Gourmet Chick

Gourmet Giveaway - French Food Safari

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Tue, 29 May 2012 22:30:00 +0000

In all honesty I don't really watch that much television but recently I have been glued to both the French Open and Maeve O'Meara and Guillaume Brahimi's latest series, French Food Safari. Since France is such a long way away from Australia I am using TV as some sort of substitute to actually poking around in French markets and spending afternoons feasting on stinky cheese and copious amounts of red wine.

Scalloped potatoes from French Food Safari

Luckily for me Hardie Grant has also produced a cook book, French Food Safari, which accompanies the TV series to allow me to totally indulge my French obsession. Like all Hardie Grant books, French Food Safari is full of stunning photography and is beautifully produced. It features lots of classic French recipes by Brahimi and other top Australian French chefs. From French onion soup to Boeuf Bourguignon, it's all there. The only fault I could make is that quite a few of the recipes are very complex and "cheffy" but I guess that's French food for you.

The French Food Safari book

I tested out the recipe for Gratin Dauphinois (scalloped potatoes) which came up a treat, oozing rich cream and gooey cheese between layers of baked potatoes. I've reproduced the recipe below but the lovely people at Hardie Grant have also offered me two copies of French Food Safari to give away to Gourmet Chick readers for those who want to get their hands on the actual book. All you have to do is leave a comment below.

Here are the rules:

To enter the competition to win one of two copies of the French Food Safari leave a comment below. If you don't have a blog please make sure you leave an email address or Twitter name in the comment so I can contact you if you win, or email me directly on missgourmetchick[at]gmail[dot]com if you don't want to leave details on your comment.

You can also "like" the post about this competition on the Gourmet Chick Facebook page (click here) to gain an additional entry.

Sorry, competition only open to Australian residents.

Competition to win the cook books closes at 5pm Australian Eastern Standard time on Wednesday 13 June 2012.

A winner of the tickets will be selected using random.org and the winner will be announced on Gourmet Chick on Friday 16 June 2012.

If you don't manage to win a copy of French Food Safari, it is available on Amazon for £21.25.

Beautiful photography inside French Food Safari

Guillaume Brahimi's Scalloped Potatoes

500ml milk

250ml cream

1 garlic clove, half finely sliced, half left whole

1 kg Desiree potatoes, peeled and finely sliced

Pinch of nutmeg

140g gruyére cheese, grated

Salt and pepper to taste

Layering the potatoes and cheese

1. Bring the milk and cream to the boil in a large saucepan over a medium heat.

2. Remove from the heat and stir in the sliced garlic, followed by the potatoes, nutmeg and a handful of the grated cheese. Stir well then return to the heat and simmer until the potatoes have started to soften.

3. Preheat the oven to 200c. Rub the inside of a large baking dish with butter, then rub with the remaining half clove of garlic.

4. Season the potato mixture to taste and spoon a layer into the dish. Sprinkle with some cheese and add more potatoes. Continue to layer until you have used up the potatoes, finishing with a layer of cheese.

5. Bake in the oven for 20-30 mins (it took me 40 mins), or until golden and crisp on top.

Serves six.

Rita's Cafeteria

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Sun, 27 May 2012 22:30:00 +0000

Over a summer spent at the beach in Lorne I discovered the excellent Bottle of Milk cafe, a new addition to the town. Serving up great coffee and even better burgers it quickly became my favourite place to eat so I was excited to hear that the boys from Bottle of Milk and Pizza Pizza in Lorne have just opened a place in Melbourne, Rita's Cafeteria, a pizza place in Abbotsford.

Peeping through the window to Rita's

I went for dinner there with my fellow food obsessed friend Joyce from Mel: Hot or Not and on a wintery night Rita's certainly looked cosy and inviting. There's a lovely mosaic when you walk in the door and the fit out inside is simple with austere white tiled walls broken up by the occasional shelf filled with cans of Italian tomatoes. Seating is at counters overlooking the kitchen, in clubby leather seated booths or at a big wooden communal table. A pizza oven dominates one corner of the open kitchen signaling the staple food on offer at Rita's.

Pork sausage pizza

Rita's offers classic pizza combinations like Marinara and Capriosca alongside some of its own concoctions which are rather creatively named including the Bingo Bango, topped with salami and pancetta, and Punk Rock topped with pumpkin and goats cheese. The pork sausage pizza ($17) looked the goods when it arrived with its meaty topping of sausage freshened up with the addition of fennel, peas and a few basil leaves. However the pizza base was so thick and crunchy that it was quite difficult to eat. The pizza also seemed to be undercooked and lacked that lovely smoky char that is the signature of great pizza.

There's lots of counter seating at Rita's

Pizza isn't the only thing on offer at Rita's, there's also a selection of pasta and risottos. Thick ribbons of papardelle pasta ($16) were dressed with greens broad beans, cavelo nero and rocket. However the broad beans hadn't been double podded and so they had an unpleasant chewy texture and the greens had been overcooked leaving the whole dish an unappetising green sludgy colour.

Sludgy green pappardelle

There's no dessert menu as such at Rita's, instead there are a selection of dessert specials which on our visit was limited to a chocolate calzone, a crumble and ice-cream. The crumble ($9) was made from apples and berries with a grain heavy crumble topping. It was simple stuff but decent enough.

Apple and berry crumble - topped with a scoop of pistachio ice-cream

Unfortunately there is a major ventilation issue in the restaurant and our eyes were stinging during the meal from all the cooking fumes. Arriving home stinking of smoke really topped off a meal marred by disappointing cooking. Rita's is still very new but given that the restaurant is not in a soft opening phase and is charging full price for its food I haven't cut it too much slack in this review. I hope that it does find its feet with a bit more time and can replicate some of the solid, simple cooking at the Bottle of Milk.

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Essentials
Details: 239 Johnston Street, Abbotsford (Ph 03 9419 8233) Open daily 7.30am–late.
Damage: Such a bargain my mother would approve. $42 for two without drinks (Rita's liquor licence is still coming through).
4/10

Fitzrovia

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Thu, 24 May 2012 22:30:00 +0000

The dilemma with Fitzrovia is whether to go there for brunch so you can have the excellent cured Tasmanian ocean trout or for dinner so you can order the truffled polenta chips. These are the decidedly first world problems that I have to deal with in my life.

Cured Tasmanian ocean trout with quinoa for breakfast

For those who haven't come across it yet Fitzrovia has opened down the more chi-chi end of Fitzroy street overlooking Albert Park. The name is a reference to the street but Londoners will also recognise it as a nod to the area near Soho where chef Paul Jewson used to live. Jewson is an ex River Cafe alumni which shows in Fitzrovia's ethos of top quality produce served simply and honestly.

The front counter at Fitzrovia

You enter Fitzrovia through a big glass filled atrium which boasts a long counter topped with quiches, salads and sandwiches. Up the stairs is the restaurant proper with wooden tables, bentwood chairs, polished floorboards and a kitchen so open that it is tempting to walk in and start cooking your own meal.

St Ali coffee at Fitzrovia

You wouldn't want to do that though because Jewson will do a much better job than you would. For breakfast, the trout I mentioned earlier is cured in house and served with toasted quinoa, roasted cherry tomatoes and a poached egg with a perfectly cooked sunny yellow yolk ($19). Coffee is by St Ali and my latte was creamy and smooth.

The famous truffled chips

Returning a week later for dinner I discovered that those truffled polenta chips ($8.50) were indeed the "holy trinity" of truffle, parmesan and parsley. The chips were just as crunchy on the outside and soft inside as I imagined and the truffle and parmesan added richness and depth. Pan fried snapper fillet ($33.50) was spankingly fresh and perfectly cooked with a crisp skin and flesh that flaked on the fork. The fish teetered on top of a serve of Nicoise salad which erred on the small size.

Who knew that my first world problems would be so easily solved by two visits to Fitzrovia? This is one restaurant that easily straddles the breakfast, lunch and dinner service.

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Essentials
Details: Fitzrovia, 155 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda 3182 (Ph 03 9537 0001) Tues - Sat 8am -11pm, Sun 8am - 5pm, Mon closed.
Damage: Pricey. Dinner for two was $92 with one glass of wine each.
7/10

Huxtable

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Tue, 22 May 2012 22:30:00 +0000

Guess where Heston Blumenthal ate when he was in Melbourne last week? Huxtable, I wasn't there then but the staff proudly tweeted a picture of themselves with the chef. Named in honour of the all time classic Cosby Show Huxtable's menu has American influences alongside dashes of Korean, European and Australian.

My favourite dish at Huxtable - the lamb filo rolls

The philosophy with the menu is to "pick the bits that work" and they have adopted the same approach with the decor mixing a vibrant open kitchen with ringside bar seats along with dim lighting for the rest of the eatery and clubby 1970's style leather chairs.

