This Week's Meaningless Topic (#25) (Feb 27)

[Rodger Pettichord]

Hi all. In looking at the responses to the meaningless topics, I notice that we are a widespread bunch--nine different countries represented. Thinking that it's about time we meet for lunch, I couldn't decide what the menu should be. Which leads to this week's topic (if you don't recognize a food, Google is your friend).

 

THIS WEEK'S MEANINGLESS TOPIC: Which of our respondent's country would provide us the best lunch?

(A) AUSTRALIA -- Roast Lamb                                      (F) NEW ZEALAND -- Kiwi Pie

(B) CANADA -- Poutine                                                     (G) NETHERLANDS -- Stamppot

(C) COSTA RICA -- Gallo Pinto                                      (H) TASMANIA -- Scallop Pie   

(D) ENGLAND -- Fish and Chips                                    (I) UNITED STATES -- Burger and Fries                                        
(E) GERMANY -- Sauerbraten

 

 

[m0dpsych]

A for sure. Nothing beats a roast lamb.......

[olderndirt]

As a native born Scot I've always been a big fan of fish and chips.  I got mine from a van, after the pictures and walked home munching away on my cone of wax paper with a newspaper outside wrap.  This would come under 'D' but we Scots know who makes the best fish and chips .

[gregmorin]

A   I love roast Lamb!

 

Greg

[Ken Q]

Ho boy, Rodger!  You've opened a can of worms!  Not that I'd offer worms for lunch, unless you're a robin.

 

To start, many of us "Yanks" are only a generation or two from the "ould sod".  I was raised by my very English grandparents.  Grandma was from West Hartlepool (she was from WEST: don't ask who hanged the monkey?).  Grandpa was from Southampton.  I grew up with either roast beef, or roast lamb for Sunday dinner, and I'm fond of both, though I guess I'd go for burger and fries for lunch.

 

Now this practice of regular Sunday dinners of roast lamb took on a different aspect after my mother married my father.  Father served on an LST in the Pacific during the war.  Northern Solomon's.  Bismarck Sea.  Long time at sea on a ship good for nine knots at best.  Now the staple fare for these long stretches was SPAM.  American sailors became sick of the stuff.  So at one point they were operating with units of the Australian Navy.  Apparently our Aussie brothers had, at this point as much lamb and mutton as they could stomach.  So a swap was arranged.  Great for a while, but eventually too much of a good thing.  My father couldn't eat roast lamb, which was a bit of a problem for the rest of the family. By coincidence, when as a new Navy boot camp graduate, reported on board my very first ship my first meal was... Lamb.

 

I suggest we all fly out to Catalina (KAVX) (sorry, a long haul from Oz) and have something truly American: Buffalo Burgers at the DC3 Cafe.

 

Ken

[Rob Abernathy]

+1 for the Buffalo Burgers at the DC3 Cafe!    Wasn't on the list but I love a good lamb roast....A

[gumbypickett]

{A} Definitely love the slow cooked Lamb Shanks in the

slow cooker and slow cooked Roast Lamb in the oven.

Reminds me, I must invite myself to my daughters place tomorrow. She does the best.

cheers

Gumby

[olderndirt]

My wife loves lamb - just the idea of eating anything 'sheepish' brings memories of WW2 and the rest of the forties when 'mutton' was the protein of choice.  Horse meat and whale blubber were also on offer but mutton seemed to dominate.

[John York]

My Sheila could make you all an unbelievable Chinese feast.  But she won't because I would gobble it all up myself!  

[Stillwater]

A) for me as I love Mod Oz.

 

But I´d also accept D) made in H):

[TerribleT]

Interesting to note you have classified Tasmania as a Country separate from OZ!  So to appease those lovely Apple munching residents of the Apple Isle I will happily munch on scallops

[Rodger Pettichord]

29 minutes ago, TerribleT said:

Interesting to note you have classified Tasmania as a Country separate from OZ!  So to appease those lovely Apple munching residents of the Apple Isle I will happily munch on scallops

Thanks for the correction, TT. Of course I meant "Island State of Australia." But I think Tasmanians and Texans would not mind being called separate countries .

[gumbypickett]

2 hours ago, TerribleT said:

Interesting to note you have classified Tasmania as a Country separate from OZ!  So to appease those lovely Apple munching residents of the Apple Isle I will happily munch on scallops

T T you shock me.

