Tag Archives: Gorgonzola

Italian and Sons | #bestblogs13

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Last night Bron and I went to Italian & Sons for the first sitting dinner (in at 6 pm and out at 8 pm). We’ve been here before and enjoyed a number of excellent meals. We’ve been keen though to attend on a Tuesday evening. The day of the week is important for Italian & Sons. The menu varies, that is, the major main meal changes each night. Tuesday is suckling pig night.

If you take a look at the sample menu you’ll see what I mean. You can see a sample menu here

The ambience is really nice. It’s quiet, it’s dark and it’s warm. Unlike Ned Stark’s northern kingdom whose words were “winter is coming”; winter has arrived in Canberra. It was a very cold last night even at 6 pm as we were walking to the restaurant. Being dark was a bit of a problem though. Darkness is the enemy of the amateur food blogger armed only with an iPhone. Despite the iPhone 5 having an enhanced low light camera, it can’t compensate for really dim light. I am very sorry to Italian & Sons that the images I captured do not do the food justice.

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For our entrée we asked to share one of the specials. It was a Gorgonzola and polenta croquette on a delicate cheesy white sauce. I’m sure there’s an Italian name for the French word that describes cheesy white sauce but I don’t know either of the words. Happy to be educated if you know :-)

Entrée croquette

#dinner #entrée Gorgonzola with polenta. This was gorgeous. #superyummy

There were three on the plate. We had one and a half each. They were delicate yet they cracked open easily and the cheese and polenta were combined perfectly. The odour and taste of the Gorgonzola was present but not too strong. It was delightful. If offered, you should take it.

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For the main course Bron seemed tempted by a lamb special but in the end we both went for the suckling pig on lentils.

Suckling pig

Trying again after tweaking #dinner #main suckling pig with lentils. This was sublime. Sorry the lighting was really low. #superyummy

This was sublime. I’ve not had better pork. The crackling came away easily. It was thin, crispy and easy to cut and eat bite sized pieces. The muscle was perfectly cooked. It could be cut with a spoon but it wasn’t falling apart. The taste was exceptional. The lentils with the meat were delightful. Combined with a forkful of salad it was perfectly balanced.

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Rocket, pear and shaved ricotta salata

#dinner #salad rocket pear and Parmesan #superyummy

This was a lovely salad

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The service was really very good. Our main server was a dead ringer for Freddy Mercury. He was attentive and helpful and knowledgeable about all the dishes and the wines. The other wait staff were also very helpful and attentive. I feel a bit bad we didn’t stay for dessert. We talked about it and we both wanted to go to Koko Black for dessert and have some chocolate.

As promised in a previous post I’m going to start adding a napkin and dunny rating. For Italian & Sons the first thing I noticed was the cloth napkins which means pass, that said after I went to the dunny I noticed on my return it had been refolded neatly which gives Italian & Sons an exceptional napkin rating. The toilet has earnt a 4/5 dunny rating. If it wasn’t for the bulk toilet paper dispenser it would have been a 4.5/5. I really don’t like the bulk dispensers. I understand why they’re installed but as a user rather than an owner/cleaner, I prefer a standard toilet roll. The hand basin, taps, soap dispenser and paper towel dispenser were all good. The toilet pedestal itself was clean and it looked well maintained. The room itself was a nice size.

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Italian and Sons - Vino e Cucina on Urbanspoon

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For dessert we walked around to Koko Black in the cold night air. I was shivering and my teeth chattered a little. Getting into Koko Black was cosy and warming. Bron chose a chocolate mousse and I asked for a chocolate affogato.

Chocolate affogato

#dessert chocolate affogato #yummy

Yay the lighting in Koko Black is more photo friendly :-)

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Koko Black on Urbanspoon

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The night was a wonderful combination of food. The entrée and main at Italian & Sons was something all Canberra residents should try. Look through the sample menu and choose a night. I can’t say anything else is better than the suckling pig if you’re a meaty like me. Koko Black appears regularly in this blog. You know that means it’s good.

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The finalists for the Best Blogs 2013 have been announced. Check out the finalists here  Congratulations to all the finalists especially Christina the hungry Australian

The people’s choice round is still open. I’d love for you to vote for Yummy Lummy if you haven’t voted already.

