It sure has been a while since I have used this place to talk about food… But what better way to fix that than to tell you all about the wonder that is ham in coca cola.

Apparently this recipe originates from the states, “a southern thing” I am told. To be honest I don’t much mind where it came, I’m just happy it exists.

It all started with my Mother. She and I both like our thriller novels. A favourite series of ours is the Grant County books from Karin Slaughter. The stories generally focus on Georgia and sometimes Alabama. I finished the most recent book in the series a few months ago (if you have also finished reading Skin Privilege,  marketed as Genesis in the States – oh my goodness what an ending!) and my Mother has recently decided to catch up. A scene in one of the books places the main character, Sara, in her childhood home talking with her Mother while she makes a Coke Roast. Well, my Mother immediately googled this and since then has been begging me to try and cook it (it’s too hot in Australia this time of year for a roast) so she could find out if it actually works. It does, oh how it does!

One of my Christmas presents last year was a Nigella Lawson cookbook. Up until now I had just been looking at the pretty pictures but on my last perusal I came across Ham in Coca Cola. It must have been some sort of sign. So we invited my husband’s family over for Sunday lunch to test out the experiment. (The recipe calls for a 2kg gammon but I used a 1.4kg gammon which, along with vegetables, served 4 with a slice left over.)

Ham in Coca Cola

Ingredients:

2kg mild-cure gammon
1 onion, peeled and cut in half
2-litre bottle of Coca-Cola
FOR THE GLAZE:
handful of cloves
1 heaped tablespoon black treacle
2 teaspoons English mustard powder
2 tablespoons demerara sugar
Serving Size : Serves 8.

Method:

1. Put the gammon in a pan, skin-side down if it fits like that, add the onion, then pour over the Coke.
2. Bring to the boil, reduce to a good simmer, put the lid on, though not tightly, and cook for just under 2½ hours. If your joint is larger or smaller, work out timing by reckoning on an hour per kilo, remembering that it’s going to get a quick blast in the oven later. But do take into account that if the gammon’s been in the fridge right up to the moment you cook it, you will have to give it a good 15 minutes or so extra so that the interior is properly cooked.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 240°C/gas mark 9.
4. When the ham’s had its time (and ham it is, now it’s cooked, though it’s true Americans [and Australians!] call it ham from its uncooked state) take it out of the pan and let cool a little for ease of handling. (Indeed, you can let it cool completely then finish off the cooking at some later stage if you want.) Then remove the skin, leaving a thin layer of fat. Score the fat with a sharp knife to make fairly large diamond shapes, and stud each diamond with a clove. Then carefully spread the treacle over the bark-budded skin, taking care not to dislodge the cloves. Gently pat the mustard and sugar onto the sticky fat. Cook in a foil-lined roasting tin for approximately 10 minutes or until the glaze is burnished and bubbly.
5. Should you want to do the braising stage in advance (this is what I did) and then let the ham cool,
6. Clove and glaze it and give it 30–40 minutes, from room temperature, at 180°C/gas mark 4, turning up the heat towards the end if you think it needs it.

Because I let my ham cool, I threw it in the roasting tin with some carrots, potatoes, onions and sweet potato/kumara. It all came up a treat and I’ll definately be making this again – a good idea for Christmas lunch.

Before

After

Delish!

Not only human lives are affected by this disaster...

Hi all,

I think I am a pretty good contact. I don’t send many silly forwards or mean chain letters and never sign myself and others up for spamming opportunities. But just this once I am shouting out to all the non-Australian contacts I have for one reason: help.

Unless you live under a rock with no tv or internet access, you will have been following the bushfire stories coming out of Australia the last couple of weeks. Last Saturday, which has been unofficially named “Black Saturday” has been the worst day so far with 100 separate fires raging through the state of Victoria and the end is still not immediately in sight.

