Summer if definitely a time to Rosé

With the beautiful weather upon us, I am looking forward to many a chilled glass of rosé whilst sitting outside, looking at the ocean. We are very lucky that Australia makes world class rosés especially our friends down in the Barossa Valley in South Australia. Did someone say road trip?!

In the spirit of celebrating my love of rosé, I thought I'd make a few recommendations. Would love to hear any of your faves too so feel free to comment.

Turkey Flat- Rosé (Barossa Valley, SA)
http://www.turkeyflat.com.au/

Of all the rosé drinkers around, most will agree that Turkey Flat's Rosé is up there with the best. This wine has complexity with sweet berry-liciousness and a lovely dry finish. It is a grown up rosé with many elements on the palate and would satisfy even the non-rosé drinkers amongst us. Made from Grenache, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Dolcetto, this wine is a beautiful bold reddy pink and oh so very drinkable.

I would recommend this refreshing wine to be enjoyed on its own or with light meals like salads, antipasto plates and perfect with seafood.

Verdict: When you find it on special, stock up and stock up good. You will be very popular if you bring this little gem along to dinner or a party with friends- that's if you can bear to share it!

Langmeil- Bella Rouge Rosé (Barossa Valley, SA)

http://www.langmeilwinery.com.au/

My Dad is the Mr Miyagi of Wine and my wine mentor. He has a freakishly good palate which amazes me constantly. Over the years he has introduced me to many different wines but this is definitely a stand out. I have such a soft spot for it that in some ways no rosé can compare.

Made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes this rosé is a gorgeous deep and velvety red colour and darker than most rosés. It is a fuller bodied rosé and I always get a 'kir royale' kinda feeling when I drink it.

Verdict: Yum num num num num. Online purchasing recommended.


Tin Shed- All Day Rosé (Barossa Valley, SA)
http://www.tinshedwines.com/



True to its name, you can drink this drop all day, everyday, 24 hours a day. I first discovered this drinkable gem when living in Manly and visited the Bavarian Bier Cafe one sunny Sunday afternoon. Since that day there has been some intense abuse of this wine by my friends and I.

The wine itself is a dark blush as a result of extended days in barrel. There is a combination of Grenache, Sangiovese, Mourvedre and Shiraz in this wine. There is a lolly like sweetness that can be on the sweet side for my palate but the wine itself is well rounded enough for the sweetness not to take over, with a nice clean finish. Not incredibly complex but a very pleasant drop to enjoy with almost anything food wise- red meat, chicken, fish or even a nice dessert.

Verdict: Good all rounder for all occasions

Going Down to Chinatown

Here is a back dated post from a few weeks back...

Being half Chinese and born in Hong Kong, my version of fast food normally comes in the form of a steaming hot bowl of noodles from Chinatown. There are some great little food courts in Chinatown and which one you chose depends on what you are craving. As I was craving a good laksa, Junior and I decided to head to one of my favourites, Sussex Centre Food Court for a quick bite to eat before a movie. Whilst there are many places in Sydney to get a great Laksa, I'd have to say the Happy Chef at Sussex Centre Food Court is a consistent deliverer of quality flavoursome Laksas and they have never let me down in the years I have been going there.

This particular instance, I chose the Spicy Beef, Tendon and Tripe Laksa. Offal tends to be poo poo'd by most Westerners but it's is a real treat when it's done right. The spicy beef is a slow braised brisket which melts in your mouth, with the soft yet firm texture of the tripe to balance out the bitey tendon. Mmmmmm...

Junior's new favourite noodle dish is a old fave of mine and my family's. I know it as Gohn Chow Ngau Hor but I think in English if you order Stir Fried Beef with Rice Noodle, you 'should' get the same thing. I say 'should' because I tend to order Chinese food in Cantonese as that's is the only way I can articulate what I am after. When translated into English it's all over the shop especially at Yum Cha... drives me nuts! The only thing you need to make sure is the type of Rice Noodle they give you- Hor Fun in the thick, flat rice noodle. Like many great Chinese dishes, this is super simple and satisfying and so easy to get wrong in the execution.

