All posts by Christina Soong

When my mother was pregnant with me she ate a family block of Cadbury Milk Chocolate every day.

Yep, that’s correct. 200 grams of chocolate. Every. Single. Day.

Under those circumstances it was inevitable that I would grow up with a sweet tooth. Both my kids have inherited it, too. Asked what he wants for breakfast, my son regularly answers with “chocolate cake, please!”

Yeah, right, buddy. In your chocolate-coloured dreams.

Perhaps not surprisingly, my mother’s family has a history of diabetes. So I try to keep my everyday family desserts as refined sugar-free as possible.

This simple Blueberry and Apple Bake is sweetened with apple juice, honey and carob syrup. Actually, the whole dish only has six ingredients and you can prepare it in under eight minutes. Baked in a moderate oven for 45-50 minutes and topped with crème fraîche, cream or vanilla yoghurt, that’s dessert done with no fuss and little mess.

Now that’s what I call sweet.

Blueberry and Apple Bake (dairy, gluten, egg, nut and refined sugar-free)

INGREDIENTS

• 6-8 apples to fill a regular pie tray (peeled, cored, quartered and sliced)
• 1 punnet blueberries
• 1/3 cup apple juice
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons carob syrup (I used the Australian Carob Company Pure Carob Syrup)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Arrange apples attractively in pie tray and then arrange blackberries on top.
3. Pour over juice — it helps to stop the apples drying out — and then dribble over honey and carob syrup.
4. Dust with cinnamon and then bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until apples are nicely browning.
5. Serve by itself or with crème fraîche, cream, vanilla ice cream or vanilla yoghurt. Those who can’t tolerate dairy could try soy ice cream or soy yoghurt.

Serves 4-6.

You can also mix it up with these variations:

1. Add chopped pistachios or almonds for the last 10 minutes of baking.
2. Substitute the apples with pears.
3. Substitute the blueberries with raspberries.
4. Substitute the carob syrup for the 2 tablespoons rice malt syrup or golden syrup and 1 teaspoon vanilla bean essence.

Disclosure

The carob syrup was sent to me by The Australian Carob Company for my consideration. As usual, all opinions are my own.

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With blue, sparkling waters, acres of unspoilt, uninhabited land, calm beaches and plenty of dining options, Hamilton Island is a gorgeous vacation spot. I visited the Island for a family holiday a few years ago and have great memories of long, happy days spent swimming, sunbathing and nipping around the island in a little golf buggy. However, my recent visit during Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, Australia’s largest offshore yachting regatta, was an opportunity to experience Hamilton Island at its busiest and best.

Audi Hamilton Island Race Week Launch, Hamilton Island Yacht Club

As I make my way up the gangway to the Yacht Club for the launch of Audi Hamilton Island Week, I’m favourably impressed. All the staff I meet during my stay on Hamilton Island are extremely professional and seem to genuinely like what they do.

You have to love a party when you’re offered canapés before you even reach the official venue. First up, I’m offered some beef pies with tomato sauce.

Next I’m presented with a tower of scallops, prawn and bacon skewers. Come to mama!

I’m still smacking my  lips when I’m offered a tuna sushi spoon. I love the presentation but they’re just a little tricky to manage in one bite…

There are plenty of waiters circling with other canapés but after reaching the deck and finding some media friends I head straight for the seafood bar. Well, can you blame me?

Oysters, prawns and champagne – it’s pretty much my perfect start to an evening.

Inspired by sails in silhouette The Hamilton Island Yacht Club was designed by  Australian architect Walter Barda.

As night falls, Race Week is officially launched and Bob Oatley, owner of Hamilton Island, impresses the crowd with his razor-sharp wit and his great courtesy as he acknowledges the many racing legends present and pays tribute to the staff of Hamilton Island.

Bob has had enormous success in the wine, coffee, tourism and yachting industries and Hamilton Island happily combines many of his passions. He is 84 years old but clearly has no intention of slowing down; last week it was confirmed that Australia — via Bob and the Hamilton Island Yacht Club — is the Challenger of Record for the next America’s Cup.

Cantonese Style Banquet by Kylie Kwong (Billy Kwong)

The deck at the Hamilton Island Yacht Club is also the setting for today’s Cantonese style lunch by Kylie Kwong, which is being hosted by Audi, major sponsor of Race Week.

As far as views go, you can’t really get much better than this. Later on, we will witness the spectacular sight of the boats heading out to the starting line for the first race.

It’s a gorgeous day. The sunlight is so bright everybody is wearing shades.

Sydney chef Kylie Kwong made her name with her popular restaurant Billy Kwong in Sydney’s Surrey Hills. Since then she’s gone onto host her own TV series and publish numerous cookbooks. I’ve never actually eaten at her restaurant but was given one of her cookbooks so I’m looking forward to the lunch today.

Before the lunch host Sandra Sully (Channel 10) introduces Kylie to talk us through the menu.

First up, some pickled vegetables.

Now I’ve eaten a lot of Chinese pickles over the year, bought from stores and food fairs and gifted by relatives and friends. But I have to say that these are hands down the best pickles I’ve ever had. The quality of the produce was outstanding and the team at Billy Kwong had brought out the flavours with a subtle yet flavourful mix of vinegar and oil.

Next up were mini tarts filled with roasted pumpkin and black bean vinaigrette.

I’d never come across pumpkin served with black bean before but Kylie assures me afterwards that pumpkin and black bean are often paired together in parts of China. These tarts were fantastic, with a great balance of flavours between the sweetness of the pumpkin and saltiness of the black bean. I had three and would have have happily eaten four.

Vegetable dumplings are served next and they’re bursting with the goodness of greens.

The wrapper is perfect – thin but sturdy enough to keep the substantial filling contained. The dumplings are served with a thin hoisin-y sauce.

Next we are served some shrimp wontons with a mildly tangy dipping sauce.

Crispy and piping hot, they are full of shrimpy goodness.

Next, stewed eggplant or pork is served with pancakes so people can make their own wraps a la Peking Duck. The eggplant is rich and flavourful if a trifle sloppy in the pancake.

The next dish is mini crispy salt bush cakes with home-made chilli sauce.

I like the juxtaposition of native Australian ingredients — saltbush — into a Chinese style pastry and the pastry has a a marvellously crispy texture. The chilli sauce is outstanding – rich, flavourful and a perfect blend of hot, salty, sweet and savoury.

My seat mate has a food allergy so was served a special silken tofu dish in lieu of some of the other dishes. I really like this dish – the flavours are mild but well balanced and the presentation is gorgeous. I’ll be making this at home.

Next we are served Steamed Scallop Dumplings with Sichuan Chilli Oil.

I love Sichuan food and ate it regularly when I lived in China. I like these dumplings but I do think that delicate flavour of the scallops is a bit overwhelmed by the fiery oil infused with chillies and Szechuan peppercorns.

For the last course, Kylie has put an Australian spin on a Chinese classic.

Zhongzi — or steamed rice parcels — are boiled rice parcels traditionally made with pork, chinese sausage, chestnut, mushrooms and soy sauce wrapped in lotus leaves. Kylie’s take on zhongi features organic macadamias, goji berries and salted radish. This is fusion food executed with style and flair.

With all the dishes being made using organic, sustainably harvested produce, today’s lunch was like an upmarket version of yum cha (dim sum), traditionally served for brunch at Cantonese restaurants. I didn’t think anything could top my usual, beloved yum cha experience — catching up with family and friends, bamboo steamers crowed on a lazy susan, noisy restaurant, messy kids, and pot after pot of steaming hot tea — but today’s lunch comes pretty darn close.

’30’ Dinner by Shannon Bennet (Vue de Monde) and 4 of his protégés

Freshly shaved truffle? Don’t mind if I do.

My final night on Hamilton Island is one of unabashed, push-the-boat-out glamour. To celebrate 30 years of Race Week, Audi host a ’30’ dinner in the grounds of Qualia, voted Best Resort in the Word in 2012. The ’30’ dinners features Shannon Bennet (Vue de Monde) and four of his protégés, who are all under 30 years old.

The courses will proceed as follows:

1. Canapés by Jim McDougall, previously Vue de Monde‘s Sous Chef and Café Vue 401’s Head Chef and now part-owner and Head Chef at two-hatted Stefano’s),
2. 1st course by Josh Lewis, previously of Vue de Monde and most recently at Loam;
3. 2nd course by Cory Campbell previously of Copenhagen’s Noma and now Vue de Monde’s Head Chef;
4. 3rd course by Shannon Bennett & Cory Campbell; and
5. 4th course by Darren Purchese, pastry chef at Vue de Monde, and now owner of Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio.

Owing to a mixup — I was working off an old itinerary — I arrive at the ’30’ dinner just when everyone is sitting down to eat, having missed a synchronised swimming display featuring Colette Dinnigan swimwear and pre-dinner snacks by Jim McDougall. Damn.

The first course is by Josh Lewis and consists of raw local fish, raw nori, bone marrow and sea lettuce.

On the plate it looks interesting but not overly striking. Once in the mouth though, this dish is absolutely stunning. I’m a big fan of marrowbone — its flavour and texture is exquisite — and here it has been daintily cooked and plated alongside raw fish, nori powder and just cooked sea lettuce. It’s so simple and yet so beautifully executed.

The next course by Cory Campbell proves to be more challenging for some at the table.

For his dish Cory has used a whole prawn in three different ways: the shelled body is served raw — sashimi style — the head is steamed and the shell and legs have been fried.  A mound of wasabi sorbet slowly melts away on the plate while a sauce replete with fragrant prawn stock and the richness of seaweed salted duck yolk has been gently spooned over a furl of mustard greens.

There are a lot of different elements going on in this ambitious dish – as someone who happily boils prawn heads and shells to make prawn stock I can appreciate where he’s going with this but other people seated near me are a little underwhelmed.

The third course is by Cory and Shannon and is a dish of barbecued beef, beetroot, saltbush and truffle. Beef is served two ways: medium-rare steak fillet and pressed crispy beef (the beef is slow-cooked, shredded, moulded and then pan-fried so the outer layer develops a crispy crust).

Fresh truffle is grated on the plate table-side by Chef, and the fragrance is incredible. I really like this rather bloody looking dish but I can’t help wishing that some green vegetables or salad leaves were served with it as it’s quite a rich dish. But this is a minor point.

The next course is dessert by Darren Burch and my seat mates are presented with passionfruit sago pudding.

I love a good sago dessert and this one looks pretty as a picture. Back home, it inspires me to make my own (much simpler) sago dessert: Passionfruit Sago Pudding.

I’m offered the dairy-free dessert option – berries in jelly.

Berry jelly, berry gels and fresh strawberries prove to be a winning combination. The contrast of textures is sublime while the tartness of the berries nicely balances the sweetness of the jelly.

We’re then invited to visit the  magnificent dessert buffet set up by Burch & Purchese featuring cake pops, truffles, French mendiants, chocolates, chocolate bark, and lemon curd tarts. I pop half a dozen in my mouth — not all at once — and the quality is outstanding. Thoughtfully, ‘doggy bags’ are provided for guests to take some desserts home with them. In my case, I take a selection of treats all the way back to Adelaide for my delighted children.

At the end of the dinner all the Chefs are invited on stage to take a well-deserved bow.

It’s been a fantastic night executed with nary a hitch. The collaborative nature of this dinner — five Chefs and colleagues coming together to create a special dinner — really appeals to me and I can only be thankful that I was able to experience it.

Hamilton Island: you sure do know how to show a girl a good time. I guess it just proves the old saying: too much of good thing can be wonderful.

Address book

Audi Hamilton Island Race Week: Held every July on Hamilton Island, Whitsundays.

Hamilton Island Yacht Club: bookings can be made at the Bommie Restaurant and Deck for meals or drinks. Telephone: +61 7 4948 9433.

Billy Kwong: Shop 3, 355 Crown Street, Surry Hills, NSW. Tel: +61 2 9332 3300 or email: enquiries@kyliekwong.org.

Vue de Monde: Level 55, Rialto, 525 Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC. Tel: +61 3 9691 3888 or email: vuedemonde@vuedemonde.com.au. You can book a table here.

Stefano’s: Cellars of the Grand Hotel, Langtree Avenue, Mildura, VIC. Tel: +61 (3) 5022 0881 or email: info@stefano.com.au

Burch & Purchese: 647 Chapel Street, South Yarra, VIC. Tel: +613 9827 7060 or email: info@burchandpurchese.com

Qualia: Hamilton Island. For reservations email: reservations@qualia.com.au or check out reservations.

More Hamilton Island posts

• Wild Oats Ladies Lunch and Audi Hamilton Island Race Week
• Passionfruit Sago Puddings

Disclosure

I attended Hamilton Island Race Week as a guest of the Island. All flights, accommodation and meals were courtesy of the host. As always, all opinions are my own.

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It was a balmy 27 degrees Celsius yesterday morning. Then in the late afternoon a storm blew up and heavy rain and winds lashed the windows as we ate dinner. But that’s Spring for you – inconstant, unpredictable and flighty.

Nonetheless, as someone who is always the coldest person in the room, I’m happy the warmer weather is going to be more of a regular thing. So to celebrate, I’ve come up with these two salads using fantastic Spring produce found recently at the markets.

The first salad — Radishes and Mint with a Truffle Dressing — is inspired by a recipe I found in Sophie Dahl’s From Season to Season, which I borrowed recently from the library.

Sophie’s recipe combines sliced radishes and mint with truffle salt and olive oil. Having no truffle salt but some lovely truffle paste from The Mushroom Man, I made a dressing with truffle sauce, olive oil and a hint of honey. While the pungent truffle sauce holds its own against the peppery, sharp radishes I do feel a drop or two of honey helps to round out the flavours nicely. A sprinkle of sea salt flakes is essential, too.

I made the second salad — Beetroot, Ruby Grapefruit, Avocado and Hazelnuts — when my oldest friend, G, came around for dinner recently. G has been living overseas for a few years so it was lovely to catch up for a feast of food, red wine and 30 Rock.

I made a version of this salad last Spring and kept meaning to blog it but never got around to it. So here it is now. I love the sweet, mellow flavour of roasted beetroot and avocado – they act as a great counterpoint to the tanginess and sharpness of the grapefruit. Add some roasted hazelnuts for crunch and texture and some baby spinach leaves as a base and you have a gorgeous salad that would work equally well as a main course or side dish.

A word on citrus in salads. I quite like the look of whole peeled citrus segments but more often than not, I end up destroying the segments in my impatience. So I’ve come up with a better way to present them – I peel the citrus, remove as much of the pith as possible and then cut the whole orange in half, before slicing each half into half-moons. It still looks pretty and I don’t have the palaver, mess or uncertain outcome that I have when trying to create  peeled segments. Do be sure to use your sharpest knife though.

I hope you enjoy these salads as much as I hope the warm weather returns.

Christina xx

Radishes and Mint with Truffle Dressing

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bunch radishes, washed, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 5 springs mint, leaves picked off, washed and thinly sliced
• 2/3rds teaspoon truffle paste
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon honey
• Pinch salt flakes

METHOD

1. Combine radishes and mint in a bowl.
2. Make dressing by whisking truffle paste, olive oil and honey in a small glass.
3. Pour over radishes, add a pinch of salt flakes and mix well to combine.

Serves 4 as a side salad. Gluten, dairy and nut free. 

Beetroot, Ruby Grapefruit, Avocado and Hazelnut Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bunch beetroot, trimmed of stalks but with skin on
• 120 grams baby spinach, washed and spun dry
• 1 ruby grapefruit, cut into half moons as described above
• 1 avocado
• 1/4 Spanish (red) onion
• 30 grams roasted hazelnuts
• Few springs mint, leaves removed and shredded
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon french or grainy mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
• Wash beetroot, wrap tightly in alfoil (tin wrap) and then bake in oven for 45 minutes (small) or up to 60 minutes (large). Prick with a skewer to ensure it’s cooked. Remove and cool. Rub the skin off with your fingers and then slice each beetroot into half.
• To assemble salad, find a large platter and make a bed with the spinach.
• Arrange beetroot and grapefruit on top of the spinach and then use a teaspoon to scoop out the avocado flesh and place it on top.
• Garnish with red onions, hazelnuts and mint.
• Make dressing by whisking vinegar, olive oil, honey and mustard in a small cup and dribble over salad.
• Sprinkle some crushed sea salt flakes over, add a good grind of pepper and then serve. You’ll want people to ooh and ahh over how pretty it is before you mix it up at the table.

Serves 4-6 as a side salad or 2 as a main. Gluten and dairy  free. 

More Salads

• Prawn Lettuce Cups with Thai Dressing
• Blood Orange and Pomegranate Salad
• Brilliant Rice Salad
• Tomato and Bocconcini Salad
• Fig, Proscuitto and Pear Salad
• Fiery Vietnamese Chicken Salad
• Thai Prawn Salad
• Beetroot, Fetta, Walnut and Mint Salad

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Regular readers will know how much I enjoy helping my kids develop an appreciation for food. We regularly shop at farmers’ markets and specialty grocers, pick our own fruit, go foraging and fishing and cook together.

