May 31, 2009
Boned Shoulder of Pork Roasted with a Winter herb Cure on Creamed Parsnip and Buttered Kale (left) and Pot-Roasted Murray Valley Moisture-Infused Pork Rack with Broad Beans, Pomme Cocotte and Pine Mushrooms(right).
It all started with a dash from the office to Restaurant Atelier in Glebe, with a rumble in my stomach that can only be sated by Pork. Actually, I lie. It started before then, with an invite from Stewart at Whiteworks and Mel from Fooderati to attend a Yuletide Feast Restaurant Atelier with Australian Pork. How could I say no?
This amazing pork extravaganza was accompanied by Piggs Peake wines in a delightful play on words. Now, I like wine as much as the next person, but I know almost nothing about it, past “Wow thats the kind of wine I wouldn’t mind drinking after a long day at work” vs “um, that one tastes like dead ants”. Furthermore, I don’t actively drink white wine, so this dinner was eye opening for me because I realised that white wine isn’t bad, and I actually quite enjoy it (or maybe it was that the Piggs Peake wines I tasted were of a much higher quality than I am used to). Big thumbs up to Piggs Peake, for letting me in on the white wine secret.
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May 27, 2009
The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.
In my mid teens I escaped the boring farm life and headed to the big city for the Xmas holidays. My uncle had given me a job wrapping presents in his bustling Bondi Beach gift shop, how exciting for a small-town girl. One evening my uncle asked whether I liked Schnitzel. Now, you know I had had schnitzel before, but only the pre-prepared revoltingly dry chicken variety, not the hanging off the edge of the plate tender veal kind, with creamed spinach and sauerkraut. This was obviously a problem that needed immediate rectification, so after the shop closed we wandered around the corner to the Gelato Bar and sat under the stars on a beautiful summer night and eating schnitzel. I’m sure it was pretty decent, but I had eyes only for the strudel.
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May 25, 2009
If Homer Simpson has been right about anything, it’s pork chops *drool*. I grew up watching the Simpsons, but I didn’t really eat pork until I left home so I never knew. I hate to admit it, but masterchef inspiration struck at the butcher, and I had to give these pork cutlet a whirl (though I wouldn’t be putting them in the butane flame like a certain now departed contestant). And they didn’t have beetroot in their mystery box so they couldn’t make this delicious relish as an accompaniment.
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May 23, 2009
Simple pleasures.
Running into an old acquaintance and walking together to the train station. Home made yoghurt finally working! Shuffle songs on my ipod hand picking me the best to-work playlist imaginable, songs I didn’t even know that I wanted to hear. A visit from a friend who doesn’t care if your house is clean, who is happy to sit and chat while you cook. A glass of wine after a long hard day. A new combination of flavours you had never experienced before, one you didn’t expect to work out, but did. Zucchini batons, browned and caramelised where they kissed the pan and mint. A hint of vinegar, a splash of great olive oil. Eat them with your fingers and think about simple pleasures, because sometimes their effect is not so simple afterall.
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May 20, 2009
These last few days have been beautiful in Autumnal glory. …actually that is a total lie. Monday was lovely and Sunday was divine, though I barely left the house, Saturday was so windy that I could make some rude similes involving beans about it, and my clothes were blown off the line, and a few weeks ago we were rudely introduced to winter a little too soon. I am in two minds about the change of seasons, yay for braising, quinces and scarves, boo to short days, frozen fingertips and boring fruit. So I am trying to drag the last days of summer out with light refreshing sweets – best served for lunch dessert in this weather.
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