After last weeks dismal results we were ready for something fresh and new. This week was the perfect remedy for our cooking fatigue. Absolutely everything was located at the supermarket and again the bill came to less than $60. Each week I am more and more surprised by just how much food you can actually get out of such little effort and simple ingredients.
Our special guest this week was a very good friend of ours, who both Dear Housemate and I have known since our wee years at school. And she also happens to be one of the most food-appreciative people that we know, so we felt it was about time that we introduced her to Challange Night and what it's all about. From the sounds of things she enjoyed herself immensely (and has also flipped through the book to pick out her options for the next few weeks). I really am going to have to sort out bookings for these things, I can't keep track of what everyone wants to it. The pictures alone are drawing people in, so props to you Mr Oliver, and your photographer!
The crunchy salad was probably the more interesting component of the meal this week. As someone who openly loathes and despises fennel, I was somewhat surprised at how good the salad tasted. A mixture of raw chopped fennel and radishes mixed with a few seasonings - simple, fresh, crunchy and delicious. I am not familiar with radishes at all. In fact I suspect that this evening may have been my first encounter with them...that or my mother was really good at hiding them in food while I was growing up. So there was a brief moment where I stood in the kitched, bunch of radishes in one hand, scratching my head with the other, trying to figure out whether or not to use the stalks/leaves and if there was any other preparation needed that would be glaringly obvious to anyone else. But I got there in the end! It wasn't much to look at, but it was a nice salad that lifted the dish up and brought in an extra bit of freshness to liven everything up.
The garlic bread was delicious. I also loathe and despise parsley but somehow I think the roasting really takes away the sharpness. I didn't do it exactly to Jamie Oliver's specifications - I bought a white vienna loaf from the supermarket, sliced it 3/4 of the way down in 2cm slices, and basically just slapped all of the garlic, parsley and olive oil on top and smooshed it between the slices. Not as artful or careful as the book's instructions, but it worked! This one is a really simple twist on regular garlic bread, it was super easy and it looked awesome. When that thing comes out of the oven you can't help but swoon over it a little bit. Ahhh....bread.
The pasta was a suprise all it's own - from the photographs in the book you wouldn't expect it to have as much in the sauce as it does. I maintain that Jamie Oliver is the master of sneaking food into other food. You'd never know half of it was there if you didn't read the recipe, but you'd surely notice the difference in taste and texture if it was gone. The pasta is super easy to put together and contains all sorts of things you may not have been expecting - tuna, capers, olives, anchovies... The long and the short of it is that it is tasty and delicious. It doesn't take on a fishy flavour so it isn't overwhelming, but the tomato doesn't become too rich either. Again, there was parsley.... but it seems to work. You don't feel as though you're getting mouthfuls of leaves and I think if I had left it out of the recipe it wouldn't have tasted as great.
And dessert... prepare yourself for this one. It is fairly rich so you don't feel as though you need to stuff yourself full of it. But then again, as soon as you put down the spoon you have the urge to pick it back up again. It is essentially a beautiful, fresh, tangy chocolate sauce that is completely irresistable. The recipe recommends to serve it with some nice bikkies and oranges on the side, so I did just that. I bought some sugared pastry biscuits and served up the ganache in little teacups with the biscuits on the side. I also did up a plate with extra biscuits and orange slices. The three of us sat there for a good half hour or so just casually picking and dipping the biscuits and fruit as we chatted away - it was heavenly. It was just like sharing a nice coffee after dinner, but far more decadent. Definitely one for the chocolate lovers! I think it would work well with any fruit, really. It could almost be an individual-serve chocolate fondue. This one is a winner!
And that's a wrap for another week! This one really breathed life back into the challenge and I can't wait for next week - Cheat's Pizza, 3 Delish Salads and Squashed Cherries & Vanilla Mascarpone Cream! So until we get to sink our teeth into that one - Bon Appetit!
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