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SPICE IT UP WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM CHILLIES!

The European discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus in 1492, and the finding of the sea route from Europe around the Cape of Good Hope to Asia by Vasco da Gama in 1498, would not have been possible were it not for the European desire to break the Arab traders' centuries old monopoly on the spice trade. It therefore can be said that the history of commerce and trade is the history of spices. The spice trade is also thought of as the precursor to the modern day multi national companies, emerging in the form of the Dutch East India Company and the British East India Company during the 1600s.

Man is said to have used spices since the discovery of fire. If salt is to be categorised as a spice, I would say that the use of spice predates this discovery. However, the first record of spices being used comes from an Assyrian text around 3000 BC where it is reported that the gods drank sesame wine on the night before they created the earth. Recent genetic evidence suggests that the plant originated near the Indian subcontinent. Thus the Assyrian myth represents our first historical evidence for an ancient spice trade.

Egyptian records (circa 2600 BC) state that the labourers building Cheops' great pyramid were fed Asiatic spices to give them strength. Archaeological evidence from Sumeria, around 2400 BC, also suggests that cloves were popular in that region. What makes this discovery fascinating is that cloves, until recent times, could only be attained from the Indonesian Spice Islands, the Moluccas! Therefore, the oceanic spice trade in Asia can be traced back as far as 2400 BC.

Many wars, the annihilation and plundering of old civilisations and cultures can also be attributed to spices. During his first voyage, Christopher Columbus wrote in his journal, “ But in truth, should I meet with gold or spices in great quantity, I shall remain till I collect as much as possible, and for this purpose I am proceeding solely in quest of them”. So revered and precious were spices that at whatever the cost, the Spaniards were prepared to stay and plunder the Americas.

In my opinion, if one good thing can be said about Columbus’ ‘discovery’ of the Americas, it is the introduction of new flora, in particular chillies, to the rest of the world, and Asia in particular. Who could ever imagine the impact of this spice, which quickly rivalled the native and world known black pepper. Chillies were introduced to South Asia within 50 years of arriving in Europe, in the early 1500s by Portuguese traders, and soon made their way to South East Asia and China. It is difficult to contemplate the cuisine of the Indian sub continent and that of South East Asia without chillies.

Hailing from Malaysia, I grew up with chillies. It is the one of the main ingredients in Malay, Peranakan, Chinese, Indian and Eurasian  cooking; the dominant cooking styles in Malaysia. Imagine what the Malaysian (unofficial) national dish, Nasi Lemak (a dish made up of coconut cream flavoured rice, served with a chilli dish known as Sambal and vegetables such as Kang Kong Belacan) would be like without chillies, or the popular Penang Char Kuey Teow (flat rice noodles fried with chilli paste and seafood) or the varieties of Indian curries such as Fish Head Curry or the ever famous and disputed Chilli Crab (Singaporeans claim that the Chilli Crab is their invention). If I had to choose the one spice that I could not do without, it would be chillies. This reminds me of a quote by Harry James , “Next to music there is nothing that lifts the spirits and strengthens the soul more than a good ….. chilli”. And the beauty of this spice is its varying degrees of ‘heat’. From the mild to the intense, and for the novice, to the real hard core chilli addicts. Me? Everything in moderation. You know what my weakness is……What is your spice vice???

Vinnie G is originally from Malaysia and is currently based in the ACT. She is a professional in the public sector who enjoys cooking, gardening and reading, and shares the passion with her partner of 18 years. They have three kids and a dog. 

To see the recipes mentioned in this article and many more, please visit her blog - My Household Capers!

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Allrecipes is the world’s largest food-focused social networking site where the Australian food community congregate to share their food experiences and ideas. The Allrecipes site features recipes, ratings, reviews, photos and profiles all exclusively created by the local food community.  To explore Australian and New Zealand recipes, click here

Nothing a bit of flour and butter can't solve

It doesn’t take a financial guru to realise that the current economic crisis is going to stick around for a while…more like a long term house guest than a friend who pops around for a cup of tea. There are a whole lot of people telling us how to survive this money mess – invest, don’t invest, save more, spend more, spend less, cash in stocks, buy more stocks…you name it, they’ve advised us all to do it.  I have a much better, more achievable solution for all of this: bake a cake.

