In this week's Episode of Guide to the Good Life Andrew headed north where he met a very colourful character and his birds. Colette took a break in the Fleurieu Peninsula. Skaifey joined a jet ski safari and found out how seriously addictive the sport can be. Snowy showed us how to prepare fish and chips with the ultimate crunch.
Below is additional information related to this week's show.
Birdman in Paradise
To find out more about Davvyd Brown, his birds and his love of painting, head to www.davvydbrown.com
Fleurieu Peninsula
If you fancy your own culinary adventure in the heart of the Fleurieu, then a visit to the Producers is a must www.producers.net.au
If you were intrigued by South Australia's camel train, then how about taking a ride with: Camel & Pony Tours - just off the Causeway (entry to Granite Island) Victor Harbor PH: 0407 399 808
You can't visit Victor Harbour, without a ride on the Historic Horsedrawn Tram www.horsedrawntram.com.au
For more details, and help with planning your own trip to Fleurieu Peninsula www.southaustralia.com/FleurieuPeninsula
Whilst there, why not spread your wings further in South Australia www.southaustralia.com
Tiger Airways offers cheap flights to Adelaide from 7 cities. www.tigerairways.com
Jet skiing
If youre looking for a good time on the water in the Gold Coast, then youll love these guys www.jetskisafaris.com.au PH: 0409 754 538 or (07) 5526 3111
Tempura Batter Fish of your choice, cut into pieces 250mL (1 cup) Ice water 175g Rice Flour. (The reason to use rice flour is because a lot of people are gluten intolerant these days this way everyone can eat it) Rice flour, for dusting. 1 Egg White 800g of floury potato, such as russet (Idaho) or Sebago. Seasalt, to season. Vegetable oil for deep frying.
To make the batter put the ice water, egg white and flour into a bowl and mix together with chopsticks. Don't worry if there are any lumps. The colder the batter is, the crispier the end result will be once fried so its best to work quickly once you have prepared the batter & deep fry immediately.
Dip your fish into the flour. Dust off the excess and pop the fish straight into the ice batter.
Let the excess drip off and deep fry. If you dont have a deep fryer- take a pot and fill it 1/3 full of oil so it doesnt overflow and heat to about 150 degrees Celsius - the Perfect home deep fryer!
Place your fish pieces in and cook for about 2 minutes each, or until golden. (The fish pieces will float when cooked) Remove the oil and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.
You have to complete this dish with some Fat Cut chips. For the chips you want a golden outside (we eat with our eyes!) and a soft inside. Best way to go is to use a non waxy potato for a fluffy chip.
Cook the chips in batches for 8-10 minutes or until golden. Remove the oil and drain on paper towels. Increase the heat so that the oil reaches a temperature of 180 degrees Celsius and return the chips to the pan for a futher 3-4 minutes or until brown and crisp on the outside. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
Tempura fish and chips wait til you experience the crunch. Wow!
Tip: Be careful when deep frying the chips as water from the potatoes causes the oil to rise as the potatoes are added.
Contact Details:
www.fins.com.au
Snowys Book can be purchased online at: dymocks.com.au
The nuclear family of mother, father and 2.3 children is alive and well and living in a suburb near you. Next door to them is a family consisting of a single mother and one child, while mowing the lawn up the road is a 14-year old who lives with his grandparents under their guardianship. Across the road from him lives a latter-day Brady Bunch a blend of two original families, and around the corner live two mothers and their toddler. Their neighbouring family is expandable. It has three foster children at the moment, but numbers change semi-regularly. In the 21st century, a family is what a family is.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) the definition of a family is two or more persons, one of whom is at least 15 years of age, who are related by blood, marriage (registered or de facto), adoption, step or fostering, and who are usually resident in the same household.
The family has never been a rigid construct, but in these early days of the 21st century the concept seems to be more fluid than ever. Certain trends are clear. Single parent families are on the rise, so are single child families in fact they might be the dominant family type of the future. In 2006, 13 per cent of women aged 40-44 had only one child and ABS statistics indicate that this percentage is increasing. While most still say they would prefer to have two children, the established trends towards early divorce and late parenthood often mean that only one child is born prior to a marriage breakup or biological clock breakdown.
Each family type has its own stresses and joys, although the stereotypes do not necessarily hold true. The single parent is usually characterised as a struggler someone who is lonely, cash-strapped and unable to provide a balanced home life for the children. This characterisation is patently untrue for many. There is no reason to presume that these parents are not capable of well-paid work and providing a happy home, nor should one assume that sole parents are unwillingly alone.
