Category: Australian Gourmet Traveller


Nov
2023

White Ladies Part Two

categories: Australian Gourmet Traveller, Baking, Biscuits / Cookies, Posh Food

Hello Friends, today we are indulging in a sweet treat called a White Lady. Hold up, I hear you say, haven’t we already done this recipe back in March? Well, apparently recipes for White Ladies are like busses. You wait for ages for one to come along and then, all of a sudden three come at once. Because, spoiler alert, there will be another White Lady recipe appearing soon!  Last time, our white lady was a very yummy ice cream with chocolate sauce, this white lady is a delicious shortbread-style cookie.

White Ladies2

But not just any shortbread cookie because these have white chocolate and rose water icing and then a dusting of icing sugar on top of that.  Delicious.  But sweet. 

These need to be balanced out with a nice strong coffee.  The recipe for these White Ladies comes from that bastion of posh food, Australian Gourmet Traveller, the May 1993 issue to be exact. This is the same mag that brought us a lovely Warm Chestnut Salad a while back.  The recipe for White Ladies recipe comes from an article on chocolate and the powerful memories it can evoke in people.  

“What is it about chocolate that makes us cherish the memory of certain occasions with such ecstacy?

And if you think that quote possibly goes a little bit too over the top, what about this one?

One friend’s most potent memory is of eating dark Arabian chocolate on a sultry night while being serenaded by eunuchs

I feel that night might have been memorable even without the chocolate….

My own favourite chocolate memory is of a bright cold day in winter a few years aog.  My best friend and I were in the country celebrating my birthday on a girl’s weekend.  After a morning spent at the Hepburn Spa we drove to nearby Daylesford for some afternoon tea.  I had an Italian hot chocolate which I’m pretty sure was pure melted chocolate.  It was warm and sweet and rich and made for the perfect end to the perfect weekend!

 

White Ladies3

Happily, or possibly sadly for some of you,  you don’t need a hot night in Arabia or a chorus of eunuchs to enjoy these white ladies. A cup of coffee and a few moments of peace are enough!

The Recipe – White Ladies

White Ladies recipe

 

For those of you who like to gift cookies as part of the holiday season, White Ladies could become a perfect addition to your gifting regime  If they last long enough for you to give any away that is!

White Ladies4

Have a great week!

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Jun
2022

Warm Chestnut Salad

categories: 1990's recipes, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Magazines, Salad

This post on a Warm Chestnut Salad was going to be an edition of “what posh people ate in the 1he 1990’s” however it turned into a real-life “what posh people eat in the 2020’s!  Chestnuts and prosciutto were, and are still fairly high-end items.  BUT what has pushed this salad into the realms of high-end dining this year is the greenery!

Warm Chestnut Salad 1

Due to floods, constant rain and various supply chain issues there are currently vast shortages of lettuce in Australia.  Iceberg lettuces which normally cost around $2 are retailing for as much as $12 per lettuce!  That is when you can even find them.  Reminiscent of the toilet paper drama of 2020, supermarket shelves normally stacked with the green stuff are empty!  Chain restaurants such as McdDonald’s and KFC are subbing cabbage into their burgers.

I was lucky enough to find some mixed leaves at a not exorbitant price at my local greengrocer last week and being able to have some fresh salad to eat made this meal feel utterly luxurious!  Lettuce is not the only thing in short supply.  Supermarkets are also warning that other produce will also be in short supply in the coming weeks:

Food shortages

Looks like it might need to be cocktails and cakes for the next few weeks on the blog.  Oh well, I can think of worse things!


Warm Chestnut Salad 2

Warm Chestnut Salad – The Recipe

The recipe for the Warm Chestnut Salad comes from the May 1993 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.  The OG recipe calls for the prosciutto to be grilled until crisp.  I prefer my proscuitto au naturale. Go your own way on this one.  The recipe also says it feeds four as a side salad, I halved the quantities and had it as a main meal.Warm Chestnut Salad Recipe

 

This is an easy salad to make and it was absolutely delicious.  I would make this once a week for the whole of chestnut season if only the salad greens weren’t going to bankrupt me!  I have never had any luck growing lettuce but it might be time to give it another try.

Warm Chestnut Salad 3

Have a wonderful week!