Saucy Thyme

Suzuki Night Market

2011-11-30T16:24:00.004+11:00

Date visited: 20th January 2010

Queen Victoria Market

Melbourne, VIC

(Enter via Queen, Therry or Peel Streets)

Food: Hawker style food stalls - European, Mediterranean, Caribbean, African, Asian and Australian

Website: http://www.qvm.com.au/snm/snm_home.aspx

It's that time of year again. As summer approaches, the days become longer and warmer - perfect for immersing oneself in all the glory of food markets and festivals. One of these being the annual Suzuki Night Market, held at Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne. It runs every Wednesday night, 5:30pm-10pm, from late November through to the end of February.

Upon entering, expect to be greeted by the sound of live music and a great sea of people - sampling food from hawker stalls, browsing through locally designed and hand-made goods and even relaxing down at the end where massage therapists are.

A plethora of food and drinks are offered, from barbecued meat, wood-fired pizzas, steamed dumplings and hearty stews; to crepes, slushies, fresh juice and sweet desserts. A great inspiration of flavours can be experienced from countries like Mauritius, Africa, Acadia, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Nepal and Malaysia.

This place is for you if you love the excitement and hubbub that comes with night markets and am not fussed with quality of food or value for money. The only time you won't be waiting for what seems like an eternity in line to order your dish will be if you arrive at 5:30pm - when the market opens its doors to the public. After that, hungry patrons swarm in by the hundreds (slight exaggeration) and it will be difficult to score a table, or any horizontal surface for that matter, to devour your food on.

Here is a snapshot of my previous visit:

BBQ skewered Persian style chicken with rice

Banjo's BBQ : Kangaroo patty (sweet, but was grilled to the point where it became tough and chewy), Emu sausage (a great idea to turn emu meat, naturally quite lean, into a sausage, resulting in a very juicy snag!) and Crocodile tail (similar texture and taste to pork)

Gozleme - savoury filled Turkish pastries

Salami Pizza

Spanish Seafood Cazuela

Northern Indian Aloo Mutter (potatoes and peas) and Butter Chicken

Spanish Sangria

Traditional Lemonade

The infamous Dutch pancakes - with lemon, butter and icing sugar

Churros - Spanish donuts

Honey dumplings - sickly sweet crisp doughnut-like pastries with a moist, chewy centre

Bar Lourinhã

2011-11-29T15:51:00.005+11:00

Date visited: 23rd September 2010

37 Little Collins Street

Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9663 7890

Food: Tapas/Bar dining, Spanish, Latin American
Website: www.barlourinha.com.au

Nestled in amongst boutique shops, lavish apartments and chic eateries is this funky little bar that dishes out the most amazing grub one could ever want while sipping away on a glass of Spanish Syrah or Italian lager beer. If you haven't been here before, Bar Lourinhã is the place to visit when you don't want the chance to be disappointed - it manages to deliver on food, service and atmosphere every single time. The place might be a little hard to recognise though, as there isn't a distinguished sign out the front - just a thin, fancy script along the window. We were only able to spot it because there was a great big number "39" in front of the place next door.

Bonus points go to our waiter, a friendly, chirpy and cool fellow who was very knowledgeable about the menu items. On arrival, there wasn't a table free, but he managed to have us seated at one of the high share tables within a few minutes. I have a pet peeve with places, especially tapas-style restaurants, which fail to inform their customers that the kitchen is about to close and when it comes to trying to order more food, be told "Sorry, only dessert is available at the moment." In this instance, we were grateful to be told that last orders for savoury food were being taken, and happily obliged for another serving of juicy, grilled lambs tongue. There's nothing worse than still feeling a little peckish, and not being able to order that one more dish to satisfy your cravings!

Upstairs - the entrance to the private dining room, aptly named "The Chapel"

Fresh rye bread

Yellow tail kingfish 'pancetta' & lemon oil - deliciously slippery and citrusy

Grilled Crystal Bay prawns 'a la pancha' - with a touch of chilli that lingers on the tongue. We used the rye bread to mop up all the tangy juices at the bottom

Grilled lambs tongue & pimenton sauce - the tongues had a bitey texture, but were still tender and very flavoursome. The slight gamey note paired well with the sweet capsicum and creamy potatoes.

Cabra Chanfana - Portugese style; Goat that is slow-braised with dry sherry, onion and sweet paprika. The meat pulls apart ever so easily and just melts in your mouth. All that slow cooking has broken down the tough parts and created some seriously delicious fat and intense juices.

Shredded cabbage and mint with labne - with bits of radish, red onion, parsley and fennel fronds. Raw, crisp and slightly sour (from the labne), this salad lent some freshness and cut through the richness of our accompanying dishes.

Iced chocolate & chestnut trifle - layers of what appeared to be a thick chocolate mousse and Chantilly cream, with chestnut cake pieces at bottom that had that freshly baked taste to them.

Pomegranate crema & pistachio praline - in a spoonful, you are first wooed by the smooth and creamy panacotta-like base, then are hit with crunchy bits of pistachio and bittersweet toffee and finally bursts of tart pomegranate come through.

Heavenly...

Gyoza - Japanese Dumplings

2011-09-28T18:04:00.001+10:00

As an ABC (Australian Born Chinese), as many like to call it, I have fond memories of helping mum out in the kitchen whenever it was dumpling night at home. She would have the minced filling and wrappers ready on the kitchen bench and we would bond over endless pleating and folding. Mum would then pan-fry the dumplings to make them all crunchy and golden at the base, then finish off with steaming by pouring in a cup of water.

I was always so excited because it was a change from the usual rice/meat/vegie combinations that we were used to eating for dinner every night. My brothers and I would have competitions, trying to out-dumpling each other by seeing who could eat the most. Being double my size, they always won, but it goes to say that I did not give up without a tough fight!

So, I have a soft spot in me for dumplings (but to come to think of it, who doesn't?). Learning to pleat one properly with even folds is much like riding a bike. Once you've mastered the basic skills, you will always be able to gain back the momentum no matter how long it is between each occasion. The trick is to get yourself into a rhythm, setting up a small bowl with plain water, to dampen the skins, next to the one with the filling, then a large plate to hold all the wrapped morsels. I also find using a blunt knife to transfer the teaspoon of filling onto the dumpling skin works better than with a spoon.

Here's a recipe, based on the basics of making Gyoza, which are Japanese dumplings that are traditionally filled with just pork mince, cabbage, chives, garlic and sesame oil. For a twist, add or substitute in other ingredients like fresh chopped prawns, beef mince, chicken, mushrooms, corn, garlic, ginger, leek or garlic chives - just don't forget to increase the seasoning to balance out the flavours!

Serves 4 (as main) or 10 (as starter):

- 300g good-quality minced pork

- 2 tbs light soy sauce
- 1 tbs sake
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 4 green onions, finely chopped
- ½ coriander stems and leaves, finely chopped
- 325g Chinese cabbage (about 6½ cups, ¼ of a medium sized), finely chopped
- 50 gyoza wrappers
- Vegetable oil
- 1 cup water or stock, for steaming

Using your hands, combine the pork, soy sauce, sake, sesame oil, sugar, white pepper, egg, spring onion, coriander and cabbage in a large bowl. Really get your fingers into it to ensure an even distribution of ingredients throughout the filling. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Set up a small bowl with plain water in it. Dip your finger into the water, take a Gyoza wrapper from the stack and wet the edge of one side with your finger. Then place a teaspoon of pork mixture in the centre of the wrapper.

Fold the wrapper over, encasing the filling, so that the edges meet to seal the dumpling together.

Use your thumbs and forefingers to press around the filling to ensure that all of the air has been removed from the dumpling and that nothing will seep out when you cook it.

Then proceed to crimp the edges of the dumpling to ensure a tight seal, working your way from one end to the other. Use one thumb to pleat, and the other to press down on each pleat to hold it in place.

If you are preparing a large batch of dumplings, cover the wrapped ones with a wet tea towel to prevent the skins from drying out while you are making more.

At this stage, you can freeze any extra dumplings to be consumed another day. Simply place them in a single layer, without touching each other, on a tray into the freezer. Once frozen, gather the dumplings together into a plastic bag or container. This method prevents the delicate skins from sticking together and tearing when trying to pull apart to cook.

Once frozen, the dumplings are best cooked straight from the freezer. This way, the base crisps up more and the ice particles that have formed on the skin help to moisten it and tenderise the dumpling while cooking!

To cook the dumplings, heat a dash of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat. Place the dumplings down in a single layer and allow to cook without touching for 2-3 minutes. Then shuffle them around a little to ensure they aren't sticking to the pan.

When the bases are crusty and browned, pour in enough water or stock to come up about 5 millimetres from the bottom of the pan.

Cover with a tight lid, reduce the heat to a low-medium and cook for 5 minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated and cooked the raw meat filling inside. Carefully remove the dumplings from the pan, and repeat the same process with the remaining dumplings.

It is best to serve the dumplings while they are still hot! Make a dipping sauce out of soy sauce, ChinKiang black vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, chopped fresh coriander (optional) and sliced fresh red chilli (optional)

Extra Crispy Gyoza

Check out this super old photo of my first ever batch of dumplings!

Ezard

2011-09-28T17:47:00.001+10:00

Date visited: July 27th 2009

187 Flinders Lane
Melbourne, VIC 3000
(03) 9639 6811
Food: Modern Australian with Asian influences
Website: www.ezard.com.au/main.html

White and whole grain sourdough was served with a parmesan, garlic and rosemary infused olive oil and a trio of condiment dishes: seaweed and dashi salt (with sesame seeds and toasted fish flakes); dried chilli and yellow sugar mixture; and prickly ash (flavoured with sichuan pepper)

Amuse bouche - closer detail below

Japanese inspired oyster shooter with a soba noodle nori roll

Cube of daikon with lotus root and seafood broth

Seared scallops with spiced corn puree, chorizo and black vinegar dressing, topped with a hot and sour salad

Wild mushroom tortelli with wagyu salami, crispy lotus root and a soft herb salad

Fried polenta with sauteed mushrooms, crispy parmesan wafer, peas and a poached quail egg - finished off with a mellow veal jus, chervil and and dill

Pan-fried sea bream with a seared scallop, creamed jerusalem artichoke, caviar and chive oil

Seven score Wagyu beef with spinach and crispy taro chips

From left, going clockwise and into the centre: Caramel parfait with confit apple, salted popcorn and a rice paper tuile; creme brulee with jerusalem artichoke crisps; *cannot recall the next two items :(* ; cherry ripple ice-cream with rosewater turkish delight; bittersweet dark chocolate torte with strawberry sorbet

Petit four - chocolate truffles

Brisbane - New Farm Deli and Cafe

2011-09-28T17:07:00.002+10:00

Date visited: July 15th 2009

900 Brunswick Street
New Farm, QLD 4005
(07) 3358 2634
Food: Cafe, Delicatessan
Website: www.thedelinewfarm.com.au

On a trip to visit my brother and his family in Brisbane, I was taken to this fantastic cafe, adjacent to the beautiful New Farm park - the perfect spot for my niece, who was one years old at the time, to totter around happily watching the birds fly around.

Eggs benedict - poached eggs, smoked salmon, fresh rocket and "The Deli" hollandaise on toasted ciabatta

Seafood salad - char-grilled baby octopus, green prawns and mussels with marinated feta

Fettuccine with Deli marinara - green prawns, mussels and baby octopus with garlic and chilli

Crab lasagna - decadent layers of shredded sandcrab, zucchini, cream and cheese

Nobu Melbourne

2011-09-28T16:47:00.002+10:00

Date Visited: June 19th 2009

Riverside at Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex
8 Whiteman Street
Southbank, VIC 3006
(03) 9292 7879
Food: New Style Japanese
Website: www.noburestaurants.com/melbourne

Sashimi of (from left) gurnard, scallop and sea urchin

Sushi of Soft shell crab karaage (back) and crispy salmon skin (front) - I loved the thin layer of radish around the seaweed, very clever indeed.

"Nobu Style" tempura battered fish and sweet potato chips with a creamy aioli and wasabi sauce

My favourite prawn and lobster with a spicy lemon sauce

From the wood oven - whole roasted poussin with moro miso

Baby cabbage with sake, butter and truffle oil

Green tea trifle mousse - vanilla, almond and coconut meringue, pistachios, milk chocolate ice-cream and a vanilla and lime foam

Bistro Guillaume

2011-09-28T16:23:00.006+10:00

8 Whiteman Street
Southbank, VIC 3006
(03) 9693 3888
Food: French
Website: www.bistroguillaume.com.au
Date visited: 19th March 2009

Hunter Valley snails with beurre persillé - slippery little morsels complemented in punchy garlic butter and parsley

Seared scallops with a satiny cauliflower puree, spinach, jerusalem artichoke crisps and finished off with a delicate veal jus

This has been bugging me for a while now, but I must admit that I cannot recall exactly what this entree dish of consisted of. It appears to be sweetbreads or liver, served with a crispy fried soft-centred egg and chervil

Leg of duck confit with speck and baby carrots, fennel, leek and spring onion - served on a super smooth smear of potato mash ("puree de pommes")

Half a roasted Barossa Valley chicken with potatoes on a bed of corn puree and a rich, chasseur sauce

Sides of ratatouille and a watercress salad

Creme cassonade - rich and smooth custard with a crunchy topping of sugared nuts and a crisp, paper thin chocolate tuile

Soufflé au chocolat - quite an indulgence with a soft ganache centre and an orange glaze

Otsumami I, II, III

2010-09-23T16:14:00.005+10:00

Date visited: May 5th 2009, February 18th 2010, March 3rd 2010

257 High Street
Northcote, VIC 3070
(03) 9489 6132
Food: Japanese
Website: www.otsumami.com.au

Otsumami is one of my favourite places to dine at for high quality, well-prepared Japanese food. It can be hard to locate at first, neatly tucked in between the shops along bohemian High Street, but once you've found it you are guaranted to return, clearly spotting the white sign at the front with a very small "otsumami" printed across it.

Inside, the decor is minimalist and dainty with moody lighting created from large, funky woven ball-shaped lamps dangling from the roof. The space is cosy, occupied by modern furniture in the front of the restaurant, and tradtional low tables at the rear. The dinner crowd here is a mix of couples out on a romantic date, girlfriends catching up over a chic meal and young families happily seated at the low tables, enjoying a night out with their children.

Although the menu is divided into small, medium and large dishes, there is no clear line that distinguishes entrees from mains. Food is whisked out in no particular order, it just depends on what the chefs finish preparing first. I guess the concept is much like tapas-style dining, with dish sizes sitting on a much larger scale.

I am guilty of indulging myself here 3 times in the past 2 months, so have decided to bind them all into one post. Brace yourself for a plethora of mouth-watering dishes.

First visit:

Kingfish Tataki - Slices of lightly seared Kingfish, served on an onion salad with an uplifting soy and citrus dressing. Tasting so divine with vibrant flavours, the restaurant usually sells out of this dish on busy nights.

Soft Shell Crab - Crisply fried on the outside and seeping with juices inside, the density of the crab is cut through by the zesty aioli.

Tori Niku Gyoza - Chicken, coriander, shiitake mushrooms and five spice dumplings, with a soy and chilli dipping sauce. Quite a pedestrian dish, I would have prefered the dumplings to be more caramelised at the base.

Tsuke Sashimi Don - Mixed sashimi marinated in soy, garlic and sesame oil, served on sushi rice with shiso, nori and pickled ginger. I love meals like this where different textures and sensations are combined in one bowl and you simply just need to use a spoon to appreciate all the wonderful flavours (the laziness in me coming out). Each cube of tuna or salmon that you devour is so savoury and fragrant, you really do need the rice to balance out the flavours, and finish with a sliver of the piquant ginger.

Kinokodon - An enriching dish of meaty textures from the field, enoki and shiitake mushrooms, which have been sauteed in a butter and garlic-based sauce, and served over a bed of rice.

Second visit:

Tofu Shumai - Delicately steamed dumplings, filled with tofu, carrot, shiitake and bamboo; served with a sweet soy dipping sauce and intriguingly, a knob of wholegrain mustard.

Tori Niku Gyoza - Chicken, coriander, shiitake mushrooms and five spice dumplings served with a soy and chilli dipping sauce. Much more crisp and golden brown at the base than at our earlier visit.

Nasu Dengaku - Gorgeous, chunky cubes of eggplant cooked in a sweet miso and sake sauce. It was cleverly served on a nest of baby spinach, which beautifully soaked up all the excess sauce.

Okonomiyaki - Pancake topped with a thick Japanese mayonnaise sauce, nori and bonito fish flakes. The sauce overwhelmed the poor little cabbage pancake underneath, so it was hard to taste anything but the mayo.

Soba Salad - It was such a delight to feast on this; the green tea soba noodles, cherry tomatoes, spinach, onion and avocado were tossed in a refreshing, sweet sesame dressing.

