CantCookStillTry

Spring seems to have sprung from what I can gather, atleast in parts of the northern hemisphere so hopefully it won't be long before we start to see some of the beautiful produce again. My haul from a farmers market in the big town this morning. Kg of Zucs, 3 green capsicum (sorry folks), birds eye chillis, kale, spring onion, kg of chat pots, peeled chinese garlic cloves, 1/2 watermelon and the best bit 4 (4!) Beautiful caulis weighing well over a kilo each. Can't wait for the season.

Continuing my "no effort no F's" phase. King Island Camembert and bread. Covered all but one of the food groups I care about.

I'm camping, for one night, no shame Hey at least I cooked the burger patty myself.

Chicken Wings. Not for me. I'm rubbish at eating meat off the bone. Its a waste of time, and food, the boys like them though. Trimmed whole wings into flats and drummers and then into lollipops. Wish I could say I get faster and neater with each one but I would be lying. Tips go into my voodoo stock bag in the Freezer. Marinade in Greek Yog, hot sauce, herbs & spices - I don't think I made it to 11. Dipped in Almond flour because - carbs. Waiting for their hot oil bath outside. Finni. Would be better with more carbs to be honest. But an ok version.

Lava? Modern Art? Stomach contents after over indulging in red wine? Its actually my Thai Inspired red curry but it has the the potential to be all three after I was a little heavy handed with the Sambal Oelek. ( Yes I know Sambal is Indo not Thai this is why all my food is 'inspired by' its cobbled together out of the things I can find at the cost of authenticity). It is to be served over Cauliflower gold dust. Can I ask how much a head of Cauli costs you guys on average? (I know there is probably a thread out there but i'm not that invested - I can't afford to be ). The ones in my nearest store today were $8 a head!!! And said head (I weighed the biggest I could find) was 620g with leaves. I know they're out of season but wow. Or perhaps everyone elses prices are similar?

I finally got myself a pair of poultry shears last weekend because they were on sale so a spatched chicken was on the menu. Brined for 24 hours in a fairly low salt solution with malt vinegar and other flavours, dried out for a further 24. I finally managed to get the angle and time in my testy oven to get the Bird to 150f in the boobs and 170f in the thighs at the same time in 35 minutes. Got a bit of extra char on one upper half though. Can't win them all. Served with a Cauli and Broc Cheese. And roasties for those of us that haven't abandoned all that is good in this world. Hungry Mans plate. My Plate - I shared I promise Not pictured - my great stripey oven rack burn because I forget to put those annoying but cute Ramekins on a tray Every. Single. Time.

Herbed & pan fried Halloumi again. Only this time I couldnt be bothered to thinly slice it into 'fries'.

No the matrix hasn't glitched. Dinner tonight was a repeat. Same cow same cut, just 1 minute each side and 7 mins rest. It was ok. The pink interior didn't make up for what was lost with out the extra minutes crusty sear imo. All can be fixed with fatter steaks. I am sharing because I tried to make Chimichurri as the steak sauce for the first time. Followed a Serious Eats Tim Allen Roasted Jalepeno recipe - crazy simple so I think it tasted how it was meant to... My husband will never tell me something is bad. I hate cilantro so it wasn't for me. I laughed my butt off at the quiet coughs and the answers when I asked if it was ok "yeah, lovely, intense... just intense" "So I'll add it to your lunch I made heaps?" "Yeah sure, just, it's so... fresh" I knew it was bad (for us) not sure if authentic or not. But I like to dabble. Won't be repeated.

I agree, they are their own animal - but they lost that lawsuit so potato chips they are - I didn't want to start a topic just for gross pringle flavours, seemed a non starter! I apologise if I have made an error! Pringles in the northern and southern hemispheres are also vastly different. Not in non potato-ness perhaps, still cr*p, but different size, texture - it is peculiar to me when the brand seems to think its one of a kind - its not even one of a kind under its own label. I will still eat the red or blue when offered though.

Steak, Chips and Broccoli. 'Chips' were Halloumi dusted in Chili, Za'atar and Almond flour. Steak was butter basted 2 mins each side and well done . Tender, but no pink. I cannot wait until I can butcher buy my steaks again and choose my thickness. I picked the fattest ones I could see but they all seem to be a uniform 3/4 inch raw.

I will chime in if I may, not that my experience is with American German food. German speciality restaurants are things I have come across fairly often in 'Posh/Kitsch' touristy spots usually in various 'Hinterlands' in Queensland. I have always been in awe of their businesses plans. Maybe 8 things on the menu, schnitzel, sausage, knuckles - simple, mostly delicious, restaurants packed with people for the novelty of drinking a beer from a stein and the price mark up - wow. My last visit was to a German Restaurant in the Tambourine mountain region, my husband and I, and 90% of the rest of the customers, got their signature dish, Pork Knuckle, Sauerkraut and mashed potato. Tasty, uncomplicated, cheap to prepare and sold at $45 dollars a plate. . And nobody bats an eye (not even those of us that do the math - not out of miserliness but out of the aforementioned awe at their ability to turn such profit from what is usually a waste product to most households - even if you buy half a pig from our local butcher, you're not offered knuckles and below unless you ask). I guess here its still kitsch, a novelty and we're on holiday - despite the pretty large numbers of German immigrants.

