If there's one thing Caliban and I do well together, it's the Sydney Morning Herald crossword. If there's another, it's host dinner parties. I do the cooking, Caliban creates the playlist, keeps the wine glasses full and occasionally steps in as my sous chef.
On Saturday night, our friends B and S came over for dinner. They too are excellent at hosting dinner parties - like me, B takes care of the cooking and S is in charge of entertainment and ambience. They're a fantastic match.
We've eaten at B and S's twice now, and both times we experienced super culinary delights. B spent some time in Spain as a spring chicken, so his paella was a dish to be reckoned with (I just ate it, though, and then asked for second and third helpings until my heart could no longer bear the thought of more chorizo sausage). We knew that our meal had to be up to their standards.
I decided to make garlic prawns, mushroom risotto and sticky date pudding for dessert - it's officially winter now, and comfort food is a must. What could be more comforting than a bowl of steaming garlicky tomato stew topped with prawns, hearty, creamy risotto dotted with meaty mushrooms and the ultimate crowd-pleaser, sticky date pudding (for which no adjectives are needed)?
The mixed mushroom risotto is courtesy of Donna Hay, and the sticky date pud is from BBC Good Food, but the garlic prawn recipe is all mine. It's not a traditional garlic prawn recipe - I don't have cast-iron pots, so I didn't use them. It's a bit of a cheat's recipe, really. I don't have a problem with it, because it tasted wonderful - let me know what you think!
Garlic prawns (serves 4)
Ingredients
1kg raw prawns, tails intact
2 400g cans diced/whole/chopped tomatoes*
2 heads garlic
12 cloves garlic
1 brown onion, chopped
Olive oil
1 cup vegetable/chicken stock
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Add onion and a tablespoon of olive oil to a saucepan over medium heat. Cook slowly (for around 5-7 minutes) until onion has browned and softened.
3. Smash garlic cloves (do not chop) and add to onion mixture. Cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, chop the stems off the garlic heads and place on a sheet of foil. Drizzle some olive oil over them and wrap the foil around them tightly. Place on an oven tray and roast for 15 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes and stock to garlic and onion mixture, and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat as low as you can and simmer until the garlic heads are ready.
6. Remove garlic heads from oven and allow to cool slightly. Carefully (they'll be ridiculously hot) use tongs to squeeze the garlic flesh from the skin. Add to the tomato mixture (along with the olive oil in the foil).
7. Add prawns and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until prawns are cooked through.
8. Serve with crusty bread, aioli and lots of good red wine.
*I like using whole canned tomatoes, because I like the chunky texture. But if you'd like a smoother stew, try diced or chopped tomatoes. I used Annalisa Cherry Tomatoes, because I like their sweetness.
Showing posts with label Caliban. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Caliban. Show all posts
Sunday, June 13
Saturday, February 13
the little snail
In preparation for our European honeymoon, I'm learning French. Here are some of the words I know: "Bonjour!"; "Merci!"; "Mon dieu!"; "Au revoir!"; "Croissant!". Are you impressed yet? I thought so.
Last week, Caliban took me to The Little Snail (the French, if you're wondering, would refer to this as "Le Petit Escargot"...that's just a little something I picked up) in Pyrmont. He'd been before, but I hadn't. I was incredibly excited, as I love French food and I've heard good things about the restaurant. Also, I love escargots.
The restaurant was near empty when we arrived at 7pm, yet the waiter sat us right next to the piano...where the jazz singer was about to set up shop. Not a great sign. We asked to be moved, and the waiter whisked us upstairs. Much better.
We ordered a bottle of chardonnay and our entrees - escargots for me and salmon terrine for Caliban. Less than five minutes later, we had our first dishes. Again, not a great sign. The escargots were lovely - properly buttery and packed with herbs and garlic. My white dress didn't agree so much...so I took to wearing my napkin as a bib after the first splatter of butter hit the silk. Caliban's salmon terrine wasn't as good - slices of smoked salmon forged together with generous smears of cream cheese didn't quite live up to the lofty expectations of salmon terrine.
For our mains, Caliban ordered the seafood plate and I the kangaroo fillet. Again, they were at our table just minutes after we finished our entrees. I really love eating out, and so I want it to be an enjoyable, relaxing, even languid experience. I don't want to feel as though I'm being rushed...but that's exactly what this felt like. We took our time with our main dishes, though. Mine was superb. The kangaroo was served rare (as it should be) with a beautifully soft, flavoursome honey demi-glaze. The sweetness of the honey tempered the gamey bite of the kangaroo. Caliban, unfortunately, got the raw prawn again. Or should I say, the fried prawn. Almost everything on his seafood plate was fried, except the mussels. Quelle disappointment! I'm always puzzled why seafood plates are so often comprised of fried calamari, crab and prawns. Seafood in Australia - in Sydney, no less - is so fresh and tasty that you really don't need to do much to it. It's such a shame to deep-fry such gorgeous produce.
We requested a break between our mains and dessert, but again, our dishes were served within minutes of each other. My fresh, homemade profiteroles were great - beautifully light choux pastry filled with silky custard. Poor Caliban - his "Tasmanian brie with raisin puree and spiced carrot salad" just wasn't any good. And that's being kind. The "brie" was clearly from a supermarket and wasn't served at room temperature. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's cheese served incorrectly. I mean, how hard is it to take the cheese out of the fridge before serving? Sheesh. Feeling bad for poor Caliban, I gave him one of my profiteroles, which he loved.
At over $170 for the two of us, The Little Snail was overpriced and underwhelming. Je ne suis pas impressed.
The Little Snail
50 Murray St, Pyrmont
+61 2 9212 7512
www.thelittlesnail.com.au
Last week, Caliban took me to The Little Snail (the French, if you're wondering, would refer to this as "Le Petit Escargot"...that's just a little something I picked up) in Pyrmont. He'd been before, but I hadn't. I was incredibly excited, as I love French food and I've heard good things about the restaurant. Also, I love escargots.
The restaurant was near empty when we arrived at 7pm, yet the waiter sat us right next to the piano...where the jazz singer was about to set up shop. Not a great sign. We asked to be moved, and the waiter whisked us upstairs. Much better.
We ordered a bottle of chardonnay and our entrees - escargots for me and salmon terrine for Caliban. Less than five minutes later, we had our first dishes. Again, not a great sign. The escargots were lovely - properly buttery and packed with herbs and garlic. My white dress didn't agree so much...so I took to wearing my napkin as a bib after the first splatter of butter hit the silk. Caliban's salmon terrine wasn't as good - slices of smoked salmon forged together with generous smears of cream cheese didn't quite live up to the lofty expectations of salmon terrine.
For our mains, Caliban ordered the seafood plate and I the kangaroo fillet. Again, they were at our table just minutes after we finished our entrees. I really love eating out, and so I want it to be an enjoyable, relaxing, even languid experience. I don't want to feel as though I'm being rushed...but that's exactly what this felt like. We took our time with our main dishes, though. Mine was superb. The kangaroo was served rare (as it should be) with a beautifully soft, flavoursome honey demi-glaze. The sweetness of the honey tempered the gamey bite of the kangaroo. Caliban, unfortunately, got the raw prawn again. Or should I say, the fried prawn. Almost everything on his seafood plate was fried, except the mussels. Quelle disappointment! I'm always puzzled why seafood plates are so often comprised of fried calamari, crab and prawns. Seafood in Australia - in Sydney, no less - is so fresh and tasty that you really don't need to do much to it. It's such a shame to deep-fry such gorgeous produce.
We requested a break between our mains and dessert, but again, our dishes were served within minutes of each other. My fresh, homemade profiteroles were great - beautifully light choux pastry filled with silky custard. Poor Caliban - his "Tasmanian brie with raisin puree and spiced carrot salad" just wasn't any good. And that's being kind. The "brie" was clearly from a supermarket and wasn't served at room temperature. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's cheese served incorrectly. I mean, how hard is it to take the cheese out of the fridge before serving? Sheesh. Feeling bad for poor Caliban, I gave him one of my profiteroles, which he loved.
