It’s been an eclectic couple of days at the dinner table in our house. Tonight was “Mac ‘n Cheese”......or Macaroni Cheese down this end of the world. Creamy, cheesy, with a delish crispy bacon breadcrumb topping. I added a green salad with a tangy vinaigrette and tried to pretend it was slightly healthier. Who am I kidding? I may be having an attack of some kind of seasonal disorder, but it’s March, and I am ready for autumn. I love living in a country that has real seasons, but not crazy extremes, especially as I am essentially a weather wimp. Auckland never really gets very hot or cold, but varies enough that falling leaves and a subtle drop in temperature makes me start thinking about soups and risottos. And boots and wonderful winter coats, hurrah!
Last night was an all together spicier affair. I made a version of the Ethiopian Lamb recipe from a wonderful cookbook called The Hungry Girls. This is a totally handmade gem (two volumes actually, this is from Vol. 2) from three Australian girlfriends, originally as a gift for family and friends. Check it out here.http://www.hungrygirls.com.au/ The Ethiopian recipe is actually a quick cooked lamb dish, using a wonderful mix of Paprika and various spices called Berbere. I made the spice mix, as per the recipe, but I had picked up lamb shoulder chops from my butcher, rather than the fillet or backstrap the recipe called for. So rather than the quick cook version, all a lovely lamb fillet requires, I added extra tomato for moisture, and cooked the whole mixture for longer, more like a traditional curry. Topped with tangy yoghurt, cucumber and lemon, and some steamy basmati rice, it was warm, spicy, and totally tasty. Try it!
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