things for the table

family favourites

Family Favourite # 2 - Jam Roly Poly

For as long as I can remember when asked what special dinner we would like for our birthday the answer was always - Jam Roly Poly!!  Forget the main course, this was the business.

Jam Roly Poly has always been a family favourite.  Lel, my grandmother, made it before I was born.  Mother has continued the tradition with us and it is now our turn...

Regardless of how many helpings you can get through, no one can ever get enough of it.  Even if there are some leftovers before we go to bed, we all know that there will be none left by the time we awake in the morning.

A word of warning - regardless of how much you enjoy your first two bowls, roly poly sicknes will inevitably be yours once you go back for the third [because regarldess of your inner strength, you will not be able to resist].

And so for the recipe.

You'll need this:

2 cups of self raising flour

1/4 cup of castor sugar

200g butter [use cold butter, not melted]

1 egg

1 cup of milk

1 cup of water

Sugar for dusting

You'll need to do this:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius.

Mix flour, sugar and butter in a mix master.  Then gradually add the milk and egg and beat for another minute or two (you may need to add a little more flour).

Remove mixture from bowl and knead by hand until dough is smooth.  Roll dough into an oval with a rolling pin. 

Spread a full jar of strawberry jam (strawberry is the traditional version but you can use whatever type of jam you like, if you are from Australia, you must use Golden Circle brand) onto the dough and then roll into a log.  Place in a suitably sized baking dish, dust with sugar and cover with a cup of warm water (the more water you add the more sauce you will create).

Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes.  Remove from oven and serve with vanilla ice cream.

It goes like this....

And ends up like this....

I know you will enjoy this dish and perhaps it may even become one of your family favourites!

Happy eating!!!

Sam 

we can dream

Today I spent my time staring at this....

But all I could think about was something like this....

Peels bar - New York City (source of photo unknown)

Or this...

(source of photo unknown)

I often dream about what it would be like to change direction and jump head first into a career in the food and wine industry.  What a magical experience it would be to put a smile on people's faces each day through the things you cook and the atmosphere you create.  Mother thinks I would struggle to cope with the constant criticism... Not sure where she gets that from!

Anyway, yesterday my sister and I indulged in the concept a little and we shared ideas.  As always, Anna had a couple of images at hand for the occassion....  Thanks for the inspiration again Bella.

Perhaps one day. 

Until then, I will continue to think about all the great things we could offer at the real life, Sam's Table.

Happy eating!!!

Sam

mid-week sustenance

After much galavanting about last week, I think this week should be all about looking after myself.  I caught up with my brother over a v. quick lunch today and, acknowledging that he too is absolutely flat strap and therefore run down at the moment, we both agreed that we were in desperate need of a healthy home cooked meal. 

First thing that came to my mind when thinking about the natural pick me up we were both searching for - Omega 3. The best [and tastiest] source - Salmon!!! 

And so, we headed to the local market this afternoon after work and picked up some fresh salmon fillets (skin on - nothing better than some crispy skin on your salmon fillet).  Simply pan fried on the BBQ in some butter and with a sprinkle of chilli flakes, squeeze of lemon juice and seasoned with salt and pepper - absolutely perfect (for the diehards - it may appear that I have overcooked the salmon, but unlike my beef, I really don't like it to be too raw in the centre. Slightly rare will do me just fine).  Served with some trustworthy steamed broccolini and a generous serve of mother's roast potatoes with onion and capsicum and we both feel better already.

Nick didn't quite make it home and is now fast asleep on my floor in front of the tv... I must admit that I'm not too far away from hitting the wall myself.

I can't wait to get up in the morning and tackle another big day.  Nothing like some good home cooked food to get you back on the straight and narrow!

Happy eating!!!!

Sam

simple saturday afternoon pasta

I have started the weekend at my parent's place trying to get some rest so that I can recouperate from my adventures in Hobart last week.  Feeling v. sluggish (and perhaps still a little bit hungover) I made a simple tomato, onion, basil and salami pasta.  This could not be easier.  There is no cooking required, apart from boiling the pasta. 

