Balance 2

     Finding balance on the opposite side of the planet can be rather mind-boggling. If you really think about it much, even aspirin won't help. Waking up on Monday morning, throwing back the curtains, and taking a good look at Sydney Harbor puts some perspective on location. The weather is clear, the water is blue, and fall has fallen. The Sydney Park Hyatt balcony overlooking the water is truly a spectacular sight first thing in the morning. Water taxis, ferries going from beach to beach, and cruise ships just docking for a day or two make things seem unreal. The hotel restaurant had a unique decoration with foods listed on the windows inside with open air dining available to enjoy the sunrise. At absolutely no time did the restaurant staff appear to be inattentive or preoccupied. The phrase, "no worries", is practiced by all. 

A trip to the local zoo was the plan with petting Koalas at the top of the list. However, while the Koalas were sleeping, as they do 20 hours a day (what a life), the Wallabies and Kangaroos were more than willing to show off their Australian hospitality. Raised in the zoo, they are very accepting of people, and actually came up to us to be petted. Even the emus were looking for a meal and came up to be fed. Imagine an Ostrich with a slightly shorter neck, but just as bad-tempered. I think the Emu I tried to feed knew I ate some of his cousins awhile back and declined to take food from me at first. After the zoo, there was a bit of time before the afternoon reception in which so more shopping ensued. 
Let's face it, balance or not, where else and at what other time is anyone ever going to be able to stock up on boomerangs?

I visited a little fine foods market near the hotel (yes, I can never really truly leave my culinary life behind, right?) and found some very unique items. Prawn oil, monkey nut chutney (relax - made with peanuts ), and Australian olive oil - I will have to let you know how that differs another time. 

After the reception and some heavy hors d'oevres, my brother and I ventured out for some authentic Australian cuisine. Yep, you guessed it, Kangaroo loin. A bit leaner than venison and cooked to a nice medium rare. Kangaroo to the Aussies is venison to us. Prepared properly, kangaroo meat has a nice tender texture. Kangaroo meat is available in grocery stores and at the airport markets (really). 

A trip to the blue mountains was on the agenda the following day and so we called it an early night. I got the opportunity to send out some postcards and they actually just got here 4 days after I arrived back. And I thought the mail was slow around here.

While the following recipes aren't technically Australian at all, I did see them being served in some of the restaurants over there. Did I achieve any balance this day? You bet. There is always a good balance between the kitchen and the nature that supplies the ingredients to the kitchen. Bon appetit and more next week.

Indian Shrimp Sauté 
Serves 6

1/2 tsp cumin seed
1/4 tsp coriander seed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp shallot, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 Tbsp ginger, peeled and minced
2 tsp curry powder
28 ounces (840 g) plum tomatoes, canned
1 red pepper, sliced
1 zucchini, julienne
1/2 Cup (2 dl) parsley, chopped
1/4 Cup (½ dl) lemon juice

1. In a small dry skillet over medium high heat, toast cumin and coriander seeds, shaking the pan, for 30-40 seconds, or until fragrant. Let cool and crush with the bottom of a heavy pan or with mortar and pestle.

2. In a large heavy skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add shrimp and red pepper flakes and sauté 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp turn bright pink. With a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to a plate. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

3. Add shallots, garlic, ginger, curry powder, and crushed cumin and coriander seeds to the skillet. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, or until the shallots are slightly browned. Stir in chopped tomatoes, bell peppers, and zucchini.

4. Cook the mixture, stirring often, over medium heat, for 8-10 minutes, or until sauce is slightly thickened. Add the reserved shrimp, parsley, and lemon juice to the skillet and heat through. Adjust seasonings as desired and serve immediately.


Linguini Avocado 
Serves 4

1/2 pound linguine
salt, to taste
2 plum tomatoes, cubed
1/4 avocado, cubed
1 bunch arugula, chopped
4 artichoke hearts, cubed
2 oz (60 g) gruyere cheese, cubed
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Romano cheese, grated
3 Tbsp basil, chopped
pepper, to taste

Boil 3 quarts (3 liters) water. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain well. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add the past and toss well to coat. Serve immediately.

Chef Richard M. Lipton can be contacted directly at his Email address:
sushidragon@hotmail.com

Balance
(Traveling to Australia with Richard)

     Balance is a rather vague term. One person may perceive balance as in a well-balanced meal while the next may try to find his/her balance in life. One thing that helps us all find some balance is a vacation. Once or twice a year we need to take time out of our busy lives to stop and smell the roses. Some even get paid to take a vacation (really bizarre, huh?). It is a good time to go to different places, meet different people and use the time to explore and find balance and meaning in our lives. Alternatively, we can go out and have fun. I have to admit that a 14-hour plane flight to Australia was not fun, but did give me time to reflect (when I wasn’t sleeping, that is).

