Why do NZ'ers always serve sliced bread with meals

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socram, Mar 11, 4:19am
It was an English thing at times and yes, often used as a filler and to wipe the plates clean as who wants to waste good gravy? Never, ever had it in NZ though.

I think you have to be careful using words like 'always' or 'everyone' as even going by the above it plainly isn't true!
rainrain1, Mar 11, 4:21am
Now I would like to know, what all the no bread at lunchtime people, eat for lunch. Just curious that's all, we rely on a bread a lot as a filler for lunch, I love a coffee and sandwich. When at home I am meaning
davidt4, Mar 11, 5:48am
Yoghurt, banana, cheese, cold meats, salad, eggs, leftovers. Not all at once.
timturtle, Mar 11, 5:59am
I had left over lasagna today made with eggplant for the pasta. Normally I have some left over cold meat and salad.

I often get Green looks in the lunch room but I just say that I'm having the same as them but no bread and it's on a plate
morticia, Mar 11, 6:58am
Bread and butter with the chops tonight, just cos we can.
rainrain1, Mar 11, 7:35am
My 'lunch men' would have that all at once
Plus a slice of bread
have to say. they are very hard workers though
buzzy110, Mar 11, 8:04pm
Lots and lots of things. At this time of the year I make huge bowls of roasted, skinned capsicum in EV olive oil, marinated mushrooms (just the most delicious way to do salad mushrooms), roasted beetroot in balsamic vinegar or boiled in malt vinegar, blanched broccoli and cauliflower (most just broccoli though) salad with feta cheese and toasted seeds, crushed red cabbage and red onion salad, etc (maybe eggplant as well) and have always ready in the fridge. I eke those foods out with large leafy green salads, cucumber, tomato, pickled ginger, sauerkraut, anchovies, etc and the addition of some sort of protein - hot smoked salmon, smoked sausages, boiled eggs with runny centres, slices of roasted sirloin (usually cook a big piece till pink inside and have once for dinner then for lunches), cold F/R chicken pieces, mussels, etc.

Sometimes my DH will just help himself to the prepared foods at will and sometimes I will make a full lunch from what I have listed above. My garden is bursting at the seams with lots of different lettuce varieties.

As the seasons change so does lunch. It matches what is fresh.

When bread gets eaten in our house it is only at b/f, never during the rest of the day.
gilligee, Mar 11, 8:18pm
Yummmmmmmmm.
sampa, Mar 11, 8:40pm
I'm very interested in how you do your marinated mushrooms, I've been toying with this idea for a while now. Also crushed red cabbage and red onion salad. That sounds like a handy standby for year round grazing and like it would work well as a filler for pitas and wraps etc too.
socram, Mar 11, 9:09pm
Sliced white bread and margarine plus jam or lemon curd WAS the afternoon meal for several years - then bed at 6pm on school days.
anne1955, Mar 12, 4:02am
We never had it as kids but I do remember hearing about it as being from depression days and more from expat English people. I use to go to a house after school sometimes and they had bread and dripping for afternoon tea. I never had any and use to think yuck. And yes Asian food shops in 60's & 70's did it. and as a teenager learnt to make black sauce sandwiches with it, while waiting for our 'chew & spew' as we called in in those days. Oh how things have changed :)
kaddiew, Mar 12, 4:49am
Bread and dripping was in a family member's English husband's upbringing, too. When first married she was 'instructed' to cook bacon in dripping, then make cold bacon sandwiches using the solidified fat as the spread.
jia5, Mar 12, 6:23am
I could present Himself with a five course meal and he would still get the bread and butter out. Used to drive me bonkers, but I tend to ignore it now, easier. lol.
buzzy110, Mar 12, 10:03pm
RED CABBAGE AND ONION:
This is simplicity itself but the one person I gave the method to got it all wrong. I cannot understand why. Anyway here goes (p.s. I got the idea from Jamie Oliver)
1. finely slice as much red cabbage as your bowl allows (I make about 1/3rd of the cabbage). Try to not put too much of the tough white stems in but some are fine
2. Peel and slice into rings or can cut in half and finely slice (should be rings or half rings rather than diced and set aside.
3. Add ½tspn of non-iodised salt to the cabbage and using your hand get in and crush the cabbage in your fist till it becomes bright red and liquid is sort of extruding. It doesn't take much effort.
4. Without bothering to clean you hand off, add in the vinegar and mix into the cabbage with maybe the odd gentle crush.
5. Now add in apple cider vinegar. (apple cider vinegar is the best but wine vinegar is OK) - I don't know how much I use, maybe ¼ cup or less and mix
6. Can be eaten immediately but tastes better if left for ½hour
7. Transfer to a bowl, put on the lid and refrigerate. Will last (if not all eaten that is) up to 5 days.

