eG Foodblog: Snadra (2010) - Cows to the bridge!

[Snadra]

Let's see... I miss fresh pickerel (walleye). And being able to order fried pirogies in the pub.

What, no Winnipeg cream cheese? There was a time in my life when winnipeg cream cheese on stoned wheat thins was the perfect, untoppable snack. I miss easy perogy (or whatever your choice of spelling is ) access, or even people who know what they are. These days I just make my own. They freeze great, so I make a big batch to have plenty for the freezer.

I haven't tried to eat 'roo yet (although I'm sure the Dalmatian has). How did it turn out? I should try it, if only for ethical reasons - kangaroos emit much less greenhouse gas than cattle.

I haven't cooked it yet this week, but we really like it. And because it needs high heat for a short time, it's pretty quick. Gerg loves it in a roo-steak sandwich. Don't delay, give it a try! But be warned, the smell when you take it out of the package is very strong

For mixed drinks, Australia is a great place to explore ginger with Cascade or Bundaberg ginger beer (gin gin mule), candied ginger to infuse into vodka, and Stone's ginger wine (Whisky Mac; Ginger Envelope. The last one has become one of my favorite drinks.

Funnily enough, I have a bottle of Stones in my cupboard. I mostly use it in cooking though - should start thinking about drinking it too!

[plum tart]

Gorgeous looking ham. Wish we could get ham that looked like that. I have a Polish friend who knows a country store near Milton, Ontario where the sausage is very good and they also sell cabbage rolls which I like but I don't recall seeing ham.

Can't wait to see the kangaroo steaks after they are grilled. What kind of wine would you drink with them?

[weinoo]

long black = single shot but with more water put through (ie a full cup of black coffee). Could this be called an Americano elsewhere? I've never been sure what that is.

Yes, it can be. But I (we) prefer to think of an Americano as a cocktail, so there's another one for you to try! Particularly great before dinner.

1 part Campari, 1 part Sweet Vermouth - build it on the rocks, top with club soda/seltzer/fizzy water and an orange slice for garnish.

[Darienne]

long black = single shot but with more water put through (ie a full cup of black coffee). Could this be called an Americano elsewhere? I've never been sure what that is.

Yes, it can be. But I (we) prefer to think of an Americano as a cocktail, so there's another one for you to try! Particularly great before dinner.

1 part Campari, 1 part Sweet Vermouth - build it on the rocks, top with club soda/seltzer/fizzy water and an orange slice for garnish.

To DH and me, who stop at Starbucks across the North American continent on our way back and forth to Utah from east central Ontario, an Americano is the decaf coffee that Starbucks will make for you after 12pm when most of the outlets stop brewing decaf. Americanos are better and more expensive than plain decaf.

(I can no longer drink regular caffeinated coffee past lunch or I'll be awake until about 2 am.)

Edited December 2, 2010 by Darienne (log)

[prasantrin]

The staff at Starbuck's are lying to you if they're telling you their Americano is decaf. Even at Starbuck's, the Americano is espresso with more water. I think they just think you want a weaker cup of coffee, so that's what they sell you.

[Yajna Patni]

They have decaf Espresso so they make the americano with that.

[kayb]

Why Vegemite of course! Unusually for someone not raised on it, I love it, but can only eat it in small quantities. My standard veggie toast order is 'light butter, light veggie', because otherwise my mouth burns. Actually, sometimes it risks burning anyway. Some people just don't understand the concept of 'light'. Once it came so thick I scraped spoonfuls off and still couldn't eat it. I think it tastes best on a slightly rustic toast, like wholemeal or turkish with all its craggy bits. And isn't just a bit funny that a bread from Turkey and a salty, yeasty spread from Australia are such perfect partners?

Our receptionist is Australian, so in addition to the delight of calling the front desk because we love to hear her talk, we learn about all kinds of cool Aussie things...like Vegemite. Her mother sent her a care package that had a couple of jars, and she had to bring one so all of us could sample. She was in heaven with that taste of home. I didn't think it was at all bad, myself -- but yes, I see how it would HAVE to be used with a light hand!

Enjoying your blog! Anxious to hear about the 'roo!

[kayb]

Oh, and Jack Daniels is not a bourbon; it is a sour mash whiskey. Very different animal. Makers Mark is a good all-purpose bourbon, as is Knob Creek.

You need a good Scotch (well, maybe not until winter; it's a cold-weather drink, in my book), plenty of vodka (my bar workhourse) and dark and light rum. And I always try to keep a couple of good bottles of port.

[Snadra]

Can't wait to see the kangaroo steaks after they are grilled. What kind of wine would you drink with them?

