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COOKING RECIPES FROM VK2TIP

WHAT DOES OLD VK2TIP KNOW ABOUT COOKING AND RECIPES?

Well I actually know a hell of a lot about cooking and recipes simply because in conjunction with drinking wine it's my very favourite past time and quite healthy also.

No not the namby pamby health food kind of cooking, my recipes largely come from my old mum who ensured each of us kids could cook a baked dinner by the time we were 14. You also had to be able to clean, wash, iron and sew at that age!

Other recipes I learned along the way as, in my lifetime, Australia has become a truly multicultural country with a great many nations contributing their style of cooking and sharing their recipes with us.

When I was a little kid an average Australians diet consisted of steak, eggs, chips (french fries) and a cup of tea or maybe a bottle of beer.

Variants on that were Lamb Chops and three vegetables, probably mint peas, mashed potatoes and pumpkin. All of this was drenched in gravy. Here's a true story:

When I was first married in 1967, my then wife religiously served the above Lamb Chops and three vegetables every night for dinner for over a week. On the last occasion I simply picked up the plate, went out the back and whistled the dog.

Now you know just one of many reasons why Australian men have a somewhat unfair and undeserved reputation among women world wide. I can visualise the flames and hate mail even now. A shrinking violet I'm not.

Happily on this occasion my then wife sobbed on the telephone to my mother who, apart from making unkind remarks about myself and my father, decided it was time for "lessons"! In time my wife not only became as good as my mother, she actually surpassed her. In fact it was only on odd occasions I was "allowed" into "her kitchen" to produce the master pieces I now share with you.

Now if you want to be a "fair dinkum Aussie*" and really impress your mates, this is the way to go mate...

"I LOVE TO COOK WITH WINE - SOMETIMES I EVEN PUT IT IN THE FOOD"

"I Love To Cook With Wine - Sometimes I Even Put It In The Food". That is what the poster on my kitchen wall says, and believe me that says it all.

ANZAC BISCUITS

Firstly the expression "biscuit" is an Australian or British term for cookies. The term ANZAC stands for the celebrated "Australia and New Zealand Army Corp" of renowned fame throughout World War I and once again during World War II.

I can't definitely establish when Anzac Biscuits first came into being but they certainly were a big favourite when we were kids. "Only if you're good will I bake Anzac Biscuits", my mother would say. The reward was well worth behaving for a few hours or, at least until you couldn't eat any more Anzac Biscuits. Be a kid again and enjoy.

SHOVEL AND PLOUGH SHARE OR HUB CAP BBQ's

One of my personal favourites is the famous "construction site shovel BBQ". No this isn't an urban legend. As with a lot of things in life it has fell foul of political correctness, occupational health and safety regulations on building sites and plain stupidity. Actually I haven't enjoyed a shovel BBQ since I quit constructing buildings in 1975. Back then I owned the sites so I had a great deal of say in what was or wasn't acceptable. Shovel BBQ's were in, usually reserved for Friday lunchtime. Then you can also build the very portable plough share or hub cap BBQ.

BABY OCTOPUS

Firstly don't believe all the stories about octopus being tough and needing special treatment. Never been a problem for me and I cook baby octopus on average once a fortnight. I rarely cook it the same way twice, I love to experiment so none of this baby octopus recipe is really set in concrete.

PAVLOVA

Later.

ROAST LEG OF LAMB

Later.

QUEEN OF PUDDINGS

Later again.

AND FROM CONTRIBUTING CHEFS

PORK CHOPS WITH GREEN BEANS

Paul Bartlett from the U.K., a friend [now deceased] and a long time subscriber to my newsletter, offered this personal family recipe for "Pork Chops With Green Beans". In Paul's own words: "Below, I offer a family favourite - apart from Ellie who's borderline vegetarian but loves a Big Mac. No, it makes no sense to me either, but then she's a teenager. The recipe originated with my Danish aunt, Bente, who knows a thing or two about producing feasts".

LAMB PROVENÇAL

This time Paul Bartlett our friend from the U.K., offers another family favourite, "Lamb Provençal", also from his Danish Aunt Bente. "Once we used a shoulder of kid - that's GOAT not CHILD - instead of lamb, it was glorious. Potatoes, garlic, I cook with wine a lot too - as in this recipe".

MERYL'S SPINACH CAKES

This one's from my sister-in-law Meryl. Plain old fried Spinach Cakes, delicious. Spinach with the beaten eggs, flour, parmesan and gently fried in a pan.