Researching our first stop on the Global Gourmet tour, Australia, I learned a lot. Some of it heavy. Some of it light and airy.
Food conveys memories, good and bad. It sears them into the most interior places we have. Incites passion, heated debate. Is proxy for our values, represents real or imagined character flaws and admirable traits. Read about how Australia is literally dying of thirst - while the Prime Minister is hand-wringing. At the same time, the restaurant and chef community in Australia are developing and protecting a thriving community with a focus on sustainable resources.
Then there's dessert.
September 11 is a good time to remember. One thing is the fragility of life. How we live it , daily, is perhaps worthy of deeper appreciation than we often give it.
Sometimes, food reminds of us our connection to others, our past, our history. Sometimes it is that bridge to a new place, literal or figurative.
The trite advice to "eat dessert first" seems perhaps more poignant today. Anyway, it was dessert that began my journey to Australia...
Pavlova is the dessert many Australians and New Zealanders adore. Sarah Kagan on Epi-Log August 29 The Perfect Summer Dessert.
Here is the basic structure of a Pavlova:
A meringue-like base, slathered with whipped cream, topped with fruit.
The fun/challenge is the marshmallow-center-meringue-edged base. Should it crack? Should it be soft when done? Can you make it on a humid day? What if it turns orange? Drama aplenty.
Created for a famous ballerina, the lightness is said to be an homage to the lightness of her dance. (If the sweetness is also a reflection of her, she'd be either completely vapid or completely evil. Girls, you know what I mean.)
Anyway, further dispatch from Australia shortly. For now, get your eggs and mixer ready...
