Cooking with the Australian Womens Weekly Issue 16

The weather is cooling down now and my thoughts turn to making warming yummy things, especially baked goodies. Flick through the pages of this issue and you’ll find some gorgeous recipes that you and your family and friends will love. I recently made a simple no-knead bread for a family lunch and I can’t tell you how well received it was. The dough does its own thing overnight, without any attention or fuss, then it’s a simple matter of shaping the dough in a casual way and baking it. What’s not to love about a warm fresh loaf of bread? The way the recipe can be varied using different combinations of flours, seeds, grains and other ingredients is endless. Check our recipe on page 62  and adapt…

I dislike cooking fish because of the smell. Is there a way of cooking it that minimises this? A Many people don’t like to cook fish at home for that very reason. The way around this is to cook fish in the oven in foil – to steam it – the nutrients are kept in the foil parcel, and the fishy smells can’t escape. It’s the best of both worlds! Use a cut lemon on your fingers, knives and cutting board and rinse thoroughly to get rid of fishy odours. I have a Caribbean recipe I’d like to try that calls for black beans. Are these the same as the black beans used in Chinese recipes? A No. Chinese black beans are fermented soy beans. The black beans you’re referring…

News to snack on Perfect SENSE Kenwood has launched the new Chef Sense Colour Collection range. The playful colours, Dusted Blue, Zested Yellow, Glazed Green and Drizzled Pink, are inspired by the pastel tones of sweets, treats and confections. But the range is not just pretty, it’s also smart! The redesigned appliance has increased focus on the mixing process. Kenwood’s iconic K-beater has been placed within a touch glass bowl and five dedicated bowl tools catering for all baking needs. There is a dough hook, K-Beater, whisk, creaming beater and a unique-to-Kenwood folding tool. Each tool can be height adjusted to ensure every kind of mixture is full combined. An additional 20 attachments, including a blender and food processor, are also available to purchase. And for those looking to cater…

Liz Posmyk is an Australian blogger whose ‘Good Things’ site is a feast of all things foodie. Q Your mother was an artisan baker. How much did she inspire your love of food? I grew up in an era, and a household, where Mum stayed at home until I was well into my teens. I spent a great deal of time sitting at the kitchen table watching her work. She was expert at making strudel dough, yeasted cakes, doughnuts, and other Hungarian sweets. She loved what she was doing and she did it so well. One could not help but be inspired by her passion and skill. I’d give the world for an afternoon in her kitchen again. Q Is there an item in your pantry or fridge you simply…

AUTUMN fruits • APPLES• BANANAS• CUSTARD APPLES• FIGS• GUAVA• KIWIFRUIT• LEMONS• LIMES• MANDARINS• MANGOSTEENS• NASHI ORANGES (VALENCIA; NAVEL)• PASSIONFRUIT• PAWPAW• PEARS• PERSIMMONS• PLUMS• POMEGRANATES• QUINCE• RHUBARB• TAMARILLO AUTUMN vegetables • AVOCADOS• BROCCOLI• BRUSSELS SPROUTS• CABBAGE• CAPSICUM• CARROTS• CAULIFLOWER• CELERY• CELERIAC• CORN• EGGPLANT• FENNEL• KUMARA• LEEK• OKRA• ONIONS• PARSNIP• SHALLOTS• SILVER BEET• SPINACH• TURNIPS• WITLOF• ZUCCHINI Capsicum Although they are related to chillies, capsicums are not hot, although they do have a strong flavour that becomes more pronounced when cooked. They can be used fresh in salads, stir-fried or sauteed, and they can be halved, hollowed out and stuffed. They’re also good grilled on kebabs, or char-grilled, peeled and stored in olive oil. The shape of capsicum varies. Some are long balloons, others large or narrow tapering cones and some are small, apple-sized balls. Colours include yellow, gold, orange, green, red or purple-black, depending on the variety and their ripeness. TO PREPARE • Cut capsicum in half lengthways, remove the seeds and white ribs, and slice or cut up as required. Halves may…

PREPARATION The thin skins are usually left on plums for cooking, especially for poaching as the skins are softened by the cooking and can be easily pulled off, leaving a perfect, glossy surface behind; if the skin is red-blushed it will also give a pretty rosy flush to the flesh. For peeled plums, the skins can be easily removed by dipping the fruit briefly into boiling water, then into cold, and slipping them off. CHOOSING Plums should have taut, well-coloured, unblemished skins. When ripe, they will yield when gently pressed — soft types more than firm types. PLUM & GINGER CROSTATA PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES SERVES 8 • 7 large yellow-fleshed black plums (1.2kg), cut into thin wedges• 1 egg, beaten lightly• ¼ cup (55g) demerara sugar• 2 tablespoons glacé…