Menu ideas for visitors from OZ

missbiggles1

melanzana wrote: »

Ulster Fry. At least once!

After that, what you would eat yourselves, and if there are any hissy fits, invite them to cook for YOU! lol.

You are so good having them there for two weeks. It's a compromise really, one day me, next day you kind of thing.

It will be grand. Don't worry too much. They are YOUR guests and will be delighted you are looking after them. If not, there is the door my friends! I jest.

Please do not stress yourself. If you were going to Australia, would you DEMAND your own type of food there? Didn't think so.

You are overthinking this I reckon.

If I had visitors coming to stay I'd certainly take their likes into account - it's not very hospitable to just dump your usual on the table and say "take it or leave it".

melanzana

missbiggles1 wrote: »

If I had visitors coming to stay I'd certainly take their likes into account - it's not very hospitable to just dump your usual on the table and say "take it or leave it".

Now come on, no is talking about "dumping food on the table, take it or leave it".... but for two weeks or whatever it can be a trial. And to be fair the OP is trying his/her best to accommodate them but is worried about what they like.

As a visitor to people, I have been delighted that they provided grub along with a comfy bed. I never complained. If something wasn't to my liking, I just ate what I did like. Very bad form to complain.

I personally think it is a bit churlish to demand certain food when you are staying privately with a relative (unless there is gluten free, wheat free, dairy free, nut free lol) In that case the host must be a saint!

As I said, if you were going to Australia, would you DEMAND certain foods?

If you did, out on yer ear, or provide them yourself. :rotfl:

NewShadow

Trying to be more constructive than argumentative... does this help at all?

40 classic Australian foods - Including spag bol and chicken curry pies.

http://travel.cnn.com/sydney/eat/40-foods-australians-call-their-own-651613/

melanzana

Just give them grub.

If they don't like it, they can go elsewhere.

Sorry if that sounds harsh. But honestly, having someone or two staying in your house is bad enough without all the diva requirements.

Although in fairness, OP is just concerned about the visitor preferences, which is fine. But what are they! Ask what they are, if OP is so concerned. We cannot help except for taking OP to task for being so nice and submissive. Sorry OP, I Know you want to do what is best, but sometimes......

greenbee

Hopefully your guests will be polite and grateful to be fed. It's worth asking about preferences/allergies when they arrive and trying to accommodate them. And they should certainly try some local specialities, but maybe not fried food every day! After travelling for a while they will probably appreciate good home-cooked food, and also be in need of fruit and veg.

Definitely make use of the pizza oven. And if it's too cold for salads, then soup and some nice bread is a good alternative.

You're an experienced cook, so I'm sure you won't have any problems. But I know that daunting feeling of suddenly having to cater for other people for a week or so and wanting to take their likes/preferences into account (and somehow feeling you can't do it, even though you can!).

curiousralphy

The typical basic weekday meal in Australia tends to be salad and BBQ meat in my experience. Maybe some potato salad as well if you want something more filling.

.... and a frypan is just an indoor BBQ grill A little oil on the meat with a pinch of salt or some marinade then straight onto a hot surface to cook.

I would say that they don't tend to use so much oil and when they do it seemed to be olive oil. Greasy food is a big no-no, even the fry ups were healthy-ish!

lessonlearned

Obviously you will need to check wherher they have any allergies or any special dietry requirements other than that I wouldn't bother too much.

Both my parents house and my own home have always been like the United nations, we have entertained and cooked for dozens of nationalities over the years. My mother was Belgian. My sister is married to a kiwi and my son is married to a Venezuelan.

We have always found that our visitors are always very keen to try traditional British cooking and it usually goes down a storm. Traditional puddings are always a firm favourite - I usually offer cream and custard -some of them them have never seen custard but they usually love it. Crumbles were really popular, as were trifles and I remember my aunts and uncles adored jelly so much they took loads of packets home with them. :rotfl:

Traditional roasts with all the trimmings always go down well, good meatpjes, shepherdds pie, bangers and mash etc - they usually wolf them down. My cousin fell in love with mint sauce on his last visit and took 6 jars home with him and we now have to take him some when we visit.

One of the most unusual favourites was toast.........my Belgian cousins had never seen it and they went mad for it.

Other show stoppers were full English breakfasts and traditional English cream teas, ploughmans lunches, game pie.

One thing I always do with visitors is I never plate up,their food for them. Everything is piled onto the table and they can just help themselves to whatever they like the look of.

I tell them if they are not sure just to take a small spoonful and if they don't like it just leave it.

Teenagers can be a bit fussy but often it's because they are unsure of anything that's new and different. If you let them load their own plates they seem to be a bit more adventurous.

I think a lot of us Brits sometimes feel that our traditional food is somehow not good enough but I honestly think our cuisine is one of th finest in the world. We have such a wide range of foodstuffs to choose from and most Brits are quite adventurous. I think we often don't appreciate our own cuisine enough.

I am sure you will be fine. They are lucky to have such a thoughtful and caring host. I hope they appreciate you.

mhagster

From an Australian perspective !

We have exactly the same thing in our supermarkets as you do , I can't think of anything I can't get here that I could have at home in Scotland. ( apart from brands of sweets / crisps etc )

Depending on which part of Australia they live in will determine how warm your weather feels! We are currently in winter mode in Melbourne, think cold, wet and damp! Or cold winds and maybe a blue sky ( not in last few days though) so we are currently eating winter foods like soups, stews, puddings.

In summer we probably eat a lot lighter food , salads, pastas , not every Australian fires up the barbecue everyday !! I'm sure some do but on the whole they don't!

I'm sure your guests will be happy to see you, happy to be fed and if the niece is fussy its not because she's Australian ...it's because she's fussy.
Do what you normally do which sounds delicious and I think you'll be just fine!

suki1964

melanzana wrote: »

Just give them grub.

If they don't like it, they can go elsewhere.

Sorry if that sounds harsh. But honestly, having someone or two staying in your house is bad enough without all the diva requirements.

Although in fairness, OP is just concerned about the visitor preferences, which is fine. But what are they! Ask what they are, if OP is so concerned. We cannot help except for taking OP to task for being so nice and submissive. Sorry OP, I Know you want to do what is best, but sometimes......

Tbh I think you need a chill pill

Why are you making this thread into something that it's not?

You want to take me to task for being " so nice and submissive" ?

May I suggest you step away from the thread if you have nothing constructive to offer. I know the marriage board has been quiet for a while, but seriously do we need psychobabble on this board?

suki1964

Ahhh MissBiggles, fine dining is not a feature on me use here, it's pile it high, make it cheap, and miss of the veg

New shadow, greenbee, curiousralphy,lessonlearned,mhagster, thankyou all for your constructive advice ( and for reading the op ) most helpful


I've mastered pavlova having that for dessert in a while - wedding annerversay treat ( plus I had loads of egg whites to use). I'm sure I'll be fine, they are from Perth so I'm sure that's a huge British influence in their cuisine. I guess it was DS girlfriend staying here earlier that had me a panic. She's from a very upper class background and lives in Sydney and is a high flyer. For her Michelin star dining and flying business or first class is a way of life and I did feel a tad intimidated Hell I was making special trips into town for avocado and real Greek yoghurt and out of season bloody expensive blueberries just for her breakfast lol.


So reading all your posts I'm feeling a tad better

Thank you all x