It is so yum, fat free (if that is what is wanted) and extremely low in calories and carbs.
buzzy110, Mar 12, 10:09pm
I got this recipe from the net and love it. If you cannot get baby mushrooms pick smaller ones and cut in half. Once again it is a matter of just assembling the ingredients and cooking. It is simple to do.

MARINATED MUSHROOMS

500g Button Mushrooms – Wiped clean
100ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Bay Leaf
1 Cup Water
1 Tblspn Marjoram and Oregano Finely Chopped
50ml Lemon Juice
Fresh ground Black Pepper

1. Put Olive Oil, Water, Salt, Pepper, Lemon Juice and Herbs in a large frying pan
2. Leave uncovered and bring to the boil then tip in Mushrooms
3. Cook at a lively boil uncovered for 7-10mins or till cooked through, flipping mushrooms in the reducing liquid
4. Take out mushrooms using a slotted spoon and continue reducing liquid over a high heat swirling pan from time to time until oil and liquids have reduced and formed an emulsion
5. Pour over mushrooms and leave to cool to room temperature

NOTES:
This is the basic recipe but I make the following alterations

1. Cook in a pot rather than a frying pan – still no lid though
2. Sometimes add finely diced onion, garlic and, crushed ginger
3. EV olive oil is too strong imo. I use EV macadamia nut oil instead. Avocado oil would do just as well.
4. If you haven’t got marjoram in the garden choose another herb or leave the second herb out
5. The recipe isn't sacrosanct. You can vary the ingredients however you like with the mushrooms. It is the method that is important.
gardner12, Mar 13, 4:30am
I was married to a pom and bread was never a feature at the meal table
sampa, Mar 14, 10:29pm
Thanks for those Buzzy, I missed that you had posted them on here. will give them a try, they both sound delicious!

Question - in the red cabbage recipe is the total amount of vinegar approx 1/4 of a cup or is there meant to be more added prior to the cider vinegar (as in step 4)? If so, more cider vinegar or is any type okay? Just re-reading it I'm wondering if steps 4 and 5 are meant to be listed in the reverse order?
village.green, Mar 14, 11:19pm
In my Cretan grandmother's house growing up (summer holidays) fresh bread was always served with lunch. Cretan bread is quite rustic though and it was sliced quite thickly. I think it was used to help mop up the olive oil in the salads that were always present on the table and anything else. Cretans don't go in much for knives and forks and tend to use fingers quite a bit.
I think if you go to a Greek restaurant nowadays the first thing they bring out is bread still (will find out in June when I go and visit however).
buzzy110, Mar 14, 11:34pm
I usually add the vinegar and mix into vegetables before putting into the storage bowl. Don't overdo the vinegar. It is there to brighten the red cabbage and add flavour nothing else. It should definitely not be swimming in vinegar or it will be too vinegary. The main feature of the dish is the salt crushed cabbage.

Blow I've just reread. I meant to say "add in the finely sliced onions". Doh.
bedazzledjewels, Mar 14, 11:44pm
Thanks Buzzy, I like the sound of those recipes. I used to marinate mushrooms donkeys years ago.
strebor1, Mar 15, 12:31am
I think that if people need sliced bread to mop up the gravy on the plate, obviously they have put too much gravy on the plate. When I cook a roast plus vegetables, I always make home made gravy, couldn't stand the disgusting packaged stuff on my plate, but it is "mopped up" with the meat and vegetables. If you have finished your meal and there is still gravy there, leave it! New Zealanders on the whole are known for eating too bigger portions, and this probably is a good example of greediness. I was taught "you should always leave the table, feeling you have had sufficient, but not enough". Not a bad thing to follow actually. No wonder so many are obese. Cut down those portions!
rainrain1, Mar 15, 12:43am
Better just to lick the plate you reckon?
strebor1, Mar 15, 12:49am
Yes definitely, and hope you don't have a long nose!
rainrain1, Mar 15, 2:35am
Or a short tongue!
cleggyboy, Mar 15, 4:17am
Having bread available is no different, to poms cooking stodgy dough balls with roast dinners.