Cook the Books - May

Week One:  Miss B's birthday meant cake and a nice dinner.  She wanted something international for her main course and a cake that was not too rich or sweet.  I made a Massaman curry from My Underground Kitchen, very yummy and not overly hot or spicy.  Her birthday cake was a Feijoa Lumberjack cake, a recipe which popped up on facebook helping us to use our excess feijoas.

Verdict:  Both were absolutely delicious, and I think the curry will be come a regular in my winter comfort food repertoire.

Week Two: Friday is normally Feed yourself Friday in my house, however I had not worked that day, and after a yoga session then the rest of the day doing some house work and gardening, I needed sustenance.  All I could think about was risotto, luckily my AWW Rice and Risotto book had a nice simple recipe that I had all the ingredients on hand for - Lemon Risotto . I was able to read and sip a chardonnay while continuously stirring.

Verdict:  I really enjoyed it creamy, cheesy and the lemon juice we drizzled over the top took the richness off it.  General consensus was that it tasted like a more deliciously rich macaroni cheese, and I could make it again, just not when Mr J is home.

Week Three: Was a write off in the cooking department, I cooked quick tried and tested one pot meals all week, no inclination to try anything new.

Week Four:  Finding a recipe that used up my limes and the buttermilk sitting in the fridge was a fortuitous find. Lime Syrup Buttermilk Cake from my AWW Cookbook - Classic Cakes is a good fallback for when I need something, and this recipe  was nice and easy to make, and the fresh lime scent as I grated zest was a bonus.

Verdict:  Moist and delicious,  especially slightly warm from the oven.  Yes I would definitely make this again.


Lets see how June goes, and whether I'll be all inspired to be creative in the kitchen after my trip to Australia,  I'm hoping to come home with some baking ingredients we can't get in New Zealand.