I haven’t even seen a jar of Ovaltine in decades, but guest blogger Rhianna Padamsey is reliving her youth with this look at the chocolatey drink. – ska

The onset of fall inevitably conjures up a variety of images: scarves, long slow braises, extra blankets, changing leaves, pumpkin spice lattes.. However, it’s not often – not these days anyway – that one associates fall with the consumption of a nice, hot mug of…Ovaltine.

Remember Ovaltine? Yes we know that the jar is round and the mug is round and that “they should call it Roundtine” but, other than that, what do we really know about this strange, yet enduring powder in the jar with the orange lid in the back of the pantry?

Um…nothing.

To me, Ovaltine was that weird drink my mother would drink before bed. I remember it would sit in the pantry, depleting slowly enough that it inevitably hardened into a solid mass in the bottom of the jar and, god-willing, made its way to the trash. Sure, it kind of smelled and tasted like chocolate, but something about it was always slightly off. No?

That’s because it isn’t quite chocolate. Sure it contains a touch of cocoa powder but at its core, Ovaltine is, in fact, a malt beverage. And what is malt? I have no idea, but I thought it would be worthwhile to investigate the culinary value of this drink powder that has been in production for over a century.

Let me preface this by saying that although the flavour of the Ovaltine is slightly muted for my taste, and I still can’t accept it’s not quite chocolateness, this cake is smooth, rich and satisfying and really,
It sure beats using the Ovaltine jar as a door stop.

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I never thought that almost-raw tuna could be considered a comfort food, but I’m coming around. On busy weeknights (and even the odd weekday lunch when L and I sneak home for a bite) this straight-forward dish is a light and elegant meal that I find myself craving.

Done right, tuna is a rich but healthy treat. I grill it on the stove-top grill for a few minutes either side. You can pan sear it or put it on the barbecue as well, but just don’t overdo it. It’s hard to resist the extra few minutes because you (I, at least) can’t believe it’s fully cooked.

But it’s not fully cooked, and that’s why you buy sushi-grade tuna; it should only be cooked at the edges. The middle is a creamy, but not fishy, semi-raw delight. “Blue” they call it in the restaurants, even though it’s red.

This dish is something I made up for a surprise  lunch for L.  She loved it so much that it has become a regular meal around our house.

Tuna with rice vermicelli, baby bok choy and two peppers (red and yellow – for colour).

Start the grill, heat a pan or, check the barbecue to ensure the coals are white and still very hot.

Put a large pot of lightly salted water  on to boil.

Roll  the edges of the tuna (it should be an inch, preferably 1 and 1/2 inches thick,  and very fresh) in poppy seeds or,  ground black pepper and rub all over with a little olive oil.  Salt lightly.

Cut the baby bok choy in half and wash well. Cut the peppers into half-inch slivers.

Whisk a few tablespoons of olive or canola oil with a splash of rice wine vinegar and some soy sauce (roughly equal to the rice wine vinegar).

Place the vegetables in a large colander and place the colander on the pot (no need to cover).

Let the vegetables steam for half a minute or so and then put the tuna on to cook. You don’t want it to overcook so turn it after a minute or so. Then turn it again a minute later. Two minutes or so per side should do it and it you turn it, you’ll get nice grill marks.

When the tuna is done (it should be very red except for a quarter inch or so on the outside), set it aside and toss a handful of rice vermicelli into the pot. Turn off the heat.

Slice a few slices of lemon and place on the grill.

After a minute or so, remove the noodles and divide into bowls. Arrange the vegetables on top and drizzle with the dressing. Place the tuna on top and garnish with grilled lemon slices.

Then, see if you can resist making in again.

I make a couple of batches of this simple jelly every year because it helps out in so many ways. I use it as a glaze for pork or chicken. Mixed with white wine and a little stock it is a great braise for carrots or squash (I reduce it to a thick glaze after the vegetables are cooked). A friend uses it to top bison burgers.

We use this jelly by the jar whenever we put out cheese for unexpected guests (and expected ones) and I love it with scones and even pickled herring.

I preserve  this so I can keep it in the cold cellar, but you can easily keep it in the fridge – it won’t last long.

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Bucatini carbonara with eggs, cheese and fantastic artisan bacon

We are lucky to have a great source of artisan bacon (among many other delicacies) in our neighbourood but it’s probably too close (and too delicious) for our own good. I often buy a pound a week and that’s raised our consumption by at least four times what we used to eat when we bought the water-laden supermarket kind.

Nevertheless, I have no regrets; It’s nitrate free, I drain off (most of) the fat and eating it supports the local conservation of heritage pig breeds, in this case Tamworth and Large Blacks.

But a pound a week is a lot for our family considering that we try to have a couple meatless dinners through the week. And, because it’s nitrate free, this bacon doesn’t keep for more than a week if it’s sliced. So, I sometimes find myself with a half a pound or so leftover or a few week’s worth of frozen rashers looking for a way to get on the menu. Making bucatini carbonara is a great, fast and delicious way to use up that bacon.

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