Food

Dad’s Diet

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jeans

If you read my last post, you’ll know that even 18 months post-partum, I was still holding onto that annoying baby weight. So, before I threw in the towel and bought a brand new wardrobe, I figured I’d give my body a chance… a chance to remember the weight it had always been, and slim down if that’s what it wanted.

But I didn’t want to do something too restrictive, because I enjoy Aperol and chips. That’s when I remembered my Dad telling me about an eating plan he tried. Which is why I call this Dad’s Diet. It’s kind of the 5:2 diet, but with flair from my Dad. And the great thing is, it’s simple.

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Weird things Austrians… eat… Herring Salad

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Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, and if you find yourself in Austria on this day it’s highly likely you will be served… Herring Salad. The main ingredient is obviously herring (often pickled), and though there are different versions, think of a creamy texture with things like apple, gherkins, potatoes and beetroot mixed in.

How did this tradition develop, you ask?

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Food I still import from Oz

debbiekaye19805 Comments
Australian food

As the years have ticked by in Austria I have managed to leave many of my Aussie-food-isms behind. Part of the reason for this is that logistically it’s difficult and expensive to ship things from Australia. Another part is that I have adapted to the food here and to what’s available. It’s nice to bring back or receive Aussie food on the odd occasion. But let’s be honest, I don’t need it. I can survive without it. Also being close to the UK means that it’s quite easy to get many of my favourites – or at least acceptable versions of them. But not everything. Here’s the top 10 things I still bring back with me from Oz when I go.

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Seasonal eating

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Wild Zeit

I find that the seasons in Austria are a lot more defined that in Australia. Sure, Australia has a definite summer and winter, but a lot of things can be done in Australia all year round, whereas it’s pretty hard to play golf when there’s snow on the ground (though not impossible from what I’ve heard!). We don’t just have a low season here, we have an off season.

And the same goes for food. Sure, most restaurants all over are seasonal in the way that certain things are more available and cheaper when they are in season. But I never saw seasonal like this. Because if you visit a restaurant in Austria at particular times of the year, you’ll find common trends.

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You know you’re in Austria and not Australia when… you smear cheese all over your body

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topfen

When I was struggling with back pain I began using a standing desk, which helped, but then my heels started aching. After complaining to hubby, he stopped by the supermarket and as I was chilling on the couch that evening, he smeared topfen over my heels and wrapped them in plastic film. When I mentioned this remedy, astonished, to a local friend she looked at me like duh.

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You know you’re in Austria and not Australia when… you panic about the cheddar

debbiekaye19802 Comments
cheddar cheese

Austria has many different types of special cheese. Glündner Käse, Topfen, the different varieties of Bergkäse, and most of the standard ones you already know. The cheese in Austria is perfectly fine. But when I came here what I missed was cheddar. Didn’t have to be anything special but it had to be cheddar. I grudgingly accepted the Bergkäse and Gouda that wound up in the shopping trolley and passed it off as just another thing I would have to get used to.

Now, Austria is not at the end of the earth. You can absolutely buy cheddar in Austria, and quite easily, just not at the supermarket I was frequenting. So I assumed it wasn’t available.

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Raw chicken – yes please!

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satay chicken

I was brought up under the ‘if you don’t eat your main you won’t get dessert’ regime. I have to say, it worked quite well for me, because I love a bit of dessert, even if, for the most part growing up it wasn’t very exciting. Stewed fruit, for example, or bread jam and cream. But I got used to eating up my plate, even if I didn’t really like it. And because of this, I think, even to this day, I tend to eat the bad stuff on the plate first. I’ll eat the vegetables I am less keen on, and save the bite of lasagna for the end.

Generally, if I am eating something I am not familiar with, I taste a bit of everything and then almost subconsciously eat the thing I like least first, or at least most of it.

But this is not without its problems.

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Cabanossi – the word we invented

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Cabanossi

When I was growing up a friend and I invented the word Cabanossi. Or at least we thought we did. I don’t actually remember what we thought it was, just that it was a word that came out of nowhere and was… kind of amusing. When I questioned said friend on this recently, she gave me some insight I had forgotten. Apparently we renamed the old ‘Fags’ (you know the fake cigarette sweets) Cabanossi, and fed them to our Barbies. Yep. True story.

Perhaps the more tragic thing is, I actually didn’t realise that Cabanossi was an actual thing until I moved to Austria and found Knabber Nossi and Kaptn Nossa in the store. I thought… woah… that’s really close to that word we invented. And then it hit me… we didn’t invent the word. Cabanossi is a type of dried sausage.

Facepalm. But hey, sometimes it takes some time for these things, and sometimes it takes moving to another country.