Bottled Energy & Essence Of Youth

If there's one thing I've learned in my journey as a parent it is that children have boundless energy. It also gives me wisdom in hindsight and if there was just one pearl of it that I could give young women it would be to have your children while you are young - don't wait until later in life. When you are young is when your energy levels are most likely to match those of your children. You are also a little less set in your ways and possibly a little more tolerant. Perhaps these sentiments come to mind as I struggle to the end of another school vacation day which has been wet and cold. The opportunities to expend some of that energy have been limited and after a pretty unproductive day in front of TV and computer the annoyance levels being emitted by my children seem to have peaked. Maybe it is because I was 35 when I had my first child and therefore my energy levels, which are being tested by the approach of menopause, are definitely not in sync with my childrens'. Most likely, it is a combination of both. At 15, my eldest is teaching himself German. He has a chance to visit Germany next year and is putting a lot of energy into picking up some of the language. We are being beset with all sorts of strange enunciations as he practices each new verbal jewel. If I could bottle my younger childrens' energy and combine it with their brother's commmitment to his current project, what a dish I could make! We'll just have to settle for a great lamb curry that has always been a favourite and one I do often.

Mutton Kari
(Madras Style Meat Curry)

Serves 6

1.5kg (3lb) lamb forequarter chops
3 tablespoons oil or ghee
10 curry leaves
3 medium onions finely chopped
3 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3-4 teaspoons chilli powder or to taste
3 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons dessicated coconut
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 or 3 fresh green chillies, split halfway from tip

Cut chops in large pieces leaving bone in. Heat oil or ghee in a large heavy saucepan and fry the curry leaves until brown. Add onions, garlic and ginger and fry until soft and golden. Add turmeric and fry for a few seconds, then put in chilli powder, coriander and cumin and fry for one minute.
Add salt and vinegar and stir until liquid evaporates, then put in the meat and stir until it is coated wioth the spices. Add green chillies, lower heat and cook until meat is tender. Juices come from the meat and there should be no need to add water.
Meanwhile, roast the coconut in a dry pan until golden brown. Grind in electric blender until finely ground and if necessary, add 1/2 cup of the coconut milk to facilitate blending. Blend at high speed for 30 seconds. Add to the curry together with the rest of the coconut milk and simmer uncovered until gravy is thick. Serve with rice and accompaniments.

Loads of great Indian cookbooks here!

Rites Of Passage

We are having one of those pivotal moments in our house today. Our teenage son is being permitted to do something for the first time which is just another step in his path to independence. It is something that he has been trying to get permission to do for some time now and which his father is still against but I have relented on. It is nothing major. It just involves catching a train with his mates to the movies in a large regional centre which happens to be located on the fringe of an area known for bad behaviour among its youth population. His father grew up in a similar area and his attitude is understandable. He is our eldest and breaking these boundaries will always be more difficult for him than for his younger siblings, I realise. I experienced the same as the eldest in my family. It means I am a little pre-occupied today and may not get everything done that I intend. I'll need to get dinner on a bit early today and I think it will be an old standby, Spaghetti Bolognaise. Mine is fairly simple. I don't use mushrooms or bacon or red wine. I also don't use water or thickeners. The flavour comes from caramelising the vegetables at the beginning and simmering the dish slowly and gently allowing the flavour to develop as the liquid reduces and thickens. It is one meal that every member of our household likes. I'll often cook a double quantity and freeze half for another day.

Spaghetti Bolognaise

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion chopped fine
1 carrot, peefed and grated
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped very fine
500g minced beef
1 tablespoon paprika
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
pinch salt
pich dried mixed herbs
1 tablespoon tomato paste

In a medium size saucepan heat oil gently over medium heat. Add onion, carrot & tomato and cook gently until soft and browned slightly. Increase heat and add mince. Cook while stirring constantly to break up lumps and brown through. Add paprika and cook for a few minutes then add tinned tomatoes, salt and herbs. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover pan and simmer for about 45 minutes. Remove lid, add tomato paste and cook for a further 15 minutes uncovered until sauce is thick and rich in colour. Serve with spaghetti, parmesan cheese, salad and crusty bread.

I found this interesting clip on the background to spaghetti and the cooking styles of Bologna. The viewpoint is an extremely traditional one and gives a little insight into the differences between people from different regions of Italy.

