Brazilian Cheese Balls, not footballs.........

There is a footie tournament on at the moment, have you heard?  In Brazil, where football (not soccer my friends) is a form of demi-religion, a bit like rugby here ......when the All Blacks are winning anyway.

Being married to a fan, I know more about the round ball game than I any girl needs (he’s also keen on the NRL so any questions about that you want answered just pop on a postcard....), but Brazilian food is a bit of a mystery. My first experience of a caipirinha was made by a friend who had lived in Brasilia for several years as a student, it was delicious of course. But I suspect I’m not the only person who hasn’t progressed much past that.

So I have really been enjoying Andy Bates Street Feasts in Brazil, currently playing on the Travel Channel. I love his enthusiasm, and of course it’s always exciting finding out about food you never even knew existed. And boy have I uncovered a gem. Balls of cheesy chewy goodness, which coincidentally are made for sports viewing. I have actually tried these once before, at a book reading but I didn’t actually know where they came from. After watching them made on Street Feasts I realised that was what we had, and how easy they are to make. 

Now I would not normally recommend a more obscure ingredient , but believe it or not I actually found the secret ingredient to these treats at my local supermarket. It is called manioc flour, and is made from cassava. Cassava has been a staple food since pre-Columbian times in Central and South America, and was introduced into Africa by Portuguese slave traders from Brazil. The root is a dense carbohydrate source, and grows well in poor soil. As such, it has become staple food stuff in many part of the Americas and Africa, and an important source of income.
***update*** I contacted the NZ importers of the flour, they sell it and other brazilian foodstuffs direct to the public online at www.brasil.co.nz

But the most arresting fact about certain types of cassava is the work required to make it non-poisonous. Bitter cassava varieties must be processed correctly, often by soaking and boiling multiple times, to detoxify them. Which of course begs the question, who figured that out? I am always fascinated when I come across food that required processing to make it edible and/or non toxic. Mouldy cheese, soured milk, fish so minging it makes the can bulge....who wakes up one morning and thinks “oh lovely, I’ll have a bit of that??”

Thankfully someone did, and now you get to eat the yummiest cheese snacks I have come across. Don't worry, perfectly safe to eat! They are super easy to make, and are ideal for people who cannot tolerate gluten,( manioc four is gluten free), providing a lovely chewy texture, somewhere between a choux pastry gougere and a cheese bun. What is not to love......

Brazilian Cheese Balls  (based on a recipe from Andy Bates Street Feasts)

makes about 48

200 grams Manioc Flour (the brand I use has labelled it Sour Starch)

200 grams cheese- I used good old Tasty Cheddar

3 eggs

25 grams soft butter

A splash or two of milk

The flour is slightly grainier than wheat flour, and has a texture more like cornflour. Pop into a bowl with the cheese and rub together, as if you were making pastry. You can do this by hand, or put the ingredients into the food processor and whizz together briefly. 

You are looking for a texture similar to breadcrumbs.

If you are using a food processor, take the mixture out and put it into a large bowl. Add the eggs, butter and a little splash of milk, bringing everything together with a knife. Once it is starting to come together (it will look like yellow scone dough) get in with your hands and work the mixture to a soft dough, adding more milk if necessary. Now I won’t lie, the aroma is quite “cheesy”, the flour has a slightly sour smell which I found a teeny bit odd at first. But once it is baked it does not smell any thing but delicious, trust me.

Using your hands, roll into balls about the size of a walnut and pop into mini muffin pans which have been greased/sprayed with oil. If you don’t have mini muffin tins just bake on a tray greased or lined with baking paper.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for about 15 minutes until golden.

The outside will be crunchy with a soft slightly gooey middle. I served them with a tomato chili jam for dipping, but they are delicious as is. They would also be great with soup or as part of an antipasto platter.

The mixture does make a large batch, so if you don’t need them all at once (do however bear in mind they are very moreish), freeze the uncooked balls on a tray then store in a bag or container; they can be cooked straight from frozen.

Have I convinced you? Please try them, with a caipirinha if you can, for a perfect intro to Brazilian food. Now, lets see if there is some football on the telly.......

