That's an imposing concept, indeed. Nevertheless, I thought it was about time I put down a bit about this blog and it's mission in life and thereby, I guess explain a bit more about me. This is not a really gourmet, foodie type of blog. Don't get me wrong, I love to eat and eat well but, to be perfectly honest - I'm broke (the last Eurotrash world tour set us back a bit and I've yet to recover financially - hmmm). So what I'm trying to achieve here is a space that is full of as many interesting vignettes about stuff we get up to in my search for anything weird, wonderful, delicious, or just plain hilarious to do with food.
I live in a pretty amazing part of the world the world actually, the east coast of Australia has a dynamic and abundant food culture. There is a huge variety of some of the finest fresh produce in the world (ahem), a plethora of ethnic and culturally specific cuisine influences and you don't need to eat a expensive restaurants to be able to experience them. Living as I do, in Sydney's inner west suburbs I have on my doorstep Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Vietnamese and Greek, communities from whom we beg, borrow and steal culinary ideas regularly. Jump in the car and drive for an hour or so and you can visit fine Hunter Valley wineries. This blog is about my culinary adventures and those of my friends. It may be a a post about a restaurant recently visited or a recipe but it may also be about how we discovered the most delicious local Parmesan cheese at a bakery in Leeton in the NSW MIA, or a recipe that was shown to me at a Vietnamese friend's wedding. (OK, I've yet to post that one) Anyway, there's a lot to see around Sydney's inner west and all over NSW, so anyone who's keen to join me (if there is anyone out there besides my family actually reading this) I would love to hear from you. If you live in this part of the world please feel free to share your experiences too.
Cheers!
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Saturday, March 26, 2005
Apple, prune and lavender crumble
We had this for dessert last night and it was particularly delicious.
Once again all measurements are approximate. This serves about 2-3 but you could increase the quantites for more people if required.
3-4 new season red apples
8-10 pitted prunes
1 tsp cinnamon
splash of vemouth
1 stalk of lavender flowers
For the crumble
1 cup plain flour
1-1 1/2 cup brown sugar (to taste)
50g butter chopped
Whipped cream to serve
Peel and core the apples, then chop them up and put them in an oven proof dish with the pitted prunes. Add cinnamon and about half the lavender flower sprinked over the fruit. Don't use too much lavender. It is full of volatile oils which should gently perfume the dish, not overpower it. Give the whole thing a bit of a mix and splash the vermouth over the top.
Meanwhile, in a seperate bowl combine the flour, sugar and butter and rub together until it has the consistency of biscuit crumbs. You can do this in a food processor if you are precious, but I like to use my fingers.
Cover the fruit with the crumble mix. If the quantities above don't give you quite enough crumble (it shoud cover the fruit with a layer about 1-1 1/2cm thick) then make a bit more.
Bake in a medium/hot oven (approx. 180 degrees) for 20-30 minutes until the fruit is cooked and the crumble is brown and crunchy.
We had this with a Helm Wines 2003 Late Harvest Riesling which I picked up on our recent trip to Canberra.
Once again all measurements are approximate. This serves about 2-3 but you could increase the quantites for more people if required.
3-4 new season red apples
8-10 pitted prunes
1 tsp cinnamon
splash of vemouth
1 stalk of lavender flowers
For the crumble
1 cup plain flour
1-1 1/2 cup brown sugar (to taste)
50g butter chopped
Whipped cream to serve
Peel and core the apples, then chop them up and put them in an oven proof dish with the pitted prunes. Add cinnamon and about half the lavender flower sprinked over the fruit. Don't use too much lavender. It is full of volatile oils which should gently perfume the dish, not overpower it. Give the whole thing a bit of a mix and splash the vermouth over the top.
Meanwhile, in a seperate bowl combine the flour, sugar and butter and rub together until it has the consistency of biscuit crumbs. You can do this in a food processor if you are precious, but I like to use my fingers.
Cover the fruit with the crumble mix. If the quantities above don't give you quite enough crumble (it shoud cover the fruit with a layer about 1-1 1/2cm thick) then make a bit more.
Bake in a medium/hot oven (approx. 180 degrees) for 20-30 minutes until the fruit is cooked and the crumble is brown and crunchy.
We had this with a Helm Wines 2003 Late Harvest Riesling which I picked up on our recent trip to Canberra.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Marinated Fillets of Roo a la Chloe
This recipe is inspired a very little by a marinade from Elizabeth David's French Country Cooking (1951)
Use around 500g Kangaroo fillet for 2 people (All measurements approximate)
1 large garlic clove minced
1 sprig rosemary chopped
1 tsp fresh tarragon chopped
6 or so juniper berries - lightly crushed
1 tsp fennel seeds lightly crushed
1 tsp fresh thyme chopped
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 star anise roughly crushed
1 cup good red Australian wine -good enough to drink but doesn't need to be super expensive. Cabernet or Shiraz work very well but I have used Pinot Noir and it is also excellent and gives quite a different character to the meat. Even though I have been crapping on about it a fair bit, I wouldn't recommend tarango.
