Can you believe it’s the last week of Mushroom Mania month? July has been in gone in, like, three seconds – don’t you agree?

Our official bloggers have, once again, been slaving their guts away eating mushroom meals and blogging about them. Here’s the highlights for your clicking pleasure:

• Pescare, Melbourne by Kitchen Wench.
• The Squires Bounty, Hobart by Sleepless Nights.
• Vino Ristorante, Adelaide by Lambs’ Ears and Honey.
• Simpatico Bar and Bistro, Brisbane by Delicieux.
• Toko, Sydney and Cinque, Sydney by Fig & Cherry (that’s one of the Toko dishes pictured above).

Have you been to any of these, would love to know what you thought? Leave me a note in the comments section below.

Would you like to win $100?

Food bloggers don’t get to have all the fun – you can join in too!

Simply visit one of the participating restaurants in your state (click here for a list) and then write up a short review to be in the running to win $100 every week in July, thanks to Mushroom Growers Australia.

You can also follow all the Mushroom Mania action via Facebook and Twitter or download the smartphone app.

Christie x

We are now more than halfway through Mushroom Mania month and I’m still not sick of eating mushrooms… I think I’ve come to realise that they are right up there in my top 5 favourite vegetables!

Let’s check in with the what the official Mushroom Mania bloggers have been doing this week:

• Movida, Melbourne by Kitchen Wench.
• Dhaba at the Spice Kitchen, Adelaide by Lambs’ Ears and Honey.
• Clarke’s of North Beach, Perth and Greenhouse, Perth by The Food Pornographer.
• James St Bistro, Brisbane by Le Delicieux.
• Baroque Bistro, Sydney by Fig & Cherry (that’s one of the dishes pictured above).

Have you been to any of these, would love to know what you thought? Leave me a note in the comments section below.

Would you like to win $100?

Food bloggers don’t get to have all the fun – you can join in too!

Simply visit one of the participating restaurants in your state (click here for a list) and then write up a short review to be in the running to win $100 every week in July, thanks to Mushroom Growers Australia.

You can also follow all the Mushroom Mania action via Facebook and Twitter or download the smartphone app.

Christie x

Zoom! That’s the second week of Mushroom Mania whizzing by and it’s now in full swing!

I am so pleased that so many of you have been eating mushroom dishes and adding your mini review to the website, there are literally hundreds of them. Click here to check them out.

Meanwhile, our official food bloggers from all over Australia, have been mushroom-ing it up and having a funghi-tastic time. Sorry, I’m a word geek!

Here are their reviews, complete with luscious photos:

• Libertine, Melbourne by Kitchen Wench. Duck and chestnut mushroom pie, oh my!
• The Highway, Adelaide by Lambs’ Ears and Honey. The Forest Mushroom Croquettes look to-die-for.
• Friends Restaurant, East Perth by The Food Pornographer. Scallops and Asian mushrooms? Yes please!
• Bella Venezia, Brisbane by Le Delicieux. You can’t beat mushies on pizza.
• Big Brekky, Sydney by Fig & Cherry (that’s me!). Breakfast of champions.

Have you been to any of these, would love to know what you thought? Leave me a note in the comments section below.

Would you like to win $100?

Food bloggers don’t get to have all the fun – you can join in too!

Simply visit one of the participating restaurants in your state (click here for a list) and then write up a short review to be in the running to win $100 every week in July, thanks to Mushroom Growers Australia.

You can also follow all the Mushroom Mania action via Facebook and Twitter or download the smartphone app.

Christie x

The first week of Mushroom Mania has already passed us by – can you believe how fast July is going?

Our team of Australian bloggers have been super busy eating mushroom meals and reviewing them on their blogs. It’s a hard life, isn’t it?

Here’s a list of the restaurants that have been reviewed this week:

• Hanhdorf Inn, Adelaide by Lambs’ Ears and Honey. This restaurant has a dedicated Mushroom Menu with four main courses to choose from!
• The Balmoral Hotel, Perth by The Food Pornographer. A breakfast feast of healthy mushrooms!
• Giardinetto, Brisbane by Le Delicieux. An Italian mushroom extravaganza!
• Una’s, Sydney by Fig & Cherry (that’s me!). An indulgent deep fried lunch from eastern europe.

Have you been to any of these, would love to know what you thought? Leave me a note in the comments section below.

Would you like to win $100?

Food bloggers don’t get to have all the fun – you can join in too!

Simply visit one of the participating restaurants in your state (click here for a list) and then write up a short review to be in the running to win $100 every week in July, thanks to Mushroom Growers Australia.

You can also follow all the Mushroom Mania action via Facebook and Twitter or download the smartphone app.

Christie x

Could there be a better combination for a warming winter meal than duck and a glass of pinot noir? I think not!

If you live in Sydney (or can get there) you are in for a treat during July. Seven different restaurants will be featuring a duck dish with a glass of Cloudy Bay 2009 Pinot Noir from the 1st to the 31st.

Last week I had the extreme pleasure of trying three of dishes… during one lunch session! Indulgent, I know. Don’t worry, I had a vegetarian dinner that night.

Apologies in advance as I forgot my camera so only crappy iphone pics populate this story. Sorry! I had to make sure hubby had all the stuff he needed to look after Poppy – which meant I didn’t remember my things. Really important things, like my camera. OK moving on.

The event started with a quick overview by Greg from Cloudy Bay on how to smell and taste for a good pinot noir. It was interesting to find out that the perfect pinot noir grape is the ‘holy grail’ for serious winemakers. It’s apparently very difficult to grow because the conditions have to be just so. Even grapes in the same vineyard can turn out differently (ie. badly!) if they are facing a slightly different angle to the sun. Who would have thought grapes could be so touchy?

The other fascinating thing was how the same wine tastes completely different depending on what it is served with and I’ll talk more about that as we go on.

The first dish, pictured above, was at Restaurant Balzac in Randwick. It is a fresh take on Duck ‘a l’orange. The succulent duck had been blanched, air dried, marinated and then roasted and served with fresh orange segments, witlof and watercress. The result was a strong citrus flavour but none of the gluggy sauce that is usually associated with the traditional French version.

The pinot noir tasted light and not smooth with this dish. The fresh fruit and salad elements brought out the cleaner aspects of the wine, there was none of that old complexity you usually taste with a pinot noir.

Sorry for this photo, it’s the worst of the bunch, and does absolutely nothing to show how fabulous this dish actually was. Apologies to the wonderful chefs who created it!

Next stop, pictured above, was The Devonshire in Surry Hills. They served up a cracker of a dish of Roast Breast and Sausage Roll of Duck, Salsify, Hazelnuts and Parsley. The sausage roll was particularly heavenly as it included the duck livers, giblets and legs. The hazelnut paste (that stripey smudge in the foreground) really complimented the sausage roll and was a lot more posh than tomato sauce, ha!

Interestingly, we learned that the higher fat content of this dish changed the taste of the wine. It tasted more tannic, richer and complex due to the way it mixed with the fat residue in the mouth. Now I know why it is so fascinating to match food and wine.

Next stop, Golden Century in Chinatown for a generous plateful of BBQ Peking Roast Duck. I was quite full by this point but still managed to scoff down most of the moreish duck and lovely side dish of lightly pickled radish and carrot.

