One of our PCH "things" is that when we have children around the meal table we ask them what was the best part of the day for them. Then we ask them what they are looking forward to most the next day. As an extension/continuation of this little "family thing", each Christmas I give each stepson (even now as adults, I still do it), each grandchild and each of my godchildren a decoration to hang on my tree (or their own tree – their choice) and I ask them what was one of the best things that had happened in the year. I then ask what they are looking forward to in the next year. So I have been thinking a lot about this in relation to my own year. What was good in 2013 and what am I looking forward to in 2014.

There have been some challenges in 2013 for Tez and I, but these challenges were definitely outweighed by the many wondrous happy faces, places and spaces that I can think of.

I want to share one with you……well it is kinda 4 x happy spaces rolled into one happy place with many happy faces.

A couple of years ago a friend told me about a cooking school in Paris called Cook’n’with Class. In 2012 I was fortunate to be in Paris and jammed five cooking classes into three days. I learnt so much and two of my favourite chef presenters were Briony and Pino. I had such a great time with them – I dream of the day I can bring them to Plough Creek Cooking School.

Well in 2013, I was able to swing past Paris for a couple of days and squeeze in four more classes. I was a tiny, tiny bit disappointed the schedule would not allow me to do another class with Briony or Pino, but I did get to say hello to Briony.

I did however meet and become incredibly inspired by three other French chefs.

Emmanuelle – Mad about choux pastry & macarons. What fantastic classes. 

I had attended a macaron class with Briony and loved it – so thought a repeat class was a good refresher!!

Macaron class

So many things that can be done with choux pastry. When an expert has shown you how to do the tricks of the trade it is so much more enjoyable to take pleasure in your result.

(How lucky am I – that I had also had secrets shared with me in one of Kate Spina’s classes!)...So I am here to tell you…..I am mad about Choux (yes pronounced just like the other shoe(s) I am mad about!!!). 

Third class took us off to a Market Dinner class with Patrick. These classes are designed so that the class go to the local market with the chef, check out what is available in the stores and then come back and cook a meal. So much fun shopping for produce and checking out the locals.

Now to mention the wonderful recipes and taste treats back in the kitchen.

Foie gras with caramelised pears

My last class was with a chef named Constance. This was another market class – but of course completely different menu.

Oh my, did I learn some of the handiest tricks ever. Never again will I be afraid of cooking duck or fish.

It also helps when the class has other people who are interested in cooking and food and fun to be with. I guess you only sign up for these things in Paris, if you are really interested in food. It helps break down some of the initial shyness of a group of strangers, as you all want to know about cooking.

Delicious duck

I wanted to send a global *shout out* to the lovely classmates who travelled on the metro with me after each evening class. It can be a bit daunting late at night on the underground, so I was very grateful to arrive back to my hotel each night very safely and in the company of some very nice co-foodie/travellers.

Of course, in France it is all about the baguette and the cheese!

Emmanuelle, Patrick and Constance, thank you so much for your wonderful engagement about food and cooking. Making us realise that French cooking is not as scary as we often think it is (as long as you measure correctly!), for sharing so much of your knowledge and skills with us and making it a whole of lot of fun.

After all, food should be fun; tasty, exciting and inspiring....shouldn’t it???....Well, I think - YES, it should …

DC xx

As this is my last recipe for this 12 days of festive season,  I decided to share one of my own recipes – that has been adapted from those of many others and I now share with you.

Tez loves lamb roast. This is my version and adaptation.

Hope you enjoy….

Roast Lamb

Ingredients
Leg of lamb (if you prefer to use a boned leg  – just cook for less time)
Sprigs of rosemary
Heaps of garlic cloves
Plenty of Olive oil
Salt (I prefer Murray River salt flakes or seasoned salt if you prefer) 
Pepper

Optional
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
3 tablespoons mustard
1 tablespoon honey (or make up any collection of spices that you like – you could even use Dukkah or none of the spice mix at all!)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 230 C (or 215 fan forced).
2. Have leg out of fridge for couple of hours before using.
3. Make crosses with sharp small knife, into the body of the leg, across the meaty surfaces of the leg.  Insert a clove of garlic into each cross, together with a small sprig of rosemary.
4. Rub leg with olive oil and liberally season with salt, pepper and spice mix.
5. Lay the baking tray with a bed of rosemary sprigs and an handful of garlic cloves scattered around.
6. Every 10 minutes or so, I pour a ½ cup of water into the baking dish. I find this keeps the meat very moist.

