Beef olives

May 7, 2002

I have a love-hate affair with suitcases. I have owned several in my lifetime. There was the olive green number that saw me through my first big OE and through subsequent transtasman shopping forays. It had hinges and locks that would grow taller as the contents of the case expanded. When you are a young, single woman swanning off to Sydney for a month of sleeping on the floor of a friend of a friend's apartment, buying up your wardrobe for the next season, an expanding suitcases is a must.

The olive green number was robust. It never complained when I staggered in from some serious Sydney midsummer shopping, temperature in the 30s (Celsius) and crammed my prized new black lapin (OK - rabbit) fur coat into its depths. It would swallow up classy little angora twinsets, saucy mini-skirts, suede pumps, blond wigs. When my shopping companion and I sat on the suitcase, forcing it down into its usual compact self, it humbly obliged.

In the mid-1970s I was fortunate to visit the US on a State Department grant. My suitcase yielded Kiwi souvenirs and swallowed up trinkets as I wove my way through the country visiting newspapers and journalism schools. It didn't even complain when I strapped on the latest traveller's aid - detachable wheels - the wrong way round.

It saw me through my honeymoon and then retreated to the top of the wardrobe as I dealt with the responsibilities of housebuying then parenthood and greatly diminished travel funds.

When our lads were aged 9 and 11 we decided to take them on the magical journey to Disneyland. The Spouse's vinyl valise and my expandable suitcase were replaced by some more fashionable black zippered suitcases. A bargain at the price. Unfortunately they lasted only as far as Los Angeles.

I have a theory that airport baggage handlers suffer from intense bouts of luggage envy. Luggage equals holidaymakers travelling to nice places to take their leisure. The baggage handlers, bound to terra firma, take out their frustrations on these symbols of perceived affluence.

The handles were wrenched off our new luggage somewhere twixt check-in and collection. I ended up having to buy large zippered soft luggage at a mall somewhere in LA and some housemaid was no doubt surprised to find new but useless suitcases under the bed in an Anaheim hotel room.

The soft roll bags served the sons well as they travelled up and down the country on school sports trips and on family holidays farther afield.

When the lads flew the family coop and The Spouse and I headed off to the UK for a few weeks, I decided to invest in a communal suitcase with wheels to augment our overnighter suit bags. I bought a generously sized bag but didn't allow for the fact that generosity in size equals corresponding increase in weight. That bag spent most of its time in the boot of the rental car while we used our suitbags and lightweight non-crushable clothes.

Next purchase, 15 months ago, was the matching pair of cases with pull-out handles and wheels. Seemingly the most practical investment to date. Unfortunately the handle assembly on his bag was wrenched from its housing on the first flight. It was consigned to the local tip after he managed to throw the guarantee out with the bench clutter before I had a chance to cash in on the one-year guarantee. Mine is faring slightly better, though on last week's Air New Zealand flight from Christchurch to Wellington, the baggage handlers managed to inflict enough force on the bag to smash the interior rigid reinforcing into half a dozen pieces.

Anyone who can recommend indestructible luggage should email me!

In between jet-setting twixt cities, I have been engaging in some winter cooking. Casseroles become increasingly appealing as the temperatures drop. One of my favourite dishes in beef olives. These are known by various names. The French call them Alouettes San Tetes. The name loses something in the translation - headless larks. Another name is veal birds.

Here is a bit of a short cut method. Normally I would process a few slices of stale bread in a food processor and make crumbs for the filling. But this lot I made with slices of bread minus the crusts.

Beef Olives

1 or 2 thin slices of thinly sliced schnitzel-style beef or veal per serving
1 slice of bread for each slice of meat
dried herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil)
finely diced onion
oil
beef stock
dry white wine
flour and water to thicken

Flatten each piece of beef with a meat mallet. Place a slice on bread on the meat, and sprinkle with dried herbs and diced onion.

Fold the edges of the meat over the bread, and then roll up Secure with toothpicks or string.

Heat some oil in a pan and brown each beef roll. Place in a casserole and pour over some dry white wine and beef stock. Place in a pre-heated 180C over and cook for 90 minutes. Thick the gravy with some flour and water.Remove toothpicks or string to serve.

This is good served with oven-baked potatoes topped with light sour cream and chives, steamed fresh beans and maybe some carrot sticks.