Salted peanut caramel ~ more addictive than crack

A highly addictive and pleasingly simple confectionary that has delighted many of my customers and staff alike. I too am guilty of over-indulging in shards of its ruthless crunch and sweet salty balance. My teeth must curse me every time I make this, but it’s worth the extra effort in oral hygiene. A recent remark from one of my customers had me remembering just how first-rate this recipe is and how imperative it is that I share it with you.   “I gotta get me some of that salted peanut caramel. I read a review online that it’s more addictive than crack!”

My dad used to love this as a child, with the version he used to buy being somewhat more honeycomb-like in texture with the addition of baking soda which causes it to froth uncontrollably. This version looks good stacked in a large glass jar or makes great school fete treats, served in a brown paper bag with a ribbon. I’ve given you the recipe for a large glass jar full, but feel free to cut the recipe in half if 5 cups of sugar sounds like an overly daunting prospect.

Salted peanut caramel recipe

Ingredients:

5 cups of white sugar
2 cups of water
100 gms of butter
2 cups of roasted, salted skinless peanuts

Method:

Spray a large metal tray with non stick oil and then line it with baking paper.

Into a heavy bottomed pot place the sugar and water and heat on high or induction setting 8.

Allow the sugar and water to come to a gentle rolling boil and cook the mixture until the water evaporates and the sugar begins to turn a light caramel colour. This step should take about 15 minutes.

It pays to not walk away from the cooktop as you are waiting for the sugar to turn to caramel, as it “goes” fairly quickly and may surprise you at it’s speed at turning from white to caramel.

As soon as the sugar turns to caramel, remove immediately from the heat and add the butter, stirring through until smooth.
Beat in the peanuts and then carefully pour the mixture on to the lined metal tray.

If the caramel is thick, line the top of the caramel with more baking paper and carefully roll with a rolling pin to flatten, being extremely careful as the caramel is piping hot.

Allow the caramel to cool completely before snapping into rough pieces and consuming.

A recent dinner and masterclass with Peter Gilmore at Quay involved a few quail, the odd pork cheek or two, 17 happy participants and not a vacuum cleaner in sight.

To celebrate the new merger of Peter Gilmore (of famed restaurant ‘Quay’ in Sydney’s ‘The Rocks’ precinct) with Electrolux, I was invited to a fantastic evening  which included a cooking demonstration and 5 course tasting menu, to which  believe it or not, I jumped at the chance of attending.

We were initially treated to a cooking class with Peter demonstrating a couple of his signature dishes, made all the more easier by the use of his brand new Electrolux kitchen that now forms a special part of The Green room,  his upstairs private dining room.  Peter tells us that he has always been a fan of Electrolux and is thrilled to be working with their innovative and forward thinking appliances. On display and  in use in his new Electrolux kitchen is an induction cooktop and compact steam oven, to which he’s most interested in demonstrating as he sees cooking with steam a growing trend in professional kitchens.

With the cream coloured sails of the Sydney Opera House at our backs, we watched as Peter skillfully demonstrated his style of cooking that has gained his restaurant ranking in the San Pellegrino Top 50 restaurants around the world for the third year in a row. A mean feet of consistency and expertise, evident in his seductive style he describes as “nature-based cuisine”

Once seated at a long table elegantly set for dinner in crisp white linen, we were fortunate to be joined by the owner of Quay and hospitality personality John Fink, who regaled us with tales of Peter’s cooking prowess with its magical abilities to render diners into submission.

I could  certainly see John’s point as any attempt to resist was futile as wave after wave of beautifully balanced and carefully thought out dishes were presented to us with minimal fuss for maximum enjoyment.

One dish that still floats blissfully in my memory was the Berkshire Pork Jowl. Imagine the sensation of cracking through the sugar crust of delicately prepared creme brulee, now take that sensation and instead of breaking through to soft pillow like custard, you break through to creamy pork fat, which just oozes at the possibility of you eating it.

I’m not sure if it was the perfumed prune kernel oil, Pear Cider from the Coromandel valley or Mr Finks aftershave that had me light headed by the end of the meal, but it was a glorious night made all the more special by a humble and rare talent that is Peter Gilmore.

4 Expert Cooking Videos with Tetsuya Wakuda

and The Internet Chef

If you like these cooking videos by Tetsuya, please feel free to share them on Twitter and LIKE on  Facebook.

Learning how to cook can be rough, occasionally even intimidating. With the variety of produce and abundance of recipe sources thanks to our ever increasing appetite for knowledge, it’s hard to know where to start. The rational thing to do is to learn from the best. Someone who has years of experience behind the stoves,  a multi-award winning restaurant they call ‘home’ and a humble approach that makes learning fun, iconic Master Chef Tetsuya Wakuda is all that and more. His humble approach to food is so accessible that it could inspire even the utmost cynic.

Below are 4 cooking videos that I had the great honour to be part of with Tetsuya . These quick videos take you through 4 simple cooking techniques that are easy to master and call your own.  Induction cooking is well represented thanks to Electrolux, so if you’ve got an induction cooktop at home, these videos are a must favourite!

Enjoy.

