Pineapples Are Art

The Pineapple Princesses were recently the lucky winners of a Radio National, Bush Telegraph, favourite pineapple recipe competition.  The competition was coordinated by The Queensland Gallery of Modern Art on Brisbane’s South Bank where they were holding an exhibition Harvest: Art, Film + Food “a celebration of food in art” with works from their collection and commissioned pieces.

 

 “The exhibition examines the ways land cultivation, food, food products and systems of distribution have throughout history, been central to the formation of world views and artistic expression.”

Zinnias and fruit 1932 by Hans Heysen

Still life: Coconut and other things 2009
by Shirana Shahbazi and Sirous Shaghaghi

The highlight for us was, of course, LA based art collective (Fallen Fruit) David Burns and Austin Young’s wall paper designs and glass cabinet display of pinapalia. The cabinet is the result of a callout they made to members of the community to contribute pineapple memorablilia. Their thought provoking ideas on "public fruit" and collaboration are excellent reading in the Harvest catalogue.

There were some real treasures! Perhaps you’re lucky enough to own some of these gems yourselves!

Public Fruit Wallpaper, Honolulu 2012 by Fallen Fruit

 

 

 

 

 

Our lunch at the GOMA Restaurant created by their Executive Chef, Josue Lopez, was a feast of discovery. We enjoyed:

Moreton Bay Bug poached in GOMA churned butter, saffron broth, seaweed, broccoli. A delicious light entrée, the crunch of baby fennel and sliced broccoli stalk complementing the soft bug flesh.  Saffron broth was poured over the composed ingredients at the table by the attentive and well informed wait staff.

Living Risotto of sprouted beans and legumes, broad bean, garden flowers, verjuice. This was the least successful dish of the lunch.  Rather than a risotto (there was no rice) it was more of a green porridge.  The chick peas and some of the beans were quite crunchy and the dish was heavily salted.  However, as part of the seven dish degustation, in a very small portion, it could work much better.  On top is not white cheese but freeze dried macadamia oil. The garden flowers were a counterbalance to the colour of the risotto.

Roasted Holmbrae chicken, textures of corn, sorrel, winter leaves. A satisfying main course with a tasty combination of flavours. The corn puree successfully under laid the succulent chicken, crisp kale and nasturtium leaves.

Wattle custard, Daintree chocolate paint, Daintree vanilla curd. What an exquisite flavour! The airbrushed chocolate was pretty spectacular. The dessert seemed to be very well thought out, from concept to execution.  Simple and complex at the same time.

Old fashioned whiskey cocktail . Nant single malt sorbet, blood orange and bitters, crisp honey. A fresh tasting dessert of citrus, whiskey and honey.  There is a Nant distillery in Brisbane city as well as Bothwell in Tasmania.  Lots of texture contrast – soft cherry puree balls, granular sorbet, honey leather, freeze dried cherry pieces, whiskey snow.

The Harvest catalogue is a beautiful production with commentary about the exhibition, the food related films that were shown and recipes using some very exotic ingredients from ten selected chefs.

http://www.qagoma.qld.gov.au/

Many thanks to Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, Hilton Brisbane, Virgin Airlines and Radio National! Anne and Ann.

Pineapple On-Camera

Knox On-Camera Recipes: a completely new guide to Gel-Cookery, Knox Gelatine 1960 USA

Pineapple Chiffon Cake 

Makes 8 – 10 servings “As yummy as anything you’ll ever serve is this creation, a mouth-watering, fluffy filling layered with chocolate cookies.”

Ingredients: 1 envelope Knox Unflavoured gelatine; 1/3 cup sugar, divided; 1/8 tspn salt; 3 eggs, separated; 1 ¼ cups canned crushed pineapple and syrup; 2 tblspn lemon juice; 1 cup heavy cream, whipped; thin chocolate cookies

1 Mix gelatine, 2 tablespoons of the sugar and salt thoroughly in top of double boiler

2 Beat egg yolks. Add crushed pineapple and syrup. Add to gelatine

3 Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly until gelatine is dissolved, about 5 minutes

4 Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Chill mixture to unbeaten egg white consistency

5 Beat egg whites until stiff. Beat in remaining sugar. Fold in gelatine mixture

6 Fold in whipped cream

7 Spoon ¼ of mixture into waxed paper-lined 23cm x 12.5cm loaf pan. Add a layer of cookies. Repeat three times ending with gelatine

8 Chill in refrigerator until firm

9 Unmold on serving platter and top with additional whipped cream, if desired

Unfortunately I couldn't source the right chocolate biscuits, so I used chocolate coated ones which didn't cut as well, but it was still delicious, Anne.

