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Tangy apricot Bavarian whip, fried rice medley and bombe Alaska: what Australia’s first food influencer had us cooking

Our food choices are being influenced every day. On social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, food and eating consistently appear on lists of trending topics. Food has eye-catching appeal and is a universal experience. Everyone has to eat. In recent years, viral recipes like <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/02/11/baked-feta-pasta-recipe-tiktok/">feta pasta</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-dalgona-coffee-the-whipped-coffee-trend-taking-over-the-internet-during-coronavirus-isolation-137068">dalgona coffee</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/are-butter-boards-bad-for-you-an-expert-view-on-the-latest-food-trend-192260">butter boards</a> have taken the world by storm. Yet food influencing is not a new trend. Australia’s first food influencer appeared in the pages of Australia’s most popular women’s magazine nearly 70 years ago. Just like today’s creators on Instagram and TikTok, this teenage cook advised her audience what was good to eat and how to make it. <h2>Meet Debbie, our teenage chef</h2> Debbie commenced her decade-long tenure at the Australian Women’s Weekly in <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4814245">July 1954</a>. We don’t know exactly who played the role of Debbie, which was a pseudonym. Readers were never shown her full face or body – just a set of disembodied hands making various recipes and, eventually, a cartoon portrait. Like many food influencers today, Debbie was not an “expert” – she was a teenager herself. She taught teenage girls simple yet fashionable recipes they could cook to impress their family and friends, especially boys. She shared recipes for <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4925379">tangy apricot Bavarian whip</a>, <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4819441">fried rice medley</a> and <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4807813">bombe Alaska</a>. Debbie also often taught her readers the basics, like <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article52249448">how to boil an egg</a>. Just like today, many of her recipes showed the readers step-by-step instructions through images. <h2>Teaching girls to cook (and be ‘good’ women)</h2> Debbie’s recipes first appeared in the For Teenagers section, which would go on to become the Teenagers Weekly lift-out in 1959. These lift-outs reflected a major change taking place in wider society: the idea of “teenagers” being their own group with specific interests and behaviours had entered the popular imagination. Debbie was speaking directly to teenage girls. Adolescents are still forming both their culinary and cultural tastes. They are forming their identities. For the Women’s Weekly, and for Debbie, cooking was deemed an essential attribute for women. Girls were seen to be “<a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4818166">failures</a>” if they couldn’t at least “cook a baked dinner”, “make real coffee”, “grill a steak to perfection”, “scramble and fry eggs” and “make a salad (with dressing)”. In addition to teaching girls how to cook, Debbie also taught girls how to catch a husband and become a good wife, a reflection of cultural expectations for women at the time. Her <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4920059">macaroon trifle</a>, the Women’s Weekly said, was sure to place girls at the top of their male friends’ “matrimony prospect” list! <h2>Food fads and fashions</h2> Food fads usually reflect something important about the world around us. During global COVID lockdowns, we saw a rise in <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-historical-roots-of-your-lockdown-sourdough-obsession-137528">sourdough bread-making</a> as people embraced carbohydrate-driven nostalgia in the face of anxiety. A peek at Debbie’s culinary repertoire can reveal some of the cultural phenomena that impacted Australian teenagers in the 1950s and ‘60s. Debbie embraced teenage interest in rock'n'roll culture from the early 1960s, the pinnacle of which came at the height of Beatlemania. The Beatles toured Australia in June 1964. To help her teenage readers celebrate their visit, Debbie wrote an editorial on how to host a <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48077701">Beatles party</a>. She suggested the party host impress their friends by making “Beatle lollipops”, “Ringo Starrs” (decorated biscuits) and terrifying-looking “Beatle mop-heads” (cakes with chocolate hair). <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55185376">A few months later</a>, she also shared recipes for “jam butties” (or sandwiches, apparently a “<a href="https://slate.com/culture/2013/03/the-beatles-and-the-mersey-beat-in-the-latest-blogging-the-beatles-how-the-beatles-popularized-the-sound-of-liverpool.html">Mersey</a> food with a Mersey name”) and a “Beatle burger”. We can also see the introduction of one of <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/language/italian/en/article/spag-bol-how-australians-adopted-a-classic-italian-recipe-and-made-it-their-own/9ogvr96ea">Australia’s most beloved dishes</a> in Debbie’s recipes. In 1957, she showed her teen readers how to make a new dish – <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48076527">spaghetti bolognaise</a> – which had first appeared in the magazine <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46465023">five years prior</a>. Debbie was influencing the youth of Australia to enthusiastically adopt (and adapt) Italian-style cuisine. It stuck. While the recipe may have evolved, in 2012, Meat and Livestock Australia <a href="https://www.mla.com.au/globalassets/mla-corporate/marketing-beef-and-lamb/last-nights-dinner.pdf">reported</a> that 38% of Australian homes ate “spag bol” at least once a week. Our food influences today may come from social media, but we shouldn’t forget the impact early influencers such as Debbie had on young people in the past. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared in <a href="https://theconversation.com/tangy-apricot-bavarian-whip-fried-rice-medley-and-bombe-alaska-what-australias-first-food-influencer-had-us-cooking-199987" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Food & Wine