Scrambled Eggs with Ricotta and sweetcorn

Warm salad of Kingfish with ginger, shallots and orange

Chicken Tagine with Couscous

Wagyu Steak slow cooked using Induction

If you like these Tetsuya videos,  why not check out this behind the scenes article!

La Casa Restaurant or Ristorante is located at 271 Lyons Road Russell Lea .

Take a trip out to Suburban Russell Lea in Sydney’s Inner West and you may notice something unusual taking place. A certain rumbling if you will, a ground swell of epic proportions.  That rumbling that you feel is feet, feet  pounding the pavement and there all making a beeline for La Casa Restaurant.

What is it about La Casa Restaurant that has so many people barnstorming their way to this family run Italian ristorante for a mid-week dinner?

It’s Tuesday evening, mid January 6:30pm and La Casa Restaurant is packed. People of all demographics sit hunched over tables and banquets heaving with good old fashioned hospitality. By all accounts, the food here is good ~ nay, the food here is great. It’s honest. It’s tasty and it’s bountiful. It doesn’t have a  Michelin star, but then again who cares? This food makes you feel good. A goodness that develops in your soul and laughs its way into your belly. Food that makes you feel this warm and welcomed should be handing out Michelin stars.

La Casa Restaurant  ticks other boxes. Its friendly, it’s inviting, it has atmosphere, it has meatballs and it has Carmel Ruggeri.

But what  has made La Casa Restaurant such an overnight success?

Restaurateurs take note, this will be the single most important thing that you will read since they announced the allowance for 7-day trading. La Casa Restaurant  has social media.

Thanks to the tweeting by part owner Carmel Ruggeri aka @carmr  who also tweets under the guise @_lacasa, La Casa restaurant has the food media world at her feet. Within weeks of opening all the top food writers in the city in both traditional and new media had been in to sample and then write about Carm, Tony, Smiley and the La Casa Restaurant team which has been driving hoards of new traffic their way.  Carm’s online personality is so infectious that you can’t help but fall in love with her wit and good humor and its  that same personality, larger than life, that greets you at the front door of her establishment with a smile and a hug.

Carm keeps it real online and IRL ( in real life), she reaches out and engages everyone and anyone. She doesn’t spam you with unwanted broadcasts about special deals or offers and restautrant opening hours. She tweets about life, her life and the life as a restaurateur. You will see tweets about how wonderful her staff are with an accompanying picture of her chef in front of his much loved La Casa pizza oven. She shares a laugh or two with her dedicated friends and followers and engages new followers like they were old friends.

She has created an online persona that people just have to connect with ~ a marketers dream, And she does it with ease and with maximum results. By being herself, and being authentic  she has managed to do what many are still trying to work out, how to make money by utilsing  social media.

The official unofficial Queen of twitter has a great looking bottom line… amongst her other wonderful assests and is a living, breathing, operating example of how social media can  positively influence bums on seats and dollars in the till. As her following increases so shall her customer base because if your lucky enough to secure a table, you’re a guaranteed customer for life because Carm and the team know how to deliver the goods.

Now let’s get back to the food. We came, we ate and we kept on eating! Here’s a recipe kindly supplied by Carm of one the dishes we inhaled on our last visit to the restaurant. A delicious light and satisfiying prawn pasta that is worthy of sharing.

La Casa Restaurant Fettucine Gamberi

Ingredients

600g of fresh fettuccine
1 Tbsp of freshly chopped garlic
2-3 dried chillis ( to taste)
1  sprig of lemon thyme
A small handful of fresh basil leaves
1-2 Tbsp of verjuice
1 Tbsp of capers
A good slosh of extra virgin olive oil
Half a punnet of cherry tomatoes
24 green king prawns
100g of baby spinach

Sea salt and pepper

Method

Bring to the boil a large pot of  lightly salted water.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and saute the prawns for a couple of minutes. Add the garlic and chilli and mix through.

Toss in the capers, cherry tomatoes and verjuice and saute for a further minute.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente or firm to the bite. This should take 3-4 minutes. Drain the pasta and add to the pan along with the spinach and toss through.

Season well with salt and pepper, garnish with basil and serve immediately.

For other La Casa Restaurant recipes see Carmels fabulous 10 minute foodie recipe for Spiedini Alle Olive

Victor Churchill’s Butcher Shop and a Beautifully                       Glazed Christmas Ham.

Chapter 1:

Photo credits: Victor Churchill and The Internet Chef

Nothing could have prepared me for what we were about to experience once we pulled the sausage link door handles and stepped inside Victor Churchill’s Butcher shop in Sydney’s Eastern suburb of Woollahra. First thing you notice is Holy COW!!!, pardon the pun… this shop is stunning, visually arousing even.

It’s easily one of the most beautifully designed stores I have ever set foot in. In fact IT IS the most beautifully designed store in the whole world having just won the International Interior design award for retail stores which was held in New York a few weeks ago. The Victor Churchill butcher shop carved up the competition from the likes of Hermes and Louis Vuitton stores. This store has added value to spare and is proof in the black pudding that the retail  environment can fend off the advances of online shopping.

