Author: Shahedah

Meat and three veg

I sat at the work lunch table on this particular ordinary day. One of my colleagues leaned over and took a deep sniff.

“Yum! What’s that you’ve got?”

Being a home-lunch-packer, I received this question often and was only too happy to oblige. “It’s a South African Indian version of a sort of shepherd’s pie.”

She peered curiously into my pink bento box. “With spaghetti as well as mashed potato?”

The glass shattered.

Yes. This cottage pie did indeed have both mashed potato and spaghetti. Was that unusual? Of course it was unusual. Why had I never realised this before?… Read More Meat and three veg

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Review: Ripe Figs by Yasmin Khan

Have you ever had a cookbook where you knew you could make every single recipe in it, and have complete faith that it would need little-to-no adjusting, and would turn out delicious and just as the recipe intends? This is what Yasmin Khan manages to do—in all of her books, not just her latest.

Ripe Figs sings with the classic flavours of the Mediterranean through both creative and traditional recipes. Then there are those recipes included as a nod to refugees and migrants across the eastern Mediterranean. Because this is not just a book of recipes, it’s a cookbook that tells a story.… Read More Review: Ripe Figs by Yasmin Khan

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And chaos ensued.

This is a special post for you other Type A personalities out there who, like me, sometimes find that your, er, attention to detail and forethought is not always appreciated by your significant other, or those around you.

I am not going to give you menu planning and meal prep tips. You can follow the hashtag on Insta for that. What I am going to do, is actually the opposite. I’m going to explain the ways in which I’ve adapted my life and cooking to be more flexible and (*shudder*) spontaneous. And how you can do the same.… Read More And chaos ensued.

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Recipe: Tahini cheesecake with oat crumble crust

This tahini cheesecake is wholly inspired by the delectable sesame crumble recipe from Falastin by Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley. I whipped up a batch of this spiced, complexly flavoured sesame crumble and, as it roasted, my kitchen was filled with the tantalising scent of brown butter, toasty oats, sesame, rosewater and cardamom.

Eaten with Greek yoghurt, tahini and date syrup, the nutty savouriness of the tahini paired with creamy tang of the yoghurt was perfectly balanced and absolutely addictive. It made me think of the best kind of cheesecake. This cheesecake.… Read More Recipe: Tahini cheesecake with oat crumble crust

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The Cookability Factor: a note on my book reviews

I wouldn’t call myself ‘obsessed’ with cookbooks; I know many people with collections bordering the thousands, and my grand total comes in at a paltry 66—I haven’t even cracked triple digits. My personal cookbook library is a very careful curation of works that together represent who I am in the kitchen, as well as who I aspire to be.

I’ve already explained that I assess individual recipes based on their ‘Dish Rating’; for whole cookbooks I meticulously calculate a Cookability Factor. The Cookability Factor specifically influences whether or not I buy a book for my home collection.… Read More The Cookability Factor: a note on my book reviews

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Recipe: #LifeHack gnocchi

As many parents will tell you, cooking changes after you have a child. Today I want to talk to you about a secret weapon that I now keep in my back pocket: packet gnocchi.

I know what you’re thinking. Packet gnocchi is not gnocchi. They’re spongy, doughy lumps of what feels like reconstituted potato dusted in a fine grainy substance (what is that? Is it semolina? Is it another flour? What?), that is little improved by the cooking process. But packet gnocchi is not just packet gnocchi when you know the trick to cooking it… Read More Recipe: #LifeHack gnocchi

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An Ode to the Savoury Loaf

An idle scroll through my Instagram account will show you that I tend to bake loaves a lot. I usually bake my sweet cakes in loaf form too, but the savoury loaf sits in pride of place on my breakfast bar and in my heart.

I’ve gathered here my favourite recipes (and tasting notes) for your reading and drooling pleasure, along with links if you so feel inclined to whip out your own loaf tins. Some of the recipes listed below call for baking in a round or square cake tin, and I do occasionally oblige. When baking for communal grazing purposes (office morning teas, picnics, socially distanced events), the muffin tin also works wonders and has the benefits of a high crust-to-inner ratio.

But I always return to the savoury loaf.… Read More An Ode to the Savoury Loaf

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Why I’m avoiding Channel 7’s POO

I belong to the MasterChef generation. I was a young adult when MasterChef first aired in Australia and I was swept up in the excitement which, for me, has never waned. I was particularly keen this year to watch the show with the new cast of judges. With new judges came a new era of MasterChef, moving forward in a beautiful new direction.

So in what direction, then, is Channel 7’s new show Plate of Origin (aka POO) taking us?… Read More Why I’m avoiding Channel 7’s POO

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