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Italian & Sons http://www.italianandsons.com.au/
Italian & Sons sample menu http://www.italianandsons.com.au/assets/files/f919bbf39.pdf
Google maps http://goo.gl/maps/QkU5s


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Koko Black http://www.kokoblack.com/
Google maps http://goo.gl/maps/6rTJJ


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Australia Day and other thoughts

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Yesterday was Australia Day. It’s a day that most Australians celebrate to remember the landing of the first fleet in what would become Sydney in 1788. When I say most Australians there are many Indigenous Australians who refer to 26 January as Invasion Day. Australia Day is a national day and a public holiday is always gazetted. Given this year 26 January falls on a Saturday all the celebrations occurred yesterday yet we get Monday as a public holiday. I love Australia. We get so many public holidays and everyone receives four weeks of recreation leave a year as a basic employment entitlement. That said, statistics show that Australians work longer hours per week than most member countries of the OECD so while we get plenty of holidays, we also know how to work hard.

English: Dick Smith

English: Dick Smith (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On Australia Day, I always think about how fortunate I am to have been born in Australia and to be Australian. For many Australians the celebration revolves around food and alcohol. As a non-drinker (which is pretty uncommon in Australia), I focus on food. In recent years the lamb industry has invested significantly in advertising that real Australians eat lamb on Australia Day. While I don’t believe it’s unpatriotic not to eat lamb on Australia Day, I do like lamb so that’s what I had.

There was also a very cheeky YouTube and television video played this Australia Day by Dick Smith who is an entrepreneur, business man and advocate for buying Australian made.

WARNING It’s a little rude.
YouTube video http://youtu.be/VHP-znJv9ps

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So for my Australia Day lunch I had some very nice Maggie Beer products, viz., some pâté and quince paste.

#AustraliaDay #Lunch Yummy pâté, quince paste and Gorgonzola

For dinner I pan fried some lamb cutlets and served them with a salad.

Of course I'm enjoying lamb for #AustraliaDay #Dinner #yummy

I’m taking a break from work soon and a book I plan to read is Food Photography for Bloggers. David Lebovitz did a nice blog post on it with the author.

I have a new book to read :-) Thanks to @davidlebovitz for blogging about it

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English: Maggie Beer at the Australia Day citi...

English: Maggie Beer at the Australia Day citizenship ceremony at Commonwealth Park in Canberra. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A happy ending and the end of a good little break | Ping @ColouredPurple

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On Wednesday evening I vented my frustration about a bad taxicab driver and a lost bag. I don’t really like to vent. I prefer to be more positive and upbeat. I was coming down from the high of being with my daughters and having such a good time. I was surprised how annoyed and upset it made me feel, after all I’ve had my bags mishandled five times in the last twelve months by Qantas and United Airlines. The good news is my bag caught up with me sixteen hours after I returned to Canberra. The relief was palpable. I’m just grateful it didn’t happen on the way to Brisbane given that bag contained presents for my kids and parents.

So coming back to Canberra means coming back to the same old routine.

Back in Canberra after my break. Back to my routine. Iced coffee banana smoothie. Not quite the same as Dad's breakfast snags and bacon.

Ice coffee banana smoothie for breakfast

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I received a call from Qantas at about 0900 AEDT saying my bag had been found. This is despite the website stating the bag couldn’t be located and they were still tracing. Given it had arrived in Canberra at 0900 AEDT, it’s hard to believe it just appeared on that flight. I shouldn’t complain further, I have my bag. What it meant though was I had to hang around and delay my day’s plans for it to arrive.

Welcome home bag 😃✈

My bag with the offending Qantas QTAG.

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Multigrain topped with salmon and tomato. #lunch

Routine means tinned red salmon and tomato on toasted multigrain Vienna loaf

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Thursday evening saw dire warnings across southern Australia of an impending heatwave. There were predictions of temperatures in some areas in the mid to high 40s (degrees Celsius).

Salmon with lettuce, cucumber, mango, nectarine, spring onion and tomato salad. #dinner

I wasn’t feeling that warm but wanted a light dinner suitable for warm weather. Mangoes and cucumbers are cooling.

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A sweet gift from my daughters. Dark chocolate around ginger.

Dessert. Dark chocolate covering ginger from my girls.

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You need refreshing drinks on warm evenings.

Crushed ice and pineapple pieces with lemon lime and bitters cordial blended and Coles sparkling mineral water. So refreshing and I forgot the mint.

Crushed ice and pineapple pieces with lemon lime and bitters cordial blended with Coles sparkling mineral water. So refreshing and I forgot the mint.

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Even though we’re past 2012/12/21 (day with longest daylight time) it was still light until late.

Last light over Lake Ginninderra.

