tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191626682012-01-29T07:26:49.629+11:00neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.comBlogger6341100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-4982927494904416212011-09-01T22:37:00.003+10:002011-09-01T23:30:09.586+10:00

Has someone moved the silly season? It seems the only explanation after a cursory reading of the list that is purported to be the top 100 restaurants in Australia as published by Gourmet Traveller. Publishing such a list is always going to be controversial, every restaurateur worth their salt wants to be aboard and some worthy contenders inevitably miss out. Not to mention ongoing interstate

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-29030625519941488132011-08-20T17:26:00.001+10:002011-08-20T17:26:43.811+10:00

Checking out the fruit section in the local greengrocer, a new type of orange caught my eye. Marked as a ruby blood navel, the skin had a hint of the blood orange's blush and intrigued, bought some to try. Recent years has seen an increase in new varieties of apples, such as pink ladies and fuji, however, there doesn't seem much new in the way of citrus fruit, so it was exciting to see

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-55722734912409932802011-07-02T23:50:00.000+10:002011-07-02T23:50:30.726+10:00

It was the supermarket pack of on-the-bone free range chicken pieces, drumsticks, thighs and wings, that got me thinking about a long slow braise, something with a tomato's cheery red to colour a dim winter's day. Cacciatora means hunter style, which in turn means this dish is extremely adaptable, just like all good hunters. Not being in the mood for mushrooms meant that they were dispensed

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-58594678455958991792011-06-06T18:43:00.001+10:002011-06-06T21:07:12.364+10:00

One of our firm winter favourites would have to be goulash soup. Not only very filling but extremely tasty to boot. It's also one of the few soups where we are happy to use just water as the liquid, just as the herdsmen on the Great Plain of Hungary did for centuries. No doubt, a well made stock wouldn't be wasted, adding another layer of flavour and some body, but hey, sometimes it's a bonus 

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-19238587047438931042011-06-04T07:36:00.005+10:002011-06-06T06:52:47.919+10:00

It's funny how inspiration can strike. Someone had produced a quiche Lorraine on the telly, the prince of quiches, a dish that gets a run around these parts from time to time. What's not to love about the combo of cheese, bacon and sweetly softened onions, a French classic. It got me thinking though. How would an Italian adapt the recipe to display an altogether different heritage? I'm pretty

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-59065579353272319252011-05-22T17:03:00.000+10:002011-05-22T17:03:58.255+10:00

There you go Bernard, I made something just for you.

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-54481590386030117752011-05-05T20:22:00.004+10:002011-05-06T21:43:21.741+10:00

It was one of those delicious days, a holiday weekday, happily not at work, but ensconced on a couch and watching daytime cooking programs, a rare treat. Even better, one of my favourites was showing, Lidia's Italy. Sometimes I wonder if more than a few television chefs just want to entertain rather than making you want to cook any of their offerings. There are no such misgivings with Lidia,

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-77315890601239269732011-04-25T11:59:00.001+10:002011-04-25T12:00:30.384+10:00

photo Elliot Rubenstein Fashion: 1. style considered as a standard of taste. It's ever present in our lives, kind of a way of showing that we belong, especially with others who share our taste, whether in clothes, cars or even the food we eat. For food has long since passed from a way in which to sustain ourselves, into a form whereby we gain pleasure from the way the things we eat are

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-37774395289970527762011-04-19T18:15:00.000+10:002011-04-19T18:15:53.321+10:00

Tell me, have you ever tasted a carrot? I mean really tasted a carrot? All of us know and love this vibrant root vegetable, which these days no longer just comes in ubiquitous orange, but also the more novel varieties of purple, yellow, red and white. The carrot is much loved in many cultures and forms an indispensable part of many dishes, from a foundation flavour in stocks, through to an

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-29797692659940036992011-04-17T18:20:00.000+10:002011-04-17T18:20:08.255+10:00

A well known television chef was recounting a visit to a regional restaurant in Italy. When he asked what was in the risotto, the answer was just a little good stock. All home cooks and chefs alike know the value of home made stock. It has a flavour and body that no multinational corporation has yet been able to put in a box. No doubt, in a busy kitchen, shortcuts can and do get made, it's

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-57717653735535851252011-04-13T23:11:00.001+10:002011-04-14T07:27:54.381+10:00

Cooking inspiration can strike in many different guises, you might be reading a food magazine, shopping at the greengrocer or butcher, or perhaps, better yet, your better half had recently visited a farmer's market and come back with a mystery bag of ingredients. Which is kind of what happened in this instance. Together they sat on the kitchen table, maybe a little incongruously, but side by

