The Tri-Lamb-athon , Part 1

Moderation.
Everyone is always saying how you have to do things in moderation. You wouldn't want to overdo it now would you? You'll appreciate it so much more if you only partake moderately , I've heard them say.

Well when it comes to the eating of lamb , don't try and pass on that advice to my brother-in-law, Julio.
He will swiftly parry this conservative notion , and fiercely riposte with a few choice recommendations of his own - not to mention a few choice cuts of lamb.
To quote the man himself , " You never want to be under-gunned!"

Never was this creed better demonstrated than a few weeks backs when Julio , his wife Mimi and their newborn son and future champion eater , Sammy J , came for a visit to the family compound.

Whenever there is a family get together of any description around these parts , you can absolutely take for granted that there is going to be some seriously good chewin' going down . My wife , who I have mentioned previously as being very good looking as well as good cooking , in fact I think I may refer to her from now on as good clooking . Yes she's a real clooker that one! Her family , led by the culinary whirlwind Patty ,are exceptional in the kitchen . The quality and variety of the food is truly mind scrabbling ( I always preferred scrabble to boggle).

My own family back in Australia are also very receptive to and appreciative of top tasting tucker. My father took up cooking later in life and has proved to produce excellent flavours in the meals he prepares , particularly in his specialties of spicy Asian and Indian food.
He doesn't mind knocking back a couple while he's cooking either - and why wouldn't you?
My mum too is a fantastic cook , with roots in hearty European style Jewish cuisine , her creations are always tasty , whether it's a roast chicken or her famous potato salad which has a world wide cult following.
Not to mention the cakes.
There is a special bond between my mum and cakes . She really is somewhat of a cake savant , and she is also qualified in high level cake Geometry . She can find an angle on a piece of cake , so as to slice off a sliver , that would normally be invisible to the naked eye . Puts both Euclid and Pythagoras to shame I can tell you.
Perhaps this is where I inherited my keen eye for a good feed and my gift as a food tracker.

So we needed to stock up in a big way , and Julio and I decided to pay the local Costco a visit. Now everyone is entitled to their own opinions on mega stores like Costco , some will despise the whole concept , others will love it and yet others will be torn between not really wanting to shop in that kind of store and having to shop there for purely economic reasons.
In my case I tend not to over analyze the situation , all I know is that this is the only place in my area where you can purchase top quality Australian lamb , and as The Australian Lambassador , you can imagine this is bloody important.

Strolling happily through the meat section we came upon the small but adequate lamb department . We immediately wrangled a hefty boneless leg roast and heaved it into the cart . I thought we may be moving on to the beer section but Julio collared me and sought my opinion on a lovely little rack he was contemplating . "Tally Ho!" I said , "get that little treat safely into the cart before someone else does".

As our minds drifted to beverages , something caught Julio's keen eye. The packaging was a little different and it almost caused us to bypass a piece of treasure . Eight lamb loin chops are what I'm talking about , fat little puppies that were begging for the BBQ . It was a close call alright but thanks to Julio's 20/20 lambvision we now had in our possession three , that's right three exquisite cuts of Aussie lamb. It was a veritable Tri-Lamb-athon!

But wait , this is where the plot thickens like a gravy on a high heat . We had three meals on hand but only two nights to eat them.
How could this have occurred?
How would we solve this crisis?

Part 2 of the Tri-Lamb-athon will reveal all.

Until then , don't let the suspense ruin your appetites

Good Chewin'

ALC
The Australian Lambassador to California

Welcome , don't wait to be seated , tuck in!

Greetings,
I report to you in my official post as The Australian Lambassador to California , or if you like , ALC ( this is an acronym not a description).

I like to track food happenings where ever they may be , but especially those that I am personally involved with , because to put it simply , I love to eat , graze , gorge , scoff , scarf , guzzle , grub , nibble , munch and devour all kinds of edibles .
And I really love to tell lots of people all about it.

Yes , I am the ALC , and yes I do love lamb. Perhaps love is not quite strong enough a word , adore and worship also come to mind . But that does not mean that I will only be reporting on the eating of lamb . No I do not discriminate when it comes to tucker .
Never let it be said that I am a one dimensional diner , I eat it all , and in large quantities and with a sparkle in my eye (except for those weird sweet and sour dried plums - can't handle ).

All that being said , seeing that this is my first posting , it is only fitting that I write about a little roast lamb dinner that occurred two nights ago.

My family and I are fortunate enough to have some exceptionally warm and generous friends , who also happen to raise their own sheep . To protect their identities let's call them the Keiselhorsts , which I believe is German for hunter/gatherer.
The K's were kind enough to arrive with a lightly seasoned leg of home grown lamb . The leg had been rubbed with olive oil and sprinkled very simply with some basic herbs and spices. No need to enhance any of the lambs natural flavours on this occasion , we were going neat.
The leg was then expertly deboned and butterflied by the patriarch of the K clan , who had apparently had a little experience in this field , and then popped into the awaiting and warm oven.

About an hour later we were all over it like a pack of rabid ferals on the Arcata plaza.
The lamb was of course superb , tender , mouth-watering , nearly bringing a tear to my eye - yes it was an emotional moment .

There were condiments to be had , and at this point I need to come clean to you about something.
We've been together a little while now and feel that we are close enough that I can open up to you about a personal matter . You see , I have a substance abuse problem.
Masterfoods Hot English Mustard is my poison , and when it comes to lamb or any other meats for that matter , the primal urge to smear some of that zesty , spicy goodness is way beyond my control . It's got a hold of me alright , I've tried to abstain , even downgrade to less potent mustards , but I always end up digging up one of those little, cutesy jars from one of my many hiding spots .
Classic addict behaviour I know. My inner struggle will go on , I am currently undergoing horse radish therapy but I think we all know that it's futile , I'll never quit.
That hot English high is part of me now. We are on this meat journey together for now and forever and amen to that.

The side dishes were also magnificent . Oven cooked seasoned poatoes , steamed broccholi , glorious salad with roasted beets and even a savoury focaccia for dipping into the plentiful pan juices.

The quantities were also substantial , which was providing me with a warm inner glow at the thought of the copious leftovers that would be on hand . These feelings were shortlived and promptly hijacked by the late arrival of Chris K (pictured to the left) , lamb-eating test pilot and owner of a substantial appetite . To use some fishing phraseology , let's just say that when he arrived he was "on the bite".
The leftovers were soon hoovered , my visions of lamb sandwiches smothered with you know what , shattered .
But seeing Chris' contented grin as he mopped up with the focaccia bread eased my loss , and I too was content after having food-tracked his meal from a good vantage point and was secure in the knowledge that I had seen a true lambophile in full gallop.

A little piece of honey cake for dessert , that my extremely good cooking and good looking wife had baked , with a lovely cup of tea - what more could a Lambassador ask for?

The answer to that question and more in my next installment , where I will revisit a tidy little Lambfest that took place a few weeks back , instigated by my brother in law , Julio of Santa Cruz - who we can safely testify has no fear of racks , legs or chops of any kind , especially the lamby kind.
Until then

Good Chewin'

ALC
The Australian Lambassador to California