Tuesday, 1 May 2018

In My Kitchen - May 2018

May you say?  Noooo, how can this be?  April has been a big month here at chez Pickings, with Mr P.'s big birthday, my sister's birthday and several friends' birthdays.  And a funeral, and Anzac Day, and and ...  So I haven't got much to show you, folks.  I hope my lovely blogger mates (that means you) can fill the gap:-)  Oh, there is one biggish change for IMK as of this month: the closing date for your posts will now be the 28th of the month.  This gives everyone lots of time to get it in; no excuses:=) 
In my kitchen:


another book by Chelsea

Chelsea was a Masterchef NZ winner, who has put out a prodigious number of cookbooks since her win in 2012.  Her recipes are home-style with a chef-ly twist.




a cup and saucer by Starr


I already have a lovely platter made by Starr, and I couldn't resist getting this sweet cup and saucer.  She is a local artist who paints, and has just branched out into ceramics. 



Polish Easter Sernik cake 
This was the cake I made for Easter.  It has become a bit of a favourite in the last few years.  I used to make Nigella's chocolate cake which uses about half a kilo of chocolate, but this is a light and lovely alternative made with ricotta and a big splash of rum. 
Clarice Cliff cup and saucer 
Mr P. and I were back in our fave haunt - the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales - in March.  I had previously bought a lovely little jug from an antiques store down there, and happily for me, there were more Clarice Cliff pieces in the shop.  This was what came home with me.  There was a ferociously keen collector lady in the shop also, who swooped in front of me to grab a platter I had my eye on.  Darn!  I must be faster (and more ruthless) next time.


as per the label :=)

 I'm not really a big cake decorator, so I rarely go to the cake decorating store nearby.  But I went along on the weekend to grab some of this caramel essence for a future cake (and blog post).  What a fabulous, magical shop - full of marvellous colours, and essences and moulds and baking tins of many shapes and sizes.


hubby's great-uncle Mick Shanahan, having lost a leg in WW1

 Sorry, this is not food-related, but I just have to add this photo of hubby's Great-Uncle Mick, since we Aussies commemorated Anzac Day last week.  He was a rather famous fellow here in Australia, serving in the First World War and losing a leg.  He was in his forties when he joined up, a brave and amazing man.  You can read about him here.

Hoping to see you lovely ladies (and gents) here for IMK this month.  Here's your reminder on adding your IMK posts: 


 1. Adding via the link button at the bottom of this post.  Instructions can be found on the sidebar of this page, under Add your IMK link
2. Comment on this post, providing a link to your post so I can add it to the linky list below
3. Email me: sherrym1au@gmail.com, with your link or any queries about the link process 



   

    An InLinkz Link-up
   



                      
Sherrys Pickings
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38 comments:

  1. Mae Travels1 May 2018 at 00:18

    Hi Sherry,
    Again, my kitchen post connects recent reading — a book titled “Grocery” — to what’s been happening in my kitchen over the month of April. Your kitchen looks ready for some interesting cuisine too!

    Thanks for adding the photo of your relative who was in World War I. So long ago, now! Even the last survivors of the second World War are becoming fewer and fewer.


    Have a great month of May!

    Best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    1. Sherry's Pickings1 May 2018 at 09:56

      hi Mae,
      lovely to have you first past the post again. always a delight to see you here. thanks for joining in. cheers S x

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  2. Cinders1 May 2018 at 15:01

    Oh what fun!

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  3. Anonymous1 May 2018 at 17:10

    I'm working on a post, hopefully it will be done by the end of the week. I love Clarice Cliff's work too. I madly covet one of her boldly coloured art deco vases but they are a bit beyond my budget sadly. Great Uncle Mick sounds like a real hero, you should be proud. The fate of the horses sent to WW1 is very sad, they shared so much with their riders, I'm sure many a cavalry man came home broken hearted

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    1. Sherry's Pickings1 May 2018 at 17:25

      thanks sandra. yes i know what you mean about clarice cliff's pieces; some are so expensive. So sad about the 130,000 horses that were left behind at the end of the war. so many soldiers shot their own horse rather than leave it to the mercies of whoever. looking forward to your post.
      cheers sherry

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  4. Kari1 May 2018 at 22:45

    Caramel essence sounds great and your Easter cake is beautiful. I love the new cups/saucers too - very refined!

