A Pretend Chef

Perfect for 4th of July weekend, the tomato relish can be amped up with some more cayenne pepper or some chilli if preferred, however this version is kid friendly. The relish will keep for months in the fridge in a sterilised glass jar. The pulled pork recipe is based on a recipe provided to me by Dave the chef at my favourite cafe in Darlinghurst, Stop Valve cafe in Riley Street (www.stopvalve.com.au) PULLED PORK  Ingredients 2kg Pork Neck 150 ml Coca Cola 150 ml beer 1 large onion roughly chopped 5 cloves garlic chopped 1 tbs olive oil For the spice rub 1 tsp salt 2 tsp black peppercorns 1 tbs coriander seeds 1 tbs yellow mustard seeds 1/2 tbs nutmeg 1 tbs oregano flakes 2 tbs garlic powder 1 tbs chilli powder 1 tbs cayenne pepper Method Grind the coriander and mustard seeds together with the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle into powder and combine with all of the other rub ingredients. Dry the pork off with a paper towel and massage the spice...

This is based on a Jill Dupleix recipe (The Sydney Morning Herald August 19 2011). This is easy to make, requires about 45 minutes effort and an hour's baking.  For the sausages, I prefer a spicy pork based Italian sausage or pork and fennel sausages. This can be served with a side of roast potatoes or a green salad. Ingredients 1 cup dried bread crumbs 600 gm silverbeet, washed and chopped 12 cherry bocconcini balls 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 500 gm minced beef 500 gm filling from Italian pork sausages 1 tbs tomato paste 1 tbs capers 2 tbs olive oil 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 egg 200 ml red wine salt and pepper For the tomato sauce 2 tins chopped tomatoes 1 large brown onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tbs olive oil 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil Salt & pepper to taste Method Pre-heat a fan forced oven to 200C. In a large bowl, add the beef, sausage ...

Serves 4-5 This is a variation on a recipe published by food writer Katrina Meynink that I found here;  www.dailylife.com.au/dl-food/food-blogs/blogs/the-kitchen-coquette/the-ultimate-comfort-food-20120508-1yaah.html It's a beautifully rich dish that is perfect for cold winter nights, however not too bad on a chilly spring evening either. I have tweaked it to my own taste and that of my family by using lamb in place of chicken as well as changes to some of the ingredients and the cooking times / method. Ingredients 2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion finely chopped 2 cloves garlic finely chopped 2 x 400g tins chopped / crushed tomatoes 1 tsp brown sugar 1/2 punnet of cherry tomatoes, halved 4 eggs 100gm goat's feta a small handful of parsley leaves chopped a small handful of coriander leaves chopped For the Meatballs 1Kg minced lamb 1 red onion finely chopped 2 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp sumac 1 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp ground chilli powder (optional) 1...

This is possibly my favourite pasta sauce and is dead simple to make. I got the idea of a roast tomato sauce from Stephanie Alexander's legendary cookbook, The Cook's Companion. You can leave out the sausage and use the base sauce with any number of meats, particularly seafood. Roasting the sauce gives a slightly sweet caramelised effect. Serves 4 Ingredients 500g freshly cooked pasta 2 large or 4 small cacciatore sausages (I prefer the hot variety) diced into small pieces 10 roma tomatoes, roughly chopped 1 medium spanish onion, roughly chopped 1 medium brown onion, roughly chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 60ml extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon olive oil 2 fresh bay leaves 1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley pinch of salt & pepper to taste Freshly grated parmesan cheese to serve Method 1. Pre-heat fan forced oven to 180C 2. Place tomatoes, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and extra virgin olive oil in a large baking dish, mix very well by hand, ...