In the past few years, a lot has been written about food television, and our fascination with it. It really does seem to defy logic that cooking - an everyday activity that most of us have tried our hand at - has filled so many hours of television in the last 15 years or so. Sure, it takes skill to cook well. Most TV chefs have undeniable charisma that makes them easy and enjoyable to watch. But could anyone have predicted our insatiable appetite for shows solely about cooking, say, 20 years ago? I doubt it.
I watch shows about food for lots of reasons. For techniques and advice, definitely. ("Add creamed corn to your scrambled eggs," says Tetsuya. "Salt is the key to great muffins," says Nigella.) But mainly, I watch for the porn factor. This is nothing new - TV critics have identified the parallels between porn and food TV for years. Frederick Kaufman wrote an article for Harper's magazine about the overlapping of the food TV and porn industries, from which I unabashedly stole the name of this blog. It's a great article, and explains the ways food TV has borrowed its "signature" features from porn, wittingly or not. The close-up "money" shots, the idealised scenes where everything looks perfect and beautiful, the gorgeous presenters who delight in tasting their lovingly prepared meals. And like porn, food TV is as much about the viewer as it is the action on the screen. Porn is produced with the explicit knowledge that the viewer will almost always be doing something else while he or she is watching (if you catch my drift) and so is food TV (although, one hopes it's not the same thing). You take something away from food TV - you want to emulate what's being done on the screen, even though you know you probably can't. And there's another parallel - just as the average Joe watching porn will never have three blonde, pneumatic-breasted women in his bed, the average Jamie-watcher will probably never produce a coq au vin that looks, smells and tastes exactly as wonderful as Jamie's does on screen. It's a strange mix of accessibility and exclusivity that makes food TV - and porn - so inherently watchable.
With that in mind, I wanted to share some of my favourite food TV shows, and why I love to watch them.
Nigella Feasts/Nigella Bites
Love, love, love Nigella. I honestly think she's a bit mad, but I love her just the same. I want to look and cook like her, and I really get a kick out of watching her add "just a bit of butter" to everything she cooks.
Heston's Feasts
If Nigella is the security blanket chef, Heston Blumenthal is the Evil Knievel of the cooking world. This program showcases his creativity and brilliance beautifully. Each week, he challenges himself to recreate recipes from a different age - like ancient Roman times or the Victorian era. If you haven't seen it, you must take a look. It's culinary genius, and I guarantee you'll be inspired.
MasterChef Australia
I truly loved MasterChef. I can't wait til it returns on April 19! Stay tuned for my weekly wrap-ups.
Iron Chef
Who hasn't secretly wanted to stay home of a Saturday night to watch this wacky Japanese cooking competition? If Julia Child sired food TV, Iron Chef is certainly the godfather. The completely unnecessary dubbing, the sporting-style commentary and the ever-present Japanese actress who invariably says something like, "Mmm...the texture...is like...silk...on my tongue. It's...intriguing." Behind country music, this could be my guiltiest pleasure.
The Naked Chef
Vintage Jamie! Totally pukka. And he was much cuter back then, yeah?
The Cook and the Chef
Maggie Beer (the cook) and Simon Bryant (the chef) go head-to-head (in the nicest way possible) each week with a different challenge. They disagree in the most charming ways (rather like Margaret and David of At the Movies) which is just great for us, the viewers. See how the chef does it, and how the cook does it...then do it your own way.
Friday, April 9
comfort brekky
This morning, I sat in bed, re-reading The Road. It's by far the most tragic, unrelenting book I've ever read - as you flick the pages, an overwhelming sense of dread fills you, and you scan the text for bad news. It's a terribly disturbing read, but for all its sadness, it's a wonderful book. I can't recommend it highly enough.
That said, once I was done, I was in desperate need of some comfort food. As I've mentioned before, I do like to keep things relatively healthy in the kitchen, so I decided to whip up some not-so-bad-for-you banana bread. It's baking as I type, filling the apartment with the lovely whiff of freshly baked goods. So perfect for a miserable Saturday morning!
Not-so-bad-for-you Banana Bread
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups wholemeal plain flour
1/2 cup flaxmeal
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp bicarb soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
Handful chopped nuts (I used macadamias, but anything will do - walnuts and almonds would be especially yummy)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk (I used soy)
2 ripe, mashed bananas
2 tbsp manuka honey (it has a more caramel flavour than regular honey)
16 squares Dairy Milk chocolate, broken into individual squares (well, this part is sort of bad for you...but it does make the bread particularly awesome. Use at your own discretion)
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees (centigrade).
