Wedding Cakes and a Lumberjack!

Everyday there is a wedding somewhere in the world. It can be a simple ceremony to an elaborate affair. To celebrate the occasion there is always a cake.

Wedding cakes have changed over the years. My mother was very talented and went to night school to learn the fine art of cake decorating. This is what she did for fun or as a hobby. Often her talents were called upon to make a beautiful cake for a wedding, engagement or 21st birthday. The cakes she made were a fruit cake base and then iced with a heavy icing which she called plastic icing. Don't panic, it wasn't plastic but a heavy fondant icing. Most were decorated with beautiful lace work made from lighter icing that she piped.

Recently, a friend of mine was getting married and she asked me to go with her to look at cakes. We tasted many flavours and ate that much cake we felt sick! Finally, a decision on the style and flavour of cake was made. The wedding was beautiful and the cake enjoyed by all.

Have you ever wondered where wedding cakes originated? After some research, I found different stories from Ancient Rome, Medieval England and France. One thing is common with all the stories, wedding cakes were made for good luck and prosperity for the bride and groom. Over the centuries wedding cakes were decorated with little pillars between the layers, wedding rings to the bride and groom on top. One thing, no matter how you decorate your cake there will always be someone to eat it!

This recipe is not ideal for a wedding cake, but is certainly delicious.

Lumberjack Cake

Ingredients

2 apples peeled, cored and finely grated
1 cup of dates seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
1 cup of boiling water
125grams of butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of castor sugar
1 egg
One and a half cups of plain flour

Coconut Topping

60 grams of butter
Half a cup of brown sugar
Half a cup of milk
Two thirds of a cup of shredded coconut

Method 

Preheat oven to 180 degrees, a moderate oven. Grease and line a square cake tin.

Combine apple, dates and soda in a large bowl cover with hot water, stir then cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes.

In another bowl put butter, vanilla, sugar, egg and beat till light and fluffy. Take this mixture and add to apple mixture.

Gradually add flour and stir gently.

Pour mixture into pan and bake for 50 minutes.

To Make Topping

Place coconut, milk, butter and sugar into a saucepan and place on a low heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and butter melted.

Take cake from the oven and place on table or bench and pour the coconut mixture over the cake and spread evenly with a metal spatula.

Place cake back in the oven and bake a further 15 minutes, or until coconut mix is golden brown. Stand and cool for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

This is delicious if served with a little whipped cream.

Enjoy!

A Dinner For Champions!

In the golfing world there is one event that stands out.
"The Masters" held annually in  April at Augusta, Georgia, USA.

The event itself has grown over the years. Today in 2015 the purse (the prize money shared) is about $9 million dollars. 

It is held over four days, after the second day they have a cut. The players with better scores go forth and play for the trophy prize. The prize is not only the money and a trophy on which their name is placed, but also a green jacket. The prestigious jacket is presented by the previous year's winner.  I feel the jacket is a more treasured award than the money for some players.

The course itself is perfectly manicured with pine trees, dogwood trees, magnolias, flowering azaleas and other beautiful plants. There are old brick bridges and water features in which players balls sometimes end up. The holes from one to eighteen are all named after the different flora and fauna!

The idea for the Augusta National originated with Bobby Jones (a golf professional), who wanted to build a golf course after his retirement from the game. He sought advice from Clifford Roberts, who later became the chairman of the club.
They came across a piece of land in Augusta, Georgia, which was a plantation in the early 19th century and a plant nursery since 1857. Jones hired Alister MacKenzie to help design the course and work began in 1932. The course was formally opened in 1933. Unfortunately, MacKenzie died before the first tournament was played.

Food is a very important part of this event. Every year they have a Champions Dinner, an annual tradition since 1952, when Ben Hogan suggested and hosted the first dinner. 

The idea is simple, winners of the Masters are members of an exclusive club. They get together each year on the Tuesday night of tournament week to welcome the previous year's winner to the club. That club is known as 'The Masters Club', unofficially the previous year's winner gets to select the menu and also pays for producing that menu. 

Over the years, the dinner has ranged from cheeseburgers to sushi to haggis. The former champions aren't required to eat what the defending champion selects.  They can order from the Augusta Nationals regular menu (which has steaks, chicken and fish dishes).

There were 11 attendees at the first dinner on April 4th 1952 - 9 were Masters winners, plus honorary members Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts. It is difficult to find information on Champions Dinner menus from the early days of the event.

Now something I am sure the golfers would like to eat, my Blue Cheese Burgers!  

