comfy food

since the weather is getting colder, i've really been enjoying cooking up lots of stick to your ribs comfort food. there's something really nice about having a pot simmering away on the stove all day, perfuming the kitchen and developing loads of flavour.

this week i made two of my favourite things - beef brisket & a curry.

the brisket is loosely based on a dish that was on the menu at a restaurant where i worked years ago. it was called 'snails & tails' and combined braised oxtails, escargots, pears, sundried tomatoes & fresh pasta in a blue cheese sauce. it sounds revolting but it worked, was incredibly popular & we even served it at the national gold medal plates competition. however, my version does not include snails. it's red wine braised beef brisket from getaway farm with lots of caramelized onions & garlic, pears, cherry tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, kale & celery leaves.

then it's topped with blue cheese mashed potatoes. i added a little flare with parsnips & celery root. there's beautiful fresh celery root at selwood green right now.

it's a pretty ugly vegetable, but geez louise it has great flavour.

small $10 large $20

next up is a vegan curry. i think curry may be my favourite thing of all time to make. this batch is chock full of goodness. i started off with a ton of garlic, ginger & onions, then cooked off all of my spices, and added potatoes, sweet potatoes, roasted cauliflower, green beans, tomatoes, spinach, kale, coconut milk, citrus & cilantro. it's paired with a blend of basmati rice & quinoa. it's vegan & gluten-free.

small $9 large $18

there's also a giant batch of carrot/apple/ginger soup in the works. it cooked all day yesterday but i still have to puree & package it up today. it's the same as usual with lots of cardamom, citrus, lemongrass. all soups are $7 for a 500ml container.

here's a list of current flavours:

carrot/apple/ginger

curried butternut squash

white bean, lemon & kale

vegan vegetable stew

roasted pepper, tomato, sweet potato & chipotle

beet, parsnip & pear

miso/mushroom/udon/choy

black bean & corn chili

baked beans

seafood chowder

hearty chicken stew

beef stew

this week i'm scaling back salad production a bit - they didn't sell so well last weekend... i'm still eating leftovers :( there will still be 3 flavours but i just won't make as much.

the quinoa will be the same as last week (i'm obsessed) - cucumbers, peppers, grated carrots, curry, lime, cilantro, peanuts, sriracha.

the broccoli will be the same as usual with almonds, sunflower seeds, bell pepper, red onion, dried cranberries, double smoked bacon & a creamy dressing. every week i always make a few without bacon for vegetarians too.

then there will be a 4-bean salad with fresh green beans, cucumber, celery, bell pepper, dill, parsley and a garlic-dijon dressing.

today is baking day. the current spread i've been rocking has been pretty popular of late so i'm sticking with it. oatmeal cookies, dinner rolls, mint-oreo cheesecakes, snickers brownies, maple walnut shortbreads, hello dolly's, lemon meringue tarts & cupcakes. the bakers half-dozen is still in effect: 7 minis for $6.

alrighty off to the kitchen. see you over the weekend.

saturday 7am-4pm

sunday 8am-4pm... but i usually show up late ;)