When surrounded by such finery, it’s hard to believe that your standing in the middle of a bustling butcher shop floor as there is none of the “normal indications”  that this is place where amazing meat comes to be worshipped by its adoring public. But this shop has more than rare retail carnivorous beauty to awe and amaze, it has a fifth element that was so unexpected and inspiring that it literally took my breath away.

The Butcher Shop with more

This shop has soul. And that soul is created and nurtured by the wonderfully warm and inviting Puharich family.

There is  energy within these walls, a rich history and a voice. For a start, this building is the oldest continuously run butcher shop in Australia. It opened in 1876 and still sells the locals of Woollahra its dietary staples.   None of the incredible design pieces that make up this theme park for butchers have been placed in haphazardly, they all have incredible meaning, wicked functionality and a delightful story that Anthony Puharich, the CEO and co-founder of Vics Meats along with his Father and best friend Victor,  is only too happy to share with you. It was a chance tweeting I had with Anthony aka @askthebutcher_  that led me to come into his butcher store and spend a few hours wandering through its incredible features.

Anthony greets me with the warmest smile and a huge hug, his generosity of spirit instantly evident. I can’t help but warm to him as we stand side by side in his Butcher’s boutique  taking in all the sights and sounds  that are happening around us. We begin the journey at the start, such a wise yet often missed placed starting point in any story. Anthony is roots. He has strong, solid family bonds that go back to the island of Croatia which his father Victor left some 40 years ago for the shores of Australia.

Anthony is a 5^th Generation butcher. His Dad’s a butcher, his Dad’s older brothers are butchers, his grandfather was a butcher and so was his Great grandfather. Anthony wears his love for his grandfathers on his sleeve by way of a tattoo on his forearm which reads ‘Buzaga’ which is a term of endearment given to someone who holds a lot of respect. Alongside  this tattoo are the names of his parents, his wife and his three children taking pride and place on the opposite arm.

You get the feeling that this is a man who believes whole heartily  in his family. He pays homage to his genealogy in everything he does and with such pride and diligence to stay true to what they have created within in him. Victor Churchill and Vics meats  is a family affair with father Vic, son Anthony and daughter Anita all working to create a wholesale meat empire, the largest in Australia where they process some 20 tonne of meat daily for the Sydney and Melbourne markets from their Mascot warehouse and now a retail extravagance that has managed to pick up that incredible world design award.

The success Anthony attributes to hard hard work. Their humble beginnings as an immigrant family where for 26 years Victor worked as a butcher to feed, support and nature his young family ensuring that they were well educated and well loved. Anthony went from high school to University where he gained a degree in Finance. With this degree in hand and a whisper of an idea in his pocket he convinced his Dad to open their first retail  butcher shop Vics Meat in 1996 in Oxford street  Darlinghurst.

The Victor Churchill and Vics Meats cherished timeline is a proud feature on the staff room wall

The next two years Anthony explains were tough. The demographic at the time that called that part of town home weren’t buying meat to take home and cook, being a community of people that loved to eat out. All their potential business was going through the front doors of restaurants, so Anthony decided to try knocking on the restaurants back doors. It was through this moment of brillance and a lucky break, which Anthony describes, came by way of Dietmayer Sawyer who was at the time executive chef of the wildly popular Level 41 restaurant that lead to the break that Vics meats needed  to get them into the market. Vics wholesale meats was born.

Over the next 12 years Anthony and Victor worked to create a wholesale empire with Victor Churchill retail being the jewel in the crown. Anthony’s labor of love can be felt throughout the store but none more so than in the genuinely  happy smiling faces of the staff that work at Victor Churchill’s. They take such pride in showing us different design features that they particularly enjoy and one of the delightful butchers put it so well when he said ” Its the closest you can get to working but not working”

So is this store all its cracked up to be? Well global talk-show queen Oprah seemed to think so, dropping in to visit on her way to the airport. She described it as a Butchers boutique and even managed to leave some grafitti on the wall alongside some other well respected food and televison personalities that have dropped by for a snag.

My 30 minute interview with Anthony turned into a 2 hour love fest with so much to see and and do, I couldnt possibly expect to write it all in one article, so here starts the Victor Churchill series. As I write this article, Christmas day is but 3 days away, so I have included a Victor Churchill Christmas Glazed Ham recipe which is cooked every day in store  by Executive chef Romeo Baudouin and sliced to order.

I’ve heard that Disneyland is the happiest place on earth… I beg to differ, Victor Churchill’s is.

Victor Churchill’s Christmas Glazed Ham

Recipe by Romeo Baudouin

Ingredients

200g brown sugar

20g dried mustard

60ml cidervinegar

60ml maple syrup

1 cup of cloves

1 Ham ~ Victor Churchill uses Kurobuta Berkshire Ham.

Method

• place the brown sugar, dried mustard, cider vinegar and maple syrup into a bowl and mix together unitl all the ingredients are combined to make the glaze.
• Use a small sharp knife and carefully remove the skin from the ham maning sure that the fat remains on the meat. Save the skin to cover the ham surface until you are ready to start glazing.
• Use a sharp knife to score the meat in a criss-cross (diamond) pattern and stud the centre of each diamond with a clove.
• Place the ham in a baking tray and pour over the glaze. Add a little water to cover the base of the pan.
• Bake the ham at 180C for approximately 30 minutes or until the outside of the ham has turned a golden brown colour. Baste the Kurobuta ham with a brush 4-5 times throughout the cooking process.

