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Lure Seafood Restaurant @ The Coro Hotel
2007-04-12 15:21:00
Eating out:We had heard and read much about Lure at the Coro Hotel . It was supposedly one of the best and most raved about seafood restaurants here in Brisbane. It even took out the awards for Rest aurant and Catering Australia's (RCA) Best Seafood Restaurant in 2005, and Best New Restaurant in that same year, a testament to their committment to serving Brisbanians spectacular food. Sadly for us, when we went to Lure two weeks ago, the food was far short of anything spectacular. In fact, it was our least favourite dining experience in a while. It was a close friend's birthday, and we were throwing her a surprise party. Her partner had decided on the venue, and Bev and I were one of the ten that would be in attendance. With much anticipation, we arrived at the restaurant before our 7pm reservation. Greeted by Nick, our friendly waiter, we were ushered to a long table which was specially laid for ten. When all had arrived, and hugs and kisses had been exchanged, we decided on what to...
More About: Aura

Creamy Scrambled Eggs with Wild Mushrooms and Herbs
2007-04-06 18:40:00
You could circle the globe in search for new and exciting tastes, but you'll always end up drifting back to a place close to the heart where familiarity resides. For Bev and myself, we couldn't possibly resist coming back to luscious scrambled eggs ladden with sinful lashings of cream- runny in parts and velvety in others.Scrambled eggs are one of those things that everyone, cheffy or not, has their own very personal and special way of cooking. In fact, many haughty chefs have been bickering for centuries over the definition of the perfect scrambled egg. Regardless, however runny or stiff, folded or stirred, you prefer your scrambled eggs, these things maintain a great affinity with partners such as butter, garlic, parsley, chives, black pepper, truffles/truffle oil, mushrooms, fish roe of any kind, smoked salmon, crab, and cured meats (bacon is but just one of the many).World famous UK chef, Gordon Ramsey, does not beat his eggs initially with salt, but rather, seasons the dish o...
More About: Eggs , Mushrooms , Wild , Herbs , Room

Taj Mahal Indian Cuisine
2007-04-06 10:14:00
Eating out:Bev and myself are always on the hunt for good places to eat here in Brisbane. For the benefit of others with the same motives, it does pay off to ask around. Taj Mahal is a prime example of this.Two weeks ago, Bev and myself attended a cocktail reception where we stumbled across some old friends. As always, conversation eventually drifted towards discussions about the local food scene. We were keenly recommended by a friend, Mervyn, to check out three places in particular: Beccofino in Teneriffe for their thin and tasty wood fired pizzas, Le Bon Choix in Albany Creek for their delectable French pastries, and Taj Mahal in New Farm for their authentic Indian fare. It was quarter to eight on a Thursday night, and we phoned Taj Mahal for a last minute reservation. We arrived on time with growling empty bellies. The menu has a whooping selection of tandoori-ed entrees, soups, breads, curries and sides, all divided into two sections: vegetarian and non-vegetarian. We were grac...
More About: Cuisine , Indian cuisine

Bjorn's favourite restaurant- Pilu at Freshwater, Sydney
2007-04-02 22:19:00
Giovanni Pilu, Chef/Owner of Pilu at Fresh water in Harbord, Sydney , is my definition of a true maestro. Hailing from Sardinia, Italy, Giovanni brings to Australia a hearty slice of rustic, regional Italian cooking. Dining at his acclaimed 2 chef-hat restaurant is by far my most memorable and unforgettable dining experience. Mind you, I?m a grown man, but may I say that reminiscing my experience at Pilu is almost an emotional thing for me? Well without going any further, I think it is pretty obvious by now that I just can?t seem to run out of good things to say about this man and his food. The restaurant is set in a wooden cottage overlooking the sea at a quiet little beach called Freshwater, in the suburb of Harbord, on the North shore of Sydney. Bev and I took a ferry to Manly, then a 10 minute taxi ride to arrive at the restaurant. From the moment we entered, we were completely charmed by the restaurant?s marvellous view of the bay, rolling waves and blue skies. It was the kind of...
More About: Restaurant , Rest , Aura