 

The noodles are skillfully tossed in a dark soy sauce so that it achieves a slight caramelisation just before getting burnt. Tender, thin slices of marinated beef are added to the noodles with onion, garlic chives, bean sprouts and topped with sesame seeds. Devour with some chilli paste and it is so so sooooo good. My Dad's version is always a crowd fave and I can assure you that if you snooze, you are sitting there with an empty bowl. It's that simple!

Satisfied with a belly full of oodles of noodles, we saw this on display in Sussex Centre. A GIANT mooncake. Mooncakes are part of the celebrations of the annual Moon Festival (also commonly known as Mid-Autumn Festival). Moon Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar (this year it was 3rd October 2009).

Mooncakes are typically round and about the size of your palm. Inside the pastry is a lotus seed paste encasing a salty duck egg yolk to represent the moon. The lotus seed paste is very sweet and I can assure you that the duck egg yolk is an acquired taste. One I have not managed to get my head around to be honest.

As you can see from the size of Junior's hand, the Mooncake was HUGE indeed!

Verdict: Definitely go to Happy Chef next time you are looking for a soothing, satisfying laksa and unless you can convince my Dad to fry you some noodles, then most of the wok noodle places in the food courts in Chinatown will do the Gohn Chow Ngau Hor justice!

Sussex Street Centre Food Court

401 Sussex Street

Haymarket NSW 2000

Breakfast of Champions

After a little hibernation over the past month, I owe this blog some much needed attention. Lucky I have some post ideas and photos banked up so time permitting I hope to get my blog on more regularly from now on.

As my weekend breakfasts with Junior are amongst my most favourite things, it seemed fitting to return to the world of blogging with what could potentially be our new favourite local breakfast joint. I had been meaning to give Forbes & Burton a whirl for quite some time now and I am glad I did.

 For us double macchiato drinkers, the quality of the coffee is a crucial element to our brekkie reviews and the fine barista at Forbes & Burton did a fantastic job with the first coffee, however the second had a bit too much milk going on but at least made for a great pic!

Our food arrived very promptly even though the place was full which was a welcomed surprise as one becomes accustomed to having at least 2 coffees and read a whole section of the SMH for weekend brekkie at popular places. Another big tick.

As you can see the servings are generous and I can attest not at the expense of the quality. My scrambled eggs were perfectly cooked as was the wilte spinach and the Sonoma sourdough was divine (mmmmm... sourdough). The bacon was ever so slightly undercooked for my liking as I like it cooked just short of crunchy. Having said that, I managed to get MAJOR food envy when Junior's arrived.

How good can poached eggs with roasted mushrooms, bacon and sourdough toast be, I hear you ask. Damn good when the egg is cooked like this...

Verdict: I am on a mission to get all Eastside City dwellers to try this place at least once. It is definitely my new favourite. May well see you there this weekend. Lunch menu also looks divine so look forward to checking it out!

Forbes & Burton

252 Forbes Street (corner Burton Street)

Darlinghurst NSW 2010

Phone: (02) 9356 8788

www.forbesandburton.com.au

An Expected (and Welcome) Moroccan Party in my Mouth

Unlike my horrific experience with the Lamb & Harissa sausage roll (recalled in a previous post in September), I happened to have an out of this world Moroccan experience right in the comfort of my own home. As much as I enjoy a dining out experience, I especially enjoy whipping up a gastronomical storm in my kitchen- much to Junior's delight. This is why I am going to try and include more recipes in this blog.

The following is a recipe for a Moroccan Beef dish, as I had chuck steak on hand but it will definitely be more authentic with lamb. Having said that, the meat can be easily substituted for chicken and even firm white fish, such as snapper or blue eye cod- depending on your preference. My Mum has my tagine currently so I used a large pan on the stove top instead.

