Search

“Such lowlifes”: Alleged thieves steal charity donation tin

Two people are wanted by police over the theft of a charity donation bin captured on CCTV. The footage shows a man and woman standing next to each other inside the Gold Coast’s Club Helensvale on Friday, November 25, when he allegedly steals the tin for a charity aimed at preventing youth violence. In the video, released by police in an appeal to find the pair, the man is seen subtly and slowly placing it in a bag slung across his shoulder. Police are urging the man and woman to come forward. The tin that was allegedly stolen was collecting donations for the Jack Beasley Foundation, set up after 17-year-old Jack Beasley died from being stabbed in the heart on the Gold Coast. The charity has also shared an image of the suspected thieves on social media in a bid to identify them. “Hey guys if anyone recognises these two please contact the QPS or send us a message. They stole Jacko’s Donation box from the bar at Club Helensvale on Friday night. Thanks 🙏,” the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JackBeasleyFoundation/posts/pfbid0fgzrLvGVinZfzjqEweJfTqr3RbMKvnT4qHjDcKvUW5Xw1KascA7AiAmDqToEnbqsl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> read. Followers were quick to share their anger in the comments, with some providing information about where they had seen the man before. “Such lowlifes maybe they should get a job instead of stealing from charities,” one person wrote. “I hope they get found, shame on them,” another said. One commenter even alleged that the man had committed similar acts before, stealing the “dog donation box” from the Boathouse Tavern in Coomera “the other day”. “Stealing from charity is pitiful and devious! They may have taken dollars and cents, but they have no sense,” another said. Images: Queensland Police Service

Legal

3 recipes using tinned fish

Tinned fish has always been the friend of the impecunious, which hasn't done much for its reputation. But it can be luxurious too, as anyone who has been seduced by beautifully packaged French sardines that sell for more than five times' their budget supermarket counterpart will tell you. Whatever your financial situation, I like to think there's a tinned fish that suits everyone. Here are three ways to get you started. 1. Mackerel and kumara fishcakes (pictured above) These are not those strange, bouncy fishcakes of dubious origin that often turn up in Thai restaurants. These are superfood fishcakes, with gentle spice, nuggets of oily fish and sweet kumara. Serves: 3-4 as a light meal Ingredients: <ul> <li>2 medium kumara, peeled, cut into chunks</li> <li>1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for frying</li> <li>2 red onions, finely chopped</li> <li>2 cloves garlic, finely chopped</li> <li>1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger</li> <li>1½ teaspoons garam masala</li> <li>finely grated zest of 1 lemon</li> <li>½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley</li> <li>2 eggs</li> <li>420g can mackerel or smoked fish, well drained</li> <li>1 cup panko breadcrumbs</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Boil or steam the kumara until just soft, then drain and mash roughly. Tip into a large bowl and set aside.</li> <li>Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, then add the garam masala, a pinch of salt and some cracked black pepper. Cook for a minute or two, then add to the kumara, along with the lemon zest, parsley, one of the eggs and the fish. Stir together gently, then shape into palm-sized cakes.</li> <li>Beat the remaining egg in a shallow dish and put the panko crumbs into another shallow dish. Dip the fishcakes into the egg, then into the crumbs, then set aside.</li> <li>Wipe out the frying pan, then set it over medium heat. Pour a couple of tablespoons of oil into the pan, then cook the fishcakes in batches, turning to ensure a crisp crust on all sides. Remove to a plate and keep warm in a low oven until they are all cooked. Serve immediately with salad greens and aioli.</li> </ol> 2. Sophie's pasta with tuna, currants and olives This recipe is probably the most lasting souvenir I have of a trip to England in 1999. I gleaned the basic idea from watching a cooking show featuring Sophie Grigson, who sported carrot-coloured hair and earrings made from miniature soup ladles. It's gradually evolved to this version, which makes a great fast dinner for two. Serves: 2 Ingredients: <ul> <li>1 red onion, finely chopped</li> <li>3 tablespoons red wine vinegar</li> <li>1 x 180g tin of good-quality tuna in olive oil</li> <li>⅔ cup currants</li> <li>⅔ cup roughly chopped toasted almonds (use sunflower seeds as a budget alternative)</li> <li>1 cup kalamata olives, stoned</li> <li>1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley</li> <li>250-300g dried spaghetti</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Put the onion and red wine vinegar in a small bowl and leave to steep while you get on with organising everything else.</li> <li>Put the water on to boil for the pasta, and add everything except the spaghetti to the onion mixture, including a tablespoon or so of the oil that the tuna came in. Toss together and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, adding more olive oil if necessary.</li> <li>Cook the spaghetti until it is al dente and drain, then toss it through the sauce. Divide between two bowls and serve immediately.</li> </ol> 3. Creamy salmon and chilli dip If you have smoked-salmon tastes on a tinned-salmon budget, this dip is a godsend. I remember an old friend making something similar for her 21st birthday, daringly served with crostini and celery sticks. In a world of chips 'n' reduced cream dip, this was haute cuisine indeed. It's also good as a sandwich filling or piled on crusty toast for breakfast. Makes: About 2 cups Ingredients: <ul> <li>1 cup cream cheese, softened</li> <li>finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus some of the juice</li> <li>1-2 teaspoons hot chilli sauce (tabasco, sriracha etc)</li> <li>1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint</li> <li>1 cup (about a 200g tin) red salmon</li> </ul> Method: 1. Put the cream cheese, lemon zest and chilli sauce in a small bowl and beat with a fork until smooth. Flake the salmon, then gently fold it into the cream cheese mixture with the mint. Add a little lemon juice if it seems a bit stiff. Taste again for seasoning – add some salt and freshly cracked black pepper until the balance is right. Use immediately or cover and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Images: Getty

