{Issue 5 March 26 2014}
{ THE TINY LITTLE FOOD GUIDE }
A CAUTIONARY TALE OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY
I used to be fat. Not like, can’t fit through doorways and needs to be hoisted out of bed with a forklift kind of fat, but pretty fat nonetheless.
There are many potential reasons why I ended up being a rotund and jolly wee lass. Maybe it was because I was spoilt rotten as a child, rewarded with a trip to Maccas whenever I made the effort to do exercise. Maybe it was because I learnt to eat my feelings, heading to the kitchen to find comfort in a chocolate and potato chip sandwich after a rough day at school.
Or maybe it’s because I just love food. I always have. Photographic evidence of me devouring birthday cakes over the years can testify to that fact. A progression of pictures from childhood celebrations shows me steadily increasing in size as I age, reaching a stunning peak at the point where a twelve year old me looks longingly into the soul of a chocolate gateau whilst wearing my favourite moo moo. On top of that, I took my first steps for a chocolate biscuit. I was doomed from the start.
The depths of food addiction did teach me a thing or two about cooking though. By the age of eight I had checked out every children’s cookbook in the city libraries, and was a self-appointed baking goddess – master of moist chocolate brownies and those little fairy cakes with the jam and cream in the middle. You may judge me for my lack of self control and generally balloonish demeanour, but you can’t say I wasn’t dedicated to the cause.
Looking back, I guess that being so lovestruck with saturated fats and processed sugars did kind of lead me on a downward spiral into the depths of addiction. But we live and we learn, and after discovering that food doesn’t need to be deep fried, 50% butter, or dusted with icing sugar to taste good, I soon came out the other side.
Despite my spell with obesity, I still believe that a love affair with food is like nothing else. A sensual and emotional connection with nourishment is a necessity if one is to get through a day to day regime of oppression. And once you know what you’re doing with it, that relationship becomes an everyday happiness – one that I personally wouldn’t dare take for granted.
While you’re flicking through the pages of Canta’s lovely little food guide, I want you to remember that you should love food. Appreciate the flavours and nuances and the fact that you actually have something in your stomach to appreciate. And remember, food giveth, and food taketh away. Treat it right and it will do the same for you.
Annalee Jones Deputy Editor
PRESIDENT’S PIECE
Sarah Platt
This week’s Canta is all about food! And while I would more than happily fill my allocated 500 word column discussing this delicious topic, I thought I would take this opportunity to draw your attention to pages 9 – 13. With any luck, you just flipped to page 9 and now you have flipped back to my column. Yes? Great. You’ll have noticed that what I have pointed out to you is a section entitled ‘Know Your Exec’.
One of the questions I’m most frequently* asked is, ‘What does being on the UCSA Executive actually involve?’ So with this in mind and the fact that pages 9 – 13 are filled with the beautiful faces of your 2014 UCSA Exec, I figured this would be the perfect time to fill you in on what the Exec and the UCSA is all about.
I’ll start with the UCSA. Our UCSA Vision states that the UCSA is here to ‘create belonging and ownership’. To me, this means we are here to create the best possible student experience and support you however we can, and we aim to do this in a number of different ways: we provide academic advocacy and advice, hardship and food grants, emergency dental support and a dental care program (hello $25 dental check-ups), we represent you on all of the major academic committees at the University, we support over 125 UC Clubs, we feed (..and water..?) you through our food and beverage outlets and we keep you in the loop through Facebook, Canta and our UCSA app. We also run two Early Learning Centres (on campus!) and we own 50% of the UBS.
The most important thing to remember is that all of the above is studentgoverned and the main job of an Exec member is to represent the student voice.
Now to what being an Exec member involves. The UCSA Executive is made up of 12 student representatives who are elected in the August of the previous year. Once elected, there is a lead in period where a lot of planning takes place and then come January 1st - it’s all go. The Exec operates like a Board and with the advice of our Advisory Board we employ the Chief Executive, who in turn employs all other staff (of which there are over 100). Each Exec member also has specific areas of representation through their External and Internal Portfolio. External Portfolios are where the Exec Member represents a Faculty (Arts, Commerce, Education, Engineering, Law, or Science) or specific area (Clubs, Post Graduate or Sports). Internal Portfolios are a subcommittee of the UCSA; ‘Clubs & Events’, ‘Welfare & Communication’ and ‘Development, Innovation & Cap Ex’. The Exec have three official meetings a term where we come together as a full Exec to discuss a number of different matters and approve Club grants – these meetings are open so if you wanted to come and have a listen, we’d love to see you!
So, now that you know what being on the Exec actually means, you can flip back to page 9 and get to know the ‘softer side’ of your UCSA Exec. Enjoy!
*note I’m asked this most frequently since being elected as President, previously the questions I was asked most often were more along the lines of, ‘How tall are you?’ or ‘Are you old enough to be drinking?’.
ASK THE PRESIDENT
Tired of complaining to your Facebook newsfeed about your locker-less existence, or the lack of microwaves in the engineering building? Well, you can stop now. Your 400 friends don’t give a shit about your uni problems. But luckily for you, Sarah does. Send in your UC related questions, criticisms, and curiosities to president@ucsa.ac.nz and Sarah will get back to you in the next edition of Canta.
CONTENTS
Get To Know Your Exec, They May Already Know You...
Need A Social Life? Check Out Our What’s On Guide
The Hanging Gardens of Christchurch, An Interview With Michael Tennant
Why Just Eat Food? Let’s Talk About It Too, With Gracie Hall
Bring A Tea Towel! You’re On Dishes. A Profile Of Author Sarah Griffin
An Excerpt From You’re On Dishes
The Savoury Section For People Who Enjoy The Pain Of Cutting Onions
Spicy Chicken Mush
Chicken Filo Pie
Han’s Sly Pad Thai
Butter Chicken Spaghetti
Stroganoff
Khichari – A Vegetarian Option
Moroccan Stew & Minted Cous Cous
Lasagne! There’s A Reason It’s Garfield’s Fav
Why Don’t You Open This Section And Call Me Pudding, Desserts This Way
Vegan Gingernuts
Baklava
Golden Key Lime Pie
Crunchie Ice-Cream
Sweet Sushi
Can’t Be Fucked Cooking? Try To Find The Will To Look At This Here
After Hours Grazing Spots For All You Hungry Hippos Because Who Wants To Cook After Midnight?
“Lord Snot Footlights College!” University Challenge Is Here, Plus An Insight Into Organic Foods
CONTRIBUTORS
Mary Abbott, Sandy Austin-Fraser, Briar Babbington, Sophie Beaumont, Cameron Bignell, Daniel Chan, Kishore Chandra, Jenny Chiu, Peter Commandeur, Kirst Dunn, Taidhg Fraser, Luke Gillespie, Rachael Gresson, Sarah Griffin, Saemah Hafeez, Matthew Joils, Jess Lanbridge, Claire Laredo, Sarah Luckman, Emma McIntosh, Michael McRae, Fleur Mealing, Emily Osborne, Sarah Platt, Miria Scott-Toft, Sahin Tasligedik, Michael Tennant, Jared Van De Geest, Ekant Veer
Editor At Large Hannah Herchenbach
Deputy Editors Callum Ching and Annalee Jones
Designer Emily McCormick
Webmaster Ryan Astle
Send us your stories, photographs, epiphanies
canta@ucsa.canterbury.ac.nz
IT’S OUR
Any general item sold for over $20 will cost you just $1. And that’s where it stays. We call it the ‘Whee Fee’. You can simply call it brill. So what are you waiting for? Get it all together on Wheedle.
