Holidays | The Cream Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Holidays’

  1. A Culinary Memorial – A Little about the Biscuit

    April 21, 2012 by Esme

    ANZAC Day – 25th April – is a nationwide day of commemoration for Australians and New Zealanders and of the lives lost at war during WWI.

    Phillippa's ANZACS

    Delicious ANZACS

    The sweet ANZAC biscuits that we know and love today, originating from World War I, are in fact a derivative of a different biscuit that was consumed in the battlefields. They are thought to have been carefully created by a team of women on the home-front who were searching for a solution to a biscuit that could be easily transportable to their men on the front line in care/comfort packs.

    It was not uncommon for boats to take upwards of two months to reach the men, so the sweeter and more palatable biscuit recipe was created. It was important that the biscuits and its carefully selected ingredients didn’t spoil in the long voyage, were readily available and delivered some nutrition, hence the inclusion of golden syrup and the exclusion of eggs and butter traditionally used in biscuit cookery.

    The biscuits were then packed into tins, sometimes billy tea tins, to keep them airtight.

    To this day they represent more than a biscuit and a recipe as they are an iconic tradition that is passed down through the generations of Australians and New Zealanders, from mother to daughter, where the stories of our past are shared, and of the gentle reminder of the ANZAC legacy and spirit that is never to be forgotten –

    lest we forget.

    In the lead-up to April 25th we’ll have Phillippa’s ANZACS available in-store all week. So come by the store and pick yourself up some delicious Aussie tradition.


  2. Yarra Valley Food Wine & Craft Market

    April 1, 2012 by Esme

    It’s time for the Yarra Valley Food Wine & Craft Market, on this coming Easter Sunday. I can’t think of a better way to spend Easter than cruising around the Yarra Valley!

    So much fresh food and wine at your fingertips – and wonderful crafts too. There are plenty of stalls and plenty of friendly people.

    Consider making this long weekend a getaway! There is plenty to see in the beautiful Yarra Valley & Dandenongs.

     

     

    • Take a picnic – here at Cream we can make you a basket full of goodies
    • Explore some wineries
    • Visit national parks and waterfalls
    • Explore the market with your family and picnic on the grass
    • Stay in a BnB up here in Sassafras or Olinda – we’re only 30 minutes away from the market
    • Try a new restaurant

    Come and explore the Yarra Valley & Dandenongs – you’ll never want to leave!

     

    Yarra Valley Food, Wine & Craft Market

    Yarra Glen Racecourse

    Armstrong Grove, Yarra Glen  3775
    (Melway ref 275 C1)

     

     


  3. Creative Christmas Gifts for Foodies

    December 15, 2011 by Laura

    It’s officially crunch time!  If you haven’t wrapped up your Christmas shopping, believe me, you are not alone.  So if you still have some last-minute shopping to do for the foodie in your life, here are a variety of gift ideas.  They range from quirky, creative, fun, organic and green but one thing they all have in common is that they are perfect for the hard-to-buy-for-foodie in your life.

    Farmers market gift vouchers – Help support your foodie’s “habit” with a gift voucher to a farmer’s market.  Ask about them on your next trip to your your local market or check out the website.  It’s a gift that’s both thoughtful and useful!  Check and check!

    Custom gourmet hampers -What’s better than one gourmet pantry item?  A hamper full of them!  Buy your loved one a made-to-order gourmet hamper.  Tell Cream exactly what you want or give them a few ideas about your loved ones’ tastes and they’ll build it for you.  Too easy!

    “Spread the love” hamper - Maybe you know someone always asking you for your recipes.  Write down one of your famous recipes, bundle your own gift hamper, including the ingredients needed for the recipe you’re sharing so your loved one can make the recipe and share with others.  Tis the season of giving and what better way to give than to “spread the love” of food.

    Mini herb garden - If great taste is abounding but space is not, a miniature herb garden may be the perfect gift.  With this mini garden available from Greenhouse Online, cooking with fresh herbs has never been easier.

    Image courtesy of Greenhouseonline.com.au

    Wine or cheese club membership – What foodie doesn’t love a new wine or cheese to try delivered right to their doorstep?  Sign a friend up and you’ll be giving him or her a gift that keeps on giving.  Local to us, the Yarra Valley Dairy looks to be starting one shortly and there are others that deliver throughout the world, like Aritisanal Cheese.  Many vineyards have their own wine clubs or you can try an online club like The Australian Wine or The International Wine of the Month Club.

    Cornucopia Farmer’s market bag - I’ll admit that my first reaction to this bag was a little less than enthusiastic.  I have my green grocery bags and I thought, why would I (or anyone) need another one specifically for the farmer’s market?  But after reading a bit more about it this “wonder-bag” a Huffington Post write-up, I’m sold.  Get it here.