To serve

• Simply slice to serve. The ham is perfect hot or cold.
• The remaining glaze can be warmed and served with the sliced ham.

Have you ever experienced a butcher shop like this in the world?

The Secrets to a GREAT Banoffee Pie!

Like a lovers first kiss, I fully remember the first time I succumbed to  Banoffee Pie. Its decadent toffee flavour seduced me at first bite and whispered sweet tropical nothings in my ear. What clever wizardry is this that four basic ingredients can taste so fantastic together?  The simplicity of this dish has always astounded me. How could something so simple as Banoffee Pie, taste so right? In a culinary world  where we are bombarded with multiple layers, exotic flavour combinations and gastronomic contortions, it’s so wonderfully comforting to know that simple still works deliciously.

Banoffee pie is a blend of words or portmanteau being  1 part banana to 2 parts toffee otherwise known as the “Banoffee” A biscuit base is processed and then pushed into a fluted tart mould, chilled and then covered in fabulous toffee, sliced banana and whipped sweetened cream. It couldn’t be easier and more effective. A dessert invented in the 1970’s in Sussex England, it has stood the test of time with its abilities to raise heart felt “ooohhhs and aahhhs” whenever it is served.

A fine example of Banoffee Pie can be found at the chic and ever so cool Cafe Sopra at Fratelli Fresh in Sydney, where I once indulged after a salad of white sardines and heirloom tomatoes with vincotto. As I was dining with 3 lunch companions we stupidly chose to share a banoffee pie between the four of us , something I vow to never do again!

When invited to attend the Electrolux Cooking School at  Fratelli Fresh for a  hands on cooking class  in Sydney’s Food destination of Danks Street, Waterloo,  I jumped at the chance and was enchanted to see that the three course menu we were to put together did in fact have the Fratelli Banoffee Pie as its sweet course. The chefs at Fratelli did all the hard work for us, which was the boiling and cooking of the cans of condensed milk which forms the toffee or dulce de leche, but I  have seen jars of pre- made toffee in delis for those wishing to short cut this process.

Chef Andy Bunn from Cafe Sopra at Fratelli gently guided us through the Banoffee Pie assembly process, to which we all got the opportunity to step back on to our individual cooking stations and whip up a treat with a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio’s firmly in hand!

The Banoffee Pie Secret

The secret to their Banoffee Pie success Andy said, was the use of ripe bananas so the flavour is sweet and starchy. You also need to assemble this dessert only moments before you intend to serve it as the bananas will go black if left to oxidize. I have to say that there was no fear of this dessert being left to go brown as we were happy to whip into it as soon as it was ceremoniously unmolded from its metal confines.

I did  get to take some home  in a little takeaway container for a late night snack in front of the refrigerator, along with a basket full of wonderful produce from Fratellis own warehouse style produce and deli market.  This was only possible thanks to the wonderful spread that was put on by Andy the team at Fratelli once our class was over.  A special thanks to Andy  for sharing his luscious Banoffee Pie recipe.

How to Make Banoffee Pie

Recipe by Andy Bunn, Cafe Sopra at Fratelli  Fresh

Serves 12

Ingredients

2 x 395g cans of sweetened condensed milk

180g unsalted butter, chopped

375g digestive biscuits, halved

60ml thickened cream

2 vanilla beans, seeds scraped out

75g icing sugar, sifted

4 bananas

30g dark chocolate, finely grated

Method

• Place cans of the condensed milk in a large saucepan of water and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2 hours adding water if necessary to ensure cans remain covered, remove cans and cool in the fridge for a couple of hours.
• Meanwhile melt butter in a small saucepan, and then cool slightly. Using a food processor crush biscuits into fine crumbs, add the butter and process briefly to combine. Pres crumb mixture over the base of a greased 28cm loose based tin, then refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm the base.
• Open cooled cans of condensed milk and spoon caramel evenly over the biscuit base and refrigerate overnight until firm.
• To assemble pie: Using electric mixer whisk cream, vanilla bean seeds and sugar to stiff peaks. Cut bananas into thin slices. Remove pie from the tin and loosen base and place on a plate. Spoon or pipe half the whipped cream over the caramel filling, then place bananas in an overlapping circle working from the outside in. Top with remaining cream and sprinkle with grated chocolate.
• Cut into slices with a hot dry knife and serve immediately.

Tips: To stop noise of the cans rattling in the saucepan, place a folded tea towel in the base before adding the water. Enjoy your Banoffee Pie!

If you love our posts, please Nominate Bridget Davis for a social media award in the Shorty Awards

Sydney’s Walsh Bay Sets up An Arts Table For 1000

Tickets are still available to Palette on the Pier ~ An Arts table For 1000 which kicks off at 7:00pm on Wednesday 27th October on Pier One of Walsh Bay. Tickets are $150.00 per person all inclusive and can be purchased by clicking here >> Palette on the Pier 2010

Nestled under the watchful eye of the Sydney Harbor Bridge is a hideaway community of arts, culture, food and business. Pier after pier of restaurants, cafes and creative spaces make for the eclectic group known as The Walsh Bay Precinct home to the Sydney Writers Festival and the prestigious  Biennale of Sydney.

