tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-243422192024-03-08T06:24:38.447+11:00food musingsMelbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02257719342445833725noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24342219.post-68170703897128639582008-02-11T19:11:00.000+11:002008-02-11T19:33:00.697+11:00what's for dinner tonight?we are at msac.<br /><br />young d and i are watching his 2 sisters in their swimming lesson.<br /><br />young d asks me: what's for dinner tonight?<br /><br />me: guess<br /><br />young d [eye's lighting up]: pizza!<br /><br />me: nope<br /><br />young d [eye's still afire]: lasagne!<br /><br />me [eye's getting twitchy]: no<br /><br />young d: [still hopeful]: tacos!<br /><br />me: no! i'll tell you... COUS-COUS!!!! [voice is very excited, kind of like "wow wouldn't that be the best thing ever that you would like to eat?"<br /><br />young d: oh.<br /><br />and note he says this not as "oh" as in simple disappointment; he also adds a twist of comedy to it, making it a comedic "oh", and that makes it worse than just a disappointed "oh".<br /><br />[someone once told me ages ago, oh alright it was my ex-husband, that when he was less than complimentary about the food i cooked, i shouldn't take it personally.]<br /><br />NOT TAKE IT PERSONALLY?<br /><br />how can a woman who has cooked for her loved ones, and then had a nose turn up or similar, not take it personally?<br /><br />i am sure i represent all women and/or cooks when i say this.<br /><br />[insert little vignette here: princess just came in the room "ooh, something smells nice, what's for dinner...<br /><br />me: COUS COUS<br /><br />[pause]<br /><br />me: WITH CHICKEN!!!!!<br /><br />princess: yum<br /><br />me: and i left the carcass out there for you to strip<br /><br />[princess makes sound of ravenous beast, does something dramatic with her arms, and runs to the kitchen. there are now the sounds of feasting from that direction, like some sort of stephen king monster.]<br /><br />----------------------<br /><br />cous cous is really really easy if you get the instant cook sort. even though i am a purist when it comes to all things slow-food, i really think some things are ok. like tinned tomatoes, frozen peas and instant cous-cous. but everything else pretty much has to be traditional.<br /><br />tonight i had some left-over chicken from a roasted one we bought on fitzroy street. it's the first pre-cooked chicken shop i've seen that does lilydale chickens, which are free-range.<br /><br />woah, giddy-up, i said when i saw the sign.<br /><br />so i got all the bits off, but leaving some for the beast.<br /><br />i chopped mushrooms, spring onion and sauteed while boiling carrots. usually i would steam but i have a saucepan crisis in which the bottom part of the steamer is soaking after being encrusted with baked beans last night.<br /><br />i put in some fresh rosemary also, along with salt and pepper. to the mushroom thing, then i added the chicken to heat through.<br /><br />next, making the cous-cous. just follow the directions on the packet, but seriously it's about as hard as lifting a glass of nice chardonnay to your mouth.<br /><br />now i am going to go and stir some beurre into the cous cous, and then toss the musroom, chicken, carrot and spring onion mix through it.<br /><br />last word: i wouldn't have used carrots, i don't think they really match the other ingredients, but they were old, in the bottom of the fridge and needed to be used. i think tomatoes would have gone better with this ensemble.<br /><br />now, chew slowly.<br /><br />oh, almost forgot. a squeeze of lemon is very nice.Melbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02257719342445833725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24342219.post-1164076516808441552006-11-21T13:28:00.000+11:002006-11-21T13:35:16.830+11:00hot food for hot dayi'm one of those people who doesn't find the need to somehow inversely match my food to the weather.<br /><br />you know those people, who when you say in best cockney/manchester accent<br /><br /><em>cup o' tay, luv?</em><br /><br />they say<br /><br /><em>are you insane? it's 36 degrees outside.</em><br /><em></em><br />well maybe i am, but i tell you what, this bowl of rice and salmon i'm eating now is going down a treat.<br /><br />this is how i worked it:<br /><br />left over rice in fridge<br /><br />tin of red salmon. you heard me. RED.