The wine also had a stronger, richer taste with this dish due to having to stand up to the super sweet and aromatic flavours.

Here’s the full list of restaurants participating in the Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir Duck Trail during July. Bookings are essential, so don’t forget to call ahead.

• Restaurant Balzac - Duck ‘A L’Orange w/ a glass of Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2009, $52
• The Devonshire - Roast breast and sausage roll of duck with salsify, hazelnuts and parsley w/ a glass of pinot noir, $46.
• Gastro Park - Textures of duck with local wild mushroom tagliatelle – duck jelly, duck breast, duck ham, smoked duck tenderloin s& pickled swede w/ a glass of Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2009, $45
• Golden Century - BBQ peking duck w/ a glass of Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2009, $35
• Mosaic – Confit duck leg with bean cassoulet, root vegetables and parsley w/ a glass of Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2009, $55
• Treehouse Hotel – Confit duck leg with mixed funghi, cavellero nero and candied cumquats w/ a glass of Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2009, $42
• Manly Pavilion – Aged roast duck – balsamico di modena w/ a glass of Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2009, $55

I hope you have a chance to get out and try one of these yummy dishes. If you do, then please drop back and let me know what you thought!

Christie x

Disclosure: Fig & Cherry attended the Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir Duck Trail event as a guest of Cloudy Bay and Red Urban. Many thanks to Angela for organising a great event!

You might have noticed I have been attending a lot of launches recently! I’ve been very lucky because Poppy now goes to sleep at around 6.30pm so I can slip out while her Dad minds her.

Last week I was invited to the launch of the new Breville Dual Boiler Home Espresso Machine held at Mecca Espresso in Ultimo.

Hubby and I enjoy going out for a coffee as there are many good cafes in Marrickville, but it would be nice to have a good quality machine at home. Saying that, I don’t really have the bench space!

As I’m a tired old Mum, I quickly by-passed the wine table when I arrived and headed straight to the barista. It was a coffee event after all.

He used the Breville machine to make my coffee (pictured above) and it turned out beautifully. Cafe-quality, don’t you think? The crema was a great consistency and the taste was good too.

Here’s the nice man who made it for me.

It was really interesting hearing the design team talk about how it took them three and a half years from concept to launch to create this machine. There was so much thought given to how to really make a machine that functions like a commercial one, but that is suitable for residential use. Take a look at the video above for more details.

There were machines at the event for people to play with but I was too chicken as there were world barista champions and other experienced people present.

However, I did get chatting to the design team at Breville and they suggested I go into their studio to check out the design process. I would like to take them up on the offer as I am fascinated with how appliances like this come to fruition and the fact that people dedicate relatively huge chunks of their lives (as in, 3.5 years!) to creating them.

Would you be interested in reading a behind the scenes story about the Breville design studio? Let me know in the comments!

Christie x

My love of cheese is no secret around here. So, a fridge for cheese lovers? That’s right up my alley!

Last week I attended the launch of the new Samsung Four Door French Door Refrigerator. The event was held at the (amazing) GPO cheese room where guests were treated to wine and cheese matching – oh, and a preview of the new fridge, of course.

Even though this fridge is far too wide to fit in my kitchen, that doesn’t stop me lusting after it. Samsung are hoping that sexy fridges like this one are going to be the new household ‘envy’ item. I’m sure it will be the case with competitive food bloggers.

Move over flat screen TVs, in 2011, it’s all about having a gorgeous (massive) fridge and being hostess with the most-ess. Sorry sports-nuts, you’re going to have to watch ice freeze or cheese chill, rather than your favourite star win the game in larger-than-life high definition.

Let’s embrace it. It’s a change for the better, in my humble opinion.

Apart from looking pretty (with a fingermark-proof outer coating) it also has a whole range of interesting features;

• Twin Cooling Plus Technology to keep fruit and veg fresher for longer.
• Flexible shelving that move in and out – great for large party platters!
• Special Space Technology (that makes me giggle!) which gives you more room inside the fridge to store items.
• Flexible middle drawer for storing cheese (yes!), fish and other things where the smell might cross contaminate or you need a specific temperature to store them in.
• Different temperature settings for the three fridge compartments.
• An ice maker – need I say more?

You probably want to know about the cheese, don’t you? We tried four different types with matching wines.

Capra ‘Cameo’ - a certified organic goats milk cheese rolled in ash. Pictured above. Absolutely delicious and perfect with a glass of Cullen 2008 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon from WA.

Small Cow Brie – an Irish Dexter cow’s milk cheese from the NSW Southern Highlands. The fromager said she thinks this is the ‘best Brie in Australia’, who am I to disagree? It was delish. Served with an absolutely ripe, cherry flavoured Peringa Estate 2009 ‘Peninsula’ Pinot Noir from VIC.

Grandvewe ‘La Mancha’ - a mature hard sheep’s milk cheese, similar to Spanish Manchego, from Tasmania. It’s a highly seasonal cheese and apparently, we were eating the last pieces available until next year. I recently tried some of Grandvewe’s other cheeses on a trip to Hobart and they are all good! I was pleased to see this was matched with a Mr Riggs 2008 Tempranillo from SA as I have wanted to try a Tempranillo for a while.

Berry’s Creek ‘Tarwin’ Blue – a blue vein cow’s milk cheese made from Jersey cows. The muscats accompanying this cheese were delicious! I was also surprised to enjoy the Wellington 2006 Iced Riesling dessert wine as I am not usually a fan because they are too sweet. The sommelier explained that Riesling grapes are quite difficult to grow in Australia because they need to ripen then freeze on the vine (a bit of a challenge in our climate!) but that in Tasmania the temperatures are close to perfect and the grapes are picked and the put into a big freezer. How interesting! The lesson is to choose Riesling’s from Tasmania.

As a quick side note, the sommelier and fromager were absolutely amazing! Really knowledgeable without being snobby in the slightest. I highly recommend going to the GPO cheese room for a very delicious experience.

Meanwhile, go and check out this new Samsung fridge, if only to have a sticky beak – it’s in-store now at an RRP of $4,999.

Until next time…

Christie x

Last weekend I had my baby shower. It was held extremely late as I’m already 9 months pregnant, but it went off without a hitch (ie. I didn’t go into labour during the festivities!) and I got loads of fantastic gifts.

It was a spring theme because hubby and I have a flower name in mind for our little girl. No, it’s not daisy or rose.

My wonderful friend Lorraine – I’m sure you’ve read her blog Not Quite Nigella – made me these gorgeous mango and poppy seed flavoured cupcakes for the party. I just adore the little bees and lady birds, they’re so cute!

All the guests remarked on how lovely the cupcakes looked and were very upset that Lorraine wasn’t there to chat to about them. Alas, she’s a full time food and travel blogger these days and was jet-setting off on a media trip.

If you’d like to try making these cupcakes yourself then grab the cupcake recipe here on her blog.

Chat soon, Christie x

UPDATE: I won this competition! Thanks so much to everyone who voted for me, I really appreciate it.

I created this yummy recipe for the Australian Mushroom Growers Association for a fun little competition called the Mushroom Masters Tournament.

