A strange old lady has moved into my house! I have no idea who she is, where she came from, or how she got in. I certainly did not invite her. All I know is that one day she wasn't there and the next day she was!
She is a very clever old lady. She manages to keep out of sight for the most part, but whenever I pass a mirror, I catch a glimpse of her. And whenever I look in the mirror directly, to check my appearance, there she is, hogging the whole thing and completely obliterating my gorgeous face and body! This is very rude. I have tried screaming at her to stop it but she just screams back, grimacing horribly. She is really quite frightening!
If she insists on hanging around, the least she could do is offer to pay a little rent. But, no! Every once in a while, I do find a dollar bill stuck into a coat pocket, or some loose change under the sofa cushion, but that is not nearly enough.
In fact, I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I think she is stealing money from me! I go to the ATM and withdraw one hundred dollars, and a few days later it is all gone! I certainly don't spend money that fast, so I can only conclude that the old lady is pilfering from me. You would think she would use some of that money to buy some wrinkle cream! God knows she needs it!
And money isn't the only thing I think she is taking. Food seems to disappear at an alarming rate, too. Especially the good stuff like ice cream, cookies and candy. I just can't seem to keep that stuff in the house anymore. She must really have a sweet tooth, but she better watch it because she is really packing on the pounds! I think she realizes that and to make herself feel better, she is tampering with my scale to make me think that I am putting on weight too!
For an old lady, she really is quite childish though. She likes to play these really nasty games like going into my closet when I'm not home and altering my clothes so that they don't fit. Or, messing with my files and papers so that I can't find them. This is particularly annoying since I am an extremely neat and organized person. She fiddles with my VCR to make it not record what I have carefully and correctly programmed it to record.
She has found imaginative other ways to annoy me. She gets to my mail, newspapers and magazines before I do and somehow blurs the print so badly that I can't see it. And she has done something really sinister to the volume controls on my TV, radio and telephone so that all I hear are mumbles and whispers!
She has done other things like make my stairs steeper, my vacuum cleaner heavier, and all my knobs and faucets harder to turn. She even made my bed higher so that getting in to and out of it is a real challenge. Furthermore, she gets to my groceries before I get them put away and applies super glue to the lids, making it almost impossible for me to open them. Is this any way to repay my hospitality?
I don't even get any respite at night because more than once, her snoring has awakened me. It is very unattractive! And as if there weren't bad enough, she is no longer confining her tactics to the house. She has found a way to sneak into my car and follow me everywhere I go!
She has completely taken the fun out of shopping for clothes. When I try something on, she tries on the same exact outfit and stands in front of the dressing room mirror and monopolizes it. She looks totally ridiculous in the outfit and she keeps me from seeing how great it looks on me!
Just when I thought she couldn't get any meaner, she proved me wrong.
She came with me to get my driver's license picture taken and just as the camera shutter clicked, she jumped right in front of me! Who is going to believe that the picture of that old lady is ME?!
--Rose Mula
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. - Groucho Marx
My aim with my blog is to share my love of cooking and reading, not (in my mind) mutually exclusive passtimes. My latest fulfilling read of the non cookbook variety is a book entitled "Someone knows my Name" by Lawrence Hill, a Canadian writer of African descent who has captured the essence of the grim subject matter, the Slave trade in Africa, the USA and Canada. The book is a work of fiction which has a basis in fact which makes it even more compelling.
There are some books I don't feel qualified to review and this is one of those books. However, I felt this book was such an important read for me and so consumed my thoughts, I felt I had to write, if only try to encourage others to read it. The basis of my self doubt came from my belief that here am I, a middle aged, white woman who, although I have faced gender discrimination in my life, have never remotely dealt with anything like the challenges faced by the books heroine, Animata Diallo.
Yet, I felt strongly connected to her. Her love of language, her dignity, her spirit and love of family - all these things resonate with me. To me, she was a strangely modern character, well ahead of her time, strong, outspoken, reflective but not once during the book did I feel that Lawrence Hill portrayed her unrealistically. On a side note, I find that the fact that Hill penned his protagonist as female is interesting in itself - he certainly "captures" the female psyche well!
