https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/blog daily 0.75 2021-03-03 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/blog/getting-your-kitchen-sorted-home-cooking monthly 0.5 2021-09-08 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/blog/choosing-which-foods-you-want-to-eat monthly 0.5 2021-09-08 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/blog/lets-cook-a-may-inspired-menu monthly 0.5 2020-05-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1588758277131-4KTA94SC29M8SXK83YMU/sebastian-coman-photography-ZGgIYaL9lYk-unsplash.jpg Blog - Let’s cook a May inspired menu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1588758352152-6V2SB45PL803JQP8299F/untitled.jpg Blog - Let’s cook a May inspired menu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1588793780824-ZB1QW6C5QZDT9GUCCCTZ/grilled-lamb-neck-fillet.jpg Blog - Let’s cook a May inspired menu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1588793798112-I6R9TRI7O4DVJM5FLA3W/lemonsyllabub.jpg Blog - Let’s cook a May inspired menu https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/blog/any-cook-can-pair-combine-and-bounce-flavours monthly 0.5 2021-09-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1589291904298-HU0MOXP206KA9X44FBT5/Peaches.jpg Blog - Every cook can pair, combine and bounce flavours! https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/blog/eating-seasonally-silver-linings monthly 0.5 2020-07-12 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/blog/your-magical-pantry monthly 0.5 2021-09-08 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/blog/is-eating-foods-in-season-out-of-date-these-days monthly 0.5 2021-03-03 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes daily 0.75 2021-12-11 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/peach-bellini-pannacotta monthly 0.5 2020-06-27 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/salmon-with-a-bois-boudran-sauce monthly 0.5 2020-06-30 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/scallops-with-a-cider-beurre-blanc-sauce monthly 0.5 2020-07-01 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/crme-anglaise-sauce-for-desserts monthly 0.5 2020-07-03 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/tandoori-fish-with-mint-raita-and-cucumber-salad monthly 0.5 2020-07-08 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/bonet-coffee-chocolate-and-amaretti monthly 0.5 2020-07-15 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/white-chocolate-orange-and-ginger-profiteroles monthly 0.5 2020-07-17 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/green-vegetable-salad-w-hazelnut-dressing monthly 0.5 2020-08-03 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/chocolate-ricotta-cake monthly 0.5 2020-08-20 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/roast-pork-with-cherry-ginger-relish monthly 0.5 2020-09-09 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/peacorn-ricotta-frittelle monthly 0.5 2020-09-16 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/hestons-cherry-tomato-meat-fruit-canaps monthly 0.5 2020-09-30 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/meringue-nests-with-limoncello-cream-pomegranate-sorbet-and-gold-confetti-stars monthly 0.5 2020-11-23 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/chocolate-and-passion-fruit-tart monthly 0.5 2021-03-18 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/chocolate-hazelnut-and-cherry-tart-with-burnt-meringue monthly 0.5 2021-04-08 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/tuna-ceviche monthly 0.5 2021-10-06 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/mezze-sharing-plate monthly 0.5 2021-10-06 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/toffee-blackberry-pavlova monthly 0.5 2021-10-06 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/milk-chocolate-mousse-with-macadamia-nuts-and-bananas monthly 0.5 2021-10-07 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/mezze-sharing-plate-1 monthly 0.5 2021-10-15 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/bourbon-glazed-drumsticks-with-greens monthly 0.5 2021-10-20 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/aussie-sweetcorn-and-pea-fritters monthly 0.5 2021-10-29 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/norwegian-cream-pudding monthly 0.5 2021-11-18 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/banana-chocolate-rum-soaked-raisins-and-hazelnuts-bread-loaf monthly 0.5 2021-11-19 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/0xb9lp4yymrwv0utl35bfsalys2job monthly 0.5 2021-11-22 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/recipes/jacket-scallops monthly 0.5 2021-12-11 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/home daily 1.0 2021-09-02 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/contact daily 0.75 2020-04-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586947997186-U35SU5ZDEU9WIL8JC8CL/image-asset.jpeg Contact https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/about daily 0.75 2021-09-08 https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/intro daily 0.75 2021-09-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586944728472-HEOGURZTFODIRMJFBQ0J/YMK4.jpg Intro - Intro The way you stock your kitchen is like building a house. Foundations first, Fixtures second and Finishes last. Apply those principles to cooking in your magical kitchen - working your way through nine easy steps. The only catch is you need to go through the first three steps in order - Foods, Tastes, Flavours. Build on those with the remaining steps - Scents, Condiments, Potions, Colours, Divas and Occasions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586961216079-6AZN3O59M9AI5SUATHAE/YMK48.jpg Intro https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586961046061-KDFOSQJYPOLZ2JG93337/YMK49.jpg Intro https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586960735019-OCPELWXXO46K7SG8E38X/YMK33.jpg Intro https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586876079145-L720U1HZHU59D6R7HPNI/YMK39.jpg Intro https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586947401546-9B78YDWZSX1Q1I5DCS63/YMK45.jpg Intro https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586935786960-RAF45II7Q1V5I3WH5DJY/YMK1a.jpg Intro https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586876016245-Z3AG0659XLKRVU85X8V0/YMK7jpg.jpg Intro https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586944510528-MEPPKCKSZIKX0JF41HEN/YMK1.jpg Intro https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586936416357-GEGEMAFZ8HER25WXHCP5/YMK1c.jpg Intro https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/foods daily 0.75 2021-09-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586961119785-WP0PT469WCMMCCUH8GIO/YMK49.jpg Foods - Sunday Roasts, Pizza, Spaghetti Bolognese, Chicken Tikka Masala, Thai Green Curry, Banoffee Pie and Apple Crumble are national favourites. Appetising as these are, they are not foods. They are dishes, made up of foods. What you need to get your kitchen sorted are real foods - avocado, chicken, fish, lemons, grains, eggs. Which real foods you love will be the foundation of your Magical Kitchen. Everything else you need to cook will revolve around these. Real foods belong to one of the five classic groups - protein, vegetables, fruit, grains and dairy. Each group can be divided into Food Families - red meats/white meats/game, oily fish/flat fish/gastropods, root veg/green veg/squashes, stone fruits/citrus fruit/currants, wet cheeses/blue cheeses/hard cheeses/butter/cream, nuts/seeds. Food Families are the first of the three Foundation principles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586864709925-VN2PIQ87RXQ86QY53CZY/YMK28.jpg Foods - FOODS Payoffs Making your shopping lists easier. Armed with your new knowledge, you will know what foods you want to have in stock regularly. Shopping will become less of a haphazard affair – saving you money and time and reducing waste. Helping you buy recipe books that are more you-focussed. As tempting and beautiful as most recipe books are, you can now look through the indexes to see how many of your favourite foods are included. Chefs and cookery writers have to include dishes that speak to everyone, so select books that match up with your favourite foods. https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/tastes daily 0.75 2021-09-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586972443056-ZE7JC5PH0G3H485449IT/YMK48.jpg Tastes - Taste and flavour are different things. Taste is about the mouth – flavour is about the nose. There are hundreds of flavours, but only a handful of tastes. What you want to know about your favourite foods is how they taste, and to which Taste Families they belong. There are five classic families - bitter, salty, umami, sour and sweet - to which we can add three others - astringent, spicy, fatty. There are two ways to create Taste Pairings - tastes that complement, and tastes that balance. Complementary tastes show up in a Salted Caramel Flan (salty and sweet). Balancing tastes show up in a Tomato and Rocket Salad (umami and bitter). Taste Families are the second of the three Foundation principles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586867157619-N4RQHIHU22ESPGKR8XK0/YMK22.jpg Tastes - TASTES Payoffs Getting good at ‘reading’ recipes. Armed with your new knowledge, you will avoid taste crashes. If the recipe includes words like ‘complement’, you can tell for yourself whether the tastes are doing exactly that. Starting to understand which foods you can substitute, based on taste. In no time, you’ll give yourself so many more options. https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/flavours daily 0.75 2021-09-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586960607761-QGLYCW561H5X5EYNV4QR/YMK33.jpg Flavours - As our mouth deciphers the taste of foods, our nose anticipates the flavour of foods. The hedonist sensations that flavours trigger and the memories they stir – the sweet, fresh and evocative smell of the air following a rainstorm, the heavenly scent of home-cooked cinnamon rolls on an autumnal night – are the stuff of culinary lore. Flavour is the third and final Foundation principle for your Magical Kitchen. Unlike Taste Families, there is no universally agreed lexicon for Flavour Families. What one chef or cookery writer calls floral, another might call fruity. A food described as grassy in one magazine might be called verdant in another. This makes things a bit trickier for us home cooks when either creating or reviewing a recipe, but not impossible. Seasoned home-cooks have something called taste memory. Flavour memory can be acquired similarly, but it takes much more time and effort. By far the easiest way to test whether your combos will be successful is to type two or three foods into your preferred search engine, and see how many dishes come up. Type in prawns and lemons and an array of recipes will show up. Try prawns and cherries and you will find absolutely nothing. There are classic Flavour Bases that you can master quickly and which will help you discover which of your Go To and Magical Foods work with each other. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586945284086-9FBYFJOH2KU2E2212AI8/YMK43.jpg Flavours - FLAVOURS Payoffs Taking savoury foods in different directions. Your culinary repertoire will expand as you try out new (and old) cuisines, choosing dishes that are world-beaters and creating your own dishes based on your understanding of how flavours go together. Also, learning to tweak your pairings and combinations based on dry and moist cooking methods. Knowing how to use just five ingredients – flour, eggs, milk, cream and sugar – to rustle up desserts, from pillow-y meringues and airy mousses, to silky crème caramels and soft, rich ice creams, enabling you to create contrasting texture-pairings with your savoury dishes. https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/scents daily 0.75 2021-09-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586935720532-QFE6NM40CWV73WU7VSI3/YMK1a.jpg Scents - Herbs and Spices are beautiful in so many ways - the way they look, the way they taste, and their reputation for creating sensational aromas in the kitchen. Scents range from faintly aniseed to citrussy and fresh, fiery and potent, musky and pungent, sweet and warm. Stunning as scents are, they are not worth eating on their own. Scents are one of the three ‘fixtures and fittings’ which take your dishes up another notch (the other two are condiments and alcohol). I call these Go With Foods. Scents have a short self-life, though spices last longer than herbs. While you may not yet be in Imelda Marcos territory (3,000 pairs of shoes and counting…), you probably have far more herbs and spices than are necessary. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586945369045-PICNU2YNUUWVUGGODC8N/YMK24.jpg Scents - SCENTS Payoffs Using scents are a great way to add flavour, colour and fragrance, without adding extra fat, salt and sugar. Seasonings are packed with nutrients and offer great health benefits – and in fact many are used in alternative medicine. Scents jazz up everyday vegetables and fruits (fresh or frozen) and work well in both dry-heat and moist-heat cooking. Dried herbs and toasted spices add an extra frisson to sides, like cumin seeds over potatoes, or a sprinkle of nutmeg over baked apricots. https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/condiments daily 0.75 2021-09-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586947258400-3FIYK5JIH3G44A6XWT9C/YMK45.jpg Condiments - Condiments are the unsung heroes in the kitchen. They grab less attention in the culinary world of cooking, but they punch above their weight. Condiment Families include salts, oils and vinegars, mustards, sauces, pastes and preserves. Unlike scents which link to particular foods, e.g. dill with potatoes, basil with tomatoes - condiments link to specific cuisines (pesto, plum sauce and pomegranate molasses to Mediterranean, Chinese and Middle Eastern dishes respectively). Like herbs and spices, condiments can spread like wildfire - finding their way into all sorts of nooks and crannies in the kitchen found in cool larders, jammed cupboards and fridge shelves alike. The joy of condiments is the nuances they bring to your favourite foods. Safflower oil with apple cider vinegar and a touch of lime juice delivers if you want something bright and acidic. Vegetable oil with rice vinegar, soy sauce and white miso takes you into a different direction (emollient and umami). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586947643642-617EGAB229LNXVSIFVIX/YMK46.jpg Condiments - CONDIMENTS Payoffs Adding concentrated shots of flavour to all types of dishes: savoury, sweet, delicate, robust. It is one way of food layering, where you add different but complementary flavours to give dishes more depth and authenticity. Condiments added to dishes after cooking have a dual purpose: introducing new flavours and tastes, but also colours and textures. White sushi paired with green wasabi, for example. https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/potions daily 0.75 2021-09-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586874463357-I8V6YE00Q8ZSWJEL58OH/YMK39.jpg 6. Potions - Alcohol remains fundamental to gastronomy in many cuisines and comes in all types of flavours, concentrations and colours. Most alcohols are regional-based (Calvados from France, Amaretto from Italy) and turn up in classic regional dishes (Poulet a la Normande, Tiramisu). Intoxicating as alcohol is, not any old bottle will do. As with flavours, the chemical structures of the underlying foods and botanicals determine which type of booze will work best. Alcohol is used in savoury and sweet dishes, which makes them super versatile. A small, but perfectly chosen group of potions gives you choices without busting your budget. Different types of alcohol have different ‘weights’ - heavy fortified wines, lighter spirits and a mix of liqueurs in-between (clear and clean Poire William to muddy and dense Kahlua). Potions are not the ‘pop’ of colour in a lampshade livening up a cool, muted room, but the last chorus in a resounding song – all soaring violins and a 30-strong choir belting their way through the final refrain. Potions are the last of the principles of fixtures and features. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1587454833151-PWKK0A1DZALVOP2KDO7E/YMK51.jpg 6. Potions - POTIONS Payoffs Complementing meat-based dishes with alcohol adds more flavour and depth. Bold wines are better for casseroles, stews, marinating and deglazing. Beer is good for batters. Vodka and Pernod work best with lighter fish and pasta dishes. Bourbon is best for ‘sticky’ dishes like fall-apart ribs and chicken wings. Pairing liqueurs with fruit and creams create a buzz and adds piquancy: spicy (rum), sour (maraschino), tart (sambuca), tasty (amaretto). Small amounts go a long way, whether drizzled over the top or used during cooking. https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/colours daily 0.75 2021-09-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586871279162-81LP0VYH4NOBE82RD4U3/YMK7jpg.jpg Colours - Using colourful foods in your cooking are the easiest culinary skill to acquire. Creating riots of colour makes your dishes appealing and wholesome. Introducing Colour Riots in your dishes boosts maximum nutrition. Fresh foods are always best, but canned and tinned come a good second if fresh is not available. Each of the rainbow colours - red, yellow, green, blue, purple and white - carry different nutrients for maintaining good health. Beige food - grains, flours, pastas, noodles, rice and potatoes - are like comfort blankets. Glistening noodles and buttery potatoes make us feel good, boosting levels of serotonin. There is no reason why you can’t create colourful, visually grabbing dishes on your own. You simply need to brush up on colour wheels and how they are used in design, art and fashion. Colour is the first set of principles for Finishes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586962039320-E68KJR3COKGUAT96AJ5Z/YMK42.jpg Colours - COLOUR Payoffs Enhancing your health through a variety of nutritious foods that track with their colours. Expanding and, by default, broadening, the number of dishes you make from both cooler and warmer climates where the former are green-purple-blue based, and the latter red-yellow-green based. Raising your spirits. Making dishes with visual impact, drawing on the rainbow of colours, and creating harmony or contrast as you wish. Helps make dishes visually appealing. https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/divas daily 0.75 2021-09-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586944591146-67K3XOJ9F9CG7SRPN6DS/YMK1.jpg Divas - DIVAS are all about bringing the bling. They shout, they flounce, they make an impact. No-one can miss them and every kitchen should have them. Diva Foods are an assortment of decorations, garnishes, toppings and embellishments to create the final finishing touches. Some are known for their high notes, and tend to take to the stage with sweet desserts and dishes. Others are all about the low notes and prefer savoury entrees and mains. Many foods in your kitchen can turn Diva-like in a moment – crispy croutons floating on top of a creamy veg soup, or crumbled digestives scattered atop a layer of amaretto-soaked baked peaches. These are the Diva Combos. Divas are found in all sorts of places – sweet shops, supermarkets, and farm shops. For the most glittery divas, there are plenty of internet sites to choose from. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586876469341-ZZNTDP4Y7ZKMO7Z1NUIB/YMK8.jpg Divas - DIVAS Payoffs Creating a real ‘wow’ factor using harmonious or contrasting foods, herbs, flowers, colours and confectionaries for visual effect. Reflecting the seasons through your choice of toppings: spring gremolata with lamb; summer microgreens with cold pasta salads; autumn crispy, pan-fried lardons atop a squash-based risotto. https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/meals daily 0.75 2021-09-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586936294761-3FORPP6MJ65Q8UYXACE5/YMK1c.jpg Meals - When we want to push out the boat for loved ones, a two- or three-course meal is a great way to show your appreciation of them. Putting together a full-blown meal, comprised of multiple courses, is not for the faint-hearted. And it might not be the first thing on your mind in these challenging times. Very few people pre-COVID 19 came home in the evening to a two- or three-course meal. Dual working households – whether part-time or full-time – rarely had the time, energy or mental space to prep (let alone cook), anything more than a single dish (a tub of ice cream for dessert aside, perhaps). For most households, multi-course lunches and dinners are reserved for weekends and special occasions. For some of us, it may just be two of you. For others on their own, it is a way of treating themselves. For families, it is a chance to come together, with everyone pitching in. Rifling though cookery books for something new and different for the main course is always fun – but thinking through what to go before and/or after the main can be more challenging. Happily, there are basic principles for bringing dishes together, drawn from cookery book classics of yore. Maybe now is the time to learn something new for better and future times. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e83501ce6db033650587db8/1586875546512-NZT8ZM1AZKFEG2UHQ0AO/YMK25.jpg Meals - OCCASIONS Payoffs Sharing food with others. Coming together to eat together has always been part of every human story. Food is more than survival. Cooking a meal for others helps us deepen relationships with friends, lovers and family. It helps us remember who we are and what unites us. Gifting of your time and your labour, creating an environment in which others can find a moment to celebrate life and put aside everyday cares and concerns for a few hours. Right now, some of us might have reclaimed an hour or so - temporarily released from the routines of commuting, shopping, driving to and from schools, playdates and classes. https://www.yourmagicalkitchen.com/privacy-policy daily 0.75 2020-04-15