At over $170 for the two of us, The Little Snail was overpriced and underwhelming. Je ne suis pas impressed.
The Little Snail
50 Murray St, Pyrmont
+61 2 9212 7512
www.thelittlesnail.com.au
Monday, January 4
we all scream for icecream
Over at Good Living today, it's all about summer - and what says "summer" more than icecream? Matt Preston offers a lesson in "popsicology", explaining the history of icecream. (Who knew George Washington spent $200 on icecream in 1790? Not I.) Stephanie Clifford-Smith reckons she knows where to find the top ten gelato scoops in Sydney (my pick: Gelatomassi in Newtown, or just about anywhere on Norton St, Leichhardt). And Preston pops up again, showing us how to pick our kulfi from our kachang, our semifreddo from our sorbet. I always find it interesting that despite huge cultural divides and geographic differences, many cultures have similar recipes (burritos are to the Mexican what pancakes are to the Chinese; noodles for Japanese and pasta for Italians, etc) and icecream and its various cousins is no exception. Sign me up for some spoom!
One of my favourite food blogs, Stone Soup, is also riding the icecream wave, with a post on five ways to make icecream without an icecream maker. Useful stuff. I also love the look of Julie Goodwin's ricotta icecream in this month's issue of The Australian Women's Weekly. The recipe isn't online, so you'll have to check it out for yourself!
And speaking of icecream, Caliban and I took a trip to lovely lakeside Toronto (not the Canadian city, the quiet NSW town) after Christmas, where we indulged in a LOT of icecream. After a long day in the car (snaps to Caliban, who drove the entire way) we treated ourselves to lunch at Anacapri, an Italian restaurant on Brighton St. Lots of wine, a pizza, some bread and a delicious serving of chilli prawns later, we tottered over to the icecreamery and gorged on Norgen-Vasz icecream. Caliban was delighted with the country-style servings (read: the two scoops icecream were basically as big as his head) and promptly fell asleep after devouring the whole thing. Rather like a baby who only needs a bottle of milk to go under, you know?
Got any hot (or, er, cool) icecream hints from your kitchen or neighbourhood? Share them here.
And happy new year!
Lauren x
One of my favourite food blogs, Stone Soup, is also riding the icecream wave, with a post on five ways to make icecream without an icecream maker. Useful stuff. I also love the look of Julie Goodwin's ricotta icecream in this month's issue of The Australian Women's Weekly. The recipe isn't online, so you'll have to check it out for yourself!
And speaking of icecream, Caliban and I took a trip to lovely lakeside Toronto (not the Canadian city, the quiet NSW town) after Christmas, where we indulged in a LOT of icecream. After a long day in the car (snaps to Caliban, who drove the entire way) we treated ourselves to lunch at Anacapri, an Italian restaurant on Brighton St. Lots of wine, a pizza, some bread and a delicious serving of chilli prawns later, we tottered over to the icecreamery and gorged on Norgen-Vasz icecream. Caliban was delighted with the country-style servings (read: the two scoops icecream were basically as big as his head) and promptly fell asleep after devouring the whole thing. Rather like a baby who only needs a bottle of milk to go under, you know?
Got any hot (or, er, cool) icecream hints from your kitchen or neighbourhood? Share them here.
And happy new year!
Lauren x
Friday, December 18
christmas dinner!
Having people over for dinner parties is one of the chief joys of my life. I love everything about it: planning the menu, shopping for ingredients, "slaving" over the stove. I. Love. It. Lucky for me, Caliban and I have lots of willing dining companions to call on. Last week, I invited my best friend D over for an early Christmas dinner - and it was a triumph of epic culinary proportions. Truly!
D isn't big on vegetarians ("It's not a meal without meat," is practically a trademarked D-ism), so I knew she wouldn't be happy with a pescetarian meal, especially when it was meant for a Christmas celebration. I decided to make D and I roast pork loin, and made stuffed squid for Caliban.
The menu
Entree
Cold rocket and cucumber soup
Main
Roast pork loin with mango
Squid stuffed with Mediterranean couscous
Roast tomatoes with pesto
Best ever roast potatoes
Dessert
White chocolate pannacotta with drunken berries
The soup and pannacotta are Gourmet Traveller and Australian Women's Weekly recipes, respectively, so I won't repeat them here. I will say, though, that the pannacotta was sinfully easy to make. I was terrified that the pannacotta wouldn't slip from the moulds easily, but it did and I am now considered a Michelin-star-style chef by D and Caliban. Good stuff.
Here are the recipes for the rest of the dinner, which went off like a pimply kid at Schoolies.
Roast pork loin with mango
Ingredients
500 gm pork loin (more or less, depending on guests - this served D and I with lots left over, just the way I like it)
Asian marinade (I used Asian Fusion from The Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne, which is basically a mix of soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and coriander - easy enough to make at home)
1 ripe mango
1 cup fresh mint, chopped
Method
1. Baste pork generously with Asian marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least three hours, preferably overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius. Place pork in oven and roast for 1.5 hours.
3. Dice mango and mix with mint. Serve with pork.
Squid stuffed with Mediterranean couscous
Ingredients
Squid tubes (as many as you need: 1 per guest is adequate)
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup couscous (for each tube)
Tablespoon oil
Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup chopped fetta
1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
Method
1. Place 1/2 cup water and tablespoon of oil in saucepan. Bring to the boil and remove from heat. Add couscous and cover for three minutes.
2. Remove lid from couscous and add butter. Stir through with fork, separating the grains. Add fetta, tomatoes and coriander and mix through thoroughly.
3. Open squid tube and fill with couscous until the tube is about three-quarters full. Use a toothpick to seal the end.
4. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius. Place squid in oven for 1 hour, basting every fifteen minutes or so with the white wine. (Use more if necessary, depending on size of squid tube).
5. Serve, eat, enjoy!
Roast tomatoes with pesto
Ingredients
Six good quality tomatoes (or two for each guest)
2 bunches fresh basil, chopped roughly
1 cup good quality parmesan
1/2 cup roasted pine nuts
1 cup good quality olive oil
Method
1. Slice the tops of the tomatoes off (about a centimetre) and scoop out the flesh. Place tomatoes upside down on paper towel and leave to drain (about 15 minutes).
2. Place basil, parmesan and pine nuts in a food processor or blender. Add olive oil gradually, and process until smooth.
3. Scoop pesto into tomatoes, filling to about a centimetre away from the top.
4. When ready to serve, place in oven at 200 degrees Celcius, and roast for 10 minutes.
Best ever roast potatoes
Ingredients
9 potatoes (or three for each guest)
Sea salt
1/2 cup olive oil
Method
1. Boil potatoes in water for ten minutes.
2. Chop in half and place in roasting pan.
3. Pour olive oil over potatoes (more or less than I've recommended, depending on your love for olive oil/size of potatoes/propensity for heart attacks) and sprinkle with sea salt.
4. Roast in 200 degree oven for 1.5 hours. Drool.
D isn't big on vegetarians ("It's not a meal without meat," is practically a trademarked D-ism), so I knew she wouldn't be happy with a pescetarian meal, especially when it was meant for a Christmas celebration. I decided to make D and I roast pork loin, and made stuffed squid for Caliban.
The menu
Entree
Cold rocket and cucumber soup
Main
Roast pork loin with mango
Squid stuffed with Mediterranean couscous
Roast tomatoes with pesto
Best ever roast potatoes
Dessert
White chocolate pannacotta with drunken berries
The soup and pannacotta are Gourmet Traveller and Australian Women's Weekly recipes, respectively, so I won't repeat them here. I will say, though, that the pannacotta was sinfully easy to make. I was terrified that the pannacotta wouldn't slip from the moulds easily, but it did and I am now considered a Michelin-star-style chef by D and Caliban. Good stuff.