Kingfish Tataki - This time, it was garnished with shards of dried red chilli and looked a little haphazardly plated up. Nonetheless, the melt-in-your-mouth tenderness of the fish, lathered in a fragrant soy and citrus dressing was still all there :-)

Niku Don - Comforting, thick slices of beef, "BBQ-style" seared and served on a bok choy salad with daikon, chilled ponzu dressing and a side of rice. It was a relief to bite into the beef and find it perfectly cooked, with a slightly nutty tang.

Third visit:

Kaki Sashimi - Natural oysters, served with a zingy Japanese citrus dressing and fresh daikon

Maguro Sumisoae - Chunks of chopped fresh Tuna and avocado, marinated in a tart miso and vinegar dressing, finished with a sprinkle of earthy toasted sesame seeds

Ika Salad - The squid was marinated in soy, coriander and lemon, then deep fried and tossed with a scrumptious salad of spinach leaves, cucumber, mint and a sesame dressing

Kingfish Tataki - A consistent winner for us.

Sake Carpaccio - Salmon sashimi marinated in a garlic oil and served with an apple, soy and citrus sauce. For me, the garlic oil was too strong of an addition to the soft flavours of the salmon, so I let Damian tackle this one on his own - which he all too happily obliged to, almost licking the plate clean!

Rockpool Bar & Grill - Bar

2010-09-23T03:46:00.001+10:00

Date visited: June 19th 2009

Riverside at Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex

8 Whiteman Street
Southbank, VIC 3006
(03) 8648 1900
Food: Modern Australian, Seafood and Steak
Website: www.rockpool.com.au/melbourne

The infamous $22 David Blackmore Wagyu burger on the bar menu at Rockpool Bar & Grill has consistently been on the high end of reviews, with many even going so far as to declaring it to be the most delicious and best valued burger in Melbourne.

So, fuelled on a quest to try out said dish to form our own judgment, Damian and I found ourselves seated in Rockpool's bar, interestingly ordering everything BUT the burger. As tempting as it sounded, served with bacon, gruyere cheese and zuni pickle, our eyes drifted to other parts of the day's menu to the alluring Swordfish with fennel and potato puree, and the corned Wagyu silverside with slow cooked carrot and mustard sauce. I think that while our minds were set on ordering the burger, our tummies were screaming out in protest, craving a more substantial meal.

Damian opted for the corned Wagyu silverside, which was meltingly tender and full of the flavour absorbed from the aromats in its poaching liquid. It was paired with a single hunk of carrot, which despite its dull appearance was deliciously sweet and buttery. A punchy mustard sauce was also served on the side to meld the dish together.

On the other hand, I favoured the charcoal grilled Swordfish, which was quite dense and meaty, soaking up the herby juices from the salsa verde-like sauce. Its faithful friend, the fennel, mellowed out with a wonderful caramelisation around the edges, accentuating the sweetness of the fish with its subtle aniseed flavour.

We chose the Potato and Cabbage Gratin to accompany our dishes. Its crisp coating of golden breadcrumbs and Parmesan, and oozy centre of gruyere cheese, creamy potato slices and savoy cabbage somehow lifted our overall enjoyment of the meal.

Although we revelled in such a lovely dinner, we weren't blown away or captivated by any particular aspect. Perhaps the Wagyu burger is what gives the menu its wow factor? Will definately need to return to continue our Rockpool quest.

Back: Corned Wagyu Silverside with Slow Cooked Carrot and Mustard Sauce
Front: Swordfish Steak with Fennel and Potato Puree
Left: Potato and Cabbage Gratin

Watercress, Fennel and Pinenut Salad

2010-09-22T15:13:00.001+10:00

At this time of year in early Spring, watercress is at its optimum with a delicate aroma and slight peppery flavour. It tastes brilliant in stirfries and soups, but even better when simply served, fresh, in salads and sandwiches. I think that by keeping the watercress raw, the crispness of the stems and the tanginess of the leaves really shine through.

In this salad, I've teamed watercress with fennel, which adds a light, anise-flavoured crunch. I have also used toasted pinenuts, for their buttery earthiness, but hazelnuts and walnuts also work well. The addition of fresh orange and lemon juice to the dressing compliments the slight bitterness of the greens, altogether giving the salad a delightful, refreshing zing.

- 3 tbs olive oil
- Juice of 1 small orange
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper

- 1 large fennel bulb
- 1 bunch watercress
- ⅓ cup pinenuts, toasted

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, orange and lemon juice to form the dressing. Season well, and adjust the flavours (if necessary), to your taste. Halve the fennel, then slice thinly (alternatively, use a mandolin to shave the bulb) and add to the dressing, leaving it to marinate for 10 minutes.

Just before serving, trim the watercress into thirds, and toss with the pinenuts into the bowl with the fennel. Devour immediately!

Watercress, Fennel and Pinenut Salad

Grossi Florentino - The Cellar Bar

2010-09-22T00:41:00.001+10:00

80 Bourke Street
Melbourne, VIC 3000
(03) 9662 1811
Food: Italian

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the city centre sits the ever so grand Grossi Florentino. This iconic Italian establishment has aged gracefully, withstanding over 50 years of generations in the food industry, and serves up some of Melbourne's finest Italian dishes. Grossi is divided into three dining areas, offering a different mood, experience and style of food in each.

First there is The Cellar Bar, which acts as the restaurant's "shopfront". This is where you will find a short menu of rustic, classic Italian fare, like a dish of freshly cut pasta lathered in a rich, hearty sauce and some light nibbles of salted cod croquettes. Then, situated directly next door is The Grill, where the service is just that little bit more polished, the menu more extensive and the food a touch more sophisticated. Finally, the substance and "gastronomical heart" of Grossi Florentino is upstairs, at The Restaurant. The food here is incredibly inspiring and an art form of fresh flavours, created from seasonal local and imported ingredients. The service is subtle, yet accomplished and you are guaranteed a memorable dining experience.

After yet another lengthy day of (window)shopping in the city, Damian and I found ourselves at Grossi Florentino for the first time. It was a spur of the moment decision, and we had not made a reservation, so we tried our luck at The Cellar Bar, where they act upon a first come first serve basis with a no bookings policy.

After just a couple minute's wait, a tabled freed up and we were briskly seated. The dim lighting and cosily spaced tables made for a romantic ambience, but was ruffled up by the slight pompous manner of the male waiters. Despite that, they provided efficient service, cleverly manouvering themselves back and forth from the kitchen, behind bar and on the floor. Our dishes arrived promptly, and were a true epitome of traditional Italian food with clean flavours and a twist of refinement.

Prosciutto, Mozzarella and Pear Salad - Superb tastes from the use of the simplest of fresh ingredients. The prosciutto was delicate and salty, perfectly offsetting the crisp sweetness from the pear and the moist, creamy mozzarella.

Minestrone Alla Genovese - A nourishing vegetable soup with house-made pesto and Parmesan that is grated with flair for you at the table.

Calamari In Padella - Sautéed, tender calamari with refreshing rocket leaves and lemon.

Spaghetti Alla Bolognese - Nothing like a dish of mellow, bitey pasta to soak up all the robust flavours from a rich meat ragu, topped off with freshly grated Parmesan.

Tortellini Di Zucca Della Lunigiana - Expertly made tortellini, encasing a soft centre of sweet pumpkin, served with a nutty, buttery sauce and fried sage leaves.

Mushroom Cappuccino

2010-09-15T15:13:00.004+10:00

On a recent trip, Mushroom Hunting at Moorooduc, we were given a recipe for the luxurious mushroom cappuccino that was served up to us at the end of the tour. The 'cappuccino' component does not imply the use of coffee beans in the soup, but rather describes the way it is served in coffee cups, taking on the appearance of a frothy cappuccino.

When reproducing the soup at home, I served it in bowls, and chose not to froth up the mixture as much in the blender, so the result was quite a dense and luscious soup. However, I think I actually prefer the frothed up version, playfully served in a coffee cup. I've provided the recipe for it here, with a few tweaks to the original version, for a more flavoursome and foamy soup. I have also found that adding the cream to the soup, before blending it produces more froth, because the fatty components in the cream encourage aeration in the mixture.

Serves 5-6 bowls, 10-12 coffee cups:
- 500g button mushrooms, finely sliced
- 50g dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 100ml warm water for 40min
- 60g unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tbs parsley, finely chopped
- Sea salt and cracked white pepper
- 1L chicken stock
- 1 cup 45% fat cream (or your desired amount)
- 2 tbs truffle oil

Sliced Porcini mushrooms

Black Truffle Oil

Heat a large saucepan with the butter. Once the butter stars to foam, sauté the mushrooms until softened. Drain and squeeze dry the porcini mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and chop roughly (if they aren't already pre-sliced). Add to the button mushrooms, along with the parsley, garlic, pepper and salt and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and the reserved porcini liquid, bring to a gentle simmer and cook over a low heat for 45 minutes. (The dish can be prepared to this point ahead of time and reheated when required)

To finish the cappuccino, add the cream to the soup and bring back to the simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer the soup to a liquidiser and blend, in batches, until the mushrooms are amalgamated into a very smooth and frothy liquid.

For extra cappuccino foaminess, return the soup to a deep saucepan and heat until it is hot, just before boiling point. Then use a stick blender or a ba-mix to aerate the soup further.

Finish with the truffle oil. Serve the frothy soup immediately in a cappuccino cup, with crusty bread.

Mushroom Soup with Truffle Oil

Ishiya Stonegrill

2010-09-14T04:23:00.002+10:00

152 Little Bourke Street
Melbourne, VIC 3000
(03) 9650 9510
Food: Japanese, Stonegrilled Meat and Seafood

On many occasions, when looking for street parking in the city, we have driven past Ishiya Stonegrill and tried to catch a glimpse through the restaurant's windows for any clue of what the 'stonegrill' concept may be about. So, I finally got around to making the call to book ourselves in for what we discovered to be an innovative, interactive dining experience.

Ishiya occupies an intimate space among some of Melbourne's hottest eateries in Chinatown. Its interior of elegant dark chocolate wooden furnishings, classic touches of oriental flowers and abstract paintings hanging against the deep rosey plum-coloured walls, all make for a warm and inviting atmosphere. On the Sunday night that we were there, hopeful guests were given the thumbs down for a table because the place was fully booked.

Upon arrival, Damian and I were briskly seated and the waitress gave us newbies a rundown of the menu and how the stone grilled dishes are served. From the monotonous tone and rapid manner in which her explanation was delivered, it was evident the same words are repeated to every table of diners that come in.

Basically, the idea of 'stone grilling' promotes a healthy meal, where food is served fresh at the table, sizzling on a 400°C heated, natural volcanic stone. This ancient method of cooking seals in all the natural juices and nutrients by rapidly searing the food at a high temperature, without burning it. There are also no added fats or oils, so you are encouraged to enjoy the pure flavours and tenderness of the food you order.

Each stonegrill set at Ishiya comes with a starter of sashimi, followed by your choice of main, served with a selection of five sauces:
- Ponzu
- Sesame, Tofu and Crab Roe
- Garlic Butter and Miso
- Wasabi and Black Pepper
- Teriyaki

Thinking that it wasn't enough, we also ordered an additional couple of sensational tasting starters to kick off our meal.

Salmon Nigiri; Sashimi of Kingfish and Salmon. The raw fish was not as fresh as we had hoped. It was dull in appearance and the texture of the sashimi was quite sinewy and harsh.

Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab wrapped with Peking Duck-style Pastry

Creamy Baked Scallop with Mushrooms

Come main time, a waitress elaborately wheeled out a trolley, holding our stonegrills and chosen ingredients. She placed a piping hot stone in front of each of us, protected by a ceramic serving tray, and whacked on our slabs of meat, seafood and vegetables, which all sizzled and smoked upon hitting the volcanic surface.

Due to the absence of oil, I found myself constantly lifting each item up as it was cooking to try and prevent it from sticking to the stone. Our food cooked a lot faster than expected, so we felt rushed to eat before everything became tough and overcooked. So much for being able to cook and enjoy the meat to our 'personal taste and liking'!

Nonetheless, we had a joyful time being semi chefs for the evening, happily dipping our grilled food into the complementing sauces, which we found enhanced the clean, sweet, refined flavours of our steaks, lobster and prawn.

Porterhouse Steak and Half Lobster Tail

Porterhouse Steak and Prawn

Green Tea Cupcakes with Red Bean Frosting

2010-09-10T02:10:00.004+10:00

I love family parties. Not only do they allow me to spend quality time with loved ones that I hardly see due to hectic lifestyles, but they also give me the opportunity to practice my baking skills and try out new recipes. From when I was a young girl, mum has taught me that whenever invited over to somebody's house, it is always courteous to bring along a gift, or something small as a sign of respect and consideration.

So, for a recent gathering, I partnered up with a recipe by Murdoch Books to create a batch of delicious green tea cupcakes. I was pleased with the end result, but only because everybody seemed to enjoy devouring them, and I even managed to convert a few that used to cringe at the mention of the words 'green tea' or 'red bean'.

For me, the green tea flavour that I expected just did not shine through in the cupcake. To achieve a more dense green tea fragrance, I recommend that you add a couple of teaspoons of green tea leaves to the scolded milk, along with the Matcha (fine green tea powder). Then strain the mixture, allow to cool and proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Makes 24 standard cupcakes (approx 48 mini):
- 125ml milk
- 3 tsp Matcha (fine green tea powder)
- 2 tsp green tea leaves (if using)
- 185g unsalted butter
- ¾ cup (170g) caster sugar
- 1 tsp natural vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup (125g) self-raising four
- ¼ cup (30g) plain flour
- 45g Japanese sweet red beans, to decorate (Whole beans, tinned are best. The Asian grocery store I visited didn't have any, so I just used the Korean 'smashed' variety)

For the Cream Frosting:
- 1 cup (250ml) whipping cream
- 2 tbs icing sugar, sifted

These ingredients can be found in most Asian groceries

Matcha - fine green tea powder

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line 24 standard (or 48 mini) muffin holes with paper cases. Place the milk in a saucepan and bring just to the boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the matcha (and green tea leaves if using, then strain). Allow to cool.

Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together with electric beaters until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift the flours together, and fold into the egg mixture alternately with the milk mixture, until a smooth green batter is formed.

Add a little flour...

Then a little milk...

Keep repeating this...

Until it becomes a smooth consistency

Divide the mixture evenly among the cases. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a skewer/toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the centre of a cake. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool.

For the cream frosting, beat the whipping cream and icing sugar together until stiff peaks form. Transfer it into a piping bag, fitted with a large star nozzle, then decorate each cake with the cream and sweet red beans.

Green Tea Cupcakes with Red Bean Frosting

Gold Coast - Seafood Empire; Yamagen

2010-09-09T16:12:00.006+10:00

Seafood Empire
Shop 21/17 Cavill Avenue,
Cavill Mall,
Surfers Paradise, QLD 4217
(07) 5527 5250
(also at Hampton (VIC))
Food: Cafe, Seafood, Steak, Pasta, Fish and Chips

On a day trip to Gold Coast, from Brisbane, we found ourselves facing the usual question of where to go for lunch. After much deliberation, we finally settled on our original choice, Seafood Empire, mostly because it has a spacious outdoor dining area right in the heart of one of Surfer's Paradise's busiest shopping strips.

We ordered our meals up the front at the counter, paid, then brought our table number to an unoccupied table outside. It was a great moment, relaxing back in our chairs under the balmy sun, watching as parades of people passed by, happily shopping and chatting away - the vibe was just buzzing.

When our food finally arrived, we dug right in, only to be somewhat disheartened by what was served. Perhaps we ordered the wrong dishes, or the cooks were having a bad day, but the oysters were still gritty, the prawn cutlets bland and doughy (with hardly any trace of prawn inside) and the calamari was rubbery and tough to chew through.

Don't get me wrong, the food here was not bad, but it wasn't good or great either. It was just a plain and simple Okay. Not exactly a foodie's destination, but with such a convenient location, family-friendly atmosphere and modestly priced menu, I can see how the cafe easily fills up during lunchtime.

Seafood Empire is the cafe on the right with the red umbrellas

Natural Oysters with Lemon - they were fresh and tasted briny, but had an undesirable bitter lettuce after-taste

Crumbed Prawn Cutlets with Chips and Salad

Salt and Pepper Calamari with a Mediterranean Salad

After lunch, we headed straight for the beach to soak up some rays and jump a few waves, followed by a couple of competitive rounds of mini golf at the amusing, novelty King Tutt's Putt Putt. Before we knew it, the sun was setting and our insides were growling out to us, a sure sign that it was dinnertime!

Yamagen
Gold Coast International Hotel,
7 Staghorn Avenue
Surfers Paradise, QLD
(07) 5584 1200
Food: Japanese

We actually spotted Yamagen on the walk to King Tutt's, which is about 200 metres away. By this stage of the evening, we were so hungry we didn't think our bodies had the energy to go all the way back into the town's centre for a meal, so we settled for a Japanese fix instead.

