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ISSUE #27 MAY 2015 $9.99
Contents May 2015
Australia’s #1 Food Travel Guide THE GUIDE Pages: - Cambodia 2-3. Cambodian Conspiracies 4. Cambodian Style Chicken Coconut Soup Recipe 5-6. Interview with famous food-travel guide writer Harry Gloswall 8. Russian Style Borscht Soup Recipe
- Italy 20- 21. The True Taste of Italy 22-23. Saving Money on Food while Travelling 24. Italian Style Pork Saltimbocca with Mozzarella Recipe 25. Win A Trip To Italy! Competition
- United States of America 9. Too Big For You 10. FAQ’s 12. American Style Sweet Chilli Dogs recipe 13-14. The World Traditions Food Photo Gallery
- India 15. A Taste of India 16-17. Indian Holi Festival Photo Gallery 18. Indian Style Butter Chicken Recipe 19. Restaurant Review Urban Tadka
CAMBODIA Bugs Cafe - Fresh Ants Salad
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Bugs Cafe - Scorpion and Green Papaya Salad
Cambodian Night Market
Cambodian Phnom Penh Market
Cambodian Conspiracies Crispy fried spiders anyone? Maybe a fertilised duck egg? Oh Hell No! - is typically the response to an offer of consuming one of these abominable ‘delicacies’ Trust me. I don’t blame you.
The idea of the Night Market is to promote Cambodian products. Oh my gosh, the street food their is also amazing. I recommend the sugar cane juice- you won’t regret it, even thinking about it makes my mouth water.
However, now trust me on this, bad choices can ruin a market experience. Street food is a lot cheaper than local restaurants which can create Now you are probably not surprised when I say some hazards. Always make sure any meal that these are traditional cuisines common in Cambodia. involves warmth is hot. Especially meat. If not However, I’m here to change your opinion on send it back. You can trust food that has Cambodian food. Crazy a lot of people surrounding the joint and thinking I know, but I believe most of the time the food is prepared There is a beauty in there is a beauty in right in font of the customer so you can Cambodian food often Cambodian food often lost as decide if you are conformable with the lost as a result of a result of misconceptions and preparation. Do that and you have misconceptions and strong opinions. Now believe nothing to worry about. strong opinions me, the thought of fried spiders sends shivers down Now if you’re the adventurous type I my spine. Listen to this. Every recommend the Bugs Cafe. I’m sure the culture has it’s positives and name speaks for itself, edible insects. negatives relating to food and I’m here to emphasise Please just hear me out! From personal on the positives and educate about the negatives experience I was pleasantly surprised. If you’re relating to Cambodian food. interested, one of the specialities that is a definite choice for tourists is the Scorpion and Last November I travelled to Cambodia. As a food Green Papaya Salad. Grilled marinated journalist I am constantly looking for strange meals/ scorpions served with fresh green papaya, snacks from a wide variety of countries to document. tomato, kaffir lime, peanuts, Chinese long beans However upon my arrival I was also flooded by the and chilli mix. The taste is an amazing same prejudicial opinions. More predominately food combination of unusual flavours. However, I poisoning. Let me expand on that. wouldn't be surprised if a restaurant specialising Cambodia is a country of beauty, amazing people in bugs is not an interest of yours. However my and fantastic food, but anything that has thoughts were exactly that, but to my beauty also has it’s flaws and one of surprise I was pleased. The satisfying Cambodia’s flaws is hygiene. However; If you’re smart meals are cheap as well as the positive If you’re smart - food poisoning is not an of being hygienic. Step out of your food poisoning issue! (Cheesy I know but here me out) comfort zone once in a while! is not an issue! Street food is a popular destination amongst tourists. Street food can either be a snack, fast food or a small Cambodian restaurant. From my experience some of the food was amazing- the best I’ve ever eaten. Grilled pork sausages were freshly grilled right in front of you and my favourite - noodle soup (Kuy teav) which is a relish herb-infused broth and the smell was indescribable. The fragrant mixture of fresh herbs and spices cooking right in front of you is indescribably amazing. A street food destination I recommend is Phnom Penh. This is my first choice as it is the most central market which is the easiest to navigate to. Also, from my own personal experience, it is the most beautiful and clean market. I recommend visiting it in the evening as it is beautifully lit. Also an additional market of importance is the prestigious Night Market.
