The 'To-Don't' List

I have neglected my blog this week. I have spent the past 6 days in bed and truth be told I am still on the mend. The pesky flu took me down on Monday night, along with my appetite, general motivation and happy face. This unfortunately meant that I have done bugger all cooking this week. After some 'happy pills' from the doctor I am finally starting to feel human again.

What I did manage to get up to was checking out some blogs and pages, and through a friend stumbled upon Hayley Carr TV. I have to admit, my first thought was, "this chick is a little nuts"... but in all the right ways. I started off by watching her video on "How to Dissolve Procrastination Immediately". I was instantly hooked.

I'm not usually one for 'self-help' type things - not because I don't believe in helping yourself, but because there is a lot of material out there that is all very similar and all pretty wanky.

Hayley's tips were pretty simple and from there I wanted more, so I checked out "the best kind of list that everyone needs to write". I recommend you watch the video before reading on, partially as Hayley explains it better and I don't want to take away from her message, and also because it will make the next part of this post make more sense!

I am sure this list will grow, but for now I think it covers the necessary bases:

1. I will not neglect to save some money FIRST.
2. I will not exercise less than 4 days per week.
3. I will not cheat on my diet (and we all know I need help with this one!)
4. I will not waste time with activities that do not serve a purpose in my plan.
5. I will not put off servicing the car past May.
6. I will not put off going to the Dentist past June.
7. I will not finish another Financial Year without private health care

As I get a better idea of what I'm aiming for with my challenges I will put together a separate list that's more relevant.

What does your list look like?

Taste of Sydney Festival

Last weekend B-Man & I headed to Centennial Park for the annual Taste of Sydney food festival. Despite being on my hit list for a number of years now, it was a first for both of us, and I have to admit we were very unprepared!

To start off with, all the stalls are cashless, so you're required to purchase 'crowns'. on a taste card, kind of like a credit card. In principle I don't have a major issue with this, but we were surpised that we could not get change and were forced to spend more than we had budgeted (which was not a lot considering it was the week before pay day!) and could not be refunded any money we had not spent at the end of the night.

Enough with the lowlights and onto the highlights!

It was a bit like being in foodie heaven, with rows and rows of stalls serving delicious smelling foods, beer, cider and wine tastings were a plenty, as were bars, demonstrations and products. After a quick lap to suss it out, we decided the best course of action was to grab a drink and work out what we wanted to see and eat! We started at the Rekorderlig bar where I chose to try their new Orange and Ginger cider. I don't usually drink Rekorderlig as I find it super sweet (even for cider), but this was quite pleasant.

 

After a lot of umming and ahh-ing over what to eat, we finally settled on something each.

 

I sampled the Spit Roast Suckingling Pig with Coleslaw and Hot Sauce from Four In Hand, where you could see the team to the left of the stall, cooking mussells whilst the sucking pig was on roation.

 

B-Man braved the Porteno line 50+ people long for BBQ Wagyu Beef Brisket with BBQ Sauce and Pickle - it was difficult, but I managed to convince him to let me have a taste, and the BBQ sauce was amazing. Immediately I want ribs.

 

 

 

As the sun is setting, we agree that the only way to go is straight to the Argyle Exchange tent for Ananas Bar & Brasserie's Salted Caramel Eclair. That alone was worth going for, and I know I am not alone when I say it! In fact typing about it now, I may just need to find some excuse to pop in for another over the weekend!

 

 

 

As our crowns were low and we were keen to get home for Avatar in 3D, we decided to call it a night. I was disappointed to have missed demonstrations by some of my favourite chefs, and on sampling more food (Maggie Beer's Roast Pear & Duck Sliders, anything from Sake & Peter Kuruvita would have realy made my night!) but we have vowed to be much more prepared this time next year when the festival hits town again.

 

 

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh!!

As my partner is Irish, Paddy's Day weekend is usually a big celebration. It starts with a family brunch, a massive fry up  by his Mother of pork sausages, black pudding, eggs, gamon steaks, mushrooms, tomato and other various added bonuses such as haloumi (not so traditional, but I will never say no to a freshly grilled slice!). Soda bread is sourced, or depending on time, freshly baked and served with lashings of butter, fresh a OJ and a steaming pot of tea.

