Monday Meal Review: Austria

This is the 10th meal in my personal challenge to cook one meal from every country in the world. We planned on eating our Austrian Global Table over candlelight. As a new parent, I’m learning to improvise. As you know, we have a 9-month old. With just the two of us juggling our little sweetheart, there was no way we could get our meal done, take pictures, feed her dinner, nurse her, put her to bed, and fit “romantic dinner” into all of that. So, to make things “easier” we ate our meal with little miss adorable, and saved dessert for after her bedtime. I highly recommend this technique for new parents. Perhaps our date wasn’t typical “dinner and a movie,” but it sure was romantic. After a nice family diner, my husband and I ate our dessert (chocolate Sachertorte and Viennese Hot Cocoa) on the back patio, under the stars. As we ate, we read love poems to each other. Even the low hiss of the baby monitor didn’t drown out the moment. I …

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Austrian Sacher Tortes and Farming (POLL)

About the Sacher Torte: The Sacher Torte is shiny chocolate sponge cake layered with apricot jam from Austria. The cake was invented 175 years ago by 16-year old Franz Sacher. Many years later, his son opened the Sacher Hotel. You can still order this gorgeous cake from their web site. They ship around the world! Go take a peek. Gosh, they are beautiful! The cake was designed to impress the uber-rich, but word spread and various establishments tried to imitate the cake. Most famously, one copy cat resulted in a seven-year law suit between the Sacher Hotel and Demel’s Cafe. Sacher won and the rest is history. Fun Farming Facts: – Only 17% of the land is farmable (because of the mountains) but Austria grows more than 90% of its own food. – Main produce includes apples, pears, plums, peaches, grapes, beets, corn, barley, potatoes, rye, and wheat. – A local harvest ritual includes parading cows through town: “Dairy farmers in part of Austria dress up their cows as a way of telling their neighbors they …

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Menu: Austria

When I wrote this menu, I was thinking of my husband. That’s why chocolate shows up twice. So why was I thinking of my husband? Because we’re due for a romantic date night. Ever since baby Ava was born, date nights have been at home. That doesn’t mean the date can’t be special, though.  I chose this menu because most of the meal is made ahead and just needs assembly at dinner time, leaving more time for socializing. NOTE: I just had the fortunate opportunity to speak with an Austrian. As a result, I’ve made some changes to the menu, for authenticity purposes. Sauteed Green Beans with Speck [Recipe] Simple, yet delicious. Speck is dry cured smoked prosciutto and is used in many Austrian dishes. Wiener Schnitzel [Recipe] Breaded and fried pork cutlets. The cutlets are pounded very thin and cook very quickly. Baked Austrian Kas Nocken with caramelized onion and Gruyère cheese [Recipe] Nocken is Austrian’s version of Spaetzel. This homemade egg pasta is grated and dropped into boiling water. I’m told the secret is to make the …

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About Austrian Food: land of ‘sausage-gobblers’?

“What did you call me?” “Sausage-gobbler!” “Why, I oughtta!!!” “No, no! It’s a compliment in Austria!” Austrians appreciate good, meaty, fried, stick-to-your-ribs-after-a-day-of-hiking-or-skiing food, followed by so-decadent-they-should-be-illegal pastries and desserts. True, modern Austrians trend towards eating a more healthy, low-fat diet. However, traditional Austrian diners are affectionately referred to as Wurstfressers (sausage-gobblers). Wurstfressers are Austrians who enjoy so much of the country’s high-fat meaty, fried foods that they get huge pot-bellies. Austrians typically eat a prodigious amount of delicious but rather unhealthy fare, rich with meats, cheeses, potatoes, and dumplings, which makes the Austrian dinner table a delight but which also contributes to a high national incidence of heart disease and other diet-related health problems. Source: Austria, Alan Allport The most popular meat dishes in Austria include weiner schnitzel (breaded and fried pork or veal), Backhendl (fried chicken), Zwiebelrostbraten (roast beef smothered in fried onions), and Tafelspitz (boiled beef in horshradish). Meat is usually served with potatoes or dumplings. Popular vegetables include cabbage and sauerkraut. Bacon, referred to as “speck,” is used in many dishes as a salty/spicy element. …

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Monday Meal Review: Australian Barbie