Last light over Lake Ginninderra

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As predicted on Friday we started seeing extreme temperatures across southern Australia (with attendant bush fires destroying homes and causing injuries). I did what most people do if they don’t have air conditioning and aren’t at work, I went to the local shopping mall and watched a movie. It’s been a few months since I’ve been to a movie. I chose Skyfall, as in James Bond 007. I enjoyed it. It was longer than I was expecting. The ending was cool. I’d rate it 7.5 or maybe 8 out of 10. If you’re a James Bond fan it’s worthwhile although a little tedious in parts.

For the remainder of the day I chilled and watched a DVD or two. One of them was The Dictator. I love the quote about Crocs (footwear). “The universal symbol of a man who has given up hope.”

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Dinner had been in my head since Thursday evening. I watched an episode of How to Cook like Heston. It was the first episode in the series and it was dedicated to beef. In this episode Heston describes the myths around steak and his technique. I didn’t follow his method exactly because I didn’t have two days to age my piece of Scotch rib fillet. That night I unwrapped the steak and put it in the refrigerator uncovered and let it dry out. On Friday night I got a pan smoking hot and seasoned the steak with some salt. I then applied the steak to the pan and turned it every 20 seconds for a total of three minutes. I then let the meat rest for a full five minutes. I had prepared a salad with some lettuce, avocado, beetroot, Parmesan, spring onion, tomato, and Chinese sausage with some lemon juice. I sliced the steak thinly and added it to the salad.

Dinner. Scotch fillet cooked Heston style with lettuce, avocado, beetroot, Parmesan, spring onion, tomato, and Chinese sausage salad with some lemon juice.

Scotch fillet cooked Heston style with lettuce, avocado, beetroot, Parmesan, spring onion, tomato, and Chinese sausage salad with some lemon juice. I was pretty happy with the comments I received on Instagram :-)

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On Thursday evening a Twitter friend @ColouredPurple mentioned after I posted my tropical drink that she had come across a nice Italian sparkling mineral water from Aldi. On Friday night I made my drink with it.

Tropical drink time. Ping @colouredpurple for tip on the Aldi mineral water.

It was pretty good. Better than the $0.80 bottles from Coles.

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This morning I woke up a little later than normal and went for a walk.

Sun rising over Lake Ginninderra #igerscanberra

The sun rising over Lake Ginninderra.

Good morning Mr Owl. You're all golden and shiny this morning. #publicart #igerscanberra

As the sun rose the Owl Statue looked all shiny and golden.

My view. Morning walk.

My view as I walked down Benjamin Way.

The Serenity #igerscanberra

Another view of the lake.

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After watching part of the test match from Sydney I had this delicious lunch.

Gorgonzola cheese, Maggie Beer pâté and quince paste. Sadly I broke a tooth on the toast. #toothache

I’d bought the Gorgonzola cheese, and Maggie Beer pâté and Maggie Beer quince paste earlier today.

Deliciousness

Unfortunately while biting through the toast I lost part of an upper right side molar.

The bit that broke off from a molar

That’s the bit next to an Australian five cent piece.

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Okay so it’s a little warm today.

Why can we just have low 30s and 95% humidity. That would be perfect.

Why can we just have low 30s and 95% humidity? That would be perfect.

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Despite a broken tooth I’m determined to keep cooking and eating. Tonight I had a raw beetroot and grated it into the salad. There’s also grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus cucumber, celery, nectarine, spring onion, lettuce and tomato.

Salmon salad with lettuce, grated fresh beetroot, celery, cucumber, lettuce, parmigiano-reggiano, spring onion and tomato.

Nothing like a light salad as the rain falls to cool down the day and increase the humidity.

Catch you later. :-)

Things mentioned in this post

Skyfall
Website http://www.skyfall-movie.com/site/
IMBD http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1074638/

The Dictator
Website http://www.thedictatormovie.com.au/
IMDB http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1645170/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

How to cook like Heston
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/how-to-cook-like-heston
http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/tv-show-recipes/how-to-cook-like-heston-recipes
http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/heston-blumenthal/hestons-perfect-steak

Aldi
Website http://aldi.com.au/

Coles
Website http://www.coles.com.au/

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Pork belly. Simple and good.

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I had another big day at work. I wanted something I could cook while continuing to work from home. I still have a teleconference tonight at midnight so I didn’t want to muck around a lot.

I chose a small piece of belly pork, a small sweet potato and an avocado. I turned the sweet potato into a mash with butter and Gorgonzola cheese. I scored the pork with a sharp knife and rubbed in salt, a little sugar and some pepper.

Pork belly from Coles

Pork belly from Coles

Gorgonzola and sweet potato used to make a mash.

Gorgonzola and sweet potato

This was not a low calorie meal. I do like butter.

