it’s all about the food – Debbie-Ann Scott

it’s all about the food |insanely sweet chicken

dinner parties, it's all about the food, Recipes, special events at home

Here is a simple (well, simple enough when it comes to anything Ottolenghi) chicken recipe for that special occasion.

It is as sweet and delicious as it sounds.

Ottolenghi’s Sweet and Smoky Mexican Chicken. Emphasis on the sweet is achieved by the grated dark chocolate added before roasting. Surely you are salivating just thinking about this dish?

His recipe uses chicken thighs and legs; however, I am a breast girl, and I used plump chicken breasts with the skin on and wing in.

Photo | there is always something gorgeous about how Ottolenghi marinated his food. Who would have thought raw chicken could look and smell this good.

Photo | my favourite little grating accessory, just perfect for grating fine dark chocolate.

Photo | indeed, you can smell this as it cooks its fabulous sweet and spicy head off in the oven. I had to stop myself from continually opening the oven door and enabling the chocolate fumes.

Photo | all good things must end as my family quickly devoured these tiny plump breasts.

This recipe is perfect for a special dinner with the family or a dinner party. I served our family chicken with a simple coleslaw.

Other side ideas:

-roast potatoes and carrots

-chunky fries

–

brunch|down and dirty on eggs

brunch, it's all about the food, Recipes

I’m nothing if not consistent. Food always stays high on my agenda, and it is all about eggs this time!

While in Sydney recently, we were constantly looking out for a great brunch; our favourite meal of the day and our favourite time was “guts up” (as we would say). This always came hard on the back of much walking, great exhaustion and a total food spill.

And…if they ever tell you that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks, so not true. Walking through some gorgeous park in Lavender Hills, my eye bypassed the Sydney Harbour Bridge and made its way to some children’s party in the park (strange that), and I saw a sign which read “yay”. I called out, a little overly excited, “so that is how you spell yay…not yah”. My son flashed me one of those looks…that look when he cannot quite believe I actually said that (whatever that is), and he added, “so that is what you meant all those times you texted me saying yah”? “I just thought you were being an idiot”. Seriously…after all the love and kindness we give our kids, this is what they give back. So for every yah I have written in the past, please now know (assuming, of course, you didn’t already) that it was meant to mean yay! I keep seeing “yay” as a deliberate reminder of my stupidity.

Let’s not stray from the point of my blog…and that is eggs! We are total egg snobs, and if you are going to have a brunch, honestly, you expect it to be an incredible egg!

Interestingly, an egg is a New Zealand slang word for someone acting like a dumbass, clown or idiot. Which really is a little fitting for the point of this story.

I love the quirkiness of those smaller, more intimate cafes which offer something just a little different. The PCP in Surry Hills offered a soft baked and crumbed poached egg (slightly running as it is meant to be). How amazing does this look and something I am sure we can quickly whip up in the kitchen with a bit of effort and imagination? On the side, they had a dollop of peanut butter and Vegemite, blended together and while not entirely to my liking, interesting nonetheless for the Vegemite diehards.

Photo | PCP Sydney in Surry Hills, soft poached egg coated in a light batter and deep-fried!

Photo | the Vegemite and peanut butter dollop! Doesn’t look great, does it?

Photo | the teapot and cups just make everything a little more interesting.

My favourite breakfast of all was at a place called Fable in Darlinghurst. The best breakfast I have ever had, and I am not joking!!! Simply bursting with flavours that merely tasted delicious!

Photo |Fable Coffee Sydney sumac free-range bacon bruschetta with roasted apple puree, heirloom beetroot, fresh avocado, fresh cherry tomato, tarragon infused Pepe Says creme fraiche, Hilltops organic poached eggs. Seriously good and only $16.50!!!

Photo |Fable Coffee Sydney Hilltop organic poached eggs on toast with house-pickled radish, spring leaves and hand made almond dukkah.

Photo | Breakfast rolls on the go from Omeio Artisan Deli, a lovely delicatessen located in Paddington offering fresh bread and pastries and wholesome, yummy breakfast to go. Run by some charming young Greek guy.

We grabbed a takeaway (egg on the go) on this gloriously sunny day. As we sat in the warmth of the park, a cute little dog made his way under my legs for some mother comfort (well, so I thought), then I heard my son’s laughter ring out in the park, and as he squeals with delight, he says “the dog just pissed on your shoes”(my new shoes, purchased a day earlier). Good old Mum, still amusing her son in whatever cheap way she can!