Yamagen is one of three restaurants offered by The Gold Coast International Hotel. It serves a slew of straightforward, classic Japanese dishes in what we found to be a tranquil and professional environment. We may have been a tad out of place in our shorts, singlets and thongs, but we weren't bothered and happily grazed through our nourishing meals.

With content bellies, we lazily walked back to Surfer's Paradise's Cavill Mall for a refreshing dessert of gelati to enjoy on the beach, toes wriggling in the cool, soothing sand, watching the seagulls soar high above us in the starry sky.

Agedashi Tofu - fried tofu in a rich dashi, mirin and soya broth

Beef Kushisashi - char-grilled beef, basted in a special yakitori sauce

Tempura Udon - thick white noodles in a dashi broth, with a selection of tempura prawn and vegetables

Brisbane - Samson Seafood; Bayside Seafood; Tanja's Cafe

2010-09-08T00:34:00.002+10:00

Every year or so, we fly up to Brisbane to visit my oldest brother and his family. They live in a lovely bayside area, where the air is incredibly clean and refreshing. The locals are friendly and laid back, and the houses all so groomed and well-maintained - I find it fascinating that there is hardly a footpath in sight with the lush green lawns of front gardens growing straight down to meet the road.

Here are a few of my favourite local haunts:

Samson Seafood
Shop 25/152 Shore Street,
Raby Bay Harbour,
Cleveland, QLD 4163
(07) 3488 2088
Food: Seafood Cafe, Takeway, Hamburgers, Fish and Chips

It has become a tradition that during every stay, we indulge in a feastly dinner of fresh seafood, chips and salad from the local Fish and Chippery, Samson Seafood. It sits right by the water in the Raby Bay Harbour complex, amongst other restaurants and an ice-cream parlour. The place is usually packed to the rafters every night of the week, especially during the hotter months, so we usually just call up to order take-away, to pick up 20-30 minutes later.

Samson's offers a plethora of fresh, filleted local fish including Hoki, Cod, Flake, John Dory, Sea Perch, Whiting, Barramundi, Snapper and Atlantic Salmon. All can be crumbed, battered or grilled, to order, and served with chips, salad, tartare sauce and lemon. The usual 'fish and chip' fare is also available, with burgers, chicken nuggets, dim sims, kabana, chicko rolls and pineapple fritters on the menu.

Cold Seafood Platter for Two with Garden Salad - this is the sort of food you really need to get your bare hands into to savour the flavours. The oysters had an incredibly refreshing and delicate mineral-like taste of the sea, the prawns plump and juicy and the crab was full of sweet, meaty flesh.

Hot Seafood Platter for Two with Thick-cut Chips - freshly crumbed and battered calamari rings, prawns, roe-on scallops and fish cocktails. Each bite was a great trigger to the senses, with a crunch from the crusty batter into the yielding seafood inside, followed by sweet juices trickling out and the smell of golden-brown deep-fried goodness mixed with a clean, ocean salt after-taste.

Our cheat's dessert of Sara Lee Apple Custard Crumble Snack Pies - oven-baked with a warm centre of custard and diced, pink lady apples. Delish!

Bayside Seafood
360 Main Road
Wellington Point, QLD 4160
(07) 3207 2530
Food: Fresh fish and seafood wholesaler

I love Bayside Seafood for its guaranteed, freshly caught sandcrabs, at just $4.50c each! Mum and I always return to my brother's place from here, laden with a bagful of these suckers. We spend a great deal of time, eating our way through the sweet, succulent flesh of the crabs, making sure not to miss any meaty bits. They taste superb on their own, but for extra flavour, I dip the crabmeat into a simple dressing of fresh lemon juice, sea salt and white pepper. Mm mmm!

Tanja's Cafe Restaurant
372-374 Main Road
Wellington Point, QLD 4160
(also at Caloundra (QLD)
(07) 3207 3120

Food: Cafe, Breakfast, Modern Australian, Meditteranean, Seafood, Pizza

Sometimes, on our 10 minute drive to the scenic Wellington Point, we fuel up at Tanja's for a scumptious feed before continuing on (down the road) to our destination. With its fresh, organic produce-burdened menu and alfresco dining space, Tanja's makes you feel right at home with its down-to-earth staff and family-friendly atmosphere.

Hot Seafood Platter for Two with Chips and Salad - crumbed prawn cutlets, battered calamari and freshly grilled scallops, fish fillets and local Moreton Bay bugs.

What a beautiful day it is to be at Wellington Point!

Going for a saunter in the cool seawater at low tide

Hako (2 visits)

2010-09-07T20:29:00.004+10:00

310 Flinders Lane
Melbourne, VIC 3000
(03) 9650 1881
Food: Japanese

My first visit to Hako was a while ago, but I still remember entering its raw, warehouse-like dining space and instantly feeling at ease from the ambience created by the mellow, romantic lighting, rustic decor and serene atmosphere. The restaurant filled up as we progressed through our dinner, but it didn't feel over-crowded or busy, even though all the tables were occupied - only a soft murmur of chatter could be heard.

Classic Japanese dishes can be found on the menu, prepared in the most elegant and unpretentious manner, served on beautiful Japanese ceramics. The staff were extremely polite and softly spoken, but it was sometimes difficult for them to explain certain dishes when prompted, due to their lack of fluency in speaking English. However, with patience and basic communication, we were able to understand the details of various specials.

Mushroom and Brie Cheese Croquette - not what we expected, but nevertheless a great start to the evening

Tebasaki - char-grilled chicken wings with a tangy plum paste and a hint of aromatic Japanese spice

Ebi Tempura - large 'hairy prawns' wrapped with crispy, thin-cut shards of kataifi pastry served with a warm ginger and soya dashi dipping sauce

Cuttlefish Tempura - with fresh lemon and green tea salt

Gyumaki - Pan-fried, thinly sliced beef wrapped around asparagus

Daily Fish Special

A few months later, this year, I returned to Hako, bringing my friends with me to celebrate one of their birthdays.

Sashimi - aptly sliced, fresh raw swordfish, kingfish, Atlantic salmon and yellowfin tuna

Gyoza - fried pastry stuffed with minced pork, cabbage, with hint of pungent garlic

Daily Special - Grilled asparagus 'salad', boosted by a zesty sauce of egg yolk and Tosazu (Japanese vinegar)

Nasudengaku - juicy, deep-fried eggplant with a tangy miso paste

Chingensai - a heart-warming, sumptuous soya bonito broth with bok choy and earthy shiitake mushrooms

Okonomiyaki - Japanese-style, grilled pancake with a teriyaki glaze. The cabbage batter was mushy and too floury, but managed to deliver on tasty, savoury flavours.

Fish Special - Sea Perch braised with a sake, soya and ginger sauce, served with a bowl of steamed rice. I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of this dish, but was disappointed because the fish was dry, overcooked and didn't absorb in any of the nourishing broth

Unagidon - Delicately char-grilled eel, served in a box with miso soup and pickled greens. The ratio of the sweet, salty eel to the complementing fluffy rice was perfect!

Teriyaki Chicken - tender fillets of chicken, basted with a soy-based teriyaki sauce

Pickled Cumquats

2010-09-07T20:17:00.002+10:00

The beginning of Spring marks the end of the peak season for many Winter fruits and vegetables, including the bittersweet and ever so tart cumquat. A slow-growing evergreen shrub, bearing said fruit, sits by the front door to my house, welcoming guests with its dark glossy green leaves in Summer and bright orange gem-like fruits during the colder months.

My earliest memory with cumquats is drinking them, sliced and muddled in hot water, with a little bit of honey added - my grandma's secret remedy for sore throats and colds. It actually works wonders, soothing inflammation with the pungent zest and tart flesh, combined with the sweetness from the honey. I also remember plonking a whole cumquat into my mouth as a little girl, thinking that I had scored myself a golden treat, but was quick to suffer the consequences of my gluttony with a puckered face and shocked yelps after tasting the extreme sourness of the juices inside.

Cumquats are best enjoyed in chutneys, marinades, sweet compotes, jelly, marmalades, liquers or simply sliced, fresh in salads. They pair extremely well with and complement the flavours of duck, poultry and other fatty meats. When buying, select cumquats whose rind are bright orange in colour, with no hint of green. They generally keep at room temperature for up to three days, but can last up to two weeks in the fridge.

At home, mum uses cumquats from our tree, freshly quartered in fruit salads, whereas I prefer to poach them in sugar syrup to serve with vanilla ice cream - The acidity and sharpness from the compote deliciously cuts through the creamy, mellowness of the ice-cream.

A couple of months ago, I decided to pickle the last batch of cumquats, picked from our tree, using a recipe from Stephanie Alexander's The Cook's Companion. The pickled cumquats inside the jar have since become shrunken, wrinkled and slightly dark brown in colour, so it is almost time for me to experiment with them in different dishes. I can't wait!

- 1 tsp salt

- 600ml water

- 500g cumquats, washed
- ⅔ cup caster sugar
- ½ stick cinnamon

- 1 tsp cloves

- 600ml white wine vinegar

Dissolve salt in water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour over the cumquats in a bowl and stand for 12 hours. Drain.

Simmer the sugar and spices in vinegar in a non-reactive saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer for a further 5 minutes.

Carefully pack the cumquats into hot, sterilised jars, then pour in the boiling vinegar syrup and seal. Store in a cool place. Leave for several weeks before using. Both the pickling syrup and the cumquats can be used.

Pickled Cumquats - Day 1

Yu-u

2010-09-07T01:38:00.004+10:00

137 Flinders Lane
Melbourne, VIC 3000

(enter from Oliver Lane)
(03) 9639 7073
Food: Japanese, Set Lunch Box

I haven't done a post on Japanese food in a while, so there is no better way to break the drought than with a visit to the iconic and delightful Yu-U. Restaurant critics and food bloggers alike have described this tiny haven as one of Melbourne's best hidden gems, with its underground basement location, zen-like ambience and sleek concrete and hardwood fixtures. The eatery's front entrance is also notoriously hard to find - just look out for a steel, rich-maroon rose coloured door, blemished with messy black graffiti. A small, framed sign to the right of it reads "Yu-U" in Japanese.

Yu-U's reputable set lunches are a steal at $18, served on a tray with your choice of main, alongside the day's 'small dish', a steaming hot bowl of miso soup, rice, pickled vegetables, condiments, a piece of fresh fruit and a pot of earthy Japanese green tea. At night, it is also absolutely necessary to make a reservation, with tables usually booked out from at least a week in advance. However, all this fuss really is worth the effort - the food is unpretentious, yet mind-blowing, reinforcing classic Japanese flavours with a delicate, modern twist.

The last time I dined here was before I bought my new camera, so please excuse the slightly blurred images taken in the restaurant's dimly-lit setting.

Natural Oysters with Ponzu Dressing - these little morsels tasted so clean and fresh

Scallops and Mushrooms in a Butter and Soya Sauce - they literally oozed of sweet, robust juices with every mouthful

Pork and Cabbage in a Light Teriyaki Dressing

King George Whiting Tempura - we were very impressed with how moist the whiting was, coated with an incredibly crisp and fluffy batter

Yaki Onigiri - crispy char-grilled rice patties with a soft and glutinous centre and basted with a tangy soya sauce

Nasu Hasamiage - deep-fried eggplant with a central minced chicken layer, finished off with freshly grated white radish and a light soya dressing

Wagyu Beef and Spring Onion with Teriyaki Sauce - I generally don't enjoy eating spring onion, but surprisingly loved the bitey texture of it in this dish, wrapped with delicate slices of tender, caramelised Wagyu beef

House-made Creme Caramel - syrupy, sticky and seriously good.

Rockpool Bar & Grill

2010-09-06T23:04:00.001+10:00

Riverside at Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex
8 Whiteman Street
Southbank, VIC 3006
(03) 8648 1900
Food: Modern Australian, Seafood and Steak

After a rather impressive dining experience at Rockpool Bar & Grill last year (read about it here), we returned, this time, for lunch. I must admit, we hardly have the chance to dine out together during the day, so it was great to be able to relax back in comfy, plush leather seats while absorbing the superb views, through the restaurant's dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows, across the Yarra River. The day's warm sunlight dazzled and danced as we ate, offsetting the restaurant's spacious interior of elegant furnishings and warm tones of beige and dark timber brown.

Once again, we were wowed by the quality, taste and presentation of every dish served. It really is no wonder that this Melbourne leg of Neil Perry's string of Rockpool restaurants (there is one in Sydney and one opening up in Perth) has kept its Two Hat status (awarded by The Age Good Food Guide) every year, from 2008 through to 2011.

Sautéed White Asparagus with Shiitake Mushrooms, Slow Cooked Hen's Egg, Burnt Butter and Parmesan - the creamy, runny egg yolk lent itself well to this dish, combining the earthy textures of the mushrooms and asparagus with the nutty Parmesan and salty burnt butter.

King Prawns with Goats Cheese Tortellini, Burnt Butter, Raisins and Pine Nuts - I still salivate at the memory of biting through the soft, chewy tortellini skin to reveal a rich, but slightly acidic filling of goat's cheese, which mellowed out from the zesty raisins, crisp pine nuts and sweet prawn.

Hand Cut Linguine With Spanner Crab and Spicy Prawn Oil - the pasta was so beautifully cut, it soaked up all the flavours from the aromatic, tangy prawn oil and succulent crab meat. All we needed was some crusty sourdough to mop up all the juices!

Crispy Fried Tiger Flathead Fillets with Crazy Water - 'Crazy Water' is a fascinating, culinary concept, adapted from Italian fishermen in the 1960's. They were known to sauté the day's catch in fresh seawater with tomatoes and extra-virgin olive oil. In today's restaurants, sparkling mineral water is used to achieve a similar result - a fiery tomato consomme that is sweet, salty, tart and umami all at the same time.

Grossi Florentino - The Grill

2010-09-05T23:20:00.243+10:00

Date visited: 11th April 2009

80 Bourke Street
Melbourne, VIC 3000
(03) 9662 1811
Food: Italian
Website: http://www.grossi.com.au/grossi-florentino/the-grill.aspx

So, after a rather gruff experience at Grossi Florentino's Cellar Bar (read about it HERE), we were lured back by the memory of delectable flavours and mouth-watering aromas wafting out of the restaurant's open kitchen. However, this time, we figured to step it up a notch at The Grill.

The Grill at Grossi is supposed to be more sleek and modernised than its Cellar Bar counterpart, with a contemporary menu. Although the service was quite rash at times (easily forgiven as it was a full house that night), the food was moreish and wholesome enough for us to walk out satisfied with happy bellies!

We shared fresh oysters and scampi from the "Primi" section of the menu, followed by wild hapuka and a delicious boned quail from the "Le Padelle" section and king prawns from "La Griglia," which I supposed means from the grill? And on the side - Crispy (and fluffy inside) Italian fried potatoes with rosemary and garlic.

Ostriche - Pacific oysters with red-wine vinegar and lemon

Scampi alla griglia, nepitella - Scampi, catmint, couscous, rocket and roasted capsicum

Quaglia a bocconcini- Quail (boned), mozzarella, speck, fregola

Il pesce del giorno - Line-caught wild hapuka, crispy skin, caponata, shallots and barley

Spiedino di gamberi - QLD King prawns en brochette (cooked and served on skewers)

Belgian Beer Cafe Eureka

2010-09-05T22:50:00.003+10:00

5 Riverside Quay
Southbank VIC 3006
(03) 9690 5777
(also at St.Kilda)
Food: European with French and Belgian influences, Belgian Mussel Pots, Cafe, Beer, Bar

After a living a day like tourists, exploring the underwater wonders of the Melbourne Aquarium and soaking in the breath-taking views across the city on the highest floor of the Eureka Tower, we decided to unwind at Belgian Beer Cafe Eureka.

Showcasing ornate, imported wooden fixtures and furnishings from Belgium, the restaurant is the sort of place you'd find corporate workers mingling over after-work drinks and snacks. The atmosphere is constantly buzzing with locals, foreigners and beer lovers abound, and groups of friends standing, huddled together under the radiant heaters in the outdoor terrace.

Much of the food is of Belgian and French origin and served cafe-style, with an attractive, elegant twist. A house specialty is their traditional Black Bay Mussel Pots, steamed with flavour combinations like orange, lemon zest, coriander and Hoegaarden White Beer; chilli, lemongrass and coconut cream; tomato, red capsicum black olives and fresh basil; and blue cheese, cream and spinach.

Escargot - snails, sautéed in garlic and herb butter with a touch of pastis (anise-flavoured liquer). For somebody who enjoys savouring the sweet and unique textures of well-cooked snails, I found the ones in this dish extremely pungent and overwhelmed by fumes of garlic. We left this dish untouched after sampling a morsel each.

Harvey Bay Scallops - pan seared and served in their half shell with a lemon scented pearl barley risotto. Interesting combination of textures from the zingy risotto, which cleverly complemented the sweet and slightly charred flavour of the plump scallops.

