Hello February. Most of the kiddies are back at school and folks have returned to work after the holiday season. The roads are busier first thing in the morning, not that we're out there mind you, it's just that Peter and I can hear the stream of traffic going past our house from about 6.30am onwards. Ho hum, I yawn quietly as I pull the linen sheet up over my head before drifting back into slumber for another hour or longer. So are the days of our lives in retirement.
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My first taste of a gooseberry was during the 1960s in the garden of my friend Sandra's house. The family was English and Sandra's mother, Norah, grew rhubarb as well as the gooseberries. Standing tall, with her shoulders back, she stares out over the shimmering depths beneath her. Drawing her eyes to the edge of the board, she takes two steps forward, her hands outstretched and her toes pointed, like a dancer. Lifting one leg, she jumps into the air, while balancing on the other, then quickly bringing up both knees and lifting her arms high above her head. Bouncing as she lands at the edge of the board, she springs forth into the air, bending slightly at the waist as she points her outstretched arms and body towards the pool below. She pierces the water in a clean, streamlined fashion, leaving a mere splash of tiny bubbles. Moments later, she emerges and swims to the edge of the pool, exiting gracefully by the tiled ladder. A few days before the festive season, we watched the Simply Nigella Christmas Special on the ABC. One of the dishes Nigella prepared in that episode very much appealed to the both of us. Seeing trays of deep-red heirloom tomatoes showcased at local greengrocers takes me back to summertime in the 1960s, when my father, András, grew a meaty and flavoursome Hungarian Oxheart variety from seed. January, February, March, April, May, *BLINK*, December, January... Growing up in a Hungarian household, there was never any mention of fruit mince and fruit mince tartlets or pies in my mother's kitchen. It would be years before I knew such things existed. If memory serves me correctly, a high school home economics teacher may have lectured about them in a class on suet. The Good Things guide to last minute Christmas gifts for the foodie in your family. Happy shopping. I have always been one to celebrate the changing of the seasons – particularly when it comes to the abundance of fresh new produce that arrives at local greengrocers and fruit markets. The tender spears of asparagus that herald Spring; plump mangoes and cherries in Summer months; crisp apples and sweet pears in Autumn; and those wonderful root vegetables during the depths of Winter. |
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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