Snadra

I'm not trying to be troublesome here, just trying to be clear on what we're doing. Is the cayenne, aji, habanero for some purpose other than forming a paste to plug things up? I'm asking because it seems like flour or cornstarch would do the same thing without inflicting the pain chiles on open wounds might. I just looked this up on the interwebs, and there were lots of claims that cayenne etc are styptics, but it's the first I've heard of it, and the sites didn't strike me as particularly scientific. I'd be keen to see a reliable reference on the subject though! We keep a bit of gauze, bandaids, saline solution and dettol, plus a standard first aid kits. I tend to be a bit clumsy with knives.... On a related note, we also have an easily accessible fire blanket and fire extinguisher in the kitchen. Maybe all the office emergency response committees we've both been on have had an effect on us!

While Australia has experienced pretty rapid cultural change over the last 30 years, there is still a definite British influence.for example raised lamb shanks are a very popular winter dish, as are all kinds of savory pies. However, when I was still new to the country it was the near-obsession with pumpkin soup that really stood out to me, particularly as I grew up in a household that only ate pumpkin in pie form. It turns out Australians LOVE pumpkin, and have done so for a long time, with travelers remarking on Aussie pumpkin love in the 1800s. More recently the dishes that I have noticed people obsessing over in winter are laksa, pho and beef rendang. Any one of them is perfect grey-day fare, especially with all the spices and seasonings. Pho always makes me feel better than the other two, probably because it's not as rich. My favorite place to eat it is in a steamy little shop front in Flemington while the winter night pours rain outside.

I find the heat, stir, wait, repeat routine works best for reheating most stuff in the microwave. Solution #457(i) eat German-style abendbrot: breads and various cold things on top of it. Practically no washing up, no cooking and little effort; while it's less likely to break others' spirits, on the plus side the shopping is easy. Actually, mentioning it does bring back an old memory of bright pink deli meats - do they still do that? Steak tartare coloured bright pink is not a ... pleasant memory.

Oh, that sounds wonderful. I miss thanksgiving! I was tempted to make turkey for two yesterday, but the only turkey I can easily get my hands on here until a Christmas special order is adulterated with brining and 'flavouring' agents.

In my experience growing up in an area where men mined, logged or ranched for a living (ie were 'traditionally' masculine) fishing was and is seen as a very masculine pursuit, as it is here in regional Australia. In fact, I would say it's masculinized to the point of mythology (see 'A river runs through it' or 'The deadliest catch' for example). Even the most meat-potatoes-and-gravy cowboys I knew still enjoyed fish and looked forward to holidays where they had access to fresh seafood. Boy, that's the truth. You start talking with the guys about going fly fishing or wrassling with deep-sea swordfish or casting for salmon up north and just see how happy they'd be to have a lowly woman join their party. Unless all you want to do is squat by the campfire and cook. I dunno, you still might interfere with the drinking and the manliness and the drinking.

In my experience growing up in an area where men mined, logged or ranched for a living (ie were 'traditionally' masculine) fishing was and is seen as a very masculine pursuit, as it is here in regional Australia. In fact, I would say it's masculinized to the point of mythology (see 'A river runs through it' or 'The deadliest catch' for example). Even the most meat-potatoes-and-gravy cowboys I knew still enjoyed fish and looked forward to holidays where they had access to fresh seafood.

It's Denmark! Everything is shudderingly expensive! On the other hand, the food is delicious, the people are friendly and it has a great social security system. That's it in a nutshell. Except about the food. The food is, erm.... edible. Yes. That's it. Entirely edible. Incidentally, I asked a few more people about the cost of bricks, and got wildly varying answers, except in one respect: Everyone wanted to know why I didn't just, well, 'appropriate' some. I don't think the brick idea is going to fly with my boyfriend's parents, however. I have fond memories of the food I ate in Denmark, except for the sild (cured herring) {shudder}. Danish food always struck me as more refined than German, but along a similar vein. Of course, most of my food memories of the place are from when I was a teenager who approved of things like potatoes in caramel and was impressed with eating good bread, which was tough to come by where I grew up. But Christmas food is delicious, so at least you've got that to look forward to. If a purloined brick or two from someone's garden is unapproved by the oven owners, give a thought to the cast iron. I regularly cook pizza in my oven using a cast iron pan as my 'stone' at 210-220 C and it's worked well. I wasn't aware of any potential problems using it at that temperature and have never experienced any.