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with Vanilla-Lemon Curd
2007-03-29 20:26:00
This dessert is sort of a collaboration between Bev and myself. If I may say so myself, it is so simple to make, and yet so decadent in taste. Bev did most of the work, and was thus responsible for baking the (fantastic) chocolate buttermilk cakes, while I prepared the simple chocolate ganache and put together a cheater bug's version of a vanilla-lemon curd (you'll see what I mean shortly). The recipe is as follows:Chocolate buttermilk cake2 cups all purpose flour1 cup sugar1 cup brown sugar1 tsp baking soda230 gms butter, at room temperature170 gms good quality chocolate, melted4 eggs (59gm each), at room temperature1 tsp vanilla extract1 cup buttermilkBeat butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl till pale yellow, and sugars have dissolved. Add eggs into mixture till fully incorporated. Then, add the melted chocolate and continue beating till smooth. Sift all dry ingredients together into a bowl. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and fold thoroughly. Add 1/...
More About: Lemon , Cake , Butte , Late

Steamed Black Bean Fish with Asian Mushrooms
2007-03-27 19:17:00
Here's a dish that's so easy to make, you could easily do it in half an hour. As much as many of us feel that the selection of Asian mushrooms available at supermarkets is generally limited to the usual shitake, enoki and oyster, these few varieties are all you actually need for this dish!So here's how to prepare it:1) Cut even sized fillets from a soft, white fish (eg, cod, coral trout, halibut, barramundi, snapper, etc). Marinade with bottled black bean and garlic sauce (available at the Asian food section of most supermarkets).2) Cut fresh shitake and oyster mushrooms into small pieces. Leave enokis whole, but cut away the dirtier root section. 3) Saute the shitake and oyster mushrooms in a pan with chopped garlic and ginger for a minute. Add a few teaspoons of cooking wine (mirin, chinese cooking wine, sherry, etc), chicken stock, soya sauce and sesame oil and simmer for 3 minutes. Add enoki mushrooms to the mixture in the pan and cook a further 3 minutes till the enokis ju...
More About: Fish , Mushrooms , Black , Bean

Green Curry with Chicken and Quail Eggs
2007-03-27 19:16:00
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More About: Eggs , Green , Chicken , Curry , Asian

Chermoula Spiced Roast Chicken
2007-03-24 04:50:00
Chermoula- A delectable Moroccan spice blend consisting almost always of cumin, paprika, ginger, chilli, cinnamon, pepper, onion parsley and coriander. This morning Bev and I woke up at 6am to visit the Jan Power Farmers' Market at New Farm Park. It had been a while since we last popped by to check it out. There, we stumbled upon an interesting stall selling little bags of spices and marinades. We enthusiasticly purchased a bunch of these ($3.90 per bag, or 5 for $17), one of which being Chermoula. When we got home we rubbed some of this potent spice over the corn-fed chicken (that had been cleaned and butterflied) and roasted at 180 degrees for about 45 minutes. This was the result:Chermoula goes well with all kinds of meats beacause of its big, bold flavours. All you need to do is mix it with oil and lemon juice/vinegar to a paste, and then rub it on the chosen meat to marinade. The acid tenderises the meat proteins while the ground spices char to form a delicious crust on the su...
More About: Chicken , Herm , Spice , Roast

Ezard at Adelphi, Melbourne
2007-03-23 16:13:00
Eating out:As much as our blog focuses on the foods of sunny Brisbane and it's surrounds, Bev and I do travel around once in a while. This is our first post on a restaurant outside of Brisbane/Queensland. I was in Melbourne for a few days last year, during the Christmas season. There, I met up with my cousin, Becky whom I hadn't caught up with for a couple of years. Seems like she's doing pretty well for herself, seeing that she was recently appointed a senior position at work. So in light of the joyous occasion, we decided to dine at Ezard at Adelphi. Ezard's a pretty well known Melbournian restaurant, always staying at the forefront of the dining scene. Teage Ezard, the chef, had just recently released his second cookbook, Lotus: Asian Flavours, which was quite a hit with foodies and critics alike.Given that it was a weekday and we hadn't made any reservations, we were rather fortunate that they managed to fit the two of us in. The restaurant was dimly lit, but I managed to ...
More About: Bourne

