Spaghetti alla Checce

I will repeat the traditional truth of all italian cooking. More pasta to less sauce. The pasta is the principal ingredient. Flavours should always be simple, with the best of ingredients, and a sauce that suits its design. This is the pasta dish that takes me on a tour around the south of italy with its fragrant tomato base, tarte but refreshing basil aroma contrasting the clean cheese taste of baby bococcini. This is thoroughly delicious if you're looking for that quick-fix pasta.


Ingredients

1 large bunch of basil
4 cloves of garlic
100ml good quality extra virgin olive oil
400 grams of cherry tomatoes
250 grams of baby Bococcini
2/3 of a packet of pasta
75 grams of Parmesan Cheese

Sweat chopped garlic in olive oil on a low heat for 10 minutes, do not allow any of it to turn brown. Chop half the bunch of basil finely and add to the oil and garlic and incorporate until a pesto-like sauce is produced on the bottom. Prevent the basil from burning also. Turn the heat up to full and add cherry tomatoes and a touch of the pasta cooking sauce. Cook for a minute or so and turn back to medium and cook for a further 4-5 minutes, or until the skins of the tomatoes peel back. Add the rest of the basil roughly chopped, and cooked pasta. Add the baby Bococcini balls and mix through till all the pasta is coated. Grate parmesan over to provide a slightly salty contrast. Season to taste.
Perfecto.

Crêpes au Grand Marnier - Sunday Mornings with those you consider family

These crêpes were what i woke up to nearly everly morning when staying with a lyonnais family in France, with of course, a slather of nutella not far away. I never seem to be able to repeat the recipe with the same delicate perfection my mère d'accueil did. This is where my initiation into the lyonnaise tradition of cooking really started. These crêpes are one of those grand symbols of my stay and remind me everytime i cook them of the freedom i felt there, and that docked on sense of cultural hybridism i have for Australia and France.

Orange, sweet citrus flavours hide in the delicately light consistency. The secret to their lightness is a balance between butter, oil and sugar, and the chemical processes that join them amongst the alcohol and orange rind. They steal me away from the fond memory of pancakes with their cakey, glutinous taste. Only half of an indulgence until you have more than one. Serve amongst loved ones, with jam reserves, and orange juice (if you're feeling especially indulgent melt a few pieces of chocolate between one straight off the stove).

Ingredients
250 grams of flour
80 grams of a neutral oil e.g vegetable
60 grams of caster sugar
80 grams of butter
Six eggs (do not be afraid)
3/4 litre of milk
1 tbsp of grand marnier
1 tbsp of old rum
1 orange for rind.
extra oil or butter for the pan

Melt the butter in a pot till it gives off a nutty odor. Scrape the white fat off the top if you want to reduce the cholestrol content.

Mix the flower, oil, sugar, eggs, alcohol, orange zest and the melted butter. Once joined as a smooth paste slowly add the milk until incorporated and to achieve a silky and consistent batter. Reserve 200mls of the milk to add to the mixture As with all things that contain flour the amount of milk can alter slightly so just go by intuition. Rest the mixture for an hour or so in a warm place, and add the remaining milk to the batter. (optional)

Warm a pan and add a dob of butter or spoon of oil (preferably a crepe pan, but it's possible in a normal sauce pan). Wait till it heats to the point of sizzling the butter. Take a large Chef's spoon place 1 1/2 spoonfools in the pan and circle the mixture so it creates a circle in the pan. Cook crêpe for around one minute on each side, or until the alcohol starts to brown and create a pattern. You should have a few bubbles coming up, but not too many, this is a sign of a good batter consistency.

Place each crepe on top of one another to stop them drying out. Garnish as soon as possible once cooked.
Ready to serve. Much more of an experience than the pancake, and so much more delecious.

Winter's Day Comfort

Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup

This is a culinary reflex of mine as soon as the cold weather hits. It is a soup cliché for a reason. The yellow-orange sheen met by the sweet nostalgia of autumnal vegetables staves off the groggy grey of winter. The soup is thicker than the classic pumpkin soup and the earthy texture of sweet potato is a marriage of sympathico with the smoothness of pumpkin. The gloppy texture goes wonderfully against the crunch of buttered toast. It is a soothing comfort that settles my stomach warding off the icicles. It has balanced aromas and is sumptuously delicious.

Ingredients

1 large half pumpkin (roasted if you can be bothered)
1 large sweet potato (roasted if you can be bothered)
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp butter
1 large onion diced
2 large garlic cloves crushed and chopped
250 mls of chicken or vegetable stock (optional if you want it lighter)
Salt, Pepper
Chives or basil (optional touch)
1 tbsp of sour cream

Peel and chop the pumpkin and sweet potato into pieces so that you have a ratio of 1:1. If you're making this for a dinner party or want to infuse a more honey-nutt flavour, roast the pumpkin and sweet potato in an oven for 25-30 minutes at 180C with a few crushed cloves of garlic, pinch of salt/pepper and olive oil. I don't find it is worth the effort on an early winter's afternoon.

Dice onion and smash garlic to a pulp like consitency and chop it finely. Add them both to a pot and sweat with a mixture of butter and olive oil. Leave on a low heat for 10 minutes to infuse, do not allow it to brown, only turn to yellow translucency.

Add pumpkin and sweet potato pieces to the pot and fill with chicken stock and a little additional water until all pieces are submerged. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to boil and then cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until soft and cooked through. Blend it all till smooth and gloppy. Curl a blob of sour cream on top and accompany with toast to serve. Simple is best. Miam Miam!