Tuesday, 1 October 2019

in My Kitchen - October 2019

October, October - "There is something in October sets the gypsy blood astir," as William Bliss would have it.  I have to agree; I always feel like running off to distant climes in October.  Spring has sprung, flowers are rioting, birds are nesting, and the sap is rising in my mature (but zippy) blood...  Phew, getting a bit lyrical there, my friends.    Anyways on a more mundane level, here is my October kitchen.  Join in, join in, one and all; show us your kitchen/garden/literary goodies, folks :-)  
So here we have in my kitchen:

as per the label:=)

Well, you can see what this is - Dutch cocoa of the black persuasion.  I haven't opened it yet, but I believe it's very dark in colour.  Must give it a go soon.  Apparently, you have to mix it with ordinary cocoa so it doesn't overtake the flavour of your bake.



Japanese goodies

Off I went to visit the local Japanese grocery store again a while back.  I had to buy Kewpie mayo and wasabi paste naturally, but I couldn't resist a few more mystery items like the sesame seed dressing and the strangely sweet rice crackers.  And you get 19 crackers - why??  It's like Lucky Dip here!
oh yes, another book!

I can tell you nothing about this one yet, as I haven't even cracked it open.  Looks interesting though.  Fishman - great name for a memoir with recipes.

take a guess!:-)

These are from a country store down south.  I love that their products are housemade, so it's worth it to me to buy them online now and again.  Love those freckles!  And the tomato relish is a cracker.

freebies!

Mr P. and I went to the Bakery Lane Bake Off recently.  We got a goodie bag each, filled with the items above.  There's only so much unicorn confetti one girl can use, so I gave most of it away.  And butter popcorn flavouring?  What on earth do you do with that? :-)  (The Queen factory is just a bit up the road from us, so I love that these are local products.)



gifted fruit from friends

Our neighbour has kindly given me some of her lemons, and a friend has handed over some more.  Along with gorgeously ripe Hass avocadoes from their neighbours' tree.  Lucky me!  I made a splendid guacamole last night with the lovely ripe, creamy, organic avoes.  Delish!  Funny how they look like they've gone off, so black and squishy but no - they are at their peak.  Just like a good passionfruit.



a new apron

And last but definitely not least is our model Ms. K (in our downstairs kitchenette), sporting an apron with quotes from our mate Mel, who runs the local cooking school Vanilla Zulu.  Mel has many an interesting cooking quote!
Well, I guess that's it for this month.  I am looking forward to your lovely posts, my friends.  Everyone around the globe is welcome!
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In My Kitchen:

Not Quite Nigella 
The Mother Hubbard's Cupboard





Good Food Week



                      
Sherrys Pickings

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40 comments:

  1. Mae Travels1 October 2019 at 01:00

    Your various little condiments and decorations look like fun. Avocados and lemons from local trees sound heavenly. And it's funny for an American to hear the term "down south" meaning an area that has a colder climate!

    I read the Boris Fishman book a while back ... blogged here:
    https://maefood.blogspot.com/2019/08/savage-feast-by-boris-fishman.html

    best... mae

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    1. Sherry's Pickings1 October 2019 at 09:47

      I think i saw that you had read his book so I decided to get hold of it. 1 October and it’s grey and a bit cooler again. That always happens after a boiling September. Thanks again for being part of IMK! X

      Delete
  2. Angie's Recipes1 October 2019 at 12:55

    Those japanese crackers are really good!! I am making some guacamole today for the lunch too. Thanks for sharing, Sherry.

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    1. Sherry's Pickings1 October 2019 at 22:43

      hi angie
      yes i love japanese rice crackers - so salty and sweet and crunchy. Guac is great!:)

      Delete
  3. Debbie1 October 2019 at 13:05

    Hi Sherry, that Dutch cocoa sounds a good ingredient to have in the kitchen if, like me, you enjoy a really good chocolate cake. It'll be interesting to see how it enhances chocolatiness... Boris Fishman? I did have to laugh at that one!... And is it really possible to have too much unicorn confetti? My lot would be receiving any gifts lightly coated in the stuff forever 😂.

    xx

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    1. Sherry's Pickings1 October 2019 at 22:44

      hi debbie
      yep i love a good dark chocolatey chocolate cake. true - unicorn confetti can never be too much...

