Anzac Day: Lest we Forget
April 25 1915 saw the landing of British Commonwealth troops at Gallipoli in a vain attempt to force the Dardanelles and knock Turkey out of WWI. Prominent among them were the ANZACs - the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. This day is now the official day of remembrance for Kiwi and Aussie soldiers from all subsequent wars.
The entire campaign was a debacle - the ANZACs were landed on the wrong beach for one thing, and forced to struggle up sheer cliffs in the face of heavy machine gun fire from entrenched positions. They also suffered heavily for their status as 'colonials', being subject to orders from British rather than local commanders, and were essentially used as cannon fodder, receiving the most dangerous assignments and taking the heaviest casualties. New Zealand, in fact, had the highest (per capita) casualty rate of any country that took part in the war.
For this reason, among others, the Gallipoli campaign is seen as being the birth of independent New Zealand identity. It was the first time New Zealanders realised that Mother Britain could not, in fact, be relied upon to have their best interests at heart. By this I mean no disrespect to British, or indeed any other, soldiers present, simply that it was the end of a certain naivete on the part of a young nation. It also forged a close and enduring fellowship between New Zealand and Australia, one that continues despite close fought rugby matches, the odd insensitive comment from Big Brother, and the constant irritation of New Zealanders abroad who are asked what part of Oz they're from. Anzac Day is New Zealand's de facto birthday, and means a lot more to many people - certainly to me - than Waitangi Day (commemorating the signing of the treaty ceding Aotearoa to Britain), New Zealand's official national day.
On a lighter note, if you like to bake, turn your hand to Anzac Biscuits (I guess they're technically cookies in American English - I googled the ingredients so the recipe would make sense, *g*). Folklore is divided as to whether the boys made these over campfires in the trenches, or whether women sent them in care packages from home, but either way they're great, and easy to make.
170g (6oz) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
130g (5oz) flour
100g (4oz) rolled oats (pretty much oatmeal, but not the instant kind - the chunky one)
60g (2oz) desiccated coconut
100g (4oz) butter
3 tbsp golden syrup (apparently KING corn syrup will do the trick if you can't get the real thing)
1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
4 tbsp boiling water
Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius (320 fahrenheit).
Put sugar, flour, oats and coconut in a bowl and mix well.
Melt butter and syrup in a saucepan over gentle heat until bubbly.
Put baking soda in a cup and pour boiling water over it; stir till dissolved then add to melted butter/syrup.
Pour hot mixture into dry ingredients and stir thoroughly.
Use your hands to form mixture into a mass, then roll into small balls about the size of a golfball.
Line baking trays with baking paper.
Position balls and flatten gently with a fork.
Bake five minutes, then open oven and bang the trays to deflate the biscuits slightly (they should be puffy at this point).
Repeat if necessary in another few minutes. Total baking time should only be about 10-15 minutes.
When ready, biscuits will be a light chestnut brown and still slightly soft when pressed. Remove from oven and leave to cool for a minute, then transfer to a rack to harden.
Enjoy!!!
The entire campaign was a debacle - the ANZACs were landed on the wrong beach for one thing, and forced to struggle up sheer cliffs in the face of heavy machine gun fire from entrenched positions. They also suffered heavily for their status as 'colonials', being subject to orders from British rather than local commanders, and were essentially used as cannon fodder, receiving the most dangerous assignments and taking the heaviest casualties. New Zealand, in fact, had the highest (per capita) casualty rate of any country that took part in the war.
For this reason, among others, the Gallipoli campaign is seen as being the birth of independent New Zealand identity. It was the first time New Zealanders realised that Mother Britain could not, in fact, be relied upon to have their best interests at heart. By this I mean no disrespect to British, or indeed any other, soldiers present, simply that it was the end of a certain naivete on the part of a young nation. It also forged a close and enduring fellowship between New Zealand and Australia, one that continues despite close fought rugby matches, the odd insensitive comment from Big Brother, and the constant irritation of New Zealanders abroad who are asked what part of Oz they're from. Anzac Day is New Zealand's de facto birthday, and means a lot more to many people - certainly to me - than Waitangi Day (commemorating the signing of the treaty ceding Aotearoa to Britain), New Zealand's official national day.
On a lighter note, if you like to bake, turn your hand to Anzac Biscuits (I guess they're technically cookies in American English - I googled the ingredients so the recipe would make sense, *g*). Folklore is divided as to whether the boys made these over campfires in the trenches, or whether women sent them in care packages from home, but either way they're great, and easy to make.
170g (6oz) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
130g (5oz) flour
100g (4oz) rolled oats (pretty much oatmeal, but not the instant kind - the chunky one)
60g (2oz) desiccated coconut
100g (4oz) butter
3 tbsp golden syrup (apparently KING corn syrup will do the trick if you can't get the real thing)
1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
4 tbsp boiling water
Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius (320 fahrenheit).
Put sugar, flour, oats and coconut in a bowl and mix well.
Melt butter and syrup in a saucepan over gentle heat until bubbly.
Put baking soda in a cup and pour boiling water over it; stir till dissolved then add to melted butter/syrup.
Pour hot mixture into dry ingredients and stir thoroughly.
Use your hands to form mixture into a mass, then roll into small balls about the size of a golfball.
Line baking trays with baking paper.
Position balls and flatten gently with a fork.
Bake five minutes, then open oven and bang the trays to deflate the biscuits slightly (they should be puffy at this point).
Repeat if necessary in another few minutes. Total baking time should only be about 10-15 minutes.
When ready, biscuits will be a light chestnut brown and still slightly soft when pressed. Remove from oven and leave to cool for a minute, then transfer to a rack to harden.
Enjoy!!!