It’s often said that Australians will add pineapple to anything foodwise, the classic Aussie hamburger, chops on the barbie, pineapple on pizza being proffered as evidence The last is easily countered as being an American invention, and I‘ll concede the hamburger and the barbie. But what of other dishes like soups, souffles, sandwiches? Have we added pineapple there also? The question intrigued so I set out to investigate. To make the investigation manageable I decided to carry it out via newspapers and magazines accessible through Trove, the digital repository managed by the National Library of Australia.
Pineapple with the lot
Somewhat to my surprise and delight what the recipes show is that indeed Australians have used pineapples in as many ways as there are categories in the Country Women’s Association Cook Book which is as good as saying everywhere.
For decades, passersby would peer into Nicolas’ shop. Nobody knew the real story behind the iconic milk bar
For decades, passersby could spot the Olympia’s mysterious owner Nicolas Fotiou shuffling around his fading art deco cafe in the half light, beneath soda pumps, empty confectionery boxes and billboards featuring Brylcreem and perms. Always by himself, always keeping busy. As Sydney bustled into modernity, the old Greek milk bar stayed frozen in time. Locals became fascinated by the lonely, silent man in a white apron who lovingly tended his fading shop as it crumbled around him. No one knew his history, and few knew his name.
For generations, killer whales and First Nations hunted whales together. Now we suspect the orca group has gone extinct
For generations, the Thaua people worked with killer whales to hunt large whales in the water of Twofold Bay, on the southern coast of New South Wales. Killer whales – commonly known as orcas – would herd their giant prey into shallower waters where hunters could spear them. Humans would get the meat, but the killer whales wanted a delicacy – the tongue … The partnership has no parallel anywhere in the world: the top predator of the oceans working with the top predator on land.
Would you like insects with that? This chef hopes you do
Over an hour, we devour cricket pasta with pesto and mealworms, bread with black ants, pepperberry butter and cricket brownies with Davidson plum powder. Each time, I am taken aback by how delicious and thoughtful each dish is – and how the taste is not what I imagined it would be. The pasta, made in part with cricket flour, resembles buckwheat in taste – heavier than regular pasta but tastes healthy – while the mealworms are buttery and crunchy. You wouldn’t know the brownies, a personal favourite, were made with crickets. They’re a familiar texture, rich and chocolately with a sour tang from the plum powder.
Victory! UN Human Rights Council Adopts Resolution to Advance Peasants’ Rights Worldwide
‘For La Via Campesina and its allies, CETIM and FIAN International, the work of the UN Working Group on UNDROP signifies a critical step toward reshaping existing systems. This shift aims to transition from destructive, profit-driven models to people-centered systems that harmonize with the Mother Earth. UNDROP is an important instrument which sets the foundation on which build better public policies for food sovereignty, agroecology, climate justice and agrarian reform, and to protect against criminalisation of our struggles. This collective endeavor seeks to build better and socially just societies, focusing on the well-being and dignity of all, particularly those in rural and agricultural areas.’
Farmer groups plea for reversal of live sheep export ban
Nearly two dozen farmer and livestock groups have signed an open letter to the prime minister pleading for the government to reverse its decision to ban live sheep exports, warning it will cause “irreversible harm” to the struggling sheep industry and threaten Australia’s political ties and $1.1 billion trade partnerships with the Middle East.
‘Huge gap’: Coles, Woolies online grocery labelling in spotlight
Grocery giants Coles and Woolworths have defended the information available about items in their online stores after a study of thousands of product listings pointed to inconsistencies in how retailers represent key information such as nutrition and allergens online. The research puts a spotlight on whether food labelling requirements are fit for purpose in the e-commerce era, given regulations focus on what is printed on the package of foods rather than explicitly outlining how this information should be displayed online.
How South Indian Immigrants Shaped Malaysian Cuisine
If you visit the thousands of Mamak stalls in Malaysia, which sling Tamil Muslim food, you will likely be delightfully bombarded with dozens of varieties of wafer-thin, flaky rotis. Think roti canai (rumored to be named after Chennai, and very similar to parotta), roti telur (an omelet flatbread), roti jala (a mesh-like bread, Hindi for net), roti john (an eggy baguette), and even roti durian (roti stuffed with the polarizing fruit that some places have banned).
Brown, red, black, riceberry – what are these white rice alternatives, and are they actually healthier?
Rice, much like other grains, is the edible starchy kernel of a grass plant. In fact, the vast majority of rice varieties (although not all) belong to just one species – Oryza sativa. If you have ever found yourself at the supermarket, overwhelmed by the number of rice options available, you are not alone. From aromatic Thai “jasmine” rice used in curries, to the “basmati” rice of India and the sticky “arborio” for making creamy Italian risotto, each variety, or cultivar, is distinguished by its grain length, shape and colour. Each cultivar also has its own flavour, texture and unique nutrient properties. To make things more complicated, some varieties are higher in anthyocyanins – antioxidants that protect the body’s cells from damage. These rice varieties are known by their colour – for example, red or black rice.
