In my kitchen ~ December 2015

Here we are at the end of another year and the final installment of my IMK series hosted by the lovely Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial.  If you'd like to take a peek into other peoples kitchens from all around the world pop over and take a look....grab yourself a cuppa or a wine and settle in to see what's been happening in my kitchen.

So, December...one of my favourite months.  I know there are many who don't like Christmas or the craziness that seems to come at this time of year but I love it.  I don't have to worry about overloaded social engagements (just a nice steady stream....)nor do I have to spend too much on gifts and I think this has a lot to do with it.  I'm lucky to have never really had any Christmas family dramas of drunken fights or other bad behaviour - smooth sailing I'm very blessed to say.  Two years ago I took over the reigns of cooking Christmas lunch and I love hosting this as my gift to my family...

In my kitchen is lots of fresh garden produce...these carrots I love roasted with cumin, 

our purple garlic didn't fair that great a crop this year but I'm making lots of garlic butter for the freezer so I can use it for months to come.

this years basil has been so leafy I'm in heaven!  I just wish the tomatoes would hurry along so I can enjoy them altogether :)

lots of cavolo nero and mint - I love the cavolo nero lightly blanched, drained well and then tossed with evoo, garlic and lemon juice.

In my kitchen I've been making ricotta gnocchi with fresh sage & lemon burnt butter as a potato substitute that is sublime.

that heady smell of frying sage, butter and evoo gets me everytime

In my kitchen I've been crushing on this unfiltered evoo that I got from a trip to La Manna in Melbourne - perfect to dress a salad or add a slug to finish off dishes. 

In my kitchen is duck fat for my roasted potatoes on Christmas day.  I buy a whole duck and render the fat which I find is more cost effective than paying for just the duck fat and the added bonus of roasted duck for dinner!  Aldi stock Luv a duck at this time of year at only around $14 a bird which is great when you can pay up to $10 just for the fat at some grocers!!!

In my kitchen has been the sweetest locally grown cherries that we have been eating by the kilo - yum!

In my kitchen is this Turducken that I'll be roasting Christmas morning.  I know, I know, it's cheating but it will make for a dreamy lunch service ;) I've never had one before and am really looking forward to trying it - fingerscrossed it's good!! I wonder if any of you had tried one?

In my kitchen on Christmas day will be my treasured carving set brought from the Waterloo markets in Belgium a few years ago.

It wouldn't be December in my kitchen without my shortbread, 

baby fruit mince tarts

rosemary salt that are all perfect for gifts or just to enjoy in your own kitchen ;)

In my kitchen sits my latest crochet project that I'm loving creating.  It will be a large blanket for the end of my bed.  I originally started the pattern from here but I've changed colours and some stitches along the way so now I'm just flying solo with my own ideas.

and finally, I'll leave you with a quote that I think just puts life into some sort of  perspective for me!

Ciao, Jan x

a gluttonous wife....hooks

As many of you long time readers will know, last year I taught myself to crochet.  I've never had a hobby other than cooking so it feels so good to finally be in that group of people who feels like they are doing something they are passionate about and love.  It started as a bit of fun to help fill in time as I have a lot of it on my hands but I never thought it would amount to much and I'd be onto the next thing as soon as I could master a granny square.  I never thought of myself as one of those 'crafty' people but it's really been one of the biggest blessings and surprises to come along in my life and I will be forever thankful I decided to give it a try.  

I started an instagram page @agluttonouswifehooks and have been busy with orders which is wonderful to help feed my addiction!  On the down side, my cooking and blog has taken a back seat but I'm still here hiding with my hook and yarn.  I've been drawn to doing beanies and baby goodies but I've also had a few blanket orders which I also love doing.  Most of the beanie designs are my own apart from the basic beanie tutorial which can be found here, although I've been using this sizing chart that has been fabulous from here. Here's a bit of what I've been making and a few links:

These baby packs are proving popular and so cute!! The bootie pattern is from here, the heart from here and the ripple blanket from here

baby butterfly from here

this flower is just a scalloped boarder rolled up and these booties from here

I taught myself to do these letters late one night

this teacosy from here

There's alot more on my instagram page if you feel like having a squizz....so that's me all caught up!