Piementos de padron

The food is all share plates and there are lots of things to jump start your appetite over a couple of drinks like piementos de padron ($10), the Russian Roulette of peppers where one in every ten is spicy. I thought the number of peppers was a little stingy compared with other restaurants but otherwise the roulette worked its magic as per usual. Mini burgers of xo bun ($6.50) were made with a sweet almost brioche like bun and filled with a creamy mix of crab, jalapeno and mayonnaise flecked with thai basil. Lamb puttanesca ($5.50) wrapped in crisp filo threads and teamed with lemon yoghurt was an absolute ripper of a dish. The lamb was soft and tender while the filo added textural contrast and the yoghurt some tang.

Mini burgers

From the more substantial part of the menu, which is divided into "sea", "land" and "earth", the roasted snapper ($27) of two pan fried fillets arrived perched on top of some crushed potatoes. The fish was perfectly cooked and spiced up with some roasted chorizo dotted on the plate and a pimiento dressing.

Roasted snapper

The dish that left me unconvinced was the Korean barbecue pork ribs ($22). The fatty sticky ribs were an absolute winner but we ended up leaving most of the spicy coleslaw and pickled gherkin behind as the coleslaw erred on the gloopy side and the gherkin was just too big.

The ice-cream sandwich

Our meal finished on a high note with Huxtable's famous ice-cream sandwich ($12). Smooth pistachio ice-cream was sandwiched between sweet, flaky biscuits and oozed chocolate fudge. It was exactly the sort of dish which delighted you just as much as an adult as it would have as a child.

I enjoyed my meal at Huxtable but I wasn't blown away by it. I sort of found myself wishing I had opted for the much cheaper Huxtaburger across the street. I wonder what Heston thought?

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Essentials
Details: Huxtable, 131 Smith street, Fitzroy 3065 (Ph 03 9419 5101)
Damage: Pricey
7/10

South Melbourne brunch: St Ali v Chez Dré

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Sun, 20 May 2012 22:30:00 +0000

St Ali is a South Melbourne brunch institution after several years in operation but now there is a contender to St Ali's crown with newcomer Chez Dré located right next to the South Melbourne market. Chez Dré boasts a sunny courtyard, an onsite bakery and serious coffee but can it compete with the legendary St Ali?

My Mexican Cousin at St Ali

St Ali

On a recent visit to St Ali on a sunny Saturday there was the standard wait for a table and then entry into the buzzing warehouse space which houses the cafe. Music was pumping, the waiters were almost dancing from table to table and it felt a bit like MTV and I had just stepped into a giant, coffee fuelled party.

People waiting for a table at St Ali

Before we had a chance to even look at our menus our waitress took our coffee orders. I liked this, speedy coffee is good after all, and I also liked her suggestion to try the bean of the day which she said would go well with the milkiness of the latté and cappuccino we had just ordered. What I didn't like was then opening the menu to discover St Ali coffees are $4 a pop with an additional 80c charge for the bean of the day. We had just been shamelessly upsold McDonalds style. Yes the coffee was good, but as it did not come sprinkled with gold I did not think it was $4.80 good.

The St Ali coffee which should have been sprinkled with gold

Probably the most famous dish on the menu at St Ali is My Mexican Cousin ($18.50), it's so popular they have even named a restaurant after it. The dish is a great combination of fritters topped with an egg and a slice of gooey warm haloumi. It's seriously addictive stuff and the reputation of the dish is well deserved.

Omega Love at St Ali

The Omega Love ($18.50) is not as well known but it is equally as good. A sort of warm salad it features pastrami smoked salmon on top of tiny roast potatoes with the runny poached egg yolk acting almost as a dressing to bind the dish together. Maybe you can complain about the price of the coffee at St Ali but it is probably the only thing to complain about.

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Essentials

Details: St Ali, 12/18 Yarra Place, South Melbourne (Ph 03 9686 2990)

Damage: Reasonable

9/10

Chez Dré

Also set in a converted warehouse space in a back alley of South Melbourne the feel at Chez Dré is a little more refined and a little less funky than St Ali. The music was quieter and the waiters seemed to love their job a little less. However the cafe instantly won me over with its more reasonably priced coffee ($3.50) which everyone apart from the most hard core of aficiondos would find hard to distinguish from the St Ali brew.

Herb crepe at Chez Dré

The menu is French influenced (its petit dejeuner at Chez Dré not brunch) with lots of patisserie items and some classic dishes to win over Francophiles like Nicoise salad and Croque Monsieur. Sticking to the French theme I tried the herb crépe ($12.50) which was stuffed with a mixture of ricotta and sun-dried tomato and served with a green salad. Unfortunately the crépe erred on the side of lukewarm and so I had to hurry to finish it before it cooled down completely.

What Chez Dré does specialise in is patisseries so it is worth picking up a pastry or macaron here post brunch. While Chez Dré offers a cheaper alternative to St Ali in a less frenetic setting but for me it lacked St Ali's atmosphere and the food was good rather than great.

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Essentials

Details: Chez Dré, 287 Coventry Street (rear), South Melbourne (Ph 03 9690 2688)

Damage: Reasonable

6/10

Afternoon tea at The Langham

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:30:00 +0000

After a disastorous afternoon tea at The Sofitel I was a bit worried about what would be on offer at The Langham. I had booked in with my Mum and sister for afternoon tea there for Mothers' Day. I needn't have worried at all, afternoon tea at the Langham was everything you could want from an afternoon tea plus a little bit more.

The tiered cake stand for afternoon tea at The Langham

The setting was certainly swanky with the Aria room where afternoon tea is served at the top of the hotel's marble stair cases, past the fountains and ceilings dripping with chandeliers. On our table was a present for Mum, a tin of Mor toiletries, as part of the Mothers' Day package.

Tea from a silver pot - just the way I like it

The Langham's tea list includes all the standard teas alongside some more exotic blends created especially for the hotel. It is served in silver teapots complete with covers to protect against burnt fingers and refills are constant.

Lemon tarts from the dessert buffet

The main part of afternoon tea is served from a tiered cake stand on the table. The stand included savoury levels of mini quiches sweet from their filling of caramalised onion and surrounded by crumbly, soft pastry along with freshly made cucumber and egg finger sandwiches. Most importantly the scones were a triumph, fresh from the oven with a choice of fruit scones or plain. They were served as they should be with clotted cream and sharp, good quality jam.

More buffet goodies

Desserts were available from a buffet style table which included perfectly formed tiny lemon tarts and warm chocolate pudding dripping with sauce. There was even a chocolate fountain. Each pastry confection we tried was excellent with the only exception being the chocolate eclairs which were on the hard side.

The chocolate fountain

I think I loved the afternoon even more than Mum did and it felt very decadent to be cosseted away in The Langham with another round of scones or plate of pastries always available. The only drawback was the price which was pretty steep in what could only be described as a Mother's Day sting.

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Essentials

Details: Aria, The Langham Hotel, 1 Southbank Blvd, Southbank (Ph 1800 641 107)

Damage: Budget Breaking. $85 for Mothers' Day. Normally afternoon tea is $45. Look out for the Burch and Purchese afternoon teas which are hosted at the Langham on selected dates.

9/10

Gourmet Chick in Nepal

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:30:00 +0000

Sitting typing this in Melbourne my trip to Nepal last year seems like it was to another world. Most people visit Nepal to trek but I've already shared my experience with you of trekking the Annapurna circuit last year. Now I thought it was probably time to let you in on what else there is to do, see and eat in Nepal.

The monkey temple in Kathmandu

Kathmandu
Kathmandu is Nepal’s capital full of temples watched over by resident monkeys, incessant honking horns, tiger balm sellers and trekking touts. The food in the capital has all the variety you won’t find trekking in the remote mountains so we made the most of made to order falafels (Rs155) at Chick N Falafel doused in spicy sauce. These were so good that there was always a queue outside the little store front just opposite Pumpernickel bakery in Thamel.

Eating Thai at Ying Yang in Kathmandu

For our last meal before setting off for the Annapurna circuit we feasted at Yin Yang, a Thai restaurant with a lovely garden area to eat in. The Thai food here lives up to the Thai hot and sour promise with crunchy, golden brown spring rolls and a rich massaman curry with a great peanut flavour. The curse of the cherry tomato and broccoli floret was happily missing.

Essentials
Yin Yang, Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal (Ph 01 442510) 7/10
Chick N Falafel, Thamel Chowk, Kathmandu, Nepal 6/10

Fruit seller in Pokhara

Pokhara
Pokhara sits on a shimmering lake surrounded by mountains and nearly everybody here seems to be either coming from or going on a trek. After 200km walked I felt I had earned the legendary special steak at the travellers institution, Moondance restaurant. The special steak (Rs 590) is old style “surf n’ turf”, the tender pink steak with a pleasingly charred crust doused in a creamy sauce and topped with a fresh prawn. For Italian food Caffe Concerto is the best bet. The gnocchi bolognese (Rs 360) was soft and pillow like while the pizza (Rs 400) came liberally topped with a thin, crisp base.

Eating pakara in Pokhara at Boomerang - note Lonely Planet in shot

Boomerang restaurant with its lakeside garden setting and Olive cafe were our preferred lunch spots. At Boomerang the fresh pink lemonade was excellent alongside the spicy pakora. While at Olive I liked the bruschetta topped with vibrant tomatoes (Rs 100) accompanied by a big wedge of chocolate brownie dripping with hot chocolate sauce.

