try your favourite chocolate coated biscuit, preferably with some cream. Please let me know if you come up with any amazing combinations.

12 choc ripple biscuits or other plain cocoa cookie
1 packet (150g or 5oz) Tim Tam Crush Cookies & Cream biscuits
200g (7oz) light cream cheese, at room temperature
100g dark chocolate, optional

Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Place choc ripple biscuits smooth side up on a tartlet tin or small cup cake tray. Bake for 3-5 minutes or until the cookies are soft. Carefully push the centres down to form little tartlet shells. Allow to cool in the tin.

Meanwhile, whizz Tim Tams in a food processor until they form a mousse. Whizz through the cheese until well combined. Divide filling between tartlet shells.

If you’re feeling creative. Melt the chocolate using your preferred method and place in a fine piping bag. Decorate the cheesecakes and refrigerate until ready to serve (see note above).

picnic chicken sang choi jules

Sydney winters are a glorious thing. Sure there can be days and days of dark skies, umbrellas and soggy shoes, but those minor inconveniences are quickly forgotten when the sun does its thing. Just take this June long weekend. Blue blue skies with lovely warm light. Temperatures that beg for the wonderfully comforting feeling of the suns caress on your skin. Picnic heaven.

So this week I thought I’d share with you my latest favourite picnic food and while I was at it divulge what I see as the ten secrets to a perfect picnic:

i. a sunny day
I have to be honest and say I am definitely a fair weather picnic-er. It’s no fun eating out doors if the wind is howling or you’re huddled under a tree trying not to get wet.

ii. a charming partner in crime
To be fair I have had some incredibly good picnics on my own, but they’re never as fun as when you have someone to share the moment with, especially if the person in question has a silky Irish accent.

iii. a killer picnic spot
Sydney is blessed with brilliant picnic spots. Centennial Park used to be a favourite, any of the beaches can be lovely especially Tamarama and my mates that live on the North side swear by Cremorne Point but these days we wouldn’t even dream of picnicing anywhere other than McKell Park. With prime harbour frontage it’s the perfect place to pass a lazy afternoon watching the yachts and party boats go by.

iv. the weekend papers
Often the papers end up being brought home unread, neglected for good conversation or a good snuggle and a snooze or more often all of the above. But sometimes it is fun to flick through and catch up on a bit of gossip or the latest world happenings.

v. a cosy picnic blanket
We have this super cosy picnic blanket with attitude. No cliche cheques for us, we’re talking seriously tough black which is not only good looking, but practical if you happen to have the misfortune to spill your red wine.

vi. a solid picnic basket
My Mum knew how to pull together a good picnic and was kind enough to give me a serious classic cane picnic basket for Christmas one year. One of the best presents ever that has been put to very good use.

vii. a good bottle of booze
As a reformed winemaker, there’s no need to tell you how much I love my vino. But I particularly love an afternoon tipple in the sun. So decadent. While reds have the upper hand as picnic companions on account of them not needing chilling, there’s something about a crisp cold glass of riesling or even a chardonnay that makes it worthwhile pulling out the chiller bag.

viii. real wine glasses & picnic glass holders
If you’re going to bother with some decent wine, it seems such a waste to serve it in plastic tumblers. Real glasses may be a little more risky but I figure that a few breakages are worth it. A couple of wine glass holders that stick into the grass are also a winner - saving many a glass from spillage.

ix. food to share
There’s something about a picnic that just screams for food that can be shared and preferably eaten with your fingers. The dish below fits both those criteria. Just season and BBQ (or roast) a couple of spatchcock or small chickens, whip up a really easy sauce (see point x.) and wash some cos lettuce and you’re good to go. It’s great fun picking the still warm meat from the bones, rolling in a crispy lettuce leaf and drizzling or dipping in the sauce. Just remember to pack plenty of serviettes for greasy chicken fingers.

x. a really easy sauce
While I love to make my own mayonnaise from scratch, sometimes it just makes more sense to outsource with the bottled variety. The sauce below is one of my all time favourites. All it takes is mixing together natural yoghurt with some commercial mayo and a touch of crushed garlic. Super simple but really delicious. It’s amazing how the yoghurt just freshens everything up while still leaving the lovely creamy mayo vibe. It’s a really versatile sauce and works well pretty much anywhere you would normally use mayo.