Food & Wine

These ‘tin heads’ are looking for apprentices

When Robert and Margaret Gaston realised they had a lot of tins some 16 years ago, it signalled the start of collecting spree. Today the West Australian duo have a collection of more than 12,000 unique tins on display in a huge shed on their Geraldton property dubbed the Tin Heads Museum. With some dating back hundreds of years, it wasn’t long before their collection drew overseas tourists, journalists, and even an international TV crew. “I can claim the biggest collection in Australia,” Mr Gaston said. But as dementia started to affect Mrs Gaston’s memory and Mr Gaston’s health began declining, Robert started the search for the next generation of tin heads. “There’s too much history in the place to chuck it all away,” he said. The Tin Heads Museum is more than just a collection for the pair who relish finding new tins, discovering the stories behind them, and chatting with similarly-interested visitors. The oldest tin in their collection was made in about 1635. Another features Queen Victoria and dates from 151 years ago. “You could come along and say ‘oh, my grandma used to have a tin like that and I was only allowed to have a biscuit when she said I could’. It brings back memories in people,” Mr Gaston said. The profits from museum visitors are all donated to the Heart Foundation, with Mr Gaston planning to hand over $2,000 this year alone. Mr Gaston said the new owners could take the museum on as a business or donate the funds to a worthy cause. “I was hoping to spend the rest of my life here but that’s not going to happen now,” Mr Gaston said. “I would love to know that it was going to be in good hands so that it can carry on because I would love to be able to come back myself in a few years' time and have a look at it again. "And it should mean a lot to the people of Geraldton — that there's something in Geraldton that you won't find anywhere else in Australia.” Image credit: ABC

Retirement Income

“Paid as little as $1.50 per 100kg” – Dark truth about your tinned tomatoes

Australians are being urged to reconsider buying Italian tinned tomato after the working conditions of farmers in Italy has been exposed. Migrant workers in Italy's $3.5 billion tomato industry have gone on strike after 16 farm workers were killed in two separate incidents over the last two days, <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/eat/migrant-workers-who-make-italian-tinned-tomatoes-beg-consumers-to-boycott-brands/news-story/4d368fb1d7d119ef4fae20f263c1f002">news.com.au</a> reported. Four workers were killed in a crash in the Puglia region on Saturday and two days later, 12 more died in a head-on collision near Lesina north of Foggia on Monday. The vans are reportedly operated by illegal gangs, known as the Caporali, who find farm owners cheap labour and take a cut out of the worker’s wages. They also transport the workers to and from their makeshift camps. In both crashes, the vans were overcrowded with workers being transported home after work. Since the accident workers, who earn as little as a single euro per 100kg of tomatoes, have been on strike holding signs that read “we are not slaves”. “It’s like the return of slavery,” Mohamed Doumbé Keita, an undocumented migrant from Guinea, told <a href="https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/xwkp9n/migrants-are-dying-under-the-mafia-like-system-that-controls-italys-tomatoes">VICE News</a>. “Life is tough here. There’s no medical care, and each man fends for himself. If you don’t put in 10 hours a day, you won’t even make €20 ($31).” Aussies are being encouraged to buy local tinned tomatoes instead of imported cans. “Have you ever wondered why Italian tinned tomatoes are so cheap compared to Australian ones?” one woman wrote on Vice’s Facebook page. “If you buy tinned tomatoes from anywhere other than Australia … you’re funding this brutal exploitation of migrant workers. Support Australian farmers who are doing it tough and try to buy Australian grown food where possible.”

News

Can you spot the rude drawings hidden on this biscuit tin?

A design for a Huntley & Palmers biscuit tin from the 1970s has made headlines after two rude illustrations were spotted. The illustrator, Mick Hill, confessed that he thought the inappropriate pictures would be better-hidden, but the design came out much lighter when it was printed. The artist said he kept a “low profile” after the tins hit the shelves, hoping the pictures would go unnoticed until he had been paid. However, the tins were ripped from shelves after a shopkeeper noticed the rude drawings Hill thought he had discreetly concealed in the illustration. In a bizarre twist, the tin is now considered a collector’s item. Can you spot the rude drawings? <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7817364/1_500x375.jpg" alt="1 (114)" width="500" height="375" /> It turns out the artist previously wrote "sex and drugs and rock n' roll" in Japanese on a different tin. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7817370/4_500x334.jpg" alt="4 (15)" width="500" height="334" /> On another tin he also included a questionable cigarette. Scroll through the gallery above to see if you spotted the rude drawings that were concealed in the biscuit tin design. Did you spot the images correctly?