This is the bit that makes the difference - I think;

7. Place in oven for 20-25 minutes and then lower to 165 C for 35-45 minutes. Using a meat thermometer, test the meat is cooked inside to 60 degrees or until cooked to your preference.
8. Let the roast rest covered in foil for at least 20 minutes.
9. When ready to serve carve by your preferred method. I like to slice through the chunk of meat – rather than carve against the grain.

I use all the pan juices to make my gravy, the old fashioned way.

Serve with your favourite accompaniments….We love mint sauce using mint from the herb garden and my home made gravy.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me

Twelve drummers drumming…..

Twelve wallabies wobbling.....

Happy tastings and have such a wonderful festive season.

DC

Again, another recipe that makes a very special treat, that tastes so fabulous. Alfie Spina shared a recipe with us that will certainly impress your guests.

A great standby to have in the fridge for when people call in, pop some sourdough bread in the toaster and you have a very impressive snack to serve.

Hope you enjoy….

Salt cod pate and toasted sourdough

Ingredients
1 side cod, skinned, pin boned and cut into smaller pieces
2 leeks, washed well and sliced
4 potatoes
2 onions
4 cloves garlic
750ml cream
Salt and pepper

Method
1. Lightly salt you pieces of cod with sea salt and set aside.
2. In a large non-stick pan, sweat your diced onion, sliced garlic and leeks with 100g butter. Cook until soft without color then add your diced potatoes. Continue cooking then add your pieces of cod and cover with cream.
3. Bring to boil then reduce the heat and simmer until reduced and thickens. Be sure to stir regularly to prevent from sticking and burning.
4. Once the mixture is thickened, potatoes cooked and cream reduced, carefully transfer to a food processor and blitz until smooth. This may have to be done in 2 batches.
5. Allow to cool and serve spread on toasted bread.

On the eleventh  day of Christmas my true love sent to me

Eleven pipers piping…..

Eleven emus laying.....

Happy tastings.

DC

As we are getting close to the completion of the 12 days I wanted to share one of the recipes that made tricky so achievable for us home cooks. AND, it was so yummy.

Kate Spina took us down a bread making discovery class that simply impressed us all. How easy was that we kept saying !

Hope you enjoy….

Buttermilk Fruit & Nut Flatbreads

Makes 8

Ingredients
180g wholemeal flour
170g plain flour
8g baking powder
6g salt
350g buttermilk
40ml nuts, chopped
40ml raisins, chopped
pinch sugar
pinch salt

Method
1. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2. Add the buttermilk and mix to combine.
3. Tip out onto a floured bench and lightly knead for a couple of minutes.
4. Roll the dough out thinly, scatter with the fruit and nut mix, fold in half.
5. Cut into 8 pieces.
6. Heat a large frypan over medium heat and spray the pan with oil.
7. Cook the flatbreads on each side until golden brown .
8. Brush with melted butter and season lightly with salt flakes.

Serve with dips like baba ghanouj, as an accompaniment to a salad or soup.

On the tenth  day of Christmas my true love sent to me

Ten lords a leaping  …..

Ten lizards leaping    .....

Happy tastings.

DC

Amongst the many Spanish influenced recipes that Brad Warton shared with us were two of the most versatile, not to mention the BEST ever tasting, sauces. Red and green, the perfect Festive season colours. Both these sauces are so adaptable to so many dishes.

Make up a big batch of each and have ready to go when you are cooking, BBQ’ing, baking or braising….

Hope you enjoy….

Mojo de cilantro - Coriander sauce

Ingredients
1 bunch coriander
1/4 tsp cumin
2-3 garlic cloves
150ml light olive oil
Salt and pepper
white vinegar

Pick coriander leaves and place in blender with cumin and garlic. Blend dry and slowly start to incorporate oil.

Season with salt and pepper and use as little or as much vinegar as you desire

Serve over BBQ steak, over the top of vegies or whatever else pleases you.

Served over the top of Jamon on crunchy bread 

Romesco

Ingredients
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
1 red capsicum
5 medium tomatoes
1 head of garlic
1 Spanish onion
1 chipotle chilli
1/4 c almonds
2 slices of bread (crust off)
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
3 tsp paprika

Pre heat oven to 190 C. Lightly rub all the vegetables with oil and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes until soft.

Fry the bread in olive oil till golden brown on both sides. Dry fry the almonds(pan without oil) constantly moving till they are a nice light brown in color. Peel the vegetables and place in a blender with the almonds, chipotle chilli, bread, vinegar, paprika and last of the oil. Blitz and season to taste.

Serve with seafood, croquettes, even a pasta or whatever else takes your fancy.

Served here with squid ink battered calamari

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love sent to me

Nine ladies dancing…..

Nine wombats working.....

Happy tastings.