Yes, I can solve the economic crisis with a cake.  Perhaps it’s a little presumptuous of me to say that I can shore up the ASX with some flour and butter, but then I think some of those gurus are making some even wilder claims than mine! Here are my reasons why baking a cake will improve the financial situation in Australia:

1.  For the farmers: Since the start of the drought, prices for a lot of basic baking ingredients have gone through the roof. Flour, sugar, butter – all of these basic baking commodities have increased enormously as our water supplies dwindle away. Buying them helps our Aussie farmers stay in business. If we city slickers think we’re doing it tough, imagine how they are all feeling as we head into another hot summer.


2. For your friends: Everyone knows someone who is doing it a bit hard this holiday season. Bake a cake for a friend as a way of saying, “Hey, I know it’s tough…but I’ve been thinking about you!” Cakes and pastries are usually considered luxury items – so why not offer a friend or neighbour a little bit of luxury they might not otherwise be able to afford? . Home baking also means you had to put some real time and effort into something – so it makes the recipient feel that much more loved than if you had just bought something off the shelf.


3. For your health: Cakes bought at retail locations often contain preservatives, chemicals, and all manner of scary colour no. fives and things to aid long shelf life. Baking a cake from scratch means you won’t have any of those things lurking in your dessert…and a healthier you means a happier you. No, cake baking won’t make you lose that stubborn 5 kilos… but it might remind you that not all good things in life come in packets.


4. For the family: One of the great joys of my life is spending time in the kitchen with my kids. Baking is a great way to have fun together, learn something (1/4 cup plus ¼ cup equals…?) and of course, teach them the fine art of cleaning up! Kids of all ages can get involved in the planning, the shopping, the measuring, decorating, reading the recipes and so on.


5. For the fun of it: Sometimes we need to sit back and give ourselves a bit of a break – time out from the worries of money and life. Can’t afford the holiday in Noosa? I can think of no better stress relief than getting into a kitchen and having a go at making something. Not only do you end up with something delicious, you also get to bask in that fabulous sense of achievement, of the “I made it myself!” happiness one gets from working with their hands. Better still, take some to work with you tomorrow and spread the baking love. Whose day isn’t going to be improved by a batch of home made biscuits?

You’re probably reading this and thinking that I’m delusional if I think cakes will somehow ease the burden of the impending mortgage payment. Okay, so I can’t exactly solve the whole thing just with one (really good, really chocolaty) cake…but surely I can make things seem just a little less grim. This holiday season, I’m giving a present to all of you. The below recipe is one which I found on allrecipes.com several years ago when trying to find a vegan cake recipe for a client. I’ve since baked it probably hundreds of times and it never fails to please…and on top of all that, it’s quick and easy to make, ridiculously cheap to produce and one bite is guaranteed to make you smile (at least until you next open the bills.)

Financial Crisis Chocolate Cake
(note this cake was originally called Wacky Cake VIII)

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup caster sugar
4 T unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 T cider vinegar
6 T vegetable oil
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 170C. Place the flour, sugar, salt, soda, and cocoa into a bowl. Combine the wet ingredients in a second bowl. Pour the wet into the dry and stir well with a fork until combined. Shove into a greased tin (8 inch round) and bake for about 55 minutes (check at the 45 minute mark just in case...)

When cool, coat with chocolate glaze if budget allows or just artfully throw some icing sugar on top and call it a day.

Chocolate Glaze
(This will increase the cost, and is not vegan…but geez, it’s good!)

175g dark chocolate chips
30 g butter
3T milk
2T golden syrup

Melt the chocolate and butter over a very low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and beat in the milk and golden syrup. Allow to cool slightly then pour over chocolate cake.

Enjoy!

