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The Cooking Basics: Biscuits (Bacon & Cheese)

November 4, 2010 by trissalicious

Bacon and Cheese Biscuits

Bacon and Cheese Biscuits

As part of “The Cooking Basics” series, I thought I’d share with you one of the books I consider to be an invaluable resource for creating your own recipes.  Michael Ruhlman’s “Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking” is slowly turning out to be pretty handy in the kitchen.

Essentially, the author refers to a culinary ratio as a fixed proportion of one ingredient relative to another.  He says that these proportions for the backbone of the craft of cooking.  The book contains ratios for doughs, stocks, sausages, sauces and custards and once you know the basics, you are really only limited by your imagination.  For example, the ratio for bread is 5 parts flour : 3 parts water.  So combining 500 grams of flour plus 300 grams of water plus a small amount of yeast will give you the basic bread dough.  Now, once you know how to mix this properly, comes the fun part!  Looking for a savoury bread?  Add bacon, caramelized onions, or cheese.  In a nutty mood?  Add walnuts, olives, and raisins.

I must caution, if you are looking for a “cooking bible” or “the best bread recipe, best custard recipe etc” this is probably not what you are looking for.  Think of this more as a guide to help you understand how certain ingredients work together to give you different results (for example, pizza dough and bread are made up of the same ingredients but why are they so different?)

This book enables you to rely less on cookbooks and more on your creativity and as the author says  “When you know a ratio, it’s not like knowing a single recipe, it’s instantly knowing a thousand.”

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Aunt Jenni’s Cooking: Braised Oxtail With Asian Flavours

November 2, 2010 by trissalicious

Braised Oxtail with Asian Flavours

Braised Oxtail with Asian Flavours

How I wish you could meet my Aunt Jenni.  She’s my sister’s mother-in-law and twice a year we head over to Canberra for the long weekend where she generously welcomes our whole family for Christmas and Easter lunch.  She cooks for over 20 or so people and I’ve never once seen her stress about it.  She’s all about simple, delicious and as much as possible, “make ahead” recipes.

Jenni came to Sydney this weekend to celebrate her son’s birthday.  “Jenni, you MUST MUST give me some recipes to blog about!”  I told her.  She did better than that – she gave me two of her well-used recipe journals that contain her tried and tested recipes!

Here’s one of Jenni’s recipes I had over the weekend (Yes!  She cooks even while she is in Sydney).  The recipe of Braised Oxtail with Asian Flavours is from New Zealand food celebrity and cookbook author Annabel Langbein.

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Some Good News & Chocolate Bombe Alaska

October 31, 2010 by trissalicious

Chocolate and Hazelnut Bombe Alaska

Chocolate and Hazelnut Bombe Alaska

It’s funny how some of the major decisions in our life are made on impulse.

One weekend, over a month ago I was in the kitchen (where else?) when my husband walked in and mentioned that a house we had looked at four years ago was again for sale.

“Which one?”  I asked.

“The one on so and so street, with the sandstone facade, large kitchen (he knew how to get my attention) and backyard.” he said. “Do you want to have a look?” he continued.

I remembered that one.  It was a brand new house we both fell in love with but for one reason or another we didn’t buy it.  And now four years later the house was up for sale again.

“Nooooo. I said.”  I remembered the last time we bought a house.  First there was the heartbreak of being told that our bid was accepted only to be gazumped, the frustration of losing out on several auctions and of course the stress of our last move where I packed over 80 boxes.  Plus, I didn’t think it was in our price range. “I’m busy baking.” I told my husband.

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The One Days and the Never Evers….Pumpkin Gnocchi

October 28, 2010 by trissalicious

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage, Burnt Butter and Balsamic Vinegar

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage and Burnt Butter

There are moments in our life that stand out because we make promises to ourselves and say:

One day…

Then there are moments in our life that also stand out because we say to ourselves:

Never ever…

In 2002 I was visiting my husband in New York and we decided to have dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant with his schoolmates.  I forget the name of the restaurant but will never forget reading the menu and feeling a sense of anxiety.  For one thing, everything seemed so expensive compared what I was used to, so I decided to order a pasta dish which seemed cheaper than having a main.  My cause for distress was from wanting to order something I’d never heard of before, the Pumpkin Gnocchi.