At the heart of this community lives and breathes multiple arts and cultural  organisations  including The Australian Theatre for Young People and The Sydney Dance Company. It is with the keen involvement of local businesses around The Walsh Bay precinct and there passion and commitment to the  arts that has seen the development of an annual fundraising dinner on the pier at Walsh Bay to coincide with Sydney’s Crave International Food festival  ~ with all proceeds this year going to Regional Arts NSW.

Lara Scolari, “Abstract painting” 2010. Oil on board which will be up for auction on the night

Brigid Kennedy, a champion campaigner for Walsh Bay and its incredibly diverse community of artists and businesses, has the exciting  role of coordinating a magnificent open air 7 course degustation dinner for up to 1,000 guests on the pier at Walsh Bay on the evening of Wednesday 27th October.  Her catering business and cafe  Simmer on the Bay along with 5 other Walsh Bay restaurants will be donating their time, produce and staff to the ambitious evening in an incredible act of generosity towards Regional Arts NSW.

Canowindra regional wines will be represented by Swinging Bridge Estate and Rosenay wines who along with other vineyards from the same area   have donated cases of their finest grapes to match a menu created by the group of chefs who will be responsible for feeding the evening’s guests. An Italian style tasting plate by Chef Roberto Taffu of Ventuno Pizzeria will be matched with  Toms Waterhole Semillion 2010, followed by Savory duck meat balls on mushy peas created by Chef Adam Humphrey of Restaurant Arras and matched with a 2009 Falls Wine Chardonnay.

Charly Wrencher ,“The Pass”.

As well as an evening of tempting food and wines, there will be a silent art auction with some beautiful Regional pieces up for offer.  Live music and  entertainment will fill the enclave that looks on to the Sydney Harbor Bridge and guests will be wined and dined in the name of Art. The recipients of this year’s inaugural Palette on the Pier fundraising dinner Regional Arts NSW,  is a non-profit organisation that is dedicated to  developing the  arts in small rural communities which in turn helps to interrupt the anti-social cycle of behavior by giving back a sense of pride and self worth.

Chef Brigid Kennedy from Simmer on the Bay  along with chefs Serif Kaya from Ottoman Cuisine, Chloe Kinajil from Firefly, Adam Humphrey from Restaurant Arras and Roberto Taffu from Ventuno Pizzeria with the help of many staff and volunteers  are proud to bring you an evening of entertainment and fine food to create a global experience which is the Walsh Bay Precinct.

Tickets are still available to Palette on the Pier ~ An Arts table For 1000 kicks off at 7:00pm on Wednesday 27th October on Pier One of Walsh Bay. Tickets are $150.00 per person all inclusive and can be purchased by clicking here >> Palette on the Pier 2010

@iconic88 Takes a Leaf from Jane Hornby’s New Cookbook

“What to Cook and How to Cook It”

Bookings for Jane’s October 27th Hands on Cooking Class can be made by clicking on the SYDNEY Fish market or  by phoning +61 2 9004 111. Places are strictly limited, so to avoid disappointment, book now!

It must be tough living with a chef. All the eating and great food you have to endure. Time and time again, amazing meals are put in front of you and it’s up to you to eat. How @iconic88 does it, I’ll never know. He has made eating an art form and between the two of us and our house mate Bruno, we have munched our way through many a satisfying supper. So much so, that we very rarely eat out, opting to eat in so I have the chance to “experiment” on them.

With all that eating 88 has been doing, it hasn’t left him much opportunity to cook. He rates himself as a professional eater rather than a cook, and he’s a dab hand at the washing up too. But, there has been more than a few times when I haven’t been around to whip up  culinary delights which has left stomachs wanting and yearning. If only there was a step by step guide on what to cook and how to cook it!

Enter Jane Hornby, Former food editor of the  BBC Good Food Magazine, with her step by step cookbook with 100 recipes and over 800 photographs! Just what the doctor ordered for the novice hungry cook.

The cookbook is a  hard cover encyclopaedia sized manual with recipes ranging from breakfast standards like French toast  and Eggs Benedict, a section dedicated to simple suppers and light lunches as well as recipes for food sharing and weekend cooking. The sweet toothed amongst you are well catered for by Chocoalte pots, Key lime pie and Panna Cotta and there’s also a section on menu planning and basic preparations.  Jane says that “this is the food that everyone likes to eat”.

The book has been written with the novice in mind, and Jane likes to think of it as your best friend in your  kitchen. With step by step photography to keep the reader on track, it’s only down fall is its shear size and the books ability to stay open  on the bench top so that you can follow each recipe carefully.

The best way to review a cookbook in my humble opinion is to test out the recipes. How well do they work? Does the dish live up to the photography and does the recipe read easily and logically.  And what better person to do the testing than @iconic88 my proffessional eater and novice home cook.