KNOW YOUR EXEC
Politics is serious business these days. If Obama’s selfies and John Key’s planking expeditions are anything to go by, it seems that life as a politician involves some pretty heavy stuff. With that in mind, we at Canta thought we’d let you get to know your representatives’ softer side before you start grilling them about cheap food and locker space. Breaking down the barriers of student politics with a good yarn about food and flatting, we’d like to informally introduce you to your 2014 UCSA Exec.
Cameron Bignell: Commerce In Charge of: Finance, Development, Innovation & CapEx/ Clubs & Events
Luke Gillespie: Commerce In Charge of: Being Vice President, Welfare and Communication/Development, Innovation & CapEx
Sarah Platt: Arts In Charge of: Being the President
The worst flat meal you’ve ever eaten was…
CB: My worst one was pasta and a tin of tuna. But it was just plain pasta, and a plain tin of tuna. And that was for nine people.
LG: I don’t flat, but when I was over in the States, I tried to make a curry but I ended up using some like chutney stuff instead of curry. Worst thing ever.
SP: Uncooked potato bake. My flatmate didn’t turn the oven on, so the rest of the meal was ready but that wasn’t.
CB: And you still ate the raw potato?
SP: Yep.
Favourite flat tradition:
SP: Strawpedoing.
CB: Tradition’s quite a hard one, because you change flatmates every year. But we have a few. We’ve always got someone living in bunk beds. And every year we build something new for the flat and leave it there. Last year we built a bar and left it there, and we’ve also built a flat sign.
Which do you prefer – making dinner or doing dishes?
SP: Dinner. Hate doing dishes. When food touches you when you’re washing things in the sink – eugh.
LG: Yeah, I’d say the same, dinner.
CB: Yeah making dinner. If you’ve got music you can dance to it while you’re cooking. You can’t do that with a plate though can you, ‘cause if it falls it breaks. Of course, we only eat out of dog bowls.
LG: You still doing that?
CB: Yeah, every person has a different colour. That could be one of my traditions too.
What’s your coffee order?
SP: A fluffy.
CB: Milk Milo.
LG: Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate.
Best cooking tip:
SP: Grated unknown in mince. Just like slightly off carrot, or zucchini, or potato or, just anything that’s slightly off, you can grate into mince and it’ll just bulk it out and you won’t even know that it’s there.
CB: Put spices and sauces on everything.
SP: Oh and peas with every meal. Not at the flat, but at my house, every meal, no matter what it is, we have peas with it.
LG: I’d go with spices, like Tuscan Seasoning. It’s pretty good on everything.
What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
CB: I had a pear and banana.
LG: I actually bought French toast this morning. And a banana.
SP: I had dry Weetbix like every morning.
Rachael Gresson: Studying Law In charge of:
Post Graduate/Welfare and Communication
Emily Osborne: Studying Law and Science In charge of: Science/Welfare and Communication
The worst flat meal you’ve ever eaten was…
MM: I cooked chicken last week and it was definitely still raw. Like charcoal on the outside and bleeding on the inside.
RG: In second year we had this guy who thought he was the shit. He bought all these herb-y things and did excessive cooking for flatting. And one night he made us this Thai Green Curry and it was so hot that none of us could actually eat it – such a waste of food. But he forced his way through it, sweating the whole way and insisting that it was really good.
EO: Probably the worst is when I once tried to cook chicken nuggets and gave everyone food poisoning, which you shouldn’t really be able to do with chicken nuggets.
DC: I don’t flat, but once I was just given a loaf of bread to eat. Just a whole loaf, not sliced.
Michael McRae: Law and Commerce In charge of: Business & Law/ Development, Innovation & CapEx
Favourite flat tradition?
EO: We basically just buy a bunny rabbit when we start getting a bit clucky. We’ve only bought two though.
RG: Ours is probably the quote wall, gotta have a quote wall.
MM: Skinny dipping and red cards for me.
Which do you prefer – making dinner or doing dishes?
MM & DC: Dishes.
RG: Dinner.
EO: I hate both, but probably making dinner.
RG: Michael and Dan, are you two dishes? We’d make a good flat.
What’s your coffee order?
EO: Hot milk. Or green tea.
RG: Hot chocolate with extra marshmallows.
DC: A manly flat white. I always ask for it manly. They put concrete in it for me.
MM: I don’t actually do hot drinks, I always just smash the complimentary water.
Dan Chan: Studying Law and Commerce
In charge of: Sports/Clubs & Events
Best cooking tip:
EO: Find someone else to do the cooking for you, haha. Also, you can put anything into a toastie or a frittata.
MM: Dominoes cheap as Tuesdays. And stale cheese still goes all good in a toastie.
RG: Budget cooking spray. On everything.
DC: If in doubt, you can always cook Mi Goreng noodles.
What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
RG: Just vegemite on toast.
EO: I had a protein shake after the gym. That happened.
DC: I had an up and go, easy. 10 minutes before a lecture.
MM: I made like a bacon, egg and tomato sandwich. And then I made a gourmet pasta bake for the boys. All this morning. Yeah.
Miria Scott-Toft: Law & Arts In charge of: Arts/Welfare and Communication
Claire Laredo: Law & Arts In charge of: Clubs & Societies/ Clubs & Events
Jenny Chiu: Engineering In charge of: Engineering/ Development, Innovation & CapEx
The worst flat meal you’ve ever eaten was…
JC: For a whole year, two of the boys I lived with made the same thing – one made corned beef, cabbage and carrots, and the other guy did 1kg of mince with half a bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables on rice. And they both made that consistently for a whole year, so I’m not sure which one wins.
MS: Claire lives at home so…
CL: Yeah, well my brother thought it would be good to cook us his food tech French Onion Soup once, which is basically beef stock with onion in it. Not so great.
MS: We often do flat pantry or fridge challenges, when there’s no food left and we have no money in the flat account. And probably the worst meal to come out of that was a baked bean and tuna pasta. No veggies.
Favourite flat tradition:
CL: My boyfriend’s flat used to do a massive Red Card every time it snowed. It used to be infamous.
MS: We used to do a Masterchef Red Card: Diesel Edition. So we had teams, and you had to make an entrée, main, and a dessert, and each meal had to have an entire can of Diesel in it.
JC: Mine’s a bit more family friendly – we used to watch Geordie Shore every week. It was pretty cute, we’d get really excited about it.
Which do you prefer – making dinner or doing dishes?
All: Making dinner.
CL: I’d rather clean the entire house than do dishes.
JC: I’d rather cook forever than do dishes and clean.
What’s your coffee order?
CL: Long black
JC: English breakfast tea.
MS: Flat white.
Best cooking tip:
MC: Lots of spices in the cupboard. Herbs and spices make anything taste ok.
CL: Don’t burn your onions. You don’t want to end up with a soup with all these sour, bitter bits of onion in them.
JC: Hmm, probably just learn your basics. If you learn how to make a really basic pasta sauce, you can do that for pasta, or lasagne, or you can turn it into a really nice Italian tomato soup. If you know your standard onion, garlic, tomato, you’re all set.
Sophie Beaumont: Arts
Jared Van De Geest: Commerce
In charge of: Business & Economics/Clubs and Events
The worst flat meal you’ve ever eaten was…
SB: My flatmate once made pasta with mayonnaise and garlic granules. It was disgusting, low light of flatting last year.
JV: My flatmate’s attempt at chicken korma was pretty bad – it was just chicken and canned tomatoes, I think the chicken was still raw too.
Favourite flat tradition:
SB: Well we don’t really have any at my flat, but at my boyfriend’s they do a Sunday breakfast and I get to come along. They do BLT bagels and coffee – it’s great.
JV: We always eat at the dinner table, and we have assigned places. But they’re not our names, we’ve got assigned seats for the flat mum, dad, aunty and uncle.