Before I start I am going to have to have a good old rant about Ras Al Hanout because I LOVE it so. Ras Al Hanout is a classic Moroccan spice blend and means "Top of the Shop" because traditionally it is a blend of the best spices from the local spice merchant. As a result, Ras Al Hanout can vary from place to place but kudos to Herbie's Spices as they have come up with a scrumptious version. At $9.80 for 40g, it can seem pricey but I can attest that the depth of flavour and aroma is well worth the money. You can buy Herbie's blends from Herbie's Store in Rozelle or online at Gourmet Shopper. I found mine at my local Fratelli Fresh.

Moroccan Beef with Sweet Potato, Herbed Cous Cous & Mint Yoghurt
750g Beef chuck steak- cut into 2.5cm cubes
1 large Sweet Potato- cut into large chunks
1 large Onion- chopped
2 Garlic cloves- finely diced
1 knob Ginger- grated (I used a Microplane- they are the best!)
2 tbs Ras Al Hanout
2-3 cups Beef Stock
1 can Whole Peeled Tomatoes
1 can Chickpeas (drained and rinsed well to get rid of "tinny" taste)
2 tbs Tomato Paste
Handful chopped Coriander and Flat Leaf Parsley
Zest of 1 Lemon (again Microplane Magic!)
Olive oil

Herbed Cous Cous
1 cup instant cous cous
2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped herbs (coriander, mint, parsley)
Olive Oil

Mint Yoghurt
1 cup Greek Style Yoghurt (to cut down the fat you can substitute with Light Yoghurt but I tend to find the texture is not as nice)
Handful chopped Mint
2 tsp Lemon Juice
Salt & Pepper
Pinch White Sugar (caster sugar mixes in and dissolves easiest)

Method
1. Make Mint Yoghurt by combining all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Season to taste. Mint yoghurt is best made a couple of hours to a day in advance to let the flavours permeate. It also keeps well in the fridge so you can make extra to use as a dip, use in wraps or add to Indian style dishes- super versatile and tasty.

2. In a large frying pan, heat up some olive oil and brown the beef cubes with some salt & pepper. Make sure the beef is browned well as it adds to the flavour of the dish. Set aside in dish.

3. In the same pan heat a little more olive oil and add onions and garlic. Be careful not to have on a too high heat as you do not want it to brown but go translucent, stirring occasionally. After a couple of minutes add grated ginger, Ras Al Hanout and season with salt & pepper. Cook further to release flavour of the spices and be careful to make sure it doesn't burn. Feel free to add more oil if it looks like it's sticking.

4. Add beef back into the pan with juices and cook for a further 5 minutes. Then add sweet potato chunks and chickpeas.

5. Add tin tomatoes and lightly crush with back of spoon so it remains chunky then pour in stock so it's just covered, add lemon zest and season really well with salt & pepper. Turn up heat until you bring to boil.

6. Reduce heat in pan and cover to simmer for about 1.5 hours. Stirring occasionally- as the sweet potato will soak up liquid you may need to add stock from time to time.

7. After about 1.5 hours add tomato paste and simmer uncovered for another 15-20 mins to thicken the sauce.

8. In the meantime boil 2 cups of water and add to 1 cup of cous cous in heat proof bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil and cover for 5-8 minutes. After this time stir in chopped herbs.

9. Serve with blanched broccolini. Bon Apetit!

Verdict: Lip-smackingly delicious!

Herbie's Spices
745 Darling Street
Rozelle NSW 2039
Ph: (02) 9555 6035
www.herbies.com.au

Fratelli Fresh
www.fratellifresh.com.au

New and Improved Rocky Road...

Right people. I have made some tweaks to the Rocky Road recipe ingredients, method still the same as Rocky Road post in August.

Enjoy!

Rocky's Rocky Road

• 350g Dark Chocolate
• 150g Milk Chocolate
• 200g Marshmallows (I prefer Pascalls pink and white ones)
• 2 x 55g Fry's Turkish Delight
• 1 x Cherry Ripe
• ½ cup Dessicated Coconut
• ¼ cup Peanuts

Verdict: