Virtual Dinner Party No. 10 – With an Elegant Fish Soup from 1973!

Robin BoyleDessert, Dinner, Dinner Party, European, Fish & Seafood, General Interest, Main course, Poultry, Soup, Vegetables

(Update: For VDP No. 11, click here) Coronavirus Lockdown August in Melbourne 2020 and we were back in lock down for six weeks. We are largely confined to our homes. However, that only applies for the state of Victoria; other states have moved back towards a free lifestyle. We and our two Melbourne friends were keen to have another VDP …

Virtual Dinner Party No. 9 – Cauliflower Soup, Garfish, Ranch Dressing, Latvian Layered Cake

Robin BoyleDessert, Dinner, Dinner Party, European, Fish & Seafood, General Interest, Main course, Soup, Vegetables

(Update: For VDP No. 10, click here) Coronavirus Lockdown Well in Melbourne we were out of lock down for about six weeks, though still with social distancing in place. But then the virus got away from us and so for two weeks we have been largely confined to our homes again. However, that only applies for the state of Victoria; …

Polenta – With grilled radicchio and mushrooms!

Robin BoyleDinner, Italian, Main course, Vegetables

Many years ago in a traditional but stylish Italian restaurant in Melbourne, an older Italian-born waiter who had worked there for many, many years told us about his obsession with polenta. His favourite combination was to serve it with mushroom ragout. His polenta was cooked for about three quarters of an hour in lots of water, and stirred constantly to …

Olive’s Salmon Patties – An Easter Treat!

Robin BoyleAustralian, Dinner, Fish & Seafood, Main course, Traditions-Feasts

We weren’t a religious family, but our mother, Olive, would always make salmon patties (sometimes with tuna) for our evening meal on Good Friday. It was her excuse to make them – we loved them so much. While I had good recollection of the ingredients and how they were made, I had to resort to my sister, Jan, to fine …

Eggplant Baked With Passata & Pesto – Served With Lemon Flavoured Pasta!

Robin BoyleDinner, Italian, Main course, Vegetables

Our Canadian friend, Roger, was staying with us for several days in Melbourne. He offered to cook for us one night and thus produced this delicious and very easy version of baked eggplant, a variation on parmigiana di melanzane (eggplant baked with Parmesan cheese). He served it with lemon flavoured pasta, which was a perfect foil for the richness of …

Steamed Fish – Cantonese-Style!

Robin BoyleChinese, Dinner, Family, Fish & Seafood, Main course, Vegetables

My father was a naturally gifted cook – years ahead of his time in terms of experimentation and sophistication. He loved Chinese food, one reason being that his first job (at age fifteen) was at Chung Gong’s greengrocer in Launceston. Through the protective owners he developed a taste for Cantonese cuisine, acquiring useful cooking skills along the way. Every few …

Vegetable Variations – Broccolini, Cauliflower & Broccoli

Robin BoyleAustralian, Dinner, Main course, Vegetables

When there are beautiful vegetables in the markets, it is the time to experiment. In this post we include three ideas based on the brassica family. Use the methods as indicated or create your own. Broccolini Steamed with Silver Beet What could be simpler. Select delicate leaves of silver beet and remove some of the stems if they are too …

What’s in the Fridge? No. 10

Robin BoyleBritish, Dinner, In the fridge?, Main course

A braise of sausages, vegetables, lemon and bay leaves – And variations (Updated July 2021) With a forced layoff from posting of a few months due to surgery, we return to Olive’s Kitchen with another post in the series “What’s in the Fridge?”. Not only is one of us largely incapacitated but we are also currently having a significant amount …