In the total of five months I was abroad, I had some AMAZING food. I think lamb was my favorite food because I didn’t really have it that much in the States. Besides, lamb was everywhere and always delicious. There was a lot of food that you could find in America, but many of the names had changed. Rice Krispies are called Rice Bubbles, french fries are known as chips, and chips are (from what I remember) potato crisps. And a New Zealand burger is just like any typical burger, except you need to have some beetroot on it to make it like the Kiwis do!
Anyways, I thought I would share a recipe (courtesy of my IES coordinator, Eunice) for pavlova, which is a delicious treat – and even better with Hokey Pokey ice cream!
Ingredients:
5 egg whites (or 6 for a slightly bigger pavlova)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Procedure
Have the eggs at room temperature and make sure that the egg whites are separated from the yolks. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff (peaks should form which don’t collapse), and then gradually add the sugar while still beating. Mixture should be stiff and glossy. Add vinegar and vanilla and then beat again.
Rip off a piece of baking paper to fit the size of the baking tray and run both sides under water. Shake off excess water and then put it on the tray. Then, pile the egg whites into a round cake shape – about 8″ in diameter. The oven (preferably electric) should be pre-heated to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and the pavlova should be in the center of the oven. Turn the oven off after 15 minutes and DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR, but let the pavlova sit for another hour before taking it out.
Cover the pavlova with whipped cream and slices of fruit (kiwifruit, strawberries, peaches, or even grated chocolate). Don’t fret if the meringue on the outside cracks.
Happy cooking!