So I was glad to see all the great family-friendly activities at South Bank’s annual food & wine festival in Brisbane a few weeks ago. This year the theme was Regional Flavours and the creative minds behind the festival had come up with a number of fun ways for both adults and kids to learn about food.

I’ve previously blogged my favourite photos from the two-day festival, and a lengthy post about 20+ food producers from all over the state who exhibited at the festival. This final post covers some of the festival activities and some of what I ate there.

The Food Imaginarium

I started my Saturday at the Food Imaginarium, a colourful setting for a number of children’s workshops and classes.

Children could take their pick from drawing, craft (making a windmill), creating an apple person and cupcake decorating.

Friendly staff were on hand to guide and instruct and the tables were soon full of kids happily giving it a go.

Parents got in the act, too, helping their little one with the trickier bits.

The thought of dozens of kids with squishy bags of icing makes me feel a little light-headed so I was impressed by these super-convenient and squeezable icing containers. These make decorating cakes a relatively mess-free activity. Where can I get my hands on some?

The finished cupcakes – ta dahh!

After the cupcake workshop I watched Alice Zaslavsky (MasterChef Australia 2012) begin a ‘Pooh’s Crunchy Honeycomb’ dessert session.

Her cheerful and no-fuss approach went down well with the kids.

Unfortunately, technical issues — in this case, a non-working stove — meant that Alice had to ad-lib as they tried to sort out the problem but she managed a tricky situation very well.

Technical issues aside, the Food Imaginarium was a brilliantly designed and programmed venue for kids – I’d love to see something like this at every food festival.

Pop Up Garden Displays

After the Food Imaginarium I came across this fantastic garden installation outside the Epicurious tent. This interactive display was designed by Plant Up, who also did the amazing strawberry wall in The Hunting Club.

It was fantastic to see both big and little kids playing with the wheels and water cans and studying the plants.

Instead of being told not to touch the display, kids were encouraged to get their hands dirty.

How cool would it be to have one of these at home. Plant Up – do you do interstate orders?

Epicurious Tent

For bigger kids and adults, watching cooking demonstrations was an extremely popular activity.

Inside the Epicurious tent, Adam Liaw (MasterChef 2010 winner and fellow Adelaidian) proved to be a a gracious and hard-working host, presenting session after session with Chefs and cookbook authors including Paul West, Spencer Patrick ,Annette Fear, Damien Styles, Hayden Quinn, and Annabel Langbein (below).

Here he is with Nick Street Brown from COAST Hervey Bay.

Later on, I caught Anthony Puharich from Ask the Butcher present a session on lamb.

Anthony broke down a side of lamb, explaining how each piece should be cooked to make the most of it.

As a general rule,  expensive cuts like lamb back straps should be cooked quickly, while the more inexpensive cuts like the shoulder should be roasted, slow-cooked, stewed or braised for tenderness and to really bring out the flavour.

River Quay

A short walk away, River Quay was the setting for another stage for cooking demonstrations and some pop up stalls from the local restaurants along the river.

I keep spotting South Aussie wine everywhere.

Each of the pop up stalls has a few different tasting plates on offer. All plates are a reasonable $8 so you can mix and match.

This is the Confit duck a l’orange pithivier (slow cooked duck pie) from Aquitaine Brasserie. It’s pronounced great if a touch salty by the food writer eating it.

I sample the Balinese chicken sate skewers with roasted peanut sate sauce by The Jetty Southbank. The flavours are subtle and the seasoning is mild – it’s actually a little too mild for my tastebuds.

However, these Indonesian-style fish cakes with pickled cucumber and sambal tomat also by The Jetty Southbank really hit the spot. I’m loving the vinegary chilli dipping sauce and the salt flake garnish.

Wild mushroom arancini with reggiano veloute from Popolo Italian Kitchen and Bar also prove to be fantastic – full of unami flavour and extremely moreish.

The next two dishes from Stokehouse Q are pretty as a picture. Above we have the Citrus cured ocean trout with horseradish crème fraiche and shaved radish and below is the Grilled mirror dory with pickled Jerusalem artichokes and chimichurri.

Beautiful presentation and super-fresh fish make for two lovely dishes.

Cove Bar and Dining offer two dishes – these popular Appleton rum and cola pork belly sliders above and the Tequila lime prawn salad below.

I have no more room in my stomach for savoury food but somehow I manage to fit in dessert. Stokehouse Q offers a two-hander for dessert: salted caramel ice-cream and pistachio mousse profiterole.

The pistachio mousse profiterole is flavoursome and beautiful presented but perhaps an odd choice for festival food. Any kind of filled pastry is best served close to room temperature for optimum flavour and texture: served straight from the fridge, the mousse is cold and clammy in the mouth and the pastry is a little dry. However, the salted caramel ice-cream — an upmarket version of a mini Magnum — is insanely good, with a gorgeous inner ribbon of caramel running the length of it.

River Quay Tent

After my appetite is sated I wander into the River Quay tent to watch Gary Mehigan (MasterChef) and Po Ling Yeow cooking together and discussing the current season of MasterChef.

Gary and Poh know each very well and they’re both engaging, passionate and knowledgeable so this is a really interesting session. At the end of it, Poh presents the finished dish to the crowd and people eagerly line up for a taste.

Like them, I’m feeling inspired and energised about food and cooking. Regional Flavours has been a fantastic, eye-opening event. I’ve experienced so much and yet I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of Queensland’s amazing food scene.

I guess I’ll just have to plan a longer visit to Brisbane soon. You should, too.

Regional Flavours

Regional Flavours was the theme of South Bank’s two-day festival in 2013. Held every year in late July, the festival is Brisbane’s signature food and lifestyle event. This is my third post on this year’s festival. Check out my previous posts below:

1. Inspired by Regional Flavours; and
2. Discovering Queensland’s food producers at Regional Flavours.

Disclosure: I visited Regional Flavours as a guest of the South Bank Corporation and Brisbane Marketing. I stayed at Rydges South Bank, which is conveniently located around the corner from the South Bank precinct. As always, all opinions are my own. 

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Don’t you love that scene in The Incredibles where Mr Incredible is eating shrimp on the plane and the autopilot says, “would you care for more mimosa?” It kills me every time.

After the success of my Bellini Sorbet made from Prosecco and yellow peaches I knew I had to keep going down this upmarket alcoholic slushy path. So inspired by The Incredibles here is my Mimosa Sorbet for your eating (drinking?) pleasure.

Regular readers will know I’m an amateur drinker (Asian gene fail) so these alcoholic sorbets are perfect for me – I can keep this Mimosa Sorbet in the freezer and spoon some into a glass as I like, without feeling bad that I’ve opened (and must finish) a whole bottle of bubbles. Which I couldn’t do without things getting very, very messy.

This Mimosa Sorbet would also be perfect to take to a dinner party or house party. You can make it up the day before, chuck it in the freezer and then dish it up on the spot at the party the next day. To serve  it you can use either small cups or bowls or those great cardboard cupcake wrappers.

I adore blood oranges and here they give the sorbet the most gorgeous taste and watermelon hue. If you’re juicing them by hand as I did, do make sure they are at room temperature before you juice them – you’ll get so much more juice out of them than if they were chilled.

PS If you love blood oranges but aren’t into sorbet (or alcohol) why not try my Blood Orange and Pomegranate Salad or my Blood Oranges with Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt instead?

Blood Orange Mimosa Sorbet

INGREDIENTS

• 9 blood oranges to give approximately 575 mls juice
• 1 bottle Champagne or sparkling wine (I went with Jacobs Creek Reserve Chardonnay Pinot Noir)
• 1/2 cup rice malt syrup or honey

METHOD

1. Juice oranges into a large bowl, removing any pips.
2. Add Champagne or sparkling wine and rice malt syrup or honey to juice and then stir until rice malt syrup dissolves.
3. Put into an ice cream machine and follow instructions. Alternatively, place it into a freezer-proof container and freeze for about an hour. Scrape the frozen edges into the middle and freeze for another hour. Repeat scraping one more time and then leave for a few hours or overnight to freeze solid.

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Regular readers know how much I love to travel and explore new places, sharing my adventures along the way. So when an opportunity arose to work on Tourism Tasmania’s Go Behind the Scenery campaign last month I didn’t hesitate.

I’d never visited Tasmania before and the proposed collaboration seemed to be perfectly suited to me: I would visit as many interesting foodie places in Tasmania as I possibly could in four days and blog about my experiences. Extracts of my content would then be licensed to use on the Go Behind the Scenes site and magazine to help people create their own bucket lists of places to visit in Tasmania.

In the days leading up to my trip I researched the different places I would be visiting and put together a hit list of foodie must-dos. Once in Tasmania I also received lots of suggestions from local food lovers so I adapted my itinerary to include some of those suggestions, too.

So the week before last I flew with Virgin Australia from Adelaide to Melbourne (1 hour) and then from Melbourne to Hobart (1 hour), picked up my hire car and hit the road. I wanted to see as much as I possibly could so my trip took me from Hobart to Freycinet National Park,and then on to Binnalong Bay, Pyengana and Launceston. This post covers the first day and a half  of my trip in Hobart. It’s a long, photo-filled post so grab a drink and make yourself comfortable.

Wursthaus

Established in 1985, Wursthaus is an essential stop for serious food lovers. A European deli-style experience comprising a deli, butcher/charcuterie, catering kitchen, cooking school and premium wine and cheese shop, it’s the kind of place I could happily browse for quite some time before stocking up on pantry essentials, supper and a treat or two.

Owner Peter Trioli has 38 years in the food, hospitality and wine trade and it shows in the incredible variety of food and wine available here. Local Tasmanian food and wine producers are the primary focus, although Wurthaus also stock national and European specialty lines as well.

As well as coffee beans, you’ll also find foie gras, truffles, Tasmanian salmon, and King Island Angus beef. And let’s not forget the fridges full of artisan cheese and dairy products.

The shop also produces its own line of award-winning smoked meats and fish, preserve and sausages (the ‘wurst’ in the ‘haus’).

I wanted to take everything home but had to content myself with a half dozen jars of chutneys, jams, curry paste and chilli sauce by local Tasmanian producers. The best souvenirs are always edible, don’t you think?

A Common Ground

Just around the corner from Wursthouse is another gourmet food shop, albeit one with a very different feel – A Common Ground is one of the smallest and most charming food shops I’ve ever come across. Check out this magnificent cheese display at the door.

Inside the two year old shop is like an enormous walk in pantry, crammed with just about everything you could want.

A Common Ground was created by Matthew Evans (food writer turned cookbook author, pig farmer and sausage maker a.k.a The Gourmet Farmer) and Nick Haddow (former Adelaide boy and now award-winning cheese-maker and owner of the Bruny Island Cheese Company).

Their shop stocks 100% Tasmanian food and wine – it’s a virtual repository of edible and drinkable treasures from some of Tasmania’s finest artisan producers. Matthew and Nick really like championing “mum and dad style businesses” so you’ll find products at Common Ground that you won’t find anywhere else.

The lovely shop assistant tells me that each product sold in the shop is personally tasted and selected by the owners.

The stock changes from season to season and some of the products come in limited runs so it’s worth checking back regularly for new stock.

A Common Ground also stock a small selection of boutique wine and craft beer and cider from microbreweries.

I buy some lovely A Common Ground crab apple jam and resolve to check out the online store when I return home – luckily, ACG deliver throughout Australia.

Tricycle Cafe, Salamanca Arts Centre

A few steps away from A Common Ground is The Tricycle Cafe, my next stop. An airy and unpretentious space with lots of lovely natural light, the Tricycle Cafe specialises in breakfasts and lunches; freshly baked goods and organic fair-trade coffee are menu staples.

Today I’m meeting Sam and Claire from stunning local food blog, An Island Menu. The Tricycle Cafe had already been on my hit list so when Sam suggested it as a meeting venue I knew I was onto a good thing. When I tell Sam this, he says simply, “they do the best food around here.”

I order a pot of the Australian tea and it arrives in a charming orange teapot.

I already have lunch plans so decide to order the Jerusalem artichoke and potato soup ($12) as an appetiser. While we wait for our food we talk about the local food and blogging scene. I mention some of the places on my hit list and make notes as Sam and Catherine offer their suggestions.

My soup arrives steaming hot with a drizzle of very good olive oil and a generous grind of fresh pepper – it’s full of flavour, a hint of thyme and expertly cooked. It’s so good in fact that I almost wish I was staying here for lunch.

Catherine orders the chicken, cabbage and radish salad which is accompanied by a thin creamy dressing and Vietnamese mint (laksa leaf) garnish that lifts it out of the ordinary. This is food cooked with elegance and restraint.

Sam orders what may be the best-looking BLT I’ve come across in years. Just look at that bacon and that crispy lettuce. Phwoar! I’m going to have to order that next time I visit.

The Source at MONA

Lunch today has been arranged for me at The Source, the fine dining restaurant at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). Situated on the first floor, the elegant dining room features floor to ceiling windows to take full advantage of the breathtaking views.

After careful study of the menu I order two entrees. For oenophiles, The Source boasts one of the most quirky and comprehensive wine menus I’ve ever come across. The sommelier arrives to lend a hand and upon hearing my menu choices, suggests a glass of the Morilla Pinot Noir ($13). Made from organic and bio-dynamic estate-grown grapes, the Pinot Noir has a lovely berry tone and flavours.

My first entree is Jamon with clams, mushroom, watercress and a fine mousseline of eggs ($22). The Jamon is exquisitely supple and flavoursome, tearing easily under my knife. Underneath clams and mushrooms dressed in olive oil and a splash of vinegar offer welcome relief from the richness of the velvety soft eggs. This is an exquisite dish.

My second entree is squid ink spaghetti with crab in a tomato sauce ($31). The crab is beautifully firm and flavoursome, the spaghetti is pleasingly al dente and the sauce is mellow and well-rounded. This is top notch food but it’s comforting rather than intimidating.

After my entrees executive chef Philippe Leban joins me for a chat. Born in Paris, Phillippe grew up in Sydney and has a Michelin-starred resume. Previously, he was sous chef to Guillaume Brahim at Quay, head chef at Bennelong at the Sydney Opera House, and head chef at Hamilton House on The Bund in Shanghai.

I was working in Shanghai just before Philippe’s stint at Hamilton House and we soon discover we have a number of mutual acquaintances. Phillipe has also moved around a lot — he speaks fondly about his stint cooking traditional Japanese food at a tiny, 12-seater restaurant in Japan — but I suspect that it would take a lot to move him from his current position at The Source.

Back in 2009 Philippe was introduced to David Walsh, MONA’s founder, through a friend, who knew he was looking for a change of scene.

“I’m really lucky here, ” Philippe admits. “David gives me carte blanche to do what I like.”

What Philippe likes doing is traditional French cooking using the best Tasmania produce around.

“The lunch menu — what you ate today — is designed to be very accessible, very easy to eat,” Phillippe explains. “The dinner menu — our degustations — are quite different. I like to take the traditional French dishes and give them a bit of of a MONA twist.”

Dinner guests have the options of 3, 5, 7 or 9 course tasting menus designed to dazzle and delight. So next time I visit MONA I’ll be making a booking for dinner at The Source.

Museum of Old and New Art (MONA)

Much has been written about the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), millionaire David Walsh’s extraordinary gift to the people of Tasmania. On paper, it’s an intriguing story: a Hobart boy makes a fortune gambling, builds a $A100 million art collection and decides to found a museum of art so the public can come and see it. David actually opened his original museum — the Moorilla Museum of Antiquities — in 2001. It closed in 2007 for extensive (and costly) renovations and reopened early 2011 as MONA, now one of Tasmania’s leading tourist attractions.

My early work life was in the arts industry so I’ve spent a lot of time visiting galleries but I was still unprepared for the impact MONA had on me. 

I can’t cover MONA properly in this blog post so I’ll just say this: MONA is everything an art museum should be and then some. The art — collected by David over many many, years — was beautiful, shocking, striking, elegant, disturbing, gentle, provocative, confronting, brutal, inspiring, worrying and playful. Housed in a purpose built building, with dramatic lighting and stone, concrete and metal finishes, the overall effect is nothing short of extraordinary.

If you really fall in love with MONA as I did you might wish to take them up on their Cemetery offer. As their website says:

For $AUD 75,000 you can enjoy all the benefits of Eternity Membership – parties, catalogues, annoying pamphlets, being sucked up to. Then – when you die, we have you cremated and put in a fancy jar in the museum. David’s dad’s there already. Don’t you miss out. PS. This is not a joke.

MONA is a game changer – there is nothing like it anywhere. If you visit Tasmania you cannot miss MONA. In fact, MONA is reason enough to visit Tasmania. I can’t wait to return with my  kids.

Smolt

After much research I had a short list of restaurants for dinner in Hobart including Garagistes, Ethos, Smolt, and Me Wah. Deciding which restaurant to visit wasn’t an issue as I happened to visit Hobart on a Monday night so only one of these — Smolt — was open. So after a quick visit to the gym and shower off I went.

