American Foodie Reporter: Local Diner SLOP!

I'm proud to say that the Savory Salvation blog has now branched out to include our very own American correspondent who plans to photograph and send in reviews of new and tasty meals from his home town in Oregon, USA!

My American corresponder writes:

It's from a local diner, and they call it slop, this is a "full order". Between my buddy and I we can eat almost half of it.

It's made of potatoes tossed with onions and peppers, ham, cheese, and covered in sausage gravy. Truly, for those that have nothing to live for :D.

$176 Cheese Sandwich of Doom

Chef Martin Bluno has released the ultimate gormet cheese sandwich priced at a mere $176 USD!

The chef used a £5 loaf of sourdough dressed with extra virgin olive oil and then layered cheese, slices of quail’s egg, heirloom black tomato, epicure apple, and fresh figs. He added dainty mustard red frills, pea shoots and red amaranth for a salad layer and topped the whole masterpiece with edible gold dust.

Pretentious food at its finest, don't be surprised if this shows up on the next season of Masterchef as a pressure test.

Fiesta Mexicana Restaurant

Fiesta Mexicana had alot to live up to considering that I have not long ago arrived back home from the latino dominated area of Los Angeles, USA. I tried the best mexican food that I have experienced in my life (both Tex Mex and traditional mexican food) in LA, which I have yet to blog on account of being busy juggling the balls of life.

Initially looking at the menu prices I was pleasantly surprised, while it wasn't as cheap as the mexican food that I enjoyed abroad, it was very fairly priced compared to how much it costs to eat out in Sydney at other restaurants.

Nachos - "The Works", large serving - $21.00

My brother and I decided to share a large serving of their nachos for an entree. The guacamole was delicately spiced with a mild bite of chilli and my beloved coriander which was delicious. The refried beans, salsa and sour cream complimented the shredded beef cheesy nachos beautifully.

Garlic Prawns - $12.00

The garlic prawns are served in a ramekin with some crusty bread on the side. The spicy chorizo sausage balances harmonously against the garlic and coriander flavours of the prawns. The only small problem was the lack of chorizo in the dish, there were only two small pieces of chorizo, a little more chorizo would have made this perfect, even though it was delicious as it was.

My dad posing with his best crazy face. =)

Quesadilla Ranchera - $16.00

The quesadilla ranchera is comprised of a chicken quesadilla and two chicken tacos, with guacamole and sour cream. The chicken is shredded and tastes divine paired up with the melted cheese in the soft taco casing.

The chicken tacos are crunchy and flavour packed. I end up adding a bit of their optional hot sauce to my tacos to give them a bit more of a bite. The complimentary corn chips are perfect to dip into the guacamole and sour cream, this is an absolutely divine and varied mexican dish that I am excited to try again in the future.

Beef Enchilada and Taquito - $16.00

The beef enchilada and taquito is served with rice, beans, guacamole and sour cream. The rich spicy beef in the enchilada and taquito tastes absolutely divine with a dab of the cool sour cream.

My brother gets crowned with a traditional mexican hat while my dad happily snaps away taking photos of the night out celebrating my brother's birthday.

Fiesta Mexicana has become a local favourite of mine, the prices are very affordable, the service is very prompt and friendly and most importantly the food exudes such complex flavours that need to be tasted first hand to be truly appreciated. Try out a splash of their hot sauce with your next meal there, it's not for the faint hearted!

Fiesta Mexicana
304 Railway Pde
Carlton, NSW

(opposite Carlton train station)

Phone: (02) 9553 0503

Remember to BYO alcohol, as they unfortunately don't serve liquor onsite.

Food Adversions - Coriander!

I had a conversation with my mother recently and she said that the only way that she would tolerate coriander is the dried version of that, and even the thought of consuming said dried coriander was enough for her to frown in disgust.

I read this post this morning about food aversions which even mentioned that it's possible for the dislike for certain foods to be genetic:

Neuroscientist Jay Gottfried, interviewed recently by the esteemed Harold
McGee, put forward his theory that the specific disgust coriander can inspire is
linked to its smell, which many people find soapy. He believes that our brains
fit food smells into patterns of already known foodstuffs, and if something is
perceived as belonging to a different group – cleaning products, in this case -
the brain will reject it as being something we should not eat. Evolutionary
biology at work on a basic level.