By the time we leave our clothes are bursting at the seams and all we really want to do is slide into a food enduced nap. But, the party animals we are, we have people due to arrive in 3 hours and we have to clean the apartment, decorate and prepare the nights food & beverages. I have started a tradition at our party of jelly shots and each time I promise to be more organised and do layers and fancy flavours. This still has not happened, so I do a trio of lime (green), orange and lemonade (white). I make a batch of vanilla cupcakes, iced with green frosting and dunked in white & orange sprinkles. Meanwhile, B-Man is draping streamers and shamrocks from the ceiling and doorframes, and taping leprechauns to the walls. We finish off by setting up a bench with fun and festive paraphenalia - beer goggles, badges shouting "Kiss me I'm Irish!" and "Póg Mo Thón!", ginger beards, shamrock tattoos, leprechaun hats etc with a big pot o' gold spilling out amongst it. We make drunken plans to head into the parade and after a 4am finish, rarely make it in.

This year, unfortunately, we have been too busy. With little to no time to plan it let alone host it, we have settled for a very quiet Paddy's Day. Luckily though, we did not have to forfeit Brunch, which was amazing as usual and I managed to find an hour and a half to bake a Passionfruit Sponge for dessert.

If we play our cards right, we might get up to the pub for a cheeky Guinness or Jameson's.

Challenge #2 - A Foodie Education

You may have noticed that I blog alot about what I'm cooking, and 9 times out of 10 they are not my recipes. There are two reason for this.

1. I cannot resist sharing good food when I find it. Whether it's a recipe, a bar, a cafe/restaurant or product, when Ive fallen in love I want to share it with the world. Annoying sometimes to some, as I am sure not all my friends and family really care about the new fabulous organic and locally sourced banana Greek yoghurt I'm addicted to, but no one complains when I offer to cook them dinner or book a group outing somewhere!
2. I am forming my Foodie Education.

I know I want a career in hospitality, with food and drink. I have had dreams of owning and running a catering business, a bar, a cafe and a product range. One day I may be able to do all of the above, but I have little experience in all of these areas.

A love of food and drink runs down both sides of my family. My grandparents on my Dad's side used to be caretakers at sheep and livestock stations out in western NSW, including the rich property owners residence. While my Pop worked on the land, taking care of the stock and yards, my Nanny would clean and cook, including catering for the lavish parties the owners would hold with their friends from the tennis club. On a recent visit to see my Pop, he re-lived some of the stories with me, and about my Nan said, "she didn't actually know what she was doing, but it always turned out good". This has really stuck with me, and if you look at some of today's culinary hero's, many of them did not start out with apprenticeships under Marco Pierre White and the like. Many were nothing other than home cooks with a passion and a pallet like a mo-fo, who loved fresh produce and were not afraid to experiment. They were educated by their grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and most of all through a thirst for knowledge, creating art, for a love of food and how it brings people together.

As a child, both my parents worked full time so I spent days with my Nanna (Mum's Mum). Eventually, after my brother was born, Nan moved in with us. I spent alot of time with her so we had a really close relationship. She would help Mum out by preparing dinner on week nights and keep me occupied when I was 'bored' in the school holidays by giving me slices and biscuits to make. I can still remember this amazing luscious lemon cake she made for afternoon tea one day. I have never been able to find the recipe or one that comes close to the memory I have of it. My Nan was also the family historian and managed to track my Pa's side of the family back generations to the 1800's. My great-great-great-great grandfather shipped himself out to Australia from Great Britain and shacked up with a convict. Turns out, he was the republican of more than one pub in the city, when hay mills were still present on Sussex St. I live in hope that one day I will be able to afford to take down the office space that now occupies the address, transform it back into a pub or bar and create a piece of personal heritage.

