Helen Bennetts is an architectural scientist but helping in her parents’ restaurant when young served to enhance her interest in cooking and food. She and her husband have owned an almond block in Willunga for almost 20 years and, combining her practical knowledge and food interests, led to Willunga Almonds.
This illustrated book is beautifully styled with botanical drawings, art reproductions and wonderful historic photographs including the double page frontispiece of the 1936 Marion almond festival showing women in furs, hats and gloves. Bennetts provides a fascinating insight into the history, symbolism and folklore surrounding almonds. Almonds are a symbol of hope, regeneration and fertility, with the only nuts identified in the bible being almonds and pistachios. Almonds were given at weddings in Roman times and five sugared almonds are still given to female guests at Italian weddings representing children, romance, happiness, good health and fortune.
The first almond trees in South Australia were planted on Kangaroo Island, before the colony was officially proclaimed. Almonds had been grown from early colonial days in Willunga but not really as a commercial crop. Most commercial almond orchards were established around the Sturt River until the 1930s but growing pressure for housing led to almond growers moving south. By 1934 the Strout family had 85 acres planted, the largest almond orchard in Australia. Changing growing methods and tastes affected almond growers. Some moved to the Riverland and others left the industry as orchards became uneconomic in Willunga.
However, renewed interest in healthy eating and demand for organic/locally produced food has seen a revival of smaller properties growing named varieties of almonds and selling them at Farmers’ Markets. Growers have also received a boost from recent research which has suggested health-giving properties for almonds, including reducing the risk of heart disease or diabetes and as a healthy snack, as they are low glycemic, for those who want to lose weight. Almond meal or flour and milk are used in specialised diets to counter gluten and lactose intolerance respectively.
Over half the book is dedicated to wonderful recipes for everything from soup, salads, main courses to cakes and desserts, again with fabulous photography. I was unable to resist Andrew’s Chocolate Indulgence Cake on page 118. As there are only 2 of us in the house and the recipe served 8, I cut the recipe in half, baked it in a smaller cake tin and it was delicious (see the result in the photo above). Almond meal replaces the flour and well-beaten egg whites impart lightness to the fudgy chocolate cake which needs no frosting, just a dusting of icing sugar and possibly some strawberries – just for colour, of course.
Reviewed by Jan Kershaw
Rating out of 10: 9
Released by: Wakefield Press
Release Date: November 2016
RRP: $39.95 hardcover
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