How can the humble coriander herb cause so much disdain? I was aware of the traditional food dislikes such as anchovies, certain meats and anything from the kebab store after a good night out with friends. Although the thought of enjoying a good guacamole without coriander is to much to handle! A Mexican lady that I worked with some time ago taught me her guacamole recipe and she said that it was her crucial secret ingredient for her guacamole recipe.

Perhaps it's easier to tolerate a disliked herb such a coriander when it's blended up in a mixture. I don't know anyone that would say no to guacamole, after all!

Food is a visual as well as a gastronomical experience to be enjoyed. Perhaps the mere sight of the offending coriander leaves is enough to rule it out for some?

Coriander is much more than a flavour packed spice, it contains antioxidants and has shown to help improve diabetes and cholesterol levels which is a wonderful reason to enjoy even more of it.

The best advice that I can give to expanding your palate is that many of the wonderful things in life are acquiring new tastes by giving the food a chance.

A great glass of wine didn't always taste so great when you were young, but over time you have come to realise that as glamorous as Passion Pop was to skull down as fast as you could with your girlfriends in high school, it only is the tip of the iceberg. There is so much out there to enjoy and experience.

Life doesn't wait for anyone, so go and try something new today. You may even like what you experience.

In N Out Burger, Hollywood

A dear American friend of mine rated In N Out burger as one of the must do activities when one visits LA.

In N Out burger is famous for it's heart attack inducing "100 x 100 Burger", which is 100 beef patties and 100 cheese slices sandwiched between two humble hamburger buns. The 19490 calorie burger will set you back $USD 97.44 (excluding a tip).






In N Out burger is packed! It's obviously a favourite amongst the Hollywood locals (and students from the nearby high school). I order the "Double-Double" burger meal.

Double-Double Hamburger

Fries ("small" serving)

The burger is cheap and dirty takeaway food. The mysertious red sauce tastes identical to the sauce found in a Hungry Jacks whopper burger. It fills a hole, but leaves me slightly disappointed, especially considering the highly favourable recommendation of the burger joint from a good friend of mine.

The fries are overcooked and inedible. I end up throwing mine away.

It's a decent meal for what you pay for and the traditional white 60's style uniforms of the workers make you feel like you have stepped back in time.

It's definately an experience to be had if you are in America, although I wouldn't recommend to go out of your way to try it.

In N Out Burger

Phone: (800) 786-1000

7009 W Sunset Blvd
Hollywood, CA 90028

Big Bear Lake, California

Big Beautiful Bear Lake

After viewing some California travel videos on You Tube, I decided that I would dedicate a day to seeing the picturesque Big Bear Lake in southern California.




Words can not describe how tranquil and beautiful it is to breathe in the fresh air and absorb the pretty postcard views at the lake.

Our first stop after a three hour drive from our hotel in downtown LA was the Big Bear Mountain Brewery.



One of the first things I notice after parking the car is that there is a closed Thai eatery across the road. It's a strange thing to see, considering how big Thai food is in Sydney. Every second restaurant in Newtown is a thai restaurant!

Specials Board

The beer is brewed onsite by husband and wife team Don and Lil Wittman.

Immediately we are warmly greeted by Lil and seated. The all American bar atmosphere is comfortable and relaxing. There are plenty of colourful beer signs and quirky posters in the brewery.

There is a lady in her mid 40s, presumably a local, chugging on a beer at the bar and eyeing my partner and I with slight curiosity. As we talk to Lil, our distinct Australian accents identify us immediately as tourists.

The Octoberfest $USD 7.95
Polish sausage on a French roll topped with sauerkraut.

Not long after ordering our lunch, Lil cheerfully places the meals on the table and digs a bottle of ketchup and mustard out of her apron front pocket and places both bottles on the table.

The sandwich is good and wholesome. The sour taste of the sauerkraut compliments the polish sausage perfectly. I find myself struggling to eat more than a few of the hot chips as the sandwich was very filling (the serving sizes in America easily accommodate 2).

Original American Chocolate Brownie Sundae $USD 8.95

I could not resist trying the chocolate brownie sundae. Lashings of hot chocolate fudge on top of a freshly baked brownie with oodles of whipped cream and a glace cherry on top.

Simple and unpretentious food served up with genuine southern style hospitality.

Big Bear Beer Sampler $USD 10.90

From left to right: Old Miners Gold (German Pilsner), Orange Blossom (Amber Ale), Mt. Pub Ale (English Pale Ale), Lil Beaver (India Pale Ale), Red Ant Hill (Red Ale. Their Signature Brew) and Grizzly Bear (Doppel Bock).