In charge of: Education/ Development, Innovation & CapEx
Which do you prefer – making dinner or doing dishes?
SB: Dinner, I love to cook.
JV: Dinner, I don’t like dishes.
What’s your coffee order?
SB: A triple shot trim flat white.
JV: Long black or flat white – real simple.
Best cooking tip:
SB: Always cook with wine. Sometimes, put it in the food.
JV: Just buy nacho mix, you know, that flavouring stuff. It’s like 89c and you just dump it in and you’re good to go.
What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
SB: I had muesli with yoghurt and banana.
JV: Ended up having a chicken wrap at 11 o’clock. Usually I have porridge though.
Red Wines 101 + AGM
UC Wine Club
Wednesday 26 March
7:15pm
Ilam Homestead
$15 for members, $20 for non-members
Huge! All In
Wednesday 26 March
7:00pm
Ilam School Hall
FREE
Contact: benk@arisechurch.org.nz
UCom & UCSA Present A$AP Ferg
Wednesday 26 March
8:00pm
The Foundry, Christchurch UC Students $35, General Public $45
Learn to Surf with CUBA
Saturday 29 March
Taylor’s Mistake
Lesson, wetsuit and board hire - $25 for members and $35 for non-members.
EFSoc Quiz Night
Wednesday 2 April
7:00pm
Bentleys
$2 per person
Contact: socials@efsoc.co.nz
The Great Kiwi Beerfest
Saturday 29 March
MICHAEL TENNANT: CHANGING CHRISTCHURCH INTO AN EDIBLE CITY
Saemah Hafeez
Michael Tennant, 26, is a recent UC Bachelor of Arts Intern, who majored in Anthropology, Maori and Indigenous studies. At the moment, he is looking at new ways to improve our food accessibility and reliability. He started his internship in September 2013 when he attended the first food forest hui at UC. From there, his self-appointed project has been looking into the social, environmental, economic, health and education aspects of community heritage fruit trees. By the end of his ARTS395 Internship, Michael hopes to have completed a research report on heritage fruit tree growth and heritage species which could be harvested by the public.
Through his work and involvement in the community, Michael hopes that the students of UC, and residents of Christchurch at large, will learn that food is fundamental in the creation of strong, healthy and socially aware human beings. By making UC a space in which we have edible landscapes filled with fruit and trees and vegetable gardens, we can see first hand that it is the way we grow and produce food that determines the future state of our environment. Here’s what Michael has to say about his work, the community, and the future of fruit and vege in the garden city.
How did you get interested in edible landscapes and food forests?
I studied to be a chef when I was younger, I did a diploma in culinary arts and when I moved to Christchurch I started growing my own vegetables, but then I started to see the waste within the hospitality fields and the amount of food that was being thrown in dumpsters. I then started investigating upstream wastes in our food systems and began to look for alternatives.
What are fruit forests?
Fruit forest are multi-layered food landscapes that are maintained to a certain extent, but ultimately if you get the layers right they will look after themselves, and they act as an eco-system which humans can harvest. Fruit forests located in an urban environment have reduced transport costs, increased access, and a utilization of the commons by the community rather than having it defined by the council. Also, not only does it give aesthetic pleasure but it also gives physical nourishment.
Can you explain what Garden City 2.0 is?
It’s a social enterprise. It sources organic fruit and vegetables from the local farming and urban community, and twice a week it does food bag deliveries across the city in order to generate an income and it uses part of its income to pay wages and overheads. This in turn provides the resources for them to do community projects; these include projects within organizations like Agropolis (a scalable transitional urban farm within Christchurch’s inner city) and vege gardens in schools like in Aranui and community gardens like Van Asch in Sumner.
Why did they come up with it?
Well, post-earthquakes meant that there was a large amount of landscape space and many people were also starting to realise that the way they were living their lives was potentially not the way they wanted to live. So, they took the opportunity together to come up with the idea of developing something like fruit forests with a number of other organizations. The food forest steering group is made up of 12 to 13 different organizations all interested in edible landscapes.
What is your main goal or what do you hope to achieve with Garden City 2.0?
I hope to achieve an edible city. Simple as that! I want this city to be covered in local heritage species, which includes community forests and urban agriculture, jobs, healthy communities etc. After my internship, I want to work with Bailey (a fellow farmer) to change food delivery to cycle power rather than motor vehicles. Primarily, we will work together with the steering group to implement the landscape I am working on. I would love to see hot spots or well springs of activity springing out through the rest of the city, and have food forests and ribbons of fruit trees around cycle ways and walk ways. We will be trying to change food into a resource of the commons rather than a monetary resource!
How will it help Christchurch?
Essentially, it will ensure food security for food insecure communities. It will ensure that our city is resistant to future disruption, it will also create a healthier environment for humans and the species that we share
this city with. It will also provide employment for local initiatives and provide training, empowerment and a wealth of skills and community strength especially for young people.
What other organizations are Garden City 2.0 involved with?
Lots! Community Garden Association, Food Forests Collective, Agropolis, Food forest steering group, definitely Soil & Health. Soil & Health is awesome! Soil and health is the umbrella for the food forest steering group.
How do you expect the University of Canterbury to help or provide support in the development of edible landscapes?
I want the university to change its practices and create more edible landscapes, I would like a heritage orchard down by the botany department at UC! Start planting out trees! Start planting out edible landscapes and provide more education about it around campus! I want the university to use up the empty lawns and landscapes around the university!
How can people find out more about Garden City 2.0 and the other organizations involved with it?
I suggest you visit their website http://gardencity.org.nz and of course you can find out more by going on the internet and looking up information on the other organizations. Join DigSoc (UC’s student gardening club) or join Soil & Health or the Food Forests Collective.
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT FOOD
Not only is she a Law and Political Science student, Chief Operations Officer of UC Entre, an employee at Rekindle, and writer for Christchurch guide Neat Places, but she is also a founder of popular foodie website, Conversations about Food. And if you thought all of that was enough to keep her busy, think again. She throws one hell of a dinner party too.
“After the quakes there was no ‘town’ as such, so we decided to do things from home,” says Gracie on the origins of her infamous parties. What began as simple catch ups at the dinner table, have since turned into highly anticipated and memorable evenings, some of which have ended up with forgotten deserts and dancing on coffee tables “(there’s usually a few glasses of wine involved).” Others have simply bought eclectic mixes of people together and pushed people out of their culinary comfort zones.
According to Gracie, the key to a good dinner party is keeping it pretty simple: do one thing well, don’t have too many people “(6 or 7 is good),” and “do food you can sort out in advance so you just have to assemble it, so you aren’t stuck in the kitchen when people are there.” Music is also a key ingredient, and so are nibbles for when people arrive. Gracie also says cooking for others shouldn’t be something we stress over. Putting on a party need not be a mammoth task; she is quick to point out that cooking should be less about trying to impress, “although that does work sometimes” – (she laughs) and more about enjoying and appreciating the effort someone else has made in creating a meal to share.
Learning more about the people who do just that for a living, was the impetus behind Conversations About Food – a blog she began with friend and fellow foodie Jack. Whilst review sites “have their place, and are good to keep businesses on their game,” says Gracie, the pair wanted to provide a forum for discussions with people from all walks of life – vegetable growers, farmers, seven year old diners, business owners and so on, about what food means to them, what they like and don’t like, and in the case of those working in the industry, why they do what they do. “We wanted to share these conversations that we really should be having more of, and then leave the ‘reviewing’ up to the customers themselves”.