Western style goodies - chocolate cake and peppermint tea at Olive in Pokhara

Essentials
Moondance, Central Lakeside, Pokhara, Nepal. 5/10
Boomerang, Central Lakeside, Pokhara, Nepal (Ph 065-461412, 462978, 463474) 4/10
Olive, Baidam Road, Lakeside, Pokhara, Nepal (Ph 061 462575) 7/10

Lumbini - the birthplace of Buddha comes complete with lots of monks and prayer flags

Lumbini
Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, was distinctly underwhelming so unless you are Buddhist and visiting for religious reasons it is not worth the 10 hour bus ride to get there. We hired bikes (R150 each from our hotel) and cycled around the gaudy temples and ornamental ponds before escaping the heat and dust for a Japanese fix at the Hokke Hotel. Sitting outside in the calm of the hotel’s garden we were brought chilled wet towels and green tea. The teryaki set lunch (Rs 850) comprised plump pieces of teryaki doused chicken without bones (a rarity in Nepal), noodles, pickled vegetables, miso soup and fresh fruit. The whole meal was beautifully executed in traditional Japanese style.

Eating Japanese style in Lumbini

At night we feasted on Thukpa, a Tibetan noodle soup that you find everywhere in Nepal at The Three Fox restaurant. The Three Fox is up a set of rickety stairs looking over the Lumbini Bazaar and inside it looks rather tired and worn but the food here is good with a decent although slightly oily spaghetti bolognese (Rs 200) and Thukpa packed with fat, wriggly noodles, creamy paneer and slivers of roasted beef (Rs 130).

Essentials

Lumbini Hokke Hotel, The Royal Residency, Lumbini Sacred Garden, Rupandehi, Nepal (Ph 580136) 8/10

The Three Fox Restaurant, Mahilwar, Lumbini, Nepal 5/10

Thukpa at the Three Fox Restaurant

Gourmet Travel Tips

We flew to Kathmandu from London with Kingfisher Air which flies via Delhi for £450 one way. Once in Nepal we travelled by both local and tourist bus which were easy to organise but pretty uncomfortable.

I've put lots of tips about trekking in my post on the Annapurna circuit.

Kathmandu: We stayed at Hotel Blue Horizon which was down a Thamel back street so away from a lot of the noise. It has a lovely wifi enabled garden area to sit in the sun, eat, drink and meet other travellers. The downside were the rooms which were dark and worn looking. Details: Hotel Blue Horizon, Tridevi Marg (Ph 4421971) Damage: Such a bargain my mother would approve. USD$20 a night. 6/10

Stunning Nepal

Pokhara: Hotel Grand Holiday promises you will arrive as a guest and leave as a friend. I don’t know if our relationship quite developed that far but the hotel had beds with sheets and hot showers, both luxuries after 16 days trekking. Avoid the rooms facing into the internal staircase as they are a bit noisy. Details: Hotel Grand Holiday USD$20 a night 5/10

Lumbini: The pick of the budget hotels in Lumbini is the Lumbini Village Lodge. Situated right on the Lumbini Bazaar it is protected from the noise of the street by the setting which is around a big internal courtyard with a mango tree growing in it. Rooms are basic but clean with ensuite bathrooms and mosquito netted windows which are essential in this part of Nepal. There is no hot water or wifi sadly. Details: Lumbini Village Lodge, Lumbini, Nepal lumbinivillagelodge@yahoo.com - Although they failed to answer our emails and we got a room just by turning up. (Ph 580432). Damage: Such a bargain my mother would approve. Rs600 a night. 4/10

Best brunches in Collingwood

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Sun, 13 May 2012 22:30:00 +0000

It's well known that Melbourne does a good brunch. What I have also discovered is that the little suburb of Collingwood is well represented in the good brunch stakes. The hordes of people who come from all over town to queue at the front of Proud Mary are obviously in on the secret, but I think my favourite brunch in Collingwood comes from newcomer Gorski and Jones.

The brilliant baked eggs at Gorski and Jones

1. Gorski and Jones

Gorski and Jones is probably best known as a dinner venue but the restaurant also does a seriously good brunch. Slap bang on Smith street Gorski and Jones has that very Melbourne mix of vintage and industrial down pat with exposed brick walls, subway style white tiling and huge green metal lampshades hanging low over the long bar. If it's nice weather it's worth walking straight through the restaurant to lounge around in the sunny rear courtyard to read the papers and get in on some serious brunch action.

My favourite dish on the menu is the baked eggs ($18). The eggs are cooked in a rich tomato, zucchini and pepper sauce which is perfect for mopping up with hunks of Gorksi and Jone's amazing ciabatta bread. However the standard poached eggs ($18) served with bacon, sausage and hash brown is also pretty satisfying stuff. You can see the quality of the produce here in the Italian cotechino sausage used and the homemade hash browns. It's pretty much brunch nivarna.

Breakfast pretty much with the lot - including homemade hash browns and cotechino

Essentials
Details: Gorski and Jones, 304 Smith Street Collingwood 3066 (Ph 03 9417 7779) Wed - Fri 8am -3pm, 5pm - 11pm, Sat -Sun 8am - 4pm, Sat - 5pm -11pm.
Damage: Reasonable
9/10

2. Proud Mary
It's all about the coffee at Proud Mary. There's a syphon bar, a range of grinders, a roaster and a monster of a six-group custom-made Synesso espresso machine all taking up counter space in this converted warehouse. The serious coffee equipment shows through in the brew which results in an oh so smooth and velvety latte.

Avocado, fetta and heirloom tomatoes on toast

That's not to say the food isn't also worth your while. The heirloom tomatoes and avocados on toast is the perfect vegetarian breakfast complete with crusty toasted bread and creamy fetta. It's the sort of thing you could probably easily make at home but why would you bother when the folks at Proud Mary can do such a good job of it. The toasties are also legendary and change on a daily basis.

Latte perfection

Yes the place is packed with hipper than hip hipsters and yes there are queues at popular times like Saturday and Sunday mornings but the staff are lovely and manage the queues pretty well so don't let either of those things put you off going.

Essentials
Details: Proud Mary, 172 Oxford Street Collingwood 3066 (Ph 03 9417 5930) Monday-Friday 7am-4pm; Weekends 8am-4pm
Damage: Reasonable
8/10

3. Cibi
Cibi is where I go when I want a brunch that is a little bit different. It's a little slice of Tokyo in Collingwood and serves up Japanese style brunch options alongside Japanese pottery and other goodies to buy. Set in an airy converted warehouse on a quiet Collingwood back street Cibi is a great place to while away an hour or so with the papers at the communal table or making the most of any sunshine at some of the kerbside seats.

Brunch Japanese style at Cibi

The Japanese brunch special is only weekends and includes miso soup with carrot, tofu and seaweed, followed by rice, a salt cured grilled salmon called shiozake with potato salad, green beans and perfectly formed ovals of tamago (egg roll). It's sensational and a great change from standard brunch offerings. The coffee is, as you would expect, also excellent. This is Collingwood after all.

Essentials
Details: Cibi, 45 Keele Street, Collingwood 3066 (Ph +61 3 9077 3941) Mon - Fri: 8am - 4pm,
Sat - Sun 9am - 4pm
Damage: Reasonable
7/10

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How to make Shakshuka

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Thu, 10 May 2012 22:30:00 +0000

Last Saturday when it was lashing with rain and MTV and I ducked into a little cafe in Richmond. We were sick of the house hunting we had spent all morning doing and wanted to get a late brunch while escaping the weather. I ordered the Shakshuka, a dish I knew would warm me up from the tips of my toes to the top of my rather bedraggled and wet head.

Shakshuka (serving for one)

Shakshuka is an Israeli dish of eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce. The Italians make something similar called Eggs in Purgatory. There are a whole host of Shakshuka variations. Some scramble the eggs, some don't add cheese and some recipes include meat in the dish. I went home and decided to make my own take on it the next day so I added feta cheese for saltiness and just because cheese generally makes everything better and went heavy on the chillis to give it some real kick.

It's the perfect dish for a lazy weekend brunch. I like to cook the eggs so the yolks are still runny and can ooze out and mix in with the spicy tomato sauce. I served this with some pita bread warmed in the oven, perfect for scooping up the sauce and eggs.

Cooking the capsicum, onion and spices

Ingredients

1 red onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red capsicum, roughly chopped, deseeded and stalk removed
3 red birds eye chillis, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp paprika
1 can of tomatoes
75ml water
4 eggs
50 gm feta cheese
Handful of coriander, chopped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to season

Dropping the eggs into the pan to cook

1. Pour a couple of tablespoons of olive oil into a frying pan. Add the onion and cook over a low heat for 5 mins until they are soft and golden then add the garlic and the chilli and cook for 5 more mins until the onions are just starting to get brown.

2. Add the capsicum, sprinkle over the paprika and cumin and cook for another minute or so to enhance the flavour of the spices.

3. Add the tomatoes and water, turn up the heat a bit, and simmer for 5-10 mins. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Break the eggs into the pan, trying to keep them separate from each other, then cover the pan and cook for 5 mins.