Lawrence Hill has done his homework and has both educated and enlightened me. I had little knowledge of the African Slave trade. Sure, I knew that people were captured from different language groups, bound together and shipped to wherever they would fetch the highest price whilst facing unspeakable cruelties and indignities, but that was about it. I knew nothing about how the slaves communicated with each other whilst chained to their beds below decks in what can only be called a floating coffin. I didn't know anything about daily life on the plantations, the Book of Negroes (an actual document which still exists), the shipment of Loyalists to Nova Scotia and other destinations, the establishment of Sierra Leone. I had seen Slaves as wretched people and, undoubtedly they were but I hadn't realised the extent to which they were able to form communities, comfort and nurture each other and tenuously keep in touch with others through the underground "fishnet" system. To say that they often triumphed over adversity would be an understatement.
Yet, their losses and the humiliations inflicted on them were mind numbing. On considering what Animata lost, gained back, lost again, all the while enduring unimaginable hardship, it was difficult to see her surviving and yet she did - magnificently so. At the risk of spoiling others enjoyment of her story, I will only say that her survival is only one of the uplifting events in this book of sorrows.
The writing is spectacular but never inaccessible. Lawrence Hill tells this epic tale simply. Written in the first person and in a narrative style (both styles I usually steer clear of), it is never dry or dull and doesn't intimidate the reader. And his writing is poetic. How could you not cry when you read something like "Englishmen do love to bury one thing so completely in another that the two can only be separated by force: peanuts in candy, indigo in glass, Africans in irons"? That one sentence was, for me, worth the price of the book.
I did have a couple of minor issues with the ending of the story - it was a bit "neat" for me and felt a bit rushed (as if Hill had a publishing deadline to meet or something) but those issues didn't diminish my overall reading experience one little bit!
In summary, to those readers who long to read something of substance, READ THIS BOOK. You will learn so much about the lives of the slaves, both those stolen from their homelands and those born into slavery and you will be uplifted by the resilience of the human spirit and what it's capable of accomplishing. But you won't just learn - you will also get to read a well researched, well written, rollicking good book! And those are few and far between!
There are some books I don't feel qualified to review and this is one of those books. However, I felt this book was such an important read for me and so consumed my thoughts, I felt I had to write, if only try to encourage others to read it. The basis of my self doubt came from my belief that here am I, a middle aged, white woman who, although I have faced gender discrimination in my life, have never remotely dealt with anything like the challenges faced by the books heroine, Animata Diallo.
Yet, I felt strongly connected to her. Her love of language, her dignity, her spirit and love of family - all these things resonate with me. To me, she was a strangely modern character, well ahead of her time, strong, outspoken, reflective but not once during the book did I feel that Lawrence Hill portrayed her unrealistically. On a side note, I find that the fact that Hill penned his protagonist as female is interesting in itself - he certainly "captures" the female psyche well!
Lawrence Hill has done his homework and has both educated and enlightened me. I had little knowledge of the African Slave trade. Sure, I knew that people were captured from different language groups, bound together and shipped to wherever they would fetch the highest price whilst facing unspeakable cruelties and indignities, but that was about it. I knew nothing about how the slaves communicated with each other whilst chained to their beds below decks in what can only be called a floating coffin. I didn't know anything about daily life on the plantations, the Book of Negroes (an actual document which still exists), the shipment of Loyalists to Nova Scotia and other destinations, the establishment of Sierra Leone. I had seen Slaves as wretched people and, undoubtedly they were but I hadn't realised the extent to which they were able to form communities, comfort and nurture each other and tenuously keep in touch with others through the underground "fishnet" system. To say that they often triumphed over adversity would be an understatement.
Yet, their losses and the humiliations inflicted on them were mind numbing. On considering what Animata lost, gained back, lost again, all the while enduring unimaginable hardship, it was difficult to see her surviving and yet she did - magnificently so. At the risk of spoiling others enjoyment of her story, I will only say that her survival is only one of the uplifting events in this book of sorrows.
The writing is spectacular but never inaccessible. Lawrence Hill tells this epic tale simply. Written in the first person and in a narrative style (both styles I usually steer clear of), it is never dry or dull and doesn't intimidate the reader. And his writing is poetic. How could you not cry when you read something like "Englishmen do love to bury one thing so completely in another that the two can only be separated by force: peanuts in candy, indigo in glass, Africans in irons"? That one sentence was, for me, worth the price of the book.
I did have a couple of minor issues with the ending of the story - it was a bit "neat" for me and felt a bit rushed (as if Hill had a publishing deadline to meet or something) but those issues didn't diminish my overall reading experience one little bit!