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Something New & Good For The Conscience

I found something new and interesting in my supermarket on Friday. Wild Goat products in the meat section. There was a variety of cuts but the one that caught my eye was a marinated mini-roast. One thing Australians can be ashamed of is our ancestors' track record of stuffing the place up. Some of the mistakes they made were on a grand scale. We can excuse them because of their ignorance but the impact of their actions has been devastating. Take for example the introduction of goats to these shores. First introduced by the first fleet in 1788, they were perfect for our environment as they grazed on just about anything and were extremely hardy. They adapted quickly to Australian conditions and thrived. Feral herds developed as these domestic goats escaped, were abandoned or were deliberately released. The feral population now numbers between 2.5 and 3 million animals. The impact they make on the Australian landscape is devastating. Because there is very little they won't eat they very quickly denude entire areas. They not only compete with domestic livestock such as sheep and cattle but with native widlife as well. So I am all for the marketing of goat products. Tonight we will have a slow-roasted garlic and rosemary roast of goat with mixed baked vegetables and cauliflower and broccoli gratin.

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Here is an interesting site with recipes for more uniquely Australian products.

Last Day Of Term - Pumpkin Soup

It's the last day of term. School breaks up today for a two week break. We'll be able to get a bit more creative next week and the kids can give me a hand in not only the cooking but the meal selection as well. Could see some interesting choices. It will all depend how imaginative they are feeling. I know we usually just have pizza on Fridays but I'm really getting rather bored with that routine. So I've decided it's about time I did my special pumpkin soup. Its warming and creamy and delicious. The secret to my pumpkin soup is the extras I add to it. Strictly speaking it should be called Pumpkin, Potato, Carrot & Kumera Soup but that doesn't really roll off the tongue. So Pumpkin Soup it is. If I get started on peeling the veges now, before I head out for my weekly shop, it will be a cinch to pop it on and just let it simmer away while the girls are at dancing and soccer training. I just saw the most amazing thing on the web. I'm not sure how long it has been around but I'm guessing it's been in the US a little while. Of course, being summer over there it is absolutely the right time to launch a product like this.It's called the Big Green Egg and that's exactly what it looks like. It's kind of a cross between a Weber and a mexican chiminea. It's an enclosed charcoal griller that functions much like a slow combustion heater in that it burns fuel very efficiently. According to one site I came across, "the Big Green Egg is a ceramic grill derived from an ancient clay cooker. A smoker, a grill and an oven all in one, the ceramic walls preserve heat with accurate temperature control and no hot spots. The grill has received a cult like following since it was introduced in 1974. Devout fans of all ages call themselves "Eggheads"." So this thing has been around for a while so I'm wondering why we haven't seen it here in Australia yet. You'd think it would be a perfect market. Anyway, I'm off to make soup but if you need an escape to warmer climes maybe a holiday in Phuket is the answer.

Pumpkin Soup for a family of six

1 leek, white and a little of the light green part sliced
1kg approximately pumpkin peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
1 large carrot peeled and cut into chunks
1 small kumera (orange sweet potato) peeled and cut into chunks
1-2 potatoes
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup approx milk

In a large pot in a little butter or oil, gently saute the leek until soft. Add vegetables and stir until mixed with leek. Pour over enough stock to cover. Cover pan and simmer until vegetables are tender. Turn off heat and let cool slightly then blend in batches (make sure you keep your hand on top of the blender unless you want to change the colour scheme of your kitchen). Return soup to pan. Add enough milk until you have the colour and consistency you like. Reheat gently and season with salt and pepper.

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Paperwork & Procrastination

I am procrastinating. There's no denying it. It's a blatant fact. You see, what I should be doing today is entering figures and details into a spreadsheet for a quantity surveyor so that he has a starting point to do a depreciation schedule. YAWN! It's something I need to do. I definitely should not be sitting here writing this blog. It's a bit like the big red button. You may not have seen this but to a 13 year old boy it is very funny. It is a web page with nothing but a big red dot on it and looping messages with various forms of "Don't press the red button" and of course they do and the message keeps changing and young master junior teenager sits there hysterically giggling the longer it goes on. And on. So why don't I just get it over with? Because I obviously don't have anything very much of value to write here anyway. I know what my 13 year old son will be doing at school today. He is the master of endless annoyance. And last night of all things I mistakenly gave him fuel for his annoyance fire. I said, "Do you know you have 11 fingers?" Then starting with one hand I counted back from 10 to 6 then held up the other hand and announced "plus five is 11". Then I said "But if I have 11 fingers why didn't I start at 11? 11, 10, 9, 8, 7 plus 5 is 12". Are you starting to get the picture? A thirteen year old could keep this going the whole day. The notion is truly scary. So why don't I have anything to write about today? Well, it's soccer training night again and it's leftovers again! Remember that casserole I made yesterday? I used 1.6kg. So there's enough to feed an army. But don't let on. I don't want them bringing their muddy boots into my living room. Boy, why is it that you have to say the same thing to a boy every single day. "Don't go through the living room with those muddy soccer boots on!" No wonder we're accused of nagging. I also have to make a few phone calls so I really should call it quits now.