RSPCA calls for total whip ban at Melbourne Cup

The RSPCA Victoria has called for the whip to be banned from horse racing after top jockey Kerrin McEvoy was sanctioned for his excessive use during the Melbourne Cup. McEvoy was fined $50,000 and suspended for 13 meetings after his ride on second-placed Tiger Moth in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. During the race, the jockey used his whip a total of 21 times, including eight times in the last 100 metres. The Age reported that all jockeys were issued a reminder by Racing Victoria before the Cup that excessive whip use would result in extreme penalties, but McEvoy ignored the advice and faced the sanction in the aftermath. Current rules state that jockeys are only allowed to use whips five times before the last 100 metres. But the RSPCA was not impressed. While they agreed with the increased penalties, they argued that "more needs to be done to phase out the use of whips entirely". "Due to the pain and distress whips inflict on horses, RSPCA Victoria is disappointed to hear that a jockey exceeded the whip rules at the running of the 2020 Melbourne Cup. Recently released research shows the majority (69 percent) of Victorians believe whipping horses causes pain, is inhumane, and do not believe the use of whips in horseracing is necessary or reflective of community sentiment," Dr Liz Walker, CEO of RSPCA Victoria said. "Another study released this month showed that whipping horses does not make them run faster, and debunked traditional arguments that the whip is needed for performance enhancement and to maintain racing integrity. Racing performance should not be determined by inflicting pain through whipping but rather by sound breeding, quality training and outstanding horsemanship. "We were pleased to see that the penalty for excessive whip use at the Melbourne Cup was the largest ever handed out. However, increased penalties are not enough. The ultimate outcome should be that whips are not used for the purpose of enhancing horse performance – that is, making them go faster – at all. "We recently welcomed Racing Victoria's call to reduce the use of the whip and believe whip reform is a necessary and positive change. The whip can no longer be defended as a tool for performance enhancement. Other countries have already introduced whip-free racing and we encourage the Australian racing industry to do the same." Every year the Melbourne Cup attracts criticism from animal rights groups and this year was no exception.

News

Research shows whipping horses doesn’t make them run faster, straighter or safer — let’s cut it out