Here are the recipes for the rest of the dinner, which went off like a pimply kid at Schoolies.
Roast pork loin with mango
Ingredients
500 gm pork loin (more or less, depending on guests - this served D and I with lots left over, just the way I like it)
Asian marinade (I used Asian Fusion from The Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne, which is basically a mix of soy sauce, brown sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and coriander - easy enough to make at home)
1 ripe mango
1 cup fresh mint, chopped
Method
1. Baste pork generously with Asian marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least three hours, preferably overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius. Place pork in oven and roast for 1.5 hours.
3. Dice mango and mix with mint. Serve with pork.
Squid stuffed with Mediterranean couscous
Ingredients
Squid tubes (as many as you need: 1 per guest is adequate)
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup couscous (for each tube)
Tablespoon oil
Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup chopped fetta
1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
Method
1. Place 1/2 cup water and tablespoon of oil in saucepan. Bring to the boil and remove from heat. Add couscous and cover for three minutes.
2. Remove lid from couscous and add butter. Stir through with fork, separating the grains. Add fetta, tomatoes and coriander and mix through thoroughly.
3. Open squid tube and fill with couscous until the tube is about three-quarters full. Use a toothpick to seal the end.
4. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius. Place squid in oven for 1 hour, basting every fifteen minutes or so with the white wine. (Use more if necessary, depending on size of squid tube).
5. Serve, eat, enjoy!
Roast tomatoes with pesto
Ingredients
Six good quality tomatoes (or two for each guest)
2 bunches fresh basil, chopped roughly
1 cup good quality parmesan
1/2 cup roasted pine nuts
1 cup good quality olive oil
Method
1. Slice the tops of the tomatoes off (about a centimetre) and scoop out the flesh. Place tomatoes upside down on paper towel and leave to drain (about 15 minutes).
2. Place basil, parmesan and pine nuts in a food processor or blender. Add olive oil gradually, and process until smooth.
3. Scoop pesto into tomatoes, filling to about a centimetre away from the top.
4. When ready to serve, place in oven at 200 degrees Celcius, and roast for 10 minutes.
Best ever roast potatoes
Ingredients
9 potatoes (or three for each guest)
Sea salt
1/2 cup olive oil
Method
1. Boil potatoes in water for ten minutes.
2. Chop in half and place in roasting pan.
3. Pour olive oil over potatoes (more or less than I've recommended, depending on your love for olive oil/size of potatoes/propensity for heart attacks) and sprinkle with sea salt.
4. Roast in 200 degree oven for 1.5 hours. Drool.
Sunday, December 6
eveleigh farmers market
"Hey," says Caliban. "I have an idea. Why don't we go to the farmers' markets at Carriageworks this morning?"
As someone who loves markets, food and Caliban (not necessarily in that order), I jump at the offer. Off to market we go!
We scoot over to the markets, located at Redfern's awesome new-ish venue, Carriageworks. It's a theatre, art gallery, marketplace and festival space all in one. We arrive perilously close to closing time (the markets run every Saturday from 8am to 1pm - we rock up at 12.30pm) but we manage to score some amazing food anyway.
Armed with an especially tart blood orange juice each, Caliban and I divide and conquer. He goes in search of cheese, and I'm looking for Christmas gifts. When we reunite, we've both got what we want. Caliban shows off wedges of washed rind brie and regular brie, and roasted macadamia nut butter from Hand'n'Hoe (plus some fresh macadamias from the same stall). I show him the Fatma's Farms sour cherry jam I've just picked up, plus the Pukara Estate Wasabi Mayonnaise (we're huge fans of Pukara's Wasabi Olive Oil, so I can't wait to try their mayo) and the Gumnut Salted Caramel Sauce. "Where's Sonoma?" Caliban asks, referring to Sydney's premier sourdough bakery, which has a stall here. We go in search of a stick of sourdough to spread with our new supplies, but as luck wouldn't have it, Sonoma was sold out.
We resolve to return next Saturday, earlier, so we can enjoy Toby's Estate lattes and Sonoma baked goods for brekky, and shop for more gorgeous food. Cannot. Wait.
Also, if you've ever bought anything from Etsy, you'll love the Eveleigh art markets, Finders Keepers, located adjacent to the farmers' market. It's exactly like Etsy, but live. Imagine! As Caliban rightly observed, "It's for trendy girls and hipster mummies." Exactly. There are stalls by Frankie and Dumbo Feather magazines, Trixie Delicious and Bespoke stationery. It's very cool and if I could have stayed there all day, I would've.
Eveleigh Farmers' Markets
243 Wilson St, Redfern
Every Saturday, 8am - 1pm
www.eveleighmarkets.com.au
As someone who loves markets, food and Caliban (not necessarily in that order), I jump at the offer. Off to market we go!
We scoot over to the markets, located at Redfern's awesome new-ish venue, Carriageworks. It's a theatre, art gallery, marketplace and festival space all in one. We arrive perilously close to closing time (the markets run every Saturday from 8am to 1pm - we rock up at 12.30pm) but we manage to score some amazing food anyway.
Armed with an especially tart blood orange juice each, Caliban and I divide and conquer. He goes in search of cheese, and I'm looking for Christmas gifts. When we reunite, we've both got what we want. Caliban shows off wedges of washed rind brie and regular brie, and roasted macadamia nut butter from Hand'n'Hoe (plus some fresh macadamias from the same stall). I show him the Fatma's Farms sour cherry jam I've just picked up, plus the Pukara Estate Wasabi Mayonnaise (we're huge fans of Pukara's Wasabi Olive Oil, so I can't wait to try their mayo) and the Gumnut Salted Caramel Sauce. "Where's Sonoma?" Caliban asks, referring to Sydney's premier sourdough bakery, which has a stall here. We go in search of a stick of sourdough to spread with our new supplies, but as luck wouldn't have it, Sonoma was sold out.
We resolve to return next Saturday, earlier, so we can enjoy Toby's Estate lattes and Sonoma baked goods for brekky, and shop for more gorgeous food. Cannot. Wait.
Also, if you've ever bought anything from Etsy, you'll love the Eveleigh art markets, Finders Keepers, located adjacent to the farmers' market. It's exactly like Etsy, but live. Imagine! As Caliban rightly observed, "It's for trendy girls and hipster mummies." Exactly. There are stalls by Frankie and Dumbo Feather magazines, Trixie Delicious and Bespoke stationery. It's very cool and if I could have stayed there all day, I would've.
Eveleigh Farmers' Markets
243 Wilson St, Redfern
Every Saturday, 8am - 1pm
www.eveleighmarkets.com.au
Thursday, December 3
homemade chilli - a DDS original recipe
Get this: some people actually eat two-and-five a day. You know, two serves of fruit, five serves of veggies. Seriously. I am one of those people.
That is to say, I try very hard to be one of those people. As much as I truly believe that everything is better with butter, I also try pretty hard to be healthy (for the most part). So when I'm cooking for Caliban and I at home, I make an effort to use as many veggies as possible. It helps immensely that Caliban (thank God) isn't one of those "meat-and-potatoes" men.
One of my favourite veggie-packed meals is this chilli. It's super healthy, low-fat, low-carb and most importantly, it actually tastes great. Try it and let me know what you think!
Homemade Veggie Chilli: a DDS original recipe
2 x 400gm cans chopped tomatoes
400gm can red kidney beans
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 red capsicum, chopped
10 large mushrooms, chopped
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Punnet cherry tomatoes, chopped into quarters
Tablespoon cumin*
Tablespoon ground chilli
Tablespoon cinnamon
Tablespoon oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
* Honestly, I hardly ever measure spices (unless I'm baking). I think everyone has herbs and spices they love, and that you should determine how much of each you use based on this. If you hate chilli, don't use as much. Experiment until you get a result you love.
1. Add tablespoon of olive oil to saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Stir until onion is soft and golden brown.
