July | 2008 | Desperately Seeking Crab

Archive for July, 2008

A Typical Aussie Sausage Sizzle

Posted in Australia, BBQ, Ex-pat Experiences, Miscellaneous/Quirky, tagged Aussie Barbeque, BBQ, National Tree Day, Planet Ark, Sausage Sizzle on July 31, 2008| 10 Comments »

On any weekend, if you go to the local DIY store like Bunnings (our version of Lowe’s/Home Depot/B & Q), you will almost certainly smell hot sausages and onions in the parking lot as you enter the store. It’s called a “sausage sizzle” and for a couple of bucks, you get a slice of squishy white bread, an average sausage with sauteed onions and a squirt of ketchup or bbq sauce. There is nothing about it that is sophisticated but it is a tasty and cheap snack that is loved here. I don’t know why but I had always imagined an Australian BBQ to be pretty exciting and I think the marketing team at Outback Steakhouse (a completely American company) made me think that there was something different, or better about an Aussie BBQ.

Last weekend, we decided to volunteer planting trees at a nearby park for National Tree Day. Imagine my excitement that there was going to be a free BBQ as well! Even the wet, cold weather didn’t deter us from planting some trees and having some BBQ. When we arrived, I noticed that “BBQ” on offer was the sausage sizzle which my husband likes with but I do not really enjoy. The main reason for my disdain is the taste of the sausages. If you go to any supermarket and buy plain sausages, they usually contain some type of lamb or mutton along with pork or beef. This is not something I am used to at all. You’d never find lamb in a generic sausage back home unless it was labeled specifically as lamb sausage. I am not a fan of strong flavored meats and can instantly taste it if there is lamb or mutton in the sausage (I have to be in the mood for lamb).

The choices that day were either burnt vegetarian patties or sausages on white bread and a can of soda. I think I was really hungry because I devoured two sausages with all the grease and didn’t complain at all even when I was spitting out the gristle between mouthfuls. I was actually happier about the free soda since they cost about $2.50 for a 12 oz / 330 ml can here. I know, I know, I really shouldn’t complain because it was free but my point is that it wouldn’t have mattered where it was being served…it would’ve been pretty identical anywhere else, free or otherwise.

Today, I was walking through the University of Adelaide and it happens to be “welcome back from winter break” week for students and sure enough, there was the familiar smell of the sausage sizzle and a long line to eat the ubiquitous Aussie sausage in white bread for lunch.

What is my point? I just wanted to show people outside of Oz what a generic sausage sizzle looks like. It is a common thing to go to any average BBQ and have various meats and sausages grilling and a couple of loaves of squidgy white bread to use as buns. I wonder why the hot dog bun never caught on here? For me, I find the sausage in white bread very unexciting but when very hungry, it does the job. Don’t get me wrong and don’t send me hate mail…I still LOVE living here and so many things about Australia but I still think that we do a better average BBQ in the States.

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4th of July in Oz

Posted in American, Australia, Ex-pat Experiences, Holidays, Miscellaneous/Quirky, tagged 4th of July, Ambrosia, Australia, Budweiser, ex-pats, Independence Day, Jell-o Shots, Kalua Pig, Lomi Salmon, Potluck, Red Velvet on July 29, 2008| 4 Comments »

The Fabulous Array of Dishes for the Potluck!

: Jennifer’s Baked Beans

Did you know that the term “POTLUCK” is rarely used outside of the U.S.? Well, my husband tells me that it isn’t used in the U.K. and I’ve never heard it used here in Australia. Any Canadians out there? Do you use the term “potluck” to mean “bring a dish” to parties? In the U.S., a potluck is synonymous with gatherings, particularly at church functions or celebrations.

Vocabulary aside, I decided to have a potluck dinner at my house for the 4th of July to celebrate it with fellow ex-pats as well as my Aussie neighbors. It was a great night and although it is a national day of bbq in the U.S.A., there was not a hot dog, fried chicken or rib to be seen here…not because we’re food snobs but because it is the middle of winter and NO one wants to even stand outside, let alone think of barbequing in bad weather. No worries, there were so many bottles of great wine and a fantastic array of food!

The Americans brought a dish that represented their state and/or region and the Aussies could bring whatever they thought would suit. Americans: Patricia, originally from the south brought spicy dry-rub ribs, Cathy, originally from Illinois brought ambrosia salad (made with her mother’s recipe) with REAL whipped cream from a cow (none of that Cool Whip shit), Jennifer from Missouri brought homemade baked beans and I made kalua pork (Hawaiian-style pulled pork, recipe here), lomi lomi salmon (Hawaiian-style salsa), potato salad, clam dip and a large Red Velvet cake (the one that looks like a flag). The Aussies: Anna brought fresh spinach salad with homemade ranch and blue cheese dressings, Mandy (a food fanatic) brought a tomato & goat cheese tarte tatin and homemade lavosh with baba ghanoush!

I nearly forgot to serve the melon and real grape flavored vodka Jello-o (Jelly) shots I made with Jell-o smuggled in from the states! It was the first time for a few of them and although I did forget to oil the shooters to make it easier to pop out, it didn’t stop everyone from devouring them – regardless of age (FYI, I was the youngest)…just goes to show you that everyone is a kid inside 😉

Grape & Melon Jell-o Vodka Shots

Sparklers in My Living Room!!

The evening was not complete without a few American brews – Budweiser and MGD that my neighbor Catherine brought over! Oh, and we lit sparklers in my LIVING ROOM (because it was too cold to go outside and I didn’t care)!!

