Tucker for the Time Poor November 2, 2009

I can guarantee that at least 90% of the people reading this right now have eaten cereal for dinner, at least once in their adult lives. The reasons may vary- too lazy to prepare a nutritious meal…. lacking those vital ingredients in the fridge to pull a meal together….or had a nightmare of a day with the boss from hell and feeling like the life has literately been sucked out of you.

We’ve all been there at one stage or another.  We live in an age where mothers are trying hard to juggle a family, careers, keeping the home in some state of order and relishing in some me-time all the while trying to get some decent stuff out on the table for dinner each night. We’re too tired or we’ve run out of ideas.

It’s becoming easier to drive through at a fast-food place and have a complete meal in under 3 minutes than it is to stand in front of stove juggling 2 saucepans, a screaming baby and Today Tonight. Not to mention the clean-up. So here are some tips I’ve compiled from experience, from friends, from research and from my psychologist (!) and you’d very unsurprised to learn that a lot of it stems from good time management.

 

MENU PLANNING IS CRUCIAL

I am going to take a guess that you have heard of menu-planning at some point.

Basically, it involves sitting down on a Sunday (or suitable alternative) and plotting which meals you are going to make on which day for the remainder of the week, then shopping according to make sure you have all the vital ingredients.

Menu planning has become the saviour of many mothers and many working people alike, giving them a structure and run-sheet to follow.

Sit down and draft up a table with 7 columns and three rows across to address breakfast, lunch and dinner.

If you don’t do breakfast, or grab lunch on the run, then just focus on dinner. Plan a meal for each day of the week. Swap and change until you’ve found the right flow. Try to be conscious of a getting a good balance of nutrition across the week- ensure there is a good variety of proteins, lean meats, fish and lots of vegies.

For example,  I tend to plan the easiest and quickest meals for the peak days during the week which I know I’m going to be home later. I plan my more elaborate meals for Friday nights and Saturday nights and keep the quick easy meals for the weeknights. I bet you didn’t have to be a genius to know that. My husband plays tennis on Wednesday nights, so we usually have something light that evening. We usually do our shopping on a Tuesday night, so I plan most of my meals that require fresh produce on the Wednesday and Thursday and cook meals that rely on frozen vegies or canned vegies during the later portion of the week.

Plan your menu so that you can use leftover produce from the night before to ensure there is minimal waste. For years, I have been turfing out rotting vegetables from my fridge because they just sat there and rotted before I had a chance to use them. Now, if I make a side of cauliflower cheese, I steam up some extra cauliflower and put the extra in the fridge where it will become tomorrow’s  cauliflower soup.

 

PREPARE AHEAD

I know this is not anybody’s idea of a fun Sunday afternoon, but I have heard of people doing a big shop-up on the Saturday and then spending all day Sunday cooking and freezing their meals for the week. I can’t imagine anything sweeter than coming home and just having to defrost my dinner without having to dirty a pot or lift a finger.

There’s a few benefits to this idea, the most obvious being that by cooking all your ingredients when they are fresh, you’re getting the best out of the produce (i.e, it hasn’t been sitting in your fridge getting slimy for a week) and you can also multi-task with ingredients. For example, if I’m making a batch of pasta, I can make some extra to put aside for a pasta bake or if I’m making a bolognese sauce, I can also use this sauce as part of a lasagna or to fill canneloni.

It might seem like a hectic idea, but with some careful planning and the right ingredients, you can be preparing a whole week’s worth of meals around a few main ingredients.

For example, one week my main ingredients were rib eye steak, leeks, potatoes, pumpkin and broccoli. On the same cooktop, I had four different recipes cooking away- a hearty beef, vegie and wine casserole;  potato and leek croquettes which were served with steamed vegies, pumpkin and lentil curry and potato and leek soup. It certainly didn’t feel like we were eating the same thing every night, but essentially, we used a few ingredients to get four nights meals together.

It this sounds like too much, too soon and you need baby steps to get there, how about starting by doing some minor prep before the week begins- chopping onions, mincing garlic, dicing or filleting meat, washing, peeling and prepping veg and then storing in the fridge or freezer so that when you do get home from work, all the prep work has been taken out of the meal and it’s just a matter of tossing it all together. There will be less clean up as well.