Easy breezy souffle....yes, really

So my last post was moaning about the heat.......I'll resist the temptation to start complaining about the cold. I doubt you could hear me over the roar of the heatpump anyway.
Although it has turned a bit chilly recently I don't always want stodgy comfort food. Ok, quite often that's exactly what I want, but not every day, I don't really want to have to buy TWO plane tickets for my trip to New York in September (I know, wheeeeeee!!!).
My Outlaws arrived the other day, en route to the airport with fresh eggs from the farm. While this does not quite compare with two weeks in Fiji it is still a lovely treat to have in the fridge. A girl cannot live by omelette's alone, and fresh eggs and various remnents of cheese in the fridge says souffle. Now souffles do have a reputation (the dirty things!) but for the most part it is unwarranted. This particular recipe, adapted from the ever fabulous Delia Smith is cooked twice, is very user friendly, and means you can have the souffles ready to go in the fridge if , like me, you cant always be sure what time you will be eating dinner.
Rich but light, I like this with a fresh apple & lettuce salad. Cheese and apple are so good together, especially with a tangy mustardy dressing. Comfort without the stodge....although I may well have hot chips tomorrow

Twice-Baked Cheese Souffles adapted from Delia Smith

Make 4 souffles, serving 4 as a starter, or 2 for a light supper

1/2 cup milk
Thin slice of peeled onion
1 bay leaf
Fresh grated nutmeg
Fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain flour
2 large fresh eggs, separated
1 tbsp of fresh herbs- I use chives, parsley or chervil would also work
1/4 cup Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup blue cheese
4 tbsp cream
Extra cheese to sprinkle

Heat the oven to 190C, and grease 4 half cup ramekins/tea cups.
Heat the milk in a small saucepan or a microwave jug until almost boiling, add the onion, bay, nutmeg & pepper, and leave to sit for 10 minutes or so.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a low heat, then add the flour. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. Add the milk and whisk together , the mixture will be very thick. Cook for a minute or so, and remove from the heat. Add the egg yolks and herbs,  whisk together until smooth. Add the cheeses and whisk again, the cheese will mostly melt in the heat.
In a clean bowl whisk together the egg white until when the beater is lifted out a soft peak falls over. I recommend the old fashioned handheld beater in the picture, so easy  and quick to use, check out Hospice or Salvation Army stores for these gems (I use one found in a cupboard when my in laws sold their Bach)

Using a metal spoon add a tablespoon of the egg white to the cheesy sauce and stir, this loosens the mix & makes it easier to add the rest of the egg white. Now add the rest of the egg white and using a twisting motion fold it into the sauce, quickly but gently. The aim is to keep all the air in the bowl, this is what gives you puffy cheesy gorgeousness for your supper.
Pop the ramekins into a baking dish, and pour hot water around (not over!) them, then carefully pop into the oven. Water can only heat to 100C so this stops the egg getting too hot and over cooking to rubbery toughness.
Cook for about 20 minutes until risen and puffy, then remove from the oven and put them onto a cooling rack. They will sink, dont stress, this is normal! When they are cool enough to handle, run a knife around the edge and flip out onto a baking tray

You can pop them into the fridge, pour yourself a vino (you Souffle Master you!) and when you are ready for dinner pull them out, top wioth extra cheese and bung back into the oven at 180C for another 20 minutes. Take them out, pour over a tablespoon of cream over each souffle and pop back into the oven for a couple more minutes

Serve with a crispy salad and a smile of satisfaction, no cooking version of craft fail for you, nailed it!
The Engine Room in Auckland does a wonderful twice baked Goat Cheese souffle, so if you happen to have goat cheese that would certainly be worth trying. And chedder would of course be just dandy also
It took me longer to type the recipe for these than it did to cook them, so please dont be put off, I just like to over explain everything see?

PS please excuse the orange tint to the pics, we are mercifully replacing our orange light shades in the kitchen renovation..........sigh

A new salad for a new year.....

