GoodGod! Simpsons Trivia!

Tonight we ventured out with JamOrla Corp to Goodgod Small Club for a few drinks, a bite to eat and Simpsons trivia.

If you're into dude food, it's worth a visit. We all ordered hot dogs with a side of salsa fries. The hot dog was worth the bloating I am currently experiencing, the fries so-so.

Simpsons trivia would have been a lot more fun if we were sitting closer to the front. We could hardly hear the questions and admittedly gave up at the end of round two.

The jugs if cocktails though, were the surprise of the night. It's rare you find yourself ordering jug after jug and enjoy all four variations AND feel the lock of booze without feeling like you've swallowed a mouthful if metho. Black Sangria and Chevy Chase were my favourites.

Would happily head back but will certainly be better prepared and book a decent table ahead.

B-Mans Birthday at Mejico

On Wednesday it was B-Mans birthday. Usually he organizes a night out with his friends, but for one reason or another this year it became a little difficult and no plans eventuated. So I decided to do a little secret squirrel business and organize a surprise dinner out with his closest friends. B-Man is a big fan of Mexican food, and it features most weeks in our home cooking, so it seemed fitting to try out Mejico, the latest addition to Sydney's Mexican food scene.

Most of our party had arrived by the time we showed up, and as our table was not yet ready, we were directed to the bar for chilli infused beer (not as odd as it sounds) and cocktails. I started off with "An Easy Read", basically a pineapple margarita. After all that secret squirrel business I needed the soothing hit of tequila! I definitely recommend this if you're not massive tequila fan or are trying to ease your way into the night, as it wasn't overly tequila-y.

I'm a tequila girl from way back so it lacked the sour punch I was looking for, but was enjoyable nonetheless.

As a fan of tapas and share food (why choose one meal when you can have several?) I was quite pleased to see that Mejico have structured their menu and servings this way as well, even their mains! Given that we had 15 people's tummy grumblings and taste buds to satisfy, I enlisted the help of our wonderful waitress to help me devise an order that had a good variety of dishes and didn't leave anyone hungry. It went a little bit like this...

Market Fresh Guacamole with avocado, spanish onion, coriander, lime juice, pistachios and serrano chilli, served with golden plantain chips. What was best about this is that they make it to order at your table in a molcajete (mortar & pestle).

Salsas - Pico de Gallo and Rodriguez Farm Chorizo (with Persian feta, Pedro Ximinez Sherry, black beans, smoky paprika and charred serrano chilli salt)

Pacific Scallop Cerviche with avocado, pomegranate, jalapeno and crispy eschalots

We tried each of the tacos - Braised Lamb Shoulder, Smoked Pork Belly and Grilled Ocean Trout. All were amazing but the lamb were my favourite.

We decided upon a selection of 3 mains - Archiote Chicken with pumpkin puree, roasted garlic and ancho chilli; Glazed Pork Ribs in a Chipotle chilli marinade with blackened corn and polenta chips; and Chargrilled Black Angus Sirloin with quinoa, black beans, pumpkin, pepitas and green chimichurri. Again, I really cannot fault any of these, but the ribs were a favourite not just with me, but with everyone on the table! Finger licking good and worth the sticky smile you will be left with!

We also had a vegetarian at the table who ordered his own main of Portobello Mushrooms & Croquetas with tomatillo salsa, black bean puree, ancho chilli, sweet potato, cumin, onion & manchego. I didn't try this - didn't want to rob the man of his main meal whilst we were all being cannibals! But he assured me it was very enjoyable.

By this stage we were all as full as googs, so we ordered a last round of drinks (I moved on from tequila to 'The Devils Advocate' - rum, lychee, grapefruit and campari) and one plate of the Agave glazed carame fudge, complete with a candle for the birthday boy, and shared it around.

This was by far one of the best meals out I have had in a while. All of us enjoyed the food immensely and are making plans for a return visit, the bill came out at around $35 per person + drinks and we were all satisfied with how much we ate. The service is friendly and know the menu, making good recommendations. I think we may just become regulars!

NB: B-Man was totally and utterly surprised - he had no idea and was astounded that not one person let anything slip. We came home & shared a special birthday dessert of Peanut Butter Pie. Hopefully, although it is the last of his 20's, it was a memorable day.

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.

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!

The Week That Was

This week has been incredibly hectic with extra curricular activities assigned after work every night. It's been fun, but I can't begin to tell you how forward I'm looking to a bit of a lie in with a cup of coffee and the papers this weekend!

I was however, pleasantly surprised with my ability to keep up with healthy, and more importantly, tasty meals for lunch and dinner... Until the weekend!

Friday night was action packed and alcohol fueled, as B-Man and our partners in crime, JamOrla Corp, headed out to see Spiegelworld's Empire. It's hard to explain what Empire is all about, without ruining the experience - part of the enjoyment lies in not knowing what to expect! But I would recommend checking it out - but get in quick, as it's only in town for the remainder of the week.

After a number of bottles of champagne, we made our way to Frankie's Pizza, another wonderful creation from Anton Forte and Jason Scott, who are also behind Shady Pines and Baxter Inn - two of my favourite night spots!

What I really love about places like Frankie's is not ordering off a menu. What impresses me most and quite often makes my night, are staff that (excuse the French) know their shit. Frankie's is one of those places.

"I would like 2 cocktails please, something with lime and mint, and a pizza that's got a little bit of everything - can you suggest something?". Without blinking an eye lid the wonderful woman behind the bar shot me a smile and said, "yep, I've got this". I could not have chosen better myself, she certainly did have IT. The second round consisted of apple and gin and after that.... We, thankfully, put ourselves into cabs!