Another of my favourite picnic meals is to make this sauce and get a heap of super fresh prawns, some soft white bread and some leaves for greenery - prawn sandwiches. Yum.

picnic chicken sung choi jules
serves 2

This is one of those great examples where borrowing from different cuisines can really work well. Just as the iceberg lettuce makes all the difference to the classic Chinese dish sung choi bau, baby cos is the star of this picnic show. Crisp and fresh it is the perfect thing to balance out the juicy little chickens and creamy sauce.

2 x 500g (1lb) spatchcock or 1 small chicken
pinch chilli flakes
1T olive oil
1 lemon, halved crosswise
2T extra virgin olive oil
2/3C whole egg mayonnaise
1/3C natural yoghurt
1/2 small clove garlic, crushed, optional
2 baby cos lettuce

Preheat your BBQ or a char grill pan on high.

To ’spatchcock’ the spatchcock place the bird breast side down. Using a very sharp knife cut down the backbone a little to the left. You want to cut through the back but not the breast. You can cut down the other side of the backbone to remove itcompletely if you like. Flatten spatchcock out like a book and repeat for the other bird.

Season your bird well with salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Rub with olive oil. Turn BBQ down to medium and pop your spatchcock on breast side up. Cover and cook for 10mins then turn and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until cooked to your liking. If you’re not sure if they’re done just chop in half lengthwise through the breast so you can see if there are any pink bits let.

While the spatchcock is cooking, put lemon on the BBQ cut side down for about 5 minutes. When the birds are cooked, transfer to a serving platter or a picnic bowl and drizzle with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes or however long it takes to get to your picnic destination.

Meanwhile for the sauce, combine the yoghurt, mayo and garlic and whisk until smooth. Season and pack into a container with a sealable lid. Wash lettuce leaves and spin dry. Wrap in layers of paper towel and place in a plastic bag.

To serve, tear chicken from the bones and place in a lettuce leaf and drizzle with some sauce.

warm butter beans with rosemary & garlic

When I was growing up, I thought there were two types of people in the world. It seemed to me that the difference between the two camps was all about their choice of what to have on toast when Mum was having a rare night off from cooking. It was whether you went for the tinned baked beans or spaghetti that really counted.

As far back as I can remember I was a dedicated spaghetti gal. There was something about those soft, wormy strands floating in their tomatoey sauce that really did it for me. I loved my ‘sketti‘, as we used to call it. Back then, the thought of baked beans made my skin crawl. I’m not really sure why. Maybe it was because I’d heard a song in the playground about them and their musical effects on the digestive system. Or maybe it was just that I wasn’t a fan of green beans and thought that no beans could possibly taste any good. Who knows?

These days I’m very different. True, I can’t remember the last time I had to choose between spaghetti and beans out of a can, but if I had to make the decision right here, right now, I’d definitely go for the beans. It seems to have crept up on me over the years but it’s time to come clean and admit it. I just love legumes out of a can. Are there any other canned bean die hards out there?

It began with chickpeas I’m sure. With warm salads like the pumpkin and chickpea one that I blogged about last week or Molly’s one can meal of chickpeas with parmesan that also got a mention. Or a roast baby onion & chickpea salad that was a star during a camping holiday in the Northern Territory a few years ago.

Then it expanded to the bean twins of Borlotti and Cannellini. I pretty much use them interchangeably, although must admit a slight preference for Mr Cannellini. I’m always disappointed by Mr Borlotti’s colour compared with the vibrancy of his fresh state. I think my first white bean foray was with a Donna Hay salad of white beans, tinned tuna, tomato & lemon. I loved how the beans added both a lovely soft texture while making the meal a lot more substantial. Something that I’ll be adding to my dinner inspiration list when things start to warm up.

From then on, I’ve always had a can of beans in the cupboard. Just in case I feel the need to make some white bean and walnut puree, or some cannellini beans with prawn or my all time favourite hangover brunch - baked eggs with chorizo & cannellini beans.

Just when I thought I knew pretty much all I needed to know about canned beans, along came a certain Irishman. While his name wasn’t Jack, he knew a thing or two about beans. In particular he professed to being a big fan of butter beans - a bean I hadn’t even heard of. In short order I was soon hooked and butter beans became a welcome regular addition to the canned section of our pantry.

And so it was one wintery Sunday evening that the magical butter beans came to the rescue. We had our newly loved-up mates Aggie and Geoff coming for dinner but I had forgotten to organise something for us to nibble on at the start. A quick check in the pantry and the butter beans caught my eye. A toss in the frying pan with some oil, rosemary, garlic and chilli and there we had it. A lovely warm starter to smear on crusty bread.