Fresh Pineapple Cake

“Cookery: The Australian Way”  8^th Edition Shirley Cameron, Home Economics Victoria 2011
First  Edition 1966 was reprinted 11 times
(Amazing) Photos by Mark Roper

Fresh Fruit Cake     

A moist almond cake with the flavour of fresh fruit.

Serves: 10

Cooking utensil: medium loaf pan (1 Lt)

Oven temperature: 180°C

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

               

Ingredients: ¼ cup (45g) brown sugar; 2 eggs; 2 tblsp (20g) plain flour; ¾ (75g) ground almonds; 1 cup (250g) pineapple, apricots or peaches, diced.

Method:

1 Set oven at 180°C. Brush or spray loaf pan with oil and line with baking powder.

2 Beat sugar and eggs until mixture is thick

3 Fold in flour and ground almonds

4 Mix 2 tblspn batter with the fruit

5 Place remaining batter in loaf pan, cover with fruit mixture

6 Bake for 25 minutes. (Cake is baked when sides shrink slightly from sides of pan and a fine skewer inserted into the cake come out slean and dry).

7 Allow cake to cool in loaf pan for a few minutes, then carefully turn onto cake cooler.

8 Gently turn right side up onto a serving dish.

Note: Will keep up to 1 week in an airtight container. Suitable for freezing up to 3 months.

Pineapple lamb shanks

100 Hostess Party Favourites, forward by Margaret Fulton, promoting Tupperware NSW 1971

“To ensure that your party is a memorable one two factors are common to all good hostesses. Planning and confidence. Planning is mostly a matter of timing, always allow yourself sufficient time to purchase the necessary ingredients for each dish, time to prepare them and time to cook, prepare the tables and dress at least 15 minutes before you receive your guests.

Confidence: Every hostess likes to serve their guests with something new and original. You can be confident of serving these recipes and ensuring that your party will be a memorable one.”

Pineapple Barbecued Lamb Shanks 

8 lamb shanks, not sawn; 1 x 440g can pineapple slices

Marinade: 1 cup pineapple juice; 2 tspn curry powder; 2 tblspn brown sugar; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 1 tspn salt; freshly ground black pepper; 2 tblspn salad oil

Make certain shanks are from the forequarter of the lamb. Wipe shanks with a damp cloth and place them in a single layer in a glass, earthenware or enamel dish. Mix marinade ingredients, adding to them  the liquid drained from the pineapple slices. Pour marinade over shanks and marinate for at least 4 hours, turning them occasionally, To barbecue, place shanks over glowing coals and cook for 25 – 30 minutes, turning often and basting with marinade. Place pineapple slices on barbecue 5 minutes before shanks are cooked.

TIME 25 – 30 minutes

GARNISH WITH barbecued pineapple slices

SERVE WITH salad and French bread and butter.

Serves 4.

Karma-Free Pineapple

The Higher Taste: A Guide to Vegetarian Cooking and a Karma-Free Diet, based on the Teachings of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness 1987

Sweet-and-Sour Tofu Vegetable

½ cup orange juice; ½ cup apple juice; ¼ cup lemon juice; 2 tblspn turbinado (raw) sugar; 2 tblspn cornstarch; 225g firm tofu (cut in 3cm cubes); 2 cups oil; 3 tblsp ghee or oil; 1 tblsp grated fresh ginger; ¼ tspn hing (an Indian spice that some websites felt could be substituted with garlic if you can’t obtain any); 1 large green pepper (cut in 1cm wide strips); 2 medium carrots 9cut in5cm sticks); 2 medium zucchini; 100g Chinese pea pods (ends removed); 1 cup pineapple chunks (fresh, or canned in unsweetened juice); 1/3 cup water; 3 tblspn soy sauce; ½ tspn salt; ¼ tspn black pepper; 1 tblspn Chinese sesame oil

Combine orange, apple, and lemon juices, turbinado sugar, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a small saucepan heat 2 cups oil. Fry tofu cubes until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Cut zucchini lengthwise in half, then slice in pieces 1cm wide.

Heat 3 tblspn oil in wok over medium heat, add ginger and hing. Fry for 30 seconds, then add pepper strips. After 2 minutes add carrots, zucchini, and pea pods, and stir fry for 3 minutes longer. Add water, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and pineapple chunks, if fresh. Cover and simmer for 8 minutes or just until vegetables are slightly tender.

Stir in fried tofu cubes and juice mixture. If canned fruit is being used it should also be added at this time. Stirring gently, cook until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. remove from heat, stir in sesame oil, and serve immediately.

Serves 4.