I have a strange little story to tell you about my family and Almond Croissants at the risk of sounding like complete neophytes. When we were young, my mother reported having no problems feeding my sister and I as babies (no shock there right?). I could be easily bribed with food as a child and as I grew up on a strict “Chinese food only” policy, I simply, desperately longed for treats from other countries.
Knowing this, my father used to try and entice better grades out of me by bribing me with food. But knowing that my I was always rummaging through the kitchen cupboards he sought out a different place to hide the food which would magically appear once I had done my homework. When he bought some almond croissants, he thought of the best place to keep them overnight-the boot of the car!
When he presented me with the almond croissant I sniffed it. “Why does it smell like petrol?” I asked him.
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| March 27th, 2011 by Not Quite Nigella
The first time I met Spanish Chef Miguel Maestre at the Taste of Sydney food festival, he asked which company I was from. I answered that I was from a food blog called Not Quite Nigella and he proceeded to tell me how much he loved Nigella. He was over the top, effusively friendly, self promoting, not shy or short of ego and doing about a hundred things at once while telling me all about everything that he had achieved and flashing a whacking great big diamond in one ear. Then he asked me to invite Nigella to his restaurant El Toro Loco.
Mr NQN whispered to me “I think he thinks that you’re from Nigella’s company”.
“I know” I whispered back.
Clearing my throat I told him “Sorry but I’m not actually from Nigella’s company. I don’t even know her. My blog is just called Not Quite Nigella”.
“Oh great!” he said stirring the paella and giving me a taste.
“Well we’ll leave you as I’m sure you’re going to be busy…”
“OK well I’d love to see Nigella any time in the restaurant. Call me ok and we’ll get her a table. I would love to meet her!”‘ he said waving goodbye.
Moral of the story? Don’t try to talk to people when they’re trying to do a million things at once 
If you are having a rough day where you are juggling lots of things, or if you are like me and just like making delicious food out of run of the mill ingredients then you might just love this five minute Spanish potato omelette which is made using regular potato chips that have been crushed. This was from his new book called Miguel’s Tapas. I should mention that most of the recipes are not of the supermarket potato chip variety but of the proper Spanish food variety.
This dish however is brilliant in its simplicity and number of ingredients. You could of course use any potato chip you like and the whole thing is done and dusted in less than ten minutes (although I understand that omelettes themselves aren’t particularly painstaking creatures). The aioli or garlic mayonnaise is a must and I served this with some olives and salad.
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| January 6th, 2011 by Not Quite Nigella
“Soooo what shall we do today?” I asked Mr NQN pacing the floor of our apartment.
“I dunno. Go for a bike ride?”
“No, I only do two challenges a year thanks” I replied not mentally ready to take up my third ability nemesis. For most, driving a car, swimming and riding a bike are normal everyday activities. For me, aka an uncoordinated version of Woody Allen, they’re numbingly frightening challenges. And reserved for momentous occasions.
“How about we go for a walk?” he suggested.
“I’m not that desperate for something to do” I snorted and left the room.
In truth I was quite desperately bored on holidays. I’m used to having a huge list of things to do and I knew these holidays were meant for relaxing but relaxing was so….dull. The dishes were all washed, the floor was clean and I had even cleaned the dishwasher strainer thingy which goes to show how truly desperate I was for something to do away from the computer which was the key activity that I was supposed to avoid (and the one that would prove the most alluring).
So far the highlight of my day was a petty act of revenge on my mother. She likes to call on the phone and when she has finished talking she simply hangs up without saying goodbye. I call it “Jack Bauer’ing” (of the TV show “24″) and time and time again she would cut me off while I was mid sentence with a “click” of the phone and I’d howl “She Jack Bauer’d me!” to Mr NQN. Today I had managed to do it to her – mid sentence no less!
Yes clearly I needed a hobby if this was the highlight of my day…
How to pitt a cherry with a chopstick. From Lisa’s fab site Bake, Bike, Blog. Step 1: Hold the fat end of a chopstick against the hole in the cherry.
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| January 2nd, 2011 by Not Quite Nigella
Sometimes I must admit I like doing things for attention. I don’t mean streaking across a grass pitch on a televised sporting event or having an “accidental” wardrobe malfunction in front of a crowd. Most of the attention seeking things I do are related to food and bringing food to events. I figure if you turn up to an event with something nice, well at least someone is going to talk to you. Call it your immediate “plus one”. Someone has just got to talk to you when you bring a two tier chocolate cake to a baby shower.
I’ve always been terrible at making small talk and networking. I tend to stick to my known friends and associates and remain talking to them at parties. I’d watch the social prowlers stalk the room, the really skillful ones so subtle that before you knew it, you’d had your “two minutes” with them and exchanged cards and before you knew what was going on, they were onto their next conquest. I often wish I possessed that skill, but sadly I do not so I am stuck creating sweet and sugary conversation lures.
As soon as I saw this recipe pictured in my copy of “Poh’s Kitchen” my heart started thumping. These pancakes masquerading as fettuccine pasta were exactly the kind of conversation point that I love. Sure it’s not a cake but flambee anything and you’ve got an attention seeking missile. They are simple to make, and her recipe for crepes is a good one and the rest is simply dicing up some strawberries and zesting and juicing an orange or two and then cooking it along with some Grand Marnier in a sauce. I used some of the Grand Marnier Limited Edition Ruby bottle I was sent which is just so purty with that huge, sparkling ruby in the centre.
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| November 30th, 2010 by Not Quite Nigella
I’ve neglected a lot of things of late with this whole book writing process. One of them was the weekend breakfast. The breakfast, or more accurately, brunch ritual is a favourite of ours. I never thought that I’d meet anyone that liked to sleep more than I did until I married my own Rip Van Winkle. He literally has to be pried off the sheets at 11am or he will stay there until noon.
We have a little routine on the weekend where I wake up around 10am and make breakfast. By about 10:30 or 11am (it’s never a hurried affair and during this time I try and revive myself with a cup of tea and some internet) I get to wake him up with an excuse that breakfast is ready. Sometimes he is easier to rouse than others and once I had something exciting to tell him and I headbutted him accidentally in my enthusiasm. That really woke him up 
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| November 11th, 2010 by Not Quite Nigella
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