Bernadette's Blue Cheese Burgers

Ingredients

Burger Mix
1 kilogram of lean beef mince
1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
100 grams of blue cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons of fresh chives, chopped
A few dashes of Tabasco sauce 
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce 
1 teaspoon of mustard
1 egg
1 tablespoon of breadcrumbs
Olive oil

To Assemble the burgers 
6 to 8 Turkish rolls or burger buns
3 sliced tomatoes
2 sliced avocados
A hand full of mixed lettuce leaves
Mayonnaise and or tomato relish

Method 

Place all the ingredients into a bowl, leave the olive oil out. Mix well and divide mixture into equal portions 6 to 8 depending on the size you want.

Put the meat patties on a plate and place in a fridge for two hours, this allows them to become firm.

Pre heat grilling pan or the barbeque. Wipe each meat patty with olive oil, so it dose not stick. Cook for approximately 8 to 10 minutes. They should be slightly pink in centre. Put to one side.

Cut each burger bun or Turkish rolls in half. Lightly brush each bun with a little olive oil and place cut side down on pan or barbeque. Lightly toast.

To assemble burgers. Place bun or bread on plate and add cooked meat patty. Top with tomato, avocado, lettuce leaves and lastly place mayonnaise and or relish.


Enjoy!


 

 

Just like Mama use to make!

The other day when I was cooking in the kitchen, I was cutting tomatoes and it made me think. From where did they originate? After further investigation, here are my findings.

Tomatoes are one of the oldest fruits around. Yes, I said fruit, not many people know this.

It is said tomatoes originated from the Andes, in what is now called Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Ecuador - where they grew wild. 700AD is when the Incas first cultivated them.

Tomatoes didn't arrive in Europe until the 16th Century and it is not known how. It has been said that they were brought back from Central America by the Spanish Conquistadors. Another legend is that Jesuit priests brought them to Italy from Mexico. Others say Columbus brought the first tomato to Europe.

The first cultivated tomatoes were yellow and cherry-sized, earning them the name, "Golden Apples". They were considered poisonous, but were appreciated for their beauty.

In fact, tomatoes are a member of the nightshade family (Solanaceane), which includes henbane, mandrake and deadly nightshade, all of which are poisonous. Potatoes, peppers and aubergines (egg plant) are also members of this plant family, as is tobacco.

The first known British tomato grower was Patrick Bellow, who successfully reared plants from seeds in 1554.

Legend has it that the first tomato to be eaten in the United States was consumed in a public demonstration by John Gibbon of Salem, Massachusetts in 1830. Despite warnings its poison would turn his blood to acid, he did not fall to the ground frothing at the mouth!

Now to throw a twist about the tomato, in Australia we have another type. It is

called a bush tomato (desert raisin). We learned about this from the aboriginals, it is edible and part of their bush tucker. A small native tomato that grows on a small prickly shrubs, the fruit has a strong flavour and is vitamin C-rich.

There are a number of species which contain significant levels of solanine and are highly poisonous. It is strongly recommended people unfamiliar with the plant do not experiment with the different species, as differentiating between them can be difficult.

I have tasted them. They were like a sun dried tomato, but bitter in taste. 

Why not try making your own tomato sauce? Try my recipe, you may be surprised and know fresh ingredients are going into it!  

Wash 2kg ripe tomatoes and look for any that are rotten and discard them. I always use good quality tomatoes. I can't see any reason to make sauce if it's not the very best. 

Chop the tomatoes and place into a large stainless saucepan or stockpot.

Chop up 500grams of green apples, cored, peeled and add to the tomatoes.

Chop up 500grams of onions, peeled and add to the tomatoes and apples. 

In a cheesecloth or muslin place 4 tablespoons of whole cloves, 2 tablespoons of whole allspice, 1 and a half tablespoons of whole black peppercorns and a teaspoon of fennel seeds. Tie to form a bag with string (butchers twine).

Now, add to the tomato mixture in the pot, 500grams of white sugar, 2 tablespoons of salt, 1 and a quarter teaspoons of cayenne pepper, 1 and a quarter cups of malt vinegar and drop in the spice bag. 

Note: Salt should be preserving salt (no iodine or anti-caking agent).  

Bring to the boil. 

Now, cook uncovered for 1 to 1 and a half hours, depending on the tomatoes used and thickness of the sauce.

Take spice bag out of the pot and at this point I use a stick blender and whizz up the sauce.

Then push through a sieve. 

I sit the sieve over a jug and then the sauce is ready to pour in hot sterilised jars, using a funnel so not to drip hot sauce on yourself.

Screw lids on tightly and leave to cool before labelling and putting in a cool dry cupboard. 