DC

Seafood is such an Australian tradition during the festive season….It only seemed right to share a fantastic seafood recipe from Alfie Spina for that very reason.

This is the recipe that his son sat up and ate so eagerly after the class. 

Hope you enjoy….

Steamed mussels with cous cous, saffron, white wine and tomato broth

Saffron Broth 

Ingredients
500ml white wine
good pinch of saffron threads
Pinch of salt
5 juniper berries
5 peppercorns
½ tsp fennel seeds
1 bay leaf 

Method
Toast saffron in a medium to hot pan until fragrant. Place in mortar and pestle with salt and grind until fine. Add to the white wine, along with all other ingredients and bring to a gentle simmer. Turn off heat and let infuse.

Ingredients
2kg Mussels
15 Cherry tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
10 anchovy fillets, chopped
100g of Israeli cous cous, cooked in salted water until soft
10 leaves of basil
2 tbls chopped parsley
200ml white wine and saffron broth

On the eighth  day of Christmas my true love sent to me

Eight maids a milking…..

Eight dingoes dancing.....

Happy tastings.

DC

I am all about the alternatives for this festive season – especially things that will have  a great WOW factor but minimum time…..And, all so easy for you.

Jasper really blew us away with his Asian influence recipes and this egg salad I think would be a very impressive breakfast treat.

Hope you enjoy….

Egg salad

Ingredients
1 bunch coriander, picked
1 bunch Thai basil, picked
1 bunch spring onion, greens julienned
6 shallots, sliced
1 knob ginger, julienned
2 kaffir lime leaves, chiffonade (that is; very finely chopped)

Method
Mix all ingredients together.

Sweet fish sauce

Ingredients
250g palm sugar
50ml fish sauce
50g tamarind

Method

Melt palm sugar with fish sauce. Cool. Add tamarind.

When your salad and dressing are ready, fry your  egg – whichever way you prefer to do so (Jasper’s method is to fry in peanut oil, in the wok, created the most perfect fried egg ever tasted!!)

Place your egg on top of the salad and then dress with the sweet fish sauce.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me

Seven swans a swimming…..

Seven snake a swaying.....

Happy tastings.

DC

For the most perfect alternative to the mince tart, form our very darling Katey Rodgers I think these Eccles Cakes (which have a history all of their own) are a fantastic alternative. Buy a really smashing cheese to eat with them….I promise it is worth it!

Hope you enjoy….

Eccles Cakes

Ingredients

300g dried fruit and nuts (sultanas, cherries, dates, walnuts, almonds etc.)
An amount of cheddar or other delicious hard cheese
2 tsp honey
1 tsp red wine vinegar
3 tsp melted butter
½ tsp ground all spice
½ tsp cinnamon

Method

Mix all ingredients together and leave to sit for 15- 20 minutes, should be enough time to roll the pastry out into about 8mm thick and 9cm in diameter. Make an even amount, half are bases, other half are tops. Spoon the mixture onto the bases. Put the tops on and pinch together. Brush with egg white and dip in sugar. Slash the top three times to release steam while baking. In the oven at 180-200 for 15 minutes.

Sweet Pastry

540g butter
112g yolk
225g icing
60ml water
750g flour
salt

Mix softened butter and Icing sugar gently and without creaming. Add yolks and water, then fold through flour. Separate into 400g lots and chill overnight.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love sent to me

Six geese a laying…..

Six sharks a surfing.....

Happy tastings.

DC

Festive season is all about colour….so is Moroccan and Middle Eastern food. This recipe from Eitan Doran first Moroccan class, I think is perfect for the festive food table;

Hope you enjoy….

BEETS SALAD

Ingredients
4 medium beets
1 red onion
½ bunch parsely
Sumac
1 lemon
Olive oil 3-4 spoons

Directions

1.     Cover the beets in aluminum foil and bake them on the highest temperature  till you can get you knife to the core easily
2.     Let the beets cool but peel them when they still warm the steam will help you to get rid of the skin
3.     Cut the beets to ¼
4.     Slice the onion to Julian
5.     Chop the parsley
6.     Combine all the ingredients season with olive oil , lemon juice and sumac , salt and pepper
7.     Serve with feta or labane cheese

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love sent to me

Five golden rings …..

Five cockatoos a-squawking   .....

Happy tastings.

DC

When Jane Webster returned she showed us easy ways to create great food,  but be prepared for when your friends and guests arrive and be able to enjoy their company and not be still in the kitchen preparing!! This recipe is a great one for exactly that purpose ….Not to mention such a great recipe to share during the festive season;

Hope you enjoy….