2. Add chopped capsicum and mushrooms. Stir for three minutes.
3. Add tomato puree, chopped canned tomatoes, kidney beans and cherry tomatoes. Stir until combined.
4. Add spices and simmer for as little as 10 minutes or as long as an hour.
5. Serve with Greek yoghurt, avocado and warm wholegrain tortillas. If you want to be naughty, serve with corn chips.
That is to say, I try very hard to be one of those people. As much as I truly believe that everything is better with butter, I also try pretty hard to be healthy (for the most part). So when I'm cooking for Caliban and I at home, I make an effort to use as many veggies as possible. It helps immensely that Caliban (thank God) isn't one of those "meat-and-potatoes" men.
One of my favourite veggie-packed meals is this chilli. It's super healthy, low-fat, low-carb and most importantly, it actually tastes great. Try it and let me know what you think!
Homemade Veggie Chilli: a DDS original recipe
2 x 400gm cans chopped tomatoes
400gm can red kidney beans
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 red capsicum, chopped
10 large mushrooms, chopped
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Punnet cherry tomatoes, chopped into quarters
Tablespoon cumin*
Tablespoon ground chilli
Tablespoon cinnamon
Tablespoon oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
* Honestly, I hardly ever measure spices (unless I'm baking). I think everyone has herbs and spices they love, and that you should determine how much of each you use based on this. If you hate chilli, don't use as much. Experiment until you get a result you love.
1. Add tablespoon of olive oil to saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Stir until onion is soft and golden brown.
2. Add chopped capsicum and mushrooms. Stir for three minutes.
3. Add tomato puree, chopped canned tomatoes, kidney beans and cherry tomatoes. Stir until combined.
4. Add spices and simmer for as little as 10 minutes or as long as an hour.
5. Serve with Greek yoghurt, avocado and warm wholegrain tortillas. If you want to be naughty, serve with corn chips.
Wednesday, December 2
crust - the takeaway pizza of (lazy, couch-sitting) kings
Do you live in Sydney? Great. Chances are, you have eaten Crust pizza. And chances are, you LOVE it.
Caliban and I are pretty spoiled for choice when it comes to pizza. With our proximity to Sydney's real Little Italy, Haberfield, we could eat at a different pizza place every night if our waistlines and wallets allowed it. But we do hold a very special place in our hearts for Crust, the gourmet pizza chain that's in just about every Sydney suburb by now. When we first started dating, we'd regularly eat their garlic prawn pizza (washed down with a couple of Becks each) while watching DVDs, cuddling, gazing lovingly into each others' eyes, and so on.
So you can imagine my excitement when I opened the mailbox last week to find a Crust menu - for our new, very local, very own Crust. Yes!
That very night, I treated Caliban to an at-home dinner date and we feasted on Garlic Prawn, White Anchovy and Herb and Garlic pizzas.
I'm pretty particular about pizzas. I don't like meat on them (save for salami) and I recoil when people order stuff like "barbecue chicken pizza". That's not pizza. I like thin-based pizzas with a handful of quality toppings. This is why margherita pizza will always be my favourite - chewy, milky buffalo mozarella on a thick, rich tomato base and a sprinkling of oregano. You can't beat it. But I do like seafood pizzas, even if purists will draw and quarter me for it.
Crust does do meat pizzas, and seafood pizzas, and even (quel horreur!) heart tick-approved pizzas. I've tasted from their menu extensively, and it's all pretty amazing, with quality ingredients and hard-to-beat bases. The menu is laid out really nicely, with a guide to bases (your standard tomato base is there, along with less traditional pumpkin, spinach and ricotta blend and olive tapenade bases) that's handy for first-time customers.
It's fairly expensive takeout (over $50 for our three pizzas and a - very - small tub of mango gelato) but Crust is such a standout standby option. While we didn't love the White Anchovy pizza (it was our first foray into white anchovy-land, and we weren't happy tourists: they're far fishier than their black counterparts), everything else, including delivery time - about 25 minutes - was spot-on. A fab, easy way to spend Saturday night.
Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar
Various locations
www.crust.com.au
Caliban and I are pretty spoiled for choice when it comes to pizza. With our proximity to Sydney's real Little Italy, Haberfield, we could eat at a different pizza place every night if our waistlines and wallets allowed it. But we do hold a very special place in our hearts for Crust, the gourmet pizza chain that's in just about every Sydney suburb by now. When we first started dating, we'd regularly eat their garlic prawn pizza (washed down with a couple of Becks each) while watching DVDs, cuddling, gazing lovingly into each others' eyes, and so on.
So you can imagine my excitement when I opened the mailbox last week to find a Crust menu - for our new, very local, very own Crust. Yes!
That very night, I treated Caliban to an at-home dinner date and we feasted on Garlic Prawn, White Anchovy and Herb and Garlic pizzas.
I'm pretty particular about pizzas. I don't like meat on them (save for salami) and I recoil when people order stuff like "barbecue chicken pizza". That's not pizza. I like thin-based pizzas with a handful of quality toppings. This is why margherita pizza will always be my favourite - chewy, milky buffalo mozarella on a thick, rich tomato base and a sprinkling of oregano. You can't beat it. But I do like seafood pizzas, even if purists will draw and quarter me for it.
Crust does do meat pizzas, and seafood pizzas, and even (quel horreur!) heart tick-approved pizzas. I've tasted from their menu extensively, and it's all pretty amazing, with quality ingredients and hard-to-beat bases. The menu is laid out really nicely, with a guide to bases (your standard tomato base is there, along with less traditional pumpkin, spinach and ricotta blend and olive tapenade bases) that's handy for first-time customers.
It's fairly expensive takeout (over $50 for our three pizzas and a - very - small tub of mango gelato) but Crust is such a standout standby option. While we didn't love the White Anchovy pizza (it was our first foray into white anchovy-land, and we weren't happy tourists: they're far fishier than their black counterparts), everything else, including delivery time - about 25 minutes - was spot-on. A fab, easy way to spend Saturday night.
Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar
Various locations
www.crust.com.au
Monday, November 30
buppa's bakehouse
Excellent news: our excellent friends, David and Jo, have had a gorgeous baby girl - Little Miss M. Caliban and I have been visiting the new parents at their house (much easier for D&J - babies require a lot of time and energy to move), armed with a variety of brunch goods.
Last week, I read about Buppa's Bakehouse in the SMH. An American bakery in Newtown, it specialises in bagels (boiled, natch), homestyle American pies and cakes, and even stocks Ben & Jerry's icecream (one of the few retailers in Oz to do so...so far!). I couldn't believe our luck. We were due to visit D&J, and as David is Canadian, and Jewish, bagels would be the perfect baked treat to bring. I also know he loves cheesecake, and that Jo is up for pretty much anything sweet and frosted - so I could hardly wait to go nuts at the Bakehouse and buy up big.
Unfortunately, it seems that a lot of people pay attention to Helen Greenwood's SMH reviews. By the time we got there on Saturday afternoon (around 2pm), most of their stock was gone. Faced with scarcity, we took home four plain bagels (blueberry is also normally available), two slices of red velvet cake, a slice of Key Lime pie, and a slice of blueberry cheesecake.
We ate the bagels unadorned - without cream cheese, and untoasted. This was not a great idea. Whether it was the bagels themselves, or the lack of tart cream-cheese-y goodness, I was not impressed. The bagels seemed a little stale, to be honest. Were they yesterday's bagels? Hope not. On the other hand, I hope they weren't indicative of the fresh bagels Buppa's has to offer. Either way, I'm definitely willing to give them another go, but next time, I want dense, chewy bread that's not crumbly and tasteless.
