Colonial Cooking Centered Round a Staple Diet of Meat Cooked in Various Forms

Posted on 10. Mar, 2010 by admin in Cooking

Food formed an elemental part of the colonial culture, no matter whatever class of people it was served to. Most interactions took place among people when seated around the dining table. So a conversation started at dinner could very well carry on till late in the night! It was therefore imperative that the dining table be kept well stocked at all times.
For more details go to: www.thanks-giving-recipes.com It was also essential that everyone know at least the basics of colonial cooking, be it woman or man, poor or rich, white or black.

Colonial cooking demanded that certain conditions had to be adhered to. Only a wood fire could be used for the cooking. The cook had to have knowledge about handling the fire so that food could be cooked properly. No food was eaten raw, not even vegetables and fruits.

Colonial cooking centered round a staple diet of meat cooked in various forms. In fact, animals were often cooked with their feet and heads still attached and were served in the same way! Anyone wanting to have chicken would find one, kill it and cook it in the morning itself, consuming it for breakfast, lunch and dinner to ensure that it did not get spoilt. The preference was therefore to always have fresh food on the table. Of course, there were certain animal foods that could only be obtained seasonally.

Curing or smoking was a method of preservation used at times because of a peculiar fondness for the organs of animals. Meat gravies and sauces were sopped up with the help of rolls. Drinks were also a part of their culture, and tasted quite sweet. Large amounts of alcohol were added to the punches.

A very basic style of colonial cooking was found among the lower classes, who had limited equipment to cook with. The meal served consisted of whatever could be cooked in just a cast iron pot — mainly a dish called “hominy” prepared from corn, vegetables and salt-cured pork. Other meats and vegetables were consumed with this main dish. Generally, the wife cooked porridges and soups in the pot.

The middle class were a little better, but even they were divided into lower middle class and upper middle class.
For can visit to: www.300-chicken-recipe.com while it was left to the ladies to attend to the cooking in lower middle class families, slaves could take over in the upper middle class households. On special days, both tried to keep up with the gentry.

Only next to the governor in status, the gentry indulged in expensive colonial cooking. The cooking more or less followed English traditions, with every meal combining both sweets and meats. They could afford to keep slave cooks. These cooks were quite skilled in spite of having less formal training. Not to be compared to the governor’s cooks, yet these slaves were held in high esteem and paid very well. In fact, a few slaves even became free via their cooking skills!

The best colonial cooking could be seen at the governor’s household. The kitchen was equipped with an eight-day clock, a spit jack, and plenty of copper pots. European cooks with professional training and trained apprenticeships were in charge as the principal cooks, and received princely sums for their efforts. No cook in the colonies could compare with them. Thus, the governor could afford to employ several cooks and sample different cuisines, though the dishes had a distinct French flavor.

Enjoy Sydney’s Festivals, Arts and Culture All Year Round

Posted on 04. Mar, 2010 by admin in Arts & Entertainment

From its spectacular New Year’s fireworks to its stunning harbour setting, Sydney is truly one of the world’s most attractive cities and it’s no wonder that Sydney has long been a popular destination for travellers in Australasia and beyond. Whether you’re keen to enjoy the warm weather ‘down under’ when it’s winter in the UK, or if you simply want to make a getaway during your summer holidays, Sydney offers a variety of arts, entertainment and sports events to cater for every tourist’s taste.

As Australia’s largest city, Sydney offers a wide range of cultural attractions. The most visited parts of the city are, of course, its most iconic landmarks: the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. However, Sydney holds an array of other popular attractions that should not be overlooked if you’re visiting the city. Sydney Tower, for example, is the city’s tallest free-standing structure at 305 metres high, and its observation deck offers visitors staggering views across the city.

Furthermore, Sydney has a dedicated artistic tradition; a range of Australia’s best artistic companies hail from the city, including Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Dance Company and Sydney Theatre Company. Sydney is also famous for its distinct gay community, which centres on Oxford Street and plays host to the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras every year.

In fact, the Mardi Gras is only one of Sydney’s numerous annual festivals. Every January, the city stages the Sydney Festival, which has been Australia’s largest and most popular cultural festival since its inception in 1976. Its annual programme includes over 50 free events which span across a range of genres: from classical and contemporary music to dance, drama, circus events and public lectures. Attracting around 1.5 million people every year, the Sydney Festival truly captures the spirit of what makes Sydney such a great city to visit.

Sydney is also home to the Sydney Film Festival; moreover, since the opening of Fox Studios in Sydney in 1998, the city has become steadily more prevalent on cinema screens around the world. Famous movies that have been filmed in the city include Mission Impossible II, The Matrix, Moulin Rouge and the last two instalments of the Star Wars franchise.

Travellers hoping to see something of Australia’s history while in Sydney will not be disappointed with the variety of museums in the city. The biggest are the Australian Museum (a centre for natural history and anthropology), the Powerhouse Museum, which showcases exhibits on science, technology and design, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Australian National Maritime Museum.

If you live in Britain, you’re sure to be able to find plenty of flights to Sydney on a daily basis throughout the year. So whether you’re keen to enjoy the warm weather ‘down under’ when its winter in the UK, or simply want to take a break to the Emerald City during your summer holidays, you’ll always be able to find a suitable way to travel to Sydney.