Homemade Pasties Homemade shortcrust pastry is by far the tastiest option (see recipe below) or you can substitute 3 sheets of ready rolled puff or shortcrust pastry, thawed.  The recipe will make 8 to 12 pasties, depending on the size of the pastry circles. Shortcrust Pastry 300g plain flour ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon … Continue reading Pasties

Curried Scallop Pies For the Curried Scallops Scallops – 375g – cleaned, washed and drained well 60g butter 2 rounded tablespoons flour 2 teaspoons curry powder 2 teaspoons stock powder 2 cups milk 2 teaspoons tomato sauce (ketchup style) ¾ cup grated cheese Method Pour boiling water over the scallops to cover, and leave to … Continue reading Curried Scallop Pies

Beef and Beer Pies with Pea Purée Makes 8 When our children were young one of their favourite dishes was pie floater, a rich beef pie sitting in the middle of a bowl of thick pea-and-ham soup. These lovely pies encapsulate all that the original dish represents and they are far more transportable. There are … Continue reading Beef and Beer Pies with Pea Puree

Last week I was able to deliver several copies of each of these titles of my books to The Quilted Teapot in New Norfolk. Please note that the much sought after gluten free book "From My Kitchen to Yours - easy gluten free recipe the whole family will love" was amongst them. Also now available … Continue reading Books available at The Quilted Teapot

This morning was the annual medlar picking from the tree of friend Kaye at Austins Ferry. It's a tradition of more than two decades now. Very few remained on the tree as is customary. Instead they had mostly fallen to the ground forming a carpet of the beautiful golden orbs. They now will be bletted … Continue reading Medlar Season

I do like a good cake tin, especially when purchased at an op shop for a tiny price. I've wanted to make madeleines ever since I saw Elizabeth Godfrey make them on tv decades ago (now that lets on my age) - I admired her tremendously. I managed to purchase one madeleine tin a few … Continue reading Beehive Cakes and Madeleines

Golden days of Autumn, and speaking of trees - picking apples in the Derwent Valley today.

From my kitchen window. I love this tree, an elm I think. Its foliage provides cool shade in the summer and come autumn, it puts on a magnificent display of falling leaves. Once the branches are bare, the winter sun can fill and warm the kitchen. It's the perfect tree. From the other kitchen, a … Continue reading The Magnificent Elm

More quinces on the agenda today. Friends Michael and Roberto also came to preserve their harvest of quinces and apples. Another friend very kindly lent us their electric preserving unit so we were up to a full complement of three. Preserving alone is productive and rewarding, but preserving with friends is the best fun. The … Continue reading The Quince-a-thon continues…

I was given some beautiful persimmons by an Italian friend a couple of days ago. With some of them I baked a honey caramel persimmon cake. Such a delicious fruit! (Incidentally, the recipe comes from "The Comfort Bake", to be precise a twist on the Honey Caramel Topsy Turvy Pear Cake on page 56. I … Continue reading A Gift of Persimmons