 

 

So its 2013 already.I am resisting the temptation to bang on about all my New Years resolutions, I am quite sure you don't really give a toss if I lose 10kg by my birthday or finally get around to learning Spanish this year.

See, you don't, I knew it. I will tell you I have resolved to create a new recipe every week for the year. By new I mean original to me. Perhaps not recreating the wheel (not every week anyway), but created in my own little kitchen all fresh & new and lovely. Actually the kitchen is going to be ripped apart at some stage this year, so we shall see how we go (that could be smoothie/microwave/raw food week....)

 

Right, new recipe we have. Inspired by the delicious Nigel Slater & his fabulous Kitchen Diaries Two, which I was very happy to see in my Christmas Stocking this year, this is a fresh fast salad using Bulgur wheat. It has a pleasant nutty flavour, only requires soaking (no boiling pans in my kitchen, given its about 97% humidity at the moment this is a Good Thing) and makes me feel like I am being much nicer to my body than several weeks of rampant vino consumption should allow. Nigel's version is a bit simpler, more a side salad than the main event, but the addition of the halloumi in particular means this is plenty substantial enough for lunch or a light supper.

 

 

Bulgur wheat salad with melon, mint & halloumi

 

Serves 2 with leftovers

 

1/2 cup Bulgur wheat (also known as Cracked wheat or Burghul wheat) I use the Ceres brand

Boiling water to cover

1/2 small rockmelon

2 spring onion, sliced

1/2 small red or green chilli, sliced thinly

2 radish, sliced thinly

3-4 asparagus spears, chopped

Tbsp pinenuts

1/4 block of halloumi ( I used a chilli version, but plain would be perfect to)

Splash of olive oil

juice of a lime

Handful of parsley

Handful of mint

 

Put your bulgur wheat into a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to sit for 10 minutes or so while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Peel and chop your rockmelon into small chunks and put into your salad bowl. Add the spring onion, chilli and radish. Bring a small saucepan of salted water to the boil and add the asparagus. Boil for 2 minutes, then drain & cover in icy cold water (this stops it cooking any further). Drain again & add to your bowl.

Toast your pinenuts in a small non stick pan until just colouring, then add to your salad. In the same pan over medium heat put your helloumi slices and cook for a minute or two each side until golden and melting hot . While this is happening drain your bulgur wheat and add to the salad bowl with the oil, lime juice, herbs & some salt and pepper. Top with your cooked halloumi & devour, yum!

 

 

This is a very flexible recipe, so just add, remove or substitute as needed.

A ripe juice peach would be great in place of the melon, if you had the grill/BBQ going you could grill it, the asparagus and the heloumi all at once for a different flavor. Any nuts could be used in place of pinenuts, and feel free to substitute lemon or other citrus for the lime. If you don't want to use helloumi try feta, or leave it out all together and serve as a side to some grilled chicken or fish....

 

Now, to celebrate the New Year, and just because I can, some gratuitous cat shots. Tuppence does have a weight loss goal this year, I keep saying she is big boned but the vet suggested she is turning into a chubby so a little less food should be coming her way.........she isn't best pleased

 

Tommy is going to attempt to grow a brain this year. This is so he knows to not sit in the rain getting wet , or under the car when it is running, or on top of Tuppences head when she is clearly getting cheesed off............he has relied on his looks for too long.

 

 

Happy 2013 everyone, I hope you are looking forward to lots of good times this year, starting with a good meal!

Cook my Books Challenge- Frugal & Fabulous



Apparently it is spring. The calendar says so, but while I have seen my share of gambolling lambs (and who else but a cute little lamb chop could gambol??) and daffodils, until I enjoy that first plate of asparagus, it is still winter as far as I am concerned.

Watching the All Blacks play Argentina in a Wellington gale on the weekend, Mr PK and I enjoyed excellent cold weather footie watching food. A pasty is a perfect hand held dinner, sustaining, savoury, and if you don’t mind a hail of pastry crumbs all over the carpet, relatively low maintenance fare.