The competition pits food bloggers from America, Canada and Australia against each other to see who can come up with the best recipe using a particular mushroom. It’s being held on the popular food-porn site Tastespotting.

I got picked for the shiitake mushroom battle and made this delicious Shiitake Mushroom Okonimiyaki w/ Shiitake Salt.

Please, my fabulous readers, help me (and Australia!) to win the shiitake battle. CLICK HERE to VOTE for me now. Simply scroll to the bottom of the post, select the circle next to my name and click vote.

It’s that easy! It will take you 2 seconds and help me out enormously.

To see more pictures and get the recipe, click the button below.

I’m a massive fan of mushrooms, not only for their amazing nutritional value, but also for their versatility and great taste! Enoki, swiss brown, portabello, button and more – I love them all!

Have you ever tried substituting half the mince in your bolognese for mushrooms? You should try it. It not only makes the mince go further, but slashes the overall fat content in half. Brilliant!

For the amount of mushrooms I eat (probably 5 times a week), I don’t really have that many mushie recipes here on Fig & Cherry. Although you could give my mushroom and bacon open face omelette or salt and pepper tofu with mushrooms a go. Note to self: rectify this recipe shortage asap!

Full disclosure: I was paid by the Australian Mushroom Growers Association to develop this recipe for the competition.

Happy cooking, Christie x

Shiitake Okonomiyaki (aka Japanese Pancake)
Makes 2 x 6inch pancakes (recipe may be doubled or more)

2 cups white cabbage, finely shredded
6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, finely sliced
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain, all purpose flour
1/3 cup cold water
Pinch each of salt and white pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Toppings
Mayonnaise
Okonomiyaki sauce (or make your own by mixing together 3 tbs ketchup, 1 tbs worcestershire sauce and 1 tsp soy sauce)
Fried prawns/shrimp and mushrooms (optional)

Shiitake Salt (optional, makes 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
1/2 cup sea salt flakes
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1. Place the cabbage and mushrooms into a large bowl. Crack the eggs over the vegetables and add the flour, water, salt and pepper. Mix with chopsticks or two forks until well combined and all ingredients are lightly coated in batter.

2. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a heavy based frying pan (skillet) over medium heat. Add half the mixture then shape into a circle and flatten to about 3/4 inch thick. Cook for 5 minutes until golden and crispy, then carefully flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove and keep warm, then repeat with the remaining oil and pancake mixture.

3. To make the shiitake salt, blitz the dried mushrooms in a coffee grinder until finely chopped then mix with the salt and sesame seeds.

4. To serve, drizzle the pancakes with mayonnaise and okonomiyaki sauce in a criss cross pattern. Garnish with prawns and mushrooms, if you like, and have the shiitake salt close by for sprinkling.

Looking for more asian-style recipes? Try these:
Salt & Pepper tofu w/ mushrooms
Smoked salmon crepe ‘sushi’
Wasabi chicken noodle patties
Chilli beef and broccoli stir fry
Roast duck noodle salad
Spicy pork and noodle salad

I was lucky enough to accompany my friend Lorraine, who writes the blog Not Quite Nigella, on a very special ‘Behind the Scenes’ evening at Cafe Sydney, Circular Quay a few weeks ago.

We got to be part of a staff meal, listen to a front of house briefing, get a tour of the kitchen, watch the kitchen in action during busy service and then dine in the restaurant as customers!

Warning! There’s loads of photos in this post, so grab a cup of tea and come along for the ride.

The bar is the first thing we see when we come out of the lifts onto Level 5 of Customs House in Circular Quay.

We were pleased to check it out during the afternoon at around 5pm when the gentle sunset rays lit it up beautifully.

It’s also very cosy and romantic in the evening and there’s a large menu of posh bar snacks too. You’ll need them, because Tom Bulmer’s cocktails are amazing, he’s the Head Bar Man.

Mind you, I only had mocktails (due to having a baby on board!), but the flavour combinations were gorgeous and I can only imagine that they are further heightened by well-chosen spirits. I guess I’ll have to go back again in the new year! More info on the mocktails later in this post.

Every night the kitchen cooks up a staff meal for all the front of house and kitchen staff to eat before service.

I’ve heard this is the norm in most restaurants, but it’s really interesting to be part of one. There’s a fresh rocket salad and two choices of pasta bake; meat and vegetarian (although only meat is pictured above).

When asked which we’d prefer, Lorraine quickly pipes up with ‘a little of both?’. Nice one Lorraine, just what I was thinking! We were reviewing them after all…

So what did I think? Delicious! Really hearty and home-style. Once the restaurant fills up later, I can totally understand why they packed the staff full of carbs!

After dinner is the staff briefing. This, to me, was one of the most interesting parts of the evening.

It was conducted in the private dining room (see picture above on the right), which is a lovely space that backs onto the main balcony (yes, the one with the brilliant view of Sydney Harbour Bridge).

You can’t really see from my photo, but it’s quite roomy – there was about 25 front of house staff members (waiters, runners, managers) standing around it.

Tim takes everyone through the specials of the day and mentions which wines are running low. He also quizzes staff on how dishes are prepared and where the produce is sourced from.

Tom, the Head Bar Man let’s everyone know the cocktail special of the evening; Staten Island. It’s made with Rittenhouse rye whiskey, fresh lemon juice, egg white, maple syrup and a dash of Angustura. I love the way staff dip a straw into the drink and then place their fingers over the top to hold the liquid in before carefully transferring to their mouths, so hygienic!

I find this whole briefing session a fascinating insight into why waiters at top restaurants are always so well informed. Um, they are briefed daily! Makes sense really.

Earlier at the staff meal, I chat with a few of the waiters and find out that many of them are full time and have been with the restaurant for many years. Some going overseas for short stints before returning – it’s testament to the organisation, dedication and team spirit of the management staff in running the place so well.

Jan, the Operations Manager (and the lady who made this tour possible!), also mentions that they only have a handful of part time university students who work as runners, but they also are sticking around for the full 3-4 years of their degree.

Later in the evening when Lorraine and I dine as guests in the restaurant, we experience the warm and well-informed service and it really makes a difference. Other customers seem to love it too.

After the briefing, we get to pop on our chefs whites! Sorry, there’s no photo of me in them because I looked a bit weird. With my big pregnant belly I couldn’t do them up properly double-breasted and had to button it up in single row – it looked kind of awkward, but did the job.

The first thing we walk past is the signature tandoori oven. It’s a large bronze pit with the biggest exhaust fan I’ve ever seen and is run by Tandoori Chef, Ram Ghimire.

Apparently, the owners of Cafe Sydney also have another restaurant in Hong Kong where a tandoori oven is the main feature. When they built the restaurant in Sydney they wanted to have some sort of link between the two.

Their signature dish of tandoori salmon is famous and I tried it later for dinner.

We meet Executive Chef Matt Bates who then gives us a quick tour of the kitchen. He shows us the cool room (only 1 for the whole restaurant, that seats 300!), the tiny cleaning room (run by 3 men with their own little system for making the tight space work), the grill section, sauce section and cold larder (seafood!).

Desserts are made by the pastry chefs at 6am every day and then plated up to order in the cold section each service.

Special: Confit duck leg with duck cigar, pickled cherry, savoy cabbage, speck and jus $40.