Situated in the Battery Point district (just around the corner from A Common Ground, WurstHouse and Tricycle Cafe), Smolt was immediately welcoming. Great music and friendly staff made a good first impression, which polished stone floors and the wooden fit out only enhanced.

After a full day exploring Hobart (and a 4:15am start) I am dying for a drink. A refreshing Summer Pear Cider by Frank’s ($9) hits the spot perfectly – it’s crisp, dry and not overly sweet.

I’m in the mood for seafood so order a few natural Bruny Island oysters to start ($3.90 each).

Unbelievably fresh and tasting of the ocean these oysters are magnificent. I could have eaten two dozen.

Next up my main and side salad appear. Each leaf of the mixed salad ($9) has been placed carefully on the plate and dressed with a light vinaigrette. Lovely – it’s the details that make all the difference.

My main course — Mussels with Garlic, Parsley and Dill and Saffron Aioli ($23.90) — is fantastic. I love cooking mussels at home but usually go for either a Moules Marinière or an Asian-style dish with chilli. Why have I never thought of cooking mussels with dill? It’s a winning combination. The beautifully coloured saffron ailoi added some lovely mild flavour and texture to the dish and I soak up the juices with the grilled bread provided. Delicious.

I’d ummed and ahhed about ordering dessert as I’d already eaten a lot that day but my nice waiter was encouraging so I did. When it comes to food I’m a bit of a pushover like that. As it turns out, dessert is the low point of a very good meal.

Creme Catalan ($15.90) is the Catalan version of creme brûlée — orange rind is infused into the custard  — and it’s one of my favourite desserts. While Smolt’s custard has the requisite wobble and gorgeous creamy texture someone has been too heavy-handed with the sugar and created a solid layer of scorched toffee. It’s so thick that I have to whack it forcefully with my spoon a half dozen times before it shatters, which kinda wrecks my mellow mood. The too thick layer of toffee also distorts the final taste – a little burnt toffee is amazing but too much is overpowering. The Creme Catalan is also oddly paired with two chocolate truffles that do nothing to enhance the dish – some stewed fruit would have been better.

It’s a shame about dessert but three out of four dishes isn’t bad. I’d visit Smolt again.

Jackman and McRoss

The next morning I rise bright and early. My body is pleading for more sleep but my brain sternly orders it out of bed. Forgoing breakfast at The Hotel Grand Chancellor, I jump into my car and head straight for Jackman and McRoss.

Established for over a decade, Jackman and McRoss are renowned for their sourdough bread, pies, sweet and savoury tarts and relishes.

The fit out is stylish and welcoming. I’m in a bread lover’s paradise.

Everything is so beautifully presented. I love the way that the pastries and dishes are styled so boldly here. Check out this gorgeous baked polenta with ricotta, seasonal vegetables and Brie. Doesn’t it look amazing?

I’m starving so I order the Scrambled Eggs in Tasmanian smoked salmon on rocket, aioli and Danish pastry ($11).

It is fantastic – the Danish pastry is crisp, buttery and flaky and proves to be a lovely base for the generous amount of creamy scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. With the eggs and salmon this is a very rich dish but a delicate aioli, baby capers and peppery rocket help to balance out the flavours. Top marks.

I want to try one of their amazing looking sweet pastries but I’m stuffed to the brim. So I leave, regretfully, vowing to return.

Sweet Envy

My last stop in Hobart before I hit the highway is a sweet one – Sweet Envy, that is!

The shop is a dessert lover’s fantasy come to life – Sweet Envy produce a range of delectable cupcakes, candy, macarons, pastries, pies, biscuits ice creams and lolly pops. I can’t help thinking how wonderful it would be to host a birthday party or afternoon tea here.

Sweet Envy is a labour of love for couple Alistair and Teena. This is Teena.

Both Alistair and Teena grew up in Hobart and completed their pastry and bakery training here before heading to Melbourne and London to complete their training. Whilst in London they landed dream jobs – Alistair ran Gordon Ramsay’s Pastry department at The Connaught alongside Angela Hartnett, and Teena worked at The Greenhouse under an Alain Ducasse protege before branching out to creating couture cakes. They moved back to Hobart but then got offered a job they couldn’t refuse – opening Gordon Ramsay at The London in New York.

After their New York stint they moved back to Hobart and opened Sweet Envy. And sweet-toothed Tasmanians breathed a collective sigh of joy.

Look – they even have a pavlova cupcake!

Did I mention that they also do ice creams and pies?  There are no run of the mill flavours here – check out the Umami Dragon ice cream or the curry goat pie.

I want my office to be next door to Sweet Envy so I can just pop over for some deliciousness whenever I want. Is that possible, Teena? Failing that, can you express post to Adelaide?

My Hobart Address Book

• Wursthaus: 1 Montpelier Retreat, Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania. Tel:(03) 6224-0644. Wursthaus also have a second retail outlet in Launceston.
• A Common Ground: Shop 3, Salamanca Arts Centre, 77 Salamanca Place, Hobart, Tasmania. Tel: +61 (0) 429 370 192 or email: sheonaunderthestains@gmail.com. Online orders can be posted anywhere in Australia.
• Tricycle Cafe: Salamanca Arts Centre, 77 Salamanca Place, Hobart, 7000. Tel: 03 6223 7228.
• The Source at the Museum of Old and New Art: 655 Main Road, Berriedale, Hobart, Tasmania. Tel: +61 (3) 6277 9900 or email: info@mona.net.au.
• The Museum of Old and New Art: 655 Main Road Berriedale, Hobart, Tasmania. Tel: +61 (3) 6277 9900 or email: info@mona.net.au.
• Smolt: 2 Salamanca Place, Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania. Tel: +61 (3) 6224 2554
• Jackman and McRoss: 4 Victoria Street, Hobart, Tasmania. Tel: +61 (3) 6231 0601. They also have another shop at 57-59 Hampden Rd, Hobart, Tasmania. They don’t have a website but they do have a Facebook page.
• Sweet Envy: 341 Elizabeth Street, North Hobart, Tasmania. Tel: +61 (3) 6234 8805 and email: info@sweetenvy.com.

The Tasmanian adventure continues!

• My Tasmanian 2 post will cover Kate’s Berry Farm, Freycinet National Park, Freycinet Lodge, Saffire Freycinet, Wineglass Bay Lookout Walk and Freycinet Marine Farm.
• My Tasmania 3 post will cover Bed in the Treetops, Blue Shed Restaurant, Pyengana Dairy Farm, Blue Cafe, Fresh on Charles and Garden of Vegan.

Don’t want to miss a post? Sign up to receive The Hungry Australian posts twice a week – it’s FREE!!

Disclosure: I visited Tasmania as a guest of Tourism Tasmania. Some meals and products were provided while I paid for others. Tourism Tasmania are compensating me for the licence to display my content on the Go Behind the Scenery site and magazine. As always, all opinions are my own. 

My mum used to make this pâté all the time for parties when I was a little girl. I’d sneak spoonfuls of it straight out of the fridge, and hastily smooth over the tell-tale cavities to try to disguise the evidence.

My mum’s recipe was based on a pâté recipe by a Mrs Beverley Reid for the 1978 Adelaide Children’s Hospital Recipe Book. I’ve adapted it further, and prettied it up with some red and white peppercorns.

I like serving this with medium-cut slices of a good baguette – a thin cracker just doesn’t seem substantial enough, somehow. Add a lovely big green salad and that’s a simple lunch done with no fuss.

I shot these photos with three kids running around the house and then offered it to them to see what they thought of it. My son and my daughter’s friend said “yuck” and refused to try it but my daughter took one bite, wrinkled her brow at the unfamiliar taste and pronounced it “yum.” She then ate most of one individual serve, calling for extra bread not once but twice.

If some pâté goes missing from the fridge, I’ll know just who to talk to.

My Mother’s Chicken Liver Pâté

INGREDIENTS

• 140 grams butter
• 2 large onions, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 rashers bacon
• 650 grams chicken livers, trimmed and cut into 2cm pieces
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 6 teaspoons peppercorns, assorted colours

METHOD

1. Heat up a fry pan and add butter.
2. Fry onion, garlic and bacon over medium heat, stirring constantly until softened (3-4 minutes).
3. Add livers, bay leaf and thyme and then cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through.
4. Remove bay leaf and then blend until fully combined.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste, and then two tablespoons brandy and process again.
6. Tip spoonfuls of peppercorn into one large mould or eight individual moulds and then spoon pâté in.
7. Tap mould(s) gently against kitchen bench to even out surface of pâté and remove air bubbles.
8. Cover pâté and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving with bread or crackers.

NOTES

• Serves 8-10.
• This recipe will keep happily in the fridge (covered) for up to a week. But you’re going to finish it before then.
• My mum used to serve this pâté in one big pot but I found some great 100ml silicon moulds at my local kitchenware shop and made eight individual serves instead.
• If you want your pâté to be smooth with no holes or cracks, simply heat up an offset spatula in a mug of hot water and then use it to smooth over the bottom of the pâté before turning it out onto the plate. Once the pâté is on the plate, use the spatula to smooth over and patch up the edges and sides. If I was making this for a client I’d tidy it up but personally, I don’t mind the cracks.

Hamilton Island

A few weeks ago I travelled to Hamilton Island in the glorious Whitsundays for the beginning of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, Australia’s largest offshore yachting regatta.

2013 marked the race’s 30th year so to celebrate, Hamilton Island and event sponsor Audi hosted a series of special events with leading Australian chefs Shannon Bennet (Vue de Monde), Matt Moran, Kylie Kwong and Adriano Zumbo.

I last visited Hamilton Island in 2008 for a laid-back family holiday so it was fantastic to visit the Island again at its busiest and most exciting – Race Week is the biggest event on the island’s calendar, attracting around 5,000 people over the week to both its on-water and off-water events.

This post — the first about my trip — covers the Wild Oats Ladies Lunch with Adriano Zumbo and a boat trip to witness the start of the racing.

Wild Oats Ladies Lunch with Adriano Zumbo

Each year Hamilton Island hosts the Wild Oats Ladies Lunch the day before the racing kicks off. The Lunch is an opportunity for female visitors and island dwellers alike to frock up and enjoy some lovely food and company. This year the lunch was held at Romano’s, the Italian restaurant on Front Street at the very edge of the water. I’d eaten here previously in 2008 and remembered the food being very good.

Today the restaurant has rearranged its usual tables into longer tables for the Ladies Lunch.

The restaurant is right on the harbour, which means that I and the other ladies seated on my side of the table enjoy a view of sparkling blue waters and equally sparkling boats.

First up, we are served some focaccia with fetta and tapenade.

The focaccia is gorgeous, with a dense crumb and a wonderful flavour enhanced by a sprinkle of salt flakes and aromatic herbs. The creaminess of the fetta and the saltiness of the olive tapenade makes a welcome change from the usual butter or balsamic vinegar and oil.

Next, the appetiser is served. It’s an antipasti plate comprising freshly shucked oysters, garlicky king prawns, tender squid, green and Kalamatta olives, marinated artichokes, proscuitto, melon, wagyu beef bresola, salami and the most amazingly crisp Sadrinian flat bread.

This is the kind of food I could happily eat for lunch every day – the quality of the different ingredients is top-notch, the flavours are strong and clean, everything tastes so fresh and the there’s enough salt and fat to satisfy me. Presentation-wise, a larger platter would have been better — here everything seems piled on top of each other — but this is a minor point.

Next, the main courses start to appear. First up is a yellow bean salad with pancetta and roasted garlic. Any kind of bean tends to be enhanced by a smoked meat and this salad is no exception. It’s full of flavour, the beans are cooked perfectly and I love the roasted garlic cloves scattered throughout.

In the background is a heirloom tomato salad. I’d have liked a little more onion or shallots but tomatoes, soft cheese and fresh basil leaves are a classic combination for good reason.

Next, we’re served some lamb cutlets, almost hidden under a layer of greens.

The lamb is succulent and tender and goes perfectly with the just cooked asparagus, fresh rocket, slivered red onions and aged balsamic vinegar.

Next up is a colourful roasted vegetable, poppy seed and baby spinach salad.

This salad is delicious – so simple and yet so tasty. This is something you could easily throw together at home. Roast some pumpkin, carrots and potatoes with olive oil and salt and when they’re cool, toss them with baby spinach, poppy seeds and a light vinaigrette.

Next, we have gnocchi in a creamy pumpkin sauce with scattered blue cheese, walnuts and rockets.

This is probably my least favourite dish – I like all the individual ingredients but together, this dish just doesn’t hit any strong notes for me.

The risotto with salmon, on the other hand, is creamy, rich and full of flavour. Everyone knows that risotto is all about achieving that delightfully creamy texture. But risotto is also about working flavour into the dish via a good stock and carefully selected ingredients. Here the salmon has been simply cooked and leeks have been julienned and deep-fried to add an interesting texture and additional onion flavour to the dish. It’s extremely good.

To accompany each course we are offered a selection of Wild Oats wines. I’m not a big drinker so am satisfied with a sip or three of each kind. Wild Oats is one of the labels created by Robert Oatley, owner of Hamilton Island. Oatley is no slouch in the wine game – his previous wine success includes the creation of Rosemount Estate in the Hunter Valley and he produced his first commercial vintages in the early 1970s.

Dessert today is by Adriano Zumbo, Sydney patissier extraordinare.

On the menu we have cannoli with olive oil and lemon custard, mini tiramisu and mini ‘panini’ with rice pudding, fresh basil and berries.

The cannolo is so crisp and brittle it shatters under my teeth while the lemon and oil custard is creamy, rich and intensely flavoured. Gorgeous stuff. I don’t usually like tiramisu but I happily eat this one and am intrigued by the use of pine nuts in the crumb topping. The stand-out, for me, however, is the mini ‘panini’ with rice pudding, fresh basil & berries. The ‘panini’ tastes like a sugared, deep-fried croissant and it’s topped by a wholly delectable spoonful of vanilla rice pudding, fresh basil leaf and strawberry. It doesn’t sound like much when it’s written down like this but believe me when I tell you it’s sheer genius. In fact, it’s so good I eat three of them.

Afterwards our charming host invites Adriano to say a few words.

Adriano talks about how he got started and reveals that his first shop in Sydney was so tiny that queues would form in the street. He’s come a long way since those early days; nowadays he has a number of retail outlets, cookbooks, numerous TV credits and a line of packet desserts at Coles.

The women at the Lunch love Adriano. When his tattoo is mentioned, some ladies get quite excited and implore him to take off his  jacket so he can show them. Ever the professional, he changes into a more accessible top and obliges. (In case you’re wondering, his tattoo is on his arm). What a guy. And what gorgeous desserts he makes.

Wild Oats Ladies Lunch
$140 per person included a three course luncheon, a glass of Piper-Heidsieck on arrival and matching Wild Oats Wines
Romanos
Front Street, Hamilton Island
Phone: (07) 4946 8212. 

Audi Hamilton Island Race Week

The next day I join a small group of journalists and PRs on the media boat for the start of the first race. This year around 150 yachts are taking part in Race Week.

It’s wonderful being out on the water.

The skipper takes as out as close as he can to the yachts, which are tacking to and fro as they wait for the starter siren; they want to be as close to the starting line as possible when that siren goes off. I’d forgotten how graceful yachts are as they cut through the water, and how amazingly quick they are to change direction – it’s no doubt just the angle from our boat but from here it looks like some yachts came dangerously close to colliding.

All the boats are different sizes, which seems odd to me, as surely the larger boats would have the advantage?  It’s soon explained that all of the boats are classified according to size and given different starting times to ensure a fair race.

I’m so glad we are able to be here for the start of the race. Seeing so many boats out to sea all at the same time is a stunning sight.

As we enjoy the spectacle, we’re offered cheese and crackers, fruit and champagne. Fig paste, dried grapes and fresh figs go superbly with the cheddar, brie and cream cheese.

As I stretch out my legs out for a more even tan and pop yet another piece of fruit in my mouth, I think to myself, yep, I could get used to this.

Audi Hamilton Island Race Week
Every year during August
Hamilton Island, Whitsundays

Disclosure: I visited Hamilton Island as a guest of the Island. As always, all opinions are my own. More on my trip coming soon.

Jane Rocca — a music and fashion journalist, mixologist and author — is a good friend and one of the coolest girls I know. We first met back in the early 2000s, when I was working for Chunky Move in Melbourne.

Jane has been published by The Weekly Review, Sunday Life,  The West Australian,  Rolling Stone, Harper’s Bazaar, The Face, WWD New York and I-D. When she’s not busy working on a story Jane can be found back stage at a rock or fashion event, immaculately dressed in black, cocktail in hand. So she’s the living embodiment of her stylish new book, The Fashionable Cocktail: 200 Fabulous Drinks for the Fashion Set, which launches tonight in Melbourne. 

