tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5961277322920185522026-09-07T15:30:33.322+10:00reducing reliance on pre-packaged, processed and over-priced foodwannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-45170334377636175492010-06-21T10:58:00.000+10:002010-06-21T10:58:44.323+10:00

I'm not sure how many of you look forward to Saturdays for the same reasons I do. You see, Saturdays are market days. They're bustling with basket wielding, trolley pushing folk, searching for the freshest and cheapest produce. On the other side of the stalls are the producers - ready to talk about their wares and the best ways to use them. They are beekeepers, market gardeners, charcutiers,

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-37555208030029966162010-06-15T12:02:00.000+10:002010-06-15T12:02:28.056+10:00

It has butter, it has sugar, it has vanilla, then it has more butter and more sugar. Sold yet? It has a semi sweet yeast cake bottom, and a topping made from a buttered up biscuit dough. This topping dough melts into the base, forming a gooey caramelised topping. The topping will tack your back chompers together. Think toffee, caramel, toasted marshmallows and fairy floss.  When you mix

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-86040451598533732662010-06-12T10:27:00.000+10:002010-06-12T10:27:57.066+10:00

Remember a few posts back when I received the surprise package in the mail from Elizabeth at King Valley Free Range Pork? Well, I thought I should show you what else became of all the mixed cures and cuts I was so lucky to sample. Besides the few slices I snuck all for myself, gently fried, browned and savoured during one of those rare minutes of peace - I'd like to think I got a bit of mileage

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-65856515543012018332010-06-01T17:33:00.001+10:002010-06-01T18:06:48.626+10:00

Homemade pizza dough is one of those things - once you try it - no other pizza will do, and once you learn how easy it is - you'll be doing it with your eyes shut. When someone suggests ordering pizza for dinner, I dive for the bread flour and rolling pin just to spare myself from the soggy bases, and over-salted, plastic cheese toppings from the local pizzeria. Some people, in childish bouts of

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-67603790381687407832010-05-26T19:56:00.000+10:002010-05-26T19:56:06.714+10:00

The only reason this rabbit found it's way into my kitchen in the first place was because of a quirky weekly challenge. The males of the household come home with a selection of random ingredients every Friday night, and I have about an hour to come up with and cook a meal using the ingredients. It keeps it interesting and forces me to use different ingredients and methods, and I get the little

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-36286808739953554262010-05-25T20:22:00.003+10:002010-05-25T20:53:25.818+10:00

I feel a bit guilty putting one of the components of this dish in a tight-a$$ recipe. But, with the amount you need, it is still a cheap meal. I'd planned all day to make Potato and Leek Soup, with some little parmesan crisps and crunchy bacon. About the bacon... Not 2 hours into my day and I had a knock at the door, with my postie holding out a package for me. Under layers of bubble wrap,

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-69864277168400116402010-05-24T21:56:00.002+10:002010-05-24T22:08:33.015+10:00

To celebrate reaching 200 fans on the wannabeafoody facebook page, I'll be giving away some more soap. Any excuse for a celebration and to offload some more of this soap! I'm not trying to get rid of it because it's not good, I love it. But... being made from recycled oil, I have a constant supply which outstrips demand, and maybe, just maybe, some of you will try it, like it and want to make it

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-56244673588785536902010-05-20T21:08:00.008+10:002010-05-20T23:03:07.484+10:00

If you're wondering why there are no photos of this Fine Roasted Fowl all plated up alongside those ridiculous potatoes with crispy shells and mashy centres, it's because it pretty much got inhaled before it even got to see a plate. Fairly certain I was in some kind of trance and only snapped out of it when my plate was shiny and fingers licked clean. The potatoes are par-boiled, roughed up in

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-16028835235913764642010-05-18T20:39:00.003+10:002010-05-19T08:58:33.927+10:00

You know as soon as you combine hours of low-heat cooking and a cut of meat with a high bone to meat ratio, you're going to end up with meltingly tender meat and a sauce that becomes rich and creamy from the dissolved connective tissue and marrow. That's exactly what happens with this dish. It takes around 5 minutes to prepare, and then you get to sit down with a warm Milo and a book for a

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-86407751954821367062010-05-15T13:38:00.002+10:002010-05-15T18:15:21.078+10:00

This is an absolute keeper recipe that I discovered this weekend. In the same spirit as the Blank Canvas Cookies, you can just play around with the base recipe, and formulate your own flavourings and embellishments. The cake batter is moist and light, and the zingy sour cream beckons to be supercharged with zests, juices and tart berries. The original recipe calls for lemons, yogurt and

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-41524248689607565962010-05-11T20:31:00.005+10:002010-05-25T21:12:31.065+10:00

Mum used to make this continuously as soon as the temperature dropped below "sweltering" and then sometimes even when it didn't. Monday to Sunday - that's what we got. Although it was rather monotonous during those months, it was very good. This is yummy-for-my-tummy ultimate well-being food. This little dude got caught in the act of eating my oregano. He escaped the pot but promptly became

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-80240085290200773152010-05-09T15:52:00.002+10:002010-05-10T20:02:35.619+10:00

Just over a week ago Jen over at Jen's Shangri-La requested a pineapple upside-down cake recipe to satisfy the senses. Most of the regular recipes used a plain buttercake batter (oftentimes made from packet mix) with a canned pineapple topping. A slice of mediocre anyone? Ready to tear this down and rebuilt it? First off, the main event - saucy pineapple topping. Fresh pineapple! The tart

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-50342142564037068612010-05-04T18:58:00.001+10:002010-05-04T18:59:53.972+10:00

