Wednesday, January 26, 2011

What could be more Australian?

What could be more Australian than this:
(hope you can tell what it is...!!)

I had a bunch of the best knitters over this afternoon, and as it also happens to be Australia Day today, I thought a pavlova was in order. And fairy bread. And lamingtons. And tim tams. Iced vo-vos. Passiona (almost everyone had some passiona!). Scones with jam and cream. And because Australia is a multicultural country, portuguese tarts. And PB&J sandwiches. Rice crispy treats. And snickerdoodles! Oh, and chocolate tart, just because we can.
I do often think about how glad I am to be Australian. I'm not going to bang on about it, as I'm not particularly overtly patriotic, but I'm so very glad I am a citizen of a country which has universal health care, generous (albeit unpaid) parental leave, paid parental leave as well (finally!), an actual legally enforced minimum wage which a person can (just) live on, a female Prime Minister and female Premiers in 3 of the 6 states as well as a female Governor-General, not to mention great weather, beautiful beaches and countryside and a general laid back attitude. I'm sure I've missed a lot of other worthy stuff, so feel free to add anything else you love about Australia in the comments, my Australian friends!

We're not perfect, as a people or a country, but I really am so very glad that I was born here. And not just because pavlova is one of our national dishes (never mind it's probably from New Zealand...)

25 comments:

Bells said...

amazing pavolova! Really well done. Huge amount of food as always. Such a contrast to the event we were at. Great people. So wish I could have been there!

Gidgetknits said...

The pavlova is awesome... and all that food! I've never had snickerdoodles. This appears a major oversight!

Michelle said...

What a great pav! And yes, it will always be Australian to me. Looks like a splendid afternoon all round!

2paw said...

You've made Pavlovally Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House: a culinary work of art!! What a beautiful spread!!
I, too, am glad to be Australian, but am not 'patriotic' in that French word chauvinistic way. Many things to be grateful for, not the least our wonderful array of food. I heard a chef say they had been to France, it was Garry from M/C on the radio on the ABC and it was a food mono-culture, and he was ever so glad to come back home!!

Anonymous said...

Yay, I guessed right, it was the Opera House. Looks yummy! Happy Australia Day! You all really have us outdone with parental leave (and health care).

I hope the rest of your day is as good as your table spread looks.

Sarah said...

Happy Australia Day - ooh that pavlova is AMAZING!

MadMad said...

Whoa - now THAT'S architecture! (Though you appear to be missing the Oprah O... heh) Now just how many people came to this food festival, er, I mean, knitting party? That is quite a spread! And what's a passiona?

Donna Lee said...

I was going to ask what a passiona is too.

The food looks yummy (how many were feeding?)

I'm always glad to be an American even though I recognize we have a long way to go before we're civilized enough to have universal health care. I enjoy our mix of cultures. In a 5 mile radius of my house, I can eat Thai,Chinese, Ethiopian, Indian, Italian, French, Peruvian, Brazilian and Mexican (and others). I enjoy the freedoms that we take for granted.

I think I'd like to be an Aussie, too.

roxie said...

What a stunning Pavlova! A strawberry opera house, a blueberry bay and a banana bridge. A fully edible map. I am SO impressed!! Looks like a feast! You spread a great party. I love stopping once in a while during a knitters' tea and just appreciating the music of happy women talking together. You must have had a symphony!

Celia said...

Yum! I would be Australian for a day.

Mereknits said...

Lovely, I think I will move down under.
Glad you had a great day,
Meredith

Anonymous said...

it was a lovely afternoon, really great people, food and conversation. its important that we are critically self-reflectively, but it is also important to acknowledge what we do well here, and every time i go away i know how lucky i am to call australia home. and god that pav was good. even if it is technically kiwi.

LynS said...

You forgot the mini meat pies with tomato sauce! It was a great afternoon and the pav was a triumph. In between bouts of helpless laughter, there was lots of food for thought in the conversation as well as food upon the table. Thanks for the hospitality!

Rose Red said...

Yes! Lyn! I knew I'd forget to list something!! How could I forget the pies and sauce!

Sue said...

Pavlova is one of my favourites! Sounds like you had a wonderful Australia Day lunch with your knitting friends.

Alrischa said...

Tell me it's not a miniature, but a Sydney-Harbour-sized Pav!!

hehe.

Alwen said...

Drat it, now it's my bedtime and I want pavlova! Hmph! kicks the chair leg

Kate said...

Yum - but what is Passiona? As a Kiwi I recognise everything else, but you got me on that one!

Sweetp said...

IT IS FROM NEW ZEALAND! lol. Seriously though, no pav I ever seen here looks as good as that one. OMG yum. Hungry for some pav now. Happy (belated) Australia Day

1funkyknitwit said...

Sorry I missed it looks all wonderful and that pav of yours ...AMAZING !!

...and like you, I would agree not bad being in this great place !

Ruby Girl said...

That pav looks so delicious, it made my mouth water.

Anonymous said...

What a great party! With food like that it could not fail to be awesome!!
I like being Australian - I like our humour, our scepticism, our laid-back attitude, our blend of cultures. I know that we have things to work on as a country, but there are a lot of things that are going well.
Like acknowledging the influence NZ has had on our culture :)

Jan said...

Passionfruit soft drink. Fizzy and bright yellow.

That food all looks great.

Linda said...

Gorgeous food!!!! I am really proud to be British and have all the things we are lucky enough to have in our country. I think that living away from it for a while really made me appreciate what we have here.
When we lived in Australia I loved .... the bird sounds, the animals (not spiders and snakes though!), the cake shops, the lovely coffee, Volumes (our local book store and cafe), carrot cake, peeling bark of stringybark trees, the heat (sometimes!), Kosmea face products, wide open spaces, BBQ,s in the parks, and the markets around where we lived!

Anonymous said...

Now I is homesick ( for Sydney and NZ), will you bring Teddy to HK and make me one??