<br /><br />bok choy or another one of those types of leafy greens. chop thinly and wash well under water.<br /><br />dill, cause i had some in the fridge. a little scrunch, finely chopped.<br /><br />1 tomato, finely diced.<br /><br />a little bit of red onion, finely diced too. you could put more in, as much as you like, but this one i've got going on here is really hot and spicey so i just put a little in.<br /><br />fry in a little oil the onion and tomato, once it's going a bit (couple of minutes) pop in the leafy green. let that all wilt down, then put in the rice.<br /><br />BE CAREFUL<br /><br />the rice is likely to make a mess as you get it out of the plastic container. it was probably still warm when you put it in there, and so is moulded a bit like a rice brick to that shape. it will resist being teased apart and then stubbornly hold on, hold on, hold on until it SPRAYS all around the kitchen.<br /><br />once the rice is safely in the pan, gently nudge it down and apart. it's still dangerous at this point, be patient and light handed.<br /><br />once it's all mixed in and heated through, tip in the drained salmon, and sprinkle with dill.<br /><br />i put pepper in also.<br /><br />toss in the pan a few times, for longer or lesser, depending on the height of the flame, then eat.<br /><br />it really doesn't make you any hotter i don't think.Melbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02257719342445833725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24342219.post-1153552710522695452006-07-22T17:16:00.000+10:002006-07-22T17:18:30.536+10:00you've just got to love chicken mincemade my chicken ball soup today. it sounds fowl, but it's really such a gorgeous soup.<br /><br />this soup would make the person on the death bed get up and want to tango.<br /><br />let me tell you how i made it today. it's so simple, you must try it. go on, you must. you know you want to.<br /><br />chicken ball soup [bad title]<br />chicken soup with balls [even worse]<br />chicken soup, with mince floaties<br /><br />hey, i need help with a suitable title that conveys the sheer deliciousness of this soup. if i ever meet you, any one of you, and want to feed you, then there's a good chance you'll get this soup. so, if you want to eat something other than "chicken ball soup", please come up with a name for it.<br /><br />before we start, you should know i always use free range chicken.<br /><br />what i had was some real chicken stock i'd made the other day. i made this by simmering two carcasses that i had frozen, which i'd stripped of meat. [insert creepy mick taylor "jaws" laugh here.]<br /><br />in the water i also had some diced carrot, celery and onion. you know the drill.<br /><br />i put in a few fronds of parsley. i like that. fronds.<br /><br />some pepper i think. then simmered it until it was rich and fragrant.<br /><br />i made some killer paella without seafood, but that's another story.<br /><br />thing is, i had some stock left over. the stock was in the fridge, chilled. it had a lot of fat in it, which i scooped out. started heating it up, popped in some more carrot (in thin circles this time), mushrooms thinly sliced, and some more celery.<br /><br />after about 10 mins simmering, i added the balls. for these, i mixed 500g chicken mince with chopped parsley, freshly-ground pepper and a sprinkling of corn flour to bind. i usually just shape them in my hands, and then drop them in the stock. this time i used a soup spoon, which didn't really make much difference, to tell the truth.<br /><br />dropped them in. then right at the end, after i'd eaten one to make sure it was cooked through, i dropped in some cold cooked rice from last night.<br /><br />so. maybe the name could be chicken and rice soup, with balls. nope. still doesn't cut it.<br /><br />i'd like to hear any ideas on the name for this most delectable of dishes. the more outlandish the better.Melbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02257719342445833725noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24342219.post-1151898475185887912006-07-03T13:43:00.000+10:002006-07-03T13:47:55.196+10:00breakfast faux-risottotake some leftover rice.* put it into a heated saucepan/frying pan (non-stick is better, cause this faux-risotto is a bitch to cook without sticking it to the pan and losing like 40% of your grains.)<br /><br />a little oil heated is good too.