This is the meal I turn out when there is no food in the house, no cash in the bank, or no energy left in my tank. Cheap. Fast. Easy. The ingredients are basic pantry/fridge/freezer items, and the sauce can be whipped up in the time it takes the pasta to cook. Remember to keep your vegetable trimmings to make stock. But don't let that devalue your idea of this dish! If this was served up to me

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-13982646677095808332010-04-27T17:11:00.001+10:002010-04-28T12:21:58.416+10:00

This is one of those recipes that gets down on it's hands and knees and begs to be pimped. The unadulterated biscuit dough is quite perfect as it is. It's buttery, chewy, rich and sweet - but it's plain, which is fine sometimes, for some people. But who wouldn't want to, just sometimes, revert back to the days when the thought of wallowing in large tubs of mixed lollies was your idea of a

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-22143311875380196442010-04-26T17:21:00.005+10:002010-05-19T18:28:29.217+10:00

It's like one of those natural built-in instincts the wild creatures succumb to when the cold weather sets in. Some grow thicker fur coats, build up body fat for a long hibernation, stockpile their feed, or migrate miles and miles to a warmer climate. This animal just starts making feverishly fattening, filling, stodgy food - preferably laced with all things cream, butter and spice and that will

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-69692758432203971622010-04-23T19:07:00.006+10:002010-04-23T23:23:30.220+10:00

This little number haunted my dreams and kept me awake last night, teasing me with it's buttery base, velvet vanilla filling and cracked caramel. I found the recipe right before bed time it just wouldn't leave me. Needless to say, this tart found it's way into the kitchen today. It has all the attributes of a good custard tart - which are ridiculously hard to come by - and a crème brûlée. The

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-2535503896197469572010-04-19T16:16:00.000+10:002010-04-19T16:16:28.094+10:00

countryliving.com There you are, staring down at the piece of raw meat on your bench and it's just laying there awaiting it's fate without the decency to even suggest what might be done with it. So many possibilities, but if you've left dinner until the last minute and have no idea what to do with it - give these little gems a go. If you have good quality meat, you'll need little more than some

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-61203657408366101952010-04-17T09:34:00.000+10:002010-04-17T09:57:14.747+10:00

"Salad is rabbit food", Salad doesn't fill me up", "Do we have to have salad again?", "I need meat for dinner", "Salad is girls food". Sigh. Fear not salad warriors, here's one that will suffice as a cruisy main meal and leave the menfolk feeling free to dig in for seconds worrying not for their reputations as carnivorous beer scullers. The kidlets are even bound to like something about this

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-37613001143867844252010-04-12T19:59:00.000+10:002010-04-14T16:44:36.269+10:00

Can you picture your your first dessert memory? The anticipation of that tiny frame of time after being made to eat "just three more mouthfuls" of grey-hued beans, but before being sent off to bed to let the grown ups talk? For me, that short amount of time was all about bread and butter pudding. Even now, the salivary glands kick into gear, the eyes glaze over and I can feel the firm squidginess

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-67453806249493554932010-04-07T08:22:00.001+10:002010-04-26T18:11:37.671+10:00

photo by Romulo Yanes Is there anything more warm-fuzzy-feeling inducing than a proper, hot breakfast that invariably incorporates the obligatory eggs and crispy bacon? And a big breakfast is the perfect cure after a big night, no? But unless you're happy to roll out of bed with the birds sporting your Sunday best headache, here is a recipe to get your hangover on the mend before you even hit

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-66286563233926600802010-04-06T08:01:00.000+10:002010-04-06T19:56:29.883+10:00

It's rather chilly on the mountain today and rain clouds are looming. Perfect excuse to crack out the woolly socks, the snuggly jumpers and the stock pot. There is nothing like walking into a house that has a soup or stock simmering away on the stove. Walking in from outside, being hit with that homey smell will warm the soul from the nostrils out. But, a stock of course has a myriad of uses

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-88008453146036953922010-04-02T17:33:00.000+10:002010-04-06T21:34:58.663+10:00

I doubt there is any other cake that is subject to such broad-scoped sacrilege as the humble chocolate cake. Every second cook book has a "Best Ever" or "World's Greatest" recipe, claiming to end the eternal search for a truly great chocolate cake. Have you ever experienced butterflies and an irregular heartbeat thinking you have found the holy grail of the patisserie world, dutifully stocked up

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-81242549013010306342010-03-16T13:44:00.000+10:002010-04-06T16:49:29.081+10:00

One of the most satisfying things (for me) is ticking another item off the list of things I no longer have to purchase from the supermarket. Added to this list now is Raisin Toast/Fruit Loaf/Cinnamon Toast.This recipe is a perfect balance of spiciness, sweetness, softness, fruitiness and so many other nesses. It's great to have as a bread with butter or as toast with butter and honey or however

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-33616032847476095732008-10-13T14:02:00.000+10:002010-04-06T16:49:57.867+10:00

There are 3 different methods of making yoghurt at home that I have found. Using the Easiyo sachets, using a small amount of purchased live yoghurt and using the live organic cultures. Each way creates real yoghurt, and costs a fraction of buying it tubs. For all of these methods you will need an Easiyo thermos, a regular thermos or a small esky.For the Easiyo thermos, you combine the cold

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596127732292018552.post-55418161862397669172008-10-07T13:53:00.000+10:002010-04-06T16:50:31.626+10:00

I love making this cheese, it's easy, quick and so yummy. It's middle eastern in origin and traditionally served drizzled with olive oil and dried mint or zaatar and smeared onto toasted pita bread. It can also be used in place of philly cheese or cottage cheese on crackers or as part of a dip. Another way to serve it is rolled into small balls and covered with herbs. Great as part of a tapas

wannabeafoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03440269713124915251noreply@blogger.com3