My new and “pissed on” shoes aside, nothing beats a great burger, and this was a great burger perfect for that brunch bordering on lunch and well away from parks and dogs and sons lacking good manners.

Photo |Reubens Hills Cafe & Roastery in Surry Hills offered this amazing Dirty Bird Spiced Grilled Chicken, tomato salsa, manchego, pickled slaw and chipotle aioli. They also provided a “Really F*#king Great Fried Chicken” which was a little hilarious and totally in keeping with the venue.

Photo | A casual little Swedish Cafe, Fika Swedish Kitchen in Manly. I loved these words as they say everything close to my heart.

When we weren’t eating, I was being dragged around the hilly streets of Sydney by my son and husband. I cannot tell you how many photos I took of the two of them walking, almost as if they had forgotten me! It reminded me of the book I read to my son as a child, “Where’s Wally”, and the only thing missing was my red and white striped shirt! Boys…seriously, give me an incredible egg any day.

Photo | A day in my life of “Where’s Wally”, the only problem is you have to be looking, to find!

cheese please | platters

Entertaining Outside the Box, entertaining products, Entertaining Tips, it's all about the food, special events at home

“Life is too short for fake butter, cheese or people” SheFinds

After a fabulous relaxing girlie week in Bali, I got to spend a further girlie week with two wonderful friends in our equally fabulous South West. Life just keeps getting better!

We did what every great woman does; relaxed, slept, movied, chatted lots (and naturally the world is now a better place) and dare I mention we ate lots!

I ask myself, why it is, that in my life, all roads lead back to food? Maybe we will let that one slide for the time being. Girl time is such an important time for me (and I hope for you). While food fills your belly, girl talk fills your head and heart. All three of us are experiencing little brain freezes for one reason or another (mostly treatment-related) and this at times makes for a very funny conversation. It feels great to be able to laugh at yourself in safe company. The beauty is that when I think back to those conversations I can’t remember them! Girls your conversations are safe with me. I have become the most trusted friend of all, the keeper of secrets because I can’t damn well remember them! Well, some maybe.

Each night, we pulled out the rather large cheeseboard and pretty much emptied the fridge onto it. It was surprising how that small fridge just kept on giving back to us.

We purchased our little “girl in bathers” in Bellagio, Italy last year (so important that I add this bit to the story, serving no or little purpose whatsoever other than to say we went to Italy) and she now has a home in our beach house, oh and of course sometimes on the cheeseboard (for that little bit of drama).

Photo | girl in bathers and cheeseboard (cheeseboard from Empire Homewares, Mt Lawley and small bowls by Ecology). Cheeses are no longer whole after a few nights of being regurgitated time and time again onto that same board.

The cheeseboard became our happy time of day. Where we sat together around the table, with a drink in hand (and surprisingly mostly sparkling water filled with delicious fresh berries and fruit). Some of you might argue the toss that a “Claytons Cocktail” cannot possibly be as good as the real thing, and yet it tricked this little brain of mine.

Susie tried to teach us Bridge, which is difficult with only three people (and remember women who are experiencing memory malfunction). She made it more difficult by creating a fictitious fourth player named “Drongo”. So I found myself playing my hand and the hand of this idiot named Drongo and I am starting to think that maybe Susie had intended the name for me. It was difficult juggling my hand, the hand of Drongo and a fist full of cheese and biscuits.

Not every night was filled with quite so much food (oh…maybe most), however, we did manage to bring out the smaller board on one occasion as the fridge stock tragically started its slow descent into nothingness and was fast becoming depleted of all things delicious.
Photo | a BIG cheeseboard is the next best thing to an Italian long table!

Photo | a small board can work just as well (small blue and white coasters, doubling as small serving plates from Ecology).

I love a great cheese board! For me, it needs to be packed and is a great excuse to clean out your fridge (remembering to keep it fresh). It should result in an abundance of glory on the board. Done well, this can also double as an alternative to a dessert at a dinner party. You could add a few sweet treat items and fresh fruits to the cheese board, and voila, dessert is done!

A few ideas | homemade rocky road, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, walnuts, pistachio nuts, dark chocolate, dried apricots and how about trying your hand at homemade violet crumble.

Check out my Pinterest boards (Debbie-Ann Scott) for more ideas – photos saved under the board titled “Event Food | Cheese & Fruit”. I have 220 photos that have been pinned to this board alone. Many an hour has been wasted pinning!