The beans were a hit. There was something about how the rosemary and garlic came together to bring just enough flavour highlights to the simple beans. With some chilli for subtle warmth, they were just the thing to begin a meal on a coolish Sunday night.

A few weeks later I was still thinking about the beans and how well they would go with lamb. Lets just say that the classic marriage of lamb and rosemary really is much better off as a menge-a-trois with some beans from a can. Try it for yourself.

a cosy sunday night dinner
warm butter beans with rosemary & garlic
warm salad of lentils with roast baby beets, walnuts and pancetta*
tiny chocolate cakes

*note: I used the base lentil salad recipe from HERE but beefed it up with some roast beets, toasted walnuts and crispy fried pieces of pancetta.

a quick midweek dinner
pan fried lamb cutlets with butter beans rosemary & garlic
rocket & radicchio salad

warm butter beans with rosemary & garlic
serves 4 as a starter

You can make bruschetta and have the beans already dished up on toast that has been rubbed with the cut side of a clove of garlic. Alternatively serve in the middle of the table with bread on the side so your guests can help themselves.

I’ve made this with cannellini beans and butter beans. While I have a slight preference for the slightly larger and firmer butter beans. Borlotti beans would also work well as would chickpeas.

1 x 400g (14oz) can butter beans, drained
3T olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled & finely sliced
2 small sprigs rosemary, leaves picked
pinch chilli flakes, optional
extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Bring the kettle to the boil and pour over drained beans to rinse off any canned flavour and drain well.

Heat a small frying pan over a medium heat and add oil. Add remaining ingredients and stir fry beans until they are golden and warmed through. Season well and serve with a drizzle of peppery extra virgin olive oil.

pan fried lamb cutlets with butter beans rosemary & garlic
serves 2

Lamb cutlets have to be up there as one of the quickest meals to prepare. They are something I often think to pick up on the way home for a mid week dinner. Of course you could make a meal of the beans on their own, but they are even more delicious with some juicy pink-in-the-middle cutlets.

1 x 400g (14oz) can butter beans, drained
6-8 lamb cutlets, trimmed
3T olive oil
1/2 lemon
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled & finely sliced
2 small sprigs rosemary, leaves picked
pinch chilli flakes, optional
extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Bring the kettle to the boil and pour over drained beans to rinse off any canned flavour and drain well.

Heat a frying pan large enough to hold the lamb in a single layer over a medium heat. Season lamb and rub both sides with a little olive oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until to your liking. When you turn the lamb, add the lemon cut side down to the pan to warm and help release the juice.

When the lamb is ready remove from the heat, transfer to a clean place, drizzle over lemon juice and rest in a warm place while you cook the beans.

Return the pan to the heat with the remaining olive oil and warm. Add drained beans, garlic, rosemary & chilli and stir fry beans until they are golden and warmed through. Season well and divide beans and lamb between two serving plates.

 
warm salad of roast pumpkin & chickpeas

We’ve all been there. That horrible feeling that creeps up on you. Just as you power down your computer and begin to face the commute home, your thoughts turn to the eternal question - ‘What should we have for dinner?’ And inspiration just doesn’t strike. I hate when that happens.

As someone who thinks about food a lot, it’s not that often that I’m stuck for inspiration. There’s usually a mental backlog or recipes I’m just dying to try. Something I read in my latest cookbook acquisition or ripped out of the Sunday paper. I know I’m a bit of a freak in that respect. But every now and then I find myself coming up with a total blank. When nothing even remotely interesting, let alone edible enters my head.

Recently I was visiting Molly over at Orangette. She was talking about how she deals with the dinner dilemma and I knew I just had to share it. You see Molly has a list. When she’s feeling a little inspired she adds to the list and then she keeps it in a handy place. When she finds herself in a pickle about what to cook, she turns to her list and there it is. Dinner dilemma solved. I love it.

There are some real treasures on Molly’s list. I highly recommend the chickpea salad and the tomato sauce with butter and onion although probably not together. And I’ve had a peek at the fake baked beans and am pretty keen to try them out. I also can’t believe I haven’t discovered her roast broccoli. But thanks to Molly’s list it now has a firm place in my cooking future.

