126 replies to this topic

[JTravel]

I'm enjoying your blog, always love "food from afar".
The tour of Aldi was impressive. I'm a big fan here at home, but our stuff is rather ordinary, though good. Flavored tuna? We always visit them in Europe, I got a bunch of good cooking supplies in Germany....my favorite was tiny tubes of "essence"/extract for baking. And Stroop Waffles! They are certainly national/regional.
It costs just US$.25 for a shopping cart here....you almost never see one loose in the parking lot.
Thanks

[haresfur]

I'm enjoying your blog, always love "food from afar".
The tour of Aldi was impressive. I'm a big fan here at home, but our stuff is rather ordinary, though good. Flavored tuna? We always visit them in Europe, I got a bunch of good cooking supplies in Germany....my favorite was tiny tubes of "essence"/extract for baking. And Stroop Waffles! They are certainly national/regional.
It costs just US$.25 for a shopping cart here....you almost never see one loose in the parking lot.
Thanks

Going to grocery stores is an important travel activity for me. And to get to know a place, check out the pre-packaged and junk food as cultural research (that's my story and I'm sticking to it).

[haresfur]

I've been thinking about a name for the genever Sazarac. How about "Man Enough to Drink Pink"? Or maybe "Drink Enough to Go Pink, Man"?

[C. sapidus]

I've been thinking about a name for the genever Sazarac. How about "Man Enough to Drink Pink"? Or maybe "Drink Enough to Go Pink, Man"?

How about "Very Secure"?

[heidih]

Enjoying seeing life in your neighborhood.

My favorite very simple lamb shank prep is to put a mass of fresh rosemary in the bottom of the pan, salt & pepper the shanks and slather them with Dijon mustard. Sprinkle some rough chopped garlic over them. Add a dash of balsamic vinegar or red wine. Cover and cook in a low oven for 3 hours or so tilling falling off the bone and the smell is making you and the pets crazy hungry.

[PopsicleToze]

I've been thinking about a name for the genever Sazarac. How about "Man Enough to Drink Pink"? Or maybe "Drink Enough to Go Pink, Man"?

Anyone who drinks it will forget about its pinkness. It's definitely not a girly girl drink...

Great blog; I am enjoying it immensely.

[barolo]

Going to grocery stores is an important travel activity for me. And to get to know a place, check out the pre-packaged and junk food as cultural research (that's my story and I'm sticking to it).

Yes I agree. Small, local hardware stores are lots of fun too.

[barolo]

I've been thinking about a name for the genever Sazarac. How about "Man Enough to Drink Pink"? Or maybe "Drink Enough to Go Pink, Man"?

How about "Very Secure"?

I like Man Enough to Drink Pink and Very Secure

[haresfur]

I've been thinking about a name for the genever Sazarac. How about "Man Enough to Drink Pink"? Or maybe "Drink Enough to Go Pink, Man"?

How about "Very Secure"?

I like Man Enough to Drink Pink and Very Secure

I like them both too. Very Secure describes the feeling in your tummy after having one, but that can apply to lots of cocktails.

I've really fallen in love with the genever. It has such a subtle taste that is fun to sip and contemplate.

[haresfur]

Well, I think it's time for some real Aussie food. I headed over to the Eaglehawk Bakehouse for a late lunch of take away pies.





And since Eaglehawk is where Mulga Bill was from:



And the score. Clockwise from upper left we have beef&onion pie, wholemeal veggie packet, and Cornish pastie. Where you have mines, you have Cornish immigrants.



And the tomato relish I picked up at a market outside Horesham:



I saved some for tomorrow, honest.

[judiu]

I'll have the beef & onion, thanks! Is that a single serving, or are they meant to share? Is the pastie all one type of filling, or is it double, with apples at one end for dessert?


Edited to fix beef, cause it's not beer in the pie.

Edited by judiu, 13 April 2011 - 12:02 AM.

[haresfur]

I'll have the beef & onion, thanks! Is that a single serving, or are they meant to share? Is the pastie all one type of filling, or is it double, with apples at one end for dessert?


Edited to fix beef, cause it's not beer in the pie.

Beef and Guinness does make a good pie, though . The pies are single serving - although I had 3 halves for lunch!. I'm pretty sure the pastie is one filling but won't know for sure 'til I reach the other end! I hadn't heard about the double filling before.

[haresfur]

First off, here's the wine haul from earlier.



To continue my day of eating Aussie, dinner was fish & chips. I ordered far more food than I needed, in the interests of exploration and entertainment. Eaglehawk has 3 fish & chips shops in 2 blocks, along with a chook shop, a pizza place, the bakery, and a few hotels that serve meals. I usually go to Sea Shells. Today I got snapper, 2 scallops, a couple of potato cakes (Thought I ordered only one) and a dollar's chips. Hope my heart doesn't explode.





The scallops were good but not like Nova Scotia. Deep frying them does seem a waste.

Oh, and what to drink with fish & chips? How about a 2010 Cock + Bull shiraz-vigonier? . Quite nice.