2. Lightly grease a loaf pan.
3. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl (except chocolate).
4. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. Gently fold wet ingredients into dry, being careful not to overbeat. When the ingredients are combined, you've mixed it enough. Overbeating leads to tough batter.
5. Pour half of mixture into pan. If using chocolate, drop eight squares, evenly placed, over mixture.
6. Add remaining mixture and remaining chocolate squares over the top.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
8. Devour.
I love this banana bread because you can do so much with it. If you don't have nuts, add something else - shredded coconut, perhaps, or even grated apple. If you don't have chocolate, that's fine too. A ribbon of good quality raspberry jam over the top of the bread, just before you place it in the oven, would be divine. If you have blueberries or peaches, add them to the mix, too. There are endless variations, and I'd encourage you to play around til you find the perfect banana bread for you.
What's more, this is relatively healthy. OK, so it's not exactly rabbit food, but it's way better for you than that ghastly banana bread they sell in cafes. It's overpriced, full of trans fats and artificial ingredients and I'd be surprised if there was any banana in it at all. This recipe uses no butter and just one egg. If you wanted to make it vegan, you could substitute the egg for 1/2 cup of rice bran or coconut oil. And yes, the chocolate is a touch naughty, but you can just as easily leave it out. I love recipes like this - so simple, so quick and so easy to adapt to what's left in your fridge.
That said, once I was done, I was in desperate need of some comfort food. As I've mentioned before, I do like to keep things relatively healthy in the kitchen, so I decided to whip up some not-so-bad-for-you banana bread. It's baking as I type, filling the apartment with the lovely whiff of freshly baked goods. So perfect for a miserable Saturday morning!
Not-so-bad-for-you Banana Bread
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups wholemeal plain flour
1/2 cup flaxmeal
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp bicarb soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
Handful chopped nuts (I used macadamias, but anything will do - walnuts and almonds would be especially yummy)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk (I used soy)
2 ripe, mashed bananas
2 tbsp manuka honey (it has a more caramel flavour than regular honey)
16 squares Dairy Milk chocolate, broken into individual squares (well, this part is sort of bad for you...but it does make the bread particularly awesome. Use at your own discretion)
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees (centigrade).
2. Lightly grease a loaf pan.
3. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl (except chocolate).
4. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. Gently fold wet ingredients into dry, being careful not to overbeat. When the ingredients are combined, you've mixed it enough. Overbeating leads to tough batter.
5. Pour half of mixture into pan. If using chocolate, drop eight squares, evenly placed, over mixture.
6. Add remaining mixture and remaining chocolate squares over the top.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
8. Devour.
I love this banana bread because you can do so much with it. If you don't have nuts, add something else - shredded coconut, perhaps, or even grated apple. If you don't have chocolate, that's fine too. A ribbon of good quality raspberry jam over the top of the bread, just before you place it in the oven, would be divine. If you have blueberries or peaches, add them to the mix, too. There are endless variations, and I'd encourage you to play around til you find the perfect banana bread for you.
What's more, this is relatively healthy. OK, so it's not exactly rabbit food, but it's way better for you than that ghastly banana bread they sell in cafes. It's overpriced, full of trans fats and artificial ingredients and I'd be surprised if there was any banana in it at all. This recipe uses no butter and just one egg. If you wanted to make it vegan, you could substitute the egg for 1/2 cup of rice bran or coconut oil. And yes, the chocolate is a touch naughty, but you can just as easily leave it out. I love recipes like this - so simple, so quick and so easy to adapt to what's left in your fridge.
Monday, March 22
one morning, two brunches
It's probably unnecessary to tell you that I love brunch. But I do. I know there are some people who just "don't do breakfast" but I am not one of them (and I don't understand people who are: I wake up positively starving).
So brunch gets a thumbs up from me. And today - lucky me - I got to have two brunches, with three lovely ladies.
