Off The Shelf - 'A Table for Friends' by Skye McAlpine

Bought at: I pre-ordered it from Booktopia.

Recipes Made: Aphrodite’s Roast Chicken p.90, Roast Apples p.172 and Pistachio Butter Cake with Marzipan Icing p.232. 

The recipe for Aphrodite’s Roast Chicken is deceptively simple, in the sense that I doubted before I ate it that a mixture of so few ingredients (chicken, potato, lemon, rosemary and garlic) could produce a roast chicken any different from things I’d tried before. However, slicing the potatoes and placing them under the chicken, means they soak up so much flavour and are a joy to eat along with the chicken. To the point that I don’t know why anyone would bother cooking potatoes separately to their roast chicken after trying this recipe.

Similar to the Aphrodite’s Roast Chicken, the Roast Apples are amazingly simple, yet yield delicious results. Skye introduces the recipe as a substitute for apple sauce with some meats, however we used it as a very simple dessert. Served with ice cream it was delicious and very easy.

Having found Skye’s original recipe for her Pistachio Butter Cake with Marzipan Icing online a few years ago, I have made it many times and made variations and adaptations to it over time as well (a couple of them pictured below). It is a favourite cake of mine, as I love all things pistachio. I was so glad to see a version of it in this cookbook, as I think it is such a great recipe and such a reliable cake to make, that hopefully this means more people will be able to enjoy it. I have never made the cake with the marzipan icing, I usually make a simple glaze icing with lemon juice or rosewater.

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Favourite Things About the Book: My favourite thing about all of Skye’s work is her absolutely gorgeous photography and styling. This book is a real feast for the eyes, and it is so gentle and calming to look at. Combined with the design of the book and the use of colour, this cookbook just exudes joy and abundance, in a simple and achievable way. 

I also really like how most of these recipes are interesting flavour wise, yet not overly complex. While I haven’t made a large variety of recipes from this book, the recipes I have tried have been made many times (particularly the Roast Chicken and Pistachio Butter Cake), and have become staples in our home.

Bookmarked Recipes (to make later!): Wintery Saffron Couscous p.48, Rigatoni with Mascarpone and Pancetta p.64, Spinach Mint and Melted Cheese Syrian Frittata p.80, Tagliatelle Gratin pp.86-7, Beetroot and Mint Salad p.118, Baby Artichoke Fennel and Pecorino Salad p.122, Fennel and Parmesan Purée p.136, Asparagus with Lemon and Toasted Almond Gratin p.138, Carrot Cumin and Mint Salad p.144, An Embarrassment of Spring Vegetables p.146, Roast Stuffed Tomatoes p.156, Creamy Baked Leeks with Mustard and Parmesan p.164 and Roasted Fennel Focaccia p.256

Baked Pasta with Wood Smoked Scamorza and Eggplant

Behold, a savoury recipe! 🤣

I can’t remember the last time I posted a non-sweet recipe on my blog. Despite my love for sweet treats and baked goods, I do throughly enjoy savoury flavours too. For some reason I just don’t post many of those recipes here. I think because many aren’t my own creations but cooking from one of my many cookbooks (some of these I share in my Off The Shelf series). 

For this recipe however, I have borrowed things I have learnt from other recipes and created this baked pasta dish. The inspiration was the fact that I had both eggplant and wood smoked scamorza cheese in the fridge. And while the combination of those two things would normally have been reaching for Alison Roman’s recipe for a ‘Little Eggplant Parm’, which I do highly recommend, I felt like something a little different this time. 

Both the method of cooking eggplant and the tomato sauce for this recipe are highly influenced by Alison’s Eggplant Parm recipe. Baking eggplant is so much easier than frying and I will be forever grateful to Alison for showing me how. 

The scamorza cheese I used for this dish is wood smoked, and along with the red wine vinegar in the tomato sauce, the flavour is a real hero in the dish. I don’t think all scamorza’s are wood smoked, but if you can find one that is (or a wood smoked buffalo mozzarella) it will be well worth it. You can use more regular mozzarella cheese instead, however the flavour won’t be the same. I would add more Parmesan (or similar) to the top of the baked pasta for flavour, or even add some anchovies and/or baby capers to the tomato sauce while it is cooking - For anchovies, add your desired amount to the onions and garlic when the onion is beginning to soften, stir and allow the anchovies to melt away. For capers, add your desired amount when you add the basil to the sauce. 

