California Summer

I've been back in the States for 2 weeks and I finally have my groove back. I feel like a normal person, I am able to sleep the entire night through and I no longer cringe when I make a right-hand turn (well....the driving still throws me off a bit). I'm still overwhelmed by TV, grocery stores and the news. I feel like I'm bombarded with consumerism and overloaded with information. It's a bit much, really.

The best part is that Summer has arrived in California. Real, sunny warm Summer that lasts for days. The sky is incredibly blue, the frogs are croaking, the birds are singing and flowers are bursting with color and perfume. And boy, am I soaking it all in, pollen and all!

I feel just a little bit guilty when I look at the weather in New Zealand. Apparently it was so cold in Dunedin last night that the olive oil was solid this morning! I'm happy Y. is returning to CA next month. He needs some sunshine in his life too!

On the (Right-Side of the) Road Again

Yesterday I drove a car for the first time since I've been back in the States. Boy, it sure is amazing how much I adapted to driving on the left side of the road!

First of all, I drove a brand new Toyota Highlander which was loaded with all kinds of fancy gadgets, including a cell phone intercom, seat warmers, GPS, and a camera to help you back up. The strangest part was that the car didn't have a key! You push a button to start the car and another button to lock and unlock it.

I was a bit overwhelmed by all the new features, not to mention the size of the car. Our pint-sized Subaru Justy in New Zealand didn't even have power steering and felt like it would blow right off the road in heavy winds! In the Highlander, I felt like I was driving a tank.

But the strangest part was driving on the right side of the road. I really had to focus on my driving, especially when making a turn. I kept thinking I was turning into the wrong lane and my life would flash before my eyes! Turning on a red light was also scary, I felt like I was doing something illegal. And to make matters worse, I kept hitting the windshield wipers instead of the blinker. Crickey dick!

I didn't think 6 months in New Zealand would alter my driving habits so much. I guess I was so focused on learning to drive on the left side of the road and following New Zealand's quirky road rules that I quickly adapted to life on the left. I'm sure after a few more trips behind the wheel I'll be settled in to driving on the right side of the road.

Until then, I swear that my old car never had the steering wheel on the left side of the car....

American Lamb

Tonight I made an easy, delicious lamb dish that I used to make often in New Zealand (see recipe below). It turned out great, except the lamb was, well, different.

Because I try to eat as local as possible, I bought lamb from the U.S. at the grocery store today, even though my eyes wondered over to the New Zealand lamb. There were not as many different cuts to choose from as there are in New Zealand and the chops were huge! The average American lamb weighs about 135 lbs when it is slaughtered, which is considerably larger than lambs in other countries. This results in larger cut-sizes and a higher meat-to-bone ratio. Apparently Americans like their lamb super sized too.

Once everything was cooked and we sat down to eat, I noticed the lamb was extremely tender and rather bland. I barely had to chew and it actually tasted more like beef. There was none of the distinct gamey taste that I remember from my lamb dinners in New Zealand. This is because American lambs are "finished" (fattened) on grain, making the meat more tender and milder in flavor. Apparently Americans enjoy this non-lamb-tasting lamb over natural grass-fed lamb and over 80% of restaurants in the U.S. serve American lamb. Great for the American meat (and the government subsidized grain) industry, bad for lambs and humans.

Sheep are ruminants whose digestive systems are meant to process grass, not grain. Besides, there are numerous health benefits to eating meat from animals that have been grass-fed. According to various research studies, the meat and milk from grass-fed ruminants contains more conjugated lineolic acid (CLA), vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, beta-carotene, and vitamin A than the meat and milk from grain-fed animals. CLA and omega-3 fatty acids are good fats with anti-cancer, anti-diabetes, and anti-fat properties.

I prefer the chewy, gamey grass-fed lamb. I like to know that I'm getting my vitamins and that I'm eating something distinct, not some bland, spongy meat product. Besides, I might as well eat chewy meat while I'm young and still have all my teeth!

Coriander Lamb

1 lb diced lamb
1/2 T coriander, crushed and soaked in warm water 10 minutes
1/2 t whole cumin seed
Salt & Pepper
1/4 t cayenne powder

Olive oil
1 medium onion, julienne
3 cloves garlic, chopped

Marinate lamb in spices for up to 2 hours.

Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add spiced lamb mixture and cook 10-15 minutes, until lamb is cooked through.

Serve over saffron couscous with chopped cilantro.