This is meal #9 in my personal challenge to eat one meal from every country in the world. “What’s wrong?” I asked. For the third time Keith waved his hand over $50 dollars worth of kangaroo meat to feel the grill. “I don’t know why the grill isn’t hot,” he muttered, “It’s just warm. It won’t get hot. The grill should be hot. I think it’s out of gas.” I looked over at our friends who were expecting their first taste of kangaroo any minute. A few glanced back at me. I felt my neck get hot and repressed the urge to get mad. The grill had not even been on 10 minutes. The irony? For the last three days Keith and I had this exact conversation at least five times: Me: “Do we have enough gas for the grill?” Keith: “I don’t know.” Me: “We’re having 15 people over. We’re going to use a lot of gas.” Keith: “Yeah.” Me: “You don’t think we need any gas?” Keith: “Yeah. Maybe.” Hosting tip of the …

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Australian Barbies, a.k.a. BBQ (POLL)

WHAT’s SO GREAT ABOUT AUSSIE BARBIES? 1. They make the word “barbie” a whole lot manlier. You’ve all heard it before. There’s nothing manlier than throwing hunks of meat on roaring flames, while sipping beer. Even calling barbecue a “barbie” doesn’t make it any less manly. After all, in Australia, barbecue is (generally) men’s work. You have to love that an entire country of men love playing with their Barbies. And, by that, I mean adjusting the flame… of course! Thank you Australia, for making a much better definition of the word “barbie.” 2. Beer is required, as illustrated by this old Australian saying: When hosting a barbecue, a knock on the door should never be answered as it means the guest isn’t carrying the required case of beer. (One should only answer a kick on the door.) 3. Speaking of beer, in 1954 Bob Hawke (from Australia) downed 2.5 pints of beer in 11 seconds, granting him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. He then became Prime Minister. What’s the correlation to Barbies?? …

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Menu: Australia

This weekend will be the biggest Global Table party yet. We’re opening our home to 15 motorcycle buddies (plus their kids). We’ve chosen to have a classic Aussie Pot Luck Barbie – otherwise known as a barbecue – for our adventure. I’ll be making a combination of modern and traditional favorites for the barbie: Snags (Bratwurst Sausage) This sausage is popular at Aussie BBQs. Cook on a hot grill for about 25 minutes or until done. Kangaroo Loin Bites with Fresh Mango & Pineapple [Recipe] (Yes, I managed to find Kangaroo in Tulsa, Oklahoma) Lean kangaroo meat benefits from a long marinade in mango puree. Aussie Burgers [Recipe] Hamburger topped with lettuce, tomato, cheese, pickled beets, pineapple, and a fried egg Damper Bread [Recipe] Old fashioned campfire bread made with milk and sugar. In the spirit of a pot luck, my guests brought Lamingtons (cake rolled in chocolate frosting and coconut), Bacon Wrapped Baked Potatoes, Deviled Eggs, Pavlova, Asparagus with Hollandaise, Salad with Lentils and Goat Cheese, Fosters Beer, Yellow Tail Wine, biscuits (cookies), and more! We …

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About Australian Food and Tucker

Let’s play a little game. Imagine the United States. Cut out about 20% of the land. Now, say goodbye to 93% of the population. Everyone vanishes except the people of New York State. That’s Australia. A massive country with very few people. *** 1. Australia is one of the world’s greatest melting pots. Around 1/3 of this great nation is sand and wind. A literal melting pot, the scorching desert pushes almost 90% of the population to urban centers like Sidney and Melbourne where they frequent cafes, markets, and pubs. And who are these Australians? Nearly 25% of Australia’s population was born in the  U.K., Italy, China, Vietnam, North Africa, or the Middle East (Countries of the World, Kate Turner). When so many diverse cultures mix in urban settings, looking for great food, the result is fusion. 2. Traditional Bush Tucker comes from the Outback Bush Tucker is food that can be found while living off the land, in the sizzling hot Outback. Not many Australians eat off the land any more (most of them are in …

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Monday Meal Review: Armenia

  This is meal #8 in my personal challenge to eat one meal from every country in the world. Before I get into the Armenian review, I want to mention a few words about hosting dinner parties. Hosting dinner parties is a lot of work if you don’t have much experience. In terms of food you have to: – Go shopping – Cook the food – Serve the food at the right temperature But, I find, far more stress is spent on cleaning than on food: – Clean the inevitable disaster areas around the house – Clean the kitchen that you just destroyed before guests arrive (including mopping up crumbs and spills scattered on the floor). If you don’t do this someone will definitely walk into the kitchen. It’s Murphy’s Law. – Empty the dishwasher so that, when the party is over, you actually have somewhere to put all the dirty dishes. – Set the table, being sure to remember appropriate items for each course – Get those nasty dishwasher spots off your glassware With each …

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