SLOW COOK YOUR HEART OUT

My slow cooker is the best thing that ever happened to me. If you don’t have one, you need to stop what you are doing, get off the internet and go to your local retailer and get one. Or go and bid on one on eBay.

Slow cookers are a heavensend for busy mums or people who just don’t have time to muck about in the kitchen all day. The idea is that you combine budget cuts of meat with vegetables and liquid, set and forget. By the time you come home (yes, you can leave it on while you’re gone, genius!), the house will be filled with a delectable aroma and you’ll have a tender, succulent meal begging to be had.

Because the slow cooker cooks…slowly, the meat becomes so tender and delicious that you can get away with using those budget cuts you normally wouldn’t touch. The meals are more flavourful because they cook in their own juices. You can cook everything from a beef roast to apricot chicken in a slow cooker. The idea is that it always has some liquid in it. Most slow cookers have settings anywhere from 4-8 hours, so you can time it so that you have a deliciously cooked, tender roast waiting for you when you get home on a Tuesday night! Who would have thought!

I tend to use my slow cooker in those winter months, where you crave the delicious hearty stews, soups, braises and casseroles- and believe me (and anyone who has a slow cooker can agree), there is no more delicious smell on this earth than coming home to a slow cooked meal. And the best part- only one pot to wash. Heaven!

 

HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS

I’m talking about steamers, pie-makers, stick blenders, food processors, breadmakers, knife sharpeners, rice cookers, grills, fancy cheese graters, mortar and pestle. I know many of you buy these things and then stuff into the back of a cupboard never to be seen again, but they really are the tricks of the trade- the little tools invented to make our lives easier. I have cooked whole meals in the steamer baskets. I’ve made bread for the weekend breakfast in my breadmaker. I’ve pretended to be Jamie Oliver while pounding the crap out of my mortar and pestle. I’ve been covered in pumpkin soup muck while trying to blend it to perfection. These tools might take up space and you might decide they’re sometimes too much effort to pull out of the cupboard, but I plead with you to make the effor.

I am especially loving my pie-maker at the moment, it’s genius!

 

ONE-POT WONDERS

I’ve touched briefly on the benefits of slow-cooking, in that you can keep the whole meal centralised in one pot, but when you are menu planning definitely give preparation time and effort a consideration. The last thing you want to be doing after coming home from a long day is slaving away in the kitchen doing the cleanup. That is why I happily volunteer to do all the cooking in my home, so I can guilt my husband into doing all the cleanup. I would rather work in a morgue than have to clean up after one of my cooking expeditions….it would probably be cleaner too.

So wherever you can, plan meals that you produce in one pot, tray or appliance- ie, steamer, pie-maker, slow-cooker, oven tray, frying pan, wok or saucepan/pot.

 

TRY TO GET YOUR PARTNER, HOUSEMATE OR KIDS INVOLVED

Involving the other people in your home in menu-planning and cooking can be a rewarding experience. And by rewarding, I mean sharing half the workload rewarding. Asking them to help choose the meals for the week can also help if you’ve run into a brick wall when it comes to inspiration. Also, once they’ve made a suggestion, like let’s use my husband for example, who suggested we have shepherd’s pie, you can ask them to help you with the preparation and if they say no…you can use it to guilt them into helping you. Example.

“Hold on! You mean, I’m standing here in this kitchen, making the shepherd’s pie you wanted, and you’re not willing to help me? That’s pretty low, buddy, even for you. Hmmph!” Storm off, no sex for a week.

Taste of Twilight November 2, 2009

I can only admit this online because I am perfectly anonymous, but yes, I am what you would call a Twihard.

The worst part is that I am 26 years old.

I am a closet Twihard (team Jacob all the way) and cringe at the all hysteria going on at the moment, but I do get swept up in the hype.

So that’s why I simply couldn’t resist posting these amazing pics and links by some very talented bakers.

I stumbled across these on Cake Wrecks which is a fantastically hilarious blog.

Cake by Honey Sugar Tea

Cakes by Francesca

AMAZING!

 

Tucker for the Time-Poor November 1, 2009

Over the last few years, I, like many of you, have struggled with juggling work, running the household and a life while trying to make decent meals.

I am sure that many of you can relate to working an obscene amount of hours during the week and then coming home, staring listlessly into the pantry and then your brain clicks into “Screw it, I’m calling in for Chinese” mode because it all just seems too hard.