Michelle Green is a chef, blogger, mother to 7 year old triplets, small business owner and she celebrates ice cream o’clock most nights at 10pm. You can read about her life here: http://emzeegee.blogspot.com or learn more about her fabulous cakes here: http://www.threesweeties.com.au

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Allrecipes is the world’s largest food-focused social networking site where the Australian food community congregate to share their food experiences and ideas. The Allrecipes site features recipes, ratings, reviews, photos and profiles all exclusively created by the local food community.  To explore Australian and New Zealand recipes, click here

Or complete our survey about your cooking habits during the economic downturn here

Stop Food Waste!

When we started the StopFoodWaste! campaign in Notebook: magazine in September what I didn’t know about the issue was a lot. Of course, I didn’t realise it at the time - sometimes, ignorance really is bliss. It was only after much research and writing on the subject that I began to understand that food waste is not just as simple as not throwing out food; it’s actually a lifestyle issue. Suddenly, the term “good housekeeping” has become an often-used part of my vocabulary. And please don’t confuse the idea with some anti-feminist ideal that puts us back in the kitchen tied to apron strings and outdated values.

It does encompass old-fashioned strategies, but only in so far that we have forgotten some of the common sense practised by our mothers and grandmothers and the women who came before them. It simply means embracing some of their kitchen intelligence and making it work for you, your household, your finances and, ultimately, the world you live in.

So quickly, some facts. Australians throw out $5.3 billion worth of food every year. The methane gas (which is 23 times more potent than the fumes from your car exhaust) produced from all that is 13.2 million tonnes. The problem I have with these kind of statistics is they can make your eyes glaze over and shake your head in resignation and frustration. Sometimes you need to make it personal to make it real. So consider this. For every five bags of groceries Australians buy, one goes in the bin. Ergo, for every $100 you spend, you throw out $20. That feels pretty real – and pretty stupid – to me. Once you take ownership of this fact, I believe it alters your view, especially in these times when cash is in short supply and so is our sense of financial security. Consider the difference that $20 would make to the life of your mortgage if you put it into that every week.

This journey began for me in a very personal way. It wasn’t just an idea plucked from thin air. Last Christmas I visited my 83-year-old aunt Christal in Germany and for the five or so days we were with her she cooked unbelievably delicious – albeit simple – food and, in the process, not one morsel was thrown in the bin. This woman has known war and depression and a hungry belly and she would consider it obscene to throw out good food. This was not a concept that was new to me; what that experience did was reawaken old memories. I soon remembered that I had grown up with that philosophy; that in our family’s kitchen food was recycled and stored and always eaten because my parents simply couldn’t afford not to. And they, of course, were children during the war and remember queuing for food that was scarce. Somewhere along the way I had forgotten those principles and become careless and, yes, lazy about the way I run my household.  Writing my monthly food waste stories for the magazine and my blog forces me to stay focussed on the issue in my kitchen. It’s changed the way my household shops and cooks and what we grow in our garden. Happily, it’s a much better way to live.

For more information about Notebook’s Stop Food Waste campaign, click here

Caroline Roessler is the editor of Notebook: magazine

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Allrecipes is the world’s largest food-focused social networking site where the Australian food community congregate to share their food experiences and ideas. The Allrecipes site features recipes, ratings, reviews, photos and profiles all exclusively created by the local food community.  To explore Australian and New Zealand recipes, click here

Spice 101 With Ian “Herbie” Hemphill

What are spices?

Spices are the buds, bark, roots, berries and aromatic seeds that are harvested for use in flavouring cooking.  Herbs are the leaves of plants, so when we use coriander leaf we refer to it as a herb, however when we use coriander seed we say we are using a spice.  Even the tiny filaments of saffron are referred to as a spice.  Saffron is the stigma which is hand plucked from a small mauve crocus grown predominantly in Iran, Kashmir and Spain.

What gives spices their flavour?

Through spices, nature provides an incredible variety of colours, textures, aromas and flavours that add interest and depth to our meals.  The many and varied flavours in spices are held in the volatile oils that naturally occur in spices.  Some of these flavours are apparent in the fresh spice, for example in ginger. Other spices either change or only develop their true flavour on drying.  One dramatic example is vanilla, a green tasteless bean that grows on a tropical climbing orchid.  It is only after drying and curing that the enzyme reactions which take place actually form the vanilla flavour.  In a similar manner, when peppercorns are picked green, the enzyme reaction that occurs upon drying, turns them black and creates the black pepper flavour we all know so well.

