I’ve been doing too much in some parts and too little in others. Burning the candle at both ends as they say. I am hopeful that today will mark the end of all this silly business, but I know all too well that the month of August will be busy on all fronts. I am only warning myself.

Last night I made a big pot of soup; broccoli and cauliflower with caramelised leeks thrown in after the green and white florets were pulverised with the immersion blender. It was simmering slowly on the stove at 7:45pm when The Boy walked in, made a funny face and then plonked a bottle of red wine and plastic box of food packaged up from his parent’s place. I suppose he took our phone conversation at 7:20pm as a warning to byo. I had foolishly revealed that I was busy making soup.

He said the soup smelled funny and I said you don’t know good parmesan when you smell it referring to the tablespoon of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano I added to soup after the caramelised leeks. So I offered a spoon to his lips, all puckered together in a grimace. I am persistant so I just held it up until he opened his mouth and once again my persistance paid off, because at least he had the spoonful before re-heating the rice and curry. We decided to agree to disagree; yes it smelled funky, but it tasted pretty good.

Today I had the soup for lunch with some toasted wholewheat bread. It was so moreish I could have had a second bowl if I were home where the plastic box which held rice and curry now holds pale green with little pieces of broccoli and cauliflower here and there. The trick to its sweet taste are the caramelised leeks, cooked in just a bit of butter.

As a child I would grimace and make a fuss at the sight of fish curry on the menu, which I am sure frustrated my Mother beyond belief after she spent an afternoon cooking for her family. It wasn’t that I didn’t like fish because I I quite enjoyed grilled or fried fish. You see, the type fish used for curry would slow the enjoyment of my meal as I’d spend time ‘fishing’ about for those small sharp bones, invisible to the naked eye, especially a naked and hungry eye. The prospect of a bone finding itself as part a mouthful of rice and curry brought fear to my little foodie loving heart. So much so that up until the age of twelve, my Mother would de-bone the fish after it had been cooked into a Sri Lankan style curry. This kind act would entice my Sister and I into trying the curry, which we would enjoy with gusto once there was no longer a threat of a bone lodging in our throats.

If you’ve ever been unlucky to have this happen; then you know the feeling of both fear and frustration. It starts with a little tickle in your throat and then a sharp prick, which can bring an otherwise tasty meal to a grinding halt. To this day I am still slightly fearful of a repeat occurance back when I was four years old and living in Sri Lanka when a rogue fishbone, so microscopic lodged itself in my wee throat. I remember the scratching of my throat with proceeded with a coughing fit. My poor Mother’s frantic efforts to have me drink big gulps of water and eat plain rice only coerced the bone to settle in a nook of my throat. I remember sitting very still at the family dining table after a rather dramatic lunch; ,not moving to talking for a while, only waiting for the tiny spike to move and make the rest of its journey to my stomach. Eventually it did, and after some time I too overcame my fear of fish bones.

In Sri Lankan cuisine; there are various ways to make fish curry; using different species of fish. There are dry curries such as Ambul Thiyal which uses the segments of a fruit called goraka* or tamarind pulp as a substitute. The goraka or tamarind creates a sour flavouring which when cooked with vinegar, chilli, garlic and cinnamon creates a tangy and dry curry almost dark chocolate in colour. Another type of curry is a ‘wet’ curry, which still uses some tamarind along with coconut milk to bring about the gravy. Many recipes for Sri Lankan fish curry will call for large fish steaks with the main bone intact. According to my Mother the bones add flavour and provide support to cut of fish while it boils and simmers away in the spicey liquid. I tend to use leather jacket (boney, yet tasty) or spanish mackerel (easily visible bones, fleshy and tasty) for curries, cut into serving size portions.