I am in the process of putting together an article about tackling this issue, with tips and hints on how to get your act together and get a meal on the table, even after a long, exhausting day at work. It seems like an insurmountable task sometimes, but it’s worth it when you know you have saved your arteries from another bout of KFC grease.

Will be posting soon!

I’m back! October 29, 2009

After a lengthy hiatus, I have decided to come back and attempt to revive my blog (and my enthusiasm with food).

 

I’m sure you all can appreciate that it’s hard to remain enthusiastic about food when your job sucks the absolute life out of you and you end up eating a bowl of cereal for dinner, on the couch while watching Family Guy.

 

So I’m back and I will be attempting some regular posts. I have some yummy and easy new recipes to try, so I am hoping to share them all with you.

 

Kisses xxx

Afternoon Tea is cool again January 14, 2007

Haven’t you heard?

That’s right, afternoon tea is back in vogue.

It’s no longer for old fuddy duddies or Ladies Who Lunch.

Afternoon Tea technically never really went out of fashion, it’s just that people didn’t really have the time or the patience to spend the afternoon talking over freshly baked pastries, scones, tarts and hot tea and coffee.

Afternoon Tea had resurged in popularity as many people find it’s the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon, meet up with the girls for an afternoon of gossiping and laughs or even as the theme of your bridal or baby shower. Why not throw one for your friends next weekend? Tell them it was my idea.

The big ritzy hotels in almost every city on earth offer fancypants Afternoon Teas complete with waiters in cute little gloves, brandishing fancy little tongs with which to serve up your scones and cookies.

Now there is a difference between afternoon tea and grabbing a quick afternoon snack. High Tea generally takes place at around 3pm in the afternoon. So what separates afternoon tea from a Quarter Pounder at McDonalds at 3pm? It’s the ritual, the tradition and the food.

Wherever you go, High Tea will always comprise the same basic rituals, foods and traditions.

It is usually set in sumptuous surroundings, whether that be a beautiful rose garden, an elegant ballroom in a hotel or a stately library in a beautiful home. A cozy living room will do the trick, as will a patio or deck during the summer months. To be frank, it doesn’t really matter where you do it, I mean, I’ve had afternoon tea on a cruise ship in the middle of the South Pacific, as long as the spaces gives off a certain feel of luxury, quiet and elegance.

Before you even consider the idea of throwing an impromptu afternoon tea gathering, make sure you have all the good stuff. A decent teapot (no Lipton tea bags hanging over the side of mugs, thankyou very much!), little serving jugs for milk and cream, a tiered goody serving thing or some really noice plate thingies to put yer grub on. No mugs. Nobody wants to pretend to be sophisticated whilst nibbling on cucumber sandwiches and sipping tea from your Dreamworld Tasmanian Devil mug. Okay?

Every afternoon tea will consist of scones, cookies, baked pastries, tea sandwiches, tarts, cakes and of course, lots of cups of perfectly brewed tea! Remeber, when considered what you’re going to make for your high tea, make sure it can be held with two fingers and isn’t too messy. This probably isn’t the right time to be showing off your skewering skills with satay chicken or serving up a hearty pudding. Keep it simple, keep it nibbly.

We’ve already talked about scones, so I’m assuming you’ve figured out how to make a decent batch. If not, drop everything, turn this computer off and get in the kitchen. Scones are the staple of afternoon tea, without it, afternoon tea is a fraud, kind of like the TomKat marriage.

Scones are best served warm, split in half and spread with lovely tarty jam and clotted cream. If you pull out that whipped stuff in a can, you’re going straight to hell. Don’t stop, don’t collect $200.

Buy some loose-leaf tea and learn how to make it correctly. The last thing you want is to invite all your people over and pour out some dirty dishwater into their teacups. Trust me, I’ve been there.

In my humble opinion, the sandwiches are the best part of afternoon tea. So many different varieties, all so deliciously scrumptious.

The general rule is to allow about 4-6 sandwich servings for each guest. Any more than that and you’ll be rolling them out the door with a wheelbarrow.