The result has been a series of informative, inspiring, and often humorous discussions that look beyond the end product on the plate or in the café cabinet. And whilst Gracie has plans for a career in law, a possible move to another city in the future. She is passionate about the creative culinary enterprises occurring in post-quake Christchurch, and hopes to someday have an establishment of her own, where she can continue sharing her love and enthusiasm for great food and drink, and interesting conversation.
(Gracie’s website is undergoing a revamp at the moment, but in the meantime you can check out their Facebook Page).
Kirst Dunn
Gracie Hall is a lady with her fingers in numerous pies.
SARAH GRIFFIN
Sarah Griffin is a recent Fine Arts graduate from UC. For her final project, she decided to take on the daunting task of putting together a cookbook, complete with handwritten illustrations and heaps of excellent flat-worthy recipes. The book, You’re on Dishes, is available at the UCSA cafés on campus, or at UBS for the low low price of just $5.
Seeing as this lass is probably going to be the inspiration for many a student flat meal throughout the year, we thought it’d be good for you to get to know the girl behind the recipes.
You should make sure your pantry is full of the following things at all times.
salt and pepper (season absolutely everything with these)
oil (canola or olive) soy sauce
mayonnaise tomato sauce
sweet chilli sauce fish sauce
flour rice sugar
lime juice
Less essential, but still damn useful equipment to have:
A rice cooker, because it will give you perfect rice every time and you don’t have to watch over it with an eagle-eye.
A hand blender, because they change your life. Great for smoothing smoothies, or souping… soups.
pasta milk chicken and vegetable stock
cumin paprika chilli flakes nutmeg
dried rosemary dried oregano garlic ginger
Herbs make everything taste delicious. You should invest in growing a herb garden, so that you don’t have to fork out for fresh ones at the supermarket all the time. It’s super easy to get one going, just hop down to the closest garden centre and nab the herbs you love the most. If you go in for décor, they look pretty snazzy on windowsills or as a ‘garden feature’.
Rosemary is used in many Italian dishes and goes well with meat, specifically lamb. It is best to begin growing it in the sun and is easy to grow once it gets started. If growing begins in the winter, start it inside and then move it outside in the spring.
Basil is commonly used in French and Italian dishes. It tastes great in many dishes, but is especially tasty as a complement to tomatoes, also as a delicious base in pesto. It is a relatively easy herb to keep on growing but is best grown indoors as it can be affected by the cold weather.
Coriander is used frequently in Indian, Asian and Mexican food and tastes great in fresh, light meals. When planting, keep in mind that it goes easily to seed so you may need to replant it a few times a year (depending on how often you use it).
Thyme is used in many European dishes. There are many different types of thyme and some of these are also used for medicinal purposes. Thyme is great in winter meals as it brings a taste of richness to the dish. It can be grown all year round, however if flowers start to appear on the plant, trim them off.
Mint is often used in Indian, Middle Eastern, Asian and European cuisine. It is very fragrant and great in salads, with lamb, in beverages and even sweet treats. It grows very well and is found in abundance in many gardens… Go and check, you might already have some and not know it!
Parsley is an especially nutritious herb, used to flavour and garnish. It is instantly recognisable and used by many, frequently appearing in American and European foods. It is also super easy to grow, requiring a bit of space to itself so it can flourish.
CHICKEN MUSH SPICY SOUP
Callum Ching
Depending on how many you need to serve, add or reduce amounts of ingredients. I
usually make enough for six people and there are still leftovers.
Ingredients Method
Rice
Chicken. Tenderloins or Breast is best, around 500g to 800g
One medium to large onion
Five medium sized Portobello mushrooms
Two medium sized courgettes
Three cans of chopped tomatoes (the ones with basil and oregano herbs are rather useful)
Cajun seasoning
Cayenne pepper
Curry Powder (Vencat is a proper nice brand to use)
Worcestershire sauce, a splash. (Optional)
Garlic bread. (Optional)
1. Keep the chicken chunky. If you use tenderloins just throw them into a wok or deep set pan. If you are using breast, cut it into long strips or nice fuck off chunks. Brown the chicken in a spot of oil and spray liberally with Cajun seasoning, medium heat on the pan.
2. While this is going on, chop up your vegetables. If the chicken is going a little too crispy, take the heat off until you finish up. Chop the vegetables in any style you like.
3. Throw your chopped courgettes, mushrooms and onion into the pan with the chicken, giving it a stir.
4. Once everything is nicely mixed up open up your canned tomatoes and pour them in, giving a stir after adding each can. At this stage it will look quite thick. This is normal and it will reduce by itself, there is no need to add water.
5. Add your spices. A sprinkle of cayenne pepper, a decent dollop of curry powder and if you feel like it put in a splash of Worcestershire sauce. If you didn’t skimp on the Cajun seasoning the chances are your meal is already quite well spiced. This is just a chance to add a secondary layer, which will help round the dish.
6. Leave to simmer for a minimum of 30mins, stirring occasionally. Notice the change in colour; once it is cooked, it will look a tempting dark red.
7. 30 minutes before you are ready to eat put on your rice and as a welcome addition to the meal prepare garlic bread.
8. Serve on rice, with garlic bread on the side if you included that option.
CHICKEN FILO PIE
Emma McIntosh
Makes enough for 6 people.
Ingredients
1 packet filo pastry
1/3 cup olive/canola/hash oil
Chicken (enough for your flat, like 1kg)
Silverbeet (just use the whole bunch from the supermarket or like four big handfuls)
2 onions
Bacon (I use lots)
1 cup grated cheese
50g butter
2 tablespoons cornflour (I don’t actually know how much. I made that up. I just add little bits at a time until desired consistency is achieved)
2 cups or so milk
Mushrooms if you want. I hate mushrooms so don’t use them.
Method
1. Cut up onions and bacon into really roughly diced chunks and cook in pan on medium heat until pretty much done. If you wish to ruin the dish by adding mushrooms I guess you should do that now.
2. Dice chicken and add to pan. While this is cooking cut up silverbeet as small as you can be bothered and cook in boiling water on stove for 10mins.
3. Make cheese sauce. You can do this in a pot on the stove but I like the lazy method of microwaving.
4. Melt 50g butter in the microwave, let cool and add a wee bit of milk and some cornflour. Whisk whisk whisk.
5. Put in microwave for 2 mins. Whisk whisk whisk. Then add more milk and cornflour, and whisk whisk whisk. Repeat this process, adding more cornflour until you achieve the consistency you want. Usually around 1 tablespoon per cup of milk is pretty good. Stir it lots so it doesn’t go all gloopy and shit.
6. Once pretty much there add 1 cup (or more) of grated cheese and microwave for another 2 minutes.
7. By now the silverbeet should be done. Take it off stove and drain, rinse and squeeze out the excess liquid.
8. Add to the cheese sauce and mix.
9. Pour the cheese sauce into now cooked chicken bacon onion in the pan and set to simmer.
10. Turn oven on 170-180 bake.
Now to make the pastry bit. You can use any dish, I use glass Pyrex so you can see how cooked the pastry is.
11. Using a pastry brush (or cooking spray works fine too) gently brush each sheet of filo pastry with oil and place in the pie dish. You want to brush oil between each layer of pastry and end up with 6-10 layers coating the sides of the dish when done. Make sure you leave enough to cover the top once the contents have been poured in.
12. Pour contents in.
13. Fold over edges and cover with remaining pastry. Remember to brush oil in between each layer.
14. You can make it look all nice and shit by playing round with random bits of leftover pastry on top. My flatmates think putting a pastry dick and balls on top is hilarious, at least they missed the opportunity this time round.
15. Put in oven until ready. Like 20mins? I dunno, if it’s not ready by 20mins I get impatient and turn it right up. You must be vigilant though! Pastry burns like a ma’fucka.