The Melbourne Cup is upon us. This year will be different due to COVID-19 — but one thing we don’t expect to change is <a href="https://theconversation.com/horse-racing-must-change-or-the-court-of-public-opinion-will-bury-it-125637">concern about horses’ welfare</a>, which seems to resurface each year. Just days before the Cup, Victoria’s parliament has heard allegations that unwanted thoroughbreds continue to be slaughtered in knackeries and abattoirs in New South Wales, The Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/29/nsw-stud-owned-by-gerry-harvey-among-those-accused-in-parliament-of-sending-racehorses-to-slaughter">reports</a>. Billionaire executive chair of Harvey Norman Gerry Harvey reportedly apologised after one of his ex-racehorses was sent to a pet food factory for slaughter, despite the state’s racing industry announcing rules against this in 2017. It’s not the first time we’ve heard of such <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-18/slaughter-abuse-of-racehorses-undermines-industry-animal-welfare/11603834">gruesome</a> <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-10/queensland-new-rules-racehorse-welfare-over-cruelty/11950912">cases</a>. Beyond this, there are persisting <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-01/people-who-wont-be-partying-on-melbourne-cup-day/7979074">concerns</a> about how racehorses have been ridden for more than a century. In particular, the use of the whip to “encourage” horses to run <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0015622">faster</a> and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241118388_Holding_the_whip_hand-a_note_on_the_distribution_of_jockeys'_whip_hand_preferences_in_Australian_Thoroughbred_racing">straighter</a> has been shown to potentially be both <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787813001007">painful</a> and <a href="https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2746/0425164044868387">dangerous</a>. For our research, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/11/1985">published yesterday</a> in the journal Animals, we analysed more than 100 race reports to determine exactly how whip use influences the dynamics of a race. We found whips make no difference to horse steering, jockey safety, or even a horse’s speed. Our study offers scientific findings that support Racing Victoria’s recently announced plan to gradually <a href="https://www.racingvictoria.com.au/news/2020-09-07/racing-victoria-calls-on-industry-to-progress-whip-reform">phase out whip use</a> until whips are only being used when absolutely necessary. Justifications from the racing industry Advocates of whip use, such as <a href="https://www.racingaustralia.horse/uploadimg/changestowhiprules.pdf">Racing Australia</a> and the <a href="https://www.britishhorseracing.com/regulation/the-whip/#:%7E:text=In%20British%20racing%20the%20use,of%20horses%20during%20a%20race.">British Horseracing Authority</a>, claim it’s necessary for horse and rider safety. They argue it facilitates the steering <a href="https://horseracingsense.com/why-jockeys-hit-horses-whipping-run-faster">necessary to reduce interference between horses on the course</a>. Another justification given is that whipping makes horses run faster. This is considered fundamental to racing integrity. In a billion-dollar industry that relies on gambling, all parties — including punters, trainers, breeders and owners — want to know the horse they’ve backed will be given every opportunity to win. For many racing aficionados, breaches of “<a href="https://www.racingvictoria.com.au/integrity/fair-racing-for-all">integrity</a>” and the thought of a horse not being fully “<a href="https://www.racingaustralia.horse/FreeServices/upcoming_rules_of_racing/RA%20Calendar%20Notice%20-%20Amendments%20to%20Australian%20Rules%20of%20Racing%20effective%201%20August%202018%20-%20135.pdf">ridden out</a>” on its merits is just as corrupt as the horse being doped, or a race being <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2004/mar/10/horseracing.kenoliver">fixed by some other means</a>. The growing importance of racehorse welfare But animal welfare is also important to racing integrity, according to the <a href="https://www.ifhaonline.org/default.asp?section=IABRW&area=2">International Federation of Horseracing Authorities</a> and <a href="https://www.nj.gov/oag/racing/rulemaking/Riding_Crop%20Proposal.pdf">other racing bodies</a>. <a href="https://qric.qld.gov.au/stewards-reports/">Racing stewards</a> are in the unenviable position of enforcing horse welfare during races, while also having to ensure whips are used to give each horse full opportunity to win. For all official races in Australia, there are detailed regulations for the number and style of whip strikes allowed at the different points of a course. Research over past decades has concentrated on jockeys’ accuracy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-the-pressure-is-on-some-riders-breach-the-whip-rules-in-horse-racing-71157">compliance with whip rules</a>, the link between whip use and <a href="https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2746/0425164044868387">catastrophic falls that can injure or kill horses or jockeys</a> and simply whether or not whipping hurts. But until now, few have stopped to ask whether whips actually work. That’s simply because there hasn’t been a way to scientifically test the culturally entrenched assumption they do. Racing without using the whip However, since 1999, a form of whipping-free racing has been conducted in Great Britain via the “hands and heels” racing <a href="https://www.britishhorseracing.com/regulation/racing-excellence-series/">series for apprentice jockeys</a>. In this form of racing, jockeys are permitted to carry whips but can’t use them unless under exceptional circumstances, such as trying to avert a collision. After races, stewards produce an official report noting any unusual or unorthodox jockey behaviour (which may or may not have affected race placings), jockey infringements, horse movement on the course, interference between horses, and veterinary issues. We analysed reports for 126 races involving a total of 1,178 starters (horses and jockeys). These included all 67 hands and heels “whipping-free” races in the period starting January 2017 and ending December 2019. For these, we were able to case-match 59 traditional “whipping-permitted” races. Thus, we were able to compare the performance of racehorses under both “whipping-free” and “whipping-permitted” conditions in real racing environments, to figure out whether whipping makes horses easier to steer, safer to ride and/or more likely to win. Our results indicated no significant differences between horse movement on the course, interference on the course, the frequency of incidents related to jockey behaviour, or average race finishing times. Put simply, whip use had no impact on steering, safety or speed. Contrary to longstanding beliefs, whipping racehorses just doesn’t work. The way forward Our findings reinforce the need for more support for whipping-free races. Importantly, they indicate whip use could potentially be banned without any adverse effect on horses, riders or racing integrity. “Whipping-free” races are not the same as “whip-free” races. While some might argue for <a href="https://horseracingkills.com/campaigns/the-whip/">races with no whips at all</a>, an agreeable compromise would be to let jockeys carry whips, but only use them if their safety is jeopardised. This approach has already been adopted in Norway, where whipping-free races have been <a href="https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/a-whip-free-day-of-racing-in-norway/">held for more than 30 years</a> with no apparent negative consequences. Given evolving social values, we believe transitioning to a whipping-free approach is essential for the future of an industry that relies on a <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-horse-racing-in-australia-needs-a-social-licence-to-operate-79492">social licence to operate</a>. Written by <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kirrilly-thompson-189510">Kirrilly Thompson</a>, University of South Australia; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bethany-wilson-578873">Bethany Wilson</a>, University of Sydney; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paul-mcgreevy-139820">Paul McGreevy</a>, University of Sydney, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/phil-mcmanus-142805">Phil McManus</a>, University of Sydney. Republished with permission of<a href="https://theconversation.com/research-shows-whipping-horses-doesnt-make-them-run-faster-straighter-or-safer-lets-cut-it-out-144405"> The Conversation.</a>

