Tropic Isle Lamb

This useful diagram comes from an edition of the “New Australian Cookery Illustrated”. My copy is missing the first couple of pages so I can’t say who wrote it or in what year, but it was well thumbed by my mother probably in the 50s and 60s.

One of our local butchers especially prepared the lamb for this recipe. I had never eaten corned lamb before, only corned beef which is one of our family favourites. The meal was just as enjoyable, Anne.

Tropic Isle Lamb

440g can Golden Circle Sliced Pineapple, corned leg of lamb, 2 tblspns chopped raisins, ¼ cup vinegar, cloves, peppercorns, pinch cinnamon.

Simmer lamb in usual way until fork tender. Drain and transfer to casserole. Drain syrup from pineapple into saucepan, cur one slice pineapple and add to syrup together with raisins, vinegar, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon. Simmer for 10 minutes and then spoon over lamb. Arrange pineapple slices on leg and bake in moderate oven (180° C) about 30 minutes, basting occasionally with syrup from bottom of dish. Serve with boiled new potatoes, buttered peas and baby carrots.

“Menu planning . . . an art at which you can shine” Ruby.

I have been a real Pineapple Princess this afternoon, have made the Saucy Seafood Casseroles and the Two Crust Pineapple Pie. 
The casserole was fine, a bit heavy on the protein (fish, cheese and egg) but quite nice, I teamed it with some carrot and peas.  I used poached salmon rather than the suggested prawns or crab.
The pie looks great, I used Pampas shortcrust pastry, Ann.

 Saucy Seafood Casseroles

440g can Golden Circle Pineapple Pieces, 1 ½ cups cooked flaked fish (crab-meat, prawns or scallops), 2 ½ cups seasoned white sauce, 2 egg yolks, salt and pepper, 1 tblspn lemon juice or dry sherry, 3 hard-boiled eggs.

Drain pineapple pieces. Chop a few pieces and add to the combined fish, white sauce, seasonings, egg yolks and sherry. Spoon into buttered casseroles. Top with remaining pineapple pieces mixed with 2 cups crushed cereal flakes and 1 cup grated cheese. Heat in moderate oven. Serve garnished with slices of hard-boiled eggs and parsley.

Seafood casserole before the oven

Out of the oven and garnished

Two-crust Pineapple Pie

440g can Golden Circle Crushed Pineapple, 2 tblspns cornflour, ¼ cup cold water, enough short pastry to line and cover 18cm plate.

Line pie plate with short pastry rolled thinly. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top. Blend cornflour in water. Place pineapple in saucepan; bring to boil, then thicken with cornflour mixture. Spoon into pastry lined plate, cover with top crust and bake in hot oven (230° F) about 25 minutes. Serve with cream or custard sauce.

Ruby loved a celebration

I don’t know why, but the family wouldn’t let me recreate Ruby’s beautiful Pineapple Glazed (canned) Ham this Christmas! But, Golden Circle Pineapple still managed to adorn our feast! And you can't go wrong with a couple of cocktail onions thrown into the mix! Anne.

And this crystallised pineapple was yum too!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

Fill a parfait glass with a random mixture of Golden Circle Pineapple Pieces, vanilla milk jelly and chunks of bright red jelly. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Decorate with a Christmas tree (cut with pastry cutter from shallow-set lime jelly) and a sprig of holly.

Merry Christmas from Ruby

And Merry Christmas from Ann and Anne

A pop up pineapple

My daughter, Ella, photographed this great drawing of a pineapple in an exhibition space at the Lonsdale Street Traders which she described as a pop up shop complex in Braddon, Canberra. There was no artist’s signature to identify them unfortunately, Anne. 

PS I have since found out this was one of two pencil drawings by Robbie Karmel and was part of an exhibition of multimedia artworks. A zine, "Zineapples", of the show was also produced  by Oscar Capezio and Naomi Xeros.

Who is Pineapple Poll ?