I also have to admit, I was kind of hoping for the really good airplane food only to discover that is not on the menu on the economy side of first class. I spent the first couple of days of my "summer vacation" in Los Angeles. I met some very interesting people and even got a job offer. Not bad for two days work, (laughing). I also think I figured out the cure for jet lag. Don't wear a watch. Whatever time it is where you're going, just keep going until it gets dark and then fall asleep. Well, it worked for me. I left Los Angeles at 10:30 PM on a Friday and when the plane landed, it was 6:30 AM Sunday. The group and I got a good tour of the Opera House and surrounding township near the Park Hyatt Hotel. 

The seasons are opposite to ours, so Fall season was well underway, with 70° F days and 50° F nights with sunsets to die for. Our guide, Peter, told us that we had to try a meat pie as well as fish and chips. Pub food is also big in Australia as well as oriental mixtures of Australian favorites. It seems that when China took back Hong Kong from England, a lot of people migrated to Australia looking for the same freedom they enjoyed while under British rule. The Aussies welcomed them with open arms and the Asians have, subsequently, added to the economy. There's my history lesson for the week. On the local tour of the area that first day, I found delightful shops and waterside eateries featuring, you guessed it, meat pies and fish and chips. 

Sydney even has water taxis which we took back to the hotel. I shared one with some tourists from Brooklyn. They acted like they had never seen this much water before. The harbor bridge went about 1,000 feet in the air and at any given time during the day, there were people actually walking on the very top railing. What was most interesting was that they actually paid to do that. A big tourist draw is walking up the railing of this bridge and looking 1,000 feet down to the harbor. Gives me the shivers just thinking about it. The first nights dinner consisted of a seafood buffet with Black-shelled oysters, marinated octopus tentacles, prawns (really big shrimp), and chafing dishes with chicken sate, lamb chops, and beef kabobs. 

It is very easy to find balance and perspective on the other side of the glove when the cuisine is this good. I will wait until next week for the vegemite recipes. Here are a few things that I did try while I was down under and, if possible, maybe the pictures will come out too. More about my travels next week. Bon Appetit!

If you wish to view pictures of Richard Lipton’s Trip to Australia, you can contact Richard at sushi dragon@hotmail.com

Sautéed Kangaroo Medallions 
Serves 4

750 milliliters white wine
1 onion, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
2 shallots, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 sprigs parsley
2 sprigs thyme
1 each bay leaf
10 peppercorn
28 ounces (840 g) kangaroo loin, 7 oz (210 g) medallions
2 Tbsp juniper berries, crushed
1-1/3 Cups (2-2/3 dl) butter, softened
1/4 Cup (½ dl) currant jelly
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil
2 knobs celeriac, peeled and diced
1 potato, peeled and diced
3 Tbsps butter
1/4 Cup (½ dl) crème fraiche
1/4 Cup (½ dl) parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine first 10 ingredients. Place kangaroo in wine marinade; cover and marinate 2-3 hours refrigerated. Remove meat from marinade, dry, and set aside. Strain and reserve marinade; discard vegetables. Reduce marinade over medium heat to 3/4 cup (1-½ dl). Remove from heat. Combine juniper berries and butter; chill. 

2. Whisk juniper butter and jelly into marinade; season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain sauce and set aside; keep warm. Season kangaroo with salt and pepper. Sauté in oil, over high heat, until desired doneness is reached., turning once. Slice medallions; serve napped with sauce.

3. In a large saucepan, combine celery root and potato. Cook in lightly salted boiling water until tender. Drain and puree through food mill. Melt butter in saucepan; stir in puree, crème fraiche, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm. Serve with kangaroo on the side.

Grilled Salmon with Mango Salsa 
Serves 4

4 salmon fillets
1/4 Cup (½ dl) cilantro, chopped
1/4 Cup (½ dl) mint, chopped
1 tsp chili oil
1/2 tsp salt, optional
1/4 tsp pepper
Vegetable cooking spray
1 Cup (2 dl) mango, peeled and cubed
1 Cup (2 dl) banana, peeled and sliced
1/4 Cup (½ dl) mint, chopped
2 Tbsps orange juice
1 tsp lime rind, grated
1 Tbsp lime juice
8 ounces (240 g) pineapple chunks in juice, drained
1 Serrano pepper, seeded and diced

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in plastic bag. Seal and shake gently to coat. Marinate in refrigerator 20-30 minutes. Remove salmon from bag. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place salmon on broiler rack coated with cooking spray. Broil salmon 3-5 minutes per side until done.

2. Combine remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir well to blend flavors. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 20-30 minutes. Serve with salmon as soon as salmon is cooked.