88 chooses to cook one of his favourite dishes, a Prawn and Mushroom Laksa and we sit back and watch him do it!

@iconic88 Cooks Laksa!

1. Read your recipe thoroughly to make sure there’s no little surprises half way through the cooking process.

2. Check to make sure you have all your ingredients.

3. Pour boiling water over 100gms of rice noodles to cover and allow to soften. You can use the kettle which makes it safer to pour the water.  (great thinking 88!)

4. Slice 1 small bunch of shallots or spring onions

5. Slice 150gms of shitake mushrooms

6. Check the rice noodle and give them a little stir to separate ( chopsticks are optional ~ I think someones been watching the food channel again!)

7.  Heat a pot with a bit of oil and add the mushrooms

8. Add the spring onions and saute lightly for a couple of minutes

9. Pour the mushrooms and spring onions into a bowl and set aside

10. Using the same pan, place it back on the heat and add 2 Tablespoons of laksa paste. ( 88 added 4 more tablespoons as he likes it fiery!)

11. Cook the laksa paste for 3 minutes until fragrant. Stir frequently to avoid the paste stickin to the pot and burning

12. Pour in 1 can of coconut milk and stir to combine.

13. Pour in 400mls of chicken stock

14. 88 wants more heat in the Laksa so adds a teaspoon of hot and spicy sambal olek

15. Still not content with the heat factor, 88 uses the soup to wash out the laksa jar to extract as much flavor out of the jar as possible ( Hey, aren’t you supposed to be a novice? That’s an advanced maneuver! )

16. Add the raw prawn tails to the waiting broth

17. Season well with a couple of tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar and the juice of 1 lime

18. Return the mushroom and spring onion back to the pot and stir briefly before turning off the heat

It’s time to plate!

19. Add some drained rice noodles to the bowl and top with a small handful of bean sprouts

20. Ladle over the hot soup making sure that all the bowls get a few prawns and mushrooms

21. Garnish with some wonderfully fragrant coriander leaves and

SERVE!

Well done to @iconic88! Great job, great sportsmenship and the Laksa was fabulous.  88 out of a possible 88 points in kitchen stadium! A little on the spicy side, but that… was a given : )

When asked what he thought of Jane’s cookbook, 88 was impressed with the easy to use recipes and clear and precise photographs. He liked the range of recipes contained in the book, and has decided that he just might give a few more a go. Would he recommend it to people? Absolutley! It works and it’s logical.

I picked up a couple of methods that could be improved on technically, which would improve the overall ‘finish’ of the dish. These methods were textural only and would not affect the overall flavor of the dish too dramatically. All and all, the recipe was solid and a great entry to the world of cooking for those less culinary wired.

Jane’s book retails for $59.99 but for those lucky enough to be in Australia for the 2010 Sydney International Food festival, Jane is visiting from the UK and will conduct a live cooking class on Wednesday 27th October.

The cooking class will be held at the Sydney Fish Market where you will get a hands on 3- hour cooking lesson with Jane herslef, a 3 course meal, wine tasting AND a copy of her cookbook all for only $120 AUD.

Bookings for Jane’s Class can be made by clicking on the SYDNEY Fish market or  by phoning +61 2 9004 111.  Places are strictly limited, so to avoid disappointment, book now!

Bridget tackles the Green Fairy at

Australia’s only dedicated Absinthe Bar

“Have you heard the one about a guy who walks into a bar…? How about the one where The Internet chef walks into a bar…?” And this is no ordinary bar, in fact it fails to resemble any bar I’ve ever had the fortune or misfortune of stepping into.  Welcome to the world of the  Absinthe Salon, the brainchild of Absinthe devotees Joop Van Heusden  and Gaye Valltila.

“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.” And don’t even consider ordering a gin here. Joop an Gaye are an absinthe bar, pronounced Ab-sant,  and absinthe is what you order and absinthe is what you drink. The Absinthe salon in Sydney’s Chic Surry Hills is unique in that they only serve absinthe ~ 28 varieties and all ranging in flavor, taste, price and alcohol content.

Stepping up to the nondescript door of the absinthe salon, you ring a bell to announce your arrival. There are no signs indicating what lies behind this iron clad doorway, just a simple plaque with 87 Albion Street gives those in the know the indication that they have arrived at there destination.  Gaye greets you at the door with a warm smile and leads you through the front parlour to the bar and lounge area which delights in its design and feel.  With such a dramatic change from roadside to barside the ambiance is intoxicating and breathes to you ‘Its time to  relax and unwind’.

Black and beige French brassiere chairs  hug the sides of white linen tables, ceremoniously set with silver Absinthe water fountains, silver spoons, bowls of white sugar cubes and different styles of heavy set absinthe glasses. A fiery red head, draped in a  flowing green dress is painted on the back wall with an absinthe glass raised to the heavens and a black bar over flowing with glass and silverware sits on the opposing wall flanked by a glowing Verdigris three headed lamp post which warms the cosy room.