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-87822505040675688152011-03-27T16:15:00.001+11:002011-03-27T18:05:39.030+11:00

Exactly what constitutes Australian cuisine is a conundrum that has exercised the minds of many of this country's finest food writers, bringing about seminal works from Cherry Ripe (Goodbye Culinary Cringe) and Michael Symons (One Continuous Picnic). Even English chef, television star and cookbook author, Rick Stein has had a go at defining our food and is now encouraging us to think about the

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-47165094842656423332011-02-24T17:02:00.000+11:002011-02-24T17:02:07.354+11:00

The increasing interest in cider in Australia over the past couple of years has seen many new entrants into the market, both local and imported, but we have a lot of drinking in front of us to challenge England, the lions of both cider production and consumption worldwide. Perhaps one of the reasons cider has never really taken off here before is that the big mass producers weren't as

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-82594830733712360392011-02-15T15:47:00.002+11:002011-02-15T16:28:31.993+11:00

One blog I like to follow is Nola Cuisine, which celebrates the food and drink of New Orleans, Louisiana. Danno, who writes it, is a chef who has the happy knack of producing dishes that make your mouth water, things like classic shrimp etouffee and the renowned muffuletta, through to the basic essentials of homemade andouille sausage and tasso. One of his recipes that really spoke to me was

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-21031553130038190052011-02-05T16:26:00.002+11:002011-02-07T18:06:01.479+11:00

There's something extremely satisfying about food preserving, the laying down of produce. It speaks of earlier times when such kitchen husbandry was a necessity to survive long cold winters, but also coincidentally, a means to use up a glut of a particular fruit or vegetable, especially those given to ripening all at once, which would otherwise rot and go to waste. These days, with our reliance

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-61641266752765888712010-12-27T14:34:00.002+11:002010-12-27T14:49:52.980+11:00

This very pretty cake has a special place in my repertoire, being the very first thing I ever baked for my wife. At the time, there was no knowing that one of her favourite nuts was the hazelnut, so proving a fortuitous choice, no? The funny thing is though, that first one is not the same as the one I bake today, through a simple error of not following the recipe instructions exactly; however,

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-52151365985880344072010-12-22T19:49:00.000+11:002010-12-22T19:49:59.051+11:00

There are some dishes I make on a regular basis yet give no thought to presenting on the blog, simply because, to me, they seem, well, everyday. It's not that these recipes aren't tasty, they wouldn't get made if they weren't, but my feeling is, does the world really need another guacamole recipe for instance? We were at a get together with friends where we had all brought a plate or two to

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-45602447586232160002010-12-20T20:49:00.000+11:002010-12-20T20:49:20.810+11:00

It was a pub, a pub with fine dining pretensions along with a very positive review by a well respected local blogger. The interior was definitely upmarket and the food eclectic with many interesting notes. We ordered and the meals came - in line with everything we'd expected. Except for one thing, the stowaway hidden in the glistening tangle of my salad. Fortunately, thank goodness, it wasn't

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-21435059894420728682010-12-18T23:18:00.001+11:002010-12-18T23:28:22.836+11:00

It kind of happened the stinking hot day I wanted an iced coffee but probably had too much time on my hands while waiting for the freshly brewed pot of espresso to cool - a series of 'what if?' moments. Like, what if there was some Mexican chocolate...what if there was some Kahlúa? Well, there was. Mexican chocolate is quite a different animal to European chocolate, earthy and funky, spiced

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-79775355768032251672010-12-12T08:08:00.004+11:002010-12-12T20:24:37.331+11:00

Sometimes, I wonder if the allen key was invented solely for the use of Ikea, so ubiquitous a tool it has become in assembling their range of furniture. Ikea, king and master of the flatpack, as you all probably know is based in Sweden and have continued on the ancient Viking tradition of conquering the world, with container ships serving as modern day longboats, sailing to every corner of the

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-29678482062035631212010-11-27T16:53:00.000+11:002010-11-27T16:53:03.865+11:00

Sometimes being able to cook brings its own set of problems. Like when someone, your partner for instance, brings home an ingredient and asks you to make something of it. Like a pack of dried broad beans and being asked to deal with it. Fortunately, I'd just watched the Moroccan episode of Rick Stein's Mediterranean Escapes, where he enjoyed a bowl of soup called bessara, pretty much made