Songbirds in the Forest
2007-03-22 18:35:00
Eating out:The day my mom came to visit, we went to Songbirds Rainforest Retreat, a luxurious rainforest spa retreat on Mount Tamborine in the Gold Coast Hinterland. We had no intentions to stay, or to pamper ourselves with indulgent massages or the works. We were purely there to sample the highly acclaimed and awarded food at the restaurant, Songbirds in the Fore st . The retreat was a good 20 minute drive from the Pacific Motorway exit, but it was a drive worth the while. Upon entering the sprawling grounds of the retreat, one immediately feels a sense of lightness and peace. The crisp mountain air, combined with the exotic balinese decor and landscaping, plus the surrounding tranquility all culminate to send positive vibes through one's bones. We just knew that it; we were in for something good.Sure enough we were!The restaurant is flanked on both sides by ledges spilling over into lush tropical gardens, where the resident bush turkeys and a whole array of other wild birds come to...
More About: Rest , Bird

Sprout Cafe
2007-03-22 16:31:00
Eating out:This is one of the more back-dated articles that Bev and I have been holding off writing for a while. We visited the very quaint and charming Sprout Cafe in Auchenflower several months ago with rather high expectations in mind, given that it is a 1-star rated restaurant in The Courier-Mail GoodLife Restaurant Guide 2006. Service was prompt and courteous, but tragically, the food that we received left much to be desired, to put it very politely and politically.Here's why: Sauteed duck livers, mushroom puree and caramelised onion.The duck livers were rather well cooked, with the middles still juicy and pink as they should be. However, the crouton that they sat upon was dry and stale, suggesting that it had been cut a considerable time before service and left out in the open to become stale, rather then freshly cut and toasted. The puree was earthy and flavourful, but just couldn't save the rock-hard crouton from blemishing the entire dish. Furthermore, the onions could ha...

Happy St Patty's!
2007-03-20 09:24:00
It was rather spontaneous, this one. The initial intention was a gathering of sorts, with friends for a catch up plus a games session and of course, some home cooking. But why not incorporate St Patrick's Day at the same time? Afterall, both occassions fell on the same day! Thus the menu was set; Irish Lamb Stew with Irish Soda Bread and sides of fried cabbage and bacon, and buttered corn kernels for 12 persons. We tried to keep it authentic; but because neither of us are of Irish descent, 100% authentic is something we can't quite guarantee for now! Needless to say, we winged it once again, and eventually came up with a pretty decent meal. Making Irish soda bread was a first for us. We got the recipe off one of Bev's baking books and immediately got cracking. The texture of the bread was wonderfully dense and crumbly at the same time; the result of yeast-less-ness and a very short kneading time (5 mins). The recipe for the Irish lamb stew was an adaptation of the recipe at th...
More About: Happy

Braised Duck with Rice Macaroni and Ginger Coriander Paste
2007-03-13 17:38:00
Just a quick shout out to all you good people visiting our blog... Its been a while since our last update. Hence, we're glad to tell you that we are back in business; and what a better way to kick things off than with a series of articles on original, exotic noodle creations that Bev and myself have decided to embark upon.This one here is a fantastic dish that we contrived out of pure fascination of a special ingredient: rice macaroni.We first stumbled upon rice macaroni at an Asian grocery store in Sunnybank Hills. Bev and I have always been tantalised by noodles in every shape and form. Rice macaroni, for one, was a noodle that neither of us had ever tasted or heard of before. Freaking out like kids in a candy store, we bought the packet of dried rice macaroni, and rushed home to think of ways in which we could tackle, and do justice to this new epicurean discovery. After much deliberation, and the golden stamp of approval from Bev, I proceeded to ?construct? the dish.Braised duc...
More About: Coriander , Ginger , Duck , Paste

Gold Coast King Prawns
2006-11-27 16:00:00
As mentioned earlier by Bev, we are deeply apologetic about our long absence from the blog. Without futher ado, here's the first of many more back-logged entries to come:Gold Coast King Prawns We discovered these babies on a trip to the Saturday Fruit & Vegetable Markets at the Brisbane Marketplace (Rocklea). They fetch a healthy $25 a kilo (roughly 20 prawns), and usually sell out a couple of hours before the markets wrap up around midday.That very Saturday, Bev and I decided that we should do something with these prawns, but didn't know exactly what. Bev, as always, wanted to do something clean such as a grilled application with a tomato-based pasta. I, however, was in the mood for something a little more chi-chi, and conjured up ideas of the usual fancy schmancy. Eventually, and as always, we worked around each other's differences and came up with this dish. I don't particularly like writing recipes as you know, as I seldom adhere to them, but anyhow, here's roughly how I mad...
More About: Gold Coast

