Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Shrimp On The Barbie


"A phrase that NO Australian ever says. EVER."

or

"Normally the last words said by a dead-shit tourist
in Australia before someone hurts them."

-- Urban Dictionary

Shrimp and Barbies on the barbie 9-24-14



Lloyd:
"That's a lovely accent you have. New Jersey?"

Woman:
"Austria."

Lloyd: 
"Austria! Well, then! G'day mate! Let's put another shrimp on the barbie!"

Woman:
"Let's not."

-- Dumb & Dumber



I remember eating in an open-air seafood restaurant about 25 years ago that was somewhere by a river where they served giant barbecued shrimp in little galvanized buckets.

Everybody sat together, elbow-to-elbow at long picnic-style tables and ate with their fingers.

No tablecloths. No plates. No silverware. Bracingly cold beer in a bottle. Lots of paper napkins. Lots of licking.

I can't remember whether the restaurant was in Chicago or maybe Boston. But every now and then my memory of it triggers a serious craving for barbecued shrimp and cold beer.

So last night I made some for supper.

The beer was non-alcoholic, but it was definitely cold and definitely in a bottle.

The shrimp were medium-sized and served in a bowl, but they were definitely barbecued, definitely messy and definitely delicious.

It was a good way to end a g'day. Mate.