Smoked Salmon pinwheel crepes

Ingredients

Packet Creative Gourmet Crepes
8 slices smoked salmon
4 tbs creame fraiche
1 heaped tsp horseradish
1 tbs whole egg mayonnaise
Freshly chopped dill
Lemon juice

Method

1. Mix cream fraiche, horseradish, mayonnaise, lemon juice and dill.
2. Thaw Crepes.
3. Spread creme fraiche mixture over each crepe. Top with salmon.
4. Roll tightly like a Swiss roll.
5. Wrap in glad wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
6. Cut in slices

Serve with champagne!

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me

Four calling birds…..

Four Possums playing.....

Happy tastings.

DC

Lloyd Morse from London gave us so many incredible recipes …… how to choose?

Well,  if ever there is anything for the Australia summer that I think is simply too delicious to describe …. It is this one;

Hope you enjoy….

Watermelon jelly with chocolate and pistachios

Makes 8 x 120ml bowls

Ingredients
1.2kg watermelon, juiced to 1L watermelon juice
70g corn flour
200g caster sugar
100g 86% chocolate chopped or grated
chopped pistachios
cinnamon powder

Method
Sieve the corn flour and castor sugar into a pot large enough to hold the watermelon juice. Slowly add the strained juice mixing to the two together with a whisk or wooden spoon. Cook over a medium heat, continuously stirring to prevent sticking, until the mixture reaches boiling point. Remove from the heat.

Pour into individual bowls or a single bowl and place in the fridge to set. Once ready to serve dust with cinnamon powder, and garnish with chocolate and pistachio.

Serve cold.

On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me

Three French hens …..

Three koalas cuddling  .....

Happy tastings.

DC Xx

So for number 2 – I wanted to share a Jane Webster recipe that I really loved. You can substitute the scallops with big chunks of favourite vegetables (like zucchini) for those who have seafood allergies.

Hope you enjoy….

Scallops wrapped in sage and bacon

Ingredients

12 sage leaves
12 scallops, cleaned
12 very thin rashers rindless bacon
1 lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Wrap a sage leaf around each scallop, then wrap a bacon rasher around the sage and secure with a toothpick.

Heat a heavy-based frying pan or barbecue on high, then add the wrapped scallops and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Squeeze the lemon over and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Makes 12

The second day of Christmas my true love sent to me

Two turtle doves …..

Two pink galahs  .....

Happy tastings.

DC

One of the quaint “traditions” of the Festive season that I particularly like – is the “12 days of Christmas” – I love cards, messages, prints, tins, tea towels etc – anything that depicts the 12 days of Christmas images. I really enjoy finding different versions of the words of 12 days also. It got me thinking that I would like to share 12 recipes for the festive season with you. I have chosen 12 recipes from the first12 months of Plough Creek Cooking School.

Hope you enjoy….

Compliments of moi!

Choc Panettone Pudding

I can’t recall where I first found this recipe – but I have made it several times and it is good!

Ingredients

1.       100g dried figs
2.       150g each sultanas, raisins and currants
3.       50g dried cranberries
4.       1 large apple, peeled, cored and coarsely grated
5.       Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
6.       50ml brandy
7.       150g self-raising flour
8.       2 tsp mixed spice
9.       175g unsalted butter, melted
10.     200g panettone, torn up
11.     3 large free-range eggs, beaten
12.     100g soft light brown sugar
13.     100g plain dark chocolate, chopped

For the cranberry toffee sauce

1.       125g soft light brown sugar
2.       250ml double cream
3.       100g fresh cranberries
4.       50g each pecan nuts and flaked almonds
5.       25g butter, diced
6.       1 tbsp brandy

Method

1.       Mix the dried fruits, apple, lemon zest and brandy in a large bowl. In another bowl, sift together the flour, spice and a pinch of salt. Pour the butter over the dried fruit mix. Stir in the panettone, eggs, sugar, chocolate and spiced flour.

2.       Grease and line a 1.5-litre pudding bowl. Spoon in the mixture and put a circle of baking paper on top. Tie another layer of paper, then foil, with a 2cm pleat in both layers, over the top of the bowl with string. Place in a pan, fill halfway up the side of the bowl with boiling water, cover with a lid and steam for 3 hours.

3.       For the sauce, place the sugar in a heavy-based pan over a high heat and allow it to turn to a dark caramel. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the cream. Return to the pan over a medium heat, add the remaining ingredients and cook for 5 more minutes, until sticky. Turn out the pudding and pour over the cranberry toffee sauce to serve.

The first day of Christmas my true love sent to me

A partridge in a pear tree …..

A kookaburra in a gum tree .....

Happy tastings.

DC