George asked about the food in New Zealand. The first thing that came to my mind, after being here 10 days is Pavlovas! For those unfamiliar with this versatile dessert, the heart of any Pavlova is the baked meringue. The meringue could be the size of a large cookie , or the size and shape of an angel food cake. The other must ingredient is whipped cream, lots of it, layered between the cookies or in a side bowl to be generously scooped onto the meringue. The third ingredient could be any sweet thing, fruit, sauce, preserves or any combination. There you have it. And in New Zealand one can buy a stack of the meringue cookies in a grocery store. There is however a long and spirited controversy regarding the origin of this popular desert. Was it first made in New Zealand as the Kiwis claim or in Australia as do the Aussies? The search for old recipies continues to this day.
Another noticeable item in the food department is lamb. Yes, indeed, lamb is popular, readily available and well prepared. At our first barbecue we had lamb koftas, lam b ribs, and lamb patties. The last were declared not fatty enough when compared to our good old American hamburgers. Today on the Northern Explorer which is taking us from Wellington to Hamilton we had Roast Lamb with Mint Aioli Sandwiches which were unanimously declared delicious. Also on the train dining menu was a hot meal of Lamb Shanks braised in a rich full-bodied sauce, with carrots and mashed potatoes. Since no one in our party tried that I cannot attest to its taste, but it looked tempting.
Because of the nature of our activities we have had many sandwiches marked by freshness of ingredients and ingenuity of their combinations such as ham, cheese and pineapple or egg salad and caramelized onions. The best part of the sandwiches have been the wonderful breads. The British influence is very evident in staple foods like porridge, broiled tomatoes and mushrooms for breakfast. Our one meal of fish and chips was from a Chinese takeaway. You can see we are well fed and enjoying every meal. One food item which the Kiwis served us consistently deliciously prepared was the humble potato. Whether it was boiled and buttered or roasted to a perfectly crisp outer cover the New Zealand potato is a winner.
Another noticeable item in the food department is lamb. Yes, indeed, lamb is popular, readily available and well prepared. At our first barbecue we had lamb koftas, lam b ribs, and lamb patties. The last were declared not fatty enough when compared to our good old American hamburgers. Today on the Northern Explorer which is taking us from Wellington to Hamilton we had Roast Lamb with Mint Aioli Sandwiches which were unanimously declared delicious. Also on the train dining menu was a hot meal of Lamb Shanks braised in a rich full-bodied sauce, with carrots and mashed potatoes. Since no one in our party tried that I cannot attest to its taste, but it looked tempting.
Because of the nature of our activities we have had many sandwiches marked by freshness of ingredients and ingenuity of their combinations such as ham, cheese and pineapple or egg salad and caramelized onions. The best part of the sandwiches have been the wonderful breads. The British influence is very evident in staple foods like porridge, broiled tomatoes and mushrooms for breakfast. Our one meal of fish and chips was from a Chinese takeaway. You can see we are well fed and enjoying every meal. One food item which the Kiwis served us consistently deliciously prepared was the humble potato. Whether it was boiled and buttered or roasted to a perfectly crisp outer cover the New Zealand potato is a winner.
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