I’m back!!!! Back from Ireland, back from England, back from meetings in VA, back from my friend’s daughter’s wedding…whew! There has been a lot going on and most of it has not been in my kitchen. The situation is especially disappointing because I have a new kitchen in our cabin in Fort Bragg, I haven’t been able to spend much time there. But, lucky me, this whole week I am working remotely from the kitchen counter.
Early morning walk, getting the day started on the right foot.
“In My Kitchen” (sometimes called IMK), is an ongoing series of posts from around the world. Our host is Liz at BizzyLizzyGoodThings. It is a wonderful chance to peek into other people’s kitchens, who doesn’t love being a fly on the wall? You will get some great ideas along the way as well.
This is going to be a quick post because the entries close on the 10th and I really want to take part this month. I will elaborate more on items in this post later.
I saw these silicone pot lids on a couple of blogs in the past few months and wanted to try them. They are really useful and create an airtight water-tight seal on any smooth rim surface, are microwave oven and dishwasher safe, and can be used to prevent stove-top splatters and retain steam while cooking. I purchased a set from Amazon, Charles Viancin Silicone Lids, and am finding them very useful for storing food in the fridge (no plastic wrap) and covering pots on the stove. They are pretty as well.
In my kitchen I have black garlic, all the way from Ireland. I was a little concerned getting them through customs but there were no problems. They are an ingredient I see mentioned more frequently but had not seen in the states yet. Black garlic is made when heads of regular garlic are aged under specialized conditions until the cloves turn inky black and develop a sticky date-like texture (from Bon Apetit). The aging brings out many rich subtleties, sweet and earthy minus heat.
Black Garlic
I cannot wait to experiment, some say the flavor is like aged balsamic, prune, licorice, molasses, caramel, and tamarind.
October is my birthday month and cookbooks are a favorite present, I have some new ones and will be posting some representative recipes in the next few months.
New Cookbooks
Another new one
In my kitchen I have paperwhites, I am forcing them for winter scents.
In my kitchen I have some new spices from Oaktown Spice Shop. This is an Italian mixture and it was very good on some chicken thighs. I simply brushed them with olive oil, coated with the spices, and sprinkled them with sea salt. Baked at 450 degrees F, they were crispy on the outside and flavorful in only 40 minutes.
Mixed Italian Herbs
Baked Chicken Thighs with Erbe Italiane di Lusso
In my kitchen I have the first limes from the tree on the deck in Fort Bragg. I never really thought it would do well up there on the coast, but look at all those limes at year two! And there are more flowers, limes next year too, yeah! A recipe frequently calls for a squeeze of lime and I never seem to have it on hand, but I will now. Lime for an occasional vodka gimlet.
In my kitchen I have this gorgeous gratin dish, a gift from Spain from the lovely woman for whom I hosted a wedding shower. Thank you Jamie.
Gratin Dish from Spain
There is lots to get caught up with and I am excited to be back. Meanwhile, cheers from Ireland.
Cheers from Ireland