Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino

Tipo 00 The Pasta Cookbook by Andreas Papadakis

Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino

I feel like every family in Italy must eat this, or a variation of it, a couple of times per week for lunch. Although it’s incredibly tasty, it really doesn’t get any easier than this. The only thing to remember is that the garlic needs to be finely grated (or very finely chopped) and cooked slowly, so the dish doesn’t taste of raw garlic.

SERVES 2

225 g (8 oz) quality dried spaghetti

100 ml (3½ fl oz) olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, finely grated

1 long red chilli, finely chopped

3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan

sea salt

Cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente, according to the instructions on the package.

Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a frying pan over low heat and gently cook the garlic and chilli until the garlic is translucent. When the garlic and chilli are at the perfect point, stop them cooking any further by removing the pan from the heat and adding a splash of the boiling pasta water. Set aside until the pasta is ready. Drain the pasta (reserving some of the pasta water) and add to the frying pan, then toss over low heat until it is coated really well, adding enough of the pasta water to loosen the sauce. Sprinkle in the parsley and parmesan, season with salt and keep tossing until well emulsified – the sauce should be thick and oily, and flecked with garlic, chilli and parsley. Serve in warmed bowls

Cabbage Rolls - Ella Mittas

Recipe - Cabbage Rolls

I make these cabbage rolls with the same meat sauce that I use for moussaka. The sauce freezes really well so when you 'remaking moussaka, I would recommend making one and a half times the recipe and keeping half to make cabbage rolls later. These rolls are better in the days after they’ve been made. If you have left-over cabbage leaves and rice mix you can slice and sauté the cabbage in a little oil, add the rice mix and make a pilaf.

Serves 6

1 cabbage

2 cups (440 g) arborio rice

1⁄2 cup (75 g) currants

1 cup (40–60 g) finely chopped mixed mint, parsley and dill

1 litre (35 fl oz) chicken stock

2 lemons, juiced

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the meat sauce:

1 brown onion, diced

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced

350 g (12 oz) lamb mince

2 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated purée)

1⁄2 cup (125 ml) dry red wine

1 x 400 g (14 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 quill cinnamon

2 bay leaves

1 orange, zested

flaked salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To serve:

300 g (10 1⁄2 oz) Greek yoghurt

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

flaked salt

1. For the meat sauce: start by sautéing the onions in the olive oil in a saucepan for around 15 minutes until golden, then add in the garlic and sauté until aromatic: 30 seconds.

2. Stir in the mince, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and sauté. Once it’s all browned, add the tomato paste and fry off for around 1 minute.

3. Pour in the red wine to deglaze, and cook until evaporated.

4. Add the canned tomatoes, cinnamon, bay leaves and orange zest. Bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer. Cook out until most of the liquid has evaporated: around 30 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, to cook the cabbage, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut out the core of the cabbage and place the rest in the boiling water. As the leaves become tender they should fall away from the cabbage. You want them to be cooked enough that they are able to be rolled without snapping.

6. Take the cabbage leaves out of the water as they become tender, and place to one side to cool.

7. Mix your rice, currants and fresh herbs into the meat mix. Season with salt and pepper.

8. Take the cabbage leaves and categorise them into size. Big leaves will need to be cut in half; it’s best if the vein of the leaf is removed as it’s so thick it tends to take a long time to cook. Use any left-over bits of cabbage to line a saucepan that is deep enough to fit all your rolls in.

9. Take each leaf and spread flat. Place a heaped tablespoon of the rice mix down the end of the leaf closest to you, fold in the sides of the leaves and roll the cabbage leaf up.

10. Place the rolls in the pan, seam-side down. Repeat the rolling process with the remaining cabbage and filling, making sure all the rolls fit snugly together in the pan. If there are gaps around the rolls, fill them with extra leaves to prevent the rolls from opening while they are cooking.

11. Once all the mix is finished, weigh down your cabbage rolls with an upside-down plate.

12. Mix up your stock with lemon juice, olive oil and salt, check for seasoning and then pour over the rolls. Put the pan on the stove over medium heat. The liquid should come up just over the plate; top it up with water if it doesn’t.

13. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down so they are cooking on a simmer. They should take around 40 minutes to an hour. They should be very tender, the rice totally cooked through. Once they’re cooked, leave them to completely cool in the pan; this will help them keep their shape. Serve warm or at room temperature with garlic yoghurt.

Ela! Ela! Murdoch Books: $39.95

Weekday Lemon Cake

Weekday Lemon Cake, From:The Plain Cake Appreciation Society by Tilly Pamment

A while ago, I spent a couple of days working in a little studio looking out on the most gloriously laden lemon tree I have ever seen – fruit drooping from its branches by the dozen. It truly was a magnificent sight.

In honour of that beautiful tree, and the philosophy of The Plain Cake Appreciation Society – the appreciation of good, simple cake – I give you my weekday lemon cake. A (very) simple melt-and-mix number, perfect for when cake is in order, but fuss is not.

Weekday Lemon Cake

MAKES 1 LOAF CAKE

plain (all-purpose) flour, to dust

220 g (7¾ oz) caster (superfine) sugar

finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

225 g (8 oz) self-raising flour

125 g (4½ oz) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 eggs, lightly beaten

130 g (4½ oz) Greek-style yoghurt

60 ml (2 fl oz) full-cream (whole) milk

LEMON GLAZE

120 g (4¼ oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 160°C (315°F) fan-forced and grease a 1.5 litre (52 fl oz) loaf (bar) tin thoroughly with butter. Dust with a little plain flour, tapping out any excess.

Place the caster sugar and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl and use your fingertips to rub the zest through the sugar, releasing the oils and perfuming the sugar. Add the flour to the bowl and whisk to combine. Pour in the melted butter, eggs, yoghurt, milk and lemon juice and whisk to a smooth batter, taking care not to overmix.

Spoon the batter into the tin, smoothing the top with a spatula and tapping the tin lightly on the bench to remove any air bubbles. Bake in the oven for 45–50 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

When the cake is cool, make the lemon glaze. Combine the icing sugar and lemon juice in a bowl and stir until smooth. Check the consistency of the glaze and add a little more lemon juice if needed until you have a nice drippy glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and allow to set (or not) before cutting the cake into thick slices and serving with a big cup of tea.

This cake with keep happily in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days.

TEA & BLOOMS MATCH

Earl Grey and white peonies.

‘Images and text from The Plain Cake Appreciation Society by Tilly Pamment, photography by Tilly Pamment. Murdoch Books RRP $39.99.’

Blog Post Title Three

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Four

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.