Birthday weekend

Posted 2022-05-03 by Gary

Dear Reader,

Hi there. How are you? Welcome to another midweek post. I just had a wonderful weekend in Canberra with my girlfriend. It was great to have someone with me to celebrate my birthday.

We spent a lot of time eating. We also spent time walking and enjoying the glorious weather. I recommend it if you’ve never visited the National Arboretum on a fine sunny day.

Two before ten, Aranda 10 Yards (the evening restaurant)

10 Yards

Entrée

Antipasto Plate for 2

This is a share plate of locally sourced cured meats and cheeses, garden salad, Urban Farm lavosh crackers and pickled vegetables. It was more than enough for two people and would probably be enough for the main meal.

Main meals

We shared the mushroom ragu and a special on the menu, viz., confit chicken Maryland.

The ragu included:

Aranda grown mushrooms.
Roasted tomato and garlic.
Garden herbs.
Shallots with Urban Farm pappardelle and pecorino cheese.

The confit chicken Maryland included chorizo sausage with cannellini beans. The borborygmi and the aftereffects that evening were delightful!

These dishes were large and probably too much after the antipasto. I’d probably think about sharing a single main course dish for future reference. Both dishes were delicious; however, I liked the ragu more than the chicken.

Dessert

We shared a single serve of bread-and-butter pudding, ice cream, and butterscotch sauce. More than enough, this was a nice, sweet end to a good meal.

Food 4/5

Service 3/5

Stella’s by the lake

One morning we both enjoyed Eggs Benedict with bacon at Stella’s. Stella’s is an excellent go-to local café for coffee and a solid breakfast or brunch, given the proximity to where I live.

Food 4/5

Coffee 4/5

Cheese

Rather than lunch each day, we indulged in cheeses. A blue, a brie, a cheddar, a Pink Lady apple, Bartlett pear, and crackers. We went with Olina’s Bakehouse cranberry and sunflower seeds.

Aubergine

One evening, we dined at Aubergine. It was nice to dress up a little and enjoy the quiet ambience of this well-known Canberra restaurant.

The five-course meal begins with snacks and ends with petit fours. There was seafood in the form of Murray River Cod and yabby. There was poultry in the form of quail and mammal meat in the form of lamb, including excellent lamb shoulder beignet balls.

The food was delicate and artistic in terms of plating and arrangement. Each dish combined flavours so that each could be distinguished along with the textures of each element. Some were surprising, and all were delicious.

The service was outstanding. It was friendly, informative, and attentive.

Food 5/5

Service 5/5

Birrigai café

This café is located within the IRT Kangara Waters Retirement Village. Given my age, it felt comforting to be here enjoying a breakfast of light, fluffy pancakes, a jug of maple syrup, and a ramekin filled with a red berry compote. 🤣

Food 5/5

Turkish Pide House

Rather than go out, we got a takeaway from this long term established purveyor of Turkish delights. The starting combo box had zucchini balls, potato balls, and börek along with garlic yoghurt. The pizza had pumpkin, rosemary, garlic and feta and mozzarella cheese.

The serving size is always huge here, and I had leftover pizza for another night.

Food 5/5

Ricardo’s café and patisserie

Ricardo’s cafe and patisserie is in Jamison Plaza.

We had granola with banana brûlée for breakfast and an excellent coffee one morning.

One evening we bought pastries for the birthday cake. We enjoyed two creative desserts, which were out of this world good.

Food 5/5

Service 4/5

Final thoughts

It has been a fantastic weekend. Again, I took no photographs because I was focused on enjoying the whole experience.

The food and service ratings I’ve given should be considered in terms of:

1/5 Poor

2/5 Not satisfactory

3/5 Satisfactory

4/5 Good

5/5 Outstanding

Sous vide Sichuan kangaroo with Hokkien noodles

Posted 2022-04-23 by Gary

Dear Reader,

Greetings friends. It’s the beginning of a long weekend here in Australia (and New Zealand). Monday, 25 April 2022, is a public holiday and represents Anzac Day.

Kangaroos in a paddock near Lake Ginninderra

The weather in Canberra started dull and dreary; however, I saw a blue sky as I looked out of my balcony window.

