Lime Pickle Pursuits Volume #3

.The next stages for the "Amazing pickle" went something like this:













Then this...............





And then they were bottled, and 'no' I don't reckon they're mild at all.

In the meantime, the Kurma Dasa version is looking more and more like mush each day.

And I still have more limes than I can use.. so wait for the next instalment of my lime preservation pursuits.

In the meantime, I am about 3 weeks off the final test tasting for these two recipes.

Kalo Prama, Greek Cypriot Lemon Semolina Cake

I get wonderfully inspired by good cooking shows, and one a few weeks ago on SBS Food Safari about Australian Cypriot food got me cooking a whole, whole lot of new dishes including Flaounes for Easter,  lamb Kleftiko in our pizza oven and this beautiful lemon semolina cake called Kalo Prama.

I used the recipe on the SBS website, and my only advice is to use a larger tin than they suggest and do not use too much mastic as it is very strong.  I also used lime juice rather than lemons because we have soooo many limes.

The only food I have not been able to make but which I would love to is Loukaniko, Cypriot pork sausages.. the only thing holding me back is the fact that I would have to buy $100+ of caul that I would never use in a lifetime.

Lime Pickle Pursuits, Kurma's Version, Volume #2

For Kurma's version, you again slice your lime into 8.  Then you make a mixture with chilli (cayenne pepper), ground black mustard seed and tumeric.

 

Layer the limes in a bottle and sprinkle with the spice mixture.

 

Then make a mixture of 1 cup brown sugar, to 1/2 cup lime juice and boil for 2 minutes.  When lukewarm pour into bottle.

Put out in sun... every day it seems for 5-6 weeks... stay posted!

Lime Pickle Pursuits, Volume #1

We have too many limes... I never thought I'd live anywhere where we had too many limes.  And so what to do with too many limes.  In keeping with the current preoccupation in our household for Indian food, I have opted for lime pickles.  I am currently trialling two versions... one from the wonderful Kurma Dasa and the other I located on line.  Not sure why I chose this one, (Amazing Lime Pickle) might have been the large quantities of garlic and the images.

For the "Amazing Lime Pickle" recipe you slice your limes into 8 pieces, then put them with obscene quantities of chilli, garlic and salt.  Steam them for 15 minutes and then place them out in the sun for 2 days.
It fills my heart with joy when recipes ask for this... there's not much we have in abundance in Central Australia, but sunshine is one.

  At the moment, I've done 1.5 days.

Traditional Guacomole

Derived from the Latin American Timelife cookbook you can't go past this traditional guacomole recipe:

Ingredients

2 ripe avocado

1 lime

1 bunch coriander 

1 ripe tomato, skinned, seeded and chopped

1/2 Spanish onion

Chilli (optional)

Salt & Pepper

Beans and Cornbread, a family favourite.

I am now responsible for putting dinner on the table 4 nights a week (and working full-time), so I am becoming less of a purist in the home kitchen - given up home-made phyllo - but still trying to avoid cliched meals like tacos... So with avocado and limes in season, the family favourite is cornbread, traditional guacomole, Moosewood beans and creme fraiche.

Day #1 - Luang Prabang

I meandered the streets of Luang Prabang on my first day in Laos, eating when I felt hungry, eating what I felt like and defying my local GP by even eating street food.

The highlight was these pork sausages, below, which I had seen on Luke Nguyen's Might Mekong.  And they lived up to expectation.  

T