At last count today, there have been 181 lives lost with numbers expected to increase when authorites are able to go back into the firestruck towns and assess the full scale of the loss. I have heard many people say “How on earth could people have died, they should have been aware in plenty of time that a fire was coming.” These people are unaware that the current fires ravaging Victoria are the largest, fastest moving and most venemous bushfires Australia has ever experienced. And regardless of whether the fires have been purposely lit or if they have occured due to human error, this is a disaster – the worst this country has ever seen. A National Day of Mourning will soon be declared by our Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd.

• 181 dead and counting
• 500 injured and counting
• 1800 homes destroyed and counting
• 7000 people left homeless and counting

15 fires are still burning and the weather this February, the hottest month of summer in Australia, will be doing little to help the effort this weekend. Last weekend saw temperatures in the 50 degrees area. It is expected to be almost as warm this weekend with the addition of an easterly wind and more evacuations will be taking place.

Sometimes it is hard for people to donate to charities as the problems are so far away. For most of you, this problem is as far away as it could get – the other side of the world. But this is MY home country and this is a disaster. I realise, especially in the current economic climate, that money is tight for everyone right now. I have done my part and donated as much as I could to the cause and the only way I can further help is to spread the word. The pound might be weak but the dollar is weaker. At the moment .45p buys AU$1.00. If you can’t currently donate, I would ask that you forward this on to others that might be able to. Every little bit helps. To donate, follow the link below. http://www.redcross.org.uk/TLC.asp?id=90896

Thank you for reading this. Hoping you are all well and safe.

Kate xo

I love music. And I am not a snob about it. There are things I like and things I don’t but I don’t dislike things for any other reason that the particular sound is not appealing to me. For instance, I do not mind Nickleback. Cue internet bullying right now. I’m not fussed, Chad Kroeger has an amazing voice.

My love of music is a purely paternal influence. My lovely father, among other things, is a great lover of music. From a young age I was always instructed to close my eyes when listening to music so that I could better enjoy the experience. I still do this at gigs and concerts – thankfully because my eyes are closed I can’t see the odd stares I receive!

He raised me on a healthy diet of tunes, but it was quite heavy with The Eagles and Creedence Clearwater. So my maturing tastes are quite varied but I do always tend to lean towards those with a southern rock/country/blues feel.

Checking up on daily events today on the BBC I noticed their feature on an upcoming band called Delta Spirit.

The five-piece have garnered rave reviews in the US for their back-to-basics blues rock, which simultaneously recalls the rolling rhythms of Credence Clearwater Revival and the impassioned grooves of Sam Cooke.

I was sold. And after quick trips to google, wikipedia and myspace I can now happily state that I am a fan! I hope others will take a look (and a listen). Try www.deltaspirit.net for info about the band and tour dates. Or head over to YouTube and do a bit of a search. Of course you can always just buy the album! I think I just might. Enjoy!

Delta Spirit. There are better pictures of them but I am a sucker for a man in a checked shirt!

Well, I do what I can, really. I’ve been such a good girl the last few months, squirreling money away, paying bills and rent and of course there was the holiday season. I stayed away from the sales where I quite possibly would have bought anything that resembled a “bargain”, regardless if it fit me/suited me/made any sense whatsoever. And my good behaviour has been rewarded!

Husband and I received some gift vouchers for M&S so we decided to go and have a gander yesterday. He picked up a shirt and a much needed new pair of jeans, and I bought a Spring coat. An odd thing as I have never bought a Spring coat before and further more, it was pink (I would not classify myself as a pink person). But the fit was gorgeous and with the voucher it only cost me £20 so why not?

Blue Harbour Pure Cotton Big Check Shirt, £9.50, M&S

Limited Collection Pure Cotton Double Breasted Mac, £49.50, M&S (Looks so much better in real life!)

And then there is my favourite place on Earth: Boden. All hail Boden! Oh how I love anything and everything in their catalogue. I can’t even begin to tell you how long I spend just looking at random articles of clothing on their website. Anyway, my obsession aside I did some very thrifty shopping online last week and wound up paying less than half price for all three purchases. Sigh, perfection.