When we're with D&J, we have the greatest idle chats. Babies, Friday Night Lights, books, Christmas, holidays, friends, work troubles and so on...it's guaranteed fab natter. We chat over the sweets. Jo and I are huge fans of the red velvet cake, which features white chocolate frosting (as opposed to the more traditional cream cheese frosting). The mild chocolate flavour of the red velvet definitely wants something richer on top, so the white chocolate pairs well. Like all good American servings, Buppa's piles on the icing thickly. It's exquisite. I only wish we had more.
The Key Lime pie is also fantastic. Unfortunately, it has an almond meal base, which tastes great but means that David, who is allergic to nuts, has to pass. We're only too happy to scoff his portion. The base is similar to that of a cheesecake, and the Key Lime filling is creamy, and properly strong on citrus. Lime is one of my all-time favourite flavours, and I am certainly not disappointed by this pie. The filling is thicker and denser than a cheesecake filling (which tends to be a little fluffier), and the lime flavour would be fab with some raspberries or cream (or both!) on the side. FYI. The blueberry cheesecake, too, is made with almond meal (poor David!) so we have to do the tasting for David. This is more about the texture of the cheesecake than the flavour of the blueberries (rightly so, I reckon: blueberries don't really have enough punch to do the heavy work here). The filling is rich and creamy and yes, slightly fluffier and lighter than its pie cousin. Grins all round.
Buppa's Bakehouse
482 King St, Newtown
www.buppas.com.au (note: website currently under construction)
+61 2 8065 0681
Last week, I read about Buppa's Bakehouse in the SMH. An American bakery in Newtown, it specialises in bagels (boiled, natch), homestyle American pies and cakes, and even stocks Ben & Jerry's icecream (one of the few retailers in Oz to do so...so far!). I couldn't believe our luck. We were due to visit D&J, and as David is Canadian, and Jewish, bagels would be the perfect baked treat to bring. I also know he loves cheesecake, and that Jo is up for pretty much anything sweet and frosted - so I could hardly wait to go nuts at the Bakehouse and buy up big.
Unfortunately, it seems that a lot of people pay attention to Helen Greenwood's SMH reviews. By the time we got there on Saturday afternoon (around 2pm), most of their stock was gone. Faced with scarcity, we took home four plain bagels (blueberry is also normally available), two slices of red velvet cake, a slice of Key Lime pie, and a slice of blueberry cheesecake.
We ate the bagels unadorned - without cream cheese, and untoasted. This was not a great idea. Whether it was the bagels themselves, or the lack of tart cream-cheese-y goodness, I was not impressed. The bagels seemed a little stale, to be honest. Were they yesterday's bagels? Hope not. On the other hand, I hope they weren't indicative of the fresh bagels Buppa's has to offer. Either way, I'm definitely willing to give them another go, but next time, I want dense, chewy bread that's not crumbly and tasteless.
When we're with D&J, we have the greatest idle chats. Babies, Friday Night Lights, books, Christmas, holidays, friends, work troubles and so on...it's guaranteed fab natter. We chat over the sweets. Jo and I are huge fans of the red velvet cake, which features white chocolate frosting (as opposed to the more traditional cream cheese frosting). The mild chocolate flavour of the red velvet definitely wants something richer on top, so the white chocolate pairs well. Like all good American servings, Buppa's piles on the icing thickly. It's exquisite. I only wish we had more.
The Key Lime pie is also fantastic. Unfortunately, it has an almond meal base, which tastes great but means that David, who is allergic to nuts, has to pass. We're only too happy to scoff his portion. The base is similar to that of a cheesecake, and the Key Lime filling is creamy, and properly strong on citrus. Lime is one of my all-time favourite flavours, and I am certainly not disappointed by this pie. The filling is thicker and denser than a cheesecake filling (which tends to be a little fluffier), and the lime flavour would be fab with some raspberries or cream (or both!) on the side. FYI. The blueberry cheesecake, too, is made with almond meal (poor David!) so we have to do the tasting for David. This is more about the texture of the cheesecake than the flavour of the blueberries (rightly so, I reckon: blueberries don't really have enough punch to do the heavy work here). The filling is rich and creamy and yes, slightly fluffier and lighter than its pie cousin. Grins all round.
Buppa's Bakehouse
482 King St, Newtown
www.buppas.com.au (note: website currently under construction)
+61 2 8065 0681
Saturday, October 3
dinner party!
I love hosting dinner parties. I have a selection of aprons (my favourite is red with white polka dots, with a ruffle at the bottom - very Betty Draper) for such occasions. Since we got engaged, we even have a set of matching cutlery for such occasions. It's all terribly grown-up, until the booze starts flowing.
Some of our favourite dinner party guests are Caliban's sister and her husband. Let's call them...Lorna and Alec. Yes. They're among our favourite guests because: a) they love food as much as we do; b) they always bring top-notch wine; and c) they live a matter of minutes away, so they're always happy to get merry.
Lorna and Alec came over last night for a South American feast. Alec recently returned from Argentina with a box of amazing, handcrafted chocolates for us, and a bottle of Norton 2005 Malbec from Mendoza. We decided it was only fair to open the amazing bottle with Lorna and Alec, with a South American feast to match.
Caliban took care of the starter, and served spinach and carrot pesto on sourdough with grilled haloumi. The pesto was his own creation - he had made it earlier that day to use up our leftover spinach, parsley and coriander (and carrot. We always seem to have a lot of carrots). To this, he added parmesan, pecorino, olive oil and penauts. Yum.
We served chimichurri lamb (tuna for Caliban) for mains, with patatas bravas and a Spanish salsa salad. I was inspired to make the lamb after seeing Tom roll a deboned leg of lamb on MasterChef a few months back. He filled his with a sort of salsa verde, but I figured I could do it just as easily with the chimichurri, a popular South American condiment. Unfortunately, the butcher only had lamb rolls that had already been stuffed with rosemary and garlic (between you and me: yum!). No matter, he said. I'll debone one for you and show you how to tie the roll. Score! He even sent me home with string to tie my roll with. Needless to say, after all this help, it was a hit.
For dessert, we served creamy lime tart (a Gourmet Traveller recipe) with double cream and strawberries, and as petit fours, we ate chocolate whiskey truffles, prepared by Caliban. They were inspired by a Donna Hay recipe, but didn't quite work out like hers. The recipe called for the chocolate to be served in large spoonfuls, which wasn't very attractive. Still, they tasted fabulous. Perfect with red wine or coffee.
Chimichurri Lamb
1.5 kg lamb leg, deboned
1 cup fresh Italian parsley (packed)
1/4 cup fresh coriander (packed)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
Tablespoon paprika
Tablespoon cumin
Tablespoon ground chilli
Four whole garlic cloves
Blend the parsley, coriander, olive oil, red wine vinegar, spices and garlic in a food processor. It should have a slightly runny consistency. Open the lamb leg and spread the sauce in the middle. Close the lamb over and tie in three sections. Spread more sauce over the lamb. Leave for up to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees (Celcius). Cook lamb for 35 minutes (medium). Serves four.
Patatas bravas
Eight large potatoes (cut into medium-sized chunks)
One onion (chopped)
400g can chopped tomatoes
100mL tomato puree
4 whole garlic cloves (chopped)
Tablespoon paprika
Tablespoon chilli powder
Pinch sugar
Parsley, to serve
Heat olive oil in saucepan. Add chopped onion and stir until soft and browned (about five minutes). Add garlic, tomatoes, puree, spices and sugar. Bring to the boil, while stirring. Simmer for ten minutes. Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees (Celsius). Bake potatoes for 50 minutes, or until crispy and golden. Reheat tomato sauce if necessary, and pour over potatoes. Serve with a little parsley.
Tip: This serves four, but I think everyone always wants more potatoes, so don't be afraid to tweak this recipe and make more of it than you think you need. Potatoes are universal crowd-pleasers!
