
Snadra
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Everything posted by Snadra
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Nice one Andie! Midyim Eco: http://www.midyimeco.com.au/ I came across this company mentioned in a SMH article about tapas. They were only mentioned as a supplier of pimientos de pardon, but when I emailed to be added to the mailing list it turns out they grow quite variety of european peppers. I haven't ordered and don't know what their prices are like, but they seem very friendly. It's great to have access to a hard-to-find product!
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Referring to that stuff they make in Chicago as 'pizza' is equally egregious. Man, good job I use a pseudonym, or I'd never be able to sneak into New York! When I worked at an engineering company years ago I organised several functions at an RSL (Returned and Services League) for the service techs. Open bar (beer, wine and soft drink only, standard cold and hot cocktail food. At the first one i was surprised to see the cold food was mostly sandwich triangles and at least half of those were ham and pineapple on margarine-spread white bread. They went surprisingly fast, but then the guys had been on the beers for a while while sitting through the presentations. * I don't recommend that as a ham-usage tactic unless you find yourself with more beer than sense. I used to get a Christmas ham every year from work. Two people and a ham is a long time, but in addition to the things I mentioned above, we also just ate it cold with salad and bread and used it as a bacon substitute (HLT on toast, ham bits in a caesar salad, etc). At least it was only a half ham - my brother in law gets a whole one.
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Now, seriously, you qualify the glorious ham and pineapple pizza, but say nothing about compromising fettuccine Alfredo? Toasted Ham and cheese sandwiches (tomato optional) Pea and ham soup Croque monsieur Ham and egg breakfast sandwiches Mixed into potato roesti We've never glazed ours, but I've often thought it would be nice to glaze a slice and broil it.
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About ten years ago one of the food supplements had an article suggesting roast baby emu as an alternative to the Christmas turkey. It may have been a Maggie Beer recipe.... I seem to recall it was cooked pretty much like a turkey, but I didn't really pay much attention, because it was pretty impossible to get hold of (this was before kangaroo turned up in the supermarkets). I know the meat is quite lean, although I'm not sure how fatty the skin is - this may keep it moist. I'm sure the recipe kept the skin on. My only cookbook that has emu recipes calls for fillets, so not much help there. However, if you do a search for old Aussie cookbooks on project Gutenberg, you will probably come across something, as colonists still ate native animals and tended to cook them in British style. For a more modern take, you could always try contacting Mark Olive, a Melbourne chef who has a catering business and has had his own tv show on the ABC. He has been a longtime advocate of using native ingredients and he or his staff may be able to give you some pointers.
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Two years ago we gave relatives a double-walled glass French press. They dropped it on the tiles taking it out of the box. Last year we gave them a double-walled stainless press. No accidents yet, and it's only likely to get a dent anyway. On the other hand, as I pulled mine off the shelf the other day, I realised I've had it for nearly 20 years. It has survived 5 moves, including one international move, and gets used several times a week by a very clumsy Snadra.
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I have an opportunity to purchase a second hand La Pavoni Domus Bar for what strikes me as a very good price and will be checking it out this week. Does anyone have any opinions or advice on this machine? I don't currently have an espresso setup and with my upcoming move towards the centre of NSW I am pretty keen to maintain access to decent coffee (well, someone has to think of the poor children I'll be teaching if I don't remain apppropriately supplied). I am already purchasing a grinder that will be for French press/pour over which was my first concern, so this is more of,an optional extra.
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I've been making a fair bit office tea the last few weeks as things hot up. I like lemon in my ice tea and sometimes use my mother's trick of squeezing a lemon into the jug, then throwing in the lemon halves before pop urging over the hot tea, sugaring to taste. It is always cloudy this way, but very good. Her tea choice was always twinnings earl grey loose leaf. Lady Grey (bags) makes a fragrant ice tea - I use ~10 bags to 2L of boiling water. My current favourite is a combo of Jasmine and Earl Grey (loose leaf) in a 1:3 ratio. Leaves topped with hot water in teapot, steep for 5-6 minutes. My teapot has an infuser so I don't bother with straining. I find 1/3 cup of sugar is perfect for 2L of tea. It doesn't really need lemon as the fragrance of the two teas combines really well. I'm thinking of using the blackberries is picked up yesterday to infuse a tea - black oolong + blackberries?
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I have made the Spicy and Sweet Walnuts from eGullet's JAZ a number of times, and it's now known as walnut crack in our household. I'm sure it would work equally well with pecans, and could be adjusted to any number of different spice combinations. Very simple method and highly recommended.
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I'm sorry I didn't notice this thread before. I've been lusting after a Magimix 4200XL for sometime. As you can imagine they are quite pricey here but I hear nothing but good about them. The multiple bowl system, the XL feed tube and the accessory storage system all blow my 12 year old wobbly and lightweight moulinex off the counter. The 4200 is able to handle pretty large weights of dough and they are a sturdy and week-built machine. I just went on Amazon and it looks like they're selling a 5150 but the others are still listed on the Magimix website. Maybe they just weren't welling well at WS? They are a pretty high end item and maybe not as well known in the US as, say, Cuisinart. I'm looking forward to hearing how you find it (when you get it!).