With that in mind, I had a good hard think about what’s been inspiring me at the moment. You have to be in the right mood for this but it really is fun. Thinking about all the things that make you hungry. Knowing that next time you find yourself stuck with the dinner dilemma, that it’s not the end of the world. All you have to do it check out your list and the panic and lack of inspiration will be gone. Go the list.

So now you know the secret to solving at least one of life’s little problems. It’s up to you really to have a go and get inspired with a list of your own. I see mine as a working document - something that is going to be always evolving and changing. I hope yours does too. I’ve love to hear about what you would put on your list - might be just the thing to save me next time I’m stuck in the market trying to figure out what to buy.

the stonesoup dinner inspiration list
warm salad of roast pumpkin & chickpeas
sautéed Brussels sprouts

spaghetti with basil & chilli oil
BBQ steak with salad
warm salad of lentils, cavalo nero & roast baby onions
spiced roast chicken and bread salad
juicy bangers & mash with onion gravy
zucchini confit with mint & almonds

warm salad of roast pumpkin (squash) & chickpeas
serves 4

Inspired by Sam & Sam Clarke in their beautiful book Casa Moro The Second Cookbook.

For a while there I gave up pumpkin in favour of the more reliably flavour packed sweet potato but I’ve really been getting back into it this Autumn. If you’re not ready to risk it with pumpkin by all means substitute in sweet potato.

This salad really capatilises on the nutty sweetness of good roast pumpkin, highlighted with a few spices. It really is the business and it’s vegan too.

I leave my skins on my pumpkin when I’m roasting, mostly because I’m lazy and peeling pumpkin is hard work, but also because they taste seriously good when they’re all roasted and soft. Almost like a little flavour explosion.

If you can’t get your hands on tahini, a little natural yoghurt well seasoned with salt and pepper and given a kick with the garlic would make a lovely substitute.

1kg jap or butternut pumpkin or sweet potato, cut into wedges
4T olive oil
1t cumin seeds
1t coriander seeds
pinch chilli flakes, optional
2 x 400g (14oz) cans chickpeas, drained
½ small red onion, finely chopped
small handful almonds, roasted, optional
few sprigs coriander, leaves picked
for the dressing:
1 clove garlic, finely pounded
4T lemon juice
4T tahini
3T water
2T extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 200C (400F).

Drizzle half the oil over a large baking tray and place pumpkin on the tray in a single layer. Drizzle with remaining oil then scatter over spices and chilli and season well with s&p. Roast pumpkin, turning every now and then for about an hour or until the pumpkin is soft and slightly golden.

Meanwhile, combine all the dressing ingredients and season well. Taste and adjust to suit your preference. Adding additional lemon if you want to freshen things up or more oil if it’s a little too feisty.

Place chickpeas in a strainer and boil some water in a kettle or saucepan. Pour boiling water over chickpeas to get rid of the canned flavour and drain well. When the pumpkin is cooked scatter over the chickpeas and onion and allow everything to mingle for a few minutes.

Place pumpkin mixture on a serving platter and scatter over almonds and coriander leaves. Drizzle with the sauce and serve warm as is or with some pita bread.

pasta with broccoli & pinenuts

Too many fingers in too many pies. 

I feel like things have been ‘crazy busy’ the last few weeks - not a state I like to be in. Tonight I can’t stay and chat for long. My bed is calling. Just wanted to drop in and share one of my latest favourite weeknight pasta recipes. Quick, simple and nutritious but more importantly, delicious. Say no more.

pasta with broccoli & pinenuts
serves 4

This is one of those great one bowl week night dinners that takes as long to cook as the time required to boil the water and cook the pasta. Any short pasta will work with this dish. I love casereccia pictured above but orecchiette (little ears) or shells are lovely, as is penne.

The beauty of this dish, apart from the speed to plate, is how the broccoli takes on the lightly creamy, cheesey sauce. I find myself always wishing there was more broccoli and less pasta when I eat it.

The pinenuts provide little flavour bursts with some textural contrast. But if you prefer to have meat with your pasta, you could replace the pinenuts with 150g chopped bacon or speck. Just allow a little longer for it to brown in the pan.

    400g (14oz) short pasta
    2 tablespoons olive oil
    2 handfuls pinenuts
    2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
    2 bunches broccoli, cut into florettes
    1/2 cup pouring cream
    2 large handfuls grated parmesan cheese
    additional parmesan, for serving

Bring a very large saucepan of salted water to the boil.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium low heat. Add pinenuts and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until golden.  Add cream and allow to bubble. Remove from the heat.