5. Sprinkle with feta cheese and coriander and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Serves two.

Shakshuka looks especially good served up in individual pans

Henry and the Fox

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Tue, 08 May 2012 22:30:00 +0000

"Henry and the Fox sound's like a children's book" said my friend Sophie when I arranged to meet her at Henry and the Fox on Friday night for dinner. She was right. According to the chef Michael Fox inspiration for the name came from a favourite children's book while also managing to get his own moniker in.

Confit ocean trout with salted cucumber - this was presented so beautifully like all the food at Henry and the Fox

It's a strange place Henry and the Fox. It suffers from location, tucked away on Little Collins street right in the corporate heartland away from the buzzing restaurant and bar precinct at the Paris end of the CBD. It's one of Paul Mathis' swathe of new Melbourne openings and I was invited to eat there on Friday night.

The place has a cheery, casual feel

I think Henry and the Fox may work best as a restaurant during the day as the casual feel of the place with brightly coloured bistro chairs and big windows facing onto the street lacked a bit of atmosphere at night time. The menu tries to straddle both the day time office working crowd and night time punters by jumping from casual fare like pizzas to serious fine dining.

The amazing Moreton bay bug tails

What is clear, however is that Michael Fox can cook. It's no surprise that he won Young Chef of the Year as some of the dishes that came out of the kitchen were quite extraordinary. All reflected great skill in the kitchen and an eye for artistic presentation. Take the Moreton bay bug tails ($24.50) which were roasted and paired with crisp, spiced cauliflower and a smear of puree. They delivered texture and flavour in equally satisfying amounts. It was the dish of the night for me and an absolute must order. Fat, juicy pan seared scallops ($24.50) were equally good alongside creamy celeraic remoulade and crunchy pieces of toasted pumpernickel.

Pan seared scallops

Crispy skinned Mulloway ($29.50) was cooked to perfection so that it flaked on the fork. It was served on a jumble of avocado, chickpea, and chorizo which added substance to the dish without drowning out the delicate flavour of the fish.

Mulloway with chickpeas, chorizo and avocado

Henry and the Fox's roast pork belly ($29.50) was also spot on. The belly was lovely and fatty with seriously crisp crackling on top and was accompanied by roasted fennel and segments of orange to add bit of flavour contrast. It was a nice change from the usual addition of apple and the citrus and the pork belly worked really well together.

Pork belly with fennel and orange

The only dish that I could fault on our visit was the fried zucchini flower ($4 each) with batter which erred on the side of soggy rather than crisp. There was no such issues when it came to the sweet end of the meal. Both desserts we tried were delicious, but the best was Henry and the Fox's take on a passionfruit cheesecake ($14). Served in a jar it comprised passionfruit mousse with jelly, flecks of granita and yoghurt sorbet. It was a really great combination of different sweet and sour tastes with textures ranging from icy to creamy.

Passionfruit cheesecake

Service throughout our meal was excellent with well trained, attentive waiters with a good working knowledge of the menu. Most memorable though was Fox's cooking which was grown up and never over wrought. I'm not sure if Henry and the Fox provides the right setting for food this carefully considered and the menu needs to be more focused but there's no denying that the food itself is sensational.

Gourmet Chick was invited to review Henry and the Fox.

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Essentials
Details: Henry and the Fox, 525 Little Collins Street, Melbourne CBD, 3000 (Ph 03 9614 3277) Open Mon-Fri 7.30am-late. Closed Sat and Sun.
Damage: Pricey but I did not pay on this occasion.
8/10

Afternoon tea at Sofi's at The Sofitel

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Sun, 06 May 2012 22:30:00 +0000

With Mothers Day this Sunday lots of people will be booking in for afternoon tea with their Mum. I've just got what I think may be the last table at the Langham for some scones, jam and cream action for my Mum which I think might be looking forward to even more than she is. Researching the different afternoon tea venues prompted me to post about the afternoon tea I had recently at Sofi's at the Sofitel with my friend Joyce from Mel: Hot or Not.

The whole afternoon tea tiered stand

The setting for the afternoon tea at Sofi's, just off the lobby of the hotel, is certainly opulent which is no surprise given the Sofitel is one of Melbourne's swankiest hotels. There are high ceilings, plush sofas and even a grand piano offering the possibility of a musical accompaniment to the scones action.

Stale sandwiches

Unfortunately the afternoon tea that followed did not live up to the swish surroundings. It was served from a three tiered cake stand with one tier laden with finger sandwiches, the second with scones and finally a layer of cakes. So far, so good. However the first bite of a sandwich signaled the problems with Sofi's afternoon tea. The fillings were uninspired combinations of wafer thin ham, flaccid smoked salmon, cucumber and tired egg mayonnaise. Worse still the bread was stale and the sandwiches had obviously been pre-prepared a few hours earlier.

Tough scones

Scones are the cornerstone of any afternoon tea but even the scones at The Sofitel were hard and disappointing. Even if we had wanted it there was no offer of more scones in the style of Claridge's unlimited scones at afternoon tea.

Sparkling wine with afternoon tea

The cake tier had some nice enough chocolate offerings but nothing exciting or contemporary. The retro nature of the offerings was summed up by the ridiculous profiterole shaped like a swan.

The most serious failing of all was the tea itself. In comparison to The Lanesborough in London which has an extensive tea list and its own tea sommelier, at The Sofitel there was only a choice of English breakfast, Earl Grey and Peppermint.

The profiterole swan

Despite the luxury surroundings, afternoon tea at The Sofitel is tired and desperately in need of a revamp. This iconic Melbourne hotel deserves better and I have my fingers crossed that afternoon tea at the Langham proves to be far superior.

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Essentials

Details: Sofi's at The Sofitel, 25 Collins Street, Melbourne 3000 (Ph 03 9653 7744) Afternoon tea served 2.30-5pm.

Damage: Pricey. $45 for afternoon tea with food, tea and a glass of sparkling wine.

3/10

How to make fish pie

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:30:00 +0000

Sometimes you just feel like eating something comforting and familiar. For me fish pie is that dish. It's rich, creamy and incredibly satisfying. I know some people make fish pie with a pastry topping but finishing the pie off with a layer of mashed potato gives you a whole meal in one dish. All you need to do is serve the pie with a crisp green salad on the side. The thing to remember with this recipe is not to mash the potato topping too much, you want it to be light and fluffy. It's also best to use sustainable fish. I picked up my fish at the South Melbourne Market for a pricey $50 but it ensured guilt free eating.

Fish pie fresh from the oven

Ingredients
Olive oil
2 leeks, halved and finely sliced
2 carrots, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
2 knobs of butter
2 bay leaves
3 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
300ml cream
3 tsp seeded mustard
1 cup grated cheddar
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
1.5kg mixed fish fillets, scaled, pin boned and cut into large chunks. I used salmon and rockling, for international readers cod would be a good substitute for rockling.
1 handful of parsley leaves chopped

Prepping the leeks and carrots

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Heat the oil in a large pan over a low heat then fry the leeks, carrots, celery and a knob of butter. Season and add the bay leaves. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

3. Meanwhile boil the potatoes until tender. Drain then add a drizzle of olive oil, the remaining knob of butter and mash lightly with a potato masher. Season to taste.

Leek and carrot mixture ready to go on top of the fish

3. Add the cream and mustard to the leek mixture and simmer for a few seconds then turn off the heat and add half the cheese. Season then add the lemon juice and zest and mix.

4. Remove the bay leaves, then pour the leek mixture into an ovenproof dish. Add the chunks of fish and parsley making sure they are coated in the sauce then sprinkle over the remaining cheese.

5. Dot the potato over the top and cook for 50 minutes or until golden and crisp on top.

Fish pie ready to be topped with mashed potato and popped in the oven

Serves six to eight.

The World's 50 Best Restaurants: The winners and losers

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Tue, 01 May 2012 10:01:00 +0000

The World's 50 Best Restaurants were announced last night to great fanfare in London. I received an email from the organisers telling me I could follow the awards on Facebook and Twitter which would allow me to "feel the emotion as if I was there". Not quite... no champagne for a start.

Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck in the UK, No 5 last year and No 13 this year

Noma took out the top restaurant again and I continue to regret not eating there when I visited Copenhagen two years ago. There was some interesting movement from the UK restaurants with Heston Blumenthal's Dinner debuting at No 9 on the list, heading straight past Blumenthal's The Fat Duck which fell to number 13. Having eaten at both restaurants I think this is a rather strange result. Dinner is a brilliant restaurant but does not compare to the once in a lifetime experience of a meal at The Fat Duck.

It will certainly make for some column inches in the papers, which may be part of the point with the awards getting bigger and bigger in recent years. It seems as if the World's 50 Best Resturants has overtaken Michelin stars in terms of the amount of publicity generated. Unfortunately the shortcomings of the World's 50 Best Restaurants list seem even more pronounced than the Michelin review system.

Voting in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants is now carried out by a specially selected academy of 800 chefs, restaurateurs, food writers based in 28 separate regions around the world. To nominate a restaurant the academy member must have eaten at it in the previous 18 months.