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More for the coffee addict, but I want (neeeeed!) a burr grinder, now that I'm moving far from good coffee. I was content with passable coffee at home while I had access to good stuff in the city, but no more. I'm desiring a good espresso machine as well, but I think I'll stew on that for a while - maybe next year? French press and pour over will do until then. My two wishes that won't happen are a magimix and an icecream machine with a compressor. I hold no hopes for either of them, but the coffee grinder *will* happen! Those that might? A tortilla press and a comal, because I'm keen to get into some Mexican cuisine.
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I dunno, zombies strike me as being fundamentally unhygienic. At least sparkles are associated with cleanliness... (yes, that minor earthquake was me shuddering all the way from over here). And anyway, judging from my experiences on teaching prac, girls between the ages of 12 and 16 form a large part of the sparkly market.... Tiffin boxes sound and look very cool, but you are limited in terms of being able to reheat food (although I think I've seen plastic versions mentioned elsewhere). Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a tiffin delivery service handy?
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We went out shopping today and next to the 'naked food' containers I saw Twilight lunch boxes in the traditional metal style... Is that what you were thinking of? I'm requesting the Black + Blum lunchbox for Christmas this year - after years of lazily buying my lunch I'm about to embark on a lifetime of brown bagging with my new job. I've inspected them a few times and they seem pretty good. http://www.everten.com.au/Black-Blum-Designer-Kitchenware.html
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Here the quality is essentially the same, although we prefer Riverina brand milk. As a rule, we avoid store brand milk because of the strong arm tactics used to drive prices down, which only ends up hurting the farmers. Here is an excerpt from a senate report: http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/economics_ctte/dairy_industry_09/report/c03.pdf Here are some newspaper articles: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life/milking-the-price-war-is-froth-and-trouble-for-coffee-lovers-20110307-1bl9o.html http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/price-war-could-spell-the-end-of-fresh-milk-on-supermarket-shelves-20110405-1d1tr.html
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Isn't it funny how it isn't 'the holiday' without at least some reference to what you identify with? I've lived here for over 15 years, and I still don't feel Christmassy unless we eat certain foods. And I always mourn our lack of a backyard icerink with compulsory bonfire.... That salad is exactly like what my mother never made, but which I often enjoyed at neighbours' houses growing up, sans mayo or cheese because I was a fussy brat. Actually, I have a vague memory of happily eating a bright green jello salad with carrots and celery in it while my mother watched in horrified fascination. There's no tradition of jello (aka jelly) salads in Australia that I'm aware of, but I think it might actually go over quite well here to accompany the traditional-style cold ham spread.
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I'm guessing it cools down quite a bit in the evening then? Your menu looks delicious, and a great mix of old and new favourites. I've never had Nova Scotia Black Fruitcake. What's it like? Do you have a recipe you are willing to share?
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Margaret, we are always happy to have a few more guests to swelter along with us! Your suggestions sound great, and some kind of pancake dish might be just the treat for Boxing Day morning. I've only come to enjoy beets the last few years - a pureed beet soup might be over the top, but it does remind me that they go very nicely roasted and thinly sliced on a bed of thick yoghurts to be eaten with pide. Thankfully, the sushi-quality fish I get at the fish market should be ready-to-eat, no additional freezing necessary. And it might be kind of fun to brave the fishmarket during its 36 hour marathon.
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It's been a while since we've had any additions to this thread, but it's near the top of my mind, as we are moving to a rather remote area of NSW early next year (that's official too: it's on the ATO list of remote areas!). I came across this supplier today: Hindustan Imports: http://www.hindustan.com.au/ They seem to have a very wide range of products. If you have come across any more recently, please let me know!
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I am sad to report they no longer sell the rye bread I loved so much. Now I have to resort to the not as nice and much pricier Delba. Durn it! on the plus side, the Choceur Fruit & Nut chocolate (with hazelnuts) is very nice indeed. We also tried one of their long-life rosti-in-a-pouch and it wasn't bad. Not amazing, but great for a shelf-stable products.
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During my recent country adventure my hosts were pretty clear about their preference for older lambs and hogget. However, most people I know find meat from older lambs too strong. I can't remember all the classifications off the top of my head (2-tooth, 4-tooth and ??) but I know that what we ate was definitely from the older animals and had a much stronger (though very enjoyable) taste. I did learn that the lambs going to the halal slaughterhouses were older, because there was a cultural preference for stronger-tasting meat. I don't know at what age a sheep is considered inedible, but I'll ask around!
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Funny seeing the dorpers having just spent time in merino country, where they shake their heads and tsk tsk slightly at any non-merinos! Where is the property located? And I assume it's a fattening operation rather than a breeding one? It looks like lovely meat. What were the herbs stuffed in the carcass?
