The Eclectic Cooking Newsletter
Monday (late) edition, August 13, 2001
Lydia Jensen, Editor: Lydiajj@get2net.dk
Lars Jensen, Webmaster/Publisher: Lars@Eclecticcooking.com
www.eclecticcooking.com/CookingRecipes.htm
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-----------------------------------------Featured Article----------------------------------------
Barbies up the Hawksbury River
By Lydia Jensen
Whenever I think of good times and barbecues
(or grills, as they are often called in Europe), I revert
back to the fabulous times we had along the
Hawksbury River in New South Wales, Australia.
We were about six couples who rented a piece of land
along the Hawksbury River, for Australian $ 25.00
a year! Honestly, that was all. We had a wonderful
spot right on the river bank. We drove up on either
Saturday or Sunday mornings, spent the day in
the river swimming or water skiing and finished
the day's activities with an "Up the River Drink"
- a mixture of ginger ale and scotch with
a couple of chunks of ice, which we had brought
along in the eskies (ice chests), and then made
preparations for a most chaotic half hour of barbe-
cuing. We were usually about 12 adults, plus our
offspring - about 15 children.
While we were enjoying our drinks, two or three
of the men took a large cast iron plate, propped it up
on four bricks and stuck a long log under the iron
plate. Fortunately or unfortunately, male and
female roles were definitely defined. The men took
care of the barbecues and cooking the food, while
the women looked after the children and served
them their food. We gathered small sticks and branches
or sometimes firewood from home and lit the fire.
The men just kept shoving that log under the iron
plate as it charred away. Once the iron plate was
announced ready, the children settled down in
anticipation of a good "tucker" near the fire provided
by the burning log, the women scurried about bringing
the food, and the master chefs maneuvered it around
on the plate calling out instructions and giving
directions .. . .
"Somebody's snags and bangers are done.
Come and get them.
The egg rings are on the plate, who wants
fried eggs?
My word, the potatoes are turning crisp and the zucchini
is stewing away.
Anybody else want onion rings? There are plenty
here. Brought some extras.
Somebody have some butter they would like to
donate to these lamb chops, otherwise you will
need plenty of ketchup to help them down.
Garlic bread needs to be turned. Foil is turning
black.
Coleslaw is on the table, there's a bit of potato salad,
and there's a bit of hot spaghetti in the pot on the
side.
Food's ready, kids, tuck in!"
As the children's food came off the plate, the fire
was kept going so that we could begin with the adult
portions.
Amazingly, a stillness descended, and all the children
seemed to find places to sit. The only sounds to penetrate
the dusk were the hum of those pesky mosquitoes, the murmuring
of adult voices encouraging the children to eat -
"Eat your num-nums, daaahling.
Try the veges. They are good for you.
Don't leave until you've eaten everything on your plate.
Don't winge (complain), just eat.
Yes, you'll get your sweets (dessert), but you have to eat
up first.
Now isn't this Micky moo (delicious).
and the cutlery tapping away on the plastic plates, while
the iron plate was scraped clean by the male chefs ready
for the adult scenario.
Once the children had eaten, they were taken to the river for
a simple scrub and clean-up, encouraged into their pajamas
and eventually settled into their sleeping bags which would
later be carried to the cars. It was easy. Once we reached
home, we just deposited the lot into their beds.
The adult session of the evening was much calm as the
master chefs continued their food production on the old
iron hot plate. We tucked into snags and bangers, eggs,
lamb chops, enormous hunks of steak, baked or roasted
potatoes, corn on the cob wrapped in foil, fried onions,
garlic bread wrapped in foil and many more delicacies.
We set the old kettle on to boil for "a cuppa" tea and/or
coffee and by some miracle, a couple of tasty cakes and
biscuits always seemed to appear and, of course, always
greatly appreciated.
Some things have changed. All our dear friends stayed
in Australia while our little family moved on. The children
now have their own families and tell their children about
the barbies on the riverbank. But some things are
still the same. The "Up the River Drinks" still hit the
spot, we still toast our friends in Australia, enjoy our
barbies wherever we are, and keep in touch by E-Mail.
So, here is a toast and a cheereo to the
"down-under crowd" and a great time it was!
I've included recipes from the Australia days in
this Newsletter.
More articles:
http://www.eclecticcooking.com/articlesindex.htm
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How to Be Featured as our Guest Writer:
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Please contact the editor or Email your article to:
Lydia Jensen at Eclectic Cooking: Lydiajj@get2net.dk
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Added recipes and article for August 13
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RECIPE: Dream Bars*
RECIPE: Orange Cake
RECIPE: Apple cake
RECIPE: Barbecue sauce I and II
RECIPE: Lamb chops
RECIPE: Chicken
RECIPE: Teriyaki steaks*
RECIPE: Creole beans*
RECIPE: Layered salad*
ARTICLE: Barbeque- Barbies up the Hawksbury River
* These recipes have been left out and are in our Ezine, (online
magazine) at:
www.eclecticcooking.com/CookingRecipes.htm
This newsletter would be much too long if these were added, too.
Hope you don't mind?
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Orange Cake
Jacki Kitamura
Pymble, Sydney, N.S.W., Australia
3 eggs
3 oz (90g) butter
1 Cup (2 dl) sugar
1-1/2 Cups (3 dl) flour
1-1/2 tsp double action baking powder
1/2 Cup (1 dl) water
1 tsp cream of tarter
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
Rind and juice of 1/2 orange
Dash of salt
Beat the eggs, sugar and cream of tarter until light and fluffy.
In a saucepan, melt the butter with the grated rind and juice
of the half orange and water. Heat until almost boiling. Remove.