    Thanks as always for hosting. I've just linked in my post (https://www.bitesizedthoughts.com/2018/05/in-my-kitchen-may-2018.html ).

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    1. Sherry's Pickings2 May 2018 at 10:13

      hi Kari,
      yes i love my new cups and saucers too:) thanks heaps for joining in again this month. Lovely to have you here.. cheers sherry

      Delete
  5. Heather (Delicious Not Gorgeous)2 May 2018 at 12:32

    that looks like an amazing easter cake! a cake with half a kilo of chocolate sounds kind of incredible but also kind of scary, so your rum and ricotta version sounds much more manageable (;

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    1. Sherry's Pickings2 May 2018 at 17:11

      Hi heather
      I love both cakes but the chocolate one is a bit scary. :)

      Delete
  6. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella2 May 2018 at 12:38

    Sorry to hear about the funeral-it sounds like it came in a very busy month! Great news about the extended date for IMK. I've had to miss a few because I couldn't get them up in time!

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    1. Sherry's Pickings2 May 2018 at 14:30

      thanks lorraine. the funeral was a Hindu one, the mother of a friend. Quite different to Western funerals. yes i'm hopng we see more IMK posts with the extra time for the deadline each month. cheers have a good one. S x

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  7. Tandy | Lavender and Lime (http://tandysinclair.com)2 May 2018 at 18:18

    I used to use a lot of caramel essence when the boys were younger.

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    1. Sherry's Pickings2 May 2018 at 22:39

      hi tandy,
      i'm very curious. what did you do with the caramel essence? thanks for joining in IMK this month. wonderful to have you here. cheers S x

      Delete
  8. Kitchen Riffs3 May 2018 at 01:30

    Hard to believe May is here already! But we're getting much warmer weather here. Anyway, cool stuff in your kitchen this month -- thanks!

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    1. Sherry's Pickings3 May 2018 at 11:14

      thanks KR. Yes the year is flying by isn't it? we are hoping for a bit of winter weather soon. it has been a very long summer. cheers S

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  9. Johanna GGG4 May 2018 at 21:03

    Even when so busy you still have some fascinating things to share. I love the image of the scrum at the antiques shop - hope that woman didn't give you a victor's smile as she ran away with your platter! The easter eggs on your cake look so colourful and cheerful. And I don't do lots of cake decorating but I love a cake deco shop - hard to leave without some quirky purchase. I haven't seen caramel essence but would love to see what you make with it.

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    1. Sherry's Pickings5 May 2018 at 20:51

      hi johanna
      yes i was quite perturbed by that mad lady running off with the platter. grrr Am looking forward to making the cake with caramel essence and coffee and nuts. thanks for joining in. cheers S

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  10. Kim Bultman5 May 2018 at 01:55

    Sherry, the story you linked about your hubby's great uncle and his horse reminded me of the movie "Hidalgo." How grateful I am for the men and women -- and horses -- who've faced such odds with bravado and courage. We live our lives in freedom today because of them. Inspiring! Also loved your new cups and saucers, Easter cake, future cake baking adventures with caramel essence, and "chefly-twist" explanation of your latest cookbook. Sounds like life has been busy, but happy in your kitchen! (My post is up, too.) Thanks again!

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    1. Sherry's Pickings5 May 2018 at 13:33

      Hi Kim
      Lovely to have you here. Thanks for joining in this month. Yes we are very lucky that others have fought and died for us in the past. Uncle mick was amazing. Cheers xx

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    2. Kim Bultman6 May 2018 at 04:10

      My pleasure, Sherry! Thanks for the opportunity. Can't wait to do my morning "coffee round" on everyone else's posts, but the next few days are "busy, busy"... sigh. However I love having something to look forward to (especially IMK) -- you're a gem and so is Uncle Mick! :)

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    3. Sherry's Pickings7 May 2018 at 13:17

      thanks heaps Kim!!