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Is he looking at it because he's in love with the look, or is there some other reason? I've heard of these elsewhere, but don't know anything about them except they're pretty, pricey and seem like they have some great features... I'm not in the right demographic for these myself, but from people I know who have gone for these kind of niche brands in Aus (I assume your friend is in Melbourne?) the lack of a strong local distribution network can make them painful if you have any issues, plus there can be installation problems if the plumber/gas fitter is unfamiliar with the brand and its quirks. I'm guessing at least some of these stoves are dual-fuel, so the gas oven thing might not be so much of an issue. And Melbourne is a different market to Sydney so servicing and installation might be a different issue there also. My own inclination would be to go the cooktop + wall oven route because it gives more layout flexibility and still allows you to do things like put in a double oven, etc. Plus it's worth looking at induction, which is coming down in price now, even here. You can add a gas wok ring, or a wok induction unit if that's a factor using 'dominos'. He might also consider a light speed combination microwave, which all the euro brands do as well, and essentially gives you an additional oven. Also, if he's looking at cooktops, it's a good time to look at range hoods and plan for how his will vent to outside (I am always shocked at how many kitchen fans vent into the roof cavity). I have no advice on brands, except to say the quieter they are the more pleasant a kitchen is, to me, anyway. I've got Bosch appliances in the kitchen and am very happy with them - friends who have Miele are also happy (although I've seen problems with the Miele dishwashers recently I've come across recently). However, neither brand fits the look of the Lacanche.
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That's a great idea - I'm always frustrated at the way the salt runs past the popcorn, but it never crossed my mind to do this.
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There were seven pages of topics that came up when I did a search on the eGullet forums, but I could only find one that specifically refers to Christmas cooking in a hot climate. We are likely having a quiet Christmas this year, with just the two of us, and since I left work earlier this year I will no longer have the long-loved Christmas Ham my employers always provided so we are thinking of going in a slightly different direction this year. Plus this Christmas will be the last we spend in this house (we moved in on December 22, 1999) as my new career will take us to some yet-undetermined location in NSW at the end of January, making it a bit special. Some ideas I have so far: Breakfast: Breakfast is my favourite meal! We almost always manage a special breakfast (sometimes we entice friends over as well). It works because it's low stress and the house isn't hot yet (usually...). This year I am thinking: fresh fruit plate eggs - either scrambled with ham, or as eggs benedict on homemade muffins sweet bread - I made a cardamom braid a few years ago that was lovely Lunch: I don't really enjoy having lunch as the main meal, probably because it comes too soon after breakfast for me! Option 1: salad plate (I will make a few to have over the next few days anyway - potato, lentil, cucumber, etc) Option 2: cold soup, adjusting my family's traditional lunch to this climate. Possibly gazpacho, or maybe a cold corn soup. I'm open to suggestions and recipes! Option 3: turkish pide or afghan bread and dips (hummus, beetroot and eggplant...) Dinner: I came across an old Vogue Entertaining + Travel that had a recipe for sashimi with fresh coconut dressing, and it seemed perfect, plus it includes instructions for making the coconut milk (I assume I will be able to find some fresh coconuts around). Probably I should make it a course in a meal of small plates, but what those other plates should be I'm not too sure. As far as getting the sashimi, if my local place can't order it in, I may just have to make a journey to the fishmarket on the 24th (noooooooooooooo). Dessert: Besides a nice breakfast, our other tradition for the last 8-10 years has been to get an assortment of lebanese pastries. Last year I got them from Abla's in Granville, but there's a place in Greenacre that I think is even better. Besides that, I would like to make something frozen, possibly the rhubarb semi-freddo I made last year. Alternatively, maybe a take on an eton mess, with tropical fruits. As far as the other days go, I'm at a loss at the moment. I do love turkey, so I may try to get a turkey breast and we could have it cold over a few days. There will no doubt be a lot of salads as well. And if I see decent sweet corn again there will be some meals made of that. There are a few of us on the board who do live through the swelter-season, and we do eat, so if you live in a warm climate, what are you planning on eating and drinking over the period? Keeping old traditions or making new ones? And if you live in a cold climate, what would you do if you were in our shoes?
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We didn't get a lot of hotdogs at home, although stabbing them indecently onto a stick and roasting them in the fire was practically compulsory at skating parties and random backwoods explorations (for some reason doing anything in the backwoods meant you built a fire). Sometimes they were eaten with bannock buns made by wrapping the dough in a spiral around a thick stick, then inserting the wiener into the cavity, Which really sounds wrong, now I see that in writing..... The only canned soup we regularly had in the house was Campbell's French Canadian Pea Soup. Dad always sliced knockwurst (or hotdogs in a pinch) into it. Which probably sounds wrong too. Then again, we also ate cretons on toasted German light rye. We were a culturally mixed family! The hotdogs here are far too mushy for my taste, with no snap to them at all, although Aldi's American style aren't terrible when the caving hits. Unfortunately, open fires are largely frowned upon in tinder dry climates...
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Some people think it's torturous. Which is why, when I am annoyed with my husband, I feed him asparagus (or Spargel, as it's been known in our house ever since a spring trip to Germany during 'Spargelzeit' several years ago). Revenge is sweet even when it smells bad!