spoonbread

Cool! I will try those products. Really, vegemite isn't that bad, I just like to give my chef/friend a hard time. But she told me how to use it and it was ok, to my palate at least. And I have most of the recipes of foods you have mentioned ( pavlove, etc.). I'm tryin' to get my Aussie chef/friends to try menudo! lolol.. Nice chatting with you as well...

Or foie gras creme brulee? I'm looking at the recipe and I know you can sub some other fruit, peaches ( not in season as well), orange, mango, papaya, pear, apples, etc. You may have to adjust some things ( like orange, because it has a large content of water), but the recipe can apply to most fruits.

Very Nice! Thank you for that. I am always looking to support and use Texas produce and such. I will give them a mail. Thanx again!

Rofl! I guess us Texans have a different way of sayin' things at times, huh? Caramelized onions are alot of fun. I'll coat one side of a fish ( like sea bass) with a seasoned flour and add the onions on top of that, coat with a seasoned bread crumb/parm cheese mixture and sear. Bake to finish. Also, I caramelize onions and then smoke them, and mix them in mashed potatoes. Or just make a reduction with them and add to a sauce. Yummy!

Ok, I gotta admit, when I feel lazy I open a can of Dinty Moore stew or a can of Wolf chili, along with a bag of Cheetos and a can of Pepsi......

Thank you very much, I shall look up that store! Ya never know what one might find. And it is always great to meet and talk with people that truly know what original ingredients taste like. I have an Aussie friend/chef that swears by TimTams..( lol), as well as being adament about vegemite.

ROFL! Sausage ice cream?? Now THAT'S scary! Now, if we can make that into a shake......

Hi Aussie-Gusto! Ok, I am a professional chef here in San Antonio, Texas, and I think that Australia is coming in a zenith similar to what America is doing. But Australia has some twists that are pretty cool. The ideas from ya'll are great, and yes, to be true to the recipes, as far as ingredients are concerned, isn't easy, but since I'm a chef I can order alot of the ingredients. But more so are the techniques used and the idea of flavor combinations. They are different and quite pleasing. So I adapt what I read. Obviously, it would be difficult and quite expensive to get quandongs here, but Texas peaches are quite good, and just the idea of pairing them with truffles (by Tetsuya Wakada) is fantastic! Hence, I am fascinated with what is going on in Australia and New Zeland. Thank you for the welcome! And yes, I know the metric from the imperial measurement system. (although it was a pain to learn!! lol) I hope to learn from ya'l and if I can help in any way, please don't hesitate to ask.

Thank you fifi for the welcome, and, funny, I am shopping for books, so I shall do as you suggested. I am familiar with Robb W., as he did a cookbook with Jay McCarthy called "Traveling Jamaica with Knife, Fork and Spoon". Jay was the chef that trained me, (many years ago, I am an EC now) so I was able to meet Mr. Walsh. Also he did David Guerridos' book as well, whom I am also familiar with. I'm happy to see his succes! I will look for his newbook in the upcoming months. Again, thanx for the welcome!

Hi! I'm new here and it is nice to see Texas chefs networking in this site. Very cool. I was wondering if there are some Texas cookbooks that ya'll read that have been helpful. Robert Mcgrath, Pyles, and others have been great reads, so, in a way of introducing myself, do ya'll have any favs?

HI! I am from Texas and have been very interested in Australina Cuisine for a fair bit. These books that are mentioned are quite helpful. I've yet to see an Australian book that is similar to Joy, but some books have been helpful to me are.... Fusions by Martin Webb Australian Foods by Alan Saunders All recipes work in these books. But I 3will look up the ones posted. Thanx!

My most useless was a $9.95/ 20 peice set of cutlery knives. You know what I mean? Another one was a set of bunny cookie cutters

Honestly, I try not to eat at fast food chains too much, but its unavoidable. If it's a pick, I have to say KFC has flavor, I like it, but Church's Fried Chicken I really like. Tastes very Southern Fried and crispy.

Yikes, there's an idea! Actually, the way I've done it was a white wine, honey, ginger, ALOT of sugar, smoked salmon, vanilla and the usual ice cream method. CAme out pretty cool, served on a plain tuile made out to be a cone. Very small portion size. The meatshake thing still makes me laugh, though. But, hey, why not?

My Gosh that was funny! Thanx for the laugh! Is it really a hoax? I can't imagine someone going thru that much trouble, no matter how funny the concept. As as far as the actual concept of meatshake, well, if they can make smoked salmon ice cream.......

Wow! Looks like to could grill a herd of Buffalo on that thing! ( and fry up some wings too!). I like to use jerk marinade when I bbq, thats my fav, as well as the traditional tomato, brown sugar thing. One really cool recipe I have is mango chutney, honey, oj, chipotle peppers in Adobo and mushroom soy emulsified with olive oil. Creates a really sweet, spicy-smokey flavor. Hope this helps........

I guess the same can be said for menudo, vegemite or even pigs feet. People that haven't grown up on certain items or traditions just can't fathom eating something that they don't readily recognize. Good example...kids that won't eat pasta that has bits of parsley in it.......

I was just curious. I make lobster oil as I would an Asian lobster stock, shells, tomato paste, ginger, mire poix and such and I like to add chiles. Add equal amounts water and oil, boil until water is dissolved, decant. I use it as a garnish on plates, but I do like mixing it in mashers with a bit of truffle oil as well. Really, there are alot of applications. This seems like a great site, so I was just wondering if there were any other ideas out there. Thanx!

Yea, wierd looks and upturned noses at various food products is a common thing in many areas. In Texas, I was an EC at a Cowboy resort and people from all over the world that stayed there couldn't figure out what Chicken Fried Steak was. Was it chicken? lol...it was funny. But I think that as food progresses and people are more informed about various styles and cuisines, the public as a whole will be more adventerous.

I'm curious on how ya'll make lobster oil. I have my own style, but there are so many others that are pretty good, I'm sure. Any advice?