Before I respond, let's be clear: I'm not even a rank amateur oenophile. I pick bottles pretty randomly when I shop for wine, and sometimes manage to remember what I enjoyed last time. I'm less about finding or revisiting the perfect bottle than seeing what I like about the one I'm drinking now. I've mostly been drinking a WA Shiraz with the roo, but a couple months ago I had a Mac Forbes Barbera at a dinner out that I think would go perfectly. Roo is extremely lean, but rich-flavoured and I think it needs something to stand up to that. For some reason, I haven't enjoyed it much when paired with rich sauces, although I'm keen to try it with a compound butter.

Last summer we grilled some roo and I had it with a slightly aged Marsanne. I was really surprised at how well the deep honeysuckle and beeswax flavours worked with the meat. Or maybe that was because it was a relaxed summer evening and I'd already had quite a bit?

[Snadra]

long black = single shot but with more water put through (ie a full cup of black coffee). Could this be called an Americano elsewhere? I've never been sure what that is.

Yes, it can be. But I (we) prefer to think of an Americano as a cocktail, so there's another one for you to try! Particularly great before dinner.

1 part Campari, 1 part Sweet Vermouth - build it on the rocks, top with club soda/seltzer/fizzy water and an orange slice for garnish.

Look at this! 3 cocktails on my list to try and it's Friday! What more could I want? When you say sweet, does it matter if it's red or white?

[Snadra]

Oh, and Jack Daniels is not a bourbon; it is a sour mash whiskey. Very different animal. Makers Mark is a good all-purpose bourbon, as is Knob Creek.

You need a good Scotch (well, maybe not until winter; it's a cold-weather drink, in my book), plenty of vodka (my bar workhourse) and dark and light rum. And I always try to keep a couple of good bottles of port.

Thanks for the tips. I tend to get a bit random when confronted with a large selection of alcohol!

[Dave the Cook]

When you say sweet, does it matter if it's red or white?

Generally, the red is sweet (sometimes called Italian) and the white is dry (sometimes called French). These are relative terms, of course.

[plum tart]

Thank you, Snadra you are much to modest in your oenophile remarks. Rather sophisticated imbibing I would say. If I ever am presented with kangaroo steaks, I will refer to your remarks.

Oh yes, in good restaurants in Toronto, an American is a cup of coffee made with regular espresso with hot water added. It is my favourite way to drink coffee when I am out and about.

[Snadra]

When you say sweet, does it matter if it's red or white?

Generally, the red is sweet (sometimes called Italian) and the white is dry (sometimes called French). These are relative terms, of course.

See, something new every day.

I worked in a hotel in Canada years ago that was on the tourist trail. One evening we got a group of italians in who asked for 'martini' and were disturbed to be served drinks heavy on the gin. It took nearly 20 minutes of broken discussion using vocabulary from 4 languages for all of us to work out that they were after Martini vermouth.

But they left happy and left a big tip too.

[Snadra]

Thank you, Snadra you are much to modest in your oenophile remarks. Rather sophisticated imbibing I would say. If I ever am presented with kangaroo steaks, I will refer to your remarks.

Oh yes, in good restaurants in Toronto, an American is a cup of coffee made with regular espresso with hot water added. It is my favourite way to drink coffee when I am out and about.

It's easy to sound sophisticated when you are selective! But the kangaroo goes well with bold flavours, I think. Beetroot (which I have gingerly come to like in the past few years) has become something of a classic.

[Snadra]

Weather Report: 24C (~75F) and... NOT raining. But it will, it will....

No breakfast this morning, for no reason I can put my finger on. Just didn't feel like it, I guess. But I did stop at 11 for a long black (ie americano) from our office coffee machine and a couple of tooth-cracking ginger nuts, which are apparently made to slightly different recipes in different states.

For lunch I had a small tomato, basil and bocconcini panini, untoasted, which I ate ravenously after running some errands. Delicious!

When I came back from errands all my colleagues were watching the cricket. Fifteen years living here and I still don't understand the rules!

[nickrey]

Pinot noir is a good wine to pair with kangaroo (the Tasmanian ones, such as ninth island are very good value for money).

We tend to drink reds too hot in Australia (room temperature is often above the ideal serving temperature) so I like to put them in an ice bucket for a while to chill them down to drinkable.

[haresfur]

Let's see... I miss fresh pickerel (walleye). And being able to order fried pirogies in the pub.

What, no Winnipeg cream cheese? There was a time in my life when winnipeg cream cheese on stoned wheat thins was the perfect, untoppable snack. I miss easy perogy (or whatever your choice of spelling is ) access, or even people who know what they are. These days I just make my own. They freeze great, so I make a big batch to have plenty for the freezer.

I haven't tried to eat 'roo yet (although I'm sure the Dalmatian has). How did it turn out? I should try it, if only for ethical reasons - kangaroos emit much less greenhouse gas than cattle.