Described as a “light hearted frolic” Pineapple Poll is a Gilbert and Sullivan-inspired comic ballet, created in 1959 by choreographer John Cranko with arranger Sir Charles Mackerras, based on "The Bumboat Woman's Story", one of W. S. Gilbert's Bab Ballads, written in 1870. It’s all a touch baffling – “The Bumboat Women’s Story” ?????

The heroine is a girl called Pineapple Poll who sells flowers and the hero is Captain Belaye of the H.M.S. Hot Cross Bun.

Certainly the most entertaining of the youtubes of “Pineapple Poll” is this one of Robert Parker’s performance as Captain Belaye in his first solo during the Birmingham Royal Ballet's stage rehearsals.

 

Go on watch it – it will make you smile. Sadly Pineapple Poll only does a fleeting twirl across the stage towards the end in this particular clip, Anne.

Pacific Sea-Scallop Casserole

I used skinless salmon fillets instead of scallops and it turned out well.  A squeeze or two of lemon juice was a welcome addition to the pineapple.  If I make it again I would serve it in individual gratin dishes (or shells) as a hot entrée.  Very good retro dinner party food, Ann.

Pacific Sea-Scallop Casserole

440g can Golden Circle Crushed Pineapple, 3 cups freshly cooked rice, salt and pepper, 450g sea scallops, 1 beaten egg, 1 cup fine dry breadcrumbs, 2 tblspns butter, 2 tblspns plain flour, 2 tspns curry powder, tspn salt, ¼ tspn sugar, 1 onion, 1 small apple, 500ml hot milk.

Drain pineapple and add it to hot rice. Season mixture and use it to line casserole. Fill centre with curried sea scallops. Top with additional scallops that have been dipped in egg and breadcrumbs and lightly fried. Re-heat in slow oven, garnish with parsley and serve.

Curried sea scallops: Reserve some scallops, dip in egg and breadcrumbs and lightly fry. Chop remainder into quarters. Melt butter in saucepan and lightly fry chopped apple and onion. Remove from strove and stir in flour, curry powder and salt. Gradually stir in hot milk. Return to stove and cook, stirring until smooth sauce has formed. Add chopped scallops and simmer for 3 minutes.

Patio Patties

The fishcakes were great, I used an old family recipe.  No pineapple rings so used pieces.  It was OK, maybe the pineapple should have been incorporated into the fish cakes, Ann.

440g can Golden Circle Sliced Pineapple, your favourite recipe for fish cakes, red capsicum to garnish.

Drain pineapple slices and fry till lightly browed. Shape fish-cake mixture into patties similar in size to the pineapple slices. Coat with egg and crumbs and bake or fry till rich golden brown in colour. To serve, alternate patties and pineapple slices on a warmed serving plate and garnish with sliced red capsicum. Serve with  mashed potatoes and buttered green peas.

Grow your own 3

Maria and her family are very excited that “Maurice” is producing a pineapple after about 2 years, and, he’s looking great!

“When the fruit is about six months old, about four months after flowering has occurred, changes will begin to occur. The colour of the shell will change from green to rich gold. The colour change of the shell occurs first at the bottom of the fruit and moves upwards. During this change, the fruit becomes sweeter and the colour of the flesh changes from white to yellow. When the fruit is golden half way up it can be picked and eaten but you can wait longer if you wish.”

Reference:  http://www.rickswoodshopcreations.com/pineapple/pineapple.htm

Tres Exotique

I was a little nervous about trying this dessert, but, we all enjoyed it! Anne

Pineapple Exotique.

440g can Golden Circle Sliced Pineapple, 1 tblspn gelatine, 2 bananas, 1 packet strawberry-flavoured jelly crystals.

Drain syrup from sliced pineapple add water to make 2 cupfuls and pour into saucepan. Stir in gelatine, place over low heat, stirring until gelatine is dissolved – do not boil. Cool, chill until cold and syrupy. Pour a thin layer into round cake pan, chill until firm. Dip pineapple slices in syrup and arrange on this. Chill again. Add sliced bananas to remaining pineapple jelly and when pineapple jelly is firm, spoon bananas and jelly over pineapple. Chill. Prepare strawberry jelly according to directions on packet, chill till cold and syrupy, then pour into mould over banana layer. Chill till firm. Unmould: serve with cream, chilled custard or ice cream.