Photo | cheeseboard from Empire Homewares, Mt Lawley

Photo | Tom Dixon cheeseboard

While cheese plays a massive role on a board, it is more than just cheese. It is about the board, the plating and the other wonderful items which fall onto the board as little bits of heaven. Imagine your board with just cheese, biscuits and grapes for example. How bland! Cheese needs to sit alongside rich colours and flavours, anything which is in season.

Photo | a recent backyard party – talk about a massive cheese board! The fairy lights simply added impact.

Investing in a couple of great cheese boards is an investment well made. Ideally, three boards are best. A small one for more intimate grazing, a medium for a dinner party for 8-10 and a massive one for that dinner party when you need to please a much larger crowd. I won’t tell you how many we have!!! They are starting to look a little like my napkin collection.

Photo | cheeseboard by Tom Dixon comes in many shapes and sizes

Photo |farmhouse serveware from the Ecology range. A gorgeous new (and massive) whitewash cheeseboard just waiting to be filled.

Photo | long-styled boards perfect for grazing platters.

No ordinary butter | Of course, we made our butter! Nothing beats (and trust me there is a lot of beating and is the reason why every girl should have a sister) homemade butter!

Tip |As a minimum you should have the following 3 kinds of cheese on your board. Don’t forget the honeycomb!

soft cheese

hard cheese

blue cheese

💋

cooking class in Bali | the fish that should have got away

dinner parties, Entertaining Tips, it's all about the food

I am relaxing at the Bali InterContinental Resort about to share in an Indonesian Cooking Class organised by Encanta.

Yes, how exciting a Perth based PCO managing events in the warmth and accomodating Bali, and they have been running this particular medical conference here for the past three years. They say the life of a PCO is tough!

Last night, I watched a delegate walk into the welcome reception (located outdoors, on the grass, overlooking the ocean as the sun set, barefoot and thongs in hand). I thought how wonderful and how quickly delegates relax in a location such as this.

Photo | Sunset Bar

The hotel is secluded within boundaries of the exclusive Jimbaran Bay overlooking the beach. The Resort is reasonably isolated from the busier parts of Bali, and this is music to my ears. It is exactly the location I was looking for, tranquil, despite being full, the space here is so abundant that you can sit on a daybed (as I did yesterday, overlooking the calmest of calm lakes, and feeling that the world had stopped for 4 blissful hours). I barely saw a soul that entire time. Talking about soul, how totally soulful!

Photo | Tranquility and Peace

Naturally the delegates and their partners are taking full advantage of the day spa and its many services and treatments and I am reminded that with each treatment (trust me there have been a few) the Balinese women truly make you believe that they love what they are doing. Each treatment, you are left feeling just a little bit more loved and pampered.

Photo | Day Spa Ritual

So the cooking class, which Encanta organised for the accompanying partners (and lucky me gets to do this as well…after all it was a birthday gift from Alison) starts with a bus ride into the bustling seafood markets (which is interesting given I am allergic to seafood and you will never see me serving seafood at our table). The smell is often more offensive than the side effects from eating it. It is very likely that I will be that difficult person who declines the walk through the markets. I don’t think this girl is ready to come face to face with any big fat or small groper today (and is there even a fish called groper)?

Let me not digress, after all my blog is all about food and entertainment, not self indulgence and tranquility (seriously…food is all about self indulgence)!

So proud of myself! I thought stop being a wimp and get on that bus headed for the seafood markets, and I did!

I made it off the bus, right to the front door of the markets, took one whiff and pulled away, and I am left asking myself what am I doing…a seafood cooking class…I must be seriously mad!

The gracious Chef from the hotel takes pity on me after seeing the distraught look etched across my face, and I am liking this man just a little bit more now.

Photo | Chef and Seafood Markets behind

I see a man, resembling an Australian (maybe the thongs). His plate is not filled but piled with prawn shells. I have a vision of the inside of his belly and trust me it is not the prettiest thought. I think he has just eaten someone else’s lifetime supply of prawns in one sitting. He even let me photograph his plate, quite possibly unaware how the photo would be used.

Photo |let me say no more…

Photo | this is quite possibly one of the ugliest photos I have seen! Taken by Stacey who was couragious enough to venture inside the markets! What is it…a groper? Definitely think it should have gotten away this one.

OMG how fantastic am I!

I made it to the front door of the markets. Who would have thought and all I can think is, how totally disgusting! I think maybe I might throw myself under a passing motorbike, which pretty much happens without me even trying.

I am thrilled that I get to now sit under a canopy, far enough away from the markets and my nostrils start to clear (and yet sadly the smell still etched in my brain) looking out onto another glorious and tranquil beach.