I’ve been reading J. Kenji López-Alt’s new book on the wok, which has inspired me to cook more Asian style meals. To give this meal an Australian flavour, I went with Kangaroo.

Broccoli, Carrot, Chillies, Coriander, Coriander seeds, Daikon radish, Ginger, Red chillies, Shallots, Sichuan peppercorns, Sodium bicarbonate, Soy sauce, Spring onions, White peppercorns

Ingredients

Kangaroo steak. I picked up a packet of kangaroo steaks from the supermarket. I don’t know what cut of the kangaroo this meat is.
Monosodium glutamate
Sodium bicarbonate
Hokkien noodles
Sichuan peppercorns
White peppercorns
Black peppercorns
Coriander seeds
Coriander seeds
Chilli powder
Chillies
Coriander roots
Coriander stems
Coriander leaves
Broccolini
Shallots
Spring onions
Ginger
Garlic
Daikon radish
Carrot
Peanut oil
Sesame oil
Dry sherry
Soy sauce
Corn flour

Instructions

On arriving home from the supermarket, season the kangaroo steaks with MSG and freshly cracked black pepper.
Vacuum seal the meat in bags and refrigerate for a few hours.
Prepare the Sichuan peppercorns by removing the black seeds and discarding them. Set the husks aside. For any whole peppercorns, crush them with your fingers and peel off the husk for use in the meal. Throw the black seeds away. This step reduces the unpleasant texture some people report when they purchase Sichuan peppercorns and add them from the container into a meal. Taking the time to do this and making an effort pays off.
Cook the meat at 57 °C for 100 minutes.
Once cooked, remove some of the meat and set it aside. Place the rest of the kangaroo into an airtight container and refrigerate or freeze for future use.
Cut the meat into thin strips and dry with absorbent kitchen paper.
With a pestle and mortar pound the peppercorns and coriander seeds. Pound them hard. Pound them until it hurts and you have a fine powder of spice.
Place the meat strips into a bowl and add the ground peppercorns, ground coriander seeds, and sodium bicarbonate.
Vigorously massage the meat with your fingers to coat the meat with the dry ingredients. You want to be quite physical with the meat and not delicate or gentle. The aim is to give the meat a good working over to ensure flavour and tenderness.
Place diced shallots, sliced spring onions (the white bit), minced fresh ginger, and minced fresh garlic into a container.
Slice the green part of the spring onions and put them into some iced water, and set them aside.
Julienne some carrot and daikon radish and place onto a plate.
Slice the stalks and heads of some broccoli and place them on the plate with the carrot and daikon radish.
Make a slurry with water, cornflour, and soy sauce and whisk with chopsticks (like an Asian).
Place the Hokkien noodles into a bowl and add boiling water. Soak the noodles for about 5 minutes. Separate the noodles with tongs and drain them with a colander or sieve.
Heat your wok and add some peanut oil and sesame oil.
Stir through the shallots, spring onion white bits, garlic, and minced ginger.
Cook these aromatic ingredients, so they become fragrant.
Move the aromatic ingredients to a dish.
Add a little more oil and stir fry the carrot, radish, and broccoli until these vegetables soften. Avoid overcooking. The aim is to have some bite in the vegetables; you don’t want them soggy or limp. You want them firm with a bit of stiffness.
Add some MSG and swirl some soy sauce around the sides of the wok and keep tossing the wok.
Place the stir-fried vegetables into a dish.
Add a bit of peanut oil and then stir-fry the meat strips.
Get some colour onto the meat.
Pour in some dry sherry, and add the aromatic ingredients and the vegetables.
Toss in the Sichuan peppercorn husks and give everything in the wok a good stir.
Thicken your juices with the slurry of cornflour and soy sauce.
Place the noodles into a bowl and transfer the contents of then wok atop the noodles.
Thank the Lord.
Eat with chopsticks and a spoon.

How was the meal?

I’ve eaten sous vide kangaroo before. I enjoyed it then and tonight’s meal was good too.

The Sichuan peppercorn husks and the ground pepper gave me a fizz in my mouth. I’m guessing that adding the MSG also helped enhance the flavours.

I made enough for two, so I’ve set aside half for tomorrow’s lunch, which I’ll enjoy after church.