The fish curry I cooked up over the weekend is somewhat similar to ones I grew up eating and eventually enjoying once I overcame by phobia for fish bones. The recipe is from a cookbook called Hot Food which is part of a series of A5 sized books on various cooking themes. The small difference from Sri Lankan recipes is that all the aromatics and spices are combined into a marinade of sorts and is left to mingle for thirty minutes. To be honest I couldn’t really tell the difference; although it seemed to intensify the tamarind abit more during the frying component. I did adapt the recipe for a more healthy version, reducing the amount of oil (original recipe called for the fish to marinate in a oil mixture), limiting the frying in a small amount of oil, and also swapping coconut cream for natural yoghurt; which probably changes the title from Bombay Style Fish Curry to Previously Known as Bombay Style Fish Curry. The changes still made for a nicely flavoured and creamy fish dish, which I hope you’ll try.

Fish Curry with Yoghurt
Adapted from Hot Food
Serves 4

3 medium fish steaks of Spanish Mackerel, cut into quarters
4 fresh red chilli (finely sliced)
2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
1 small knob of ginger (crushed)
1/2 teaspoon of ground tumeric
1/2 teassponn of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of chiili powder
1 tablespoon of tamarind puree
salt to taste
vegetable oil for frying
5 tablespoon of natural yoghurt
3 tablespoon of torn coriander leaves

Combine the fresh chilli, garlic, ginger, spices, tamarind and salt and 125ml of water and in a large bowl. Add quartered fish portions and spoon the mixture over the fish. Turn the fish over, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat a large frypan and enough oil to coat the surface of the pan. You may add more oil if you wish, however I found coating the surface to be healthier option. Fry the fish in batches for 1 minute on each side. Once all of the fish is cooked, reduce the head and return all portion to the pan. Add remaining spice mixture and cook for 8 - 12minutes. Once again move fish to a serving dish. Return to the fry pan, turning heat off. Add yoghurt to the curry gravy and stir through, then pour over fish. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with boil basmati rice and dahl. Enjoy!

* also known as Malabar Tamaring. I use tamarind in place of goraka as it is easily accessible in spice shops in Sydney.

Over the last couple of days the weather in Sydney has gone through all four seasons; crisp mornings, humid days, rainy afternoons and cold nights. All these changes called for creative clothing choices as well as impromptu planning of breakfast, lunch and dinner meals.

As you can see from the photograph above I ended up with a dinner for a chilly Autumn night. We needed something hearty as well as an opportunity to make use of the bag of baby spinach kindly donated to me by a generous friend. A search on the Epicurious database for soups which used spinach came up with a few appealing recipes. In the end I combined the attributes of the Norwegian soup and the one which used lime as a lead character. Both simple, non fuss soups which used an interesting combination of ingredients.

The main reason for the appeal of the latter was that I had a stash of limes sitting pretty on the dining table, just begging for attention. I am quite used to a little sour citrus in soups such as Tom Yum, but not so much in creamy ones. And even though it isn’t the sexiest looking soup you may have layed your eyes on, the flavours worked really well. The final result reminded me of the North Indian dish saag paneer, which is a mild spinach and cottage cheese (paneer) dish which can also be blended into a smooth consistency. Cumin and nutmeg added a mellow and subtle spice to the soup, which also contributed to the Indian-eque flavouring of the soup.

I highly recommend some chunky homemade croutons, which I did in the most unglamorous fashion with on the verge of going stale rye bread; cubed and baked until crisp in a hot oven; simple! Or better yet, perhaps some fluffy naan or chapati.

Spinach, Potato & Lime Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves of garlic (sliced)
1 medium white onion (diced)
3 medium potatoes (peeled and diced)
6 cups of stock (homemade if possible)
500g of fresh spinach (baby, english or silverbeet can be used)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
3 tablespoon of cup chopped fresh dill
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 tablespoon of sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
6 slices of rye bread (cut into squares and baked until crisp)

Saute onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft. Add potatoes and stock and boil until the potatoes are slightly soft. Add spinach and continue cooking until potatoes are completely boiled. Add ground cumin, nutmeg and dill and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. You may like to add salt and pepper to taste at this stage also.