Likewise, most blended families will have some difficult dynamics to sort out in the early days, but after the initial teething period (three to five years) are usually neither hotbeds of brooding resentments, nor Disneylands of delight. They are simply families who have to work at it, just as all families do. Wicked step-mothers and step-fathers are the stuff of fairytales, although it would be foolish to suggest that all step-parents are ideal. Instant love in all new step-relationships is also fanciful. Biological bonds are stronger at least initially than those that come as accessories to a relationship, but there is a lot of advice offered aimed to help foster genuine love between non-biological siblings and children/parents (see end box).
The number of couple families (two adults) with children has decreased from 48 to 45 per cent during the past decade. The percentage of couples living without children has increased from 35 to 40 in the same period. The ageing population could account for at least some of this latter statistic, however another widely reported trend tends to argue with this interpretation. Adult children are returning to the old homestead or delaying moving out much to the chagrin of many older parents. Also, until the 1960s, young couples, while establishing themselves, commonly lived with their parents in extended family units.
Children living with grandparents now are more likely to be doing so because they are estranged from their parents. In 2006-07, 14,000 Australian families were headed by grandparents with sole guardianship of grandchildren, a drop from 22,500 in 2003. Other grandparents have little or no access to their grandchildren due to geographical or divorce-related separation, and are thus denied the pleasure of hands-on grandparenting.
In 2006-07, Australia boasted 5,905,000 families and each is unique. The family is central to a childs life regardless of what type of family they have, and what people think about and derive from it. It should be a place of love, safety and acceptance. As life becomes increasingly more complex for children, the family is a sanctuary, and the model on which they will build their own relationships and families.
The new millennium has so far been characterised by fear: fear of terrorism, global warming, peak oil, natural disasters, pandemics and financial meltdown. In their family sanctuary, children can feel that they are not only safe, but that they have a measure of control. It is worth putting extra effort into fostering this and helping build personal resilience. Studies demonstrate that the following certain behaviours are common to really healthy families:
Commit: Your family should always take first priority.
Listen and include: People feel closer to those who give them the floor and really listen to them. Listen to children with your heart to hear the subtext that they can't or won't express. Include all members of the family in planning so that they feel valued.
Give affection: Tons of it don't hold back. Encourage them and believe in them. Also remember that teenagers who are regularly hugged and kissed seem to do better at school.
Distribute responsibility: All family members should share responsibilities appropriate for their age and ability.
Include others: Ensure that your family is enriched by a broader view of the world through their relationships with friends and relatives. The more people children can trust, the more secure they will feel.
Create and nurture family rituals and traditions: They are fun and also increase that sense of belonging and love.
Australian Statistics Snapshot 2005
2006-07
Find out more
Family Matters journal and other issues: www.aifs.gov.au
Information for step and blended families: www.frsa.org.au/site/step_blended.php
Information for only children: www.beinganonly.com
Family-related statistics: www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mf/4442.0
A non-profit community organisation with professional support services, Relationships Australia: www.relationships.com.au
Relationships can be the most rewarding, yet challenging, facet of our lives. Are you in a mended, blended or extended family situation? What have you learn't about getting on with others?
You can find them at racecourses, sports grounds, beside lakes, in parks, town halls, schools and convents. Farmers markets are shooting up everywhere. But why the enthusiasm?
At farmers markets customers can wander from stall to stall, sampling and choosing at their leisure from a range of products such as cheeses, honey, wine, meat and fish, free-range eggs and organic vegies, fruit and herbs. And since goods are mostly sold directly by the farmers or food producers themselves, you can seek advice or chat with them about food preparation and recipes.
Markets are usually located in community hubs, with the aim of providing economic, social and health benefits to the host community as the peak body, Australian Farmers Market Association (AFMA), puts it. So there's often lots going on at market time. Youll find live-music, play equipment and animals - including some of the producers themselves - all contributing to the festive atmosphere.
Contrast that with the scene at your typical supermarket, with its canned music and air, skeleton floor staff, aisles of task-focussed shoppers avoiding eye contact, and its tired food on polystyrene trays under cling film wrap. You have to admit: shopping at supermarkets is a chore, not fun.
But there is another reason why more and more people are giving supermarkets a miss and flocking instead to farmers markets - curiosity. They are curious about the origins of food and keen to connect with the people who produce what they eat.