Crispy Spatchcock with Gruyere Gratin, Asparagus & Tarragon Jus - this was a real indulgent dish of juicy, golden brown roasted chicken with a luscious, cheesey potato bake and delicately grilled spears of asparagus

Semolina-crusted and Lighty fried Calamari - served with a refreshing fennel and parsley salad, and a spiced lemon oil dressing

Mushroom Hunting at Moorooduc

2010-09-05T21:07:00.003+10:00

A couple of months ago on June 20th, with gumboots, scarves and warm jackets in tow, we climbed into our car for a drive towards Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula. After pre-booking 2 months in advance, the day had finally arrived for our Mushroom Tour at Moorooduc Estate. It was to be led by Cameron Russell, an enthused mushroom maestro, who would take us on an informative traipse through the laneways and valleys near Moorooduc Estate for some serious mushroom foraging. I was very excited, to say the least!

The day was wet and cold - perfect conditions for sprouting mushrooms!

Couldn't resist pulling over to get a shot of these wobbly llamas

Gorgeous view across the winery

Enjoying a cup of Chamomile and English Breakfast Tea while waiting for the rest of the group to arrive

Everybody in our tour group wore this sticker as an allegiance to our fellow fungi

We all drove 5min from Moorooduc Estate, with Cameron leading the way, to an area where mushrooms would be growing

A Giant Suillus Luteus, commonly known as a Slippery Jack Mushroom, by the roadside

Cameron explaining the different techniques used to distinguish edible mushrooms from the poisonous ones. It was alarming to discover that for every edible mushroom in the world, there is at least one poisonous one that looks almost identical to it. He was then quick to point out that one should therefore never pick a fungus to eat unless 100 per cent sure of what it is.

An alluring, poisonous Amanita Muscaria, commonly known as a Fly Agaric

Psychedelic Psilocybe Cyanofriscosa, commonly known as Magic Mushrooms

We had to brush away masses of pine needles, fallen from surrounding pine trees, to unearth the treasures of mushrooms underneath

An almost camouflaging Trametes Versicolor, commonly used in Chinese medicine

Another Amanita, which has hallucinogenic properties

Agaricus Augustus, commonly known as The Prince, is great pan-fried with garlic and olive oil. There is a very common, similar-looking mushroom to The Prince that is poisonous. These inedible fungi will turn bright yellow and emit a toxic chemical odour when cut or bruised.

Holding a delicately hued Lepista Nuda, commonly known as a Wood Blewit. It is delicious pan-fried with butter and parsley. Apparently they are quite hard to find at the moment, so we were lucky to stumble upon a few.

More Slippery Jacks (too mature to be edible) and a Magic Mushroom

Walking across the road to hunt for more mushrooms in the forest on the other side

A fatal concoction of an intense black cap and stem with milky white gills

Tiny orange coral fungi

Yellow ones!

Lactarius Deliciosus, commonly known as Saffron Milk Caps or Pine Mushrooms, have unique hollow stems. They are delicious and have a great bite to them when cooked.

The only edible Slippery Jack mushroom found, with tiny, circular pores in the light yellow, spongey hymenium

Our day's bounty - a Slippery Jack, milk chocolatey The Prince mushrooms, vibrant Pine Mushrooms and lilac Wood Blewits

Returning to our cars

Back to the winery to enjoy our mushrooms with a glass of Moorooduc Blanc (a blend of chardonnay and pinot gris) and Pinot Noir :-)

Creamy Mushroom Cappucino; Wild Mushroom on Sourdough Bruschetta

Note to self: Buy outdoor woodfire oven

Watching our pizza being made

Waiting...

Eyeing...

Time to eat! Delicious Wild Mushrooms with Truffle Oil

Dates for tours with Cameron Russell next year are to be announced in February 2011, so get in quick if you want to score yourself a place. Visit the website for more details. Happy 'Shrooming! :-)

Rye Hotel

2010-09-05T18:39:00.002+10:00

2415 Point Nepean Road
Rye, VIC 3941
(03) 5985 2277
Food: Bistro, Cafe
Website: www.ryehotel.com.au/bistro-cafe
Date visited: 20th June 2010

After spending a long day in Mornington Peninsula, mushroom hunting and basking in natural hot springs, we craved a home-style meal without all the frills. So, there was no better way to end our trip than with a straightforward, delicious meal at the local Rye Hotel.

We walked in at about 9pm, to see that there were no other guests in the bistro, except for a few young ladies chatting over drinks by the fireplace. Though somewhat awkwardly, we were seated and orders promptly taken. Our food arrived soon after and we were a couple of happy chaps, satisfied with the taste and quality of the dishes served.

We were surprised to be given bread before our meal, a nice gesture indeed!

Saganaki with Lemon and Rocket - A great combination of salty cheese with zingy lemon, but the overall texture was too rubbery

Veal Scallopini with Pancetta & Mushrooms in a Cream, Garlic & White Wine Sauce with Mashed Potato - Oozy, creamy, meaty goodness

Chicken Parmigiana with Virginia Ham, Napoli Sauce, Mozzarella & Parmesan - This has made it to my top 3 of parmas ever eaten. It has the perfect ratio of crispy crumbed chicken to salty ham, tangy napoli sauce and golden brown melted cheese; All topped off with thick cut chips and steamed vegies to balance out the flavours.

Hearty Winter Minestrone

2010-09-04T11:41:00.003+10:00

As we Melbournians bid farewell to the chill and monotonous gloomy skies of Winter (while holding a glass of bubbly to welcome the arrival of Spring), I decided to showcase the lovely colours, textures and flavours of the best, and last, of the season's vegetables in a heart-warming wintery minestrone.

Much of my inspiration for this dish came from Masterchef's Gary's recipe for baked beans. Keep in mind this recipe needs to be started a day ahead, to allow enough time to soak the dried beans. If you are running short on time, just use the tinned variety and add them towards the end of cooking time to simmer for about 15 minutes.

In this soup, I use ginger, which I find is a great alternative to the usual onion and garlic; simply because it contains more nutrients and its spice and pungency (as well as slight sweetness) help keep the body warm in cold weather.

For those new to cooking with celeriac, it can be prepared in the same ways as potatoes. However, the outer bumpy and tough skin is inedible and has to be removed. Before cooking, lay the celeriac on its side and saw off the two ends (a serrated knife will make the job easier). Turn the vegetable to rest on one of the ends, for stability, and carefully saw the skin off the sides. Then use a regular, sharp knife to cut the celeriac into chunks for cooking.

Try to cut all your vegetables similar in size, not only for presentation but to ensure even cooking.

Serves 6-8

- 400g dried beans

- 2 tbs olive oil

- 6 cm piece ginger, finely chopped

- 4 stalks celery, diced

- 2 carrots, diced

- 2 Desiree potatoes, diced

- 6 sprigs thyme, secured together with kitchen string

- 4 dried bay leaves

- 2 x 400g can chopped tomatoes

- 3 litres vegetable stock
- 1 celeriac, diced

- 1 parsnip, diced

- 4 large silverbeet leaves, trimmed and coarsely shredded
- 100g feta cheese
- ¼ cup mint leaves, coarsely chopped
- ¼ parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

Dried butter beans (left). I initially wanted to cook with black turtle beans too, but they leached out so much black pigment when soaking that I chose to leave them out of the soup - they would have ruined the lustrous hues of the minestrone.

Place beans in a large ceramic bowl, cover with cold water and set aside for 12-24 hours to soak. Drain well, rinse and drain again.

Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot on medium and add the ginger. Stir for about 30 seconds, until fragrant (without browning).

Then add the celery, carrot, potato, thyme and bay leaves, and stir to coat in the oil.

Pour over the chicken stock and add the tomatoes. Reduce heat to a low, cover and simmer for approximately 1 hour 20 minutes, until the beans are almost tender.

At this stage, add the celeriac and simmer for a further 25 minutes. Then add the parsnip and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the thyme and bay leaves.

Finally, add the silverbeet and cook until it is slightly wilted (about 2 minutes). Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning as required.

Ladle the minestrone into serving bowls, crumble over the feta, scatter over the mint and parsley leaves and serve with crusty bread. Bon appétit!

Hearty Winter Minestrone

Note: For the meat lovers, pan-fry fresh pork chipolatas to serve with the minestrone.

Hearty Winter Minestrone with Pork Chipolatas

Luxe Mashed Potato

2010-09-04T02:27:00.004+10:00

Everybody has their individual way of making mashed potato, from using different ingredients like milk, butter, cream and cheese, to standing by specific methods of preparing the spuds, which they believe will produce the best mash - boiled with skin intact, chopped and boiled with skin off, roasted on a bed of rock salt.

One rule, however, remains the same - Floury potatoes are high in starch and low in moisture and sugar, which gives them the perfect texture to be mashed. Varieties include: Desiree, Coliban, Royal Blue, Sebago, Nicola, Bison, Nadine, Kennebec, Saxon and Spunta.

Royal Blue Potatoes

This is my practical, fail-safe method of making the most velvety and soft mashed potato. It is based on a recipe, from an edition of Gourmet Traveller, which I have kept close to the heart. When buying the potatoes, try to pick ones that are similar in size to ensure even cooking. I usually use the back of a large spoon to push the boiled potatoes through a sieve, which creates a perfectly smooth consistency. However, I find that using a masher to push down on the spuds in a pot is a lot less time-consuming (for those lazy days) and still works well if you aren't fussy about a few tiny lumps through the mash.

In this recipe, I have said to use unsalted butter, only so that you have complete control over the amount of seasoning added. Regular, salted butter can also be used, but it means you need to be careful with seasoning - the mash could turn out too salty. I like to use slightly salted butter, which is the right amount of saltiness and flavours the mash so well that I don't need to season at the end.

Serves 4:

- 1kg floury potatoes (I like desiree and royal blue), peeled

- 50g cold unsalted butter, coarsely chopped

- 100ml hot milk (Easiest way is to microwave it in a cup)

- 60ml extra-virgin olive oil

Place potatoes in a saucepan (large enough so that they are in a single layer) of cold salted water and bring to the boil over high heat. Cook, stirring a couple of times, until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a small sharp knife (12-15 minutes).

Drain and return to the pan with the heat on low, to allow the steam to evaporate.

After that, turn the heat off, and if you are using a hand masher, simply mash the potatoes in the pan. If not, remove the potatoes from the pan, cut in half and proceed with your preferred method of mashing, whether it be to push through a potato presser or fine sieve back into the pan.

After mashing, you will need to turn the heat back on low to warm up the potatoes in the pan, to remove any excess moisture. Then beat in a little butter at a time with a spatula until well incorporated and smooth. It is also important that you constantly keep the mixture moving so that it does not burn at the bottom. If you cannot mix fast enough, simply turn the heat off, then back on for the next step.

Add milk, whisk well until smooth and fluffy, stir in olive oil and season to taste.

Serve immediately, with freshly cracked black pepper and a drizzle of extra olive oil, if desired.

Luxe Mashed Potato

Beef Bourguignon

2010-09-03T06:15:00.010+10:00

Beef bourguignon is what comfort food is all about - rustic, yet luxurious and deliciously satisfying. It is sometimes referred to as Beef Burgundy, because the beef in the stew is traditionally braised in red wine from the French region of Bungundy. Beef stock can also be added to the braise, which is usually flavoured with lardons (strips/cubes of pork fat - substitutes include bacon, pancetta, ham, speck) and aromats like garlic, onion, thyme, bay leaf and parsley. Cocktail onions and mushrooms are always added towards the end of cooking. Different cuts of beef can be used, including blade or chuck steak, which will require you to gently cook the stew for at least 2½ hours in order for the meat to reach a melt-in-your mouth tenderness.

For my first attempt at this French classic, I followed a recipe by French Chef Guillaume Brahimi, who interestingly uses pureed carrots, instead of the usual plain flour, to thicken his sauce. I find this technique actually adds a certain depth and sweetness to the braise that you wouldn't have been able to achieve otherwise.

Oh, how I will miss thy in the coming months of summery weather!

Serves 6:
- 1kg good-quality beef, cut into large chunks (I used scotch fillet)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 carrots, peeled, halved lengthways and sliced
- 2 celery sticks, leaves intact, halved lengthways and sliced
- 1 leek, halved lengthways and sliced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 5 shallots, halved
- 10 sprigs of thyme
- 7 bay leaves
- 300g speck, cubed (or bacon or pancetta)
- 1 bunch of parsley
- 2 bottles red wine, brought to the boil and simmered to remove acidity
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
- 300g button mushrooms

For The Carrot Puree:
- 5 carrots, peeled and chopped
- Seasalt

For the beef bourguignon, heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Seal the beef in batches until golden brown, then drain and set aside, reserving the oil each time.

Using the same pan and oil as the beef, add the carrots, celery, leek, onion and shallots and cook for 5-8 minutes. Place the beef in a large heavy-bottomed pot, top with the vegetables, bay leaves, thyme and speck. Stir to combine.

Pour the pre-simmered red wine over the beef and vegetables, season with salt and pepper and cover with a lid. Place on the stove and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to very low and gently simmer for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the carrot puree, add the chopped carrots to a pot, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Then add salt and cook until just soft. Pass through a fine sieve or process in a blender. Set aside.

When the meat is cooked to your desired tenderness, add the carrot puree and mushrooms (best when it is just before serving), stir through and cook for a further 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with mashed potato and crusty bread.

Although rich and very flavoursome, the sauce in my beef bourguignon is not as vibrant in colour as the one Guillaume produces. His recipe says to use half a litre of red wine, but when I poured it into the pot, it didn't even cover half of the beef and vegetables. So, I improvised and decided to add extra beef stock to completely cover the ingredients for braising. Afterwards, I double checked his recipe online, which comes with a video of him making the dish in an episode of Food Safari, watched the video and realised that Guillaume actually uses 2 BOTTLES of red wine, not half a litre. So, the recipe is actually printed out incorrectly on the show's website!

Beef Bourguignon with Mashed Potato

Squires Loft Steakhouse

2010-09-03T04:02:00.004+10:00

166 Toorak Road,

South Yarra, VIC 3141

(03) 9824 0999

Food: Steak, Grilled Meats

(also at Docklands, Albert Park, Robina Town Centre QLD)

Website: www.squiresloft.com.au

Date visited: 21st September 2008

There aren't too many steakhouses in Melbourne that are consistent and manage to deliver when it comes to serving up a good old fashioned, honest steak, cooked well to the temperature that is requested, with all too tempting sides like char-grilled vegetables, thick-cut chips and crispy fried onion slivers - all for a reasonable price that won't hit you in the hip pocket.

Squires Loft Steakhouse offers all this and more in its cosy, two-floored dining space with old-school furnishings of wooden panels, timber furniture and charming picture frames. The menu is straight forward, offering a selection of steak cuts, like rump, porterhouse, eye fillet, rib-eye on the bone, and T-bone, which are all specially flavoured with a signature "Squires Loft" baste when grilled. If the tangy sauce is not enough to satisfy your buds, then there is also the option of ordering a sauce on the side - mushroom, black pepper and Danish blue cheese are my favourites. The large sauce boats that they are served in ensures there is plenty to share with your dining companions.

If you feel a little indecisive, faced with making a choice from so many cuts of meat and side options, the wait staff are extremely helpful, patiently explaining the different characteristics of specific steaks when prompted.

Other grilled dishes like sticky pork spare ribs, lamb loin chops and a juicy chicken breast fillet make an appearance and there is even a vegetarian-friendly meal of mushroom, capsicum and zucchini kebabs with grilled pumpkin and onion rings. To top off the meal, why not finish with a warm sticky date pudding or a hot chocolate fudge cake? There is always room for dessert!

300g Eye Fillet with Chips (back) and Baked Potato (front); Mushroom Sauce; Creamy Garlic Sauce; Garden Salad; Crispy Fried Onions

Flashback: Taste of Melbourne 2009

2010-09-01T10:33:00.002+10:00

This year's Taste of Melbourne Festival was held between the 26th and 29th of August. It is an extraordinary annual event, showcasing a smorgasbord of delicious food and drink from premium restaurants in Melbourne, as well as being a destination for a market where food producers have the opportunity to flourish their specialty goods - we can browse through, sample and purchase their products.

Unfortunately, I did not attend the festival this year, as it is a hectic time for me with studies and work, but I was lucky enough to experience the buzz and excitement of all things food at last year's event on 30th August 2009. I loved Maha's Turkish Delight Filled Doughnuts with Pinenut Sugar and Rosewater Honey, and Fifteen's Slow Roasted ‘Berkshire’ Pork Belly with Lentil Du Puy and Salsa Verde.