What is the best way to store spices?

Because the flavours in spices and culinary herbs are held in the volatile oils, it is essential that they are stored in the correct way so that the flavours do not escape.  Firstly, spices must be packaged in high-barrier, good quality materials.  This applies to all spices whether whole or ground, however the quality of the package is most critical for ground spices as the grinding process has begun the release of flavour - that is why ground spices are often more convenient to use.

Storage Tips:

• On average the shelf life of good quality ground spices is 12 to 15 months, while whole spices will last for 3 years or more when stored correctly.

•  Herbs and spices will fade and their volatile oils will oxidize more rapidly in bright light, especially sunlight. If you want to display your collections in a spice rack, mount it in an area, which is away from direct heat or sunlight.

• Never use a wet spoon to measure the spice from the pack.  If you do, the moisture will affect the product it touches, and may cause hard clumps to form.  And don’t store your spices in the refrigerator, as condensation will form on them when you take them out, and that introduces moisture.

And finally, remember that the herbs and spices you add to a meal constitute a minute proportion of the total cost, so it’s worth it to always use the best quality available.

Ian (Herbie) Hemphill is acknowledged as Australia’s culinary herb and spice expert. Herbie and his wife Liz are the owners of Herbie's Spices in Rozelle, NSW. Herbie's Spices carries the largest range of culinary spices and herbs in the southern hemisphere, many of which are available in specialty stores around the country. Herbie is the author of several books on spices including his latest edition of “Spice Notes and Recipes” published by Pan Macmillan Australia. Herbie conducts spice appreciation classes, leads a Spice Discovery Tour to India each year and is a regular contributor on TV and radio. For more information or to purchase Herbie’s spices, please visit  Herbies website

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Allrecipes is the world’s largest food-focused social networking site where the Australian food community congregate to share their food experiences and ideas. The Allrecipes site features recipes, ratings, reviews, photos and profiles all exclusively created by the local food community.  To explore Australian and New Zealand recipes, click here

The Ethicurian dilemma? SOLE? Localvore?

What does all of this mean, in the real life of real women? Those of us in the 'burbs struggling to make our kids eat ANY vegetable, let alone an ethical one?

Those of us living from pay to pay, with kids in schools, with mortgages and rents?

And like any issue, you'll get as many responses as there are people with opinions. But here's how I see it.

Unless you have become one of those weird Air-ians, we've all gotta eat. And in my house, I want the best I can get for my buck. We are NOT a wealthy family.. we're just a normal fam in the 'burbs. And I mean the 'burbs. We live in the 'burbiest of 'burbs. So when I spend money.. ANY money, I want value. With 5 kids and 2 dogs THAT is at the heart of my decision to buy SOLE.

So, to the food I purchase. I don't shop SOLE because I am a paid up greenie, or a hippy (altho I DO burn nag champa regularly!). I don't do it because I think that Elvis and JFK are beaming gamma rays down from the Mother Ship on my tomatoes.

I do it because it's CHEAPER AND BETTER THAN FOOD I GET FROM SUPERMARKETS!!

Who in their right mind buys a sachet of "Italian Herbed Potato Sprinkle" for $2.50 a serve?

Look at the ingredients, go the the herb aisle and buy a jar of oregano, a jar of thyme, a jar of rosemary and do it yourselves!! Save money, get Italian herbed taties, and have ingredients left over for another night.

Better yet, get a herb garden!!!

Get online... get good, ethical, local, sustainable food delivered. I get milk, bread and cheese delivered weekly. Their bread is baked in Dandenong, only a few suburbs away, and the dairy comes from a farmer's-owned co-op in Warnambool. And it arrives fresher, with an extra 4 days on the use-by date, than I would get at the supermarket.

BE INFORMED.. Just because something has "organic free range fair trade" on it, doesn't make it so... again, get online and find out what all those funny little stamps supermarkets are using on their "organic" produce actually mean!