<br /><br />fry it through so it's heated up. toss in two eggs, stir through. and throw in whatever else. leftover veg. half a tin of red** salmon. some chopped spring onion,*** a bit of cheese.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />* be very careful with leftover rice. if you don't refrigerate it properly, and soon after cooking, it can grow some really nasty bacteria that will have you hurling your faux-risotto, or lovely rice salad in a flash.<br /><br /><br />** not <em>pink</em> you cheapskate!<br /><br />*** though you might have different views to me regarding spring onions in the morning. make it mid-morning. ok. let's call it <em>brunch</em> faux-risotto.Melbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02257719342445833725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24342219.post-1147915959087082392006-05-18T11:25:00.000+10:002006-05-18T11:32:39.096+10:00the coffee smells goodi have just had breakfast and read the paper. i'm not sure how long i will be able to enjoy such a relaxed start to my day, as i will probably have to get a job. make that definitely.<br /><br />i have been limiting my coffee intake severely recently, after i had to spend a day in bed withdrawing. i don't drink a lot but i find even one a day, every day means i get a thumper of a headache when i don't have a coffee for a couple of days.<br /><br />we have been without ground coffee in the pantry for more than a month, now. we have got instant - eeek [for those guests who don't care] and we have got fancy schmancy for the espresso makina, which i don't know how to use, andwhich, truth be told, i don't like.<br /><br />i like cafe coffee, ie a skinny latte, or at home i like plunger coffee.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7892/1189/1600/plunger%20coffee%20pot.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7892/1189/320/plunger%20coffee%20pot.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />i have two pots like this. one is small, good for cafe a deux. the other makes up to 6 cups.<br /><br />at the prahran market on saturday i bought half a kilo of nicaraguan coffee. the girl said it was velvety, and the cup and a half i just drank now were indeed velvety.<br /><br />went very nicely with my two round crumpets with slabs of BUTTER and honey on top.<br /><br />i didn't feel guilty indulging because i had earlier done a big walk with the gigi. first time out with my ipod, which i am affectionately calling <em>mypod</em>, i strode out with alot more enthusiasm than usual.<br /><br />so happy things about today: velvety coffee, crumpets and honey and mypod. and the gigi.Melbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02257719342445833725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24342219.post-1145325224476559642006-05-05T11:44:00.000+10:002006-05-05T11:24:49.850+10:00lamb and barley soup<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7892/1189/1600/pearled%20barley.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7892/1189/320/pearled%20barley.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7892/1189/1600/depardieu.jpg"></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7892/1189/1600/depardieu.jpg"></a><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7892/1189/1600/depardieu.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />ok, the cold snap is coming, if you're in melbourne. melbourne gets windy and while it doesn't have the sub-zero temperatures of other cities around the world, we have the wind chill factor. this is the time of year when you need a beanie, a scarf and a belly full of soup.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7892/1189/1600/depardieu.jpg"></a><br />i cooked this last weekend for the fam, when they came over for lunch.<br /><br />when i was a kid, campbell's had a soup called stock pot. i remember it for its lamb pieces and barley. it was my favourite soup when i was about 7.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7892/1189/1600/depardieu.jpg"></a><br />so i tried to recreate it and think i did a fine job.<br /><br />three general tips for cooking soup.<br /><br />1. start with cold water. don't pour boiling or heated water into the pot.<br /><br />2. don't add too many ingredients. then you end up with stew. which is fine, if it's stew. but when you want soup, you don't want stew.