THERE IS NO CACTUS IN THIS RECIPE!

Nik Sharma is a pretty inspiring UK cook and his book that Yumi talks about can be found here.

This pasta is really worth trying though - almost everything in it probably already exists in your pantry, and it's absolutely packed with flavours.

Orecchiette Pantry Pasta

Get a big pot of salted water on the boil and add in 500g of orecchiette pasta.

While that's cooking, warm up 3tbs good olive oil and to it, add 1.5 tsp smashed up cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, a clove of finely grated garlic and a teaspoon of Aleppo, Maras or Urfa red pepper flakes.

Scoop out a half cup of pasta water from the pot when your orecchiette still has a couple of minutes to go.

Dissolve 3tbs white miso into the pasta water. Pour that into the frying spice mix. Add 285g frozen peas to the pasta water and bring it back to the boil. Drain well once your pasta timer sounds. Combine the pasta+peas with the oil and spices.

Then add an absolute ton of grated parmesan cheese and some snipped chives.

Serve immediately.

(This also makes great leftovers!)

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To sweeten your work day, Yumi has a shortbread recipe from one of her favourite cookbooks, and another hack if you're a HOME-MADE GRANOLA OBSESSIVE.

The cookbook is PASS IT ON by Shobha Kalyan and Keryn Kalyan and it's out of print but you may be able to get a copy if you contact them via their Facebook.

Cardamom Shortbread

110g ghee, at room temp

90g caster sugar

2tsp ground cardamom

50g pea flour

50g fine semolina

80g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

shelled pistachios or peeled almonds to decorate

Cream the ghee and sugar with the cardamom powder until light and fluffy. Sift everything else on top of the mixture and gently combine, taking care not to overmix.

Roll 22 heaped teaspoons into balls and space out on an oven tray. Lightly dot a pistachio or almond in the middle of each biscuit.

Bake in a pre-heated 160C oven for 20 minutes. Eat while driving!

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In this reheated episode, Yumi gets somewhat misty-eyed about all the travel she's not doing but would like to, where IS the best place for food and eating?

Meanwhile, you can get some nourishment with minimal stress making the following:

WALNUT PESTO!

100g walnuts

garlic oil

3 tbs chopped fresh rosemary

50g grated Pecorino Romano

4tbs walnut oil

Serve on Rana Pasta! (Which Yumi famously misspells out loud during this episode, lol. ) Or whatever filled pasta you can get your hands on.

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We have to replay this episode because it's embarrassing and embarrassment is best shared.

It's not every day that you get to interview an acclaimed and genuinely cool English author who can sell out rooms here in Australia... but that's what Yumi was doing (for one of her other jobs) when something DEEPLY CRINGE AND FOOD-RELATED occurred. You can hear all about it on this reheated episode! LOLSSSSS.

You'll also hear about this SALAD - from an amazing website I use all the time.

1 tomato

2 tbs ponzu

1 tbs toasted sesame seeds

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In this reheated episode, both your hosts had entered the Pod recording studio still high from brilliant restaurant experiences.

Yumi had been to the fairly new Bessie's in Surry Hills, Sydney, while Simon ate again at chef Josh Niland's sublime St Peter in Paddo. BOTH EXPERIENCES WERE TRANSFORMATIVE.

What did we bring home to share with you on this podcast?

Burgers!

REQUIREMENTS?

800g best quality, butcher-supplied mince

slices of aged cheddar

pita pockets

10g of salt, freshly ground pepper

and a BBQ.

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CHRISTMAS WAS HECTIC, and now we need a way to feed ourselves that somehow acknowledges that we can, in fact, stand to take it a bit easy on our tummies this time of year!

On this consistently top-rating food podcast, your hosts try not to cack themselves laughing while they explain a way to make life easy for the home chef while getting good foods into your kids via a food they trust: TOAST.

ELVIS TOAST

Butter a well toasted slice of sourdough.

Add a generous slathering of crunchy peanut butter...

then top generously with sliced banana.

Finish with a tiny amount of very dark chocolate, finely grated over the top!

MAGIC TOAST

Spread a well-toasted slice of sourdough bread with hummus.

Crumble over some fetta.

Season with salt and cracked pepper.

Serve.

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It's Christmas Eve!

Simon and I send you all the best over this time of year - hope you're not spending too much time in the kitchen!

Reviving the Dead Inside You!

Chicken thighs - 500g, cut into large nuggets, dusted in flour

Teriyaki Sauce:

2 tbs Kikkoman Soy Sauce

2 tbs mirin

1 tsp honey

TO COOK:

Pre-heat a frypan, add a tablespoon of oil, toss the chicken in and move the chicken around the pan until it's cooked.

Pour in the sauce and keep stirring - until the sauce is thickened, glossy and reduced. Serve immediately on rice.

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There is nothing my kids love more than a fire-roasted potato, wrapped in foil and eaten with lashings of butter and salt when huddled next to the tent on one of our camping trips.

But what about when there's a Total Fire Ban and you can't have a fire?

Or what about when you get back to the city and you're still craving that Camp Life?

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