Photo | Beach on Jimbaran Bay, near the seafood markets

The Cooking Class | Note all recipes provided below

Shopping for seafood is complete and we are back at the hotel. We arrive at the InterContinentals famous Japanese Restaurant, Ko, to commence a further 3 hour cooking class.

The restaurant is exclusively ours, and the Teppanyaki Bar is filled with glorious fruits, vegetables, and gorgeous Indonesian spices and yes…seafood.

Photo | Cooking Class area

My white orchids which I have at home in a very minor way are everywhere here and in such great abundance that I am suffering a massive dose of orchid envy.

My Chefs hat keeps falling off my head and I am hoping it is a child’s size as opposed to the size of my head. It erks me just a little that Liousa’s hat fits perfectly and yet beware of the woman with a small head and massive knife.

Photo | Luisa ready for action

What fabulous value; a bus ride to the markets with our lovely chef, water supplied throughout, our group is exclusively seated around the stunning Japanese Bar of the Ko Restaurant, a chefs apron and hat (which on my head is now looking a little more like a member of the ku klux klan than a chef), chopping board and massive chefs knife sharper than sharp. Added to this cooking class we get to enjoy a substantial 4 course meal with an abundance of red and white wine flowing.
Photo | Stacey trying her hand at cooking (note hand…because the other has wine in it)

Luckily for me my meal was especially prepared (no seafood) and I am eternally grateful. Staff constantly refresh our scented hand towels, and I see the mess Luisa makes alongside me and I start to understand why (sorry Liousa, but you don’t get to be the spunky model and be tidy).

Don’t worry, all the recipes have been provided below for the seafood die hards and my brother.

By this stage I am starting to feel very special as my meals start coming my way and this includes the Gado Gado (my Father’s favourite), photographed below.

We have made our way through four courses and drank a little more wine than we possibly should and I start to think that any moment now I might die and fly away to heaven…but hey what a way to go…totally stuffed with food! How good is life!

Seafood Menu

Note | this salad menu above is pictured below with the prawn wrapped banana leaf

Photo | Dessert and the recipe will be added shortly

To finish, the resort’s head chef (French and need I say more) came to welcome us and thank us! Perfect way to finish a perfect cooking class!

Thank you Alison for 5 wonderful hours. The perfect birthday present!
Thank you Encanta, the perfect accompanying partner event. You did well yet again!
Can’t talk anymore, at the spa after yet another exhausting day in Bali!
Photo | waiting for Balinese massage

it’s all about the food | dinner menu

dinner parties, entertaining products, Entertaining Tips, it's all about the food, let's talk tables, special events at home

It is An Ottolenghi inspired dinner party for 12 guests.

I am blogging this from Bali, surrounded by the many wonderful foods and let’s not mention cocktails at sunset. What better time than right now to blog about food! So here goes, my blog on a dinner party for 12, which includes the menu and photos from a recent dinner party held at our table. Hope it inspires you for your next home entertaining.

Starters | Ottolenghi’s Labneh with Olives, Pistachios and Oregano. Search http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk for this recipe. The best thing about this is that you can make the labneh 2 days ahead of your dinner party. You can cut up all the other bits and pieces and store them in small containers, ready to serve at the night. I served this with Lebanese flatbreads purchased from the Lebanese shop (I was too lazy to make the yoghurt flatbreads from my earlier blog).

Entree | Antipasto Platters and small serving dishes. Again this is a very easy option because everything can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge. I prepared 2 antipasto plates, one for each end of the table. To accompany this was fresh baguettes and flatbreads. Don’t forget the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and those little dishes of other lovely antipasto items such as olives, marinated capsicum, dried fruits and the likes.

Main Meal | Simple Spinach Salad with spinach leaves, roasted tomatoes, purple onion, pinenuts and a great dressing of zesty olive oil, lemon and honey dressing. Again you can prepare the dressing ahead of the dinner party and throw it together at the last minute.

Ottolenghi’s Roast Potatoes and Jerusalem Artichokes. All Ottolenghi’s recipes can be googled if you cannot find them in one of his cookbooks. This is one of my favourite potato dishes. If you cannot find Jerusalem artichokes you can substitute using water chestnuts which can be purchased in a tin. I have tried both and I prefer the tinned water chestnuts because they give a slightly nuttier result. I always make more than is needed. It is a great left-overs dish.

