BLOSSUMS and SHADOWS - Lian Hearn

My first foray into Lian Hearn's writing was the Tales of the Otori which is a series of historical novels based in Feudal Japan. 
I struggled with the characters' names but became totally engrossed in the stories once I remembered who was who. 

Blossums and Shadows is a very different book. It is based on historical events in Japan in the mid 19th Century but is narrated by the fictional character Tsuro. It was a period of internal division and rivalries between the hundreds of domains at a time when the semi-feudal government of the Shogun was beginning to crumble. Coupled with external threats of foreigners who arrived with guns and modern warfare ideas, Japan was in a very volatile state.

Tsuro is the daughter of a local doctor. Being a female, she cannot be a doctor so she works in the pharmacy. Her older sister has been married off and moved away so Tsuro is isolated. Tradition dictates that she too will marry someone of her father's choosing but he is broadminded and allows her some leeway. Eventually Tsuro marries a young doctor but life and love are complicated, particularly when children are not forthcoming and the country is on the brink of war. 

This book has a huge cast; of course with names unfamiliar to me so I am unable to distinguish between christian and surname which seem to be used interchangeably. To make it more difficult, changing one's name on a whim seems to be quite commonplace. It took me days to read the first few pages of the book as I repeatedly had to refer to the character list. The story includes both fictional and real historical people which added to my confusion. 

Perhaps it was my difficulty with the character names or the historical content but I found the book lacked flow at times. I never really understood who Tsuro was despite the difficult and unconventional life she led. The story includes a heady mix of politics, love, war, gender identity issues and male domination, all of which Tsuro tries to describe. I feel it was all a bit much for one character in one story to cover.  



I have had a fascination with Japan since a visit in my early twenties so I have posted some beautiful photos that I found free for public use on the internet. The links are below if you wish to explore more. 

• Cherry Blossum
• Ancient Japanese Tombs
• Chofu, Yamaguchi-Prefecture, Japan

My generous Montville Rose

This is my gorgeous Montville rose growing very happily in the front garden. It was given to me by Mum and is the offspring of her bush in Maleny, Queensland. The bush was huge and I desperately wanted one of my own so Mum, who could never resist growing something for free grew one for me. Quite simple apparently. 

A study of Google, suggests that the Montville rose is actually the Duchess de Brabant, a large, bushy old fashioned rose. 

This glorious specimen is growing at "The Shambles," a private country garden in Montville. 

The photos on their website will make you drool. Take a peek here. 

https://montvillegarden.com






Anyway, the reason I am writing this post is because I have succeeded in growing another from a cutting. 

I realise this looks like a stick with a few leaves sticking out of it growing in a cut off soft drink bottle and yes, it is, but I am very excited. 

I butchered the bush in late March, not the best time to try to grow cuttings in Brisbane. The weather was still hot and humid so chances of success were slim. We were far more likely to end up with a mouldy dead stick. This one brave cutting held on and after a couple of false starts where leaves formed and then dropped off, we now have a strong little beauty with lucious green leaves. 

This is her Mum, 3 months after cutting back. At the time she was touching the eaves and was about 2m across. With a few shots of super fertilizer and plenty of water, she generously flowers continuously for us.

Isn't she beautiful. 

Happy Gardening!

Plant shopping

I have been to the nursery again. This time it was to Templex, in Algester, Brisbane. It is the most amazing nursery you could ever visit and is worth a trip just for the sculptures and ambience even if you don't want to buy a plant. 

Plants are something I cannot resist so this trip was destined to result in some much loved purchases. Here is my bounty.



Abutilon- Chinese Lantern

 These beautiful plants have delicate shaped flowers that look a bit like a petticoat. They come in many colours and can be grown from seed but it is a lottery for which colour the flowers will be, so I have bought a ready made plant. I am hoping to standardise this one so will leave it long and lanky and stake the main trunk. 

Lily Pilly- 'Allyn Magic'

 This is a small Lilly Pilly that I am hoping to grow in this small  red pot as an outdoor table decoration. 

Pratia


This is a delightful ground cover with soft vibrant tiny leaves and flowers. I will divide this so that I can use it for mini potted landscapes. 








Trident Maple

 I have always wanted a maple tree but the climate in Brisbane limits the choices. 

It has now been potted in this gorgeous, simple white ceramic pot that I paid $9 at a roadside pot shop on the way home. 

We have been trying to grow moss for the last few months to put in our pots and at last we have had some success. 
This is not a bonsai. It is a small plant in a lovely little pot. I don't think I will ever be able to produce true bonsai, but I think this little maple is beautiful.

