Fred from Fred's Bush Tucker holds an eel ready for cooking at Elizabeth Farm Photo © James Horan for Sydney Living Museums
Each autumn we celebrate Darug culture at our annual Eel Festival at Elizabeth Farm at Parramatta. This family-friendly event honours Parramatta’s namesake, the eel, and its significance to the local Burramattagal people, who would gather in autumn to trade goods and share stories and food.
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Spring Harvest Festival at Elizabeth Farm, Parramatta. Photo © James Horan for Sydney Living Museums
“It is now Spring, & the Eye is delighted with a most beautiful variegated Landscape – Almonds – Apricots, Pear and Apple Trees are in full bloom. The native shrubs are also in flower, & the whole Country gives a grateful perfume.”
Elizabeth Macarthur to her friend Miss Kingdon, Parramatta, 1798 Continue reading
Individual cheese 'fondus'. Photo © James Horan for Sydney Living Museums (detail). in 'Eat your history, stories and recipes from Australian kitchens' SLM and NewSouth Publishing, 2015)
No, it’s not a spelling error… Continue reading
'Moombara' Photograph by Arthur Wigram Allen, 1904. "5.45 pm on the wharf, Jacob having just caught a large conger eel". Moombara was located on Little Turriell Bay at Port Hacking. © State Library New South Wales call number PX*D 575 negative 921
As we gear up for this year’s Eel Festival at Elizabeth Farm on Sunday 3 March, we are exploring the various ways that eels were cooked and eaten in the past. Continue reading
Funeral shortbread 'cakes' Photo © James Horan (detail) for Sydney Living Museums
Cake seems synonymous with parties and celebration – for birthdays, weddings, in fact, quite a pleasure and a treat. We have fairy cakes, angel cakes, red velvet… but what about funeral cakes? Continue reading
The hearth fire and bread oven firing up at the Bixby’s cottage, Old Sturbridge Village, USA. Photo Jacqui Newling © Sydney Living Museums
If you frequent colonial-era house museums you will be quite familiar with seeing all manner of heavy cast iron pots, pans and tools crammed or clustered in kitchen fireplaces, sometimes sitting on iron ‘dogs’ on the floor of the fireplace or suspended from ‘cranes’ fitted into the brick work. But rarely do we see these seemingly rudimentary set-ups in operation in Australia, let alone get to actually prepare food on them.
Dinner at the Bixby's Old Sturbridge Village, USA. Photo Jacqui Newling © Sydney Living Museums
While our TV’s have recently been taking us ‘back in time for dinner’ from the 1950s, yours truly, ‘the Cook’ has been on a quest to learn more about the way we cooked before the 1850s.
The plundered punchbowl at Sweetness and Light at Elizabeth Farm. Photograph (c) Scott Hill for Sydney Living Museums
Last Friday at Elizabeth Farm we celebrated the connections between Australia’s oldest European house and India with a night of Bengal sugar – and rum punch! Continue reading
'Grow your own vegetables, raise your own fowls' Artist unknown, Commonweatlh Food Control, 1944 ECL #201 AWM: ARTV02474 © Australian War Memorial, Canberra. Note the beetroot and potatoes centre left.
While World War II battled on across the globe, Australians at home responded to a call for arms in a more localised sense to do ‘their bit’ for the war effort. Continue reading
Tot's wedding cake ready to serve at Meroogal. Photo © Scott Hill for Sydney Living Museums
With love in the air for Valentine’s Day and the flurry of ‘yes’ responses to marriage throughout the community, Sydney Living Museums’ Unlocked magazine (circulated to SLM Members) has a strong focus on romantic unions. Unsurprisingly, our interest in weddings turns to celebratory breakfasts and cake. Continue reading