Hey, Snadra. Good story. Of course like the US, Germany his its coast, and strong nautical and naval traditions. Would I guess right that your uncle isn't from Ulm or even Munchen ? Sorry to generalise while talking in general. Reasonably accurate generalization: my relatives all lived in Schleswig-Holstein (in fact that incident took place in Schleswig very near the Dom) and in the small amount of travel I have done in Germany I have definitely noticed there a stronger attraction to seafood and shellfish the closer you are to open waters. I think most early German immigrants to America came from the landlocked regions rather than Schleswig-Holstein or Mecklenberg-Western Pomerania. However, there seems to be a strong tradition of freshwater fish eating in other, more land-locked parts of the country going by what we saw, and have since read in some German cookbooks (or vaguely interpreted in the case of German language cookbooks). Actually, we noticed that people who hunted also tended to take an interest in eating fresh water fish and eel, and partly put it down to traditions being important to them (yeah, yeah, generalizations...). I have tried prawns many ways, and usually can barely get them past my nose. I cook them sometimes for my prawn loving partner, by which I mean I get everything ready, turn the exhaust fan on high and give him directions from upwind. I have been to the fish market and out on the floor on a tour without being bothered, but the smell of prawns cooking turns my stomach, and I know we get brilliant prawns here. I wonder about that too. People driven by hunger will eat almost anything, and it's fair to say that many seafood loathers have probably never tasted any well cooked seafood. I have no doubt I could choke down some prawns if I had to (and sometimes have when the situation required it) but I'd still be choking! Or maybe it's just more socially acceptable to hate fish in a landlocked region than in a coastal one. You'd be amazed at how many Sydney-siders I meet who fess up their own dislike once I state my preference for just one prawn-free dish when we're out for a Chinese meal...

While I won't disagree about meat centric, I also have to say that I have noticed a real enjoyment of fresh and salt water fish and seafood on my trips to Germany (for example the time I watched my uncle accost a man carrying a smoked eel home and not let up until he had been led to the secret back gate of the backyard smoker and been sold an eel that had been promised to someone else). I grew up in a landlocked part of Canada, where the only properly fresh fish was what you caught yourself in a river or lake. I was never fond of fish, and loathed crustacean-y and mollusc-y things. My brother, on the other hand, has always loved everything fishy. Now I enjoy fish when it's perfectly cooked by someone else, or in a crudo/sashimi preparation of some kind (the occasional raw oyster is pleasant too) but I rarely cook it myself, and I still cannot stand prawns - no matter how perfectly fresh and prepared they stick in my throat. Which brings me to my current theory: some people are simply more sensitive to the taste than others, the way some people love cilantro and others find it tastes of soap. I actually find sashimi and crudo more enjoyable than cooked fish, and I know at least two people who cannot stand cooked fish, but happily eat it raw. We all find it milder and cleaner tasting raw than fresh, and we all find the texture of things like prawns to be a big part of our objection to them. Maybe all those blanket seafood banners out there just need to try it raw and avoid the shellfish!

This is going to sound really apathetic, but I just don't have the motivation in this case to buy the bricks (about USD10, here). The arrangement is temporary, and my boyfriend's parents really don't have a problem with it, but actually find it amusing. I don't want to know how much a brick house costs at $10 a brick. Around here, bricks cost 30 - 50 cents a piece and they'll often just give you a couple for free if you're only asking for 1 or 2. It's Denmark! Everything is shudderingly expensive! On the other hand, the food is delicious, the people are friendly and it has a great social security system.

If it was me I would give up on the oven altogether and go get an electric frying pan and rice cooker - would that be a reasonable option for you with regards to counter space and washing up? I suggest this because I lived in a bedsit for two years where my 'kitchen' consisted of a minuscule sink/fridge/2 burner stove unit, in which the stove was forever breaking down. The electric frypan is fairly quick to clean, adapts to a wide range of dishes and can be used on any stable surface (mine was on a dresser).

I got sick of dying a little each time I watched and just gave up. WRT the beef stroganoff I've sometimes seen it with paprika as a garnish, but it's something I tend to avoid as I hate mushrooms and the slimy buggers seems to be ubiquitous in it. The two versions I have made and enjoyed are from Darra Goldstein and Pellaprat. They are both quite similar, and neither uses paprika or mushrooms, but the Pellaprat goes a step farther and has you discard the onions once they've lent their flavour to the meat. When thinking about it, I have always viewed the Pellaprat version as the more authentic one simply because it's from an older and reliably French source. But that's sort of the problem. Tastes, ingredients and habits change over time. It's likely that the Pellaprat version was the authentic one in his corner of the world for the first half of the 20th century. If thats not how its being made today, if stroganoff automatically includes visions of mushrooms and paprika, maybe it's more appropriate to term some versions classic, and some modern (without the sort of "sousvide hamburger roll with bun soil" hideousness that made me finally turn off Masterchef). To conclude, I believe 'authentic' polenta should actually be made with chestnut flour, but that's not what most of us think when we hear polenta. Edited to fix glaring grammar issues.