<br /><br />3. don't boil the soup. gently bring it to the boil at the beginning, then let it simmer.<br /><br />--------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">Lamb and barley soup<br /></span><br /><em>Ingredients<br /></em>1 small leg of lamb<br />2 carrots<br />2 sticks celery<br />1 large onion<br />2 cups pearled barley, soaked as per instructions on packet<br />peas [frozen or dried ok]<br /><br />Cut fat off lamb as much as possible. Cut meat off bone in one chunk so you have two pieces.<br /><br />Barley – once it’s been soaked it needs to be cooked in water. Follow instructions on packet.<br /><br /><em><br />Method<br /></em>Gently saute the onion, carrots and celery. Once they are softened, about 5-10 minutes, put in the lamb pieces, fry gently then cover with cold water. Bring to the boil then simmer half-covered gently for several hours.<br /><br />When the meat is tender, remove and shred. Put back in the pot.<br />When the barley is ready, add to pot.<br /><br />When almost ready to serve, add the peas.<br /><br />-------------------------------<br /><br />we ate this with crusty bread and butter. and you know my feelings about margarine etc.<br /><br />go the butter.Melbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02257719342445833725noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24342219.post-1146633129522291882006-05-03T15:04:00.000+10:002006-05-05T11:20:14.563+10:00dumplings or WONTONSi made wontons the other day. without one of those little machines that everyone is raving about, and of which i am not yet the proud owner.<br /><br />inside my wontons i put some finely diced spring onion, some chicken mince and i think that was it. i sealed the wontons (round ones, bought from the supermarket) with a cornflour and water paste.<br /><br />i cooked them in the soup, which just had some standard vegetables, ie carrot, onion, some green beans cut up and tossed in.<br /><br />when they cooked in the soup they contracted prettily and turned out like REAL WONTONS.<br /><br />i was proud of myself.<br /><br />right now i'm cooking up a beef bourgignon type thing without red wine. it's bubbling away, but i have to turn it off in a minute and put it in the fridge while i go and get the kids, then take them all to the dentist.<br /><br />it's cold, windy and rainy.Melbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02257719342445833725noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24342219.post-1144820586346323692006-04-12T15:33:00.000+10:002006-04-12T15:49:14.793+10:00transport at federation squarenow i'm not muscling in on we do chew our food.<br /><br />BUT i just want to tell about my lunch yesterday.<br /><br />i went to transport at fed square. i had a hankering for some sort of seafood with pasta, and chilli and garlic and oil. you know the drill. i'd been in at uni, and then in flinders lane finding beads for some old costume jewellery. but <a href="http://the-helper.blogspot.com/2006/04/bead-city.html">that's another story</a>.<br /><br />i was peckish and had time. i walked past macdonald's and hungry jacks. i was drawn to fed square, though god knows why. i think it's barren and ugly and too too bright.<br /><br />on the specials menu they had prawns with spaghetti and everything else i wanted.<br /><br />for $12.50<br /><br /><em>oh great,</em> i thought.<em> it'll be one of those teeny serves.</em><br /><em></em><br />i got a glass of some sort of pinot grigio for $8.50.<br /><br />then the pasta was ready. they have those little buzzer vibro things that let you know when to go up and collect the food.<br /><br />the pasta was nice. but, and believe me when i say this, there were <em>too many prawns</em>.<br /><br /><em>there's no such thing as too many prawns!</em>, john yelled in amusement when i told him that night.<br /><br />but yea, in my mind, there can be too many prawns. these prawns were beautifully cooked. they were plump and they had that wonderful teeth-feel when i bit into them.<br /><br />but really, there were too many of them.<br /><br />or was it a case of <em>not enough pasta?</em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em>Melbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02257719342445833725noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24342219.post-1144293061603636732006-04-06T12:57:00.000+10:002006-04-06T13:11:01.616+10:00lunch parts one and two. vegetarians beware! content includes mention of animal flesh and carcasses and gratuitous bone grawing reference.just ten minutes ago i was standing at the kitchen bench enjoying the first part of my lunch. this is a ritual that i indulge in occasionally, and i feel it connects me back through time, to my peasant forebears (whether real or imagined).