Check the cooking time for your pasta on the pack. Set your timer to go off three minutes before the pasta will be done. Cook pasta and when the timer buzzes, pop in the broccoli and continue to cook for the remaining three minutes or until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli bright green and cooked through. Reserve a cup of the cooking water then drain immediately.

Put the frying pan back on a low heat and add pasta and broccoli. Toss to combine then add cheese and toss again until the cheese has melted. If it looks a little dry, add some reserved pasta water until the sauce is too your liking. Taste and season.

Divide between warm pasta bowls and serve immediately with extra cheese passed separately.
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ps. If you’re interested in why some bloggers choose not to be vegetarian, head over to Casual Kitchen and check out a recent post I was invited to collaborate on.

little onion tarts with spinach, barley & ricotta salad

After my bill shock episode last week, I got an email from a reader, who was recently made redundant, saying how much she is enjoying the life of the newly unemployed. She also mentioned that she had had a similar incident with her ISP but had demanded to speak to a manager and had ended up having her excess usage waived. Which shows that I could learn a thing or two about negotiating.

She also said thanks for the shepherds pie recipe and to keep the budget friendly meals coming. Which got me thinking. I’d been planning to do a post about some little onion tarts I’d made for a recent girls dinner when Missy Helgs was visiting from Melbourne. One of the reasons I’d made the tarts was that I was still feeling the effects of bill shock. Which got me thinking about the things I do when I feel the need to keep my food costs down. And so I give you:

ten tips for frugal entertaining

i. Keep it simple.
I have a friend who is a wonderful cook but she hardly ever entertains. When she does it is fabulous, always an extravaganza of flavours and textures. So many different dishes, so much complexity. It must take her ages to prepare and cost a bomb which probably explains why it is such a rare occurrence.

ii. Allow your guests to contribute.
People are always asking what they can bring. Make the most of it. I find that either something to start or something to end the meal works well. Keep simple it to something that they can pick up on their way. Think olives or prosciutto or cheese for a starter or icecream or some chocolate for dessert.

iii. Don’t skimp on quality.
Just because you’re entertaining on a budget doesn’t mean you should start buying inferior quality produce. If you can’t afford good steak, don’t compromise with a cheap cut. Change the menu and go with top quality sausages or some osso buco instead.

iv. Think of less expensive alternatives.
The recipe which inspired the salad below used goats curd on top but I made it much more affordable by substituting in good old ricotta. Not the same but lovely none the less. Another favourite is to use speck instead of pancetta. Or bocconcini to replace buffalo mozerella - but never if it’s going to be served without melting.

v. Go for comfort food.
When you have someone over, it’s unlikely that they’re expecting cheffy restaurant food. They’ve come for a home cooked meal so play up the comfort factor. Bangers and mash or a simple roast chook work a treat every time.

vi. Use eggs as a source of protein.
Eggs are the most complete source of protein and one of the most cost effective as well. Even the best free range organic eggs are affordable compared to most meats. A frittata, savoury souffle or quiche with a salad and some crusty bread and butter shouldn’t break the bank.

vii. Keep serving sizes moderate
I’m not saying be stingy, just be mindful of the amount of food you are serving and aim to have your guests going home contented and happy not stuffed to the gills.

viii. Invest in a pasta machine.
Sometimes it’s good to invest in the future. I’ve had my pasta machine for longer than I care to admit, and sure I’m not pulling it out on a weekly basis  but it never lets me down when I need to make a special meal on a budget. Think ravioli or parpadelle or even delicate angel hair.

ix. Make dessert the star
Lets face it, apart from salt, sugar is one of the cheapest ingredients there is. If you steer clear of expensive nuts, fruit and Valhrona chocolate, desserts tend to be pretty economical. Think rice pudding, crème brulee, pot roasted pears, pavlova.

x. There’s always pizza
I always keep yeast and flour in the house and I find that no matter how sparse the cupboards and fridge, I can usually pull together a half decent spread of home made pizza. You just need to be creative and remember that a good crust fresh out of the oven will make up for a lack of buffalo mozerella.

a frugal girls dinner
marinated olives
little onion tarts
spinach, pearl barley & ricotta salad
plenty of vino

little onion tarts
serves 6

I’m not normally into buying ready made pastry but in this case it works really well and saves a heap of time. You could of course make your own if you happen to be one of the time rich. I can’t remember where I read it but the secret to cooking with commercial puff pastry is to make sure it is well cooked - when you think it’s done, leave it in the oven for another ten minutes. Works a treat every time.

