To celebrate Australia Day I thought I’d list a few of my favorite foods from my home country. Here we go -
Perhaps the most famous and controversial Aussie delicacy. You either love it or loathe it. When I introduce it to a non-Australian friend they pretty much dry-retch and think I’m poisioning them. I think for a good 10 years I ate a Vegemite sandwich almost every day. My favorite way is to serve it on toast with avocado. Weird but awesome.
Wikipedia describes it as two layers of chocolate malted biscuit separated by a light chocolate cream filling and coated in a thin layer of textured chocolate. I prefer to describe it far more succinctly as ‘the best god damn biscuit in the world and if I had a better metabolism, I’d eat a pack a day!’ Fact. I’m not joking. It’s a worry.
LAMINGTONS
It’s sponge cake dipped in chocolate icing and rolled in coconut. Amazing. I love it when they’re cut in half and then filled with strawberry jam and whipped cream. As a kid my grandma would hide a ‘secret stash’ in a cake tin under the sink which I would visit pretty much daily. This morning I couldn’t remember where I put my keys, but get me back in that kitchen and I’d find them in an instant. There are some things you’ll never forget.
My favorite Lamington recipe by Donna Hay
Similar to granola, ANZAC biscuits are crunchy cookies that consist of rolled oats, golden syrup and coconut. They were named after the Australian and New Zealand Army Corp. These cookies were made by women during World War 1 and sent to the ANZAC’s overseas as a way to show love and support. Girls take note – a way to a man’s heart definitely starts with a cookie of some sort…
My favorite ANZAC Biscuit recipe by Donna Hay
There were only two reasons I watched my brother play football every Sunday morning. Meat pies and boys. It’s pretty simple. It’s a pie filled with ground beef and covered with ketchup or as Australians call it ‘tomato sauce.’ Boys in short-shorts and meat pies- doesn’t get any better. Hello lady porn!
THE SAUSAGE ROLL
It’s puff pastry filled with sausage meat that has been spiced with onions and other herbs. Similar to the meat pie it’s served with tomato sauce on top. It’s OK.
THE HAMBURGER WITH THE ‘LOT’
Pretty self explanatory – it’s a hamburger with a lot of stuff in it. A beef patty, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, a fried egg, a slice of canned pineapple, bacon and beetroot. It’s SO damn good and will cure pretty much any hangover but potentially also bring on a heart attack. Russell Crowe loves them.
