Small Mulch

July 2025One of the themes that ran through my book True To The Land A history of food in Australia was foodways of Indigenous Australians. I thought I had all …

June 2025I remember a time when there were only half a dozen Indian restaurants in Sydney all with the same menu – Fish Curry, Beef Curry, Eggplant Curry, and Dhal …

 June 2025My earliest food memory is of eating rice and dhal hand fed by our cook. She expertly mixed rice and dhal into small off-shape balls that were popped into …

May 2025We’ve entered the age of the hot cross ice-cream, loaf, sandwich and ‘crosskie’While there will always be a place for sturdy, raisin-studded rolls, being hot, crossed and a bun …

May 2025Symposiums of Australian Gastronomy (SAGs from hereon) are biennial events begun in March1984 that bring together food historians, food writers, academics, cooks and people interested in food and foodways …

April 2025It was the doglato that did it.  Set me wondering what was happening in Django’s (my companion dog) food world. This article is a brief overview.Read more.

April 2025Just the other day a school friend of mine living in England sent me an article from the Spectator about ‘Golden Syrup Dumplings’ which the article said are ‘a …

April 2025Most days breakfast is damper and a cup of tea. The cook has been awake well before the drovers to prepare these. Every cook has his own recipe for …

March 2025I asked: What are the bare essentials in your larder?The top five wereOlive oilTinned tomatoesPasta (specified non gluten for one of you)GarlicOnionsThere’s clearly a lot of spag bol being …

March 2025In January 2025 The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC from hereon) showed the series ‘Eat The Invaders’. Host Tony Armstrong  - with the help of scientists, land carers, an artist …

March 2025In July 2023 a team of archaeolgists announced that they had found evidence at Oc Eo, an archaeological site in South Vietnam dating back 2000 years, of the use …

March 2025Sometime between 1887 – 1906  the Victorian Department of Public Instruction published a set of 30 Cookery Instruction Cards. A set cost 1 shilling and individual cards could be …

March 2025I have wanted for some time to write about elements of South Asian cuisines other than curry. For instance, the tandoor, the thali, sweet confections like gulab jamun, and …