      Delete
  4. SallyBR2 October 2019 at 02:15

    Love all your featured goodies, but the sprinkles speak to my heart, directly! ;-)

    Thanks for hosting, I joined this month.....

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    1. Sherry's Pickings2 October 2019 at 15:58

      thanks sally. lovely to have you here. Yep i adore sprinkles:)

      Delete
  5. Kitchen Riffs3 October 2019 at 00:55

    Maybe use the butter popcorn flavoring to make ice cream? Or maybe not. :-)

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  6. Tandy | Lavender and Lime (http://tandysinclair.com)3 October 2019 at 15:26

    I would use that butter popcorn flavouring for ice cream :)

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  7. David @ Spiced3 October 2019 at 21:45

    That apron is hilarious! I love it. I'd definitely sport that one around the kitchen on a regular basis. Also, I'm not familiar with black Dutch cocoa either. I'll have to see if I come across it in my foodie travels around town. You'll have to report back what you think! Maybe you can make some brownies with unicorn sprinkles? Haha!

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    1. Sherry's Pickings3 October 2019 at 22:32

      unicorn brownies?:) yep i love my aprons - i have half a dozen! thanks for dropping by.

      Delete
  8. Johanna GGG3 October 2019 at 22:32

    wow that unicorn sprinkles and large freckles and apron put a smile on my face. I am fascinated by the black dutch cocoa - what is the flavour - is it intense cocoa or a charcoal flavour - am very curious about it! I have done my IMK - love your jaunty spring tone - I feel a bit the same about spring - it really is a great season!

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    1. Sherry's Pickings4 October 2019 at 12:16

      hi johanna
      i haven't used or even opened the cocoa yet but lorraine (NQN) uses it so you could probably check out her website. thanks so much for joining in. cheers S

      Delete
  9. Cocoa and Lavender3 October 2019 at 22:48

    Fun combination this month — love the unicorn sprinkles! And the apron!

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  10. Sammie @ The Annoyed Thyroid4 October 2019 at 09:57

    Every month I pledge to join In My Kitchen and when the new month rolls around I always forget! I will have to set a reminder for November :) Those country supplies look the business especially that relish! Isn't it great having generous neighbours? My neighbour just gave us loads of oranges, fresh spinach and a lorry load of fresh parsley! So good! Hope you have a delicious October!

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    1. Sherry's Pickings4 October 2019 at 12:14

      yes you must join in sammie! the more the merrier. thanks for dropping by the post. yes october is going to be a good if hot month! cheers S

      Delete
  11. Tiffin Fiona4 October 2019 at 15:50

    Wow – that cocoa sounds like the bomb! Mind you, if you need to mix it with ordinary cocoa, maybe they shouldn’t make it soooo dark in the first place. That butter popcorn flavour could be used in ice cream or cupcake icing. Can you believe I didn’t know that Queen was made in Alderley? I can’t believe it!

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    1. Sherry's Pickings4 October 2019 at 16:47

      apparently the black cocoa is quite 'brusque' according to wiki. i was stunned when i found out some years ago that Queen Fine Foods is just up the road from us. and it's a pretty small factory really. butter popcorn flavour - still sounds weird to me:-)

      Delete
  12. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella4 October 2019 at 17:28

    I have an enormous bag of that black cocoa that I used for Halloween one year. I should just give some away because I'll never use it in time. And that sesame dressing is my all time favourite dressing!

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    1. Sherry's Pickings4 October 2019 at 18:15

      yes i have a massive bag too - all 500g. of it. I've only just discovered sesame dressing - I love it!

