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 MemorialWatching the Two Greedy Italians, Antonio Carluccio and Gennaro Contaldo, on a sentimental food adventure across Italy, I've been somewhat awestruck by just how much Mr Carluccio's mannerisms and disposition remind me of my mother in her latter years. Bear in mind I haven't had the opportunity to meet the gentleman or see him in real life (time wise I was not able to get to Sydney's Crave Festival), so my impressions are from watching his cooking programs. And it's not that Carluccio looks like my mother, it's his persona, his nature, his air.
On the release of his memoir, A Recipe for Life, Carluccio spoke with Canberra Times food and wine editor, Kirsten Lawson. From this interview, I learn that despite his fame, Caruluccio has led a deeply troubled life. Yet, to me, he seems to have an aura of serenity, and knowing (if you understand my meaning), and contentedness about him. He has, perhaps, now found his 'happy place', through food, which he says is his life. 'Mmmmmm, they are wonderful,' he closes his eyes and smiles deliciously as he devours a mouthful of ripe figs plucked from a roadside tree by his best friend, Contaldo. Similarly, when tucking into a bowl of ragged-edged pasta with freshly made pesto, there is the sheer delight that comes from enjoying simple, good things. 'I [have] discovered that in getting old, or older, you are just content and happy to be who you are,' he said on the Italian philosophy of la bella figura. I nodded, for I know that this is how my mother felt. Not that she ever needed to say so. It was just so. For you, there’s rosemary and rue; these keep Seeming and savour all the winter long. — The Winter’s Tale, William Shakespeare. According to Maguelonne Toussant-Samat in A History of Food, it was the flowers of the rosemary bush that flavoured the famous Queen of Hungary’s Water — a sweetened liqueur noted as a symbol of the declaration of love, friendship and remembrance. Prized since ancient times for its culinary and medicinal virtues, the beautifully aromatic plant is used as a herb in kitchens today.
It is said that less is more with rosemary. In Italian Food, Elizabeth David warns of the all-too-pervasive properties of rosemary — referring to it as 'a treacherous herb' when over-used. It almost goes without saying that the flavour of rosemary marries beautifully with lamb. Used sparingly, it also sits nicely with fish, pork, beef and poultry. For something different: infuse extra virgin olive oil with a tiny sprig of fresh rosemary and serve the oil sprinkled over slices of freshly baked focaccia and sun-ripened Roma tomatoes. Potatoes are particularly tasty when roasted with olive oil, sea salt and a little rosemary, and pizza with this topping is a favourite of mine too. Cut the potatoes into rough chunks and place them into a roasting dish. Drizzle over some fine olive oil, top with butter then sprinkle with sea salt and finely chopped rosemary. Bake in a moderate oven until crunchy and golden brown. Yum! Use small amounts of finely chopped rosemary in Mediterranean-inspired stews, soups and casseroles; in biscuit and breadmaking. Serve it with rice; or to add flavour and depth to salad vinegars and oils. Rosemary is one of several herbs I have growing in my 'kitchen garden' and I love that I can duck outside and pick a fresh sprig whenever I need it. As there is no real room for planting new shrubs in the established gardens surrounding the house, I'm growing rosemary, bay, Vietnamese mint, lemon, lime, figs, olives and a grapevine in pots in the courtyard. There is a small area at the side of the house with raised beds specifically built for growing vegetables. Currently, I'm growing celery, carrots, cauliflower and garlic. I have also planted out a few additional herbs and seem to have established a very contented strawberry patch. Here's an update in the form of a few postcards. 'Velocius quam asparagi coquantur' is a Roman proverb that translates to 'more swiftly than asparagus stems are cooked'. These words of kitchen wisdom originated from Emperor Augustus, according to food history, yet are still relevant today. For the best and most delicious asparagus has been cooked only very briefly, until just tender.
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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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