Rich and diverse, this is how Australians regard their food and culture more so their cuisine. The variety of foods and resources is a reflection of the land’s immense vegetation thus providing key ingredients. These are then considered elemental in preparing widely-known dishes and homegrown meals. For instance, the lush greens and forests of the South are instrumental in raising cattle and lamb while its southern waters provide prime produce namely scallops and lobster. Certain parts of the land pave way for grazing and likewise boast of vineyards and cropping lands. Others are known for producing crops such as fruits and vegetables, thanks to the cooler climates experienced in such areas as Adelaide Hills.

The food culture is said to be brought by English immigrants. The first settlers came in the 1830’s establishing themselves in Adelaide Hills. Then the next foreign influence was brought by the Lutherans who situated accordingly in Barossa Valley. These people have brought with them traditional English recipes like Jam Pudding and Potato Dumplings. Characterized as simple and unpretentious, these make use of basic ingredients and adapt a modest style of cookery. The immigrants appeared to have built their own way of life through animal grazing, butchery, baking and candlestick making. On the other hand, traditional recipes and cooking practices are then passed on by migrant women. Some of the home made dishes still enjoyed by Australians are Lamb Roast, Kidney Steaks and Pies. Other recipes meanwhile, have earned their special posts in Australian history like the Soldier’s Cake, Lamington, Pumpkin Scones and Anzac Biscuits.

Though much credit has been given to English immigrants, Australia is already bursting with so much wealth in terms of food and taste. This is due to the existence of indigenous foods and culture firstly established in the country. For years, the indigenous people made use of fruits and plants inherent in the land. It has also been noted that a group of devoted farmers in the south have tried to revive the indigenous food culture in present times.

Here are just some of known ingredients relative to indigenous cooking:

Lemon Myrtle- a leaf derived from the lemon myrtle tree and is used either fresh or dried

Native spinach- a type of spinach found in coastal areas

Mountain Pepper- a product of mountain pepper trees and comes in forms of either leaf or berries.

Bush tomatoes- these are small, tomato-like fruits otherwise known as desert raising.

Wattle seed- a variety of the Acacia seed described as small, oval and black and is often used in foods like soups and rice.

Macadamia nuts- this is a type of nut which is also a native produce of Australia.

Other Ingredients utilized in Australian cuisine:

Meat: Beef, Lamb, Kangaroo meat

Seafood: Scallops, Lobster, whiting, Oysters, Tuna, Prawns, Squid, Salmon

Vegetables: Carrots, Sweet Potato, Spinach, Pumpkins, Zucchini

Fruits: Melons, Grapes, Citrus fruits, Apples, Berries, Apricots, Plums

Nuts: Macadamia, Almonds

Dairy: Eggs, Cheese

Note that these are not exhaustive as other ingredients can be used as well.

Through the years, Australian chefs have tried their best to come up with a regional cuisine by means of using the freshest and commonly available ingredients. They have also invested in the quality of wines produced by surrounding vineyards establishing the popularity of local towns. Aside from innovation, migration has added a new dimension in this cuisine with culinary contributions brought by Asians, Italians, Greeks and other immigrants.

Authentic Australian Recipes

Illawarra Plum Spare Ribs:

Ingredients

2-3 pork spare ribs
75ml Illawarra plum sauce
40ml Rosella syrup
50g Illawarra plums
10g Ironbark honey
40ml port wine
10ml raspberry vinegar
20g eggplant, zucchini & chilli chutney
Aussie ingredients avail here

Method

· In a hot pan seal the ribs, then lower the heat and continue to cook the ribs till they are ready, remove and keep them war
· De-glaze pan with the port wine and raspberry vinegar and reduce by half. Add the Illawarra plum sauce, rosella syrup and honey
· Bring to the boil and add the whole Illawarra plums, simmer for approximately 5 minutes
· Pour the sauce onto the plate, place the ribs on the sauce and then place the plums on the ribs
· Serve with a dollop of eggplant, zucchini and chilli chutney

Kangaroo Pepper Steak:

Ingredients
4 kangaroo steaks
1/2 cup beef or veal stock (either home made or good quality store-bought stuff)
1 tbs freshly crushed black peppercorns
1 tbs freshly crushed green peppercorns
1 tbs freshly crushed white peppercorns
1 tbs sea salt
a shot of brandy (or cognac or cheap whisky)
olive oil
5 tiny knobs of butter, softened

Method

Rub a little olive oil into the surface of each steak, along with the salt and the cracked peppercorns. Retain any excess peppercorns–you can add them to the sauce at the end.

