THE SOLUTION TO A SIMPLE, MEANINGFUL, WELL-DESIGNED LIFE /
THE F Ê T E / LIF E PROJECT NO.
22
R E M I N I S C I N G / F A M I LY F AV O U R I T E S Welcome to the Fête/Life Project – a collection of helpful, useful and practical articles that can be applied to life at any time, but especially now. Sourced from the many magazines we have released, our message has never been more relevant or needed by our community today… let’s embrace the simple life and treasure what is truly important – human connection, community, self care and pure acts of kindness. SUPPORT WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST /
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THIS SPREAD
01. L arge Plates in Liquorice $27 each and Thom Mugs in Liquorice $19 each, all phendei, call 0418 899 767 02. P orcelain Medium Plates in White $66 each, jardan.com.au 03. I KEA 365+ Glasses $4.95 for a pack of six, ikea.com.au 04. A lmoco Flatware Five Piece Setting in Black USD$53, dwr.com. We used myus.com to ship to Australia. Similar at theminimalist.com.au 05. P epper Grinder in White $35.95, livingbydesign.net.au 06. C atalina Extra Small Vase $49.95, countryroad.com.au 07. S ea Tangle Linen Throw in Silver Birch $149, kateandkate.com.au
photographs / J A N E C A M E R O N story / A N N A B E L L E K E R S L A K E and J A N E C A M E R O N
reminiscing / family favourites The cold months are a time to take solace in home-life and enjoy some much needed time out. All families have their tried and tested home-cooked favourites, harking from a time when mothers were thrifty, inventive and could make a simple meal go a mile. A N N A B E L L E / We live in a time of
J A N E / My mother is an extremely
celebrity chefs, paleo, gluten free, low
capable woman – she can do anything and
GI – the list goes on… as a result food has
everything so it is little wonder I learned
become more complicated. When I think
how to cook from an early age. As a young
of the meals that created memories for
wife and mother on a tight budget, she
me over the years, there are some distinct
taught herself how to prepare delicious,
dishes that jump to mind, all of them
simple meals for her family and has since
simple and all of them cooked by Mum.
passed on these skills to me – skills
Often my sisters and I would be bickering
definitely worth having!
around the table, almost always I would
I distinctly remember flipping through
have spilt my food (I was the youngest and
her stack of Epicurean magazines and
quite clumsy!) but I still smile when I think
endlessly poring over The Margaret Fulton
of that time.
Cookbook planning my dream dinner party,
My Mum was – and still is – an expert at making something out of nothing. No matter how simple the dish, there was always warmth around our family dinner table and the meal was always delicious. I have a lot to thank my mother for – cooking and homemaking skills were passed down to me through simple acts like preparing the evening meal and I would be saddened to think that some of these ‘retro classics’ may be lost, purely because of their humble ingredients. These dishes have evolved from our inventive mothers’ use of simple everyday ingredients that many would have in their pantry and the result is an easy and flavourful meal that feeds a whole family on a budget. I had forgotten how fantastic these all were and going through Mum’s old handwritten cookbooks has reminded me of how integral mealtime was to families – a tradition that is dwindling with our hectic schedules. Reliving some of these food memories has
complete with fancy hors d’oeuveres, of course. I felt proud I was the only one of my friends whose mum had a Magimix, which was certainly quite unique back in the 70s (she still has it to this day!). During the week Mum would come home from work to make quick, wholesome and satisfying meals, always followed by dessert – which she has since told me was to stretch out the meal as the budget was often tight. Who knew! My brother, sister and I savoured every single one of them. On Saturdays she would spend the day trialling new recipes, cooking up a feast for us all to enjoy as a family that evening. The menu was often a surprise, always delicious and so terribly exciting to me as a child. When I left home in my early twenties, Mum gave me a notebook in which she had handwritten each and every one of our family’s favourite dishes, her specialities and a few show-stoppers for good measure. I couldn’t say how many times I’ve referred to the now grubby,
stained and creased pages of that precious encouraged me to bring my family together book – it is something I will treasure through the ritual of dinnertime and I hope forever and ever because to me, it means it’s something that will continue on for many generations to come.
my childhood, my family, my history and every recipe brings back happy memories.
