I haven't written an In My Kitchen post for a while, as quite frankly there has not been much happening. I have no idea where the year has gone, but it has left me precious little time for experimenting. Or for accumulating gadgets, something that Mr Grumpy is eternally grateful for. However, a change of season has brought with it stirrings in the kitchen, and I suddenly find myself with goodies to share.
I have long been a fan of the Ginger Syrup produced by The Ginger People. We love it poured over waffles or stirred into lemon tea when feeling poorly. So when I was approached to try some other products from their Organic Pantry Essentials line* I jumped at the chance. The minced ginger is a handy timesaver for spooning into stir fries and curries, and great for those times you discover there is no ginger in the house (Or is that just me??), and I love that the Pickled Sushi Ginger is not artificially coloured - most shop versions are a lurid and unnatural shade of pink. The product that excites me the most though is the Ginger Juice. I have lots of gingery salad dressings planned, without the bits that come from grated ginger.
If the demolition of the Ginger Bar by The Princess is anything to go by, their confectionery line is also very good. I can't vouch for that personally as the bar disappeared before I could try it. You have to be quick around here.
Whilst I usually make my own cultured mayonnaise, I always keep a commercial brand on hand for those times that I run out and cannot be bothered making more. I was recently sent samples of the Birch & Waite's Whole Egg Mayonnaise range*, which has both a traditional version and a variety of flavoured options. I have to say I am very impressed by the quality of the mayonnaise. It is well balanced, and not too sweet like many commercial varieties. We are seriously in love with the chipotle version. It has just the right amount of heat to it, and paired perfectly with our weekend pulled pork sandwiches. The Princess has also been dolloping the truffle mayonnaise on her chicken sandwiches, which I think is a big tick of approval. If you are in Australia, the line is currently stocked in Woolworths.
There is a lot of fresh produce in the kitchen at the moment. Whilst my own garden is bursting with broccoli and silverbeet, a recent trip to dad's veggie garden resulted in this bounty. I love it when cabbages are so fresh that they squeak. The only downside is that this bounty arrived after I had completed my weekly meal plan, so now I have to rethink the whole thing to take advantage of the produce. I see caramelised brussel sprouts with bacon in my dining future.
And lastly In My Kitchen is my Nan's recipe book. I collated this version from my Nana's old recipe books as a Christmas present for my mum a few years ago, and obviously kept a copy for myself. I have dipped into it occasionally but have been making a more concerted effort to cook from it of late. I am discovering some fantastic yet simple recipes that the whole family love, and will be putting some of them up on the blog soon. Keep an eye out for them.
That's about it for my kitchen this month. In My Kitchen is now hosted by Liz from Good Things, so don't forget to hop over to her blog to check out what is happening in other kitchens around the world.
* These products were supplied to me in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.
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