The whole idea behind the success of tea sandwiches is to get some good white bread. This isn’t the time for an Aldi 99c loaf of white. Go for the posh bread (you know, the one you buy when you know people are coming over, so you can display it prominently on your bench and hope they think you’re posh!) and DON’T, listen to me, DON’T use them bum ends. Who the hell eats those anyway? They’re the mould gates as far as I’m concerned.

Now I’ve done my research on tea sandwiches, aren’t you lucky. First of all, NO CRUSTS. But the trick is to cut the crusts off after you’ve filled the sandwich. Lop off the ends with a nice sharp knife- this keeps it all neat and good looking like the pictures you’ve drooled over seen.

I’ve also read that no matter what you are slapping in the middle of them, the bread slices should always be buttered. And that’s unsalted butter. If making in advance, the secret to avoid soggy bread is to spread the butter right to the ends of the bread. Don’t know if that’s true, that’s your homework.

Now if you’ve read this far, I’m assuming you know that you don’t just serve up a big fricken sandwich. These sandwiches are little. When they’re made, cut them in half diagonally. And then again.

Some interesting (and traditional) fillings for tea sandwiches:

• Chicken Curry (chicken breast, celery, mayo, curry powder)
• Cucumber (cucumber, der, alfalfa sprouts)
• Egg (Hard boiled eggs, mayo, chopped dill)
• Smoked Salmon (slices of smoked salmon, minced onion, capers, mayo, cucumber, dill)
• Tuna and Cucumber (tuna flakes, diced cucumber, mayo and finely diced red onion)
• Ham and Mustard (slices of honey leg ham with a lovely Dijon or wholegrain mustard, maybe even a slice of cheese)
• Chicken and avocado (Cooked, diced chicken breast, mixed with mayo and avocado until a gluggy delicious mess)

Next, let’s focus on the sweets. Here, your options are endless.

Cookies are a great start. Choc-chip, lemon cookies, orange nut cookies, shortbreads, anything delicate and delectable is spot-on for a great afternoon tea.

Muffins and cupcakes are easy to buy if you can’t be arsed making them yourself. And they look so cool on those tiered tray thingies. Just make sure they’re decorated with all those pretty little things on top and you’ll be right.

Slices, mini – cakes, trifles, carrot cake, sponge cake, fruit cake, you name it, it’s on the table.

There you have it. Afternoon tea- yet another excuse to have another meal in the day!

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Falling off the cupcake bandwagon January 5, 2007

Remember how I was enthused about cupcakes for like, five minutes, a while ago?

Well, after a costly trip to Coles, an assortment of piping bag tips and a vast array of coloured patty cases, I am officially OVER IT.

I’m not very good at baking at the best of times, which is why I usually bake when I’m depressed.

My husband knows that the moment he comes in and smells the aromas of something sweet baking in the oven, that something is UP.

Well, my attempt at becoming a cupcake goddess was pretty lame. I mean, the cupcakes themselves tasted good. I was very precise with all my measurements, for the first time, like, ever.

But my patty cases were a little too cheap  floppy and they sort of didn’t retain their nice round shape. And I didn’t put enough mixture into each case.

And then the icing. Oh boy. I just don’t want to talk about it.

Now I have all these bloody baking and icing supplies- but I doubt I will be getting back on the cupcake bandwagon in the near future.

You should have seen the way I iced these things. They were hideous.

Off for Christmas December 24, 2006

Well, it is time for me to get busy with my Christmas preparations and I need to bathe my stinky dog, so I must bid you adieu for a few days while I stuff myself silly with copious amounts of fattening food.

Merry Christmas to you all- I hope your bellies are all full with delicious food and drink and that Santa is especially good to you this year.

Merry Christmas! 

Disgusting Dinners December 24, 2006

Omg!

I have spent the last hour laughing so hard that I almost couldn’t breathe!

You have to check out this thread for pics of peoples’ cooking disasters.

Click here to see it (you will have a great laugh, just make sure you haven’t just eaten or are about to eat!)

Some of that stuff is so freakin’ foul!

It was a great laugh and mighty, mighty entertaining!

One of my faves , pictured  left.

WHAT. THE. FUCK.

Endeavouring into the land of the cupcakes December 23, 2006

I will be attempting my first cupcakes in the next few days after a lengthy visit to the baking aisle at Coles!

Oh yay, the excitement.

Be sure to check back for pics!