Pre-heat the pan to medium high. Place the steaks in the pan and fry for 3-4 minutes a side, depending on their thickness and how long they’ve been out of the fridge. When you turn them, spoon a knob of butter over each one. Once the steaks are cooked, place them on a plate and leave in a warm place. Immediately add the excess peppercorns and the shot of brandy to the pan. Careful, here. If the pan’s hot enough, the alcohol could flame up, setting your curtains and/or you on fire. Stir with a wooden spoon while the alcohol reduces. Once it has reduced, add the stock. Once that’s reduced by at least half, add the final knob of butter and cut the heat. Stir the butter in and spoon the sauce over the steaks.

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The American cuisine is considered to be highly-diverse due to the presence of people with various backgrounds and origins. The country’s proximity to several places has brought changes and affected the way this cuisine has been formed. In the process, the cuisine has incorporated and acquired different styles of cooking taken from communities of different races and ethnicities.

American cuisine, being regional in nature, can actually refer to a number of relative cuisines namely Latin American, North American and cuisine of the United States. One may think that this cuisine is nothing but intricate, however, it can be said how such has developed importing both the cultural flavors and culinary know-how of each region concerned.

Some of the dishes are said to be either Europe or Mexico based like the pies, pizzas, hamburgers, burritos and tacos. Regional variations also brought region based cuisines like Cajun and Hawaiian. Seemingly, each forms part of a certain whole and in this case, the styles and regional diversity paved way for good food and ample dish variety.

One notable trait of this cuisine is fusion as created by the existence of these influences. For instance, immigrants from France or Africa affected the cuisine approach of the South. And though a number of American dishes seemed to originate from other places, American cooks eventually changed it in time and the previously acquired dishes cease to become non- American.

In terms of ingredients used, American cuisine enjoys an immense pool of choices. Since this cuisine involves a number of regions and dissimilarities, it is also important to note that our focus for now will be the cuisine of the United States.

The cuisine of the United States features a style of food preparation emanating from earlier days where cooking involves a vast amount of ingredients and bears a distinct character. From Native American cuisine to Colonial times, ingredients and cooking methods can be deemed unique in line with its place/region of origin. Below we will see the lists of ingredients normally used in Native American cuisine and in the colonial period.

Speaking of Native American cuisine, the following are typically used:

Root vegetables- sweet potato, white potato, prairie turnips, etc.

Greens- wild celery, salmon berry shoots, milkweed

Fruits- strawberries, blueberries, currants, cherries, plums

Nuts and seeds- butternuts, walnuts, pecans, hickory nuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts (nuts); pine nuts, sunflower seeds (seeds)

Legumes and grains- peanuts, honey locusts beans (legumes); maize

Native American cuisine also makes use of meats like turkey, quail, partridge and geese. These is due to the fact that during those times, hunting for so called ‘game meats’ are practiced by Native Americans.

Seafood- cod, herring, halibut, flounder, catfish, crabs, shrimps, lobster, crayfish, mussels

As for the Colonial period, the cuisine makes use of the following:

Meat- mutton, deer, wild turkey

Fats and oils- butter, shortening

Seafood- cod, lobsters

Vegetables- carrots, turnips, pumpkins, cucumber, beans, legumes, onions

Regional influences greatly define the American cuisine. Its beginnings may take us to a long list of cultures seemingly foreign and complex, but in the end, the American cuisine along side history, traveled far enough and managed to be different.

Authentic American Recipes

Blueberry Muffins:

1 cup oats
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup white wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup butter – melted
1 cup fresh blueberries – drained well
- or-

1 cup frozen blueberries – thawed, drained well

Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine oats and buttermilk in a small bowl; set aside and let stand. Combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt, brown sugar, stir well. Add egg and melted butter to oats. Add dry ingredients and stir just until all is moistened. Gently fold in blueberries. Spoon into muffin pan until three-quarters full each.

Bake for 17 to 20 minutes.
Yields 1 dozen.

Pumpkin Muffins:

1 cup raisins
1/2 cup unsweetened orange juice
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda
Soak raising in orange juice for 5 minutes. Do not drain.
In large mixing bowl, stir in pumpkin, egg substitute, sugar, cloves, cinnamon and salt. Add oil, mix well. Stir together flours, baking powder and baking soda. Add to pumpkin mixture with the raisin-orange juice mixture and stir to mix. Fill paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake
at 400F for about 25 minutes. Remove from muffin tins and cool on wire rack.

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Popularity: unranked [?]

Planning a catering menu can be challenging especially if you do not know how to go about doing it.  Getting it right can be very tricky.  Knowing how to cook is entirely different from knowing how to plan a catering menu.  There are so many things to figure out:

• What and how much to cook
• Cost of ingredients
• Serving Equipments required

In truth, these are just a few of the many things that you have to think of when creating a catering plan.  You also need to make sure that everything goes according to the customer’s preferences, demands and requests.  After all, the customer’s satisfaction is the number one priority.  You have to make sure your customer will likely enjoy everything that you prepare.  So, how do you plan a menu?