Note: I wash jars and lids in hot soapy water, rinse in very hot water and then place in the oven set to 120 degrees Celsius for half an hour. I put the lids into a heat proof bowl and add boiling water. Then, I use stainless steel tongs to take the lids from the water, taking care not to touch the inside of the lids (can contaminate). Place lids on a paper towel to thoroughly dry. Take care removing jars from the oven.

  

 

 

Leave it to the French!

Growing up, when I was only in about 6 or 7 years old, I went to a couple of puppet shows. I loved to watch the characters that were created and listen to the story unfold. 

This inspired me, I often went home and put on my own little shows. Using a cardboard box as the stage with wooden pegs borrowed from my mothers washing line, I painted them to resemble puppets! Strings would get tangled in my fingers, it wasn't easy. My audience was normally my pet dog!

In Perth, Western Australia at the moment is the Royal de Luxe, a French mechanical marionette street theatre company. Founded in 1979 in Aix-en-Provence by Jean-Luc Courcoult, they moved from Toulouse to Nantes in 1989. The company has performed all over the world. They take different Marionettes and tell different stories for different countries, normally coinciding with a special celebration. Millions of people have watched these mechanical masterpieces.

The Perth International Arts Festival brought them here as part of the Centenary for the ANZAC celebrations. It is free for people to go and watch over three days.

The Marionettes brought here include, "The Giants", a little girl, 6 meters tall and a deep sea diver, 11 meters tall. Accompanying them are 90 company performers, 100 - strong back up crew and 400 local volunteers. They weigh a lot, cranes and other structures are used to move them. 

The story unfolds and this is what it is about

In the south-west corner of Western Australia, there were Aboriginal communities full of mysteries. One of these mysteries was a boat that had come up from out of the sand, only the prow could be seen, the rest was imprisoned in the ground.

One day, the Little Girl Giant, busy with her travels, fell into one of the Aboriginal communities of the Noongar Nation, into one of those families who are in love with the barrab (sky), the boodja (earth), the yorgam (trees) and keap (water).
She was so welcomed that she decided to stay with them for a long time.
She then witnessed the evolution and change of these inhabitants in the face of the transformation of the Australian continent. She lived there as though it were a beelya (river), full of dreams that jumped like fish.

One day, one of the community’s children brought her an old book full of drawings. It was dog-eared, crumpled, aged. It told the story of a little girl in a lighthouse full of love and sorrow, who watched soldiers leaving Australia on ships, carrying hope into lost battles. It was 1915 on the beaches of Gallipoli where the sand, reddened by the blood of men, frightened the moon. Through the book, the Little Girl Giant, as she looked at the sky, saw the past, the present and even the future.

Her gaze plunged into the centre of the battle, and she could see men disappearing, like being suddenly wiped from the earth as  an eraser would rub out on a drawing. She also saw a boat sink, snatched by a gust stronger than a cathedral and laid down on the bottom of the ocean, then an Australian diver, sent to find survivors, stuck in air bubbles. As he could not see a living soul on the seabed, he decided to stay there. Miraculously and without knowing it, he started walking and this removed the tubes and the air that filled his lungs. As he turned his head, he saw dozens of boats lying in the sand. Methodically, he entered each ship and brought dead men out of them. He dug the ground to bury each one and he continued, his muscles toned by an infernal will, so much so that around each sunken boat, there was a graveyard, like small heaps of sand without crosses, only small bellies emerging from the dust. There were hundreds like this around each boat, peaceful. With a madness which cannot be named, he continued his work. But from graveyard to graveyard, his body grew thicker, denser and without realising it, one day he was able to overturn the ships. He had monumental strength. He had quite simply grown like a child in a bath who suddenly realises that his feet are touching the taps. It was simply the story of a Giant who became big at the bottom of the sea.
In the Noongar country, the Little Girl Giant closed the last page of the book. The little Aboriginal child, his eyes full of colours, was sad then, in his gaze a rainbow flew away to the clouds.
He understood then that the Little Girl Giant had to leave to re-join her family, and when the sun lifted the horizon, he hurried to fetch his father. Whilst the stars hid in the sky, lying behind the morning light, all the people of the Noongar Nation saw a tear come from the Little Girl Giant’s eyelid. As it touched the ground, a small puddle was swallowed up by the soil. In this very spot, a tree could be seen growing in the space of two hours. From a small and barely awoken sprout, a trunk developed, full of branches with leaves that the wind enjoyed moving. It was just a tree in the boodja (country).

