Halloween down under and Jackaroo Pie

We just celebrated Halloween here in Australia. Well at least some people did. Unlike the US, Halloween is not celebrated by everyone. I didn't know this when I moved here. I had a very naive American assumption that if the US celebrated Halloween, then Australia did too. Some Aussies celebrate Halloween but it is optional and can be based on the region you live in or even a specific neighbourhood. 2013 is my fourth Halloween here in Sydney and I  noticed that Halloween was very popular this year with more costume and candy displays in the stores than ever before. Even my local grocery store had a whole Halloween area, which I don't recall seeing in the past.

Australia and the US share most of the same holidays but sometimes on different dates. My favourite, Thanksgiving, is not celebrated at all while Halloween is gaining momentum here despite some controversy. While some people think that dressing up and eating candy is fun, others don't understand the holiday and why they should celebrate it down under. In my local paper, the Manly Daily, a woman interviewed summed up her negativity pretty well, "Call me a miserable old witch, but I don't like the whole concept of Halloween, I never have and never will. It's an out of control American tradition that has become so ingrained in our children's lives. Are we that culturally poor that we can't have our own traditions? Every year, Halloween gets bigger - make that more commercialised - with the growing pressure to fork out an assortment of plastic junk......." I don't get the 'plastic junk' part but she otherwise sums up well how some Australians feel about Halloween. There are also some religious schools that tell the children that Halloween is a devil's holiday and very bad; no one should celebrate Halloween. That comment sure didn't make my daughter feel good nor me a happy parent.

So what is Halloween and why after celebrating it my whole life do I not know too much about it? They had me at the dressing up and eating candy part so the details seemed irrelevant. It reminds me a bit of  our first year here when there was an Easter Parade at our public school. Coming from a country where there is a separation between church and state, I was a bit shocked that there'd be an Easter Parade at our public school. I even asked one mother if she was religious and what she thought of the Parade. Her reply was something to the effect of, 'No, I am not religious but I don't care, the kids are having a great time in their Easter hats and singing. It's a fun day for them and the school.' My kind of gal!

So what are we celebrating here? Boy, is there a lot of information on the Internet about Halloween. In a nutshell, Halloween is an ancient holiday that has evolved over time. Thousands of years ago, at the end of autumn before dreaded winter came and you could possibly die of hunger or freeze to death, Celts would gather in hopes of communicating with their deceased loved ones. They feasted and invited their (hopefully) heavenly ancestors to come to their party and ward off any evil-doers who might be planning to visit them in the coming year. They wore masks and costumes so that bad spirits who might decide to visit them wouldn't recognise them. Halloween marked a time when the Celts believed that the barrier between this world and the next was an open portal for spirits to come back for an earthly visit, and a time when mortals could send messages to the Gods and the deceased. Over time, the Catholic Church wanted to convert more pagans to Christianity and made Halloween, all hallows' Eve, the night before the holy day, All Saints Day on November 1. Irish immigrants brought the tradition of Halloween to the US in the 1800s. The practise of giving out candy, trick-or-treating, came from when the poor would walk door to door on Halloween receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on All Saints Day. There is a lot more information out there but I wouldn't bore you just look online for more detail.

In my neighbourhood,  Halloween is a big block party. There is one long and wide street that is closed off by the police and only residents' cars are able to drive through. The street is flooded with children and some adults dressed up, trick-or-treating, and socialising. Some parents even bring a picnic dinner or bottle of wine and sit on the grass and relax with adult friends while their children go to houses on their own. Because it is spring here and doesn't get dark until much later, houses may have a balloon outside or a decoration to indicate that they'll welcome kids and have lollies (candy). I noticed many homeowners stood outside at the sidewalk with a bowl of candy to give out. I sometimes tell people that one of the reasons I like living in Australia is that I see a high level of "social decency." When asked to explain what I mean beyond general good manners and doing the right thing, it is often hard to explain. Well one example I saw on Halloween was strangers giving homeowners bags of candy. I asked someone why she was giving was a bag of candy to a homeowner and she said that she wanted to help contribute since so many people came to that street. I saw this happen at several house - very nice.....social decency. 

How could I write a blog on Halloween and not bake something sweet? Well I didn't! Last blog, there were Berry Crumble muffins so this blog I wanted a savoury dish. Before trick-or-treating you want a good, easy, nutritious meal on your stomach. At least I wanted my girls to get something healthy before they ate all that candy!  And why not make the dish very Australian since this American has been spreading Halloween.