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-7527653353819382962010-11-23T20:36:00.001+11:002010-11-23T20:53:56.097+11:00

Early 2009, Anthony Bourdain visits Melbourne and declares that Dan Hunter's food at the Royal Mail Hotel is worthy of Michelin stars, even going so far as to say it's the best food in Australia. Fast forward to November 2010 and the Herald Sun's food critic, Stephen Downes, writes that the Asian influenced Easy Tiger would win 3 Michelin stars based solely on their dessert of chocolate and

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-67128509322306330762010-11-07T22:08:00.000+11:002010-11-07T22:08:20.967+11:00

I recently spent some time in the country and ate at a local hotel, The Royal Mail in Birregurra, on a couple of occasions. The first time, on a Saturday night was an altogether elaborate menu, featuring some mighty fine dishes. Our second visit couldn't have been more in contrast. It was the Saturday's chef night off and the menu was more typical country fare, mixed grill with all the cliches

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-58933186993581211302010-11-06T21:09:00.000+11:002010-11-06T21:09:07.692+11:00

There's nothing like a great steak, cooked just so, with a serving of crisply cooked chips. But after a visit to a Farmer's market by my wife, we were in possession of a cornucopia of spring vegetables and herbs, peaking in their prime. Amongst other things, a look in the basket revealed a couple of bunches of broad beans, a cute bunch of pink French radishes, a bunch of watercress and some

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-4475062602091556742010-10-28T15:21:00.002+11:002010-10-28T15:46:47.235+11:00

The most common liquids used to make soup are either water or stock, but in countries where simple cheeses are made at home with the aid of an acid rather than rennet, there is another option. Rather than discarding the whey from cheese making, this slightly sour liquid can be turned into soup by thrifty cooks. I was reminded of this when reading a recent article in Epicure on homemade ricotta

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-70188334928175924492010-10-10T22:12:00.001+11:002010-10-10T22:18:23.713+11:00

The weekend papers are full of the cuts to irrigation entitlements that farmers throughout the Murray-Darling basin will have to endure to ensure the future health of the most famous river system in Australia. Twelve years of drought strengthened the hand of environmentalists as we watched the Coorong National Park and Murray lakes slowly dying of thirst through the over extraction of water

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-8203890077743965782010-10-09T16:11:00.000+11:002010-10-09T16:11:16.768+11:00

Beef Stroganoff, an 18th century dish from Russia, became a dinner party staple here in the 1970's, probably due in part from being a well flavoured dish from relatively few ingredients and its ease of preparation - slice a few onions, mushrooms and beef strips and pretty much throw the lot together in the pan. Though falling out of favour for a while due to increased health consciousness - it

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-25363393859466104222010-09-13T20:37:00.007+10:002010-09-13T22:28:06.847+10:00

What a difference drought breaking rains make. The morel harvest has suffered considerably in Victoria due to the prolonged dry spell, but this year has seen a bumper crop. However, even in abundance they're not cheap, reflecting their general scarcity and short season of only a few weeks.It's been more than ten years since it was possible to fill more than one basket and makes for a very happy

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-21549604274881020922010-08-01T12:17:00.004+10:002010-08-01T14:24:22.552+10:00

Applications for next season's MasterChef are now open and the producers are starting to harvest their next crop of contestants.You know what? I wouldn't mind having a crack either, though I don't really think they'd appreciate me there as I don't know when to keep my mouth shut.'Call that a classic stroganoff? Paprika? No way!'Reckon I would be 'disappeared' mafia style without even facing an

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-17984693742373180412010-07-21T16:17:00.004+10:002010-07-24T22:28:01.314+10:00

Ever get an uneasy feeling just before popping something in your mouth? Like, should I really be eating this?It's a sensation that probably everyone experiences from time to time, that slight guiltiness when you spread full fat butter on a slice of bread, or use dripping to start a braise, eating chocolate saturated with palm oil, or worse, the product of child slavery, a vegetarian's sense of

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-31093816499762220072010-07-13T22:16:00.009+10:002010-07-18T18:39:05.840+10:00

Wandering around the recent Good Food Show, I was a very happy chappy bumping into the Chipman stand, who have been making quality corn chips for quite some time. When I first saw these colourful chips from the distance, they looked like a corn chip that an artist had been messing around with. A closer inspection revealed the concentric ring pattern and muted purple of beetroot.Yep, genuine

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-64287771931599418622010-07-11T12:21:00.005+10:002010-07-11T20:23:32.268+10:00