My challenge is to continue to learn and grow. To continue to work with flavours, styles and techniques I love and to explore the unknown. I have worked in a bakery, a butchers, an Italian restaurant & pizzeria and as a caterers assistant, but as a young adult still finding her way in the world I feel I did not really see what the world was trying to tell me and use those opportunities as I could have. So, this year I am going to get my foodie on, enrol in every kind of course, tour, experience possible. Some of the ones I have found so far are:

• Sydney Bar School does packages that include RSA, Food & Beverage, Bar Skill, Barista and Cocktail courses
• The Grounds of Alexandria offer beginner to advanced coffee roasting classes as well as garden workshops
• Gelato Messina runs two types of gelato courses, a short class which includes sampling (um, hell yea!) and a more in depth course into artisan ice cream making.
• Sydney Seafood School have a range of classes depending on what you're looking for; and
• Victor's Food host meat classes that focus on variety of meats, cuts, knife skills, preparation, influence of feed and cooking techniques

And this is just to start with. I also intend to 'home school' myself by starting with the basics and trying as many new recipes as possible. I have a food porn collection of books and magazines that has surpassed the space we have available to store it in, many of which I have not tried one recipe from.I am sad to say I actually had to go through and cull at one stage. From these I will devise separate challenges focusing on a particular cuisine (three that spring to mind immediately are Sri Lankan - Peter Kuruvita's Serendip, Asian - Adam Liaw's Two Asian Kitchens and Spanish - Jane Lawson's Cocina Nueva), ingredient or technique (Zumbaron's I'm looking at you).

And to think it all started with midnight.

Has anyone out there had the experience of self starting and self educating to get them on the road to the career they dream about? Were you successful?

Would also love to take suggestions or recommendation of other classes and courses that are out there to fill my calendar with.

The Weeks That Were...

So it has been a little while since my last post. I have been so busy burning the candle at both ends, and whilst in the first week I completely went off the rails with my diet, this last week has been much better, even though it was one of the major contributors to the candle! Even worse, Egad Brain, I’ve missed the gym for nearly a whole fortnight!

This week, as I tried and tested recipes for lunch and dinner I stumbled across a new favourite, by none other than one of my favourites – Jill Dupleix.

Gremolata Chicken - Jill Dupleix

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
8 chicken thigh fillets (skin on)
2 tbs lemon juice
½ red onion, thinly sliced
1 long red chilli (optional), thinly sliced
1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed
4 small zucchinis, thinly sliced (a mandolin is ideal)
1 2/3 cups (200g) frozen peas
1 tbs grated parmesan
Gremolata
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tbs finely shredded mint leaves
2 tbs finely shredded basil leaves

Method:

1.       Preheat the oven to 200⁰C. Line a baking tray with foil.
2.       Heat 1 tbs oil in a fry pan over medium-high heat. In 2 batches, cook chicken, skin side down, for 5-6 minute until skin is golden. Arrange chicken, skin side up, on the tray. Drizzle over 1 tbs lemon juice and scatter with onion and chilli if using, then season. Bake for 30mins or until the chicken is golden and cooked through.
3.       Meanwhile for the gremolata, lightly toss the garlic, lemon zest, mint and basil together in a bowl until combined. Season and set aside.
4.       Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil over high heat. Add asparagus and cook for 1 minute. Add zucchini and peas and coo for a further 1 minute or until the vegetables are just tender. Drain.
5.       Toss the vegetables with the remaining 1 tbs oil and 1 tbs lemon juice, then season and arrange on serving plates.
6.       Arrange the chicken on top and scatter with gremolata Top with parmesan and serve immediately.

 

This next recipe I stumbled upon when I was looking for something to jazz up an Arroz con Pollo (Spanish rice dish with chicken, chorizo and tomato). Personally I think the combination of kumera and chorizo is always a winner, but the dressing really makes this, all zingy with a good kick of chilli.

Chorizo, Asparagus & Roast Kumera Salad with Green Chilli Dressing - Tom Kime
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 kumera, peeled, cut into chunks
2 tbs olive oil
1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 3cm lengths
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 chorizo sausages, halved lengthways, sliced on an angle
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup rocket, roughly chopped
Green Chilli Dressing
2 green chillies, seeded, finely chopped
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp caster sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil.

