I’ve been reading food blogs for some time now and one of my favourite blogs is by Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. Every month she hosts a ‘Whats in my kitchen’ and its usually the post I look forward to the most. It’s pretty much a nice sticky beak into other foodies kitchens and reminds me of going to open house inspections when house hunting.
So here is what’s in MY kitchen, sit back and enjoy the view.
papier d’armenie
Papier d’armenie is a unique natural air deodoriser sold as a booklet of twelve sheets of paper, each cut into three strips. I bought 2 booklets (4 euros each) of papier d’armenie on my trip to France in 2009 and I still have quite a bit left. I was so excited to see something Armenian that I bought it without knowing what it was!
The paper is made of benzoin resin, the dried sap of styrax trees and the smell reminds me of being in Church when they light benzoin resin incense during prayer.
I fold the strip accordion style and burn it when I’ve been cooking something potent in the kitchen, like pan-fried fish or meat and need a quick air refresher to lift the greasy smell hovering over my cook stove. It releases the most beautiful aroma that lingers on for hours
Papier d’armenie strip burning
What else is in my kitchen?
Baby Green Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil
I bought this bottle from my local Frenchs Forest farmers markets and it only cost $15 for this 750ml bottle of first pressed Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil using Corregiolo and Manzanillo olives from Wagga Wagga. It is stamped ‘pressed 6th March 2013’ and sure enough it tastes exactly like what a fresh first pressed olive oil should taste like – fruity sour!
The bottle claims to have twice the antioxidants of regular Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Either way, it tastes great.and I love drizzling it over ripe tomatoes with the tiniest sprinkle of pink sea salt.
What’s in my kitchen?
Garlic! And lots of it
Another great bargain from my local farmers markets. $10 for this huge lovely bunch of Australian locally grown garlic. While its hard to see in the picture, there are 23 huge bulbs here. These beauties hang over my kitchen sink and I can’t get enough of it!
The farmer who sold me this bunch told me it would keep well and that I wouldn’t need to buy more garlic all year. I laughed and invited him over for dinner. He’d soon realise that it would last a month in my kitchen, tops. I add garlic to everything and can easily go through a bulb a day. Even my 19 month old daughter has become accustomed to the taste of raw garlic.
What else is in my kitchen?
Shallots growing on my window sill
I bought some shallots for my Shanklish recipe last week and decided to experiment with the roots by placing it into a jar of water and leaving it on my window sill. Sure enough, only 2 days later it has already started to sprout shallots and I hope to be able to transplant it into my veggie patch once it gets more established.
So there’s a snapshot of what’s in my kitchen! Hope you enjoyed the sticky beak!
Gourmet Wog 
Hi Lisa, That papier d’armenie is intriguing, I have never seen it before. That garlic looks fabulous. You scored a bargain that day ….
I sure did Glenda, It tastes great! A few of the bulbs have already started sprouting so I’m doing some research on growing garlic here on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. I don’t know if it will grow at all, or if I’d be wasting good cloves for nothing
Celia has trouble growing garlic in Sydney. She says it is not cold enough. You should ask her.
Hi Lisa, you must live close to my sister if you are in French’s Forrest. I have benzoin essential oil and I will burn some in my kitchen next time I cook something potent 🙂
oooh maybe she’s a neighbour! How small is our world?!
Hi Lisa
Some very interesting things lurking in your kitchen. I would love some of that paper in my kitchen. Everytime I cook Asian my house smells like a Thai restaurant for days. I would love some of that home grown garlic. Ive never seen that particular olive oil before but there is just nothing better than fresh pressed oil.
Hi Tania! I’d love to send you a page of papier d’armenie if you want to message me your address?
I am British English and the name you have chosen is considered pretty offensive over here, as you can see if you look even at wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wog You should be aware that people from all over the world read your blog, not just Australiians. But hey it’s your blog!