In summary, to those readers who long to read something of substance, READ THIS BOOK. You will learn so much about the lives of the slaves, both those stolen from their homelands and those born into slavery and you will be uplifted by the resilience of the human spirit and what it's capable of accomplishing. But you won't just learn - you will also get to read a well researched, well written, rollicking good book! And those are few and far between!
Please go to the following link to consider if you would like to read this excellent novel.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
One cannot review a bad book without showing off - W.H. Auden
In my opinion, Mr. Auden is wrong in that he used the word "bad" in relation to a book. To paraphrase something I'm sure I've heard somewhere else, I don't think there is any such thing as a bad book, only bad authors. Sure, I've read books I haven't enjoyed, some more than others. But perhaps my lack of enjoyment stemmed from the fact that it might have been the wrong time to read that particular book or I was distracted or had eaten too much rich food beforehand or something akin. I'm prepared to give most books the benefit of the doubt. I do admit to feeling guilty if I can't/don't finish a book and have been known to take months to read a book that I simply can't get into for whatever reason (just ask my Book Club pals).
When I'm tired of reading novels, I turn to my cookbooks. I've already said that cookbooks are my "porn" and, not to offend anyone, I mean it! I love their glossy pages, lovingly turned and drooled over, the photography so beautiful, the styling so elegant. I can leaf through the same book over and over again (and do) and always find something new to pique my interest. I have hundreds of cookbooks in my shelf so I consider myself truly addicted to cookbook "porn".
My 10 favouriteporn, er cookbooks (in no particular order) and the reasons why are:
Barefoot Contessa - Ina Garten
Bill Granger's blog
Charmaine Solomon
David Thompson info
Steven Raichlen, BBQ Bible
Iain Hewitson
Stephanie Alexander
Ian "Herbie" Hemphill
Annette Fear and Helen Brierly, Spirit House
Margaret Fulton, OAM
When I'm tired of reading novels, I turn to my cookbooks. I've already said that cookbooks are my "porn" and, not to offend anyone, I mean it! I love their glossy pages, lovingly turned and drooled over, the photography so beautiful, the styling so elegant. I can leaf through the same book over and over again (and do) and always find something new to pique my interest. I have hundreds of cookbooks in my shelf so I consider myself truly addicted to cookbook "porn".
My 10 favourite
- Barefoot Contessa (anything by Barefoot Contessa aka Ina Garten) - counts as one choice for the purpose of this list. Ina's style is so accessible that I can forgive the prodijious use of butter and cream. Ina's clear, never fail recipes are like having her in the kitchen with you.
- Sydney Food by Bill Granger. Easy, elegant food by a really accomplished, personable chef. I'd love to be invited to lunch with Bill - he would be so fun, easy on the eye and I'd be assured of getting a good feed into the bargain!
- The Complete Asian Cookbook by Charmaine Solomon. Charmaine is an absolute legend in Australia in the field of Asian cooking. Sri Lankan by birth, she has lived in Australia for many years and this cookbook was one of the first on the market to address the food of our near neighbours. You can simply smell the spices when you open the book and any recipe guarantees success.
- Thai Food by David Thompson. David Thompson started out running a little Thai restaurant in the back of a Pub near where I lived. He has grown to be the world expert on Thai cooking and this beautiful book shows his expertise. My copy of this wonder is actually covered in Cerise coloured Thai Silk! Wonderful recipes, wonderful photography, wonderful!
- The Barbeque Bible by Steven Raichlen. I love this little book. The Dimples Barbeque Chicken is to die for and any book that contains a recipe for Beer Can Chicken is alright with me. Delicious sauces in this book - highly recommended.
- Tales and Recipes of a Travelling Cook by Iain Hewitson. Another Australian (or New Zealand) institution. Huey has a show on TV and his casual style really appeals. His books are exactly like that. All easy recipes, all quick to make and all tasty. Try the Butterflied leg of Lamb in a Mustardy Marinade - fab and fingerlickin'.
- The Cook's Companion by Stephanie Alexander. A wonderful book defined by ingredients. If you want to know how to cook Witlof, it's there. Same with Okra, Chestnuts and Chervil. Recipes, basic information, it's all there. Stephanie truly is an institution in Australian cuisine and no better teacher exists. She has also published a book entitled "Kitchen Garden Companion" which is pretty damn fine too.