The cocktails in the book have been created by some of the best bartenders in Melbourne, Sydney and New York. As I love cocktails but am a L-plates drinker (Asian gene fail) I asked Jane to share some of her tips about cocktails, her best local bars and setting up a home bar. 

Everyone, meet Jane!

Jane, in The Fashionable Cocktail… you describe eight different cocktail drinkers — The Vintage Girl, The Season Chaser, The Satorialist, The Luxe Label Girl, The Bohemian Girl, The Hipster Girl, The Haute Couture Girl and The Cocktail Dress Girl — and then offer a guide to suitable cocktails for each. Which cocktail drinker are you? 

I find I’m a mix of many of the chapters, but certainly feel an affinity toward the Cocktail Dress Girl and the Vintage Girl – if only because they conjure a time that’s slipped away from us. I love nothing more than getting dressed up in quality garb from the past and fine tweaking the night with cocktails that salute this period. You’ll find drinks in these chapters that hark back to the 40s and 50s and many tipples with a modern verve to them too. That said, I find sometimes I’m in the mood for 70s’ bohemia when I want to take things less seriously and love the notion of the Season Chaser, because seasonal produce directs her tastebuds.

What are your favourite Melbourne bars at the moment?

• For cocktails: Brooks Bar – Shae Silvestro is rocking my world in cocktails at the moment.
• For a romantic date: Try EDV early in the week or the The Everleigh [also good mid week].
• For a noisy celebration with friends: DuNord on Little Bourke St Melbourne for a Nordic cocktail exploration. It’s noisy but not trashy; it’s busy but with the well heeled sort.

If I wanted to set up a home bar, what are the essentials in terms of liquor, glasses and equipment? 

• A retro bar from a vintage shop or market to get you in the mood
• Basic spirits like vodka, tequila, gin, rum and bourbon plus brandy
• Fresh fruit that’s in right now [for summer consider strawberries, blueberries, lychees, mango]
• Liqueurs like triple sec or cointreau, maraschino liqueur, coffee liqueur, creme de cacao and creme de cassis.
• Lot of ice, lemons, limes and oranges for garnish or twists,
• Some juices  like orange, cranberry, and pineapple

Of course you can’t get by without a decent chopping board, grenadine and good glassware, too.

If you were going to throw a cocktail party for New Year’s Eve, what are the cocktails you would serve and why? What music would you have playing?

Spicy Mango [page 11], Vanilla Sling [page 118], and Frosty Passionfruit [144]. If you want shots to get you loaded try The Oil Change: Motor City  [page 63]. I’d serve these because they’re easy to prepare when making large quantities of drinks. You don’t want to get bogged down with difficult recipes and highballs are easy to drink and hold when dancing, too. Shots are great for getting loaded quickly and martini glasses are perfect for sipping on the sidelines of any great party. When it comes to music it has to be rock ‘n’ roll – The Cramps through to Detroit Cobras. If it’s soul garage, I’m cool with anyone from Ike and Tina Turner to Otis Redding.

The Fashionable Cocktail… is your third book about cocktails, after The Cocktail and Cocktails and Rock Tales. What’s next for you?

They say all things happen in threes; I think I’ve completed mine in the cocktail world. It’s been fabulous to combine my love of fashion writing from my day job with my new book – I have been writing my fashion column in The Weekly Review for 3.5 years now and being surrounded by fashion talk, trends and discussion inspired this latest book from me. I can tell you what you won’t see from me – and that’s a mocktail book!

The Fashionable Cocktail: 200 Fabulous Drinks for the fashion Set by Jane Rocca with illustrations by Neryl Walker is out now from Hardie Grant. The book is being officially launched in partnership with Melbourne Spring Fashion Week 2013 tonight at Touché Hombre 2.  

I don’t make a habit of re-visiting blogged recipes — it’d be a bit like re-visiting an ex boyfriend — but there are always exceptions to every rule. In this case, I’ve been itching to redo my Grandmother’s Penang Asam Laksa post for the longest time; while the words hold up fine the photography and styling don’t do my grandmother’s recipe justice.

Consider this photograph of the finished Assam Laksa in my old post.

Yikes. Apologies to anyone who stumbled upon my blog looking for an Assam Laksa recipe and found that. It looks completely unappetising. It doesn’t even look like Assam Laksa.

So I’ve been looking for an opportunity to tweak and re-blog this recipe and when Father’s Day rolled around today, I realised it was the perfect time. You see, my father absolutely loves this recipe as it’s adapted from his mother’s. Sadly, she passed away last year so cooking her food is a way of keeping her memory alive and making my dad happy.

Assam Laksa is the perfect present for my dad because he’s not really into (bought) presents. A home-cooked meal based on his mother’s recipe, however, is something that he can truly appreciate.

So Happy Father’s Day, dad. We love you very, very much. And Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there, too!

My Grandmother’s Asam Laksa 2 – re-worked and simplified

Assam Laksa is truly an exceptional dish – an intoxicating noodle soup dish with the perfect balance of spicy, sweet, sour, salty, and savoury flavours. This is not a dish for the meek and mild – this is an assertive and robust dish that will jolt your tastebuds and get your blood pumping. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS FOR PASTE

• 10-12 Bird’s Eye chillies
• 4-5 sticks lemon grass – lower half, white part, cut into fine slices OR 5 tablespoons drained lemongrass from jar
• 1 small piece turmeric, peeled and diced
• 1 small piece galangal (lengkuas), peeled and diced
• 2 ginger flower stalks (bunga kantan)
• 2/3 block belecan, about 160 grams
• 3/4 cup diced shallots (can substitute with onions)
• 1/4 cup water

INGREDIENTS FOR SOUP

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1.5 litres water
• 1 bunch laksa or vietnamese mint leaves (daun kesom), washed
• 1/3 cup dried tamarind (asam), soaked in hot water for 30 minutes and then drained
• 4-5 tablespoons tamarind (asam) juice
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 large cans sardines in tomato sauce
• 1 large pack rice vermicelli, cooked according to instructions

INGREDIENTS FOR GARNISH

• 1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, de-eyed, and cut into shreds
• 1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• Bunch fresh mint, washed
• 1 red onion or 2 shallots, peeled and sliced very finely
• Few teaspoons of Hae ko, a thick, sweet Shrimp paste, to garnish (optional)

METHOD

• Blend all ingredients for paste until finely ground and mud like.
• To make soup, heat up a large non stick pot and add cooking oil.
• Add paste and cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently, for around eight minutes so paste ‘splits’ and separates from the oil.
• Add 1.5 litres water, laksa leaves, dried tamarind, tamarind juice, sugar and soy sauce and bring to the boil.
• Taste and adjust seasoning if you like, adding more tamarind juice for a more sour taste, more sugar for a sweeter taste and/or more light soy sauce for a saltier taste.
• Add sardines in tomato sauce, break the fish up gently with a ladle and simmer for a further 15-20 minutes.
• To serve, use chopsticks to put rice noodles in a bowl and spoon over steaming hot soup and fish.
• Garnish with pineapple, cucumber, mint and shallots.
• Add a spoonful of hae ko if you like for a stronger shrimp flavour.

A note on ingredients: my old post has (bad) photos of most of the ingredients for reference. I found all of them at my Asian grocer but the ginger flower is not always available. 

We’re looking after Celeste’s cats for a few days while she moves house.

We never had a cat or dog when I was growing up — my mum thinks they are ‘dangerous’ — so I had a whole list of questions:

1. Will the cats be sad when we go out? Will they feel neglected and depressed because we’re not around to pet them?
2. Do I have to leave lights on for them when we go to bed so they can see where their food and kitty litter box are?
3. Will they be able to cope with my two kids wanting to play with them every single second?
4. Where will they sleep?

The correct answers, in case you are wondering, are:

1. No, they will breathe a huge sigh of relief. And possibly reach for the cat equivalent of a Gin & Tonic. Whatever that may be.
2. No. They’re cats – they can see in the dark. That’s why the little shiny lights on the road are called cats’ eyes. Having said that, I left the kitchen light on for them last night as they settled in. Just in case.
3. Yes, but barely. See 1.
4. Anywhere they damn well like. They’re cats – they don’t ask for permission.

Last night Satin settled in very quickly, exploring and poking around the house like an eager CSI agent. She was shown the kitty litter box and did her business just fine. But Tinsel took one look at my kids, visibly blanched and hid under the couch. She eventually settled under my bed and refused to come out so I couldn’t show her where the kitty litter box and food was set out. So I told Satin to show Tinsel where they were and went to bed. Because cats are great at following instructions, right?

At around 4am this morning Satin came into my bedroom mewing the feline equivalent of the Hallelujah Chorus and proceeded to walk all over me several times. I’m pretty sure she’s just setting the tone for the whole weekend.

It’s now mid morning and Tinsel is hiding under the playroom table. She lets me stroke her but she won’t let me pick her up. How can I show her where the kitty litter box is if she hisses at me when I try to pick her up?

I’ll have a new food & travel post up tomorrow – I’m a little distracted at the moment.

If you are thinking about going on a cruise but you’re the type of person who doesn’t like to exercise and has no self control when it comes to your diet I have this advice for you: RUN. RUN LIKE THE WIND. Because when you go on a cruise it’s like having the world’s largest pantry, fridge and personal chef at your 24 hour disposal.

But let me rewind a little bit. Every other year my extended family — my family, my parents and my brother’s family — tries to take a holiday together. This year, my parents suggested a cruise. They’d been to one to New Zealand last year and thought it would be an easy way to travel with small kids. So a few weeks ago we set out on the Carnival Spirit to the Pacific Islands. Here’s a summary of what happened on our nine-day cruise.

The Carnival Spirit

The Spirit is a bit like a floating hotel; it has 1,062 staterooms to accommodate up to 2,680 guests. It’s seriously huge, too  — 292.6 meters long to be exact — with 20 restaurants, bars and lounges, a fully equipped gym, spa, multiple pools, and water park. Over 1,000 staff  cater to its guests’ every needs.

Carnival have organised dozens of activities to keep guests busy and social from sun up to sun down. You can go to a show, talk or screening, play sports, shop, gamble in the casino, listen to a music act, play table tennis or basketball, nurse a drink at a bar, have a swim, relax in the spa, work out at the gym, attend an aerobics class, get a massage or haircut or have your nails done. 

We spent most of the time by the pool, up at the water park and trying out some of the sports like mini golf.

If you’re travelling kid-free the Spirit offers Serenity – a pool, spa + bar for 18+ only. There are also deck parties organised throughout the cruise if you fancy getting your disco pants on.

The Food

The Spirit boasts a number of eating outlets to cater to every need. The food was generally very good, say, on a par with good pub food. There were a few misses — the Char Kway Teow and Pad Thai noodles at the buffet bore only a passing resemblance to their namesakes — but generally the food was good. These were some of the outlets we tried:

1) La Playa Buffet

The casual, self-serve buffet features a number of different bars: fruit & dessert, cold cuts, salad, sandwich, pizza, cooked breakfast, Asian food, hot food,  featured cuisine etc. Trying to have a bite of everything proved to be my undoing – with probably 70 different options there is no way you can possibly try everything.

La Playa is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We liked the omelette station, danishes, gateaux, fresh fruit, salads, cold cuts, fried rice, poached eggs, and  featured cuisine bar (e.g. French, Greek, Vietnamese, Thai). My tip for trying to eat a relatively healthy meal? Start each meal with a plate of salad or fruit.

2) Empire Room

The Empire Room is designed for more formal dining with dressed tables, waiters and 3-course meals.

The breakfast here is excellent – we loved the choc chip pancakes and my omelette with the lot.

For dinner, try the house steak or salmon, and melting chocolate cake (I had this three nights in a row). The Indian curries were also excellent, as was the salted caramel Tres Leche cake. The Empire Room also offered an extensive kids menu with both healthy and not so healthy choices.

Unfortunately, afternoon tea at The Empire Room was very disappointing. Sandwiches (salmon and cucumber) came with 5mm thick cream cheese wedges, the macarons were stale and the cakes were extremely average.

3) Fat Jimmy’s BBQ

Fat Jimmy’s BBQ situated up on the deck served barbecue, kranskys, pulled pork rolls, and salads for lunch every day. The pulled pork was tasty but had dried out a little by the time I tried it.

As a casual dining option Fat Jimmy’s was great. Food always tastes better eaten outside, doesn’t it?

The Shore Excursions

After two days at sea — one of them a little bumpy — we were dying to stretch our legs on solid ground. So we were thrilled when we reached out first island.

Isle of Pines

A welcome dance as we come ashore.

We decide to visit a beach so the kids could try snorkelling. To get there we had to catch a bus and then walk about 20 minutes through water (up to our waists) and trees. So it’s a bit of a slog — especially as I had to carry my toddler the whole way back — but the beach was fantastic.

While my toddler had a meltdown because he was overtired my daughter learned to snorkel and she loved it. It would have been great to have longer here — the bus returned to pick us up in 2 hours — but it was still worth it.

Lifou Isle

We’re greeted with a welcome dance by some local children.

After a refreshing coconut drink we hit the beach and my daughter had her hair braided.

Mystery Island

Mystery Island is a tiny (1.5km square) island located on the southernmost point of the Vanuatu archipelago. Formerly used as a landing strip for the allied forces during World War II, nowadays it’s uninhabited. Having said that, locals from nearby islands come to the island to sell goods, lead tours, play music and sing songs for visiting tourists.

The beach we found was rocky but the water was crystal clear and blue.

Noumea, New Caledonia

Noumea is the capital city of New Caledonia, and one of the largest ports in the South Pacific.

Once we were ashore, my sister in law suggested checking out the aquarium and it proved to be a popular suggestion with the whole family. The aquarium was very reasonably priced — around $AUD10 for an adult ticket — and sizeable but not enormous, making it a perfect outing for our kids.

Afterwards, we decided to have lunch together before splitting up to check out the city. We picked the first restaurant we found in the city park.

I ordered the steak tartare and chips.

It was OK but I would have liked to have seen more flavour and acidity worked into the dish with some vinegar and shallots. As it was, the grassy olive oil used to dress the steak was a little overwhelming.

The quiches — spinach and goat’s cheese and  shrimp and leek — were excellent though.

Other dishes – pasta salad and a croque monsieur were both well cooked and reasonably sized.

After lunch, R and I went shopping in the city centre. Fashionsitas would not find a lot here to tempt them here although French brands like Petit Bateau do have outlets here. I found some clothes for the kids and a nice summery dress for myself.

In a nutshell

Cruises are a low-stress, easy holiday with kids. There’s plenty on board for you to do and the all-day kids’ club also offers great activities for kids. Make sure you pick an interesting destination though — New Zealand would be great — and remember to bring your gym clothes.

Find more information about Carnival’s cruises here. 

I first came across the amazing Dubai food blog, Sips and Spoonsfuls, about a year ago. Sukaina’s photographs are simply stunning — it’s no surprise she works as a freelance photographer  — but it’s her stories about her family that draw you in, making you feel like you’re reading a letter from an old friend. So I was thrilled to recently interview Sukaina to learn more about her passion for food, her family life and her photography.

Sukaina, where did your passion for food come from? 

My passion for food developed very late in life! Before the age of 18, I hadn’t even chopped an onion let alone boiled an egg. Although I was always interested in eating good food, besides baking, I had absolutely no interest in cooking whatsoever. I led a very sheltered/easy life where we had a cook and between her and my mom, there was always impeccably home cooked food ready on the table. Once I left my parents home, I spent many years living and eating as a student on canned foods and takeaways. I led a busy life and with just myself to feed, ease took over quality. Once I left work and had children though, I came onto my own in the kitchen. I loved to experiment, trying new ingredients, aiming to make food not only taste great but look beautiful as well. I made everything from scratch since I had so much time and enjoyed the process immensely. It made me feel so relieved and at ease knowing exactly what was in the food I was eating especially with two young ones to feed.

Who or what are your greatest influences? 

As cliched as it may sound, it has been the women in my life! I take a lot of recipes passed on to me by my mom or mother in law but like to add my own stamp on them or a non traditional twist. For example, I took an authentic tiramisu recipe and added date syrup to the mascarpone as well as cardamom coffee to give it a Middle Eastern touch. I’d say my food and recipes are greatly influenced by my life as an expat, my travels as well as my African upbringing. I like to experiment and I feel by trying unusual or new dishes/ ingredients really refines your palate. I am also influenced by the foods I see in gorgeous magazines such as Australia’s Gourmet Traveller and Donna Hay.

Your blog showcases your incredible food photography and styling. How would you describe your style and how has it changed over time? 

Why thank you! Just like my food, I’d say my photography is eclectic too. And constantly evolving. When I first started out, I tried to emulate photographers whose work I really admired. I studied their photos, where the light was coming from, their way of styling and so on. Now, I feel a bit more confident of my own work and feel like I’m really developing my own style. I love shadows (which I absolutely loathed before!) and feel they add so much drama to an image. I love mixing beautiful ceramics with vintage bits and pieces which have their patina showing through. However, ask me again in a few months and I’ll give you a completely different answer!

