Editor's letter

One of the most enduring memories of my childhood is the sound of exploding bottles of homemade ginger beer.

This would invariably happen at 2am and my father galloping down the hallway and into the laundry to save the remaining bottles by putting them into the fridge to halt fermentation. We all enjoyed the bubbly ginger beer my mother brewed from the fearsome-looking ginger beer ‘plant’ kept in the fridge. It was just how things worked at our house (along with a vegie patch and meat bought by the side) and was the only fizzy drink we were allowed. I didn't realise my mother was part of the 'make it from scratch' movement. This issue, we celebrate stepping away from pre-made food and getting hands-on with breads, cheeses (haloumi is surprisingly simple), sauces (yes, you can make your own HP sauce) and a no-smoking-involved bacon. Sure there’s more effort required than ducking off to the local shop, but we loved the satisfaction that came from making food.