- Spice Notes by Ian Hemphill. Ian's family were trail blazers in the Australian herb production field when exotic food was considered to be Veal Cordon Bleu or Spaghetti Bolognese. He has a fabulous shop in Sydney where he sells his wonderful range of spices and accoutrement. He also conducts Spice Tours to India. His product is always fresh and you can be sure to get whatever herb or spice you want, no matter how obscure. His book is like talking to him - friendly, easy going with clear explanations of all spices, their origins and history, buying and storage. Not a particularly beautiful book but, for my money, simply the best book on the market about the wonderful subject of Herbs and Spices.
- The Spirit House Cookbook by Annette Fear & Helen Brierly. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. These recipes make your mouth sing. It's a simple as that.
- The Margaret Fulton Cookbook by Margaret Fulton. My first cookbook and the book responsible for my addiction to all things food. Margaret is an Australian Living Legend. Although I probably don't use this book too much any more (as food trends change), how could I not include this in my list? I love it and will never, never part with it, tattered and dog eared as it is.
Barefoot Contessa - Ina Garten
Bill Granger's blog
Charmaine Solomon
David Thompson info
Steven Raichlen, BBQ Bible
Iain Hewitson
Stephanie Alexander
Ian "Herbie" Hemphill
Annette Fear and Helen Brierly, Spirit House
Margaret Fulton, OAM
Christmas is over - back to normal
In the words of John Lennon, "another year over and a new one just begun". What's this year going to bring, I wonder? Is there going to be a cure for Cancer? How about an end to famine and hunger? How about no child having to live in poverty?
For my part, I'll be doing my best to support the Global economy with my lust for books. Any books. Mysteries, crime, chiclit, penny dreadful's, cooking (particularly cooking). You name it, I'm there. To me, there's nothing like the smell of a bookshop. There is a particular bookshop in Sydney, Dymock's (http://www.dymocks.com.au/), a gorgeous century old book shop, where just walking in the door is almost enough to make me cry. I get instant sensory overload - sight (of all those stacks), sound (of all those pages turning), smell (oh, the wonder of the smell of ink and paper), touch (running my fingers along the spines of those glorious tomes) and taste (the coffee in the coffee adjacent coffee shop - not a stretch, it's really good coffee). No trip to Sydney is ever complete for me without a visit and a purchase and, if I can swing it, I try to stay just around the corner from Dymocks so that I can pop in at a moments notice.
My last trip to Sydney netted a wonderful new cookbook entitled "The Country Cookbook" by one of my favourite Australian cook book authors, Belinda Jeffery (http://www.belindajeffery.com/). Belinda's books are very accessible and she manages to marry warmhearted stories about her life and family with her easy, delectable recipes. One of Belinda's superb, no fail recipes that I've made time and time again is "Zucchini, Feta and Dill Pie". I'm not kidding, you can have it hot, cold, as a canape with drinks etc. and it's just as good the next day. Here is Belinda's fantastic recipe:
Zucchini, Feta and Dill Pie
Pile the grated zucchini into a large sieve or colander, sit a plate on top to weigh it down a little and leave to drain.
Meanwhile, break the eggs into a large bowl and whisk them together. Add the oil, chives and dill, mint or basil and whisk them in.
Press down firmly on the plate over the zucchini to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Stir the grated zucchini into the egg mixture. Crumble in most of the feta (reserving a little for the top of the pie) along with the parmesan, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the flour and mix it in until it is combined. Spread the batter into the prepared tin and sprinkle the reserved feta over the top. Gently press the cherry tomato halves, cut side up, into the surface.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the top of the pie is springy when pressed. To make sure the pie is cooked through, insert a fine knife into the centre and, if it comes out clean, it'd ready.
When it’s ready, take the pie out of the oven and cool it in the tin for 10 -15 minutes. If you’re feeling game you can just gently grasp the baking paper and lift the pie out of the tin onto a serving plate, then slide the paper out from underneath. Or, put a wire rack on top and invert the pie onto the rack. Peel away the paper, then sit your serving platter on top of the pie and invert it again onto this. Tidy up any straggly bits and brush the tomatoes with a little extra oil. Scatter some mint leaves or sprigs on top.
I think this is best eaten at room temperature when the flavour has had a chance to develop. Leftovers keep really well in the fridge for a couple of days. Serves 6. Enjoy!
Zucchinis (Courgettes) are not a particularly flavoursome vegetable but grow fairly prolifically and are relatively inexpensive to buy. That makes this dish economical and, served with a salad, wholesome and nutritious as well. The first time I made this Pie, I couldn't believe how interesting the flavour was. I used a combination of mint and basil and it was very aromatic and the flavour really mellow. On other occasions, I have varied the herbs and used what I had on hand. If you visit Belinda's site, she has a link back to Amazon for the purchase of the book, I believe. I do hope you find time to try this recipe, you won't be disappointed.
