There IS a downside though, their beauty requires maintenance… but who ever said beauty wasn't worth the effort!
Daisy Angela x
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Friday, March 22, 2013
Such a COP out!
Amongst MANY items I intend on collecting for my 'dream kitchen', an array of copper pots is towards to top of my list. Not only do they look gorgeous with their rustic charm, but they also conduct heat impeccably, making them chef favourites.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
SPRING HAS SPRUNG… apparently
While March 20th marks the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, you'd be forgiven for shaking your head in disbelief. However, regardless of the snow flakes & winter chills that insist on grate-crashing Spring, we can get just a little excited that warmer weather should be with us soon.
And what would Spring be without its dazzling display of flowers?! Soon gorgeous BLooMS & BloSSoMS will be adorning vases & vessels, grown in gardens and used as ingredients & garnishes in the kitchen.
Have you ever considered adding edible flowers to your dish?
This beautiful salad by Italian chef Andrea Aprea is simply too pretty for words and is guaranteed to WOW your guests this Spring. The recipe is simple in essence, yet slightly laborious for a salad http://www.finedininglovers.com/recipes/main-course/salad-recipes-andrea-aprea/ . But that said, the presentation power of this dish is beyond impressive, so why not give it a try and add some fine dining flair to your repertoire! **Or, just visit Andrea's restaurant in Milan for a Spring vacation…
Now I'll forgive you if the above seems a little too ambitious, but I do encourage you to have a browse through this list of edible flowers, many of which you may have in your garden already.
So why not consider celebrating Spring in a new way this year by flirting with flowers in the kitchen? I for one am all for it, so stay tuned for some posies on my plates.
Daisy Angela x
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Teriyaki Glazed Baked Chicken
Who can resist the sweet, sticky deliciousness known as Teriyaki Chicken? No sumo or samurai I know! ** Totally a figure of speech?!
Nonetheless, you'll have licked-clean plates if you serve this for dinner with some spiced'up asian greens & a traditional green onion garnish. Not only that, but your kitchen will smell heavenly for the rest of the night….
Oooh, I'm salivating as a type!
Nonetheless, you'll have licked-clean plates if you serve this for dinner with some spiced'up asian greens & a traditional green onion garnish. Not only that, but your kitchen will smell heavenly for the rest of the night….
Oooh, I'm salivating as a type!
Teriyaki Glazed Baked Chicken
(for 2 lovers of friends)
1tbsp cornstarch
1tbsp cold water
½ cup white sugar
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 clove of garlic, minced
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
sesame seeds
4 green onions
baby bok choy
sesame oil
chilli flakes
In a small saucepan,over low heat, combine: cornstarch, cold water, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger & ground black pepper. Allow to simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and begins to bubble.
Preheat oven to 220C/425F.
Place chicken pieces in a lightly greased baking dish and start basting! Turn your pieces over and then baste again.
Bake in your preheated oven for 30 mins. Après ça, turn pieces over, and bake for another 30 mins, until chicken is cooked/no longer pink and the juices run clear. And don't forget to baste with your marinade, every 10 mins during cooking…
During the final 30 min bake-off, prepare your rice, finely shred your green onions and steam your baby bok choy in the very last few minutes. When plating up, lay your greens upon your rice, drizzle with the tiniest amount of sesame oil & sprinkle with chilli flakes. Add your gorgeously glazed Teriyaki thighs, basting with any left over pan juices, shimmie-shake over some sesame seeds and garnish with your green onions. You'll love this meal, I promise!
Friendly Advice… soak your baking tray while it's still warm, you'll thank me later.
ENJOY!
| SIMPLE | DELICIOUS | NO-FUSS |
Try it and let me know what you think!
Daisy Angela x
Follow my food styling inspirations & recipe ideas on
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Happy St. Patrick's Day
While some may be nursing sore heads thanks to early St. Patrick's Day festivities, I plan on embracing some Irish cheer in the kitchen today. Ain't nothing quite like an Irish Stew on a cold day and while the sun may be shining, 'to be sure, to be sure', the thermostat is very much in the negative.
May the luck of the Irish be with you today!
Daisy Angela x
images courtesy of Pinterest - photography credits N/A
images courtesy of Pinterest - photography credits N/A
Thursday, March 14, 2013
How intriguing the art of Food Styling is…
Beautifying the food we eat, has never been more important than it is today. In the digital age of social media we're so proud & equally as eager to visually document the world we live in. So how does this impact the home cook?
When it comes to the food styling & photography of my own culinary delights I have three main stumbling blocks…
When it comes to the food styling & photography of my own culinary delights I have three main stumbling blocks…
- I'm using only my iPhone with no additional lighting gizmos at my disposal
- I have very limited serveware options & surfaces to enhance my pics
- I have made the meal TO EAT and have a 'get it while it's hot' mentality
So, today I have decided to say, PFFFFT?!!, to these hinderances and have looked to some pro's for some inspiration.
Jamie Kimm brings a dark lit, brooding sexiness to many of his shoots, much like Annie Leibovitz does in fashion editorial. I love the mood this creates… although sadly, I think my iPhone will let me down when it comes to re-creating even an amateur version of this ilk.
What I like about what Roscoe Betsill does, is that his shoots have a contemporary & well-styled, yet nonchalant feel to them. I think my photos will definitely benefit from more staging, by depicting the dining experience and not just the dish itself.
