![[BOOK] The Cook's Garden by Sheridan Rogers](/wp-content/themes/crunched/images/bannerads/banner_cooksGarden_576x91.jpg)
This is one of the delicious desserts served on the tropical island of Reunion, a French ‘departement’ east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean and 200km south-west of Mauritius. It makes good use of a number of local ingredients: bananas, vanilla, sugar and rum. Peel the bananas and slice in half lengthways. Melt the butter [...]
This recipe was given to me on a recent trip to Mildura by Joanne De Blasio of Oak Valley Estate. Originally from Calabria, Joanne uses olive oil in the recipe with olives grown and processed at Oak Valley and sweet intensely flavoured Oak Valley Estate Flame seedless raisins. Joanne’s husband, also from Calabria, makes delicious [...]
Elina Gareffa is passing around a platter of home-made ‘antipasti’ to the camera crew. They’re taking a break during the filming of a TV series for the Lifestyle Channel, starring well-known Mildura chef Stefano De Pieri. She’s put together a tempting array of thinly sliced home cured prosciutto and salami, freshly plucked figs stuffed with [...]
Syrup cakes are deliciously moist – you can pour the syrup over whilst in the tin but they can be difficult to remove. The finish will be better if it is brushed or spooned over. Preheat the oven to 170degC. Grease a 25cm round cake tin and line the base with non-stick baking paper. Cream [...]
Have you ever muddled a lime? I mean muddled, not mucked around with or squeezed or rolled or juiced. It’s a technique used by bartenders to crush sugar and fruit in the base of a glass before adding alcohol and ice. One of my favourite cocktails, the Brazilian ‘caipiroska’, combines muddled limes with vodka and [...]
I remember the first time I tasted fresh ricotta, the sweet Italian cheese made from re-cooked whey. It was in the early 1970′s at the Paesanella Cheese Factory in Sydney’s western suburbs and was being made at the time by one of Australia’s first fresh cheesemakers Umberto Somma. At that time he was still working [...]
Don’t let these exceptionally well behaved souffles intimidate you! They can be prepared well ahead and finished off in the oven just before serving. Excellent for lunch or dinner with a mixed green salad and crusty French bread. Preheat oven to 160degC. Grease 2 ramekins or individual souffle dishes. In a pan, melt the butter, [...]