I love the personal stories you interweave within your recipe posts. Is there a particular post that is closest to your heart? 

Because all the stories are so personal, they are all close to my heart. The blog is my journal where I write down things I may not remember in a few years time like what my children’s first words were, the funny things they say out of the blue, their first day in school, their first meals, their first holiday, their first fast in Ramadan, when they learn something new or even when family visits. 

You recently prepared a feast for 20 people to celebrate Eid. What did you cook? Can you describe the celebrations for us? 

Eid is a special time for us, the equivalent of Christmas for Christians. Usually, we have a grand feast at the house of the oldest member in the family. So each year, we go to my mother in law’s house. However, this year we decided to give her a break and I took over the kitchen to prepare dishes that are very typical of Eid. Preparation usually starts the day before as there is so much cooking to do. We usually buy new clothes for the children to wear and on Eid night, decorate our hands with elaborate ‘mehndi’ designs. The actual day starts with a large breakfast since we have been deprived of that all month! Ours wasn’t very traditional- we had an English fry up! Fried eggs, maple turkey bacon, baked beans and toast. We then visit all our relatives to wish them, handing all the young children packed money envelopes. It is very common to get money on Eid as a present as opposed to typical wrapped gifts. Lunch this year consisted of brown butter vermicelli scented with cardamom and rose water. I had prepared gulab jamuns the night before. These are sweet doughnut like dumplings soaked in a saffron sugar syrup and by soaking overnight, every inch was drenched with syrup – just the way we like it!. We snacked on fenugreek kebabs double fried in eggs and for mains, we had had lamb kofta biryani with saffron rice. Everything is very elaborate and regal. By the end of the meal, we are ready to sleep all afternoon!

For someone new to Sips and Spoonfuls, which posts would you recommend and why? 

If you haven’t visited my blog before, I suggest you start off by cooking this chicken schnitzel sandwich followed by strawberry cheesecake for dessert. These are the kinds of foods you’d find us eating on any given day of the week. Then this post about luscious chocolate crepes whose recipe my 4 year old helped develop will give you an idea about my family and what we get up to on a normal weekday. Lastly, one of my favourite comfort foods, Shepherd’s Pie, can be found here. 

Can you describe your perfect weekend for us? 

Ideally, the perfect weekend would begin with sleeping in but with two sprightly children, that never happens. Saturday is the only day where we have time for a leisurely breakfast. Maryam (her daughter) helps to prepare by cracking eggs for pancakes and whisking. We spend the morning in our pyjamas eating slowly and breakfast usually spills into lunch as well. Afternoons are spent on the beach in winter time or playing in the sand pit and trampoline in our garden. If it’s too warm as is the case now, some form of baking is involved as Maryam prefers playing with flour, butter and eggs over toys any day! And if we’re not baking, I’ll have all my food magazines sprawled over the carpet choosing what to make next whilst the kids are building a lego tower next to me.

All of the above images are by Sukaina. Check out more of her amazing work at Sips and Spoonfuls.

Last week I was lucky to spend three days on Hamilton Island for the start of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, Australia’s largest offshore yachting regatta. It was ultra glam and très chic and I did my best to nod intelligently to the sailing talk while outfitted in my approximation of ‘resort chic.’

I have oodles of lovely photos and experiences from Hamilton Island to share with you over the next few weeks but in the meantime, I want to share this lovely Passionfruit Sago Pudding with you.

This dessert is inspired by the dessert at the spectacular ’30’ dinner I attended on Sunday night to celebrate 30 years of the Race by Shannon Bennet of Vue de Monde and four of his proteges – Jim McDougall of Stefano’s, Josh Lewis of Loam, Cory Campbell of Vue de Monde and Darren Purchese of Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio.

I didn’t actually taste the sago dessert at the dinner — I had a berry jelly dessert instead — but I’ve used  palm sugar, ginger, star anise and coconut to  bring out the tropical, feel-good flavour of the passionfruit. The ’30’ dessert  looked completely different to mine, too — my presentation is much less fancy — so please consider this a homage rather than a pale imitation.

If you’ve never cooked with sago (tapioca) before, don’t be scared. Tapioca is really cheap and really straightforward to cook – you just bung it in a saucepan with some water. Honestly. It’s not hard. You can do it. And your reward will be these delightful little sago puddings that remind me of long, lazy days spent happily in the sun.

Passionfruit Sago Puddings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup water
• 100 grams palm sugar
• 1 star anise
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean essence
• 4 cups water
• 3/4 cup sago (tapioca)
• 1/3 cup coconut cream
• 8 best quality ginger cookies (about 140 grams)
• 8 passionfruit
• 5 tablespoons shredded coconut

METHOD

• Make sugar syrup by placing 1 cup water, palm sugar, star anise + vanilla bean essence in a small pot.
• Bring to the boil and then cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes until mixture has reduced and become syrupy.
• Cook sago by placing 4 cups water + sago in a medium pot.
• Bring to the boil and then simmer for around 15 minutes, stirring regularly.
• Strain tapioca through a colander (sieve) and then place in a large bowl.
• Add sugar syrup and coconut cream to sago and mix to combine thoroughly.
• Grind biscuits in a food processor until it reassembles bread crumbs.
• Divide the biscuit mixture into four medium cups evenly.
• Spoon over sago mixture and then refrigerate for at least an hour.
• Meanwhile, toast the shredded coconut by stirring it in a dry pan (don’t use oil) over a medium heat until it starts to turn brown. Remove and set aside.
• To serve, spoon the passionfruit pulp over the top of the sago and garnish with toasted coconut.

Serves 4.

Dietary Notes: dairy free, nut free, vegan, and vegetarian. Can also be gluten-free if you use gluten-free biscuits as I did. 

{ Disclosure: I visited Hamilton Island as a guest of the island.}

I had this argument with my husband a few years ago.

“There are so many things about you that just drive me crazy,” he began.

“For instance, you never shut the refrigerator door properly; you never check that it’s closed. If we were on a space mission to the moon we’d all be dead because right after take-off you would have gone to the fridge for a drink and not shut the door properly behind you. The extra energy the fridge used trying to keep the drinks cold would cause a drain on the whole guidance system and the ship would crash. And we’d all be dead,” he said crossly.

I was nonplussed but only for a moment.

“Well, if we were on a space mission to the moon, we’d be dead before we even left the ground,” I shot back.

“Yeah? How so?” he asked.

“After visiting the toilet you would have washed your hand and left the taps dripping. The water would have flooded the decks and we’d all have been electrocuted,” I said triumphantly.

“I don’t leave taps running,” he said.

“Yes, you do. I’ve had to turn them off at least half a dozen times in the past week.”

“That’s not true.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Is not.”

“Is so.”

“Is not.”

“Hand on my heart, on our daughter’s life, it is true,” I said.

Silence.

“Well, there must be something wrong with the taps because I always make sure I turn them off properly,” he sulked.

“So when you do something wrong, there’s something wrong with the equipment but when I leave the fridge door open it’s just me being careless?” I asked sarcastically.

“Yes!” he yelled.

Sadly, Mr Hungry Australian and I are now getting a divorce. Not because of the fridge door or the taps although that would have made a great story. Jokes aside, I am thankful that we are now at the stage where we can share a chuckle about the crazy things we used to fight about.

My ex and I also share a love for Thai food; this dish is inspired by all the lovely seafood salads we ate on our honeymoon in Koh Samui. It’s perfect for a shared appetizer or you could serve it as part of a Thai-inspired meal. I hope you enjoy it.

Now it’s over to you. What’s the craziest argument you’ve ever had with a loved one? 

Prawn Lettuce Cups with Thai Dressing

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cake rice noodles
• 2 mini Cos lettuces (you’ll need 12 of the best looking inner leaves)
• 1 dozen King prawns (jumbo shrimp), cooked, deheaded and shelled (leave tail on)
• 1 mango, peeled, stoned and diced
• 1/2 large capsicum, cored and diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• A few spring mint (12 leaves or tips of leaves)
• A few springs coriander (12 small pieces)
• 1 tablespoon fried shallots
• 1 tablespoon crushed peanuts (optional)
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 Birds Eye chilli, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon diced red onion or finely grated carrot

METHOD

• Cook rice noodles as per packet instructions and drain.
• Wash and dry cos lettuce leaves and arrange attractively on plate.
• Place a portion of cooked noodles on top of each leaf.
• Sprinkle over mango, capsicum and red onion.
• Place prawn on top of each leaf and garnish with mint, coriander and dried shallots.
• Make dressing by mixing rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, sweet chilli sauce, lime juice, water, chilli and onions/carrot.
• Serve dressing with a spoon so people can spoon over lettuce cup just before eating.
• Lettuce cups are most easily eaten when partly rolled.

Dietary notes: gluten-free, meat-free, dairy-free & nut-free. Certainly not flavour-free though.

Warning: proud parent alert. Those of you who get all twitchy when your Facebook friends post pics of their kids can read Top 5 Meals I Wish I’d Never Eaten or browse my archives instead. 

My daughter turned seven yesterday. Seven!

Here she is the day after she was born in Shanghai.

My ex and I like to say she was Made in China. Ahem.

She’s grown a lot since then.

Unlike previous years where we’ve celebrated E’s birthday at home — see her 6 year old party and Throwing a kids’ party without losing your mind — this year we celebrated her birthday party at a YMCA gym. The session was for two hours and came with two instructors to teach the kids how to use all of the gym equipment – balance beams, bars, climbing rope, climbing walls, mats, trampolines etc.

The YMCA venue meant that all the party food had to be transported or prepared on the spot. The food also had to be simple as I had a nasty cold and didn’t have the energy to do anything too elaborate.

So this was the menu yesterday:

• Ham & pineapple pizzas made by my ex – he made them up and baked them on the spot;
• Sausage rolls made by my ex – he premade them and baked them on the spot;
• Mini berry and chocolate trifles – made by me the day before;
• Fruit skewers – made by my mum in the morning;
• Mini cupcakes – made by my mum in law the day before;
• Honey joys – made by me the day before;
• Chocolate crackles – made by my mum the day before; and
• 4-layer vanilla birthday cake with  raspberry Swiss meringue buttercream and rose fairy floss – made by me the day before.

With such a big group of kids I’ve decided not to publish any photos from inside the gym. But I took a few photos outside with my dad and ex acting as hand models.

Did the kids have fun? Oh yes. They had a ball.

I also enjoyed myself. With two instructors looking after the kids, I was free to watch, do minimal food prep and chat. After the party there was a bit of tidying up but all the family pitched in and it was done in 20+ minutes. We were then free to enjoy the rest of the day. Gotta love that!

Happy Birthday, darling E. We love you to the moon and back.

********************************************************************

Recipes

Honey Joys

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup rice malt syrup
• 80 grams unsalted butter or dairy-free substitute e.g. Nuttlex
• 4.5 cups cornflakes

Method

• Heat up oven to 160 degrees Celsius.
• Arrange cupcake wrappers on a baking tray (20-24).
• Heat up rice malt syrup and butter in a small saucepan until foamy.
• Pour over cornflakes and stir to combine.
• Immediately spoon into cupcake wrappers and bake for 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and leave to cool completely.
• Store in an air-tight container.

Vanilla Cake with Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Rose Fairy Floss

I adapted this recipe by Sydney baking star, Raspberri Cupcakes. Mine is very similar, but I adjusted the ingredients and quantities as I went for a raspberry/vanilla cake with raspberry icing instead of Steph’s pink and white cake with sprinkle icing. Instead of macarons I decorated the cake top with sugar crystals and rose-flavoured Persian fairy floss. The fairy floss should be added just before serving as it quickly starts to melt into the cake and lose its form.

In hindsight — always a marvellous thing — I would have strained the raspberry puree before adding it to the icing as the raspberry seeds added bumps to the icing that detracted from the overall look. I would also have refrained from adding raspberry juice to the vanilla cake batter and made it as a plain vanilla cake. It still tasted fine though.

Pizza and Sausage Rolls

There are some brief instructions here.

Mini Chocolate & Berry Trifles

These dairy and egg free trifles comprised biscuit crumbs, stewed mixed berries, chocolate mousse, chocolate flakes and rose Persian fairy floss. There were OK but not amazing, mostly due to the chocolate mousse which was not sweet enough. I’m going to experiment a little more and will blog this properly later.

Prior to visiting Brisbane a couple of weeks ago I was only vaguely aware of a few Brisbane food producers and had only a sketchy idea of the different food regions in Queensland.

Luckily, the theme of South Bank’s two-day food and wine festival was ‘Regional Flavours’ and the festival featured over 100+ food producers exhibiting from 13 different regions: Brisbane, Gold Coast and Hinterland, Sunshine Coast and Hinterland, Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim, Wide Bay Burnett, North Queensland, Granite Belt & Southern Downs, Taste Paradise – Tropical North Queensland, Darling Downs and Toowoomba, Redlands, Central Queensland and Moreton Bay.

Who knew Queensland had such a diverse food scene?

Over the weekend I joined the crowd happily wandering around the stalls, learning about different regions, sampling food products and chatting to the the producers.

These were some of my favourite stalls:

Like the bag says, I love feijoas but in Australia they’re hard to find unless you have a tree or know a friendly market gardener. I’ve only ever eaten them freshly picked and when I mention this to Peter Heineger at Hinterland Feijoas he tells me that there are only a handful of commercial growers in Australia. Hinterland Feijoas have around 750 trees and are actually Australia’s first commercial grower of organic feijoas.

Apart from selling the fresh feijoas they also produce a number of products using the feijoas, including jams, Balsamic glazes, chocolates, gelato and muffins. Later on I try their Feijoa and Rosella jam (gifted) on warm buttered toast and its lovely, full of flavour and sweetness. I imagine it’d be even better on freshly baked scones.

Next I sample some buffalo mozzarella made by Trevor Hart at Cedar Street Cheeserie, an artisan cheese maker specialising in soft cheese. It’s exquisite – full of delicate flavour with a texture that is the culinary equivalent of slipping into silk sheets. Stunning.

I then try the pan-fried buffalo halloumi and have a moment of sheer joy. Unlike some halloumis I’ve tried, the brine doesn’t overwhelm the magnificent flavour. This is the kind of cheese to build a meal around – all killer, no filler. Later on I discover that Trevor won Best New Product in Australia for his buffalo haloumi at the 2012 Delicious Produce Awards, as well as Best Artisan Dairy Producer.

If you’re a cheese lover you owe it to yourself to try this cheese. Cedar Street Cheeserie don’t have a website so head over to their Facebook page and harrass Trevor into building a site so we can all order his magnificent cheese online.

Based on The Sunshine Coast, The Noosa Chilli Company produces a range of award-winning chilli sauces ranging from mild chutneys to their X-Rated sauce  that is dispensed using an eye dropper. I loved this fantastic display of chillies on their stall – check out those  little round chilies, those unusual purple and white chillies and that massive beauty on top. Size doesn’t count when it comes to chillies – bigger is not necessarily better. I try some of their Mustard Chutney and it’s bursting with flavour – it’d be perfect in a ham and chedder cheese sandwich. Well worth a look.

I’m wandering through the crowds thinking about what to eat next — something that I do way too often — when someone calls out my name. It’s Lizzie from local blog Strayed from The Table who I met in 2012 when she visited Adelaide for Tasting Australia. Today Lizzie is helping her parents from Bunya Red Farm who are celebrating their first crop of chemical-free capers – see below.

I sample a caper and am struck by its delicate flavour. Many bottled capers are drowned in vinegar and salt so that the actual flavour of the caper is lost. But Allan and Mandy from Bunya Red gently salt their capers and serve them rinsed so that the true flavour of the capers shines through. I’ll be making something special with these. You can buy them online.

I continue my wander, snapping this lucky woman who is about to chow down on this totally delectable version of cheese on toast. I’m hungry again just looking at this.

It’s fantastic to see so many people talking to the producers and learning about Queensland’s food and wine.

I’m not a big wine drinker myself — Asian gene fail — but there’s plenty of wine companies — like 2nd 2 None above — exhibiting  for the serious oenophiles.

Don’t these canapés look exquisite?

They’re the lovely work of Champ Kitchen and Bar, just one of a dozen ‘food trucks‘ by local restaurants.

Next, I come across My City Garden, a company which sells native and solitary bee hives, cheese making kits, yoghurt making kits, and soap making kits. Check out their bee hotels below.

With alarming declining bee populations across the globe it’s nice to see a company encouraging people to support bees in their own backyard.

You can also buy a native bee hive with 5000 stingless, native bees including an active Queen. I love the idea of having a bee hive in the backyard and will work this into my garden plan.

Now while I love chocolate brownies, I’ve always thought of them as a happy home-made  treat – they’re like the jelly slice or lamingtons that my mum used to make for us. At Dello Mano, however, the humble brownie has been elevated to the high-end sweets arena, with gorgeous foil packaging and gift box presentation. (Incidentally, why do so many chocolate companies use brown and gold packaging? Is there some kind of psychological or sciential basis for this?)