I actually made two versions. The first, based on the famous Cornish version, I baked in a lard based pastry (yes really, lard is wonderful stuff, see here). I kept it simple, with the traditional beef, onion, swede (known as turnip in Cornwall) and potato, going off piste only to add some fresh green parsley.

The second, for my non meat eating sister, a flaky short mess-making butter pastry also containing potato, parsley and onion, with the addition of sharp cheddar cheese. Completely delicious, even a carnivore would be impressed………

The Cornish pasty is based on ther recipe in the inimitable Delia's Frugal Food. I have the 2008 reissue, the book originally came out in 1976, and is full of good hearty mostly English style food that wont cost the earth.

A Long Way from Cornwall Pasties...... based on a recipe by Delia Smith

Makes 4 meal sized pasties, but you could make 6 smaller ones

First make your pastry. 

275 gr plain flour

125 gr cold lard (or cold butter)

pinch salt

Ice cold water 

In a large bowl, rub the fat between your fingers into your flour and salt. You can do this in a food processor, but to be honest it only takes a couple of minutes, and the resulting pastry is much softer & easier to roll than the processor version. Use the same method, adding a couple of spoons of icing sugar and some nutmeg for a lovely crust for an Apple Pie

As you can see there a still little chunks of fat, this is fine, it will melt in the heat of the oven & create steam, giving you little flakes of pastry (which if you are like me, will end up all down the front of your shirt....)

Using a knife to mix, add your ice cold water until the mixture comes together as a dough. Tip out onto a floured bench & just bring together. This isnt bread, it does not require kneading, you are just bringing everything together into a workable dough. Wrap in cling film and pop into the fridge for 30 mins or so (or overnight if you are working ahead)

Now prepare your pasty filling

1 large potato, peeled and cut into small slices
1 medium onions, peeled and chopped into tiny chunks
Half a swede, peeled and cut into small slices
300 gr chuck, blade or topside beef, trimmed of fat & cut into small slices
Salt & pepper
Chopped parsley (not traditional, but delicious)

Try to keep everything a similar size, thin slices of meat and vege will cook right through without overcooking your pastry. You will think there isn't enough filling but trust me, this is plenty, pasties are very economical fare....

Take your pastry out of the fridge, and cut into four quarters (or 6 pieces if maker smaller pasties). Roll out one quarter into a circle about the size of a dinner plate.

Top with a spoonful of potato, then swede, onion & finally meat. Season with salt & pepper, then another layer of potato, swede, onion & finally a sprinkle of parsley. The theory for the layering is the meat juices & seasoning then work their way through the root vege as they cook and give the pasty extra flavour.

If you are using cheese rather than meat, just following the same theory, with your cheese layer in the middle. Use something good and strong like a really sharp cheddar for flavour

Now fold one half of the pastry over to completely encase your filling. This is easier then you think as this pastry is quite soft and pliable. Crimp the edges together, I just go around the edge folding the edge inwards on itself over my finger, I cant tell you it is totally authentic, but it looks ok and does the job! If all else fails go around the edge with the tines of a fork,the main object is to make sure your delicious filling cant escape. Cut a couple of steam holes in the top with the tip of your knife and place on an oven tray

Pop into a 200C/400F oven for 15 mins, then turn the heat down to 190C/375F for another 25-30 minutes, until golden and smelling heavenly.

Now I wont pretend these are the quickest things to make, but they are easy, great value, and if you make a batch up they freeze perfectly. Brilliant picnic food, they are also delicious at room temp, which of course if how they would have been eaten down the mines. The crimp was used to hold the pasty, keeping the rest of your lunch clean if you didn't have facilities to wash your hands, then discarded , but of course you can eat it if you prefer.

Mr PK recommends a good dark beer to drink with your pasty (on a windswept beach with a blanket for preference) , his latest fav is this gorgeous Chocolate Moose from Boundary Road Brewery based just out of Auckland at Red Hill. Rich and chocolatey this is also wonderful in a beef casserole, and I am going to try it in Nigella's Guinness Cake, watch this space.....

