I have always considered myself quite a nice person. I like food of all shapes, flavours and colours. From every country and continent. I don’t discriminate, I am an equal opportunity eater. It’s only the doctors who say I’m intolerant. And certain foods who refuse to tolerate me. They certainly refuse to recognise and respect my right to eat them without major physical discomfort and distress.


Gluten and lactose are not my friends.


Despite the negative attitudes surrounding me from many of those I love best, (cakes, ice cream, hot toast) I decided to become a chef. Not always easy when you live in a bread and milk filled world. I like to think that this has helped me become a better person as I embrace my differences and refuse to let the gluten get me down. I believe InTolerance. I am the InTolerant Chef.

Food should not be about what you can’t eat, but what you can and what you enjoy eating. This blog is about my journey of cooking and eating and discovery. It’s not a definitive guide to allergy awareness nor do my intolerances make me an expert. Your body is your responsibility, not mine. I only know what works for me.


I can tell you this..... No glutens were harmed in the making of this website.

November 5, 2013

In My Kitchen- November 2013



November is here and it's time again for another In My Kitchen Post!

Linking up kitchens around the world with the gorgeous Celia of Fig Jam and Lime Cordial and her many friends. Click her link for a peek into her fun kitchen and the list of participants this month.

OK, let's see what's going on here today....


In My Kitchen is a bottle of Liquid Smoke- wonderful for adding to our BBQ sauces. A little goes a very long way. Once I dropped and smashed a glass bottle of this in the kitchen of our rental home, it stupidly had kitchen carpet and the smokey smell NEVER came out! It didn't put us off however, and our ribs just wouldn't be the same without a sweet, sticky, smokey glaze




In My Kitchen are some yummy Maple products from the deli. Maple Sugar and Maple Butter might no be new to our North American and Canadian friends, but they are certainly a novelty down here. The sugar is lovely and subtle and the butter is terribly moreish!




In My Kitchen is a fun mug from Max Brennar- it has a spiral groove from the top of the lip leading to the bowl of the cup
 

The idea is that you place a piece of chocolate at the top of the spiral, fill your mug with hot milk, and let the chocolate slowly ooze downwards with you controlling the amount and flow. I just need some cold weather now to check it out

 


In My Kitchen is a cookie stamp from Typo. I plan on using it for the kids biscuits so they can't accidentally get mixed up with mine. I do usually just make one big batch, but there a times when I have to make some for friends or family and I don't want to spend extra on gluten free flour. I can see this coming in very handy in avoiding accidental contamination




In My Dining Room- is a mid week dinner of Satay. I tried out three different styles with one a dry rub, one a fresh ground marinade and one a sweet pre-prepared sauce. The winner was the dry rub just beating out the fresh marinade. I used long, thin slices of pork belly instead of chunks because they cook properly that way, then grilled them quickly over charcoal, and served it all with compressed rice, pineapple and cucumber and a great big salad. There was enough food for 3 meals!




In My Kitchen Garden- is a new irrigation system of drippers for every bed. BigJ is very handy and always helpful with the right motivation :)



The beds are now planted with a huge array of goodies, all tucked up with sugarcane mulch and sprouting like crazy. The fruit beds and barrels are all busy too with our first of berries expected this year- if we can beat the dog to them!





 In My Kitchen- are some grapefruit. A big bag of them appeared at the gym for us to help ourselves to. As the weather permits bags of zucchinis, lemons, tomatoes  and even figs from garden excesses turn up. I'm going to take in some bunches of herbs as my mint, parsley and laksa mint is going crazy at the moment




In My Kitchen- is my Lunch! A nice big gluten free roll with Smoked Salmon, tomato, capers and soft cheese as well as a luscious fresh Mango- Yummo




And the last thing In My Kitchen- is the IPod on an 8 hour loop of Christmas Carols. November has hit and that means Christmas is coming up fast and frenzied. Baking and decorating are about to overtake my household very, very soon indeed



So Dear Readers, What's going on in your kitchen this month, and have you started getting ready for Christmas yet as well?

30 comments:

  1. Haha what a cute and fun post! That liquid smoke looks so so cool always wanted to buy a small bottle to try but have never come across it. I doubt my local Coles or Woolies would stock it anyway, sigh. Not much update in my kitchen except that Mum's in town and she's been whipping up a storm every night -- so happy!

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    1. Look out for it in Delis Winston. How nice to have your mum to visit- I bet she's making all your favourites!