I haven't cooked it yet this week, but we really like it. And because it needs high heat for a short time, it's pretty quick. Gerg loves it in a roo-steak sandwich. Don't delay, give it a try! But be warned, the smell when you take it out of the package is very strong

For mixed drinks, Australia is a great place to explore ginger with Cascade or Bundaberg ginger beer (gin gin mule), candied ginger to infuse into vodka, and Stone's ginger wine (Whisky Mac; Ginger Envelope. The last one has become one of my favorite drinks.

Funnily enough, I have a bottle of Stones in my cupboard. I mostly use it in cooking though - should start thinking about drinking it too!

I don't remember Winnipeg cream cheese. But my mother made what she termed "Winnipeg style cheesecake" which is extremely gooey like it was undercooked.

What do you cook with the Stones? I can see that it would have possibilities if you can cut the sweetness.

I seem to have messed up the url for the Ginger Envelope. Try this

[Snadra]

I see a Negroni in your (immediate) future. Just build it straight on the rocks - equal parts (say about an ounce each) of the Tanqueray, Camapari and red vermouth. Perhaps a thin section of orange to garnish.

In the future, it's best to keep your vermouths in the fridge...if you can, buy half-bottles as they do tend go off after a couple of months. Add a bottle or two of bourbon to the mix you've got and Manhattans are just around the corner.

First things first: I made a negroni tonight while the hashbrown-thingy was cooking.

(realised afterwards I'd left the verouth out of the picture!)

I liked the way the bitter flavours in the Campari played against the slightly herbal notes of the gin and vermouth. This definitely won't be the last time I make it. Thank you!

[Snadra]

Pinot noir is a good wine to pair with kangaroo (the Tasmanian ones, such as ninth island are very good value for money).

We tend to drink reds too hot in Australia (room temperature is often above the ideal serving temperature) so I like to put them in an ice bucket for a while to chill them down to drinkable.

Just to be clear on this, when considering which wine goes with which macropod, take Nick's advice above mine!

I definitely agree on the temperature issue too. "room temp" here is quite a bit warmer than in Europe, especially in summer.

[weinoo]

First things first: I made a negroni tonight while the hashbrown-thingy was cooking.

(realised afterwards I'd left the verouth out of the picture!)

I liked the way the bitter flavours in the Campari played against the slightly herbal notes of the gin and vermouth. This definitely won't be the last time I make it. Thank you!

That's what makes the Negroni such a fantastic drink. You can play with different gins, too (I like mine with Beefeater).

[Snadra]

I don't remember Winnipeg cream cheese. But my mother made what she termed "Winnipeg style cheesecake" which is extremely gooey like it was undercooked.

What do you cook with the Stones? I can see that it would have possibilities if you can cut the sweetness.

I seem to have messed up the url for the Ginger Envelope. Try this

Maybe it was just a brand name? I saw it quite a bit in BC at least. I loved it. I was richer and more unctuous than regular cream cheese.

I like using the Stones in marinade where I want a touch of sweetness and some spicy notes. It makes a great substitute for sherry in old-style "chinese" dishes as well. I've also started using it in salad dressing when the salad has asian flavours as well. I find it gives a touch of sweetness and lets me cut down on the oil, yet it doesn't add an alcholic flavour to the salad, it just makes them seem a bit lighter.

I will definitely check out the ginger drinks!

[Snadra]

So as I alighted at the station tonight it started to rain. Hoorah!

It was 7.45 before I got home and we were feeling a bit tired and decided to leave the roo until tomorrow night (roo yesterday and roo tomorrow, but never roo today) so that we could do it justice.

Instead we had poached eggs on a potato hashbrown with greek yoghurt and harissa. Not bad, although it really could have used some pide to mop it up with. But the best part is that I poached eggs for the very first time without any plastic-wrap tricks, and it was reasonably successful! I think it would have worked a bit better if the eggs had been fresher and the pot deeper, but not a bad first effort!

To be honest, I think that olive-oil fried eggs would have suited the dish better, and wilted spinach would have been a better side to complement the yoghurt and harissa. Still, it was tasty, relatively quick (except for the hashbrown which gave me some much-needed negroni time).

[Snadra]

Pinot noir is a good wine to pair with kangaroo (the Tasmanian ones, such as ninth island are very good value for money).

We tend to drink reds too hot in Australia (room temperature is often above the ideal serving temperature) so I like to put them in an ice bucket for a while to chill them down to drinkable.

Nick, I've been meaning to ask you (and any other Aussie eGulleters here): do you use any native ingredients in your cooking? I've used a bit of pepperberry ages ago, but not recently. For some reason it just doesn't come up on my radar. And when I do see products with native ingredients, they're often the kind of products I wouldn't normally buy, like sauces with cute names or the world 'outback' in their name - just call it a blind spot...

[annachan]

The Fish Market looks like another place we have to check out. And the pork neck from the deli! We'll most likely be staying in Parramatta, so it'll be perfect!