In My Kitchen DECEMBER 2016

It’s December already! It’s hard to believe (again!) that Christmas is only 16 days away! We’re heading to Sydney for Christmas day this year to spend with my husband’s family, which we’re excited to see everyone. My family will have Christmas lunch in the new year as we’re all busy every weekend leading up to Christmas and have run out of time to organise a lunch. How are you spending your Christmas? We wish you all a lovely Christmas spent with the people you love and all the very best for the New Year ahead xx

In My Kitchen (above) is some smoked garlic, which I found at South Melbourne Market. It’s cold smoked over a blend of Red gum & Teatree chips. I decided to roast it in the oven, wrapped in foil with a little Murray River pink salt and olive oil. Then I placed it in a jar with olive oil and rosemary sprigs. I haven’t tried any yet but the smell is out of this world! Kojiro loved it too 🙂

In My Kitchen . . .

. . . are these Adelaide tomatoes. Or are they Heirloom? I get confused, they look similar to me. All I know is they are super delicious and when they’re sliced for sandwiches, they look like a flower.

In My Kitchen . . .

. . . are these huge lemons from a friend’s tree. He was moving out of his place so I thought I’d take a couple.

In My Kitchen . . .

. . . is fresh Australian baby garlic, which I found at Prahran Market. The smell was so intense that they had to sit outside on the balcony in the sun to dry out a bit. One of the bulbs didn’t make it but we’re enjoying the other one immensely.

In My Kitchen . . .

. . . is Spelt milk. I have never seen spelt milk before. I found it at a stall in South Melbourne Market and had to have some immediately. It tastes like almond milk, a little bit sweeter and really easy to drink. Spelt is supposed to be easier to digest than wheat but shouldn’t be tried if you’re gluten intolerant, just in case.

In My Kitchen . . .

. . . is some new couscous, which I also found at South Melbourne Market and yes, I’m very happy with this one. It’s perfect tasting and goes fluffy, just how it’s supposed to. In case you missed it, in my last months IMK post, the couscous I was hoping would be amazing, wasn’t that good. This was more expensive but it worked out great for some salad ideas I created – recipes coming soon. They’ll be perfect for side dishes to any Christmas meal. Stay tuned 🙂

In My Kitchen . . .

. . . is Huon salmon pieces. There was a story on 4 Corners ABC TV in November, talking about the major salmon companies in Tasmania. I was intrigued and couldn’t stop watching, did any of you get a chance to watch it? Anyway from now it’s Huon all the way for our salmon products. Little did I know that Prahran Seafoods at Prahran Market sells Huon salmon – so happy! I’ll be heading back to them for all my seafood from now on as these fillets were amazing.

Also In my Kitchen this month . . .

. . . is salted caramel sauce. OMG it would have to be some of the best sauce I’ve ever tried. Read all about my adventure at the Great Ocean Road Chocolatier & Ice Creamery here.

And the last goodies In My Kitchen . . .

. . . are mini penne. I find it hard to track down smooth, plain penne, no ridges or grooves. I know that the grooves are supposed to hold the sauce but we just love the plain penne. Whenever I see it, I always grab a couple of packets for the pantry.

Here’s my recipe for Vietnamese pork skewers and I share with you the tips to slicing capsicums I learnt at cooking school.

Thanks for joining In my Kitchen. If you’re a food blogger and would love to share the goodies in your kitchen with us, we’d to love to have you join – no matter where you are in the world. Simply publish your IMK post on your blog BEFORE the 10th of the month and leave a comment with Liz from Bizzy Lizzy’s Good Things. See you soon xx