South American salsa salad
200g can sweet corn kernels
400g grape tomatoes
400g cannellini beans
1 capsicum, roasted*
1/2 cup chopped coriander
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 Spanish onion, chopped
1/2 cup caramelised balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Tablespoon brown sugar
Teaspoon chilli
Mix tomatoes, beans, corn, coriander, parsley, capsicum and onion in bowl. Don't be afraid to use your (clean!) hands to mix. For dressing, mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, sugar and chilli. Pour over salad and leave for up to two hours before serving.
Tip: this would be great on bread, as a sort of South American bruschetta. Serve with a cold, crisp glass of Pinot Grigio to cut through the acidic dressing.
Some of our favourite dinner party guests are Caliban's sister and her husband. Let's call them...Lorna and Alec. Yes. They're among our favourite guests because: a) they love food as much as we do; b) they always bring top-notch wine; and c) they live a matter of minutes away, so they're always happy to get merry.
Lorna and Alec came over last night for a South American feast. Alec recently returned from Argentina with a box of amazing, handcrafted chocolates for us, and a bottle of Norton 2005 Malbec from Mendoza. We decided it was only fair to open the amazing bottle with Lorna and Alec, with a South American feast to match.
Caliban took care of the starter, and served spinach and carrot pesto on sourdough with grilled haloumi. The pesto was his own creation - he had made it earlier that day to use up our leftover spinach, parsley and coriander (and carrot. We always seem to have a lot of carrots). To this, he added parmesan, pecorino, olive oil and penauts. Yum.
We served chimichurri lamb (tuna for Caliban) for mains, with patatas bravas and a Spanish salsa salad. I was inspired to make the lamb after seeing Tom roll a deboned leg of lamb on MasterChef a few months back. He filled his with a sort of salsa verde, but I figured I could do it just as easily with the chimichurri, a popular South American condiment. Unfortunately, the butcher only had lamb rolls that had already been stuffed with rosemary and garlic (between you and me: yum!). No matter, he said. I'll debone one for you and show you how to tie the roll. Score! He even sent me home with string to tie my roll with. Needless to say, after all this help, it was a hit.
For dessert, we served creamy lime tart (a Gourmet Traveller recipe) with double cream and strawberries, and as petit fours, we ate chocolate whiskey truffles, prepared by Caliban. They were inspired by a Donna Hay recipe, but didn't quite work out like hers. The recipe called for the chocolate to be served in large spoonfuls, which wasn't very attractive. Still, they tasted fabulous. Perfect with red wine or coffee.
Chimichurri Lamb
1.5 kg lamb leg, deboned
1 cup fresh Italian parsley (packed)
1/4 cup fresh coriander (packed)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
Tablespoon paprika
Tablespoon cumin
Tablespoon ground chilli
Four whole garlic cloves
Blend the parsley, coriander, olive oil, red wine vinegar, spices and garlic in a food processor. It should have a slightly runny consistency. Open the lamb leg and spread the sauce in the middle. Close the lamb over and tie in three sections. Spread more sauce over the lamb. Leave for up to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees (Celcius). Cook lamb for 35 minutes (medium). Serves four.
Patatas bravas
Eight large potatoes (cut into medium-sized chunks)
One onion (chopped)
400g can chopped tomatoes
100mL tomato puree
4 whole garlic cloves (chopped)
Tablespoon paprika
Tablespoon chilli powder
Pinch sugar
Parsley, to serve
Heat olive oil in saucepan. Add chopped onion and stir until soft and browned (about five minutes). Add garlic, tomatoes, puree, spices and sugar. Bring to the boil, while stirring. Simmer for ten minutes. Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees (Celsius). Bake potatoes for 50 minutes, or until crispy and golden. Reheat tomato sauce if necessary, and pour over potatoes. Serve with a little parsley.
Tip: This serves four, but I think everyone always wants more potatoes, so don't be afraid to tweak this recipe and make more of it than you think you need. Potatoes are universal crowd-pleasers!
South American salsa salad
200g can sweet corn kernels
400g grape tomatoes
400g cannellini beans
1 capsicum, roasted*
1/2 cup chopped coriander
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 Spanish onion, chopped
1/2 cup caramelised balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Tablespoon brown sugar
Teaspoon chilli
Mix tomatoes, beans, corn, coriander, parsley, capsicum and onion in bowl. Don't be afraid to use your (clean!) hands to mix. For dressing, mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, sugar and chilli. Pour over salad and leave for up to two hours before serving.
Tip: this would be great on bread, as a sort of South American bruschetta. Serve with a cold, crisp glass of Pinot Grigio to cut through the acidic dressing.
Saturday, September 26
haberfield post/il goloso
A week ago, my friend Ed sent me an email inviting Caliban and I, and some friends from high school, to dinner to celebrate her return to Australia. She's been to Africa, Europe and America. I'm - how do you say? - incredibly jealous.
But as well as being really, really, insanely jealous of her travels, I was also really, really, insanely impressed with her choice of restaurant. We met last night at Haberfield Post (which also, confusingly, goes by its former name of Il Goloso) and I swear to blog, I ate more food in that one sitting than I did in this entire last week.
We live very close to Haberfield, so Haberfield Post is our regular pizza place now. It's very old-school Italian in a sophisticated setting. The food is affordable and um, delicious. Very, verrrrry delicious. It's also BYO. Bonus.
So last night, the eight of us settled in with a couple of bottles of white and a bottle of red (for dessert). It wasn't nearly enough wine, but that's OK. We made up for the lack of alcohol indulgence with food.
While we waited for the last of the party to arrive, we ordered the bruschetta pizza. As the name suggests, it's a fresh, doughy, thin pizza base topped with diced roma tomatoes, olive oil and basil. It's amazing. Paired with a cold glass of sav blanc, it's a perfect summer dish (too bad it was freezing last night!)
There was a bit of confusion with our mains. Caliban and I ordered the fiori dello zucchini (zucchini flowers) and a Siciliana pizza for our mains, to share. Unfortunately, the zucchini came out as an entree. Not even close to a dealbreaker, to be sure...but it's nice when waiters get these things right.
I love zucchini flowers for the delicate taste of the flower, which is usually paired with something more robust. In this case, the flowers were stuffed with ricotta and anchovies. It sounded promising, but the batter they were deep-fried in was far too thick - you couldn't taste anything but oil. A little disappointing.
Then, the table was filled with pizza. Caliban and I ordered the Siciliana (bocconcini, eggplant and tomato sauce), Nurse Jacquie ordered the Appetitoso (chicken, sundried tomatoes, avocado; she also requested fetta, but it never quite arrived...), Ed and Miss C shared a Super Alex (surprisingly, the restaurant allowed a 'half-half' order...Miss C didn't want proscuitto on her half of the pizza for some reason that defies, well, reason) and Tara (DDS commenter!) had the spinach, ricotta, parmesan and bocconcini calzone. I've ordered it before, and it was easily the best calzone I've ever had. Soft, almost sweet dough filled with three types of creamy, sharp cheese and spinach. Heaven. The Siciliana was standard Italian fare: rich, sweet tomato sauce topped with the mild bocconcini and squares of fried eggplant. Yum. Nurse Jacquie's Appetitoso didn't really whet my appetite: I'm not one for chicken or avocado on pizzas. And, pretentious as it sounds, I think sundried tomatoes have had their day. Enough with the sundried tomatoes. I've also eaten the Super Alex (proscuitto, olives, tomatoes, bocconcini and baby spinach) and I feel for Miss C. The proscuitto really makes it. As for the other boys, I can't remember what they ate...even for the lack of booze.
To finish the night, we ordered three Nutella calzones, a pannacotta for Caliban and tiramisu for Miss C and I. The tiramisu was amazing - super-light sponge soaked in sweet coffee with layers of thick, fluffy cream laced with amaretto. So perfect with a glass of cab sav that I had to have two (glasses, that is). Caliban loves pannacotta, and HP's is no exception. Served in a sundae glass, the pannacotta sat on a bed of strawberry syrup - so when you spooned the creamy pannacotta, you got a good serve of sweet syrup, too. Nice touch. And the Nutella calzones were so, so, so good. Really. Sweet dough blanketed the creamy, nutty chocolate paste...and all mention of boxing classes and Weight Watchers flew out the proverbial window. The four girls (with a little help from Caliban and Chef James) polished off all three of the calzones, with just a few slices left for Nurse Jacquie's lunch today.