A Quick Dinner of Bangalow Sweet Pork
2006-10-27 15:24:00
We had just arrived home from Village Meats in Rosalie. It was there that Bev and I purchased a nice, fatty rack of Bangalow Pork and a couple of Toulouse sausages. Bangalow Pork, raised over in Northern New South Wales, is said to be free of hormones and antibiotics. It's fat content has also been scientifically proven to be over 60% unsaturated. But above all, a foodie like myself would tell you that the greatest joy in eating Bangalow Pork is the fat. Yes, the fat. Bangalow Pork is the piggy equivalent of Kobe or Wagyu Beef. The intra-muscular fat dispersed throughout the meat of this pig renders it so much more juicy, succulent and tasty than other breeds of the same animal. As unhealthy as it sounds, let me just disclaim here and now, that consuming small quanitities of this delicacy in moderation ain't as bad as you'd imagine. Hey, I'm no nutritionist, but my personal standpoint is that it really can't be much worse than a drive-thru from the houses of Ronald or the ol' ...
More About: Dinner , Sweet , Quick

A Date with the Pink Gold
2006-10-25 19:20:00
As you would have realised by now, I have this 'thing' for tender, juicy Wagyu beef. Here in Brisbane, Village Meats at Rosalie Village is such a place where you can find some good cuts of this pink gold. Village Meats is a fantastic one-stop-shop for all your carnivorous cravings. On any given day, you may find yourself walking in to the delightful aroma of bacon being smoked with applewood chips, or like on the day we were there, lamb loins being smoked with cedar. The good people at Village Meats stock all kinds of meats, and as with other good butchers, are more than happy to entertain special requests from customers. This outlet also happens to be one of the few gourmet butchers in Brisbane to officially supply Bangalow Sweet Pork to the public. (More on Bangalow Pork in a coming post).This day, we were after a hit of Wagyu beef. Unfortunately, we were not particularly spoilt for choice; only rumps and sirloins were on offer at the time. We opted for rump ($49.99/kilo), and h...
More About: Pink , Gold

What's in a Pickle
2006-10-17 10:47:00
I was browsing along the fresh fruits and vegetables section in Woolworths when the glistening red and green chillies beckoned. I just had to grab a bagful of each. They looked so plump and fresh, a far cry from the limp and embellished ones that I always come across at other times. So I decided I was going to make me some Pickle d Green Chillies and try my hand at making Achar.Achar is the Southeast Asian take on pickled vegetables (and fruits) marinated in spices, vinegar and oil. The Penang or Nonya Achar essentially consists of cucumbers, carrots, cauliflowers, pineapples and stuffed green & red chillies marinated in a spicy concoction. I headed to Bjorn's and sought assistance from the numerous cookbooks in his humble library, on making Achar. Decided on a recommended recipe from Bjorn's folder of his personal collection; recipes collected from his kitchen stints.It's a surprisingly simple recipe although I tweaked it a little; added tumeric powder, a tiny knob of ginger, one...

Casarecci with Wild Mushroom 'Ragout'
2006-10-17 05:10:00
Just a short entry today. Its getting late, and there's heaps to do in the morning. So, what we have here is a pasta dish that is so simple to make, provided you can find the right ingredients.It's such a pity that wild mushrooms are rare here in Australia. Thats probably the reason why I often visit farmers markets. Its only in these places that you actually stumble upon rare gems such as wild mushrooms. These, like many of my other ingredients, were purchased from the Jan Powers Farmers Markets in New Farm.The flavour of fresh wild mushrooms is second to none. It sure beats the hell out of those button mushrooms found on supermarket shelves. Trust me, one taste of wild mushrooms and you could be a life-time convert. On this very day, I had in my shopping bag a mixture of king oyster mushrooms, shitake mushrooms, trumpet mushrooms and fresh black wood ear fungus (not quite as foul as it sounds).I have to admit that I'm quite a purist when it comes to mushrooms. I'd only ever co...
More About: Wild , Mushroom , Gout , Mush

