Toby Atkin-Wright

Our annual international culinary journey starts next weekend, with the first race of the Formula 1 season. On Grand Prix days we plan our lunch menu around the cuisine of the host country. Time to start thinking of Australian dishes to cook next Sunday.

Our annual international culinary journey starts next weekend, with the first race of the Formula 1 season. On Grand Prix days we plan our lunch menu around the cuisine of the host country. Time to start thinking of Australian dishes to cook next Sunday.

I’m slowly recovering from the cold. Still too much coughing and spluttering, and I’m sleeping for longer and feeling more tired than usual, but it is gradually improving. Last night I didn’t wake up in the early hours; the first time in several weeks that I’ve slept through the night without waking.

We had hoped to have an American friend join us for Sunday lunch this week; unfortunately she can’t be with us, but we have planned an American-inspired menu which we will eat in her absence. We’ll start with corn chowder, served with corn bread. Main course will be caesar salad, and baked potatoes on the side, and pudding will be apple pie à la mode.

Corn chowder and corn bread are American in origin. The main course is slightly less American — I believe that caesar salad originated in Mexico, and potatoes originally came from Peru. But caesar salad was popularised in the US, and I associate a side dish of a baked potato with American menus, particularly if chives are involved. (Why would chives make a baked potato more American in my mind?)

Apple pie is a traditional European pudding, but is popular around the world and Americans seem to think of it as being quite American. I’m amused by the term “à la mode” to mean that something is served with ice cream — using a French term smacks of pretension, especially as it doesn’t mean anything to do with ice cream.

Anyway, should be a good lunch.

I’m slowly recovering from the cold. Still too much coughing and spluttering, and I’m sleeping for longer and feeling more tired than usual, but it is gradually improving. Last night I didn’t wake up in the early hours; the first time in several weeks that I’ve slept through the night without waking.

We had hoped to have an American friend join us for Sunday lunch this week; unfortunately she can’t be with us, but we have planned an American-inspired menu which we will eat in her absence. We’ll start with corn chowder, served with corn bread. Main course will be caesar salad, and baked potatoes on the side, and pudding will be apple pie à la mode.

Corn chowder and corn bread are American in origin. The main course is slightly less American — I believe that caesar salad originated in Mexico, and potatoes originally came from Peru. But caesar salad was popularised in the US, and I associate a side dish of a baked potato with American menus, particularly if chives are involved. (Why would chives make a baked potato more American in my mind?)

Apple pie is a traditional European pudding, but is popular around the world and Americans seem to think of it as being quite American. I’m amused by the term “à la mode” to mean that something is served with ice cream — using a French term smacks of pretension, especially as it doesn’t mean anything to do with ice cream.

Anyway, should be a good lunch.