Part of me loves the idea of a high-end brownie while part of me can’t get my head around it as the brownies I eat are usually served in the baking paper they were baked in. In any case the Dello Mano the stall is swamped with happy foodies. Perhaps the prominently displayed news article about Ashton Kutcher being a fan of their brownies is doing the trick? I try a peanut butter brownie to find out the truth. It’s pretty darn fine actually. Now that I come to think of it, I know plenty of people who’d prefer a box of brownies over a box of chocolates.

Moving on, I come across some lovely vanilla pods at the amusingly named Broken Nose Vanilla stall.This company uses no sprays or artificial fertilisers and their pods are priced by grade: A grade (17cm and longer) single beans $5; B grade  (13-17cm) single beans $3; and Extract grade (smaller, with high vanillin content) single beans $1. Broken Nose Vanilla also sell vanilla extract, syrup, sugar, tea, honey and coffee – see their online shop.

Next I come across the Buchi stall. Buchi sell a line of raw organic Kombucha elixirs using locally sourced turmeric, ginger, limes, galangal. Apparently the Kombucha is a living beverage that is fermented using a blend of organic tea, organic raw sugar, bacteria and yeast. I’m not sure what the health benefits are — improved digestion at a minimum I’d guess — but I try the Ginger Turmeric elixir and it’s delicious.

These delectable looking raspberries and cream pots are from My Berries, a new company based in Moreton Bay that grow their berries using chemical-free pesticides.

Now I’m not allergic to gluten but I do find adopting a gluten-free diet regularly seems to suit me. So I was interested to learn more about Zehnder’s range of gluten-free breads and cakes. Gluten free breads and cakes are notoriously hard to get right as they often come out chalky and dry. But I try the Chocolate Brownie and it’s superb – rich and gooey, with a fantastic texture and mouthfeel. Nice work.

Aren’t these fresh green peppercorn at the Sallt store gorgeous? Sallt specialise in beautiful Himalayan pink salt and a variety of pepper products – you can buy them from their online store.

Amongst from all the cooked and manufactured food and wine products, it’s also lovely to see that some regional food boards are selling produce from that region. Don’t these rhubarb bunches look fantastic?

Some beautiful pumpkins from Southern Queensland.

Next, I come across Alchemy Cordials, who produce a range of cordials, syrups and hot chocolates. Regular readers will know that I’m a chai nut so was eager to try their two Chai cordials that are designed to be mixed into warm milk – Chai Elixir, a more traditional Chai blend, and Chai of the Tiger, which is souped up with ginseng, guarana, ginger and black pepper.

When one of the owners find out I’m from interstate he insists on gifting me a bottle of each. Back home I try them with regular, soy and rice milk and quickly become addicted to both. They’re remarkably different but both unmistakably Chai in tone with lovely, well balanced flavours. I can see why Alchemy is doing so well with food service and retail – these products are great.

My last stop is at the Noosa Chocolate Factory which sells, yep, you guessed it, chocolate in all its glorious forms.

Their Rocky Road is promoted as being ‘Australia’s Best Fresh Rocky Road’ – see below.

I’m always skeptical of claims like this so back in my hotel room I examine the sizeable slab of Rocky Road in my media sample bag. The Noosa Chocolate Company’s version of Rocky Road sees pillowy raspberry and vanilla marshmallows layered with a delectable raspberry gel and covered with a thin layer of dark chocolate.

I break a piece of Rocky Road off and munch on it. Then I break off another piece. And another piece. It is, hands down, The Best Rocky Road I’ve Ever Eaten and I can barely restrain myself from eating the whole slab – it’s that good. Buy some. You’ll thank me later.

It’s been a wonderful, non-stop weekend of learning about Queensland’s diverse food scene and yet I feel that I’ve only just scratched the surface. I guess I’ll just have to visit again soon.

Next Regional Flavours post: what I ate at the Festival. It’s a long post (duh). With lots of photos. You can also check out my previous Regional Flavours post – Inspired by South Bank’s Regional Flavours.

Disclosure: I visited the Regional Flavours festival in Brisbane as a guest of the South Bank Cooperation. All flights, accomodation and transfers were courtesy of the host. Some meals and products were provided while I paid for others. As always, all opinions are my own.

Hello! I’m a few days into my first cruising holiday with my family. I’m here with my kids, parents, brother, sister in law, niece and nephew. Our family friend, R, came with us, too. No doubt she started regretting her decision to join us before we left Adelaide when my brother and I started bickering in the airport terminal. He started it, of course.

The cruise was my parent’s idea. Having been on one last year themselves they thought it would be an easy way to relax, enjoy each other’s company and travel with our kids (aged almost 7, 3 1/2, 4, and 18 months). So a few days ago we left Sydney on Carnival’s Spirit ship for a 9-day cruise. We’ve visited some islands in the Pacific and spent a lot of time in the water swimming and snorkelling.

As a food blogger I felt it was my responsibility to sample as much of the different food on board ship as possible. Unfortunately I didn’t quite grasp how much food was constantly available at all the different outlets. Let’s just say this: if I still fit into my clothes when I disembark it will be a miracle. I’m not even going to mention the three course dinner including melting chocolate cake for dessert every night. Or the 24 hour pizza oven. I’m not a clairvoyant but I’m suddenly seeing a lot of soup, salad and juicing posts in my future…

I’d planned to do a whole lot of blogging while I was away but unfortunately it just hasn’t happened. Mostly because I’m sharing a room with my kids who are going to bed between 9:30pm-10:00pm every night because my 3 year old thinks sharing a room equals party time. So the time I thought I’d have to blog has been spent yelling variations of “go to sleep!”and trying to stop my 3 year old from dive bombing his sister from his bunk bed. Totally a #firstworldproblem, right?

I’ll be back to my regular posting schedule soon. In the meantime, let me leave you with this postcard-perfect scene.

Christina xx

For this week’s Meet A Food Lover post, I’m happy to be interviewing my chum Erin from Adelaide blog, She Cooks She Gardens.

I got to know Erin well last year when we were both on the organising committee of Eat Drink Blog 3 (the 3rd Australian Food Bloggers Conference). In real life, she’s just like she is on her blog – smart, funny, dedicated and passionate. On She Cooks She Gardens, Erin blog about two of her loves: cooking and gardening. As I’ve recently been reconnecting with my own garden, I thought it was a great time to have a chat with Erin about growing your own food at home.

Everybody, welcome Erin!

How did you get into gardening Erin? What inspired your interest?

I think I’ve always been interested in gardens and plants. My grandmother was a keen gardener and always had the most beautiful cottage garden. It was a labour of love for her and over the years I was exposed to her love and knowledge of plants and how to care for them. We also had a number of super productive fruit trees in the garden at my parents place; oranges, lemons, apricots, nectarines and figs, to name a few. I especially loved apricot season and at a young age I understood that there were few finer things in life than eating fruit picked fresh from the tree.

I’d love to grow edible plants that can cope with a little bit of neglect during my busy periods. Can you suggest some low-maintenance plants for me?

Herbs like parsley, thyme and oregano will grow like crazy at this time of year and will do so without much intervention. Chilli bushes, once established, will grow for years without much more than the occasional feed. Another really easy option is silverbeet, which will grow happily in a pot so long as it is planted in good soil.

I think the most important aspect of gardening is soil prep – the time and effort you put in initially will reward you later on. I work some pretty crazy hours these days and my garden chugs along without much intervention because I’ve set a good foundation.

Say I’m keen to grow my own food but I don’t have a lot of space in my garden, or I live in a flat. What can I grow in pots?

You can grow pretty much anything in pots, even small fruit trees; it all depends on your budget, how much sunlight your plants get each day (ideally you want about between 4-6 hours) and your patience. I would recommend growing things that you use a lot of which don’t tend to last very long in the fridge, things like baby spinach and bok choi are two in particular that spring to mind, as are herbs like parsley, coriander (though this can be a fussy plant to grow) and mint.

A Meyer lemon tree is a lovely addition to a courtyard or balcony as is a bay laurel (bay leaves) and will reward you for years to come.

If you’re growing in pots then it’s important to remember that your soil won’t last as long as would if you’re growing in the ground because of water run-off. You will need to top up and change your soil regularly, and probably feed a little more than you would in an in-ground garden bed. This shouldn’t deter you – it’s just something to bear in mind.

Of the herbs you grow yourself at home, which ones do you use the most? Can you suggest some good recipes using these herbs?

Herbs are awesome additions to any garden as they taste great and are pretty easy to maintain. They also act as insect repellents keeping nasties like aphids and caterpillars at bay and, when left to flower, attract good bugs to the garden which is really important if you want to reduce the amount of chemicals you’re using.

During the summer months I love basil and put in as many plants as I can find room for. It’s a great herb to grow and comes in a variety of flavours including the standard Genovese or ‘sweet’ basil you find in traditional pesto, lemon and lime variants, Thai basil (great for Pho!) and the more unusual (but lovely) cinnamon basil which is great in summery fruit salads. Basil pairs beautifully with tomatoes and you’ll often find people grow these two together as basil is said to improve the flavour of tomatoes and also helps to keep whitefly at bay. Despite its savoury profile, basil goes really well with raspberries and I thoroughly recommend adding a little basil to raspberry ice cream.

I also really like growing chives which will grow year round but are at their best in the cooler, wetter months. They are a member of the Allium family (the same family as onions) and so are quite useful in the garden as many bugs don’t like the way they smell. Chives make a wonderful addition to pretty much anything including salad dressings, soups, scones and marinades. One way I like to make use of a glut of chives is in herb butter. Soften a stick of butter and add a ½ cup (or so) of chopped chives and churn it together. Re-wrap and store as you would regular butter and add it to boiled potatoes and roast veg, spread it on bread with a little garlic and dab onto fish and chicken.

Dill is another brilliant herb which I always make sure I’ve got in my garden. It is a great plant to have because it tastes wonderful and also repels cabbage moth (which are responsible for those pesky green grubs that eat everything in your garden). When left to flower, Dill will attract beneficial insects to your garden (which in turn will eat aphids and other unwanted visitors). My favourite way to use dill is in a pesto with pistachios and a squeeze of lemon.

I’m thinking about installing some portable garden beds into my back yard to grow vegetables. What would you suggest I do in terms of soil preparation and compost?

As I’ve mentioned already, soil preparation is really important and will make a huge difference to the success of your garden. One of the biggest mistakes gardeners make is thinking they can skip out on soil prep, but I actually see it as being more important than plant selection. There are a couple of ways to approach it.

The first is to buy pre-prepared soil and top up with cow manure and compost at the change of season and the second is to build your own soil using the soil lasagne method championed by people like Stephanie Alexander.

There are pros and cons to each approach. Buying pre-made soil  is costly if you buy it by the bag and won’t last much longer than a season. The upshot is that all the hard work has been done for you and so is a good starting point if you’re short on time or are growing in pots. If you’re going to invest in some beds then I’d suggest finding a landscape supply yard and buying your soil in bulk. You will save yourself a small fortune doing it this way – for example, three bags of premium vegie potting mix will cost between $10-15 a bag and you’ll need about three bags to fill a small bed, add in the cost of plants, fertiliser and mulch and it becomes a very costly enterprise. Compare this to about $8 for enough soil to fill a large bed (and some leftover for pots) and you’ve got plenty left over for other, more exciting things like plants.

The other method is to build a ‘soil lasagne’ which is explained in detail over at my blog and involves building layers of mulch, compost and cow manure to create an excellent growing medium in which your plants will thrive. This method is a bit more complex but, I believe, has much better results than buying pre-made. It’s a bit like comparing a cake made from scratch and one made from a packet mix, I suppose.

I want to teach my kids about growing their own food. What plants would you suggest for them?

I think it’s really important that kids get to know where their food comes from and one of the best ways for them to learn this is through growing their own produce. It encourages them to take an interest in their food and I’ve heard that it can also help encourage kids to try foods they might not have been inclined to eat before.

Strawberries are a great option for kids as the end result is a deliciously sweet reward. I remember growing strawberries as a kid and being really stoked when my first lot ripened. Now is the time to plant strawberries and I’d recommend buying seedling from a nursery rather than planting seeds.

Another great option for kids are peas and snow peas. They are fast-growing, relatively resistant to bugs and can be eaten straight from the plant. They do well in pots (though you will need a trellis for them climb up) and pretty much the entire plant is edible including the flowers and the leaves.

Finally, I would suggest a pot of chocolate mint which, as the name suggests, smells (and tastes!) just like an after dinner mint. If nothing else your kids will love picking and smelling the leaves of this easy-to-grow plant which will encourage further growth. Be sure to keep this in a pot though as mint has a bad habit of taking over gardens if left to roam.

(c) All photos by Erin from She Cooks She Gardens. The top recipe is Erin’s Pan-Fried Gnocchi with White Bean and Kale. The second recipe is her vegan Eggplant and Chickpea Curry.

I’m a sucker for good seafood. Luckily, living in South Australia, I’m able to regularly indulge myself with seafood of exceptional quality.

When I was a kid my dad regularly went crabbing for blue swimmer crab and we went digging for cockles (pippies) every Summer at Goolwa Beach, too. Still do, in fact. Fish and prawns bought from the fishmonger featured regularly on the menu as well, as did the occasional squid caught with our own hands off a jetty.

My parents never cooked a lot of mussels at home though – I’m not really sure why except that my mum mentioned tonight that she usually finds mussels too chewy.

So the first time I ate a whole kilogram pot of mussels was when I was living in London in the early 2000s. London was (and is) an expensive city so when I ate out with my friends it tended to be at cheaper Asian places in Soho. However a few times I ate at Belgos, a restaurant that featured one kilo pots of mussels, Belgian beer and waiters dressed as monks.

The first time I ate there I ordered Moules Marinieres. My pot arrived piping hot with a side of frites and mayonnaise and as I opened the lid the most amazing fragrance escaped.

My version of this classic French dish is tasty and ridiculously easy to make at home so you have no excuse not to make this yourself.

My mother’s verdict tonight?

“Mmm. These aren’t chewy. Nice flavour.”

Bon appetit!

INGREDIENTS

• 30 grams butter
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 leek, white part only, chopped finely OR 3 shallots, chopped finely
• 1 kilograms mussels
• 1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, plus extra for garnishing
• 1/2 glass dry white wine or verjuice (I use Maggie Beers’)
• Salt & pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Scrub and de-beard mussels with a scourer under slow running water.
2. Heat butter in heavy pot until bubbling. Add garlic and leek and stir, cooking for a minute or two until soft.
3. Tip in mussels all at once, then add herbs and white wine.
4. Put lid back on and cook over medium-high heat for around three minutes.
5. Check mussels – if nearly all of them are open then turn off heat. If not, cook for another minute or so.
6. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
7. Tip contents of pot into large serving dish, removing any unopened shells and retaining all of the lovely juices.
8. Garnish with extra fresh parsley and serve with lots of crusty bread to mop up the juice.

Hello! I’m just back from a lovely weekend in Brisbane for South Bank’s Regional Flavours festival.

The minute I stepped off the plane into the sunshine I felt relaxed. When I’d left Adelaide it had been a chilly 12 degrees Celsius but in Brisbane it was a balmy 22 degrees.

It only got better from there. Over the next 48 hours I ate until I could eat no more, chatted with food producers from all over the state, watched some great cooking demonstrations and a fascinating butchery workshop, met some lovely local food writers and ran into a few familiar faces. Naturally I photographed everything.

It was pretty much my perfect mini-break.

So I can’t wait to share my foodie finds with you in a series of posts over the next few weeks.

In the meantime, here are a few of my favourite photos from the weekend.

I hope they make you feel refreshed and inspired, just as I am now.

Until next time,

Christina xx

Disclosure: I visited the Regional Flavours festival in Brisbane as a guest of the South Bank Cooperation. All flights, accomodation and transfers were courtesy of the host. Some meals and products were provided while I paid for others. As always, all opinions are my own.

It’s not often you’ll find me down in McLaren Vale two weekends in a row – in June I attended a great Arabian Nights cooking class at Chapel Hill Winery and then the next week I was back again for the annual Sea & Vines Festival, the biggest regional festival in SA.

McLaren Vale is a beautiful region about 40 minutes drive South of Adelaide that is home to approximately over 75 cellar doors including D’Arenberg, Coriole (write up of an olive oil tasting here), Yangarra, Rosemount, Fox Creek Wines and Penny Hill, and restaurants like The Elbow Room (write up here). Having just celebrated its 21st birthday, the region’s annual, 3-day Sea & Vines Festival is one of Australia’s oldest food and wine festivals.

This year, events were held at over 30 venues on each day of the long weekend with two types of attendance options: Experience and Relish & Delight:

1. Experience, held on the Sunday and Monday offered a party atmosphere with live music and multiple sessions at different wineries. Tickets cost $25 per person and gave you access to three different wineries and a plastic wine glass. Drinks and food are purchased separately and were often eaten standing up or perched around a table. Families tend to prefer the Monday while those who like to make a big day of it usually attend on the Sunday.
2. Relish & Delight offered more intimate food and wine matching dinners and regional master classes.