[catdaddy]

Wow this sounds great. How about even more rosemary as the last thing before the cover?

I did a bone in shoulder like this once. Pulled BBQ New Mexico style.

Very much enjoying the blog, haresfur. Let us know how the shanks turn out. That battered seafood looks wonderful.

Can you describe the taste of kangaroo for us?


I meant to quote the entry about the lamb shanks but my morning eyes weren't working quite right.

Edited by catdaddy, 13 April 2011 - 06:10 AM.

[DeliciouslyLekker]

Yum, nothing better than fish & chips. Think I'm gonna get myself some tomorrow!

I agree with another poster that the Aldi near you seems to be well- stocked up. The one where I live only has the 'crappy' stuff. Not particularly tasty, lots of additives but extremely cheap. Actually, these days, the meat and fresh items aren't cheap anymore compared to the normal supermarkets (when they are on sale).

Looking forward to the rest of your entries!

[Kim Shook]

I'm enjoying your blog, always love "food from afar".
The tour of Aldi was impressive. I'm a big fan here at home, but our stuff is rather ordinary, though good. Flavored tuna? We always visit them in Europe, I got a bunch of good cooking supplies in Germany....my favorite was tiny tubes of "essence"/extract for baking. And Stroop Waffles! They are certainly national/regional.
It costs just US$.25 for a shopping cart here....you almost never see one loose in the parking lot.
Thanks

Going to grocery stores is an important travel activity for me. And to get to know a place, check out the pre-packaged and junk food as cultural research (that's my story and I'm sticking to it).

I do this exact same thing! Drug stores, too! We are off to a first time trip to England and Paris next month and I can't wait to see the stores!

[haresfur]

Can you describe the taste of kangaroo for us?

Kangaroo is still a minor meat here but the consumption is increasing. Until recently it was pretty much only used for pet food. I had someone comment to me that country blokes who wouldn't have anything to do with a few years ago are getting serious about grilling roo. It is very lean and doesn't really taste gammy to me. I'm not sure what the right word is, "rich" maybe.

I bought one of those pre-marinated roast things (that's what they had in the store - kangaroo is almost always available but the choice is limited) and it was pretty good although it was way too raw even after cooking longer than the instructions said. I ate around the edges and the rest made a really good chili. Maybe some other Australians will chime in. The kangaroo topic is here.

Pet mince smells pretty disgusting but the dogs and Wattle love it, even though it makes Wattle puke if he eats more than a tablespoon full. Pinot has better taste and won't touch it.

[haresfur]

Yum, nothing better than fish & chips. Think I'm gonna get myself some tomorrow!

Hi! Thanks for the comments. I'm amazed at the size fish portions you get here. My usual fish and a dollar's chips costs $5.50. With the scallops etc. it still only cost $10.00. Do you put vinegar or anything on your fish or chips? Here, it seems like they only put salt or seasoned salt on.

[Shelby]

I love malt vinegar on both my fish and my chips.



I wonder if kangaroo is similar to venison?

[heidih]

Wow this sounds great. How about even more rosemary as the last thing before the cover?
I meant to quote the entry about the lamb shanks but my morning eyes weren't working quite right.

When I say a mass of rosemary on the bottom of the pan - I literally mean covering it with branches. I like to leave the top alone and crack the lid a bit. Trust me the rosemary penetrates without overwhelming. Funny how some bushes are more strongly scented. I have one that I favor for cooking.

Those meat pies look tasty and I particularly like the tomato condiment for contrast.

[haresfur]

I love malt vinegar on both my fish and my chips.



I wonder if kangaroo is similar to venison?

I keep forgetting to look for malt vinegar so I used some cider vinegar and (shame) ketchup (Heinz) for the chips.

It's been ages since I had venison, but kangaroo and deer seem to occupy the same ecological niche as browsers fond of leaping in front of cars.

Edited to correct miss-matched parentheses for the other geeks out there.

Edited by haresfur, 13 April 2011 - 02:36 PM.

[haresfur]

When I say a mass of rosemary on the bottom of the pan - I literally mean covering it with branches. I like to leave the top alone and crack the lid a bit. Trust me the rosemary penetrates without overwhelming. Funny how some bushes are more strongly scented. I have one that I favor for cooking.

I'll have to swing by Woolies and get some rosemary. I need to plant some, too.

[heidih]

I'll have to swing by Woolies and get some rosemary. I need to plant some, too.

We have similar climates though you have lots more rain so just ensure good drainage. It will be a giant bush before you know it.

[haresfur]

I forgot to post the picture of the Shiraz-Vigonier. It's in my all time favourite piece of pottery, a tea cup made by an elderly Chinese man in Pennsylvania. I think he was a retired engineering professor but I forget his name. Anyway the cup is absolutely perfect IMO but a little small for wine. Better for scotch or bourbon. You may have figured out that I use ceramic more than glass and a mug of wine isn't unheard of (less need of refilling).



