There are some recipes and foods that are uniquely Australian, and I'd like to share some of those with you.

LAMINGTONS

The cake is best made the day before and thoroughly chilled or frozen, before icing. Lamingtons freeze very well for up to six months

Cake

3 large eggs
1/2 cup/110g/3 1/2 oz caster sugar
3/4 cup/95g/3 oz self-raising flour
1/4 cup/30 g/1 oz cornflour
10 g - 1/3 oz butter
3 tablespoons hot milk

* Preheat oven to moderate/180 C/375 F.

* Beat eggs until thick and light, gradually add the sugar, beating well until sugar has dissolved. Sift dry ingredients together, fold into egg mixture.

* Dissolve butter in milk and fold into cake mixture. Spoon into greased 18 cm x 28 cm/7 in x 11 in lamington tin and bake 25-30 mintues. Turn out onto cake cooler. Chill or freeze overnight.

Chocolate Icing

500 g/16 oz icing sugar
1/2 cup/50 g/2 oz cocoa
10g - 1/3 oz butter
1/2 cup/125 ml/4 fl oz warmed milk
10 g - 1/3 oz butter
3 cups/250 g/8 oz desiccated coconut

* Sift icing sugar with cocoa into a bowl. Melt butter in milk and pour into icing mixture, stir well. Stand bowl in hot water while coating cake.

* Place coconut in a plastic bag.

* With forks or tongs, dip one portion of cake into chocolate icing, shake gently and carefully place in a plastic bag. Shake bag to coat cake.

* Repeat. If icing begins to thicken, add a little hot water to make a thick liquid.

MAKES 16

Lamingtons were named after Lord Lamington, Governor of Queensland between 1895-1901. Because of the heat in Queensland, cakes left out in storage tins would quickly dry out. Rather than throw the cake away, or give it to the dogs, a resourceful cook covered the cake in chocolate icing and coconut, thus making the cake moist once more.

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PAVLOVA

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites, at room temperature
• 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla
• 1ml (1/4 tsp) cream of tartar or 5ml or 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1ml (1/4 tsp) salt
• 250ml (1 cup) sugar
• 250ml (1 cup) whipping cream (whipped)
• 500ml (2 cups) mixed fresh fruit (strawberries, kiwifruit, passionfruit pulp, etc)

Method

Line a baking sheet with foil. Draw a 23cm (9-inch) circle on the foil.

In a large glass or metal bowl, beat egg whites, vanilla, cream of tartar and salt at high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 25ml (2 tbsp) at a time, beating well after each addition and continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form. Spoon onto prepared cookie sheet within your marked circle, mounding higher around the edge.

Bake in preheated oven at 120 degrees Celsius (250 degrees Fahrenheit) for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours until crisp on outside and firm to the touch. Turn off heat and allow to cool with door propped open. Pavlova can be stored in cool, airtight container for several days.

To Serve: spread whipped cream in centre of shell and top with fresh fruit. Chill until serving time.

Forty years ago, the average Australian family sat down to a traditional Sunday roast dinner consisting of a leg or side of lamb, roast potatoes, pumpkin and a green vegetable such as peas or beans, topped off with a rich brown gravy.

As was the custom at the time, the table would be set with best linen and cutlery. The head of the household would carve the roast at the table, serving thin slices of meat onto a plate and the vegetable would be passed around for a person to help her or himself. It was the formal meal of the week, usually following church, and often included the extended family - grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins - dress code their "Sunday best" Desert was usually an apple crumble with cream, or baked apples.

The next day, the Sunday roast would do double duty being sliced and served cold in sandwiches or being diced and battered to become lamb fritters.

Australian family meals in the 1940s and 1950s reflected Australia's then largely Anglo-Saxon society.

Today it's still a favourite in most Aussie homes.

 ~ Ingredients ~

2 kg (4½ lb) leg of lamb
2 cloves garlic, chopped
fresh rosemary sprigs
2 tablespoons oil
salt, pepper

4 large potatoes
8 pieces of pumpkin
2 leeks, cut in half
4 bacon rashers, crisply fried
60 g (2 oz) butter
3 tablespoons oil
salt, thyme

2 tablespoons plain flour
2¼ cups beef stock
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons red wine

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Cut small slits all over the skin of the leg of lamb. Insert garlic pieces and rosemary sprigs. Brush lamb with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fill a baking dish halfway with water and place a wire rack on top and then put the lamb on the dish. Roast for about 1½ hours or until cooked as desired, basting often with the pan juices.

Peel potatoes, cut in half and score them with a fork. Combine butter, oil, salt and thyme. Toss potatoes in the mixture. Take potatoes out and keep mixture for later. Place potatoes around the leg of lamb after the lamb has been cooking for about 40 minutes. Roast for 50 minutes, brushing halfway through with a little of the butter mixture.

Toss pumpkin pieces in the mixture and place next to the roast after it has been cooking for 50 minutes. Wrap 1 bacon rasher around each half of leek. Place leeks next to pumpkins after roast has been baking for 70 minutes. When everything is done, take the rack off the baking dish and place the rack on an oven proof tray. Return to oven to keep warm.

To make gravy, place the baking dish with the juices from the meat on the stove top. Discard all but 3 tablespoons of the juices. Heat the dish, stir in the flour and cook until brown. Gradually add beef stock, Worcestershire sauce and wine. Stir until the mixture boils and thickens, then simmer for 2 minutes.

Slice the meat and arrange everything on plates. Pour the gravy over the meat.

Serves 4

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