Up The Creek: Ten Years Ago

[Pink Pig Time Machine by Wilfrid: October 7, 2013]

I'm lucky to have visited Australia three times, and as you'd expect this leads me to take a lively interest in their cuisine. Australian restaurants as such--and not counting Outback--are surprisingly rare, in London as well as New York.

I was excited, then, when a pub serving Aussie food opened in SoHo.

Eight Mile Creek was a fun place for a casual bite or two for much of its existence (not so good towards the end). Ten years ago, I was thrilled to find kangaroo loin on the menu. Kangaroo is not just a novelty--since the animal became game in Australia, thanks to its ridiculous numbers, it's been one of the world's best game meats.

The loin was served pink, which is really the only way. It was preceded by Moreton bay bugs, those meaty, earthy cousins of the langoustine, and we sampled the barrimundi too.  Thanks to import regulations, I think barramundi is the only one of those three ingredients you're likely to find in the city now.

Interesting desserts too. A sticky date pudding with ginger ice cream, confirming that part of the Australian culinary psyche is forever 1950s Britain. And Milo ice cream, Milo being a popular powdered night-time drink, very like Ovaltine.

I was spending most of my time hanging out in Manitoba's on Avenue B, following the Yankees' deep run into the post-season. But I found time to cook a big home feast for friends:

Charred eggplant dip

Crépinettes

Sole "Alice" d'Escoffier

Chapon godard, pommes purées

Fromages

***

Puligny-Montrachet "Les Grands Champs," 1994

E. Guigal Hermitage, 1996

Lopez de Heredia Viña Cubillo, 1990

Sandeman's Madeira

Muscat Beaumes-de-Venise

Armagnac, 1962

Comments

[Stephanie]

I was able to get kangaroo at The Thirsty Koala in Astoria fairly recently.