Salt
Pepper
Mix all ingredients together and allow meat to marinate for at least an hour. Remove fillets from marinade and sear in a very hot pan until the outside is well coloured but the inside still pink and juicy. My big tip to you here is, DON'T over cook your roo! It contains very little fat so over cooking can dry it out. Allow meat to rest then slice and serve with Gratin Dauphinoise (also found in Elizabeth David) or blue lentils and some green beans and the rest of the bottle of wine you used for the marinade, unless you have already drunk it, in which case you should open another bottle...
Use around 500g Kangaroo fillet for 2 people (All measurements approximate)
1 large garlic clove minced
1 sprig rosemary chopped
1 tsp fresh tarragon chopped
6 or so juniper berries - lightly crushed
1 tsp fennel seeds lightly crushed
1 tsp fresh thyme chopped
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 star anise roughly crushed
1 cup good red Australian wine -good enough to drink but doesn't need to be super expensive. Cabernet or Shiraz work very well but I have used Pinot Noir and it is also excellent and gives quite a different character to the meat. Even though I have been crapping on about it a fair bit, I wouldn't recommend tarango.
Salt
Pepper
Mix all ingredients together and allow meat to marinate for at least an hour. Remove fillets from marinade and sear in a very hot pan until the outside is well coloured but the inside still pink and juicy. My big tip to you here is, DON'T over cook your roo! It contains very little fat so over cooking can dry it out. Allow meat to rest then slice and serve with Gratin Dauphinoise (also found in Elizabeth David) or blue lentils and some green beans and the rest of the bottle of wine you used for the marinade, unless you have already drunk it, in which case you should open another bottle...
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Albigensian Duck Recipe
As promised... (From Caroline Conran)
1 duck
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp olive oil
16 baby onions (or shallots) peeled
100g lardons, pancetta or bacon in chunks
1 cup chicken stock
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp paprika
1 tbs plain flour
1 tbs honey
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 180 deg. C
Season the inside of your duck with salt and pepper and some of the fennel seeds.
Heat the oil in an oven proof caserole w/ lid , add the duck and brown all over. Remove duck, add lardons, onions and thyme and brown in the duck fat. Add flour to this mixture and allow to quickly brown whilst stirring. Return duck to pan, add stock, the rest of the fennel seeds, paprika, then salt, pepper and honey to the upper side of the duck.
Cover w/ lid and bake for 45 minutes then for 45 minutes minus the lid. You can add some more honey and paprika to the duck 15 mins prior to serving if desired.
Yum! the duck should come out all crispy, brown and delish with the honey, fennel and paprika on top.
1 duck
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp olive oil
16 baby onions (or shallots) peeled
100g lardons, pancetta or bacon in chunks
1 cup chicken stock
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp paprika
1 tbs plain flour
1 tbs honey
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 180 deg. C
Season the inside of your duck with salt and pepper and some of the fennel seeds.
Heat the oil in an oven proof caserole w/ lid , add the duck and brown all over. Remove duck, add lardons, onions and thyme and brown in the duck fat. Add flour to this mixture and allow to quickly brown whilst stirring. Return duck to pan, add stock, the rest of the fennel seeds, paprika, then salt, pepper and honey to the upper side of the duck.
Cover w/ lid and bake for 45 minutes then for 45 minutes minus the lid. You can add some more honey and paprika to the duck 15 mins prior to serving if desired.
Yum! the duck should come out all crispy, brown and delish with the honey, fennel and paprika on top.
Wild Boar (grrrrr)
"May you travel boldly with the utmost of Epicurean spirits" (Modern Proverb-Lasoski 2001.)
Al has long been obsessed with wild boar. Apparently from an early age he would charge around the house shouting "wild boar grrr" at the top of his lungs. He still finds the concept of the wild boar very exciting. To that end I have found (actually MCS found this website and forwarded the link to me - many thanks) the ultimate in wild boar cookery. So, with the above maxim in mind I give you wild boar. Next time I'm planning a fancy shindig, I'm cooking this for sure!
http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/233472.html
Al has long been obsessed with wild boar. Apparently from an early age he would charge around the house shouting "wild boar grrr" at the top of his lungs. He still finds the concept of the wild boar very exciting. To that end I have found (actually MCS found this website and forwarded the link to me - many thanks) the ultimate in wild boar cookery. So, with the above maxim in mind I give you wild boar. Next time I'm planning a fancy shindig, I'm cooking this for sure!
http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/233472.html
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Ahh, the ineptitude.. A long, sad saga about fixing the Fiat
and attending our first food symposium (almost)
http://www.manningclark.org.au/weekendofideas2005/weekendideas.htm
This weekend just passed we went to Canberra. The usual suspects all piled into the Golf and headed off to our nation's capital for a weekend of (alleged) food, wine and fiat fixing. Lardicos had invited us (it was more coerced really) to help him fix his wog-gold Fiat Regata.
