Rack of Pork

This is an unusual cut of meat for me I have not seen it before. However it makes the best roast with great crackling.

Score the pork roast making sure to cut through the skin to the underlying fat.

Pour boiling water over the meat until the skin starts to harden and separate dry completely

Bake for 20 minutes at 230 c then reduce to 180 for 1 hour finishing at 230c for 10 mins.

Serve with baked vege and a nice sauce in this case Mango and native mint chutney from Outback Spirit

Road Kill Potatos

I heard this on an interview with Stephanie Alexander.

Boil up double the number of potatoes you would use for mash and leave the skins on.

Take an oven tray and cover with baking paper.

Crush the potatoes on roughly

season (salt, pepper and any herb or spice mix that you like)

coat generously with olive oil

bake until top is golden

Risotto

I used to be one of those people who thought that Risotto was difficult to make. Nothing could be further from the truth it is a simple and tasty meal on a cooler night. Well worth having a go at doing yourself.

300gms prawn meat
1ltr chicken stock
1 cup abborio rice
1 onion diced
1 sliced spring onion
sliced mushroom
butter
olive oil

Heat the oil and some butter in a pan
Heat the stock till it simmers
Place rice in the pan and cover with oil and butter
Add the stock a ladle at a time stirring until the rice absorbs it repeat until rice is soft

Meanwhile:
Cook the onions, mushrooms and prawn meat in a separate fry pan

When the rice is ready stir through the prawns and mushrooms and onions

Serve with a little grated Parmesan or peccorino

Thai Red Chicken Curry

500 gms chicken cut into pieces
2tbs Mai Ploy Red Curry paste
2 tins of coconut cream
200 gms prawn meat
Kaffir Lime leaves
Palm sugar
Fish Sauce
Thai basil

Heat one tin of coconut cream and add the curry paste
When dissolved add the chicken and cook 15 minutes
Then add lime leaf, fish sauce and palm sugar
Add prawn meat cook for 5 -7 mins
Finish by adding the second tin of coconut cream heat and serve

Serve on rice and garnish with the Thai basil or coriander

Lamb and Kumara Chops

4 chump chops
1 sliced spanish onion
2 tsp grated ginger
2 diced garlic cloves
1/2 diced red capsicum
1 csn diced toms
1tbsp soy
1tbsp honey
1 cinnomen quill
1tbs ral el hanooouf
1 kumarama diced

brown the lamb and remove
then add the onion and other spices

add vege cover with water cook

and serve with cous cous

Heat by Bill Buford

There are lots of cook books out there but only a handful of really well written books that give a real insight into the world of the professional kitchen. This is one of those books. Buford a professional journalist quits his day job to work full time in Mario Batali's Babbo. The book is at once interesting and challenging as a whole new world opens up for both writer and reader.

Buford is nothing if not honest and holds nothing back about the difficulties of the experience and the incredible rewards that it offers him, both as a writer and in extending his skills as a cook. We see why Battali rose to fame as a chef and the reasons for the success of his approach.

In addition though Buford actually captures the heart of the enterprise he is looking at, why does food matter no so much? In a world of McDonald's and instant food why do so many take the time and trouble to learn age old cooking techniques? The love of good food and its value in our modern world really comes shining through in this book. Not to mention it is very well written and had more than enough to keep any reader amused.

Steak and Kidney Pie

This is my really healthy version. low fat and lots of good stuff.

Basic pie crust

Cook 2 cups of brown rice and put in the fridge overnight
Next day mix with three eggs and line a greased pie dish
Bake at 180 c for 15 -20 minutes

Filling

Brown one sliced onion
Add 500gms beef and kidney Brown
deglaze with 1 cup of beef stock
Add 375 ml beer
Simmer and reduce
add 1 bay leaf
season
Thicken if needed

Add filling to base and serve