News Flash!!

Concoctors of pina coladas will be thrilled to know that Queensland agricultural researchers have developed a coconut flavoured pineapple which will be on the market in about two years.

They have called this delight “AusFestival” but I would have liked Ruby to have come up with one of her classic names, something like Mermaid’s Murmurings or Island Illusions.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-05/qld-researchers-develop-coconut-flavoured-pineapple/4408732

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/coconut-flavoured-pineapple-created-in-qld/story-e6frfku9-1226530553583

Thanks Jane and Vicki for drawing this outstanding example of genetic engineering to our attention, Anne.

Pineapples - part of our food heritage.

My sister-in-law, Colleen, recently recommended we have a look at this beautifully presented blog “The Cook and the Curator” from “the Historic Houses Trust and part of the Eat Your History project  which invites you to explore our food heritage.”

http://blogs.hht.net.au/cook/king-of-fruits/

This site which was started in October is a fabulous source of information about our cultural history. Jacqui Newling and Scott Hill are the researchers and presenters and their style is inviting - a great way to make history come alive.

And, some of their recipes, such as oyster loaves and calf’s foot jelly, are worth having a look at!

A highlight for me was, naturally, a video on how pineapples were used to decorate a colonial table.

http://blogs.hht.net.au/cook/taking-centre-stage/

Happy Birthday!!

One of the Pineapple Princesses, Ann, had a fabulous birthday celebration in her home town of Bundanoon last weekend. The delicious fruitcake she made and decorated to share with her family and friends did – of course – include pineapple as an essential ingredient!

While in Bundanoon the other Pineapple Princess, Anne, found this jelly mould in a charity shop. It was calling out for a Sunlit Salad to be prepared! This is a truly unique recipe! The creation had a truly unique flavour!

Sunlit Salad.

440g can Golden Circle Crushed Pineapple, 1 pkt. lemon jelly crystals, 1 tblspn cider vinegar, ½ tspn salt, 1 cup grated carrot, 1/3 cup chopped Queensland nuts or pecans (optional).

Drain pineapple. Reserve liquid adding enough water to make 1 ½ cups. Bring to boil, pour over jelly crystals, stirring to dissolve. Add vinegar and salt. Chill until partly set. Fold carrot, pineapple nuts and nuts into jelly. Pour into individual moulds or small loaf pan. Chill until firm. Unmould onto lettuce-lined platter and serve with rolled ham slices and salad vegetables. If you have a can handy, add pineapple slices for a truly tropical look.

Tuning in with pineapple.

Good old Tuna Casserole, much celebrated in 1970s US sitcoms as a housewife’s favourite.

Tuna Noodle Casserole.

440g can Golden Circle Crushed Pineapple, ½ kilo egg noodles, 2 tblspns butter, 2 tblspns plain flour, 385ml can undiluted evaporated milk, ¼ cup chopped chives, ¼ tspn celery salt, dash pepper, 185g can tuna fish, ½ cup sluice stuffed olives, ½ tspn paprika.

Drain pineapple. Cook noodles according to directions. Drain, but do not rinse. Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in flour. Gradually add milk and cook over low heat, stirring until thickened. Add chives, celery salt, pepper, tuna and olives. Combine with cooked noodles. Turn into buttered casserole, top with pineapple and sprinkle with paprika. At serving time, heat well in moderate oven (180°C).

Salud . . . pineapple drinks 2

“Salud y amor y tiempo para disfrutarlo” means “health and love and time to enjoy it” in South American-Spanish.

Ruby includes quite a selection of refreshing “fruity fun starters” in her “Pineapple party time” section. Her “Pot O’ Gold” really was delicious and can be simply prepared with Golden Circle Pure Pineapple Juice with grated orange rind and a tsp honey. Ruby suggests dipping the edge of your glass in egg white and then jelly crystals. I couldn't face the jelly crystals so I tried caster sugar - yum, Anne.