“What the hell is gnocchi?” I thought to myself.   I realized I had an even bigger problem – how was I going to order this dish when I didn’t know how to pronounce gnocchi?  Was it Guh-noki?, Nyo-chi? I wasn’t too sure and in front of seemingly more sophisticated New Yorkers I was too embarrassed to ask the waiter what was pumpkin gnocchi and even more embarrassed to order Guh-noki (my first guess) out loud.   So when the waiter came to take my order I simply pointed at the gnocchi dish and said “I’ll have this one.”

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Macaron Pops: Chocolate, Olive Oil and Sea salt PLUS Salted Caramel

October 26, 2010 by trissalicious

Macaron lollipops

Macaron lollipops

I realized that I have been blogging for a year and a half now.  Wow.  That’s lasted longer than most relationships nowadays – I feel like you should know me really well by now, after all, I’ve always considered my life to be an open book blog.

But do you really?  I guess, there comes a point in all relationships where you THINK you know a person and then they throw you a curveball.

Well, this is mine:  I don’t like eating macarons. I find them too sweet.

I know, it’s crazy, especially with the number of times I’ve made them on my blog.   Even at Pierre Herme or Laduree, my husband will order a box (his line is “one of each flavour please!”) and I’ll feel obliged to try them since we’re supposed to be in macaron mecca – but in most cases, I’ll only have half a compulsory bite if ever.  I have come to realize that my fascination with them was really borne out of the frustration of not being able to make them properly the first three or so years after learning about them.

Macaron lollipops

Macaron lollipops

Last week however I was inspired to make some macarons for myself after reading Ellie’s post on her Ret Hot Devil mac pops.  But this time, I decided to go with a more savoury/sweet approach.  You see, I love salt.  You know how some restaurants serve salt in little bowls?  My husband has to stop me from picking at it because I can eat salt on its own.  So I made two lots of macarons, first a chocolate macaron which I sprinkled with some pink salt flakes and made a ganache of chocolate, olive oil and more sea salt.  I managed to have two macarons from this batch.  The first one was me trying to figure out whether the olive oil flavour was strong enough to come through (it was) and the second one was to savour the hint of salt flakes from the shell and the ganache.

The second batch of macarons was a Masterchef winner.  Really… it was.  Our work sponsored a Masterchef Dessert competition as part of the Crave Sydney International Food Festival (of which we were a major sponsor) and I piped up a batch of these Salted Caramel Macarons that won me not only a dinner for two at the Young Chef’s Dinner, but also a signed copy from Joanna Savill of the Good Food Guide!

I’m sharing both recipes here in case you’d like to try them yourself.  Macaron recipe can be found here (for French method, the ganache is good for half a batch of these macarons) or here (for Italian Method).

Macaron lollipops

Macaron lollipops

Salted Caramel Macarons

Makes enough for one batch of macarons

  • 160 grams caster sugar
  • 130 grams cream
  • 150 grams butter, diced (best quality you can afford – I used Lurpak brand)
  • 7 grams sea salt (I used pink Murray river salt)
  1. Heat sugar in a pot, making sure to constantly stir so that it browns evenly.
  2. In another sauce pan, warm the cream until the cream bubbles along the sides of the pot.
  3. Once the sugar turns a deep brown, immediately add the warmed cream. Be careful not to burn yourself as the cream and sugar will create a lot of steam – it’s preferable to use a long wooden spoon to stir.
  4. If you notice that some sugar has hardened, heat the mixture gently until the sugar dissolved. Continue to stir the sugar and cream mixture off the heat to allow it to cool, you can even place it in another container to speed up the process.
  5. Once the mixture has cooled to around 50c, add the diced butter with a whisk, a little at a time until fully incorporated.
  6. If you haven’t already, transfer the mixture to a bowl and cover with cling wrap and allow to cool in the refrigerator for around 2 to 3 hours.
  7. Once the mixture has cooled, add the salt and emulsify the mixture using either a food processor, stand mixer, hand held mixer or thermomix until the mixture changes colour to a dark beige shade. This is now ready for piping.
Chocolate, Olive Oil and Sea salt Macaron Pops