“I was pleasantly surprised. There’s nothing else like it in Cambodia, or even the world! Took a while to convince myself but once you try their meals, there’s no going back! 10/10” - (Marcy Smith, Australian tourist in Cambodia, trying the Scorpion and Green Papaya Salad) The Bug’s Cafe is open everyday from 5pm. Located on the left of the Night Market. Hopefully, inspired by my trip and findings, you will discover Cambodia is a beautiful place with rich culture and amazing food. The views upon Cambodian food is in most cases misleading and prejudicial, it’s just a matter of being vigilant and observant and I guarantee you will have a fantastic experience in Cambodia. Crispy fried spiders anyone? Oh Hell Yes!
Cambodian Style Chicken Coconut Soup The light, fragrant, creamy classic. Chicken Coconut soup is a family favourite, with its sweet, hot and sour flavours. Originating in Cambodia, its a must for every cooks cookbook!
Makes: 4 Prep Time: 15 Min Cook Time: 25 Min Skill Level: Easy 1 cup coconut cream 1 small onion, sliced into wedges 200 g chicken breast or thigh, sliced into bite-sized pieces 1 medium potato, peeled, quartered 1 sweet potato, peeled, sliced into 3 cm pieces 12 pea eggplant 2 cups coconut milk 1 apple eggplant, sliced into 3 cm pieces 4 snake beans, sliced into 5 cm lengths 1 tbsp palm sugar 2 tbsp palm sugar pinch of salt 1 tbsp fish sauce
Thai basil leaves, to garnish Red curry paste 2 tsp shrimp paste 2 tbsp kroeung
1. Add all curry paste ingredients to a saucepan and combine. 2. Now add the coconut cream. Stir then bring to the boil over medium heat. Add onions followed by chicken, reduce heat and simmer whilst stirring for 2 minutes. 3. Now add potato, sweet potato, pea eggplant and 1 cup coconut milk, and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are cooked. 4. Add apple eggplant and snake beans, and simmer for a further 2 minutes. Add the remaining coconut milk. 5. Simmer for another 5 minutes, add 1 tablespoon palm sugar, fish sauce, then bring to boil and turn off heat. 6. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with Thai basil.
Food Travel Guide Writer, Harry Gloswall, Interview Recently I conducted the exciting interview focused on the prestigious, food travel guide writer; Harry Gloswall. Harry Gloswall is 26 years-old with British Nationality. He has always been interested in food and travel from a young age. ‘A Journey Through Food’ is a book which states his experiences in various countries across the globe additional to his experience trying new foods and delicacies from these countries. All of this is written in his book to educate people about the different variations of foods and cultures from around the world, additional to increasing tourism in somewhat discouraged countries. I did not realise the significance of food as part of a travel experience until I personally read this book. There are many tips throughout the book which can advantage anyone who is travelling. I was luckily enough that Harry accepted my requested and came all the way from England to be here. In the local coffee shop I was greeted by a firm handshake and a contagious grin. SPICE Magazine: Hi Harry it’s an honour to meet you Harry: Thank you it’s an honour to be here SPICE Magazine: First of all, how are you liking Australia Harry: Yeah I love it. Everyone is so nice and welcoming (and) I managed to also get a quick swim down at Bondi. Lovely beach SPICE Magazine: And the food? Harry: (Chuckles). It’s lovely. In fact it reminds me you should soon be seeing an appearance from Australia in my next travel guide SPICE Magazine: Wow can’t wait. Moving on, you have just recently released your food travel guide; A Journey Through Food. Harry: Yep SPICE Magazine: In the food travel guide it talks about a lot of your positive experiences associated with food in certain countries such as the new and exciting meals you attempted such as an Indian Dosa. Where there any bad experiences relating to food you want to discuss? Harry: Yeah I do it actually involves food poisoning. I was in the Philippines and I was trying local delicacies and noting down what I had eaten in my journal. One delicacy in the Philippines was a ‘meal’ called Balut. Essentially it is a hard-boiled egg with a chicken still inside it! So as my usual self I decided to try it. Bad idea. The next week I had suffered a bad case of salmonella poisoning. I think it’s best if I spare you the gory details.