I’ve notice that there are two types of balsamic and two types of olive oil in this recipe. You’ll note that the less expensive option of each is cooked through where as the top quality is reserved for the finishing touches in the dressing. An example of matching your quality level with the end use. I think I’ve found rule number 11.

You could make one large tart if you didn’t have small ones. A 24cm (10in) tart tin would work. If your tin has a removable base best to line it with foil so the lovely oniony juices don’t get lost during the baking process.

50g butter
2T olive oil
900 (2lb) red onions - approx 5, peeled & finely sliced
1/4C balsamic vinegar
50g (2oz) brown sugar
900g (2lb) baby onions, unpeeled & halved lengthwise
3T olive oil additional
butter for greasing tins
2 sheets commercial puff pastry cut into 6 x 10cm (4in) circles
for the dressing:
4 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
2T best quality balsamic vinegar
4T extra virgin olive oil

Heat butter and olive oil over a medium low heat in a medium saucepan. Add red onion and cook covered, stirring occasionally until the onion is very soft - about 30 minutes. Remove cover and add balsamic and sugar and allow to simmer for another 30 - 45 minutes or until the onion is caramelized and jammy. Season and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200C (400F). Place baby onions cut side up in a baking tray and drizzle with 3T oil. Cook for 40 - 50 minutes or until the onions are golden and soft. Allow to cool and remove the skins - I find this much easier after they’re cooked.

Grease six 10cm (4in) diameter tart or pie tins (without a removable base - see note above) with butter. Arrange onion halves cut side down, packing them in. Top with onion jam and a pastry circle. Tuck the edges of the pastry down the side of the tins using a spoon.

Increase oven temperature to 220C and bake for 25 - 35 minutes or until the pastry is deep golden brown. Allow to stand for a few minutes before inverting tarts onto warmed dinner plates.

Combine the dressing ingredients and season. Drip dressing decoratively over tarts and serve.

spinach, pearl barley & ricotta salad
serves 6

Inspired by Rodney Dunn in the April 2009 Australian Gourmet Traveller.

I just love this salad. There’s something so healthy about eating spinach like this. And then there is the lovely chewy texture of the pearl (dehulled) barley and creamy cheesy ricotta. Delish.

50g (2oz) pearl barley
3 bunches English spinach, trimmed and well washed
250g ricotta
zest & juice 1 lemon
1t chilli flakes, optional
3T extra virgin olive oil

Place barley in a small saucepan and cover generously with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 25 - 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain and rinse with cold water and transfer to a large bowl.

Wilt spinach in a large covered frying pan over a medium high heat. Stirring frequently. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Squeeze to remove excess water and toss through the barley. Add lemon juice and zest and toss again.

Scatter spinach mixture over a serving platter. Dot with dollops of ricotta. Combine oil and chilli, if using and drizzle over the ricotta.

two stage shepherds pie 

A couple of weeks ago something happened in our house that I kinda wish I could forget. We woke up one clear Autumn morning to discover that our internet connection had been cut off. Not good for two internet junkies. But casting my mind back I realized it was a while since I’d seen an internet charge on my credit card so something was up.

I called our internet service provider that morning to resolve the problem and we figured out what had happened. My old card had expired and I’d been issued with a new one but had forgotten to pass on the new expiry date to my ISP. It had been a while since we’d actually paid a bill. For some reason we hadn’t received any overdue notices either in paper or electronic format. Thus the disconnection.

Quickly doing some rough calculations in my head, I figured that we must have owed them a few hundred dollars. So I asked if I could fix it up there and then. You can imagine my astonishment when the voice at the end of the line said that the total owing was a number with four figures. WHAT? Ladies and gentlemen, we have a severe case of ‘bill shock’.

The story was that last month we had upgraded to a larger plan. Previously we were slowed or ‘choked’ when we exceeded our limit but with the new plan we were to be charged 15cents for every megabyte over used. I thought we’d never use anywhere near our new limit, but turns out we had - an extra 4 gigabyte, worth a tidy $600. Ouch.

But a blogging gal needs her high speed connection, so I paid up and started mentally preparing for fugal times ahead. Which fortunately prompted an idea. Why not start a project to use up the food in the freezer? All the random leftovers and bits and pieces, surely we could eat for months. Brilliant.

