Australia Day 2004 Menu Reflections

To Gawen Rudder the question, "What food, and drink, came to mind forAustralia Day?" seemed fair enough. The Americans have theirThanksgiving turkey, whilst our adolescent country is yet to agree upon- let alone define - its very own distinctive Australian fare.

The wonder of Australian food and wine is its incredible diversity; sowhy was I surprised at the amazing range of responses? Proving there'smore to our food than Lamingtons and VB, members' discussion and debateon our Australia Day menu ranged from environmental to political,gastronomical, oenological and nostalgia . . .

Belinda Jeffery's Australia Day memories took her back to familypicnics at Paradise Beach on Pittwater, "sitting on a log with mysister, wrapped in a towel from yet another swim, eating slices ofwatermelon and seeing who could spit the seeds the furthest (she wasbigger and always won!)". She remembers "the sun on my back, thetrickles of salty water running off my plaits and the sticky watermelonjuice dripping down my arms, and to this day I can hear the cicadas,smell the gums and feel the fine white sand between my toes".

Jan Power sends thoughts from Queensland of "over-ripe mangoes dribbleddown the chin, mango chutney competitions, blowfly and bin rituals. Thesounds of summer, crabs claws cracking and fat, fecund figs falling offbackyard trees and rotting on the ground."

Mary Atkins finds that every surf club has a barbecue breakfastfunction - as do most of the service clubs and community groups. Shebelieves t hat barbecuing has established itself as our nationalcooking technique, be it the sausage sizzle or something grander. Asour economy "has ridden on a sheep's back" for most of recent historyand lamb is an Australian culinary signature, Mary chose lamb, eitherthe perennial favourite of crumbed lamb cutlets or something morecontemporary.

Not surprisingly, Meat & Livestock Australia's David Thomasonagrees. "It's always open house at our place on January 26 with familyand friends stopping by for lamb chops sizzling on the barbie -Australia's national meat! This year we cooked up a lamb feast again,spending the day appreciating the wonderful food (and wines) wehave here." Only problem for David is that one day is never enough."Sowhy not do it all over again?" he asks, "why limit ourselves to justAustralia Day?"

Similarly, for Gabriel Gaté barbecues come to mind - sausages, lambchops, chicken pieces, salads, plus cheese or chocolate cake and fruitsalad, washed down with beer, white wine or sparkling."But what," ourAustralianised Frenchman asks, "would Australians say? Moreimportantly, what would you say? 'G'day mate! Let's welcome more peopleto this great country!' "

John Newton is not quite so optimistic, pointing out, "Anyone who turnsup on our doorstep is turned away quick smart. No room at our inn -unless of course it's the Baxter Inn - behind razor wire" and wonders"what they eat in the concentration camps - sorry - detention centres".

"What foods, flavours or ingredients most make me proud to be anAustralian on our National Day?" asked Vic Cherikoff."They would haveto be unique to this land. Their traditions of use, although integratedinto our fusion cuisine styles, would need to be long and deep. Whatother nation can claim the use of foods from the longest, continuouslyliving culture on the planet? The dishes in the meal would need tobalance salt (reflecting the sea), bitter (from the inland), sweet (the rainforest), sour (from our woodlands),aromatic and pungent (from any of these environs and more) with dueattention paid to textures, from smooth to crisp and colours ofrichness to equal our splendid vistas". Vic starts with an ivorywhite-fleshed perch fillet crumbed and fried in the speckled purple andgreen fleck of alpine pepper and topped with fat rock oysters smoked inpaperbark. On to a main of game meat from the outback with a rich sauceof quandong and shiraz spiked with forest anise to  stimulate theappetite and tonify the spirit. Finally, our National Dessert: rolledwattle seed Pavlova, with a wild-herbscented biscuit crumble and agarnish of glacé riberries.

Every year Max Lake does a large bowl of pasta salad of cold spirilliflavoured with chopped makrut lime, coriander and fresh mint leaves,the best fish sauce and enough cold pressed peanut oil to tosseasily."Very satisfying", he reckons, "and always enjoyed by my mob.Maybe a few chopped little green scuds if the table accepts a chillihit along with the rose fragrance."

Loukie Werle also does pasta - with a difference: pasta with pippies that fits the occasion perfectly. (For her recipe, go to www.foodmediaclub.com.au).

Perth-based bon vivant Peter Forrestal quaffed a celebratory JanszPremium  Cuvée, Vintage 1999; fittingly, the 2004 winner of theNational Australia Day Council's Perpetual Trophy for 'Australia DayWine of the Year'. After the bubbly, "One or more of the quintessential Aussie drinks, like sparkling shiraz (great with roast), Rutherglen muscat (one of the lighter ones for summer drinking) and Hunter semillon".