In My Kitchen April 2016

It’s time for another glimpse at some of my favourite things in my kitchen.

Once again it’s time for me to share some of the things that I’m loving in my kitchen at the moment.  You can check out kitchen love from bloggers all around the world if you head on over to Maureen’s Orgasmic Chef for the list of all participants. 

It wouldn’t be my kitchen if there wasn’t at least one new cookbook in it, now would it? Matthew Evans gorgeous new book “Not Just Jam” (Murdoch Books) was a very timely surprise in my post office box. I will say it again – Murdoch Books have some of the best food and cooking books around at the moment and this one is no exception. Full of fantastic preserving options, as the title suggests, this book offers much more than just jam. Preserves are the very best way to make the most of seasonal bounty and Matthew Evans offers all sorts of alternatives to expand the shelf life of fruit and vegetable gluts. I can’t wait to try the apple syrup, the quince comfits and five-spiced pear paste!

These gorgeous crab apples are currently in my garden but will be in my kitchen very soon. A friend of mine dropped over during the Easter break and took home a load which she turned into fruit paste and fruit cakes. I will be making some crab apple jelly. I first made it last year and loved it, so can’t wait to have some more.

This is my current tea stock, which will last me for a few weeks, I expect. We have a couple of very good tea dealers here in Adelaide and The Devotea is one of them. They have a great online shop and owner, Robert Godden, understands the importance of a continual supply of good tea (and the hysteria and urgency of  accidentally running out, bless him).  I particularly love the Queen Adelaide first thing in the morning – it is my heart starter.

There’s not much that goes with a good cup of tea quite like a great book – especially a great food book. Bee Wilson is one of the best food writers around at the moment and I’ve been looking forward to getting stuck into her newest work “First Bite” (4th Estate). Using her own experience and current psychological and neuroscience research, Wilson looks at how our food habits and tastes develop, how we learn to eat and how we can change our palates. Fascinating stuff.