Jackaroo Pie is a recipe from Masterchef host and food writer, Matt Preston. I really like his Matt Preston's 100 Best Recipes cookbook. It is a great book of everyday recipes and his larger than life personality comes through in the recipe introductions. I featured a lamb dish from this cookbook earlier this year in my February blog. Jackaroo Pie is an Australian take on Shepherd's Pie. Both my husband and I grew up eating Shepherd's Pie, a casserole layered with sauteed ground beef, peas and potatoes on top. In Jackaroo Pie,  ground lamb/lamb mince, one of Australia's biggest exports, is used along with Vegemite to flavour the pie.

A 'Jackaroo' is a man working on  cattle or sheep station; a 'Jillaroo' is a female. The Australian band, Men at Work, made Vegemite famous world wide with their hit song, 'Land Down Under.' Vegemite is a salty concentrated yeast and barley malt extract that is high in  vitamin B. It is so strong and salty, that only a small thin layer is needed on toast or sandwiches. Vegemite is an acquired taste. I actually like it spread thinly on bread and then topped with cheese and toasted in a toaster oven. Promite and Marmite are British substitutes for Vegemite. I scanned the Internet to see if there are good substitutes for Vegemite and I couldn't find one. I suggest you get a small jar from your local gourmet or import grocery. I have also suggested substitutes in my notes below.

Jackaroo Pie

adapted from Matt Preston's 100 Best Recipes cookbook

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

500g/1lb Lamb Mince/Ground Lamb

6 Spring Onions

1.5 cups Frozen Peas

2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

2 teaspoons Vegemite or Promite or Marmite (see notes)

1.5 cups of Beef Stock

2 cups Mashed Potatoes (potatoes, milk, butter)

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan or other sharp, dense cheese Pana Grandano, Pecorino

1. Start cooking potatoes and preheat oven to 175 C/ 350 F.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil in large skillet. When oil is hot and spreading thin, whirl pan. Add lamb mince and stir until browned. Lamb can be fatty so be sure to drain the fat, juices. Stir in Vegemite until blended through. Spoon mixture into bowl and set aside.

3. Take spring onions and  cut off white part. Chop whites into small pieces.

4. Add a little olive oil back to pan and heat. Add chopped spring onion whites and saute until softened, 3-4 minutes.

5. Add frozen peas, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and stir through. Add meat mixture and beef stock into pan and stir to combine.

6. While meat mixture is simmering, make mashed potatoes to your liking. (Mashed potatoes are tricky - people are picky with their choice of butter, milk, salt, etc......I'll leave it to you). Chop up leftover greens from spring onions and stir through mashed potatoes. 

7. In casserole pan, add meat mixture and spread mash potatoes on top. Add grated cheese and any other seasoning you like. I added mild paprika and black pepper along with the cheese.

8. Cook in oven for 30 minutes.

Notes:

- Lamb is very fatty so it is important to drain fat when you are browning the meat.

- If you can't find Vegemite/Marmite/Promite, add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce and/or 1-2 teaspoons of concentrated beef stock in a jar.

ENJOY!!!

Sports, Rugby and Worth-the-Wait Spag Bol

about to kick

Nice hat

more hugging....I mean tackling

Scrum

I love sports. I have been playing some form of sport since I was a little girl. To me, sports are a key element of life. When we moved from the US to Australia, I was happy to see that sports were an integral part of life here as well. Whether your child plays on the Under 6 soccer team or you watch professional sports on TV, Aussies love their sports just like Americans do. However, the professional sports that are followed are not football, hockey, basketball or baseball. The popular pro sports down under are cricket and some form of rugby, all of which I know nothing about. Even now, cricket brings to mind white uniforms, funny hats, wide bats, and competitions that last for days. There are wickets and bowlers and currently an Ashes series. In rugby, there are scrums, hats, carries, tattoos and several different forms of rugby and many levels of competition. While you can get US professional sports here on cable TV, the games are rarely broadcast live due to the significant time change so they are usually shown on TV the next day. With all the social media and online news, you inevitably will see/read about the game result before you even watch it, so why bother? While I was never the type in the US to be glued to the TV watching sports, it's weird not to hear people talking about the pro football, basketball, baseball or ice hockey game that had recently been played. You don't hear about Fantasy Football team selections, who made the Final Four, which Super Bowl commercial was funniest, who should go to the World Series this year, etc. 

After 3+ years of living here, I thought it was time to find out more about sports down under. I had heard that going to a local Club Rugby game (think AA baseball league level) was a great way to spend an afternoon. So we finally went to a Manly Marlins rugby game. I enjoy watching live sporting events as there is lots of people, cheering, excitement and camaraderie going on. Given this, you would think I would've gone to a Rugby game long ago. Especially a rugby game in Manly; after all the town is called "Manly." It seems very appropriate, heh?!

