I love LCMs, embarrassing as it is to say. I particularly liked the Shrek ones with the green chocolate bits on top. There, I’ve said it. Now that I’ve confessed my liking for these sticky, chewy treats I can go onto getting on with my life unburdened of my secret. When I happened upon these in Nigella Express, I felt the need to make them, mainly because the Shrek ones had sold out at my Coles.
I didn’t use Rice Crispies but instead an Organic version of Coco Pops. Of course I don’t have those charming little green chocolate bits on top so some Charbonnel & Walker Hot Chocolate flakes had to do, a much welcomed present from my sister in London every year. The strawberry marshmallows somewhat obscured the chocolate taste, or at least interfered with it, so I had to add some chocolate flakes to the mix as well as on top. And I am not sure what voodoo Nigella is working but my CSI latex gloves were well and truly stickied out and didn’t help a jot when I tried to smooth these over.
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February 3rd, 2008
by Not Quite Nigella
The key with going for a successful food adventure is going with people that truly love food. Our friends Queen Viv and Miss America are always willing to go that extra mile for that extra special meal which is a sentiment I always appreciate as I am the same. So despite the fact that Miss A. has been up for over 25 hours straight and she is still willing to go out for dessert after our carnivorous fest at Carne Station proves what a strong constitution and resolve she has. Just what a beauty queen needs really.
Turkish Oud
So its late in the evening when we drive up to Auburn and revisit a place we’ve been to several times before lured by Grab Your Fork and known for their fabulous Dondurma (salep enriched stretchy Turkish ice cream), Mado cafe. Service is a unsure and wary, as if we’ve fallen outside of a spaceship and our questions are answered with a confused “I don’t know”. Its a pity the service is so neglectful as the desserts are divine.
Dondurma (Turkish stretchy ice cream) churning
We know what we want, what we’ve had before and loved, the ice cream (including a must have black mulberry) so we choose the Cup Maras which is an ice cream sundae with scoops of black mulberry, pistachio, sour cherry and maras (white) with fruit salad and sour cherry sauce ($9.50) and the Kazandibi ($5.50) a “cauldron bottom” charred pudding thickened with salep from the orchid root. To quench our thirst we order a Turkish sour cherry drink ($3), Gazoz a Turkish lemonade ($2.50) and Turkish mineral water ($2.50).
From left to right: Gazoz a Turkish lemonade ($2.50), Turkish sour cherry drink ($3), and Turkish mineral water ($2.50)
Our drinks arrive along with our sundae and pudding. The Turkish mineral water tastes like regular mineral water, refreshing and with hard large bubbles, not softly carbonated. The sour cherry drink, always a favourite (we downed about 20 bottles of this last time) is gorgeously fruity and the Turkish lemonade has a fruity flavour to it, almost like creaming soda.
Cup Maras sundae $9.50 Four flavours of ice cream with fruit salad and sour cherry sauce
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February 2nd, 2008
by Not Quite Nigella
Please don’t mistake this breakfast as something I would only make for my children. Mainly because I have no children, just a bunch of lifelike Monkey soft toys. The reason I tried this is not to introduce pumpkin into my diet (it already features frequently), or to add vegetables (I eat a lot of veges). Its because, even before I cooked it, I knew this would be really good.
The spices in it, cinnamon and nutmeg, along with the milk give it an oatmealy almost pumpkin pie taste. Once you have the puree, its a cinch to make-indeed I made it on a busy work day morning using frozen pumpkin puree stashed in my freezer and microwaved for 1 minute. I preferred to add the raisins in while it was cooking as I love fat plump raisins. As far the peanut butter goes, it does enhance it but I think only 1 teaspoon of peanut butter would have done me or left out altogether would have been fine. And because I loathe the taste of skim milk and never have it in the fridge, I used a half water half full cream milk. It would be equally as fabulous on a weekend morning, tarted up with chopped pistachios and dried sweetened cranberries.
Oatmeal with pumpkin from Deceptively Delicious
- 1 cup nonfat (skim milk)
- 1/4 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup canned pumpkin or sweet potato puree (I didn’t use canned, I used real pumpkin pureed and frozen in batches)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (I used cinnamon and nutmeg)
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 2 teaspoons natural peanut butter (optional, I’d say go with 1 teaspoon)
- Dried fruit and nuts (optional)
- Pure maple syrup, for serving
1. In a small saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, and if using, and spice. Bring to a gentle boil and stir in the oatmeal. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the oatmeal is soft and creamy. Stir in peanut butter, if using.
2. Spoon the oatmeal into bowls, sprinkle with dried fruit and nuts, if you like, and serve warm with maple syrup.
By Jessica Seinfeld from Deceptively Delicious
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February 1st, 2008
by Not Quite Nigella
Sel et Poivre is one of my favourite restaurants in Sydney. In, fact, I usually celebrate my birthday here, lured by the fabulous, and very authentic French fare on offer. Its also a reliable place when you’ve got fussy eaters. A group of friends that we dine with includes a friend, Hot Dog, who likes his food just so and is likely to get the waiter or waitress who doesn’t seem to want to convey this wish to the kitchen so he ends up supremely frustrated. Not here though, we don’t hear a peep of complaint from him when we dine here.
I know the menu back to front and have already pre ordered my dishes in my mind. I never veer, although sometimes I do if its winter and I ask for the Cassoulet (not a menu item, you have to ask for this). But since the weather is warm, I order my usual two entrees instead of an entree and main: the Salmon Marinated in Olive Oil, Aromatic Herbs, Mixed lettuce and Warm Steamed Potatoes $17.90 and the Crispy Galette of Fresh Swimmer Crab, Leeks and Sauce a l’Americaine $15.50. My husband orders the Marinated Braised Beef Cheeks with Miramar Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce and Frites $24.90, Rose does the two entree thing too with the Crispy Galette of swimmer crab and the Duck Terrine with Armagnac $16.90 and Ronald orders the Duck Leg Confit with lentils and salad $25.90 and we have a serve of mash for the table ($6.90). We’re seated at my favourite table, on the outside with the cushions but not the table right on the street.
Salmon Marinated in Olive Oil, Aromatic Herbs, Mixed lettuce and Warm Steamed Potatoes $17.90
As its relatively early, its quite empty but we know that it will be busy by 8pm. After all Darlinghurst-ites don’t exactly dine early and we overhear them having to knock back people without reservations. Its not long before Rose and my cold entrees arrive. My Salmon Marinated in Olive Oil, Aromatic Herbs, Mixed lettuce and Warm Steamed Potatoes is, as always, delicious. The soft, olive oily salmon beautifully textured and the potatoes dotted with finely diced spring onion. The accompanying birds eye chili and garlic clove, although decorative, remains untouched, I think either or both would overpower the fish.
Duck Terrine with Armagnac $16.90
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January 31st, 2008
by Not Quite Nigella
This would be incredible for a kid’s or a kids at heart party. Indeed when we went to the Blue Mountains recently for Christmas we had a good old fashioned kid’s party complete with fairy bread, vampire teeth lollies, mini meat pies, sausage rolls (and the vegetarian versions) along with delicious Finnish pinwheel pastries and we played pass the parcel, treasure hunt and donuts and apples on a string. Despite the fact that everyone was well and truly grown up, we all had a ball which goes to show that some kid’s things never go out of fashion.
An adult may scoff at first if they see this, thinking that they were too sophisticated for this sort of silly stuff but you can bet they’ll be all alone pouting on the sidelines when everyone else happily digs into this.
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January 30th, 2008
by Not Quite Nigella
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