Pretty Petal Top, was £35 now £10.50, Boden

Double Layer Twisted Top, £25, Boden

Wideleg Linen Turn-ups, was £69 now £20.50, Boden

And, if you remember, from one of my previous posts I was lusting over some Clarkes shoes and the new Vera Wang perfume, Look. I managed to get both of those on sale as well. I also have a sneaking suspicion I might be receiving my Equinox pendent from Silver By Mail from a certain someone in about 11 days time… Lucky me!

“…I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye.“

I have made the move, taken the red pill, given the long kiss goodnight. Buh-bye facebook!

We all have very complicated and varied relationships with our facebook accounts. We’re newbies, we’re addicted, we’re annoying the crap out of our friends with group or application invites, we’re posting incriminating photos and we’re also BORED! Ok, well, most people aren’t bored with facebook. I am. I was a newbie, then I was addicted, I did the silly vampire and pirate and ninja applications. I can confrim that I was a member of the “Slow walking people make me want to punch them in the back of the head” group. I joined random charities and flirted with various religious and political groups until I realised I didn’t give a hoot. I joined the Barack Obama for president group because, let’s face it, who didn’t? I didn’t really post any incriminating photos but as a result of being “friends” with my much younger sister-in-law, I got to see her incriminating photos…and really wish I never had.

Facebook is a powerful beast and I am all for it. For other people. I’ve just decided that it’s not for me and that’s that. I don’t have a problem with people using facebook, not at all, I just no longer want to use it myself. I have my little corner of the internet right here and I think I’ll settle in for a while. This space needs a bit of nurturing and attention and I’m just the girl for the job (mainly because it is MY blog!).

And just to prove that I don’t have any sour grapes with the internet giant, here, follow the link if you’re one of the few people left who haven’t signed up or if reading this has made you realise you have a million messages to post. From a girl who is just not that fussed.

Photo courtesy of  SheenZX @ flickr.com

Welcome 2009. I don’t know why, but I have a feeling, deep down inside, that this is going to be a good year. I have no doubt it is going to be a tough year (financially, for everyone) but I am prepared for that. And being prepared for it makes me feel safe and ready to take on all challenges, not with my fists up but with my arms wide open. And this is why – Christine Kane and her “Shout out Your Word and Create Your Year Starting Right Now” post.

I actually read of her musings on New Year’s resolutions before the beginning of 2008 but I was sceptical and so gave it a miss. But it managed to stay in the back of my mind all year. I wondered if maybe I had started my year off with real intent that maybe I would have had a year full of focus, purpose and good feeling. Instead a lot of 2008, to me, was worry, stress, nervousness and a general defeatist attitude and bad feeling. But no more! This time around I was choosing a word for myself, a word of intent with which I would take with me through 2009.

Learn. That is my word – “learn” and it feels good. I tried it on a few days before January 1st to see how it felt on me. It felt positive and that made it an instant winner. This will be a year of positive thinking, of purpose, of learning. The wonder of Christine Kane’s idea is that it can be as broad or as narrow as you like. I enjoy the fact that “learn” can encompass many things yet also brings it all together on a common thread. There are the basics, for example – I would like to learn a language, I would like to learn how to cook more things, I would like to learn how to sew, I would like to learn how to budget my finances in a way that is both safe and fun. And then there are other trails off the “learning” path that I would like to take but need time and courage to walk them – I would like to learn who exactly I am (as I constantly feel I am drifting through life and that is such a waste) and what I want out of life (because at this stage, I just don’t know), I would like to learn how to be a better partner, I would like to learn the right times to say ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ and I would like to re-learn how to make friends.

