Recipes: I like to cook. It's relaxing. I cook a lot from recipe books and experiment a lot with other people's recipes. These are my reference pages so I can re-create some of the better things that I did. Like Life, it's a work in progress that deserves lots of attention but gets only a little.
Boeuf à la bourguignonne (aka Beef Burgundy) -- rich, slow cooked version.
I've adapted the classic beef burgundy recipe to my own taste. I had it as a much used print out from the Net, originally by Julia Childs, and altered it over a few years to make the version recorded here. Our guests universally acclaim it. Enjoy.
Moroccan Lemon Chicken with Cayenne & Onion Sauce
This very Middle Eastern marinade of chicked thighs baked on a bed of spiced onion rings is one of the most delicious Middle Eastern dishes I've made. It was so good that Alex slept over so she could have leftovers the next day.
[Beef] Actually Pork & Veal Stroganoff with secret-method tenderness
I will now reveal a deep secret. Not even my family knows it - how to get tender, succulent, textured cubes in a stew after only two hours of simmering ordinary meat. Well here it is buried in the Stroganoff recipe. See if you can spot the key factors.
Lamb Shanks: So very different from the normal offering. So much better. Sort of Irish Italian
Have you heard of lamb shanks with mushrooms and olives and anchovies, as well as the traditional Irish spring vegetable flavours? Well you can do that. You can blend Italian and Irish. It's just very special and here it is! An award winner. A truly satisfying offering on a winter evening.
Italian Pork and Veal Meatballs [Best Ever Devised]
This is a really flavoursome dish, very full and hearty. Best served with gutsy red wine and garlic−butter hot bread. You know -- the sort of thing for a rollicking good family meal. Serve it outdoors maybe, in the garden under the darkening sky in spring or early autumn, surrounded by lights, nature and merry family members on a Friday night before the young ones go out to hunt and gather. (I think that's what they do?) and the oldies retire to the comfort of each others company, at peace with each other and with the world.
Italian: Veal saltimbocca francese a limone & porcini sidro leggero spettacolare AKA Veal Saltimbocca with a difference
Blowed if I know how to blend two languages but what I mean in good old Oz strine is: Seasoned veal topped with prosciutto and served with a spectacular lemon-infused reduction of light cider and mushrooms. Derived from Franco-Italian themes
A Roasted Pork Rack with Asian Subtleties
A beef and red wine Jus sets off and complements the pork centerpiece. But the aromatic Kipfler mash really raises this offering to the gourmet level. And if that's not enough, a stunning Asian Ratatouille takes us to international levels. But it's the Wasabi mayonnaise that allows the humble pork rack to soar with the eagles.
Jamie Oliver's sweet and sour pot roast chicken inspired this Chinese dinner party offering. But this is x10 on that because I've focused on a low-fat version where the bird is baked away from the vegetables. I've retained verbatim Jamie's sweet and sour sauce but I've included my famous stuffing to guarantee a moist result in the roast chicken. And I include Papa John's western fried rice recipe.
Cocina Española: Chicken in Orange Sauce with Anchovies and Olives
Well I started off wondering about duck in orange sauce. But couldn't get a duck. So I googled "chicken in orange sauce" and found a bunch of Asian recipes and a few French and a few Spanish. The French and Spanish looked good for today, hmmmm. This is what I amalgamated from all that. It looks simple but took me a few hours, including the shopping.
World's Best Lasagne --PLUS-- The world's Best Bolognese Sauce
I've been serving this for over 20 years and it's been improving all that time. I can never quite remember what's in it. So I gave some extra thought to what makes this taste special, went shopping to get the ingredients, and committed this latest one to paper. AND -- the sauce by itself doubles as the world's best Bolognese. Live it up!
Pears Caramelised in Raspberry Liquor [Served with Summer Berries & Whipped Cream]
The topping is intense. This dessert definitely has "wow" factor. The colours are amazing. Served with fresh summer berries and whipped cream: Zowie!!!
Asian Stir Fry: Pork & Vegetables with Hokkein Noodles
Asian Stir Fry: Sweet, Hot and Sour Pork and Beef Fillets
These are two quick stir fry recipes for feeding the clamouring masses on a Wednesday week day. But be careful, they are for the sophisticated palate, not for supermarket quick-fix addicts or fast food devotees.
What wonderful new experience in one of the seven pleasures of humankind will reside here soon? When, we wonder, will the Master Chef feel creative again?
Areas of Interest
My focus these days is on four topic areas.