Category: Australian
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Making The Impossible! No. 4
A Sweet Pastry – Blind baking made easy! Blind baking or par-baking a pastry shell for a tart or quiche can be a little testing as it normally means lining the shell with baking paper or foil and filling with ‘weights’, such as rice, beans or metal weights, then baking for around ten minutes or…
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Quick or Classic? No. 2
Macaroni Cheese This is one of those dishes from the distant past. However, it was relatively late in the period for us as our family didn’t really discover proper pasta until the 1980s. As kids though, we were fully aware of tinned spaghetti, a rare treat on the occasions our parents could afford it. We…
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A Blast From The Past! No. 1
Shepherd’s Pie – The history Our friend Alistair obtained this recipe in 1973 when he and Alessina stayed at the Salvation Army’s People’s Palace, Melbourne. He was told it was based on the Salvation Army’s 1914 traditional Australian winter recipe. The two had arrived in Australia by ship from Canada and the “Palace” had been…
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Making The Impossible! No. 3
Matt Preston’s No-Knead Bread This recipe produces lovely bread with minimal time, fuss, effort and worry. It really does work! Five minutes maximum to combine the three dry ingredients (flour, yeast and salt) and stir in some water. Four hours (or longer if desired) covered in the fridge. Five minutes to shape your rolls or…
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What’s in the Fridge? No. 6
Trifle with cookies, kirsch, poached apricots and custard cream The old-fashioned trifle is one of the forgotten great desserts. The recipe or technique probably arose from the need to use up left over cake. At one extreme, trifles can be flavourless and gluggy. However, at the other extreme, it is easy to make an elegant…
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Festivale 2017 – Launceston’s Carnival of Food and Wine!
“Festivale, one of Tasmania’s premier summer events, is a three day celebration, designed to showcase the very best of Tasmanian food, wine, beer, arts and entertainment. Staged in Launceston’s historic and picturesque City Park the ambiance of the outdoor event is unique.” You can read more on the Festivale website here: Launceston Festivale. The peacefulness…
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Bruny Island – An isolated but idyllic foodie destination
Bruny Island is developing into a brand within a brand, being a subset of the clean and green Tasmanian gourmet image. With two Melbourne friends we recently spent three days on the island but still didn’t have the chance to sample all the food offerings nor experience all the activities. Activities Bruny is surprisingly large,…
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As Easy As … No. 2
Meringue and Berries – A sublime summer combination There are endless recipes for meringues: from a single large one to numerous small ones, from plain to flavoured, to unadorned to magnificently garnished. I remember meringues from my childhood, not at home though, as my mother rarely made them, possibly because it was too difficult in…
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Traditional Christmas Dinner – Part C
(Continued from Traditional Christmas Dinner – Part B) For a traditional Christmas dinner we propose: a seafood cocktail, roast turkey with vegetables followed by plum pudding with brandy sauce. This post continues from an article we wrote for Club Marine magazine in 1993. (Use the Print button at the top of this page for a…
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Traditional Christmas Dinner – Part B
(Continued from Traditional Christmas Dinner – Part A) For a traditional Christmas dinner we propose: a seafood cocktail, roast turkey with vegetables followed by plum pudding with brandy sauce. This post and the next continue from an article we wrote for Club Marine magazine in 1993. (Use the Print button at the top of this…