NOVEMBER 24.
Dear reader,
It’s that time of year again when the weeks seem to slip by as if they were mere days, and the months blend into an indistinct blur. Just the other day I glanced down at my arm to check the time and realised my watch was about six hours off and a week behind with the date. So much for living in the present moment. I honestly couldn't tell you what I have been doing in the last few weeks since I got back from Europe, but I can remember what I have been eating. My mornings have followed a familiar ritual of salty water and beach walks, coming home to bowls of fresh fruit, smothered in lime juice. Hot coffee has made way for iced matcha. The bounty of spring greens became a daily focus from asparagus risotto, to ricotta agnolotti with broad beans and crisp green salads with herby dressing and cold slices of green apple. Evenings have been warm yet raining, with Sydney taunting us with little moments of sunshine. This weather calls for food that is fresh yet comforting: quick, vibrant pastas, salty fried sardines, drowned in lemon juice and enjoyed with tomato salad and my current go to chicken and rice. I love the Hainanese version where the chicken is poached and the fragrant broth is then used to cook the rice. To this humble dish I load on as many additions as I can find in my fridge and cupboard. Kimchi, furikake, hot chilli and peanut oil, plenty of green shallots, coriander, pickled cucumbers, black vinegar and sesame oil. Peaches, apricots, and nectarines have been my go-to dessert, chilled straight from the fridge, always finishing off the meal on a sweet note.
Some indulgences I picked up in Italy have lingered with me. Staying up far too late is one of them. The witching hours have become a time for reading, eating a few too many Loco Love chocolates (the coconut and cashew one is my new favourite), and listening to sleep meditations as I try to wind down. Another pleasure that’s stuck is the evening aperitivo. I think my days of negronis have come to an end. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure my arm will forever be twisted but I'm back in the loving, cold embrace of a martini—though, truth be told, I never really left. Tomato martinis were a highlight in Sicily where my friend and favourite kitchen companion Dom and I were doing a cooking residency. Savoury and moreish, the olive brine in a classic dirty martini is replaced with a fragrant tomato water, infused with a little hit of summer. Use bursting, ripe tomatoes and the freshest of ingredients to get the most out of this after work pick me up. Spirits to reside in the freezer is a must, the colder the better.
Daily bowls of pasta seemed acceptable whilst away, now that I’m home I need a little variation. For the days where the comfort of carbohydrates creeps in, a simple sauce with broccoli and anchovies works wonders. Homemade orecchiette is a real delight here, a little labour intensive but worth the effort. A simple dough of 400g of semolina flour and 200 ml of warm water, kneaded until very smooth (around 10 minutes) is shaped into ‘little ears’ using the back of a butter knife. I find the process a fine antidote to stress. If time doesn't permit, Martelli, Rustichella D’Abruzzo and Mancini offer excellent dried pasta alternatives.
Some fun things to do, see, read, and watch as the last of the year rolls in. Tart magazine will see its third issue come to fruition in the coming days. You will find recipes that I have written, cooked and styled, shot beautifully by my dear friend Nick Tsindos. Among the offerings are Italian classics steeped in history, like fried artichokes, Sicilian ricotta cassata, and coffee granita. You can preorder the new issue here.
One of my all time favourite films, Paris,Texas, is celebrating its 40 year anniversary and has been restored to mark the occasion. Wim Wenders’ mesmerising tale of loss, redemption and the unbreakable bonds of love is being screened in cinemas once again. I saw this last week at the Opera House and it certainly impacts you on a whole new level on the big screen. The Ritz in Sydney and Cinema Nova in Melbourne are amongst those showing. For those in Sydney, Rene Margritte’s first Australian retrospective is a surrealist escape from daily life, on display at the Art Gallery of NSW. In Melbourne, the multi-talented Magnus Reid’s work is on show at At The Above.
Finally, as always, my monthly playlist is a mixed bag of songs that have been on heavy rotation. I hope you enjoy it.
Sian x