Table Manners Basics December 22, 2006

I know most of you will skip this post, thinking you don’t need to hear about table manners. After all, your mother drummed it all into your head whilst you were growing up. You can almost hear her again, sternly saying, “Elbows off the table!” and “Only cows chew with their mouth open.”

You’d be surprised how often we go out to dine in restaurants and have to see people with appalling table manners, who don’t even realise how disgusting they are.

I’m big on table manners, not because I’m a snob, but I think if someone went to the effort to cook you a good meal, you should have the common courtesy to eat it properly and show some respect for your fellow diners. Despite what you may think, they don’t want to see what’s in your mouth while you talk. They don’t want you to lean over them and their plate while you help yourself to the salad. And they almost certainly don’t want to see you try and swallow the spoon while you slurp that soup down.

Now before you get your goat up, nobody is asking, or expecting you to be all prim and proper at the table. No pinky-finger out while you sip your tea, no standing when a lady leaves the table, none of that. Relax. Just be fit to be seen eating in public and say it, don’t spray it.

Some basic table manner hints and things to remember are:

Don’t be a bogan and butter your whole breadroll and then eat it whole. Tear off small, manageable pieces of bread and butter it as you go.

Do not season your food before you’ve tasted it. It’s rude and makes you look like a bogan.

Do not slurp soup from your spoon. Spoon the soup away from you when you take it out of the bowl and sip it from the side, not head on. Slurping is so…bogan.

If your soup is too hot to eat, let it sit until it cools; do not blow on it. This makes you look like a bogan.

Don’t stuff your mouth full of food. Not only does it make you look like a starving bogan, but you could choke and there is nothing more embarrassing than choking in the middle of a restaurant or formal dinner.

Chew with your mouth closed. Nobody wants to see what that veal looks like after being attacked by your chompers. Neither do they want to hear all the juicy, slopping, bogan sounds of you chewing it. Don’t utter one word until you have swallowed.

Don’t make any rude comments about any food being served. Attempting to joke that the casserole on your plate looks like dog mush will only result in two outcomes. 1) You will not be invited to any future dinner parties. 2) If you are lucky enough to be invited back, your food will spat in by an angry cook with a long memory.

Always say thank you when served something. It astounds me how many people go to restaurants and totally ignore the waitstaff when they deliver their meals, drinks and cutlery. Take a minute to say thankyou, you jerks! These people handle the food you’ll be ingesting and you don’t know what goes on behind the scenes, so be appreciative.

Wait for your fellow diners to have their meals served before you tuck in. There’s nothing worse than The Pig of the table slobbering all over their plate in a hungered frenzy while the rest of the guests wait patiently. You should all start eating together.

Speaking of The Pig of the table, you should eat slowly and don’t hog into the food like a starving bogan who hasn’t been fed this fortnight because his dole money hasn’t come through yet. Slowly means to wait about 5 seconds after swallowing before contemplating your next bite.

If you get something stuck in your chompers, don’t sit there and pick it out, even if you think you’re being discreet. If you absolutely cannot handle it anymore, excuse yourself and go the toilets and deal with it.

We’ve talked about napkins before. It should be on your lap. If you somehow managed to dribble some of your French onion soup on your chin, use your napking to dab your mouth and chin gently, not smear it across your face like a …yep, you guessed it, like a bogan! Don’t wipe your face or blow your nose with a napkin. I have seen people do this.

Any utensils that have been used should not touch the table again – leave it on the plate at all times.

If someone asks you to pass the salt, you pass both the salt and pepper. Don’t ask why, just do it, okay? That’s just how it’s done. Don’t be a bogan.

When the meal is over, thank the host and if they ask how it was or if you enjoyed it, tell them it was great and you were very impressed, even if this is a lie. Telling them it tasted like “dog shit” probably isn’t appropriate.

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Top 5 Most Versatile Herbs December 21, 2006

Thinking of starting your very own herb garden (i.e, a few pots near the back door or on the balcony)?

Well, I am.

Deciding what herbs to incorporate into my little herb garden has taken some research, but it mostly comes down to your own personal taste and which herbs you can see yourself using most in your cooking and for other purposes, like medicinal or fragrance purposes.

Here are my top five picks for the most versatile herbs used in cooking- they will all be featuring in my herb garden.