The Grizzly Bear Doppel Bock tastes great with a smooth flavour packed taste.

The Mt Pub Ale had an interesting flavour. It tasted very fruity with flavours of orange and grapefruit.

The Red Ant Hill, their signature brew, was very good. It had a light flavour with a strong aftertaste, tasting of heavy hops with a hint of chocolate.

The Lil Beaver, one of their more expensive beers on the menu has a very floral odour. It has a very boutique floral aromatic flavour. A little too much tang on the tongue for my tastes.

The Old Miners Gold is a good honest beer.

The Orange Blossom Amber Ale has a potent smell of orange. It is flat, and the taste is like the orange concentrate that is slightly spritzy.

Big Bear Brewery
40260 Big Bear Blvd

Big Bear Lake

California

P: 909 866-2337

Delta Airlines - Cattle Class Meals

Delta Airlines, home of the bullet hard Gnocchi!

Chicken with gnocchi and sauteed spinach

Apologies for the delay in posting. Life has been pretty full on lately! Here is the first of many food reviews from my recent trip to the states.

Airplane food is at best tolerable. Synonymous with all the other standard meals that we are forced to eat out of pure necessity as the events in our lives unfold, such as going to hospital or even plastering a polite smile as you forcefully swallow a mouthful of your relative’s signature dish.

In my time travelling I have had the opportunity to sample the food on board Qantas and Thai airways. Qantas’ food was very standard and unseasoned although it filled a hole for the duration of my 17 hour flight. Thai airways were surprisingly decent; their food represented the western adaptation of Thai cuisine. If I was American I would hazard to name the food Tex Thai!

Their unashamedly well spiced food dances oh so closely with the demon of chilli and fussy traveller palates.

Onto my experience with Delta airlines, the experience left a lot to be desired to put it bluntly.

If gnocchi was cooked like steak, this would have been the well done version of it. Chewing into a flavourless starchy hard bullet of potato mess I wonder if a trip to the dentist is included after the meal.

The chicken was overcooked and very dry. The tomato based sauce was flavourless, although the sauteed spinach was passable.

Breakfast Omelet with Sausage

The omelet was flavourless. The eggs had a strange consistency, it wasn't like eating normal eggs. It had an almost uniform consistency with every bite that I took. I suspect they used powered eggs, or added some padding to the mixture to save money. I didn't try the sausage and instead choose to eat the croissant with jam, which was reminiscent of the type of ready made croissants that you can buy from Woolworths.

Los Angeles Culinary Safari!

I've just arrived home from a week long visit to Los Angeles. I have a pleat hora of food photos and experiences to document, including a 4 hour long food tour of downtown Los Angeles, a meal at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant in West Hollywood and some good local (and cheap!) mexican cheap eats.

To sum up the food in America, the portions are enough to satisfy to appetite of two people as well as the food being luxuriously rich and diet crushing.

Many new posts will arrive over the coming week as time permits.

Viva Los Angeles!

Mother's Day Lunch

Bruschetta with Tomato and Parsley Salsa

Amid the flying of pans, plates and other kitchen bits and pieces I managed to please the discerning palates of my beloved parents this Mother's Day.


I didn't get a chance to photograph each dish I made although my dad captured these professional photos with his new snazzy camera.

On the menu was Bruschetta (pictured above) with tomato salsa. It's so easy to make. I bought a half loaf of bread from the bakery in the morning and brought it home. I cut the bread into reasonably thick slices on a 90 degree angle. I then drizzled garlic olive oil on the bread slices and baked in a pre heated oven at 200 degrees for around 10 minutes, until the bread was just slightly brown on top.

For the Bruschetta topping, I diced up two roma tomatoes. I was going to add basil, although I forgot to buy it, so I went with parsley as an alternative. I added a small amount of chopped up parsley to the tomato mix. I then seasoned the mix with sea salt and ground black pepper. I added a small amount of olive oil and tasted it to make sure the seasoning was spot on.

American Style Ranch Dipping Sauce

My entree was grilled queensland king prawns which were deveined and shelled, although I left their tails intact for presentation.

I served up this American style ranch dipping sauce to go with the prawns. I also wanted to use the dipping sauce for the southern style American hot wings that were to be served as a main course. This is complete comfort food, just the way my mum likes it!