Travel Tips

Whip up some puff pastry pear tarts

Almond frangipane is a classic French preparation that can be made in moments. It provides a delicious base for raw or poached fruit and is spread over uncooked pastry to make simple tarts. It can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, then softened at room temperature or in the microwave in less than a minute. This recipe uses ground almonds, but it can be made with ground hazelnuts or walnuts. A fun variation is to leave the poached fruit halves whole and to cut pastry shapes to echo the shape of the fruit being used, thus making individual pear tarts or even peach or plum tarts. Each pastry shape must be chilled well before baking to prevent shrinking. Serves: 6 Ingredients <div class="article-body"> <ul> <li>1 roll ready-made all-butter puff pastry (such as Carême), thawed overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 1 hour, then rolled into a 25cm-square sheet</li> <li>1 free-range egg yolk</li> <li>3–6 (depending on size) whole poached pears (see page 29), halved</li> <li>2 tablespoons reduced poaching syrup double cream or ice cream, to serve</li> </ul> Almond frangipane <ul> <li>80g unsalted butter, softened</li> <li>80g caster sugar</li> <li>80g ground almonds</li> <li>2 teaspoons plain flour</li> <li>1 free-range egg yolk</li> </ul> Directions <ol> <li>To make the almond frangipane, cream butter and sugar in a food processor until light and creamy. Add the ground almonds and flour and pulse briefly. Add egg yolk and mix just until you have a smooth cream. Scrape into a bowl until needed.</li> <li>Lift pastry sheet onto a baking paper-lined baking tray. Lightly mix the other egg yolk with a fork and brush it all over pastry with a pastry brush, ensuring that no egg drips over the edges (this will impede rising). If making a rectangular tart, score a 1 cm border around edges and prick centre with a fork. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.</li> <li>Spread chilled pastry with a 5mm thick layer of frangipane inside the scored border. (If using drained fruit halves for individual tarts, place a spoonful of frangipane on the pastry where the hollow of the fruit will cover it.)</li> <li>Preheat oven to 210°C. Cut fruit into thick wedges, then lightly press into frangipane, arranging them in closely packed and slightly overlapping rows. (For individual tarts, place halves over spoonfuls of frangipane.) Brush fruit with a little reserved syrup. Chill in refrigerator for 15 minutes.</li> <li>Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 170°C and cook for another 20 minutes. (Bake individual tarts for 15 minutes at 210°C and 15 minutes at 170°C.) Carefully paint fruit once again with reserved syrup.</li> <li>Bake for another 5 minutes; pastry should be the colour of toast so that it is really crisp and crunchy. Cool tart/s on a cake cooling rack before slicing with a serrated knife, if necessary (use a sawing action rather than pressing through the pastry). Serve with double cream or ice cream.</li> </ol> <a rel="noopener" href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/69171/1880?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booktopia.com.au%2Fkitchen-garden-companion-cooking-stephanie-alexander%2Fprod9781921384349.html" target="_blank">Recipe and image from Kitchen Garden Companion - Cooking by Stephanie Alexander, Penguin Books, RRP $49.99.</a> Photography: © Simon Griffiths, Mark Chew. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/puff-pastry-pear-tarts.aspx">Wyza.com.au</a>. </div>

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