SPICE Magazine: Oh wow. Was it worth it though? Harry: Oh hell no, that was the most disgusting thing I have ever put in my mouth but I had to act like I loved it so I wouldn’t offend anyone even though I was secretly gagging (smiles) SPICE Magazine: Oh wow anyway, in the book you describe a lot of scenery you admired in your travels. What has to be your favourite place to visit? Harry: In general or to do with food? SPICE Magazine: Both Harry: Well in general it has to be glass beach in California. When I was travelling around America I made a quick stop at the ‘glass beach’. Essentially what it is is the sand has been replaced by glass bottles which have been eroded over time to create a beautiful scatter of glistening glass rocks which crash against the waves. SPICE Magazine: Any favourite places involving food? Harry: Hmmmm (Pause). I think it has to be Hawaii. Oh man I love Hawaii. The food there is amazing. Have you ever heard of the dish called Poke? Spice Magazine: No I haven’t. Harry: Well it is literally the most amazing thing I have ever eaten. It is freshly cut cubes of raw Yellowfin Tuna coated in a rich sauce involving sesame oil, chilli pepper, sweet onions, soy sauce, sea salt and limu seaweed. Usually the fish is caught locally and never frozen which adds to the smooth and tender texture. Anyone reading this, next time you go to Hawaii order Poke. Trust me you won’t regret it. SPICE Magazine: Wow Harry your experiences sound amazing Harry: (Chuckles) Yeah they were. I hope this book gives other people an opportunity to experience the same cuisines as I did SPICE Magazine: Thanks Harry that’s all the time we have today. Thank you for coming Harry: Thanks for having me SPICE Magazine: Harry’s book; A Journey through Food, is out in any book retailer from May 7th in Australia. Hopefully the interview has compelled you to read Harry’s food travel guide and hopefully compelled and encouraged you to visit countries which are otherwise an uncommon destination for tourists and to try strange new foods and cuisines.
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Russian Style Borscht Soup Makes: 4 Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Skill Level: Intermediate This traditional soup is one of Russia’s biggest trademarks. It had first been the national food in ancient Rome due to its high amount of nourishment and nutrition with a modern version being introduced during the 15th century. Have a taste of Russia!
1 (1inch thick) slice bone-in beef shank 3 quarts water 1 onion, chopped 1 cup chopped carrots 1/2 cup chopped celery 1 bay leaf 3 cups diced peeled beets 2 cups chopped cabbage 1/4 cup white vinegar, or to taste Salt and ground black pepper to taste 1 cup sour cream, for garnish 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill for
1. Cook beef shank in a large soup pot over high heat until browned, about 3 minutes per side; add water, onion, carrots, celery, and bay leaf to the pot, bring to a simmer and cook until meat is tender and falling off the bone, about 4 hours, Strain broth and scared solids 2. Combine beef broth, beets, and cabbage in a large soup pot; cook, stirring occasionally, until beets are tender, about 30 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add vinegar, salt, and black pepper 3. Serve garnish with sour cream and dill
TOO BIG FOR YOU Visiting the US had been quite an odd adventure for myself, watching tourists demolish multiple rib racks and hammer at 2,000 calorie cheese burgers. Restaurant meals in the country certainly look too large for anyone’s stomach! How can someone even process that amount of food in one plate? Personally, I believe that America will need to downsize their dish size to reduce the amount of obesity and improve their overall well being in their country.
Due to the dish size being so large, can you even imagine how many fatty ingredients are put into the meals. Double the oils, fats and carbs are put into these monster meals for that real fast food sensation. You can even physically see the oil and fats oozing out of the meal as they are served onto your table. Most American foods contain trans fats, hydrogenated oils, which are mostly developed through food processing to improve texture, overall shelf life and flavour of foods. This type of trans fat can be the most dangerous type of fat as it is not developed naturally and can lead onto heart disease and LDL blood cholesterol, being the number one killer of both men and women in the U.S.
The United States is seen as the most obese country in the world, topping a gigantic total of 66% of adults and 29% of children on the obesity rates compared to the rest of the world, as stated by everyday health. Since the 1950’s, food portions in America have almost tripled in size by 36%! This has led to overeating and forceful eating with people just wanting to finish their entire plate. The average adult daily intake sits on 8,700 kilojoules, with U.S dishes absolutely killing that number by their triple sized dishes containing almost half of what people need in their daily diet. With my experience, almost every restaurant in the country served the same sized meals throughout their menus, and most of them didn’t even have bottled water, but instead a supplement of soft drink.