I'll end this blog with the way I started - with a quote - this time from Jim Davis, creator of the Garfield comic strip - "Vegetables are a must in a diet. I suggest Carrot Cake, Zucchini Bread and Pumpkin Pie"
For my part, I'll be doing my best to support the Global economy with my lust for books. Any books. Mysteries, crime, chiclit, penny dreadful's, cooking (particularly cooking). You name it, I'm there. To me, there's nothing like the smell of a bookshop. There is a particular bookshop in Sydney, Dymock's (http://www.dymocks.com.au/), a gorgeous century old book shop, where just walking in the door is almost enough to make me cry. I get instant sensory overload - sight (of all those stacks), sound (of all those pages turning), smell (oh, the wonder of the smell of ink and paper), touch (running my fingers along the spines of those glorious tomes) and taste (the coffee in the coffee adjacent coffee shop - not a stretch, it's really good coffee). No trip to Sydney is ever complete for me without a visit and a purchase and, if I can swing it, I try to stay just around the corner from Dymocks so that I can pop in at a moments notice.
My last trip to Sydney netted a wonderful new cookbook entitled "The Country Cookbook" by one of my favourite Australian cook book authors, Belinda Jeffery (http://www.belindajeffery.com/). Belinda's books are very accessible and she manages to marry warmhearted stories about her life and family with her easy, delectable recipes. One of Belinda's superb, no fail recipes that I've made time and time again is "Zucchini, Feta and Dill Pie". I'm not kidding, you can have it hot, cold, as a canape with drinks etc. and it's just as good the next day. Here is Belinda's fantastic recipe:
Zucchini, Feta and Dill Pie
 |
| Zucchini, Feta and Dill Pie |
Fine polenta, for dusting the tin
700g zucchini (courgette) coarsely grated
5 x 60g eggs
½ cup (125ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 cup chopped chives
½ cup chopped dill or mint or basil
220g feta
150g freshly grated parmesan
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
8-12 cherry tomatoes, halved
mint leaves or sprigs, to serve
Preheat your oven to 180C. Butter a 22cm square cake tin and line the base and sides with buttered baking paper. Dust the tin with the polenta, tap out the excess, and set it aside. 700g zucchini (courgette) coarsely grated
5 x 60g eggs
½ cup (125ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 cup chopped chives
½ cup chopped dill or mint or basil
220g feta
150g freshly grated parmesan
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
8-12 cherry tomatoes, halved
mint leaves or sprigs, to serve
Pile the grated zucchini into a large sieve or colander, sit a plate on top to weigh it down a little and leave to drain.
Meanwhile, break the eggs into a large bowl and whisk them together. Add the oil, chives and dill, mint or basil and whisk them in.
Press down firmly on the plate over the zucchini to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Stir the grated zucchini into the egg mixture. Crumble in most of the feta (reserving a little for the top of the pie) along with the parmesan, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the flour and mix it in until it is combined. Spread the batter into the prepared tin and sprinkle the reserved feta over the top. Gently press the cherry tomato halves, cut side up, into the surface.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the top of the pie is springy when pressed. To make sure the pie is cooked through, insert a fine knife into the centre and, if it comes out clean, it'd ready.
When it’s ready, take the pie out of the oven and cool it in the tin for 10 -15 minutes. If you’re feeling game you can just gently grasp the baking paper and lift the pie out of the tin onto a serving plate, then slide the paper out from underneath. Or, put a wire rack on top and invert the pie onto the rack. Peel away the paper, then sit your serving platter on top of the pie and invert it again onto this. Tidy up any straggly bits and brush the tomatoes with a little extra oil. Scatter some mint leaves or sprigs on top.
I think this is best eaten at room temperature when the flavour has had a chance to develop. Leftovers keep really well in the fridge for a couple of days. Serves 6. Enjoy!
Zucchinis (Courgettes) are not a particularly flavoursome vegetable but grow fairly prolifically and are relatively inexpensive to buy. That makes this dish economical and, served with a salad, wholesome and nutritious as well. The first time I made this Pie, I couldn't believe how interesting the flavour was. I used a combination of mint and basil and it was very aromatic and the flavour really mellow. On other occasions, I have varied the herbs and used what I had on hand. If you visit Belinda's site, she has a link back to Amazon for the purchase of the book, I believe. I do hope you find time to try this recipe, you won't be disappointed.
