Grocery Shopping Australia

Something pineapple? I Didnt try, and no one I asked had either.

Hitting the grocery store in a foreign country gives me kid in a candy store syndrome. I could stand in the aisles reading ingredients and feeling produce all day. Its necessary to do so in Australia on a budget. Ive been grocery shopping to avoid the $3.50 syndrome. Coffee, water, Coca-cola, chips, everything costs $3.50. Most restaurant/cafe meals are $10-20. I can easily drop $50 without even trying, but that makes 7-10 meals depending. Its important to remember that Australians are paid $19-22 an hour minimum wage. Quality of life is higher here, because everyone is paid well, but prices reflect their pay stubs.

Strawberries a darker red than California/Florida, taste the same. Mangoes rule this country as a standout fruit.

Grocery stores are well stocked, and fresh foods seem fresher than in America. A bag of lettuce in America doesnt have the same flavor as one piece of lettuce in Australia. Is this because Americans dont like the taste of their vegetables, or because Australia is so much better at growing them? Australia lacks the variety foreign food available in the America. You arent going to find flat leaf and curly parsley, culantro, or peaches. Again I dont know if Australia is proud to be selling food it produces itself, or if its too expensive to be importing a wider variety. Its probably unfair to compare anything to NYC where the melting pot of residents call for lots of ingredients.

Good peanut butter isnt really available outside of the states. I find it mostly too thick, so that it practically closes your throat, with an off flavor. Not enough salt or sugar. Natural peanut butter is a better option. My pal Ben has located this variety, which is really is a good representation of peanut in butter form.

Tim Tams are the nations pride. A crunchy wafer biscuit covered surrounding sweet chocolate mouse, can coated in more chocolate. Sugar is more prominent flavor than chocolate. The textures are right on. Tim Tams come in lots of flavors, white chocolate, caramel, dark chocolate, mint, and run raisin.

$11 a kilo (about $5 a pound) for bananas is a good deal in Queensland. They were more in Sydney. It may seem like a shock, but Australia doesnt import food it can grow. Floods and cyclones have devastate crops since March, so bananas are scarce. Its also a few weeks from the beginning of the banana harvest, when more will hit the market.

A triumph of flavor technology from the Smiths chip company. Bacon chips taste more like bacon than most bacon and are just as crispy too. All thats missing is the hot fat texture. Awesome with the super thick sour cream in Australia. I look forward to making a Bacon chip, lettuce and tomato sandwich. I nabbed a few bags to bring back to America.

They said it not me. Coon cheese will not be making an appearance in America anytime.

They like their chilies here. Just liked the name. Nothing special to taste.

Artificial butter for fairies.

Got to have ice cream in the jungle. Maxibon is half ice cream sandwich, half chocolate dipped ice cream bar. Perfect for people like me who enjoy a little of everything. The ice cream is smooth, thick, and custardy. Maxibon I hope to see you in America some day.

Day 021 Damsui Tamsui

Seafood rules this land

I had been reading about a magical place near Taipei called Damsui. A seaside town for biking, an nearby island for hiking, and LOTS OF SEAFOOD. I was perplexed because I couldnt find Damsui on the map. Reason: they changed the English name from Damsui to Tamsui weeks before I arrived. This makes no sense. Its still pronounced Damsui, but will forever on be known as Tamsui. Its accessible by the Taipei subway system only 45 minutes or less. Go there if youre in Taiwan. Its nice, and the food is wonderful.

Shrimp

Something with pork?

I visited Tamsui on a bright, bright, extra sunny day. One of the first sunny days on my trip. As a rule all museums and attractions are crowded on weekend. Once youre used to the bustling of crowds the relaxing slower pace and people watching forgive the lack of space. I was with a group of 6. A boon to all the new street foods. The more people you have the more variety you can nibble on.