1. Know what the client wants. You have to know the client’s requirements with regard to the menu, so you know what direction to pursue when it comes to creating the menu.  Never assume that you know better than your client.  Remember, your goal is to please the customer.

Your client knows what he wants – or at least he has an idea.  So, regardless of what he tells you, make sure that you run different options by him so you will know whether or not you and your client are on the same page when it comes to the menu.  You should also check out whether there are dietary restrictions that you need to consider.  Your customer may have guests with dietary restrictions.  You need to know these things.

You should consider preparing something for vegetarians.  There should be food choices that are low in calories.  Of course, you really do not have to worry about it.  Clients will usually inform you of these requests.  However, you should inquire about it from your client just in case.  It is always a good idea to prepare something that vegetarians will enjoy even if this mainly consists of steamed vegetables.  The client and his guests will definitely appreciate the effort and consideration you put into the meal.

2. Determine the amount of food that you need to prepare. This is easy if you coordinate with your client.  You should know how many guests are expected to come.  Your client may want to serve a full meal.  Depending on the time, the client may prefer that you prepare and serve a light snack instead.

If you are expected to serve a full meal, then you should run the different course options with your client.  You should have at least a couple of options for these courses.  This way, you will know what to prepare.  You can estimate the servings from the recipes that you are going to use.  It is advisable, however, that you always shoot for more than for less.  If you are expected to prepare a light snack or a buffet or hors d’ ouvres, you should make sure that you should have at least 4 different food items.

3. Plan the dishes. Make sure there is enough variety to please the guests.  If you are preparing hors d’ ouvres, make sure choose delicious savory recipes.  There should be some sweet items as well.  Although you may be asked to prepare light snacks, it is still a good idea to prepare at least two rich items.  There are guests who may expect something.  You should also make sure that there is something hot and something cold.

4. Be practical with your choices. You need to consider the time and money involved in preparing the dishes.  You might want to change recipes if what you planned will take up a lot of space.  You can always make substitutions without ruining the whole menu.

Planning a catering menu can be very tricky.  However, like everything else, you learn things as you go along the way.  If you are thinking of starting a catering business, it is a good idea to do your homework, read and research.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Catering can be very convenient especially if you do not have the time to prepare the food yourself.  Also, there are people who are excellent foodies but horrible cooks!  They do not have the skills to pull off a decent meal, so they rely on the “experts” to do the job for them.  Perhaps, you have done the same. But how do you get cheap food catering without sacrificing the quality of the food and the service?

You definitely can limit the budget you set aside for the food.  Your party can still be a hit without you needing to spend a lot of money on the catering.  There are simple ways to get cheap food catering the next time you hire someone to prepare the foods for you.

1. Choose a buffet-style meal.  You can speak with your caterer and get him to prepare a buffet-style meal for you and your guests.  This can save you more money than a sit-down meal.  You wouldn’t have to hire waiters or servers as well.  They can also cost you money! Of course, you need a couple of staff to wait by the buffet table and serve your guests, but you wouldn’t need people to hover and go around from table to table serving food.  Your guests will also appreciate the fact that they can get as much or as little as they want from the buffet table.
2. Get your caterer to serve less expensive dishes.  Remember the food need not be expensive in order to be delicious.  Cheap food catering means less expensive entrees.  However, they need to still be delicious.  So, take your time to look for caterers who can give you exactly that – delicious but cheap meals.  You do not have to serve lobsters or steak.  Choose a less expensive chicken dish instead.  You can also get your caterer to prepare pasta dishes for you.  They are considerably less expensive than other choices.  Check out the selections they offer.
3. Limit the food options to two.  You do not have to serve three or four main dishes.  You can ask your caterer to prepare at least two.  You can even consider skipping the main meal altogether.  You can offer heavy appetizers like rolls instead.  You should also limit appetizers, side items and desserts.  You do not have to serve more than that.  In fact, you can offer just one type of appetizer or dessert.  Your food cost will definitely go down if you do so.  It also helps to know the number of guests you will be expecting.  Your caterer will be able to estimate the amount of food that he needs to prepare.
4. Limit alcoholic beverages.  Aside from the fact that you don’t want your party to be ruined by a drunken guest, you will also save a lot of money from minimizing alcoholic options.

Cheap food catering is not impossible.  You do not have to sacrifice the quality of the food and service just so you can save money.  By making wise choices, you can definitely avoid spending a lot on catering.

Popularity: unranked [?]