INGREDIENTS 4 MEDIUM-L ARGE DESIREE POTATOES (1 POTATO PER PERSON) 1/2 TEASPOON SALT 1/2 ONION, OPTIONAL 1 EGG (1 EGG PER 3-4 POTATOES) BL ACK PEPPER, TO TASTE OLIVE OIL FOR COOKING
TO SERVE FRIED EGGS BAKED BEANS GRILLED TOMATOES
When the cupboards were bare, Mum would whip up a batch of Mock Fish – a recipe passed on to her from my grandmother, Marky – and we’d delight in the golden, crunchy goodness. I remember us eating them with fried eggs and baked beans. Back in the day Mum would cook them in dripping – an ingredient long gone from today’s modern-day pantry – so I cook them in olive oil and they are equally as delicious. I have no idea why they’re known as ‘Mock Fish’, but I think the name just adds to their appeal!
JANE’S MUM’S MUM’S MOCK FISH / Recipe courtesy of Sue Cameron
METHOD / Peel the potatoes. Into a medium bowl coarsely grate the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and allow to stand for 10 minutes to draw out the liquid. Using your hands, take handfuls of the grated potato and squeeze tightly to remove as much liquid as possible. Transfer squeezed potato to a clean, medium bowl. Coarsely grate in half an onion, if desired, and mix well to combine. Grind over black pepper to taste and mix well. Add the egg and mix well. Set aside. In a medium-large frypan over medium-high heat, cover the bottom of the pan with a good dash of olive oil and allow to heat. Take handfuls of the potato mixture, squeezing out any residual liquid and form a rough patty shape. Slide each patty into the hot oil and cook until golden brown, pressing down gently with an egg slide to ensure the patties are not too thick (approximately 1cm high is best). Repeat on the reverse side. Be careful not to cook the patties too quickly over too high a heat as the potato needs time to cook on the inside. When cooked, drain well on kitchen paper and serve immediately, on their own, with tomato sauce or with your favourite accompaniments. Serves four. Makes approximately 8 x 10cm diameter patties. THIS SPREAD
01. Trovärdig Frying Pan $39.95, ikea.com.au 02. FD Style Peeler $49, ginkgoleaf.com.au
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
INGREDIENTS 1KG L AMB LEG CHOPS 60G BUTTER 1 BROWN ONION, SLICED 1 CLOVE GARLIC, CRUSHED 2 GREEN APPLES
Lamb Curry was a favourite in our household on a chilly winter’s
1 ORANGE
night – this is what I would call a ‘retro Aussie curry’ and many
2 CUPS OF TOMATO PURÉE
years later I was thrilled when my mother-in-law, Sally, served me
1/2 CUP TOMATO SAUCE
her version of the same dish. This recipe is a combination of the
2 TABLESPOONS BROWN SUGAR
two and is still as delicious as I remember it!
3 TABLESPOONS CURRY POWDER 1 TEASPOON SALT 3 CHICKEN STOCK CUBES 1/2 CUP RAISINS
TO SERVE STEAMED WHITE RICE
ANNABELLE’S TWO MUMS’ LAMB CURRY / Recipe courtesy of Teena Ansaldi and Sally Kerslake
METHOD / Trim excess fat from the chops and cut meat into small cubes. In a large pan that has a fitted lid, heat the butter over a medium heat. Add the onion, crushed garlic and meat. Stir until the meat is browned. Peel and slice the apples, thinly slice the unpeeled orange and add with remaining ingredients to the meat. Mix well to combine. Cover the pan and simmer gently for 1 hour or until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally. Serve with steamed rice. It was pretty common for us to have this on a Monday night
THIS SPREAD
01. L arge Plate in Liquorice $27, phendei, call 0418 899 767 02. A lmoco Flatware Five Piece Setting in Black USD$53, dwr.com. We used myus.com to ship to Australia. Similar at theminimalist.com.au
as mum would often use the leftover lamb from Sunday night’s roast. Serves four. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
INGREDIENTS 4 EGGS 2 BROWN ONIONS 120G PLUS 2 TEASPOONS BUTTER 2 TABLESPOONS PL AIN FLOUR 2 TEASPOONS DRY MUSTARD POWDER
Tuna Mornay would have to be one of the best comfort foods ever
1 + 1/2 CUPS MILK
invented, but there is no denying it – you either love it or hate it!
S A LT A N D F R E S H LY G R O U N D P E P P E R
Mum always added hard-boiled eggs, which is a delicious twist
DASH OF PAPRIKA
and still something that my sisters and I add to our versions
1/2 CUP CHEESE, GRATED
when cooking this family favourite.
