Spaghetti Bolognaise on Toast (07/01/2005)

        This photo was taken on 07/01/2005. I think it was one of our first trips up to Queensland when my grandparents decided to migrate up there. And then my parents bought a holiday apartment so we all drove up there over the Christmas/New Year break. For breakfast one morning I decided to throw some of the previous night's dinner on top of some toast, took a photo and wallah - mum thought I was a genius =D

       

        Everytime our family (and I mean extended family) goes on holiday Mum will most likely make a big pot of Spag Bol to feed the "kids" - or in other words, the picky eaters who don't like what everyone else is eating. Hey it's fast and easy and everyone eats Spag Bol. Mum's Bolognaise sauce used to consist of mince pork, finely chopped garlic, finely diced onion, a small tub of Leggo's concentrated tomato paste, an empty tub's worth of water and seasoning to taste which almost always includes salt, pepper, sugar and a pinch of monosodium (msg). Don't ask me about measurements because... mum doesn't measure ingredients, she just seems to be able to "have an eye" for how much should go in. That's how I've learnt to work too but there are also times which call for strict measuring of ingredients.

        Mum has also discovered something called the "Continental Recipe Mix Spaghetti Bolognaise" sachet. She says it gives it the "Spaghetti" taste so she adds one of these to the sauce now whenever she cooks Spag Bol. It satisfies me, though I know a truly authentic Spag Bol is so much more than that! However, due to the picky eaters in our household, I don't think I will be able to serve up a pot of classic Italian Spag Bol. Not one that will appeal to everyone's taste anyway. The sugar and msg are definately asian additions to the dish. I actually add a pinch of sugar to some of my cooking when I feel it is lacking something, it's rubbing off on Ryan as well. It's actually quite a skill to be able to balance the salt and sugar. I do omit msg from my cooking though, I learnt to cook with msg from mum but as I got older and wiser and more exposed to different styles of cooking and flavours I don't touch the stuff anymore. Msg is really not bad for you (according to Mum) unless used in excess, which alot of asian restuarants do.