Basil

This is one of my favourite herbs. Growing up in an Italian family, I have eaten quite a lot of basil in just about everything and to this day, I still love it. My husband, on the other hand, just can’t seem to warm to it because it gives him a blood nose. Maybe I should sneak it into his dinner when I’m pissed off at him, hey? Rub a little under his nose while he’s sleeping? Hmm, better not because who would then be left washing the sheets? Yours truly, of course.

So anyway, back to basil.

Basil thrives in warm weather and lots of sun, so putting a pot out on your balcony is a great idea. It’s an annual plant, meaning you have to replant the bloody thing every year and it can’t survive the winter if you’re keeping it outdoors. Basil doesn’t like frost.

It’s so versatile, you can use it in a variety of ways. You can use it to flavour oils by popping a spring into a bottle of olive oil and storing it. You can chuck it in the food processor with some pine nuts, parmesan cheese and oil to make your own yummy pesto. Finely chopped, it goes well on fish and chicken and makes a delicious dressing with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The leaves can be eaten whole or shredded in salads like garden salads and warm potato salads. And don’t forget what basil was put on this earth for – Caprese salad (with bocconcini and little cherry tomatoes, DELISH!!). Image source

Rosemary

Believe it or not, rosemary is a member of the mint family. And a really annoying little girl who used to kick me in kindergarten with her stubby little legs. She clearly had some behavioural issues. I wonder what she is up to nowadays. Probably a suicide bomber.

Rosemary is easy to grow and doesn’t have the same problem with a lot of other herbs in the pest department as it seems to pest resistant. It can also tolerate drought conditions, which is good for us Aussies suffering water restrictions (and even better for those of us who are so lazy and cannot be bothered watering our pots regularly!).

This plant also flowers and the the little blooms are a delicate white or sometimes even blue- they are just gorgeous.

Rosemary has been used in the past to treat headaches, dandruff, poor circulation and epilepsy. Hippie nerds reckon it helps improve memory. Hippie nerds reckon it helps improve memory. Hippie nerds reckon it helps improve memory. HAH! (God, kill me now).

Because of its’ sweet fragrance, rosemary is popular for use in all kinds of lotions and tonics, essential oil blends and even incense sticks- one of my favourites, in fact.

Rosemary really is one of the most versatile herb- you can use it in so many different ways. The most traditional and much loved way, of course, is with roast lamb. Rosemary and lamb go together like… well, other good stuff. Crush and chop the leaves and use with pork or chicken dishes. Toss leaves with some chopped potatoes, salt, pepper and olive oil and bake for the best roast potatoes EVER! You can even use the stems as skewers because they’re so nice and sturdy- thread your meat or vegetables on to impart a beautiful flavour. Or like our friend, Jeff Jansz (I can’t be bothered trying to find out if I spelt that right), you can even use a sprig of rosemary as an oil brush when barbecuing. Just dip the sprig in some olive oil and brush the barbecue and baste the meat as you go. Ingenious.

You can add rosemary to sausages, with a good old fashioned roast, as part of stuffing mixes (perfect for chicken and turkeys, YUM!) and even sauces to drizzle over a baked chicken breast. It also makes a fabulous marinade. Definitely a favourite of mine.

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Mint

There are heaps of varieties of mint, but perhaps the most common are spearmint and peppermint.

Now, talk about versatile.

You can use mint in everything from desserts, fruit salads, drinks, meat, vegies and seafood. There is a trick to choosing which mint goes best with which though- the general rule is that spearmint is ideal for savory dishes and peppermint is better for sweet desserts.

We most commonly associate mint with lamb, but it can also be used in making tea (perfect for settling a queasy belly), marinades and more commonly, used as a garnish for desserts and drinks.

Mint is also widely know to be a very good source of potassium, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, manganese, copper, iron, calcium and magnesium = GOOD SHIT!

The fragrance of mint is often used in essential oils and perfumes and is thought to be revitalising and energising.

It’s also dead easy to grow- in the words of my husband, who hates gardening with a passion, “That bloody thing is unkillable!“[sic]. Righty-oh love. You just toddle off back to your computer and leave the killing of herbs to me. I’m quite good at it.