The first thing that struck me as odd was being able to bring canned beer into the venue. Usually at US sporting events, they search your bags for weapons and alcohol. As long as your alcohol was in a can, it was fine to bring in. As we walked around the field to find our friend, I noticed lots of kids running around, playing, throwing balls and having fun. The men were on the sidelines, drinking beer and talking. After we found our friend and settled in, I looked around and saw very few women. I actually felt a bit odd and out of place. When I asked the men I was chatting to where their wives were, they told me that they "had the afternoon off." Then I realised it was a win-win for everyone - kids are at the game playing on the sidelines, Dads are watching the game and drinking beers with their mates and Moms have the afternoon off - sheer genius!

As I watched the game, our Australian friend gave me an in depth commentary on the game, how it is played, the key players, etc. What I took away was the basics - the Marlins play Rugby Union, which is referred to as 'gentlemen's rugby' as opposed to Rugby League which is also popular in Australia but has different rules. Rugby League, like the US NFL, has a system of limited tackles and chances to score while Rugby Union is more fluid and does not. Rugby Union also uses scrums more to restart play. I referred to it as man hugging and the man love play at the game. Probably not a wise choice of words:). I am sure this the tip of the iceberg but that was my basic understanding and a start. 

I will say I was surprised at how loud the players were. The talking, shouting and grunting from the field was impressive. We could even hear them from the street as we were late for the game. I wondered why they didn't use padding. While the Marlins weren't hitting as hard as NFL linebackers do, players were still eating grass with no padding and worse yet, no helmets. I learned their "hats" were to protect their ears and not their brains. If you don't wear a hat, your ears get pulled on and you can get cabbage ears. (see Google Images of 'rugby cabbage ears' = disturbing). I wondered if they wear mouth guards at least; I hope so. As expected, the players were very fit and cut with muscles. Some of the Islander players were just huge. I guess that is true of most high level athletes, I just forget how big and fit they are until you see them up close. There were also some great hairdos and headbands. In the end, the Manly Marlins won and I now have a small clue about Rugby. I know I have have only skimmed the surface, but it's a start. I would definitely go to a game again.

Rugby on a chilly winter afternoon calls for a hearty dinner. A favourite dinner in my Sydney neighbourhood is Spaghetti Bolognese. You know it is popular since it has its' own slang phrase - "Spag Bol." When I am feeling lazy, I brown some ground beef/mince and pour a jar of spaghetti sauce over it and serve it with pasta. When I have time and know I will be home for the afternoon, I make the recipe below. It does take effort but it is really delicious and full of flavour. It also makes the house smell wonderful. It is definitely worth the effort if you have the time.

WORTH-THE-WAIT SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE

(Matt Preston's 100 Best Recipes Cookbook)

  

3 tbsp Olive Oil

2 medium Carrots, finely chopped
3 medium Brown Onions, finely chopped
4 slices middle Bacon, diced into small pieces
2 Celery sticks, finely chopped
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
4 cloves Garlic, crushed
3 tbsp Tomato Paste
1kg/2 lbs Beef Mince/ground Beef
1 cup Red Wine
3 Bay Leaves (optional)
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
2 regular sized tins/cans Tomatoes
1 cup Beef or Vegetable Stock

1) Add Olive Oil to large saucepan and heat until oil thins and spreads; careful not to burn oil.

2) Add onions and cook until translucent about 3-5 minutes. While cooking, cut up carrots, bacon, celery.

3) When onions are cooked, add carrots, bacon and celery. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes.

4) Add brown sugar, garlic and tomato paste. Turn up heat slightly and cook about 5 minutes, stirring through.

5) Dump veggies/bacon mixture into a bowl off heat, put aside.

6) Add a little oil olive to pan again and add raw mince/ground beef and cook until browned. Drain fat.


7) Add wine, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, tomatoes and stock. Turn up heat slightly and let the mixture simmer for 5-10 minutes.

8) Add veggie/bacon mixture back to the pot with meat mixture and mix well. Add Bay Leaves if using.

9) Bring to the boil covered, then remove lid and turn the heat right down.  Cook very gently for up to 4 hours. Stir occasionally to ensure the sauce doesn't stick and burn. If the sauce gets too thick, add some more stock and stir it in. I like my sauce very thick and hearty, like a ragu or stew.

10) Season with salt or more Worcestershire sauce if needed.

12) Serve over pasta. Enjoy!

Playing for a Sheep Station & Matt Preston's delicious Lamb dish

Today, while playing tennis, there was some confusion over who was serving during our long doubles match in the hot February sun. Our opponents said, 'does it really matter who is serving? It's not like we are playing for a sheep station or anything!'