Sea & Vines was originally a two-day event but overcrowding became a problem so a few years ago the festival switched to a booking system. Last year they extended the festival to the Saturday as well, making it a three-day event. This year, an estimated 20,000 people attended over the three days.

My friend A and I visited on the Sunday, opting for Experience . Here’s what happened.

Middlebrook

I’ve never visited Middlebrook before but today it was buzzing. Crowds of festival goers overflowed the function centre onto the terrace and lawns where a band played and a marquee had been set up.

It was a chilly but gloriously sunny day so coats and sunglasses were the look de jour.

There were also a surprising number of bare legs (and requisite fake tan).

Many people had come down in groups – hiring minivans or persuading someone to act as a designated driver (i.e. they wouldn’t drink).

Check out the stage – it’s actually a truck with the sides off. Nifty, huh?

Over the years Middlebrook has had a variety of owners and names – in the 1800s Middlebrook was owned by Sir John Franks who gave the property its name. In the mid 2000s Middlebrow was refurnished and updated as a major function centre with two restaurants – Claudio’s for fine dining and the Cortile Gallery for a casual atmosphere.

Neither of us have eaten breakfast so we join the lengthy queues in the dining room and order food straight away. We both opt for the cooked breakfast comprising scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, baked beans, tomato, mushrooms, potato and bread. Food always tastes better in the open air so we take our food outside to eat on the terrace.

I had chosen Middlebrook specifically for this breakfast but alas, my excitement was misplaced. The beans, potatoes and mushrooms were fine but the scrambled eggs were solid and the sausage was dreadful. I appreciate the difficulty in keeping scrambled eggs at the optimum temperature so they neither overcook or cool so the eggs could be forgiven. That sausage, however, was dry, hard and oddly flavoured. It took several goes with my plastic knife and fork to cut it and after one mouthful I gave up.

Luckily a glass of Middlebrook’s Contessa Unwooded Chardonnay 2005 made everything better.

It’s a shame the cooked breakfast was under par. Next time I’ll buy one of these great picnic boxes with fresh seafood, pate, antipasti, dips, pesto, cheese and crackers for $30 instead.

So we bid goodbye to Middlebrook and headed to our next venue.

Maxwell Wines

Family owned since 1979, Maxwell Wines is a premium boutique producer in the heart of McLaren Vale.

The best seats in the house are the one ones overlooking the lush vineyards where the Maxwells grow the following grape varieties: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Grenache, Petit Verdot, Tempranillo, Verdelho and Viognier.

Upon arrival we were offered a Vodka Oyster Shooter with cucumber, red onion and red capsicum. For $5, down the hatch it goes. It was pretty tasty but a little more acidity (via citrus or vinegar for instance) would have helped to balance the strong raw capsicum and vodka flavours.

When we first arrive the mood is laid-back. But as the sessions wears on and more people arrive, the deck is reduced to standing room only.

We head inside and order lunch. The menu offers one breakfast option – pork belly, bacon and egg brioche — and four all-day meals. I opt for the Slipper Lobster (Balmain Bug) Hot Pot ($22) and A has the Tempura Soft Shell Crab with Chimmichurri and Aioli ($19).

The Tempura Soft Shell Crab was fantastic but it’s accompanied by only a few strands of rocket, making it more of an appetiser than a meal. If this had been lunch A would have had to order another dish — possibly the Crunchy Potato Fries ($8) or Truffled Three Cheese Nachos ($15) — as well.

The Slipper Lobster Hot Pot was sensational. Fragrant with lemongrass, kaffir lime, and chilli, the sauce was rich and creamy with coconut milk and soaked happily into the plain steamed rice. I’ve eaten Moreton Bay Bugs many times before but this was my first time eating Balmain Bugs and they were delicious. Two thumbs up.

It was now time to head off to our last stop.

Olivers Taranga

Oliver’s Taranga was founded in 1841 by William and Alice Oliver from Scotland and is nowadays run by the fifth and sixth generations of the Oliver family. Their cellar door experience is considered one of the best around and actually won Cellar Door of the Year in 2012.

At first glance the set up at Oliver’s Taranga seemed much more casual compared to Middlebrook and Maxwell Wines.

An area next to the main cellar door had been cordoned off. Wine barrels stood in for cocktail tables while up-cycled milk crates provided some seating.

Inside the cellar door was full of people tasting, discussing and enjoying wine. My friend bought a bottle of Oliver’s Taranga Vermentino 2011 for her husband.

The lure of the sunshine was too strong so we wandered back outside and ordered each of the three main dishes on the menu by Chef Todd Steele. I’d heard very good things about his food and wanted to make sure I tried everything on offer.

First up, some fish and chips ($15). The beer battered flathead was crisp and flavourful while the perched proudly on the plate, crunched happily between my teeth and were a delight from start to finish. The home-made tartare sauce was remarkably good – with fish and chips it’s the garnishes and sauces that make all the difference and this tartare sauce was bursting with fresh herbs and flavour.

Next up, Todd’s beef burger with onion jam, Hamlet’s bacon and aioli. The individual elements were flavourful but the large lettuce leaves made eating the burger a little awkward.

The final dish — Mushroom, Leek, Spinach Risoni (rice shaped pasta) with Baked Ricotta ($15) — was fantastic. Todd had worked in lots of lovely flavour and the heartiness of the dish was nicely balanced by the fresh baby lettuce leaves, herbs, pepitas (sunflower seeds), and crushed almonds. Top marks.

At this point I was getting sleepy from all the food so we loaded up on coffee for the drive home.

It was time to call it a day.

Bye bye, McLaren Vale – we’ll be back for Sea & Vines next year but next time I’m bringing a crowd with me.

Sea & Vines Festival

June long weekend
Various venues at McLaren Value

Middlebrook Estate

Sand Road,
McLaren Vale, South Australia, 5171
Tel: +61 8 8383 0600
Email: cellardoor@middlebrookestate.com.au

Maxwells

Corner of Olivers & Chalk Hill Roads,
McLaren Vale, South Australia, 5171.
Tel: +61 8 8323 8200
Email: info@maxwellwines.com.au

Oliver’s Taranga

246 Seaview Road
McLaren Vale, South Australia, 5171
Tel: +61 8 8323 8498
Email: admin@oliverstaranga.com

Disclosure: we visited Sea & Vine Festival as guests of the festival and Oliver’s Taranga. As always, all opinions are my own. 

The Hungry Australian recently celebrated its second birthday. So here are some of my favourite photographs I’ve blogged over the last year.

It’s hard to explain everything The Hungry Australian means to me and how it’s changed my life. But I’m going to give it a go.

I began this blog in mid 2011 with a post about my dad’s Chinese sausage omelette after my dear friend Kerina suggested it. At the time I had recently moved back to my home town of Adelaide, following a stint in Melbourne as a SAHM which in turn followed a successful overseas career.

I was also a freelance writer — I had my first piece published in 1994 — but back in 2011 I wasn’t finishing anything because I had lost my confidence. So I saw blogging as a way of dipping my toes back into my writing again – it would be an outlet where I could safely practise my craft until I was brave enough to jump back into the deep end.

I didn’t realise that a blog can be a deep end in itself.

Fast-forward to two years later and my blog has helped create a new career for me as a consultant, freelance writer, recipe developer, food photographer and stylist. Just try fitting that onto a business card! What began organically through my blog with companies contacting me to do work for them is now my full-time gig.

Blogging has meant that I can work flexibly from home while my kids are small, which is basically my ideal setup. It’s meant that when my husband and I separated last year and I had to get a job after being a SAHM for so many years, the tools and skills to do so were already at my fingertips.

The Hungry Australian has taken me to places I never dreamed I’d go. It’s meant I’ve been invited to be part of some incredible food experiences in Adelaide, interstate and overseas. Last year, it led me to start up the Adelaide Food Bloggers Group and to co-chair Eat Drink Blog 3, the third Australian Food Bloggers Conference. Earlier this year, I was also invited to join the Servved network, sitting alongside some extraordinary bloggers who I’ve admired for years.

Blogging has also brought all sorts of amazing people into my life. People I used to only read about or cyber-stalk (in a non-creepy way) are now friends and colleagues. Some I chat to online but I’ve never met in person, some I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy meals and experiences with, and some have become close and treasured friends. If you’re one of these people — and you know who you are — I am so glad to have you in my life.

Along the way The Hungry Australian has been honoured with all kinds of recognition. I was especially thrilled to be a finalist in the Best Australian Blogs 2013 competition earlier this year and to win the Outstanding Use of Photography award for my post Exploring Dubai: Spices, Diamonds, Gold, Fruit & Vegetables – see photograph below.

The Hungry Australian is a work in progress – I’m still finding my feet and working out what kind of blogger I want to be and what kind of things I like to blog about. And I’m not always as regular as I’d like to be with posting content and engaging with readers because of my work and family commitments.

However I do read every comment left and I do feel a warm glow inside every time you share my work. I really love hearing from you, too – I especially enjoy it when you respond with your own stories and experiences because it’s like a little window back into your world.

I am just so grateful for everything that has happened because of this blog. I could never have predicted any of this and I guess that’s what makes it all so exciting.

As to what the future holds, well, I have a few ideas. Which idea I’ll eventually decide on is still up for debate. But I can promise you it’s going to be fun. And there will definitely be food – lots of food. So I do hope you’ll continue to come along for the ride.

Thanks for reading.

Christina xx

Posts from top to bottom:

• A Fathers’ Day Brunch
• Fleurieu Peninsula: Willunga Farmers’ Market, Coriole and The Elbow Room
• Bellini Sorbet
• Chocolate Bundt Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce
• Cockling at Goolwa Beach + 4 Cockle Recipes
• Grilled Figs
• A Lovely Afternoon Tea
• The Breakfast Rave, Barossa Valley
• 8 Favourite Things (Delicious Power Crackles)
• J’s Chocolate Banana Cake
• Exploring Dubai: spices, diamonds, gold, fruit & vegetables
• Bruschetta with Quail Eggs, Truffle Paste & Asparagus
• Blood Orange and Pomegranate Salad

Determined to turn my food blogger butt back into a yoga butt, I went to the gym on Sunday. Here’s what happened.

1:00pm: I arrive at the gym.

1:01pm: I step onto a cross training machine and attempt to select a program. Lights flash. Nothing seems to work. The machine keeps flicking between ‘resume workout’ and ‘workout paused.’ Great.

1:o2pm: I dismount and select another machine, trying to look like I had planned this all along. This time I manage to select a fat burning programme and set the machine for 20 minutes.

1:04pm: I reach my target heart rate. Simultaneously, I realise that I forgot to bring a towel.

1:05pm: Sweat is forming in places I didn’t know I had sweat glands.

1:06pm:  I remember that I’m supposed to stretch before I start my work out.

1:07pm: I regret the blueberry danish I ate yesterday. And that cinnamon donut. And those chocolates.

1:08pm: There are cute boys at the gym. It’s a shame I’m doing a great impression of a panicked water buffalo trying to climb a moving barrel at the moment.

1:09pm: Legs hurting. Chest heaving.

1:10pm: Lights are flashing before my eyes. I’m seeing stars. Oh wait, that’s just MTV playing on the wall-mounted TV.

1:11pm: Why do all gyms only play MTV and the boring news? What would happen if they played food TV programmes like Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations or anything by Nigella Lawson instead? Would people exercise or would they just think, bugger this – I’m going to go eat something tasty. I suspect the latter.

1:12pm: I’m hungry.

1:13pm: How much longer is it? OK, I’m over the hill now. Too easy!

1:14pm: There’s a man on a mat doing sets of sit ups in front of me. That’s just showing off IMO.

1:15pm: So what if I can’t do sit ups? I can make great pho.

1:16pm: Now I feel like pho.

1:17pm: Exercise is good for me. I owe it to my kids to stay healthy blah blah. Oh, forget it – I just want to be able to fit into my skinny jeans without rupturing my kidneys.

1:18pm: Feeling the burn now. Push past it, Christina. You can do this!

1:19pm: I can’t do this.

1:20pm: I. Can’t. Breathe.

1:21pm: Almost there. On the homestretch now.

1:22pm: YES!!! I’ve done it. Endorphins are kicking in. I LOVE EVERYONE!!

1:23pm: Cool-down? There’s a 5 minute cool-down? Forget it – I’m going to cool down by going to weigh myself.

1:24pm: What???!!! That CAN’T be right. Unless my scales at home are wrong… damn! No wonder my jeans are tight.

1:30pm: Home again. What shall I eat now? I know, I’ll cook a dish inspired by that fantastic steak with an Asian dressing I ate at Press* Food & Wine the other day. It’s low-fat and protein-packed so it’s perfect for gym junkies like myself.

1:40pm: Eating steak and a huge side salad now. Experiencing utter, utter bliss.

1:50pm: Basking in the happy knowledge that I have not sacrificed my taste-buds for my thighs.

Steak with Asian Dressing

INGREDIENTS

• 250 gram best quality porterhouse steak
• 3-4 tablespoons of my Chilli Sauce
• 3-4 spring onions
• 2 tablespoons dried shallots (found at Asian grocers)
• 1 tablespoons dried anchovies (optional)
• Maldon salt or other salt flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1. Cook steak to your liking – I like mine medium rare so I brush a steak with oil and then heat up a fry pan until smoking. I add the steak and let it cook for a few minutes (depending on thickness) and then turn and cook it until the steak feels ‘soft’ with the back of my tongs.
2. Remove steak to a wooden chopping board and let rest for a few minutes.
3. Using a sharp knife, slice steak into thin-medium pieces. Thinner is nicer.
4. Arrange steak on a plate and pour over drippings from chopping board.
5. Spoon dressing over and then garnish with spring onions, dried shallots and anchovies (optional).
6. Sprinkle with salt flakes and freshly ground pepper.
7. Serve with a salad and crusty bread.

NOTES

1. Don’t use commercial chilli sauce – those sauces are designed as condiments. My Chilli Sauce can be used as a condiment but it works equally as a dressing on this steak. It’s not hard to make – you just bung everything in a pot, cook it and then blend it — and you’ll be left with lots of leftovers sauce that keeps beautifully in the fridge. It’s also great as a homemade present at Christmas time.
2. Serves 2 in theory when accompanied by a green salad and fresh bread and butter.

We’re only a quarter of the way into Winter and my skinny jeans are already tight. Damn. How did that happen?

In Summer I seem to exist on salads, fruits, healthy desserts and sorbet. Naturally I’m at my lightest then.

In Winter, however, I turn into a dessert and carb monster, devouring all the sweet treats and carbs within my reach. I’m in the midst of a raging affair with raisin toast — we just can’t get enough of each other — and the crumpets on my kitchen bench are becoming sulky and spiteful. Meanwhile, the curry and rice in my fridge keep whispering dirty sweet nothings to me late at night, “eat us, Christina. You know you want to.”

Hmmm… I think I’ve worked out why my skinny jeans are so tight.

Luckily, I’m also eating a lot of soup at the moment, which besides being healthy is perfect for this time of year.

This soup — Cauliflower, Leek and Chorizo Soup — was devised when my toddler insisted we buy some cauliflower while out grocery shopping. I then noticed leeks were on special and in the deli section I picked up some nice chorizo.

There are two ways you can make this dish: one is more concerned with taste (the chorizo is fried with the leeks so the chorizo oil flavours the soup) and the other is more concerned with appearance (the chorizo is fried separately so it crisps up and looks pretty on top of the soup). Which method you choose will tell me a lot about you as an individual. Not that I’m judging you – I went for appearance over taste for this shoot. But can you blame me?

A few nights of eating soups like this and I feel all virtuous and born-again. Which is a good thing because all it takes is a job for a client — like shooting this Apple & Raspberry Almond Crumble — to make me fall off the (dessert) wagon again.

But I’m not worried. I found a great deal on a local gym membership and I fully intend to start going regularly as soon as I am feeling better. I’m going to wave goodbye to my food blogger butt and say hello to my yoga butt.

Right after another bowl of this tasty soup. And maybe a crumpet or two.

Cauliflower, Leek and Chorizo Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 leek, washed and sliced thinly (white part only)
• 1 chorizo, diced
• 1 whole cauliflower, trimmed and cut into small pieces
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 1/2 cup cream (optional)
• EVOO to garnish
• Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Heat up non-stick pot and then add oil.
2. Fry leek over medium heat for a couple of minutes and then add chorizo and cook for a minute or two until starting to crisp up.
3. Add cauliflower, potatoes and chicken stock. Turn heat up to high and bring to the boil.
4. Once boiling, turn heat down to low, cover with a lid and cook for 12-14 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
5. Use a stick blender to process soup until smooth.
6. If not using cream, ladle into bowls and then garnish with EVOO and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with bread rolls.
7. If using cream, let soup cool down for 15 minutes and then add cream and mix well. Gently heat up again until desired temperature, garnish with EVOO and salt and pepper and serve with bread rolls.

