Microwave woes

Is there anything that tastes better microwaved than it does baked in a gas or electric oven? I ask that question because my stove died recently and I was forced to nuke some dishes for a while. Desperate not to lose any food quality as a result of this mishap, I duly bought a microwave [...]

went second hand bookshop fossicking today and found The French Cookbook (1954) and the Southern and Southwestern Cookbook (1975) both published by Chicago’s Culinary Arts Institute. I particularly love the cover of the French cookery book with a tight waisted Gallic beauty, raffish scarf tied above her plunging neckline, whipping up a souffle in [...]

Baking Powder Bread

Another recipe from the Edmonds Cookery book:
Baking Powder Bread
6 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
4 teaspoons Edmonds baking powder
1 small cold boiled potato
Milk or Milk and water
Sift together flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Rub in potato. Add sufficient liquid (about one pint) to make a soft and smooth dough. Mix quickly and put at [...]

Anzac Biscuits

It is ANZAC Day in Australia, commemorating the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War at Gallipolli. It is a very solemn day, but it has its lighter side - after midday enthusists can play two-up, a gambling gme that is normally banned, [...]

Soup, beautiful soup

Mine is an old fashioned pantry and winter coming on in Australia, I’ll have to stock up on dried soup mix. Soup is my all time favourite comfort food. There is usually one simmering on the stove throughout the colder weather. My pumpkin soup is simple but very very good. Cut up half a pumpkin [...]

Hobbit food

We dined on Kavanagh scrapple for supper last night. Those of you more familiar with American scrapple might think we had fried mush with pork and cornmeal, but Kavanagh scrapple is very irish - its just chopped bacon fried with other things, in our case mushrooms and onions. The bacon means you don’t have to [...]

Water Rat’s Picnic and Muffin the Mule’s Parkin

I have been rereading Wind In The Willows, and now I notice how food plays an important role in the lives of Mole, Ratty, Badger and Toad. That’s what I love about my favourite books - every time I read them I discover something new.
Take the scene when Mole first goes boating with Ratty, and [...]

Homely Cottage Pie

I made a Cottage Pie tonight - the filling was all right, but the real reason I make Cottage Pie, and the reason everyone eats it, is because of my mashed potatoes. Being Irish, I love potatoes in any form, but I spent years perfecting my mash.
I use big old baking potatoes that stay white [...]

Two favourite cookbooks

I’m sure everyone has favourite cookbook they would never part with, which has never let them down. I actually have two and they were both published by Australian women’s magazines back in the late 70s. Back then I knew very little about cooking and with a growing family I needed to learn fast.
The Australian Women’s [...]