I won’t bore you with a list of the things we’ve eaten recently that have used something from the freezer. Instead, I’ll share with you the best discovery by far - a shepherds pie made from some leftover lamb neck stew. There wasn’t enough to serve our guests one evening so I padded things out with some fresh minced lamb and an extra tin of tomatoes. A real winter comforting dish, that is definitely enhanced with the textural variety from the two different cuts of lamb. Not to mention the crowd pleasing topping of cheesy mash. Maybe this bill shock thing isn’t quite so bad after all.

two stage shepherd’s pie
serves 8 - 10

I’ve never understood why a pie made with ground beef is called a ‘cottage pie’. Why not ‘cowboy pie’? So much more evocative. If you’d prefer your pie to be more cowboy and less sheep herder, feel free to exchange the lamb necks for four medium pieces of osso buco (beef shin) and the lamb mince for minced beef.

If the whole process seems a little too lengthy, you could always replace the meat on the bone and increase your minced meat by about 500g (1lb). I’d also ditch the chicken stock to save on reducing time down the track.

When it comes to the mash, have a look at my mash experiment or my recent post on bangers and mash for details of the best type of potato to use. The thing to note is that you want your pie topping to be a bit stiffer than normal mash.

Last year I made a similar pie and thought I’d be a bit fancy and serve in individual ramekins. While the results certainly looked lovely, it took forever for them to cool down enough to be edible. We ended up dishing each of our ramekins onto a separate plate which really defeated the purpose. So if you do get inspired to make cute little pies, allow enough time after they are baked to cool down a bit.

Anchovies might seem a little weird in a lamb dish but even if you aren’t normally a fan, I really recommend you try them. They melt away into the sauce giving the meaty flavours a wonderful boost without betraying any furry fishiness. Trust me.

2T olive oil
2 brown onions, peeled & chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled & finely sliced
1T ground coriander
1C red wine, or water
1/2C chicken stock
3 x 400g (14 oz) tins tomatoes, roughly chopped
4 anchovy fillets, chopped
2 bay leaves
3 lamb necks, cut crosswise thickly
1kg lamb mince (ground lamb)
1.4kg (3lb) potatoes, I used dutch creams, scrubbed
2 egg yolks
1/2 C whole milk
3 handfuls grated parmesan cheese
steamed green beans or green salad, to serve

Preheat your oven to 160C. In a large flame proof casserole dish, heat oil over a medium low heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and cover. Cook stirring every now and then until the veg are soft but not brown. Add garlic and ground coriander and cook for another few minutes.

Add wine or water, stock and tomatoes bring to a simmer. Pop in anchovies and bay leaves and lamb necks and bring back to a simmer. Transfer to the oven, uncovered and cook, turning the lamb every now and then for 3-4 hours or until the lamb is very tender and melting off the bones. Allow to cool, season, remove lamb bones and roughly shred meat, discarding any sinewy bits.

You could serve the lamb necks as a stew on a bed or mash or with some crusty bread or soft polenta or you could freeze for a rainy day when you’re feeling a bit broke. Or you could use them straight away.

Heat a frying pan over a medium high heat and brown ground lamb in batches, adding each batch to the lamb stew as it is cooked. When all the lamb is brown, bring the stew to a simmer and cook until the stew is no longer watery, about 30 minutes. Season.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200C (400F). Place potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with water and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and cook until tender, 30 - 45 minutes. Drain and pass through a potato ricer and return the mashed spuds back to the pan. Stir through butter and 2 handfuls of the cheese and then gradually add the milk until the consistency is smooth but still stiff. Season.

To bring it all together, spread lamb over the base of a large ovenproof lasagna dish approx 35cm x 22cm (14in x 9in). Top with the potato to cover the whole dish. Sprinkle over the remaining handful cheese and bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the juices are bubbling at the sides.

Serve hot or a little cooler with steamed green beans or a salad passed separately.

mum’s spag bol

Can you believe that it’s amost May? That we’re pretty much a third of the way through 2009 already? I know. Time is definitely passing way too quickly. I can’t believe that it’s almost been four months since I first shared my book project with you. But the good news is that is does feel like a lot has been happening.

The last (and first) time I spoke about it was back in January when I was fresh and relaxed after a lovely holiday at home. I was excited about sharing my new project. You see I’d spent the better part of two weeks pulling together a collection of my late mother’s recipes.