The process is very similar to the salad which accompanied the grilled spatchcocks, posted here on the Table earlier last month.  All you need to do is halve a couple of punnets of cherry tomatoes (or the grape variety, if you have a personal preference), finely dice a spanish onion and drizzle with a splash of white balsamic vinegar and a couple of large glugs of olive oil.  Leave this to allow the juices to befriend each other whilst you boil the spaghetti. 

And because I was cooking for Didds I, of course, made some chilli and garlic oil just for him.  Another very simple thing to do - chop up some chillies and smash some garlic; throw it all into a small pot of olive oil and cook on a very low heat for about 15 - 20 minutes.  Once cooked, leave to cool and serve a portion in a small dish at the table.  

Finally, just before the pasta is cooked, simply slice some good quality salami (I say good quality but really I just used what was left over in the fridge - had been there for a while but turned out just fine!) and a large bunch of basil.  Stir the basil and salami through the tomatoes with the now cooked pasta.   Finally, finish off with a drizzle of olive oil and serve with parmesan.

Now, the big question is - have you recognised the difference in the quality of these photos?  If you have, it is beacuse I have finally made the plunge and purchased a new camera.  If you haven't then I have wasted the small fortune I have invested.

My first impression is that it certainly does a better job than the camera in my phone.

I think I am going to become obsessed with it, if I haven't already done so.  My endless snapping around the house today has certainly worn thin with Mims and Didds.  

Happy eating!!!!

Sam

galavanting around like a freelance sailor...

This week I went to the historic town of Hobart and this is what I saw:

I stayed here:

We ate and drank a lot of this:

Travelled by boat...

To check out some art here.

Now I am home and this is exactly what I felt like for dinner.  A simple but hearty piece of veal.

I am completely exhausted and am in desperate need of a long night's sleep!

Hobart was a fantastic location to visit and I enjoyed my time there a great deal.  More details to come over the next week.

Happy eating!!!

Sam.

it's party time....

Things you need to know:

It all started one Christmas at Straddie. Not surprising I guess as many of our fondest family memories date back to the time spent together at Mum and Dad's beach house over at the Island.  It has now evolved into a yearly celebration.

"It's party time!!!" my Cousin (Ben) would bellow distinctively as he made his appearance, arms full with a mixed dozen (often red, but sometimes white), a gift for mum (he knows that the key to a good time is keeping mum onside) and not much else other than himself and his genuine love for life.  Oh, and if you ask the neighbours, his exceptionally loud voice.

The party that followed was always long lasting, full of laughter, interesting late night discussions, dancing in the rafters and above all else happy memories.     

And so, last weekend was 2011's installment of 'It's Party Time'.  The venue - Ben and Phoebe's beach house in northern NSW.

We ate Curries, inspired from the cookbook gifted to me by my brother for Christmas, and drank Pimms, wine, beer, margaritas - what else should one do when Jimmy Buffet starts doing his thing. 

Le Creuset pots were everywhere.  My brother and I actually gave one to Ben for his birthday (the white one).  They are such a perfect gift because they are something that you can use every day and something you will have for a lifetime. 

We cooked a lamb, a chicken and a prawn curry.  As you can see - the flat bread also made another appearance. 

Although the food was absolutely delicious, there aren't too many pictures of the end product as I haven't quite mastered the art of photographing curry just yet - the majority of the photos I took certainly weren't blog worthy.  Perhaps that was the curry's fault, perhaps it was the camera's or perhaps it was a by product of the couple too many margaritas.

Having now had the chance to reflect on the weekend with a clear head, 'It's Party Time 2011' was an absolute cracker!! We partook in the requisite late night (or early morning) conversations, table dancing (Ben's place doesn't have rafters - but like we often do, we improvised) and certainly shared what are now a whole heap of happy memories.  

Thanks guys for your fabulous hospitality - you have created a fantastic home down at South Golden Beach and we really enjoyed another great party.

Looking forward to the next one....

Happy eating!!!

Sam.