Origins of ANZAC cookies

 

As a child I presumed that the word Anzac, as in Anzac cookies, was the name of a place in the UK (the internet was a primitive invention at that point!).  As it turns out there are several well-known acronyms in the English language that people don’t even realize are acronyms (see “scuba” in this link).

But back to the word Anzac, which is an acronym for Australia New Zealand Army Corps.  The militia no longer exists – it was disbanded in 1916.  The term is still used though as Anzac Day that is celebrated every year in Australia and New Zealand for the servicemen who died serving their countries.  Australia and New Zealand mark their calendars every year on April 25 for this holiday.

The origins of Anzac cookies have quite bit of myth and legend.  The traditional story tells of Anzac biscuits being sent overseas to troops as effectively an army ration.  Because the cookies were not made with eggs, they could last longer.  There is little proof to back this story up and research from the New Zealand Army Museum indicates that the cookies were primarily sold to raise money for the troops and not for the troops themselves to eat while they were away.

Read about the history from this link.

Please ask me how to try out and acquire Anzac cookies – they are one of my personal favorites!

HW

Holiday Season: Pancake Tuesday

Also known as MARDI GRAS!!

Mention Mardi Gras to anyone in Louisiana (or in Texas) and they imagine the packed streets of New Orleans in the week leading up to the event with green, purple, and gold beads everywhere.  And of course they imagine king cake in every possible flavor, decorating with these bright colors and icing.

However, growing up I knew never little about Mardi Gras.  My only knowledge of the Cajun culture was from this little restaurant called the Double Musky Inn in Girdwood, Alaska (very close to my hometown of Anchorage) that served Cajun food.  It was quite dark inside and I think it got crowded and wild later, which explained why my parents always had us leave by about 8…

Since that was all I knew about Cajun culture, I knew Mardi Gras growing up as Shrove Tuesday, but I really knew it as Pancake Tuesday more than anything else.  Pancake Tuesday, as the name implies, involves eating pancakes, and more specifically eating them for dinner.  Fat Tuesday is the last day to feast on richer foods like butter, sugar, and eggs before Lent begins.  Check out the fascinating rundown by BBC News on the history and significance behind these celebrations.  In a celebration analogous to Mardi Gras, the British celebrate Fat Tuesday with pancakes, not just making them, but also pancake races, including this race by UK Members of Parliament (see the feature photo at the top of this page as well).

While restaurants do a much better job making crepes than I do (much thinner certainly), it is the fun of the occasion that makes it worth doing.  Beside it is fun to have people over as part of the celebrations!  I always make basic crepes and then have orange slices and maple syrup on hand as toppings, and guests bring their favorite toppings.  The recipe I use is from Williams-Sonoma, and you can easily double or triple the recipe (I certainly do).

Ingredients (makes about 4 crepes – mine are a bit thicker)

• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 1/2 tablespoon melted unsalted butter plus more butter for cooking the pancakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Combine the milk, egg, flour, melted butter, and salt in a bowl until smooth
2. Cover and refrigerate overnight (if this is possible, otherwise refrigerate for a few hours)
3. Put a pat of butter in the bottom of a medium sized frying pan, letting it melt and cover the pan evenly
4. Tilt the pan at a slight angle and pour enough batter on the pan to completely cover the bottom of it (it may take a few attempts to get the right amount on the pan)
5. Cook until the top of the crepe looks bubbly (should take just a minute or two)
6. Flip the crepe and cook the other side for another minute or two – when do put on a plate to serve or store covered with foil to keep warm
7. Repeat steps 3 through 6 for each crepe, making sure to put a pat of butter on the bottom of the pan for every crepe before you starting making it

My favorite toppings are maple syrup and a squeeze of freshly sliced orange.  Nutella and fruit is always good, especially for kids.  If you like a more savory crepe you can put cheese or protein in the crepe.  Be creative!  If you are still slightly intimidated by the process of making crepes, check out YouTube as there are loads of good videos to help you learn the techniques!

HW

Culinary Tour: Turkish Baklava

I visited Istanbul in the spring of 2015, but my love of baklava (and Turkish sweets for that matter) began long before then.  Baklava is so popular that as far as I can tell, three different countries lay claim to it:  Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon (and I am sure there are others).  Before I set off for Istanbul, a friend from Texas gave me a list of restaurants to try out in the city, and I remember that it said next to it “best baklava in the city.”  Despite being jet lagged upon arrival, Istanbul did not disappoint from the moment I arrived in the city.  I stayed in a fantastic little boutique hotel literally right next door to the Blue Mosque and Ayasofya, which I took a late night stroll to check out.  The view from the hotel roof terrace is one of the best – check out the photos I took below!

But I am deviating from my original post about the amazing Turkish pastries that this title alludes to.  Needless to say, the next morning I rose eager to explore the Sultanahmet area during daylight and make my way along the 5K introduction tour of Istanbul that the wonderfully hospitable staff at the Hotel Ibrahim Pasha recommended to me.  But first, I had to eat breakfast:  as illustrated below, the reviews of the incredible breakfast that the hotel served were 100% correct and it was probably the best breakfast spread I have ever had.

So after this fantastic breakfast I journeyed outside to begin my journey on foot around this wonderful city.  The world famous Blue Mosque was literally across the street from the hotel (see the nighttime photo I took above), and from there I saw the Ayasofya and Topkapi Palace.  My journey by happenstance though, walked right by the best baklava shop in Istanbul.  And truly by complete accident as it is on a smaller side street in the district of Karakul.  It is also clear by the photo outside the shop that I was not the only eager consumer of its baklava.  In fact, you can get it shrink-wrapped to send the sweet treat back home with you.

Even with all the safety issues in Istanbul, I would absolutely recommend visiting this city – and stop by Karakul Güllüoğlu!

HW

Why I love Betty’s Tea Room and York

I am so lucky because I spent a number of sunny summer days as a child exploring the city of York in the north of England.  I can remember going to the incredible train museum (located right next to the railway station fittingly) and wondering around the medieval narrow streets of the city called The Shambles.  You cannot miss the York Minster as you approach the city from any direction or forget the absolutely magnificent stained glass windows on every wall of the church.  For those who love architecture like I do, the York Minster is the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe.  There is a stained glass window inside (see the photo below) that is the size of a tennis court.  Of course, the stained rose glass window  on the southern transept is one of the most beautiful of its kind in the world, and was thankfully saved from a fire that destroyed the transept roof in the summer of 1984.  Read about the incident here and how the community of York rallied to rebuilt the minster.

However, this blog is about sweets and an visit about one of my favorite places in the world is not complete without going to Betty’s Tea Room in the center of the town.  The restaurant is famed for its amazing dessert cart and for serving Fat Rascal’s (scones), which are pictured below (these are my version).

It is not surprising that people will wait hours to get a spot at the restaurant, which is always crowded, even with an upstairs and downstairs seating section.  Go early so you also get the best items!  I went back to Betty’s before walking back to get my train and managed to buy one of the last Fat Rascals they were selling.

Needless to say, none of the baked items made it back to London!

HW