    Image Courtesy of the Huffington Post

    Green your kitchen kit – The foodie can be but is not always green.  Help them green-ify their kitchen with this handy get-started kit from The Green Perspective.

    Image Courtesy of thegreenperspective.com

    TEAR Australia’s Useful Gifts – The PERFECT gift for anyone, really. These poverty-fighting gifts remind you and the gift receiver what Christmas is all about.  While we foodies love to indulge in a gourmet meal, some people–way too many, in fact–don’t have basic necessities like clean water and food. At Useful Gifts you can purchase a chicken, clean water, family health care, and more!  Gifts range from $5-$10,000.

    Image courtesy of useful gifts.org

    Membership for community garden plot or garden co-op – There are so many reasons why community gardening is a good idea, not the least of which is the feel-good vibes one gets from working the land with their fellow neighbors and, of course, enjoying the fruits of ones’ labor, literally.  Here’s a starter list of community gardens in Melbourne but you should be able to contact your local community center for more information about yours.

    Homemade goodies – Last but certainly not least are homemade goodies!  If there’s one thing a foodie appreciates, it’s great food made with love and care.  The Daily Green features some healthy and great holiday homemade gift ideas or make a tried and trusted recipe of your own.

    For more on these and other great Christmas gift ideas for foodies, check out some of these great sites:

    The Daily Green – Organic Food Gifts

    Dunnn to Perfection – Foodie Gift Ideas

    Eat Drink and Be Kerry - Ultimate foodies Christmas present

    Erin Cooks – Favorite foodie Christmas gifts ever

    Fab Sugar – Christmas gift ideas for the Fashionable Foodie

    Little Bits of Lovely – Christmas Gift Guide for Foodies

    Regional Foodie – 10 fabulous foodie gift ideas for Christmas

    Tea for Six – Christmas gifts for foodies

    Washington Post – Best foodie gifts under $25 and Gift Guide for the Serious Foodie


  4. Black Pig Ham More than Passes the Test

    December 11, 2011 by Laura

    This past Tuesday The Age – Epicure featured the team’s mission to find the best Christmas ham in Australia. An important and worthy assignment…one that I would’ve loved to undertake myself.

    There were two hams that tied for first and five that were equal second, including Saskia Beer’s Berkshire Black Pig Ham, which Cream is lucky enough to carry.  According to the article, the Black Pig Ham was “porky, sweet, nutty and delicious”.  The article also gave credit to Saskia’s approach and preparation method.  “She uses the Beer family’s brown-sugar brine recipe and smokes over red gum in a traditional smokehouse.  One taster wrote, ‘This ham is so good it won’t last until Boxing Day’. ”

    Before I fully read the article, I was curious as to how one would judge a ham?  And beyond that, how would you or could you come to a group consensus of the best Christmas ham?  Ham to me is all about Christmas tradition.  If it doesn’t taste how I remember it should taste, then it wouldn’t rate to high.  And maybe then it isn’t about the best tasting ham, it’s about the ham that reminds you of what ham should taste like.  Richard Cornish said it best for me when he said, ‘what this taste test proved is that there is no one perfect ham for everybody.  Its perfection lies in the Christmas memories of years gone by – and what was served with it.’

    It reminds me of a quote by Lin Yutang that says, “What is patriotism but the love of the food one ate as a child?”  Saskia’s Black Pig Ham may be the one for me.  Only one way to find out…

    Click HERE to read the full article from The Age – Epicure.


  5. Giving Thanks with Corn-Fed Turkey

    November 29, 2011 by Laura

    The holidays are always a time remind myself of everything in my life for which to be thankful.

    In America, the tradition of Thanksgiving also falls around this time.  It’s a holiday started by the pilgrims and is specifically dedicated to giving thanks (in those days for the bountiful harvest).  To celebrate, families and friends gather together around a huge feast, the centerpiece of which is usually a turkey.

    This year my husband and I hosted a Thanksgiving dinner, featuring a Saskia Beer Barossa Farms’ free-range corn-fed turkey.  After washing and prepping the turkey, we stuffed it with garlic and a bunch of fresh herbs from our container garden and put a cup of water in the bottom for the drippings for gravy.  We covered the bird with aluminum foil to keep the skin from burning and then popped it in the oven.

    After about thirty minutes we could smell the amazing aroma wafting from the oven.  There’s nothing like gorgeous hints of what’s to come to whet the appetite and build anticipation.

    After about four hours at 170-180 degrees, our bird was cooked.  We let it set covered for 15-20 minutes before we carved it.

    It was the perfect bird!  Moist.  Juicy.  Tender.  Three fabulous words when you’re talking about the feature of your meal.  Corn-fed.  Free-range.  Natural.  You get the sense these six words have something to do with each other.

    One of our friends even said it was “The best turkey” she’s ever had and as much as I love to receive compliments about my cooking, I’m happy to share this one with the bird and Barossa Farms.