Marilu's Pork Adobo

A lovely pork adobo Marilu-style. Unlike many adobos, this one has a very intense and concentrated sauce. Serve with steamed rice and cucumber and rice vinegar dressing.

450 gr pork belly (or pork ribs)

3/4 rice wine vinegar

1/4 soy sauce

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp black peppercorns

half head garlic (broken)

1. cut pork in 1.5 inch squares
2. put pork and rest of ingredients in pot
3. let boil, then lower heat and cook for an hour, checking every 15 minutes (stir if necessary to prevent sticking at bottom of pan)
4. cook until gravy is caramelized

Pimm's Porteno-Style

A great version of Pimm's from Sydney's Porteno...

Pimms

Cointreau

fresh lemon juice

cucumber juice

ginger ale

1. in a glass of ice, pour 1 part cointreau, 3 parts Pimms
2. add lemon and cucumber juice to taste
3. top up with ginger ale

Batanga

A seemingly great drink that I saw on the menu at Sydney's Porteno.

Calle 23 blanco tequila

juice of half lime

cola

salt

1. line part of the glass rim with salt
2. in the glass, squeeze the half lime, add a shot of tequila
3. fill up with ice, top up with coke

Antipodean Pinots

I will use this entry to list the pinots I discover in these parts, to be updated regularly. So far I like the Tasmanian's best...

• Bress Silver Chook Pinot Noire, Yarra Valley, Macedon (Victoria)

Ricotta, Cherry Jam & Pine Nuts

Another wonderful breakfast idea I must have picked up in Ayvalik, one of Turkey's true culinary capitals.

1. cut ricotta into pretty slices
2. plate, with a spoonful of best quality sour cherry preserves
3. sprinkle a few pine nuts all around

Creten Salad

A bit like a Cobb salad transported to the Aeolians. Be sure to use a harder goat cheese, probably a firm feta so that it remains intact rather than crumbling apart.

green olives

goat cheese

fresh green chili

dried red chili

dill

parsley

EVOO

lemon

maldon sea salt

ground pepper

1. dice up olives
2. chop green chili, dill and parsley
3. cut goat cheese/feta into cubes
4. mix and dress with EVOO and squeeze of lemon
5. season to taste

Canarino

A great after dinner alternative to the usual camomile. From London's Eleven Park Walk. The original canarino (canary) calls for just lemon and hot water, refers to the yellow of the lemon peel.

1. put some lemon peel, 1-2 bay leaves to taste, muscade sugar in a tea pot
2. add boiling water