Lex and Glenda Fisher are two such people. This warm, friendly 50-something couple have an encyclopaedic knowledge of food, which they are more than happy to share. Lexs father acquired his farm at Boundary Bend near Robinvale in Victoria in 1938 and Glenda is a fourth generation orchardist.
We all know that many Australian farmers are doing it tough. Despite their credentials and experience, the Fishers business has been under threat ever since multi-national companies moved into their district. As Glenda put it, If we hadn't changed tack two and a half years back and started selling from farmers markets we just wouldn't have survived.
These days, Lex and Glenda travel to a range of regional and city markets, where buyers are able to chat with them about their gorgeous oranges, juice and icy-poles. Their customers may not know it, but their patronage helps to prevent another small Australian business from going to the wall. This reflects a key goal of the AFMA, to support and stimulate the profitable trading, viability and business growth of independent primary producers.
Thoughtful consumers have for many years tried to buy Australian. But farmers markets promote an even more local message, in line with increasing concern about the environmental impact of food miles. It was a shock to hear that the ingredients in a typical North American meal regularly travel over 2000 kilometres from spade to plate. Indeed, oil-based food-related activities are currently responsible for fully one third of our ecological footprint.
While supermarkets supplies are regularly freighted or flown in from interstate or overseas, producers generally transport goods to farmers markets themselves. And at markets, food miles are often displayed right up there with the prices. Discerning buyers can select golden delicious apples travelled 20 kms from Eltham, or choose brown mushrooms the most local food you will get - raised on site, but perhaps think twice about buying silverbeet from Colac, which clocked up 157 kms on its journey to market.
There is also no requirement for prolonged shelf life at markets, so less energy is used on storage and preservation of food. Farmers markets promote seasonal fare, which also reduces the need for storage.
If these ideas about the desirability of local and seasonal produce have a familiar ring its possibly because they are integral to the Slow Food movement, which has become enormously popular worldwide, currently boasting a membership of over 80,000 in more than 100 countries, including Australia.
Slow Food promotes farmers markets because it is opposed to the homogenisation of food. Heritage fruit and vegies, free-range chooks, rare-breed animal products, artisan produced goods and no genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are all favoured by Slow Food. And although, to date, there is only one pure Slow Food market in Australia Melbourne's Abbotsford convent (open on the fourth Saturday of each month and well worth a visit if you are in town) - the Slow Food message underpins farmers markets the world over.
Here are ten tips for making the most of farmers markets:
1. Check that it's on before you set out, as markets sometimes come and go.
2. Unlike supermarkets, which are preoccupied with appearances and prioritise uniformity, fruit and vegies at farmers markets tend to come in all shapes and sizes. It's their inner beauty you pay for and, of course, their superb taste.
3. Don't expect bargains. It takes time and lots of TLC to produce happy eggs or calm lamb. Goods are often hand-grown and picked, so more costly to produce than factory-farmed varieties.
4. Plan your menus in advance. That way you will buy only what you need and minimise waste. Supermarket profits depend on consumers buying in bulk and wasting the excess.
5. Remember to take your own bags including an insulated one for perishables, as you are likely to want to linger.
6. Go with an empty stomach - market meals and drinks are well worth the wait.
7. When chatting with producers don't worry about asking dumb questions. They are used to people being disconnected from the land and innocent about foods origins.
8. Stall owners will appreciate it if you take along small notes or coins for purchases.
9. Don't forget the musicians. Your donation is their livelihood.
10. Leave yourself plenty of time so you can savour the experience, slowly.
To find a farmers market near you, visit the AFMA website: www.farmersmarkets.org.au or check your local newspaper.
Information about the ultimate Slow Food market: www.abbotsfordconvent.com.au
Slow Food Australia: www.slowfoodaustralia.com.au
Are you, too, a fan of Slow Food? And does this encourage you to get out of the supermarkets and into the local markets? Which ones have you visited? Which would you recommend?
"A jug of wine, a loaf of bread and thou beside me singing in the wilderness."
Persian poet, Omar Khayyam, penned these words almost a millennium ago, but the appreciation of wine is as popular as ever, as is the practice of cellaring wine to develop its full potential. However, wine cellars are not just for owners of mansions. They can also be set up in surprisingly compact and humble spaces within the average home.
So how's it done? And more importantly, why bother? With so much decent wine being produced with the intention that buyers should drink it immediately, why is it worth cellaring wine?
