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misgabi

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Posts posted by misgabi

  1. I made PUDC last week as my father requested one (claiming he had not had one in over 20 years!!). I had to use tinned pineapple as being the end of winter in country Australia the fresh were awful.

    I cooked the rings in butter and brown sugar until soft and the sauce went thick and arranged in the cake tin. The main difference was that I spiced up the cake mix itself with chinese five spice and extra ginger and tossed in a can of crushed pineapple.

    I was delicious. Would highly recommend spicing up the cake :biggrin:

  2. Hubby and I will be in Canberra for my 40th ( :shock: ) birthday next month and I am looking for a suggestion of somewhere to go for dinner that is really good. I havn't lived in Canberra for years and only visit rarely so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

    Don't mind what style of cuisine (or price really) as long as it is outstanding and memorable.

    Please help!!! :biggrin:

  3. Grandma was a legend in our family - a legend for "DON'T EAT AT HER HOUSE!!!!".

    I had warned my current boyfriend but appaently to no avail. She offered him "lasagne" and HE ATE IT!!!. Then he ate the lemon cake.

    Sounds reasonable? Yes, until you knew Grandma. The lemon cake was made (from packet mix) and set on the sink in case 'company called'. When company had failed to show (a week or two later) the cake was placed in an empty icecream container and doused with lemon juice - then placed in the freezer. Each time a visitor came to the house the cake woulkd come out of the freezer and, upon no takers for the cake would go back in.

    See the picture - freeze, defrost, freeze, defrost, freeze rinse lather repeat

    Yay Grandma.

    Lasagne is a story for a whole other time!!! :shock:

  4. My husband regularly says he would be happy to eat steak and mash every day but as the "pesky" woman I require some variety.

    Seeing Sklinseys photos - my husband would have eaten both steaks in one sitting (and has done) being the big, boofy rugby boy that he is.

    I got him to eat quiche by telling him it was bacon pie!! :shock:

    I have to "hide the vegetables" like he is a four year old - the amount of grating etc that goes on in this house is scary.

    Although I think he would die of shock if he found out he at celeriac (mash), jerulem artichokes (roasted), cabbage (braised), cauliflour (roasted :wub: ) and the list goes on.

  5. I don't care if it is retro, I refuse to stop making bread & butter pudding, and I am sure my guests are happy about this. Most people are annoyed if I don't and first time diners at our home almost swoon when I bring it out (unless it is crepe suzette night then everyone swoons - best dessert ever).

    There is something to be said for these "retro" favourites that keep on keeping on. They strike a nerve in us and we want that nerve struck again.

    (although I completely refuse to eat frog spawn or junket!!!!!!!!)

  6. Great blog Mizducky!!

    With the goat the the prementioned riff on osso bucco, that's what I would do.

    Brown the floured goat pieces. Then brown off the onion, some carrots and celery and then deglaze with stock or wine (??? if allowed). Pop your goat pieces on top and pour over a tin of tomato pieces. Slow roast for several hours at 150 degrees and serve with cous cous.

    Works just as well for any braising meat with a bone (especially lamb shanks but I add cummin).

    Any leftovers, shred meat from bone and add steamed, cubed potato, carrots, pumpkin etc to make the best ever meat pie with either a pastry top or a mashed potato one - YUM

  7. Don't worry about being called "fancy" they still appreciate it and talk about it for far longer.

    I catered my neice (and god-daughters) baptism over 4 months ago and it is still being talked about for being so delicious and "unusual".

    For all that I made beef and vegetable samosas, baked vege frittatas, devils on horseback, cheese and asparagus vol au vents (which went more quickly than anything else :shock: ) mini sausage rolls and chicken wings (mini ones, both satay and hoi sin). All these hot foods combined with two each of cheese and fruit plates plus dip, biscuits and cruidites have my baby sister touted as the best hostess in Brisbane.

    We had extra food for a BBQ later in the evening but no-one could fit anything in and they would not believe it was not "fancy food".

    Good luck on the big day.

  8. Beautifully written Chris.

    I fully believe in showing people how to prepare really "quick" meals and then trust that the feeling they get from doing that will make them want to explore longer preparations. This in itself, I believe, makes a cook.

  9. Excellent ideas. I keep a packet of couscous and small tins of the "flavoured" tuna such as Tuna and Tuna2.

    It does not take long to fluff up the couscous with boiling water and when mixed with the tuna flavour of the day and a big dollop of greek yogourt - yum :wub:

    This is also really economical and there is such a variety of the flavours it is always different.

    I also take stock the fridge regularly with condiments, dips and cheese etc which can be added to fresh veges for a quick salad or sandwich. Fortunately, we have a very small office and I am the boss so can put what I like in the fridge and it is always there when I want it!!

    In winter I always take in soup each day to be reheated, this with cheese and biscuits or a fresh bread roll really hit the spot.