Do you want to see the Big Red Button? No you don't!

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OK, you asked for it. Big Red Button

I just had to add this! Have you ever heard of a "Tornado Potato"? Apparently, it is a whole potato cut in a spiral. A bamboo skewer is pushed through the centre and then it is deep fried. It can be as long as the potato will stretch and the length of the skewer. It is served sprinkled with a choice of flavourings. I could see this catching on here! Have a look at this thing!

Exciting Possibilities

It's cold and raining. It's a day for doing online tutorials, putting the washing in the dryer and flicking through cooking mags. I've found a simple beef casserole to do tonight and I can get it on early so it'll be ready for later. Wednesdays are hectic for us. I pick up the girls from school and we have just enough time to rush home and get a quick bite to eat before I take them to the next village for piano lessons. Their older brother will go there straight from his school. They each get half an hour then I pick them up. While they are gone I will be getting together my son's soccer practice gear, making him an afternoon snack and sorting out anything else that needs doing before dinner. So I pick up the kids at 5:00, race home, drop off the girls, then take my son to his soccer practice which starts at 5:30. Today we have an extra commitment which is really kind of exciting. I am taking our eldest son into the city for an information session about overseas student exchange. If we go ahead he may be heading off this time next year for a year in Germany! My husbands comes from German stock. His parents migrated to Australia in the 50's so it is the logical place for him to want to go. My son's dream is to play soccer at a high level so the chance to play a season in Germany adds to the exciting possibilities of this opportunity. He has been listening to German podcasts and we have been borrowing german language books and dictionaries from the local library. He also wants me to start cooking some german style food so "he can get used to it". I've told him it's not really that different to what we eat already but expect to maybe see some german style dinners pop up from time to time. Anyway, I better go get started on that casserole.

Beef and Potato Casserole

2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons plain flour
1kg cubed gravy beef or chuck steak
1 brown onion chopped
4 garlic cloves peeled
2 carrots peeled and chopped
2 celery sticks chopped
2 sprigs rosemary
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 1/2 cups beef stock
400g can diced tomatoes
4 paotatoes, peeled and sliced

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Place the flour and beef in a bowl or plastic bag and toss to coat, shaking off any excess. Cook the steak in batches for 3-4 minutes or until browned. Set aside. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and rosemary to the pan and cook stirring for 8-10 minutes or until browned. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add the beef to the pan with the stock and tomatoes and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 30-40 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for a further 45-55 minutes or until tender. Serves 4-6

There's also a yummy beef casserole on the Masterchef site.

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Ever wished you could cook your favourite family restaurant dishes at home?

Guinea Pigs & Leftovers

I got a phone call last night asking for me to be at the school this morning in time for the baseline tests for a research program my daughters are participating in. If I had prior knowledge of today's event I had forgotten it but that's not that unusual. Keeping a mental calendar for myself and four children I do tend to miss the occasional item here and there. My son takes some beating though. With only himself to think of and a school timetable to refer to, he called from school to say that he had forgotten his sports gear. Since the school is an hour round trip I gave them a call to see what time he would need it. Guess what? He doesn't have that class today! So we go along to the classroom and are first briefed on what is going to happen today and how to use some of the instruments that will need to be used at home. This project is to test the response and reactions of the children to the air produced in their classrooms by unflued gas heaters. There has been a push in our area, which experiences colder winter temperatures than the rest of Sydney because of our altitude, to eradicate unflued gas heaters from the classroom. The authorities won't accept that there is an issue or are unwilling to agree to the cost of replacement. Or perhaps and more likely because they are unwilling to spend the money. I love the acronym that the interest group involved has come up with for them selves - COUGH which stands for Campaign Opposing Unflued Gas Heaters. So this research project has been undertaken and this mornings activities included breath testing with a peak flow meter an skin scratch tests. The kids all thought it was a lot of fun comparing the lumps and bumps that rose on their skin. "You're allergic to everything!" one child pronounced to another on seeing the red welts across his forearm. The main monitoring period will be taken over six weeks after the school holidays. On being told that they were guinea pigs by one of their classmates, all the little girls fell about giggling and making little nibbling faces. We have soccer training tonight for our eldest son about an hour travel away so dinner for the rest of the family will be leftovers from last night's lamb cassoulet and we will grab a takeaway on the way home. Choices for us are a bit limited but we have managed to stay away from the golden arches for a few weeks now.

