For lunch we finished the chicken breast and broccoli slaw on sandwiches.
The chicken was Au$1.50 per serve
The broccoli slaw was Au$1.25 per serve.
A good sandwich for Au$2.75 (US$1.93) per serve.
Dinner
Tonight we had Foodie Philip’s family over for dinner. We prepared Nigella Lawson’s braised lamb shoulder with mint and pomegranate served with a homemade Greek Salad.
The lamb shoulder was Au$24.35 or $3.47 per serve
The pomegranate was Au$2.70 or 39c per serve
Mint was $2.25 or 31c per serve
Olives were Au$3.00 or 43c per serve
Cos lettuce was Au$3.50 for a two pack but we used only one, or 25c per serve
Grape Kumatoes were Au$6.50 or 93c per serve
A shallot was Au92c or 13c per serve
Danish feta was Au$3.03 or 43c per serve.
An excellent meal all round, and enjoyed by all. The addition of the pomegranate juice was welcome. A fitting end to our trip for Au$6.34 (US$4.44) per serve.
For lunch today we returned to Mr Schnitzel in Warner’s Bay for an enormous Chicken Schnitzel Wrap with lettuce, bacon, parmesan and a Caesar dressing. It’s no surprise that the shop is full of those expending a lot of energy in their daily work.
A very, very filling meal with over 300g (12oz) of Schnitzel alone, for Au$13.00 (US$9.10) per serve.
Dinner
Tonight Foodie Greg cooked for his parents, we believe for the first time! He decided on lamb loin chops with an eggplant, feta and pomegranate salad. The eggplant was first tossed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar before being roasted and allowed to cool to room temperature before being added to the salad.
The lamb loin chops were Au$4.85 per serve
Danish feta was Au$3.48 or 87c per serve
Eggplant was Au$5.01 or $1.25 per serve
The pomegranate was Au$2.70 or 67c per serve
Mint was $3.00 but we only used about ¼ or 19c per serve.
The lamb chops were complete with ‘tail’ which brings extra flavor from the fat, while the ssalad had a great roasted flavor from the eggplant that was nicely balanced with the creamy saltiness of the feta and tart freshness of the eggpant. A very successful meal for Au$7.78 (US$5.45) per serve.
As we had not got to the shops, we had toast and butter for lunch for under $1.00 per serve.
Dinner
Having got to the supermarket we had a Roast Chicken Leg each served with broccoli slaw kit.
The Chicken was Au$9.00 or $3.00 per serve
The broccoli slaw kit was Au$5.00 or $1.25 per serve.
While it was hardly the most exciting meal of recent times, the chicken was well cooked and the slaw provided a slightly tart, tasty crunch. Foodie Philip finished the somewhat boring stuffing (dressing). An okay meal for Au$4.25 (US$2.98) per serve.
Today was a travel day, so we grabbed a corner beef, tomato and cheese sandwich at Sydney Airport for Au$8.50 (US5.95), which is pretty expensive.
Dinner
For dinner, we were invited to Foodie Philip’s brother’s home for family dinner, where he generously hosted with fillet steak, garden salad a a great homemade fried rice that was rich in bacon and flavor.
Our final reunion activity was at the home of a Cousin in Devonport where we had an Australian style BBQ, which would be considered a grill in the USA. A fast grill, but always with at least part of the cooking surface dedicated to a solid metal cooking surface – for the grilled onion, if nothing more.
There were at least two batches of onions, and a lot of rissoles. It was a little throwback, including childhood classics like Fairy Bread, which was not as popular with today’s children as it was with their parents.
Once again, local family hosted with salads and deserts.
Dinner
As we were quite late back from the reunion and a side visit with some family members, we stopped at the Beach Hotel in Burnie for dinner. Foodie Greg had the Souvlaki Wrap, while Foodie Philip was not yet tired of scallops, so he enjoyed them a new way: garlic cream sauce.
