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.

Cucumber Mint Vodka Watermelon

Watermelon man hole for vodka

I should have posted this a few days ago. Im worried youll see this post and want to make a big fat vodka watermelon for your Labor day picnic/bbq/yacht party. And you should want to but you need to act NOW. Thats right, if you are slightest bit interested in boozing up a watermelon turn off the computer, buy a watermelon and some vodka and come back.

Did you do it? Lets proceed. It is not common knowledge unless you have tried this or read lots of recipe comments that it can take up to FOUR DAYS for your watermelon to absorb vodka. There are million recipes that look simple, and you think will take 6 hours or overnight. Unless you know where to buy a "dry" watermelon it will take at least 2 full days for a great vodka watermelon to begin. A week would be awesome. You might not get invited back to the party if arent careful. Here are my real time instructions.

Cucumber Mint Vodka Watermelon

1 large watermelon
1/2 cucumber cut into spears, divided
1 handful of fresh mint leaves, divided
2 350 ml bottles of vodka

Youre going to be feeding your watermelon over the course of a few days, so first youll want to prepare the watermelon and space for it. Now look at your fridge and make sure that you can fit the watermelon with 6-7 inches head space for the vodka on a shelf. You may need to rearrange shelves. Place the watermelon on a plate to catch run off juice, and prevent it from sliding around. I also used an upside down coffee can lid to keep it snug.

Make sure you have room for this in your fridge

Take an old, but clean cap from a bottle of oil or similar. Press the cap down onto the top of the watermelon, where you plan to feed it, making an indentation. Now cut inside that indentation to make an opening. Using a spoon dig down and carve out some watermelon. 5-6 inches is good, or to the center of the watermelon. Turn the watermelon upside down and drain out some of the fluids too.

Fill the watermelon cavity half way with vodka from the first bottle of vodka. Slide half the cucumber spears and mint into the vodka bottle. Now for your big maneuver, carefully flip the vodka bottle into the watermelon. Place in the fridge and let sit for 1-2 days until absorbed. After the first bottle is absorbed, crack open the second and repeat the last set of steps. Some of the vodka may not absorb from the second bottle. It depends on the size and juiciness of your melon.

When its party time you can use the same cap from the first step as plug to keep all the juice in place! Smart! Or just cut it up and bring it in slices, but there really is nothing like a the show of carving the vodka watermelon in front of a hot and thirsty audience.