Committee Meetings and Course Revision.

Monday and back to the normal week for everyone. MM (does anyone remember that horrendous womens magazine that had a segment called Mere Male? You could write in with your item about the daft thing the simpleton in your life had just managed to achieve for all the other readers' sanctimonious amusement. So I'll adopt that term here!) back at work, kids back at school and me with the house to myself. Love Mondays! Today is about tidying up. I have finally given in to the clothes dryer for the season. After spending the last few weeks putting the washing out then bringing it in at the end of the day still damp and finding I'd only be shortening the dryer cycle by thirty minutes, I have just gone straight for the dryer. I also relented and did some vacuuming. This, theoretically is someone else's job but funny how they always manage to get out of it! Vacuuming in my house also means picking up after everyone first, I job I really grudge because it means I failed yet again to get them to clean up after themselves. I managed to get enough done to feed my inner self-satisfaction before I had to shoot off to a committee meeting. I've tried really hard over the years to avoid getting onto committees but I must have had my defenses down the day I agreed to be chairperson for the meetings of the organising committee for our little local community festival. Two hours later, pick up the kids from school, MM is out tonight at a revision session before his course exam next week and there's not enough leftovers from last night's curry to feed the tribe. So it's time to fall back on an old reliable. Something I can prepare fairly quickly, then stick in a slow oven until dinnertime. I'm doing a simplified Lamb Cassoulet. I've never cooked a real cassoulet before but I'm fairly certain there should be some kind of garlicky sausage in it as well as some pork belly or something like that. This doesn't have any of those things but I have added bacon before. I picked this recipe up in a magazine a couple of years ago and snipped it so I can't even tell you which magazine it came from. Oh, and it didn't look like this picture which is actually a traditional cassoulet but it sure tastes good. The important thing is; everyone likes it and in my book that makes it a winner. So here it is:-

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 lamb forequarter chops. I like to cut them in half.
1-2 medium to large onions depending on size, chopped
6 large garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
a few sprigs of rosemary
400g or 6oz (approx) can of butter beans
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 cup white wine or chicken stock or mixture
400g 6oz (approx) can of chopped tomatoes

I like to use my large enamel cast iron casserole pot for this. Preheat oven to 150 deg C. Rub the oil over the meat. Heat the casserole pot on the stove then brown the lamb in batches and put aside. Turn the heat down and add the onion, garlic and rosemary to the pan. Cook for about five minutes just until it starts to colour then add the beans to the pan. Return the lamb with any juices. Pour the combined wine or stock, tomato paste and chopped tomatoes over. Cover and bake for 2 - 2 1/2 hours. The lamb will be falling off the bone and the gravy will be lovely and thick and flavoursome. Serve with creamy mased potatoes and some steamed green vegetables.

Did you try this recipe? Tell me what you think.

I found this great site for cookbooks.

Wow, What A Sunday!