The first was at The Cove, in Drummoyne. After D and I walked around The Bay, we settled in for coffee and eggs. While the service was pretty poor (a sign instructed us to "Wait to be Seated", which took forever...despite the fact that there were at least ten empty tables; our coffees arrived after our meals did; the staff were blunt and not very helpful) the food was good. I was disappointed that the "crumpets with strawberries, honey and mascarpone" weren't fresh, homemade crumpets. I mean, who wants to pay $12.50 for supermarket crumpets? Not me. I was tempted by the muesli, but after our 8 kilometre walk, bacon and eggs were in order. I settled on the breakfast special - poached egg with avocado salsa, tomato relish, bacon, rocket and house loaf. D ordered house loaf with fried eggs and bacon. Everything was delicious. The house loaf is soft, gorgeous bread that is just perfect with the crispy bacon and gooey poached egg. The avocado salsa and tomato relish added more texture and depth - the tomato was quite sweet, a nice break from the salty bacon. It was just enough to satisfy, too. D reported that her bacon and eggs were similarly fantastic, and we both enjoyed the coffee.
On to Brunch No. 2 at Cafe Pavilion, Abbotsford, with Ed and Nurse Jacquie. Since I'd already eaten quite a bit at the first brunch, I decided to restrain myself, and ordered a cranberry and raspberry Nudie (no fresh juices, which is a shame) and the fruit salad with berry yoghurt. Nurse Jacquie ordered the blueberry pancakes (from the specials) and Ed went for grilled mushroom topped with asparagus, ricotta and dukkah. Not something I'd have chosen, but it was delicious. The blueberry pancakes were just what pancakes should be - fluffy, soft to the touch, buttery and golden. It's funny - pancakes seem such a simple meal, but so often cafes (and yes, me) get it wrong. It's easy to overbeat the mixture, I guess, and to overheat the grill. It's just fantastic when you get really good pancakes, though, so Nurse Jacquie won the ordering competition today. Topped with a handful of plump, fresh blueberries, a dollop of mascarpone and a drizzle of honey (it smelled like manuka), they were amazing. I went back for a second bite.
My fruit salad was just what the doctor ordered - a heaping plate of rockmelon, honeydew, watermelon, passionfruit, blueberries, red grapes and pineapple. The berry yoghurt was very sweet, and there wasn't much of it. I would have preferred a simple Greek yoghurt, but I suspect I'm in the minority there.
Special mention must also go to Nurse Jacquie's banana-nut-shake, which was so, so, so good. Never have a normal milkshake again - always, always, always add a tablespoon of nuts before you blend. Such a great taste.
Until next brunch...
The Cove at Drummoyne
1 Henley Marine Drive, Drummoyne
+61 2 9719 3022
www.thecoveatdrummoyne.com.au
Cafe Pavilion
378 Great North Road, Abbotsford
+61 2 9712 0366
So brunch gets a thumbs up from me. And today - lucky me - I got to have two brunches, with three lovely ladies.
The first was at The Cove, in Drummoyne. After D and I walked around The Bay, we settled in for coffee and eggs. While the service was pretty poor (a sign instructed us to "Wait to be Seated", which took forever...despite the fact that there were at least ten empty tables; our coffees arrived after our meals did; the staff were blunt and not very helpful) the food was good. I was disappointed that the "crumpets with strawberries, honey and mascarpone" weren't fresh, homemade crumpets. I mean, who wants to pay $12.50 for supermarket crumpets? Not me. I was tempted by the muesli, but after our 8 kilometre walk, bacon and eggs were in order. I settled on the breakfast special - poached egg with avocado salsa, tomato relish, bacon, rocket and house loaf. D ordered house loaf with fried eggs and bacon. Everything was delicious. The house loaf is soft, gorgeous bread that is just perfect with the crispy bacon and gooey poached egg. The avocado salsa and tomato relish added more texture and depth - the tomato was quite sweet, a nice break from the salty bacon. It was just enough to satisfy, too. D reported that her bacon and eggs were similarly fantastic, and we both enjoyed the coffee.
On to Brunch No. 2 at Cafe Pavilion, Abbotsford, with Ed and Nurse Jacquie. Since I'd already eaten quite a bit at the first brunch, I decided to restrain myself, and ordered a cranberry and raspberry Nudie (no fresh juices, which is a shame) and the fruit salad with berry yoghurt. Nurse Jacquie ordered the blueberry pancakes (from the specials) and Ed went for grilled mushroom topped with asparagus, ricotta and dukkah. Not something I'd have chosen, but it was delicious. The blueberry pancakes were just what pancakes should be - fluffy, soft to the touch, buttery and golden. It's funny - pancakes seem such a simple meal, but so often cafes (and yes, me) get it wrong. It's easy to overbeat the mixture, I guess, and to overheat the grill. It's just fantastic when you get really good pancakes, though, so Nurse Jacquie won the ordering competition today. Topped with a handful of plump, fresh blueberries, a dollop of mascarpone and a drizzle of honey (it smelled like manuka), they were amazing. I went back for a second bite.