I also bought this stunning pot from the same roadside pot shop. It only cost me $19 and will be perfect for the fig tree that I rescued from the kerbside pickup in the dark one evening. It was lying on the ground in a broken pot and hadn't been cared for in a while. It will be exciting to pot it up and will post photos when it's transformation is complete.  

Happy planting! 

Simplest Peanut Satay Sauce

There are some recipes that are timeless. Do you remember the 70s and 80s when the 'in thing' was the prawn cocktail- nude, little prawns hanging over the side of a dish containing the ubiquitous thousand island dressing? Let's not forget the shredded lettuce. Just in case you have forgotten, I found a photo on Wikipedia to jog your memory.  

I will not dwell on prawn cocktails any longer but rather I will share the simplest peanut satay sauce you will ever make. Many years ago I found a recipe that didn't require roasting peanuts, grinding peanuts, mixing things with the peanuts, etc,etc. It was great and I made it many times but often I would either not have all the ingredients in the house or forget to put something in because I no longer used the recipe. 

Fast forward a few more years and I was looking for tasty recipes for my annual family get together. The weather in Brisbane in April is beautiful and perfect for a barbecue so we decided to cook chicken sticks and sausages and anything else our guests wish to bring with them.

I didn't even look for the recipe this time. 
My peanut satay sauce now has only 3 ingredients.

1 can coconut milk
6 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
3 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce- more if you like it hot.
(This makes a large quantity.)

Method
Heat slowly and stir until well combined.
Simmer until desired thickness.
If the sauce starts to separate, stir vigorously and it will recombine. 

Ideal accompaniment for any meats, to dip raw vegetables in or spice up roasted veggies. 

Sweet Crusted Almonds

Almonds are a great source of protein and make a great snack but in pursuit of making them taste not just delicious but truly amazing, the addition of extras can pack on the calories.

This is another of my low, fat nut recipes. I used raw sugar; only because I didn't have brown sugar when I wanted to cook and a trip to the shop was a bit much. The raw sugar gives them a crunchy, light crust which is delicious.

INGREDIENTS
3 cups of raw whole almonds- about 750g
1/3 cup raw sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon- more or less to taste 
1/2 teaspoon ground rock or sea salt 
1 egg white
1 teaspoon water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 135 degrees Celsius (275F.)

2. Line large baking tray with baking paper.
3. Whisk egg white, vanilla and water until thick and foamy.
4. Add cinnamon, sugar and salt.
5. Whisk until well mixed.
6. Add almonds and stir until evenly coated.  
7. Spread evenly onto baking sheet.
8. Bake for 30 minutes.
9. Stir and separate any that are stuck together.
10. Reduce oven temperature to 100 degrees Celsius (205F) and bake about 30 minutes until dry.  
11. Stir and leave on tray to cool. They will become crisp once cool.
12. Store in airtight container. 

For a bit more of a kick check out my Spicy Spanish Almonds Recipe. 

   

Spicy Spanish Almonds

These delectable almonds are another of my range of delicious nuts. For some bizarre reason they seem a bit more 'masculine' than my traditional sweet roasted macadamia nuts so I cooked a batch for brother's birthday. 

INGREDIENTS
3 cups of raw whole almonds
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
1 teaspoon ground rock or sea salt 
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 egg white
1 teaspoon water

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 135 degrees Celsius (275F)

2. Line large baking tray with baking paper
3. Mix sugar, spices and salt in large bowl
4. Whisk egg white and water until thick and foamy
5. Tip almonds into egg white mix and stir to coat 
6. Tip into spice and mix to coat
7. Spread evenly onto baking sheet
8. Bake for 30 minutes
9. Stir and separate any that are stuck together
10. Reduce oven temperature to 100 degrees Celsius (205F) and bake about 30 minutes until dry.  
11. Stir and leave on tray to cool. They will become crisp once cool.
12. Store in airtight container. 

A few interesting facts about almonds

• The trees and their blossoms are truly beautiful.
• Technically, almonds are the seed of a tree.
• They are a member of the Amygdalus family and related to other fruits that contain hard pits, including cherries, plums and peaches. 
• They thrive in mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers in full sun.
• Nutritionally they are praised due to the presence of monounsaturated fatty acids, dietary fibre, antioxidants, vitamins like riboflavin, and trace minerals such as magnesium.

Strawberry Hazelnut Cake

When you ask somebody what they would like for dinner, you have to then be prepared to create what they have asked for. On this occasion, the request was for "something healthy." Damn, there goes my ideas of a luscious chocolate cheesecake or a cream laden pavlova.

I dragged out a "Slimmers' Book," that obviously hadn't seen the light of day for many years and began to flip. There were some quite nice looking recipes in it, but most with watery looking sauces and over proportioned with vegetables. There were, however, some tasty looking desserts that looked ideal for this horrendous, humid weather we are surviving through at the moment. 