Gorgonzola and butter

Out of the oven the pork rind was crispy.

Pork belly

Plated up with the pork on the sweet potato mash and the two halves of an avocado. I like pepper, chili flakes and Tabasco sauce.

Pork belly, sweet potato and avocado

Pork belly, sweet potato and avocado

The mash was thick and smooth and tasting like cheese. The flesh of the pork was tender and juicy and full of nice fatty flavour.

 

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Is there a word better than awesome for tonight’s dinner?

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Tonight Bron and I had a plan. There was still food in the refrigerator and ideas born during Christmas feasting.

For the main course we had ham and cheese tarts with a pear and walnut salad. On Christmas day we had fig and goat cheese tarts. Bron’s sister Lou gave me some cheese for Christmas including some lovely Spanish goat cheese. There was also another firm cheese which we couldn’t identify which was friable like the goat cheese and just as flavoursome. Instead of figs we used apple to sweeten the saltiness created by the ham and cheese.

On Christmas eve and Christmas day we had a pear and walnut salad with Gorgonzola cheese. The cheese added so my to the flavour.

Goat cheese from Spain

Uncooked tarts

Out of the oven these little beauties were puffed right up, they looked like soufflés.

Cooked tarts right out of the oven

Pear and walnut salad with Gorgonzola cheese

The salad is so good. It’s almost on a par with Caesar salad as my favourite.

Tart and salad plated up

Bron had some egg whites in the refrigerator after needing egg yolks for custard on Christmas day. She made her first ever pavlova. No matter what anyone from across the Tasman sea says, this is an Aussie invention. I love pavlova. I recall many happy times as a kid when Mum would make a pav for a special dinner and then my brothers and I would eat what was left for breakfast the next day.

Pavlova base

Whipped cream

I got to whip the cream. I love whipped cream.

Passionfruit and raspberries on a bed of whipped cream on pavlova

The passionfruit pulp was a little tart which was a nice contrast to the sweetness of the pav.

Plated up pavlova

We added more whipped cream and some strawberry coulis to the plate.

This was a great meal. Thanks @bron

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Christmas lunch, awesome food

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After The most awesome Christmas eve dinner Christmas day 2011 will be a day to remember for so many good reasons. The food was outstanding. Breakfast was skipped even though we all know it’s the most important meal of the day. Snacking was avoided despite nice snack food being in abundance. The planning had been long in the making, the day was about lunch and the goodness a Christmas lunch can bring.

The entrée was centred around black figs and goat cheese. These were made from scratch and were perfectly cooked. The sweetness of the fig was nicely balanced with the cheese’s saltiness. It was a perfect start for a large meal.

Fig and goat cheese tart

The main course was centred around a roast duck. The duck was prepared with a nice cherry stuffing and the hope was for the abundant duck fat to provide flavour and crunch to crispy roast potatoes and parsnips.

A roast duck is a slippery “critter” on a non-stick surface and trying to turn it to rest in the oven in three positions was a loving challenge. I. Love. Duck!!!

Roasted duck and vegetables

Roasted duck and vegetables

As you can see the cherry stuffing wanted to emerge early. It tasted so good.

Plated up we had duck, ham, stuffing, potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, snow peas, broccoli and asparagus spears.

Christmas lunch

Some twitter friends have commented that I don’t eat enough greens and that avocado is not a green. Well here’s some proof that there are green vegetables on my plate. You may also notice I was honoured with the choicest pieces of the duck. I was able to enjoy the neck, tail and thigh. I love the dark meat and the oily fatty goodness in the loose skin of the neck and tail. These pieces are so full of flavour.

Some readers may be grossed out but it’s worth presenting the finished plate for the reason of some anatomy. Notice I did not eat the trachea. It is a little too cartilaginous for my liking.

Duck bones and trachea

No Christmas meal is complete without dessert and to be fair we had to wait a while while our stomachs digested the main course. I’ve always maintained the œsophagus should be known as the dessert stomach because with some training you can hold down a full dessert despite a full stomach.

The dessert was a traditional Christmas pudding with homemade custard (made lovingly from scratch) and ice cream). It was delicious.

Christmas pudding

After some DVD watching it was time for dinner. After such a substantial lunch I only wanted something light. A salad. A pear and walnut salad with Gorgonzola cheese fitted the bill.

Pear and walnut salad

The only thing I could fit in afterwards was a mango.

Mango

The day was made more amazing because of the fabulous company and general happiness shared by one and all. We managed to fit in an afternoon walk and a final DVD viewing of the classic New Zealand scifi horror, viz., Black Sheep.

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