Crayfish Caesar Salad recipe from Annabel Langbein

I just love this show and how much is packed into it. I love Annabel Langbein’s attitude to food and local produce, her positive personality and her generosity in sharing. Here’s her Crayfish Caesar Salad from her TV show. In episode 7 of The Free Range Cook, Annabel helicopters in to spectacular Dusky Sound, New Zealand for a spot of fishing and crayfish is one the menu.

Filed under: in my kitchen, Annabel Langbein, cookbook, recipe, seafood

Annabel Langbein’s Pistachio and Berry Ice Cream

My first taste memory is of ice cream, I must have been 2 or 3 at most. So, when Annabel Langbein offered to share her recipe from this week’s episode of The Free Range Cook I was excited.

Filed under: in my kitchen, Annabel Langbein, dessert, ice cream, recipe, The Free Range Cook

Mini-Chef Gingerbread Men from Sheridan Rogers

My friend Sheridan Rogers has written a fabulous new cookbook Mini-Chef for the kids and it’s out now! And Sheridan has kindly shared my pick from her book – the recipe for Gingerbread Men – with you …

Filed under: in my kitchen, baking, cookbook, Gingerbread Men, kids cooking, recipe

Annabel Langbein’s famous Egg and Bacon Pie

You’re going to love this! Here’s the recipe from this week’s episode of The Free Range Cook – Annabel’s famous Bacon & Egg Pie. It’s just the thing for a spring picnic. In this week’s programme Annabel goes cherry picking and invites friends over for a barbecue on the lake edge.

Bacon and Egg Pie

Annabel says “If you’re looking for love, you have to make this pie! On the strength of this pie, my husband proposed to me – it really is that good. It’s perfect for a picnic or a weekend lunch.”

Filed under: in my kitchen, Annabel Langbein, eggs, home cooking, pastry, picnic, recipe

Lamb Racks with Salsa Verde from Annabel Langbein

Lamb Racks with Salsa Verde

Lamb racks are not cheap to buy, so my aim with this recipe is to take all the risk out of cooking them. The most important thing to remember here is that your oven needs to be really hot before the lamb racks go in. It’s also important to rest the meat for almost as long as you roast it. Covering it with tin foil and teatowels keeps it warm before carving and ensures an evenly cooked, moist result.

Filed under: in my kitchen, Annabel Langbein, lamb, New Zealand, recipe

dad’s favourite date slice

I lost my dad too young. My interest in food has its origins as much from dad’s passion for eating as it does from the baking of my mum, Aunty Dossie and Aunty Mona. Dad took us to restaurants while we were still young children. Sometimes we went to ‘exotic’ places like the Sukiyaki Rooms in Kings Cross where the menus were not in English and we had to take off our shoes to sit on tatami. My brother and I bothed ‘played’ restaurants at home cooking for mum and dad, and then both went on to cook in restaurants.

Today, on Fathers’ Day, I was looking through some of mum’s old handwritten cookbooks. Only one recipe mentions dad. This one titled: “Dad’s Favourite Date Slice”

Filed under: in my kitchen, baking, dates, Father's Day, recipe

mum’s rhubarb + apple crumble

Mum’s rhubarb and apple crumble is the most delicious I’ve ever tasted. It’s a simple recipe that includes rolled oats in the topping. Rolled oats, with butter and brown sugar and flour. Now that I understand more about the history and evolution of food, I’d say that me and the rolled oats in the topping are related. We’re related by Scottish ancestory. Mum was an Andrews.

Filed under: in my kitchen, apple, dessert, fruit, Luke Mangan, mum, recipe, rhubarb, vegetarian

Soren Lascelles and his Chocolate Brownies

On the evening of Monday 9 August, Soren Lascelles was declared the 2010 Australian Appetite for Excellence, Young Chef of the Year.

Sydney was also proud when Louise Tamayo was awarded The Young Waiter of the Year.

During the final round of judging, the young finalists spent five days on a great initiative, the Hunt & Gather Produce Tour (meeting artisan food producers of NSW).

At the beginning of the tour, each of the young chefs was given one key item of produce, then asked to collect other ingredients during the tour, to be presented in their dish at the ‘Hunt & Gather’ dinner at the Electrolux showroom. Soren Lascelles’ produce item was macadamias and his course was dessert.

Filed under: eating out, in my kitchen, produce, 2010 Young Chef of the Year, Appetite for Excellence, chocolate, dessert, Kim Coronica, Louise Tamayo, Luke Mangan, macadamias, recipe, Soren Lascelles, Thomas Moore, vegetarian

salt and salmon = gravlax

During the week I discovered the most wonderful new book. It’s called ‘the salt book’. I spent the weekend curled up with it, turning its beautiful glossy pages, and reading about my favourite seasoning. This delightful book decribes variations from Fleur de Sel through Sea Salt, Rock Salt, Table Salt and Grey Salt. The chapter ‘Know Your Salt’, also includes Pink Salt, Red Black and Blue Salt, Smoked Salt, Flavoured Salt, and The Himalayan Salt Block.

Filed under: in my kitchen, produce, cookbook, fish, gravlax, recipe, salt

Ceviche del Mercado

Australia Day 2010 was hot and humid in Sydney. If the party had been held on any day on either side of the event, I’m sure we would have all been more comfortable. Everyone was a good sport, despite the weather. This dish, prepared for the party, by Susan Wolfe was just perfect for the day. Of course it helps, that fish, and ceviche, is a long time favourite of mine. True Mexican food is less well known in Australia, and I’ll admit that, this was the first time I’d tried tomatillos. The dish was a delight!

Filed under: in my kitchen, Australia, fish, Mexican, recipe