The number of Americans diagnosed with diabetes has increased to a huge 20.9 million! Our bodies have not been designed to reject excess calories, and therefore we take it straight into the physical side of our bodies. For tourists, like myself, seeing a dish that large will be a major turn off, with people still wanting to conquer these gigantic plates. Our minds will automatically make us eat what is on the plate in front us, regardless of whether it is too much, and we will continue to eat subconsciously. Studies have shown that over 50% of all food on this Earth are thrown away because people can’t finish whats on their plates. Its time to cut dish size in half.
Most foods in America are fast foods, which means that they are addictive. They triple the amount of fast food restaurants that Australia houses. Having large portions of these processed and fatty foods can be dangerous to a certain extend. With fast foods being addictive, they can create cravings which will lead to a repetitive diet of fast foods. As these dishes are larger than your average meal, these addictions can turn fatal for Americans themselves and tourists.
America seriously needs to rethink what they’re doing with the food that they serve on plates, focusing on the actual size of them. American servings are almost triple the size of our stomachs, which means that we are incapable of allowing our stomachs to expend too much. They need to put a stop to their record and history of obesity and start putting their country back on the right track with diet and general health. Don’t bring unhealthy food habits back with you Australian tourists!
Your Say
FAQS
What are the advantages of cooking meals at home? -
Welcome to SPICE FAQ’s! Challenge yourself by adding new ideas into your meals, acquire new cooking tips and ask your own questions!
How can I reduce oils in the meals I make?
Frederick Russell NSW
Hi Frederick, When cooking your own meals at home, you are able to reduce the amount of unhealthy ingredients that you put into them.
Hannah Thomsan
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Good morning Hannah, Try cooking meals with less saturated oils and use plant based oils instead. Oils and butters brown and soak straight into your foods so avoid them at all costs!
I need to get creams out of my meals, but how!? -
Jack Smith
Hello Jack, Supplement out all the butter and cheeses for milk and flour for that similar creamy texture. They will also just add slimy and thick texture to all of your foods.
What can I use to spice up a dish without loading it with salts? -
Jensen Price
Good afternoon Jensen, Reduce all those salts with a splash of lemon, lime or even added herbs. Add just a bit more kick to all of your homemade meals.
I am having a craving for fast food but I don’t want all of that grease! -
Ermerson Treeson
Hi Emerson, Crispy “cheat” foods don’t need to have all that grease either by skipping the deep drying and move to oven frying techniques. Start by making everything at home!
What can I supplement flours with? -
Ella Sendwold
How are you going Ella, Replace all the flour in the pantry with whole grain goodness!! They produce better flavours as well as bump up health values in your meals.
Overall, how can I make meaty meals more healthy? • Amy Stockman Hi Amy, Add some grains and vegetables to your meaty meals to add flavour and make them homey meals. They add more ingredients and flavour to all of your meals.
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American Style Sweet Chilli Dogs A simple, quick and typical American dish that is great for an easy feed for the family. Originated in the United States, the sweet chilli dogs are most popular in the regions such as Texas, California and Arizona.
Makes: 4 Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 20-25 mins Skill Level: Novice
4 thick sausages (sweet chilli if you can) 2 onions, red, white or one of each 4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce 2 tbsp tomato purèe
1. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 2. Spread the sausages in a roasting tin and cook for 20-25 mins, turning, until golden and cooked through 3. Meanwhile, fry the onions in a splash of oil over high heat until almost softened and browning 4. Stir in the sweet chilli sauce and tomato purĂŠe with some seasoning, and cook for 1 min more 5. Split the hot dog buns, add a spoonful of the sweet chilli onions, top with sausage, then a spoonful more onions 6. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with Thai basil.
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Brazil: Feijoada
Canada: Poutine
Romania: Sarmale
England: Roast Beef & Yorkshire Pudding
China: Xiaolongbao
THE WORLD TRADITIONS
Egypt: Molokhia
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Malaysia: Nasi Lemak
Japan: Katsudon
Ukraine: Varenyky Portugal: Francesinha
Spain: Jam贸n Ib茅rico
Scotland: Smoked salmon on brown bread
A Taste of India What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about eating food in India? The colour of the food? The spiciness? The rush of people? Or perhaps the hygiene? Indian food is different to food of the rest of the world not only in taste but also in the methods used to cook it. Just like Indian culture, the food in India has been influenced by several civilisations, over thousands of years and reflects the blend of these cultures and ages. Indian food is some of the best food you will ever eat, the taste and the smell is delicious and hard to resist. But, if you don’t know what to eat and what to avoid, it can result in some serious stomach troubles. I am here to help you by giving you five tips on how to stay safe whilst eating food in India. 1. Eat where the locals are eating The best indication of where food is safe is a big crowd queuing outside a food stall to get a snack or meal. Wherever you choose to eat making sure that the tables are occupied with locals is a good idea as Indians are used to exceptional food at home so having a restaurant filled with happy customers is a good indicator that there is great food there. A common mistake made by many is choosing a random hotel in a tourist area where hardly anyone is eating but having less people around means that the food may not be as nice, overpriced and the ingredients may have been laying around for ages which eating them can result in sickness. So eating where the locals eat is always a good plan, the same principle works with street food. 2. Eat what the locals are eating It is always a good idea to eat Indian when you are in India. The continental food in India is often really bad tasting, the hamburgers taste like cardboard and not only do they taste terrible they are overpriced as well as probably being made of imported ingredients which are prone to being less fresh.