I'll end this blog with the way I started - with a quote - this time from Jim Davis, creator of the Garfield comic strip - "Vegetables are a must in a diet. I suggest Carrot Cake, Zucchini Bread and Pumpkin Pie"
Where shall we go from here?
I've been thinking about a clear direction for my blog. I know I want to talk about all things food - mmm, food! I know I want to talk about cooking and books and cookbooks. I grew up in a home where cooking was not a high priority and where my darling mother was arguably the world's worst cook. This meant that I had to learn to cook and present nutritious meals as a matter of survival. So it's hardly surprising that I hold food and cooking in such high esteem and have done so since I was presented with my first cookbook at age 17. What a wonder that book was (and still is) to me. Reading that book, it quickly dawned on me that food could be something to be savoured, it could be nurturing and it could both look and taste good. I learned that you could present food as an art form and that it was fun to read about what other people did with food and try to emulate them. My small world expanded as I learned to cook Moussaka from Greece, Coc au Vin from France and Prawns Szechuen from China. My blog will therefore try to encompass all things food related i.e. books, my ever growing cook book collection, my tentative efforts in the canning/food preservation area, nutrition etc. At the very least, this will be a jumping off place - where we'll travel from there, who knows!
But there is so much more in the world to discuss, isn't there? Or is there? Have we reached a time where all things home and comforting are necessary to our existence? I know it's that way for me. I suppose my blog will evolve as I become more experienced and join more blogging communities myself, so if you have the time to come along for the ride, welcome! And, if you just want to pop in and out, welcome too! Even if you find me just once, pull up a chair and have a cuppa with me and know that I appreciate your visit.
I have already decided that I'll be sharing recipes, book reviews (from a user's perspective - I am not a professional reviewer), musings (aka ramblings), thoughts and the odd food related tid bit and, although from time to time, the ride might get a bit bumpy, I think it'll be fun.
I am still trying to successfully and quickly upload photos without my server crashing, so bear with me if the blog is a bit "bare" at the moment. I promise to keep trying to nut this out.
My current food fad is "canning" and I've just ordered a stack of books on the subject from Amazon - I'm excitedly waiting for them to arrive. Naturally, it's the wrong time of year to order anything (holiday season is still upon us), so it's taking a little longer than I would like to have them in my hot little hands. I intend to review each one of them objectively and, of course, will share those reviews here, so if any of these books strike your fancy, look for the reviews soon!
These are the books I've ordered:
I can never stop at just one book and surfing my favourite book site (Amazon) is deadly for me. I have so many books on my wish list that I think I'd need a new house to store them in (are you reading this kids? DH? Birthday coming up!). Still, I can, hand on heart, say that I use and enjoy every one of my books, even if it's just looking through them, drooling as I go. Sure, I have favourites that I turn to time and time again for inspiration when I need it. But just for the sheer "porn" factor, cookbooks are my thang!
If you read my last post, you know that jam making (and preserves etc.) is my current hot topic, so I hope these books bring along exciting new recipes to try. I'm not interested in run of the mill recipes and love to try new and unusual combinations of foods. The whole "canning" thing is a little scary but I love to take scary and make it mine...as long as I don't kill anyone, I'll be happy.
Perhaps you might be thinking that canning is so passe and why would I bother? Well, of course I care about what my family eats and I care about saving money but I also care deeply about supporting my local community. Canning will let me take advantage of the small hold farmer up the road who has lots of lovely citrus or the van by the side of the road selling trays of mangoes fresh off the tree or the local Farmer's Market which is a veritable treasure trove of home grown produce (check out Noosa Farmer's Market). Also, I feel that I'll be contributing to the environment if I use more local produce as I won't be paying for the klms that food travels to reach our markets. This is particularly important to me as I live in a semi rural area and a lot of goodies are trucked in. However, on the plus side, my home is in a sub tropical semi rural area, so we lack no amount of fruits, vegetables and dairy product fairly close to home.
I've bounced around a bit and you're probably getting bored by now, so I'm signing off - it's dinner time and the natives are getting restless. As Homer Simpson said "Marge - it's 3.00 a.m. Shouldn't you be cooking something?" Y'all all come back agin, ya hear?