Flickr is a great source of images of all imaginable subjects. These generous photographers have allowed us to include their pictures of pineapple drinks around the world.

kalihikahuna74 at a cafe in Hawaii   

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35532641@N04/3767722249/

BananaBuzzbomb      

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidandheidi/2098313070/

nicknormal  

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicknormal/3514251714/

fried toast  

http://www.flickr.com/photos/friedtoast/3569827327/

clickcraftsman in Phuket 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/clickcraftsman/4488739695/

and bluebeckie who took this photo at the Nago Pineapple Park in Okinawa, Japan (more about that wonderful place later)!                                                      

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluebeckie/4368389582/

Cheers!

Sláinte ... pineapple drinks 1

Even though Ruby doesn’t include any alcohol in the “Pineapple Party Time” chapter of the “Golden Circle Tropical Recipe Book” I thought it was time to taste a Pina Colada.  I am ashamed to say it was a new experience for me.

They are potentially great but I must admit I don’t think I did such a good job as a cocktail waitress.  I need some advice from the other Pineapple Princess, Ann, who I’m sure could make a beauty due to her youthful experience as a barmaid!

My daughter, Ella, found me a recipe in her cocktail book and then she and her friend, Inu, joined us for a tasting. They were very polite! Ella suggested trying coconut milk instead of coconut cream.

Pina Colada.

1 part white rum, 1 part coconut cream, 2 parts pineapple juice, a slice of pineapple, a cocktail cherry and crushed ice.

Place 3 tblspns of crushed ice in a cocktail shaker, add the rum, coconut cream and pineapple juice and shake well. Strain into a highball glass and decorate with the fruit.

“Sláinte” is Gaelic for “Cheers!”,  “Pro” or “Tos” is Indonesian, “Gesondheid” is Afrikaans, “Gan bei” is Mandarin, “Na Zdravi” is Czechoslovakian and “Kassutta” is Greenlandic. I love the Internet – I’m an instant (amateur) linguist! Anne

Anyone for a "Pineapple Lump"?

Blogger, Kylie of “Lucy Violet Vintage” fame, recently sent us a surprise package of pineapple treats – the fabulous wooden bowls pictured below and these tasty (original) “Pineapple Lumps” a chocolate coated product of New Zealand! Apparently they originated in 1935! Thanks Kylie!

 

By strange coincidence I came across these “Pineapple Things”, also a product of New Zealand, in a general store I was recently visiting. They both proclaim to contain about 4% pineapple juice concentrate. Our verdict = both tasted quite like bubble gum!

Pick the difference?

I will give a prize to anyone who can come up with a more enticing name for a lump/thing of pineapple candy coated in milk chocolate! Anne.

Cooking for beach boys!

How many beach boys you know love Brussels sprouts? Not many I’ll bet! How did Ruby come up with the name for this recipe ?

Beach Boy Lunch.

For each serving you’ll need 2 tblspns Golden Circle Sweet-Sour Sauce, 1 tblspn butter, 1 thick slice cooked ham, boiled bacon or canned luncheon meat, 1 serving cooked buttered Brussels sprouts, 1 cup cooked rice and drained Golden Circle Pineapple Pieces for garnish.

Melt butter in frypan and lightly brown the slice of ham or luncheon meat. Spread with the Sweet-Sour Sauce and add pineapple pieces. When bubbling hot serve with a hot buttered green vegetable and hot fluffy rice.

“A new look for . . . leftovers”.

Shepherd’s Pie.

440g can Golden Circle Sliced Pineapple, 1 ½ cups seasoned cooked vegetables, 1 ½ cups diced cold meat, seasonings to taste, 1 cup stock or gravy, 2 cups hot mashed potatoes.