Here's a couple of snaps:

Sampling Jacques Reymond's Tempura of Quail Breast with Tajine Flavours and Whipped Persian Fetta

Watching a cooking demonstration by Chef Tim Saffery (from The Court House), where we got to taste his creation of Mauritian Tamarind Cured Kingfish and Scallops with Green Chilli, Curry Leaf and Ocean Trout Pearls afterwards :-)

Stuffed Loin of Roast Pork with Crispy Crackling (and Prosciutto)

2010-09-01T09:35:00.005+10:00

Roast pork is fantastic, especially for a festive lunch or dinner with friends and family. Cuts to use for roasting include the shoulder (spare rib roast, blade), loin, tenderloin, belly, leg, rump (upper portion of leg) and shank (lower portion of leg). Cheaper cuts marked "roasting" are often tough.

The recipe I followed to make this dish is from Gordon Ramsay's book, Kitchen Heaven. He uses the short loin from a suckling pig (a piglet aged between 2 and 6 weeks) with the skin on, but since I wanted to use the skinless pork loin from my fridge at home, I decided to improvise the "skin" by wrapping the stuffed pork in prosciutto and securing it all with kitchen string. This proved to be quite a challenging task for me, resulting in what looked more like a cube than a perfectly rolled and round roast.

Clumsy!

However, after much anticipation while the loin was roasting in the oven and resting before carving, I was pleased to find the meat inside juicy and well flavoured from the lemon zest and fresh herbs, and the prosciutto nicely crisp.

Stuffed Loin of Roast Pork in Prosciutto - with fluffy couscous and pan-fried broccolini

The recipe I've provided is the original before these alterations, because I do not recommend encasing a whole loin in prosciutto - it is ten times less time consuming and even more stress-free to simply purchase a loin with the skin intact.

An option that works, though, is to place pork fillets (about 350g each) on a layer of prosciutto slices before carefully rolling it up. Then cut 40x30cm sheets of foil, drizzle them with olive oil down the centre and sprinkle with thyme leaves and cracked pepper. Place the pork fillet on top, bring the edges of the foil up and fold together over the pork, tightly roll to enclose and twist the ends to seal. Rest in the fridge for 15 minutes before baking in a 200°C preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove the foil (reserve any juices) and pan-fry the pork parcels in an olive oiled pan for 10 minutes to crisp and brown the prosciutto all over. Rest for 10 mintues in a warm place before slicing into thick slices, served with a jus made from the reserved pork juices, a splash of fortified wine and a ladleful of chicken stock.

Serves 4:

- 1kg rolled short loin

- 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- 1 lemon, zest only
- 1 loosely packed cup sage, leaves picked
- 1 loosely packed cup parsley, leaves picked
- Olive oil

Preheat oven to 220°C. Lay the loin of pork, skin side down, on a work surface and lightly score the flesh with a knife. Rub the garlic firmly over the meat to really get the flavour in there, then season it well and sprinkle with the lemon zest. Scatter the herbs over the middle of the pork loin, then carefully roll it up tightly and secure it with some string, tied in a butcher's knot. If you don't know how to do one of those, just tie it tightly to make sure it won't come apart.

Oil the skin of the rolled pork and roast it in the preheated oven for 20-25minutes. When cooked, it should be slightly pink in the middle and crisp and golden on the outside. If the crackling is soft and you want to crisp it up, just heat some olive oil in a pan and roll the pork in it until it spits and blisters. Rest for 10 minutes in a warm place before carving to serve.

Gordon's version of what a perfectly roasted pork loin should look like - succulent, crispy and very tantalising!

Chicken, Mushroom and Brie Pasta Bake

2010-08-31T23:42:00.002+10:00

This delicious pasta bake is one of my all-time favourite dishes to make at home as it is no-fuss to prepare and very little can go wrong when cooking. I also love that it acts more like a base recipe and is so versatile that you can omit or substitute in different ingredients, depending on the season and what you have at home in the fridge.

Serves 4:

- 500g dried, baby macaroni
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 300g button mushrooms, sliced
- 10 slices pancetta, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 60g butter
- ⅓ cup plain flour

- 3 cups milk, hot
- 1 regular-sized barbecued chicken, flesh and skin shredded, bones discarded
- 150g double brie, roughly chopped
- ¾ cup parsley, chopped
- 1 cup grated tasty cheese

Note: Experiment with other ingredients like peas, tinned diced tomatoes (which can even replace the butter/flour/milk bechamel sauce for the health conscious), diced carrots (boil at same time with pasta), baby spinach, prosciutto, tuna, fresh thyme leaves, crumbled feta, various spices.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water according to packet instructions. Drain and return to the pot. I find it best to boil the pasta until it is just below al dente, as it still continues to cook from the residual heat and steam when transferred back into the pot.

Here I boiled diced Royal Blue potatoes with the pasta

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan on high and sauté the mushrooms, pancetta and garlic for 2-3 minutes, until tender.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and blend in the milk, stirring (with a whisk, if possible) until smooth. Return to the heat, and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens. Simmer for 3 minutes.

Add the pancetta and mushroom mix, shredded chicken, brie and most of the parsley to the pasta in the pot. Carefully mix to combine on medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until heated through.

Here I added a cup of tinned diced tomatoes to the mixture

Spoon mixture into a 10-cup ovenproof dish. Sprinkle the remaining parsley and grated tasty cheese over the top. Grill for 5-10 minutes, until golden brown and heated through. Serve immediately alongside a refreshing salad.

Chicken, Mushroom, Pancetta and Brie Pasta Bake

Fererro Rocher Chocolate Cake

2010-08-31T16:11:00.006+10:00

This is a cake (recipe from Ninemsn's Lifestyle Page) that I attempted to bake a couple of years ago and have decided to share the recipe of, because, even though it looks too sickeningly sweet and dense, it is actually quite balanced in flavour and is really delicious, heavenly and full of chocolately goodness.

The cake turned out to feed a lot more people than expected, so the recipe is great for larger groups and will be a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. The secret ingredient is the addition of Fererro Rocher chocolates through the centre, which cut through the creamy richness of the cake with bursts of crisp, salty nuts.

Serves 8:
- ¾ cup good quality cocoa powder
- ¾ cup hot water
- 275g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 ¼ cups caster sugar
- 5 eggs
- 3 cups self-raising flour
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 200g block of dark chocolate for curls and gold leaf, to decorate
- 12 Fererro Rocher chocolates

Ganache:
- 800g dark cooking chocolate, chopped (63 per cent Cocoa couverture)
- 600ml thickened cream

Preheat oven 160°C. Grease 2 x 20cm round cake pans and line the bases and sides with baking paper. Place the cocoa powder in a medium bowl and gradually whisk in hot water until smooth.

Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Gradually add eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition and occasionally scrapping down the sides of the bowl. Gradually pour in the cocoa mixture, beating until well combined.

Sift the flour with the bicarbonate of soda, fold into the butter mixture, then stir in the milk. Spoon the batter evenly between the two prepared pans, smoothing over the tops. Place Fererro Rocher chocolates over top of cakes and push down slightly (most will sink lower when the cake is in the oven).

Cook cakes in the same oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until cooked - when a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Stand cakes in pans for 10 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache, stir chocolate and cream over a low heat in a large saucepan until just melted. Remove, and refrigerate until it is a spreadable consistency.

To construct the whole cake, place one cake on a serving plate. Spread the top with one cup of ganache, and top with other cake. Spread the remaining ganache over the top and side of the whole cake. Decorate with dark chocolate curls and gold leaf. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note: I've since learnt that to make life easier, before smearing on the ganache, use a pasty brush to gently brush along the surface of the cake to remove all crumbs that will interfere with a smooth and glossy icing.

Instead of creating dark chocolate curls, I chose to decorate my cake with bits of white chocolate, bought from Max Brenner. From memory, I spent a good 6 hours baking, constructing and decorating it!

Fererro Rocher Triple Chocolate Cake

Tarin Thai

2010-08-31T15:41:00.002+10:00

71 Burgundy Street,
Heidelberg, VIC 3084
(03) 9457 6250
Food: Thai
Website: www.tarinthai.com
Date visited: 16th November 2009

Last night, hungry for a meal of stimulating Thai food, we decided to try Tarin Thai. It sits right on the corner amongst a busy, local shopping strip, and houses a no-frills interior with flowery Thai table cloths under crisp white parchment paper. I must say, the experience was better than anticipated - our waitress was courteous and the food was great and quick to arrive. I will definitely be back for their Tom Yum Soup with Prawns - it clearly stands out from the ones served at the other Thai eateries we have frequented.

Marinated BBQ Prawns with Seafood Sauce - Smoky, plump prawns with a sweet and sour dressing on the side

Por Tak - Hot and sour seafood soup with a generous serving of four juicy prawns!

Tom Yum (Lemon Grass Soup) - I preferred this soup over the Por Tak. It has much more of a vibrant flavour from the combination of lemon juice, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves through the soup, and was a bearable level of spiciness.

Gaeng Keow Waan - Traditional Thai green curry, cooked in coconut milk with green curry paste and prawns. Rich, creamy and slightly spicy, this partnered beautifully with the fluffy coconut rice that we ordered (Bonus: the rice is charged per head, so feel free to ask for more if needed)

Look! A warming tea candle underneath!

Yum Nur (Beef Salad) - Sliced rump beef cooked in lime juice, cucumber, tomato and chilli. The meat was tough and hard to chew through, a shame, because the dressing was delciously tangy and refreshing.

Mario's Cafe

2010-08-31T15:05:00.001+10:00

303 Brunswick Street,
Fitzroy, VIC 3065
(03) 9417 3343
Food: Italian, Breakfast, Cafe

I love the fact that Mario's serves breakfast all day. Glorious, unpretentious, arousing-the-senses sort of breakfast. We found this cosy eatery one lazy Sunday, after an indulging day of shopping along Brunswick Street. Mario's fits in perfectly well in this quirky end of Fitzroy, with its cluttered decor and waiters full of character (and slight snootiness, but that all adds to the cafe's eccentricity).

Upon entering, we are greeted with great welcome, smiles and voluptuous hand movements towards a free table. Then are swiftly given menus and orders are taken with such flair and friendliness it is hard not to feel at ease in this gem of a cafe. Each time I visit Mario's, I forget how delightful the food is until I take my first bite into a juicy mushroom or succulent chicken, and only then do I remember why I am drawn back here every time, bringing friends to bask in the glory of delicious food.

Salad of Fresh Figs, Spinach, Semi-dried Tomato, Bocconcini and Prosciutto

Pan-seared Chicken Breast with Cheese and Parma Ham and Creamy Potato Gratin

Eggs Florentine with Smoked Salmon, Mushroom and Grilled Tomato - I can't get enough of Mario's fresh Bearnaise sauce, it is delciously runny, creamy and slightly tangy

Eggs Florentine with Smoked Salmon & Mushrooms - while happily eating my way through the smoked salmon in this dish, my fork fell upon a strand of dark, curled hair, a sight every diner never wants to experience. I alerted the waiter of my discovery, who immediately took the dish back to the kitchen. I was hoping for the whole dish to be replaced, but was given a new floret of salmon, which I reluctantly and carefully devoured.

Eggs Florentine with Hash Browns

Traditional Porridge with Bananas and Strawberry

The Groove Train

2010-08-31T13:01:00.004+10:00

Level 3, Melbourne Central

211 LaTrobe Street,
Melbourne, VIC 3000

(03) 9654 2730

(Also at South Melbourne, Richmond, Doncaster, Plenty Valley, Brighton, Habourtown)

Food: Modern Australian, Cafe
Website: www.groovetrain.com.au
Date visited: 8th April 2010, 7th October 2010

The Groove Train serves classic, cafe food and houses a relaxed atmosphere, emphasised by its funky decor. I have noticed that I always end up here when I just want a meal that I know will not particularly wow me, but will deliver on generous flavours, simplicity and be able to satisfy a rumbling tummy. Although you may be served with the odd disappointment of an under-seasoned pasta dish or overcooked beef strips in a salad, for the price you pay and with such laid back service, one can be forgiven for letting slide such oversights - there could simply be new staff on training or lack thereof.

Bruschetta - Thick, crunchy ciabatta slices with sweet tomatoes, Spanish onion and basil

Traditional Fettuccine Carbonara; Greek Salad with Grilled Lamb

Wood Fired Pizza of Smoked Salmon with Napoli Sauce, Red Onion, Cream Cheese & Capers - Unfortunately the salmon lost its fresh and juicy taste in the oven's strong heat.
Chicken with Napoli Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese, Capsicum, Semi Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Avocado

Eggplant Chips - Parmesan-crumbed and stacked on a dribble of balsamic reduction

Warm Beef Salad - Beef strips on a bed of mesculin salad with semi-dried tomatoes, cucumber, red capsicum, Spanish onion and black olives and drizzled with a honey, soy and mustard dressing. The beef was extremely dry and tough to chew through.

Club sandwich - 3 layers of bread filled with lettuce, tomato, grilled bacon, fried egg, mayonnaise and chicken, served with chips

Honey Hotcakes

2010-07-04T06:14:00.001+10:00

Sometimes, on occasions like Mother's Day and birthdays, I indulge in spoiling the special someone with golden, hot pancakes for brunch, served with lots of fresh fruit and sweet maple syrup. One of my most used recipes is from a while back - it produces fluffy pancakes, with a hint of honey and random bits of soft ricotta in every bite.. mmmm!

Serves 2:
- ½ cup ricotta cheese

- 2 eggs, separated
- ⅓ cup milk
- ½ cup self-raising flour
- 1 tbs honey
- 1 tbsp butter

Place the ricotta, egg yolks and milk into a bowl and mix until combined. Sift the flour into a separate bowl, then stir in the ricotta mixture and honey. In a third bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff, and gently but thoroughly fold them into the ricotta mixture. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and add half the butter. Place two heaped teaspoons of mixture per hotcake into the pan and cook for two minutes each side or until puffed and golden (I chose to make my pancakes larger). Serve with fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey.

Honey Hotcakes

Cafe 200

2010-07-04T05:58:00.112+10:00

200 High Street,
Lower Templestowe, VIC 3107
(03) 8850 0599
Food: Breakfast, Cafe
Date visited: 24th November 2008

We found ourselves at Cafe 200 one morning, eager to try out their offerings for breakfast. The busy cafe is conveniently situated right by a Medical Centre, so not only were locals dropping in for a quick bite and a friendly chat with the workers, but medical staff could also be seen at tables clutching their coffees in one hand whilst flipping through the day's paper with the other.

I ordered my usual of poached eggs and smoked salmon with hollandaise sauce, and Damian his favourite big breakfast, and, boy, were we content with our meals! Beautifully presented, well-seasoned, and the best part was the relief of seeing creamy, runny egg yolk gushing out of the delicately poached eggs as we cut into them - always the test that sets the best from the rest.

Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon

Poached Eggs with Hash brown, Sausage, Grilled Tomato & Spinach

A few months later, which was actually on 4th May this year, we returned to Cafe 200, excited for what we expected to be yet another delicious breakfast. I am reluctant to admit it, but my heart sunk as I watched our dishes placed in front of us - I could not believe how different they looked.

Each element of Damian's 'Big Breakfast' appeared to be randomly shoved around on the plate - the bacon was tough to chew through, the scrambled eggs rubbery and bland, the sausages tepid, and what used to be a lush cluster of spinach was now just a few leaves tossed through the mushrooms. My smoked salmon was flaky dry and looked like it had been sitting in the cooler for maybe a week too long. The biggest disappointment for me, though, was the yolks in my flimsily poached eggs, which were both firm to the point of almost being a hard-boiled consistency.

Scrambled Eggs with Bacon, Sausage, Hash Brown, Mushroom, Spinach & Grilled Tomato

Poached Eggs with Smoked Salmon, Hash Brown, Mushroom & Grilled Tomato

Cafe Greco

2010-07-04T05:56:00.001+10:00

560 Chapel Street,

South Yarra, VIC 3141

(03) 9826 2888

(Also at Crown Melbourne)

Food: Mediterranean, Italian, Greek
Website: www.cafegreco.com.au
Date visited: April 2008, 1st November 2008

Cafe Greco is open until late and offers Mediterranean cuisine with a Greek emphasis. An enticing array of scrumptious cakes and sweets line the front counter - perfect for satisfying the midnight munchies! Although the menu is full of over-priced dishes, this is a hip place for fueling up after a long day of shopping or perfect for lazying on a cool summer's night with great company.

Half 'n Half Pizza - Gourmet Tomato with Bocconcini and Basil, BBQ Chicken with Cheese and Mushrooms

Tim Tam Cheesecake

Lightly Floured Calamari with Chips and Tartare Sauce; Thick and Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Lightly Floured Calamari on Rocket Salad with Tartare Sauce

CocoInc.

2010-07-04T05:50:00.002+10:00

308 High Street,

Northcote, VIC 3070

(03) 9489 0218

Food: Modern Mediterranean Cafe, Chocolatier, Brasserie, Breakfast (all day!)
Website: www.cocoinc.com.au
Dates visited: 25th July 2008, 23rd November 2008, 27th January 2009

CocoInc is a trendy cafe with a relaxed atmosphere, serving great Mediterranean food, with Spanish and Asian influences, at a fair price. The place is always brimming with diners, from local workers on their lunch break to families with grandparents and children, so it is best to pre-book a table. They always seem to be understaffed, with plenty of tables needing to be cleared and customers constantly waiting on drinks and cutlery to eat the food that has already been brought out to them. Despite this, I always return because the food is worth the wait!

