Cooking the Australian Way by Elizabeth Germaine;Ann L. Burckhardt

Author:Elizabeth Germaine;Ann L. Burckhardt
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9780822541011
Publisher: IB Dave's Library
Published: 2004-04-08T07:00:00+00:00

A f t e r n o o n T e a

Tea is one of the most common beverages in Australia. Aussie chil

dren develop a taste for tea by sipping a little bit of it mixed with lots of milk and sugar. Australians may enjoy a “cuppa”—a cup of tea—at any time of the day, but in the morning and afternoon it is usually accompanied by a snack. Morning tea—a cup of tea or cof

fee served with a biscuit or a scone—is lighter than afternoon tea. The custom of having afternoon tea at 4:00 P.M. each day came to Australia from England, and it can be quite a formal occasion. Tea is served with a selection of sandwiches, scones, cookies, and cakes—

both elaborate and plain. Although most modern Australians lead busy lives, the tradition of afternoon tea lives on.

Australians drink tea at all hours of the day, but having afternoon tea with a variety of snacks is often a special event. (Recipe on page 38.) 37

Tea

The most traditional Australian tea was “bill

”

y tea. Brewed by bushmen in Australia’s wilderness, the water was boiled and the tea was steeped in a metal container called a billy. Billy Tea is now a brand name of a popular Australian black tea. If you can’t get Billy Tea, try other black teas such as English Breakfast in the morning and Earl Grey in the afternoon. 1 c. water per person

1. Place cold water in a kettle (not a

teapot). Bring water to a boil.

1 tsp. loose tea for each person plus

one more tsp., or 1 tea bag for

2. Meanwhile, warm a teapot by filling

each person plus one more*

it with hot tap water.

3. When water in the kettle boils,

empty hot tap water from the

teapot. Place tea in teapot.

4. Fill teapot with the boiling water.

5. Allow tea to steep (soak) for 2

minutes and serve hot.

Preparation time: 12 to 14 minutes

*Most Australians like the taste of

their tea to be quite strong.The extra

teaspoonful or tea bag is called “one

for the pot,” and it gives the tea the

extra flavor that Aussies love.

38

Tomato and Mint Sandwiches

These triangular sandwiches are tasty tidbits to snack on at teatime.They are not meant to fill you up, since dinner is usually not too far off.

4 thin slices white or whole wheat

1. Trim crusts from bread.

bread

2. Spread softened butter or margarine

1 to 2 tbsp. soft butter or

thinly on bread. (This will keep the

margarine

tomatoes from making the bread

soggy.)

1 tomato*

3. Cut tomato into thin slices. Using a

dash salt and pepper

serrated knife will make cutting the

∏ tsp. sugar

tomato easier.

several sprigs fresh mint

4. Place tomato slices on two of the

buttered bread slices. Sprinkle

tomato slices with salt, pepper, and

sugar.

5. Wash mint and dry the sprigs

between paper towels. With kitchen

shears, snip mint leaves from 2

sprigs into tiny pieces and sprinkle

them over the tomato slices.

6. Cover tomato slices with remaining

slices of bread. Cut each sandwich

*For a variation on this recipe, use

into four triangular pieces. Arrange

thinly sliced, peeled cucumber in place

sandwiches on a plate or small

of the tomato and leave out the sugar.

platter and garnish with extra sprigs

of mint.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.