    In fact nearly everything you make and take in yourself tastes so much better than what is available at the takeaway shops at lunch.

  10. Thanks for these.

    I like a flaky pastry the best and am intrigued by the idea of using a cheese straw pastry! Will give it a go.

    I have tried the phyllo pastry idea in the past and sometimes use it if I have it in the fridge but usually make quiche as a spur of the moment thing with what is in the fridge so was looking for a pastry to use when no phyllo there.

  11. I usually make my quiche with a "mix in the saucepan" pastry of equal amounts milk and butter and flour added to form a 'pastry' (this looks similar to playdough).

    Being a grown-up now (and that pastry, even after being blind baked being just a tiny bit moist) would like a recipe for your best ever quiche pastry.

    Thank you in advance!!

  12. We make a very homegrown version in our house from leftover roast beef. This works best if the beef was rare (obviously!!)

    Make thin slices of the cold roast beef and cut into strips. Mix with satay sauce (either homemade or a really good quality jar one) and with steamed cubes of potato, pumpkin and sweet potato. Stir in enough coconut cream to thin slightly. At this point (due to the pastry) I add extra cummin and a little extra chilli.

    Make rounds of puff pastry and spoon the mixture into the middle. Fold in half after brushing all round with egg wash. Crimp well. Paint each pastry with the egg wash and bake.

    These are equally good as tiny canape size or really big main meal size. I serve with yogourt.

    If you like them hotter, make the satay sauce hotter. Also rather good when deep fried (an experiment - honestly)

  13. We used to have a dish in Papua New Guinea that was vegetables (potato, sweet potato, carrot and onion) as well as chokos cooked with chicken pieces in coconut milk with big hunks of banana cooked into it (apparently it helped thicken it). It had a curry undertone so must have had some curry powder in there somewhere (I never made it, but ate it often at the houses of people who had lived there for quite some time).

    Was sort of like a really coconut milky massaman (delicious).

  14. Beautiful blog John, cannot wait for the cassoulet.

    I noticed in the picture taken inside Martyn's that they sell the Walker's shortbread. We can only get the Homebake Shortbread Rounds here over Christmas from one shop but they are my guilty, guilty pleasure :rolleyes: Even though I usually make my own shortbread I still love tucking into these rounds, yum :wub:

    I am jealous of the produce you have to choose from and hope you will suggest some form of substitute for the sausage in the cassoulet as I know for a fact we cannot buy that here.

    Thank you too for the "confit duck" idea - will be trying that very soon.

  15. Excellent topic MizDucky.

    Comfort foods I now turn to are ones that we never, ever had as a child growing up because my mother could not cook to save herself (and I took over at an early age):

    Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

    Homemade Spring Rolls

    Bread and Butter Pudding

    Beef Strogannoff (sp?)

    Plain jasmine rice with a big dollop of garlic butter :wub: (utter comfort food)

    Leek and Broccoli Quiche

    Banana Jaffles (this may be an Australian thing) with lots of brown sugar

    These are all things I make when I want to feel better or cheer myself up - none of which I tasted or cooked before the age of about 18.

    One that we did have as a kid - pancakes with lemon and sugar... mmmmmmm!!

  16. Oh BondGirl, my heart goes out to you.

    I laughed, I cried, I remembered myself a few years ago. Bad dates, worse dates, beyond description dates - was it worth going on??? Eventually I hit pay dirt :wub: so I really, really believe everyone can!! Keep on trying - never give up.

    And, if you meet (and marry) a man who hates seafood (and possibly all fruit and vegetables) - all the more for you :biggrin:

    But a word of advice - if you find the man that loves the food, speaks the food and does all the non-food after dinner stuff right - grab him (there aint too many of them).

    Outstanding article, please do some more :smile:

  17. Shalamanese, looks amazing - I suppose that is one reason to be grateful for a warm weather Christmas, all the fabulous produce.

    Just wanted to add, can your friend make a basic white sauce, and understand the applications. I am always horrified by people who cannot do anything so basic (and actually open up one of those packet ones). I had to talk by mother-in-law through "that thing you did when we visited last" which was cauliflower in cheese sauce that they had never heard of.

    Looking forward to the rest of your posts.

  18. Have just started catching up on your blog after being ill. I know you have made your quince jam already but wanted to contribute. We use a huge amount of quince in Australia and (short of abusing copyright) the following are very similar to those I make:

    Quince Paste or Poached Quinces or something different

    A great tagine (look at some of the others on this site - yum!!!)

    Will check back in after I finish reading - love the blog so far.

    BTW - Australian Christmas - still holding tight to the turkey etc but serve with salad, especially my mango/red onion salad. But we start down here with lots and lots of seafood - all cold: praws, oysters, mussels and lobster :wub:

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