Come join me in my Aussie  kitchen. For me there is nothing nicer than the smell of cooking and baking - very welcoming to the family when they come in from their day at school or work.  Following are just a few recipes, for you to try, some are very Australian.

ANZAC BISCUITS   (cookies)  named for Australian New Zealand Army Corp - the men who landed at Gallipoli  in  World War 1. ............tasty and economical 1 cup rolled oats,   3/4 cup desiccated coconut,   1 cup plain flour,    1 1/2 teas. bicarbonate of soda, 2 tabs boiling water,   1 cup sugar (I use raw sugar),   4 oz butter,    1 tab. golden syrup. Combine rolled oats, sifted flour, sugar and coconut.  Combine butter and golden syrup, stir over gentle heat till melted.  Mix soda with boiling water, add to melted butter mixture, stir into dry ingredients.  Spoon dessertspoonfuls of mixture on to greased oven trays; allow room for spreading. Bake in slow oven for 20 minutes.  Cool on trays.  makes about 36.                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LAMB JULIENNE .  something warm and tasty for cold nights ... serves 6 3 tabs. plain flour,  1 teas. curry powder,  2 teas salt,  freshly ground pepper,   1 kg (2 lb) boned shoulder cubed lamb,  oil for frying, 1 litre (4 cups) water or chicken stock,   8 small skinned onions, 8 peeled carrots. For crispy dumplings.. 1 1/2 tabs butter,   60 g (1 cup) fresh white breadcrumbs,  1 teas salt, 250 g ( 2 cups self raising flour,   1/2 teas dried onion,  3 tab corn oil, milk. Sift together the flour, curry powder, salt and pepper.  Toss the lamb cubes in this mixture. Fry the meat in oil till well browned.  Stir in

any excess flour.  Gradually add water or stock, stirring and bring to boil. Transfer to a casserole dish and add onions.  Cover and cook in oven at 160C (325F) for 1 hour. Cut the carrots into long thick matchsticks and add to the meat.  For crispy dumplings, melt butter in pan, stir in crumbs and cook gently, stirring, till golden. Sift together flour, salt, onion powder.  Stir in the oil and enough milk to give a soft but manageable dough.  Shape into balls, coat with crumbs and cook gently, stirring casserole.  Cover and cook for a further hour.   Serve hot.

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GRILLED WHITING with tomatoes and mushrooms.    serves 4 4 whiting,   30 g (1 tab) margarine/butter,   250 g (8 oz) sliced mushrooms,   2 tomatoes cut into segments,    1/2 cup sliced shallots, salt & pepper,   stuffed olives and parsley for garnish,  lemon segments for serving. Have the fish clean and scales removed.  Make 3 oblique slashes on each side of fish to allow heat to penetrate. Place fish on an oiled grill rack in a grill pan and cooked under a hot grill for 2 minutes on each side, turning over carefully, with fish slice.

Reduce heat to medium and grill for a further 4 to 6 minutes or until fish is cooked.  The flesh turns clear white when fish is cooked. Heat butter in heavy frying pan and fry mushrooms for 2 minutes.  Add tomato segments and shallots and fry gently for 5 minutes until vegetables are cooked but not mushy.  Season to taste with salt & pepper. Serve grilled whiting hot with a slice of stuffed olive over the eye, garnished with parsley and accompanied by fried vegetables and lemon segments. Note ... this is a slimming recipe, very low in kilojoules (calories)                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Basic PAVLOVA.  recipes vary as much as spaghetti sauce, but the methods stay just about the same.  For Pavlova lovers a change of filling and topping can give yet another wonderfully luscious dessert.

4 egg whites,  1/2 teas salt,  1 cup fine (castor) sugar,  1 teas cornflour, 1 teas vinegar,  1 teas vanilla. Place a square of greaseproof paper or baking sheet on a tray.  Lightly sprinkle with cornflour. Beat egg whites with salt until stiff.  Gradually, beat in sugar, a spoonful at a time, until meringue is stiff and sugar is dissolved.  Sift cornflour over mixture; fold in vinegar and vanilla.

Place mixture over circle of paper and spread to desired shape (cake, dome or pie) with spatula or spoon.  Work quickly.  Place in a very slow over 225/250 deg F (110/120 C) for 75 to 90 minutes or until firm.  Open oven door and let cool in oven.  Peel paper off when cooled. Serve with whipped cream and selection of fresh or canned fruits.

Meringue Tips - * always use egg whites at room temperature, or slightly warmer.  If you have forgotten to remove eggs from fridge earlier, place in warm water just long enough to warm.  They should feel just warm enclosed in your hand. * When meringue "weeps" (watery droplets) sugar was not thoroughly dissolved in egg whites. * do not beat egg whites in a plastic bowl, and be sure your bowl and beaters are completely free of any grease.                                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LEMON TART   wonderful tart that improves if made hours in advance. Pastry - 1 cup plain flour,  1/4 cup ground almonds,  75 g butter,  1/3 cup sifted icing sugar,  1 egg yolk,  few drops vanilla essence,   pinch salt,  eggwash made with 1 egg yolk and 1/2 teas milk. Filling -  4 eggs,  3/4 cup sugar,  grated rind and juice of 2 lemons,  1/2 cup cream.

First make the pastry.  Sift the flour with the ground almonds on to a work surface and make a large well in centre.  Put the butter in the well with icing sugar and egg yolk, vanilla and salt,  and work these middle ingredients with the fingertips of one hand to a soft paste.  Gradually draw in the surrounding flour with a spatula and knead lightly to form a dough. Wrap and chill for 1 hour. Roll out to line a 23 cm flan ring, pressing sides in well and trimming the excess.  Lightly prick the base and chill 15 minutes.  Bake "blind" by lining the inside with greaseproof or baking paper and filling with dried beans or rice.  Bake in a pre-heated hot oven 200C (400F) for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, lift away the paper and beans and brush with egg wash.  Return to oven for further 5 minutes. Now make the filling -- beat eggs in a bowl with sugar till smooth and stir in lemon rind and juice. Lightly whip the cream and stir into the lemon mixture.  Pour into pastry case and bake in a moderate oven 180C (350F) for 45 minutes.  Leave to cool for several hours before serving                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CARROT CAKE this unusual cake is made without floor and has the consistency of a cheesecake. 1 teas butter,   6 eggs separated,   8 oz (1 cup) sugar,   12 oz carrots cooked and pureed,    1 tab grated orange rind,   1 tab brandy,   12 oz (2 cups) ground almonds

Preheat oven to warm 325F (gas mark 3 or 170C).  Grease a deep 9 inch loose-bottomed cake tin and set aside. In a medium size mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks with a wire whisk until pale and frothy.  Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is thick and creamy and will make a ribbon trial by itself when the whisk is lifted.  Add carrot puree, orange rind, brandy and almonds and stir to mix. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with a wire whisk or rotary beater until they form stiff peaks.  With a metal spoon, carefully fold the egg whites into carrot mixture. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and place it in centre of oven.  Bake 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and leave it to cool in tin for 15 minutes.  Turn cake out carefully on to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.       it is absolutely yummy!

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updated 16 November 2000 revamped 21 January 2004 Updated 9 May 2009