So I have my word and I have my vague list of intentions for the year and beyond. And I made certain that I started off the year in the way I wanted. I am not from here. I am from somewhere else. This was the 4th New Years Eve that I have spent away from that somewhere else. Just before I left home to see the world I celebrated the dawn of 2005 with good friends in a place I loved. And now it seems that when a new New Year looms, I tend to get terribly homesick. I don’t drink very much, only on special occasions now. But the last 3 New Year’s Eve celebrations away from home have had me playing the drunken fool. Things generally start off ok, chatting with friends and what-not. And then something in me snaps and all of a sudden I can’t stop crying and my heart is in so much pain. This usually is the signal for my (wonderful, beautiful, amazing, gallant) husband to scoop me up, take me home (all the while listening to my ramblings and constant “sorry’s” for ruining yet another New Year’s for us) and lay me down to sleep the rest of the night in the bathroom (for some odd reason when I am sick {be it self-induced or not} I am most comfortable when I sleep on the bathroom floor, perhaps because of the cool tiles). But this year I said NO MORE! So we stayed in. He drank beer, I drank ginger beer. We had a simple meal, watched a movie, talked, laughed and went to bed in freshly cleaned sheets before midnight. It was perfect. I didn’t feel I missed out on anything and, even better, there were no tears and no pain in my heart. Instead I went to bed in 2008 with my heart smiling and when I awoke to 2009 that smile was still there.

This blog is really for posts on food and random, pretty things, not personal things. But this post is quite personal and I feel a bit exposed in posting it. But it was a ‘need to’ thing and I’m slowly learning about my ‘need to’s’. See, my word is working already! Welcome 2009!

Do this. Follow this link. Take a look at two people doing exactly what we should all be doing – chasing happiness.

REVOLVER

What you will see after the jump is a labor of love and I hope upon hope that this movie gets made.

Having followed the Danger Dame diary for a little over a year now I can safely say that I love dear Veronica with all my heart and I don’t even know her! She is the most thankful, positive, beautiful woman and I only wish for her dreams to come true (and those dreams better come sprinkled in glitter!).

Given the current financial state of the world, everyone is looking to cut back on big spending this Christmas. First to go will of course be the expensive presents. I have no problem with that at all. But a girl can still wish for pretty things so these are a few things that will go on my From Me to Me list.

I saw this bag (Tweed Spotty Bag, £25 from Accessorize) on the arm of the woman in front of me while I was waiting in the cue in Marks & Spencer and I KNEW that I had to have it. And her cardigan and her jeans… Ok, so she was wearing my entire dream wardrobe!

I have been eyeing up the Bamboo Palm shoes from Clarks for some time now. My problem is my feet. I have problematic feet and it drives me nuts as I love shoes but have to be so careful about what I buy as I have feet that are a)small, b)super-thin, c)have Achilles tendonitis. This results in me humming and harring for months until I forget all about them. So far my mission to find comfortable shoes in the UK has been futile. Note to Diana Ferrari (Australian shoe brand) – please find a UK stockist ASAP!

I am a big fan of Etsy.com and regularly pop online to see what’s new. I am especially a fan of the handmade handbags and The Luella Bag by abushelandapeck is no exception.

Another Etsy find (Delila Bag from annyandme). I adore the cream, brown and orange. Funny story, my Mother was once told by the owner of our local clothing boutique that “dirty” colours suited her very well. She was horrified. I have the same colouring as my Mother and you know what, I quite fancy those “dirty” colours!

As per usual, I have developed a taste for something that is way above my financial means. I have fallen for Vera Wang fragrances. Namely Sheer Veil and Bouquet. Her new fragrance, Look, I have not smelt yet but simply the description of it has my wallet shaking in fear. “Look’s beguiling aroma starts with notes of mandarin and watery greens layered with a burst of fresh lychee and golden delicious apple at the top note. Add in hints of vibrant florals, including lily and freesia.” Sigh… Just a pity the bottle isn’t as pretty as usual.