Method:

1.       Pre-heat oven to 200^oC.
2.       Mix kumera and 1 tbs olive oil with salt and pepper in a bowl. Spread in a roasting pan and bake for 35-40mins until soft and caramelised, stirring 2-3 times so it browns evenly.
3.       Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a heavy-based frypan over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until light golden in parts. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice, then place in a large bowl.
4.       Add the chorizo to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towel.
5.       Meanwhile, whisk all the dressing ingredients with salt and pepper in a bowl.
6.       Add chorizo to the asparagus bowl with the kumera, spring onion, parsley and rocket Add the dressing to the salad, toss to combine, then serve immediately.

I was also lucky enough to catch Fun. with a good friend, and then Motley Crue supporting KISS who were just so amazing I am lost for words! Given they’ve been doing their thang for over 30 years and must be pushing 60, they put on a show that would put some of the big young bands these days to shame. What a way to end the week!

 

Fun. at the Enmore Theatre

Tommy Lee Jones, drumming upside down inside a wheel of fire – Motley Crue at Allphones Arena

  Gene Simmons - KISS

 

 

I Wanna Rock'n'Roll All Niiiight, and Party Every Day - KISS at Allphones Arena

 

Degustation Dinner at Jimmy Liks

Last night a few friends and I met for dinner at Jimmy Liks in Potts Point, after I saw them post a degustation menu on their Facebook page that sparked my interest.

We arrived an hour early for our booking and were pleased to see it was happy hour (5-7pm). With $5 Peroni's, house wines, house spirits and $10 cocktails you can't be anything but happy with that! The barman, who had a Josh Lawson thing going on, brought us a dish of warm spiced cashews to snack on, which went down well with my 'Prabang Punch' of muddled watermelon, apple and lime juice shaken with elderflower, rum and green apple liqueur. I was driving, so stopped short there, but have full intentions of sampling others in future - passionfruit caipirinha, p&g caiprioska, tam po po, Saigon smash, Siamese queen and watermelon margarita are all very appealing, to name a few.

The menu, titled 'Jimmy's Selection' on their website consisted of 7 courses at a stellar price of $49 per person.

Course 1 - Chicken Betel Leaf with smoked eggplant, chilli & eschalot relish was light, flavoursome and a great teaser for what was to come.

Course 2 - Steamed Duck & Shiitake Mushroom Dumplings with green shallot and black vinegar dressing. I tried these bad boys at the Night Noodle Markets in Hyde Park as part of the Sydney Crave Food Festival last year and they were just as good this time round. By this stage you realise just how hungry you are.

Course 3 - Son-in-Law free range Duck Egg with green mango, coriander, ginger and yellow bean tamarind. This was the first time I have ever eaten son-in-law eggs and I had no idea of what to expect. Wow. Even though I am not a huge fan of soft egg yolks, unless it's served upon toast with lashings of butter and Vegemite, these were one of my favourite items on the menu. Crispy on the outside, soft in the middle and beautifully accompanied by the mango, coriander and ginger. More?

Course 4 - Salt & Pepper Baby Squid with Vietnamese dipping sauce. This wasn't a highlight for me. I love salt & pepper squid, it's one of those things you can find on a range of menu's across the dining scene and be satisfied with. Simple and yet easy to get so wrong. This was not the worst I have eaten, but fell short compared to everything else we were served. Lacking in the crispy coating section, and a little too tough and chewy for my liking.

Course 5 - Poached Chicken & Crab Salad with lemongrass, coconut, mint and thai basil. WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER!!! If you go to Jimmy Lik's and do not try this dish you are missing out and will live the rest of your life unfulfilled! Melodramatic? Maybe, maybe not. This was voted best dish by the table. Crunchy bits, coconutty dressing, a great marriage of chicken & crab, spiked with the lemongrass and herbs - can I have this again tonight?

