National Cuisines

Well today is Australia Day and it so happens that I have some lamb to cook on the barbeque this evening so maybe I'll get a gold koala stamp for being a good little vegemite. There was no decent lamb available when we were in the United States but there were lots of other yummy cuisines. Here are some of my favourites from San Francisco & Pittsburgh:

• Potato Pancakes from The German Restaurant in Cheswick, PA;
• Pierogi (Polish potato dumplings) from The Church Brew Works in Blomfield, PA - one of David's favourite places for obvious reasons;
• Vareniky (Ukrainian Potato Dumplings) from Katia's in the Richmond district, San Francisco;
• Mmm, do I detect a theme here?
• Canneloni from The Grand Canal in Sharpsburg, PA - they just melt in your mouth;
• Italian Sausage from the deli in Aspinwall, PA whose name momentarily escapes me;
• Southern Fried Chicken from The Liberty Cafe in San Francisco;
• Sourdough bread from San Francisco;
• Tamales made with our friends, the Garciacano family, in Watsonville, CA; and
• Wild Smoked Salmon - from the roadside stall just north of Half Moon Bay, CA.

No wonder we have returned home to a salad and ocean swimming regimen. It's just as well we were only away for a month or a new wardrobe would be in order.