Friday, October 30, 2009

Music to cook by

For the longest time .... ohhh .... for the longest time....
(Billy Joel)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7G0KUSoUJc

I just finished cooking some afternoon tea for sons and girlfriends, and a few plates extra for the church morning tea tomorrow morning, as promised. A scruptious recipe if you want to try it ... 1909 original recipe which I cooked for our church centenary this weekend. Now I have to get dressed up as a 1909 lady. I hope I survive the heat, as they covered everything from top to toe with gloves, hat, long-sleeve shirt, long skirt, stockings, ahhhh.... There are 350 people booked tonight for the dinner and over 550 are expected tomorrow at the church service. People overseas in England might think we are excited over nothing much because their history is really something to brag about. Anyway, here's the recipe for the Almond tarts and I hope someone tries them singing the same song I have been singing whilst rolling out the dough this afternoon!

1.5 sheets frozen shortcrust pastry, thawed (how authentic, you say)
1.5 tblsps strawberry jam
50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 tsp almond essence
1 egg
1 cup almond meal
2 tblsps plain flour
icing sugar mixture, to decorate.



  1. Lightly grease a 12-hole round-based patty pan (1.5 tblsp capacity).

  2. Using a 7cm round cutter, cut out 12 rounds from pastry sheets. Line holes with rounds. Spoon 1/2 tsp strawberry jam into each pastry case.

  3. Place butter, sugar and essence in the small bowl of an electric mixer. (OK I cheated a little and used electricity!)

  4. Beat, scraping down side of bowl occasionally, until fluffy. Add egg, almond meal and plain flour. Beat until combined.

  5. Divide mixture among pastry cases over strawberry jam.

  6. Cook in a moderate oven (180C) for about 30 minutes (I baked mine at 150C okay) or until tarts are golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

  7. Serve tarts warm or cold. Dust with sifted icing sugar mixture.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Streamers on the Orcades

Edit:

The night before the majestic, white Orcades pulled out of Sydney Harbour, Andrew and I spent our last moments together, talking and wishing things were different. We held hands and gazed into each other's eyes, longing for the night to never end. We felt the warmth of each other's young body and closed our eyes trying to soak in as much as we possibly could because we knew what tomorrow would bring. We smiled at remote memories and tried to make plans for a distant future. No sleep.

Clocks moved on. Sunrise came to us, creeping gently into Sydney, no matter how much we wished it would not come this day. We moved the cereal around in our plates and made polite conversation with our hosts. Feelings of dread were like a hole in my stomach. Andrew was reluctant to pack his last bag, but we both knew he had no choice. At nine o'clock we were driven to the ship.

AND LATER... a bit more...

Streamers of all colours joined those people on board the ship to those left on the whalf. It was more than Jenny could bear, as she hung onto one coloured streamer and Andrew held the other. She stood on the whalf and he was leaning over the railing of the ship with his arm outstretched. As the ship moved toward the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the streamer stretched and stretched, then snapped in half and two young hearts snapped too.

"I'll be back. Wait for me, Jenny!" Andrew called, his voice barely audible over the noise of the crowd and the ship's engines.

Jenny could not find the strength to answer him as she felt faint, her legs felt wobbly. She was already missing his presence and longed to touch him, to feel the strength and resolve of his arms around her . It would be nearly thirty years until they touched again but neither of them would imagine such a thing would happen. They were both completely sure that Andrew would return very soon. Not a doubt in their minds."