Top Food Blogs

Thursday 30 May 2013

Coconut and Date Cake

This is one of my Grandmothers cakes. The cake and biscuit tin were constantly being replenished.
As a farmers wife, it would have been a favourite at the afternoon tea table.  All those hard working, hungry men who start work so early in the morning and seem to need continual feeding.  It is a good staple family or lunch box, morning or afternoon tea cake. Nothing fancy and very simple.
I do find with a lot of these old fashioned cakes they don't rise a lot. That is fine because they do taste delicious.
It is best eaten warm with butter. If you choose to make it a little more fancy, then ice it with a thick buttery lemon or orange icing. It is also delicious with a really thick creamy yoghurt.

1 1/2 cup chopped dates
125 grams butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1/4 teaspoon bicarb soda
1/2 cup desiccated coconut

Chop the dates in half and place 1 cup in a bowl with the sugar. Leave 1/2 cup chopped dates till later.
Put the butter and water into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Pour over the dates and sugar and mix well.
Cool slightly and add the beaten egg.
Fold in the sifted flour and bicarb soda, and coconut.

Line a loaf tin with glad bake or grease well. Pour the mixture into the tin and finally scatter over the remaining 1/2 cup dates. They will sink into the mixture, hopefully, not too far down.
Bake at a moderate 160-175 depending on your  oven for about 40 minutes.
Turn it out to cool slightly.
Put the kettle on to boil. Make a pot of tea.
Slice the cake. Spread with lashings of butter and enjoy with your cup of tea. Yum !







Monday 20 May 2013

Want Food Tours to Thailand

I am just finishing off the details for the next Thailand tour. The last one was such fun and we all learnt so much. To the great amusement of our spouses and family we have already managed to have a reunion dinner ! The group consisted of 11 girls  and they all feel they have made new life long friends,  joined by the interest and love of food. The common threads of our small world were there too and amazingly there were many connections from our past lives to these new friends. As they say three degrees of separation..... From the frenetic energy of Bangkok to the ancient slower paced city of Chiang Mai, we shared many taste sensations, weird and wonderful and learnt about the cuisine and culture of this wonderful country.

The size of the group is small minimum of 6 maximum of 12 people. There is free time for shopping beauty treatments and lazing by the pool. This tour is perhaps more orientated to the females, however if a group of couples would like to go, please contact me as I feel a little golf could be enjoyed whilst the girls pursue other activities. It is so much fun, this experience, made all the more pleasant by the gorgeous amiable Thai people who are perhaps the loveliest in the world. They are constantly smiling, have an amazing sense of humour and make everything seem so effortless !
Come and join this fabulous, fun filled culinary adventure, with some friends

Some of the lovely comments from my group....

You have enriched my life with all the experiences we have faced in the past 10 days.... Karen

I cannot imagine life without some of the things we have done ...... Jane

Your research was spot on and the organisation perfect and smooth. Thank you so much for the most memorable trip.... Tomoko

Want Food Tours A fabulous culinary and cultural experience.......Fi

Wonderful fantastic memories with dear friends, divine food...... Judy

Everyday was so exciting! Cooking schools were fantastic. Amazing taste sensations and I quite possibly would have never tried some of the food we had.........Pru

The mutual horror and delight at some unknown organism in the food markets. The frenzied cacophony of chatter and laughter in the van everyday... Pam

The whole experience has been fantastic and beyond expectation. Loved every moment of it... Ange

Meeting new people and sharing so many funny times...... Shelley

The markets, restaurants, shopping, cooking schools and day trips have been full of such good times I will never forget....... Kate

For a full itinerary any questions or booking form, please feel free to email at wantfoodideas@gmail.com .
I am now taking bookings for September 2013 Tour departing 6th-16th
and March 2014.





                                         




TOUR INCLUDES

10 NIGHTS ACCOMODATION

9 BUFFET BREAKFASTS

5 LUNCHES

2 HANDS ON COOKING CLASSES

3 FRESH FOOD MARKETS WITH FOOD SAMPLING

3  COMMUNITIES  GOURMET WALKING TOUR WITH ENGLISH SPEAKING GUIDE

BANGKOK TOUR OF SPECIALTY RESTAURANTS WITH ENGLISH SPEAKING GUIDE

CULTURAL TOURS SILK TOUR AND COTTON WEAVING VILLAGE

DAILY TRANSPORT WITH GUIDE FOR ALL ORGANIZED ACTIVITIES

INTERNAL FLIGHTS BANGKOK TO CHIANG MAI

FAST TRACK  IMMIGRATION AT AIRPORT ON ARRIVAL IN BANGKOK

TRANSFERS TO AND FROM AIRPORT FOR ALL FLIGHTS

TRANSPORT TO AND FROM COOKING SCHOOLS

FULLY ESCORTED BY SUE WANT

NOT INCLUDED

AIRFARES TO BANGKOK
TRAVEL INSURANCE
VISA IF REQUIRED
ALCOHOL
TIPS AND GRATUITIES
SPENDING MONEY FOR ANY MEALS NOT SPECIFIED OR OPTIONAL
FARES AND COSTS FOR ANY EXTRA SHOPPING DAYS OR OPTIONAL MEALS

Cost  $2700 twin share
         $3457 single in a twin room

Sunday 12 May 2013

Chilli Chicken Soup

This soup is a meal in its self. It makes a large quantity and is better the next day. For those of you who were ardent fans of Seinfeld, you may remember the Soup Nazi. A New York soup stand vendor who had people queuing for his fabulous food. However he was a cantankerous man and refused to serve anyone who annoyed him or didn't follow the ordering procedure and he frequently ejected people from the queue. This character and his soup were the inspiration for this recipe. It is almost like a Mexican minestrone, rich and hearty. I always serve it with a big dollop of sour cream, some fresh coriander and corn chips.



2 onions
4 cloves garlic
4 chicken breasts (you could also use a ready cooked chicken )
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 carrots peeled and cut in discs and cut again in half
1 small capsicum, diced
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn kernels or 1cup of frozen kernels
2 tins tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
10 cups water
 freshly chopped coriander
freshly chopped parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons ground chilli or fresh chillies
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
canola oil

Fry the chopped onions and garlic in a little oil, till opaque. Remove and in the same pot saute the chicken pieces until cooked. Chop the chicken and return to the pot, with the onions and garlic. Add the stock and all of the other chopped ingredients. Add as much chilli as you think you would like, but I use at least 2.
Bring the pot to the boil and turn down and simmer for 2-3 hours. Stir the pot at least every 20 minutes, to stop the chicken catching on the bottom of the pot. The soup will reduce, thicken and become dark
when it is done. Serve it with a sour cream, chopped coriander and a side of corn chips.