Allow the soup to cook on a very low heat for another 5 minutes. The potatoes should start to break apart a little and spinach completely cooked through. Turn heat completely off, and use an immersion blender to bring the soup to a smooth consistency. You may wish to strain the soup, but a little fibre is a good thing. Finally stir in sour cream and add lime juice. Allow to simmer 5 - 7 minutes on a very low heat.

Serve with bread or chunky croutons, a dollop of sour cream and a small wedge of lime for a little extra tang. Enjoy!

Dear Brigitte,

You see, my state of domestic bliss was under threat as a certain someone isn’t happy with beans on toast (even yummy sourdough and fancy cheese sprinkled on top!) on those evenings when it nearly 10pm and you’ve spent all day at work and most of the evening in class. And then there was this; so simple because there is always pasta, bacon, broccoli and chilli flakes in the kitchen.

The pasta wasn’t penne, but as you can see it still turned out really well with its frilly edges. And the bacon, oh the little piggy was extra tasty because of the garlic-y olive oil you suggested it be fried in. And that green beauty of broccoli seemed much plumper and juicier after being boiled in the same water as the pasta.

I don’t write fan mail, (well not since my New Kids on the Block phase) but really this was my saving grace from seeing a glum face before the end of the evening. And really I much prefer creamy pasta with garlic and chilli to beans on toast - even if it is sourdough.

In anticipation of the colder months I have been pouring over past Delicious magazines, searching the Epicurious recipe database and dreaming up a variety of meals for when there is nothing more important than a warm bowl of comfort to make a cold winter evening perfect. The kind of meal which translates to a tightly wrapped scarf on a cold morning, fuzzy woolen socks inside the house and a hot mug of chocolate on a rainy afternoon.

Today was an overcast morning in my neck of the woods, with a little drizzle which made me take out the bag of polenta along with the oats while preparing my porridge for breakfast. I thought that since mother nature had decided to bring a bit of coolness to the Autumn day that I may as well prepare a meal and welcome it like a good friend I hadn’t seen for while. Could I have been a little sad when I saw the sun come out from the grey skies in the middle of the day? Well yes, but I was still committed to a dinner of creamy polenta and perhaps a beef stew with vegetables. And while the idea of slow cooking in the middle of the week may sound like a gregarious task; the time spent at the stove stiring the polenta into a creamy mass allowed me to take stock of the craziness of our busy lives and remind myself of the importance of eating good food and sharing a meal at the table. Kind of like food induced meditation!

Peppercorn & Clove Beef Stew with Basil Polenta

Peppercorn & Clove Beef Stew
1 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
1 medium brown onion (diced)
3 cloves of garlic (chopped)
2 bay leaves
500g of chuck steak (diced)
4 cloves
10 black peppercorns
pinch of sea salt
3 small carrots (chopped)
4 small potatoes (peeled and diced)
2 tablespoon of tomato puree or paste
1/2 cup of vegetable or beef stock
1/2 cup of frozen peas

Heat 11/2 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat. Add diced onion, garlic and bay leaves and fry until translucent. Add diced beef, salt, peppercorns, cloves and allow to brown lightly. Once the beef has been sealed add potatoes and carrots and continue cooking on low heat. Add tomato puree and stir coating all the vegetables and beef. Pour in the stock and cover cooking on very low heat for 30 - 40 minutes. Once vegetables are cooked through stir in frozen peas. Serve with crusty bread or Basil Polenta.

Basil Polenta
1 1/2 cups of polenta
6 cups of water
pinch of sea salt
2 tablespoon of unsalted butter
1 sprig of basil

On medium heat and in a heavy based pot, mix 1 1/2 cups of water with polenta and salt until you have a thick paste. Bring to light simmer and continue mixing the polenta - a wooden spoon works well here. Add the rest of the water (4 1/2 cups)gradually, while mixing in with the polenta. Remember to scrape the sides and bottom of the pot to allow all of the polenta to cook evenly. Once all the water has been combined with the polenta cover and reduce heat to very low, allowing to boil. Every 3 - 5 minutes stir the mixture until you have a thick and creamy mixture ( about 20 - 25 minutes). Add butter and basil and stir through. Enjoy!