<br /><br />last night we had roast chicken. princess loves the drumstick, and the other two kids prefer breast. john likes breast and thigh (natch). i love thigh, drumstick and wing. i am a sucker for bones. (of course, i hear you say.)<br /><br />what i like to do the next day is pick at the carcass. i stand there, and lean over and sort through it like a wide-hipped italian mama at the fruit market, picking out the best roma tomatoes. i was good and did not comsume any skin. i am trying to be good. i did however get off every speck of meat. my grandmothers, both dearly departed, would be smiling right now, if not clapping politely. i'm sure they both did it too, but in private. it is a private ritual; perhaps some sort of bulimic-psychology is attached to the fact that it's best done alone, without anyone watching. it's not graceful and it aint pretty. it's maybe a culinary equivalent to the "bad naked" that jerry seinfeld so cringed over. [remember, there's good naked and bad naked. bad naked is trying to unscrew the tight lid of a jar, naked.]<br /><br />my sister does this too, and we got it from our mother. [the chicken thing, not the naked thing. stay with me.]<br /><br />then part two of lunch is possibly near the top of my top ten quick lunches using leftover rice or pasta. this was a portion of rice from yesterday, fry in frying pan (just heat through really, until it starts to stick. you've put a little bit of oil in first.) then break two eggs on top, stir them through and cook. add some shredded cheese, wait til it's all blended and gorgeous, then a little nice salt and ground pepper.<br /><br />part three of my lunch is sitting out on the kitchen bench; it's undressed salad from last night. i don't know that i will eat it as i'm full from my other two indulgences.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>the fish always stinks from the head downwards.</em></span>Melbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02257719342445833725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24342219.post-1143789458699180002006-03-31T17:49:00.000+11:002006-03-31T18:19:05.240+11:00prawns, blue grenadier and calamari pan fried with garlic, oil and parsley and tossed through spaghetti no. 4this is my favourite ever friday night meal. the bottle of wine is cooling in the fridge. i have prepared the seafood, and it resting in oil, garlic and parsley. ready to be tossed around a large frying pan.<br /><br />the huge pot of water is on to boil. this is for the spaghetti, number 4 size. i abhor round spaghetti that is too thick. and don't even talk to me about the spaghetti with holes in the middle. just wrong.<br /><br />i kept a portion of calamari aside and that is sitting in some oil, garlic and parsley but with the tiniest amount of fresh, red-hot chilli, diced finely. this i think will be like a cook's treat, eaten while the rest is being put together. i am happy to share it with anyone who comes into the kitchen but i don't think the kids will want any.<br /><br />do you like that phrase "cook's treat"? it's something nigella said in one of her shows, as if the mere mention of it, like a verbal reservation, justified the indulgence of stuffing your face with some tasty morsel in the kitchen, either while cooking or immediately after, as you are plating up.<br /><br />i like the idea and have made it my own.<br /><br />do you have parmesan or other hard dry italian-type cheese on your seafood pasta? it's not the done thing i know, but i do. i like the pana granado myself. i have one of those <em>amelie</em> cheese graters which are just fantastic.<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7892/1189/1600/cheese%20grater.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7892/1189/1600/cheese%20grater.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7892/1189/320/cheese%20grater.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7892/1189/1600/cheese%20grater.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />and i usually put too much oil in my seafood pastas just because i'm greedy.