New Caledonia is located in the continent of Oceania. It has Vanuatu to the north, Fiji to the northeast, New Zealand to the far southeast, Australia to the far southwest, and Papua New Guinea to the far northwest.
The capital is Nouméa.
There is no official language.
The climate is subtropical with year-round precipitation. Rain is frequent on the eastern coast. Tropical typhoons occur generally December to March. Heavy rainfall occurs in July and August, with the drier months being September through November.
The staple foods are taro, sweet potato, poingo bananas, plantains, yams, coconut milk, fish, and much more (https://www.newcaledonia.travel/au/gastronomy-wine/gastronomy/kanak-cooking#:~:text=Bougna%20is%20the%20iconic%20dish,a%20meal%20with%20a%20tribe).
https://www.britannica.com/place/New-Caledonia-French-unique-collectively-Pacific-Ocean
CALEDONIAN BRUNCH CASSEROLE (https://www.food.com/recipe/caledonian-brunch-casserole-make-ahead-20619):
- 16 slices white bread, with crusts removed
- Bacon or ham, sliced thinly
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- 6 eggs
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ – 1 tsp mustard powder
- ¼ C minced onion
- ¼ C green pepper, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 – 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 C whole milk
- 1 dash red pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco)
- ¼ lb. butter
- Special K cereal or corn flakes, crushed
- In a 9” x 13” buttered glass baking dish, put 8 pieces of bread, and add pieces to cover dish entirely.
- Cover bread with slices of bacon or ham – its best if your meat is about the size of the bread slice, for ease of cutting after it’s cooked.
- Lay slices of cheddar cheese on top of bacon and then cover with slices of bread to make it like a sandwich.
- In a bowl, beat eggs, salt and pepper.
- To the egg mixture add dry mustard, onion, green pepper, Worcestershire sauce, milk and Tabasco, and then pour over the sandwiches.
- Cover and let stand in fridge overnight.
- In the morning, melt ¼ lb. butter, and pour over the top.
- Cover with crushed Special K or corn flakes and bake, UNCOVERED for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
- Let it sit at least 10 minutes before serving.
- It’s very nice served with fresh chopped fruit.
5 MINUTE MIRACLE SELF-SAUCED CHOCOLATE PUDDING (https://thedessertspoon.com/2015/11/20/5-minute-miracle-self-sauced-chocolate-pudding/):
Sauce:
- 2 TBSP cocoa
- 2 TBSP dark brown sugar
- 4 TBSP water
Cake:
- 3 TBSP cocoa
- 3 TBSP dark brown sugar
- 6 TBSP plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 TBSP chocolate chips
- Pinch of salt
- Splash of vanilla
- 3 TBSP vegetable oil
- 3 TBSP water
- Mix together in a bowl the three sauce ingredients. Divide evenly between two small microwave-proof bowls; set aside.
- Mix together the cake ingredients. Spoon the cake batter into the bowls on top of the sauce.
- Place in the microwave and cook on High for 80 seconds. This cooking time is based on my microwave which is a Sharp Carousel 1100w. You may need to adjust the cooking time for your microwave.
- Garnish with strawberries and a dusting of icing (powdered) sugar. Add some ice cream or cream if you are feeling especially indulgent!
Travel Global Food 