Finals thoughts

Have you tried kangaroo meat? What did you think?
The last time I shared my kangaroo meat dinner on Twitter, some Tweeps protested and shared with their Tweeps that I was not respecting native Australian fauna. I’m not saying that what I do is correct or the best way to live. It’s how I live, and I respect that not everyone agrees.
How do you feel about incorporating non-traditional ingredients into Asian style dishes? Macropods, i.e., kangaroos and wallabies, are not native to East Asia. Still, in my defence, Chinese people have traditionally been adventurous when eating things. Look at some of the interesting meat Chinese like to eat.
Have you cooked with Sichuan pepper? Do you like the fizz it creates in your mouth and on your tongue and lips?

Essential Ingredient Sichuan peppercorns White peppercorns

Eating in Adelaide

Posted 2022-04-20 by Gary

Dear Reader,

There wasn’t a post last weekend. I was with my girlfriend in Adelaide. I did a little cooking, but nothing I want to post about. Instead, I’ll share some thoughts on what we ate when we went out.

Adelaide Central Markets

On Saturday, we went looking around the central markets at lunchtime. The Central Markets in Adelaide are a must-see. There is a good diversity of outlets with something to suit everyone, including those who have specific dietary needs.

I suggested laksa, but I should have gone with the suggestion to enjoy an Italian meal. The laksa was okay, but it could have been spicier. Why is it that I seem to be wearing a white shirt when I feel like eating laksa? Yes, I soiled my shirt while slurping noodles from my chopsticks. You can’t take me anywhere! We went for a combination laksa with chicken, pork, beef, seafood surprise, and prawns. We decided to eat our bowls of coconut creamy noodles and meat outside a vegan laksa outlet. It wasn’t until after we sat down that I noticed how wrong my choice of seating was. Sorry vegans 🫤

We both have a fondness for cheese, and the cheese shop in the markets didn’t disappoint when we asked for suggestions for a hard, soft, and blue cheese. The blue was a Roquefort, the hard was a cheddar, and the soft was a creamy brie. We enjoyed eating some cheese late that afternoon with some lavosh bread. We also had some Beerenberg fig and pomegranate, perfect with blue cheese.

Locavore

On Sunday, we enjoyed lunch at Locavore in Stirling in the Adelaide Hills. The restaurant is known for using produce sourced locally.

While the menu online (Summer menu when accessed on Wednesday, 20 April 2022) differs from what we read on Sunday, the online menu is a good reckoning of what we had to choose from. We started with a dozen oysters (natural), which came with a south-east Asian inspired sauce and wedges of lime. The oysters were plump and fresh. It’s been ages since either of us has enjoyed oysters, so this was a treat.

We shared a piece of pork belly with sweet potato mash, bok choi, and a delicious relish for one of the main course dishes. The second main we shared was fresh gnocchi with a lamb ragout. We also enjoyed a side of rocket leaves, blue cheese, pear, and red onion.

We were seated in the middle of the ground floor dining area. The restaurant also has a mezzanine, or maybe it’s better to call it an upper floor. The restrooms are located up there, and when I went to use the toilet, I noticed the upstairs area was quieter and set for slightly larger tables. There are also outdoor tables too if you prefer that.

The service was quick, friendly, and attentive. We didn’t have to wait too long for our meals to arrive. As we scanned around the room, some patrons looked like regular customers. I’m guessing some of them lived in the area. The conversations with the waitstaff were chatty and friendly.

The drive into the Adelaide Hills is delightful, with some nicely curved roads and terrific scenery. I kept my eyes on the trees, looking for koalas.

If you’re going to be in the Adelaide Hills and need a place for lunch, check out Locavore. I don’t think you’d be disappointed.

Bakery on O’Connell

On Monday afternoon, I was treated to a delicious vanilla slice. Regular readers will know my fondness for this classic Australian pastry.

The walk-in traffic of this place is high. This is an excellent sign for high-quality pastries and coffee. I wasn’t disappointed. We also tried a Nutella heart which was good. Next time, I want to try the apple turnover. I have it on good authority; it’s incredible. I’m also keen to try a genuine Adelaide pie floater.