Vegetarians aside, just who doesn't love the fall apart unctuousness of slow cooked veal shank? Lip sticking, fork tender meat that melts in the mouth with a gelatinous texture that only comes from prime young steer, including the soft creamy surprise of bone marrow, waiting to be boldly scooped out of its hiding place.No doubt, one of its finest manifestations is in the Italian dish of osso

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-78213926526306653492010-07-03T00:19:00.007+10:002010-07-06T06:57:09.099+10:00

The cabbage family sure is one huge kingdom, containing as it does green and red cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, collard greens, kohlrabi and kale.Some think kale to be a forerunner of modern cabbage with its leaves growing separate from each other and not forming the more familiar head. Members of the kale family tend to have tougher leaves and a stronger earthy flavour, with

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-75180919789719933842010-06-30T20:46:00.004+10:002010-06-30T22:41:20.742+10:00

Long ago, in the mists of time, a Native American managed to combine wood ashes with corn in a process called nixtamalization, which not only removed the hull, but also improved its nutritional value, enabling people to live free from the debilitating condition of pellagra, which dogged those people who came to rely on corn as a staple after its introduction to the Old World in the 15th & 16th

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-70578655783479796952010-06-26T20:48:00.005+10:002010-06-26T22:24:25.958+10:00

Medlar, sounds like someone the Knights Templar might have wanted to conquer and growing wild as it does in old Persia, they may well have come across it.Perhaps it was some cranky homesick knight who visited opprobrium upon its leathery skin, calling it a dog's arse, an unfortunate metaphor which bears some skerrick of visual truth.If you think that's ugly, things only get worse.When picked,

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-39029177941484651042010-06-15T21:34:00.003+10:002010-06-15T23:11:06.027+10:00

Really, the things potatoes have to suffer. We just love adding fat to them, don't we?Butter, cream, oil, a Noah's ark worth of animal fats. Did I mention butter?You know, the thing is, potatoes adore fat and the payoff is wonderful flavour, never mind the expanding waistline. Does a person exist who can resist the luscious creaminess of dauphinoise potatoes or the crispy crunch of a roast spud

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-92146798629279966332010-06-07T21:05:00.002+10:002010-06-07T21:45:40.339+10:00

photo courtesy Jay TownMy first introduction to nettles was about 30 years ago in the small mining town of Woods Point, in the high country of Victoria.Frank Bussat ran a small restaurant called Diggers Delight in his rambling old house. Local treats often appeared on his menu, wild venison, trout from the pristine waters of the upper Goulburn river, even horse meat made its way onto the

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-25895984819454307182010-05-04T18:12:00.003+10:002010-05-04T18:47:27.456+10:00

Long time readers would know of my criticisms of The Age's Epicure section.Chief amongst them was that mistakes went unacknowledged and uncorrected, which spoke of a certain arrogance towards its readers.Maybe, just maybe, there is a little change in the wind.A week or so ago, there was a correction for a Jill Dupleix recipe that had incorrectly stated that some recipe substitutions were gluten

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-38096983608435521422010-04-28T19:43:00.005+10:002010-04-28T21:02:32.953+10:00

It's great to see the local upsurge in interest in Mexican cuisine sparked by the wonderful new restaurant Mamasita. People in the know say that Mamasita's food is inspired by Mexico and that Los Amates, our next best Mexican restaurant, is authentically regional.There is nothing intrinsically better about either approach, but for Mexican cuisine to move forward from its peasant roots requires

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-18905131872230049542010-04-17T14:42:00.003+10:002010-04-17T16:14:10.803+10:00

At a recent blogger function I mentioned to some fellow bloggers an Iranian dish I recently cooked and commented that perhaps the term, Middle Eastern, didn't really cover all the regional differences peculiar to the area.Every single blogger of Asian heritage within earshot chimed in with 'We know what you mean!'I was going to call this dish Asian inspired mussels, but I've learnt my lessonIt

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-38435752499203468012010-04-08T20:03:00.003+10:002010-04-08T21:49:22.503+10:00

Every now and then, a dish comes along that really makes you sit up and pay attention, its taste and texture producing a glorious symphony in the mouth.Some very dear friends first introduced me to the wonderful combination of red cabbage braised with apple and it was love at first bite. I got the recipe from them and it has since become a firm favourite.They called it rotkohl, which is German

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-30670004621584214662010-04-02T11:48:00.014+11:002010-04-14T17:46:47.419+10:00

As someone in a family that lives with autism, it's great to have an awareness day as autism isn't always well understood. With the rate of those with an autism spectrum disorder around 1 in 160, there's no doubt that you know of someone or a family with an affected member.It's a condition that manifests itself in a myriad of ways, from those unable to look after themselves to others who manage

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-33424666525851696932010-04-02T10:41:00.002+11:002010-04-02T10:54:14.117+11:00

A little teaser for the main post that will be up later in the day, featuring dishes of one colour, representing the diets of some autistics who can only comfortably eat food of one single colour.If you'd like to join in, leave a comment.