Chocolate, Olive Oil and Sea salt Macaron Pops

Chocolate, Olive Oil and Sea Salt Ganache

Makes enough for one batch of macarons

  • 150 grams dark chocolate, 50% cocoa (I used Lindt)
  • 120 grams cream
  • 30 grams olive oil
  • 7 grams sea salt
  1. Chop the chocolate into little pieces and place them in a bowl. Heat the cream until it is almost boiling in a saucepan (the cream at the sides of the pan will start to bubble) and pour this onto the chocolate.
  2. Allow the chocolate and cream mixture to rest for a minute and then start to stir the chocolate, starting from the middle of the bowl – outwards, until the chocolate is fully incorporated.
  3. Add the olive oil and sea salt and allow to cool. Cover with a cling wrap and allow to harden in the refrigerator before use.

On a side note,  have I told you how much I love Melbourne?  I’m in Melbourne this week for a number of courses at Savour School.  I’m absolutely amazed at the dedication and passion of my classmates.  Many of them are working in professional kitchens or are running (or about to start) their own businesses.  It’s both humbling and inspiring to see them in action and I’ll surely share with you my experiences in the coming posts.

Posted in Bake | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 50 Comments »

The Cooking Basics: How to Make Chicken Stock

October 24, 2010 by trissalicious

Friends are a great source of encouragement.

A few months ago, with the support of Kath I decided to start another blog called The Cooking Basics.  The idea was simple, to focus on the basics of cooking – for example – stocks, sauces, cooking techniques and really anything and everything you could  learn to make you a better cook.  I got so far as my first post but then sadly, life got in the way.  The idea always lingered on my mind but it was almost impossible to work on two blogs at the same time!  Last week, after a nudge of encouragement from  Ellie, I decided to pursue this idea again.  She suggested I make it a regular feature in this blog instead.  So, welcome to the first post of The Cooking Basics – what could be more basic than chicken stock?

Basic Chicken Stock

Basic Chicken Stock

Knowing how to make a good stock is an essential skill everyone should learn. The idea is simple, extract as much flavour from the ingredients as possible by simmering these over a low heat for a couple of hours (depending on the stock you are making). A great stock is the starting point for many soups, sauces and even braised dishes. And while it does take some time to cook, there’s almost no excuse NOT to make your own stock. It’s cheaper, healthier and more importantly, tastes heaps better than any store bought stock you can get your hands on.

Chicken Stock

Chicken Stock

I normally prepare my chicken stock over the weekend. They keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days, otherwise, I freeze them as they can keep indefinitely in the freezer.
There are a number of variations for chicken stock. A brown chicken stock is made using roasted chicken bones. A white chicken stock is made from raw chicken bones which are first blanched to remove impurities which can cause a cloudy stock (not what you want).

The main ingredients for the white chicken stock are:
Chicken Bones – usually a combination of wings, necks, carcass
Mirepoix (meer-pwah) – a combination of aromatic vegetables which include carrots, onions and celery (leeks are sometimes used as well). These are coarsely chopped into uniform sized pieces. The size of the vegetables will depend on the length of cooking time. The longer the cooking time, the larger the pieces used. The ratio for a mirepoix is as follows: 2 parts onion, 1 part carrots, 1 part celery.
Bouquet Garni – used to lightly add flavour to the stock, a basic bouquet garni will contain thyme springs, a bay leaf, parsley stalks and peppercorns.
Ratios – as a rule of thumb, the ratio for a basic chicken stock will be as follows:
2 Parts Water : 1 Part Chicken : 0.10 Part Mirepoix
So for example, if you have a kilo of chicken, you need to add 2 litres of water and 100 grams of the mirepoix.
Storage – Stock will keep 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Otherwise, place them in storage bags or ice cube trays and freeze them for up to six months.