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  2. It has taken so long to get maple sugar here it's rediculous. I love it. I am dreaming of having such a great garden bed...and thats just how it will stay. . a dream because I have no time to make one. happy November Bec. Hope he baking goes well.

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    1. Happy November to you too Tania! There's 3 of those beds, and a big expanse across the back as well, plus many barrels and pots- they certainly keep me busy :)
      I just today received some new cookie cutters from Austria, so I'd better get my bake on for sure! Xox

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  3. Christmas carols already? A woman after my own heart! John just rolls his eyes. I think he hid many of my Christmas CDs.

    Aren't mangos beautiful right now? We eat some every day.

    I'm in love with your garden. I think I must have been a farmer in a former life.

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    1. I'd love about 5 acres or so Lizzy- enough for big potato beds and an orchard with chooks scratching away underneath!

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  4. Hi Bec, lots of good things in your kitchen this month, as usual. Curious, where did you find that maple sugar?

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    1. Hi Lizzie! I got the maple products from the bottom deli at Belconnen markets- they aren't terribly cheap though!

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  5. That cup is so innovative- I like the idea of the chocolate melting down the curve. And I love liquid smoke- I use it on meats and in my own bbq sauce. I bought a big bottle once and decided after dropping it and the lid breaking ( why are these bottles so easy to drop?) that I was only buying small bottles after that!
    Your garden beds are so tidy and handy- my garden is usually a sprawl of badly behaved veg.
    Thanks for sharing!

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    1. My garden is only behaving because the veggies are babies Heidiannie! Soon they will be overflowing, going to seed and glutting everywhere :) I think that makes the prettiest garden anyway!

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  6. I'm joining you this year Becca and starting to feel Christmassy already - usually that doesn't kick in until mid-December. Lovely satay experiments (yaay for compressed rice cubes!), and the stamp is cool. Great to know we can buy maple butter here now as well! :)

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    1. Better bit early than too late Celia! I'll have to get around to posting about satay soon- I've been very slack. Ever since I read the Little House books as a child, I've wanted to try maple candy and sugar- and they're delicious! Xox

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  7. I must buy some new Christmas music. I love the look of your satay dinner and you certainly went to a lot of trouble with your three different methods of preparation. I would love one of those toxic stamps - handy! I'd be stamping it on everything to deter the uni students from helping themselves to everything and anything. And I must try those maple products xx

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    1. City on a Hill Christmas CD from Koorong is my favourite one Charlie, but there are so many lovelies. I don't even think threatened toxicity would deter a determined and hungry Uni student- but good luck trying! Xox

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  8. G'day Rebecca and really enjoyed your post and this month's kitchen view!
    Love your cookie stamp and enjoy things unusual and unique too!
    Cheers! Joanne
    Viewed as part of Celia's IMK

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  9. LOL that toxic cookie butter is hilarious! So perfect for Halloween next year I'm thinking. I must get a hold of one! :D

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  10. the chocolate cup is a cool idea.

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  11. Gosh I'm in love with maple butter. I haven't found any places in Auckland that stock them yet so I have to wait until we have visitors from Canada :(

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    1. I'd never seen it before either Lucy, so I grabbed it! It's a bit the same as creamed honey- only mapley of course :)

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  12. What carols do you listen to? Bing crosby rules in our house, but I'm not sure I could handle him for 8 hours straight :D Love the cookie stamp!

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    1. Bing is certainly a staple, but I have a very eclectic collection. MiddleC loves Reliant M's album, while littlej likes Harry Connick's. My current favourite song is Miss Piggy's version of Santa Baby- a must have indeed Jasmin!

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  13. Fantastic raised beds - I love those! Also a big fan of Liquid Smoke - used to use it a lot in the US when I had a big bbq. Actually just found some at our local market and should have picked one up!

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    1. I hadn't been able to find it for ages things year Yasmeen, so I was glad it was finally back in stock. It certainly adds a bit of a flavour kick to bbqs- yummo!

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  14. I'm loving that cookie stamp - I think I'll have to drop in and see if they have any left. Your gardens look great and bet they can't wait for a bit of heat! (saw it was 16c earlier in the week). Thanks for sharing.

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  15. your kitchen looks like fun - and once the decorations are up I imagine it will be like a picture from currier and ives. Maple sugar sounds delicious and I love the cookie stamps and I can think of a lot worse things for the lounge to smell of than liquid smoke - though I would prefer it in my food not my carpet

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