<br /><br />oh goody, piano is here...Melbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02257719342445833725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24342219.post-1143155711437567792006-03-24T09:42:00.000+11:002006-03-24T10:15:11.453+11:00coffee, including turkish coffee recipe and reading the grindsone of the best pieces i have read on coffee surely must reside <a href="http://letmeeatnow.blogspot.com/2006/02/comedia-del-latt.html">here</a>. it's called Comedia Del Latté, it's by fluffy, one of the compadres* at <a href="http://letmeeatnow.blogspot.com/">we do chew our food.</a><br /><br />coffee is something that i drink almost every day. there was a time, in my adult life, when i didn't. i didn't even necessarily drink it at cafes, let alone at home. i remember being in new york with princess in a pusher (that's a pram, nothing to do with some bizarre drug story) and my mother. we would head out in the morning, take five steps, and mum would say<br /><br /><em>i just need a coffee.</em><br /><br />at the time, i couldn't really understand it. and this is a short 6 or 7 years ago.<br /><br />things changed for me when i got a job at a graphic design studio. that is a whole other story in itself, and includes probably about 15 sub-stories. however the <em>coffee</em> part of the tale is that we would get takeaway coffees from a nice cafe nearby. even the young spunk designer who was drinking hot chocolates when i started, was ordering lattes by the end of my 3.5 years there.<br /><br />my brother drinks flat whites. he is the only person i know to do so. i drink a skinny latte.<br /><br />there's a good joke that goes like this. january of last year i was up in sydney with a gaggle of girlfriends. we are all mothers, and some of us are mo-fos as well. just joking. i know i can be sometimes.<br /><br />one of the crew was celebrating her 40th birthday and had decided instead of having a party, that she would like to take us all up to sydney, that is pay for flights and accommodation, at a nice coogee hotel, right on the beach road. so we head off in limo to the airport, champagne at 11am. giggling we check in, and i was trying to explain to the others that no body should make any kind of joke about nail files or bombs. i really wanted to go to sydney, see?<br /><br />anyway, that first night we went out for dinner. we all drank too much. there was a thunderstorm with masses of hot, heavy rain. we sat in the restaurant, and ate a huge amount of food. and then i ordered a skinny latte. they laughed and laughed at me; i'd eaten steak, i'd eaten frittes, i'd eaten half a huge dessert tasting plate. and then i ordered a skinny latte.<br /><br />i think it's reasonable.<br /><br />my mother has skinny lattes too. she used to be a cappuccino woman, now she is latte girl.<br /><br />my sister still has cappuccinos i think.<br /><br />john has strong lattes.<br /><br />princess can't wait to be a coffee drinker. i used to order cappuccinos when she was a toddler, so she could have some of the chocolate froth.<br /><br />my sister is emotionally scarred by an exchange she had when she was a kid and wanted the froth from my mum's cappuccino, and our mother said<br /><br /><em>i like the froth, too.</em><br /><em></em><br />my sister still remembers that. and i've seen her give her two kids all the froth on her cappas.<br /><br />-----------------------------<br /><em>Turk Kahvesi</em><br />Turkish Coffee<br /><br />[verbatim from one of my turkish cookbooks]<br /><br />1 heaping spoon ground coffee<br />1/4 teaspoon sugar (for coffee with little sugar) - this is called <em>az sekker</em><br />1/2 teaspoon sugar (for medium-sweet coffee) - this is called <em>orta</em><br />1 teaspoon<em> </em>sugar (for sweet coffee) - this is called <em>sekkerli</em><br />no sugar (for black coffee) - what the?<br />1/4 cup (65ml) cold water (or measure water with demi-tasse to be served)<br /><br />Turkish coffee can be obtained anywhere as ground coffee. Otherwise, coffee beans can be roasted in a pan in the over, stirring occasionally until the preferred darkness is obtained. The the beans are ground, in a Turkish "kahve degirmeni" (brass coffee grinder) if available, or in an ordinary coffee grinder until it becomes pulverised.<br /><br />Ground coffee can be preserved in a tightly-covered jar for a few weeks.