Search

"An Australian through and through": Shane Warne’s last meal revealed

Shane Warne’s final meal before his tragic death is exactly what you would expect from the legendary cricketer. The 52-year-old was with a few mates on the Thailand holiday island of Koh Samui when he died of a suspected heart attack on March 4. One of those included life-long friend and colleague Tom Hall, CEO and one of the owners of Sporting News, who wrote about Warney’s last day with them. Tom had just woken up and helped his youngest with their online schooling before wandering off to meet up with "Warney, Neo, Gaz and Fred in the late-morning sunshine". “Anybody that knew Shane knew his warmth, his caring, his incredible sense of humour, his laugh, the twinkle in his eye and that glare from those glowing, unnaturally white teeth. After a big hug and a ‘G'day’, we settle in around the outdoor dining table and the banter begins," he wrote on <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/au/cricket/news/letter-sporting-news-shane-warne-you-dont-know/av67eucjcvy9ktn4y1wacs7q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sporting News</a>. The group messed around before trying to figure out how to watch the Australia v Pakistan Test in Thailand. They managed to hook it up and it was only a few balls into the Test when the ever-so-cheeky Warney jumped up and said he had a present for Tom. Bringing back with him an “armful of clothes”, Warney gifted Tom a series of shirts to give to the Sporting News team, including a 2005 Ashes Test shirt, his 2008 IPL shirt and a one-day international shirt. The group stumbled down memory lane and exchanged stories about their respective careers before deciding to grab some dinner. “I have dined with Shane in many fine establishments, but rather than sample some of the local Thai fare, we tuck into a plate of Vegemite on toast,” Tom wrote. “Shane chomping away: ‘Geez, you can’t beat Vegemite with some butter, always great wherever you are in the world’. “An Australian through and through - this was to turn out to be his last meal. “Ever the caring father, as I was leaving, he headed up to his bedroom to call his kids. “What a player. What a man. The word legend is used too lightly these days, but he is and always will be a legend. He was simply the best.” Image: Instagram

Caring

The strange $4 ingredient Nigella Lawson swears by for perfect spaghetti

Nigella Lawson is famous for her mouth-watering meals and jaw-dropping desserts. Although, she brought fans to a halt after she presented a plate of pasta containing a strange and unexpected ingredient to the hosts of Today Extra in Australia, David Campbell and Sonia Kruger. Nigella insisted that everyone should use one iconic ingredient when cooking pasta – Vegemite. That’s right, the 58-year-old celebrity chef praised the $4 ingredient revealing on Today Extra, “You know, an Italian introduced me to this [recipe]. What would the Italians say? Well it was an Italian food writer who brought her children up making Marmite pasta.” Nigella shared the simplicity of the recipe, requiring only four ingredients. Salt the water as it boils over the stove, add spaghetti to the pot. Then prepare the mixture of butter, vegemite and parmesan cheese. “Melted butter, tiny bit of the pasta cooking water, get some Vegemite or Marmite melted and some parmesan,” she said. Once the pasta is al dente, stir the mixture through and serve. “You’re welcome,” Nigella added as the hosts forked the pasta into their mouths. “It’s delicious. That flavour that you can’t quite define, it’s amazing,” Kruger gushed. Will you try Nigella Lawson’s Vegemite pasta? Let us know in the comments.

10 foods you don’t have to store in a fridge

When it comes to food preservation erring on the side of caution is generally a good rule of thumb, but that doesn’t mean we should put everything in the fridge. Here are 10 foods you might’ve been, but don’t have to store in the cooler. 1. Cake Most cakes are best store outside of the refrigerator in an airtight container. US-based pastry chef Stella Parks told the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/" target="_blank">Huffington Post</a> she keeps cakes (frosted and unfrosted) fine at room temperature for several days. 2. Basil Putting basil in the fridge isn’t the best idea. This herb is sensitive to the cold and produces ethylene gas. While this ripens fruit, it starts the deterioration process for leafy greens. 3. Honey If your significant other has put honey in the fridge you need to give them a good talking to. Honey will never spoil, so keep it in the kitchen cupboard until it’s used up. 4. Onion When onions are chilled in the fridge, the cold temperatures convert starch to sugar and make them become soft or soggy a lot faster. You’re better off keeping them in the mesh bag they came in, in a cool, dry ventilated place. 5. Bread While it might stave off the development of mould, bread goes stale faster is stored in a fridge, so keep it in a bread bin or chuck it in the freezer. 6. Peanut butter How many jars of peanut butter have been ruined by someone storing it in a fridge? Keep your PB in the cupboard. According to <a href="http://www.purewow.com/" target="_blank">PureWow</a>, it’s also a good idea to store it upside down to prevent oils from gathering at the top of the jar. 7. Tomatoes Cool temperatures cause tomatoes to lose their taste much quicker, so try to keep them stored at room temperature outside of direct sunlight. 8. Chocolate Plenty of people like to keep chocolate in the fridge, but this can take away from the flavour. Chocolate is best stored at room temperature. 9. Vegemite It’s about as divisive as spreads come, but vegemite is best kept in the cupboard. Vegemite contains salt, which helps preserve it at room temperatures. 10. Jam This one might come as a bit of a surprise, but jam is best stored in the cupboard. Thanks to its fruit content it is naturally acidic and less likely to grown bacteria. Do you agree with this list?

