Like music or words of advice, certain foods come to you when you need them most. Take the humble fig for example. I always crave them and by the time summer spins around, I feel I am practically owed a taste. At last, in February I got what I wanted. As for the other recipes and foodstuff we're eating our way through in February? Find them below.
Dolmades
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When the weather's rubbish and if I'm in the right headspace, I like to spend Sundays cooking a big meal. Not in a food-prep kind of way, but in that whimsical, eye-roll, Elizabeth Gilbert, sort of way. Insufferable – yet guilty. Anyway, one of my favourites is Warak Enab, Dolmades or Dolma – what you call it will depend on your background and location. I prefer the vegetarian version, where meat stuffing is substituted out in place of mostly rice, herbs, spices and a tomato. And if I'm alone, I like snacking on the thumb-shaped parcels gradually throughout the day. My favourite kind are jammy with olive oil but have enough lemon to cut through. And I like being able to gorge on the juicy potatoes at the bottom of the pot. But then again, this meal is best when shared, so invite some people over. It's a good time.
Figs on toast
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Figs have been so sexy lately. Why let them sit on the shelf? It's not groundbreaking stuff, but as soon as they start popping up in the grocery store I play financial gymnastics with my budget to stretch it in ways that defy mathematics. At the checkout I lament the fact that my nonno is dead, that he sold his farm along with the fig trees years ago, and suck up the $4 per fig price tag. It's worth it come morning anyway, when I can layer a 2cm slab of fresh ricotta on toast, break those figs up with my fingers and drip honey over the entire thing. Yum.
Larb Gai
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I've had a couple of meals at PORKFAT and it's one of my favourite places to eat in Sydney right now. As to be expected, their larb dish is killer and while I'll never be able to recreate it, Larb Gai is one of those straightforward yet flavourful dishes that work well as a midweek meal. The late Amy Chanta, founder of Chat Thai, shared her recipe with Gourmet Traveller and it's fragrant and bright while still offering that umami, spicy hit I crave (or else I don't feel satisfied). Serve it with rice and voila!
Blood Plum Clafoutis
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What I really want to be eating is Cole Wood and Dougal Muffet from A.P Bakery's plum bombolone. But yet again, I'm cut off by the cul-de-sac of my own cooking inexperience. So, fromage blanc and blood plums? Enter the blood plum clafoutis! Simply bake the glossy plums in this custard-like batter and serve hot from the oven with a cold scoop of crème fraîche on top. Tuck in with a spoon and enjoy.