VARIATION: cook the chorizo separately in a small fry pan in a little olive oil until crisp and then use it to garnish the soup.

I’m sick. My throat is sore, my ears hurt, my chest is tight and my head aches. I can’t get enough sleep at the moment but when I do sleep I frequently wake myself up coughing.

In my home Winter is the season of colds, viruses and fever. With two small kids being exposed to all sorts of germs at school, playgroup and childcare, I’m amazed we make it through more or less intact each year.

When you’re sick with a virus a few days in bed is what is really needed. However, like most working parents, I don’t have time to be sick. So I try to fight illness by feeding us healthy food.

One of my favourite things to eat when I’m feeling ill is Vietnamese Pho (Beef Noodle Soup). The combination of steaming hot soup, rare beef, fresh herbs, lemon juice and chilli clears my head and lifts my spirits as it nourishes my body.

My version of Pho is quick and easy and can be made in under 30 minutes. For most of the time the soup just simmers away on the stove – this recipe is really more about assembling than cooking, which is handy when you’re ill and can’t stay upright for long.

I’ll be back soon with new recipes and great food experiences to share. In the meantime, stay well.

Pho (Beef Noodle Soup)

Ingredients:

• 1 litre beef stock
• 1 litre water
• 2 onions, sliced thinly
• 4 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced small
• 1 cinnamon quill
• 1 piece cassia bark
• 1 pod fructus tsaoko (black cardamon) – can leave out
• 3 cardamon pods, slightly bruised
• 3 star anise
• 1.5 inch piece ginger
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 packet fresh or dehydrated flat white rice noodles
• 300 grams eye fillet
• 100 grams bean sprouts, washed and spun dry
• Handful fresh coriander and Thai basil leaves
• 1 lemon, cut into segments
• 2 fresh chillies, cut into pieces (optional)
• Hot chilli sauce (optional)
• Hoi sin sauce (optional)

Preparation:

I find travelling so inspiring. Seeing new sights, exploring new cities, and shopping at new markets stimulates my creativity as much as it expands my consciousness (and waistline!).

From 2000-2002, I lived in London. My first job was sub editing at a publishing company (now a digital content agency) in Camden on a freelance basis. The agency was very hip — nearly everyone was young and gorgeous — and everyone went to the pub together on Friday nights. Each month I’d work 10-14 days on different client magazines and then I’d travel the rest of the month. Flights to Europe were ridiculously cheap so each month I’d pick a different country and off I’d go. When I look back, I can’t believe how lucky I was, to have both the means and the time to travel like that. Youth is truly wasted on the young.

Now that I’m a parent I still travel overseas and interstate but nowhere near as much I’d like to. I still love to explore though – one of my favourite things to do on the weekend is to head to the Hills or the Coast for a relaxing day trip. So when an invitation to attend a Arabian Nights cooking class at Chapel Hill winery in the McLaren Vale arrived I was happy to accept.

McLaren Vale is a beautiful region about 40 mins from Adelaide renowned for its wineries, restaurants and produce. It’s idyllic and spacious – there’s something about being in a place with a lot of open space and an uninterrupted skyline that is very soothing.

My friend R and I arrived a little early so we warmed ourselves up by a wood fire – don’t you just love that smell?

We then enjoyed a welcome cappuccino made by Chapel Hill’s affable general manager, Brett Lanthois.

Next, we moved into a great purpose-built kitchen to meet Rebecca Stubbs, Chapel Hill’s award-winning chef and our tutor for the day. She explained that we would be cooking 10 Persian and Moroccan inspired dishes. Brett and Rebecca then ran us through basic kitchen hygiene and safety and we got started.

I was in the group responsible for Mains – we would be cooking Lamb Tagine, Sabzi (fresh herbs with cucumber and mint yoghurt), Salata Khadrah (traditional salad) and Moroccan Rice Pilaf.

The Lamb Tagine would take around 90 minutes to cook so we started with that recipe.

First, we prepped all the ingredients and then we fried the onion, garlic, ginger, and eggplant.

Then we added the walnuts and the meat.

Meanwhile, our classmates were getting on with their own dishes. Here the breakfast team are preparing the tomato sauce for Shashouka (eggs baked with tomato and chili).

Here the dessert team — they called themselves ‘Team Awesome’ lol — are preparing the pancakes for Ataif bil ishta (pancakes filled with rose cream).

As we cooked, Rebecca constantly flitted around the room to answer questions, demonstrate a technique or offer advice. Here she is explaining how to roll the walnut baklava.

Then it was time to adjourn to the balcony to enjoy a glass of Chapel Hill’s delightful Sangiovese Rose.

Next, we all had a go cooking the Nan e Lavash (flatbread) in the outdoor wood oven.

Then it was time to eat. While we’d been busy horsing around… er… cooking… a table  had been set up in the dining room for lunch.

First up, we sampled the Shashouka (eggs baked with tomato and chilli) served with the Nan e Lavash.

This dish was just gorgeous. Tomato sauces are not all created equal and here Rebecca had worked in complex flavouring and depth with paprika, cinnamon  star anise, coriander and saffron, as well as chilli for some lovely heat. It was a humdinger of a dish and something that would be great to make when you have friends over for brunch.

The next dish was Spinach, Chicken and Pine Nut Dolmades. Now my friend Peter will be shocked to hear this but I’ve only ever eaten dolmades out of a can before. Perhaps not surprisingly, I’ve always been underwhelmed by them. These babies were in a whole other league, however – made fresh on the spot and with lovely herb and citrus flavours they were a revelation.

Next, it was main course so my group returned to the kitchen to plate up our dishes and bring them out. First, the dramatic unveiling of the tagine.

Richly aromatic with meat that just fell apart with a gentle chew, the Lamb Tagine was the perfect dish for such a cold Winter’s day.

In contrast, the salads were all very basic. Because the meat and rice dishes are so highly flavoured, the salads are simply dressed so as not to overwhelm the palate. This was the same when with the local food I ate when I visited Dubai last year.

The Moroccan Rice Pilaf was one of my favourite dishes – it was multi-layered and flavoursome and just too pretty to look at. It’s such a versatile dish, too – you could play with any sort of combination of nuts, fruit, stock and herbs. Watch out for an upcoming recipe inspired by this dish.

Then it was time for dessert and Team Awesome hastily decamped to the kitchen to plate up their dishes.

First up, we had the Walnut Baklava served with slivered pistachios and rose petals. Isn’t it gorgeous?

Baklava is often very sweet, which has put me off in the past, but Rebecca’s version was beautifully balanced by the addition of lemon juice and zest.

Next, we tried the Pistachio Ice Cream served with Persian fairy floss.

I liked this dish but I didn’t love it. The recipe calls for the addition of frozen double cream cubes which are roughly cut up and appear staggered throughout the ice cream. Perhaps it’s because I am not so good with dairy these days, but I found the double cream sections too rich for my taste-buds.

The last dish was Ataif bil ishta (pancakes filled with rose cream).

While it’s not as pretty as the other desserts, nearly everyone agreed that this dish was the standout. The pancakes had been reheated under the grill so the edges were crispy and caramelised. Inside nestled the most voluptuous and magnificent rose and vanilla bean cream, which exploded into my mouth as I bit into the pancake. The sensation was utterly divine and prompted a few sighs around the table.

Apart from travelling, cooking is one of my favourite things to do – when I’m cooking in a quiet house I’m utterly content and absorbed. But cooking with a bunch of fellow food lovers is a different experience altogether, and a very fun one. In fact, if more people cooked and ate together the world would be a much happier place; when you bake and break bread with someone you can’t help warming towards each other.

Chapel Hill offers a number of cooking classes throughout the year. For bookings call 618 8323 9182.

Disclosure: I attended the cooking class and lunch as a guest of Chapel Hill. As always, all opinions are my own. 

Chapel Hill Winery and Retreat

1 Chapel Hill Road, McLaren Vale, SA 5171
Tel: 618 8323 9182
Email: info@chapelhillwine.com.au

At the beginning of this year I went full-time as a consultant, freelancer and blogger.

Now there are many great things about working from home – I especially love the working in pyjamas option, the family-friendly flexible hours and the lack of distractions. On the flip side it can be lonely at times; I’m a very social person so regular contact with the outside world is not only healthy, it’s essential to my well-being. But when I have too many deadlines or experience a blue patch like I did recently, I tend to stop going out.

So I was happy to break my recent bout of too-much-work-and-not-enough-play last Thursday with a media dinner at North.

Dinner was served in the dimly lit boardroom above North. The setting gave the dinner a rather formal atmosphere but the food and wine proved were a perfect ice breaker and we were all soon chatting away happily.

First up was a Mini Rare Wagyu Beef Bun.

The brioche bun was soft but not too sweet and proved to be the perfect backdrop to the tender Wagyu, melted cheese, sweet pickle, and rocket. The chilli mayonnaise gave the dish an enlivening and nicely balanced kick and went well with the fruity 10 Yangarra Estate Vineyard Roussanne from the McLaren Vale.

Next, we had a lovely Mixed Grain Salad that included beetroot, fresh citrus, freshly shelled peas, coriander and a mint and yoghurt dressing.

This delightful dish was a wonderful contrast in textures and flavours – the sweetness of the beetroot and the tender peas contrasted nicely with the earthiness of the grains and the acidity of the citrus. This was accompanied by the crisp 12 Geoff Hardy K1 Gruner Veltliner from the Adelaide Hills.

The next dish, Pan-Seared Snapper fillet was beautifully presented.

Expertly cooked snapper perched on top of al dente steamed green beans, crisp chorizo and an exceptional romesco sauce, made from roasted red peppers, tomatoes, garlic and and almonds. I usually like fish cooked quite simply but this dish was a wonderful blend of flavours. This was served with the 10 Spinifex Lola Marsanne Semillon Roussanne Ugni Blanc Viognier from the Barossa Valley.

I was starting to feel quite full by this point but the next dish — Mayura Station Wagyu Beef Rump (grade 9) served with 10 By Jingo Nero Ross — piqued my appetite yet again.

I love a good steak and wagyu, properly cooked, is one of the ultimate feasts for meat eaters. For this dish four pieces of beautifully charred and caramelised medium-rare wagyu were placed (lovingly) on a bed of buttered spinach and dressed with a creamy béarnaise sauce. The texture of this wagyu was quite extraordinary – the meat was so buttery soft my teeth simply sank through it and I barely had to chew. This dish would cost you $39 in the restaurant and I personally think that’s excellent value.

Dessert was Sticky Rice.

I was impressed with this dish for a number of reasons. First of all, it’s unusual to see an Asian dessert on a (Western) fine dining menu. Sticky rice is usually served in a bowl but here it’s been carefully manipulated to perch daintily on a drizzle of coconut milk. Lovely fresh mandarin segments and mint and chilli strips add some welcome freshness and bite, while lemongrass ice cream and a divine salted coconut crumb round off the whole thing beautifully. There is so much going on here in terms of flavours and textures but it’s all been put together in a restrained way and the flavours are nicely balanced. Top marks for this team effort.

Dessert was served with an incredible 12 Mocandunda Vineyard The Kindest Cut Cane Cut Riesling from the Clare Valley. I’m a sucker for a good sticky and this one is just gorgeous.

After the meal, Chef de Cuisine Ashley Brandom returned to answer our questions and receive our collective praise.

Brandom was born in Australia but spent many years in the UK where he worked with chefs like Albert Roux and Mark Treasure (The Museum Inn). He moved back to Australia in 2003 and worked at Penfolds Magill Estate, The Melting Pot/The Pot and Press* before joining North.

North’s winter menu will be available for lunch from Thursday 7th June and for dinner from Friday June 8th. The Dine and Dash promotion offers a main + beverage for $29 or an entree, main and beverage for $41.50. If you do choose the wagyu there is a $10 surcharge.

North
Adelaide Casino
Station Road, Adelaide SA
Bookings +61 (0)8 8218 4152

Disclosure: I dined at North as a guest of the restaurant. As always, all opinions are my own. 

I love living in South Australia. I was born in Adelaide and studied here before heading overseas to work. I then spent 13 years away before moving back here two years ago for family reasons.

I have never once regretted my decision to return. Apart from the advantages in having family close by, I love our lifestyle here. Whenever I have friends visit from overseas they’re like,”‘you live two minutes from the beach? The city is only 20 minutes away? The hills are just a short drive that way? Rent is so cheap? That’s your local market? WTF?”

Yep, we have it pretty good here.

We also have an incredible food scene, with talented producers, chefs, vendors, stallholders and restaurants delivering a world-class experience. Organisations like Food SA and local manufacturers like Menz are also doing a fine job in promoting and marketing our local producers to the local and world markets.

Our food scene deserves to be celebrated. So I was happy to learn that the South Australian Tourism Commission recently commissioned a number of local film makers to make some short films about SA’s food scene.

Check out this brilliant short film by Matthew Salleh (director, cinematographer and editor) and Rose Tucker (producer) from Urtext Films on my beloved Adelaide Central Market:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbLtpDwkG8o

I also love this fantastic short film on Fork in the Road, the popular food truck event, by Tim Standing, Adam Forte and Vic Pisani from Daylight Breaks. I went along to a Fork event earlier this year and was charmed by the quality food and great atmosphere. Check out the vox pops with Burger Theory, Simon Byrant (Dirty), Taco Cat, Sneaky Pickle, Four Seeds and The Mischief Crew.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuBdjf4jr-E

Love your work, guys.

PS  Check out the rest of the Through Local Eyes films on South Australia here.

What do you think of these films? Do you make you want to check out the market and Fork in the Road?

Last year my husband and I decided to separate. We’d been together for nine years and married for seven. Older The Hungry Australian readers may remember him popping up in various posts like this, this and this.

My parents are still together so I never imagined I’d be in this situation. But I also know that you can reach a point where it’s no longer tenable to be with someone. So the last 18 months have been challenging and sad in all kinds of ways. Ultimately, this is the best way forward.

We have young children so we work hard at maintaining an amicable relationship for their sakes. It’s not easy but it is important as their ability to deal with our split is closely linked to the way we manage it and how we continue to interact.

So it is in this positive spirit, and with his permission, that I want to share one of my ex husband’s recipes with you. This dish — Chinese Sausage Stir Fry — was the first dish he ever cooked for me when we started dating. At the time, I remember thinking, this guy has balls (if you’ll pardon the expression). I mean, not every (Western) man would feel confident enough to cook an Asian date an Asian dish. Put it this way: if I started dating an Italian man I would not be serving him Italian food the first time I cooked for him.

My ex came up with this dish himself, which was quite impressive as he’d only started eating Asian food when he arrived in Melbourne from Europe six years prior to our meeting. He did a Vietnamese cooking class shortly after he arrived after which there was no holding him back in the kitchen.

This dish was one of our regular Sunday night dinners as it could be made with ingredients we usually had in the refrigerator and pantry. Our kids loved it, too, although I’d add some marinated chicken pieces for them so they didn’t fill up too much on Chinese sausage – I haven’t met a kid that doesn’t go nuts for Chinese sausage and it’s not something they should eat too much of.

Ironically, or perhaps, tellingly, my ex and I always disagreed on was how to cook this dish. He would chop up all the stir fry ingredients and then add them to a cold wok/fry pan, with the vegetable oil and then turn the heat on. I maintained, and still do, that you should heat up the wok until smoking before adding the oil and then the raw ingredients in a particular order. I have to admit it tasted fine cooked either way though.

This dish is super simple and very tasty. Eat it, and remember to hold onto the positive moments that are present in every tricky situation.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, diced into small pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced thickly
• 5 Chinese sausages, sliced into thin pieces (available from Asian grocer)
• 2 bunches bok choy, washed and trimmed into individual pieces
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into think half moons
• 4-5 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 packet spaghetti, cooked in salted water and drained. Reserve half a cup of cooking water.
• Salt and pepper (optional)
• Handful roasted cashews or peanuts

METHOD

• Heat up wok or non stick fry pan until hot and then add oil.
• Cook onion, garlic and ginger over a low-medium flame, stirring regularly, until softened (about 2-3 minutes). Do not let it burn or brown – turn down heat if necessary.
• Add Chinese sausage and cook for a minute before adding bok choy, carrots and oyster sauce and stirring to combine.
• Cook for a couple of minutes until bok choy stems are cooking through, stirring regularly, before adding spaghetti and stirring well to coat with the sauce. Add a splash of cooking water to moisten if necessary.
• Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary by adding salt and pepper, or more oyster sauce.
• Serve in deep bowls and garnish with roasted peanuts or cashews.

Notes

• Serves 4
• Dairy free, no added sugar

Variations

• Steam the Chinese sausage in a small saucepan before frying it for a much juicer result.
• Add 200 grams marinated chicken thigh fillet pieces for added protein. Marinate the chicken in one tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon sugar for least half an hour before cooking.
• You can substitue gai laan (Chinese broccoli), regular broccoli or green beans for the bok choy. Just be sure to separate the stems and the florets of the broccoli and cook the stems for a minute before adding the florets.