Today is the first full day of spring. The days are getting longer, the birds are getting chirpier and the everyday is getting a little more colourful thanks to the daffs, the tulips and the crocuses. And something else that always feels very springy to me are lemons, especially when they are made into lemon curd, which is quite the charming little kitchen basic to have in your back pocket. Maybe not quite as useful as onions or stock but what it lacks in practicality it more than makes up for in cheer and sass. It’s simple to make and…
Aah…roasted garlic. So quick, so foolproof as to be almost unworthy of mention. Like caramelised onions, alchemy occurs in the cooking of it, taking something that has a bit of a bite and mellowing it into something milder and sweeter. And the humble garlic makes it look so easy, yet I, personally, am convinced that this little flavour powerhouse should be awarded medals and thanked at the Oscars. Once made it can be added to all manner of things: pasta, pizza, stews, spaghetti…or just spread on toast or a baguette for instant deliciousness. All you need to do is take…
The onions are at it again. And this time they don’t even require cooking. Complete and utter show offs I tell you. Slice them, throw them in a bowl with a bit of vinegar, a soupçon of salt and sugar and what you have is the heavenly pickled onion. I hate to be without these in my fridge these days. They taste amazing in so many things. Sprinkled on top of avocado toast? Uhhmm, yes please. Or how about in tacos? Or thrown into salads? Fabulous with pulled pork to cut the richness. Or how about this…eaten straight out of…
Like caramelised onions, roasted tomatoes are another example of taking an already delicious fruit or veggie, adding a bit of heat and a couple of ingredients and catapulting the flavor out into the stratosphere. You can actually roast tomatoes in a variety of ways. You can simply toss with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, perhaps garlic, and roast at 425˚F, give or take 25˚F, for about half an hour. This will intensify the flavour and the tomatoes will be delicious. But my favorite way is to use grape tomatoes and roast them low and slow, which dries them…
Sweet and sticky caramelised onions are a flavor workhorse, lending a mighty punch to anything you add them to. Toss them into salads, frittatas, pastas, quiches, you name it. Caramelised onions are a perfect example of cooking alchemy and just like regular onions which have the grace and freedom to move in all sorts of circles, caramelised onions are also happy to mingle with a variety of ingredients, ratcheting up flavours a notch or two. If you cook up a batch at the weekend you can have them hanging around for anything that might be in need of just a…
Mirepoix is a fancy French word for a rather humble mixture of carrots, celery and onion. Like chicken stock, it’s a great thing to have on hand as it serves as the foundation for a myriad of soups and stews. I often cut up lots in one go and then freeze it in containers. When I’m ready to make soup, I can pull out a container of mirepoix, one of chicken stock and I’m halfway to dinner with very little on-the-day effort. There is one issue with freezing it. When you thaw it out it will give off a lot…
January can feel like a rather cruel month. The glow of the holidays has burned itself out and the warmer weather sits contentedly on the horizon. The distance between the two seems to yawn endlessly, dark and cold. Yet January also holds that promise of a pristine new year, all cleaned up, purged and organized. A time to get back to life’s simple basics after the craziness and overindulgence of Christmas. And in the kitchen it doesn’t get more basic than homemade chicken stock. I am rarely without it in my freezer as it’s perfect for homemade soups at this…