My Fascination with Blanquette
2006-10-15 17:46:00
What is it about veal blanquette that appeals so much to me? Well, its probably the elegance and refinement derived from oh so common ingredients and simple techniques.As with most other famous and celebrated French dishes, blanquette started off as a humble dish made of left-over ingredients from the day before. Technically, it is a stew of meat cooked in a white sauce. No prizes for guessing, considering that the word comes from the French term 'blanc' which means white. To look at it from another angle, Alan Davidson (Oxford Companion to Food) suggests that blanquette is the etymological cousin to 'blanket', in this sence referring to the rich white sauce blanketing the stew of meat and vegetables.Blanquettes are commonly made with veal (today I use osso bucco), but can be just as easily made with pork or lamb. It is typically cooked with vegetables such as pearl onions, carrots, celery.. etc. However, a French purist would tell you that no matter what aromatic vegetables are...
More About: Cina

The Joy of Wagyu
2006-10-14 20:11:00
Imagine being fed top quality grub and Japanese booze all day long while being constantly massaged to the tune of soothing music playing in the background. This lucky cow has it all. Until some random Japanese bloke pops by, slits it's throat, strips it down, debowels it, and then starts placing exorbitant price tags on its various muscle groups. Yum.I am referring to Japanese Wagyu Beef, the creme de la creme of the Bos Taurus species. Any self respecting foodie CANNOT pass through this life without having at least once fed on this genetically bred, man-modified luxury.Somewhere in Febuary 2006. It was just one of those days where I awoke with the uncontrollable urge to once again indulge myself in one of life's most decadent pleasures titled: The Consumption of Wagyu Beef.So I found myself at the meat counter in Meidi-Ya Supermarket, at the basement of Liang Court Shopping Centre, Singapore. The array of top-quality meats was mind-boggling; but the rest didn't matter one bit, I...
More About: Asian

The Joy of Risotto
2006-09-25 14:38:00
Risotto- "An Italian method of cooking rice primarily made by stirring stock and often wine into rice that has been sauteed in butter and/or olive oil and sometimes onion. The stock is added slowly, and the rice must be stirred continuously as it cooks, resulting in a soft creamy mass of rice.."There absolutely nothing that satisfies me more than a rich, hearthy dish of risotto. Risotto, to me, is a fantastic backdrop for a plethora of flavours that may be showcased through it- parmesan, saffron, roasted garlic, mushrooms, peas, pancetta, the list goes on..Ever too often I find myself out of flour, eggs or sugar; however the one thing that never goes out of stock in my kitchen cabinet is risotto rice. It is, to me, nothing less than essential to good eating.Risottos make a spectacular meal, whether for one, or for a party of twelve. After many hectic nights in the restaurant kitchen, cooking my own midnight dinner of risotto is a pure comfort to me. Risotto is one of those dishes th...
More About: Risotto , Riso

Jan Powers Farmers Markets
2006-09-24 15:30:00
The weather was gorgeous with the sun in its full splendour. And the occasional welcoming cool breeze. Yes, Spring is definitely here. It was a lovely, leisurely Saturday morning indeed. We decided to drop by The Powerhouse Farm ers Mark et on Lamington Street, New Farm.What we love about these farmers markets are the rows of eclectic array of fresh produces, hand made confectioneries, artisan breads, gourmet delicatessens and the arts and crafts stalls. And the wonderful thing about The Powerhouse Farmer s Market is that its just beside the park. Overlooking the river, it makes for a splendid picnic after all that walking and purchasing wares or grub from the stalls.We arrived a little after 10 a.m and already, it was hustling and bustling with discerning market go-ers. And at some of the stalls, the goods were nearly snapped up.It didn't take Bjorn too long to find a stall where he made his first purchase; Venison Salami from Wilgavale and a grilled Venison Sausage for a snack. Furt...
More About: Markets , Powers

Isis Brasserie
2006-09-23 15:44:00
Eating Out:After a tumultuous week, we decided to treat ourselves to a nice dinner. We made a list of all the places we wanted to try out and decided on one. Since both of us have not been to ISIS, this was the restaurant of choice. So, the reservation was made and schedules were cleared for that opportune date. What a night it turned out to be! We were expecting to be swept off our feet. After all, the establishment have won many awards since it opened its doors to public and is one of the few 3 Star restaurants here in Queensland (as mentioned in The Courier Mail Goodlife 2006 Restaurant Guide).Isis Brass erie. Here we are! Upon arrival, we were promptly greeted and seated at a cozy table for 2 along one side of dining room, with a clear view into the kitchen window where Chef Jason Peppler and his team were busy churning out the grub. From where we sat, Bev commented that Chef Jason looked like a rather jolly chap. Well, to me, it doesn't really matter; a chef is judged by his/he...
More About: Serie , Erie