Sieve the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda),
double action baking powder and add to the beaten egg
mixture. Add the hot orange mixture and stir gently until
the batter is smooth.
Bake in a round cake tin for 35 minutes at 375 F (190 C)
or until cake is done - until wooden pick inserted in center
comes out clean.
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Apple Cake
Judy Williams
Mossman, Sydney, N.S.W. Australia
Melt in a large saucepan
4 oz (120 g) butter
Add
2 apples, cored and sliced
8 oz (1 Cup / 2 dl) sugar
12 oz (1-1/2 Cups / 3 dl) flour
1-1/2 tsp double action baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1 tsp mixed spices
1/2 tsp nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 egg well beaten
Add 3-4 Tbsp milk or more as necessary
Place all the above ingredients in the saucepan with the
melted butter and stir until well blended. Place in a
well-greased spring form. sprinkle with a little sugar
and coconut and bake at 375 F (190 C) for 45 minutes
or until cake is done - until wooden pick inserted in
center comes out clean.
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Barbecue Sauce I
30 g (1 oz) butter / margarine
1 medium onion
155 g (5 oz) can tomato paste
1 Cup (2 dl) water
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
1 Tbsp brown vinegar
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
Heat butter in a saucepan and add the peeled and
finely chopped onion; sautè gently until onion is tender.
Add tomatoe paste, water, brown sugar, mustard
vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper
and stir until sauce boils and thickens. Reduce heat
and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes.
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Barbecue Sauce II
1 Cup (2 dl) dry red wine
1-6 oz (180 g) tomato paste
1/4 Cup (1/2 dl) olive oil
1/2 tsp pepper
1-1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove
crushed garlic
1 tsp salt
Stir together all ingredients. Brush on the meat
(steaks or burgers) during cooking. Heat remaining
sauce and serve with the meat.
Makes about 2 Cups (4 dl)
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Teriyaki Marinade
1/4 Cup (1/2 dl) honey
1/2 dl (1/4 Cup) teriyaki sauce
1/2 dl (1/4 Cup) chili sauce or ketchup (catsup)
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp sambal oelek
Mix all ingredients and it¹s ready.
If you use the chili sauce, the marinade will be a bit
spicier than if you use ketchup (catsup). This is
excellent on chicken, spare ribs, steaks and lamb.
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Tangy Lamb Chops
(Serves 6)
6 lamb loin chops
1 onion, peeled
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf (fresh if possible)
1 tsp dried or fresh oregano leaves
1/2 Cup (1 dl) olive oil (or less if you wish)
2 Tbsp lemon juice.
In a food processor or blender, mix the chopped onion,
minced garlic, shredded bay leaf, olive oil and lemon
juice until smooth. Add the freshly chopped oregano
or dried oregano and stir through.
Place the chops in a single layer in a casserole dish.
Pour marinade over the chops, cover and marinate
for 3-4 hours or in the refrigerator overnight. Drain
the chops and barbecue until tender. Baste with
marinade during cooking.
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Chicken with Special Sauce
6 whole chicken legs (drumstick and thigh)
2 chicken stock cubes
310 g (ca. 10 oz) Chopped tomatoes
1 Cup (2 dl) beer
1/4 Cup (1/2 dl) white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Place chicken in a saucepan, add crumbled stock cubes,
cover with hot water, bring to a boil and reduce heat.
Simmer uncovered 15 minutes. Drain.
Put the chopped tomatoes through a food processor or
blender and add the beer, wine vinegar, Worcestershire
sauce, paprika, tomato paste and brown sugar in a
bowl. Mix until well blended.
Place the drained chicken in a casserole dish and pour
the marinade over the chicken. Marinate several hours
or overnight. Turn occasionally. Barbecue chicken
brushing often during barbecuing. Barbecue until chicken
is golden brown and cooked through.
More of our are recipes are here:
http://www.eclecticcooking.com/recipesmenus.htm
---------------------------------------------Hot Tip--------------------------------------------
Wash lettuce for salads, several hours beforehand (or, in
the morning if you're serving salad at night); separate
leaves. Dry well. Seal in plastic bag, refrigerate until
serving time. Leaves will be crisp and crunchy.
-----------------------------------Fruit/Vegetable in focus--------------------------------------
Cumquats (Fortunella margarita)
Cumquats, which come from China, are small citrus fruits the size of
nuts. The colors can vary from dark orange to golden yellow. In
contrast to other citrus fruits, they are eaten with the peal. The
peal is sweet and aromatic. The meat has a light sour taste.
Cumquats are used in fruit salads and other mixed salads, minced
meat, cakes and muffins. They can also be used for decorative
purposes such as freezing them to be used as ice cubes for drinks.
Cumquats last for about 1-2 weeks in a chiller or 3-5 days at room
temperature. They are available all year round.
From www.online-cooking-recipes.com
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Joke/story of the week
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There are three kinds of people. Those who can count and those who
can't. :)
Inexperienced!
A 5 year-old girlfriend announced to my son of the same age, "I am
going to have a baby."
My son replied," No, you can't, because you need a father."
"All right" she said, "you follow me around."
Less confident now he protested, "Well, I don't know what to do, I
haven't played this game before."
E.T. Aldgate, S.A.
From www.online-cooking-recipes.com
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Next Week's Issue, August 20
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RECIPE: Mushrooms and cream cheese starter
RECIPE: Tomato lasagna
RECIPE: Pasta with salmon and spinach
RECIPE: Tuna salad
RECIPE: Pears poached in red wine
ARTICLE: Health fraud; tip-offs and rip-offs
www.eclecticcooking.com/CookingRecipes.htm
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Copyright 2001 Eclectic Cooking
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