Monday 18 September 2006

Things to eat before you die...

I’ve been tagged to comment on the Travelers Lunch Box forum: Things to Eat Before You Die.

Not so much a Monster’s Ball (the last meal provided to someone before execution) but things you love to eat, or think others should try. I was thinking of hot flaky croissants, stinky blue cheeses, ripe figs, oysters, my favourite cocktails and dishes I´ve tried while traveling. But my list of Top 5 meals really are more to do with the experience, the family traditions and childhood memories.


1. Sunday Roast Dinner, at home, Australia
Golden roasted pumpkin, salted potatoes, carrots, garlic and sweet potatoes, tender beef, fresh mint peas all drowned in homemade gravy which is to be mopped up with (Nan´s) chessy muffins. I feel this meal can only be enjoyed in the home, no restaurant would ever get it right, it must be eaten around the dinning room table with all your family and ´the best´ cutlery, china etc.

2. Tea & Toast, taken in bed.
The main element of this dish is that someone else has to make it for you. They kindly wake you in the morning with the tinker of china, the smell of thick-cut freshly baked and toasted bread which has been spread with far too much cold butter and Bunnyconnellen marmalade. To rise to a 5 star occasion, this treat should be accompanied by the best sections of the morning’s newspaper.

3. Colombian Cuisine, Andres Carne de Res, Bogotá, Colombia
Atmosphere (entertainers, Colombian music, every full room and over flowing), Interior Design (every space covered in art, catholic kitch, all recyled materials and furniture) Great Food (served on wooden & metal plates, half coconuts for juices, painted tin mugs for soups). Andres, has it all. It has to be experienced to believe. This is one place you must visit in your life.

Must orders: Huge patacons with melted cheese accompanied by sauces; a selection of meats and sausages (morcilla – blood sauage with rice is amazing) which come out on a decorated grill with hot coals under it; corns on the cob; bottles of tequila which come with a huge sombrero; frijoles with eggs.

4. Fish & Chips, any beach in the world.

Crispy battered fish & chips (extras can include calamari, scallops and pineapple slices), must be wrapped in newspaper and served with tartar sauce while sitting on the beach watching the sunset. Finger licking good.

5. The First Mango of Summer

The perfect celebration of the arrival of summer. As a kid Mum would always buy a box of mangos from a roadside stall on the way to our beach holiday. She would prepare them for us buy cutting them in half, chris-crossing the flesh and inverting the skins. The juice would dribble down our chins, hands and arms; the perfect excuse to take a swim.

I´m looking forward to finding out what you consider as your ´Must Have´ foods or meals. So far my guesses are:

Guesses:
Mum, olives
Dad, bread
Sam, rissoles
Barry, foie gras
Cata, ajiaco
Daniel, oysters
Felipe, eggs
Melissa, cheese
Anita, anything that Xavier cooks!
Gilly, steak

And all my other loyal fans… you´ll have to let me know. I just realized that I forgot Tim Tam, what was I thinking!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Close with the bread - BEEF would be it though!! L,D

Anonymous said...

You just reminded me of Tim Tams! I love Tim Tams - esp when they've been chilled in the fridge.
Can't get those anywhere else - definitely an Aussie thang.

Anonymous said...

You said it. Can't go past em' either kilpatrick or el naturale.

Anonymous said...

ok ok - you know you're gonna have to follow foie gras and brioche with a Muratie Port - and we're not gonna leave out Madeiran Espatada and "family secret Potchie Sangria" on a 40 degree day. Any sort of Braavleis and Windhoek on the beach in Mozambique, Gemsbok steaks in the bush - and whilst we're on perfect meals (this is the part Anthony B. left out of a cooks tour: dead man walking : either a boerrie roll taken in the walms of the the Castle brewery and underneath a Cloudy Table Mountain after having watched Province kill the bulls to win the Currie Cup, and before sitting down to the afore mentioned foie gras delights at Kelvin - or, and I quote, "anything taken at Eleanora's in the certain knowledge that desert includes sex on crisp, white sheets..."

Anonymous said...

wow - well yes I guess rissoles would be up there... I'm such a brunch freak though so a masive display of thick-cut frenchtoast, hotcakes with either rubaurb or blueberries, grilled, crispy streaky bacon with buttered-up cooked bananas, perfectly round, half runny, half cooked poached or fried eggs, Dad's corn fritters. All well drenched in CAMP Canadian maple syrup. On the side, (as if there would be more room!) would be a small bowl of very well soaked bircher muesil (Atomica Style) half a grapefruit sprinkled with raw sugar and slowly grilled, and a freshly blended ice, natural greek yoghurt, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple juice and a splash of lime juice frappe. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh (followed by a popping sound... woops, there goes my jeans button!)

As for a savoury dish - you simply CAN'T pass a Tikka Masala curry, with special punjabi naan bread and condiments from the best curry house in Brisbane - nay, Australia... Punjabi Palace. lip-smacking, busting-scales-worthy goodness!
(sigh of contentment!!!!!!!)