My fruit salad was just what the doctor ordered - a heaping plate of rockmelon, honeydew, watermelon, passionfruit, blueberries, red grapes and pineapple. The berry yoghurt was very sweet, and there wasn't much of it. I would have preferred a simple Greek yoghurt, but I suspect I'm in the minority there.
Special mention must also go to Nurse Jacquie's banana-nut-shake, which was so, so, so good. Never have a normal milkshake again - always, always, always add a tablespoon of nuts before you blend. Such a great taste.
Until next brunch...
The Cove at Drummoyne
1 Henley Marine Drive, Drummoyne
+61 2 9719 3022
www.thecoveatdrummoyne.com.au
Cafe Pavilion
378 Great North Road, Abbotsford
+61 2 9712 0366
Sunday, March 21
australia's 50 most eligible men...
...is an odd blog post title for a blog about food. But last week, Cleo published its annual list of Australia's 50 Most Eligible Bachelors, and not one - not two - but three foodies made the cut. It's official: women love men in the kitchen.
The three foodies awarded Eligible Bachelor status were pastry chef Adriano Zumbo, who came to national prominence when he appeared on MasterChef last year, Curtis Stone, a chef who is experiencing major success in the States, and Luke Burgess, a food photographer and chef, who tells Cleo that his best tip for aspiring chefs is to "read, read, read."
Just a day later, Jill Dupleix wrote about TOYS for Good Living. TOYS is "Taste of Young Sydney", a group of young, spunky chefs (including Zumbo) who are orchestrating a series of foodie events aimed at Sydney's young gourmands. The article was about the young chefs' inventiveness, ambition and nous - three very attractive and laudable qualities, that definitely inspired Zumbo, Stone and Burgess's places on the Bachelors' list.
The three foodies awarded Eligible Bachelor status were pastry chef Adriano Zumbo, who came to national prominence when he appeared on MasterChef last year, Curtis Stone, a chef who is experiencing major success in the States, and Luke Burgess, a food photographer and chef, who tells Cleo that his best tip for aspiring chefs is to "read, read, read."
Just a day later, Jill Dupleix wrote about TOYS for Good Living. TOYS is "Taste of Young Sydney", a group of young, spunky chefs (including Zumbo) who are orchestrating a series of foodie events aimed at Sydney's young gourmands. The article was about the young chefs' inventiveness, ambition and nous - three very attractive and laudable qualities, that definitely inspired Zumbo, Stone and Burgess's places on the Bachelors' list.
Friday, March 19
omg cookies
For those of you who aren't part of the Gossip Girl generation - or have no interest in being part of it - "OMG" means "Oh my God." Variations include "OMFG" ("Oh my fucking God") and "ZOMG" (even I, a relative whippersnapper, don't know what this means).
Anyway, today I created OMG Cookies. I've named them thus because when I tasted them, I thought, "Oh my God, these are GOOD." They are super-quick to make, and require just eight ingredients, most of which you'll already have in your pantry or fridge. Which means, lucky you, you can make them right away.
OMG Cookies
Ingredients
1/2 cup toasted almond slivers and pine nuts*
1 cup coconut
2 cups icing sugar
1/3 cup cocoa/ground chocolate/chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1. Preheat oven 200 degrees Celcius.
2. Mix all ingredients except salt and regular sugar in a bowl.
2. Using a tablespoon measure, scoop balls of mixture onto lined baking trays.
3. Mix sugar and salt together, and sprinkle over each dough ball.
4. Bake for 10 minutes.
5. Devour.
These cookies are amazing - really crispy on the outside and so chewy and gooey on the inside. They are such a great afternoon snack - and I bet they'd be perfect mashed into or over a few scoops of good-quality vanilla bean icecream.
Anyway, today I created OMG Cookies. I've named them thus because when I tasted them, I thought, "Oh my God, these are GOOD." They are super-quick to make, and require just eight ingredients, most of which you'll already have in your pantry or fridge. Which means, lucky you, you can make them right away.
OMG Cookies
Ingredients
1/2 cup toasted almond slivers and pine nuts*
1 cup coconut
2 cups icing sugar
1/3 cup cocoa/ground chocolate/chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1. Preheat oven 200 degrees Celcius.