HAN’S SLY PAD THAI
Hannah Herchenbach
This uses apple cider vinegar instead of tamarind at the centre of the sauce, making it officially a rip-off. But I can’t help like it better than the original, even if it’s nowhere near authentic. It’s super easy; try it.
Ingredients
750g Chicken tenderloins
¼ c soy sauce
2t garlic paste
Good shake steak pepper
Good shake lemon pepper
Water
350g Rice Noodles
6 Tablespoons brown sugar
6 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 Tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon chili paste, more for the brave
½ bunch spring onions, chopped
500g bag bean sprouts
Peanuts, to garnish
Lemons, ¼ per person
Method
1. Slice into strips and marinate for anywhere between 15 minutes to 8 hours in the soy sauce, garlic paste, steak pepper and lemon pepper.
2. Then cook on high heat for the first two minutes until the meat is seared, then further on low for another 8-10 minutes or until the biggest chunks are white in the middle when torn through.
3. Meanwhile boil water and soak 350g rice noodles in a bowl for 10 minutes, stirring at intervals so the noodles do not stick.
4. As all that happens, combine brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, fish sauce, and chili paste in a jar and shake to make a sauce.
5. Once the noodles are cooked through, turn the pan with the chicken to high heat and add the noodles, spring onions, 300g of the bean spouts and the sauce.
6. Stir regularly until the sauce thickens, about 4-7 minutes.
7. Garnish with peanuts, a sprinkling of bean sprouts and a squeeze of lemon, served on the side. Too easy.
Tips: It’s worth heading to Kosco at 227 Bleheim Road for your rice noodles and bean sprouts. They’re 400g for $1.59 at Kosco; 200g for $2.59 at Pak N Save. As for bean sprouts, if you’re lucky enough to find them at New World, the mark-up is about 1000%.
MURGH MAKHANI (BUTTER CHICKEN)
Ekant Veer
This is a favourite in India and nothing like the Butter Chicken you get in Australia or New Zealand. It is a rich and flavoursome dish with very little butter. It’s made up of two parts – first, the marinading and cooking of the chicken; secondly, the preparation of the sauce.
While chicken is cooking, drink beer. Some people feel this is optional. It is not.
Ingredients
4 Chicken thighs, boned (I prefer the texture of thighs to breast
– holds the flavour and texture better in a curry)
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 dried chilli
1 cm knob of ginger
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Pinch of rock salt
2 tbls unsweetened yoghurt –greek is the best, as it’s much firmer than the stuff I used
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
Juice from half a lemon
For the sauce
One small onion
4 tbls butter
6 green cardamom pods, shells discarded
2 Large tomatoes (or 4 medium ones)
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp chilli powder (or sweet paprika if you want a milder flavour)
1 tsp crushed garlic
A little cream – the more you put in, the milder the flavour
Spring onions to taste
1 bottle (or more) or beer. Cashews or almond slivers to garnish
Method
1. Grind up some ginger, garlic, rock salt & chilli.
2. Roast some cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan until they smoke – this will give the spices a far richer flavour
3. Grind the whole lot together into a paste
4. Prick holes all over the chicken with a fork. Some people like to slash their chicken, but using a fork helps the marinade to really get deep inside the chicken
5. Squeeze some lemon juice to start the marinading process – this tenderises the chicken and makes it much easier for the marinade to permeate the meat
6. Add in the paste made earlier and some coriander powder and paprika
7. Add in a couple of tablespoons of fresh yoghurt and mix the whole lot together. Leave to marinade for at least 6 hours (I made this batch before going to work – means it’s ready for dinner)
8. Time to cook our chicken. If, like me, you don’t have a tandoor oven, then BBQ is your next best option.
9. While chicken is cooking, drink beer. Some people feel this is optional. It is not.
Mmmmm, Chicken! If you stopped here, you’ve got a great starter dish – really tender and full of flavour. But, to make Murgh Makhani, you need to make a sauce to put the chicken in.
The sauce
1. Fry onions, garlic, cardamon, garam masala; chilli powder in the butter
2. Add in the tomatoes and a little water
3. Reduce the mixture down and leave to cool a little.
4. Pour the mixture into a blender and blend to a smooth paste. You can sieve the mixture if you wish, but I prefer the thickness of the mix.
5. Pour back in to the pan on a medium heat and add in the cream
6. Add the chicken and warm through. Top with some garnish like coriander leaves or spring onions.
Serve and enjoy!
For more delectable Indian dishes from Ekant, check out his blog at www.ekantcookcurry.com
~ WIN THIS BOOK! ~
If you want to win a copy of Donna Hay’s book (RRP $55.00) simply send your soul in a sealed envelope to Editor of Canta, UCSA Offices, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. Alternatively send a picture of you dressed up as your favourite food to: canta@ucsa.canterbury.ac.nz
FANCYPANTS SPAG BOL A DONNA HAY RECIPE
Taidhg Fraser
Now, I’m going to start off here by stating the obvious and say that it’s not hard to make a Spag Bol. Quite the opposite in fact. It is excruciatingly easy to cook some pasta and brown off some mince, pour a container of sauce in and mix it all together. But for those with slightly more refined pallet, or someone wanting to try something slightly more testing I would recommend this variation of the kiwi and student classic.
Ingredients
400g spaghetti
¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
500g beef mince
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons thyme leaves
2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons caster sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup (125ml) dry white wine
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
400g mixed cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup (90g) Ligurian olives
baby (micro) basil leaves and finely grated parmesan, to serve
Method
1. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 10–12 minutes or until al dente. Drain and keep warm.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the mince, garlic, thyme and chilli and cook, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon, for 6–8 minutes or until browned.
3. Add the salt, pepper, sugar and tomato paste and cook for 4–5 minutes.
4. Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, for a further 3–4 minutes or until the liquid is reduced.
5. Toss the pasta with the remaining oil, lemon rind, lemon juice and vinegar. Add the mince, tomatoes and olives and toss to combine.
6. Top with basil leaves and sprinkle with parmesan to serve. Serves 4–6.
In my case I didn’t add the wine and instead used water and that led to me overestimating how long I should reduce the sauce for, which led to a slightly darker tinge to the Bolognese than I would have liked, but it still tasted good. Nor did I drown the pasta in lemon, or mix olives through because I thought that was superfluous, and like half the population I hate olives. The addition of cherry tomatoes though was a nice touch and added to the dish as a whole.
All that being said, it is a very expensive dish to make. Most well-put together kitchens would have (at least most of) ingredients anyway. But unless you are trying to be a little bit fancy, or want to show of your culinary skills to your boyfriend/girlfriend/flatmates/parents it may be slightly overkill.
Despite that it was a nice feeling to have followed a Donna Hay recipe and not to have ended up with a charred mess in front of me. The fact the food was actually quite nice was an added bonus. And if anyone was feeling so adventurously inclined as I was, I would strongly recommend them to try it.
EASY UDON NOODLES MISO SOUP FOR THE LONELY SOUL
Annalee Jones
Makes one serving. For one.
Thanks to my mum who taught me how to make this and prepared me for an awkward, friendless existence.
Ingredients
1 packet of udon noodles
1 spring onion, finely sliced
1 packet of miso soup paste
1 serving of frozen store bought dumplings in whatever flavour you fancy
1 splash of oil
Water
Method
1. Fill small to medium sized saucepan ¾ full of water.
2. Put a splash of oil into your saucepan of water and bring it to a rolling boil.
3. Throw in the dumplings and leave to boil for about 4-5minutes, or whatever it says on the packet directions.
4. When the dumplings are cooked, use a slotted spoon to take them out of the pan. Set aside while you cook the noodles.
5. Add your packet of miso soup to the water you just cooked the dumplings in. Stir the paste into the water.
6. Add the udon noodles and half the chopped spring onion. Break them up using a chopstick so you don’t end up with a congealed lump of noodles.