Ottolenghi’s Za’atar Roasted Chicken Breast | is another of my favourite dishes because the chicken is packed with flavour. Check with your butcher when purchasing the chicken breast, bone-in, skin-on, that they can supply medium size breasts. These were massive and it felt as if you were eating a full chicken. I would have preferred smaller breasts so that our guests didn’t have to experience an “I feel stuffed” kind of moment.

Ottolenghi’s Meringue Roulade with Rose & Morello Cherries. What a surprise, another meringue/pavlova dessert from me! At least I am not rolling out the same one each time, because we are always keen to try out a new pav and meringue recipe! I must say this was delicious! It was more about the meringue and the cream than the actual fruit which was a change from the usual fruity pav. Well so “the other half,” said …and he does love his pav! I have had morello cherries in the fridge in the past and never quite knew what to do with them. Now I know!

The photo looks a little like a dog’s breakfast, but don’t let that put you off. Hard to prepare and photograph sometimes!

table talk | it’s all about the little stuff

dinner parties, Entertaining Outside the Box, entertaining products, Entertaining Tips, it's all about the food, let's talk tables, special events at home

Part 2 | For fear I might forget Part 1 of “a well-laid table” it seems pointless to wait.

Laying the foundation of your table setting is one thing, building it up can be great fun!

Photo | a well-laid table – from Part 1

I always start setting the table a day, and sometimes 2-3 days ahead of a dinner party. You might well ask why, and the answer is simple. Starting early allows me time to gradually build the table setting as the mood takes me. I can then focus on the food during the day and have fun at night.

In all honesty, I am still working on the having fun part, spending way too many hours in the kitchen. I never know if it is my menopausal flush or the heat of the ovens, and yet I suspect both!

Tip | invest a large net to cover your dining table. I purchased a white roll of mosquito net, 5000 x 2000 (or thereabouts) from Spotlight. Even better still, it was only $50! It works magic on a dining table, once set, keeping everything clean and free of dust (but hey who has dust in their house 😩).

My best investment has been the black food stands. I purchased these from Table Culture (my absolute favourite exclusive housewares store in Subiaco). I understand that they are now difficult to purchase, possibly because a number of my friends have them as well. Ask anyway, Paddy can always put your name down.

Photo | my stands come in 3 different heights

You can also use bowls (refer to my home page photo…that table was built on an assortment of glass bowls). Whichever you select as your “special” make sure they are sturdy enough to accommodate your serving dishes. Could be an absolute nightmare if your dinner collapsed under the weight of the stand. However, let’s be optimistic!!!

My stands play out on the table and our stone bench (the serving area). I love to layer in as many ways possible. Think about how much more interesting this is when the eye travels across space in many different directions. The sensory load for the eyes are just as important as the mouth.

Invest in some great boards and serving bowls (including oversized) and use these to further elevate your food.

Photo | serving bowls in white (and stands of course)!

Photo | bowls and stands in use on the stone bench (a different occasion)

On this occasion, I wanted to get away from flowers and do something a little more organic. I potted a mix of fresh herbs and small cacti. Each potted in different size glass bowls, adding large nuts to decorate the inside of the bowls, adding walnuts and some dried limes which I purchased from the Iranian shop. The fresh earthy mint and coriander gave off a delicious aroma. Better still, you can plant them after your dinner party and you have fresh herbs at the ready.

Surprisingly, I went to Ottolenghi style (my absolute favourite style) and served the main dishes to the table in a large round serving dishes. In all, I used three large serving dishes (all the same because I like continuity) and ran them down the centre of the table on the black stands, (having removed the wooden boards post the antipasto entree).

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Think of your table as a work of art. It can be minimalist or it can be extravagant, it doesn’t much matter. Just let it reflect you and your style.

Photo |table ready for the food (oh and guests of course)!

Photo | the potted herbs worked well on the dining table after the dinner

To follow | I will share in my next blog, the Ottolenghi inspired menu for the evening. This might give you some ideas for your next social dinner with great friends.

it’s all about the food | freeze dried rose petals

it's all about the food, Recipes, special events at home

I usually don’t blog more than once a week, but I needed to share with you a fabulous find … and recipe! My Ottolenghi’s Meringue Roulade with Rose & Morello Cherries was calling out for sugar-coated (pesticide-free) red rose petals.

If you haven’t already made this recipe, you have the weekend to try it out. Trust me, you will love me for sharing it with you!

I struggled to find pesticide-free petals!!! Frustrated, yet again, that I was unable to find something I was looking for, until (thankfully your google) I fell across a family run business located in Victoria that produces freeze-dried edible rose petals Simply Rose Petals Family Farm.