And boy did I have fun doing it. Spending some days recipe testing and photographing - there was a lovely comforting feeling almost like Mum was there in the kitchen with me. Not to mention the cosy nostalgia that went with eating food that tasted almost as good as my childhood memories.

Then there were days of writing. Hanging out on the balcony with my laptop. Soaking up the sun. Reminiscing about meals past as I leafed though Mum’s handwritten recipe book. Stopping to picnic in the park with Glen for lunch. To be honest the writing days were just as much fun as the cooking ones. A chance to be creative in a different kind of way.

At the time, it was more a personal project than one I intended to commercialise. I saw it as a chance to remember and celebrate Mum’s life through stories and recipes. I’d decided to release it for sale with the brilliant print-on-demand site blurb. This would be a chance to give family and friends of stonesoup the option of buying a copy if they wished, without any financial risk on my behalf. Easy.

But with the global financial crisis and the resulting weakening of the Aussie dollar, the blurb pricing based on the USD started to look a little less viable. Add in the compounding cost of shipping books to the other side of the world and things just weren’t stacking up.

So I did more research, trying to find a similar Australian based outfit. But none came across my path and I realized I might have to think of an alternative. As luck would have it Glen noticed an ad for a seminar on self publishing books in Australia. I figured I didn’t really have anything to loose and signed myself up.

Sitting in a hotel conference room, with a handful of other aspiring writers, I started to learn about the big bad world of book publishing. Of course we only scratched the proverbial surface in those four hours but it opened up many possibilities. Maybe I could do a small print run of my own and have a go at selling them myself?

Since my initial work at Christmas, the book itself has come a long way. I had printed my first draft via blurb and been amazed by just how good it looked in print. I’d also expanded the content from the early days. Initially I had only planned to take photos of half the recipes and leave the others as text only. But it seemed wrong not to treat all of Mum’s recipes with the same respect. So I continued cooking, testing and photographing on the weekends.

From the beginning of the project, I wished that I’d taken the time to write down Mum’s classic savoury recipes. The things that she cooked so often that she knew by heart. No one had recorded her instructions for how to roast a chook or whip up a quick meal of steak and veg. The sweet classics were all accounted for from lemon meringue pie to scones with jam and cream. But the book just felt a too skewed towards the sweet tooth - something that my slender Mum certainly wasn’t.

The answer was obvious really. I just needed to come up with my own interpretations of the things that were missing. Sure they wouldn’t be exactly the same. But it would give everyone more of a representative idea of my Mum’s kitchen talents and make it more complete.

So my little book has grown. Now it really is a collection of classic family dishes. Simple food, comforting food, frugal food, real food. Food that was enjoyed over so many years by a family united by the love of their Mum.

As I sent off the final draft to be printed last week, I felt so excited and proud and more than a little nervous. If all goes to plan, ‘and the love is free’ will be printed and ready for sale on this very website on Mum’s birthday - June 29th. If you’re curious about the story behind the title I’m afraid you’ll just have to wait until then to pick up your copy, although to be honest I am quite partial to bribes.

mum’s spag bol
serves 4-6

With the spaghetti bolognse extravaganza in this month’s Australian Gourmet Traveller out and about, I’ve been inspired to share my Mum’s version this week. The dish that gave me a deep love for the comforts of pasta and one of the things that gave me massive respect for my Mum’s cooking, especially when I got to boarding school and tasted the poor excuse for spag bol dished up by the nuns.

While vermicelli (very thin spaghetti) was the most common accompaniment to this meat sauce, it was also the base for Mum’s delicious lasagne. Occasionally leftovers would be used for a quick lunch served on top of toast with a handful of cheese and a quick spin under the grill.

 2T olive oil
 750g (1 2/3lbs) minced beef (ground beef)
 1 large brown onion, peeled & diced
 500g (18oz) jar commercial tomato pasta sauce
 1T Worcestershire sauce
 2t crushed garlic
 1t dried oregano leaves or small handful fresh oregano
 1t marjoram leaves or small handful fresh marjoram, optional
 1t Basil leaves or large handful fresh basil leaves
 500g (1lb) vermicelli or spaghetti
 parmesan cheese, to serve, optional

Place oil, beef and onion in a large frying pan and cook over a high heat stirring regularly until the meat has browned and the onion is soft. 

Add the pasta sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and herbs. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Cook for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce has reduced and thickened.

Cook pasta as per the packet directions. Drain and divide between plates and top with a generous amount of the meat sauce.

Serve immediately with cheese passed separately if using.