Barcelona piña

My Barcelona Kitchen: Eating, living and dreaming in Spain, Sophie Ruggles 2012 Sydney

Macedonia tropical con pétalos de rosa

(Tropical fruit salad with sugared rose petals)

“Sugared rose petals are an exquisite edible garnish but beware that the ones you use have been cultivated for human consumption and have not been treated with any pesticides.” Sophie Ruggles

Serves 4

½ pineapple; ½ papaya; 2 kiwi fruit; 12 lychees; 12 strawberries; 1 mango

For the dressing: juice of 1 lemon; 2 tsp orange blossom water; 2 tsp lavender sugar

For the sugared rose petals: 1 – 2 handfuls fresh rose petals; 1 egg white (free range); small bowl caster (superfine) sugar

To make the sugared rose petals, wash and dry the petals very carefully with paper towels ten whisk the egg white until a little frothy.

Use a small artist’s paintbrush to paint the egg white onto each petal, making sure to coat both sides. Put the petal into the sugar and pile some more sugar on top. Press down lightly to make sure the sugar sticks to both sides of the petal. Lift out and shake off any excess then gently place the petal onto a tray lined with baking paper and leave to dry.

Continue this process until you have painted all of the petals (Make sure the petals don’t touch each other or they will stick together), then leave in a cool pace for 24 hours.

To make the salad, peel and slice the fruit as desired and put it all into a large bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients in a separate bow and stir to dissolve. Add the dressing to the salad, mix and set aside for 30 minutes.

Serve the salad garnished with the sugared rose petals.

Note: The sugared rose petals can be stored at room temperature (not in the fridge) in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Arroz con leche de coco acompañado con frutas escalffadas

(Stewed fruits with coconut rice pudding)

“It’s always best to stew fruits when they are in season, not only because they’re at the their best but also at their cheapest. This recipe has an Asian edge to it and is my variation on the all-time favourite Spanish arroz con leche.” Sophie Ruggles

Serves 4

1 pandan leaf or vanilla bean; 1 pineapple, peeled and chopped; 6 pears, peeled and chopped; 1 lemongrass stem; 1 knob ginger; 200g/7 oz/1 cup pitted prunes; 100g/ 3 ½ oz red raisins; 200ml/7 fl oz water

For the rice pudding: 310g/11oz /1 2/3 cups cooked brown medium-grain or white short-grain rice; 375ml/13 fl oz/1 ½ cups coconut milk; 1 pandan leaf (optional)

Tie the pandan leaf in a knot or scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean, then put all the ingredients for the stewed fruits into a large heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer with the lid on for 40 minutes. Transfer the fruit and stewing liquid to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

To make the rice pudding, put the cooked milk and pandan leaf, if using, into a heavy-based saucepan over high heat. When boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Serve the rice pudding topped with the stewed fruits and some stewing juice.

Note: Alternative fruits and flavourings include apple, peaches, berries, plums, figs, apricots, almonds, orange zest, lemon zest, Chinese five-spice and cloves

I took these photos in Barcelona in 2005 illustrating just how into fruit they are in that fabulous city. Note the delicious pineapples in the top right hand corner, Anne

Un ejecutante de la calle sin una piña !

Tasmania, the PINEapple isle.

I couldn't leave this booklet behind in an op shop on Tasmania's east coast recently - what an appetising cover design!

Good Housekeeping’s Meals on a Shoestring, Booklet No 27 London 1964

Pineapple Rice

Prepare a rice pudding mixture in a double saucepan.

Rice Pudding – 40g pudding rice; 600ml milk; 15-25g butter or margarine; grated nutmeg

Wash the rice, place it in a 900ml pie dish with the milk and sugar and put shavings of butter and a little grated nutmeg over the top. Bake in a cool to warm oven 150°C for 2 – 2 ½ hours, stir it once or twice during the first hour.
Rice pudding may also be cooked in a double boiler; the proportion of ingredients and the cooking time will be the same.

I simply mixed some leftover cooked brown rice with the other ingredients in a saucepan and boiled them for 10 minutes, Anne.

Pineapple Rice – When the rice is creamy and tender, place in a pie dish or in individual dishes. Drain the juice from an 225g can of sliced pineapple and place in a small, saucepan, with a little sugar; boil rapidly until it reaches a glazing consistency. Arrange the pineapple slices on top of the rice and coat evenly with pineapple glaze. Leave to cool.

This dish was found in the treasure trove

"The Shop in the Bush" near St Helens. 

And this wonderful wall decoration enhances the hospitable Hotel Bruny at Alonnah, Bruny Island.

The Australian Red Cross and Pineapple

My sister-in-law, Colleen, scanned these from a c.1945 cookbook she’s been given. It belonged to Mary Mcgorman who lived on a farm, "Bryplains", at Balldale near Corowa NSW, Anne.

"Being of Queensland in origin there have been several clippings either pasted in or loosely inserted. It’s a very well-used book so I am sure these pineapple recipes were tested by the owner." Colleen.