How the judges can possibly compare 50 restaurants at all corners of the globe is difficult to see. It is highly unlikely even one judge has visited all 50 of the restaurants in one year, let alone the restaurants on the shortlist. It also makes it hard to understand how the tiny Swedish restaurant Faviken managed to debut at 34 in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. As Simon Thomsen said on Twitter “No doubt deserved, but at 12 seats for 800 voters, think it's time to see receipts.”

Le Chateaubriand in France, No 9 last year,

In an article on last year’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Terry Durack was also critical of the process.

“It’s still not a perfect system – why are most of the restaurants in Asia ‘French/European’ restaurants and not Asian ones? Where is the recognition for those great places in Saigon, Beijing, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Kyoto? - but it’s the only one we have.”

There have already been rumbles by Jay Rayner about the “poor British showing” in the awards with only three restaurants in the top 50, but what about the poor Australian showing (1 restaurant - congratulations to Quay), poor China (1 restaurant) or poor India (0 restaurants)? Entire continents (Africa) have been ignored by the mainly English speaking academy.

The World's 50 Best Restaurants is trying to address this geographic bias by launching a 50 Best Restaurants in Asia list which will run next year, but it is unclear whether this will include Australia and it still does not solve the problem for other areas of the world.

The Fat Duck, UK, No 5 last year and No 13 this year

I've reproduced this year's list below, with links where I have reviewed a restaurant on here. What do you think?

1) Noma, Denmark

2) El Celler de Can Roca, Spain

3) Mugartiz, Spain

4) D.O.M, Brazil

5) Osteria Francescana, Italy

6) Per Se, USA

7) Alinea, USA

8) Arzak, Spain

9) Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, UK

10) Eleven Madison Park, USA

11) Steirereck, Austria

12) L’Atelier Saint-Germain de Joël Robuchon, France

13) The Fat Duck, UK

14) The Ledbury, UK

15) Le Chateaubriand, France

16) L’Arpège, France

17) Pierre Gagnaire, France

18) L'Astrance, France

19) Le Bernardin, USA

20) Frantzen/Lindeberg, Sweden

21) Oud Sluis, The Netherlands

22) Aqua, Germany

23) Vendome, Germany

24) Mirazur, France

25) Daniel, USA

26) Iggy's, Singapore

27) Les Creation De Narisawa, Japan

28) Nihonryori Ryugin, Japan

29) Quay, Australia

30) Schloss Schauenstein, Switzerland

31) Asador Etxebarri, Spain

32) Le Calandre, Italy

33) De Librije, The Netherlands

34) Fäviken Magasinet, Sweden

35) Astrid y Gaston, Peru

36) Pujol, Mexico

37) Momofuku Ssam Bar, USA

38) Biko, Mexico

39) Waku Ghin, Singapore

40) Quique Dacosta, Spain

41) Mathias Dahlgren, Sweden

42) Hof Van Cleve, Belgium

43) The French Laundry, USA

44) Amber, China

45) Vila Joya, Portugal

46) Il Canto, Italy

47) Bras, France

48) Manresa, USA

49) Geranium, Denmark

50) Nahm, Thailand

Threefold

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 22:30:00 +0000

Threefold has suddenly become the place to have lunch in the CBD so be prepared to fight for a table. I blame the recent Epicure review. Tucked away on Flinders lane it straddles the line between a casual sandwich place and a more serious restaurant with a wine list where you can settle in for a long lunch.

Spicy parsnip soup

The timber clad room is bisected by a long marble counter heaped with the day's salad selection and baked goods. There's a blackboard which lists three sandwiches and three toasted sandwiches which change on a daily basis. If there is a variant on the roast chicken sandwich on offer my advice would be to snap it up. The chicken has that great roasted flavour and is served still warm in a dense roll. One day it was teamed with broad beans, on another day a slick of olive tapenade, either way it was delicious.

Roast chicken sandwich with olive tapenade

There's a daily pie as well, a daily tart and a daily soup. I think you get the picture that the menu at Threefold is very fluid and seasonal. I loved the tart with its eggy filling, flecked with capsicum and flaky pastry although the accompanying quinoa salad was a little bland ($16).

Coffee time

Spicy parsnip soup ($12) was a cut above typical lunch time soup offerings with its creamy texture, copious chillis and fried parsnip curls to top it. Admittedly the price paid was also well above the typical City lunch time soup offerings. There's more substantial offerings on the menu as well for those settling in for a proper lunch with a bottle of wine like slow cooked lamb shanks.

Tart with quinoa

The coffee is decent, not the best in Melbourne but certainly good. It's sourced from Espresso Syndicate and has an earthy, nutty flavour. Both the space and the portion sizes err on the small side at Threefold but I like what they are doing here. The constantly changing menu means regulars are rewarded with new things to try and the food on offer is a cut above most city lunch places.

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Essentials
Details: Threefold, 381 Flinders lane, City 3000 (Ph 9614 8194) Mon - Fri 7am-4pm
Damage: Reasonable.
8/10

Breakfast Thieves

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 22:30:00 +0000

Just when I thought Fitzroy could not support a single cafe more, another one opened right on my doorstep. Mind you I have also previously said that Fitzroy cannot support another warehouse conversion, another shop selling fixies and another contemporary art gallery and each time the suburb has proved me wrong. In this case, Breakfast Thieves got off to a rather shaky start on the weekend with two fire trucks arriving during its soft opening and shutting down service after a smoke alarm went off in the cafe. I revisited on Anzac Day and everything seemed to be running much more smoothly.

Brioche Pain Perdu

Located in the bottom of a warehouse building Breakfast Thieves has an industrial feel with exposed brick walls, light bulbs dangling from the ceiling and metal edged tables. There's space for outdoor seating on the pavement and a couple of big tables for groups or communal dining. I went there for brunch with my friend Tans and we perched ourselves at one of the bar tables which line the cafe's windows.

Inside the Breakfast Thieves - love the big communal tables and whiskey decanters for water bottles

The menu adopts the twee or amusing practice (depending on your view) of giving dishes titles that reflect the cafe's name so instead of baked eggs there is "The Pickpocket" and rather than spaghetti bolognese there is "Don Corelone".

"Ned Kelly" mushrooms with poached eggs and polenta

Steering clear of the novelty names I ordered the pain perdu ($15) which was made with fluffy, thick brioche topped with slow cooked caramalised apples and mascarpone cream. A scattering of pistachio nuts added a bit of textural contrast to this sweet, sticky but delicious confection.

On the savoury side the "Ned Kelly" ($17.50) was piled with pan fried mushrooms, baked wedges of polenta and two poached eggs. It was a great combination but unfortunately the eggs were overcooked to the point that the yolks were completely hard rather than runny. Hopefully just a misfire in the cafe's first week.

Coffee by the Social Roasting Company

Crucially the coffee ($3.50) was sensational. Creamy, smooth and on the mild side the coffee at Breakfast Thieves comes from the Social Roasting Company. The cafe also offers homemade biscuits and sweet things including some of the biggest Anzac biscuits ($3) I have ever seen.

Croissants and home made cookies line the counter

Apart from the overcooked eggs our brunch was top notch. I will be back although that is partially a reflection on the quality food and coffee and partially a reflection on just how close Breakfast Thieves is located to Tans' flat. Although I briefly considered not paying for our meal in keeping with the "thieves" theme you will be glad to know I decided against it.

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Essentials
Details: Breakfast Thieves, 420 Gore Street, Fitzroy 3065
Damage: Reasonable. Our bill came to $32.50 for two.
8/10

Firechief Pizzeria

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 22:30:00 +0000

Is there any good pizza to be found in the burbs? This was the question I put to Twitter as my go to places for pizza in Melbourne, Ladro, Mr Wolf and I Carusi, are all inner Melbourne. A newly opened pizza place called Firechief Pizzeria replied straight away and said they were serving up the real deal in suburban surrounds of Hawthorn East. Quick as a whip, the lovely people behind Firechief invited me to visit and try the pizza out. (Note to self: ask questions like this on Twitter more often).

The amazing margherita at Firechief Pizza

I turned up in Hawthorn on a Saturday night to find the restaurant absolutely packed with punters. It's a huge barn of a place and it was full of families with an older crowd than you get in the city. Apparently they have had a few complaints from diners about the noise levels in the restaurant which I think tells you something about the demographic. Set in what used to be a garage the place has an industrial feel with a sense of fun provided by the canary yellow steel reinforcing the roof and huge iron and rope chandelier dangling from the ceiling.

Inside Firechief Pizzeria

The setting is fairly simple as the focus here is all on the pizza and let me tell you, they take their pizza seriously at Firechief. It's the latest venue from Paul Mathis who is opening a slew of restaurants in Melbourne this year and in a bid for pizza authenticity he sent head pizza chef Daniel Barrese of to Naples in Italy, to learn the true method of making authentic Napoli pizza from the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. There is quite a cool video from Barrese on Firechief's blog about his trip to Naples and his pizza making philosophy.

