The Gado Gado Butty!

I awoke this morning with a desire for hot buttery toast with peanut butter. Given that this is not a completely foreign occurrence, I gave it little thought until it dawned on me that the yearn may well have been fostered by a foodie story from the previous day.

Once upon a time..... an eclectic cluster of dinners shared food stories over morsels of delectableness called YumCha. Despite my instinctive Anglo aversion to eating chicken feet I've learnt to push through the 'yuck' barrier and indulge anyway but I must say  it was enlightening to learn the process of preparing these little guys. First deep fried to remove the skin then slowly braised to all their gelatinous glory. They are a typical example of the fabulous result achieved by the technique of  'twice cooking' often applied in the Chinese kitchen.

But the tale of the day that typified not just the diversity of our dinning party but the rich tapestry of Melbourne cuisine was the anecdote of the humble sandwich or butty as our English companion would say. The request for a simple peanut butter sandwich, not at all unusual in a food court. The addition of lettuce was not too peculiar, however the subsequent fillings where a most curious combination. To the customers delight this sandwich maker, of Chinese birth, was no food slouch and instantly recognised the traditional ingredients of the Indonesian salad Gado Gado. Of course traditionally served with peanut sauce not butter and definitely not served between 2 slices of bread. But there you go.. a mixed marriage! A classic Indonesian salad in a sandwich, here in our culinary melting pot called Melbourne!

Just in case you were wondering where to have YumCha, we were at TaiPan Restaurant - one of my favourites in the east.  TaiPan Restaurant, 237-239 Blackburn Road, Doncaster East

Making Risotto.......

In an era of fancy 'high-falutin' cookin' I think it's the simple dishes that are worth perfecting first. So what's to making a wonderful risotto?

The ingredients:

• Aborio rice
• Stock and a little wine
• Flavourings
• And plenty of practice

The method: 250g of Aborio rice will need about 1 litre of stock - depending on how 'wet' & 'firm' you like your risotto. The better the rice the better the risotto, the better the stock the better the risotto. If you're in the area (also worth a special trip) Roma Deli has Aborio rice and all things Italian at fabulous prices. If  you're not making your own stock you could be, if you don't know please ask.Once you've sauteed some onions in olive oil with the rice and any flavourings e.g. garlic, saffron, vegetables etc add a little wine. The 'trick'is to stir consistently to stop the rice from sticking and add more liquid (stock) in small amounts (about 200ml) once the last lot is absorbed. That's it really - add any pre-prepared meats/fish/poultry towards the end (these can also be sauteed in the pan at the beginning, then removed before adding the rice, leaving behind the flavours to enhance your risotto) season well, add a touch more oil or a little butter and probably some shaved parmesan or pecorino.

Roma Deli, Shop2/32 Gladstone Rd Dandenong

What colour is a carrot?

Carrots are orange right? Typically the carrots we get in Australia are orange but much has been made of late of the more varied hues of the humble carrot - white, yellow, red, and now purple. The Age newspaper, August 8 2010 focused on a study suggesting "purple carrots ....being positioned as the next superfood .... high in anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants." Just for the record eating a broad variety of different coloured vegetables and fruits and including plenty in the daily diet is a much sounder health choice than focusing on a few 'superfoods'. And of course there are many countries around the world where white, yellow, red and purple carrots are not exotic but rather the ‘norm’. I’m sure this must create bemusement for visitors who see us seeking out and paying premium prices for their ‘everyday’ vegetables.

It is wonderful to see some of Melbourne’s excellent restaurants including a balanced approach to menu composition with dishes that embrace vegetables and fruits as the feature rather than just the second rate accessory. Cutler & Co's winter menu featured a raw, cooked and pickled carrot salad with walnut cream and shanklish (shanklish is a herbed, dried and aged cheese made from cows or sheep’s milk used in Middle eastern cuisine). And Embrasses meli melo’ a ‘mishmash’ of cooked buttered vegetables accompanied by vegetable/herb emulsions and purees, flowers, stems and leaves may well have become a signature dish.

These dishes are generating lots of discussion in the blogger community with one blogger voting the carrot salad as “clearly my favourite of the night” and at the same time another listing it as the least favourite thus far at about course 6 into the 11 course degustation menu. With a dining community accustomed to animal protein based dishes such varied dialogue is not surprising.

P.S. Cutler & Co’s carrot salad has a wonderful  treat hidden amongst the carrots, little explosions with a mouth feel like rice bubbles; on asking these are overcooked fregula pasta which is then dried and deep fried! – Yum!

Cutler & Co, 55 – 57 Gertrude Street Fitzroy http://www.cutlerandco.com.au/

Upstairs, downstairs

Well its 25 years since I graced the kitchen at Kew's Restaurant in Kew, working with some enthusiastic young uns who now run their own successful establishments and occasionally star on the small screen - celebrity chef's that is! These days Kew's is Estivo and I thought I should go visit. And of course after so many years the faces are not those of colleagues but another generation of talented hospitality devotees slaving over 'a hot stove' and passionately plying the craft.

