Linda

Intermediate cook living in Queensland, Australia

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Last updated: 25 Dec 2009

Linda

Intermediate

5-10 years

Living in:

Queensland, Australia

Originally from:

Queensland, Australia

Member since: 04 Sep 2008

About me

I love this website. I used to be a graphic artist for many years and now, being a stay at home mother of two, I am so happy to have found a creative outlet that includes my two favourite things....food and photography. I have an Irish/Italian background so my parent's signature dish is spaghetti topped with creamy, buttery garlic infused mashed potatoes and parmesan cheese - serious comfort food!

Favourite things to cook

For me, food is all about: comfort, pleasure and bringing people together around a table. I love to cook (and eat) Italian food - it's the 'good stuff' I grew up on. My American husband has since introduced me to all things southern...from Louisiana to be precise. He's all about the gumbo, jambalaya and dirty rice. In recent years I have discovered the amazing flavours of Middle Eastern foods, Turkish, Greek and Lebanese. Can't get enough!

Family cooking traditions

As a kid I used to make Italian sausages with my dad and had the job of cleaning pig's intestines for the skins. I've also had to pluck many dangly chickens late on a school night. Sometimes food preparation is more important than homework! We make raviolini in chicken broth for Christmas Eve and saucy lasagne for Christmas Day lunch. I have been appointed the family's birthday cake maker and I like to make a beautiful cake for myself each year, just the way I like it!

Cooking triumphs

Once I made an entire lasagne from scratch out of crepes instead of pasta sheets. Oh triumphant! I also helped to make about 100 arancini (rice balls stuffed with bolognese sauce and cheese and deep fried) when I was in Sicily. On the other side of the globe I was amazed to witness a whole turkey being deep-fried in America for Thanksgiving Dinner....that's the state of Louisiana: the home of deep fried everything!

Cooking tragedies

I must confess to being seafood-challenged...if it comes from the ocean, I have no idea how to cook it so I just don't eat seafood at all.

My interests

Click on any of Linda's interests to find other cooks with common interests