<br /><br />Place coffee and sugar in a small cevze (pot with long handle, preferably brass, copper or enamel), add water and mix them together. Cook on a very low heat stirring occasionally until the froth on the surface starts rising.<br /><br />Pour a small amount of froth into a demi-tasse. Return pot to the heat and bring to a boil. Pour the remaining coffee into the demi-tasse until it reaches the brim.<br /><br />NOTE: If more that one demi-tasse preferred, multiply above ingredients by the number of cups and pour a little froth into each cup first. Make sure not to drink the thick residue remaining at the bottom of the coffee cup.<br /><strong>1 Serving.</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />[Ramazanoglu, Gulseren. (1990). <em>Turkish Cooking.</em> Istanbul: Ramazanoglu Publications. p.90]<br /><br />then once you have drunk the coffee, leave the grinds at the bottom, turn the cup over onto the saucer, turn it three times and put it down to settle. after about 5 minutes, turn the cup over look for any of the following:<br /><br />ACORN - at the top means success and gain: At the bottom means good health.<br />AIRCRAFT - journey; if broken means danger of accident; can also mean a rise in position<br />ANCHOR - at top rest, stability, constancy; at bottom means clouded, inconstancy<br />APPLE - achievement<br />AXE - difficulties; if at top overcoming of difficulties<br />BABY - small worries, something new<br />BAG - a trap; if open, escape<br />BALL - variable fortunes<br />BELL - unexpected news; good if near top<br />BIRDS - good news<br />BOAT - visit from a friend, protection. lifepath<br />BOOK - if open it's good news; if closed you need to investigate something<br />BUSH - new friend or opportunities<br />BUTTERFLY - fickleness<br />CABBAGE - jealousy; with dots means at work<br />CANDLE - help from others<br />CAP - trouble<br />CAT - deceit, a false friend<br />CHAIN - engagement, a wedding<br />CHAIR - a guest<br />CIGAR - a new friend<br />CIRCLE - success, completion; with dots means a baby<br />CLOCK - better health<br />CLOUDS - trouble; with dots means many problems<br />COIN - money coming<br />COMB - an enemy<br />CROSS - suffering, sacrifice<br />CUP - reward<br />DAGGER - danger from self or others; beware<br />DISH - trouble at home<br />DOG - good friend; if at bottom friend needs help<br />DOOR - odd event<br />DUCK - money coming<br />EGG - good omen, creation, new beginnings<br />ELEPHANT - wisdom, strength, luck<br />ENVELOPE - good news<br />EYE - creation<br />FACE - a change, may be a setback<br />FAN - flirtation<br />FEATHER - lack of concentration<br />FENCE - limitations, minor setbacks, not permanent<br />FINGER - emphasizes whatever sigh it points at<br />FIRE - at top achievement; at bottom danger of haste<br />FISH - good fortune<br />FLAG - danger<br />FLY - domestic annoyance<br />FORK - false flattery<br />FORKED LINE - decision<br />FRUIT - prosperity<br />GATE - opportunity, future success<br />GLASS - integrity<br />GLOW - a challenge<br />GOAT - be careful of enemies<br />GRAPES - happiness<br />GUN - anger, sex<br />HAMMER - hard work needed<br />HAND - if open means friendship; if closed means an argument<br />HARP - love, harmony<br />HAT - improvement, especially in a new job<br />HAWK - jealousy<br />HEART - pleasure, love, trust<br />HORSE - if galloping means good news; if just the head means a lover<br />HORSESHOE - good luck<br />HOURGLASS - need to decide something, time, synchronicity, illusion, creation<br />HOUSE - security<br />ICEBERG - danger<br />INSECT - problems are minor and you will easily overcome<br />JEWELS - gifts<br />KANGAROO - harmony at home<br />KETTLE - any illness is minor<br />KITE - wishes coming true<br />KNIFE - broken friendship<br />LADDER - promotion, a rise in life<br />LAMP - at the top means a feast; at the side means secrets revealed; at the bottom means postponement<br />LEAF - new life<br />LETTER - news<br />LINES - if straight means progress; if wavy means uncertain path<br />LION - influential friends, strength<br />LOCK - obstacles if closed - new information unfolduing if open<br />LOOP - avoid impulsive actions, full circle<br />MAN - near handle means a visitor<br />MASK - excitement; insecurity. something hidden<br />MOUNTAIN - great goals but with many difficulties<br />MOUSE - theft<br />MUSHROOM - at top means journey or moving to the country; near bottom means rapid growth; if reversed means frustration<br />NAIL - injustice, unfairness<br />NECKLACE - complete, admirers; if broken means danger of losing a lover<br />NEEDLE - recognition, admiration<br />OAK - health, long life<br />OCTOPUS - danger, 8, infinity<br />OSTRICH - travel<br />OWL - gossip, scandal<br />PALM TREE - success, honor<br />PARASOL - new lover, something hidden<br />PARROT - a journey, but also can mean people talking<br />PIG - greed<br />PURSE - at top means profit; at bottom means lose<br />QUESTION MARK - need for caution<br />RABBIT - need for bravery<br />RAKE - watch details<br />RAVEN - bad news<br />RING - aphone calls, mear the top means marriage or the offer of marriage; at bottom means long engagement; if broken means engagement broken off<br />ROSE - popularity, creation<br />SAW - interference, tear apart<br />SCALE - legal issues; if balanced means just result; if unbalanced means unjust result<br />SCISSORS - quarrels, possibly separation<br />SHEEP - good fortune<br />SHELL - good news<br />SHELTER - danger of loss or ill health<br />SHIP - worthwhile journey<br />SHOE - change for the better<br />SNAKE - an enemy, but also wisdom<br />SPIDER - reward for work<br />SPOON - generosity<br />STAR - health and happiness, hope<br />SUN - happiness, success, power<br />SWORD - arguments<br />TABLE - social gatherings<br />TENT - travel, cover, hidden truth<br />THIMBLE - changes at home<br />TORTOISE - criticism, usually beneficial<br />TOWER - disappointment<br />TREE - improvements<br />TRIANGLE - something unexpected. pyramids, 3<br />UMBRELLA - annoyances<br />URN - wealth and happiness<br />VASE - a friend needs help<br />VIOLIN - egotism<br />VOLCANO - harmful emotions<br />WAGON - a wedding<br />WASP - romantic problems<br />WATERFALL - prosperity<br />WHEEL - if complete means good fortune; if broken means disappointment<br />WINGS - messages<br />WOLF - jealousy<br />YOKE - domination<br />ZEBRA - adventure, especially overseas<br /><br />and if you've made it to the end, a treat for you:<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning. The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee." The husband said, " You are in charge of cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee."Wife replies, "No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee." Husband replies, "I can't believe that, show me." So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says... "HEBREWS"</span><br /><br /><br />* used here in the sense of comrades, not middle-aged men who may or may not be god-fathers. i just like the sound of the word.Melbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02257719342445833725noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24342219.post-1142770952022437222006-03-19T23:20:00.000+11:002006-03-19T23:22:32.033+11:00a new foodie spotfood + mg = heaven.<br /><br />i know it's the same for a lot of us. this is the place where i want to share interesting snippets with you, such as:<br /><br />the 12 hottest chillis in the world, starting with the hottest at number 12:<br /><br />12. Bahamian<br />11. Santaca (Japanese)<br />10. Tabasco<br />9. Jalapeno<br />8. Espanola<br />7. Cayenne<br />6. Sandia<br />5. Hot Ancho<br />4. Numex Big Jim<br />3. Rio Grande<br />1. New Mexico No. 6<br />1. Anaheim<br /><br />[this scale was developed by Dr Roy Nakamara, taken from Wallechinsky et al (1980) The Book of Lists 2. London: Elm Tree Books Ltd.]<br /><br />you may find a recipe or two, some nice pics, some humour and some very scholarly and dry information. but it will always, i hope, have an element of quirk.<br /><br />this can also be a collection point for shared information about food. not restaurant reviews, as that is well-covered <a href="http://letmeeatnow.blogspot.com/">here </a>and elsewhere. but if you know a good place to buy a large stone mortar and pestle, at the back of a dusty shelf in an obscure little asian market for $20, instead of the trendy place that charges $50, then i think everyone would be happy if you share it here.<br /><br /><em>And now with some pleasure I find that it's seven; and must cook dinner. Haddock and sausage meat. I think that it is true that one gains a certain hold on sausage and haddock by writing them down.</em> - Virginia Woolf.<br /><br />so, i'm going to try and gain a certain hold on things here, by writing them down.Melbahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02257719342445833725noreply@blogger.com3