Art

Can you tell the difference between tinned and fresh food?

A new survey commissioned by the Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association has found that one in four people struggle to tell the difference between a meal made from scratch and one made from canned ingredients. The ingredients that are most likely to trick people are sweetcorn and even meals such as chili con carne. Of 2000 people polled, 25 per cent ate canned food and believed it was made from fresh ingredients. The research found that on average, there are 16 cans of food in someone’s cupboard and they use tinned food for at least three meals a week. Fifty-six per cent of people said they tend to use tinned goods for side dishes like beans or sweetcorn. One in 20 people admitted to hardly ever making a meal entirely of fresh ingredients. A spokesman for Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association said, “Many people have a narrow perception of canned food, but it can be a great addition to any kitchen.” “In fact, in a taste test, where people were given two meals, one made from fresh ingredients and one made from canned food, as well as some struggling to tell the difference, many said they actually preferred the canned food version.” Baked beans emerged as the most popular canned food used for everyday cooking and tinned tomatoes, soup, fish (tuna and salmon) and vegetables such as sweetcorn followed closely behind.

Body

Canned food safety tips to avoid food poisoning

Many people have a strong belief that food that comes in cans is, like cockroaches, indestructible, and one of the few things that will survive a nuclear attack. While we can’t speak to the durability of your tinned tomatoes when it comes to nuclear fallout, we do know that canned food isn’t necessarily fine, no matter what. Let’s take a look at how you can exercise caution and good judgement when dealing with cans of food. Commercially produced canned food usually goes through a process of washing, before being prepared and placed into its metal container along with some kind of canning fluid (that’s the brine, juice, or water most tins of food contain). <a href="http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/safety/cannedfoods/Pages/default.aspx">The can is then heat treated</a>, a process that ensures the product is commercially sterile, shelf-safe, with an air-tight seal. This heat treatment works to kill any organisms that could potentially cause the food to go bad, or cause some kind of food-borne illness. This sterile environment, however, lasts only until the can is opened – which breaks the seal. Use-by dates and best-buy dates Many canned foods (but not all) have a use-by or best-before date, so make sure you are aware of this when you put the can away. It’s a good idea to clean out your pantry a few times each year to clear out any cans that have passed the indicated use-by date. You can still eat food after the best-by dates, but the flavour and nutrition will likely have deteriorated since that date. When choosing cans According to Food Standards Australia New Zealand, there are a few things you should be on the lookout for when buying tinned foods. It’s best to avoid cans if you notice any of the following: <ul> <li>Rust and/or scratches on the can</li> <li>Dented or damaged can</li> <li>Swelling or leakage</li> <li>Damaged seams</li> </ul> Food safety first There are a few simple food safety procedures you can follow to make sure your kitchen stays food poisoning free: <ul> <li>Wash your cans before opening; wash with a little soapy water, or wipe with a disinfectant before you open the can.</li> <li>Make sure your can opener is sharp and clean; if you’ve had the can opener since the Royal Wedding (Charles and Di, that is), it’s time you invest in something new.</li> </ul> Trust your instincts Humans are pretty good at avoiding foods that will make us sick – all animals are. But we also know that wasting food is terrible, so there are some things to keep in mind when dealing with canned food. If the food smells unusual, or has unexpected colours or markings, do not eat it. In this instance, don’t be tempted to “just taste it and see” – listen to what your senses are telling you, and throw the food away. Storage is key Before you open the can, its best to store your food according to the instructions given on the label. Most tinned foods require storage at room temperature, or in a cool, dry place. A soon as you open a can, you should be treating it the same as any other fresh food – consume within, at most, three days, and store in a food safe environment. <a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/2016/11/02/it-safe-put-canned-food-fridge">The best way to store opened canned food</a><a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/2016/11/02/it-safe-put-canned-food-fridge"></a> is by decanting it into an airtight container, and keeping it in the fridge. Have you ever found an ancient can of food in your pantry? Tell us about it in the comments below. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/home-garden/2017/01/how-to-tell-your-eggs-are-fresh/">Old-fashioned tip to tell if your eggs are fresh</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/home-garden/2017/01/infographic-of-kitchen-cheat-sheet/">The ultimate kitchen cheat sheet</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/home-garden/2017/01/common-cooking-mistakes/">Improve meals by avoiding 7 common cooking mistakes </a>

Home & Garden

3 recipes using tinned fish

Food & Wine

Our Partners

Over 60

News

Shop

Catalogues

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Games

Information

Keep up to date

Search

“Such lowlifes”: Alleged thieves steal charity donation tin

3 recipes using tinned fish

These ‘tin heads’ are looking for apprentices

“Paid as little as $1.50 per 100kg” – Dark truth about your tinned tomatoes

Can you spot the rude drawings hidden on this biscuit tin?

Can you tell the difference between tinned and fresh food?

Canned food safety tips to avoid food poisoning

3 recipes using tinned fish

Our Partners