Whether you are missing a particular dish from home or something is tempting you on the menu it is always a safer choice to eat Indian and why wouldn’t you? Indian food is delicious! 3. Eat vegetarian If you have seen where the cattle and poultry are raised in India you really won’t want to eat meat during your stay. Poultry is kept in the smallest cages which are full of their own faeces and there is no food control when it comes to the use of pesticides or antibiotics. Goats are quite often tied and raised in front of the butchers shop and eat whatever they can, whether that is leftovers, vegetables and frequently a wide collection of garbage. Who would want to eat meat after seeing that? I know I certainly don’t! So its better to stay on the safe side and eat vegetarian. 4. Take it easy with the spices When you first arrive in a new country it is important to give your body time to adjust to the local food and conditions. Spicy food won’t make you sick but eating too much spicy food suddenly may still result in Gastroenteritis which is the inflammation of the stomach and intestines. When you arrive try to slowly pick up the levels of spice and the level of oiliness in oily foods. 5. Only eat street food if you know what is safe to eat Eating street food is one of the joys of traveling in India. The streets are filled with people bustling around with their colourful clothing and the smells of the foods in very tempting but unless you know what and where to eat you can get very sick! Following the crowd is a good idea, if the locals are avoiding a particular vendor you should too. Also checking how and where the vendor is cleaning the utensils as well as how and where the food is covered is essential. If the utensils don’t look clean or there are too many buzzing flies make a hasty retreat!
A Brief Exaplination: The Indian Holi Festival is also know as the Festival of Colour or the Festival of Love. It is an ancient Hindu religious festival but nowadays has become popular with non-Hindus in several parts of South Asia as well as people from other communities outside of Asia. The celebrations start with a Holika bonfire on the night before where the people gather at which they sing and dance. The next morning participants play and chase each other with coloured powder and water. The Holi Festival signifies the triumph of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of winter and also is a day where people meet others, forget and forgive and repair damaged relationships. It’s a definite must for tourists as it is celebrated all over India.
INDIAN HOLI FESTIVAL
Indian Style Butter Chicken Butter Chicken (or murgh makhani) is classic staple of Indian cuisine and is popular all around the world. Butter chicken originates back to New Delhi and is regarded to have first been introduced by a restaurant called Moti Mahal. Butter Chicken is usually served with roti, naan or steamed rice.
Makes: 4 Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 50 min Skill Level: Average
125g butter 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 400g can tomato purĂŠe 600ml cream 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon garam masala 700g chicken breast, cut into 3cm pieces 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons tandoori masala
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C 2. Melt a 1/4 of the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic, stirring for 15 minutes or until the onion caramelises 3. Meanwhile melt the remaining butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the tomato purĂŠe, cream, salt, cayenne pepper, and garam masala. Bring to the boil then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the caramelised onions. 4. While the sauce is simmering, toss chicken with oil until coated, then season with tandoori masala and spread out of a baking tray 5. Bake chicken for 15 minutes or until just cooked through. Add chicken to the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes before serving
Restaurant Review - Urban Tadka Craving Indian food now? Why not try Urban Tadka! The award winning Urban Tadka, located in Terrey Hills is one of Sydney's best Indian restaurants. Urban Tadka serves authentic Indian cuisine from diverse regions of India. The food and service is fantastic. The food never disappoints, with it’s phenomenal flavours and mouth watering smells its hard to resist.
