Best-ever beef stew + pumpkin congee

And a champagne crust

Hi from deep winter, where I watch grilled cheese videos while snuggled under a blanket!

This NYT Cooking video tests a bunch of different methods before landing on a superior one. It’s mayo on the outside of the sandwich, grated cheese on both sides that’s melted lightly in a pan before it’s all smooshed together and fried a little more. I’ve been making them with caramelised onion and cheddar (sometimes with bonus blue cheese) for Sunday lunch.

Sunny pumpkin congee with chilli oil

Pumpkin soup meets congee in this Hetty Lui McKinnon recipe (NYT Cooking gift link) that made an icy night something to enjoy. There are so many clever moves in this recipe — it uses leftover rice, which cuts down the cook time. Some of the pumpkin falls apart while it’s simmering, giving it the cheeriest texture and colour. Then to serve, it’s topped with chilli oil and spring onions. Easy, sunny, delicious.

Roast veggies + fun cheese = weekend lunch

For a hot weekend lunch, I combined Lina Jebeile’s honey-balsamic haloumi with Heidi Sze’s roasted red cabbage. It was ready in 20 minutes and so satisfying. 

Obsessed with this beef stew

Bad photo, very excellent dinner.

This is Heidi Sze’s latest recipe for ABC Everyday, where I work, and it’s been my favourite thing to cook on Sunday afternoons. She recommends cooking it the day before you want to eat it so the flavours can develop overnight. So you can make it and feel good about going into a new week with an excellent dinner in the fridge. The meat is so soft and rich after many hours of cooking and I loved the sweetness of the sweet potato. 10/10.

Champagne crust!

I loved the idea of a champagne crust for a Wednesday night. The recipe comes from a fancy grocer in town and it’s super quick to make, especially so if you use tinned fruit. I had an 800g can of apple pie fruit, which I heated, before mixing up the sponge-like topping. The recipe doesn’t specify, so I melted the butter and let it cool before mixing it with the rest of the crust ingredients. Put on a show while it bakes and enjoy staying in on a cold night.

For something richer, Hetty Lui McKinnon’s self-saucing sticky date and butterscotch pudding is a delight. Buy pitted Medjool dates to make it even easier.

Lara Lee’s kimchi linguini with gochujang butter

Every now and then I take a 15 minute meal and ruin it by trying to make bread and roast veggies for lunches at the same time 🤪. If you take my silliness out, this pasta is really fast. The sauce basically melts into just-cooked noodles and while the combo may sound familiar — I loved the addition of gojuchang butter and the squeeze of lime.

Sophie Hansen’s baked apple porridge

Sophie posted this recipe on Instagram the same weekend my in-laws came to stay. I’ve never made a baked porridge before and am a fan of any hot breakfast I can prep the night before. Your house will smell like a warm apple cinnamon muffin while it bakes. The recipe serves many so I’d halve it if I made it for two, which would still leave plenty for handy weekday breakfasts.

Bouncy chocolate peanut butter mochi muffins

Kristina Cho’s chocolate peanut butter mochi muffins made me curious about baking with rice/mochi flour. A friend brought me a bag from Sydney, before I realised you can get it from most supermarkets (it’s this one). The muffins are very enjoyable to make — the step where peanut butter is mixed into melted butter smells excellent. The muffins also pop out of the tin like little soufflés as they bake. If you love a pudding-like chocolate middle that’s somehow chewy and squidgy, this recipe is for you. 

Snowballs and other good things

I’m getting into all of the seasonal food specials, like spiced winter crumpets with apricot jam.

Tasmania is a state that takes snowballs very seriously. I never thought about these choc-dipped marshmallows much before until I walked by an enormous stand of fancy ones after a Sunday hike. A local chocolatier makes them just for the winter months. They are so good (the marshmallow is super soft!) and sadly you can’t order them online because they’re too fragile to send. Definitely buy some if you’re here for a visit. They’re delicious when melted into a hot chocolate.

Finally, I’ve been obsessed with designer Sandy Liang and loved her travel diary of a Normal People-inspired trip to Ireland (with so many cute food moments, including a bread poem).

See you in Spring where I’ll hopefully eat more meals in daylight, rather than candle light!