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-739734744765411312010-03-28T22:46:00.013+11:002010-03-30T18:42:53.284+11:00

Snow apple with fig and a local pecorino*In this modern age, it's not always easy to find the apples we remember from our youth; the heirloom varieties have seemingly been replaced with cultivars that have more to do with supermarket convenience than flavour, often exacerbated by the predilection to pick unripe fruit in order to prolong its keeping qualities under cold storage.There's nothing

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-69740265257891134232010-03-27T19:52:00.004+11:002010-03-28T10:45:27.866+11:00

My wife's aunt has the most wonderful garden, where she dotes on all sorts of unusual vegetables, some of which might even be considered old-fashioned; kohlrabi, sorrel and turnips for instance.We had a couple of her turnips in hand and my wife decided to turn them into a remoulade. As she peeled and grated the turnips, I whisked together the mayonnaise. Of course a jar of mayo would make things

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-18770327580524145022010-03-27T11:18:00.003+11:002010-03-27T11:26:23.040+11:00

I laughed so hard when I saw this, that I nearly fell off my chair.A classic from St Kilda Today.

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-36621106824243581282010-03-25T20:18:00.005+11:002010-03-25T21:24:39.076+11:00

April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day.In a bit of a tricky move, Autism Victoria are holding their day on April 1, marking it by marching at 12pm from their offices at 24 Drummond Street, Carlton to the State Library, where they plan to release 1000 multi coloured balloons to visually respect and represent the individuality of those on the Autism Spectrum.Federation Square in Melbourne are

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-42998120019878508522010-03-22T20:52:00.004+11:002010-03-22T22:19:54.898+11:00

What better way to spend a lazy Sunday than with a roomful of your best mates at Australia's inaugural food blogger's conference right here in my hometown of Melbourne.Blogging related information came thick and fast, with fantastic presenters from all around Australia, who gave so much of themselves, talking about all aspects of the blogging experience. My thanks goes to each and every one of

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-31661941713879392452010-03-14T20:48:00.011+11:002010-03-15T20:50:34.809+11:00

One of the everyday table sauces in Mexico is salsa verde (green sauce), highly adaptable and a staple throughout the region, right up into the Southwest of America where it is known as chile verde, confusingly which, according to cookbook author Huntley Dent, can mean one of several different things: Apart from the sauce for instance, chile verde means green chillies picked before they turn red

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-35055903828747446262010-03-13T18:33:00.005+11:002010-03-13T20:37:25.129+11:00

It's funny how some recipes start out.This one had its first outing at a lunch party last year and pretty much consisted of just raw fennel, mussels and pink grapefruit. Not much to it, but the scent of promise wafted...Some recipes just need to sit on the back burner till they're ready, this one simmered until today. There was laziness involved, it seemed impossible that at the end of summer

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-37401743853241762612010-03-09T21:36:00.006+11:002010-03-10T21:34:48.723+11:00

It was a post on breadcrumbs by my favourite pantry person that got me thinking about my mum's old dish, tomato & onion bake, a regular when I was growing up.It seems in this day and age that we either we like to pulse our own fresh breadcrumbs or use the slightly edgier Japanese panko crumbs. Sometimes we forget about the tried and true, in this case, dried breadcrumbs.Not fashionable, but very

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-75491905168099431172010-03-07T10:26:00.005+11:002010-03-07T19:33:04.179+11:00

'...But Australian food bloggers – fewer in number and, with rare exceptions, short on talent – have been less successful at extending themselves.'Stephanie Wood, comparing Australian food bloggers to those from the USA.Just what is eating at some Australian food journalists and why are they behaving like Mercader with an ice-axe, bashing in blogger heads at every opportunity?You'd think that

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-57418543099719575742010-03-05T17:59:00.007+11:002010-03-05T23:32:30.545+11:00

What does the National Heart Foundation Approved white tick on a red background mean?'A Tick approved food means it is a healthier choice when compared to similar foods. For example, meat pies with the Tick are lower in saturated and trans fats and sodium than other pies; cheese with the Tick is a healthier choice of cheese and when eating out, a meal with the Tick is a healthier choice of meal.'