But there is so much more in the world to discuss, isn't there? Or is there? Have we reached a time where all things home and comforting are necessary to our existence? I know it's that way for me. I suppose my blog will evolve as I become more experienced and join more blogging communities myself, so if you have the time to come along for the ride, welcome! And, if you just want to pop in and out, welcome too! Even if you find me just once, pull up a chair and have a cuppa with me and know that I appreciate your visit.
I have already decided that I'll be sharing recipes, book reviews (from a user's perspective - I am not a professional reviewer), musings (aka ramblings), thoughts and the odd food related tid bit and, although from time to time, the ride might get a bit bumpy, I think it'll be fun.
I am still trying to successfully and quickly upload photos without my server crashing, so bear with me if the blog is a bit "bare" at the moment. I promise to keep trying to nut this out.
My current food fad is "canning" and I've just ordered a stack of books on the subject from Amazon - I'm excitedly waiting for them to arrive. Naturally, it's the wrong time of year to order anything (holiday season is still upon us), so it's taking a little longer than I would like to have them in my hot little hands. I intend to review each one of them objectively and, of course, will share those reviews here, so if any of these books strike your fancy, look for the reviews soon!
These are the books I've ordered:
I can never stop at just one book and surfing my favourite book site (Amazon) is deadly for me. I have so many books on my wish list that I think I'd need a new house to store them in (are you reading this kids? DH? Birthday coming up!). Still, I can, hand on heart, say that I use and enjoy every one of my books, even if it's just looking through them, drooling as I go. Sure, I have favourites that I turn to time and time again for inspiration when I need it. But just for the sheer "porn" factor, cookbooks are my thang!
If you read my last post, you know that jam making (and preserves etc.) is my current hot topic, so I hope these books bring along exciting new recipes to try. I'm not interested in run of the mill recipes and love to try new and unusual combinations of foods. The whole "canning" thing is a little scary but I love to take scary and make it mine...as long as I don't kill anyone, I'll be happy.
Perhaps you might be thinking that canning is so passe and why would I bother? Well, of course I care about what my family eats and I care about saving money but I also care deeply about supporting my local community. Canning will let me take advantage of the small hold farmer up the road who has lots of lovely citrus or the van by the side of the road selling trays of mangoes fresh off the tree or the local Farmer's Market which is a veritable treasure trove of home grown produce (check out Noosa Farmer's Market). Also, I feel that I'll be contributing to the environment if I use more local produce as I won't be paying for the klms that food travels to reach our markets. This is particularly important to me as I live in a semi rural area and a lot of goodies are trucked in. However, on the plus side, my home is in a sub tropical semi rural area, so we lack no amount of fruits, vegetables and dairy product fairly close to home.
I've bounced around a bit and you're probably getting bored by now, so I'm signing off - it's dinner time and the natives are getting restless. As Homer Simpson said "Marge - it's 3.00 a.m. Shouldn't you be cooking something?" Y'all all come back agin, ya hear?
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Still testing the waters - the preserving bath water, that is!
Well. it seems as if my first blog went OK, so I thought I'd ramp things up a bit.
It's summer here in Australia and, to me, summer means Mangoes, plump ripe tomatoes, stone fruit and fragrant ripe bananas. As I live in a semi rural area, plentiful supplies of my favourite edible treats are usually easy to come by and, as I don't grow any myself, I depend on local and farmer's markets for my supplies. Sadly this year, we've suffered torrential rain and floods which have ruined the stocks of countless farmers. Queensland, where I live, has been declared a "disaster area" amd mangoes and bananas in particular are in short supply. As I've been thinking a lot about putting some summer tastes away for the greyer days of winter, I'll just have to make do with what's available this year in order to produce some fab jams, pickles, chutneys and relishes. As usual, I've turned to cyber space for some inspiration and voila! a whole fraternity of like minded people - who knew?
I've have to say, I've been inspired by tigressinajam (http://tigressinajam.blogspot.com/), a very creative blog where the Tigress of note ran a canning challenge during the year. I don't feel intimidated at all by this blog and think, if they run another challenge, I might just sign up. I'm sure there's a lot I can learn from this talented group of people and have a bit of fun to boot.
