If you’ve been wondering where I have been lately, I can assure you that I haven’t been abducted by aliens or taken hostage for a large ransom. Although I have been sweltering in the heat, dealing with the loss of my budgerigar companion Queenie, and subsequently procrastinating from making my myriad of recipes a reality, this is only half the reason why my posts have been infrequent. The real answer I made made just that succinctly for you; I’ve been enjoying a great, Aussie long weekend on the founding of the country. January 26th is officially known as Australia Day and it is declared as a public holiday in celebration of the efforts of the initial colonisation, labour and development of the country that has been strived for, year after year. Naturally enough, this comes with an invitation to abandon all prior responsibilities, break out with the cheese and crackers, the picnic basket and Chardonnay and find a peaceful spot of green grass beneath the raging sun. But of course, as a paradoxically young country but also an ageing population, the generation divides in what we celebrate, how we do it and with what we remember differs from group to group. Thankfully, young and old alike are able to celebrate and herald this great country with good cheer and a welcoming smile.
What makes this particular recipe special is that it is a prominent symbol of transfusion and history, where each family has their own variation to share with the next generation. A simple recipe of self-raising wheat flour, milk, butter and water and a pinch of salt and sugar has seen iconically Australian since the Federation, and unlike many of the great (and some of the perhaps less tempting recipes, such as beef dripping) have been lost through the test of time, this one stood out like a sore thumb and continues to tempt our palates with its delicate, crumbly texture and melt-in-the-mouth consistency. Many variations of the humble recipe have come to surface from one too many conversations with the elder generation of family friends, some of these alternatives including stale milk, cream cheese, lemonade, whiskey and vanilla bean essence as their “irrefutable” secret to getting the best and tastiest result. Here we will present with the most basic (and perhaps the best of the lot) recipe to give you a feel for the dough as you make it, and giving you the best platform from which to experiment with changes here and there, to suit your own tastes or inclinations.
Continue reading »
The Wild Thyme and Sweet Pea project found its roots when it was plucked excitedly from the garden, washed briskly in a basin of water and lovingly left out to dry in a soothing marinade of vision and ambition ... More »
The Food of Italy, Kay Halsey
The Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France and Italy, Odile Redon, Francoise Sabban & Silvano Serventi
The Silver Spoon, Phaidon Press
Jamie's Italy, Jamie Oliver
Italian Country Cooking, Loukie Werle
La Cocina de Mama: The Great Home Cooking of Spain, Penelope Casas