Photo | Yotam Edible Red Rose Petals

In a total exciting frenzy, I ordered online and the delivery arrived at my front door the next day (just in time for our dinner party). They come in just every colour and petals are all they do! Great for those upcoming weddings!

I don’t think they have much taste, and besides, it was more about the look than the actual taste for me (no less, I did not want to poison our guests). I did, however, coat a large handful in egg white followed by sugar and roast in a low oven for about 30 minutes. These did taste amazing (another little sugar rush).

I also purchased a small jar of Freeze-Dried Edible Pansies (see photo below). While each is freeze-dried, the size and colours remain large and vibrant.

Photo | My Kitchenaid beats egg whites like nothing else

Photo | Morello Cherries (drained and dried off)

Photo | Single Meringue before the cream and roll

Photo | I love that the double cream has sour cream added! It cuts through the sweetness. The roll is easier than it appears. You use a sheet of baking paper and gently roll the meringue over into a log

Photo | Sugar Coated Edible Red Rose Petals

Photo | Ottolenghi’s Meringue with Rose & Morello Cherries (2 back to back on a large wooden serving board – serves 12-14 people). The taste was more about the meringue and the cream than the fruit, which was a refreshing change.

Photo | Freeze Dried Edible Pansies in a Jar – also from Simply Rose Petals Family Farm, Victoria

recipe of the week | celeriac soup with fresh truffle & cream

dinner parties, it's all about the food, Recipes

Can you imagine spending 2 fabulous hours in a kitchen with an awesome Chef?

Well lucky me … I got to do this recently with five other ladies!

We were participating in a Master Class with the very successful Chef and Restaurateur, Chris Taylor, at the iconic Fraser’s Kings Park.

Photo | One of the gorgeous dishes cooked for us in the Chef’s kitchen!

Chris shared quite a few tricks of the kitchen, one of these being how to shuck and serve natural oysters. I am allergic to seafood, which meant that for a while I stood sadly alone on the other side of the kitchen bench, watching the other ladies immerse themselves in the art of oyster shucking. Interestingly, Chef had also demonstrated how to lay the oysters onto a massive bed of ice, and yet a few of the women were more interested in laying the oysters straight into their mouths (hence the oyster didn’t even come close to making it anywhere near the bed of ice. I am not one to name names so one, in particular, will remain nameless (and yet thankfully I do have photographic evidence).

Photo | Evidence

The lovely young man in the kitchen who was in training saw the look of total starvation on my face (or possibly the dribble running down my chin) and made sure that I got to enjoy a massive serving of the Celeriac Soup finished off with crème and fresh truffle. I am still salivating just thinking about this dish.

I just have to share it with you (and Chef said it was OK):

Photo | Chef Chris Taylor

Ingredients:

Celeriac, peeled and diced 2cm cubes

2 litres of milk

2 peeled potatoes

2 sprigs of thyme

2 garlic cloves, finely sliced

1 onion finely diced

Method:

-Sweat the onion and garlic in a little olive oil, and add the thyme

-Add the celeriac and potato

-Cover with the milk and simmer with a cartouche for approximately 30 minutes

-Strain keeping the liquid

-Blend adding the liquid bit by bit, until smooth and silky consistency

To Serve:

-Serve with a chunky pesto alongside (however we went for the second option of topping it with cream and fresh truffle), and trust me nothing beats cream and truffle.

Did you know? Cartouche | (I had never heard of this before) means a circle of greaseproof parchment paper that is used to cover a dish while poaching or simmering.

So check out some of these gorgeous photos. I can still smell the delicate hint of the truffle, which was not overpowering, simply melts in your mouth.

Photo | The Real Thing … Celeriac

Once you have made this gorgeous soup (ideally from fresh celeriac), which Chef suggested could also be enhanced with potato or just about any other suitable vegetable (which makes the celeriac go a little further), grab your bowl filled with some whipped cream and then pull out your little bit of heaven, the fresh truffle.

The chef suggested that $10 of truffles would possibly be adequate for a dinner party. I am sure you know just how expensive truffles can be, so it was helpful to obtain this guide.

He keeps his little piece of heaven in an airtight container, packed in greaseproof paper and the fridge.

Dob a generous serving of cream on top of the soup and then shave (using a very fine grater) the fresh truffle directly on top of the cream.

Trust me this one will not disappoint!