I discovered the hidden gem that is Silver by Mail only last week and I’m already hooked. If you like lovely jewellery but are on a tight-ish budget then this site is for you. This necklace, the Equinox Pendent, is “hand crafted Israeli simplicity”. In other words, it is freaking beautiful. I think this piece is my favourite and might be a little Christmas present to myself. I’ve been nice and not naughty so I think I deserve it.

What would you like to put on your wishist?

While I’m still on the subject of the mighty pumpkin, I’d like to draw attention to two posts from two of my favourite bloggers.

1) Bakerella and the wonderful Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies With Maple Brown Butter Frosting … need I say more?

2) Summer and Alicia from bread & honey, whose posts always put a smile on my face, spoke earlier in the week about Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes/Muffins. Yum!

It is now officially my immediate aim in life to bake these two recipes.

ps. If, like me, you don’t live in North America and can’t get your hands on canned pumpkin puree, the pumpkin to look for is the sugar pumpkin. They’re quite small but are delicious. I am told that the regular carving pumpkins are very tart.

Just like Andie MacDowell’s character in the movie Michael, I do love pie. Pie tastes like home to me and thats all there is to it.

Being an Australian, I have always been familiar with pumpkin. It’s a great fruit but I must admit that until now I had only ever eaten it as a delicious soup or roasted as a side on my dinner plate. I will further shame myself by saying that until recently I had completely written off pumpkin as a form of dessert.

But I like a challenge and I love to be in the kitchen so I put the two together and decided to make my first pumpkin pie. I got the recipe off the Video Jug website but unfortunately can’t find the original video (so no link, sorry!). But I did write it down for myself and will add it below for your perusal.

End result? I love pumpkin pie! It is officially up there on my list of favourite desserts (along with cheesecake and orange & poppyseed cake). I enjoyed preparing, baking and eating this pie – an all-rounder. And perfectly, not so filling that need a nap to recover.

So to all those American’s getting ready to make their own pumpkin pies for Thursday’s festivities – Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Pie

You will need

* 850 g pumpkin, halved
* 350 ml cream
* 190 g brown sugar
* Half tsp salt
* 3 eggs and 1 egg yolk
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* quarter tsp nutmeg
* quarter tsp allspice (mixed spice)
* the zest of 1 lemon
* 1 short-crust pastry base , ready made
* 1 roasting tin
* 1 spoon
* 1 fork
* 1 pie mold
* 1 jug
* 1 hand blender
* aluminium foil
* parchment paper
* about 500g of dry beans to weigh down the crust

Method

Preheat the oven. Set the temperature to 180ºC or gas mark 4. Place the pumpkin cut-side down into the roasting tin and cover with aluminium foil. Put the tin on a low shelf in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes (this is the first stage of creating the pumpkin puree).

Gently lay the pastry crust on the pie mold and carefully press it down to form the shape of the pie. Remove any excess pastry from the edges. Now using a fork, lightly jab the bottom of the base various times. This will prevent the pastry from rising. Put the parchment paper over the top of the pastry and pour the dry beans on top to weigh it down. Place the pie mold in the oven with the pumpkin and bake for 20 minutes.

When the pastry crust is golden brown, take it out of the oven. Test the pumpkin to see if it’s done by piercing it with a fork. It needs to be completely soft to make the puree. Remove it from the oven and discard the foil. Take the beans off the pastry and leave it and the pumpkin to cool.

Finally, raise the temperature of the oven to 210 degrees centigrade or gas mark 6.

Spoon the cooked pumpkin into the jug (discarding the seeds) and using the hand blender, blend into a puree.
In a large bowl mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, lemon zest and salt. Now, whisk the eggs, add them to the other ingredients and stir. Pour in the pumpkin puree and cream and stir well. Pour the filling into the pastry crust, almost to the top. Carefully place it into the centre of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 160ºC and bake for a further 35 minutes.

When the pie is fully cooked remove it from the oven and allow it to cool and set. The pie can be eaten warm or cold and served dusted with icing sugar and with a dollop of whipped cream.