"The main reason is that the flavour profile of a wine will change over time," says Simon Chlebnikowski of Nicks Wine Merchants. "While many Australian wines are very fruit-driven and can be drunk in their youth, a lot of imported wines, such as wines from Bordeaux, really do need time in the cellar. They're more austere and need to soften and develop."
Tony Titheridge of Dan Murphys agrees. "A younger wine will mature into something quite elegant, seamless and different."
The challenge is setting up a cellar in the average home and it seems that a rack in the kitchen cupboard isn't going to cut it.
"A lot of people don't have ideal storage conditions," confirms Simon. "Wines mature more quickly in an environment where you've got the heater running during the day. The worst thing you can do to wine is have sharp temperature fluctuations. The cork will shrink and expand, the wine will mature and eventually oxidise a lot quicker than it would under stable cellaring conditions."
So, how do you set up a space for wine to age well within?
"The ideal cellar is underground and has a stable temperature," says Simon. As an alternative, a dedicated wine fridge is a neat solution if you have no access to a cool dark space, or live in a humid climate in which temperature control is difficult.
However, Tony points out, spaces within a home can also be suitable. "Just put it in the bottom of a shoe closet," he says. "If it's in a part of the house where you don't put the air conditioning on, it will take a long time for the wine to heat up. It's not a cold space that's most important - it's insulation and slowness to change temperature.
Even if you take the build-it-yourself route, you still have to face the toughest test: what to put in it. Which types of wine will blossom over the years and which will pass their use-by dates fairly quickly?
"Get a broad selection of wines, as personal tastes do change over time," urges Simon, pointing out that some customers lay down numerous bottles of shiraz, only to realise five years later that they much prefer cabernet.
As for which wines benefit most from the ageing process, Simon has some French varieties in mind. "Bordeaux is one of the longest selling wines being produced and they make their wines to be cellared. Some of the top burgundies will also cellar for long periods of time. Generally the wines that will have longer cellaring time are from cooler growing regions."
There's been a lot of talk about red wines in regard to cellaring; is white wine suitable as well?
"Chablis or white burgundy, which is made from chardonnay, can certainly cellar. The other grape variety which is excellent for cellaring is riesling, which Australia does very well."
Both Simon and Tony agree that there's no need to spend a fortune, although you'll usually have to spend more for a wine that will age well. Retailers can give advice on the best candidates for cellaring, as can winemakers at cellar doors and there are many websites to aid research.
Simon suggests a starting point for a novice wine cellar owner: "I'd start with a shiraz, a cabernet and a riesling. You could go for a Tatiarra Cambrian shiraz from Heathcote, that'll cellar for 10 to 15 years without a problem."
Tony has his own affordable starter pack suggestions: "A Paulett riesling from the Clare Valley, a Tar and Roses shiraz from Heathcote and a Summerfield shiraz from the Pyrenees region of Victoria."
Rachel and David
Rachel and David run a computer services business in Melbourne, looking after the technology needs of small businesses. Rachel talks about their adventures in wine cellaring...
How did you set up a cellar space?
At first we rented a property that actually had a cellar in it, but we found it was more practical for growing mushrooms than storing wine. Then we bought our own house and built a cellar under the stairs. We bought spray cans of insulation, recycled foam packaging, stuck it all around the walls and added a thermometer. It was fantastic, a steady 14 to 15 degrees, which is fine.
Later, we built our own house and had a proper cellar dug underneath it. We've got about 500 bottles down there now and the oldest is from about 1980. That's vintage port.
How did you decide what kind of wine to store?
We were looking for wines we liked to drink. We also bought bottles of vintage port for all of our nephews and nieces and for special anniversaries. We store the bottles and give them to the kids for their 21st birthdays.
What sort of problems have you struck?
Not too many. We've probably been inclined to drink them a bit too young. What we've learned is - if it's good enough to buy, buy a dozen. Then if you get it wrong and drink it too young, you can leave it for another year and try again.
Useful resources on creating and stocking a cellar include:
Dan Murphys: www.danmurphys.com.au
Nicks Wine Merchants Vintage Direct: www.nicks.com.au
Wine Diva: www.winediva.com.au
Wine Pages: www.wine-pages.com
Wine Spectator: www.winespectator.com
Wine Australia: www.wineaustralia.com
Cellar Creations: www.cellar-creations.com.au
Wine Ark: www.wineark.com.au
Have you a yearning to start a cellar? Or, like Rachel and David, have you already got one underway? How did you learn how to go about it? And which wines to lay down? Help others get their cellars underway by sharing your best tips.