Recipe - Grilled Prawns

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• Lemon juice
• 1 kilo of cooked prawns

Method:

1. Devein and shell all your prawns, leave the prawn tails intact.
2. Thread each prawn on a skewer, making sure the prawns are "spooning" each other. Place the prawn skewers on a non stick baking tray.
3. Pre heat your grill to high.
4. Mix all the spices together in a small bowl.
5. Squeeze a good amount of lemon juice on the prawns.
6. Brush some melted butter on top of the prawns.
7. Sprinkle some of the spice mix on top of the prawns. Go easy with the seasoning, less is more!
8. Place the prawns on the grill with the seasoning side down. Brush some more melted butter over the other side of the prawns and sprinkle some more of the spice mix on top of the prawns.
9. After around three minutes or so the face down side of the prawn skewer will be slightly browned. Flip the skewers over and cook for two - three minutes on the other side. It's important not to overcook the prawns, they can dry out easily under the grill.
10. Remove from the grill and serve with fresh lemon slices.

Review - Austrian Schnitzelhaus

Are you game enough to down one kilo of schnitzel, chips and sauce, washing it down with a litre of beer?

My boyfriend and I weren't! But we still enjoyed a good selection of what the schnitzelhaus had to offer, albeit at more sensible sized portions.

The Austrian Schnitzelhaus is located on busy Victoria road in a small sandstone cottage. Walking in we are welcomed to our table quickly and order our drinks while the waiter gives us a few minutes to peruse the menu. The tables are reasonably close to each other and although you are not quite bumping elbows with other customers, we do feel a little cramped.

The atmosphere is warm and loud, people are happily chowing down on their schnitzels and chugging down their icy cold steins of German beer with great gusto.

Shortly after ordering, our entrees arrive.

Austrian Salad - $12.50

The Austrian Salad is a refreshing and crisp salad mix comprised of potato salad, cabbage, green salad, sweetened carrots and cucumber and dill.

Crumbed Camembert Cheese - $9.50

The deep fried Camembert cheese was well presented, but it was a let down on the palate. I would have been more satisfied if they served me a grilled cheese sandwich as the quality of the Camembert cheese they used was disappointing.

Sadly the taste proved to be a reminiscent of kraft processed cheese slices that have been slightly melted.

Veal Schnitzel - $20.90

Our waiter forgot to bring the mushroom gravy so while we waited for the gravy to arrive we tried the mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes were luke warm which were a stark contrast to the piping hot schnitzel on the plate.

The schnitzel was slightly overcooked, although the mushroom gravy was well spiced and packed alot of flavor.

Cordon Blue Chicken Schnitzel - $23.00

The chicken schnitzel was perfectly cooked, it was very juicy and tender, a pleasure to bite into.

The swiss cheese and ham inside the chicken paired up beautifully with the chicken.

It's a shame that the mashed potatoes are also just warm and flavourless.

Would I dine here again? Probably not, based on the quality of the dishes presented. I'm sure I'd easily find a similar Schnitzel at a local pub for half the price. It doesn't make sense to make a reservation to eat imitation pub food at a glitzed up glorified watering hole.

Service: 7/10

Food: 3/10

Atmosphere: 5/10

The Austrian Schnitzelhaus

163 Victoria Road

Gladesville

Phone: 9816 1036

Spiced lamb cutlets

Embarking on my first culinary challenge, I feel slightly surprised at how simple and effective this recipe is.

This is a healthy protein packed meal(57g of protein, 10 grams of fat and 10 grams of carbohydrates). Each serving is a mere 1534kj.

It's better off to serve this on a bed of crisp fresh lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber than the slightly indulgent creamy carbohydrate loaded mashed pototoes though!

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
12 trim lamb cutlets
olive oil spray

Method

1. Preheat barbecue grill and plate on medium - high.
2. Combine spices on a plate. Coat each lamb cutlet in the spices.
3. Spray lamb with olive oil. Cook the lamb on the barbecue grill for 4 minutes on each side.

Introduction

To all aspiring masterchefs, professional chefs and food lovers alike I welcome you...

to my new food blog documenting my gastronomic journey through my love for cooking for my family and friends as well as the joy of eating out and creating my own recipes.

The good, the bad and the downright ugly will be shown, this blog will be an honest representation of the challenges and rewards that come through the hard work that it takes to hone your culinary skills through persistence, dedication and most of all love for cooking.

So buckle up and get ready for a wild trip with me down the road to Savory Salvation!