After living in Australia for 3+ years of, one of the biggest differences that I constantly encounter is language. While both the US and Australia speak English, there are different spellings, sayings and lots of slang words and expressions used. I am still adjusting to spelling differently. I am learning to add 'u' to some words (colour, honour, favour, etc.) and change the 'z' (called 'zed' here,) to 's' - realise, visualise, materialise, etc. I don't know if people are lazy or it's just easier (does that still mean lazy?) to shorten every word possible. Arvo is afternoon; sunnies are sunglasses, Chrissy is Christmas, avos are avocados, rellies are relatives, pressies are presents, chokkie is chocolate, mozzie is mosquito, etc. The list is endless and I seem to learn a new abbreviation each week. There is even a nice way to swear, instead of using 'f*#k' someone people say, 'far out' while s#*t is sometimes expressed as 'shivers' which only makes me think of pirates but nicer family language for sure. I could write many pages about slang words but there is a good website if you are interested - http://www.koalanet.com.au/australian-slang.html

I did want to share some of the my favorite slang words that paint interesting imagery when you hear them:
Yes, he lives in Sydney but grew up in Woop Woop.
I feel dusty this morning from all that wine last night and will be shattered if I don't get a nap later.
 I am not trying to piss in your pocket but that is the best cake I've ever tasted.
He was spitting chips when he lost all his money betting on a footy game.
You are mad as a cut snake if you think you'll get away with that.
Did you see that man in his budgie smugglers on the beach?
I was gobsmacked when she won that prize.

This week's recipe is a lamb recipe. Australia is one of the largest exporters of sheep in the world. I have eaten more lamb in the past 3 years than I have eaten in my whole life. I didn't like lamb as a child and I remember my Mom cooking it and hated the house smelling so gamey. She would then serve it with green mint jelly, another yuck. I often wondered who thought of jelly on lamb? Shouldn't jelly only be a nice colour and served with toast?!

Since moving down under, I have tried all sorts and cuts of lamb. I still don't like the smell when it's cooking but I do love the taste, especially with a glass of Australian Shiraz (sha-razzzz) wine. My recipe today is from Matt Preston's 100 Best Recipes: Simple and Delicious Recipes Everyone Should Know. I recently went to buy a Michelle Bridges diet and exercise book but instead came home with his cookbook instead, which is pretty funny. Bye bye Michelle, hellooo Matt! Matt is a chef and judge on the very popular MasterChef TV show. He is larger than life, both in size and personality, and has an interesting style of dress. I like to think of it as British banker gone wrong! He mixes stripes and polka dots and bright colours, all the while usually wearing a signature cravat around his neck. 'Cravat' was another new word for me until Matt Preston and MasterChef came along. From seeing him on TV and hearing him on radio interviews, he seems like a top bloke, one you'd like to share a meal (hopefully he'd cook) or a schooner with. I am enjoying his new cookbook immensely, although he is dressed quite tame and cravat-less on the cover. With some cookbooks, I only end up liking a recipe or two. With his book, I have been cooking the book, so to speak, and I've liked most of the recipes so far. This lamb dish is my favourite, hands down. The ingredients look a bit suspicious but cooked all together, there is a great synergy of flavours and the lamb is very tender. It takes about 20-30 minutes to prepare and then cooks in the oven for 2 hours - very easy.

courtesy of  www.news.com.au

Matt Preston's Lamb Braise

adapted from Lamb, Walnut and Pineapple Braise recipe

1 kg or 2lbs lamb stew meat

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, quartered and sliced thin

4 cloves garlic

1 small eggplant, cubed

500 ml or 2 cups pineapple juice

2 teaspoons of curry powder

140g or 5oz can of tomato paste

80 ml or 1/3 cup of soy sauce

2 tablespoons of vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 chubby, pinkie finger of fresh ginger grated (the ginger is a must; powder wouldn't do!)

75g  or 3/4 cup of walnuts (optional)

couscous or brown rice or mashed potatoes

1) Preheat the oven to 180 C or 350 F.

2) Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the lamb and just brown it. Remove lamb from pan and transfer to a casserole dish.

3) In the same saucepan, cook onion. Once onion is transluscent, add garlic and eggplant. Stir for a minute. Then add pineapple juice, curry powder, tomato paste, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and ginger. Bring to a boil.

4) Pour mixture over lamb, cover and cook in oven for 2 hours.

5) Serve over cous cous, brown rice or mashed potatoes with walnuts (optional) on top.

Notes:

- I think serving it with couscous tastes best.

- I tried to cook this once in the crockpot and the lamb did not come out as tender.

- Use fresh grated ginger really affects the flavour. It's easy - just grate it with a chesse grater.

- I have never tried it with the walnuts as the recipes suggests. It tastes great without them although I'm sure they add some extra texture.

- This is a kid friendly dish. My girls who aren't big fans of lamb love the tangy flavour.