And would you believe it? When the bill came, we all owed just $30 each. Great value, amazing food, perfect Saturday night company.
Haberfield Post/Il Goloso
60 Dalhousie St, Haberfield
(02) 9716 9744
But as well as being really, really, insanely jealous of her travels, I was also really, really, insanely impressed with her choice of restaurant. We met last night at Haberfield Post (which also, confusingly, goes by its former name of Il Goloso) and I swear to blog, I ate more food in that one sitting than I did in this entire last week.
We live very close to Haberfield, so Haberfield Post is our regular pizza place now. It's very old-school Italian in a sophisticated setting. The food is affordable and um, delicious. Very, verrrrry delicious. It's also BYO. Bonus.
So last night, the eight of us settled in with a couple of bottles of white and a bottle of red (for dessert). It wasn't nearly enough wine, but that's OK. We made up for the lack of alcohol indulgence with food.
While we waited for the last of the party to arrive, we ordered the bruschetta pizza. As the name suggests, it's a fresh, doughy, thin pizza base topped with diced roma tomatoes, olive oil and basil. It's amazing. Paired with a cold glass of sav blanc, it's a perfect summer dish (too bad it was freezing last night!)
There was a bit of confusion with our mains. Caliban and I ordered the fiori dello zucchini (zucchini flowers) and a Siciliana pizza for our mains, to share. Unfortunately, the zucchini came out as an entree. Not even close to a dealbreaker, to be sure...but it's nice when waiters get these things right.
I love zucchini flowers for the delicate taste of the flower, which is usually paired with something more robust. In this case, the flowers were stuffed with ricotta and anchovies. It sounded promising, but the batter they were deep-fried in was far too thick - you couldn't taste anything but oil. A little disappointing.
Then, the table was filled with pizza. Caliban and I ordered the Siciliana (bocconcini, eggplant and tomato sauce), Nurse Jacquie ordered the Appetitoso (chicken, sundried tomatoes, avocado; she also requested fetta, but it never quite arrived...), Ed and Miss C shared a Super Alex (surprisingly, the restaurant allowed a 'half-half' order...Miss C didn't want proscuitto on her half of the pizza for some reason that defies, well, reason) and Tara (DDS commenter!) had the spinach, ricotta, parmesan and bocconcini calzone. I've ordered it before, and it was easily the best calzone I've ever had. Soft, almost sweet dough filled with three types of creamy, sharp cheese and spinach. Heaven. The Siciliana was standard Italian fare: rich, sweet tomato sauce topped with the mild bocconcini and squares of fried eggplant. Yum. Nurse Jacquie's Appetitoso didn't really whet my appetite: I'm not one for chicken or avocado on pizzas. And, pretentious as it sounds, I think sundried tomatoes have had their day. Enough with the sundried tomatoes. I've also eaten the Super Alex (proscuitto, olives, tomatoes, bocconcini and baby spinach) and I feel for Miss C. The proscuitto really makes it. As for the other boys, I can't remember what they ate...even for the lack of booze.
To finish the night, we ordered three Nutella calzones, a pannacotta for Caliban and tiramisu for Miss C and I. The tiramisu was amazing - super-light sponge soaked in sweet coffee with layers of thick, fluffy cream laced with amaretto. So perfect with a glass of cab sav that I had to have two (glasses, that is). Caliban loves pannacotta, and HP's is no exception. Served in a sundae glass, the pannacotta sat on a bed of strawberry syrup - so when you spooned the creamy pannacotta, you got a good serve of sweet syrup, too. Nice touch. And the Nutella calzones were so, so, so good. Really. Sweet dough blanketed the creamy, nutty chocolate paste...and all mention of boxing classes and Weight Watchers flew out the proverbial window. The four girls (with a little help from Caliban and Chef James) polished off all three of the calzones, with just a few slices left for Nurse Jacquie's lunch today.
And would you believe it? When the bill came, we all owed just $30 each. Great value, amazing food, perfect Saturday night company.
Haberfield Post/Il Goloso
60 Dalhousie St, Haberfield
(02) 9716 9744
naniwa tei: a love story
Morning, DDS-readers! As promised, let me tell you a little about a charming Japanese hole-in-the-wall, Naniwa Tei.
There are lots of reasons I love living in Sydney. Weather, definitely. Campos coffee, without a doubt. The Bay walk, Centennial Park, the Harbour Bridge. And of course, the restaurants. As you can no doubt tell from reading this blog, I am pretty big on restaurants. But as much as I love the five star, silver spoon, "can I get you any more of anything?" service at places like Tetsuya's and Quay, there is a certain inimitable charm about the less exciting restaurants about town, too. To wit: Naniwa Tei.
My friend D introduced me to this restaurant about two years ago. The floorboards are unpolished. The tables are bare. The walls are covered in posters advertising Engrish-sounding entrees. A radio constantly plays Mix 106.5 FM. It is hardly ever full, and when it is, the customers are a mix of finance suits and budget-conscious students. The one thing they all have in common is their Japanese heritage. It's a sign that bodes well for our tummies.
A little while after D introuced me, I, in turn, introduced my then-new boyfriend, Caliban, to the delights of soft shell crab, tuna sashimi and cuttlefish kimchi. In the two years since, I think we've eaten there at least 25 times. At least.
Being the creatures of habit we are, we hardly ever stray from our own little menu. Soft shell crab for two, large tuna sashimi, cuttlefish kimchi, mixed tempura, and plenty of Asahi. The soft shell crab is served in small bowls, with a bed of lettuce and a sweet dipping sauce. The crab itself melts on your tongue, and as you bite into it, the moist, flavoursome meat bursts. It's pretty amazing - especially for $12. The tuna sashimi is similarly impressive - ruby red, without a trace of visible fat. It's served just below room temperature, which is perfect: not so cold that you might mistake it for watermelon (the texture definitely changes as it gets colder) and obviously, not too warm. It's Caliban's favourite dish, and I think he's told everyone he's ever met all about it. If you've met him, he's probably told you more than I ever could about the delights of this dish. Listen to his version.
The cuttlefish kimchi is a very cool discovery. I'm not much for regular kimchi. Cabbage has never been high on my list of must-eat foods, and while the spicy sauce is a winner, I've never really seen the point of smothering it on the vastly inferior cabbage. But cuttlefish kimchi - well, that works. I can definitely see the point of that. Thin ribbons of cuttlefish (molluscs similar to squid - and according to Wikipedia, among the most intelligent invertebrates) are soaked in spicy, thick kimchi sauce, for our eating pleasure. I'm absolutely addicted to these little threads of joy.
The mixed tempura is fairly standard Japanese fare, to be honest. It's not remarkable, but it definitely wins a place in our regular menu. And let's be honest: the Asahis wouldn't really be doing their job without some grease to absorb.
We've shared our love of Naniwa Tei with friends and family, and on such occasions, we do experiment with the menu. Takoyaki smothered in Japanese mayonnaise, kingfish and salmon sashimi, light-as-a-feather gyoza, beef tataki topped with egg yolk (yum!), udon noodle soups, and some of the most lethal hot sake I've ever tasted.
The thing I love most about Naniwa Tei is that it provided such a perfect backdrop for our romance. We genuinely think of it as our place - and that's how I'll always refer to it.
I'm curious to know - do you and your partner have a regular restaurant? Tell me!
Naniwa Tei
Bulletin Place, Circular Quay
There are lots of reasons I love living in Sydney. Weather, definitely. Campos coffee, without a doubt. The Bay walk, Centennial Park, the Harbour Bridge. And of course, the restaurants. As you can no doubt tell from reading this blog, I am pretty big on restaurants. But as much as I love the five star, silver spoon, "can I get you any more of anything?" service at places like Tetsuya's and Quay, there is a certain inimitable charm about the less exciting restaurants about town, too. To wit: Naniwa Tei.