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-34105076169122940962010-03-05T17:41:00.003+11:002010-03-05T17:48:27.714+11:00

The Guardian's Word of Mouth blog has finally caught up with with my post from last year.Take a bow Lea Pustetto, you were the first.

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-67724688682642663502010-03-02T19:22:00.006+11:002010-03-02T21:15:43.112+11:00

The chocolate eye is watching you!There are some shops that I both love and hate at the same time. Ikea is one of them, love the Scandinavian genius at work in flatpack homewares, but I really hate the simultaneous feelings of being both lost and trapped in their giant maze.Another place that does a similar thing to me is the cheese room at Richmond Hill cafe & larder. Not lost, just trapped.How

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-54073534580784794942010-02-28T09:34:00.005+11:002010-02-28T11:17:51.471+11:00

It was my fault I suppose.A friend had recommended a knife sharpening company, who allegedly knew how to handle chef's knives.The result was a disaster, my knives came back with the heel area scalloped out, they no longer had level straight edges. They tried to retrieve the situation but the damage was done.Now my F Dick chef's knife which has been in my possession for over thirty years no longer

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-45793251838011436812010-02-25T21:58:00.000+11:002010-02-25T21:50:59.125+11:00

Our garden had just yielded up a bunch of basil, from which the leaves were stripped into a sink of cool water, to rid them of any clinging dirt and as it turned out, a chameleon like, basil coloured caterpillar.As the leaves lay soaking, my youngest daughter padded into the kitchen.'What's for dinner, Dad?', she quizzically asked.'It's pesto tonight honey,' I replied, 'with basil,' as an

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-557794625461851872010-02-18T12:49:00.010+11:002010-02-21T21:31:14.230+11:00

It's sometimes a bit of a disappointment being a far flung outpost of the former British empire.For instance, how much better would the Mexican restaurants here be, if, per chance, the Spaniards had sailed this-a-way after discovering the New World?Australia could've become the Newer World and we all could be doing something interesting, like debating, taco in hand, the merits of bull-fighting,

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-34789748634954359822010-02-17T16:22:00.004+11:002010-02-17T16:42:53.524+11:00

Look at these gorgeous beauties. If only my camera had enough pixies or what not, you would be instantly caught up in their colours; the luminous burnt orange, yellow and bright green, much more vivid than what you can see here.If Henri Matisse were still alive, an artist known for colour, he could have captured their tropical jungle palette, then drowned in their sweet, fragrant juiciness and

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-19104766469504382512010-02-15T17:42:00.006+11:002010-02-16T18:40:31.943+11:00

One of the greatest dips of all time, much healthier and less fattening than many of the cheesy concoctions gracing our supermarket shelves is tzatziki, a favourite not just in its homeland, Greece, but all around the world.Perhaps its popularity is linked to its ease of making, but more than that, the flavour of tzatziki, especially when homemade, is much greater than the sum of its parts. It

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-45571522881169265522010-02-14T14:08:00.005+11:002010-02-14T20:47:32.623+11:00

Many more years ago than I care to remember, took myself along to one of Will Studd's masterclasses on cheese. A few things were obvious about him even then, he was as sharp as a tack, what he didn't know about cheese was simply not worth knowing and he spoke his mind.He had the effortless knack of passing on his message to students of curds and whey, always accompanied by the most appropriate

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-87347567432989069982010-02-09T18:05:00.008+11:002010-02-10T10:29:02.915+11:00

Hey Nina, how are you?Hope you didn't mind what I said about your last article.There's just a couple of teensy things about your most recent cover story you may want to know about.You wrote,'...the "Bavarian pear preserve" that went black when Northfield used a pair of black stockings as the setting agent...'I've been around a while, seen quite a few extraordinary things, but never, I repeat,

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-83922590741096220582010-02-07T14:17:00.006+11:002010-02-07T17:53:36.848+11:00

What's summer for you?Lazy days on the beach with ever so slightly scorching sand between your toes, then the absolute cooling bliss of feet in the surf, retreating waves sucking hungrily at your legs.Games of beach cricket with driftwood stumps, ti-tree bat and a ball, semi-retired from tennis.Tomato sandwiches sharing lodgings with 30+ suncream, car keys and loose change rattling round a canvas

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-68245620146567262242010-02-04T17:23:00.005+11:002010-02-04T22:27:15.598+11:00