Drain pineapple slices, chop one slice finely and add to vegetables (use carrots, celery, peas or beans, cabbage or cauliflower) place in buttered dish. Combine cooked meat, gravy and seasonings, spoon over vegetables. Cover with layer of mashed potatoes, sprinkle with melted butter. Bake in hot oven 230°C  about 20 minutes, or until potato topping and pineapple are lightly browned.

“Pineapple adds vitamin goodness to meat meals.”

Tropic Isle Lamb Sunny Island Roast is obviously a fancy name for meatloaf!!! Anne.

Tropic Isle Lamb. Correction! Sunny Island Roast is its real name!

440g can Golden Circle Pineapple Pieces, 900 gms finely minced beef steak, 450 gms minced fresh pork, 1 tspn gravy flour, 1 tspn salt, ¼ tspn pepper, 1 tspn mixed mustard, capsicums, cooked seasoned rice, white onions.

Blend steak and pork together. Add browned gravy flour, salt, pepper, and mixed mustard. Pack into foil-lined 18 cm pan, sprinkle with melted butter and bake in moderate oven (180°C) about 1 hour. Arrange for serving on warmed platter with capsicum halves (filled with cooked seasoned rice) and drained pineapple pieces. Top the roast with creamed white onions.

Over the hill? Over the moon? Over the rainbow!

Ruby advised “Plan your salads with colour in mind”.

Rainbow Salad.

440g can Golden Circle Pineapple Pieces, 440g can Golden Circle Sliced Beetroot, tomatoes, cucumber, celery, shredded carrot.

Rice-cheese mould: 1 cup cooked rice, ½ cup grated tasty cheese, 2 chopped hard-cooked eggs, 1 tblspn prepared mayonnaise, 1 tspn gelatine, 1 tblspn boiling water. Salt.

Blend together rice, cheese, eggs, mayonnaise, gelatine dissolved in boiling water and salt to taste. Pack into wet mould. Chill until firm.

Cut celery into short pieces, slit lengthwise and place in iced water to curl. Shred carrot. Slice cucumber. Cut tomato in wedge shapes. Arrange sliced beetroot, tomato, carrot, pineapple pieces, celery and cucumber in neat rings around chilled mould and serve.

The New Pineapple Princesses Diet!

As I was flipping through an old women’s magazine in a doctor’s waiting room recently I discovered a couple in Queensland who live primarily on a diet of bananas. Sometimes the guy eats a major 70 bananas per day!

 

How inspirational! This could be the making of our fame and fortune – The Pineapple Princesses Diet!

As we have found by cooking through Ruby Borrowdale’s “Golden Circle Tropical Recipe” book there are numerous culinary methods to prepare pineapple. So there would be none of that diet boredom! There is a drawback, however, a man did die from eating too much pineapple in the 18th century due to the enzyme called bromalyne which is “flesh eating”.

I wonder if Josephine Baker would have worn a pineapple costume?  Probably not, Anne.

Prawns Tropicana.

I made these last night, they were quite acceptable.  I used less milk in the sauce as it would have been too thin if I used the full quantity. Cooked Crystal Bay prawns worked well, just heated them through in the sauce before serving. The pineapple served the same purpose as the apple or sultanas that our mothers used in their “curries”, it added an acidic touch that was welcome, Ann.

Prawns Tropicana.

440g can of Golden Circle Pineapple Pieces, 1 sliced onion, 2 crushed cloves garlic, 2 tblspns butter, 2 tblspns plain flour, 1 tblspn curry powder, 2 cups milk, 450 kilos shelled prawns, cooked rice.

Drain syrup from pineapple pieces. Fry sliced onion, garlic and 2 tblspns pineapple pieces in butter till golden. Remove from stove and blend in flour and curry powder. Gradually add milk, blending until smooth. Return to stove and cook, stirring until sauce is smooth. Add prawns. Place the curried prawns in the centre of a heated dish and surround with cooked rice garnished with the remaining pineapple pieces.

It’s a Retro Cookoff ! Desserts.