This hazelnut strawberry cake is delicious, but I have to confess I made some small modifications, so it might not be as "slimmers" as it was originally. Not too decadent though.

INGREDIENTS

Cake

• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup castor sugar
• 1/3 cup self-raising flour
• 1/3 cup ground hazelnuts

Strawberry filling

• 125g light cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon strawberry or raspberry jam
• 1/2 of 250g punnet strawberries

Cream cheese topping

• 125g cream cheese
• 1/3 cup cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Decoration

• Remaining half punnet of strawberries
• Small amount of ground hazelnuts.

METHOD

1. Grease deep 20cm round can pan and line base with baking paper.

2. Beat eggs and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until thick and creamy.

3. Fold in sifted flour and hazelnuts.

4. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

5. Bake in a moderate over for 30 minutes.

6. Turn onto wire rack to cool. 

Strawberry Filling

7. Blend or process cream cheese, jam and 1/2 punnet of strawberries until smooth.

Cream cheese topping

8. Blend or process all ingredients until smooth.

Assembly

9. When cake is cold, cut in half horizontally.

10. Spread with filling and top with remaining cake.

11. Spread cream cheese filling over cake.

12. Decorate with reserved strawberries and ground hazelnuts.

13. Refrigerate for several hours.

NOT ANOTHER GREEK SALAD- Ann Rickard

        Photo courtesy of Nick. Scopelos

Ann Rickard is a Noosa based writer with six travel books under her belt. All have quirky names: "Three in a Bed in the Med;" "Flash and Brash with Fries on the Side" and "The Last Book about Italy." She has won the Australian Society of Travel Writers Australian Travel Writer of the Year (2005,) Travel Book of the Year (2007) and is the life editor of the Noosa News. 

Ann sets off to Greece with her life partner Geoffrey in search of wine, adventure, inspiration and lesbians. The lesbians are found on the island of Lesbos, chosen to visit not only because of the remarks heard about gay women visiting there but also because it appeared to be one of the least commercial of the Greek islands with petrified forest, ancient ruins, a thriving agricultural industry, unspoilt culturally enlightening museums, etc. etc. 

This was not the first time Ann and Geoffrey had visited Greece so they wanted check out some sights to see if they had changed at all. Naturally they had and this met with some disappointment. But they also take on new adventures. Ann casually describes the hike up the mountain to the Agios Simeon monastery by way of a goat track recommended by Stavros (of course.) 

                                                           Agios Simeon Monastery

They take off at one o'clock - the hottest part of the day when everyone is thinking about closed blinds and cool siestas. There is no sign of cars but plenty of donkey droppings and the air becomes still and hotter as they climb. "It's pleasant, despite the heat," but even horses think they are nuts.

Ann's book is filled with anecdotes such as these and is easy reading. It is also dotted with a bit of whining about lack of money and villages that have too many tourists (just like them.)

Is it a book that you could use to plan out your once in a lifetime trip to Greece? Not really. There are some useful facts but I feel it is more a memoir of ramblings through life and relationships. There are a few spelling and grammar mistakes that are distracting but don't let that put you off. It is entertaining and light-hearted; something that often missed in a 'real' travel book. 

Fortress of Mytilini, Lesvos

  

      

SUNDOWN CROSSING- Lynne Wilding

I was given this book by my sister last Christmas. As I opened it, she said, "I thought it would be an easy, relaxing book for the New Year." She was correct. It has a naturally flowing plot with a few twists and turns to keep the pages turning.

The story is based in a vineyard in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, well known as one of the world's greatest wine regions. First settled in the mid 1800s by English and German immigrants, the valley is a mere 25km long but with its hot, dry summers and cool, moderate winters, it manages to produce 21% of Australia's wine. 

Carla, who was born and still lives in New Zealand inherits her father's vineyard when he suddenly dies. Estranged from his wealthy wine making family in the Barossa Valley, her father had left the country and never returned so Carla had no idea that he owned the vineyard.

Carla, her young son and Angie, partner of her father and vigneron make the difficult decision to bring the vineyard back to life and make it profitable.

This is not easy because of the ruinous state of the vineyard and the vendetta that is mounted by her estranged relatives in an attempt to cause it to fail. The family want her to sell the land to them and will stop at little to achieve this. 

Of course, true grit, hard work and love win over and we have a "happily ever after" story. The large wealthy family grow to love Carla after realising that she had nothing to do with events that occurred before she was born. The aunt who believes that murder is the best option is safely relocated to Spain to avoid arrest and Carla gets married to a lovely gentleman after a few dinners and some architecture advise. 