For entrees its hard to go past the samosas with their crisp pastry and spiced veggie filing and for mains the butter chicken is delicious! The menu offers a wide variety of appetising meals for vegetarians as well as meat eaters and the service is great, friendly waiters and the food is bought to you quickly,
The True Taste of Italy What do you think of when you hear ‘Traditional Italian Food’? Pizza and Pasta…right? Well what if I were to tell you that you were wrong. Of course pizza and pasta are popular Italian dishes, but they aren’t the only traditional foods in Italian food culture. Misconceptions of Italian food culture began many decades ago when Westerners ago travelled to Italy and brought the Italian foods that they experienced back to their own country. When these Westerners brought Italian food into their different countries, they only brought the dishes that they enjoyed and the dishes that were easiest to find, these are the foods which we see as the ‘typical’ Italian foods.
Since Italian foods were introduced into different countries, they have tried to put their own spin on them. You have heard of the pizza topping Meat Lovers and Hawaiian, and you have heard of the famous Spaghetti and meatballs, Yes, these dishes are known as very popular “Italian dishes” worldwide, but they do not actually originate from Italy. These well known recipes are the work of America, it seems some-what odd doesn’t it? America making a food that isn’t full of fats and oils? Isn’t it funny how stereotypes can be deceiving? Just like Italian foods. If you were to go to Italy their pizza toppings would mainly be something like, Mozzarella, Pizza al Prosciutto, La Napoletana, or Pizza alla Bismark,
and their pastas would be something like; Carbonara, Torfile al pesto, Trofile al sugo di noci, Pansotti Genovese. Have you ever heard of those Italian dishes before? The chances are, you probably haven’t. It is very unfortunate that many people do not get to experience traditional Italian foods, but a reason for this is because there aren’t many restaurants around that actually give people the experience of the traditional Italian foods. The best way to find an Italian restaurant where you can experience traditional Italian foods, is to see who owns and cooks within the restaurant, if the owners are Italian and the chefs are also Italian, this would be the best place to eat.
I have been lucky enough to find an Italian restaurant that is a hidden gem, it gives a truly Italian experience, it is run and owned by an Italian family, it’s called ‘The Old school Trattoria’- 205 Mona Vale Rd, St.Ives 2075. This restaurant serves a lot of traditional Italian foods including; - Antipasto, this is an appetiser that is a platter of Italian prepared cured meats, olives, pepperoni, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, various cheeses, pickled meats, and vegetables in oil of vinegar. Personally i find this appetiser a perfect start to a meal, there is a balance between sweet and salty flavours, there are smooth and crispy textures throughout every bite. This dish also smells amazing, the vinegar used within the platter increases the smell of everything
- Focaccia, this is an Italian flat ovenbread that is served as a side dish or appetizer, it may be topped with rosemary, other herbs, dried tomatoes, potatoes, olives. Yum! one of the best flat bread’s i have ever tried. Every bite i took of this bread, there was a crispy outside crust and a soft, fluffy bread inside, this accompanied with the flavour of the rosemary and salt is a perfect combination. - Pork saltimbocca, is a traditional meat dish with sage and prosciutto, it is usually filled with bocconcini, or large mozzarella. This dish is amazing. The juicy, tender pork with salty prosciutto and stringy mozzarella, is to die for , as soon as i had one mouth full of this spectacular dish, the pork fell apart, until you get to experience this amazing food, you won't understand what a perfect flavour combination is.
These recipes among hundreds of others are the traditional foods of Italy, it is a food culture that is worth discovering. See, all these misconceptions of traditional Italian foods, hide and cover up all these fantastic recipes that most people don’t even know about. Everyone should experience the true taste of Italian food culture, and now that you know where to find the best classic Italian restaurants, you have no excuse for not having the chance of experiencing the true Italian dishes. So now I will ask you the same question as i started with, hoping you will have a new answer in mind. What do you think of when you hear Traditional Italian Food?
Saving Money on Food when Travelling When travelling, it can become quite expensive to buy food, so I am here to give you a few tricks and tips on how to save some cash on food when travelling, (I will also be writing about my experience of the Italian culture) to get the true understanding and experience of the situation, I am travelling to Italy for one week with a budget of $500 to spend on food. I have started off my week in Italy by investigating the meal deals I get within my accommodation. I found out that I can get 50% off my breakfast meals at the all-day restaurant across the road, just because I am staying at the hotel. My first breakfast meal only cost me $7.50, this has saved me a lot of money, and as the saying goes ‘I got a lot of bang of my buck’. I ordered a serve of yogurt with muesli, a coffee, and to top it off I got an Italian pastry.