The menu at Firechief includes three types of pizzas reflecting the three ovens that the restaurant uses. Firstly, the pizzas made to the exacting recipe stipulated by the Associazione, secondly modern artisian hand style pizzas cooked in a classic Italian twin deck oven and finally "the great Australian family pizza" where pizzas are cooked in a conveyor oven from Italy.

Prawn entree at Firechief

Proving Mathis is no fool when it comes to satisfying the masses, the family pizza section includes rather inauthentic crowd and kid pleasers like Hawaiian and the Aussie. However, after a starter from the specials board of smoky prawns on a mound of fennel puree, MTV and I went straight for the traditional menu.

The Friarielli

The pizza was great, cooked in a wood fired oven for 2 minutes at 400 degrees the base was doughy and quite pliant with a great smoky charr from the oven. The classic margherita ($20.50) was a stand out with its simple topping of San Marzano tomatoes all the way from Italy, buffalo mozzarella and basil. The tomato sauce was incredibly sweet and provided a great contrast to the savoury dough. Margherita does not get better than this.

Jock's ice-cream

Not quite so traditional but equally delicious, the Friarielli ($24.90) knocked our socks off with its serious chilli kick. The pizza was topped with meaty, flavoursome pork sausage and rapé, an Italian green along with loads of chilli. It was not for the faint hearted, but very moreish.

There's a limited dessert list with some excellent ice-cream from Jocks ($4.50) and an orange cake ($12) which was lovely and dense but a bit light on citrus flavour. Firechief also does a sweet pizza option for those who just can't get enough pizza.

Orange cake

Firechief also offers a short wine list but the better option is probably to bring your own given that corkage is only $5 a bottle. I do love a place you can BYO to.

Firechief isn't a special occasion sort of place and it lacks the atmosphere of some of its inner city competitors but what it does, it does well. It's great for a casual meal and certainly proved to me that you can indeed find good pizza in the burbs.

Gourmet Chick was a guest of Firechief Pizzeria.

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Essentials
Details: Firechief Pizzeria, 169 Camberwell Rd, Hawthorn East 3123 (Ph: 9831 1700) Open: 12pm – 3pm, 5pm – late.
Damage: Reasonable. Our bill came to $115 for two with wine but on this occasion I did not pay.
7/10

How to make Anzac biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:30:00 +0000

With Anzac day this week I thought it was high time to make a batch of Anzac biscuits. For my overseas readers, Anzac stands for the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps and Anzac day is a remembrance day for the sacrifices Australia's armed forces have made. Anzac biscuits were sent to Australian troops in the First World War and the traditional recipe tastes just as good today.

A stack of Anzac biscuits ready to take to the footy

This is a fool proof recipe, just make sure that you leave enough space between the biscuits on the baking tray so they can spread (they will!). It's also important to leave the biscuits on the trays until completely cooled once you take them out of the oven otherwise your Anzac biscuits may fall apart. I will be taking a few along with me to the football for Anzac day.

Pouring the butter and Golden syrup mixture into the dry mixture

Ingredients

1 ½ cups rolled oats
½ cup caster sugar
½ cup dessicated coconut
¼ cup self raising flour
150g unsalted butter
2 tsps golden syrup
½ tsp bicarbonate soda
2 tbsps boiling water

Biscuits ready to go in the oven - lots of space between them

1. Preheat oven to 150c.

2. Place the oats, sugar, coconut and bowl in a large bowl and stir to combine.

3. In a small saucepan place the golden syrup and butter and stir over a low heat until the butter has fully melted.

4. Pour the syrup and butter mixture into the dry ingredients and mix.

5. Use the same saucepan to mix together the bicarbonate of soda and boiling water so that it fizzes and then add it to the rest of the mixture.

6. Spoon the mixture onto a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Make sure to leave space for the biscuits to spread.

7. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and leave the biscuits on the trays until cooled.

The finished biscuits

Makes 12-16 biscuits.

Top Ten Restaurants in Paris (Gourmet Chick in France)

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:30:00 +0000

While I love being back in Australia I do really miss being able to hop on a train and arrive in Paris a couple of hours later. MTV and I certainly made the most of being so close to France and made countless trips there during our time in London, including a month I spent studying French in Paris. It is safe to report that my French is still school girl level but my restaurant French is excellent. When I look at the long list of restaurants I have written about on here I can start to see why that might have happened.

Perfection at Le Chateaubriand

One of you lovely people asked for some Paris recommendations and I realised that although I have written about the best cheap eats in Paris, I have never written a list of my top ten Paris restaurants. I think I may have been putting it off because it is so hard to settle on just ten, but I have tried to be ruthless and whittle the list down to this, my recommendations for the top ten restaurants in Paris.

1. Le Chateaubriand

I am often overwhelmed with choices which is why I was always bound to love Le Chateaubriand in Paris. The restaurant is headed up by Basque chef Inaki Aizpitarte and the menu is set with no choice or variation for the whole restaurant. Eat at Le Chateaubriand and you will be served whatever has inspired Aizpitarte that day. The menu constantly changes but on my visit I loved the ceviche and the deconstructed Eton mess for dessert.

Details: 129 Avenue Parmentier, Paris 11eme, 75011, France (Ph +33 1 43 57 4595) Metro: Goncourt

Wine and charcuterie at L'Avant Comptoir

2. L'Avant Comptoir

Don't expect a seat or even a table at L'Avant Comptoir. The tiny tapas bar from Yves Camdeborde of Le Comptoir du Relais fame has room for only 20 people. Of course you are not allowed to call the food tapas - it is "French hors d’oeuvres" according to Cambdeborde. If you can squeeze in and don't mind standing you will be rewarded with fantastic boards of charcuterie (€10), tubs of salty cornichons, a serious wine list and more involved dishes such as the deep-fried pig’s-foot croquettes and chipolata confit in goose fat.

Details: L’Avant Comptoir, 9 carrefour de l’Odéon, 6th arrondissement, Paris, France. No reservations, open every day. Metro: Odéon.

3. Bouchiere Rouliere

It’s all about the meat at Bouchiere Rouliere with giant black and white photographs of cows lining the walls of this quaint little bistro in the St Germain area of Paris. The meat theme started with the complimentary slices of saucisson and radish which were brought out to start the meal, and continued with the perfectly constructed terrine of beef (€7.50) dripping with a glossy, dark sauce. Lamb chops (€21.50) were pink and tender. Not one for vegetarians.

Details: 24 Rue Canettes, 75006 Paris, France (Ph 01 43 26 25 70)

Bouchiere Rouliere

4. Au Gourmand

Au Gourmand offers classic fine dining complete with white linen tablecloths, amuse bouchés and presentation so perfect that you want to frame photographs of the food and place them on your bedside table. It's traditional, old school French dining but the food is exquisite. I loved our amusé of smoked salmon served with a potato and leek purée spiked with musty truffles and hints of olive to add depth.

Details: Au Gourmand, 17 Rue Molière, 75001 Paris, France (Ph 01 42 96 22 19) Metro: Pyramides

5. Le Petit Marché

Imagine a classic French bistro tucked away on a back street of the Marais and you have got Le Petit Marché. An ecelectic selection of portraits line the wood panelled walls while wooden tables sit cheek by jowl. The look is classic bistro but the food is actually quite modern as it offers French cuisine with an Asian influence. The best example, is the so-good-it-should-be-compulsory Chinoise salad (€9.50) an inspired mix of cabbage, shredded chicken and fried won ton wrappers drizzled with a sharp citrus dressing.

Details: Le Petit Marché, 9 Rue Bearn, Paris 75003, France.

Le Dauphin's take on a tomato salad

6. Le Dauphin

I have made a unilateral decision that I am allowed two Inaki Aizpitarte restaurants in the one list. Salvation is at hand at Le Dauphin for those who wanted to sample Aizpitarte’s amazing cooking at Le Chateaubriand but shied away from the no choice menu or were daunted by the long wait for a table. Aizpitarte has now opened a small plates style restaurant a few doors down. It’s a buzzy, modern place with the room decked out from head to toe in white marble and dominated by a central bar which walk in diners can perch at to eat. Everything we tried was brilliant. Highlights included the sweet, sharp heritage tomato salad (€9), smoky slices of almost rare wagyu beef (€15), creamy squid ink risotto (€11) and piping hot matcha flavoured madeleines (€6).

Details: 31 Avenue Parmentier, 75011 Paris (Ph 01 48 06 58 41) Métro: Goncourt.

7. Le Mouton Noir

This tiny little bistro ("the black sheep") oozes charm alongside some clever cooking at bargain prices. A plate of creamy polenta (€8) topped with slivers of Parmesan was unadorned but astonishingly good. Easily the best polenta I have ever eaten in my life and I loved the simplicity of serving it as a complete dish by itself

Details: Le Mouton Noir, 65 Rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris, France (Ph 01 48 07 05 45). Open Mon-Sat. Metro: Charonne.

8. L'Entredgu

On the hunt for the perfect Parisian bistro my search took me to L'Entredgeu located in the outskirts of the 17th arrondissement. Tucked away in a back street behind the metro the area feels decidedly dodgy however L'Entredgeu itself could not appear more welcoming. Large glass windows face onto the street emblazoned with gold lettering and once inside the atmosphere is cozy. The food is classic bistro with Basque influences.