When I visited the salon, I felt like I had stepped back in time and in doing so felt rather underdressed in my hipster bootleg blue jeans and long flowing navy blue tunic. I needed a smooth drink to soothe my worries, and up stepped Joop to my table to take me through the absinthe journey. I had  heard the stories. You know the ones that say that Absinthe is  hallucinogenic and makes you feel like your on LSD. To much of the green fairy can drive you mad. Joop quickly dispelled all said rumors.

The story of absinthe is bitter sweet, romantic yet unfortunate by the rough reputation that precedes it. Absinthe started life in France and Switzerland in the 18th century as a medicinal drink. An elixir made from selected herbs that was used for those with stomach problems. Absinthe is the French word for wormwood which is the herb that is picked and then distilled to produce the drink. As it gained in popularity, it was discovered that when mixed with a small amount of water it become a delicious aperitif or pre-dinner drink.

Its popularity soared throughout the artistic and literature types in France becoming the symbol of the Belle Époque or beautiful era of European social history. “The green hour” was born from the light green tinge that good absinthe possesses.  From the green hour, the green fairy came about due to the haze produced from the emulsification of the water and the absinthe. Such was its popularity that some distillers began producing  inferior versions of absinthe to keep up with demand, many of which were using shortcuts and materials that were harmful when consumed. This combined with the French wine industries fear that absinthe would eventually take over wine sales lead to a political banning of absinthe in 1915.

The stories of hallucinations and people going mad from wormwood were some of the unjustified condemnations  used by parties against absinthe to help in creating this prohibition that went right throughout many parts of Europe. Drinking absinthe will not drive you mad. Nor will you hallucinate. If you over indulge you will get very drunk as absinthe alcoholic strengths range from 45% to 70+%, but with Joop as your host, there is no chance that this will occur. The absinthe salon has a three drink policy. If you are intent on going onto the salon to get hammered, its best you find another watering hole.

Drinking absinthe is a ritual. Its social with no rush as you need to allow time for your drink to slowly draw itself. Once you decide which absinthe to try, its best to start off with the lower alcoholic varietals as they are very much like your entree ~ you need to ease yourself into it and awaken your taste buds gently.

The absinthe fountain on your table is filled with ice and water. Joop then  free pours you a dose of absinthe at the table and instructs you on what to do next.

• Position your glass under the fountain tap.
• Place the spoon across the top of the glass
• Position a French ‘a la perruche’ sugar cube on to your spoon and directly under the fountain tap.
• Gently tun on the tap and allow the water to ever so slowly drip on to the sugar cube, dissolving as it goes.
• The absinthe will began to ‘louch’ or go cloudy and emulsify with the water.
• Once your drink reaches a ratio of 2 water to 1 absinthe. Turn off the tap.
• Remove the spoon from the glass and stir your drink gently before sipping leisurely
• If you feel your absinthe is to strong, you can adjust the strength by slowly adding more water, observing the drinks need to louche

Absinthe tastes of anise and fennel, and for my first glass which was a 45% Francios Guy, it was sweet, bright and lively, perfect for a warm summers afternoon. I enjoyed it immensely, noticing just a slight hint of wood behind the candy nose.  At this stage its a good idea to move to another absinthe that’s slightly stronger in flavor and strength. Joop recommended   for my mid level drink a 68% Eichelberger limitee distilled in Germany.

This Absinthe was a darker green than my starter and I found it to be well balanced with citrus and spice. It had a fuller mouth full and it louched a lot heavier than that of the Francois Guy. I drank this slower than the Guy as I immediately could feel an appealing lightness in my head. Joop refers to this as becoming lucid and euphoric. At no time did I begin hallucinating as I was far to busy enjoying the wonderful sensations brought on by the green hour.

In between sips, myself and my drinking ( or should I say sipping) companions were treated to a plate full of delectable sweets. Bricohe, chocolate covered biscuits and biscotti were eagerly nibbled at as we discussed war and peace through the eyes of the Belle Époque. Joop joined us, regaling us with fascinating stories of his love for this delightful activity.

Having Drink number three is a personal choice, and I  chose ‘yes’ as did my table of merriment. As we were all now moving onto the top level, we allowed Joop’s experience and professional approach to the task to guide us in the right direction. I felt like I had won the lottery as Joop proudly poured me a dose from a bottle that was not on the list. It was a 72% Jade Edouard absinthe, the famed French distillation that is made exactly as it would have been pre ban or pre 1915.  ”This…”, I am told “Is absinthe”

It has a deep creamy mouth feel, strong flavor of herbs and the  slight bitterness of wormwood. The liquorice from the anise was delightful and complex.  Its strength numbed my tongue somewhat but allowed the back of the mouth to detect  some citrus. It was smooth as silk yet packed a wonderful punch.

Joop plans to get little buttons made for those of us that have successful completed the top level. I could have happily done one more, but as Joop so correctly put it, the three drink limit is there for a reason. The wormwood in the drink numbs the tongue and after three drinks you can no longer taste the flavor or strength of the absinthe, which makes continuing to drink it dangerous and silly as it becomes an alcohol bomb.

I had bombed out on my attempt to get anymore, but my head thanked me the next day as I awoke feeling only slightly groggy due to the late night rather than  over consumption.