I celebrate Australia Day and Anzac Day with as much gusto as the Aussies do because I truly believe in immersing myself in the culture of the country I live in (and travel to), but it just doesn’t feel right to many Americans (including myself) if you don’t celebrate Independence Day and Thanksgiving. Thus, it was great sharing this day with ex-pats and Aussies alike.

I’d love to hear stories from other ex-pats who had a 4th of July party!

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My Garden Friends

Posted in Birds, Garden, Miscellaneous/Quirky, tagged Australian Birds, Crested Pigeons, Eastern Rosella, Garden, Magpies, Parrots, sparrows on July 25, 2008| 3 Comments »

This post isn’t about food but I couldn’t resist sharing these photos. Winter is a pretty dead time in my garden (plant-wise) but it is the time of year when I put out bird seed and everyday, I get excited by the different varieties of birds that visit me. The wonderful birds & wildlife is what I love most about Australia.

In my garden, crested pigeons are the most common and so are sparrows but occasionally I get the odd magpies and very very rarely, do I get a parrot species.

Here is the Eastern Rosella (Platycercua eximius) that landed in my garden yesterday (with a few sparrows):

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Want a Unique Hospitality/Food Job?

Posted in Australia, Ex-pat Experiences, Jobs, Miscellaneous/Quirky, tagged Aussie Slang, Australian Slang, Chicken Catcher, glassy, weird jobs on July 23, 2008| 1 Comment »

Every Saturday, I thumb through the large “Career One” section of our local paper to see if anything jumps out at me as interesting or worth applying for. Although winter tends to be a pretty slow time of year for job ads, I have recently (in the last month) found two ads that made me chuckle and left me a bit puzzled.

The thing that I find joy in living here in Australia is the language. The Aussie slang never ceases to amaze me – there are literally thousands of words and phrases to learn! It is truly what makes Australian English so different from American English. Australia’s slang variety and uniqueness is similar to Britain’s variety of regional accents.

“CHICKEN CATCHERS”

What makes me laugh about this ad is not just that they’re asking for chicken catchers but that it’s for the NIGHTSHIFT!! What!? Sounds like a job for someone very young and fit to run after chickens in the dark! Someone please explain…I need to be enlightened.

“GLASSY REQUIRED”

This is nowhere near as funny as the ad above but this just shows the Aussie slang. I am assuming that “glassy” means someone who collects and cleans the mass amounts of glasses that needs to be dealt with on a Friday & Saturday night. It just seems like such a very particular job position and one that would get pretty dull after a few months. WTF…I honestly find it odd that they require a resume…how about just a phone call? Does it need a college degree too?

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Japanese-style Fried Oysters

Posted in Asian, Deep-Fried Food, Japanese, Oysters, Seafood, tagged Japanese, kaki fry, oyster fry, Oysters, panko, tonkatsu sauce on July 18, 2008| 3 Comments »

I LOVE oysters. This is surprising because I hated them as a kid and when I tried my first raw oyster in the mid-90s (at the London Beer Show) , I got violently ill. Instead of putting me off of oysters for life, I fell in love with them and even did an in-depth study on oysters and pearls in literature for a senior thesis at university. No one loves oysters as much as my friend Jacqui, who can knock back more raw oysters than anyone I know. Jacqui was also the friend who introduced me to some of the best oysters I ever had in my life, straight from Barilla Bay farm near Hobart, Tasmania. We have gorgeous oysters in South Australia as well, especially from the Eyre Peninsula. Just remember that oysters tend to spawn in the summer and if you happen to eat them in the summer, you may notice a creamier texture (which I do not like at all). Most people would agree that they are at their best in the winter.

Japanese Fried Oyster

Deep-frying oysters is also delicious. In Japanese restaurants you’ll often see it sold as “Oyster Fry” or “Kaki Fry” (Kaki has a double meaning of both oyster and persimmon in Japanese). The recipe is super easy and there is no measuring that needs to be done.

All you need to serve two portions:

– 12 to 16 oysters (depending on whether you are having it as a main or an appetizer)

– plain flour

– 1 to 2 eggs

– Japanese panko breadcrumbs (don’t substitute this)

– salt & pepper

– oil

– cabbage

– tonkatsu sauce (Tasty Island Blog has a great post on tonkatsu sauce) http://tastyisland.wordpress.com/2008/01/13/tonkatsu-is-all-about-the-sauce/

Directions:

Shred cabbage very thinly by hand or with a mandolin. Divide between serving plates. It is meant to be eaten with the fried oysters.

Put raw oysters in a bowl and rinse with cold water (you can use salted water but I don’t think it’s necessary). If you happen to have some grated daikon handy, you can also use the daikon to “rinse” the oysters and then rinse with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels or tea towel. Put about 1/2 cup of flour on one plate, a cup of panko on another plate and beat an egg (w/a couple of tablespoons of water) into a separate bowl. Meanwhile, start to heat the oil.

Season the oysters with a little salt and pepper. Then get yourself situated so that the closest plate to the hot oil is the panko, then the egg, then the flour. Roll as many oysters as you can into the flour to coat and before dunking them into the egg, dust off excess flour. Once coated with egg, dip them immediately into the panko and dunk straight into the hot oil. If you start running out of flour, egg or panko before finishing all the oysters, just simply add more to finish off.

If using a deep-fat fryer, fry until golden brown. If using a shallow fry-pan, let oysters become golden brown on one side and turn over with cooking chopsticks or tongs until both sides are golden brown. Let drain on paper towels. Serve with Japanese tonkatsu sauce and hot Japanese white rice. I like to have miso soup with this as well to round it off to a complete meal. 🙂

Here is a link to another version of this dish from about.com:

http://japanesefood.about.com/od/seaweed/r/friedoyster.htm