Next is the fun part – tasting the specials of the night. The wait staff head to the kitchen where Matt explains the specials and how each one is made. He also goes into great detail about where the produce is sourced from and I’m pleased to hear he always tries to use Aussie produce.

The staff eagerly hold onto their knives and forks as he speaks and then tuck in as soon as Lorraine and I have had a chance to photograph them. It’s funny to see how each dish gets totally ripped into, although Matt mentions that everyone seems to be on their best behaviour tonight!

The duck special above is definitely my favourite… could it be the cherries? Very possibly :)

Special: Dry aged striploin with swiss brown mushroom, braised short rib pithivier and jus $58.

So much meat! I think this is a dish for a hungry man.

Special: Grilled baby octopus with crispy pancetta, shaved zucchini, red pepper, tomato vinaigrette $26.

This is usually a regular on the menu using baby octopus. As no baby octopus was available on the day, a large one was used and braised, hence why it’s at the briefing.

Matt runs us through the docket system and we watch in awe as the dockets start to pour in. He reads each one out to the kitchen staff (quite quickly!) and then they respond back with what sounds a bit like ‘hooray!’.

They don’t shout ‘Yes, Chef’ like you see on reality TV shows featuring Gordon Ramsay, it’s much more relaxed and everyone is working hard but seems to be enjoying themselves.

Matt also shows us how to wipe down plates correctly with a damp cloth dipped in vinegary water. Greg, the ‘Expediter’ and the runners are in charge of doing this before delivering the plates.

I’m especially intrigued to watch Greg work. He has the super-important role of checking all the dockets and telling the runners where to deliver the food – both which table and which position at the table. He also tells them whether side dishes are for particular people or to share.

Runners never touch a plate unless he has given them instructions on what to do with it. He is so focused and a brilliant multi-tasker. I love this behind the scenes look at why waiters in posh restaurants always know who’s having what!

Later, Jan tells us that there are set position numbers for each person on every table and that whichever diner is sitting with their back to the kitchen is position #1 and then the rest are counted clockwise around the table.

Nooooo! Someone orders their steak well done. Such a food crime!

Their special computerised ordering system is very high-tech. It allows waiters to put in lots of details about each table such as food allergies, special occasions and time restrictions (as seen above) among many other choices.

One of the supervisors, David Grace, patiently takes us through the system on the floor so we get to see the full process from waiter to kitchen to runner to customer.

(Left) The sauce section. (Right) The grill section – that’s a yummy piece of swordfish!

The deep fat fryer. I’d love one of these in my house – as long as I had someone else to clean it!

We saw crispy chips and perfect fried zucchini flowers made in here. Pictures of those coming up soon, so keep scrolling.

Oysters, crab, Moreton Bay bugs, scampi, prawns and marron on ice with mayonnaise and cocktail sauce $135.

2nd year  apprentice, Jake Owens, plates up the seafood platter. Lorraine and I drool over how fresh it all is.

Spiced caramelised onion naan $3 and Goats cheese and spinach naan $3.50. Kiwi Crush Mocktail $11.

Time to eat! Lorraine and I change out of our chef outfits and get ushered to one of the best tables in the restaurant on the balcony – how lucky!

Tom, the Head Bar Man comes over to chat with us about our drink selection. All this personalised service makes me feel very posh indeed.

Earlier in the night we stopped at the bar for a cool drink and I tried the Elderflower Smash $11 with fresh mint and coriander shaken with organic elderflower, clear apple juice and lengthened with tonic water. It was deliciously nice and bitter!

Tom recommends I try the Kiwi Crush (pictured above) since I like sour and bitter drinks. It’s crisp and fresh with kiwi fruit, lime and passionfruit syrup; finished with Appletiser. Tom kindly gives it an extra twist by adding Kaffir lime as well.

We order our food and when it arrives we attempt to photograph it without much success (see shots above!). The romantic orange lamp is not conducive to good food photography.

We remember the small lamps we were given to read the cocktail menu in the dark bar and request one for the table (aren’t food bloggers annoying! Ha!). Our request is promptly agreed to and then we are on our way…

Special: Salt cod filled zucchini flower with seared scallops, shaved fennel and red pepper $26.

Better, but not great as it’s a fluorescent light. Don’t worry, it won’t affect normal people like you when you dine there!

My entree is the special of zucchini flowers, although I’m surprised to see them on the menu so early – usually they flower in Spring. Never the less, they are absolutely wonderful and the fresh fennel salad is the perfect partner for the salty fish and fried flowers. The scallops were also nicely cooked.

Prawns, served chilled in the shell with mayonnaise and lemon $27 (entree size).

The kitchen kindly peeled the prawns for Lorraine – how sweet! She says they are fabulous. I don’t try them as I’m meant to steer clear of cooked and chilled seafood while pregnant, although I do look on enviously as she polishes them off.

Tandoori roasted freshwater salmon with spiced globe artichoke, green lentils and buffalo yoghurt raita $39.

Cafe Sydney’s signature dish! The fish is sooo moist and full of flavour. The tandoori oven adds a wonderful smokey-ness and the yoghurt raita is a nice punchy, sour side kick.

I especially love the fried artichoke on top, there’s a great contrast between the crispy leaves and soft stem.

Twice cooked pork belly with caramelised pear, speck, pistachio and jus $38.

Mmmm, such a gorgeous combination. The perfect little wafer on top is the poshest presentation I’ve ever seen of crackling. We wish there is more and Matt even said sometimes people request extra crackling – darn it, we forgot!

The pork is sticky, sweet and totally moreish and the pear is firm but ripe and just lovely.

Chips $8.

Yes, piggish! But we both love chips. And these are really, really good.

Baked cheesecake with glazed pineapple, coconut crisp and pineapple sorbet $17.

During my pregnancy I’ve had lots of cravings for pineapple so I had to order this dessert (although I was already full to bursting!).

It’s extremely good and the coconut crisp on top of the cheesecake is a nice textural surprise.

Warm hazelnut pudding with chestnut creme and praline $18.

Very much like a sticky date pudding (because of the sauce), but the pudding part was much lighter. I let Lorraine finish this as I was much too full.

After all that food, I pretty much waddled out of there! But it was a fantastic experience and I genuinely can’t wait to go back and take some international friends for dinner. It’s the perfect place to show off Sydney; for the view, the food and the service.

For even more pictures and to get a second view of the night, check out Lorraine’s post on her blog Not Quite Nigella.

A massive thank you to Jan and the team at Cafe Sydney and Renee at Stellar for hosting Fig & Cherry for the tour and the meal.

Australian Ham Week started yesterday. Celebrations kicked off last night with the announcement of the Australian PorkMark Ham Awards for Excellence winners.

The awards were held at Aperitif with special porky canapes being whipped up by owner and head chef Derek Baker. I couldn’t attend as I had a hospital appointment and I’m also not eating cold meats at the moment (pregnancy!).

However, I’m excited to hopefully be reviewing the Aperitif restaurant soon, so stay tuned for that.

I’m always banging on about the importance of supporting local produce providers but it’s even more relevant when there are scary statistics like this:

• Australians spend $572 million on ham products but only $170 million of that amount is spent on Aussie pork products. Yikes!