Basic White Chicken Stock

Ingredients

  • 2 kilos chicken bones (necks, wings, carcass)
  • 4 litres water
  • 200 grams of chopped carrots, onion and celery (100 grams onion, 50 grams celery, 50 grams carrots)
  • 1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf, a few thyme springs, a few parsley stalks, a few peppercorns)
  1. Rinse the chicken bones and put them in a large stock pot (enough to cover the bones, vegetables and water).
  2. Cover the bones with enough water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, you will notice the coagulated blood come to the top of the stock pot, this is also referred to as scum. Turn off the heat and drain the bones and rinse them well. These first two steps are known as Blanching
  3. Place the bones back into the stock pot along with the mirepoix and the bouquet garni.
  4. Fill the pot with the 4 litres of water and bring to a boil. Once the water has boiled, reduce to a simmer. Make sure you don’t allow the stock to boil as this makes the stock cloudy. Simmering refers to keeping the heat low enough so that the liquid barely bubbles.
  5. Allow the stock to cook for around 3 to 4 hours, skimming any scum that rises to the surface.
  6. When done, strain the stock into a bowl and allow to cool and store (see above) until ready to use.

If you’re learning how to cook and would like me to feature a certain basic recipe, technique or ingredient please feel free to email me or leave a comment.

I’m off to Melbourne this week for some classes at Savour School.  I’ll have limited access to email but have got some posts lined up for the week – make sure to stay tuned!

Posted in Cooking Basics | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments »

Change The World 9 To 5 (Fresh Pasta with Pumpkin, Pine Nuts & Goat Cheese)

October 21, 2010 by trissalicious

Pumpkin Pasta with Pine Nuts and Goat Cheese

Pumpkin Pasta with Pine Nuts and Goat Cheese

Let me tell you about a day in the life of Trissalicious.

I get up a little before 6 am and take my two labradors for an hour long walk. Then I go to work, where I spent a good nine or ten hours of the day. When I get home, I cook dinner, eat dinner, do house chores, pay bills, answer emails and occasionally find the time to blog. The blogging is a whole different affair altogether. There’s cooking, taking photos, writing, editing and because these things don’t come as naturally to me, even more editing. I admit, I do find it difficult to juggle everything and hardly find time for anything else.

Once on holiday I bought a book on how to be more philanthropic but sadly, after the holiday I never got past the first two chapters.

One day my husband gave me a book from one of his trips to London. The hotel he stayed in had given each guest a book called Change the World 9 to 5 and he handed me his copy. I was sceptical. I had a back log of two weeks worth of laundry, hadn’t had time to visit my favourite blogs – how was I going to find the time to “change the world”?

I’m glad though I gave the book a second chance. The book is filled with simple, practical things we can all do during the work day to make a difference. Many of these things seem very small, but do really have far reaching consequences.  Some are even fun to do:

  • Leave work on time at least once a week
  • Praise people
  • Share your lunch with someone
  • Lose the plastic cup
  • Speak rather than email
  • Smile when you answer the phone

If you’re interested to “Change the World 9 to 5” or are just interested more to learn about it – I’ve stumbled upon this website. Small action x Lots of people = BIG CHANGES.  Have a look – and tell me – what small actions will you be doing today?

Fresh Pasta with Pumpkin, Pine Nuts and Goat Cheese

Serves 4

  • 400 grams fresh pasta (a recipe can be found here)
  • 30 ml olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 500 grams peeled and cubed pumpkin (I used Japanese pumpkin variety)
  • 50 grams mascarpone
  • 50 grams pine nuts, toasted
  • 75 grams goat cheese, crumbed
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and saute the onions over low heat until translucent (around 5 minutes). Add some salt and pepper as well.
  2. Add the pumpkin to the pan and continue to cook for around 20 or so minutes until the pumpkin is soft enough such that you can mash it with the back of a wooden spoon.
  3. Using a stick blender or food processor, blend the pumpkin/onion mixture until smooth and then add the mascarpone. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
  4. Toss the pumpkin sauce over fresh pasta and serve with toasted pine nuts and crumbed goat cheese.

Posted in Cook | Tagged , , , , , | 41 Comments »

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

October 19, 2010 by trissalicious

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

I hated eating my veggies as a child.  I remember having dinner every night with the family and how my parents would insist that no one could  leave the table until all our vegetables were finished.  I knew of course this vendetta was solely targeted at me as my sibling never had the same aversion.   More than once I was forced to sit by myself, long after everyone else had left the dinner table, to finish my food.  Once, I was so desperate  that I decided the only way I could finish the spinach on my plate was to shred it into tiny tiny pieces and swallow it with big gulps of water.  I tell you, I had tears down my face as I gulped down at least three glasses of water just to finish my meal.