Following is a list of the iconic and impressive venues owned and managed by Chris Taylor and his wonderful team. I must confess I am a massive fan of the burgers at The Old Brewery. I am a sucker for a great burger (did I also say fries).

entertaining made easy | grazing board

dinner parties, Entertaining Outside the Box, it's all about the food, let's talk tables, Special Events, special events at home

“Best friends are the people you can do anything and nothing with and still have the best time”.

source: Quoteslife101.net

If entertaining was made easier, I am certain we would do more of it! Back on my mother’s day, they always went to a party with a plate in hand. What happened to that tradition of sharing food and sharing the load?

We appear to have become slaves in our kitchen. It has become a reasonable excuse as to why we rarely entertain. For fear of repeating myself (which hasn’t stopped me in the past), sharing up the cooking not only lightens the load (and hopefully you get to stay awake until the end of the night), but it also makes for a more shared environment. I have found some of these shared occasions to be some of our most enjoyable.

Recently, a few ladies caught up for a mid-week lunch at our house. The sun was shining and the laughter was abundant. We didn’t need an excuse to get together, we just did! It was a refreshing change from meeting at some restaurant or café.

I set the table, prepared aboard for the centre of the table and we all contributed to the grazing board by bringing something savoury or sweet. I love the chatter surrounding the arrival of each lady and her dish. As always, the conversation quickly turned to food!

Photo|a simple table with stands, a wooden grazing board and napkins

All eight of us sat around the table, oops nine of us – let’s not forget Lucinda, who blew in with grandmother and was just a little treasure (who said iPhones don’t amuse small children) all chatted, laughed and enjoyed the food around us.

Feeling Overwhelmed Entertaining | Why not consider making it a little easier on yourself? Invite a small group of close friends to your house and suggest that you all share the food. It is that easy!

All you need to do is set the table, provide the drinks (and don’t forget the coffee and tea) and arrange some nibbles on arrival and something for the grazing board. It sounds pretty easy, doesn’t it? It is!

On arrival | I put together a few healthy dips for arrival and set up the table with a long wooden board. I was thrilled that I got to use one of the two wooden boards I picked up a short while beforehand, and on sale (show me a woman who does not love a bargain!).

Photo | arrival tasting board

I used my food stands to elevate the food. I always like to use varying heights, not all the same. If you don’t have food stands, you can use just about anything. Maybe you could try a mix of round and square glass bowls turned upside down. If you want to be truly creative, place a smaller glass bowl in the base and fill it with a single flower. If you are looking for a more rustic look, you can use wooden serving bowls, wrapped boxes for a particular theme, garden pots and the like (ideas here are endless). Just make sure that the base is stable. You don’t want your serving dishes tipping up on the table.

I cannot believe that I overlooked photographing the dessert, and I am disappointed that I don’t have anything to share with you here. I can however confirm that the lime tart and homemade hazelnut chocolates were both delicious.

Menu Ideas | A few grazing board ideas (remembering lunch and women command something a little lighter and healthier… so that we get to eat all the sugar we want afterwards):

Starters:

Hummus dip

Beetroot dip

Spicy red capsicum dip

Homemade seeded biscuits

Grazing Board:

Salad | figs, feta, prosciutto

Salad | tomato, bocconcini, basil leaves, olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Meat | shaved honey ham

Olives | green, stuffed green & black olives

Quiche | Roast tomatoes, parmesan and ham

Antipasto | marinated mushrooms, roasted red peppers, marinated artichokes

Fresh vegetables | radishes, carrots, asparagus and shaved parmesan

Fresh fruit | green grapes and strawberries

Filo Triangles | curry beef

Dried fruits & nuts | mango and candied walnuts

Bread:

French baguettes with garlic butter, wholemeal loaf and dry biscuits

Dessert | Tasting Plate:

Lime tart, clotted cream and rich vanilla ice cream

Homemade chocolates with hazelnuts

Tea and Coffee

So no more excuses! Go offer your house as the next venue and get your friends to help out. Nothing is more loving than sharing delicious food and stories with great friends.

Tip | share up the leftover food! Keep a stock of take-home plastic food containers for this purpose. It could well make for a nice pre-dinner tasting if nothing else.

recipe of the week | cheat’s delicious hummus

dinner parties, it's all about the food, Recipes, special events at home

This recipe feeds 8-12 people as a pre-dinner appetiser/starter.

I took this dip to a friend’s house this week, as a starter for the dinner. I promised her the recipe and I am sure she will be amazed at just how easy it is to make!

A great cook would suggest that hummus should be made from scratch with fresh chickpeas (how thoroughly tiresome). I have tried my hand at this method a few times and generally, I find the consistency to be a little too chewy in texture for my liking (which might say more about the Cook than the method). I have also made many a hummus using the canned organic chickpea version and combining that method with my foolproof Thermomix, I can generally pull off a reasonably well-textured hummus (emphasis on reasonably).