Did you know that if you buy a whole bone-in ham leg then it is guaranteed to be Australian? I only found this out recently so will endeavour to do so from now on.

It’s funny that the lovely Stewart invited me to this event because hubby and I were just talking about how fun it would be to celebrate Christmas in July one year.

It makes sense here in Oz as it’s nice and cold and you can enjoy the turkey, ham and all the trimmings without having to eat dinner in your bikini!

Plus, I’ve had massive cravings for pineapple while being pregnant so I really like the idea of a leftover piece of grilled ham with pineapple and melted cheese on top. Mmmmm.

If you’ve got a ham right now then check out this comprehensive ham carving guide on the Australian Pork website. I’ve bookmarked it for Christmas time.

Good Food & Wine Show Competition

This morning I sent out the exclusive email newsletter competition to win a double pass to the show in Sydney. Only email newsletter subscribers got the comp details so if you don’t want miss out on the next lot of freebies then sign up now!

Thanks to everyone who has already replied with their answers – they are so creative and funny it will be very difficult to choose.

That’s all for now.

Happy ham-eatin’, Christie x

Photograph: Tim Robinson

UPDATE: This competition is now closed.

That’s me and ‘Tets’ -  or Tetsuya Wakuda for those who haven’t met him! He’s a world-famous chef and owner of the equally world-famous restaurant Tetsuya’s in Sydney.

Last week I had the privilege of being invited to attend one of his extremely coveted Masterclasses (he only does 12 a year!). I have to immediately give a big warm thank you to Electrolux, Open Haus PR (especially Nicole) and of course, Tetsuya for inviting me. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime, dream experience.

Guess what? You can win a chance to do it too!

Don’t rub your eyes, you read that right. Fig & Cherry and Electrolux are giving you the chance to attend an exclusive Masterclass with Tetsuya. Competition details are at the end of this post… Don’t want to wait? ENTER NOW!

For those of you who can wait, let me tell you about the evening…

Photograph: Tim Robinson - Tetsuya's Signature Confit Ocean Trout

The Masterclass Evening

I was collected by a chauffeured car and driven to the Kent Street restaurant where I met up with 9 other excited food bloggers (which included two of my buddies Lorraine and Peter).

We were given a tour of Tetsuya’s brand-spanking-new Electrolux kitchen – I was in absolute heaven! It’s beautifully ergonomically designed with no taps in the way (there’s a spout inside the sink controlled by a knee pad – so hygienic!), Tetsuya points out this is very handy when moving large trays of food around the kitchen, very clever.

There’s also loads of marble bench space and a beautiful ceiling-sized range-hood that’s cleverly disguised as lighting. All this is great, but BEST part is the extremely sexy Electrolux Induction Stove Tops. Those sleek, shiny black beauties have stolen my heart! Touch-slide controls, flat burners and precise temperature control are just some of the amazing features.

You might think that it takes a long time to cook with electricity? Not with induction! Tetsuya demonstrated to the group how quickly these stove tops can heat up a heavy-based frying pan… with my hand! OK, I did volunteer (see pic here), but he held my hand down on the pan and it only took a few seconds for it to be too hot to touch. Absolutely amazing.

Last thing before I finish blabbing about induction – and this is arguably the best thing about it – when you turn off the burner, the heat disappears almost immediately. It’s safe to touch after only a few seconds.

Tetsuya demonstrated this by boiling milk, which came to a boil in less than 1 minute (from a cold burner to boiling in 60 seconds!). Then he left the saucepan on the burner and turned it off – the milk immediately stopped boiling.

No more crying over spilt milk! No more burning yourself when your pasta is frothing over the edge of the pan and you drag it to another cold burner!  OK, maybe that’s just me, but you get my point. END Induction Love-making, Phew :)

Once the kitchen tour was over, Tetsuya showed us how to make perfect scrambled eggs (with a special ingredient, see trade secrets below), scampi tails in herb oil marinade, steamed crab claws, a stunning dinner party show-stopper of warm scallop salad, confit fish and a chicken tagine (without a tagine!).

Can you believe after all this fun we sat down to his 10 course degustation? So cool! For brilliant photos of the food check out this post by Peter of Souvlaki for the Soul. That boy sure knows how to use a camera!

Trade Secrets I learnt from Tetsuya!

• Don’t settle for anything less than an Electrolux Induction Stove top.
• Use creamed corn in scrambled eggs for a light texture and extra silkiness.
• If you don’t have anchovies on hand, replace with fish sauce in recipes.
• Only use cling film (saran wrap) in an oven that’s very low and has precision temperature control (such as Electrolux ovens!).
• Add finely chopped rosemary to egg whites for meringue desserts to stop that ‘eggy’ smell.

WIN A MASTERCLASS WITH TETSUYA WAKUDA!

HOW TO ENTER:

STEP 1. Go to the special Fig & Cherry Competition Page <— click that link!

STEP 2. Fill in your contact details.

STEP 3. Answer this question in 25 words or less: What is your favourite feature in Tetsuya’s new Masterkitchen?

(Hint: Click the ‘Take the Tour’ link on the competition page to get inspiration!)

STEP 4: Click the ‘Submit’ button and cross your fingers!

WHAT YOU WIN:

• A single invitation to a Tetsuya Masterclass at Tetsuya’s restaurant, Sydney on Tuesday 24th August 2010 from 6pm.
• Return economy airfare from the winner’s nearest Australian capital city.
• One night’s accommodation on the night of the Masterclass.
• Transportation by private car from the winner’s accommodation within the Sydney metro area (50km radius from Sydney city centre – GPO) to Tetsuya’s restaurant for the Masterclass and then back to their accommodation within the Sydney Metro area stipulated above.

THE RULES:

• You must be 18 years or older to enter.
• All entries must be received by 12 midnight AEST Tuesday 4th May 2010.
• Full terms and conditions can be found here.

Best of luck! I really hope one of my readers wins! Christie x

Looking for an exclusive ‘pop up’ event? Look no further!

A friend of mine (well, actually, my brother-in-law’s fiance’s brother’s girlfriend – can you see why I just said ‘friend’? :)) is travelling across the globe from Paris to Sydney for a very exciting food event.

Rachel Khook is British (but lives in Paris) and is putting on the event with her fellow British mate Frankie Unsworth (who lives in Sydney) – confused yet? – in a secret location in the Eastern suburbs for 3 nights only on the 12th, 13th and 14th of March.

The two lovely Poms will cook a six course meal with matching wines for a select crowd of very lucky people. They promise the meal will be:

“A quirky interpretation of Australia’s gastronomy, from its traditional ‘floaters’ to the fusion flavours imparted by its waves of immigrants; from penal colony to gold rush eldorado to sun and surf mecca”.

If you’d like to attend their edible exploration of Down Under then email edibletales(at)gmail(dot)com to make a reservation. There’s a recommended donation of $75 per person – seats are limited!

END PROMO! :)

Hope you all started the week with a bang, hooray for Monday. Christie x

As I entered the gates my mind was focused on my first mission – find a dagwood!

I didn’t actually find one until an hour later, after I’d got soaking wet from a sun shower and just missed out on seeing the Racing and Diving Pigs, the only show I wanted to see. I’m sorry I missed you Smokey. I’ll see you one day.