Sometime after that I discovered a way to outsmart my parents and this involved me pretending to swallow my vegetables but secretly spit it out in a serviette.  It seemed to work for a few months until I was found out and then had to resort back to the “swallow the veggies” technique again.

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

Looking back, I’m sure I had this notion that all vegetables tasted horrid and bitter and there was no way I would ever, EVER grow fond of them.   Now I realize that it’s all about how vegetables are cooked and served.  Give me boiled spinach today and I’ll resort to a number of ways to dispose of it as in my youth.  But serve me spinach enveloped in a cloud of ricotta and parmesan, served with a browned butter and balsamic sauce and I guarantee you a clean plate!

Gnudi (Nu-dee) are dumplings, very similar to gnocchi but usually made with ricotta cheese.  Other sources think of it as a ravioli or tortellini without the pasta dough around it, hence the name gnudi (naked).

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

The inspiration for making this dish came one day from a twitter conversation where I asked what I should make for dinner.  One suggestion led to another and then I remembered a recipe I saw for Gnudi for the Australian Gourmet Traveller website.  I have changed the recipe slightly (1) I used  baby spinach rather than the three bunches of english spinach called for – I found it easier to use the ready washed packets of baby spinach leaves you can easily get in the grocery (2) I used two eggs instead of an egg and two egg yolks – because I would have had no use for the two egg whites and (3) I added some balsamic vinegar to the sauce which cut down nicely on the richness of the ricotta and butter.

Overall, this is a fantastic dish and I can see myself making this many times going forward… and it’s a dish that I’m pretty sure even vegetable-hating kids would enjoy!

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

Serves 6, Adapted from Australian Gourmet Traveller

  • 400 grams ricotta, drained overnight in a fine sieve over a bowl
  • 250 grams baby spinach (I used the spinach salad leaves)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 35 grams flour, plus more for dusting
  • 80 grams cold butter
  • 16 sage leaves
  • 30 ml good quality balsamic vinegar
  1. Blanch the spinach in salted boiling water for around 5 to 10 seconds and then refresh in a bowl of iced water. Drain the spinach leaves and squeeze as much liquid as you can from the leaves.  When I drained the spinach leaves the weight came out to 125 grams.
  2. Finely chop the spinach and set aside.
  3. In a bowl combine the ricotta, spinach, eggs, parmesan, nutmet, flour, salt and pepper then roll into walnut sized balls. Refrigerate the gnudi balls for around 20 to 40 minutes until well chilled.
  4. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer over medium heat. Roll the gnudi balls in flour and shake off excess. Drop the gnudi into the salted water and cook until the gnudi start to float to the surface. This will take around 2 to 4 minutes and then carefully remove the gnudi using a slotted spoon. Drain on absorbent paper and keep warm.
  5. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a frying pan until foaming and browned. Add the sage leaves and cook until crisp, around 1 minute. Be careful not to burn the butter. Finally remove the butter off the heat and add the balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately with more parmesan cheese.

 

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi

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How To Cook Like An Italian – Spaghetti alle Vongole & Your Chance To Win a Spot at a CIRA Cooking Class

October 17, 2010 by trissalicious

CIRA Cooking Classes

CIRA Cooking Classes

It’s Italian week at Trissalicious!

That’s right a whole week of tried and tested classic Italian recipes.  A number of these recipes I learned while attending classes at The CIRA Cooking School in Annandale. CIRA stands for the Council of Italian Restaurants in Australia and was formed by twelve restauranteurs to promote the values of Italian food in Australia.  The founding members are a who’s who in Italian cuisine and include: Armando Percuoco, Lucio Galletto; Giovanni Pilu, Marilyn Annecchini; Beppi, Norma and Marc Polese; Peter Zuzza, Vanessa Martin; Elio Cordaro; John O’Riordan; George Pompei, David Cowdrill and Danny Russo.

I love the fact that CIRA is a non-profit organization – a lot of Sydney’s best chefs donate their time and effort to promote Italian cuisine as it should be and many of them sacrifice their Saturday mornings and evenings to teach at this school.

As you know, I love cooking classes.  I am constantly trying to find classes to attend as I find it very rewarding when I learn  something new that I never thought to make before.  When my Mom, the Blog Monster, was here, I took her to CIRA for a few classes.

