Picking sweet corn at The Henge + a recipe for corn and polenta pancakes with bacon and maple syrup27/4/2014
'We have much sweet corn for just $1.00 per cob. Freshly picked. All organic,' announced the tweet from Robbie Wallace earlier this month. Peter and I were travelling interstate at the time, but we'd been wanting to pop out and meet Robbie and see his fascinating rock structure for ages. And, besides, we love sweet corn, so I arranged a visit, pronto. Just a perfect day 'Wow, that was really cool!,' the Icecreamology 101 audience exclaimed, as a massive cloud of vapour formed. Wearing goggles and gloves, Questacon's Q Lab presenters, Michael Bennett and Daniel McCusker, conducted a series of experiments with liquid nitrogen to reveal 'the science of ice cream and the ice cream of science'. Tell me, what's not to love about an agricultural show? There's the taste of dust and grit in your mouth, and that deliciously familiar scent of fresh cow manure and lanolin tantalising your nostrils. It's good. Yeah! Now, put on ya boots and come for a walk with me around the 2014 Royal Canberra Show. The award winning Australian National Folk Festival celebrated its 21st birthday in Canberra this weekend, featuring a world-class music and dance program providing a total folk arts experience from slick concert performances to grass roots foot stomping, hands on activity.
The first ever folk festival was held in Port Philip Bay in Victoria in 1967 and, for the following 20 years, was held in a different Australian state. Organisational logistics and the need for financial stability saw the management of the event adopted by the Australian Folk Trust in1992. Since then, the National Folk Festival has been held on the Easter weekend at Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC) and every year a different state is featured 'to reflect the touring tradition of the event'. Peter put the Jeep into four wheel drive this afternoon and took us onto the gravel along Mulligan's Flat Road into Gundaroo, where we stopped in to enjoy lunch and visit vignerons, Jen and Mark Mooney, at their Capital Wines Cellar Door and Cafe. The couple moved from Sydney in 2003 and bought the historic Royal Hotel, which they restored to establish the now award winning Grazing Restaurant. The cafe and cellar door are located in 1830s stone stables next door, overlooking a kitchen garden that most of us can only dream of!
We dined on the deck in the Autumn sunshine, as we grazed on caramelised garlic bread, grilled chorizo and haloumi, pork sliders with vegetable crisps, and spaghetti and meatballs... all the while gazing at the picturesque surroundings. A walk around the garden and nearby township is an essential part of any visit. Wow! Peter and I have just arrived home from a totally unforgettable weekend... spent in Canberra! To say that I feel honoured to be one of the '500 Humans' selected from 31,406 applicants to participate in The Human Brochure event is an understatement. I am proud to be a Canberran. I was born in Canberra and lived in Liversidge Street, Acton, for the first few years of my life. I raised my son and my daughter in Canberra. And I have lived my life here. Why? Because I love it. Over the last three days, together with other Human Brochure participants, we watched an amazing short film by Peter Jackson at the Australian War Memorial, chilled out in James Turrell's Skyspace monument at the National Gallery of Australia, and spotted a once rare and endangered Wollemi Pine tree at the Australian National Botanic Gardens. We also drove into the nearby countryside and grazed on a six course lunch to the sound of warbling magpies, while sampling award-winning cool climate wines. These postcards and morsels from our Human Brochure weekend will give you a taste of this beautiful city, Canberra. Click through the gallery of images. Whether you are a lover of food and wine, art and culture, sport and adventure, or family fun... there's much to see and enjoy here. So, when are you coming to visit?! Australian War MemorialSaturday SnapsI have very fond childhood memories of weekend outings to the Cotter Dam and Cotter River Reserve. My parents took the family for a picnic or barbecue almost every weekend for as long as I can remember. Even Zsa Zsa, our Dachshund, was bundled into the back seat of the vehicle (which was fun on one hand, but also a bit unfortunate, as the spoilt little dog would always pass wind whenever she travelled in a car.
The Cotter Dam and Reserve is closed to the public due to the enlargement of the dam project, which is currently underway, but Peter and I couldn't resist driving out there to catch a glimpse before the Autumn leaves drop for the season. We hiked to the Cotter Bend, listening to the call of yellow-tailed black cockatoos, and tried skimming stones from a footbridge (which we decided is easier for a ten year old). Next time we go, I'm taking a picnic rug, thermos of coffee and sandwiches! Care to tag along? Weekend Outing Autumn - a vignetteThe weekend. Autumn. Canberra, Australia. My home. A perfect day for a gentle walk after breakfast, where we were serenaded by a loyal Magpie who regularly visits. Our outing took us up the hill to Gubur Dhaura, the ochre site in Franklin, just a few hundred metres from our home. This beautiful site is significant to the Ngunnawal Aboriginal community and showcases both Aboriginal and European heritage in the region. This was followed by a country drive past the rolling hills of a local vineyard, spectacular in its Autumn brilliance. Enjoy. Tallagandra Lane
Copper dust and gravel fly as we ride roller-coaster into a sky bruised with blue black clouds blanketing ridges of spare ghost gums and paddocks deep viridian studded with bleating buttercups, lavender cottages and thickets of shadowed cypress. Through a windscreen sprinkled with raindrops we see languid countryside vivid on the promise of a storm suffused in all the richness of a childhood paintbox. © Me, myself and I. Thai Food Fair and Water Festival at Wat Dhammadharo Thai Temple Thai New Year (called Songkran Water Festival) is the most important annual festival for the Thai people. The Festival comprises of a Thai Food Fair, cultural and open house activities. Proceeds from the event go towards supporting the building project of Wat Dhammadharo Thai temple as a place for Buddhist education, culture and language for Thai and Australian communities. Peter and I visited the temple today for the event and here is a postcard vignette from our day out. From top left to right:
Elle making Pad Thai on the Wat Dhammadharo stall; Kanom Crok desserts made from coconut milk, sugar and spring onions; Jantana and Jamaree making Kanom Crok on the Khun Jaa and Mom's stall; pomegranate growing in the garden; Suwanna Chantree serving Tom Sum; Tom Sum or Green Papaya Salad; rose in the garden; pandan and coconut dessert; and the Water Festival centrepiece in the gardens. |
Welcome...Üdvözölöm
Cooking and writing have been a lifelong passion. Join me as I share with you my favourite recipes; postcards and morsels from my travels; conversations with cookery writers and chefs; and news on food, cookbooks and cooking. - Liz Posmyk
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NB: I use Australian standard measuring cups and spoons in my recipes.
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