In My Kitchen - August 2021

Today I'm busy with spring cleaning even though it's still mid-Winter.  There's just something about the light when the sun is low in the sky and very bright, and the sky is that intense polarised blue.  It's glorious, but shows up every bit of dust that has gathered for the last ... mmm ... several months.  So I've grabbed a bamboo paper towel, and am happily wiping down the dust of the ages from the window shutters.  I love these towels!  They work a treat, and you can reuse them, and reuse and reuse ...  

August will be a busy month for me and Mr P.  We're giving a talk at our local historical society; I'm having more dental work, and I'm on a committee to update some 'totem poles' at our local Library.  These poles have photos and short bios of significant people in our neighbourhood.  Will be fun!  Anyways, come join us everyone for another In My Kitchen post.  Everybody is welcome!

a corner of my kitchen

Our kitchen faces north-east, which is perfect in a Queensland house.  And did you know you can no longer buy double sinks with double draining boards as we have here?  How silly.  I love these!

In My Kitchen:

my new Japanese knife (and cheese)

This is a beautiful, hand-forged knife made by Yoshifumi Otsuka, a third generation blacksmith in Japan.  It is a thing of beauty.

delicious little pies

I made a bundle of meaty little pies, which vanished very quickly.  I gave a couple to our neighbour, but Mr P. and I consumed the rest in a day or two.

love this cloth!

This is a fabulous compostable cloth.  I love it.  It's sturdy, you can wash it over and over, and chuck it in the washing machine.  And it's compostable.  Wonderful!

and tasty crisps

These crisps come from New Zealand, and are very tasty.  And best of all, the bag is - yes, you guessed it! - compostable.

lots of lovely mandarins

Our friend Brooke the potter stayed overnight, bringing these fruity goodies from a friend's tree.  I know what you're thinking: 'but they look so gnarly, so bad!'  But inside they were beautiful, so full of flavour and colour.  I've never had such sweet mandarins.  They are Page mandarins, a cross between a Clementine and a tangelo.  So juicy, so sweet, so delish!  Thus spake Gollum, tee hee.

goodies

My cousin sent me the sardines and saffron for my birthday, and I bought the Tumami online.  Alice was a Masterchef Aust contestant a few years ago.  She has written a fab vegetable book which I have on my shelves, and she's on radio and tv these days.  The spread is black garlic and tomato in case you can't read the label.

dinner!

We fed our friend grilled salmon, and a couscous dish served on my lovely Batch Ceramics platter.  I added edamame, roasted capsicum, parsley, sesame seeds, nuts and a yuzu oil dressing.  We scoffed the lot!

and here's my curveball

You see those fruity cards on the bottom left?  They are mine,  and are for sale in a mate's shop.  I hope I sell a few :-)  Or lots!

Here we have the usual reminder, folks: IMK posts are about your kitchen (and kitchen garden) happenings over the past month.  Dishes you've cooked, preserves you've made, herbs and veg in your garden, kitchen gadgets, and goings-on.  You get the picture.  And throw in a curveball! - whatever you fancy; no need to be kitchen-related.  The link is open from the first to the thirteenth of the month.  Let me know if you need help with adding your post, or if you would like it added manually by me after the 13th (if you're running late). Here's how to join in:

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