So we are part of Australia. 

Seriously though, I've met mainlanders who think 

Tasmania is a place overseas. 

We are left off the map, and don't get much of a mention.

Thanks for sticking up for us T T.

Cheers

Gumby

 

[adambar]

None of them Rodger.   Give me a bowl of conch chowder, a side of conch fritters, a piece of key lime pie and a few cold beers in Key West and I'm a happy camper. 

[W2DR]

3 hours ago, Rodger Pettichord said:

Thanks for the correction, TT. Of course I meant "Island State of Australia." But I think Tasmanians and Texans would not mind being called separate countries .

Yep. We Texans are, indeed, an independent bunch. My fathers family settled in Texas 161 years ago and the motto now is the same as it was then...Don't Mess With Texas. If you want to try some REALLY good food have some Texas barbeque (yes it's a noun, not a verb) with a bowl of cowboy chili on the side.

[olderndirt]

The United States can do way better than burger and fries.  Having spent many years in Alaska, the seafood choices are worthy of note.  Of all the salmon, the red always tasted best to me; never eaten at bad halibut and king crab legs, razor clams, steelhead trout and grayling are superb.

[Ken Q]

6 minutes ago, olderndirt said:

The United States can do way better than burger and fries.  Having spent many years in Alaska, the seafood choices are worthy of note.  Of all the salmon, the red always tasted best to me; never eaten at bad halibut and king crab legs, razor clams, steelhead trout and grayling are superb.

King Crab legs!  I mentioned above my grandpa was from Southampton.  Of course the industry there was the great liners.  That's how he started, and found his way to the U.S.  But his brother Bill, stayed home, except he didn't.  He served for years on the ships; Mauritania, and then for years, Queen Mary.  His son, Morris, followed him, and for years sailed together.  They were both very frequent guests at our house.  Now Grandpa was especially fond of seafood, and especially king crab.  The liners served (in First Class) lobster (fresh) eastbound, and king crab (frozen) westbound.  On arrival in New York, cousin Morris always smuggled king crab legs for his Uncle Bert (Grandpa). On those times he could not visit during the turn around, he would rendezvous with Grandpa on 12th Avenue, being frozen from  the frozen crab legs in his pockets.  The next day there'd by two ample rumps sitting on the back stoop sharing this delicacy.  Grandpa and our cat Smokey.

[olderndirt]

2 minutes ago, Ken Q said:

King Crab legs!  I mentioned above my grandpa was from Southampton.  Of course the industry there was the great liners.  That's how he started, and found his way to the U.S.  But his brother Bill, stayed home, except he didn't.  He served for years on the ships; Mauritania, and then for years, Queen Mary.  His son, Morris, followed him, and for years sailed together.  They were both very frequent guests at our house.  Now Grandpa was especially fond of seafood, and especially king crab.  The liners served (in First Class) lobster (fresh) eastbound, and king crab (frozen) westbound.  On arrival in New York, cousin Morris always smuggled king crab legs for his Uncle Bert (Grandpa). On those times he could not visit during the turn around, he would rendezvous with Grandpa on 12th Avenue, being frozen from  the frozen crab legs in his pockets.  The next day there'd by two ample rumps sitting on the back stoop sharing this delicacy.  Grandpa and our cat Smokey.

All the Alaskan seafood is wonderful but I still love haddock and chips or the 'Arbroath smokies' - it's all about availability.  I left Southampton in 1953 aboard the SS United States, stopped at Le Havre and four days later landed in New York - a whole new world.

[W2DR]

8 hours ago, olderndirt said:

The United States can do way better than burger and fries.  Having spent many years in Alaska, the seafood choices are worthy of note.  Of all the salmon, the red always tasted best to me; never eaten at bad halibut and king crab legs, razor clams, steelhead trout and grayling are superb.

Indeed we can. As I said above...Texas barbeque and cowboy chili. Truly American food. You can eat seafood anywhere .

[Rob Abernathy]

I was stationed at Adak, Alaska for 18 months ( '70-'71) and had the best King Crab ever!  A processing ship pulled into Finger Bay and we could get fresh cooked King Crab for 50 cents each.  Sweet as butter.