One  class we attended was run by Chef and TV personality Darren Simpson from La Scala on Jersey.  While Irish, his food is pure Italian inspired no doubt from his stint as head chef of the iconic restaurant the River Cafe.  One of the dishes we learned to make was the classic Spaghetti alle Vongole.  The key ingredient for this pasta dish are the clams (make sure to clean them properly as sometimes they can be gritty from the sand) which, when cooked, release a flavour that marries well with white wine,  olive oil, garlic and parsley.

The Blog Monster with Darren Simpson

The Blog Monster with Darren Simpson

There are two reasons I love this dish.  First, you can make it in less than 10 minutes flat – a great dish to serve during the week when you’re pinched for time.  Second, the sauce is so versatile.  While this is traditionally made with clams, we loved it so much that we made it many times after class once using marinara mix, once using prawns, another time just the sauce alone (Spaghetti Aglia Olio) and on the net I’ve even seen it made with mushrooms.

A word of caution – because this is an extremely simple dish to make, it works better using the best quality ingredients you can afford.

Spaghetti alle Vongole at CIRA

Spaghetti alle Vongole at CIRA

To kick off Italian week, how would you like to join me in a class with one of my favourite CIRA chefs?

Logan Campbell, from two hatted restaurant, Lucio’s in Sydney, is teaching a Christmas class on the 6th of November and Dani, CIRA’s manager has kindly offered to give one slot to  a reader.  The class is hands on AND we get to enjoy what we’ve cooked at the end of the class.  I promise, it will be fun!  All you have to do is leave a comment below and let me know what Italian dish you have always wanted to learn and if you are so inclined, I’d love you to follow me (this is only optional) on twitter.  I’ll announce the winner on the 31st of October 2010.

I’ve attended two classes at CIRA taught by Logan and I always jump at the chance to learn from him.  He doesn’t spoil his students – he teaches you things that you wouldn’t think of making on your own but with his guidance these things are easily mastered.  His Eggplant Ravioli with taleggio cheese  has become my staple go to dish for any vegetarian that comes to my house (and carnivores love it too!).  I’ve also learned how to debone a spatchcock and a stuff a duck leg in his classes.

Stuffed Duck Legs

Stuffed Duck Legs

There are a number of other classes available at CIRA so please do have a look at their website.  You can also  contact Dani on 0405 286067 (business hours) or email cira@cira.com.au to reserve a place in one of the classes or for further information.

Spaghetti alle Vongole

Spaghetti alle Vongole

Spaghetti alle Vongole

(serves 4) Recipe from Darren Simpson, La Scala on Jersey

  • 400 grams spaghetti (Barilla brand, spagettini no 3 is what we used)
  • 60 clams, purged
  • 6 tablespoons flat leaf parsley
  • 6 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 2 tablespoons red chilli
  • 2 pinches dried chilli
  • 300 ml dry white wine
  • 200 ml best quality olive oil
  1. In boiling salted water cook the spaghetti until al dente
  2. Place the clams in a bowl with the chilli, garlic, parsley, olive oil and white wine.
  3. Heat a saucepan until hot and then add the clam mixture.
  4. Cover with the lid and cook until the clams open (around 3 to 4 minutes)
  5. The olive oil and white wine will form a sauce – toss the spaghetti in the sauce.
  6. Serve with crusty bread.

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Dare Me… Etch Restaurant’s Caramel Date Tart

October 14, 2010 by trissalicious

 

Etch Caramel Date Tart

Etch Restaurant's Caramel Date Tart

 

The first time I ate at Etch restaurant –  we had some good friends visiting from Perth and we wanted to go somewhere memorable for our last lunch.  Etch did not disappoint.  It’s been years since that first lunch but when a restaurant leaves an impression on you, you remember what you ate  -I had the sweet corn soup with blue swimmer crab and wagyu beef served two ways (a slow cooked braised beef and a grilled sirloin steak served with cafe de Paris butter) and their Caramel Date Tart.  Since then we’ve been back many times and I’ve seen the menu change a number of times as Chef Justin North has a philosophy of using hand selected ingredients from local growers and producers.

However, one thing that stays constant on their menu is their Caramel Date Tart.

Continue Reading »

Posted in Bake, Dare | Tagged , , , | 49 Comments »

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