Food for Thought - Intercontinental Culinary Contest Idea!

I’ve an idea for a new reality TV show. After hitting the ground running here in Australia with my Mary Poppins' mission to make a few tasty, wholesome, balanced dinners for my sister Kerry and family following the birth of their new baby boy, the thought struck me mid-supermarket aisle that I ought to have brought along a few of my favorite recipes, logged in the notes section of my smart phone.

The fact that I’ve been making a mad dash to the store daily with the general gist of what my sister’s been missing in the home cooked department, of late, with no idea of what’s where on the supermarket shelves in Sydney’s Bondi Junction, has made for something of a game-show grab-and-go.

The Italian hubby made me promise to switch my phone to airplane mode. He’s the keeper of our family-of-five phone bills so I’m sworn to seeking out free Wi-Fi when out-and-about overseas and not having much joy in figuring out the internet whenever I do strike gold on a potential Google search for a roving recipe.

Thus, my repertoire in the culinary arts has been conjured up behind the cart as I stare, bewildered, in the produce department, wondering why there aren’t any yellow or orange peppers.

We’ve had lengthy conversations over dinner as to the surprisingly sparse offerings of local, organic foods in Sydney. Restaurants are renowned for great food, here in the hub of New South Wales, but the average grocery shopper has to work hard to seek out the freshest and most varied of produce.

Wild rice was on my mental list during yesterday’s jaunt. A big bag of beautiful mixed rice back home would make for two meals for my large family, simmered for an hour at a cost of around $3.99. After scouring the shelves in the rice department in a couple of competitor supermarkets in the massive Bondi Junction shopping center, the best I could come up with was a tiny little, spice-size packet of a few ounces, for the same price. I opted for new potatoes instead.

Day five of my visit and I’ve stocked up on supplies for the next three evening meals, freshly made falafel with roasted Mediterranean veggies, Tahini and a loaf of the lovely Turkish flat bread that’s so popular here in Australia, baked chicken with cannellini beans and leeks (and old favorite, ala Oliver, Jamie), trusty-staple, spaghetti with homemade meatballs and sauce….  

 Back to the TV show idea. We’ve watched all sorts of super chefs go for it in the commercial kitchen, filmed on various continents, but how about a series where contestants are sent to foreign countries without any access to recipe notes, cookbooks or the internet and plunged into neighborhood supermarkets, on a timer, to source and carry back the contents of family-style meals, to concoct in a home kitchen unfamiliar to them. Figuring out the oven controls, pots and pans, utensils, available seasonings and oils – all part of the versatility required to compete with globetrotting home chef contestants!

 

Comments

[Lara]

I like your idea, I would like to see you do it but sounds like you are managing. Let me know if I can email you any recipes!

:)Lara

[Frances]

If you were here with me, Lara we could have had a spot of food photography going on!