Details: 83 Rue Laugier, Paris, France (Ph 01 40 54 97 24) Metro: Porte de Champerret.

Chateaubriand at Cafe Charlot

9. Cafe Charlot

Seats line the pavement outside Cafe Charlot, all facing out to allow indulgence in the ultimate Parisian sport of people watching. Inside, Cafe Charlot has designer good looks with white tiled walls, salvaged fixtures and soft yellow lighting. There is a great brunch menu of juice, coffee or tea, fruit salad, scrambled eggs and salmon and brioche all for (€19) and Cafe Charlot's signature burger (€15) but the highlight was the Chateaubriand (€29.50). Service can be poor.

Details: Cafe Charlot, 38 Rue de Bretagne, 75003 Paris, France (Ph 01 44 54 03 03).

10. Sunday dinners with Jim Haynes

Jim Haynes is not strictly a restaurant and the food is not the best you will eat in Paris but it is certainly an experience. One of the original supper clubs, Jim has been serving dinner to up to sixty strangers every Sunday night at his atelier in Paris for the last 30 years. You need to ring in advance to book in and be prepared to make friends with strangers over cheap wine and food.

Details: 14eme, Paris, France (Ph + 33 1 43 27 17 67).

Map
I've even made a handy map of Paris with my top ten restaurants marked on it:

View Gourmet Chick Paris in a larger map

Competition

The winners of the Gourmet Chick competition to win a copy of the Two Greedy Italians DVD are Josordoni, Poka and Kathleen Hooper. All winners have been contacted and a copy of the DVD should be winging its way to them shortly.

Albert St Food and Wine

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 22:30:00 +0000

Philippa Sibley is known as the dessert queen. It was a reputation established with Sibley's famous take on a Snickers bar which lead to Masterchef appearances and even a dessert cookbook PS Desserts. However it seems like Sibley is trying to distance herself from her dessert queen title and media reports around the opening of her new restaurant, Albert St Food and Wine, have emphasised Sibley's desire to show she can do more than desserts.

Cocktail time at Albert Street Food and Wine

It's a great looking restaurant, set in an old bank building with high ceilings and the safe in operation as a wine cellar. There's a big bar area for solo diners to sit at and even a store for Brunswick locals to pick up the type of gourmet provisions you might struggle to find at Barkly Square. Albert St Food and Wine has only been open a few months and already it is difficult to get a booking. I had to meet MTV and my friends Tom and Beth there for dinner at the very senior citizen time of 7pm on a week night as all other time slots were booked out.

Watermelon salad

Of the starters we tried the highlights were the watermelon salad ($16) and the heirloom tomato salad with avocado. The compressed watermelon had an intensely sweet flavour that contrasted with the saltiness of the Persian fetta that it was teamed with.

Heirloom tomato salad

A fat, juicy pork cutlet ($29) was almost buried beneath a pile of finely sliced red cabbage, radicchio and apple which overwhelmed the dish while spaghettini with prawns and grilled corn ($26) was a bit light on the prawns. The best option was the lamb gnocchi ($28) which featured a slow cooked, tender lamb ragu with celery leaf gnocchi.

There is a thoughtful wine list which offers wine by the carafe as well as the bottle and a decent cocktail list although the bar tender did not know how to make a caprihina.

Poire Belle Hélène

However the rest of our meal really paled in comparison once we got to the desserts. A Meyer lemon tart ($14) was faultless, delicately wobbly while still smooth and firm. The crowd pleaser was the Poire Belle Hélène ($15) a poached, lightly spiced pear served with a molten chocolate pudding. Truly sublime. As much as Sibley tries to escape the dessert queen title, the desserts on offer at Albert Street Food and Wine only cement her position.

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Essentials
Details: Albert St Food and Wine, 382 Sydney Road Brunswick 3056 (Ph 03 8354 6600)
Damage: Pricey. Our bill came to $375 for four.
7/10

The People's Market (plus Phat Brats)

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 22:30:00 +0000

It's pretty hard to create atmosphere out of nothing. Just ask the organisers of The People's Market in the Docklands. Try as they might, even on the sunny Saturday afternoon that I visited, the place was desolate and soulless. If you close your eyes and try to forget that the market is located in an industrial wasteland on the edge of the Docklands the whole set up does not look too bad, constructed from brightly coloured shipping containers. It's a little like Section 8 but in the middle of nowhere rather than squeezed into a cool CBD laneway.

The Peoples Market - not exactly overrun with people

However once I started having a wander around it was clear the market was more style than substance. The advertised farmers market was only three paltry stalls while the flea market was a handful of vendors touting the same old tat that you could buy anywhere. There were a handful of brave food and drink vendors with The League of Honest Coffee selling coffee, Thousand Pound Bend manning the bar and Phat Brats selling their gourmet hot dogs from a fire engine red shipping container.

Phat Brats beer soaked bratwurst

Phat Brats is one of Melbourne's new wave of "gourmet " sausage vendors and has just opened up a store on Brunswick street. I wrote something for Broadsheet recently about how the humble snag has gone all upmarket and Phat Brats is leading the charge with its gourmet hot dogs.

Phat Brats chilli dog

I'm all for putting the sizzle back into sausages but Phat Brats' meaty beer-soaked bratwurst ($8.90) was overwhelmed by the lashings of mustard it was covered in, forcing me to abandon my hot dog halfway through. A better option was the spicy chilli dog ($8.90) with its combination of meaty sausage paired with yet more meat in the form of the chilli and a cheese sauce.

Coffee at the market from the League of Honest Coffee

I felt my sorry sausage was symptomatic of the market itself, rather unsatisfying. I said as much on Twitter and one of the sellers at the market agreed that they were also disappointed:

‏ @carawaters

Headed down to @thepeoplesmkt today in the Docklands -nice idea but seriously lacking in stalls- only 3 farmers market stalls

‏ @leagueofhonest

@carawaters @thepeoplesmkt There's talk of lot's more produce available next weekend I was a little disappointed myself. Thanks for coming

Lets hope things do improve. I am fully in support of The People's Market for trying desperately to bring some life to Melbourne's blighted Docklands area but if a market like this is struggling on a sunny, summery day I hate to think what it will be like on a wintery Saturday.

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Essentials
Details: The People's Market, 453-507 Docklands Drive, Docklands. Open Saturday 10am -9pm. You can also find Phat Brats at 320 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy 3065 (Ph 94195526) Open: 12-11pm.
Damage: Free entry. Reasonable prices for food and drink.
3/10

Grub Food Van

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:30:00 +0000

Finding out where Melbourne's food trucks are has got a lot easier thanks to the new Where the Truck At website. Instead of checking individual truck's Facebook pages and twitter feeds you can find them all on one website. Genius.

The shiny silver Grub Food van

Even more brilliant though is the Grub Food Van as the vintage Airstream van is permanently parked in Moor street Fitzroy, meaning there's no need to check a website at all to get your food truck fix. I went there for breakfast last weekend with Joyce from Mel: Hot or Not.

Crusty baguette filled with egg and ham

It's a fun place to eat with tables under umbrellas outside the truck and a large covered area out the back where the owners are growing tomatoes, herbs and peppers. It feels a bit like eating in your own greenhouse.

Food is served out of a vintage Airstream van

Given the limited kitchen space available the menu is pretty limited. One of the few hot meals on offer was a crusty baguette filled with mashed warm egg and shaved ham ($10). It was satisfying enough but fairly basic fodder.

Rillette

The rillette ($10) also failed to impress as although the potted meat was topped with a good layer of fat the serving size was fairly small.

The quirky greenhouse area out the back of the food van

A better option was the smoked trout ($10) which came flaked with a dollop of dill creme fraiche and rocket.

Smoked trout

Coffee at the Grub Food van is by Seven Seeds but my latte was bitter and served luke warm. While I was charmed by the space the food and coffee at Grub Food van failed to excite me.

Seven seeds coffee

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Essentials

Details: Grub Food Van, 87–89 Moor Street, Fitzroy 3065 (Ph 03 9419 8991)

Damage: Reasonable. The bill was about $50 for four.

5/10

Burch and Purchese

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 22:30:00 +0000

Willy Wonka is a real life person and his name is Darren Purchese. I made this discovery on the weekend when Joyce from Mel: Hot or Not and I cycled over to South Yarra to have afternoon tea at Burch and Purchese.

A mini strawberry macaron tops off one of Burch and Purchese's "tube" desserts

The bike ride there and back was necessary as this afternoon tea was a serious indulgence. Perched up at a special counter at the back of the shop we were plied with pots of tea and sweet treat after sweet treat while getting a close up look at the genius that goes into creating Burch and Purchese's desserts.

The pantry of inspiration at Burch and Purchese

It really felt like we were in a science laboratory as we settled in for our exclusive afternoon tea for two amidst the gleaming white on white setting surrounded by jars of ingredients and with our drinks served in scientific looking beakers.