While I'm at it here are the cookbooks, such as they are.









Here's one for Peter Eater



And for your amusement

[nikkib]

Now *THAT* sounds like an interesting blend? Have you had it before? I love both Shiraz and Viognier.....what are they like together???

Lovely little "Wholefoods" store, by the way. Very charming. And great kitchen, love the leaded glass in the door ! You must have some serious muscle to heft that KitchenAid off and onto that cupboard top ! I'm impressed....

I'll report on the wine when I open it. Maybe tomorrow. It was about $6.00 so if it is drinkable, I'll be happy. If not, I can probably get the same effect by hitting myself on the head with the bottle .

The KitchenAid is an accident waiting to happen. I really need to clear some space in a low drawer...

Shiraz viognier is actually quite an aussie blend, the viognier softens out the shiraz while adding to the fruitiness and the perfumed fragrance - highly recommend you pick up a bottle if you happen across one - i'm a big fan of D'arenbergs Laughing magpie if you see it....

[ChrisTaylor]

Can you describe the taste of kangaroo for us?

Kangaroo is still a minor meat here but the consumption is increasing. Until recently it was pretty much only used for pet food. I had someone comment to me that country blokes who wouldn't have anything to do with a few years ago are getting serious about grilling roo. It is very lean and doesn't really taste gammy to me. I'm not sure what the right word is, "rich" maybe.

I bought one of those pre-marinated roast things (that's what they had in the store - kangaroo is almost always available but the choice is limited) and it was pretty good although it was way too raw even after cooking longer than the instructions said. I ate around the edges and the rest made a really good chili. Maybe some other Australians will chime in. The kangaroo topic is here.

Pet mince smells pretty disgusting but the dogs and Wattle love it, even though it makes Wattle puke if he eats more than a tablespoon full. Pinot has better taste and won't touch it.

I've had the same problem with those supermarket roasts. Thing is, there's no standard size for those roasts. Sometimes you get too little ones. Sometimes a big one. Sometimes a biggish one and a little one. The instructions are written for none of these and you need to work off temp. What's the right temp for medium-rare roo? God knows. I'd be shooting in the direction of venison, I guess, given the flavour profile isn't too different.

Also, I've found the 'Macro Meats' stuff from the supermarkets isn't particularly good. It's inexpensive, yeah, but you get what you pay for. You can order better quality 'roo steaks and roasts (maybe stick with the steaks--the roasts are probably easier to over- or under-cook when we're not entirely sure what temp. we're aiming for) through butchers and poultry stores. If you're ever down in Melbourne, visit The Point @ Albert Park. The rest of the menu dances between so-so and nice, but the 'roo fillet is excellent.

So, yeah, for foreigners ... raw or undercooked (as opposed to medium-rare--you can't eat this stuff above medium and you really don't want to eat it blue) it has a very bloody, irony flavour. Not nice. I'd have to put away a few beers before I could be convinced to try someone's 'roo tartare. Overcooked it tastes of little. Medium-rare, tho', and it's a bit--a bit--like venison. It's lean. Put the mince into something that's slow-cook-a ragu, say--and you end up with something that regular punters probably couldn't tell apart from beef, but the steaks are quite different ... while still having that basic 'red meat from a decent-sized mammal' quality.

[Shelby]

I forgot to post the picture of the Shiraz-Vigonier. It's in my all time favourite piece of pottery, a tea cup made by an elderly Chinese man in Pennsylvania. I think he was a retired engineering professor but I forget his name. Anyway the cup is absolutely perfect IMO but a little small for wine. Better for scotch or bourbon. You may have figured out that I use ceramic more than glass and a mug of wine isn't unheard of (less need of refilling).



While I'm at it here are the cookbooks, such as they are.









Here's one for Peter Eater



And for your amusement

I love the boiled coot and mixed knuckles.

The healing beers book also caught my eye.....I kinda wish you had a healing wines one as that's my drink of choice lol.

[annachan]

We've cooked a few roo steaks, kabobs and some mince since we got here. I have to say that the taste isn't that far off from beef. However, it does smell quite gamy so they're being cooked, especially the mince. I like to have roo more often but it's just not as available as the other meats. The only place I've seen them is at the supermarkets and one butcher shop that has it frozen to a stage that I can't even tell what cut it is.

Edited by annachan, 13 April 2011 - 05:29 PM.

[barolo]

I'll take a beef and onion pie with some of that tomato relish. The fish and chips look good too.

Thanks for sharing some of your favourite pots with us. I prefer glass for my wine but I love the the pots. And I'm with Shelby on the healing wines.

[Genkinaonna]

So I'm guessing that's not an "I Heart Cholesterol" Cookbook...but I bet the recipes would be GREAT if it was!
I have the Caprial's Desserts cookbook, and I used to go to the restaurant all the time before it closed. And I was wondering what to do with that bag of newts that have been sitting in the back of the fridge!

Edited by Genkinaonna, 13 April 2011 - 07:53 PM.