Ratatouille and goat cheese crumble

 

 As everyone except me seems to have a glut of both tomatoes and zucchini right now I figured it must be ratatouille time. Watching Trish Deseine on Trish's Paris Kitchen the other day make a Ratatouille crumble I knew the universe must be talking to me so I listened. Of course I could not help fiddling a bit, and I think the following adaptation is really delicious. The goat cheese melts slightly under the crispy topping, and blends with the juices of the vege, so you get a wee bit of creaminess, slightly sour cheese and a crisp buttery topping with the crunch of pine nuts.........try it and see what you think. If you don't like goat cheese just substitute it for a cheese you do like. Or leave it out.

Ratatouille Goat Cheese Crumble (adapted from Trish Deseine)

For the Ratatouille

4 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 eggplant, cut into chunks about 2cm thick
1 red pepper, cut into chunks
1 green pepper, cut into chunks
3 zucchini,  cut into chunks (can you see a theme?)
1 kg tomatoes, (that's about 6-7 decent size tomatoes) skinned and deseeded (it's easy, I will tell you how)Handful of fresh basil

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onion and garlic over a medium heat. Add the aubergine and the red and green peppers, stirring to combine.
Meanwhile skin your tomatoes. Just chuck them in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Wait about 30 seconds, then fish them out with a spoon and dunk straight away into ice cold water. After a minute or so take out and the skin will peel away in no time.

Cut across the middle, and squeeze out the seeds as if you were squeezing a lemon. All the juice and seeds would water down your ratatouille so it pays to get rid of them. The whole process only takes a couple of minutes, and is strangely satisfying. If you can coral some child labour in to squeeze the seeds all the better...

When the vege have softened, add the zucchini, tomatoes and herbs, some salt and pepper.

I got some lovely purple and green basil in my vege box, but if you don't have any use another herb you like, thyme would be great, or rosemary, and maybe some parsley and cook for a further 15-20 minutes until cooked and soft. While the vegetables are cooking, preheat the oven to 180C/350F and prepare the topping

Goat cheese crumble topping

100g very cold butter cubed
150g plain flour
Handful parmesan cheese, grated
Handful pine nuts, toasted in a dry pan for a couple of minutes until golden
Freshly ground black pepper
Soft goat cheese, or if you prefer a melting Gruyere, or a soft blue....actually whatever cheese you like/have

In a food-processor, or with your fingers, rub the butter into the flour and parmesan. I use a food processor as a) I'm lazy and b) I can use really cold butter, but it is your call. When you have a mixture resembling breadcrumbs, mix in the toasted pine nuts and some pepper.

When the ratatouille is really nice and soft and cooked, spoon it into a dish, and dot over your cheese of choice.

Cover with the crumble mixture and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden and crispy. The cheese and filling will bubble up into the crumble, this is all to the good so don't worry. Serve hot or warm.

I made a small one for my lunch, and a larger dish for supper, it reheats well. The addition of the cheese and crumble makes this more substantial than traditional ratatouille, and needs nothing more than a salad to make a filling summer meal. And a glass of vino perhaps........

Charitable thoughts of leftover roast chicken

I popped into New World at the weekend for something boring but useful like loo rolls, and came out with a lovely organic chicken, on special no less. A whole chook is quite a lot for two people, but I knew after roasting I would have left overs for lunch, and bones for stock. At this purse emptying time of year these kind of economies , especially after an ear numbing lecture from the Minister of Finance about a recession, expensive Xmas pressies and the hole in the ground, can make me feel quite virtuous. But after hot chicken roasted with herbs and lemon, then cold chicken with salad for lunch, I still seemed to have quite a bit of meat left. I also needed to use a zucchini who wanted to be a marrow and tried to hide from me under a leaf. Nabbed him just in time.

The answer presented itself when I came across some flatbreads in the freezer. Leftover Chicken Enchiladas (or my version of anyway), super tasty, quick and satisfying. And if you don't have leftover chicken, they would work equally well with those cooked birds you can get at the supermarket or food store.
These were on the table in about 15 minutes, so great when you just want food.Now.Please.

