We’re well in to December. I hope everyone’s Christmas plans are coming along well. Take five minutes off and have a read of this month’s In The Kitchen With… As this month we are hosting the lovely Kate from Cooking and Carafes. Over to you Kate.
The kitchen is most definitely my room in the house, since we moved in last year I’ve made it my own little snug. I have a sofa at one end of our kitchen/diner and I love sitting back with a coffee and my latest foodie magazine on a weekend morning, especially when the beautiful morning light hits my white walls, giving a comforting glow.
My morning coffee is definitely one of my pleasures (and essentials!). I have lots of different coffee making vessels, from my Lavazza machine, to a classic cafetiere. But recently I’ve read that the traditional Italian Moka pot makers may have to claim bankruptcy due to declining sales – I love my little Moka pot. It makes a mean espresso, as the noise and smell as the coffee bubbles through makes a morning tradition to savour.
Next up on the essentials in my kitchen has to be my pasta machine and pasta tools. I recently bought a new Marcato pasta maker and it’s fabulous! I’ve kept mine in the traditional silver but you can also funk up your kitchen with beautiful coloured machines. I often just make pasta sheets which I transform into different pasta shapes but the tagliatelle cutter works a treat and is perfect when making this rich, red tomato flavoured tagliatelle.
My pasta tools such as my pastry cutter, gnocchi and garganelli board also help to create beautiful pasta shapes like these. You can get most of these from Amazon and also bespoke stockists.
As winter approaches I have to admit there’s nothing I like more than battening down the hatches and cooking up some delicious home comforts in my kitchen. As a pasta lover it’s easy to make delicious, warming ragus on the coldest of days, and for that I need my beautiful green cast iron pot that gets hauled out of the cupboard each week. One of my first purchases when I was buying my first home, it was a bargain, reduced in M&S homeware – and I love it! It’s perfect for slow cooked ragùs, casseroles, a big pot of chilli, you name it this is the Queen of Pots for one pot wonders.
Recipes books are a feature of any cook’s kitchen aren’t they? I read about colour coding your books to make them look neater so my collection is organised as such! My absolute favourites this year have been Passion for Pasta by Carmela Sereno Hayes and Cooking with Wine by Fiona Beckett, the recipes never fail you.
I don’t think I could complete a post about my kitchen without mentioning wine – the clue is in my blog’s name; I have several carafes that we use for water or wine when I have guests (or just when we feel like indulging on a weekend!). This fun pair were a gift from my other half one Christmas and this matching set with glasses from Oliver Bonas was a housewarming gift for our new house, they look great in my photoshoots and are just a nice piece of glassware to have on the dinner table when hosting.
I could go on with other utensils, cookware and more in my kitchen but these are just some of my favourites.
For more Italian inspiration head to my blog or you’ll find all my latest updates on Instagram and on other social media @CookingCarafes