The wind howled again last night and I swear I don't know what's holding the roof on! So it was a wonderful delight to wake to an absolutely stunning mid-winter day. After a nippy early (for a Sunday) start (teenage son was refereeing three soccer matches this morning) all of a sudden the sun put on a burst of warmth. I sat by the field in my fold-up chair, my sunglasses on and a coffee in one hand and just soaked it up. Since we were in the neighbourhood we dropped in to the mall afterwards and he proceeded to spend most of his earnings. Tonight's dinner will be fairly simple. We do love a good curry. We were first introduced to curries by some english colleagues back in the early eighties. Friday night summonses of "Let's go for Ruby!" were common. Ruby? Hmm, that needed explaining for us as well. It's one of those charming english rhyming slang expressions. Translation: Ruby: Ruby Murray: curry. In Sydney, and much of New South Wales for that matter, every suburb and every town has a chinese restaurant. This is largely because when Australia was still a very young nation we had a large influx of Chinese immigrants all attracted by the goldrushes of the 19th century. England's equivalent of the chinese restaurant is the Indian curry house. In London, on every corner not occupied by a pub (or an offie, sorry, off-licence, that's a bottle-shop) there is an Indian restaurant. We fell in love with curries almost immediately and were soon out-challenging each other in the heat factor. The next logical step was to learn to cook them for ourselves. I invested in a fantastic Indian cookbook by Charmaine Solomon and learned to cook curries from scratch with authentic ingredients. When we decided to go travelling, the first stop on our itinerary was India. We spent five weeks there and quickly learned to eliminate meat from our diets if we wanted to spend more time seeing India and less time seeing the inside of her public toilets. Now that we have children I need to cook meals that will be eaten by them. I haven't succeeded yet in tuning their tastes to the more fiery meals that we used to love so much but I am gradually introducing a bit of heat to get them more accustomed. I also don't have the time I once had to spend on cooking. So I have embraced the easy to use curry pastes and sauces that are now so freely available. Tonight we are having Chicken Korma. I will panfry some chicken strips, add the Korma sauce, let it simmer until tender then add some yoghurt at the end. We will serve it with steamed rice, pappadams, chapatis, cucumber with sour cream, banana & coconut and tomatoes with chopped green onions (are they scallions in America?), chopped coriander (cilantro) and a sprinkle of lemon juice. I also did a vegetable side dish of spiced potato and spinach.

Here is the recipe for Palak Alu (Spinach With Potatoes) courtesy of Charmaine Solomon's Indian Cooking For Pleasure

Serves 4

500g (1lb) new potatoes
1 bunch spinch
2 tablespoons ghee or oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cummin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cummin
2 fresh green chillies, split and seeds removed
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
approximately 1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Scrub the potatoes well and cut into small cubes. Wash the spinach in several changes of water. Discard tough stems and put into a large saucpan with just the water that clings to the leaves. Cover and steam for ten minutes or until tender then chop roughly. Do not discard any liquid in pan.
In a large frying pan or karahi heat the ghee or oil and fry mustard and cummin seeds until mustard seeds pop. Cover the pan or you will mustard seeds all over the place. Add turmeric, coriander, cummin and the chillies. Add potatoes, stir and fry for a few minutes, then add salt and about half a cup of water, cover and cook for ten minutes. Add spinach, stir cover and cook for five to ten minutes more. Sprinkle nutmeg over and serve.

Oh, and the souffle last night? Was OK. I probably won't do it again in a hurry. There's plenty more wonderful meals out there.

What's your favourite keep it simple family meal?

See more cockney rhyming slang.

Girls' Night In

We have the house to ourselves tonight as the guys are going to a soccer match. Our eldest, mid-teens, plays for a rep side which is wallowing at the bottom of the table. He decided to see what his chances were of getting into a team in a higher division. One of the clubs he tried for has an Italian heritage and even though he wasn't successful, everyone he met there was incredibly friendly and he came away with a promise to look at him again next year and tickets for the rest of the season. We were going to take the opportunity to go chinese (the girls love chinese) but the wind is still making for a great night in. So we were watching Masterchef last night and they did this really yummy looking souffle. I've never cooked a souffle and because it isn't exactly "man food" I thought I might give it a go tonight. Check out the recipe here and I'll tell you tomorrow if my variation was a success or not.

Tonight Is Pizza Night

Friday is always hectic in our house. I do the supermarket shopping on Friday. The nearest supermarket is 15 minutes drive away and today it is blowing a gale force ice cold wind. In Katoomba, where I go to shop the temperature right now is 3.6 degrees. The forecast is a high of seven. I reckon that wind is going to bring it down close to zero so I will have all my woolies on when I head out.

I get a bit of extra time on a Friday because the girls go to dancing after school but that's when the fun starts. They get picked up from dance at 4:15. We race home and they get changed ready for soccer practice which starts at 5:00 and goes until 6:00. I think there's going to be some creative passing today. That wind is not only going to send the balls all over the place, it could lift a few little girls off the park as well.

That's why Friday is pizza night. I can let the kids do it themselves while I sit back with a glass of wine. The toppings are fairly basic at our place. The kids go for Marguerita while hubby likes a bit of a supreme complete with salami, pepperoni, ham, mushroom, garlic, artichoke, oregano, anchovies, olives and chilli flavoured olive oil.

What are your favourite pizza toppings?

Do you make your own bases?

Ever wished you could cook your favourite family restaurant dishes at home?