Write your own food biography: my life in 10 dishes...

Dave told me about an article in the SMH and I thought I'd give my life in 10 dishes. After thinking about it for some time, I realised coming up with just 10 dishes was really hard. Food seemed to play a big part in what made me happy growing up. And looking at it, it's not a very exciting list of food. But I have incredibly strong memories of all these foods in my life. Here goes:

1. Rusks
Now, I can't remember eating these as an infant, but I do recall them being in the house when my two younger sisters were infants. Even at an older age I still enjoyed eating these teething biscuits.

2. Chinese Takeaway
A Friday night treat. As a family I think our typical order used to always contain some form of chow mein, a sweet and sour dish and Mum and Dad used to enjoy the very adult Honey King Prawns.

3. Sugar Easter Eggs
My mum was an absolute legend when it came to making easter eggs. It was always something that she would start well in advance of easter. I remember the wooden carved blocks that the rolled out flat sugar mixture was wrapped over to set. Mum's sugar easter eggs were simply fantastic. Full of flavour and never as hard, but just as fragile, as the store bought ones.

4. Trifle
This dish meant we were celebrating something. It was usually eaten at my Grandmother's house with the whole family gathered around her big dining room table. There was often one of those pavlovas that came out of those egg container things too. I wonder if they are still on sale these days.

5. Anything from the Woman's Weekly Recipe Card Series
Oh my god. What would 70's cooking be with out these! I can remember each week a new set became available at the supermarket and it was always exciting as kids to wonder at what Mum was creating based on these. I think this set of cards was one of the most used items in the house. The "confectionery" section always got a workout.

6. Crumpets with tomato and grilled cheese
A winter Saturday evening special. We'd be settled down after watching the Disney special, Dad was getting ready to watch a bit of Dave Allen and Mum would bring out a plate of these. What a treat they were too. In summer the hot crumpets were replaced with Jatz, tomato and Coon.

7. Fettucini with sour cream and chives sauce and smoked herring
This is a Uni meal. It just sounds foul now. It was soooo cheap to make and I just loved it. It was often a lunchtime meal for me on my days off Uni.

8. Thai Green Curry
I remember discovering this dish in the 80's. It was just when Australia was experimenting with different cuisine types and Thai and Indian Restaurants were popping up. It was one of those recipes that I could easily replicate at home and this meal got me though Uni too. Cheap to make, great with rice and the left-overs tasted better the next day.

9. Pad Thai
Still has to be my most popular dish to this day. I judge a Thai restaurant on the flavour of their Pad Thai. If it's crap, I don't go back. If it's good, then the rest of the menu must also be great. It's one of those dishes that I have NEVER been able to successfully recreate at home... even though apparently it's supposed to be quick and easy.

10. That meal I ate in France
While staying in Montparnasse with Judo, he got a tip on where to have a good traditional French meal and we were not disappointed. In fact, I still to this day put this down as the best meal I have ever eaten. Now, I'm sure you're all wondering what it was called... well, so am I. But basically, the main was 3 pieces of beef, served with 3 different sauces. To this day I can't name them. But the taste was true heaven. I've always thought one of the sauces was made with Marsala and now every time I see this on a menu I order it. It is one of my favourite flavours... However, there are so many meals that I've had overseas that I have loved and any one of them could have made it on this list.

So, what's your life in 10 dishes?