Then she thought that the buried boat could sail the earth to find the diver. The Aboriginals began digging and within ten days, the ship was ready on the ground. The Little Girl Giant climbed onto it and the Noongars began to sing the rain. Accompanied by the sound of the boomerangs, she crossed Western Australia. The sand made waves, the boodja filling with water. In short, she arrived in Minang boodja (Albany) from where she sent a hot air balloon, like a moon over the ocean, to call the diver. Then she headed to Whadjuk boodja (Perth).
Upon her arrival in the big city, she placed her head underwater and blew bubbles which echoed at the bottom of the ocean. Everyone knows that whales can hear sounds from 5,000 kilometres away when they call each other and that the sound of people’s footsteps on pavements reverberates to the centre of the earth.
The air bubbles that were pushed by the tide floated around the Giant Diver. With their large, small or tiny shapes, they followed one another like a convoy of boats and one after the other, they exploded in front of the Giant’s eyes. They expressed signals like Morse code: a point, a line, two points then nothing and again two lines and a point. It was a language the man of the sea knew well. He could then read sentences in which each message ended with ‘come’. No sooner had he understood he was surrounded by a tornado of fishes. They circled him faster and faster so that the swirl of force became a gust of wind. On the surface, the agitated fog started to cough so hard that a storm swallowed the bottom of the water, throwing the diver into the sky all the way into the clouds. Then, like a lost body, he fell down unconscious in Perth. The earth trembled and suddenly a great spray of water burst out of the ground between two buildings. A geyser was born, as if to greet through space the arrival of the Giants.


Keeping with the French theme, I have added one of my favourite French recipes!

Strawberry Crepes with Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients 

 1 cup of plain flour
1 tablespoon of caster sugar
A pinch of salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup of milk
80 grams of butter, melted
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil 

1 punnet of strawberries, sliced

One cup of thickened cream

250 grams of dark cooking chocolate

 

Method 

In a medium sized bowl, sift dry ingredients and make a well in the centre of the bowl. Add eggs and milk gradually, and whisk until a smooth paste is formed. Whisk in butter and vanilla extract and allow to stand in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat a medium sized frying pan with a tablespoon of oil. Pour about half a ladle of batter into the frying pan, and swirl the batter around until the whole surface of the pan has been covered. The batter and the resulting crepe should be thin. As soon as the crepe is slightly browned and detached, turn it over and cook for a few seconds. Continue until all the batter is gone.

To make the chocolate sauce, break up and put the chocolate in a bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it reaches a simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir gently until the mixture is smooth.

To assemble, place crepe on a plate and put sliced strawberries on one third of crepe, then fold over. Drizzle chocolate sauce over the top.

Bon Appetit!

 

Hatpins and a Tasty Thing!

I love to visit antique stores and search for hatpins. 

I don't know why I started to collect them, especially since they are not used in modern times that I know of. Maybe Queen Elizabeth of England still uses them!

A hatpin is a decorative and functional pin for holding a hat to the head, usually by the hair. They are typically around 20cms in length, with the pin head being the most decorated part.

The first hatpins were handmade. In Britain, demand eventually outgrew the number that could be supplied by hand-making, and they began to be imported from France.

In 1832, a machine was invented in America which could mass-produce the pins, and they became much more affordable.

During the 1880s, bonnets gave way to hats, and the popularity of hatpins soared. They remained a standard women's accessory through the 1910s and were produced in a vast range of materials and types.

Hatpin holder boxes were also produced.

Laws were passed in 1908 in America which limited the length of hatpins, as there was a concern they might be used as weapons.

Also by 1910, ordinances were passed requiring hatpin tips to be covered, so as not to injure people accidentally. Various covers were made, but poorer women often had to make do with items like potato pieces and cork.

I don't have a large collection. The ones I do have are very decorative. I also have a few of my mother's which I treasure.

I found this old advertisement for hatpins in a paper to give you an idea of what they looked like.

Unlike hatpins, this recipe will never go out of fashion. 

Prawns and Mushrooms in a Special Sauce

Ingredients

3 tablespoons of olive oil
3 medium size tomatoes, diced
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
500 grams of mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
A pinch of salt
Half a cup of sour cream
500grams of prawns, peeled and deveined 
One and a half cups of chicken stock, or vegetable if preferred

Method 

In a large fry pan put in one tablespoon of olive oil, garlic and tomatoes. Cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes until tomatoes are soft and releasing juices. Remove from fry pan into a bowl and set aside.

Now in the fry pan place the rest of the olive oil and onions and cook until caramelized. Then add sliced mushrooms. When cooked add the tomato mix back in.

Add salt, sour cream, chili sauce and combine. Then add the stock and stir. Bring the sauce to a simmer and add the prawns. Mix the prawns a couple of times until they are cooked. Do not leave too long or prawns will go tough. Only a couple of minutes is needed.

I like to serve with steamed rice or linguine pasta, garlic bread and a glass of wine.

Serves 4 People

Enjoy!