      Delete
  11. Hotly Spiced5 May 2018 at 09:46

    I can't believe it's May either. That photo of your husband's great-uncle is a treasure. I love the nurses in the background in their starched uniforms - all looking so smart compared with how they look today in their jogging shoes and scrubs. Your Easter cake is gorgeous and I love the purple cup and saucer xx

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    1. Sherry's Pickings5 May 2018 at 13:25

      Hi Charlie
      Yes I love that photo of uncle mick. Such an amazing man. Glad to see you got to Bali after all :). Cheers.

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  12. Jen Rose5 May 2018 at 14:22

    Love the new teacups and saucers...I made a chocolate cake with speckled eggs on top this year too! It's incredibly humbling how much ancestors sacrified for the freedoms we have. With gratitude I will read about your husband's Great Uncle Mick. Thanks for hosting once again! =)

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    1. Sherry's Pickings5 May 2018 at 15:56

      thank you so much Jen for joining in IMK and your comment about uncle mick. sorry to say i still can't comment on your blog. it just keeps saying Forbidden, like a German soldier in a WW2 movie:)

      Delete
  13. The VegHog5 May 2018 at 20:39

    I love it how you're also always so surprised by the quick passing of time. Indeed, how can it be May already!? I really welcome the new deadline change, as I sometimes struggle to write by the 10th, so thanks for changing that!

    I adore that cup and saucer by Starr, and there's nice other stuff in your kitchen too. It's always good to read about historical events linked to family histories as well.

    I have also added my link. Have a wonderful May!

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    1. Sherry's Pickings5 May 2018 at 20:49

      hi veghog
      nice to see you here. how can this year be going so fast? :) thanks so much for joining in. hope things are well with you. cheers S

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  14. Debra Eliotseats5 May 2018 at 22:27

    Just love what you share each month, Sherry. That photograph is a family treasure. What a distinguished and brave portrait of a hero.

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    1. Sherry's Pickings7 May 2018 at 13:16

      thanks so much debra. such an amazing fella he was. the aussie soldiers and their horses were so brave. thanks for joining in. cheers S

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  15. Anonymous6 May 2018 at 01:59

    The Easter cake looks fabulous and the cookbook a perfect read. And I love history, so reading about your great-uncle Mick was so very interesting. I would love to learn more.
    I even got an IMK post done this month! It has pictures from all over the kitchen, but the thoughts are more what have been on my mind as I have worked in the kitchen and not really food related...but that is life, even in the kitchen :) I'll link up in just a moment. All the best to you <3

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    1. Sherry's Pickings7 May 2018 at 13:13

      hi Laila
      thanks for joining in. we love to see bloggers from all over the globe, and finland is certainly a long way from Aus. there is lots of info about uncle mick and the second light horse infantry on the net. just type in his name! hope all is well with you. cheers sherry

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  16. Shaheen9 May 2018 at 03:37

    The year indeed is passing us by.
    I absolutely adore the purple cup and saucer by Starr - you know what Sherry, if i lived near you, i'd be borrowing them for food photography and i have a feeling you wouldn't mind. Do love your taste in pottery.

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    1. Sherry's Pickings9 May 2018 at 11:19

      hi shaheen
      thanks so much for joining us here. and thanks for the compliment. i am a big fan of pottery, and i just keep buying.:) have a great month. cheers S x

      Delete
  17. Laura22 May 2018 at 00:19

    Here is my "in my kitchen in May "
    https://laura-bigsby.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/in-my-kitchen-in-may_21.html

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    1. Sherry's Pickings22 May 2018 at 10:06

      Hi Laura
      Lovely to see you here. Thanks so much for joining us. Cheers sherry

      Delete
    2. Laura23 May 2018 at 16:15

      Here is my email
      laura.bigsby@yahoo.com,
      Sorry about that

      Delete
    3. Sherry's Pickings23 May 2018 at 16:39

      thanks laura. not sure i can change it at this stage:) but next time...cheers sherry

      Delete

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