But back to the dagwood dogs… also known as pluto pups these little babies are pure carnival food. They’re a juicy and salty frankfurter on a stick covered in batter and deep fried so that the outside is crisp and the dough closest to the sausage is spongy, much like a doughnut. Then they’re dipped in tomato sauce and eaten with gusto (not ladylike at all).

I was all carb-ed out afterwards and super dehydrated. It was salty. Good salty.

['Chopping' potatoes using a drill. Hmmm, original.]

About an hour before the dagwood we came across this stand for curly fries. Totally intrigued I had to order a plate. The staff were using real potatoes shoved onto a metal rod and pushed with a drill to slice the potatoes into long curly strips. I loved the way the skin was left on and it crisped up nicely in the fryer.

Although Dillon rightly noted that they should be more savvy with disguising that it’s a simple drill being used. He thinks they should build some fancy cover over the drill so that people don’t copy their idea. He’s always thinking clever things like that.

[Now that's some REAL chopping! Go boys!]

I love wood chopping! My heart was beating fast as we watched the semi finals. It’s so exciting to see those guys chop through that fat log of wood in less than a minute! The winners of the four heats above went on to compete for the grand final.

But we didn’t stay to watch that because the food pavilion was calling…

[That trout was amazing. So many pristine looking apples...]

Inside the Woolworths Dome the district displays were absolutely amazing. I especially liked the Central District one with the massive rainbow trout made of apples (see pic above). I can’t even begin to think how long it would have taken them to assemble it, such painstaking work, but they were so wonderful. I just hope all that produce gets eaten… that’s quite a few apple pies worth!

Just past the displays Lyndy Milan was doing a demonstration using eggs. Unfortunately she was making a frittata, which is dead easy, so we didn’t stick around to watch. Instead, we moved onto the centre of the dome where all the fresh produce stalls were.

Dillon felt like a sweet treat of chocolate milk but the lines at the Dairy Farmers stand were too long. Just as we turned a corner we saw the Irrewarra Homestead Natural Ice cream stand making milkshakes with real ice cream – score! I love their tag line ‘Straight from the moo to you’. We took a picture of the milkshake next to the cute little cow figurine on the counter (see above).

Our next and last stop was the show bag pavilion. Upon entering I must admit that I was a little bit disappointed. It seemed so much smaller than when I was a kid (and I’m not much taller since then!). Did anyone else think that? I Um’d and Ah’d about whether to get the caramello koala show bag but decided against it.

May I make a suggestion please? Can someone please (yes you Green & Black’s) make a gourmet show bag. Please? I was looking all around for premium brands but found none. Zero. Take note entrepreneurs, marketers and PR people – there’s a market for gourmet show bags at the Easter Show. Fingers crossed for next year!

Although let’s not end on a sour note – I had a super fun time! A massive thank you to Elissa from Tourism New South Wales for providing us with tickets, I hope you enjoyed my review!

Chat to you soon, Christie x

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CURIOUS ABOUT OTHER FESTIVALS IN SYDNEY? Check these out:

Organic Expo, Sydney
Taste of Sydney Festival
The Aroma Festival, Sydney

Taste of Sydney Festival: A triumph of flavour and style!

Quick! Get down to the Taste of Sydney Festival – today is the last day! Read this review on your phone while you’re driving there to get you even more excited. Well, not literally while you’re driving, get your better half to drive while you check this out. OK, you’re strapped in? Let’s go…

FIRST THOUGHTS:

The first thing I notice is how neat and tidy all the stands are (it was the first night, Thursday, but still). Being someone who loves cleanliness this immediately impressed me. The stands are all white, sturdily erected and neatly set out in rows that are super easy to navigate.

Dillon and I weave our way through the stands looking for the Wine Theatre tent where we’re meeting Lorraine and her husband Mr NQN. When we get there we also briefly bump into more Sydney food bloggers Suze, Helen and Billy – Taste is obviously the hottest foodie ticket in town this evening!

We get Dillon and MR NQN to score one of the few tables and guard it while we run off to get supplies. Note: Make sure you grab a menu brochure from one of the friendly girls selling crowns (the currency for the event) or print it off the website.

[Restaurant Balzac: Left: Saddle of Suckling Pig with crackling and baby garden peas, Right: Lela Radojkovic and Wagyu Beef Bourguignonne' with Truffled Cauliflower and Onion Rings]

[Centennial Parklands Dining: Left: Hiramasa King fish in citrus oil, fresh peas and crème fraiche, Right: Roast Kurobuta Pork Neck with fennel and witlof salad]

THE FOOD:

Ah yes, the food. One word – delicious! It was such a wonderful novelty to have all the chefs walking around at arms distance. More importantly though, that there was such direct access to the most innovative flavour combinations and first class cooking.

Of course I had my favourites though. Restaurant Balzac’s saddle of suckling pig was absolutely divine. Crisp flavoursome crackling with tender meat, a light pan juices gravy and pop in your mouth peas was a magical combination.

I also adored the Centennial Parklands Hiramasa king fish. The marinated and lightly ceviched fish had a soft buttery mouth-feel and the citrus oil and creme fraiche added the perfect amount of freshness and creaminess. The pork neck was a generous serve and Dillon and MR NQN loved it. Lorraine and I found it a bit tough although the flavour was good and the salad was a very fresh accompaniment.

We also tried the truly delectable Moussaka of Eggplant, Sea Scallop & Taramosalata from Civic Dining. The lovely Peter Conistis even posed with his dish for me (see picture below left). I would never think to pair scallops with eggplant / aubergine but it works incredibly well and then the taramosalata added another layer of complexity and sophistication. Outstanding.

It was shame I didn’t get to try anything from Longrain as it’s a restaurant I’ve been wanting to go to for ages. If you go to Taste, can you please order the Spicy pork sausage betel leaves & pickled ginger, because it sounds delicious! They’ve also got a cocktail stand and the Ping Pong Cocktail with Lychees and passionfruit would go down a treat.

[Left: Peter Conistis from Civic Dining with his dish of Moussaka of Eggplant, Sea Scallop & Taramosalata, Right: Sabor Portuguese Mousse, absolutely deliciously light and creamy!]

[Morning Glory cupcake from Sparkle Cupcakery stand]

THE PRODUCE:

Other than all the gorgeous restaurant quality food there are also loads of fresh produce stalls. I think I was almost more excited about these stalls because there’s nothing better than chatting to people who are passionate about the products they produce.

Greek yoghurt from Barambah Organics: Anyone who reads this blog regularly will know I’m a big dairy lover (not milk!) and that cream is at the top of my most loved foods. You might also remember the post when I first discovered Barambah at the Australian Organic Expo last year.

I go totally ga-ga over Barambah Organic cream and became extremely excited when I saw their stand. Alas they didn’t have any cream to sell, but I did grab a beautiful tub of their Greek yoghurt which has some of their cream mixed in…. yum! Highly recommended.

Cheese from Paesanella: I got a tub of cherry bocconcini, mascarpone and ricotta. Because one type of cheese is not enough. Hehe. It’s gorgeously creamy cheese.

