'Darling, every day is a gift,' my father always said. I am reminded of his poignant words daily in so many ways, as every new day brings with it gifts in many forms. Being reunited with my beloved partner after a long absence. A telephone call or visit with my dearly loved son or daughter. A quiet moment and cup of tea with a close colleague. A family of wrens darting about my garden. Lunch with a dear friend. Parcels on my doorstep. Bartering jam for eggs and lemons. A farewell party that brings tears of joy, laughter and smiles. A bargain found at the local op shop. Gifts from friends. And the serenity that follows prolonged stress sometimes delivered as a curved ball by life.
'It's much better buying our produce fresh from individual growers and producers rather than from a person at a checkout at the supermarket,' Peter commented this morning as we left the Capital Region Farmer's Markets with a fully laden shopping trolley. Of course, I agreed. A love of market shopping is a philosophy we share and an outing that we both thoroughly enjoy.
Sunshine and blue skies presented the perfect setting for the 10th Thai Food and Cultural Festival 2012 at the Royal Thai Embassy in Canberra, last weekend.
One of Canberra's most anticipated annual cultural events, and held every Spring since 2001, the Festival celebrates Thai culture, food, music, sport and dance. Thai sports were the theme of this year's, reflecting the 2012 Summer Olympics. Lively and colourful performances of Thai dance, kick boxing and Krabi Krabong martial arts were sponsored by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Tourism Authority of Thailand. His Excellency, Mr Maris Sangiampongsa, Ambassador of Thailand opened the Festival with a very warm welcome, noting that December this year will mark the 60th anniversary of Thai-Australian diplomatic relations. 'With the firm and longstanding foundation of the two countries, various areas of cooperation, especially political and economical aspects have been significantly strengthened,' His Excellency said. 'People-to-people contact continues to flourish, with more than 800,000 Australians visiting Thailand last year and the Embassy will continue to attach greater importance to promoting people-to-people contact through cultural diplomacy, bearing in mind that closer ties between Thais and Australians will contribute to sustainable and admirable relationships. I do hope you will enjoy our festive day, which offers you even greater variety of "Thainess".' And enjoy it, we did, together with thousands of other visitors! Spread across the grounds of the Embassy were more than 20 stalls offering a range of traditional finger foods and dishes from some of Canberra's best Thai restaurants; as well as massage, 'made-in-Thailand' products. The Thai Temple, Wat Dhammadharo, also had a stall, with profits helping fund the Temple’s building project in Lyneham. If you missed the Festival this year, there's always next time, and please don't let a cloudy day discourage you from attending. This event is simply too good to miss. 'It's such a wonderful day out. I can't believe we've never been before!,' one of my dear friends told me on Monday morning. Blue is good for you, according to award winning nutritionist, Catherine Saxelby. In her latest book, Complete Food and Nutrition Companion, Ms Saxelby reminds us that blueberries are 'one of today's superfoods... bursting with nutrition and flavour, packed with antioxidants and very low in kilojoules'. I like hearing this, particularly given that my body has been craving blueberries lately, and as such I have a good supply of them in the fridge.
There's a television commercial that always makes me laugh because it reminds me of something that I might [want to] do. You may know the one I'm referring to. There's a woman sitting in the waiting room of a doctor's surgery. She's reading a magazine, stops at a certain page, then glances cunningly around the room. People are staring back at her. Despite this, she coughs loudly and at the same time quickly tears a page from a magazine. Seque to the woman standing in her living room with the magazine page in her hands.
One of the best things about having my own web site and blog is that I can share with you, dear readers and fellow cooks, my favourite recipes. The exquisite Indian dessert, Shrikhand, is, without question, one of those.
Shrikhand is one of the most popular desserts in India. Some reference sources say that it can be traced back to Persian origins. Try it and you will understand the reasoning behind this thinking. I was fortunate enough to have been introduced to Shrikhand by the most respected authority on Asian cuisine, Charmaine Solomon, and tasted her version often when she and her dear late husband, Reuben, visited Canberra.
As far as dates go, it might very well be the first day of Spring in Australia, but this morning's cracker frost and minus 6.9 degrees C temperature assures me that, despite the season, it is not at all inappropriate to share with you one of my most favourite recipes, the Hungarian classic Paprikás Csirke Nokedlivel, (Chicken Paprika with Soft Noodles).
Work, home, work, home, work, home, work, home, weekend. Such is life, as someone famous once said. Sadly, for my man, it's almost all work and much travel at the moment, for he seems to be away more often than he is home. We're a great team. I miss him dearly when he's away and love it when he's home. On a short spell recently, he quite literally whipped up the BEST quiche I have ever eaten. Perhaps some day I can convince him to jot down the recipe so that we can share it with you, from our kitchen to yours, with love. Pretty please, Peter.
Speaking of sharing, Celia, at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial hosts a monthly series titled In My Kitchen, where you can meet food enthusiasts, cooks and bloggers from Australia and around the world. Pop in and visit, and say hello to Celia, Jane the Shady Baker, Glenda from Passionfruit Garden, Tania from My Kitchen Stories, and a whole bunch of other inspiring people who regularly join in. Now, let's see what's happening in my kitchen during September. |
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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