Pine and Apple Crumble

2 cups Golden Circle Crushed Pineapple (drained), 3 cups pie apple, ½ cup desiccated coconut, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 ½ cups rice bubbles, ½ cup Nestle Sweetened Condensed Milk

Place apples and pineapple into a greased casserole. Combine remaining ingredients. Mix well. Sprinkle over fruits. Bake in a moderate oven (180° - 190°C) for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Pineapple Ribbon Dessert

440g can Golden Circle Crushed Pineapple, 1 pkt red jelly crystals, 2 cups creamed rice, 3 tblspns gelatine, 1/3 cup cold water, whipped cream, crushed nuts

Soak gelatine in cold water, dissolve over hot water. Prepare jelly according to directions. Set aside to cool. Place pineapple and syrup in saucepan and heat to boiling. Remove from stove and stir in half of dissolved gelatine. Add remaining gelatine to creamed rice. Place creamed rice in mould. Chill until firm. Add pineapple layer and chill until firm. Top with jelly and chill again. Unmould onto serving dish and top with whipped cream and crushed nuts. Serve in slices. 

I poured in the jelly a little soon so it doesn't create a perfect red layer. I topped the Ribbon Dessert, which I made in a ring mould, with a mixture of berries. Anne

Some of the others are pretty wild - the 'Orange or Lemon Kiora' (Maori for well/healthy) would keep you regular with the magic ingredient of Epsom salts!" Colleen.

Another recipe in the Beverages section (“Wassail” from 1800) worried me as I began to read the instructions “… put into a cauldron…” but I was pleased when there was no mention of “ Eye of newt, and toe of frog, Wool of bat, and tongue of dog”, Anne.

Here are a couple of the extra recipes inserted between the book's pages that use pineapple.

Rice cream a taste sensation for some …

Since I’ve started following Kylie’s Blog ‘Lucy Violet Vintage’ I’ve undergone a strange transformation in my op shop-ping habits and have started walking out with some objects that I would have previously thought tacky but now consider very beautiful! I’ll be using them in future Pineapple Princesses photo shoots!

This tea towel belongs to a friend, June, who I suspect has more treasures in her cupboards! I chose it as a background for a portrait of a can of rice cream to answer Kylie (the tea towel connoisseur)’s query. There are many brands of canned ricecream but my husband Les says the cheapest (99c can) is the most delicious. It contains rice, milk, sugar and vanilla, and I create homemade variety for breakfast occasionally with left over rice. Ruby was quite keen on it herself it seems, Anne.

Sadly, not recommended.

At last I’ve found a dessert I can’t eat! It’s just too much! Too sweet! But, luckily Les loves ricecream and he even went so far as to say “I like it” and I think he meant it! I was disappointed as I’d hoped it would look just like Ruby’s but the after the jellies came out of the mould the ricecream stubbornly remained behind and had to be scooped out. I’d sat the mould in warm water but it was in there to stay, maybe realising that it wasn’t the taste sensation it’d hoped either. I couldn’t even bring myself to take a photograph at that stage, Anne.

Jellied Pineapple and Ricecream.

2 x 440g cans Golden Circle Pineapple Pieces, 1 cup canned ricecream, 1 tspn gelatine, 1 tblspn cold water, 1 pkt orange-flavour jelly crystals, 1 pkt lime-flavour jelly crystals.

Drain syrup from pineapple pieces and measure into 2 equal parts. Soak gelatine in cold water then dissolve over hot water. Stir into ricecream. Turn into jelly mould. Chill. Add sufficient water to half the pineapple syrup to make 1 ½ cups. Bring to boil, stir in orange jelly crystals. Cool, add half pineapple pieces, spoon into jelly mould over ricecream, chill. Prepare lime jelly in same way, adding remaining pineapple pieces. Set in 20cm cake pan. Chill all until firm. Unmould lime layer on to serving plate, then unmould the ricecream and orange jelly on top of lime jelly. Garnish top with cherry.

Ruby's

Anne's

Chicken and Souffle

The Golden Circle Tropical Recipe Book’s classic roast chicken was delicious with the basting sauce of pineapple syrup and the baked pineapple rings, which would be enjoyable with many meat dishes. The Ricecream Souffle was light and fluffy, lovely with cream or icecream, Anne.

Roast Chicken Tropic Style.

440g can Golden Circle Sliced Pineapple, 1 ½ to 2 kilo roasting chicken, butter.

Prepare chicken for roasting and lightly stuff with your favourite forcemeat, adding  1 chopped pineapple slice when mixing. Place on rack in pan, brush with melted butter or ghee. Pour half cup hot water into pan. Roast, uncovered, in moderate oven 180°C basting occasionally with equal parts of pineapple syrup and melted butter. Place remaining pineapple slices in pan during last 15 minutes of cooking. Serve with pineapple slices, baked potatoes and buttered green beans.

Pineapple Ricecream Soufflé.

40g can Golden Circle Pineapple Pieces, 1 can Vanilla or Lemon-Coconut Ricecream,  1 rounded dstsp gelatine, 1 egg white.

Drain pineapple, place syrup in saucepan, heat. Soak gelatine in 3 tblsp cold water for 5 minutes, add to hot pineapple syrup, stir to dissolve. Leave until almost set, then beat until spongy. Fold in the ricecream, the well-beaten egg white and half of the pineapple pieces. Pile into individual dishes or one large mould. Chill until firm. Unmould and serve with remaining pineapple pieces.