If you are interested in placing an order or finding out more, feel free to email me at agluttonouswife@hotmail.com
Ciao, Jan x

In my kitchen ~ August 2015

This months IMK series has come around so quickly I'm sure I can hear Spring calling!!! Hurry up!!! My goodness, I'm sorry to go on about it, but I really don't think I've felt the cold as much as this Winter.  I even brought myself some thermal tops to help layer the cold away.  But, as always, my oven is my saviour and it's been put through it's paces again, with my beloved bread running front and centre....but there are a few other things just so you don't think I'm the size of a sour dough.
Grab a cuppa or a wine and relax while you take a peek....

In my kitchen these amazing soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies didn't disappoint and are stashed up the back of the freezer for those times when only a cookie will do with a cup of tea...they defrost perfectly in minutes.

In my kitchen is my nan's nutloaf tin that I've had a few goes at.  It's over 60 years old and I must say I was in a heaven of memory nostalgia eating the loaf...recipe to come :)

In my kitchen has been lots of pea and ham soup (this recipe is one of my first and is fun to see how much my photos have improved).  I add a big handful of steamed greens from the garden to help boost the vegetable intake and a smidge of chilli.

It wouldn't be in my kitchen if I didn't include some crochet...I made the pink and blue owl beanie for my little lady for our cold walk to school and the other for a friends little one.  Beanies are proving to be one of those things that are trickier to size than you think!!

In my kitchen almost everyday in July and August is this bounty freshly picked from the garden that I never tire from picking nor eating.

In my kitchen is my no knead grain bread that never fails.

In my kitchen has been lots of sourdough baking.  My 100% hydration starter is getting better week by week, gluttonous feed by gluttonous feed.  Bread baking is now well and truly entrenched into my soul - it's the funniest thing how passions are quietly unearthed isn't it.

I travelled to a friends kitchen a few hundred kilometres away and took my sourdough dough and camp oven with me so I could make her 2 loaves as I've been teasing her with too many photos...let me tell you I might start putting my dough that is proofing in the back seat of the car - it traveled beautifully and didn't disappoint on the morning I doled these magnificent specimens out.

In my kitchen is Mr. GW's huge once weekly bacon and eggs.  Our girls haven't missed a day laying even in this cold weather - they are the best and deserve the hot milk soaked crusts I give them most mornings.

and my size....I also was gifted this divine dinner set "Viola" - I'm very, very much in love with it.

look at that golden yolk.....such clever girls.

In my kitchen I made Celia's burger buns that were a big hit.  We had them with thick oven roasted Italian sausages, caramelised onions, lettuce and tomato.....get your laughing gear on it!

Thanks for stopping by....it's a little different format on Celia's blog (link at start of this post) and you can find all other contributors in the comments of her IMK post.  I love reading and getting all of your comments and if you drop me a line, I'll be sure to come and see what you have been up to in your wonderful kitchen.

Ciao, Jan x

In my kitchen July 2015

It's July...only 5 months til Christmas can you believe it!!  We are in the full swing of winter here and my oh my it has been brisk.  Perfect weather for the oven and I've been bitten hard by the sour dough bug this past month, so get ready for lots of bread!  I'm hooking up with 

Celia from Fig Jam and Lime cordial along with hundreds of other food obsessed bloggers from around the world.  If you love to see what's in other peoples kitchens, pop over to Celia's blog and get stalking!
I'll have to apologise for the exposure of some of the picutres - firstly I had to resell my new camera as it just didn't do what I hoped (rookie error!!) so it's back to my phone and secondly it's so dim in my kitchen and it gets dark so early :( but anyway,

 grab a cuppa or a wine and settle in cause here we go.....

I'll admit, I've been crocheting over blogging due to a few orders for my 
granny stripe blanket.  I'm halfway through this one now and am loving it just as much as the first one.  

In my kitchen has been a steady stream of Jerusalem artichokes and parsnips.  

In my kithchen, I've been crushing on this coconut yoghurt - delicious!

In my kitchen has been lots of cos and mint - I had it this day with fried rice, a dry fried egg and wrapped it up in the cos - yummy healthy lunch.  I've been trying to increase my leafy greens and fresh vegetable intake.