Estivo could almost be two different restaurants, one walks off the street into a busy modern dining area, lots of glass, a few seats at the bar, contemporary decor and a modern vibe. Climbing the stairs one enters a very different space - more conservative perhaps a touch of the romantic. I'm normally watching EVERYTHING - the dishes other tables have ordered, the wait staff and even the kitchen operations if that’s on view, so I felt a little isolated.  But upstairs in the 'attic' I was able to focus on the conversation; only occasionally distracted by the arrival of each course - each worthy of the attention, delicious duck & beautiful beef. I'm sure my dining companion appreciated my attention for a change!
 

The menu reflects the trends with not just entree's, mains (& sides) and dessert but a selection of smaller 'starters' - offered as a selection also; which is how we started. Mains where the aforementioned duck and beef  - I’m a sucker for duck every time – and a stunning side of green beans with white anchovies; sometimes it’s the simplest dishes that are the standout! The flavours of all the dishes were adeptly balanced and the components skilfully prepared; the service professional - Estivo ticks the boxes particularily for a 'night out' rather than casul dining but I think I'd prefer to dine downstairs.
Estivo, 330 High Street, Kew.  

Food writers

Roast Suckling Pig

For many years I have looked forward to the weekend Age newspaper for my regular hit of victuals scrutiny. This weekend’s article, I have to say, is a tad on the pretentious side. While I have always struggled with the fact the most food writers have a pedigree in journalism rather than in the culinary arts, I do understand that at times cooks lack the linguistic style to make what they have to say an easy or delightful read. And I may well be showing my age or perhaps I'm just biased against the 'new' breed of food writers, but there seems to be way too much focus on ‘inventive’ experiences to the detriment of informing the more rounded gastronome. The resourcefulness of peasant pasts lead to some food marriages that are hard to beat.

Barley Risotto

Claire Winton Burn (A Masterchef finalist) laments the decision to choose the signature suckling pig belly at the expense of what she labels comfort food – whiting with prawn vinaigrette! The roasted suckling pig is great but only if you prefer pork to whiting and fatty cuts to something a little leaner. And even at the Cutler & Co end of the market one can include a more rustic treat, like the barley risotto. I had grown rather accustomed to Matt Preston taking me in all manner of directions in the foray of fine fare exploration. So I say mix it up a bit Claire and friends, a little grungy dining may well help to make decisions that will balance emotional and culinary appetites .....and desserts do not always need to follow an entrée and main course; be daring and have dessert only occasionally!

More on Cutler & Co soon.

Happy birthday!

 Hip hip hooray - its EatThis's first birthday today! Let's eat cake!

Fresh mango and cream sponge.

It all started…….with a consciousness that after 30 years immersed in the hospitality industry I knew all matter of stuff about food, cooking & dining - sufficient to be of interest to others! And what better way to share my food adventures than putting them ‘out there on the web’. Like many others I think there's a book or two in me but with the characteristic attention span of a cook (that’s a little longer than a goldfish but relatively short as one pushes through roughly 100 covers (diners) in a typical service - next!) perhaps I'm more suited to the more succinct nature of the blog - my daughter 'the grammar dynamo' certainly agrees. But with a somewhat sociable character blogging away to the unknown sometimes still seems a bit peculiar. I’d love a little more interaction from happy customers – hint hint leave a comment now and then.

So EatThis has become a way of responding to questions from students, colleagues, friends, friends of friends..... which restaurant? where do I buy? how do I cook? what goes with? Sometimes planning the next post has provided me with a prompt to keep exploring - new food discoveries yeah! Now I want to get better food shots so I am about to upgrade from my basic point and shoot Canon IXUS to a Cannon G11/12 - not ready for a full on DSLR quite yet ( I would have to spend too much time learning how to use it and I’m too busy fooding!). And now Urbanspooners get a peek through direct links - Urbanspoon rocks!

So here's (bubbles is the toast of choice) to another year of culinary capers! Cheers Rumbaba

How much is a loaf of bread?

I couldn't bring myself to buy the Tiptop sliced bread, even if it was cheaper and would have left enough money to get some chips, my child recently proclaimed. She had chosen another factory produced bread but one with a little more substance and a higher price tag. One more bread lover has been 'bred' - please excuse the pun! The bread I refer to as 'fluff' is not often found in our house although I have to admit to one of my guilty sins here - fresh white sliced bread with plenty of butter, sliced Pariser and tomato sauce (I have just recently discovered that I share this fetish with one of my long time foodie buddies - snap).

Good bread in my view has a dense wheaty tangy crumb and chewy crust and best baked in a wood fired oven. It is made lovingly by the hands of a baker whose day starts before I even go to bed. Thankfully finding this type of bread has become easier over the years, however it does come at a price, literally speaking. And the cost for all the love? (quality ingredients, skills and time too of course) - the average price for artisan bread is around $6.00. On a recent excursion to one of my favourites I came home with a luscious fig, pear and walnut loaf that cost $9.50, probably a bigger cost was the lashings of butter that I applied to the thick toasted slices the next morning. Note to self - don't buy house around the corner for good bakery!
 
Denches Bakers, 109 Scotchmer St, Fitzroy North