Whole fried baby crabs

Not your average greasy fried food

Seafood is no joke in Tamsui. It is the freshest I have ever tasted. Squid, fish, shrimp and crabs are everywhere in every form. Above is a cup of baby crabs, about 1-3/4 inch in width, fried whole, and seasoned. They taste like crab chips, but with brains and faces. Theyre really good. The other fried stuff on from the cart was good too. The seafood has a pleasant firm texture, not the soggy stuff that comes out of the freezer and goes into the microwave/deep fryer. When seafood is fresh it has a neutral taste. Not at all fishy. "Fishy" is a sign of old seafood.

Squid balls being made

In a boat shaped box

Who doesnt love meat in ball form? So much easier to hold and swallow. Squid balls are another specialty in Tamsui. Chunks of fresh squid are chopped up and mixed into a batter. The batter is poured into semi-spherical hot irons. With great speed and dexterity the squid ball maker then spins the batter over itself as it cooks. A little bit like the same process as making an ebelskivers. By the 3rd or 4th pass the batter is fully cooked and the squid ball is nicely browned on the outside. Our squid balls were seconds old before they were dressed with what seems like mayonnaise and some bonito fish flakes. It took much longer for the steaming hot squid balls to cool than for them to cook.

Wall of iron eggs

In the iron egg

Iron eggs are another local special. Iron eggs are bird (quail, chicken, etc) eggs that have been steeped in spiced soy sauce until turning a dramatic black color. The eggs have a dense texture, and are a bit chewy. Not a bad snack. Some how against all odds I was able to bring a pack home through customs and quarantine.

Candy coated tubers

Taiwan loves its sweets. These are candy coated sweet potatoes and taro roots. Not unlike a similar to the candied tomatoes I ate at Longshan, very similar to a candied apple. A bit sweeter perhaps. I found these inelibly sweet.

Tofu skin wrapped noodles

Fish balls, and other fine noodle dishes

Dumb waiter service

The eating will not stop until we try 2 more of Tamsuis specialties. The first is cellophane noodles wrapped in tofu skin served in a pool of reddish-pink sauce. I dont know what the sauce is made from. Its certainly been thickened with starch. Its more than a little sweet and that turns me off. I like the noodles wrapped in tofu part. Its a great way to add texture and flavor to the otherwise plain tofu. The other dish is fish ball soup. This is winner. Its ground seasoned fish meat. The texture is firm and a little resilient making for a pleasant bite. The broth is simple, and clear. Very satisfying, the stuff of comfort food. Our group sampled these dishes on the 4th floor of a towering restaurant facing the ocean. The food was brought up on an electric dumb waiter. The joint was packed.

Red headed fort

Besides the seaside food stands littered with the oceans goods stands the Santo Domingo fort. The fort was built by the Spanish in 1629. The Dutch took over the area in 1642 and rebuilt it to look as it is today. The fort has a red exterior and is referred to as the "Red Headed Fort" by locals, a reference to the red haired Dutch. In 1868 the English took it over and it was used as the English. The fort sits on the top of a hill, with spectacular views of the oceans, and the islands across the way.

KWT Winter CSA Month 1 Decemeber

I cant even begin to tell you how I excited I am. 3 years ago I belonged to the Kensington/Windsor Terrace summer CSA. I didnt like Garden of Eves quality compared to the other CSAs I had belonged to. This year I thought what the hey. Time to try again, and now I am so excited about it. The variety! The gigantic variety of crisp flavorful greens is blowing my mind. First thing I shoved some lettuce in my mouth. So damn good.

The winter CSA picks up once a month. If this was a weekly selection Id be offering you all some bok choy. Its gonna take me at least 3 weeks to chow through this.

KWT Winter CSA -- December

1 small head of cabbage
1 bunch carrots
1 bunch of beets
1 big bag broccoli florets
3 small heads of broccoli
1 head of garlic
1 diakon
1 butternut squash
1 big bunch of celery
2 small heads of fennel
1 dozen eggs
1 bunch of kale
1 bunch of collard greens
1 big bag of mixed salad greens