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Sage

From my reading , I have learnt that sage is a powerful medicinal herb, having been used in a variety of cooking and medicinal scenarios. It’s been used to treat everything from sprains, swelling, ulcers and to control bleeding. Infused in a tea, it said to be good for sore throats and coughs. I will personally pass on that one. I’m all for herbal tea- as in, peach and mango; strawberry; lemon and ginger, and other sugary crap varieties, but sage? HELL NO!

Herbalists have also used this herb for rheumatism, menstrual bleeding, strengthening the nervous system, improving memory, and sharpening the senses apparently. That’s nice. Let’s get back to the cooking part, this isn’t a bloody herbal remedy lesson.

Now the most important thing you need to know with sage is, GO EASY! This stuff ruins everything when used generously- it basically makes your food taste like compost. Not that I’ve eaten compost, but you get the idea.

One of my favourite ways to eat sage is cooked the traditional way in a saltinbocca dish. Saltinbocca is a dish usually made with thinly sliced veal which is rolled with prosciutto and sage leaves, then pan fried and served with a white wine sauce. This is also fabulous with chicken.

Sage also tends to go well with the zesty flavour of lemon. Lemon and sage chicken is also a delicious favourite. Just remember to go easy on the sage and you’ll enjoy it in almost anything you cook that has a meaty, hearty flavour.

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Flat-leaf Parsley

I’ve eaten so much parsley in my lifetime, I am surprised my farts are not parsley-scented.

NUMBER ONE LESSON I LEARNT ABOUT PARSLEY: It cures stinky breath! Not for me of course…but for other people. I wouldn’t know about stinky breath…thank you.

I also learnt that this herb is a part of the carrot family! Amazing what you learn every day. Now because it’s related to carrots, it also has the same high levels of beta carotene. It’s also a great source of vitamin B12, chlorophyll, calcium and even has more vitamin C than citrus fruits!

I have also heard that parsley is supposed to help improve the health and fragrance of roses when grown nearby.

Parsley has a variety of uses in the kitchen. Chop it finely and blend it with butter or mayonnaise as a perfect accompaniment for steak or seafood. Use it as a garnish or chop finely and sprinkle over your meal as you plate up. Blended with other herbs and a little oil, it can be a yummy marinade for fish and chicken. Chop it and mix it into your breadcrumb mix when making schnitzel- it really is lovely. Or make a delicious tabbouleh which is a Middle Eastern salad made of chopped parsley, burghul (cracked wheat), diced tomato, mint, lemon juice and black pepper. This is one of my, “Oh crap, I don’t have anything for dinner” summer meals and we usually just scoop it up with toasted Turkish bread and burp at each other and rate the aroma out of ten.

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The Forbidden List – Foods to say buh-bye to. December 21, 2006

The following list of foods might shock you. It might even anger you, or send you into fits of absolute rage.

Consider this a friendly, helpful guide that will save your poor widdle taste-buds, who have been tortured long enough by your laziness!

- The Forbidden List -

 

1.

 

Baked beans, left.

Yeah, you always hear me ragging on about baked beans, but this is some serious shit people! I can’t even begin to count the amount of Aussies people who have resorted to a can of these gluggy beans in sugar tomato sauce on toast after perusing the pantry and deciding they just could. not. be. bothered.

You should be ashamed of yourself! Surely you could have come up with something a little more creative, and appetising, than that! Baked beans should be reserved for four year old’s learning important life lessons in microwave use and for lifting weights around the house to lose the arm jiggle fat YOU put on by eating this crap in the first place! Only drunk yobbos’ getting home after a late night, and unemployed people like baked beans as much as four year olds.

 

2.

 

2-Minute Noodles, left.

Maggi can make all the bloody flavours they like. Satay and sweet and sour and roast chicken- PFFT!!! I will still never eat this stuff again, and neither should you if you want to be a valuable member of society. The only people who have an excuse to eat these are elderly pensioners with no teeth and soft gums and guys who just got home from the hospital after losing their teeth in a Saturday night bar brawl. And almost every Aussie bloke has been there once. These noodles are a cop out- you have no excuse to reach for a pack of these because all you have to do is add hot water- be kind to your tastebuds, please, I beg you!

 

 

 

3.

 

 

 

Instant mashed potato, left.

I have never tasted anything more wrong, anything more unnatural in my whole life. This stuff is bizarre. I don’t pretend to understand and I am definitely NOT going to pretend to like it. I think it is just downright freaky!

