One xmas, in NZ, the wonderful sister of my SIL cooked a beautiful, simple, egg-free date loaf and sent it over on the ferry (my bro, SIL and I were staying on one of the islands out of Aukland, off-grid). It was delicious and I got the recipe from her.

Still, whenever I made it, it is not the same. I gave up, I think something in the recipe is not quite right.

So when I was reminded of the 4-ingredient Dried Fruit Loaf (#Cornersmith's #FoodSaver book includes it), I was excited. I mixed the fruit, left it to soak, and mixed with flour in the evening.

I can tell you, it is wonderful, old fashioned, full of nostalgia and good times. Like eating cake with a cuppa around a wood fire.

The recipe is common, so I can share with my adjustments. A tad more than 4 ingredients but all good.

Mix 1 cup dried fruit (chop any large ones like apricots) with some sugar and 1 cup** strong brewed tea. (I used about 2 Tblsp sugar, other recipes use a lot more. I could have done with even less sugar, so use your judgement). Soak for at least an hour or as long as you like.

Pour the soaking fruit mixture over 1 cup SR flour mixed with 1 small tspn cinnamon and small 1/2 tspn salt. Mix to a thick batter - I had to add some milk to get it to a thick batter stage**.

Bake in a lined loaf tin for 30-40 mins at 180C until skewer comes out clean. Cool 20 mins in the loaf tin, then remove onto a cooling rack. Serve with or without butter (doesn't need it).

** Next time I will use 1.5 cups tea with the fruit, and add the liquid until the thick batter stage is reached.

It is endlessly versatile. I used golden raisins and sour apricots from the Afghan store, and currants. But use any mix, and can add coconut, for example, or mix in a ripe banana (use less liquid), or add some seeds or nuts. Or use honey for sugar. Endless variations.

🧵 #FoodSavers/4

Overall, this is a sensible book. It is a book for inspiration, not for food to blow the sox off your friends and neighbours. It is focused on using the smallest scrap of anything in your pantry, fridge, or from your garden. I quite like it.

I think you do need some basic cooking skills to use the book successfully, but there is no need for advanced or long-term experience.

Recommended for all interested in reducing food waste, and those who want to be better at using up their pantry.

I just saw a recipe for Flotsam and Jetsam Flat Breads. It's a use whatever is in your pantry approach, and very much my style.

You will enjoy this book and find it very useful.

#food #cookbookReviews #cookbooks #cookbookReview #LTCCookbookReviews #CookingAU #cooking #vegetarian #Cornersmith #AustralianCookbookAuthor

🧵 #FoodSavers/3

Oh my goodness,t here is even a recipe for Apricot Chicken, an Australian classic from the 1970's. And there is a recipe for the four-ingredient Dried Fruit Tea Loaf. I have a special affection for this World War and Depression Era cake, and as we speak the dried fruit are soaking on the Kitchen Bench. It is in the chapter on using up dried fruit.

Oh (again), a recipe for cumquat brandy (I make cumquat gin) and cumquat syrup (I make cumquat molasses, similar).

My only complaint is that there is not a table of contents for the 150 items covered in the book. How do you know, then, that Crakers are covered. Or Kimchi, honey or fig leaves? Poppy seeds or flax seeds?

You might expect the book to be FULL of pickles, given Cornersmith's reputation. But it is not the case. The pickles are in proportion - and I would use this book as a companion book to their other publications.

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🧵 #FoodSavers/2

The book is LARGE as you can imagine with over 500 pages. It has 1 bookmark ribbon - not sufficient in my mind for a book that is likely to be used a lot.

There are lots of books that take produce and pantry items and talk about how to use them - Nigel Slater has at least 4 volumes, I have one that is the Twelve Months of Italian cooking, another that focuses on seasonal produce in the London Farmer's/Pop-up Markets.

The unique feature of this book is that it focuses on using everything. So you have recipes for daikon leaves, for example (Yes! I love daikon and radish leaves - he covers both separately). And Pumpkin skins. Of course, pumpkins seeds. Pear scraps. Half lemons. How to use up the bottom-of-the-jar bits of harrisa paste.

Of course it is not all scrap and leaf usage, there are good, simple (can I say "solid"?) recipes for produce and pantry items. Most recipes are written in 1 or 2 paragraphs (so, yes, very simple).

There are no pics in this book, just page after page of suggestions.

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🧵 #FoodSavers/1

Today it is another Cornersmith book - their latest publication. We've had a look at their previous 3 books - check them out at #Cornersmith tag. Cornersmith is an Australian icon that is the leading voice in the war on household food waste. This book takes a different tack to the others.

Food Saver's A-Z: The Essential Cornersmith Kitchen Companion, by Alex Elliott-Howery and Jaimee Edwards
Published: Oct, 2022
Publisher: Murdoch
Pages: 560
Price: $30AU but look around as prices vary

Recipes: 899 recipes, and 746 of these are meat-, fish- and egg- free. Such a great ratio! 💓

The book is touted as the ultimate reference guide to using up and making the most of every ingredient in the fridge or pantry. It includes 150 common items, and discusses how to use up a lot or a little of something – from a single stem of asparagus to a bucketload of zucchini (I needed this a month ago).

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Ginger cookies #Cornersmith #UseItAll & apricot balls (my creation) #mymenuplan

Great to see the #Cornersmith ladies on ABC TV discussing food waste, as they do, particularly at Christmas. Main message is to use what you have in the kitchen to prepare meals, rather than the other way around, ie choosing a recipe and buying (more) ingredients for that recipe. This has been my modus operandi for most of my life, and I rarely throw food away. #foodwaste

Great to see the #Cornersmith ladies on ABC TV Breakfast News, talking AS THEY DO about how not to waste food, particularly at Christmas. Main message is to prepare meals with what you have in the kitchen, rather the other way around (ie choosing a recipe then buying ingredients)... this is my eternal modus operandi and I rarely throw food away. #foodwaste