Two Very Royal Pineapples

Vicki (of the Unusual Coleslaw blog) commented on our last post with amazing information about Queensland's original wedding gift to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip! For more information ie ideas for a fabulous wedding gift read the following article:

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/lifestyle/royal-wedding/queenslands-prickly-royal-wedding-gift-20110426-1durq.html

My friend Jane found this recipe for Pineapple Royal in the Country Women’s Association of NSW Cookery Book, Home Style Cooking Published 1981 and thought it looked like an interesting challenge. It was one of the stickiest things I've ever made. Okay, Jane made it but I still got very sticky!

I'm not sure that the ladies at the CWA meant it to look like this ! All those years at Art School between us Jane . . . and we've come to this!

Ingredients: 1 tin sliced pineapple, 3 egg whites, sponge cake, ½ cup castor sugar, apricot jam, rum

Cook pineapple in syrup for ten minutes in double boiler. Cut sponge cake into circles the size of the pineapple rings and about 2 cms thick and spread with apricot jam. Flavour heated syrup with rum and dip slices of sponge cake in syrup. Now build up a pineapple shape in a fireproof dish, alternating pineapple slices and cake slices. Pour over the whole a little dissolved apricot jam. Make a stiff meringue from egg whites and sugar, and cover pineapple shape with small spiked meringue shapes, using icing forcing bag, to resemble pineapples. Bake in a slow oven to set meringue. Decorate top with real pineapple leaves. If tinned pineapple is used, angelica cut into leaves may be used.

Pinapplesque.

 The good looking one in the middle is my son Ky, in case you were wondering! Anne.

Imperial pineapple desserts

“Eating with Emperors: 150 years of dining with Emperors, Kings, Queens . . . and the occasional Maharajah” by Jake Smith 2009 details the circumstances and menus of Imperial luncheons and dinner parties.

I came across this exclusive publication while dining at the Arnott’s Bakehouse Restaurant, Morpeth NSW, where they have a wonderful collection of cook books for diners to browse.

An Imperial Court of Vienna menu, dated 11 March 1869, for a dinner hosted by their Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesties Emperor Franz-Josef I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary at the Hofburg Palace, Vienna included Gelée aux ananas  (Pineapple Jelly) for dessert. This followed dishes including pureed foie gras, beef casseroled in beer, chicken consommé garnished with savoury egg custard pieces and spit roasted roebuck kidney.

Guests at an Elizabeth II Queen of the United Kingdom luncheon hosted at Buckingham Palace in 23 June 1976 in honour of His Excellency Valéry Giscard d’Estaing of France were served Glace a l’Ananas (Pineapple Sorbet) and biscuits. Digestive Biscuits ? Monte Carlos ? Iced Vo Vos ? One can only wonder, Anne.

The Nago Pineapple Park in Okinawa, Japan.

A theme park based on everyone’s favourite fruit!

What an amazing holiday destination – it has it all, but, mostly pineapples!

You can visit their website at: 

http://www.nagopain.com/english/

The Restaurant Palm Tree section boasts an extraordinary Pineapple Parfait. Here’s a diagram which incorporates a remarkable array of ingredients in all its 37cm glory !! Dieters beware! They must employ a very adventurous home economist at this pineapple park!

My adventurous daughter, Ella, decided she too could create such a mistresspiece! 

We couldn't find pineapple shaped biscuits so substituted with teddy bears.

Almost there!

She was determined to reach the 37cm mark!

At this theme park you can drive around in cute little pineapple shaped carts to check out the plantations or stand next to a funny pineapple shaped personality!

Thanks to Kevin "Elvis" King aka Divemasterking2000 for allowing us to include this photograph,

http://www.flickr.com/photos/divemasterking2000/

and also Gary aka DadOf4SC  

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gussery/719545569/

It is also home to the First Pineapple Winery in Japan. You can taste “Lagrima Del Sol” (Spanish for “Tears of the Sun”) made from 100% fresh pineapple juice. You can even bottle your own with an original label!

They state “Our low alcohol kids wine is very popular with the ladies” ! !!!

I think the highlight for me would be the souvenir shop!

But I’ve just spent so long on the website, I feel like I’ve already been there, Anne.

Pineapple Sherbet

440g can Golden Circle Crushed Pineapple, 2 egg whites, 2 tblspns sugar, 1 pkt Raspberry Jelly Crystals, prepared according to directions.

Turn contents of pineapple can into ice cream trays and freeze firm. Beat egg whites stiffly, adding sugar, then fold the frozen crushed pineapple into the meringue. Return to freezer trays and freeze until very firm. To serve, place alternate spoonfuls of pineapple sherbet and raspberry jelly in chilled parfait glasses. Top with whipped cream or ice cream and a cherry. Alternatively the sherbet can be served with a chilled custard sauce made from the egg yolks.

Play with a pineapple.

At a loose end? Looking for something to do between cooking Ruby's delicious breakfast Liver 'N' Bacon Tropic Style and Beach Boy Lunch? This first game's actually very tricky!

http://www.boowakwala.com/pineapple/pineapple.html

And in this game you can cook your own pineapple bread.

The recipe is included for you to try after you practise with the animation ! It was delicious. Anne.
 

http://www.didigames.com/pineapple-bread.html

 

 

Coral Queen Trifle

440g can Golden Circle Crushed Pineapple, a one-layer sponge cake cut into slices, jam for spreading, 1 banana, 2 passionfruit, coconut, 500 ml custard sauce, cold.

Cut cake into slices and spread with jam. Drain pineapple and place layer in serving dish. Follow with a layer of cake, top with the remaining pineapple and sprinkle with coconut. Add sliced banana and passionfruit pulp and pour over custard sauce. Chill til serving time and garnish with whipped cream and chopped lime jelly.

Barbecue Party Kabobs

440g can Golden Circle Pineapple Pieces, 450g small pickling onions, 450g lean bacon rashers, pieces of capsicum, wedges of tomatoes, ¼ cup vinegar, 1 clove garlic (crushed), ¼ cup cooking oil. ½ tspn salt, 1 tspn meat extract, 1 tspn mustard, 1 tspn Worcestershire sauce

Make up basting sauce with a half cup of syrup from Pineapple Pieces, vinegar, garlic, cooking oil, salt, meat extract, mustard and Worcestershire Sauce. Peel onions, cover with water and boil till crisp-tender. Drain. Place bacon (rind removed and cut into even lengths), pineapple and onions in a dish and pour sauce over. Cover and stand 1 hour. Drain. Skewer alternate pieces of pineapple, whole onions and bacon strips, pieces of capsicum, wedges of tomatoes. Brush with sauce. Place under griller for 15 minutes, turning frequently, or cook with frequent turning on hot plate of barbecue.

While you at the barbecue you could try this great way of frying eggs – in a circle of capsicum, Anne.

Pineapple from South Australia

One of my favourite food blogs is “Unusual Coleslaw, Memorable Recipes from South Australia” which displays recipes from a seemingly endless collection of commemorative cook books. The labels column on the right will lead you to a very comprehensive list of recipes in alphabetical order.

These two recipes from Cookbook: St Joseph’s School, Clare 1991 appealed to me firstly because of their use of the amazing product, canned pineapple, but also because of their total simplicity and few ingredients.

Thanks to skiourophile who creates the blog! Anne.

For the recipes log on to http://unusualcoleslaw.blogspot.com.au/

Beef and Pineapple Casserole

Pineapple Chicken