Hummus | a Middle Eastern creation is another one of my favourites and works very well as a starter for any dinner party or simply that go-to item, which can be kept in the fridge for a quick snack.

I prefer a smoother texture, topped with anything that adds colour and texture to an otherwise bland beige canvas. So imagine my delight when I found the 1-litre tub of hummus purchased from Coles! Better still it only costs around $6 for a tub and trusts me it beats any hummus I ever slaved over. BTW … ignore the bland coloured photo, as I forgot to take a final photograph once the flat parsley leaves had been added (plus the smoked paprika adds some life to the otherwise dull hummus).

Yumi’s Traditional Middle Eastern Hommus Dip| (dairy-free and gluten-free). So some call it Hummus, others call it Hommus and others say Houmous. For me, it is Hummus.

Let’s cheat together | Now that we have the perfect smooth hummus base, add your special touches to disguise the fact that you did not make your hummus-like all the other great cooks.

My added disguise, is the roasted cauliflower, lemon and spiced chickpea hummus. I have modified this from a recipe I once made from scratch and have since refined it to something truly tangy, tasty and even better, dead easy.

Easy Hummus Recipe | Ingredients:

1-litre tub of Yumi’s Hommus

1 lemon

1 tin of organic chickpeas

1 large cauliflower

2 tsp. of smoked paprika

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

100 ml virgin olive oil

Flat-leaf parsley or coriander

Salt & pepper to taste

Yoghurt flatbreads | Ingredients:

1 cup of wholemeal flour

1 cup of plain flour

1 tsp. of baking powder

1 tsp. of dried yeast

200 gm. thick plain yoghurt (don’t use Greek yoghurt)

Virgin olive oil

100 ml of hot water

Cut the cauliflower into small florets and toss gently in 100 ml of virgin olive oil. Place on a baking tray and grate the rind of 1 lemon over the florets. Add salt flakes and ground pepper.

Cut the lemon in half and add to the centre of the baking tray (the lemon juice will run onto the baking paper and be absorbed by the cauliflower). Place in the oven at 220 for about 30 minutes or until the florets are lovely and dark brown.

Remove from the oven, squeeze the remaining roasted lemon halves over the cooked cauliflower (I love my hummus to be very tangy) and let rest.

Drain the chickpeas and toss in enough virgin olive oil to coat and then add the combined spices (smoked paprika, coriander and cumin) and toss together.

Place the chickpeas on a sheet of baking paper and roast until chickpeas are crisp and golden. Remember to toss from time to time.

Combine 2/3 of the lemony cauliflower florets with Yumi’s Hummus and stir gently adding flakes of salt and ground pepper to taste.

Pour a generous swirl of a good virgin olive oil on the top (great olive oil can make all the difference to the final taste), and add a generous sprinkle of smoked paprika across the top of the hummus and ground pepper. Heap the roasted chickpeas on the top of the hummus (remembering that the bland beige is no longer) and pile the remaining cauliflower florets in the centre of the chickpeas.

Finish with a generous handful of lightly torn coriander leaves or flat-leaf parsley. Both work equally well.

Yoghurt Flatbreads

I found this recipe sitting in some waiting room. I photographed the recipe and did not manage to capture the source. However, given that it was a waiting room I suspect the magazine was well out of date.

To cheat or not to cheat | If you prefer your hummus could be served with a good quality flatbread (and yet I often find it difficult to find a great flatbread). Making your flatbread is easy; it just takes a little time.

Combine both the plain and wholemeal flour in a bowl and add the baking powder and dried yeast.

Whisk the plain yoghurt and 100 ml of hot water together and add to the well the dried ingredients. Mix all ingredients until dough forms.

Put the dough on a lightly floured board and kneed for a good 5 minutes or more (until your arms drop).

Rub the ball of dough in olive oil, place in a clean bowl and cover with cling wrap.

The dough should rise to about double its size in 45 minutes. Knockback the dough and break it into 8-10 even size balls. Roll out each ball to a nice thin consistency and then cook in a heavy very hot pan. Flatbread should be cooked one at a time until parts take on a charred look. When you take flatbreads out of the pan, drizzle some good quality virgin oil over and add a sprinkle of salt flakes to each.

These are truly delicious and nothing beats hummus and great flatbread.

Hint |The dough will last in the fridge for days if well wrapped in glad paper.

Happy eating!