You don't need to drive 400kms to the Collingwood Free Range Children Market For Inner City Cashed-Up Urban Hippies. You just need to ask a few questions. And be a bit organised. ASK your meat/fruit/veggie supplier where they get the produce from. If they can't tell me, I don't buy there. My local butcher sources his meat from about 35kms away. Ask some pimply faced 15 year old assistant where Safeways or Coles get their meat and you most likey be met with a "Duuuuudee.... wait........... Whaaaaaaat?" look!

You want good quality SOLE vegies? Get informed about what's in season and ask your fruiterer some questions. There are now Farmer's markets in almost every region of Melbourne. Make it a date with your sig other, or your kids. Or yourself. If your burning all those nasty fossil fuels to get there, see what else is around. We pass at least one Market every weekend on the way to take the kids to sport. Why not leave home an hour early and make a trip to the market garden, or the farmer's market part of doing something else?

Fact: I FEED A FAM OF 7 MOST OF  THE FRUIT AND MILK AND VEGGIES AND BREAD AND CHEESE THEY NEED FOR $42 A WEEK.

Fact: I GET THE BEST QUALITY SoLE LAMB AROUND DELIVERED TO MY DOOR FOR $5 A KILO LESS THAN YOU'LL GET IT AT A SUPERMARKET.

And it's not about changing your diet from "normal" to some weird lentil-based fusion food.

You can have a lamb roast and all the trimmings SOLE, You can have SOLE bangers and mash. SOLE steak and salad. SOLE pasta.

In our family, we eat seasonally, we eat well. We order pizza if we feel like it. It would take a saint to eat wholly and solely SOLE, so we do what we can, when we can, with the resources we have. My kids can empty a fruit bowl just by walking past it, so organic is usually out of the question price-wise. But I do buy organic eggs. If I can't afford organic, local fair-trade coffe, I buy instant, and don't beat myself up with an organic no-pesticide, free-zange in-season zucchinni, I just remind myself that every little bit counts. Towards the environment and, more importantly, to my hip pocket.

Ella is a working Mum and an advocate of SOLE food. She was featured in the “Locavore” article in the September edition of Notebook Magazine. For more information check out her blogs, http://agoddessinthekitchen.blogspot.com and more information on SOLE supplier is at http://solemama.freeforums.org.

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Allrecipes is the world’s largest food-focused social networking site where the Australian food community congregate to share their food experiences and ideas. The Allrecipes site features recipes, ratings, reviews, photos and profiles all exclusively created by the local food community.  To explore Australian and New Zealand recipes, click here

Welcome to the Allrecipes blog

Hello Australia and New Zealand!

I’m writing to introduce myself. My name is Lisa Sharples and I’m the president of Allrecipes.com, the world’s original community website created for home cooks to share food and entertaining adventures. I am thrilled to announce the launch of Allrecipes.com.au!

 Allrecipes.com is the largest food-focused social networking site in the world--a site where food lovers interact and share their favourite recipes and cooking passions. As a working mother who loves to cook to for her family, I am always looking for easy and practical recipes when planning meals. The need for everyday food ideas that suit the lifestyles of busy women is universal. With this in mind, Allrecipes.com.au allows food enthusiasts across Australia and New Zealand to discover and share food ideas based on common needs, interests and experiences. The added bonus is that all of the recipes posted on the site are contributed, tried, tested and reviewed by home cooks just like you!

On the Allrecipes.com.au blog, a variety of guests from across the Australian food industry will share their tips and answer your questions.

We will also conduct regular surveys to learn more about you and find out what you are seeking when it comes to food ideas. Most importantly, this online forum engages Allrecipes.com.au with the Australian food community and allows its members to connect with each other.

Everyone knows how much Aussies love cooking (especially a good BBQ) and I can’t wait to see all of the unique recipes and tips you have to share. Make sure you enter your profile on the new site and subscribe to the blog to keep up to date on food news, ideas and information!

I look forward to following the food conversation,

Here's to happy cooking!

Lisa

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Allrecipes is the world’s largest food-focused social networking site where the Australian food community congregate to share their food experiences and ideas. The Allrecipes site features recipes, ratings, reviews, photos and profiles all exclusively created by the local food community.  To explore Australian and New Zealand recipes, click here