Fresh Wasabi from Coppers Folly NZ: Woah this packs a punch! If you want clear sinuses and watery eyes, this brand is for you. Grown in beautiful New Zealand and eaten right here in Sydney by me. Wasabi mayonnaise you are about to be born… better go buy myself some soft shell crab to tempura and serve it with! (Remember the one at Crazy Bear? Amazing!).

Chocolate Mousse from Sabor: This man (pictured above) was the nicest stall owner there! His delicious Portuguese style chocolate mousse was to-die-for. There’s also hazelnut and mocha flavours too. We got chatting and he said it’s beautiful spread between layers of coffee soaked biscuits like tiramisu. I’ve definitely got to try that. (Although I’ve eaten the whole tub, so I’ll have to get some more).

Cupcake from Sparkle Cupcakery: Dillon loves cupcakes. He chose the flavour Morning Glory in homage to our company Morning Copy. It was a cinnamon cake with a hint of apple and dusted with cinnamon sugar. It satisfied his sweet tooth and he deemed it very good.

THE VERDICT:

I think the above speaks for itself! A first class set up and a superstar chef line up equals an absolutely fantastic festival that Sydney can be extremely proud of. Can’t wait to go again next year :)

Go on, get down there! Christie x

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Another yum cha adventure!

Today I met up at East Ocean for yum cha with a lovely bunch of women who also happen to be bloggers. The event was the second outing organised by Leigh (a very busy triple blogger: All for Women, Crazy Meezer and That’s Noice) that I’ve attended. The first event, you may remember, was at Max Brenners at Parramatta.

There was a good mix of blogging experience and areas of expertise – babies (of which I know nothing about yet) Mandi and Amanda , reality TV Emma and personal blogs Riayn, Laura and Leigh.

I’m never quite sure what to expect when meeting online friends in the flesh but luckily the conversation flowed freely and so did the food.

I was surprised to find out it was Leigh’s first yum cha experience – a virgin! I’ve been quite a few times (I love it!) and was the only token food blogger so I was happy to guide her in the right direction.

We got several different types of dumplings, both rice and egg noodle wrapped with different fillings, greens in oyster sauce, BBQ’d pork, steamed rice noodle rolls with prawns, ‘footballs’ (flaky pastry encasing a glutinous inner shell and savoury pork filling), steamed and grilled pork and ginger dumplings (pictured above left) and lots of green tea to help digest it all.

I was totally stuffed by the time the dessert cart rolled around but managed to fit in my favourite yum cha sweet, mango pancakes; a deliciously thin orange coloured pancake filled with the lightest, creamiest, freshest whipped cream and fresh mango chunks. Pure heaven.

Sadly I was too full to devour a custard tart. They’re so good at East Ocean too – often still warm with super flaky and buttery pastry.

Anyway, I hope you’re as happy as I am to find even more new blogs to read, hooray!

Happy cooking! Christie x

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On Thursday night I attended the media launch for Harry’s Bar de Ville with my friend Lorraine from Not Quite Nigella. It was at the wonderful Bay Tinh Restaurant in Marrickville which has just expanded to feature the new bar on the top level.

The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly meeting the passionate and talented Harry Hoang. Harry took some time out on the night to personally explain to Lorraine and I how he laboured over every dish on the menu to get the taste and texture just right.

His excitement about taking fresh produce and creating flavoursome Vietnamese cuisine is incredibly infectious. This, coupled with his knowledge and vast experience, made meeting and having a laugh with him all the more special.

We even got Harry to divulge the secret recipe for his brand new ‘Tropical Night’ cocktail pictured above. I won’t give it all away but it does contain vanilla ice-cream and the finished cocktail is a delicious mix of fruity, sweet and alcoholic. Highly recommended.

The crowd was a mix of media (journalists, bloggers, PR), loyal local customers and friends packed quite tightly into the space. Although fairly small, the bar has been beautifully decorated, with striking red oriental floral wall paper, sparkling red glass chandelier and wall lights and fresh orchids.

You won’t be surprised to know that what we were most interested about was the food! And we were very impressed:

Crispy spring rolls filled with pork mince, wood ear fungus and carrot, two types of fresh rice paper rolls with tofu and prawns, succulent and tender cubes of beef with pepper and lemon sauce and (my favourite) beef rolled with prawn paste and served with rice noodles, salad and hoi sin sauce. Heaven!

Luckily for me, the restaurant is only a hop-skip-and-a-jump from where I live so I’m looking forward to getting on down there very soon to try Harry’s famous ‘Bonfire range’ where the food is cooked in a special pot at the table. The prawn one sounds particularly delicious.

Watch out though, as Harry has plans to expand, he may be coming to a suburb near you. (Lucky you!)

Happy cooking! Christie x

Bay Tinh Restaurant
318 Victoria Road, Marrickville NSW 2204
Ph: +61 2 9560 8673
Dinner every night from 5.30pm
Lunch on Fridays from 12pm
Harry’s Bar de Ville Fridays from 4.30pm and Saturdays from 5.30pm

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It’s the January Potato Ho Down round up HOsted by yours truly, the HOstess with the mostess. Have you had enough HO words yet?

This month I’ve received 16 fabulous entries so brace yourself for a decadent potato-filled smorgasbord.

Thank you very much to Cathy at Noble Pig and Krysta at Evil Chef Mom for starting this wonderful event. Read more about it here.

Now, dust off your farm boots, we’re going HO-ing…

Our first delish potato dish is Mascarpone Smashed Potatoes with Black Truffles by Madame Fonzie Lynn from Where’s My Damn Answer. What a fantastic way to make potatoes oh-so-posh! Jodycakes says “I actually had some leftover baked potatoes that I smashed with heavy cream, butter and mascarpone until desired consistency – added chopped Winter Truffles to taste, a little S & P.  Topped with one more creamy dollop of mascarpone and a few shaves of black truffle!  Delicious…I didn’t even want to eat my steak!!!”

The next dish is Potatoes Anna and Japanese Style Potatoes with Butter and Soy by Madame Lola Lynde from One Perfect Bite. Such beautiful presentation and those crispy edges would certainly get any Ho excited! Mary says ‘The recipe for Potatoes Anna is lighter than most but still retains the flavor of its more caloric cousin. The Japanese-style potatoes are wonderfully flavored but much easier to make’.

This dish is Curried Sweet Potato Soup by Madame Mandy Lynn of KitchenKikki. I’m a big fan of sweet potato soup and the curry flavour is definitely a Ho pleaser! Karen says ‘This is rich, filling soup with enough zip to chase away the winter blahs!

The next dish is Baccala with Potatoes and Tomatoes by Madame Fluffy Maria from My Life’s Joys. Mmm, salty fish and potatoes is definitely a Ho-worthy combination!

This dish is Criss Cross Potatoes by Madame Bellini Valli from More Than Burnt Toast. I love the presentation, it reminds me of a mango cheek with crispy edges, very Ho-like! Valli says ‘These are a blast from the past and take 1/2 the time to bake. Easy peasy!!! I got in contact with my inner Ho and slapped out this dish’.

This is a creative recipe – Sweet Potato Bread by Madame Loulou from Elra’s Baking. I bet her home smelt absolutely gorgeous while this was baking, all the Ho’s would’ve come out of the wood works for this one! Elra’s right when she says ‘This is a delicious sweet potato bread using sourdough starter!’