The company, coffee, and cake, aka the 3Cs, were perfect, in my opinion.

This place is open all the time, every day and all day (and night), including public holidays. Suppose I had completed my training and resident years in Adelaide. This would be the perfect hangout for after late shift dinner and breakfast after night shifts. I can also see myself turning up at 6 am for coffee and a cake before a day shift. The only time Bakery on O’Connell is closed: Christmas eve to just after new year’s day. Perhaps this is when it’s best not to be in Adelaide! 😆

Prezzo Italian Ristorante and Wood Fired Pizza

After some sightseeing, including the museum and art gallery, we felt like eating pizza, so we headed to Hutt Street and stopped at Prezzo.

Check out the review I wrote on Google Maps; it describes how we enjoyed a good pizza and hot chips. I’d eat at Prezzo again.

Muratti Cakes and Gateaux

On Tuesday morning, we went to another patisserie for morning tea. Along with a delicious coffee, we enjoyed a subtle tasting pistachio slice (Three layers of flourless almond and chocolate brownie, layers of pistachio mousse and milk chocolate mousse dusted with pistachio) and a delightfully tart, passion framboise tart (passionfruit mousse and raspberry jam in a butter pastry shell garnished with fresh raspberries). The savoury offerings also look good. I want to go back and try these.

Where are the food photos?

No food photos for this post. I didn’t shoot many pictures at all. We went to the Adelaide Zöological Gardens and saw the pandas and many other animals. The two species I did capture were some pelicans and a lovely cassowary. When we saw the feet on the cassowary, we did wonder what they might taste like as a yum cha meal. 😉

Final thoughts

I loved the time I spent in Adelaide. I’ll be back.

Coles Tomahawk Steak and cabbage

Posted 2022-04-10 by Gary

Dear Reader,

When I read “tomahawk”, I think of a small axe! This steak was more like a small hatchet.

I saw this in the supermarket yesterday while grocery shopping and my eyes shone like dinner plates.

Two weeks ago, when I went out for the chicken parmigiana dinner with workmates, I saw the Fenway Public House tomahawk steak on the menu. My friend, MG, said her husband loves a tomahawk steak. My reply was that we should all return for a meal and enjoy a steak.

When I saw this steak in the meat display cabinet, I immediately thought to cook it at a low temperature in the oven. I’d follow this by searing it in a castiron skillet. To prepare for this approach, I dry brined the meat with monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG, and King of Flavour!

The more I thought about the meal; I concluded I would cook it “under vacuum” (sous vide).

Ingredients

Steak
MSG
Cabbage
Sesame oil
Shallots
Red chillies
Carrot
Parsley
Instant gravy

Instructions

Think ahead and give yourself a day to prepare so you can dry brine the meat.
Place the steak on a rack over a baking tray.
Season the steak with MSG.
Place the steak on the rack and then into the refrigerator and leave uncovered overnight.
When you want to cook the steak, place the meat into a vacuum bag and seal it.
Cook the meat in a water bath at 54 °C (129 °F) for two hours. This temperature should produce a medium-rare result.
Remove the meat from the bag and pat it dry with kitchen paper.
Sear the surfaces of the steak in a hot castiron skillet basting it in some butter.
Allow the steak to rest for between 5 and 10 minutes.
Make the instant gravy as per the maker’s instructions.
Make the cabbage side dish with sliced cabbage, julienned carrot, sesame oil, shallots, and parsley.
Put all the vegetables in a microwave cooking container and add some vegetable oil, MSG, and pepper. Heat with microwave radiation until it’s cooked and the cabbage still has some crunch.
Carve the flesh from the rib bone, and with a sharp knife, follow the muscle bundle fascia to prise apart the principal muscle bundles.
Keep the eye fillet aside for meals later in the week.
Slice the fat cap meat.
Place the bone plus the fat cap meat on a dinner plate alongside the cabbage side dish.
Spoon over some gravy.
Give thanks to the Lord.
Eat with a steak knife and fork unless, like me, you live alone and eat with fingers in a primal fashion.
The best part may be gnawing the meat from the rib bone.

