They say it has to happen in every life. Marmalade. Bastion of the continental breakfast; spread of early risers the world over. A great way to savour the citrus all year ’round.
I’ve never made a sweet preserve. I did venture into chutney a few months ago, but the combination of pectin and sugar had never entered my kitchen in its raw form. Until today.
I used Taste’s Three Fruit Marmalade recipe. And it worked great.
I really wish that my local CWA held their meetings at a time that I could attend. 10am on a Tuesday morning is not terribly conducive to a productive, office-based career yet I would dearly love to be involved in what they do.
With that in mind, a little while ago I made my first attempt at a tomato chutney. We had plenty of tomatoes in the vegetable garden and I’d been diligently collecting jars from just about everyone I spoke to for a number of months.
The chutney turned out to be a great success and all things considered, I was absolutely thrilled.
That was about six months ago. Since that time I’ve also ventured into green tomato chutney and a couple of jars of caramelised onions which are great on a nice vintage cheese.
Now it is the turn of the sugar and pectin. I have a friend who is an absolute marmalade freak and a few others that love anything chilli. So this weekend I am stretching myself with a 3 fruit marmalade and a chilli jam.
Wish me luck!
I’m off to Melbourne this weekend for a long weekend. I thought while I was there I’d stop in and see the Tim Burton exhibition at ACMI. I’ve heard great things about it and I’m looking forward to it.
I’m also looking forward to some serious shopping and some very, very serious relaxation.
Tracksuits - the new chic?
Okay, so I might be a little dramatic here; I do have a pair of tracksuit pants. They are a charcoal grey, cost me $7 from a nation-wide chain store and never, ever leave the house.
But tracksuit pants as a staple in a modern, fashionable wardrobe? I’ve seen a widening array of women starting to sport tracksuit pants to shopping centres and even out to dinner, and not just on those poor misguided things that think plastering ‘Juicy’ on something makes it haute couture. I’m starting to see evidence that tracksuit pants are hitting the fashion mainstream for ‘out’ wear. And now Net-A-Porter has joined the bandwagon and is verily indicating that tracksuit pants should be entering my wardrobe in a far more illustrious capacity than usual.
As you will know, I have no problem with experimental fashion. I have no problem with comfort dressing. But while Net-A-Porter’s model is stick thin and has a good er…bottom, there are a great many women in the world that will (and do) look somewhere between vile and laughable in a pair of leggings or bike pants. And these tight, figure hugging pants are no different.
So ladies please, before you leave the dressing room, see if you can find a 360 degree mirror or a really honest friend so you can tell how you look from the back in a pair of these. And if you persist, make sure you wear them with something that can cover you up if your confidence leaves you in an awkward moment.
Okay, so I’m a little late to the parade, but I’ve just discovered the wonder that is Etsy. It is like Ebay but for beautiful, original and quirky handmade goodness.
If you’d like to see what I’m loving at the moment, check out my Favourite list at Etsy.
Zucchini and Smoked Salmon Fritters
I made some Zucchini and Smoked Salmon Fritters from the Taste.com.au website today.
As I normally do with new recipes, I followed it to the letter and also used fresh dill from my little herb garden. Like many of those commenting on the Taste site, I found the fritters to be more like pancakes, but they were delicious with a nice chardonnay on the back deck for a Sunday lunch.
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