Baked Pasta with Wood Smoked Scamorza and Eggplant 

Ingredients: 

2 medium eggplants

olive oil

salt 

pepper

x2 400g cans whole tomatoes such as San Marzano

1 brown onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 bunch basil leaves thinly sliced 

2 tbsp tomato paste/concentrate

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

250-290g medium sized pasta such as penne, fusilli or I used casarecce (I used approx. 1/2 a 500g packet of pasta, but use a minimum of 250g)

1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese 

140g wood smoked scamorza cheese, cut into small chunks

2 tbsp finely grated pecorino/parmesan/grana padano

Method: 

Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius. 

Line a large baking tray or sheet pan. 

Cut the eggplant into 1-1.5cm slices so you end up with fat round discs of eggplant. Place the eggplant discs in a single layer on your prepared tray, drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle with some salt and pepper.

Bake for about 30-40 mins, turning the eggplant pieces over after 20 minutes to both sides cook evenly. 

The eggplant will be done when it is a deep golden brown and softened. Once cooked set aside. 

To make the tomato sauce, add about 1-2 tbsp olive oil to a large round pan (a bonus if it is oven safe too) over medium heat. 

Add the onions and cook for about five minutes, stirring now and then. Add the garlic and continue to cook with the onions until the onions have softened and are starting to turn a little golden (5-10 minutes). 

Add the two cans of tomatoes, and squish the whole tomatoes into chunks. Pour a little water (a couple of tablespoons max.) into each tomato can, and swirl around to catch any tomato left. Add this to the pan, and stir. 

Allow the tomato mixture to cook over low to medium heat until it starts to gently bubble and thicken a little. Add the tomato paste and basil and stir to combine. 

Bring a large pot of water to the boil, all the while keeping the tomato sauce gently cooking, stirring now and then. 

Reduce the oven temp to 180 degrees Celsius (or turn on and heat to 180 if you turned it off after the eggplant). 

Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to packet instructions. 

While the pasta is boiling, add the red wine vinegar to the tomato sauce and stir to combine.

Cut the eggplant up into quarters (or half for smaller pieces), and add to the sauce. 

Stir to combine and turn the heat off. 

Once the pasta is ready, drain and add to the tomato sauce and stir so the pasta is evenly coated in the sauce. 

If your pan is oven proof, you can scatter the cheeses over and place into the oven. Otherwise transfer the contents of the pan to an oven proof dish, then scatter over all the cheeses. 

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cheeses have melted and are golden brown. 

Serves 6.

Pistachio Loaf with Rose Icing

I think my love of pistachio is fairly widely know by now. Sometimes people even send me messages or tag me in things on Instagram about pistachio related things or products they think I should know about. I love it. 

I genuinely crave pistachio flavoured things, and this cake is no exception. 

It is a slight adaptation of a loaf cake from my Cosy Winter Bakes eBook, and closely related to this Rose Petal and Pistachio Cake. The recipe in its original form came from Skye McApline, and like any really good recipe, it has lent itself to many adaptations and variations. It’s been the recipe that keeps on giving. 

This version uses a subtly scented rose glaze icing to complement the pistachio cake, and is my new favourite version of this recipe.

Pistachio Loaf with Rose Icing

Ingredients: 

200g unsalted butter, softened

190g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

120g pistachio butter*

60g white chocolate, melted

3 eggs

120g yoghurt

200g self raising flour 

Ingredients for the Icing: 

170g icing mixture

1.5-2 tbsp rosewater

dried edible rose petals, to decorate

slivered or roughly chopped pistachios, to decorate

Method: 

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius and line a 22 x 10 x 8.5 cm (approx.) loaf tin.

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Mix together the pistachio butter and melted white chocolate, then add to the butter mixture and mix until combined. 

Add in the eggs one at a time, then add the yoghurt and mix until well combined. Add the flour and mix on low speed until combined and the batter is smooth.

Transfer the batter to the prepared cake tin and bake for 50 minutes. Then cover the cake with foil and bake for a further 20-25 minutes, or until the cake is cooked through. 

Allow the cake to cool in its tin for a few minutes, then turn out on a wire rack to cool further.

