Any Country Women’s Association (CWA) across Australia is renowned for their cooking and crafts, with their community involvement and advocacy work often going unsung publicly. The CWA of NSW was founded in 1922 and their brief introduction at the beginning of this cookbook is enough to peak curiosity to want to know more.
The book itself is a modern ode to grandma’s cooking, meant with the greatest of respect. The home-cooked meals I enjoyed as a child all seem to be here, along with multicultural influences like Moussaka (page 42). The compact size of this substantial recipe collection, along with its hard cover and glossy pages, make it a convenient kitchen companion, as does the simplicity of most recipes. Not all are quick to make, but the instructions are so clear and the methods so easy, that it’s like reading handwritten recipes scrawled on a foolscap paper and tucked in a binder for safe keeping. Ah, memories…!
There’s no photos, but colour is used throughout the book, not only to highlight the various categories of food, but for headings and the occasional extra tip: for example which fish is best to use for the Fish and Cumin Kebabs (page 50), or finding the ideal occasion to whip up your Marble Cake (page 109).
Whether cooking for one or cooking for many, the CWA provides catering tips for large groups on everything from teas & coffees, to casseroles, soups, cheeses and desserts. There are also two pages of notes on making your food look good, offering exhibition tips for a variety of cakes and scones, and extremely handy conversion charts on oven temperatures and measurements.
Out of the 120 “tried and true” recipes from the CWA archives, it was tempting to follow tradition and whip up some scones and sandwiches but the sausage rolls had my name on it, along with a fruit loaf and that potato moussaka. Each dish was a success, so I’m looking forward to diving in further to explore more of the selected recipes of the CWA.
Sausage Rolls (page 16)
I’ve never made a sausage roll before, as much as I love them. And when I say love, I mean like a gay man loves David Beckham. I was both excited and nervous to finally make my own because I know just how picky I am with the taste. I had most of the ingredients in my pantry already, so this feast of fabulousness was not only super quick and easy, but super cheap to make. The result? Let’s just say… David who? The sausage rolls were just like I’d hoped they’d be – the pastry was flaky and the filling was the perfect balance of herbs and spices. The recipe made around 25 mini rolls which gave me plenty of leftovers to freeze for future comfort food on these cold winter nights.
Potato Moussaka (page 42)
I don’t know how the Greeks do it… nor any of the other nations that make this dish so perfect! The taste was quite nice, although it lacked salt – an interesting omission considering I don’t generally cook with salt. My difficulty with this recipe was that it took so long to make and was such a fuss for such little wow factor. Unlike my sausage rolls, which I still can’t stop thinking about, this is one dish I was glad to make once, but would be unlikely to make again. The recipe is a good catering recipe because it makes a lot, and the result is a tasty oven-baked dish, but it requires quite a bit of time in the kitchen to cook up the potatoes, eggplants, meat and tomatoes all separately before combining them for a final hour or more in the oven. In summary, tasty but too much effort for my liking!
Fruit Loaf (page 91)
The only way this cake recipe could get any easier would be if you ordered out. With 4 ingredients and 3 lines of instructions, this scrummy cake defines simplicity. It’s a starter pack for children to learn how to cook, resulting in a sweet, moist cake that would perfectly balance a nice cup of tea. Make it once and you’ll make it again, although next time I’d probably use less sugar to suit my tastebuds. If a foolproof recipe exists, this has to be it. Thank you, CWA!
Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Twitter: @StrtegicRetweet
Rating out of 10: 8
Distributed by: Murdoch Books
Released: April 2018
RRP: $16.99 hardcover
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