Turnips and swedes are interesting ones. In France they are called rutabaga and navet - the navets being the white-skinned ones which are a bit like an overgrown radish, and the rutabage being what I always called a turnip, but which is in fact a swede. They are obviously from the same family of plants, can be cooked in similar ways and when boiled or roasted taste alike. However,all too often here the humble rutabaga is looked upon as merely fit to feed to the beasts on the farm and certainly not for human consumption. I think this harks back to the war when the poorest of the poor could at least eat turnips (by stealing the animal fodder I suppose).

My sister said that if you're out of potatos or don't have quite enough, she thinks that mashed potatos and rutabagas and turnips all together, or sweet potatos isntead of regular potatos, is very VERY good. Of course, leave it to my sister to have a rutabaga and a turnip on hand when she's out of potatos...

And for some people, Kohlrabi is something grown in your mother's garden. I can't stand the stuff, myself. Don't much like anything turnip, radish or cabbage like.

Apparently silver beet is beetroot that is bred for it's leaves rather than it's bulbous root. According to the link Swiss chard and silver beet are the same, distuingished by chard having a coloured stem. http://organics4u.com.au/shoponline/product.php?productid=20

Spinach has the botanical name spinacea oleracea, whereas silverbeet is beta vulgaris, they are therefore different plants.

Culinary Equivalence

Australian: Coolinary
British: Coolinry
USA: Cullinairy

Yet another difference - The Aussie Tablespoon is 20ml (i.e. 4 metric teaspoons) and the US and Continental Tablespoon is 15 ml (3 tsp) Confusing, huh?

Here turnip is white-fleshed and swede has yellow flesh.

never heard of silver beet...

spring onions - white with green (edible)stalks coming out.

shallots - look like mini-onions, complete with brown papery outer skin!

I wrote all the following already and then lost it somewhere so if it appears twice - sorry.

I have discovered self rising flour in the 'Giant' food chain.

If you know where to look there is a golden syrup available. It is the UK version (Tate and Lyle in a green and gold tin or in a jar)and is the same as CSR only lighter in colour. It works just as well in the ANZAC biscuits. You can of course get your CSR on line at about-australia-shop.com
I have found the syrup in whole Foods, the World Market (near DC, don't know if a national chain) and I think I have seen it in safeway.

Chocolate crackles can be made with butter instead of copha. not quite the same but my kids still love them!

If you miss your Sao's you can get the English Jacob's cream crackers in an orange packet. They are close enough. I have seen them in a few supermarket chains.

I have noticed that dessicated coconut is called coconut powder here and is available in Indian supermarkets or the Indian section in the supermarket. I have also seen it sold loose in Whole foods. The Indian shop is also the place to get 'normal' unadulterated chilli powder without the 'mexican' flavour to it!

Hope any of this helps

you can make chocolate crackles with butter, not quite the same but good enough

I have bought crumpets here in Wisconsin at my warehouse size grocery store. I kind of liked them okay but they were tasted so different than the breads and english muffins here(just to compare them to what else we have.) I only bought them once.

you can get copha on line at www.simplyoz.com at a reasonable price, but I have found (in Vienna VA) coconut oil in a jar which is exactly the same thing and makes lovely crackles. I found it in an arabic grocery shop, maybe you can too. By the way butter is a perfectly good substitute in crackles. Not quite so light but nearly as good and the kids don't know the difference - even if you do!

What about substituting Crisco for Copha. I used it for chocolate chip cookies when I lived in the USA and they were nice and crunchie - not as crunchy now I cant get Crisco.
The best thing about american measures is that when they say 'a stick of margarine' they come in a pack with 4 sticks. Very easy for cooking and baking.