My own solo forays into canning have been a bit less than stellar. I just made some Chilli Relish (not spicy enough but easily rectified next time), some Apple & Red Pepper Chutney (too sweet for my liking and a bit too "capsicum"y for me), some Mixed Berry Jam with Cassis & Almonds (didn't like the Almonds - leave them out next time), and Peach, Apricot and Orange Jam. This last one really threw me...not really understanding the relationship between fruit and sugar, I slavishly followed the recipe which I found in an old cookbook. It turned out like treacle - far, far too much sugar is my humble opinion. The flavour is nice but the jam has a really honeyed consistency. My later research has indicated that you can indeed cut down the ratio of sugar to fruit and still get a good product and I think this is what I would do if I bothered with this jam again. Still, it's edible for the family and will go into our personal larder.
What lead to this sudden need to can? Well, my Grandma died around 15 years ago and one of the things I removed from her house was a brand new Fowlers Vacola bottling outfit which had, as far as I can tell, never been out of the box. I've schlepped this box from house to house each time we moved, always promising myself that I would get around to canning one day - well, the day has arrived. I finally got up the nerve to "give it a go" and the Apricot, Peach and Orange Jam was the first attempt. There was nothing really intimidating about the process so I'll definitely be using the Fowlers again, particularly if Tigress runs another of her "Canning Challenges" during 2011.
So now I've actually written a first (and second) blog, although I'll never be another Julie Powell of "Julie & Julia" fame but I'll have fun and, if by some remote stroke of chance, anyone other than me ever reads my blogs, I will look forward to welcoming them into my realm. And, if I can ever figure out how upload photos, my blog might get a little interesting. More on that later...UPDATE: I've managed with a small picture of my bounty - still not the correct upload process but I'm sure I can nut it out eventually.
My own solo forays into canning have been a bit less than stellar. I just made some Chilli Relish (not spicy enough but easily rectified next time), some Apple & Red Pepper Chutney (too sweet for my liking and a bit too "capsicum"y for me), some Mixed Berry Jam with Cassis & Almonds (didn't like the Almonds - leave them out next time), and Peach, Apricot and Orange Jam. This last one really threw me...not really understanding the relationship between fruit and sugar, I slavishly followed the recipe which I found in an old cookbook. It turned out like treacle - far, far too much sugar is my humble opinion. The flavour is nice but the jam has a really honeyed consistency. My later research has indicated that you can indeed cut down the ratio of sugar to fruit and still get a good product and I think this is what I would do if I bothered with this jam again. Still, it's edible for the family and will go into our personal larder.
What lead to this sudden need to can? Well, my Grandma died around 15 years ago and one of the things I removed from her house was a brand new Fowlers Vacola bottling outfit which had, as far as I can tell, never been out of the box. I've schlepped this box from house to house each time we moved, always promising myself that I would get around to canning one day - well, the day has arrived. I finally got up the nerve to "give it a go" and the Apricot, Peach and Orange Jam was the first attempt. There was nothing really intimidating about the process so I'll definitely be using the Fowlers again, particularly if Tigress runs another of her "Canning Challenges" during 2011.
So now I've actually written a first (and second) blog, although I'll never be another Julie Powell of "Julie & Julia" fame but I'll have fun and, if by some remote stroke of chance, anyone other than me ever reads my blogs, I will look forward to welcoming them into my realm. And, if I can ever figure out how upload photos, my blog might get a little interesting. More on that later...UPDATE: I've managed with a small picture of my bounty - still not the correct upload process but I'm sure I can nut it out eventually.
In the beginning...
As I sit here contemplating entering the brave (for me) new world of Blogging, I wonder what connections I am about to make with other blogging challenged souls.
I have just found this new vehicle of self expression and, while there are a lot of things floating around cyber space that can only be called "superfluous to requirements" for me, there are a lot of interesting blogging challenges which might be fun to take part in. From reading, canning, art blogs, the opportunities are endless.
I have already committed to making 2011 "The Year of the Blog Challenge" for me and you never know, I might just enjoy myself. In any case, this first poor attempt at publishing a blog is just so I can dip my toe into the water before I go "Public", so here goes - in for a penny, in for a pound. Can't wait to see what comes up...
I have just found this new vehicle of self expression and, while there are a lot of things floating around cyber space that can only be called "superfluous to requirements" for me, there are a lot of interesting blogging challenges which might be fun to take part in. From reading, canning, art blogs, the opportunities are endless.
I have already committed to making 2011 "The Year of the Blog Challenge" for me and you never know, I might just enjoy myself. In any case, this first poor attempt at publishing a blog is just so I can dip my toe into the water before I go "Public", so here goes - in for a penny, in for a pound. Can't wait to see what comes up...
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