Course 6 - Twice Cooked Pork Hock with Sticky Tamarind and blood plum sauce and Nahum plah prik. I am still tasting this dish as I type and place it on par with Course 4. The pork comes all sticky and caramelised in the tamarind and blood plum sauce, and when you place it in your mouth it becomes apparent that is all that is holding the wonderfully tender meat together. This is a very happy meal.

Course 7 - Vietnamese Slow Braised Wagyu Beef with thai basil, vietnamese mint and chilli lime dressing. The beef in this dish has been cooked well and was enjoyed immensely by the table. It was probably down the list with the Salt & Pepper Squid for me, it was a bit too casseroley and salty, which seemed weird with the Asian herby salad, but please don't let that stop you! The steamed rice was also brought out earlier on with the salad and was wearing thin around the table by this stage. Why we thought it went with the salad I'm not sure - perhaps happy hour was starting to take effect?

The staff were all polite and friendly, and accommodating to the random grapefruit allergy on our table.

By the time 9:30 rolled around we were well fed and watered and in the mood for something sweet. Gelato Messina was close enough to walk to, and far enough to not feel guilty! Turns out this is where everyone in Sydney is at 10pm on a Tuesday night - to say it is popular would be the understatement of the year. I sampled a 2-scoop cup of salted caramel with white chocolate and salted coconut with mango. The salted caramel was like they'd hand-scooped the caramel from the inside of a Rolo. Being a caramel nut, I thought it was brilliant, but found the white chocolate totally unnecessary. That said, I was surprised to find that I enjoyed the coconut and mango more. With so many quirky combinations up on the specials board, one of my companions was keen for Donkey Kong - peanut butter gelato with coffee custard crunch. If you're a peanut butter cup kinda person, get in on this quick! Oh so many flavours and oh so little space in my stomach. I think it is safe to say, until I succeed in my IQS quest, I will be a long time customer of Gelato Messina!

Mardi Gras

Last weekend the streets of Sydney were literally painted with rainbows, as the 2013 Mardi Gras embraced us with arms wide open.

The girls and I had all had a bit of a tough week for one reason or another, and the opportunity to get together, blow off some steam and just have a good night was too good to resist. When we realised that none of us had ever experienced Mardi Gras we knew it was on. We frocked up, put on some red lip stick, stilettos, doused ourselves in glitter and set out to find a fabulous set of false lashes.

We booked a table for four at Claire's Kitchen at Le Salon on Oxford St, who were hosting a viewing party on their mezzanine level. We were delighted with the contents of our French picnic baskets, filled with a wicked duck liver pâté complete with baguette, tuna Niçoise salad, goats cheese & tomato tarts, croissant, eclairs and macarons.

To kick things off I ordered a cocktail named after the star who owns and runs the show, Claire de Lune. It is described on their drinks menu as follows:

"CLAIRE DE LUNE: Claire’s own favourite mix of Vodka and Crème Yvettes is stirred with fresh
lime, mint and raspberries, then lengthened with sparkling wine. Fruity and bubbly, as the name would suggest."

Claire herself is vibrant, stunningly sequined and greets you with an intoxicating French accent and wide smile as she flits from table to table, ensuring that everyone is having a good time.

The party guests gathered around the balcony to watch the variety of floats as the parade descended down Oxford St. My favourite had to be the giant pink cake, or the topless, fluro, glow-in-the-dark, hula-hooping bunch.

The party really got started when Claire convinced her bar staff - all young and gorgeous, French-speaking men - to serve the rest of the night shirtless. They must have made a motza in tips! On this subject, I must make a point of singling out Aurelian, their sommelier. He rustled up various cocktails at random for me, until he found the one that fit best - an Amaretto Sour. This kind of service is what I constantly seek out and can't be commended enough, not just Aurelian but Claire herself.

At the conclusion of the parade we left Claire's in high spirits and spent the rest of the night a few doors up at Slide, which had a giant, velvet drape of rainbow at the entrance. Part nightclub, part show, it was an enjoyable night as drag queens and dancers took to the stage, performing acrobatics, singing and dancing, burlesque, and comedy.