Joop and Gaye plan to open other absinthe salons so more lucky people can partake in the experience. With their flagship Surry Hills bar being booked out three weeks in advance on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, it pays to give them a ring rather than popping in on the off chance. They also sell bottles of Absinthe online and are the largest distributors of Absinthe in Australia. You can also purchase fountains, spoons and glassware from them too ~ an Absinthe party in the making!

So if your planning on a night at the salon, I suggest you grab a few ‘nice’ friends, book yourself a table near the window, and dress to impress because you won’t feel out of place in all your elegant finery. Ask Joop to the tell you the story of Absinthe and allow yourself to float away with the green fairy.

Absinthe Salon: 87 Albion Street Surry Hills, Sydney Australia

+64 2 9211 6632
View Map Here

The Olio Cafe Kopi Luwak Experience

I was unintentionally  introduced to Kopi luwak by Jack Nicholson. Not so much personally but by way of the movie The Bucket List where Jack Nicholson’s character is an eccentric millionaire, living out the last days of his life and doing all the things on his “to do list” before he ‘kicks the bucket’. Jack’s cantankerous character carries with him a gold thermos from which he pours Kopi Luwak ~ the most expensive coffee in the world and sips at his leisure to satisfy his caffeine cravings.

I had to wonder, what does the most expensive coffee in the world taste like? and what’s the hype that surrounds this famed brew? Curiosity killed the cat and in this case the cat then pooped the coffee beans.

Kopi or coffee luwak attributes its superior smoothness and taste to what happens in the Indonesian jungles. The cat sized nocturnal animal, the Asian Civet , is a lover of fine sweet coffee cherries. Using its highly attuned nose, it sniffs out and then eats only the sweetest coffee cherries straight from the tree. As the coffee beans are passing through its digestive tract the combination of enzymes naturally occurring in its gut help to break down the bitter proteins in the bean. The beans remain in tact whilst on its digestive journey and even begins a slight fermentation or malting process that helps to mellow out and achieve Kopi luwak’s distinct smooth and syrupy texture.

The Civet is a ‘territorial shitter’ (never thought I’d have the need to write that in an article)  which poops in clumps making bean collection for coffee farmers easier to manage.  The poop is then picked up, thoroughly and might I add meticulously cleaned, before being air dried and ready for sale. And sell it does! For anywhere between US $200-$1,200 a kilo. The worlds rarest and most expensive coffee. I had to get me some of that!

Fortunately my taste-buds were soon to be appeased. Nicholas Aspros of Olio Cafe and bar in Sydney’s St. Leonard’s along with boutique roaster Sam Gabrielian of Caffe Di Gabriel have formed an alliance and are serving up some of this rare brew at even rarer prices.

Kopi luwak has been known to sell  for up to $79USD  a cup. With that sort of price  being out of bounds for most coffee drinkers,  Nicholas of Olio Cafe  decided it was his mission to make great coffee accessible to a wider market. The Olio Cafe Kopi lewak experience is  priced to clear at only $9.00 AU a cup!

Considering the rarity of this coffee, $9.00 Australian is a minuscule amount to pay  for  the Kopi Luwak Experience which consists of a shot glass of lime and ginger soda to cleanse the  palate followed by  a cup of lewak brew~ served preferably neat or with a shot of milk ala picillo style. If your not one to take your coffee as an espresso, the boys are more than happy to construct it into flat white or latte but advise against it as the milk does dilute the superior taste of the coffee.

You can either sip your luwak as is or they supply a special type of cane  sugar for those of us that need a bit of sweetening. A delicious little petit four of chocolate, almond and ginger also awaits your dining pleasure. (recipe to accompany soon!)

Sam, the lovely Barista at Olio talks me through the process that goes into preparing the coffee machine for a luwak. First the machine, group head and areas surrounding the beans are washed down and cleaned. The group head is flushed with steaming water to remove any potential coffee grounds from the normal coffee supply. The Luwak beans sit majestically on the edge of the counter in there own private machine, where they are ground to order. The group heads are preheated before being filled with coffee grounds and extracted into small red espresso cups.

The delicious brew that awaits your taste buds has a smoothness that is velvety and rich with no hint of bitter aftertaste. Its ability to define itself on your palate leaves you wanting more than an espresso sized portion. Thankfully I wasnt supping alone and was able to enjoy some of 88′s picillo as well.

I have much to say about the merits of drinking such a delicious cup and when I’m only parting with a small amount of cash it makes for a more compelling story.  My brief encounter with  master roaster Sam Gabrielian was an inspirational journey through his love of all things coffee where he has commited his boutique roasting company to seeking out and sourcing some of the rarest and most unique coffee beans in the world.

With a supply of Kopi luwak only set to last for a couple more months, Sam and Nicholas have decided to continue selling rare brews and have a line up of fabulous coffees to keep the coffee afficiandos grinning. Mount Everest Supreme, Jamaican Blue Mountain and Hawaiian Kona are all on the coffee hit list and will be slowly rolled out at this St. Leonard’s oasis.

Olio Cafe and Bar is part of the Forum Center, Shop 1P1, 201-205 Pacific Highway, St. Leonard’s and are open Monday- Friday from 7am-9pm