As I walked through the buffet i picked up a few spreads that came in plastic containers, these will be good use for breakfasts during rest of the week. The day passed on and I went to the market down the road at around 6:00pm, fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and herbs filled the area. Exploring this market I saw how many Italians sell their home made produce in the markets, very different to how other people in other cultures buy and sell their foods. Within the market there were some pretty good deals that were around at that time of the day, I ended up buying a pack of pasta and Bolognese sauce (Serves for 2) for $10, a 1Kg bag of mixed vegetables for $5, 1 bread loaf for $1.50 the nice man also gave me a loaf for free.
I continued looking for these kinds of deals throughout my week in Rome, and I ended up saving quite a lot of my money using some simple techniques, you might be surprised that I only ended up eating at restaurants on three different occasions, and cooking all the rest of my meals. I ate a large variety of different foods from the traditional Italian food culture, and my weekly food cost was at a total of $183.65 reduced from an estimated $500, that’s a $316.35 saving. ~ Here are a few of my tips and tricks on saving money for food, which you should consider before you leave to go travelling. 1) Have a rough plan of what you think you will eat
Before you leave for your travel destination, you should consider making a plan of how much money you have to spend on food(Per day/ Per meal) , how many nights you will be eating out, how many meals will you be cooking yourself, what ingredients you need, etc. Having this plan ready for when you go away will help you by budgeting your money in a wiser way. For example if you were not to plan your meals you could be more tempted to spend your money whatever food that catches your eye. 2) Grocery Shopping- Spend some time wandering around different, local grocery shops/ markets, this way you can buy fresh products, and you can search for the cheapest deals. Searching for your
groceries can give you a sense of what the culture is like in your particular destination, and you also get the opportunity to cook yourself a cultural meal, there could even be left over ingredients that you can use again. That’s the best you can get in my opinion, it can also save you heaps of money.
3) Search around for the best dealWhile grocery shopping or eating out, always look for the best deal you can. You never know where the next best could be, so before buying, have a look around your local area for the best deal. Perhaps your accommodation includes free breakfast, or free dinner, there’s no harm in asking for a good deal. 4) Ask for take-away- When you go out to a restaurant for a meal and you can’t finish that last little bit, ask if they can put into a container for you, then you can take it home and eat it for another meal. If the restaurants don’t have take-away containers, you can bring zip-lock bags with you and put your leftover food in there.
5) Bakery at night- if you want to buy bread or some form of pastry, try to head there late at night, before it closes. Usually bakeries can’t keep their bread for longer than a day, so they put their prices down, or give away free bread because they do not want to waste any of their good bread. This is a really good money saver.
6) Vouchers- In the local area the chances are that they have a newspaper, take a few seconds to look through it and see if they have any coupons or vouchers for restaurants or groceries. 7) Reusable drink bottle- If you bring a drink bottle with you, you can save money by refilling it at a tap instead of buying a new plastic one all the time. (It’s also better for the environment). I would not recommend doing this if you think the water is unsafe, where you are.
Italian Style Pork Saltimbocca with Mozzarella Meaning ‘jump in the mouth’ in Italian this dish originating in Italy is enjoyed all over the world! A traditional meat dish with prosciutto and sage with mozzarella for a twist!
Makes: 4 Prep Time: 20 Min Cook Time: 20 Min Skill Level: Medium
4 pork loin steaks 2 bocconcini 4 slices of prosciutto 4 sprigs sage leaves 400g green beans, trimmed 50g butter 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil 1 1/2 lemons, juiced 1 tbsp chopped flat-leafed parsley
1. Cut pork steaks in half horizontally leaving a 1cm edge uncut. Open flat like a book. Using a meat mallet of rolling pin, pound pork into 3mm thick 2. Cut bocconcini into 12 thin slices. Place 3 slices on one half of pork, then fold over the other half to enclose. 3. Wrap 1 slice prosciutto around proc and top with 1 sprig sage. Repeat with remaining ingredients 4. Cook beans in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 3 minuted or until tender, then drain well. Return to saucepan, add 20g butter to coat. Season with salt and pepper 5. Heat remaining 30g butter and oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add pork steaks, sage-side down, cook for 2 minutes, then turn over and cook for a further 2 mixtures or until just cooked through 6. Divide beans among plates, then top with pork. Return the pan to high heat. Add lemon juice and parsley, and season with freshly ground black pepper. When mixture sizzles, spoon over pork and beans to serve
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