News

Macadamia and vegemite scrolls

For a delightful twist, try this scroll recipe which adds the soft crunch of macadamias and the saltiness of vegemite to it! Makes: 10 Ingredients: <ul> <li>500g plain bread flour plus ¼ cup for kneading and rolling</li> <li>1 sachet dried yeast</li> <li>1 teaspoon fine salt</li> <li>325ml warm water</li> <li>1 tablespoon olive oil</li> <li>2 tablespoons vegemite, or to taste</li> <li>2 cups (125g) tasty cheese, grated</li> <li>3/4 cup raw macadamias, chopped roughly</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Combine the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Combine water and olive oil and pour into the well. Using a knife, stir together the water mixture with the flour mixture until it comes together and starts to form a ball.</li> <li>Place the ball onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, adding more flour if the mixture is too sticky. Place the dough in a lightly oiled mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.</li> <li>Punch down the dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to a 30cm square. Spread with Vegemite and sprinkle with cheese and macadamias.</li> <li>Roll the dough into one long scroll and cut into 10 pieces. Place the pieces, cut side down onto a lightly oiled baking tray in a circular pattern, leaving at least 3cm between pieces for them to spread. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place the tray in a warm place until pieces have doubled in size, about 1 hour.</li> <li>Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C. Place tray in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden. Serve warm or when cool.</li> </ol> Recipe courtesy of Australian Macadamias – <a href="http://www.australian-macadamias.org/consumer/en/taste/recipes" target="_blank">visit their site for more yummy food ideas.</a> Have you ordered your copy of the Over60 cookbook, The Way Mum Made It, yet? Featuring 175 delicious tried-and-true recipes from you, the Over60 community, and your favourites that have appeared on the Over60 website, head to the <a href="https://shop.abc.net.au/products/way-mum-made-it-pbk" target="_blank">abcshop.com.au to order your copy now.</a> Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/01/rocket-feta-pomegranate-salad/">Rocket, feta and pomegranate salad</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/01/spinach-feta-muffins/">Spinach feta muffins</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2016/01/macadamia-salad-dressing/">Macadamia salad dressing</a>

Food & Wine

Cheese and vegemite scrolls

Perfect for morning or afternoon tea, cheese and vegemite scrolls are a favourite at bakeries all around Australia. And now you can make them at home! Perfect for visits from the grandkids. Ingredients: <ul> <li>4 sheets puff pastry, thawed</li> <li>¼ cup Vegemite</li> <li>3 cups grated tasty cheese</li> <li>1 egg, beaten</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Preheat oven to 220°C. Line 3 baking trays with baking paper. Place pastry, 1 sheet at a time, onto a chopping board. Spread Vegemite over pastry. Sprinkle cheese over Vegemite.</li> <li>Starting from the edge nearest you, roll up pastry, 1 sheet at a time. Be careful not to roll the pastry sheets too tight. Cut each roll into 12 equal portions.</li> <li>An easy way to do this is to cut each roll into quarters, then cut each quarter in 3.</li> <li>Brush pastry scroll tops with beaten egg.</li> <li>Place scrolls, cut-side up, onto baking trays, allowing room for spreading. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until pastry is golden and cheese is melted.</li> <li>Allow to cool for 5 minutes on trays before transferring to a wire rack. Serve.</li> </ol> Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/12/classic-bacon-and-egg-quiche/">Classic bacon and egg quiche</a> <a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/12/salmon-quiche/">Salmon quiche</a> <a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/12/diy-barbecue-sauce/">DIY barbecue sauce</a>

Food & Wine

Over 60

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property