Let me explain, Lardicos is my sisters ex-boyfriend but still good pal and eating and drinking buddy of me and Big Al. He currently resides in Canberra with a whole host of Italian cars most of which are not roadworthy for a large percentage of the time and is notorious for bringing the ethnic flava. (sic-fully)
I think the boys thought that getting the Fiat back on the road from it's current recumbent position at the back of the house, would require no more than perhaps a lazy afternoon's tinkering. They could not have been more wrong. Big Al did not get home until midday Monday when I picked him up from the bus stop at Central. He looked like a bum. He had showered but once in 3 days and motor oil had turned his hair to something resembling straw only without the pleasant freshness. And the Fiat was no closer to running than it had been Saturday afternoon.
So what did MCJ and I get up to whilst they boys were playing? If you have read any of my previous posts and are now thinking "I bet you got drunk and did something crazy like cook a duck on 40 degree day!" you would be partly right, we did get drunk though not straight away.
First, we attended a food symposium (or at least the end of one because we were too busy getting pissed and having lunch to get there on time) It was littered with Australia's A grade foodies. And I'm talking about your Stephanie Alexanders, Gay Bilsons, Margaret Fultons etc here, not your common or garden C or D grade foodies like us, but the real deal. It was quite exciting really to be in such illustrious company.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Duck sweet duck
Can I just say there are few things I like in this life as well as a produce market. We (the usual suspects) Me, MCJ and Big Al visited the North Sydney produce market a few weeks ago and had a lovely time. It was one of those Sydney February days which is 29 degrees and humid when you wake up and by 1pm has reached 39 degrees and stinking and just when you think it can't get any hotter or stickier it chucks down rain and the temperature drops 20 degrees. It can be mighty unsettling for your wardrobe.
Anyway, the NSPM is great. MCJ and I were there early for coffee and Big Al came late disheveled and apparently straight from the pub, via a mate's couch, with out stopping, passing Go, collecting $200 or in fact showering, brushing his teeth nor attending to personal hygiene in any way shape or form. But that is another story...
We bought great stuff; a bucket of fresh figs for 6 bucks, 2 types of goats cheese (to go with the figs) AND a sheep's milk cheese, venison sausages and a venison pie, and to a our great delight a Peking duck for the bargain price of $18.
Well, next we took our goodies home and because it was at least 40 degrees we decided it was the perfect day to cook the duck. In the oven I might add.
The best recipe we could find was called Albegensian Duck (Duck with fennel, lardons and sweet onions) from Caroline Conran's "Cooking Under the Sun - French Country Cooking" I will post the recipe separately as I don't have it in front of me right now. It was however delicious washed down with vats of wine, a raddichio and gorgonzola salad and fresh sour dough bread.
And you will be glad to know that this time there was no broken glass or other life threatening elements to our meal - unless you include the heat and 5 bottles of wine...
http://www.northsydneycentre.com.au/html/markets1.html
Anyway, the NSPM is great. MCJ and I were there early for coffee and Big Al came late disheveled and apparently straight from the pub, via a mate's couch, with out stopping, passing Go, collecting $200 or in fact showering, brushing his teeth nor attending to personal hygiene in any way shape or form. But that is another story...
We bought great stuff; a bucket of fresh figs for 6 bucks, 2 types of goats cheese (to go with the figs) AND a sheep's milk cheese, venison sausages and a venison pie, and to a our great delight a Peking duck for the bargain price of $18.
Well, next we took our goodies home and because it was at least 40 degrees we decided it was the perfect day to cook the duck. In the oven I might add.
The best recipe we could find was called Albegensian Duck (Duck with fennel, lardons and sweet onions) from Caroline Conran's "Cooking Under the Sun - French Country Cooking" I will post the recipe separately as I don't have it in front of me right now. It was however delicious washed down with vats of wine, a raddichio and gorgonzola salad and fresh sour dough bread.
And you will be glad to know that this time there was no broken glass or other life threatening elements to our meal - unless you include the heat and 5 bottles of wine...
http://www.northsydneycentre.com.au/html/markets1.html
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