Cooking the Books…

The kitchen smelt very much like anzac biscuits, but gingery anzac biscuits. Or what gingery anzac biscuits would smell like if they were turned into the base of a gingery anzacy slice.

In the oven was the ginger oaty slice from The Cook and The Baker. I’m on deadline, so of course I was procrastibaking.

Anyways, this slice is a real winner. On top goes a rich, fudgey icing made of butter, icing sugar and golden syrup. Yes, all of those things. Together.

Given that I don’t eat sugar, and hubby shouldn’t be eating sugar, I suspect a large proportion of this will be going into work with me on Monday.

I first heard of this book on the Chat 10 Looks 3 Podcast- the one I’ve told you about with Annabel Crabb and Leigh Sales- and finally managed to track it down on Booktopia.

This slice is the first thing I’ve made from this book, but I doubt it will be the last.

Over the last week I’ve also been doing some experimenting from Adam Liaw’s new book, Asian Cookery School.

Regular readers know I’m a fan of Adam’s work- I have (and regularly cook from) all of his books. I was a little slow off the mark in grabbing hold of this book- not because I didn’t think I’d enjoy it, but because of the title. Ok, yes, I was concerned it could be a little too simple. How arrogant does that sound?

Adam has arranged the book into a series of “lessons” from understanding flavour and texture and woks to ingredient groupings.

The result is a series of classic Asian dishes that can easily be made well at home.

So far we’ve prepared the steamed ginger chicken (p10) and steamed fish with ginger and spring onion (p17). Both are quick and easy enough to prepare for a mid-week meal, and healthy enough to satisfy the new year dietary resolutions. You can find the recipe for the steamed ginger chicken here.

So far, though, the stand-out meal has been the chicken and coconut curry noodles (p66). Wow. Just wow.

I made this one on Friday night after a crappy day in what had been a week of crappy days. Let’s just say the crowd went wild…well, the three of us did.

I ooomphed up the curry paste a bit with some extra curry powder, extra chilli and extra ginger, and the result was the best cheaty laksa I’ve made.

What else?

Tuesday was Australia Day and we had friends over for lunch.

On the menu was butterflied lamb on the barbecue, my beetroot and rocket salad, and pavlova. Of course.

One of our friends also brought a pavlova. The funny thing was, both of us had chosen to make Nigella Lawson pavlovas- for Australia Day. D prepared the chocolate and raspberry one from Forever Summer. This pav has long been a favourite to make and bring whenever it’s my turn for dessert and I need to cater for gluten free. You can find the recipe here.

I chose to do the lemon curd pav from her new book Simply Nigella. Miss T reckoned it tasted like the best lemon meringue pie she’d had. Big call. Anyways, the picture is below and you can find the recipe online here.