Apricot Nectar is the dessert that my mother Moira loved to create when entertaining guests in the '60s and '70s, complete with the Crème de Menthe cream. So last night we relived the old days and made it once again. Unfortunately we couldn’t buy any Crème de Menthe (which I think deserves a comeback). We made do with a tad of food colouring! (A little food colouring goes a long way!) I have included a photo of Mum’s recipe as it tells its own story! We enjoyed the memories together, Anne.

Moira’s Apricot Nectar

Apricot Nectar:

1 tin evaporated milk, 3 level dstspns gelatine, 2 tblspns hot water, 3 tblspns lemon juice, 1 ¼ cups apricot nectar, 2 rounded tblspns sugar.

Method: Put evaporated milk in fridge and freeze until beginning to set. Dissolve gelatine in hot water, add lemon juice. Empty evaporated milk into large bowl. Beat while gradually adding gelatine mixture, add apricot nectar and sugar. Beat until thick and doubled in volume. Empty into wet mould chill in fridge until quite set. Turn out mould or spoon into mould on plate. Decorate with prepared cream and extra mint leaves and apricot halves.

Minted Cream:

½ pint cream, little sugar to taste, Crème de Menthe, 2 large mint stalks, extra mint leaves, apricot halves.

Method: Empty cream into bowl. Wash and pat mint dry. Crush in hands, breaking leaves, add to cream, mix in. Cover and refrigerate all day. When required remove mint, lightly scraping cream from leaves with fingers (Don’t lick!) Add a dstspn Crème de Menthe to cream, little sugar if liked. Beat until thick.

These next two desserts are from Ruby Borrowdale’s “Golden Circle Tropical Recipe” book which I choose for their sheer decorative potential and hey, how pretty are these! Anne.

Whispering Shells.

Spoon Golden Circle Crushed Pineapple into a shallow round dish. Place a large strawberry ice cream scoop in centre and surround with button meringues to resemble shells. Dust over with green tinted coconut and top the ice cream with a cherry.                                                                                               

Meringues: 2 egg whites and ½ cup sugar makes approx. 24 meringues.

Pineapple Paradise.
440g can Golden Circle Crushed Pineapple, 1 layer 20cm sponge cake (with the brown crust removed to ensure an even colour to the finished dish), 1 level tblsp gelatine, 1/3 cup cold water, ½ cup desiccated coconut, ½ packet chopped white marshmallows. NOTE: if your family or guests like a really sweet dish, you can also add ¼ cup sugar and 2 ripe passionfruit.
Soak gelatine in water. Bring contents Golden Circle can to boil, sweetened if desired. Remove from stove. Immediately add soaked gelatine, stirring till dissolved. Break cake in pieces into large mixing bowl. Stir in marshmallows, coconut (and passionfruit). Add cooked pineapple mixture and blend. Spoon into mould and chill till firm.

Ann's Aunty Flora’s Chocolate Pudding.

·         Sift 1 cup SR flour, pinch salt, ¾ cup sugar and 1 Tablespoon cocoa.

·         Add ½ cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 Tablespoons melted butter.

·         Mix until smooth and pour into greased dish.

·         For topping, mix together 3 Tablespoons sugar and 1 Tablespoon cocoa, sprinkle on top of mixture in dish.

·         Pour over all 2 cups hot water, completely covering the whole pudding.

·         Bake in moderate oven about 50 minutes.

Click  here                                                                                                        

http://lucyvioletvintage.blogspot.com.au/      

for links to some more wonderful Retro Recipes!

A super snack.

Super Snacks from Ruby Borrowdale's "Golden Circle Tropical Recipe" book.

440g can Golden Circle Sliced Pineapple, drained, 6 slices sandwich bread, 6 slices cheese, 6 steakettes or hamburger patties, prepared mayonnaise, lettuce radish roses.

Toast bread on one side only. Spread untoasted side with mayonnaise, top with a slice of cheese, a lightly browed steakette, then a slice of pineapple. Sprinkle with melted butter and reheat under griller before serving. Serve each on a crisp lettuce leaf and top with a radish (or tomato) rose.