Gochujang Chicken and Seasonal Vegetable Traybake

I've been wanting to use my red tub of Gochujang Korean paste ever since we went shopping for it in Sydney at an Asian Supermarket a few weeks ago. I was so excited when I bought it. This is my first experience cooking with this fermented soybean and chili paste, and we love its unique umami flavours. This dish is basically roasted chicken pieces and simple seasonal roasted vegetables, livened up with this quite uniquely flavoured red paste. However, many other vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots or even beetroots could also be used. I'm looking forward to trying them all out in another Gochujang traybake, which is such a convenient way to cook. I am a real oven traybake fan. Add the pickle of radish and spring onions, and this dish soars to the next level. 

Birthday Celebration Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

This is the perfect chocolate cake for a birthday celebration. It really tastes like chocolate cake, not all do, and this one has the softest crumb and is incredibly moist. I've made many chocolate cakes in my lifetime, but none of them have stood out above this one. It is incredibly easy to make, requiring just one bowl and a wooden spoon, unbelievable right? The chocolate ganache icing takes it to the next level, ensuring it becomes a dark and sumptuous cake. However, just a normal old-fashioned chocolate icing would still do this justice, or it is delicious enough on its own to accommodate a gentle sifting of icing sugar on the surface, served with a large spoonful of thickened cream. Mr. HRK loved his birthday cake, so it was worth taking the time to bake it. 

In My Kitchen, October 2023

 Dear Readers, It's time for my monthly In My Kitchen review, which surprisingly is for October already, can you believe it, I can't. However, this is mostly about happenings In My Kitchen for September. It includes a recent fabulous trip to beautiful Sydney, in NSW, some food foraging, and links to some of my favourite recipes that I have made recently. It's Black Friday today, the 13th, and this post needs to be submitted by close of business. I'm not superstitious, but I think I should try and submit this one as soon as I can, just in case.  So here it is, and I hope you enjoy reading about my latest culinary exploits and adventures, and other highlights as well.

Chicken Fricassée with Shallots, Mushrooms and Bacon

This rustic French dish, a classic Chicken Fricassée, is all about fresh chicken thighs seared in butter and braised in white wine with sweet French shallots, mushrooms, and tasty bacon bits. This recipe sounds fancy but it's not. Although it's a French classic, it's very achievable for the home cook, because it's just a comforting single pot recipe, using humble ingredients from your kitchen (although I did make a special trip to the supermarket to buy French shallots). There are many versions of this dish, depending on what the cook has on hand at the time, but I was thrilled with how this particular combination tasted. There is no fancy French sauce, just white wine flavoured with beautiful ingredients.