The mixing thing intrigued me, but I do recall reading somewhere that the mince for kebabs is mixed heavily until it becomes sticky and that it contributes in some way to the texture, but the ones I remember seeing don't have eggs in them. I use crumbled fresh bread and a combination of cream and milk for the panade when I make meatballs letting it sit until the bread disintegrates. I mix all the seasonings into the panade before adding it to the meat as I have found this gets the seasonings distributed more thoroughly through the mixture with less effort (which I try to keep to a minimum). It's one of the reasons I continue to use a panade. Regarding eggs, I have only ever read that they are used for binding purposes, but if the meat is being mixed until sticky, how much binding does it need? I no longer add them to meatballs myself, as I find I they hold together well enough (could proteins in the exuded liquid from the meat be binding in the panade?). I bake them, so they don't really get jostled about as they cook, and fragility is less of an issue. Also, I'm wondering about proportions: how much bread and milk to meat? Skyh, what's the origin of the recipe? Are you satisfied with it and curious about how it works, or are you wanting to change it in some way?

Two more things I've done.... Last minute soup and bread: 'cream of whatever you have around' soup. I usually have carrots, frozen peas potatoes and onions and tinned tomatoes, all of them make a quick soup, especially if you have a few fresh herbs lying about. Pumpkin or sweet potato also work well (especially with a bit of ginger). To go along with it I make a rough yeast bread using double the amount of yeast as usual and as long to rise as the oven takes to heat up and the soup to be made. Spread the top liberally with soft butter and sprinkle with coarse salt before baking and serve warm. It has a cakier texture than you would normally like in a bread, but a nice flavor, especially with a little wholemeal flour mixed in. My mother used to make cheese biscuits to go along with soup for last minute guests. We have also broiled halved rolls topped with cheese and a slice of bacon as an accompaniment. Makes a great winter lunch or light dinner. Potato pancakes: all you need is potatoes and onion. I grate then squeeze the potatoes, add a bit of grated onion, then an egg and a little flour (parsley too, if I have it). I love them with applesauce. Only done this once for guests, but it was a hit (there seems to be little experience of potato pancakes here). If I had duck confit lying about (mmmmmm) it would only be used for very special guests! But what a great idea.

My family still lives in Edmonton...a couple years ago we spent 3 months of winter there, and my Aussie husband noted that even sound was dead thanks to the snow! He also learned what winter *really* is. But I found I had easier access to international foods in Edmonton than when I first arrived in the Sydney suburbs. Regarding the worcestershire-sriracha aside, I have seen many people keep worcestershire on their kitchen table next to the tomato sauce bottle and use both liberally on their overdone chops. I'll take sriracha over those gladly, thanks! Darienne, feel no shame in offering whatever food you have about to your guests, whether or not you feel it's perfectly cooked. In my experience last minute guests are usually glad to get potluck and simply enjoy the company, and I say that as a host and a guest. And if it all goes pear-shaped, you can always fill up on bread and cheese or dessert!

I make and freeze perogies - they cook from frozen in minutes and I can't tell the difference from fresh. I have tried to make filled pastas, but they always burst in the freezer on me. Chicken or pork wontons that then cook directly in broth have been successful. Green onion pancakes a bit less so - I freeze them uncooked. They work well when I defrost them before panfrying them but they don't keep terribly long. I have been thinking about making pelmeni (siberian meat-stuffed dumplings) and freezing those - I've read elsewhere that pelmeni and perogies were traditionally made in large quantities and stored in the 'outdoor freezer' during winter. Commercial ones I've purchased locally have been delicious. I saw an excerpt on SBS' Food Lovers' Guide to Australia where White Russian immigrants who had come to Australia via China discussed eating them with soy sauce and coriander/cilantro sauces. Traditional accompaniments are sour cream or butter. I realise you asked for 'cook and defrost' dishes, but to me these are in the same vein as there's no actual preparation involved when you're ready to eat, just boiling or simple pan frying.

We have a Le Crueset one that we use off and on. The grill side is great for last minute steak sandwiches, etc and the other is for pancakes for a crowd, when I season it properly. I do find it painful to clean though. Edited to add: I forgot that I have also used it for cooking English muffins and griddle scones. Works a treat for those.

I'm curious about this too. One thing I do like about adding water at the last minute is that it cools it down a little when room temperature is rather high. Mind you when it's that high I'm usually adding a few pieces of ice too. Or drinking beer.