2. Mix all ingredients except salt and regular sugar in a bowl.
2. Using a tablespoon measure, scoop balls of mixture onto lined baking trays.
3. Mix sugar and salt together, and sprinkle over each dough ball.
4. Bake for 10 minutes.
5. Devour.
These cookies are amazing - really crispy on the outside and so chewy and gooey on the inside. They are such a great afternoon snack - and I bet they'd be perfect mashed into or over a few scoops of good-quality vanilla bean icecream.
Monday, March 8
lunch for dad
Last week, my brother and I made lunch to celebrate my Dad's 50th birthday. This was an exercise in frustration for a few reasons...but mostly because my brother, Big Bird, is a wee bit hopeless when it comes to cooking. Oh, and he was dreadfully hungover.
BB is three years younger than me, and while we get along really well, we don't have too much in common. For instance: there was no olive oil in his pantry. This should probably tell you something about the differences in our priorities.
We have cooked together before, but usually at my Mum's house, which is stocked with all sorts of gadgets and foodstuffs that make cooking a breeze. At BB's house, there are two pans, one tray and three sets of cutlery (ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife, in short). But we did succeed in making a three course meal - here's how.
1. Time. We allowed half an hour for shopping and 1.5 hours for preparation.
2. Delegation. BB isn't a kitchen native, so I happily bossed him about, shouting temperatures and times like Nigella on crack.
3. Rage. When BB told me he didn't have any olive oil, I shouted at him. Same for when he didn't answer his phone or the doorbell when we were trying to get into his house. Hey, when it comes to little brothers, sometimes you've gotta be tough.
4. Laughter. When BB lost half the couscous down the sink, we just laughed. I mean, at that point, what can you do?
5. Booze. For the guests, not us. Keep the table wet and you'll be a success, no matter how charred the meat.
We also served an easy entree that looks fancy, is relatively cheap and also provides two servings of vegetables. Even BB, who normally wouldn't consume anything green except Gatorade, finished his serve.
Stuffed roast capsicum
Ingredients
4 red capsicums, sliced in half lengthways, pith and seeds removed
500 gm grape tomatoes (mini Roma would also work well)
1 garlic bulb, peeled and separated into cloves
1 spanish onion, chopped in wedges
1 cup of baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup shaved parmesan
1 cup basil leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius.
2. Arrange capsicums on oven trays, empty side up. Fill with garlic, tomatoes and onion.
3. Bake for 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, blitz the spinach, basil, parmesan and oil in a food processor (not too long - you want it to be a bit chunky).
5. Serve capsicums with pesto spread over them. Delicious hot or cold.
BB is three years younger than me, and while we get along really well, we don't have too much in common. For instance: there was no olive oil in his pantry. This should probably tell you something about the differences in our priorities.
We have cooked together before, but usually at my Mum's house, which is stocked with all sorts of gadgets and foodstuffs that make cooking a breeze. At BB's house, there are two pans, one tray and three sets of cutlery (ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife, in short). But we did succeed in making a three course meal - here's how.
1. Time. We allowed half an hour for shopping and 1.5 hours for preparation.
2. Delegation. BB isn't a kitchen native, so I happily bossed him about, shouting temperatures and times like Nigella on crack.
3. Rage. When BB told me he didn't have any olive oil, I shouted at him. Same for when he didn't answer his phone or the doorbell when we were trying to get into his house. Hey, when it comes to little brothers, sometimes you've gotta be tough.
4. Laughter. When BB lost half the couscous down the sink, we just laughed. I mean, at that point, what can you do?
5. Booze. For the guests, not us. Keep the table wet and you'll be a success, no matter how charred the meat.
We also served an easy entree that looks fancy, is relatively cheap and also provides two servings of vegetables. Even BB, who normally wouldn't consume anything green except Gatorade, finished his serve.
Stuffed roast capsicum
Ingredients
4 red capsicums, sliced in half lengthways, pith and seeds removed
500 gm grape tomatoes (mini Roma would also work well)
1 garlic bulb, peeled and separated into cloves
1 spanish onion, chopped in wedges
1 cup of baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup shaved parmesan
1 cup basil leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius.
2. Arrange capsicums on oven trays, empty side up. Fill with garlic, tomatoes and onion.
3. Bake for 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, blitz the spinach, basil, parmesan and oil in a food processor (not too long - you want it to be a bit chunky).
5. Serve capsicums with pesto spread over them. Delicious hot or cold.
Saturday, March 6
febfast...over at last
I never knew how many restaurants had alcohol-fuelled titles until I ate in two of them in one week. While I was abstaining from booze. Hmm.