Eggs Salmon - Poached Eggs, Spinach, Smoked Salmon, Hollandaise Sauce & Capers

CocoInc Works - Poached Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Grilled Tomato, Marinated Mushrooms, Spinach & Hash Browns

Mushroom & Chicken Penne; Grilled Calamari with CocoInc Dressing; Prawn Tempura - the disappointment of the meal was the batter of the tempura, which was extremely gluggy and oily

Prawn Saganaki - The tiger prawns were swimming in this gloppy red capsicum sauce!

Salt & Pepper Calamari with CocoInc Dressing - My favourite! The dressing is so moreish and packed full of flavour! It is tangy, sweet, tart and salty with an extra punch of oomph in it, and is claimed to be the Chef's secret recipe. Mmmmmm :)

Seared Scallops with Basil Dressing - I think we devoured these in less than 30 seconds!

Medallions Beef Salad - the strips of eye fillet were surprisingly tender (sorry, the image is really blurry; I tried to crop it out of a larger photo)

Salt & Pepper Calamari; Seared Scallops - both so finger-licking good we ordered them again another day!

Urban Grooves

2010-07-04T05:35:00.005+10:00

99 Grimshaw Street,

Greensborough, VIC 3088

(03) 9434 5444

Food: Modern Australian, Italian, Breakfast, Cafe
Website: www.urbangroovescafe.com.au
Dates visited: 21st July 2008, 22nd November 2008, July 2009, 24th August 2009

A local hotspot favourite of mine for great food and a welcoming atmosphere is Urban Grooves. The servings here are generous, with attractive presentation in the dishes, and the staff are always attentive and friendly. I'm yet to order a dish from their menu that disheartens me from relishing my meal!

Bacon and Eggs on Toast with Avocado, Spinach and Asparagus; Eggs Florentine with Mushrooms; Corn Frittata with Hash Brown and Avocado Chutney

Oven-baked Pizza with Prosciutto, Grana Padano and Dried Figs; Crispy Chips

Hot Chocolate; Traditional Bruschetta with Tomato, Onion, Bocconcini and Basil

Grilled Salt and Pepper Calamari with Baby Spinach Leaves and Sun-dried Tomato

Baked Scallops with a Potato and Pea Veloute

Chicken Caesar Salad

Thai Prawn and Octopus Salad with Mixed Greens

Roast Rack of Lamb on Potato Mash with Seeded Mustard Sauce

Rib Eye Steak on Potato Mash with Broccolini and a Red Wine and Rosemary Jus

Best Lamb Cutlets with Basil and Pinenut Sauce

2010-07-04T04:47:00.001+10:00

A while ago, I was intriuged by a recipe in Jamie's Dinners that pairs lamb cutlets with mushrooms and cooks them in the best way on a griddle pan. I love how this dish can be ready in just 5 minutes, where the natural juices from the fresh cutlets and earthy mushrooms create such crisp and mouth-watering flavours when mixed together with such little ingredients. A chunky basil and pinenut sauce can be made to serve alongside the meat, but is not necessary.

Serves 4:
- 12 lamb cutlets
- A small handful of fresh thyme, leaves picked
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 400g mushrooms, brushed clean and torn (wild, field, chestnut and oyster mushrooms work well)
- A small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 lemon

For the Basil Sauce:
- 2 handfuls of pinenuts
- 2 large handfuls of fresh basil
- 3-5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Slap the cutlets with the heel of your hand to flatten them slightly. Bash up the thyme in a mortar and pestle, and add a little olive oil. Mix together, then rub the oil over the cutlets and season both sides. Put to one side.

After that, grill both sides of the mushrooms, dry, on the bars of a hot griddle pan. This may seem unusual, but it gives you a nutty flavour that you wouldn’t get otherwise. Set aside in a large bowl. With the heat still on, place the lamb cutlets on the griddle pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side (for a 1.5cm thick meat to be Medium) until golden.

When cooked, put the lamb cutlets into the bowl with the mushrooms and drizzle with a little olive oil. Tear over the parsley, in quite large pieces, and add a good squeeze of lemon juice. Season lightly and toss around. Place to one side to rest, to allow all the lovely juices to get sucked up by the mushrooms.

To make the sauce, in a mortar and pestle, pound up the pine nuts until you have a mushy pulp – this will give the sauce a creamy flavour and texture. Remove the mixture to a bowl, then add the basil to the mortar and bash to a pulp with the pestle. Add this to the pine nuts and loosen with extra virgin olive oil so that the sauce easily drops off the end of a spoon. Finally, balance it with enough balsamic vinegar to give it a good zing, almost like a mint sauce.

Give the lamb and mushrooms a final toss and served on a big platter with a simple salad and the basil sauce on the side.

Best Lamb Cutlets

Sausage Cabonara

2010-07-04T04:11:00.001+10:00

This is one of my favourite dishes to cook, because while it is very rustic and requires only basic cooking skills to prepare, the end result is impressive and pleasing to the eyes, as well as the taste buds. There's nothing much like a big bowl of perfectly cooked pasta in a smooth and silky egg sauce. I thank Jamie's Italy for this recipe idea!

Serves 4:

- 4 good-quality Italian sausages

- Olive oil

- 4 slices of thickly cut pancetta, chopped
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- 500g dried linguine

- 4 large free-range egg yolks

- 100ml double cream

- 100g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Zest of 1 lemon
- A sprig of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Extra virgin olive oil

With a sharp knife, slit the sausage skins lengthways and pop all the meat out. Using wet hands, roll little balls of sausage meat about the size of large marbles and place them to one side.

Heat a large frying pan and add a good splash of olive oil. Gently fry the sausage meatballs until golden brown all over, then add the pancetta and continue cooking for a couple of minutes, until it’s golden. While this is cooking, bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the linguine, and cook according to the packet instructions.

In a large bowl, whip up the egg yolks, cream, half the Parmesan, the lemon zest and parsley. When the pasta is cooked, drain it in a colander, reserving a little of the cooking water, and immediately toss it quickly with the egg mixture back in the pasta pan. Add the hot sausage meatballs and toss everything together.

The egg will cook delicately from the heat of the linguine, just enough for it to thicken and not scramble. The sauce should be smooth and silky. If the pasta becomes a little claggy, add a few spoonfuls of the reserved cooking water to loosen it slightly. Sprinkle over the rest of the Parmesan, season if necessary, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve. Eat immediately!

Sausage Cabonara

Miyako; Max Brenner

2010-07-04T03:59:00.001+10:00

Miyako

Shop UR2 Upper Level

Southgate Arts & Leisure Precinct

3 Southgate Avenue,

Southbank, VIC 3006

(03) 9699 9201
Food: Traditional Japanese, Teppanyaki
Website: www.miyakocuisine.com.au
Date visited: 26th July 2008

A while back, I booked a table at Miyako for a teppanyaki dinner, but arriving half an hour late, we lost our reservation. Thankfully, there was an available table in the A La Carte dining section. Although the view of the Yarra River was pleasant and pretty from where we sat, it is hard to say the same about the food we ordered. The atmosphere felt very rushed with waiters scurrying from table to table, and not very professional with staff speaking loudly across the room to each other in Cantonese.

Crispy Duck Leg with Yuzu Chilli Sauce (half eaten), Fresh Oysters with Fruit Chilli & Ponzu Sauce

Prawn Tempura - batter was very thick and oily;
Grilled Eye Fillet of Beef with Sweet Soy Teriyaki Sauce and Mixed Mushrooms - the meat was over-cooked and lost in the thick, rich sauce

Max Brenner

Shop OE5, Menzies Alley
Melbourne Central

300 Lonsdale Street,
Melbourne, VIC 3000

Food: Israeli Chocolate Drinks and Desserts
Website: www.maxbrenner.com.au
Date visited: 26th July 2008

Disappointed with the evening's dinner, we went for a walk across the bridge, over the Yarra River, to Max Brenner for a treat of delectable sweets and heart-warming chocolate drinks. The night suddenly picked up and we were instantly soothed and comforted by the cosy atmosphere and aroma of cocoa wafting around us.

Chocolate Souffle; Belgian Waffle - both can be quite rich to the palate, but taste perfect when devoured with the vanilla ice cream.

Milk Chocolate Suckao (top); White Chocolate Suckao (bottom) - a clever drink where you stir your desired amount of chocolate bits into the milk (warm from the candle underneath) and drink through the metal straw, which doubles as a spoon! Unfortunately, my white chocolate formed clumps at the bottom because the milk wasn't hot enough to melt it completely.

Kobe Jones I, II

2010-07-04T03:43:00.004+10:00

Level 1, 427 Docklands Drive,

Waterfront Venues,

Melbourne Docklands, VIC 3008

(03) 9329 9173

Food: Modern Japanese
Website: www.kobejones.com.au/melbourne
Dates visited: 22nd August 2008, 22nd March 2008

I absolutely adore Japan, its culture and best of all, its delicious food! I am still anticipating the day when I will be able to travel the 'land of the rising sun,' and indulge in all that the country has to offer. However, in the meantime, all I can do in Melbourne is relish in the glory of our abundance of Japanese restaurants, including one of my favourite destinations, Kobe Jones.

Kobe Jones is situated by the harbour at Docklands, and boasts a romantic ambience and spectacular views across the city - I would recommend that you request a window table when making reservations. On many occasions, I have found the service here to be quite clumsy, especially with many of the waiters speaking broken English - which always poses a communication problem.

Other than that, the food is yet to fail on delivering beautiful, traditional Japanese flavours, with a refreshing, modern twist. The desserts appear to be quite mouth-watering, but once tasted, don't do the presentation much justice. I would much rather order an extra entree than save room for sweets at the end.

Agedashi Tofu - Tempura silken tofu with tuna shavings;
Tiger Prawn Tempura with Ponzu Dipping Sauce;
Salad of Crispy Skin Salmon and Ponzu Sauce - This salad is absolutely scrumptious, I love the crispy salmon bits!

Shallow Fried Soft Shell Crab - Panko soft shell crab with teriyaki potatoes

Number One Special - Crab salad with avocado wrapped in snapper and baked with Kobe Jones secret sauce. These literally melt in your mouth!

Wagyu Tenderloin Tataki - Perfectly seared beef tenderloin served with garlic, ginger and ponzu sauce;
Crispy Salmon Skin Salad- This time the salad was served with too many purple oak lettuce leaves instead of rocket, which unfortunately overpowered the dish. We struggled to find many crispy salmon bits inside;
Lolly Pop Sushi - Tuna, snapper, salmon, crab salad, asparagus and smelt roe wrapped in thinly peeled cucumber with soy sauce vinaigrette;
Mangalo Mocktail - Fresh mangoes blended with orange and crushed pineapple juice with a dash of grenadine

Tajima Wagyu - Tajima beef is regarded as the best quality meat in all of Japan with a marble score of 9+. The wagyu was served on a hot rock, where we enjoyed watching it sizzle and cook, then happily savoured the flavour, mixed with the vegetables, dipping sauces, salt and pepper.

Wafu Style King Prawn Thermidor - The prawns were served on a bed of rice and lathered in a creamy, velvety thermidor sauce. The dish was just rich enough to make you drool for more after each spoonful.

Crispy Skin Salmon Roll; Lychee-Mi Mocktail - Pineapple juice, chopped honeydew melon and lime juice blended with ice

Ama Ozen - a selection of Kobe Jones' desserts

Right: Green Tea Creme Brulee

Grilled Ox Tongue

2010-07-03T17:23:00.000+10:00

Ox tongue is the tongue of a cow and can be roasted, braised, boiled or pickled. In Japanese cuisine, it is served in a grilled dish called "gyūtan," which literally translates to "beef tongue." They can be found, pre-sliced, in the frozen section at most Korean or Japanese foodstores and are extremely easy to prepare.

I bought a packet from a Korean grocery store, in the "BBQ foods" frozen section, and thawed the meat for a couple of hours (you can even cook them from frozen, however it is harder to separate the slices). To cook, I simply placed each slice straight onto a pre-heated, non-stick frying pan. They only took about 2 minutes to curl up and brown, releasing sweet, natural juices and a wonderful barbecued aroma. I simply served with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice and cracked white pepper.

Ox Tongue with Lemon Juice - so flavoursome with a slight resistance to the bite

Cantonese Style Fried Rice

2010-07-03T17:20:00.000+10:00

While mum was away, I made my first fried rice, inspired by recipes from my well-used Kylie Kwong's Simple Chinese Cooking. The combination of ingredients create such an incredibly tasty and satisfying meal, full of wonderful flavours and textures - the salty lup cheong, the sweet carrot, the fragrant sesame oil and shao hsing wine, the delicate egg and the crisp bean shoots. This is my edited version that includes shitake mushrooms, carrot, bean shoots and lup cheong:

Serves 4-6:
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 4 free-range eggs
- 1 white onion, finely diced
- 1 tbs finely diced ginger
- 2 cups finely sliced lup cheong sausage
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 150g shitake mushrooms, stems discarded and finely sliced
- 3 tsp white sugar
- 3 tbs shao hsing wine or dry sherry
- 5 cups steamed rice (Hot or cold is fine, as long as it isn't gluggly. Yesterday's rice is always best. To achieve a similar effect, I steamed rice, then let it cool down with the lid off)
- ⅔ cup finely sliced spring onions (scallions)
- 3 tbs light soy sauce
- ½ tsp sesame oil

Break eggs into a bowl and beat lightly. Heat half the oil in a hot wok until the surface seems to shimmer slightly. Pour beaten eggs into wok and leave to cook on the base of the wok for 10 seconds before folding egg mixture over onto itself with a spatula and lightly scrambling for about 1 minute or until almost cooked through. Carefully remove omelette from wok with a spatula and drain on kitchen paper. Set aside.

Heat remaining oil in hot wok and stir-fry onion, ginger and lup cheong for 1 minute. Add carrot and mushrooms and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add sugar and stir-fry for a further 30 seconds. Pour in wine or sherry and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add rice to wok with spring onions, soy sauce, sesame oil and reserved omelette and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until well combined and rice is heated through. use a spatula to break up the omelette into smaller pieces while cooking. Transfer rice to a bowl and serve.

Cantonese Style Fried Rice

Chinese Vegetable Noodle Soup

2010-07-03T17:16:00.003+10:00

On the eve before mum went on a mini holiday, I cooked her this light and delicate noodle dish, inspired by a recipe from Kylie Kwong's Simple Chinese Cooking. An enthused noodle-lover, mum seemed very satisfied upon finishing the extravagant bowl of noodles and vegies I served her!

Serves 4-6:

- 1 small cucumber
- 1 medium-sized carrot, peeled
- 220 g packet fresh noodles (I used fresh Shanghai noodles. Hokkien also works well)
- 6 cups Chinese Vegetable Stock
- ¼ cup light soy sauce
- 1 tbs ginger julienne
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 2 sticks of celery, finely sliced on the diagonal
- 200g baby corn, sliced lengthways
- 100 g oyster mushrooms, stems discarded and caps sliced
- 150 g shiitake mushrooms stems discarded and caps sliced
- 100g enoki mushrooms
- 150 g snow peas, trimmed and finely sliced
- 2⅓ cups finely shredded Chinese cabbage
- 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
- ⅓ cup mint leaves, finely chopped
- 2 red banana chillies, finely sliced on the diagonal (optional)

Using a vegetable peeler, finely slice cucumber and carrot lengthways into ribbons. Cut slices into a fine julienne and set aside. Place noodles in a colander and rinse well under hot running water, then drain.

Bring stock to the boil in a large heavy-based pot. Add soy sauce, ginger and sugar and stir to combine. Reduce heat, add drained noodles, celery and baby corn and simmer for 1 minute. Toss in reserved carrots, mushrooms, snow peas and cabbage and simmer for a further minute or until noodles are just tender. Remove pot from stove. Ladle soup into large bowls. Place reserved cucumber, bean sprouts, mint and chilli in small separate bowls and serve alongside soup.

Chinese Vegetable Noodle Soup

Chinese Vegetable Stock

2010-07-03T17:14:00.001+10:00

To make a basic Chinese Vegetable Stock, you will need:

- 1 tbs vegetable oil
- 2 medium-sized red onions, finely diced
- 15 slices ginger
- 10 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbs sea salt
- 3 medium-sized carrots, peeled and sliced
- 6 sticks of celery, sliced
- 10 spring onions (scallions), trimmed and cut into 5cm lengths
- ¾ cup finely sliced coriander roots and stems
- 6 litres cold water

*Try experimenting with different vegetable combinations by adding cobs of corn for a sweeter stock, fresh tomato wedges for a refreshing twist, or dried mushrooms/fresh mushroom stems for a more earthy flavour.