7. Bring to the boil again and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Turn off the heat and chuck your dumplings back in and give all that a stir too.
9. Pour your delicious noodle/dumpling dish into a bowl and sprinkle the rest of the spring onion on top in a Jamie Oliveresque manner.
10. Eat. Alone.
GLUTEN FREE FISH BURGERS FROM THE COMPLETE NEW ZEALAND
SEAFOOD COOKBOOK
Sarah Luckman
This recipe has been adapted from the NZ Seafood Cookbook, which is an excellent read for anyone who enjoys cooking up kaimoana.
As seafood dishes can be rather expensive, I’ve given a breakdown of what it costs to make the dish, just to give you a guideline as to whether or not it’ll empty out the flat account for the week. I also modified the recipe a bit to make it gluten free, which makes it slightly more expensive, but celiac friendly!
Ingredients
Venerdi Burger Buns GF x4 $6.49 (Ciabatta buns $3.79)
Fish – sole $23.99/kg (on special) $11.51 for 120g x4
1 tomato $2.99/kg – 0.30cents
1 avocado 0.99 cents
1 red onion 0.99 cents
2 cloves garlic – I just used my jar of crushed garlic we had at home ($2.24 if have to purchase)
1 egg yolk – Woodland free range egg $1.12 ($4.49per ½ dozen)
1 tsp Dijon mustard – Macro Organic (Gluten Free) - $2.99
100m Light Olive Oil (everyone should have this in the pantry)
1 tbsp lemon juice – lemon tree at home!
Method
1. Thinly slice red onion and place in a non-reactive bowl. Sprinkle with salt, and lemon juice. Set aside until ready to assemble burgers.
2. Preheat oven to grill 220°C.
3. Prepare aioli by crushing garlic with a little salt using a mortar and pestle or in a food processor. Transfer garlic puree to a small bowl. Add egg yolk and mustard and beat with a whisk until pale and frothy. Slowly add olive oil, at the beginning drop by drop, not adding more until the previous addition is fully incorportated. When all the oil is is added and aioli is thick, mix in lemon juice.
4. Slice buns and place under the grill for a few minutes to lightly toast.
5. Season fish fillets and grill or fry over medium heat for 3 minutes per side or until done (depending on thickness of fillet).
6. To serve, spread a little aioli on each half of the toasted buns and then assemble the burger with avocado, a slice of tomato, fish fillet and a pile of onions.
Cost if you had to buy all ingredients
Non gluten free
$20.94/$5.23 per person
Gluten free
$23.64/$5.91 per person
Tips to make it even more cost effective
- Rather than fresh fish go for frozen Birds Eye Oven Bake Fish Fillets 6pk $5.99 & come in a range of flavours - crumbed, beer battered…(not GF however)
SAVE $5.52
- Sealord Fish Fillets Crumber Hoki Gluten Free x 4pk- $7.99
SAVE $3.52
- Burger buns $2.99 pk 6
SAVE 80cents
TOTAL COST
Non gluten free $14.62/$3.65 per person
Gluten free $20.12/$5.03 per person
Note: In the original recipe, they add chopped capers to the aioli, sprinkled the red onion with ½ a teaspoon of ground sumac, and used baby rocket instead of avocado.
BEEF STROGANOFF
Briar Babbington
I love cooking, but I really can’t be arsed spending all day in the kitchen preparing a dinner for my flatmates when I know it’s going to essentially be inhaled by them with but a few grunts of satisfaction and approval here and there. I love them to bits, but I have other things to do. Like daydreaming about Cake Fridays that my Honours class has instigated. Lazy, yet delicious, home cooking is the way to go. If you hadn’t noticed, The Motherland is up to a few unsavoury acts at the mo, so here’s something wholly savoury that they did get right: beef stroganoff.
Ingredients
50g butter
2 onions
500g beef
300g mushrooms
3 teaspoons paprika
500mL sour cream
Salt and Pepper
Method
1. Slice the onions and the mushrooms, and dice the beef.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the onions and paprika.
3. Once the onions have softened (but not browned), add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Transfer the onions and mushrooms to a plate, and then add the beef to the pan (you may need to add a little oil at this point).
5. Season the beef with salt and pepper and fry for 2 minutes.
6. Add the onions and mushrooms back to the pan, and cook for 1 minute.
7. Pour in the sour cream and simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Adjust the seasonings and serve with rice. If you need me to tell you how to cook rice, then I’m sorry but there’s not much hope for you. Also I suck at cooking rice and like to enlist the help of a magical device I like to call a rice cooker.
Boom. Dinner. If this still sounds too complicated then go to the supermarket and buy the Maggi recipe base, follow their instructions and enjoy your downward spiral into artificial flavours, colours and a sodium overload.
Do svidaniya, homies.
KHICHARI BY KISHORE
Kishore Chandra and Peter Commandeur
The Higher Taste Club’s Kishore Chandra from Bangalore, India who does the cooking for free for the club’s $3 student meals on Wednesdays on campus (C Block lawn next to the library). He also has a food caravan at the New Brighton market in the mall lunchtime on Saturdays, and does a free meal for the needy in the mall on Saturday evenings. Before he immigrated here seven years ago, Kishore used to work as a lighting technician on Bollywood film sets. This is one of his recipes, “Khichari,” an Indian vegetarian staple.
Ingredients
1 cup (200 g) mung dal (from any Indian grocer) or split peas
1 and ½ cups (250 g) medium or long-grained rice
Your choice of vegetables, such as:
½ cauliflower separated into florets
4 medium-sized potatoes or a quarter pumpkin cubed
2 or 3 carrots chopped
2 heads of broccoli chopped, or several leaves of silverbeet or cabbage
4 tomatoes or one tin
3 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) or cooking oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon asafetida
2 teaspoon tumeric
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
Chilli powder or whole chilli chopped (if you like it hot)
1 or 2 teaspoons salt
7 cups (1.6 litres) water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
Method
1. Wash the rice and dal. Drain.
2. Wash, trim and cut the vegetables.
3. Heat the ghee or cooking oil in a wok or saucepan and fry the cumin seeds, ginger and chilli. After they sizzle for a minute, toss in the ground cumin and asafetida.
4. After a few seconds, put in the vegetables such as diced potatoes (or pumpkin), carrots, cauliflower or broccoli.
5. Turn the veges with a spoon for 4 to 5 minutes until they become flecked with brown spots.
6. Now add the drained rice and dal and stir-fry for one minute. Pour in the water.
7. Add the salt, tumeric, tomatoes (and silverbeet or cabbage if using those) and bring to the boil over high heat.
8. Reduce to low heat and cook with the pot partially covered for 30-40 minutes until the dal/split peas are soft and fully cooked. Stir occasionally at the beginning to prevent the rice from sticking to the pot.
9. Finally, squeeze the lemon juice over the khichari, add the butter and simmer over low heat until absorbed. Season with pepper. Mix all ingredients gently and serve with a flatbread such as chapati, naan or tortilla (make your own using recipes online or purchase).
MOROCCAN STEW AND MINTED COUSCOUS
Kirst Dunn
Method Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
400g can tinned tomatoes
400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed
½ cup sultanas
400g pumpkin or kumara, cubed
2 carrots, diced
1 cup cashew nuts
2 cups of couscous
1 cup vegetable stock
4 tbsp chopped fresh mint
Plain soy yoghurt (optional)
Hummus (optional)
1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and cook for five minutes, until brown.
2. Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, chilli, and a couple of tablespoons of water and fry off for a minute or so.
3. Now add the tinned tomatoes, chickpeas, sultanas, and one cup of water.
4. Boil the mixture and then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. Add the pumpkin and/or kumara and the carrot and cook for a further half an hour, or until the pieces have softened.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Pour 1 ½ cups of boiling water into a large bowl, add the vegetable stock, and stir. Pour in the couscous, add a dash of olive oil, cover, and leave for 10 minutes.
8. Add half of the fresh mint, and stir in as you fluff the couscous with a fork.
9. Serve the stew atop the couscous with some soy yoghurt flavoured with the remaining mint and/or some hummus on the side.
ROAST VEGETABLE LASAGNE
Kirst Dunn
Method Ingredients
½ medium sized pumpkin
1 large kumara (or 1 eggplant)
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 cans of diced tomatoes
½ cup chopped mushrooms
2 diced courgettes
1 cup of chopped spinach or silverbeet
Salt, Pepper, Basil, Oregano
2 cups grated cheese
1 tsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp cornflour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 free range eggs
Lasagne sheets
1. Remove the seeds and skin from the pumpkin, peel the kumara, and cut them both into slices about 1cm thick.
2. Spread the slices across some baking paper in a roasting dish, drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle over some salt, pepper, basil, and oregano, and roast in the oven for about 40 minutes at 170 Celsius. (Turn them over half way through cooking.)
3. While the veggies are roasting, brown the diced onion and garlic in a pan and then add the mushrooms and courgettes. Fry for a few minutes before adding the cans of tomatoes, some salt and pepper, extra herbs, and the spinach. (You may like to throw a bay leaf in there too for some extra flavour.) Cook for a further ten minutes and then set the sauce aside.
4. Make a white sauce by melting the butter over a medium heat and slowly adding the flour and 1 cup of the milk alternately, stirring as you go. Add 1 ½ cups of the grated cheese and a little salt and pepper to taste. Stir until the cheese has melted and set aside.
5. Cover the bottom of a lasagne dish with some of the roasted vegetables. Spoon a cup or so of the tomato sauce on top and spread it evenly. Drizzle some of the cheese sauce over this and then place the lasagne sheets on top. Repeat.
6. Spread the remaining tomato and cheese sauces on top of the second layer of pasta. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, cornflour, and ½ cup of milk together and then pour this on top. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake in the oven for about half an hour at 150 Celsius (check to make sure the top doesn’t get too brown, cover with tin foil towards the end to prevent burning.)
7. Serve with a salad or steamed broccoli and carrots.
VEGAN GINGERNUTS
Matthew Joils
From time to time one finds they have a craving that only Vegan Gingernuts can satisfy. So one trawls the internet looking for simple vegan recipes without too many strange and undoubtedly costly ingredients. One is occasionally blessed to find such a wondrous recipe, and lo and behold, one shares the joy of the Vegan Gingernut.
Ingredients Method
Dry
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 and a hald tablespoons of ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground clove
½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
Wet (plus sugar)
½ cups canola oil
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup soy milk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla essence
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Sift all the dry ingredients into a bowl, except for the sugar.
3. Mix the wet and sugar in a separate bowl.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until the dough is sticky.
5. Roll into balls and flatten onto a greased tray.
6. Bake for 10 minutes.
Tip: Depending on what you have on hand, you can change the recipe up a little bit – molasses can be replaced with golden syrup, ground clove can be swapped for ground nutmeg, and you can substitute soy milk for water.
BAKLAVA
Sahin Tasligedik
Sahin and his buddies from the Pot Luck Club cook up some pretty amazing cuisine from time to time. Here’s his take on the classic Greek dessert, Baklava.
Ingredients Method
150g finely chopped walnuts
20 sheets filo pastry (one pack)
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water
100g of unsalted butter
A small pot for melting butter
Baking brush
Baking tray preferably 5cm+ depth
1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C.
2. Melt butter until light brown.
3. Brush bottom of tray with some melted butter.
4. Lay first later of filo pastry.
5. Brush some melted butter onto filo pastry.
6. Lay second sheet of filo pastry.
7. Repeat this till 10 sheets of filo pastry is used.
8. Spread chopped walnut on 10th piece of filo pastry.
9. Lay 11th layer of filo pastry, brush butter onto it.
10. Lay 12th later of filo pastry, butter onto it.
11. Repeat till 20 layers of filo pastry is used (butter brushed as well).
12. Cut pre-baked Baklava into 3x3cm grids.
13. Place into oven for 20-30 min until golden brown.
14. Prepare sugar syrup: 1 cup sugar to 1 cup water.
15. Boil till all sugar dissolves & viscous sugar syrup is obtained.
16. Pour sugar syrup over golden brown tray of Baklava (it sizzles!).
17. Serve.
GOLDEN (JOHN) KEY LIME PIE
Sandy Austin-Fraser
Everyone heard about John Key coming to Clubs Day, right? Well if you hadn’t, now you have. And on the day, he came to our Golden Key stall to entrust us with his top-secret prime-ministerial Key Lime Pie recipe. True story kids! And in true democratic fashion, we wish to share this most elite of recipes with you all!
Ingredients
300g Hob Nobs
75g butter, melted
1 x 397g tin condensed milk (we used Nestlé)
3 medium egg yolks
Finely grated zest and juice of 4 limes
300ml double cream
1 tbsp icing sugar
Extra lime zest, to decorate
Method
1. Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3.
2. Whizz the biscuits to crumbs in a food processor (or put in a strong plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin).
3. Mix with the melted butter and press into the base and up the sides of a 22cm loose-based tart tin. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and cool.
4. Put the egg yolks in a large bowl and whisk for a minute with electric beaters. Add the condensed milk and whisk for 3 minutes then add the zest and juice and whisk again for 3 minutes.
5. Pour the filling into the cooled base then put back in the oven for 15 minutes. Cool then chill for at least 3 hours or overnight if you like.
6. When you are ready to serve, carefully remove the pie from the tin and put on a serving plate. To decorate, softly whip together the cream and icing sugar. Dollop or pipe the cream onto the top of the pie and finish with extra lime zest.
CRUNCHIE BAR ICE CREAM
Fleur Mealing
Ingredients
3 Crunchie bars (or a pack of 12 minis - with three left over to eat YUM!)
2 cups of cream
2 teaspoons of vanilla essence
1 can of condensed milk
Method
1. Chop the Crunchie bars well and place in bowl for later.
2. Whip the cream until thick.
3. Add the vanilla essence and fold in the condensed milk.
4. Fold in chopped Crunchie bars to mixture.
5. Place in a freezer proof bowl (or old ice cream container) and freeze overnight until set. (Use within 10 days)
SWEET SUSHI
Mary Abbott
Hate actual sushi, but want to obtain the culture and exotic allure that accompanies the staff at Hachi Hachi? Then this is the dish for you! It’s quick and easy, and doesn’t leave a mess in the kitchen, so you’ll be in the good books with your flatmates.
#BeTheMostPopular GuestAtYourNext PotluckDinner
Ingredients
1 box LCM bars
1 packet gummi snakes
1 box fruit roll ups
1 packet Pams Fruit O’s
1 packet mini chocolate fish
1 packet gummi mix (eggs/sharks etc.)
Method
1.
2.
3.
Cut the LCM bars into small circles to be the ‘rice’
Hold together with the fruit O’s.
Decorate to your cater to your own tastes.
MIDNIGHT FEASTS
Kirst Dunn and Jess Lanbridge
No trays of frosty pigs unfortunately, but rainbow and Cookie Monster cupcakes are an acceptable substitute.