I have had such a terrible day. I will edit and add a photo later if I can stomach it. I'm using this as some kind of catharsis - as my husband said I have been a right B---- since it happened - and he is right! I wanted to make a curry, a Lamb Rogan Josh, as it is his favourite. I went out and tracked down the correct ingredients, Saffron, Kashmiri Chili powder, Mace (couldn't find Asafoetida for love nor money - perhaps that was my down fall?. I bought a leg of lamb, boned, defatted cubed it, marinated in the richest Greek yogurt I could find. I don't have a coffee grinder so I pounded the cinnamon bark and cardamon all by hand to make my spice mix. I followed the recipe to a tee and got... A purpley grey mess that looked so unappetising and so far removed from the picture on the website that I was legitimately scared to test it. But we did, and as Hub said - "how can something you put so many spices in taste of ... nothing". Now if I am being really honest, this wasn't even today's only failure. I tried to make him Naan Bread. I don't know why, I avoid anything bread like - I know I am terrible at it no matter how closely I follow instructions. It is my kryptonite. I am assuming that today issues were caused by my oven not being hot enough, not stretching the breads out enough and maybe overworking when incorporating the Ghee. On hearing my swearing, my husband came to investigate and well - he P***ed himself laughing. His exact words "Well - we still need to finish the retaining wall... please don't hit me with one I'll die". I'm going back to my slump. It's cheaper. Such High Hopes Such Effort Such DogFood! The 3 hours in the fridge have not helped - it appears to have ... solidified. I have opened prettier tins for the puppers. Curry from scratch is back on the Can't Cook Shouldn't Try list.

Calling it now. The person in charge of flavour development is 17 years old and high as a kite. No I did not buy. I am neither of the above

Thank You Liuzhou. I like to think I'm learning a trick or two... I mimic a beautiful picture I have seen here, take a photo... then I chuck the rest of his tea on the plate

Pork fillet was on special $15 per kg down from $28. I got two. Last year the butchers at the small town store I shop at didn't seem to know its worth and it was always $8 a kilo, it was, and still is, not very well prepared and you have to clean it up alot. But someone clued them in pricewise. Whole grain mustard dressed with creamed kale. Roasted to 155f with the probe and rested - hub gets nervous with pork.

Dinner the last couple of nights has been steak flavoured Porterhouse with Zucchini fries (parmesan blanket) and Broc. Porterhouse with Jalepeno Slaw and a Mushroom cream sauce. Yeah I put the Topper as a Bottom. It looks, as previously mentioned, like cat puke. Edit: I was going to leave it there as the meals are boring but some of you care about the details! I was playing with what to cook the steak in, the first was rubbed with Oo after coming to room temp and then 3 mins each side left alone. The second was fried in browned butter after temp, and basted throughout its 3 mins each side. Both were medium, I prefered the second one. Couldn't get an 'inside shot' I'm teased enough for my photograph taking, think I would loose an arm if I tried a mid meal picture .

Turkey Taco bowl tonight for the working man.

Open Omelette with Chorizo, Tomato, Spinach, Onion, Mozzarella & Basil. I call it the 'I'm Dreaming of a Real Pizza" You really have to sing it.

I picked up a packet of premade honey and mint Koftas the other day, I know I'll hand back my card soon. Reasons were multiple, one -I have lost my motivation, two I adore lamb and three who isn't a sucker for a meat lollipop. Ahem. Fourth reasoning was that at 7.50 AUD for 450g (when lamb mince retails at about $13 per kg (in the big town at least) with all the 'hard' work done, it seemed like a good deal. Yeah so. They were welded to the packet perfectly so that the sticks ripped straight out of half of them and the other half, those that were painstakingly removed whole, had the sticks poking out at all kinds of angles. So I had to remake them all anyway. And the final insult was that the sticks had no kind of water treatment so, there were spot fires. You might think I would at least go to the effort of prettying up my store bought cheaters. You would be wrong. Kofta Looking exactly how I feel about them.

I am in such a rut at the moment its more of a canyon. So I went out to try and gain some enthusiasm - and something eadible that didn't come from a packet. I do not think that happened. My friend had the 'mexican schnitzel' - unfortunately we think it was one prepared ... earlier. And I had the Flathead. It came without tartare sauce... heartbroken. We were sat some 30 metres from the ocean so I guess I had expected fresh. I am certain nothing needed harpooning. Redeemed with the side. There is nothing I cannot forgive if I am given molten cheese. And yes. Whilst the lchf mouse is away I carb load.

Thank you so much. Honestly. I think its the phone. I mean I guess I try harder when I'm cooking because now I know I want to post it. But not much has changed - except the phone. I will never have the kind of brain that would allow me to take the kind of extraordinarily beautiful photographs you take. Some people can just 'see' those kind of things. I know I don't have an arty bone in my body and am quite happy just with the fact that my food isn't purple any more. I have always been afraid of Tofu, now I am intrigued.

I got sucked in and played around with the cheese taco shells again - I can't not, mexican (probably more likely - American/Australian Mexican) is his favourite. Cups work better than trying to make shells. Slicing the cheese rather than grating is also alot better structurally. Or you could try my favourite method and wait untill the low carber in your life has gone to bed and have a real taco.

Ok guys. What's the trick. How does one make creamy mushroom sauces look attractive in a photo? Am I cooking them wrong? They taste fine (if you can ignore the 'shrooms - yeah its not a meal for me) but mine always seem kinda grey and icky looking. Hence the super close up. Pork loin chops, mushroom mustard sauce and rabbit food.

I picked up some 'Chorizo Burgers' at our local supermarket, they are the german brand that I found the low carb sausages from. As usual, when anything new is trialled in this traditional town, nobody purchased them and I picked up four on the sell by date for $2. I could have got 24 but err'd on the side of caution. Mr said they were ok. But hey, quick and easy for me and only .7g carb per patty. Served with roast tomatoes, spinach & capers and a cauli parmesan mash.

Ok I have been taking notes, I'm going to cook spicey food naked, in an apron, occasionally outside, with a splash guard over a wok and serve side salad. Jeez. We usually have a weekly visit from the (lovely) J Witness group with the latest pamphlets. They might not want to come see me no more! Jokes aside I am finding all input very helpful. Thanks for starting the topic TropicalS.