And Donna Hay is a woman after my heart…
With a food-focused empire under her belt, she is more chic than 'sheila' and this Australian stylist knows how to do casual cool, oh-so-well. Whilst opting for clean, minimalist scenes, her thoughtfully prepared ingredients become the hero and the result is simple sophistication. Lighting plays a big role in her photographs, which are white & bright; an aspect of my own pics I could definitely improve.
- Be inspired & admire the pro's, BUT work with what you've got until you're willing to invest in equipment.
- Consider staging BEFORE you start cooking. Can you create a sense of ambiance which reflects the meal? Incorporate different textures, nic-nacs and add personality to your staging, then add your freshly prepared dish to the scene at the last moment, before taking your photographs.
- You can create a mouthwatering & visually beautiful composition with the most simple serveware. When you lack serving variety, allow your ingredients to add the personality and be considered in your preparation to ensure a picture perfect finish no matter what.
Hopefully from here on in, my own photos will convey these learnings… Of course studio shoots with professional equipment will always deliver an enviable result, but for the mean time, I'm happy to keep-on-keeping-on with my iPhone.
If you see an improvement, drop me a line!
Daisy Angela x
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Thursday, March 7, 2013
I'd Walk All Over Town For...
Yes, friends… I am OBSESSED with burgers!
The love affair started long ago, from humble beginnings. Childhood bribery in the form of a Mc D's 'Happy Meal' after a trip to the Dr or a cheeseburger for being a 'good girl' while Mum was shopping… this was the norm for my cousins & I. If our parent's felt guilty about fast-food, they'd make us a homemade 'Filet-o-Fish' washed down with soda water & orange juice in lieu of Fanta. The point is, whether homemade, mass produced or gourmet, this girl just LOVES burgers.
COLD HARD EVIDENCE?
Visit my 80-pic strong Pinterest board called Burger Lovin' & start salivating!
Daisy Angela x
images courtesy of Pinterest - photography credits N/A
images courtesy of Pinterest - photography credits N/A
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
KiTSCHen EssentiALS
I JUST LOVE THIS!
To me, the perfect kitchen needs to be embellished with decorative treasures just as much as it should house handy utensils.
How lovely is this vignette of porcelain wares, oil painted scenes, ranunculus in bloom & zesty clementines?!
With a chic, nonchalant charm, of 'lived-in' homeliness I can almost smell the coffee brewing…
I cannot wait to piece together my perfect but kitsch little KiTSCHen.
Daisy Angela x
* image courtesy of Pinterest - photography credits N/A
* image courtesy of Pinterest - photography credits N/A
Friday, March 1, 2013
Luscious Lemon & Dill Lamb
When the temperature dips, we crave a little comfort food to warm us through, so I was intrigued by the simplicity of flavours in this stew, which I found makes for an incredibly flavoursome yet simple dish! You’ll probably have most of the ingredients at home already so it’s a delicious yet cost-effective meal (which means more $$$ left over for wine) and will be on your table in just over an hour. Now I prefer to buy lamb leg steaks and dice them myself so I can include the lovely marrowy bone in the stew for added flavour, but you CAN just buy pre-diced lamb.
This is one moreish, lick-the-bowl-clean kinda meal though, so you’ll need incredible self control if you’re making this for a love-in date meal!
Luscious Lemon & Dill Lamb ( for 2 lovers or friends )
2 tsp plain flour
Seasoning
1 tbsp olive oil
4 glugs Worcestershire sauce
1 red onion chopped in strips
300ml hot chicken/veg stock
3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 bay leaf
300g fingerling potatoes,
thickly sliced w/ skin on
2 handfuls of fresh green beans
zest & juice of ½ lemon
4 tbsp of crème fraîche
Herbed Croutons
¼ of a left-over, unsliced bread loaf
OR ⅓ of a baguette
drizzle of olive oil
good sprinkling of italian dried herbs
crumbled sea salt flakes
(I LOVE Maldon Sea Salt - The Only Way Is Essex ha!)
Preheat your oven to 200C/400F for your croutons. Start by dicing your lamb leg steak, or readying your flour mix. Add a good dash of seasoning and your flour into a bowl and toss your diced meat through in batches, ensuring each cube is nicely covered. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy-based pan, add the onions and sautée for 5mins until softened (the red onions will add a subtle sweetness). Then add the lamb and stir well until sealed and slightly golden, then add your glugs of Worcestershire.
Stir in all your stock, 2 tbsps of fresh dill, your bay leaf & potatoes and bring to the boil, before allowing to simmer on a low heat for 30mins - you are now entitled to some vino! Next, add the juice of half your lemon and return to simmer for another 20mins. After this, add your green beans (which have been topped’n’tailed) and your stew will be ready in 10mins.
** Tip - I prep the croutons during the 20min ‘lemon juice’ simmer and pop them in the oven just after I’ve added the beans to the stew. This will mean you’re bang on time when it comes to plating up.
To make your Herbed Croutons, either cut your bread loaf until 7cm/3” cubes or prepare your baguette in 3cm/1” diagonal slices, then add to a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and give the tray a good shake to coat the bread. Now, add a liberal sprinkling of italian herbs to your croutons and some lovely salt flakes. Bake for 5-7mins until golden brown and smelling delish!
You’re now ready to plate up, so pick your prettiest of bowls or dishes and ladle your stew in. Spoon 2 tbsps of crème fraîche to each bowl and top with a scattering of lemon zest & dill.
ENJOY!
| SIMPLE | DELICIOUS | NO-FUSS |
Try it and let me know what you think!
Daisy Angela x
Follow my food styling inspirations & recipe ideas on
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