Scene: We open on a main road in the early hours. The lighting is shed not by the rows of streetlamps but by tired neons mounted on brick walls, and the occasional glow of a taxi’s sign as it stalks a clump of staggering youths.
Cut to you. You are holding your heels in your hand (or wearing heels – either way, it’s not the way you started out at the saintly hour of 9pm) and the bags under your eyes and your sweaty forehead are illuminated by the backlit cellphone screen you are curled over. Looking up, you can make out a leprechaun, a sultry nurse and a humansized rabbit further afield. None of this helps you figure out where you are or what public holiday you should be celebrating.
You are not walking in a straight line – that is simply not an option right now. As you stumble, you try your best to dodge wet, pulpy messes on the pavement that you can only hope are vomit and not something else. A lone car cruises past and before it is enveloped by the night, you can just make out a ghostly cry: “Get out your…”
Ah. You’re in or near Riccarton and you need a feed.
RICCARTON AREA
Big Gary’s Takeaways, Riccarton Road
One of the most tolerant and hospitable joints around, Gazza’s is host to a delightful selection of classic takeaway fare awaiting your drunken purchase. It’s a UC institution for a reason.
Try: The Foot-Long Schlong if you have an appetite or a store of hilarious penis jokes you’re dying to share with ya boys, or the Chocolate Explosion Donut (and know you’re getting the best when it’s not spelt “Explotion” or “Explosian”).
Be prepared for: The other customers, harsh fluorescents, and to find the arcade machines out of order/too expensive.
McDonald’s, Riccarton Road
If you’re hoping to join a queue that makes you feel better about your current state, and don’t mind a table covered in slithers of limp lettuce and T-sauce smears, then by all means, Macca’s is the place for you. If, however, you are after a coffee and a macaroon from McCafé, you’re plum out of luck (and likely out of friends too, mate.)
Try: Who the fuck cares, you obviously aren’t there to meet your “5 Plus a Day” requirements.
Be Prepared For: Anything.
Honourable mentions:
Captain Ben’s, cnr Rountree Street and Ilam Road An early close, but real variety. Also home to culinary innovations such as the “Twice Down” (rival – nay, conqueror – of the KFC Double Down), and of course the enigmatic Captain.
Dragon Garden, Church Corner
For all your 2am Yum Cha needs.
Subway, Riccarton Road
Foot-longs available in “breakfast” flavour and artwork that will remind you why you are still on this earth (i.e. a panel depicting a platter of assorted meats).
Night and Day, Riccarton Road – Convenience wedges. And Panadol.
Who the fuck cares, you obviously aren’t there to meet your “5 Plus a Day” requirements
FURTHER AFIELD
Burger King, Lincoln Road (Addington)
Standard burger take-outs dressed in American diner-themed décor, but subject to many restrictions. It’s “Drive through” only in the wee hours: take it from Batman’s The Joker and Alice (post-Wonderland), who were left grovelling at the doors in a recent feeble attempt at entry. The ol’ walk-through-the-drive-through con won’t fly, and having stubbies hanging out of both back pockets will not help your case either – as one young scallywag in tan pants will be able to testify.
Try: The Creamy Mayo Chicken Burger for a cheap love affair.
Be Prepared For: The strict NO MUDDY BOOTS policy.
The 24 Hour Bakery, 168 Ferry Road (Philipstown)
If you’re fortunate enough to have a sober driver prepared to embark on a fries-finding mission out to Ferry Road, you’ll be richly rewarded: rolls, sammies, fish, chips, wedges, cakes, slices, sweets, all-day breakfast... No trays of frosty pigs unfortunately, but rainbow and Cookie Monster cupcakes are an acceptable substitute.
Try: The takeaway roasts if you are strong.
Be Prepared For: So much high vis, and a wait on chips if you hit the 2am rush.
Denny’s,
Moorhouse Ave
Two things are announced on entry into Denny’s: 1) “Every day is a pie day” and 2) “No bullshit allowed” (as indicated by a sign showing a defecating bull crossed out). But don’t let a shitty illustration deter you – the staff are lovely, the menu is extensive, the portions are sizeable, and if it’s your birthday you get to eat free.
Try: The curly fries, pancakes à la mode, or a takeaway pizza for $8. Also consider the flashing cups (a source close to the action informs us they can be used to create the illusion of policepresence at your place, if that’s a draw-card).
Be Prepared For: The stink-eye from security if you start a well-meaning, friendly sing-a-long.
Honourable mentions: Burger King and McDonald’s, Moorhouse Ave division.
Cut back to you. You still look poorly, your clothes sport various stains of unknown origin and you do not know how you arrived home, but you do not care. You are full of carbohydrates and now only cheese drunk.
End scene.
UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE IS BACK!
We are looking for 5 bright sparks who fancy themselves as quiz masters to be part of the
UC University Challenge team for 2014.
University Challenge is a game show in which the eight universities from around the country compete in a knowledge based quiz. Four players from each university compete against other universities, with a reserve player from each team, who also acts as the team manager and substitute player. That means we are looking for five people with a strong base of general knowledge and a few areas each of specific knowledge. Selection will be based on performance in the preliminary quiz which will take place at the University on Thursday 10 April. This team of five will travel at the end of June to compete and be filmed for the show to be produced by CUE TV.
For more information about eligibility and the selection process contact Rachael Gresson at postgraduate@ucsa.org.nz or keep an eye on the UCSA facebook page.
Wrap your noggin around these practise questions and see if you’ve got what it takes:
1) Name the Otago town that shares its name with a novel by George Eliot
2) By what name is singer Peter Gene Hernandez better known?
3) The sika and simbar are both species of what?
4) This physical law states that electric current is directly proportional to potential difference and inversely proportional to resistance.
Answers below. OI, NO CHEATING!
IS ORGANIC FOOD REALLY GOOD?
Professor of Toxicology, Ian Shaw
This might seem like a daft question – of course organic food is good! Well, it depends on how you look at it.
Organic food is grown to specifications which involve not using any synthetic pesticides or fertilisers – some ‘natural’ pesticides are allowed, but only to treat specific pest infestations.
More importantly, there is an ethos that organic growers subscribe to – a system of sustainable, holistic and natural plant and animal husbandry. It gives that nice fuzzy feeling of days gone by when lambs leapt about in emerald green fields and every day was summer.
There is no doubt whatsoever that organic farming is better for the environment. It is considerate to the land, does not use huge amounts of fertilisers, and does not use pesticides that leave ecotoxic residues.
But is organically produced food better for us?
One thing is certain, in legislative terms the organic label is not a health claim. It simply means that the crops used to make the food have been grown using methods that comply with the requirements of organic certification. It also means that the use of additives is controlled.
It is very likely that the additives allowed in conventional foods will have no adverse effects on the consumer because they have been through rigorous toxicity testing before being approved for use. In this respect organic food has no advantage. You might scoff at this – surely all those additives are nasty. Well they’re not.
But surely organic produce is more nutritional than that nasty factory stuff. There have been quite a few studies that have looked at this. There are differences, but they are usually small. Whether this gives organic vege consumers a nutritional advantage is difficult to say.
On balance I would always choose organic, because organic farmers care for our environment rather than because I think organic food is better for me. Also, organic farmers care for their animals. They don’t intensively rear their pigs and chooks - they treat them with respect. And this is one very good reason to eat organic.
For more of Ian’s reasons head to canta.co.nz
Congratulations to this week’s winner KAITLYN WHITE Submit at the website or hashtag an instagram
IT’S OUR
Any general item sold for over $20 will cost you just $1. And that’s where it stays. We call it the ‘Whee Fee’. You can simply call it brill. So what are you waiting for? Get it all together on Wheedle.