Day 7: Foodstuffs

Prompt: Since moving abroad, my pantry looks different because...

Hello, voyeurs, and welcome to my pantry!

I hang around a few Americans in Australia groups on Facebook, and the topic invariably turns to food. "Where can I get marshmallows/ranch dressing/streaky bacon/Mexican food that doesn't suck?" have to be the most-asked questions. And, it's amazing to watch a thread that has nothing to do with food devolve into a discussion about missing Taco Bell/hamburgers/graham crackers. It's no surprise, as food is one of the most unifying elements in a culture. So, I dedicated Fridays in the blog challenge to food, since we're obsessed with talking about it, anyway.

Today's prompt is about how my pantry has changed since living abroad. 

Well, for one thing, I have a pantry, so that's pretty big.

In terms of what's in it, I pulled a few items out of the pantry/fridge that are staples for me, which I rarely or never used at home.

One of the main differences in my cooking in Australia is that I make a lot more Asian-style foods. We have so much exposure to Asian cuisine here, that it's just naturally become a big part of my cooking. A few items that I always have on hand that I never used in the States - fish sauce, sesame oil, curry powder, red lentils, and rice noodles.

Spices that I never had occasion to use at home - Garam masala, Chinese 5 spice, tarragon, and cardamom (hey, try sprinkling cardamom on roasted parsnip. That's my own invention, and it's super, if I do say so myself). I pulled cumin out, too, even though I usually had cumin on hand at home, I only used it to make hummus. These days, cumin is my king of spices, especially since I have to cook low-salt for the baby. Whenever I can't figure out what something needs, or it just needs a little spicing, I turn to cumin. 

Dukkah. Do y'all know about this stuff?!? It's a dry mixture, which Wikipedia tells me is Egyptian, that is made from nuts and spices. It's great for dipping bread into with some olive oil, and even better for coating fish for baking.

The other change in our pantry doesn't have to do with moving abroad, but with having a baby with a dairy and soy intolerance. I now keep four kinds of milk on hand (regular milk for Partner-in-Crime and myself, plus almond, oat, and coconut milk, all which have specific uses). Coconut oil is massive in my home now, as it's replaced butter in most of my baking, on top of about a thousand other uses. Coconut oil is great for you, and it's going to continue to have a big place in my pantry, even if and when Hushpuppy outgrows her intolerances. And, you may notice yeast in there. That's because I make our bread now. Almost all bread you buy in the store has soy flour in it, which is a no-go for my kiddo. It's a good amount of work to keep up with it, but who doesn't love homemade bread?

I thought of one more as I was putting things back in the fridge. Brown eggs. At home, I thought brown eggs were only for the fancy people. Here, they are all that's available. I had a hard time with the eggs when I first moved here, and for a long time, could not eat them without feeling sick. I find them to be quite a bit richer than the eggs in the States. And, in some grocery stores, they are kept out on the shelf, rather than in the refrigerator section. Strange, but apparently perfectly healthy. Who knew?

So, my expats, tha's your food fix for the day. Sorry, I still don't know where to buy Graham crackers.

Oops, I forgot to recommend a fellow blog challenger yesterday! Never fear, today I'm happy to point you over to another American in Sydney, Yvette at My Life and Musings. I've been reading Yvetter's blog for awhile, after she was nice enough to leave a comment on mine. She has a really natural writing style and I like her sense of humor. Give her a read.