I know sometimes washing, peeling, chopping and waiting for your potatoes to boil before you can mash them is a pain in the butt. I know you wanted your mashed potato fifteen minutes ago. I know the only potatoes you have in your pantry are growing things on them you’ve only ever seen in Alien films, but please, don’t resort to this instant mash business. Why? Because first of all, it tastes like shit. Second of all, it’s full of shit and thirdly, because you will feel like shit after eating it knowing you are a lazy turd who couldn’t be bothered feeding your face with anything better! Leave the dehydrated, just-add-water foods to the astronauts, okay?

These three items are the biggest threat to your tastebuds, so avoid them at all costs.

What foods do you think should be added to The Forbidden List?

This list will be frequently updated, so get thinking!

 

 

Foods you should not freeze! December 20, 2006

- Hard boiled eggs go rubbery
- Fried and crumbed meats go soggy
- Whole eggs in their shells will break as the contents expand
- Vegetables with a high water content, such as lettuce
- Sour cream and yoghurt separate
- Meringue weeps
- Custards, mayonnaise and dishes containing gelatine
- Herbs and spices lose their pungency after two weeks

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Food safety at Christmas time December 19, 2006

Christmas is the one time of the year you can guarantee almost everyone is splurging on good food.

However, it’s also the time of year when many people suffer from horrible food poisoning from ill-prepared food and by not observing some basic safety rules.

Here are some food safety tips to keep in mind for Christmas time, courtesy of the Food Safety Information Council .

Avoid keeping food in the temperature danger zone between 5^oC and 60^oC where food poisoning bacteria grow best.
Keep hot foods steaming hot over 60^oC and keep cold foods refrigerated at or below 5 ^oC.
Ready to eat food should always be defrosted in the fridge or microwave, never on the bench top, unless the manufacturer recommends that you do so.
You can defrost the turkey in the fridge, or ask your butcher to defrost it in the coolroom but make sure it is completely defrosted in the centre before cooking. It’s OK to defrost a turkey on the benchtop, but you must make sure it is thoroughly cooked all the way through to make sure any bacteria are killed – use a meat thermometer to check that the temperature in the thickest part reaches 75 degrees Celsius.
Because stuffing slows down cooking and cooling, it is best cooked separately.
Before preparing food for Christmas make sure that there is enough room in the fridge to keep cold food at or less than 5^oC. If there is not enough room in the fridge, remember that soft drinks and alcohol,, jams, pickles and other acidic condiments do not require refrigeration to remain safe. Drinks can be kept cold in an esky with ice.
Prepare foods as close as possible to eating time.
Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw meats and poultry and ready to eat foods.
Cook foods properly. All rolled & stuffed roasts, poultry, sausages, mince dishes and liver need to be fully cooked. Steaks, chops and solid pieces of meat can be eaten rare.
If you cook large amounts of food in advance, divide it into smaller portions or shallow containers, cover and place in fridge or freezer. Make sure there is good air circulation around the containers.
Refrigerate leftovers immediately after the meal.
Always store perishable leftovers in the fridge and use them up within 2 to 3 days.
When reheating food ensure that it is steaming hot all the way through (at least 75^oC).
Your Christmas ham will keep several weeks with proper handling by removing it from its plastic wrap, covering with clean cloth soaked in water and vinegar so it doesn’t dry out, following any instructions on the packaging and storing it in the fridge below 5 degrees Celsius. Reduced salt hams are now becoming popular but will not last as long as conventional hams so follow instructions on the packaging.
Before preparing foods and between handling raw meat or raw chicken wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water and dry thoroughly.

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Top 10 Best Recipes of 2006… According to me. December 19, 2006

1.

Sticky Toffee Puddings

Top 10 Best Recipes of 2006… According to me. December 19, 2006

3.

 

 

Lentil and Proscuitto Soup

Top 10 Best Recipes of 2006… According to me. December 19, 2006

4.

Beef Fillet with Pepper Crust

Top 10 Best Recipes of 2006… According to me. December 19, 2006

5.

Mars Bar Cheesecake

Top 10 Best Recipes of 2006… According to me. December 19, 2006

6.

 

Mini pikelets with smoked salmon and creme fraiche

Top 10 Best Recipes of 2006… According to me. December 19, 2006

7.

 

Cajun Chicken Pizza