400G TUNA IN OIL, DRAINED AND BROKEN INTO CHUNKS 1/3 CUP FRESH BREADCRUMBS
A N N A B E L L E ’ S M U M’ S T U N A M O R N AY /
1 TEASPOON SALT
Recipe courtesy of Teena Ansaldi
1 420G TIN OF CORN KERNELS
TO SERVE CRUSTY WHITE BREAD
METHOD / Pre-heat oven to 180oC. Grease an ovenproof casserole dish. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, hard boil the eggs for 8 minutes. Remove shells while rinsing under a cool tap and then slice each egg into quarters. Spoon out the yolk and discard. Set aside the cooked whites. Finely slice the onions. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, sauté the onions in 60g of melted butter until translucent and soft. Remove the onions from the saucepan and set aside. Melt another 60g of butter in the same saucepan. Blend in the flour and cook over gentle heat for one minute. Add mustard, paprika and then milk gradually until the sauce thickens, stirring continuously. Season with salt and pepper and two tablespoons of grated cheese. Fold in the cooked onion, tuna, corn and hard-boiled eggs. Transfer into the greased dish. Top with remaining cheese mixed with breadcrumbs and dot with remaining butter. Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Serves four. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
PUDDING 60G BUT TER, MELTED 2 TABLESPOONS BEST QUALITY COCOA, SIFTED 1 CUP PLAIN FLOUR, SIFTED 2 TEASPOONS BAKING POWDER, SIFTED 1/2 CUP CASTER SUGAR 1 LARGE EGG, L I G H T LY B E AT E N 1/2 CUP MILK, FULL CREAM
SAUCE 2 TABLESPOONS BEST QUALITY COCOA, SIFTED 1/2 CUP CASTER SUGAR 2 CUPS BOILED WATER, HOT
This ultra-simple dessert certainly isn’t fancy nor complicated, it’s just good old-fashioned comfort food at its best. It can be whipped up in minutes – I like to get it in the oven first, then while it’s bubbling away, I can prepare the main meal so that everything is ready at precisely the right time!
CHOCOL ATE PUDDING / Recipe courtesy of Sue Cameron
METHOD / Pre-heat oven to 160oC.
TO SERVE
Melt the butter and use some to grease an ovenproof dish.
POURING CREAM
Set aside.
VANILL A ICECREAM
In a large bowl, sift 2 tablespoons of the cocoa (reserving the remaining 2 tablespoons), flour and baking powder. Stir in 1/2 cup of sugar (reserving the remaining 1/2 cup) and mix well to combine all ingredients. Add milk and egg and mix with a rubber spatula. Stir in melted butter and mix until well combined. Pour batter into prepared dish and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 2 tablespoons of cocoa and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Sprinkle this mixture over the cake batter ensuring an even coverage. Boil 2 cups of water. Transfer the pudding dish to the oven on a baking tray to catch any drips as the pudding cooks. When positioned on the tray, carefully pour over the hot water ensuring an even coverage. The water will sink to the bottom and combine with the cocoa and sugar coating to create the sauce. Cook for approximately 40 minutes, checking occasionally to see if the cake is cooked. If using a deep dish, the pudding may take an additional 10 minutes or so to cook.
THIS SPREAD
01.
B rynn Pasta Bowl in White $12.95 and Tapas Breakfast Bowls in Matte Black $14.95 each, both countryroad.com.au
lmoco Flatware Five Piece Setting 02. A in Black USD$53, dwr.com. We used myus.com to ship to Australia. Similar at theminimalist.com.au
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Serve warm with cream or vanilla icecream. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
INGREDIENTS 30G BUTTER 1/2 CUP CASTER SUGAR 1 MEYER LEMON, ZEST AND JUICE 4 TABLESPOONS PL AIN FLOUR 3 EGGS, SEPARATED
With an abundance of citrus fruit at this time of year, this light
1 CUP MILK, FULL CREAM
and zesty winter pudding is a real favourite in my family – I’m sure my mum could make it with her eyes closed by now. It is
TO SERVE
not overly sweet so it’s an ideal finish to a heavy main course.
POURING CREAM
JANE’S MUM’S LEMON DELICIOUS / Recipe courtesy of Sue Cameron Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature before commencing.
METHOD / Pre-heat oven to 170oC. Half fill a roasting dish with water and place into the oven to heat. Grease a soufflé or casserole dish and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the lemon zest and juice. Don’t worry if the mixture curdles – it will all come together at the end. Add the flour and mix to combine. Stir in the egg yolks and milk. In a medium bowl beat egg whites until stiff. With a metal spoon, add beaten egg whites into the other mixture and gently fold in until just combined. Pour mixture into prepared dish and transfer into the roasting dish containing the warmed water bath. Bake for 40 minutes. THIS SPREAD
01. A strid Small Shallow Bowl in Black $19.95, Orris Small Pourer $17.95 and Dante Shallow Tray in Black $44.95, all countryroad.com.au
Serve with pouring cream. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.