This dish is Dungeness Crab Tater Tots by Madame Shipoopi Linda from Wives with Knives (eeek! scary!). Another super posh entry that couples up potatoes and crab – yum! Cathy says ‘These little tots are the ultimate appetizer. They are filled with Dungeness crab, are crispy, crunchy on the outside and creamy and tender on the inside’.

The next dish is Big Martha’s Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese by Madame Trixie Belle from Pages, Pucks and Pantry. The hip-hugging nature of this comforting dish would excite any Ho! Yum! Mrs L. says ‘Creamy Mashed potatoes with Cream Cheese. Because, well, it’s potatoes and cream cheese, what’s not to like?’ Agreed!

There’s 2 entries from the wonderful creator of this event, Cathy from Noble Pig. First up there’s Madame Sparky Marie’s Potato Chip Cookie. Wow, potato in a cookie – have you ever heard of such a thing? This is truly a legendary Ho-first! Cathy says ‘All Potato Ho’s find new places to share their love of potatoes.  Why not dessert!  Potato chips in a cookie turn this regular treat into something special.’

Her 2nd entry is Madame Sparky Marie’s Sweet Potato and Linguica Sausage Soup. I’m a very big fan of chorizo and potato separately. Together they are Ho-Heaven! Yee ha! Cathy says ‘The sweetness of the sweet potatoes paired with the flavorful sausage is a flavor not to be missed.’

The next lovely dish is Roast Potatoes & Veggies by Madame Riley-Marie from Dlyn. Lovely photo and perfectly cooked vegetables. Any Ho would be thrilled to serve this up! Donalyn says ‘Simple, fresh ingredients combine in this easy and delicious dish’.

This dish is Tater Tots with Smoked Tomato Ketchup by Madame Trixie Emily from Grow. Cook. Eat. These look so crunchy! I’ve never had smoked ketchup but I bet Ho’s would love it with these tasty morsels! Julia says ‘What’s not to love about Tater Tots?  Potatoes, cheese, salty and fried… Mmmmmm!  And a great excuse to open up a can of smoked tomato ketchup that I made last summer’.

This dish is Aloo Mutter Samosas by Madame Reese Suzanne from Appoggiatura. The contrast of the samosa with the chutney is very striking and definitely Ho-worthy! Haley says ‘A puff pastry samosa with a potato and pea filling, served with cilantro-mint chutney’.

This dish is Lasoon Batata Palak (New Potatoes & Spinach In A Garlic-Red Chile Sauce) by Madame Delilah J from The Spiced Life. I love the way potatoes soak up the curry flavours. This dish would satisfy any Ho on a chilly night! Laura says ‘A creamy Indian potato and spinach curry that only gets better with time’.

This dish is a Potato and Olive Terrine by Madame Mrs. Yum Cha Cha Cha from Kits Chow. I love the little pudding mould used to shape this. Another posh potato Ho recipe! Mrs Y says ‘My version was sort of a free form terrine. The layers merged into each other but it tasted very good’.

This dish is Potato Pancakes by Mister Who’s Your Daddy? (Who said men can’t be Ho’s?!) from What’s Cooking Dad? What a fantastic crispy and chewy texture they have and would be totally Ho-worthy with a side of bacon too! Cooking Dad says ‘Homemade potato pancakes with apple sauce. These pancakes are really easy to make and can be served with meat and veggies or all by them selves’.

Last but not least, we’ve got my entry – Madame Milky Lee’s Spicy Potato Spoons. With only 4 ingredients there’s absolutely no excuse not to be the HOstess with the mostest this weekend! Come back tomorrow for the recipe.

Happy eating! Christie x

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I know this post is ridiculously late, but hey, better late than never right?

You’re about to indulge in a multiple course menu cooked by a Japanese chef and plated up beautifully by my parents-in-law Steve and Angela.

We started with glasses of champagne and a massive bowl of prawns complete with lemon scented finger bowls. This was the first time I had ever eaten prawns on Christmas Day.

As an Australian of Hungarian and Lebanese descent I’m used to enjoying a full baked dinner (duck, turkey, pork) and/or banquet meal (Lebanese mezze) for Christmas. Now that I’m married, eating prawns with my in-laws is an Aussie tradition I can definitely get used to. Yum!

This year they decided to get Christmas catered by a Japanese chef who prepared all the food the night before. It was a very organised operation, with dishes and sauces packed separately and identified with coloured stickers, making it much easier to plate up on the night.

Once we’d devoured every last prawn we moved onto the meal…

The Menu
Mushi Gamo: cold steamed duck breast with sake, mirin and soy sauce
Beef tataki: rare grilled beef marinated in tangy soy sauce
Hot smoked salmon: roasted cocktail potatoes with dill and capers
Sushi rice salad: with poached local prawns, pine nuts, tomato, cucumber, onion, corn and mayonnaise (not pictured)
Baked pumpkin: penne pasta and feta cheese with basil, ginger and garlic dressing
Coconut Agar: with mango sauce

[Mushi Gamo: cold steamed duck breast with sake, mirin and soy sauce]

The duck was super juicy and the flavours in the sauce very nicely balanced. I’m very impressed by the plating (in fact, this is true for all the dishes) especially the overlapping slices in a fan shape. Very neat.

[Beef tataki: rare grilled beef marinated in tangy soy sauce]

The beef slices clearly loved the soy sauce because they sucked it up and were good and juicy for it too. The saltiness of the sauce really complimented the perfectly pink meat. Heavenly.

[Hot smoked salmon: roasted cocktail potatoes with dill and capers]

I haven’t seen potatoes called ‘cocktail’ since flicking through my mums 70′s cookbooks, cute! They were very moreish coupled with the dill and capers and provided starchy relief from the rich salmon.

[Sushi rice salad: with poached local prawns]

Oh sushi rice salad, how I love thee! I’m a big fan of Japanese mayo and this had just the right amount. The rice was creamy and chewy like only sushi rice can be. I dare say it was my favourite.

There was another course after this one but we were all so full! So we moved straight onto dessert…

[Coconut Agar: with mango sauce]

The combination of flavours here was supurb! Coconut, mango and a tiny sprinkling of fresh blueberries was the perfect end to the meal. So light and slippery and fragrant with in-season produce. Gorgeous.

So there you have it. Such a memorable way to celebrate my first year with my in-laws. Hope there’s many more!

Happy cooking, Christie x

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Let me be more specific. I love my food blogger friend Not Quite Nigella because on a recent visit she presented me with two gorgeous cupcakes. Isn’t she sweet?

Jam filled doughnut cupcakes. Only NQN could take two perfect substances and combine them to make something so heavenly. I especially liked the sugar cinnamon icing – it smelled so good!

These beautiful things had to be eaten with care and dignity so The Bear and I didn’t just gobble them straight from the box. Although we wanted to.

I served them up after dinner on nice plates with big dollops of freshly whipped cream with a little vanilla bean added. Absolute bliss.

Unfortunately I don’t have the recipe to share so you’ll just have to check the Not Quite Nigella blog over the coming weeks to get it. (I suggest adding her RSS feed so you don’t miss out!).

Thanks again you lovely girl, hopefully I can make you something nice next year!

Happy cooking, Christie

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