My friend D introduced me to this restaurant about two years ago. The floorboards are unpolished. The tables are bare. The walls are covered in posters advertising Engrish-sounding entrees. A radio constantly plays Mix 106.5 FM. It is hardly ever full, and when it is, the customers are a mix of finance suits and budget-conscious students. The one thing they all have in common is their Japanese heritage. It's a sign that bodes well for our tummies.
A little while after D introuced me, I, in turn, introduced my then-new boyfriend, Caliban, to the delights of soft shell crab, tuna sashimi and cuttlefish kimchi. In the two years since, I think we've eaten there at least 25 times. At least.
Being the creatures of habit we are, we hardly ever stray from our own little menu. Soft shell crab for two, large tuna sashimi, cuttlefish kimchi, mixed tempura, and plenty of Asahi. The soft shell crab is served in small bowls, with a bed of lettuce and a sweet dipping sauce. The crab itself melts on your tongue, and as you bite into it, the moist, flavoursome meat bursts. It's pretty amazing - especially for $12. The tuna sashimi is similarly impressive - ruby red, without a trace of visible fat. It's served just below room temperature, which is perfect: not so cold that you might mistake it for watermelon (the texture definitely changes as it gets colder) and obviously, not too warm. It's Caliban's favourite dish, and I think he's told everyone he's ever met all about it. If you've met him, he's probably told you more than I ever could about the delights of this dish. Listen to his version.
The cuttlefish kimchi is a very cool discovery. I'm not much for regular kimchi. Cabbage has never been high on my list of must-eat foods, and while the spicy sauce is a winner, I've never really seen the point of smothering it on the vastly inferior cabbage. But cuttlefish kimchi - well, that works. I can definitely see the point of that. Thin ribbons of cuttlefish (molluscs similar to squid - and according to Wikipedia, among the most intelligent invertebrates) are soaked in spicy, thick kimchi sauce, for our eating pleasure. I'm absolutely addicted to these little threads of joy.
The mixed tempura is fairly standard Japanese fare, to be honest. It's not remarkable, but it definitely wins a place in our regular menu. And let's be honest: the Asahis wouldn't really be doing their job without some grease to absorb.
We've shared our love of Naniwa Tei with friends and family, and on such occasions, we do experiment with the menu. Takoyaki smothered in Japanese mayonnaise, kingfish and salmon sashimi, light-as-a-feather gyoza, beef tataki topped with egg yolk (yum!), udon noodle soups, and some of the most lethal hot sake I've ever tasted.
The thing I love most about Naniwa Tei is that it provided such a perfect backdrop for our romance. We genuinely think of it as our place - and that's how I'll always refer to it.
I'm curious to know - do you and your partner have a regular restaurant? Tell me!
Naniwa Tei
Bulletin Place, Circular Quay
Friday, August 21
Shake Shack
Have you ever had a really good burger? I'm not talking about fast food processed-meat-and-yellow-cheese sandwiches here. I mean real beef, gooey cheese (I like Gruyere, but just about anything without the word 'tasty' as a prefix will do), salad (ruby red tomatoes, crisp spinach leaves or lettuce, roasted capsicum and eggplant, fried onion) on a freshly baked bun...it's one of the most perfect meals you could ever hope to have.I'm a huge fan of Sydney burger joints like Burger Bun (the Aria burger is just about the best vege burger ever) and Burger Fuel (both the Newtown and Kings Cross locations). So I knew I had to try a burger from Shake Shack while in New York. I'd heard about it via Grub Street (no surprises there). Situated in Madison Square Park, in Chelsea, it was launched by celebrity chef Danny Meyer. It's known for its burgers and the eponymous shakes. We headed there one sunny Monday afternoon following a morning at MoMA.
Despite the warnings that we'd have to wait in line for up to an hour for our burgers, we were pleasantly surprised when it only took around ten minutes. Being a purist, I ordered the Shake Burger - beef, lettuce, tomato and "Shack Sauce". Being a vegequarian, Caliban ordered the only non-meat burger on the menu - the 'Shroom burger: a deep-fried, cheese-stuffed portobello mushroom with lettuce, tomato and Shack Sauce. We shared fries and drank homemade lemonade.The burgers were delicious - the bun was soft, the meat was tender and not overcooked, the sauce lived up to the hype. Unfortunately, within around 20 minutes of consuming them, we both needed to visit the bathroom. Sorry, Danny Meyer. I have a feeling our gentrified little tummies were too immature for this fat explosion. It was fun while it lasted, though.
For more on Sydney burgers, see Good Living's Simon Thomsen rate the best here.
Friday, June 26
Best laid plans...
Mmm. So the trip to Haberfield is off (Miss C needs some rest) but the good news is that Saturday has been reclaimed. In lieu of a culinary tour of Haberfield, let's talk about the foodie film of the year, Julie & Julia.
Starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, it's the film adaptation of both Julie Powell's memoir, Julie and Julia: 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 tiny apartment kitchen and Julia Child's biography. Powell's memoir was in turn based on her blog, The Julie/Julia Project, which detailed Powell's quest to create all 524 recipes from Child's 1961 masterpiece, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She did it, and along the way, scored a book deal and a movie option. Not bad.
But I digress. The film was wonderful, and celebrated not only the determination of both women to follow their passion, but the passion itself - food. A wooden beater slicing through thick, inviting chocolate cake batter; a long, violet drop of wine into a pot of bouffe bourginon; the crunch and smash of crusty bread topped with a trio of primary-coloured tomatoes being crammed into open mouths insatiably going back for more - well, you can see why they call it food porn.
Besides all this, Meryl is her usual spot-on self as the impossibly animated Child and Adams hits the proper degree of 'browbeaten' as Powell. The film works, too, by focusing on the women and limiting backstories to an absolute minimum - and parallels the womens' occasional frustrations with not only the people around them, but society at large. Child is the wife of a centre-left US diplomat investigated by McCarthy's stooges, and Powell works for the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation post-September 11, facing the effects of terrorism daily.
I'll be heading out tomorrow to buy a copy of Child's seminal book, and I hope to make her stuffed duck at least once. Caliban won't be able to indulge (we'll talk about this later) but it looks like a bird fit for a feast.
Debbie says: Go see. (Just don't go hungry)
Starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, it's the film adaptation of both Julie Powell's memoir, Julie and Julia: 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 tiny apartment kitchen and Julia Child's biography. Powell's memoir was in turn based on her blog, The Julie/Julia Project, which detailed Powell's quest to create all 524 recipes from Child's 1961 masterpiece, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She did it, and along the way, scored a book deal and a movie option. Not bad.
But I digress. The film was wonderful, and celebrated not only the determination of both women to follow their passion, but the passion itself - food. A wooden beater slicing through thick, inviting chocolate cake batter; a long, violet drop of wine into a pot of bouffe bourginon; the crunch and smash of crusty bread topped with a trio of primary-coloured tomatoes being crammed into open mouths insatiably going back for more - well, you can see why they call it food porn.
Besides all this, Meryl is her usual spot-on self as the impossibly animated Child and Adams hits the proper degree of 'browbeaten' as Powell. The film works, too, by focusing on the women and limiting backstories to an absolute minimum - and parallels the womens' occasional frustrations with not only the people around them, but society at large. Child is the wife of a centre-left US diplomat investigated by McCarthy's stooges, and Powell works for the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation post-September 11, facing the effects of terrorism daily.
I'll be heading out tomorrow to buy a copy of Child's seminal book, and I hope to make her stuffed duck at least once. Caliban won't be able to indulge (we'll talk about this later) but it looks like a bird fit for a feast.
Debbie says: Go see. (Just don't go hungry)
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