Chicken and Corn Enchilada type flatbread things

Splash of oil
1 zucchini
1 cob of corn (or use 1/2 cup of canned of frozen corn kernels)
2 spring onion, chopped
Pinch of chilli flakes (or use chopped fresh chilli if you have some)
Lime juice
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 flatbreads/flour tortillas
Leftover chicken
Coriander
Grated cheese (I use good old Tasty Cheddar, but whatever you like)

Sour cream
Chopped avocado
Lime juice

Firstly take your corn off the cob by running a knife down the edge of the cob, under the kernels. The corn will shoot around a bit but persevere. Chop your zucchini in half down the middle then into half again. Slice each quarter so you are left with small chunks. Put a splash of oil into a non stick frying pan and place over medium heat.

Add the corn, zucchini, spring onions, chilli flakes and salt & pepper, and fry for a couple of minutes, to cook the vegetables, and give them a little colour. When they are done add a big squeeze of lime juice, and tip into a bowl.
Wipe the pan out with a paper towel, then put one of your flatbread on the bottom. Cover with half your corn mix, then as much shredded chicken as you want/have. Sprinkle a good handful of cheese over the top, and a bit of coriander if you like it, parsley if you don't.

Cover with the second flatbread, and put a small plate of top, with a couple of cans to weigh it down. This will encourage your filling to meld together, with the cheese acting as a sort of "glue".

After a couple of minutes, flip it onto a plate (you will think it is going to fall apart, but it wont, trust me) then slide back into the pan to cook the other side. When golden and crispy, tip onto a board or plate, slice into wedges and top with the sour cream, avocado and lime.

You can really play around with these, some chopped capsicum, chopped tomato and salsa would be great, just steer clear of anything to wet, you want that lovely crispy crunch, not soggy bottoms...........

Now I don't want for a second to compare me saving  few bucks on a posh chicken (could I sound anymore wanky middle class? Um, no not really........) with people who are really struggling with putting any meal on the table , especially at this time of year. I was thinking about this on my spin through the aisles , as the Remuera Rotary club had joined forces with the Auckland City Mission to get more food for the foodbank by handing out flyer's as you went into the supermarket. You were encouraged to buy an extra item or two with your shop (they provided examples such as cereal, coffee, tinned food etc), to deposit in their trolley by the doors as your left after checkout.
I thought this was a really clever idea, people could do something useful, but not actually have to DO a great deal, I mean you are shopping anyway, whats the hassle in throwing an extra can or jar in the trolley? Sometimes the best intentions get lost in the business of the season, so after my super chicken deal I figured I should add a few more items to my Mission basket, so along with Special K cereal I picked up a big jar of coffee and some Squiggle Tops, my personal fav choccie biscuit.
A friend commented she would get cheaper brands (and not biscuits), to get better value, but I suspect she didnt grow up with jumbo boxes of Weetbix (blah!) and bags of farmbake biscuits.

If you would like to donate to the Mission they really appreciate any assistance at this time of year (or anytime!) , check out http://www.aucklandcitymission.org.nz/

Great Hole of Calcutta Ellerslie update..................we have a wall , kinda.........

Pimp my Mac N Cheese

No doubt I shall regret that title, I can only imagine what google search is throwing up. If this was not quite the site you were looking for, please do stick around, pasta can be very exciting too......

Ok that is probably pushing it slightly, but Friday night is sometimes solo dinner night in our house, and last night it was just me and my mac n cheese. I always feel rather sad when I hear people say “its just me for dinner, so why bother” ? Maybe I am simply stonkingly selfish, but my dinner is at least as important as anyone else's surely? I don’t mean it has to be complicated, or fancy, or even strictly a meal. But it does have to be good, and surely the solo supper is a chance to indulge, with no ones whims to accommodate save your own? Often my supper-for-one may be a steak, cooked juicy and rare, smeared all over with a walnut blue cheese butter from the freezer (blue cheese being one of the few things Mr PK wont eat......) and maybe a salad, decadent, but not especially time consuming to prepare, and easy to portion for one.

