March....er, April...and Australia

G'Day, Robyn!

This month we decided it would be even more fun to make our country meal with friends, so Patrick and I traveled to Robyn and Jake's house to share Australian cuisine.

We were right, cooking together was even better and we got to try more recipes than usual.
This is Robyn.


And, here is the photo of the Sydney Opera House Jake took when he visited Australia!

The Menu
Australian Desert
Damper Bread
Orange Mint Rice Salad
Horseradish Potatoes
Meat Pies
Lamingtons
Tim-Tam Slams

Robyn=Star, Jake=Witty, Patrick= Sexy, Liesl = Bodacious

Parmesan and Olive goodness

Australian Desert
I don't know if this drink is really Australian, but it was all banana-milkshakey and delicious.
It went very well with
Damper Bread, (which, I've read, is a traditional, yeast-less bread first eaten by colonial settlers.) It had the flavor and texture of a savory scone.

We loved the appetizers!

We made meat pies, which have a puff-pastry upper crust and beef in the middle.  We were pretty proud of the home-made crust made with beef drippings for the bottom. Robyn put it all together, Jake and Patrick rolled out the dough, and I gave helpful advice...

Freshly baked Meat Pies

Time to eat!
Our meal featured Orange Mint Rice Salad (I also read that Australians prefer a heartier salad that includes potatoes, rice or some kind of meat.) Orange and mint flavors marry well and the salad was a nice, light accompaniment to the heavier meaty,starchy fare.
Most of our country meals have provided us with one dish whose assembly makes us want to rip out our hair. Horseradish Potatoes proved to be the one for Australia. Horseradish cream attempt #1 failed... the homemade oil and egg emulsion didn't thicken, even with our clever addition of chia seeds to aid the process. We threw it out and started over with store bought mayonnaise. (Probably safer not to eat the raw egg concoction, anyway.) Attempt #2 was much more promising. I liked it way better than potato salad, anyway!

Australians like yummy dessert. Cameron joined us just in time to share Lamingtons and Tim-Tam Slams. Ah, lamingtons... chocolate covered cake rolled in coconut. Thanks, Robyn, for thinking they were a good idea!

For those of you who have never had one, Tim-Tam Slams are right up there with chocolate fondue for being both delicious AND fun.
First, take a Tim-Tam cookie (a little like an E.L. Fudge...)
Next, bite off the top and the bottom.
Hold one end of the cookie in your mouth.
Put the other end in a cup of hot chocolate, or, as we did, milk.
Suck until the cookie becomes an amazing, mushy glob.
Eat.

So nice to share our country- themed with friends. Thanks, Robyn and Jake!

G'Day!