Panfried meat of some kind with pan-gravy, mash and steamed veg works well for me when I'm dealing with last minute guests whose food tastes are unknown. Chicken with white wine and thyme in the gravy is good, and so is boneless pork chops with a bit of madiera and some prunes (my mother used to make pork chops Flanders, which is what inspired this version). I try to freeze my meat in flat packages to make it quicker to thaw at the last minute. I love some of these other ideas, and will use them myself! What guest wouldn't love pancakes for dinner (excluding celiacs)? We also do a super quick cream soup made from frozen peas and the water they are cooked in, then flavour it with lemon, bacon or parmesan or whatever else comes to mind (inspired by a post by Shalmanese) and a dash of cream. It comes together in way less than 10 minutes and makes a good first course if you're scrambling to stretch a meal. I use a thicker version as a pasta sauce, but its colour can be off putting! I used to make a large amount of perogies at the start of every winter and freeze them for quick meals. The dough I use is quite soft and so they were delicious just boiled and topped with the usual accompaniments. Also it turns out those crispy Asian shallots make a good substitute for fried onions in a pinch, and Greek yoghurt works well instead of sour cream (you can imagine the scenario that led to that discovery...).Aussies don't know what they are, but everyone enjoys them. In summer I have made vaguely Asian noodle salads with soba noodles, shredded cabbage or some sort of lettuce, capsicums (peppers) and green onions, shredded carrots or whatever else is lying about. The dressing is a vinaigrette type with peanut oil, sesame oil, ginger wine, sugar and a bit of soy, and I add whatever extras take my fancy and are around the house: crispy shallots, toasted nuts, herbs, etc. We have it with no meat, grilled meat, with leftover meat mixed in, or with some pan fried mince mixed in. I do this for us often, I've also done it a number of times for guests and it always goes over well and the nice thing is its so flexible depending on what you have around and very quick. For last minute desserts (and frequently for planned desserts) we just make a big platter with some bits and pieces scattered over in piles: broken up dark chocolate, nuts (plain or JAZ's sweet and spicy nuts from this site), dried fruit and whatever else seems good, served with coffee and port or liqueurs. It gives an excuse to linger at the table, uses things we usually have on hand, and there's no stress involved. Edited to fix grammar.

Interesting. When you ask for lamb fries at the other end of The Commonwealth you don't get liver. That's what I think it is, isn't it? there were a lot of screwed up faces when I mentioned rocky mountain oysters to my hosts, so I don't thin they make an appearance in rural New South Wales. If I actually liked offal (other than heart which I've not had in years anyway) the kebabs mentioned by sheepish sound delicious.

Lamb's fry (the liver) with bacon is a popular old fashioned dish here that I still sometimes see on pub menus. As for the rest, I just spent 4 weeks on a station where I ate lamb or mutton 4-5 times a week (and very good it was too), but I'm pretty sure the kelpies were the only ones eating the heart and other bits, because I didn't see it! I ate beef and elk heart quite a few times when I was a kid - I remember it stuffed and roasted and it was very nice. Also, there are recipes for white pudding and offal meatballs using pig heart, lungs and liver in Darina Allen's forgotten skills of cooking. Maybe you could try an ovine version if you can get the lungs as well?

There was an article in the Sydney Morning Herald about NSW history week 2011 (from the website): History Week 2011: 3-11 September – EAT History The theme for History Week 2011 will be EAT History. History Week 2011 will bring to the table the Edible, Appetising and Tasty history of food. Who ate what and where in the past? How did we cook and where did our food come from? History Week 2011 will be a smorgasbord of delectable delights! The programme can be found here. There are a number of events in Sydney during the week that look fascinating and are more academic, but there are also quite a few over the weekend (not to mention some today!)

Actually, that's exactly how I made the cake I described above. I tried it once when my ice-cream machine was still working too - just transferred it to a lined tin straight out of the machine before it hardened. Your cake sounds great!

I made the cashew chicken earlier this weeks - absolutely delicious! I baked it because I couldn't be bothered with grilling, and added a small piece of ginger to the paste. We had them with basmati, extra sauce and a slightly altered version of the crushed courgettes from Yotam Ottolenghi's recent article (I had no thyme or dried mint). Topped with yoghurt, the zuchinni were absolutely delicious and I am planning on making them and some other dippy veggie things to have with flatbreads for work next week.

For Christmas dessert last year I made an ice cream cake that had a thin layer of lime zest flavoured sponge on the bottom and was topped with a thick layer of rhubarb semifreddo (based on this recipe). I topped it with rose persian fairy floss and fresh strawberries (raspberries would have been better but I couldn't get any decent ones). Universally loved by a very fussy group. I was also thinking about making something like a Concorde, but with a chocolate semifreddo filling this coming summer. The nice thing about a semifreddo is you don't need an ice cream maker.