This is an easy read and is difficult to put down at times. 
What have I learnt from it? Time can heal wounds and persistence can pay off. 

Lynne Wilding, born and bred in Sydney, Australia is the author of several novels and the inaugural president of Romance Writers of Australia inc. 

   
Photo courtesy of The Book Depository.

Quick Vanilla Fudge

There are times when what you really need is something sweet and delicious. Fruit and vegetables are "great" but just don't do the job when it's Sunday evening, tomorrow is the start of another working week and you feel more tired than you did when the weekend started.

Today is one of those days so a batch of quick vanilla fudge would be absolutely perfect. 

INGREDIENTS
400g white chocolate
250g butter, chopped
3 cups icing sugar
1/3 cup cream
vanilla essence to taste

Topping of choice such as:
   hundreds and thousands
   grated dark chocolate 

METHOD

1. Place chopped chocolate, butter, sugar and cream into a heavy bottom saucepan.

2. Stir over gentle heat until chocolate and butter have melted and mixture is smooth.

3. Simmer for 1 minute.

4. Beat with an electric mixer for 3 minutes.

5. Add vanilla.

6. Pour into foil lined tin. Suitable sizes are 20cm square or 28cm x 18cm.

7. If decorating with hundreds and thousands, sprinkle over and refrigerate until firm. 

    If decorating with grated chocolate (I used dark chocolate for this batch) wait until fudge cools to warm then sprinkle over.

8. Refrigerate until firm.

9. Cut and store in airtight container in the refrigerator.  

Makes about 36 pieces. 

 

Roses are Beautiful

There is something about roses that is truly magical. 

I am now the custodian of Mum's two rose bushes since she passed away recently and I feel a sense of responsibility and attachment. We used to talk about them every time I visited Mum.  

They are the same variety of an unknown miniature in terracotta pots. I am always concerned about plants in terracotta because they dry out so quickly. We are currently experiencing extremely hot weather in Brisbane so the plants are watered at least daily and I check them morning and evening to make sure they are OK. 

Plenty of water, deadheading the spent blooms and a dose of slow release fertiliser and they seem to be settling in well. 

Coffee Cream Pots

This started out as a low-fat dessert recipe but I couldn't resist the temptation to add a bit of cream. It is made with low-fat ricotta cheese which I have always thought had bit of a sandy texture but this dessert is still worth the minimal effort required to make it. 

In keeping with the healthy, low-fat theme, I have teamed it with some beautiful fresh fruit. Mangoes and stone fruit have been divine this year and they are hard to resist. 

This cream would also be delicious with a biscuit such as biscotti or even a brandy snap. 

INGREDIENTS
500g low-fat ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon instant coffee dissolved in 1 teaspoon warm water
3 teaspoons Kahlua or similar liqueur
1/4 cup castor sugar
pinch cinnamon
1/2 cream thickened cream, lightly whipped (optional.)
   
note: If you don't have Kahlua or don't want to use liquor, use 2 teaspoons of instant coffee instead of one. 

METHOD
1. Using an electric mixer, combine all ingredients except cream.
2. Whip until very smooth.
3. Fold in cream.
4. Place in 6 small individual dishes and refrigerate for at least one hour.
5. Serve with fruit, biscuits or maybe chocolate sticks. 

This antique china is Shelley "Daffodil Time" trio demitasse cup, saucer and plate. 

  

A great dessert for a 
hot summer evening.  

Peanut and Pepper Chicken

This is a favourite recipe that Mum used to cook.
It is a type of satay chicken but Mum always called it peanut chicken and I haven't changed it's name. The dish doesn't have lots of creamy satay sauce like some so I suppose it is appropriate. 
Originally it was a microwave recipe but Mum changed it and cooked in on the stove top. I like it both ways. 
Here is the recipe for the stove top version.
It makes a quick and healthy meal for mid-week or a family get together on the weekend. 

INGREDIENTS
500g skinless chicken fillets- breast or thigh
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 teaspoon oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion sliced
1 clove of garlic crushed.
1 medium red capsicum sliced
1 medium green capsicum sliced
2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lime juice.
Rice to accompany. 

METHOD
1. Cut chicken into slices or cubes.
2. Place chicken in plastic bag with flour and shake to coat chicken.
3. Heat oil and butter in heavy based pan or wok until butter melted and combined and pan is hot. 
4. Add onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute.   
5. Increase heat and add chicken. 
6. Stir fry until chicken is browned. 
7. Add capsicum and stir fry for 2 minutes until cooked but still crisp.
8. Mix together peanut paste, spices, soy sauce, honey and lime juice.
9. Add to the pan and mix through.
10. Continue stirring over medium heat until chicken is cooked.  
11. Serve with rice. 


Serves 4.