Once the cake has almost completely cooled down make the icing by, mixing together the icing sugar and 1 tbsp of the rosewater, adding more a little at a time until you have a smooth spreadable icing (it shouldn’t be really runny or it will run off the cake). 

Spread the icing over the cake, allowing it to fall over the sides a little. Sprinkle with some dried edible rose petals and slivered pistachios to decorate. 

*or the same quantity of lightly toasted pistachios blitzed in a food processor until it forms a butter (10-20 minutes). 

Reference: ‘A Table for Friends’ by Skye McAlpine (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020) p.232.

Biscoff & White Chocolate Cookie Slice

I have been thinking a lot lately about the impact of over three months of lockdown, plus restrictions for so long before that with all these ‘unprecedented times’ (or are they just ‘precedented’ times now?) we have been experiencing. 

Some changes have been big, and have taken a lot to adjust to. Others have been smaller and seem to have crept up on me with what feels like little warning. One major change I have noticed since this lockdown began in late June, is that coming up with new recipes has proved more of a challenge. A lot of my inspiration for recipes comes from going to the shops and seeing what is in season and stumbling across a new ingredient I just have to try. In store food shopping these days is few and far between, there is no browsing or looking, its just get in and out as quick as humanly possible. 

Eating out can also prove to be a great inspiration for new recipes too, but that has been almost non-existent for some time now. 

When coming up with new recipes for my blog, technically the possibilities are endless. But somehow that lack of structure means no new ideas come at all, especially when inspiration is few and far between. When I work with clients on recipes they will have their own requirements and ideas on what they want, so there are automatically boundaries around what a new recipe will be. These boundaries help narrow things down and I find it a easy to come up with new ideas. 

The only source of food inspiration now comes from the few special home deliveries I have been able to get, which I spoke about in this recent post. These deliveries prove to be welcome in more ways than one, especially as they provide a tiny element of food inspiration and a window into what might be happening outside my own home. 

This particular slice recipe was inspired by a cookie delivery I got from Butter Boy Bake. I have ordered twice from them now and have really enjoyed them and will definitely miss them if they cease delivering once lockdown ends. 

The combination of cinnamon, white chocolate and biscoff spread forms the basis of Butter Boy’s ‘snickerdoodle’ cookie and the combination got me thinking about how I could made something similar, but even easier. Which then make me think of my Funfetti Cookie Slice and how that could be adapted to incorporating Butter Boy’s ‘snickerdoodle’ cookie flavours. 

I am happy to report that these flavours work so well in a cookie slice and I can now rest easy that even if I never get a delivery from Butter Boy Bake again, or never actually get to visit their store in Manly, I will always be able to recreate at least one of their flavours myself.

I hope you enjoy making this cookie slice as well, it is a lot easier to make than many other baked goods even if you are low on time or motivation, is excellent to snack on and very tasty. 

Biscoff and White Chocolate Cookie Slice 

a.k.a Butter Boy Bake’s Snickerdoodle Cookie but in a Slice

Ingredients:

120g unsalted butter, melted

200g caster sugar 

2 tbsp golden syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

290g self raising flour

2 tsp ground cinnamon

120g Biscoff Spread

120g white chocolate, roughly chopped

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a 30x20cm brownie or Lamington tin with baking paper. 

In a large bowl whisk together the butter, sugar, golden syrup, vanilla and egg.

Then add the flour and cinnamon and mix to combine with a wooden spoon.

Tip the dough into the prepared tray, and spread it out, pushing it into the sides. Dollop the Biscoff spread over the dough and swirl/push in with a knife. Scatter the chopped white chocolate over the dough, pushing them in a little.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. 

Allow to cool completely in the tin. Then remove and cut into slices or chunks of your choice.

Serves 12-15. 

Cookbooks to Learn From

I believe you can always learn something from a cookbook, but there are some out there that are designed to really teach you something or be an authority on a particular topic, cooking style, region etc. 

I love cookbooks that add to my knowledge on a particular area of cooking, or those I can use to refer back to when I need help with a particular technique or flavour pairing. Below is a list of some I find most useful.

What would you add to the list?

1. The Flavour Thesaurus and Lateral Cooking by Niki Segnit - Niki's books are the product of immense amounts of research and are so useful to have. The Flavour Thesaurus uses a flavour wheel to categorise different ingredients and then shows what combinations work and why. Lateral Cooking shows the links between cooking techniques and uses research from other cookbooks to explain how modifications can be made. There is a great interview with Niki on the Honey and Co Podcast where she explains the premise and work behind each book really well. These two books are probably the most used of my cooking reference books, they are filled with the answers to my questions and Lateral Cooking in particular is super useful for basic recipes and adapting recipes.

2. Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat - This list wouldn't be complete without Samin's super popular book! Samin shows us how salt, fat, acid and heat are the four main elements of cooking. This is a really worthwhile book to have, and there are some great interviews with Samin where she discusses her book on Radio Cherry Bombe and the Honey and Co Podcast. 

3. I also really love books like Citrus by Catherine Phipps, where one category of ingredient is the theme of the whole book. In Citrus, Catherine gives information about well and lesser known citrus and a whole variety of recipes in which they can be used. These types of books are great if you want to know more about a particular ingredient or often have an abundance of that ingredient. 

4. Books such as Pasta by Antonio Carluccio and Patisserie by Dupius and Cazor are great for getting an in depth look at a particular cooking technique or style. I love Antonio Carluccio's book Pasta, as it has some great tips for making pasta, different recipes and accompaniments for the pasta you've made. Books like Patisserie are great when you want to perfect skills that you may not use regularly in the kitchen. Both books have great step by step photos, and Patisserie has excellent illustrations of each dessert showing the layers and elements of each.

5. Finally, I love books such as Gastronomy of Italy by Anne Del Conte, Maggie's Harvest by Maggie Beer and How to Eat by Nigella Lawson as they are the kind of book you can use as a thesaurus to explain how to use particular ingredient or cook a particular type of dish. None of these books have many photos as they are heavy on useful information and I often use them when I have come across a particular ingredient and need some ideas as to how to cook it. I have found Maggie’s Harvest particularly useful when I am searching for ideas on how to cook a slightly less common ingredient such as duck eggs or zucchini flowers and Nigella’s book is really useful for those simple yet endlessly useful recipes like homemade stocks.

The Unexpected Perks of Lockdown

I was talking to a friend the other day, and we both agreed that small businesses pivoting to home delivery during lockdown has actually made some of these businesses more accessible to us than they have ever been before.

As much as I dream about travelling across Sydney to try some amazing looking food I’ve seen probably on Instagram, in reality, that dream remains just that, a dream. Mostly because it is completely impractical to spend the majority of a day travelling ages to buy a slice of cake. Plus even without lockdowns and the like, my desire to travel far and wide in my own city since the pandemic has reduced even lower than the relatively low levels I felt pre-pandemic. 

So being able to order almost anything online, not only allowed me to continue to support businesses, but try some products from businesses I probably never would have visited normally. 

Below are a few of my favourites I have tried during this now 11 week lockdown here in Sydney. What have you received via home delivery that you’ve really enjoyed lately?

Pepe Saya Butter - In pre-pandemic times I always found it hard to find a shop that stocked the majority if not all of the Pepe Saya range of butter and related products. Now I’ve found I can buy it all online, not only can I choose from the whole range, but the expiry dates on everything have a lot more leeway than what I could ever find in store. 

Butter Boy Bake - A fun cookie business I followed on Instagram with the vague thought that if I was ever in Manly where their store is, I might visit. Needless to say I haven’t been to Manly in many years and therefore never tried these cookies. Until Butter Boy Bake started delivering! Check their Instagram as they have select days where they will deliver to select suburbs on a rotating list. My favourite cookie was the birthday cake one!

Chiswick via Providoor - I’ve heard a bit about Providoor, and now there are quite a few restaurants on the Sydney version of the site. We ordered from Chiswick via Providoor recently and it was a really great meal, and dare I say, I enjoyed it more than going into an actual restaurant. 

Fabbrica Pasta - Another social media follow with vague hopes of one day visiting! Fabbrica regularly delivers within 7km of their store, however like Butter Boy select additional suburbs outside this radius each week to deliver also. Keep an eye out on their Instagram for the latest release of postcodes. I can highly recommend the Pork and Fennel Ragu. 

Brooklyn Boy Bagels (pictured above) - I got a delivery from Brooklyn Boy Bagels last Friday and it really made my day (possibly my whole week). Delivery was easy, and the range includes more than just bagels so I got a couple of loaves of challah and a sourdough as well. My freezer is now full of bread and I think that’s a good place to be.