Hi Joanna,
Thank you for your comments. I ask you take the time to read my ‘About Me’ page as I do make reference to this. Having been called a Wog pretty much my whole life, I want to bring forward the use of the word as slang with reference to Mediterranean people, just as we Aussies call you ‘Poms’. I don’t see this being offensive anymore, and know many Brits who would laugh it off without taking offense to being called a Pom.
That garlic stash is amazing! And what a great deal too 😀 What a lovely look into your kitchen!
Thanks Lorraine, It tastes pretty amazing too!
Lisa, what dish do you use the red chillies in ?
And I Love the name of your blog…just sayin
Thanks Amelia 🙂
Everything! Most of all though, I eat them raw, as a side compliment to any dish. I have a wax coated tongue 😉
I love your papier d’armenie. I’ve never seen it in the UK but have just checked and Amazon sell it in exactly the same packs as yours! I’ve put it on my wish list so I don’t forget.
Isn’t the internet wonderful! I live next door to France (so to speak) and discover the product in Australia!
I was told that WOG was an acronym for ‘wily oriental gentleman’ and, yes, it is sometimes an insult but so are so many things. I nearly called my blog A Tyke Cook as Yorkshire folk are called that sometimes. I was told that it originally meant uncouth or mean. You can call me a Tyke or a pom for all I care! I’m sure I’ve been called worse.
It is a lovely blog and I will follow you.
Thanks Pat! Welcome and thanks for following 🙂
Ahhh Amazon! I was wondering where I could top up my supply when it runs low. You’re right, the internet IS a wonderful place
I do like the imagery of garlic plaited and hanging all over your kitchen. Fresh Aussie garlic combined with that VERY fresh olive oil…well you can’t go wrong can you! 🙂
Thanks Brydie! Classic combos always win 🙂
Hi Lisa. We have grown garlic here in Melbourne and it was fantastic!! There are some specialist garlic farmers on line who can supply you with the right type of garlic to grow in your area and also the strength of the garlic you would like as well. The best thing is once you have grown some you can just put some of it aside to plant for the next season and away you go again!!
do you still grow it Jo? I read it takes 6 or so months to get a good harvest. I’m so impatient, but the benefits would be so worth it!
No we haven’t started our veggie garden at our new house but it will be one of the things we grow once we have. I’m pretty sure you plant garlic between March – May and it will be ready to pick between December – February. If you are interested in growing it now could be the right time!!
Hi there, love the sound of the Papier d’armenie. Home grown garlic is the best… we are hoping to plant more this season.
Hi Lizzy, welcome! I hope we get a bumper crop 😉
Lisa, thanks so much for joining in! What interesting things you have in your garden – the papier d’armenie sounds intriguing and I’m sure the olive oil is amazing – I love that very green first pressing. Re the garlic – I wish I could grow it better here, but I never seem to get giant corms, just medium sized ones some years, and none at all other years. Apparently it needs frost to set – if it gets colder in the Northern Beaches than the inner west, you might have some luck with it? Time to plant is now, by the way.
Hi Celia, thanks for allowing me to join in! I figure I’ll give it a go, if we strike then its a bonus! We do get some very cold coastal winds so maybe we might just get lucky 🙂
Great to read your first IMK post Lisa. Lovely things in your kitchen – the Papier d’armenie sounds so interesting.
Thanks for stopping by Christine! I look forward to posting many more IMK posts 🙂
Love the sound of the Papier d’armenie!
Your garlic story reminds me of when my Nonna, who had diabetes, was told very earnestly by her (young, Anglo) doctor that garlic was very good for regulating blood sugar, and she should probably double what she was already using when she cooked.
It took two months for the rest of the family to convince Nonna that the doctor very possibly hadn’t realised how much garlic a southern Italian woman was using already – I’m a garlic lover myself, and even I couldn’t quite cope with the meals coming from Nonna’s kitchen in that period!
Thanks for the sticky-beak into your lovely kitchen!
Catherine
Love this story Catherine! Certainly put a smile on my face. I’m sure you probably didn’t get the flu that season when your family were in garlic overdrive?! Thanks for stopping by x
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