Monosodium glutamate

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)

You can find the FSANZ technical report on their website. MSG=monosodium glutamate; CRS=Chinese restaurant syndrome. I recognise and acknowledge there are many people who prefer to avoid MSG and I’d never suggest they should try it or that they don’t have a legitimate reason not to use it or consume it.

I’ve had a few people ask me about MSG and my opinion so I thought it best to refer to a published report in which I have no concerns.

Can you please do a mythbusters piece on this? So many people are afraid of it and say how bad it is for you etc but it’s really not in moderation.
— Elizabeth Kamel (@ElizabethKamel) March 27, 2022

A friendly Tweep who has asked about MSG

The report concludes:

“There is no convincing evidence that MSG is a significant factor in causing systemic reactions resulting in severe illness or mortality. The studies conducted to date on CRS have largely failed to demonstrate a causal association with MSG. Symptoms resembling those of CRS may be provoked in a clinical setting in small numbers of individuals by the administration of large doses of MSG without food. However, such affects are neither persistent nor serious and are likely to be attenuated when MSG is consumed with food. In terms of more serious adverse effects such as the triggering of bronchospasm in asthmatic individuals, the evidence does not indicate that MSG is a significant trigger factor.“

Final thoughts

Do you like gnawing meat from the bone?
Do your eyes shine like dinner plates when you see something you lust after in the supermarket meat display cabinet?
What would you do with the leftover fillet meat?
What are your thoughts on MSG?

Chicken breast with coleslaw

Posted 2022-04-09 by Gary

Dear Reader,

Greetings from a wet Canberra. If you’re not from Australia, you may have read or seen or heard in the news that the east of Australia is experiencing a second wave of heavy rain.

Looking at how much water there is, makes me wonder how much rain fell when God commanded Noah to build the ark. Fortunately, God promised Noah He wouldn’t do that again. Every time I see a rainbow, I remember God’s promise.

Ingredients

Chicken breast
Aluminium foil
Baking paper
Eggs
Feta cheese
Parsley
Spring onions
Salt
Pepper
Cabbage
Carrot
Shallots
Wasabi mayonnaise
Sour cream
Lime juice
Sugar

Instructions

Lay your breast on a cutting board.
Trim off any excess.
Make a longitudinal incision from one pole to the other with a sharp knife.
Gently open the pouch with the tip of the knife on either side of the vertical incision.
Scrunch some aluminium foil and wrap it in some baking paper.
Insert the rod of foil and paper into the pouch you’ve just fashioned.
Turn the oven on to about 150 °C.
Heat a frying pan.
Add a small volume of vegetable oil.
Cook the chicken breast and turn it every few minutes.
The aim is to create and fill a vacuole after the pan-frying.
When the meat fibres have been cooked and feel stiff, turn off the heat and remove the foil/paper filler.
Add some crumbled feta cheese, sliced spring onion, chopped parsley, pepper, and egg white to a small bowl. Mix and spoon into the hole you’ve created in the breast.
Place the frying pan and chicken into the oven and cook until the egg white has set.
Remove the chicken from the oven.
Place yolks on the set egg white.
Place it back into the oven and cook until the yolks have cooked to your liking.
Allow the chicken to rest a little.
Plate up the chicken on a dinner plate along with the coleslaw.
Thank the Lord for all things.
Enjoy the meal.

Final thoughts

Have you ever done this with a chicken breast?
How was your week?
Is it wet where you are?

Two before ten, Aranda 10 Yards (the evening restaurant)

Entrée

Main meals

Dessert

Stella’s by the lake

Cheese

Aubergine

Birrigai café

Turkish Pide House

Ricardo’s café and patisserie

Final thoughts

I'd love it if you shared

Like this:

Ingredients

Instructions

How was the meal?

Finals thoughts

I'd love it if you shared

Like this:

Adelaide Central Markets

Locavore

Bakery on O’Connell

Prezzo Italian Ristorante and Wood Fired Pizza

Muratti Cakes and Gateaux

Where are the food photos?

Final thoughts

I'd love it if you shared

Like this:

Ingredients

Instructions

Monosodium glutamate

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)

Final thoughts

I'd love it if you shared

Like this:

Ingredients

Instructions

Final thoughts

I'd love it if you shared

Like this:

Recent posts

Post archive