It was a late and messy night, but damn it was alot of fun! I was pleased with the real sense of community and acceptance that filled the area. I find it a rare occasion that so many strangers can come together and embrace one another like old friends.

I cannot wait for next year!

Red, red wine

My body has an in-built season change alert, entirely separate of my wall calendar. By the time September has turned into October I'm tasting summer. All I think about are cider & bubbles, tropical fruits, light salads with fresh herbs and seafood.

The past couple of weeks in Sydney have been not only wet, but noticeably cooler, and we have no longer been sleeping with the fan on. Before I noticed the weather, I noticed my craving for pasta. Pasta, red wine and lots of it!

This week I was fortunate enough to be brought home a fabulous bottle of Taylor's Cabernet Savignon by the B-Man. The moment I opened it and smelled the wonderful aroma, I knew I was in for a treat.

I'm not even sure what to focus on next - the delightfully silky smooth feel in your mouth; or the amazing cherry-berry flavour with a subtle minty-ness?

I can highly recommend Taylor's Jaraman 2010 Cab Sav and have no doubt that I will be heading out to find a case to keep me warm throughout Autumn and Winter.

Back on Track

After a weekend of cheating (on my diet) I am back on track with some cracking meals.

My best plan of attack, as I've mentioned previously, is preparation. Seeing as I hoard foodie paraphenalia I am never short of books, magazines, blogs and websites to gve me something new to try my hand at or inpsire dinner. This week I found a January edition of an old Good Taste magazine that caught my eye with a number of recipes. This was the result...

For lunch I am having a canellini bean, avocado, beetroot and feta salad. I am not a huge fan of canellini beans, but I gave them a go in this salad and I quite enjoy the creamy texture they bring. The recipe that inspired me to make this used croutons and goats cheese. Unfortunately when it comes to goats cheese I have an expensive pallet, so I only indulge on special occasions. I chose to use feta for this instead and you could also add some poached or BBQ chicken if you so desired. More importantly, it is super quick and easy to make.

White Bean and Goats Cheese Salad - Serves 4

Ingredients:
100g baby rocket leaves
50g snow peas, topped and shredded
1 x 420g tin of cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs fig balsamic glaze*
1 x 450g tin of baby beets, cut into wedges
1 x avocado, halved and thickly sliced
110g goats cheese (I used Lemnos Smooth Feta instead, cut into 1cm cubes)
12 Vita vigor mini ciabatte, coursley broken

Method:
1. Place rocket, snow peas and beans in a large bowl and toss to combine. Divide the snow pea mixture among serving dishes or place on a larger platter.
2. Whisk together the oil and balsamic glaze in a small jug.
3. Top the rocket mixture with the beetroot and avocado.
4. Spread the goats cheese oer each piece of ciabatta and arrange on the salad. Drizzle over the dressing and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

 

 

The second winner this week was...

 

Chicken Souvlaki with Spiced Pita Bread - Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 x tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp dried oregano
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tsp sweet paprika
60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
600g chicken breast fillets, cut into 4cm pieces
1 x large brown onion, halved, thickly sliced
125ml (1/2 cup) passata
4 x rounds pita bread
3 x cups baby spinach
120g (1/2 cup) bought garlic dip or sauce, to serve
Cinnamon spiced pickles, to serve

Method:
1. Comine vinegar, oregano, galic, half the paprika and one third of the oil in a bowl. Add chicken and onion. Stir to coat.
2. Combine the passata nd remaining paprika in a bowl.
3. Pre-heat a barbeque grill or chargrill on medium high. Cook the chicken and onion on grill, turning once, for 5mins or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate ad cover with foil to keep warm.
4. Preheat grill on high. Cut bread into wedges. Place on a baking tray. Drizzle over the remaining oil. Cook under grill for 2mins or until toasted. Spread the passata mixture over the bread.
5. Divide the spinach, bread, chicken and onion among serving plates. Serve with garlic dip and cinnamon spiced pickles.