Heat oil in a large stockpot, add onions, ginger, garlic and salt, and saute over high heat for 1 minute. Add carrots, celery, spring onions and coriander, reduce heat and saute, stirring often, for a further 3 minutes or until vegetables are very lightly browned.

Add water to the pot and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, skimming the surface with a ladle to remove any impurities. Turn down heat until surface of the stock is barely moving and cook for 1 hour, skimming as required.

Remove stock from stove, strain through a muslin (or a clean Chux cloth. I used a fine sieve) and store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months.

Chinese Vegetable Stock

Glazed Miso Salmon

2010-07-03T17:07:00.002+10:00

When I don't have much time to prepare dinner, I make this easy salmon dish. The miso sauce keeps the salmon flesh nice and moist and imparts a lovely, salty and smokey flavour when grilled. Keep your eye on the fish, to ensure that it does not overcook. Balance the flavours with some greens, such as spinach, broccoli, asparagus or bok choy, depending on what is fresh and in season!

Serves 4:
- ⅓ cup mirin
- ¼ cup white miso
- 1 tsp sugar
- 4 x 125g salmon fillets
- Steamed rice, to serve

Combine mirin, miso and sugar in a shallow bowl. Add salmon fillets and turn to coat. Meanwhile, preheat a grill on medium and line a grill or roasting tray with foil. Drain the salmon fillets, arrange on the foil in a single layer and grill for 5-10 minutes, turning once and basting with any extra glaze, until tender and fish flakes easily. Serve with steamed rice.

Glazed Miso Salmon with Prosciutto-wrapped Asparagus

Chunky Miso Salmon Salad - Leftovers for lunch the next day!

Nobu Melbourne

2010-06-15T23:26:00.005+10:00

Riverside at Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex
8 Whiteman Street
Southbank, VIC 3006
(03) 9292 7879
Food: New Style Japanese
Website: www.noburestaurants.com/melbourne
Date visited: 31st December 2008

Dining at Nobu, the Melbourne sensation of International chef, Nobuyuki Matsuhisa's, chain of highly-acclaimed Japanese restaurants, conjures up a mixture of emotions. The food never fails to please the eye and tastes superb, but will leave you with a hefty bill if not carefully monitored. It also would not satisfy those seeking to enjoy a meal in serene atmosphere - I am speaking from experience, with all hope of a quiet dinner on a relaxing night out diminishing as soon as we were escorted by the hostess from the bar, down the stairs into the bustling dining area - with all the wait staff yelling out 'Irasshaimase' (Welcome!).

However, despite your mood, it is so easy to be absorbed into the buzzing vibes created by the upbeat music, scurrying waiters, frequent turnover of diners and lavish surroundings of timber furnishings and amber lighting. One must also be forgiven for ordering another string of dishes while the first lot is yet to arrive at the table - it is hard not to be captivated by the appetizing dishes flying out from the kitchen. A disappointment for me is the lack of variety in the menu - there has been little change over the past couple of years, with the escalating price of each dish the main alteration.

This particular visit to Nobu was on new year's eve of 2008 and the night sure was made to be an extravaganza of novelty and masquerades. The whole restaurant was buzzing with chatter, laughter and great vibes. We needed to book our seats beforehand and pay a $150 non-refundable deposit (per couple) that would be subtracted from our total food and beverage bill at the end of the evening. The waitresses were dressed up in crazy outfits and masks, and each diner had a colourful feathered mask and capes at their table to join in the fun and masquerade theme.

Crispy Oysters with Creamy Wasabi and Caviar - It is such a playful, yet attractive way to serve oysters on fancy bamboo skewers. As you bite through the crisp threads of kataifi pastry, salty juices from the oysters seep out and taste brilliant with the spicy mayo and bursts of caviar.

Wagyu Tataki 9+, Onion Ponzu and Garlic Chips - For me, the spring onion and garlic overpowered the delicacy of the thinly sliced beef.

Southern Rock Lobster Salad with Spicy Lemon Dressing - This dish was so finger-licking good, it was such a shame to find only four small pieces of lobster in it!

Abalone with Shiitake, Enoki and Abalone Mushrooms in Light Garlic Sauce - Can't go wrong with a dish full of earthy mushrooms and sweet abalone.

Baby Tiger Prawn Tempura with Creamy Spicy Mayonnaise, Jalapeno Sauce and Ponzu Dressing - Quite an ordinary dish, but nonethless fried to perfection.

Soft Shell Crab Kara Age - I love the element of creating your own seasoning with the lemon juice, salt and pepper; although the crab is so juicy and full of flavour already that just a little is needed.

Prawn and Lobster with Spicy Lemon Sauce - I order this dish everytime we visit Nobu. The tangy dressing is my favourite - It is so refreshing and tastes beautiful, combined with the crisp lettuce leaves and sweet morsels of prawn and lobster (which I always use to try and mop up all the juices on the plate).

Suntory Whisky Cappucino layered with Crunchy Coffee Cacao, Coffee Milk Ice Cream and Yamazaki Whisky Foam - I am not a fan of desserts that are strongly infused with alcohol, so this was not palatable at all for me. All I could taste was the whisky!

Goma Trio of White Sesame Panacotta, Black Sesame Sauce and Toasted Sesame Sugar with Sake Jelly and Green Tea Ice Cream - Lovely presentation, but somewhat lacking the wow factor in taste. Perhaps I was too full to properly enjoy the sweets!

Heavenly Pumpkin and Parmesan Soup

2010-05-25T05:49:00.007+10:00

Butternut pumpkin is just 90 cents per kilo this week at Safeway - the cheapest I've seen for a long time! For me, a great way to savour the sweetness and freshness in pumpkins is to simply roast in the oven with herbs or whiz them up to make a soup.

My best kept recipe for pumpkin soup is based on one of Gordon Ramsay's, and produces a soup that not only looks appealing, but is also so velvety smooth and tastes superb - a guaranteed crowd pleaser. There is just something so moreish about it that makes you want to go for a second helping. I find that stirring in some goat feta, when serving, adds a real kick to the dish and sets off the sweetness in the pumpkin; but it really is up to personal taste, as the soup is just as lovely on its own - mum prefers it without the cheese (although I did secretly crumble in a couple of small pieces and she loved it!) :-)

For this recipe, it is important that you use a nice, ripe pumpkin to ensure that your soup ends up vibrant in colour and intense in flavour. Check that the hue of the skin is dark and the texture a little wrinkly. Inside, the flesh should be bright orange and smell strongly of sweet pumpkin. Use any pumpkin that you can get your hands on or prefer - butternut is my favourite, because it is so versatile and I love the density of the flesh and its natural sweet and nutty flavours.

The pumpkin to the left is perfectly ripe, whereas the one on the right is too pale and won't be as flavoursome

Serves 4:

- 40g unsalted butter

- 2kg ripe pumpkin, peeled and chopped

- 25g Parmesan cheese, grated

- 1.2 litres chicken stock

- 3 tbs double cream

- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- Goat feta, to serve

Put the butter in a large pan over a medium heat, and when it has melted, add the pumpkin. Turn up the heat and cook quickly until the pumpkin is completely soft, then stir in the Parmesan and add the hot stock.

Turn the heat down and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Leave to cool slightly, then blend in a food processor. Pass through a fine sieve (optional step, if you want the soup to be smoother) back into the pan.

Stir in the cream, bring back to the boil, check the seasoning and adjust accordingly. Serve immediately, crumbling over the goat feta.

Heavenly Pumpkin and Parmesan Soup

Golden Roast Pumpkin

2010-05-25T05:44:00.001+10:00

I love the smell of beautifully roasted pumpkin wafting out of the oven - and it feels even better, knowing that very little effort and the simplest of ingredients go into creating such a mouth-watering delight. I usually use fresh thyme leaves to roast with pumpkin, but you can always opt for the dried type. Other herbs that work well are rosemary, sage and tarragon; and spices like paprika, cumin, cayenne and nutmeg - they all impart a lovely fragrance into pumpkin when roasted.

You will need:
- Pumpkin
- Olive oil
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- Thyme, leaves picked

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Cut your desired amount of pumpkin, to be roasted, into small wedges (roughly 5-6cm square), leaving the skin intact. Place the pieces in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, season well and toss until the pumpkin is well coated. Arrange in a single layer, skin side down, and sprinkle over thyme leaves (or your choice of herbs or spices). Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender and caramelised.

Golden Roast Pumpkin

Mini Blueberry Tarts

2010-05-25T00:50:00.005+10:00

I know blueberries are not in season at the moment, but I was recently given a couple of boxes of them as a gift. Instead of indulging into the tiny balls of sweetness as a snack, I decided to use my newly acquired pastry making skills to create mini blueberry tarts with a delicious crème pâtissière filling, courtesy of the lovely Donna Hay.

*Note: Use 59g eggs at room temperature.

For the sweet shortcrust pastry:
(makes 350g - enough to make approx 24 mini tarts or to line a 26cm pie tin)
- 2 cups plain flour
- 3 tbs caster sugar
- 150g cold butter, chopped
- 2-3 tbs iced water

For the crème pâtissière:
(makes 2⅓ cups)
- 4 egg yolks
- ⅓ cup caster sugar
- ⅓ cup cornflour- 2 cups milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the garnish:
- 125g fresh blueberries

For the pastry, process the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. While the motor is running, add enough iced water to form a smooth dough and process until just combined. Knead the dough lightly, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface or between sheets of non-stick baking paper until 2-3mm thick. Cut out circles to fit into the rounds in a mini muffin pan. Place in the base of the rounds in the pan, line with non-stick baking paper and fill with pastry weights or uncooked rice or beans. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the weights and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the pastry is golden.

For the crème pâtissière, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale. Add the cornflour and whisk to combine. Meanwhile, place the milk and vanilla in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking continuously.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan over medium-high heat and simmer rapidly while whisking continuously for 5 minutes or until thick. Cool slightly, then spoon into a piping bag and pipe into the baked tart shells. Top with fresh blueberries before the mixture cools down to ensure it stays on. Serve immediately!

Mini Blueberry Tarts

"The 20 trends to avoid in 2010"

2010-05-19T02:36:00.001+10:00

I came across this very intriguing article a couple of months ago, while getting my weekly fix of The Age Epicure. David Prestipino outlines what he believes to be the "The 20 trends to avoid in 2010," and I couldn't help but chuckle to myself as I read through each point, because even though I may disagree to what was listed, there have been plenty of instances at work where customers are guilty of asking for each of the drinks. I've picked out 10 of my favourties:

1. Mixing OJ and bubbly

"Why ruin a good glass of fizz with orange juice? Just serve half a glass on its own, and leave the OJ to those who really need the taste. Same goes for Midori and bubbly. Eeek!"

2. Having ice with white wine

"Not even on the hottest of days is this allowed - unless the wine is under $5. It ruins the taste and looks stupid. Sink your feet into an ice bucket if it's that hot, and sink your palate into the real flavours of the wine. Spritzers excepted."

3. Sparkling v champagne
"Champagne is the bubbly that comes from the region of Champagne only, in France. That $12 bottle of Jacobs Creek is not."

4. Red wine with lemonade/coke/water
"The only people allowed to do this are Italians - usually with their own home brew because it was made in 1986 and there's still heaps of flagons in the shed."

5. Hibiscus flowers and strawberries
"Sure it looks fancy mixed with bubbly at those B-list parties but, c'mon... They go to waste and then we're left to dispose of them on the floor when no one's looking."

6. Shandy (beer and lemonade)
"While I don't agree with this one, die-hards out there believe beer should be drunk as just beer. Those like me who are partial to beer and lime in the morning (to get through the hangover) should also beware."

8. Umbrellas in cocktails
"They were cool when you were little, because you had something to play with while mum and dad got boozed. Now they just get in the way and look like something from The Love Boat."

10. Southern Comfort and Canadian Club
"The only time I've felt the room spinning the next day was after drinking Southern Comfort. And the only times I find myself brawling with my brothers, is when we're all on the Canadian Club. No can do."

B is for Banana

2010-05-19T01:49:00.003+10:00

Look what I found! A Bananasaver :) It prevents that ugly bruising bananas get from too much bumping about inside bags, especially when they get squished underneath books and drink bottles. Definitely handy, but it's a bit of a hassle to carry an empty case around after you've eaten the banana inside. You can purchase one at Bananasaver.com, which ships to countries worldwide; but I've also seen these nifty gadgets selling at Howard's Storage World in Australia.

- A cluster of bananas is called a hand and consists of 10 to 20 bananas, which are known as fingers.

- Bananas ripen best off the plant. They are cut green and stored in moist, shady places to ripen slowly.

- In Eastern Africa you can buy banana beer, brewed from bananas.

- There is no such thing as a banana tree. Bananas grow on plants.

- In 2001, there were more than 300 banana-related accidents in Britain, most involving people slipping on skins.

- Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so try eating a banana for soothing relief from heartburn.

- Try rubbing the area of an insect bite with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

- The B6, B12, potassium and magnesium found in bananas can help smokers, trying to quit, recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Banana facts provided by corsinet.com

Sage & Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken; Rocket Mash

2010-05-18T22:49:00.008+10:00

Serves 4:

For the Stuffed Chicken:
- 4 200g chicken breast fillets
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbs fresh sage, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup dijon mustard
- 2 thin slices prosciutto, but in half
- 30g unsalted butter
- ½ cup dry sherry

Cut open chicken butterfly-style, place on a chopping board, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and use a rolling pin to gently beat until thin. Smear mustard on inside of each fillet, top with prosciutto and combined garlic, sage and parsley. Starting with a long edge, roll up each fillet as tightly as possible and tie neatly with string in several places. Melt butter in a flameproof baking dish on medium heat, add chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden, pour over dry sherry and bake for 10 minutes until juices run clear. Remove chicken from oven, cover with foil and rest for 5 minutes, remove string, slice and serve, spooning cooking juices over.

For the Rocket Mash:
- 800g desiree potatoes
- 40g butter, cold
- ¾ cup milk, hot
- 70g baby rocket
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 1 tsp grated lemon rind
- 1 tbs olive oil

Place potatoes in a large saucepan of cold, salted water and bring to the boil. Cook for 15 minutes, drain and peel away the skin with your fingers - it should come off easily. Cut potatoes into quarters, mash and gradually add butter and milk. Finally, add rocket, parmesan and lemon rind, season to taste and stir until combined.

Sage and Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken with Rocket Mash

Carrots Vichy-style

2010-05-18T21:43:00.008+10:00

I really should try to be more versatile when cooking and stop substituting thyme for everything. Despite what a recipe may specify for me to use - parsley, rosemary, oregano, bay leaf or basil - I still somehow manage to sneak in a few sprigs of my beloved thyme during the cooking process. It is just such a reliable herb - delicate, but always fragrant and never fails to enhance the flavours in a dish.

In a classic French way of preparing carrots, by Margaret Fulton, chopped parsley is sprinkled over the cooked carrots just before serving; but my misdemeanour ways told me to skip that step and add in thyme leaves at the beginning so that they can gently cook with the carrots until tender.

"Carrots develop their best flavour cooked in a covered saucepan with butter, seasonings and a small amount of liquid."

Serves 4:
- 500g carrots
- 60g unsalted butter
- 4 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
- 1 tbs water
- ½ tsp sugar
- Sea salt

Scrub or scrape the carrots, then cut into slices. You could also cut them into quarters, then into lengths. I used Dutch carrots, which are small, so I just left them whole. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the carrots, thyme leaves, water and sugar. Cover and cook gently until tender, turning them occasionally and taking care not to break them. Sprinkle with a little salt just before serving.

Carrots Vichy

Easy Peas-y

2010-05-18T20:52:00.004+10:00

This is a brilliant and super-quick way to enjoy fresh green peas, inspired by the wonderful Margaret Fulton. Not only do they make the perfect accompaniment, served alongside any main dish, but the cooked peas also taste fabulous on their own, or with steamed rice or thick slices of buttered toast. If the peas must be shelled some time before cooking, put them in a bowl and cover them closely with washed pea pods.

Serves 4-6:
- 1 kg peas (still in their pods)
- Sea salt
- Sprig of thyme (or mint)
- A little sugar, to taste
- 2 tsp unsalted butter

Shell the peas. Have sufficient boiling, salted water to cover the peas. Add the peas, thyme and sugar. Simmer gently until soft for 6-8 minutes. Drain well. Reheat with butter, season to taste, and serve in a hot vegetable dish.

Chunky Vegetable Soup

2010-05-17T18:57:00.005+10:00

In this chilly weather, all I want to do is snuggle up under the covers with a good book to read and my electric blanket on. It can take me anywhere from half an hour to over an hour to get out of bed in the morning, but I can guarantee that if there was a steaming hot bowl of this deliciously chunky vegetable soup on the kitchen table waiting to be devoured, I'd be up in no time!

This a no-fuss dish that can be made all in the one pot and the great thing about it is that you can be as rustic as you want with it. Once you've got the basics underway, you can experiment with using different combinations of herbs and vegetables. I usually add in more stock, because I prefer the soup to be quite runny.

Serves 4-6:

- 1.2 litres vegetable stock

- 4 celery sticks, finely sliced

- 2 carrots, diced

- 1 turnip, diced

- 2 sweet potatoes, diced

- 4 sprigs thyme

- 400g can butter beans, drained

- Sea salt and cracked pepper

- 2 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley

- Olive oil, to drizzle

- Freshly grated Pecorino (or parmesan), to serve

Heat the stock in a large saucepan. Add the celery, carrots, turnip and sweet potato, and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, add the thyme sprigs, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the butter beans and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Using a hand masher or something similar, carefully mash down on the vegetables in the soup to thicken the liquor slightly, while keeping a good chunky consistency.

Stir in the parsley and check the seasoning again. Spoon the soup into warm bowls, drizzle with a little olive oil and serve, sprinkled with pecorino and plenty of crusty bread.

Chunky Vegetable Soup

Lemon Meringue Pie

2010-05-17T01:11:00.005+10:00

I was at Cafe Greco (560 Chapel Street, South Yarra) for dessert the other night, and after much consideration, decided to try a slice of their Lemon Meringue Pie. The verdict? Absolute heaven! I can't believe how I've survived all these years without having eaten it! The pastry was fragrant and crumbly, encasing a delightful lemon filling that was surprisingly not as sour as I expected it to be. It is all finished off with an extravagant and slightly chewy meringue topping, which is sweet and cuts through the tartness of the lemon. This delicious pie is now, by far, one of my favourite desserts :)

Lemon Meringue Pie

It was mum's birthday last week, so I endeavoured to create the wonder of lemon meringue pie for her at home. The recipe I used was one of Donna Hay's and am somewhat satisfied with the result. The only problem I had was that the meringue was sliding around on the lemon filling. Does anybody know how to prevent this? I'm thinking that maybe I overbeated the egg whites, or could have scored the filling before spooning on the meringue to give it something to grip on to. I've also just noticed Greco's version has a layer of pastry between the filling and the meringue!

*Note: Use 59g eggs at room temperature.

Makes 6:

For the sweet shortcrust pastry:

- 2 cups plain flour

- 3 tbs caster sugar

- 150g cold butter, chopped

- 2-3 tbs iced water

For the lemon filling:

- 3 tbs cornflour

- 1 cup water

- ½ cup caster sugar

- ½ cup lemon juice

- 2 egg yolks

- 60g butter

For the meringue:

- 3 egg whites

- ¾ cup caster sugar

To make the filling, place the cornflour and water in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Place the cornflour mixture, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat and whisk until the mixture boils, then boil for 5 minutes or until it thickens. Remove from the heat and stir through the egg yolks and butter. At this point, taste the mixture to ensure that it isn't too sour and is to your liking. Set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface or between sheets of non-stick baking paper until 2-3mm thick. Cut out rounds to fit 6 x 9cm round pie tins. Place in the base of the tins, line with non-stick baking paper and fill with pastry weights or uncooked rice or beans. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the weights and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Pour the cooled filling into the pastry shells and refrigerate for 1 hour or until set.

To make the topping, place the egg whites in a bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually and beat until the mixture is thick and glossy. Spoon on top of the filled pies and place under a hot grill for 1 minute or until the meringue is set and golden. Serve immediately.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Slow-braised Ox Tail Stew

2010-05-16T18:38:00.011+10:00

As the mercury drops to mark the beginning of the cooler months, it's time to bring out those dusty casserole pots and heavy-bottomed pans for delicious, heart-warming and enriching braises, pasta bakes, soups and pot-roasts!

For a successful braise, try to invest in a durable, heavy-duty casserole pot with a tight-fitting lid to give you good heat control and to lock in moisture, which helps the meat tenderise. Depending on the type of cut and size of the meat that you are cooking with, braising until it reaches the melt-in-your-mouth tenderness can take as quick as 1 hour, or up to a long 7 or 8 hours.

Here's a stew I made last winter, using Gourmet Traveller's recipe for "Beef à la mode," as a basis for what I did. Cuts that you can use include: ox tail, beef chuck, osso bucco, lamb neck, beef blade, beef cheeks and lamb shoulder.

Serves 6:

- 2.5kg ox tail

- ¾ cup plain flour, seasoned well

- ¼ cup olive oil

- 12 baby carrots, trimmed

- 1 small celeriac, diced

- 1 celery heart, cut into 1cm pieces (the tender, innermost stalks in a bunch of celery, which impart the most flavour)

- 200g button mushrooms

- 12 shallots

- 100g mild round pancetta, cut into thin strips

- 1 tbs red wine vinegar

- 250ml red wine

- 400g can finely chopped tomatoes

- 2-3 litres beef stock

- Few sprigs thyme (and fresh bay leaf or rosemary if you like)

For the Gremolata:

- ½ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

- ½ lemon, zest finely grated

- ½ garlic clove, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 150°C. Place flour in a bowl and coat each piece of ox tail evenly in the flour, shaking off excess. Heat oil in an oven-proof casserole pot over medium-high heat. Carefully add the ox tail, turning each piece occasionally until browned, scraping base of pan to prevent sediment from burning. Remove from pot and set aside. Add vegetables and pancetta to the pot, stir until browned (3-5 minutes). Remove from pot, cover with foil and set aside.

Deglaze the pot with vinegar, add the red wine, scrape the base of the pot to dislodge sediment and simmer until the wine is reduced by half (5-7 minutes). Add the tomato, ox tail, vegetable mixture, herbs and stock and bring to the boil. Ensure that you use enough stock to completely cover the meat and vegetables. If you prefer a richer braise, use less stock. Cover with a lid and bake in the oven, stirring occasionally, until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone (approximately 5 hours).

Meanwhile, for gremolata, combine ingredients in a bowl.

Serve the stew with mashed potato, polenta, rice, couscous or plenty of crusty bread. Don't forget to sprinkle over the gremolata - it completes the dish by cutting through the richness of the braise with its zingy taste, while adding vibrancy with its bright colour.

Slow-braised Ox Tail Stew on Mashed Potato

Aya Japanese Restaurant

2010-05-16T18:15:00.013+10:00

1193 High Street

Armadale, VIC 3143
(03) 9822 9571

Food: Traditional Japanese

Website: www.ayarestaurant.com.au

Date visited: April 2008

I came across these very ancient photos, taken over a year ago, at Aya Japanese Restaurant. It is just down the road from one of my favourite Japanese eateries, Sozai, which I always end up opting for when in the area. Don't get me wrong - the food at Aya is of substantial quality. It's presented neatly, flavoursome and tastes exactly like what is described on the menu. The ambience is also warm, but slightly formal and the waiters very polite. The thing that doesn't cut it for me about Aya, is its lack of vibrance, innovation and the *wow* factor you get at Sozai - from the first impression you get as you step through the front door into the buzzing dining area to the textural and flavour sensations you experience, biting into a delicately wrapped dumpling.

Agedashi Tofu - Fried Bean Curd in Light Soy Based Sauce Topped with Bonito;
Kani Tatsuta Age - Fried Soft Shell Crab in Japanese Spiced Batter

Tempura Udon in Soup; Unagi Kabayaki - Grilled Eel Glazed with Sweet Soy Sauce on a Bed of Rice served with Miso Soup and Tsukemono (Japanese Pickles)

The Fringe Cafe

2010-05-07T04:07:00.004+10:00

73 Acland Street,
St.Kilda, VIC 3182
(03) 9593 8550
Food: Modern Australian
Date visited: 22nd March 2010

Just as I thought we had run out of places to dine at in St.Kilda, where affordable, mouth-watering cafe classics with a modern twist are served in a welcoming and cosy atmosphere, we stumbled upon The Fringe Cafe. Every dish we ordered was generous, beautifully presented and really captured the freshness of the ingredients used. I literally just wanted to lick my plate clean, trying to scrape off every last bit of sauce with my knife and fork!

Confit Duck Spring Rolls with Soy Dressing

Polenta Chips with Forest Mushrooms and Basil Pesto

Garlic and Herb Crusted Lamb Rump on Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus, Dauphinois Potato and Red Wine Jus

Grain Fed Sirloin on Confit Kipfler Potato, Forest Mushrooms, Cafe De Paris Butter and Red Wine Jus

Bruschetta with Mushroom and Thyme Medley

2010-05-07T03:41:00.009+10:00

With half a loaf of sourdough left over from making Bruschetta with Smashed Peas and Pecorino, I decided to create a vegetarian topping for more bruschetta with what was in the fridge at home.

Serves 4:
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 400g assorted mushrooms (I used button, enoki and oyster)
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked (reserve a little for garnish)
- 10g unsalted butter
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- ½ lemon

Heat a char-grill pan (or frying pan if you don't have one) over medium-high heat. Drizzle one side of the bread slices with oil and place them oil-side down onto the pan. Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to gently press down on the slices to help them char with grill marks. Drizzle the upturned side of bread with oil, and after 2-3 minutes, flip it over and gently press down on it again. After another 2-3 minutes, remove from the heat and lightly rub one side of the tosted sourdough slices with the garlic clove.

While the sourdough slices are grilling, you can cook your mushrooms as it is quite simple and will only take a few minutes. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or pan and add the button mushrooms and thyme leaves. Saute for about 2 minutes until juices start leaking out.

Add the rest of the mushrooms and cook for another 30 seconds.

Just before you turn off the heat, add the knob of butter, season well, squeeze over lemon juice and stir to combine.

To serve, top the toasted sourdough slices with the mushroom mixture, and sprinkle with thyme leaves

Bruschetta with Mushroom and Thyme Medley

Bruschetta with Smashed Peas and Pecorino

2010-05-07T00:03:00.006+10:00

How many of you are swept up by the Masterchef craze and following each episode to the T? I know I am! After watching how simple it was for Gary to make "Bruschetta with Favetta and Pecorino" during one of the show's Masterclasses, I decided to test out his recipe at home. Favetta is basically mashed broad beans, and as broad beans are not in season yet, I used fresh peas instead - just as tasty, and if not, better! Gary pounds a clove of garlic with salt before adding in the beans, a step that I omitted because I found that rubbing a clove onto the grilled sourdough gives plenty of garlic flavour. The mixture was left to be more refreshing and pleasant tasting.

Serves 4:

- 4 slices sourdough bread

- Olive oil, for drizzling

- Sea salt
- 200g fresh peas (about 430g-450g, unpodded)

- 50g pecorino, finely grated, and extra for garnish (or parmesan, if you like)

- ½ lemon, zest finely grated
- 1 garlic clove

For those of you that haven't eaten fresh peas before, you must try it now! They are absolutely delicious with a beautiful, crisp taste. Don't get me wrong, frozen peas are still vibrant and flavoursome, but they really don't compare to fresh peas right out of the pod. When selecting fresh green peas, look for pods that are firm and plump, with a bright green colour and a fresh appearance.

Once you have stripped the peas from their pods, add to a mortar with a pinch of salt, a drizzle of olive oil, the pecorino and lemon zest, and pound with a pestle to a paste. Add a little more olive oil to bring it together. My mortar was too small to fit everything inside, so I just pounded the mixture in batches and combined everything together at the end in a large bowl.

Heat a char-grill pan (or frying pan if you don't have one) over medium-high heat. Drizzle one side of the bread slices with oil and place them oil-side down onto the pan. Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to gently press down on the slices to help them char with grill marks. Drizzle the upturned side of bread with oil, and after 2-3 minutes, flip it over and gently press down on it again. After another 2-3 minutes, remove from the heat and rub one side of the tosted sourdough slices with the garlic clove.

To serve, top the toasted sourdough slices with the pea mixture, and grate over some pecorino.

Bruschetta with Smashed Peas and Pecorino

Hainanese Chicken Rice

2010-04-07T03:39:00.008+10:00

Hainanese Chicken Rice is a very popular Chinese dish. Like other traditional dishes, such as Spaghetti Bolognese, Curry Laksa and Osso Bucco, everybody has their 'way' of cooking and serving it, but all still produce an extremely delectable and satisfying dish.

After watching Poh Ling Yeow from Masterchef put her spin on the classic, I decided to try out her recipe at home. I found her technique made quite an oily dish, and felt very parched by the end of the meal! I endeavour to test many versions of making Hainanese Chicken Rice to familiarise myself with its components and come up with the best way for me to cook it - with efficiency and maximum effectiveness!

For this recipe, it is best to buy a whole chicken and cut it up yourself. I found a video on CHOWHOUND that shows you how to do this - make sure you don't follow the step where she cuts the Maryland in half!

Serves 2:

For the Steamed Chicken:
- 2 Chicken Marylands
- 1 spring onion, roughly chopped
- 3cm piece ginger, grated
- 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
- 1 tbs Shao Xing Wine
- 2 tbs light soy sauce
- ½ tsp sesame oil

For the Chicken Stock:
- 2 chicken wings
- 2 chicken breasts, skin removed, roughly chopped
- 1 chicken carcass
- 1 cup pre-made chicken stock
- 5cm piece ginger, thickly sliced
- 4 spring onions, green part only, roughly chopped

For the Rice:

- 2 tbs peanut oil
- Skin from one chicken breast
- Parson’s nose of chicken
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 2cm piece ginger, grated
- 1 cup Jasmine rice

For the Chilli Dipping Sauce:
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 red banana chilli, roughly chopped
- 2 tbs caster sugar
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- ½ tsp peanut oil

For the Ginger and Spring Onion Dipping Sauce:
- ¼ cup peanut oil

- 3cm piece ginger, finely shredded
- 2 spring onions, green part only, 3cm pieces, finely shredded

To serve:

- Sliced spring onions
- 3 large wombok leaves, trimmed and blanched
- ½ tbs deep fried shallots

- 2 tbs kecap manis

For the steamed chicken, fill a wok half way with water, place a wire rack on top, making sure water does not touch the rack (As a substitute, I placed a heatproof bowl upside down in the water in a large pot). Place a shallow bowl with the chicken pieces, on top of the rack (or upside down bowl). Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl to make a marinade. Pour marinade over and around the chicken. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

For the chicken stock, place all ingredients in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover the chicken bones. Simmer over medium heat for 40 minutes. Strain and set the stock aside.

Instead of using a cup of pre-made chicken stock like Poh, I added a couple of carrots, Chinese white radish and an onion to the stockpot for a more refined taste.

For the rice, heat peanut oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the skin and parsons nose, cook for 4 minutes. Then remove skin and parsons nose from the pan. Add garlic and ginger to the infused oil, cook for 2-3 minutes or until slightly golden. Stir through the rice to coat in oil, and add 2 cups of chicken stock. Bring to the boil, cook partially covered for 5 minutes or until holes start to appear in the surface of the rice. Cover completely with the lid and turn heat down as low as possible. Cook for a further 10 minutes. Remove the pan completely from the heat and leave to stand, a further 10 minutes. Season to taste.

For the chilli dipping sauce, pound garlic and chilli in a mortar and pestle until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, stir through remaining ingredients until well combined. Spoon into a dipping dish, to serve.

For the ginger and spring onion dipping sauce, heat peanut oil in a small saucepan over high heat, place remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and carefully pour over the oil. Spoon into a dipping dish, to serve.

To serve, cut the cooked Chicken Marylands into pieces, arrange on a plate and top with spring onion. Spoon rice into a small bowl, packing it down tightly, and carefully flip it upside down onto the side of plate. Line a small bowl with the wombok leaves, pour in the stock and top with deep fried shallots. Place kecap manis in a dipping dish next to the other two sauces.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Poh's creative way of serving Hainanese Chicken Rice

Roasted Rack of Lamb with Parsley, Dijon and Chives

2010-04-07T01:57:00.005+10:00

Lamb racks are just absolutely delicious. I found a great way to cook them in Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone, where the delicate pink flesh of a perfectly cooked rack shines against a lovely green herb crust - and it tastes just as amazing as it looks!

Serves 4:
- Two 1kg racks of lamb, well trimmed
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh chives
- 3 tbs Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 230°C. Place a large heavy frying pan over high heat. Sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper.

Drizzle 1 tbs of the oil into the hot pan and place 1 lamb rack in the pan, meat side down. Sear for about 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown on both sides. Transfer the lamb rack to a non-stick baking tray, meat side up. Repeat with the second lamb rack.

When both racks have been browned, transfer the baking tray to the oven and roast the lamb for 15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of one end registers 55°C for medium-rare. Transfer the lamb to a platter to rest for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the parsley and chives evenly over a plate. Spread the Dijon mustard over the meat side of the lamb racks and then press the mustard-coated side of the lamb firmly into the herbs, creating a green herb crust.

Carve the lamb between the bones into individual chops. Place the chops on 4 serving plates, drizzle with the remaining 1 tbs oil and any accumulated juices from the lamb and the pan, and serve.

Roasted Rack of Lamb with Parsley, Dijon and Chives, served with a Desiree and Sweet Potato Mash