We thought both meals were good examples of what they were, for Au$21.55 (US$15.09) per serve.
Lunchntoday found us in Burnie Park for a family reunion get together. As tradition dictates this lunch is fried egg and bacon sandwiches on white bread, which were delicious because the bacon is from healthy, non feed lot animals, and the eggs from pastured chickens.
Our local family hosted the rest of us.
Dinner
For the next event on the reunion calendar, we ordered from various take out venues for delivery to our celebration location. The Foodies chose Chinese Scallops and Vegetables, which turned out to be a very generous serve of both, particularly the scallops, for Au$21.00 (US$14.70) per serve.
On the road again we stopped to refuel car and occupants in Queenstown at Tracks cafe at the railway station. We decided to order Fish & Chips and Calamari & Chips and share the proteins. We felt the Calamari was slightly better but both were good, and came with a generous serve of fries and salad for Au$18.00 (US$12.60) per serve.
Dinner
After settling in to our temporary accommodation we headed in to Burnie ahead of ‘Cousins’ night as part of the Family reunion held this weekend.
We found a grill where Foodie Greg chose their beef burger, while Foodie Philip chose a rib eye steak. They were both good meals, as expected for Au$21.00 (US$14.70) per serve.
On the road to our next destination we stopped at a roadhouse and picked up some sandwiches. Foodie Philip found his Kransky, Cheese & Bacon to be pretty enjoyable, while Foodie Greg was less enamoured of his choice.
It was serviceable food for Au$7.20 (US$5.04) per serve.
Dinner
We ate at the restaurant associated with Lake St Claire Lodge and both had the Lamb Sirloin with vegetables. Oddly, Foodie Greg’s meal came with different vegetables than Foodie Philip’s. Apparently Greg’s were the vegetables from the steak dish, but he preferred the broccolini to the glazed carrots and pea purée that was on the menu.
The lamb sirloin was excellent for Au$42.00 (US$29.40) per serve. We also had a very excellent gin and tonic prepared by barman Michael from gin that we discovered was distilled using water from the lake! Talk about hyper Local!
We walked down to The Taste (as everyone seems to call it here) for a second lunch. Instead of going for the broad tasting we did yesterday, we opted for two main dishes. We split both so we each a chance to taste each dish.
First was back to Mount Gnomon Farm for their Nom Nom Plate of slow cooked pork shoulder, Texas Beef Brisket, smoked Mount Gnomon Farm chorizo, and bacon with a Southern slaw and Alabama White Sauce.
Clockwise from top left: bacon, pulled pork, brisket, and chorizo with the spicy slaw in the middle.
Every item on the plate was perfectly cooked and really tender. The bacon had a subtle smoke, and was full of flavor. The brisket and pulled pork shoulder melted in the mouth and the chorizo had an excellent balance of spice. The slaw was not shy, and had a good touch of heat on its own. Excellent for Au$10.00 (US$7.00) each
Looking around we found the Cranston Lamb Baa stall and decided their cider braised lamb shoulder with a spelt, pickled vegetable and feta salad.
Spelt salad and cider braised lamb shoulder.
Having done similar, and planning braising lamb shoulder next week, we were curious about the lamb, and that spelt salad. Spelt is a rather ancient grain regaining popularity.
We can only hope we do the lamb as well! It was tender as expected, with quite definite lamb flavor. The salad was surprisingly good. Foodie Greg particularly liked it. Great food for Au$8.50 (US$5.95) per serve.
We had some great food for Au$18.50 (US$12.95) per serve.
Dinner
Foodie Greg could not get the image of BBQ duck hanging in the shop window just over the hill in Sandy Bay, so we went back and picked up half a duck, some bok choy and rice and enjoyed it in the delightful courtyard of our AirBnb house.
It was absolutely worth it! The duck was great with crisp skin, perfectly rendered fat, and juicy flesh. The bok choy and rice were a good way to round out the meal.