In my kitchen has been lots of soup for lunch too, especially this prawn chowder  - I blanch a mix  of freshly picked beetroot leaves, kolrabi leaves, kale and spinach to top this off as a vitamin power house.  I sometimes also add a poached egg to my soups to give it that extra protein hit and they add a natural creaminess to them if you keep the yolk runny.

In my kitchen has been lots of sourdough and changes to my sour dough.  This starter above is from a dear friends which must be around 15 years old now.  I did experiment with this starter some time ago which you can read about here but to be honest, I didn't quite gel with the length of time needed to get to the final product and I killed her.  This is a new one that I hope to keep going alot longer.  There seemed to be so many steps and seeing as I'm an instinctive baker rather than a chronic step follower ( such a rebel :) ) 

I searched for a way that would be more a kin to my favourite no knead bread. 

I did lots and lots and lots of reading online but finally found what I was looking for.

Enter my new 100% hydration starter that contains the original starter.  

Isn't she beautiful!  

I just naturally feel like it's more 'alive' and gets quite bubbly when left in the fridge.  Basically it's 100gm starter, 100gm water(weigh on scales) , 100g flour.  I feed her once a week, and/or the day before I want to bake a loaf or two.  I can do it all the night/afternoon before and bake it the next morning - perfect!

Here are some of the useful blogs I used to get to where I am now.  

How to maintain a 100% hydration starter

Celia's overnight sour dough - this is the recipe I now use - I do halve it sometimes to just make one loaf.

Johanna's take on Celia's overnight sour dough - Johanna has lots of helpful tips and things she has discovered on her sour dough and bread learning curve.  Thanks for all your work Johanna.

Celia's bread section on her blog - this has been a great find.  Celia is very passionate about her bread making and has taken the time to document lots of different types.  Thank you Celia for taking the time to explain this mystery in wonderful terms and taking the fear out of it and for feeding my passion!

I fed my new starter a few times over the course of 5 days.  I did want to make 2 loaves so I needed to double my starter.  To do this you need to start a few days before baking. I took off 150g of starter (discard the rest) and added the same amounts of water and flour(150g). I left it out on the bench for 4-5 hours in a warm spot, then that night I took off 300g starter (discard the rest...you could use it to make another starter to give to a friend or bake with it) and added the same amounts of water and flour (300gm of each).  I then popped her into the fridge.  

The following day after lunch I then started Celia's recipe:

300g starter (it should be bubbly)

570g water (I used filtered or from the kettle)

18g salt

1kg flour

Mix together and leave out for 30 minutes.  Knead for a minute or 2 and then pop on the bench til the morning.

 I used Wallaby bakers flour (I've also had great success with the Laucke crusty white bread pre-mix Mr. GW accidentally brought but it has the salt in it.  

I ideally wouldn't want to use this as my go to flour as it has 

other preservatives in it)  Don't forget to take off 100g starter to keep :)

Above is the bread that resulted - not bad but not great.  5 days later I started again...but with much better results

This is the dough after it has been out on the bench over night.

Very gently tip the dough onto a floured surface and cut in half.  Lightly dust with flour and lightly shape, if at all actually as you want to keep all that air in there.  Your oven should be on as high as it can go and put camp oven or casserole dish to heat up for at least 15 minutes.  Make sure you have a piece of greaseproof baking paper on the bottom of your vessel.

Taking care to take the camp oven out of the oven, gently place your dough in and snip the top with sharp kitchen scissors or a razor and whack the lid on.  After 30 minutes take the lid off and turn your oven down to 180c.

And this is what you should have 30 minutes later.

These loaves where fantastic.  I think the main difference between this lot and the first ones is that the starter has had more feeds and time to settle in.  I was also gentler and didn't knead/shape this batch.  I can't tell you how happy this makes me.  I really have a big passion for bread baking now and never get tired of the loaves coming out of the oven.  I never thought I'd get such pleasure from something I though would be so hard and I'd never be able to do.  Just goes to show you where having a go and not worrying about the failures can lead you.

So that's me for this month.  
Thanks for taking the time to stop by, your comments are greatly loved and appreciated.  I'm now off to see what's happening in everyone else's kitchen this month.

Ciao, Jan x