However I fancied pasta. Ina Garten made Lobster Mac n Cheese on the fabulous barefootcontessa TV show a few weeks back, it really caught my eye. Could comfort food get more decadent? A real treat when I was a kid staying with my relations in Waiuku was being allowed to have one of those Macaroni Cheese boxes to make up for my supper, cheese powder that you added to milk and butter and stirred through the cooked pasta. I loved it! I tried one a couple of years ago, for old times sake (actually I was trying to remember what the attraction was) and was amazing how bland it was.......disappointing, but what was I expecting?

As the car was being serviced, I caught the train home, which goes no where near a supermarket or food shop anyway, so lobster was out (as if it was ever in .....?!), but bacon I always have. Rummaging around the cheese box I found a little piece of Gruyere, another of Havarti, and another of indeterminate cheddar. I am making a real effort not to throw away food, so little bits of this and that do end up in the fridge, here was a perfect opportunity to use them, a lovely cheesy sauce. Fresh breadcrumbs in the freezer and pasta in my now super organised pantry. Sadly I suffered a weevil attack a few weeks ago, these glass jars are wonderfully weevil proof, plus I can see what I have, no more three different packets of the same thing lurking in different parts of the pantry........I got my jars from arthur holmes, great prices and speedy delivery from Wellington. I'm so sad sometimes I just stand with the doors open and look at how wonderfully orderly it is........should I talk to someone about this?

Anyway, I made my cheese sauce, adding Dijon mustard and using milk which was heated with a bay leaf, seasoning and a slice of onion. It may seem an unnecessary step, but it gives a lovely savoury flavour to your sauce, and after all this was a pimped up version of a classic. Crispy bacon was stirred through the pasta and cheese sauce, and a chopped spring onion added for extra flavour. On top breadcrumbs mixed with cheese, and for a final touch? A drizzle of truffle oil, I thought that was very Ina. Baked for 25 minutes or so, and then served with chopped cherry tomatoes seasoned and drizzled with olive oil, it was utterly delish, comforting, but not bland at all. The Gruyere gives a lovely nutty flavour, and a pleasing stringy melt.The tomatoes were a nice contrast, I don't approve of tomato in Mac N Cheese (sorry Jamie...), but alongside is fine. I had anticipated having the leftovers for lunch today, but Mr Lager came home and hoovered them up, topped with a chipotle sauce and a couple of pickled onions ...........sadly I kid you not.

As I type this I am munching homemade hummus, with some corn tortillas I found in the freezer and fried up. They are from Mexican Specialities and are delish, smelling of corn, so much better than brought corn chips, with all that weird flavour powder stuff on them (don't even get me started on Doritos!). Hummus is so easy to make, and so satisfying, it is worth the fact my breath would down Bill Compton at 50 paces......

Hummus

Simply take a drained tin of chickpeas and blitz in your blender or food processor with the following:

Two Garlic cloves
Juice of a lemon
2-3 tablespoons of tahini
1/2 cup olive oil
seasoning

Adjust to suit your tastes, I like plenty of garlic, but feel free to just use one clove. My sister Liz adds a couple of teaspoons of toasted and ground coriander and cumin seeds, which adds a lovely warmth. Another sister Woo puts her hummus on a platter and tops with caramelised onions which have cumin seeds, fresh thyme, pinenuts and olive oil added.......

Dinner tonight is a steak sandwich, made with homemade potato focaccia (see previous post for recipe) which I have added thyme to, will take some pics tonight and post tomorrow.

In the meantime, if you are still awake (thanks!) I have a little thought. I went to the library the other day, the big one in Auckland, and as I was queuing to self serve an Inspector Morse Omnibus (I may be the only person currently reading crime novels that by aren't Stigg Larrson....) my eye was drawn to the new titles shelf. I picked up a book called Brewed, Crude and Tattooed and  brought it home to read (how could you not with a title like that?), and guess what? I am the very first person to get this book out. And I cant tell you how pleased I was when I realized that. Silly I know, but it is like having a present of a new book, except it's free. Don't you love when something really tickles your fancy, and makes you happy, those hidden treats in the day? In the spirit of the small gem, I shall finish with a couple more, how lovely is that blue tin?