      Delete
  13. The Mother Hubbards Cupboard4 October 2019 at 17:40

    Hi Sherry... its so nice to see you again!
    That Dark Cocoa looks amazing, where did you get it from as I think a need it! LOL... Have your tried Haighs freckles? they are amazing... if you are ever in Adelaide, you should go to the factory!
    Anyway, its nice to be back!
    Liz xx

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    1. Sherry's Pickings4 October 2019 at 21:46

      hi there Liz
      what a lovely surprise to see you here:) I bought the cocoa at a baking fair; not sure where it is from - i guess any cake decorating shop would have it. Not a fan of Haigh chocs i have to say:) But i bet any freckles would be fabulous. cheers sherry

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  14. Jeff the Chef6 October 2019 at 13:17

    I use black Dutch cocoa in baking quite frequently. I don't cut it with any other cocoa, but I use it as is. It's Oreo color and flavor. Makes and intensely dark cake.

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    1. Sherry's Pickings7 October 2019 at 11:03

      yes i reckon a cake baked with that cocoa is going to be very dark. now i've just got to get around to using it. i guess for halloween...

      Delete
  15. Shaheen7 October 2019 at 03:09

    i cannot get over those lemons, they are amazing. They would have been seen as wonky in this country

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    1. Sherry's Pickings7 October 2019 at 11:04

      well those particular lemons were organic bush lemons so they're usually very wonky looking:) they don't have much juice but still useful. thanks for dropping by shaheen.

      Delete
  16. The Liberty Belle7 October 2019 at 04:04

    You have a lot of goodness happening in your kitchen! I'm intrigued by that cocoa. I bet it would be good for cake icing. The Kewpie mayo looks interesting. How will you use the preserved lemons? The fresh lemons and avocados look good and it was kind of the dear ones who shared. Have a great week.

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    1. Sherry's Pickings7 October 2019 at 11:02

      thank you liberty belle:) i loooove kewpie mayo - i use it in everything - well, where appropriate of course:=) I use the lemons with couscous, with chicken, with fish etc. it adds a fab flavour to so many dishes. I bought it for my bulghur salad recently, and i've just made a big batch myself so i have lots. oh yes those avoes were so delicious and organic! cheers S

      Delete
  17. The VegHog7 October 2019 at 18:54

    That's a lot of Unicorn Confetti! I'm sure it would take a while for anyone to get through that. I'm tempted by that popcorn butter flavouring, if it's one of those guilty pleasures that you sometimes just have to taste.

    I have added a link to my October kitchen. Have a nice month!

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    1. Sherry's Pickings7 October 2019 at 21:42

      thanks veg hog. great to have you here for IMK. have a great month. cheers S

      Delete
  18. Kim Bultman7 October 2019 at 23:19

    Sherry, I love your lyrical thoughts about Autumn. I feel the same way here even though we're on the opposite end of the spectrum, cooling down (at last!) and anticipating colorful leaves. Speaking of colorful, your IMK stash and "wallpaper" background are as perky as your Springtime outlook. :) Loved that pretty bowl with the lemons and avocadoes, too. So nice to have generous neighbors -- and guacamole!

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    1. Sherry's Pickings8 October 2019 at 12:29

      thanks so much kim. it is getting so hot already here! 33C today and i'm thinking of putting on the air con. oh yes that is one of my fave bowls - it almost looks like marble. the avoes were wonderful as was the guac! so summery and fresh. i like to make mine with heaps of fresh coriander leaves and chilli and lime. have a great month. cheers S x

      Delete
  19. Kelly | Foodtasia8 October 2019 at 00:39

    Sherry, you've got quite the collection this month! I haven't tried the dark cocoa yet, but I'd love to. I use Kewpie mayonnaise too! Do you use yours for certain things only or for everything? The book looks like a good read. I look forward to hearing how you liked it!

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    1. Sherry's Pickings8 October 2019 at 12:30

      i love kewpie- probably too much. i use it for lots of things - to have on sushi, in salad dressings, on top of ham and cheese sandwiches, you name it:-) thanks so much for stopping by my post. cheers sherry

      Delete
  20. Jen Rose15 October 2019 at 18:47

    Oh to have a friend with an avocado tree! =) I didn't really think of Queen as local, but glad to know that they are as I love their cake baking products. I'll be interested to hear how that Black Dutch Cocoa goes. Thanks for hosting. =)

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    1. Sherry's Pickings15 October 2019 at 21:55

      Yes we were very lucky to get those avos jen. And they were delicious! Yes it’s weird to know that Queen are just up the road. So close!

      Delete

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