Can you spot Big Helga?Somethings are just meant to be right. Like the other day when an invitation to try a new offering from Matilda Bay Brewing Company hit the inbox.Summer proper seems to have hit, so does one need any other reason to drink beer? Just ask Homer Simpson, "mmmm, beer!" So, with a couple of mates, we caught a train to the Transport Hotel to road test a few Big Helgas on a

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-62281694800164110612010-01-30T21:44:00.004+11:002010-01-30T22:43:45.484+11:00

Jamie at Home is a far more relaxed series, with Jamie Oliver all grown up and showing us the kind of rustic food he obviously enjoys, without any mums going ga-ga for the lad.Some folk have a personal trainer, but not our Jamie, he shares the screen with his personal gardener, Brian Skilton, who kind of looks like he jumped in a time machine in the hippie happening sixties and landed smack bang

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-70744729546026089392010-01-29T15:42:00.005+11:002010-01-29T17:27:39.523+11:00

A fairly common menu item that pops up in not a few pubs and the occasional restaurant is a marriage of meat with seafood, colloquially known as surf 'n' turf, usually a steak topped with a couple of prawns, though Jamie Oliver does an over-the-top version with fillet steak and lobster.In most cases, meat is the dominant partner and the seafood acts as a garnish, but what if this convention was

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-56639475523571337482010-01-28T20:20:00.006+11:002010-01-28T22:08:26.970+11:00

We recently stayed at a wonderful B & B, 68 Main, in Birregurra. Funny name, but at least you won't forget the address.Hosts, Graeme and Tony, have created a magnificent garden over a couple of acres, with not just pretty to look at plants, but also ones you can eat, which they encourage you to do.The house has a well equipped gourmet kitchen, inviting anyone who can resist the temptation from

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-76959417730545090122010-01-28T17:26:00.004+11:002010-01-28T22:24:40.462+11:00

If, like me, you don't see too well, visit the website and click on what's new this month.

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-60151455696775721892010-01-26T18:52:00.009+11:002010-01-26T22:28:32.836+11:00

Ordinarily, I'm not a great fan of crayfish. But this prehistoric looking creature might just have changed my mind. It's 1.5kg of Pt Campbell's finest. Spiky customer. No claws like a lobster, but the antenna have some nice meat, careful though.Whoever cooked it judged things to a tee, moist and juicy with a slight salty tang.Maybe the glass of Prosecco helped things along, or the gently warm

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-63052203428157006842010-01-21T18:21:00.004+11:002010-01-21T19:29:33.138+11:00

In my younger days, I knocked around with a couple of Swiss blokes. One of them was Francois, the manager of The Swiss Club in Melbourne at that time, and as a result, developed a bit of a taste for things Swiss, particularly the iconic dishes of fondue, raclette and gschnatzeltes, thin strips of veal in a creamy mushroom sauce served with rösti, grated potato simply pan fried like a giant hash

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-55226110144267537492010-01-20T21:22:00.003+11:002010-01-20T23:04:02.021+11:00

Like a jumping yum cha joint, Nina Rousseau's arrival at the Epicure department has been big, bold and brassy with a two page cover story on the state of Melbourne's yum cha restaurants.Her mission, to rate these restaurants on a variety of factors including food, atmosphere, noise factor and the use of trolleys. So how has the gregarious Matt Preston replacement fared?To use racing parlance,

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-50054103834305219482010-01-18T17:32:00.003+11:002010-01-18T21:58:26.496+11:00

One of the nice things about having overseas visitors, especially those who like to cook, is that a window into another cuisine is opened. It doesn't matter how many cookbooks one has, there is nothing like a native showing you how it's really done.We've had some super hot weather lately, just perfect for salads and definitely cold soups, which in Poland are called choldniki, the most ubiquitous

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-53589776147954650942010-01-17T20:13:00.005+11:002010-01-18T07:14:08.915+11:00

I know we like to run down supermarkets, but for most of us they are the reality of everyday life. But isn't it great when you find something unexpected amongst the shelves?My shame is that I've known about Coles selling kangaroo mince for a couple of years, but have never got around to cooking some, though that was always the intention, even buying some distinctly Australian spices at a Farmer's

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-17731443434879483302010-01-17T09:46:00.006+11:002010-01-17T18:24:27.154+11:00