My Mum and I decided, on January 31, that we'd attempt FebFast. No booze for 28 days. It seemed achievable until I realised Caliban and I were going on holidays for six days during Feb. OK, OK - 22 days without alcohol. That's reasonable. We were certain we could do it. And you know what? We did. Hurrah!
But my month off the sauce was definitely made more difficult by eating at the Bavarian Bier Cafe and Sake in the space of five days. OK, beer I can live without. Especially on a Monday night. Alright, a cold beer would have cut through the fatty veal schnitzel and sauteed potatoes nicely, but as I said, I could live without it.
But sake? Mmm. That's a different story. My friend Miss M and I went to Sake very early on a Friday night. Miss M doesn't drink too much, so she wasn't offended when I said I wasn't going to imbibe. (Honestly, you should see the looks on some people's faces! It's as if I've told them I'm taking away their booze as well as my own.) We feasted on Sake's excellent menu - grilled chicken and zucchini skewers, assorted sashimi (including some of the freshest, tastiest tuna sashimi I've ever eaten), spicy miso chips with salmon and tuna sashimi (a big hit; if only there were more than four on the plate!!), the crispiest and best salt and pepper tofu I've ever had, butterfish lettuce cups (a must), green salad, and a Philadelphia handroll (skip this one: cream cheese in sushi??? Not for me). The food was all excellent, the cute waiter deserved every penny of his tip...but I couldn't help but think there was something missing. That's right: hooch. Every time someone else received their sake or wine or beer or champagne, I felt a little twinge, the way diabetics must feel when their awful friend orders the profiteroles for dessert.
But never mind, because the following week, I went back to Sake with my considerably more booze-friendly friend D, who happily joined me in a glass of Pinot Noir. It was a soggy mess of a Sydney night, so we holed up cosily at Sake with dynamite and spider maki rolls, chicken ka-arage with assorted salsas (not to be missed - it will make you rethink fried chicken) and some disappointingly bland prawn and lotus skewers. But in all, Sake is a delight. The service is excellent, the food even better and the drinks menu extensive. Next time, I must try the chocolate fondant...even if I'm dining with a diabetic.
Sake
12 Argyle Street
The Rocks
Sydney
+61 2 9259 5656
www.sakerestaurant.com.au
My Mum and I decided, on January 31, that we'd attempt FebFast. No booze for 28 days. It seemed achievable until I realised Caliban and I were going on holidays for six days during Feb. OK, OK - 22 days without alcohol. That's reasonable. We were certain we could do it. And you know what? We did. Hurrah!
But my month off the sauce was definitely made more difficult by eating at the Bavarian Bier Cafe and Sake in the space of five days. OK, beer I can live without. Especially on a Monday night. Alright, a cold beer would have cut through the fatty veal schnitzel and sauteed potatoes nicely, but as I said, I could live without it.
But sake? Mmm. That's a different story. My friend Miss M and I went to Sake very early on a Friday night. Miss M doesn't drink too much, so she wasn't offended when I said I wasn't going to imbibe. (Honestly, you should see the looks on some people's faces! It's as if I've told them I'm taking away their booze as well as my own.) We feasted on Sake's excellent menu - grilled chicken and zucchini skewers, assorted sashimi (including some of the freshest, tastiest tuna sashimi I've ever eaten), spicy miso chips with salmon and tuna sashimi (a big hit; if only there were more than four on the plate!!), the crispiest and best salt and pepper tofu I've ever had, butterfish lettuce cups (a must), green salad, and a Philadelphia handroll (skip this one: cream cheese in sushi??? Not for me). The food was all excellent, the cute waiter deserved every penny of his tip...but I couldn't help but think there was something missing. That's right: hooch. Every time someone else received their sake or wine or beer or champagne, I felt a little twinge, the way diabetics must feel when their awful friend orders the profiteroles for dessert.
But never mind, because the following week, I went back to Sake with my considerably more booze-friendly friend D, who happily joined me in a glass of Pinot Noir. It was a soggy mess of a Sydney night, so we holed up cosily at Sake with dynamite and spider maki rolls, chicken ka-arage with assorted salsas (not to be missed - it will make you rethink fried chicken) and some disappointingly bland prawn and lotus skewers. But in all, Sake is a delight. The service is excellent, the food even better and the drinks menu extensive. Next time, I must try the chocolate fondant...even if I'm dining with a diabetic.
Sake
12 Argyle Street
The Rocks
Sydney
+61 2 9259 5656
www.sakerestaurant.com.au
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