Gin and tonic Burch and Purchese style

The teas on offer are from T2 and we were given a chance to sniff them all before deciding on pots of the floral French Earl Grey. Then we settled in for a pre afternoon tea cocktail in the form of a gin n' tonic dessert. A bitter gin and tonic flavoured gel was topped with shards of sweet honeycomb, soft marshmallows and crumble. It was clever, witty and delicious.

Our savoury "sandwich" plate

"I'm know for my sweet stuff but I can do savoury as well", said Darren as he brought over a piece of black slate topped with his take on an egg and watercress sandwich, chicken sandwich and tomato and basil sandwich. The egg and watercress was the most revolutionary, deconstructed into an egg foam, watercress gel and crumble to form the bread. As creative as it was this was the one dish of the day which did not work for me with the crumble too dry and dominant. More traditional were the chicken sandwiches which included the most adorable tiny buns while the tomato and basil sandwich impressed with sugared basil and sweet, intense cherry tomatoes.

Darren whips up some liquid nitrogen magic in the kitchen

Darren created his take on tiramisu right in front of us using liquid nitrogen to add alcohol to ice-cream. There was silky smooth ice-cream, a potent coffee sauce and exploding candy rubble which snapped, crackled and popped away in our mouths.

Our finished tiramisu

Afternoon tea finished with a flourish with seven separate mini desserts. There were tiny versions of Burch and Purchese's famous "tubes" of banana, passionfruit and caramalised white chocolate and we were smitten by the mini macaron topping the coconut, passionfruit and ginger mint. I loved Darren's take on an opera cake with its delicate layers of smoked white chocolate, coffee sponge and lemon curd while the black forest eclair was suitably boozy.

A tier of desserts

Afternoon tea at Burch and Purchese is unconventional and not cheap. It takes a big stomach and an even bigger wallet but it has to be the best afternoon tea in Melbourne hands down.

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Essentials
Details: Burch and Purchese, 647 Chapel Street South Yarra Vic 3141(Ph: 03 9827 7060)
Damage: Budget Breaking. Afternoon tea costs $100. Once the current round of bookings are finished the afternoon tea will only be offered on special occasions however Burch and Purchese is opening up a dessert bar in the evenings when many of the same dessert creations will be offered.
9/10

Red Hill (Gourmet Chick on the Mornington Peninsula)

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 04:34:00 +0000

Easter is sadly over for another year and as I type this the rain is lashing down outside signaling an abrupt end to the lovely summery days we had over the break. Easter is one of my favourite holidays as there is complete carte blanche for over indulgence on chocolates and hot cross buns. The benefit of two public holidays also means I generally try to join the great Easter exodus and head away for the holiday. Living in London that meant a flight to Lebanon or Morocco but now back in Melbourne I spent my first Easter at Red Hill the home of beautiful surf beaches, rolling green farmland, berry farms and wineries. Here's my tips for where to eat and where to stay in this beautiful part of Victoria.

The view from Morning Sun Winery

Morning Sun Winery
Sitting in the sunshine looking out over the vines while sipping a glass of Morning Sun's buttery chardonnay has to be one of those "pinch me" moments. This little winery has a really interesting list of wines for tasting (we loved the light and fragrant Pinot Noir almost as much as the chardonnay) as well as some cracking food on offer. The winery has been listed in the Age Good Food Guide thanks to its lightly charred wood fired pizzas ($23) and to-die-for fat polenta chips ($14) which come complete with a creamy Gorgonzola sauce. This is a winery with it all - a spectacular setting, food that is a cut above and of course wine straight from the cellar door. Don't miss it if you are in Red Hill.

Those fabulous polenta chips

Essentials
Details: Morning Sun, 337 Main Creek Road Main Ridge Vic 3928 (Ph: 03 5989 6571)
Damage: Reasonable. $50 a head.
9/10

Oysters at the Flinders Hotel

Flinders Hotel

We ended up eating lunch at 3pm at the Flinders Hotel because it was so busy over Easter but that did not detract from the pleasure of a few leisurely glasses of wine on the deck of this decidedly slick country pub. The menu was seafood heavy so oysters served natural ($3.50 each) made a perfect start and they tasted oh so fresh and briny. Salt and pepper squid ($22) was also fresh with a delicate and lightly spiced batter that did not overwhelm the seafood. I must admit though to serious food envy of my friend Jo's marinara which was chock full of plump prawns and mussels and a huge serving for an entrée size.

Squid at the Flinders Hotel

Essentials
Details: Flinders Hotel, Cnr Cook and Wood Streets, Flinders Vic 3929 (Ph 03 5989 0201)

Damage: Reasonable. $50 a head.

8/10

Mussels from the Flinders pier
One of my favourite discoveries this holiday was the fisherman selling local mussels at the end of the Flinders pier. You can't get any fresher than this as the mussels are straight off the boat. Harry will advise you how many mussels you need and give you tips for cooking them. There's no need to discard these little beauties if they don't open as they are farmed rather than dredged so water quality is not an issue (plus it is much better for the environment). We cooked them up with some local sauvignon blanc, onions, chilli and garlic.

Harry the mussels man at Flinders pier

Essentials
Details: Saturdays and holidays 11.30-4.30, Flinders pier, Flinders Vic
Damage: $10 a kilo. Bargain.

McCrae Pavilion

The McCrae Pavilion looks like it has been transported straight from the Hamptons with its white wicker chairs and salvaged timber furniture. The restaurant was so busy over Easter that despite booking several days ahead we had to eat at the senior citizens time of 6pm and then get bumped to the bar by 8.30pm. Slick service meant we did not feel to rushed and managed to fit in three courses in that time. Arancini balls were perfect snack food to begin our meal with their crusty exterior and jet back filling thanks to squid ink risotto. The highlight of the main courses was the amazing seafood platter which could easily have fed three for a reasonable $80. The platter included prawns, oysters, crabs and Moreton bay bugs so I would not have been surprised to see a $120 price tag on it elsewhere. Very indulgent but just the ticket for the holidays.

Arancini at the McCrae Pavilion

Essentials

Details: McCrae Pavilion, 671 Point Nepean Road McCrae Vic 3938, (Ph: 03 5971 1202)

Damage: Pricey. Our bill came to about $100 a head but we did drink quite a lot of wine.

7/10

Our room at Lindenderry

Gourmet Travel Tips

Red Hill is just over one hours drive from Melbourne.
On this trip I stayed with my friend Ash who has a beach house nearby but last year I went to two good friends wedding in Red Hill and stayed at the beautiful Lindenderry Estate. Set in the middle of a winery the grounds here are spectacular while rooms have all the comforts like fluffy bath robes and a selection of magazines. (Lindenderry, 142 Arthurs Seat Rd, Red Hill Ph: 61 3 5989 2933). From $293 a night.
We spent our time eating, drinking, swimming at Point Leo and checking out the local wineries.

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How to make brown sugar pavlova with figs and a boozy sauce

noreply@blogger.com (cara waters) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 07:24:00 +0000

A pavlova is almost as Australian as Vegemite. They are also ridiculously easy to make and even if you do have a pavlova disaster there is a multitude of sins that can be hidden under lashings of whipped cream and piles of fruit. The key to a good pavlova is not over-whipping the egg whites and leaving your pav in the oven after it has cooked in order for it to cool down fully.

The finished pavlova - complete with boozy sauce

In a classic case of do as I say and not as I do, I was impatient and pulled this one out of the oven too early and so it has got a few cracks in it. Of course, once I had topped it with lovely ripe figs, berries and a boozy rum sauce no-one was complaining too much. I whipped this one up for dinner at my friends Pete and Thea's house. The four of us only managed to get halfway through but Pete informed me that it was equally good the next day. The boozy sauce in particular only gets better and it is worthwhile making extra just to have with ice-cream.

Whipping the egg whites

Ingredients

6 eggwhites
¼ tsp cream of tartar
250gm raw caster sugar
40gm brown sugar
Scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean
35gm cornflour
3 tsp white vinegar
3 figs, quartered
12 strawberries, halved
500gm thick cream
Boozy sauce
330gm raw caster sugar
70 ml golden rum

Pavlova ready to go in the oven

1. Preheat oven to 120c. Whisk eggwhite, cream of tartar and a pinch of salt in an electric mixer until stiff peaks form (4-5 mins). You can also do this by hand but it will take considerable arm power and a lot longer. Trust me, I have tried.

2. Whisking continuously, gradually add sugars, a tablespoon at a time, until stiff and glossy (4-5 mins), then whisk in vanilla seeds and fold in cornflour and vinegar.

3. Using a spatula form the mixture into a circle on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Try and make a dip in the centre so it is easier to top with cream.

4. Bake until crisp and dry (1½-2 hours), then turn off oven and cool completely with door ajar.

5. Meanwhile, for the boozy sauce, stir sugar and 180ml water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, cook until dark caramel (5-6 mins), then remove from heat and carefully add 100ml water (be careful as hot caramel will spit) and rum. Refrigerate until required (it will keep for a week).

6. Just before serving whip the cream until stiff peaks form (3 mins) and top pavlova with the cream and fruit. Drizzle with some of the boozy sauce and serve the rest on the side.

Serves 10.

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How to make brown sugar pavlova with figs and a boozy sauce