We are currently entertaining some Polish visitors over the holidays, who are also entertaining us with a remarkable range of Polish vodkas.On Christmas eve, we served up the traditional seafood feast, which included some home cured gravlax. They explained in Polish - vodka helps translation wonderfully well - that back home they cure salmon with just salt.By complete coincidence, one of my

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-41472407488882919662010-01-10T14:07:00.006+11:002010-01-10T23:44:21.732+11:00

Sunrise. A bit early to get up on a holiday, don't you think?The view from some poor fellow's winery. Tough gig.Wilson's Promontory. Kinda moody first thing in the morning.Surf's up! The beach at Tidal River, Wilson's Promontory.The view from the deck of the house we stayed at. As one winemaker told us, Gippsland is Victoria's great undiscovered secret.Native grass at home on the granite, which

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-2401720383432650862009-12-30T09:56:00.005+11:002009-12-30T15:01:01.132+11:00

The count down is on.Menu For Hope VI is set to end on the 31st December, 2009.No more chances to win any of the fabulous prizes on Tomatoes' list. Or any from the list of world prizes at Pims.Just a quick recap of my prize. It's one prize of two seats to a dinner or lunch at my place. Several hours of the best food and wine you could imagine.How good can that be?Many of you that follow me know I

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-19250847860628786642009-12-29T19:28:00.005+11:002009-12-29T23:01:29.699+11:00

I'm having an affair.Didn't see it coming either.A beautiful exotic stranger flirted with me and I've fallen, hard. Charms that were impossible to resist, of thoughtfully spiced dishes, layered with complexity and full of allure, ensured my heart beat has been tied to a new found rhythm of Persian sensuality.Iranian food is not heavily spiced, rejecting the ferociousness of their Indian relatives

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-40160169154581489962009-12-24T14:07:00.004+11:002009-12-24T15:14:39.895+11:00

Doesn't seem like a year, does it?It took a while to find the Christmas groove - it seems to take longer every year - but ever cheery Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall at River Cottage HQ got me going with his Christmas special.Merry Christmas dear readers, and may all your bells jingle just so.PS. Dear Santa, I've tried ever so hard to be good this year. A Wusthof classic 26cm cook's knife would be

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-51688101027806852972009-12-22T19:42:00.004+11:002009-12-22T21:36:08.895+11:00

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but a couple of weeks ago, Epicure printed a recipe for gravlax, just in time for Christmas.Today, I went to Prahran market to get my salmon and dill to make this justly famous dish for our celebration. The salmon was no problem, you'd expect a plentiful supply as Australians have embraced this fish, and seafood in general, as a better option than turkey or ham for

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-74475060940808362852009-12-15T22:26:00.002+11:002009-12-15T22:53:26.211+11:00

Okay, it's that time of year again. Time to support Menu for Hope.This year I've got what I think is a really cool prize, one where I can get to meet a couple of my readers.Fancy winning two seats for an intimate dinner or lunch At My Table set for six with all wines provided?You could choose any part or all of the menu from my blog or bravely leave it all to me. A prize open to even

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-48228925831845592752009-12-12T20:48:00.007+11:002009-12-12T22:52:41.062+11:00

I've always had a low key interest in the food of Iran due to a chance encounter with a tin of Iranian pistachios obtained before the fall of the Shah in 1979. There has been nothing to compare with that memory of cloud-like lightness, crisp crunch and perfectly balanced saltiness. But the Shah was gone and so were those pistachios.Recently, I met and made friends with an Iranian at work. We

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-70374938343539753992009-12-05T16:33:00.007+11:002009-12-15T19:34:29.097+11:00

Looking for an easy drinking, well priced sparkling wine for Christmas? Here's one that fits the bill ever so nicely, Segura Viudas Brut Vintage Cava, 2003.Cava is simply Spanish sparkling wine, which according to a spokesman from Vintage Cellars, happens to be the most popular style of bubbles in the whole world, outselling even champagne, to the horror of the French.It is eminently suited to

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-5391441453070033842009-12-04T21:30:00.005+11:002009-12-04T23:41:44.245+11:00

No doubt many of you are well aware through the twitterverse of the lengthy Stephen Downes essay in Meanjin (subsequently on Crikey) and the short sharp retort from John Lethlean that also appeared on Crikey.The essence of what Downes wrote was that it is inappropriate for journalists writing on food, especially restaurants, to have any relationship (including attending launches) with those they

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-40329768678132964282009-12-03T22:55:00.005+11:002009-12-03T23:42:19.440+11:00

At a function the other day, I was kindly offered a choice of drink; the first, a Virgin Mary (sans alcohol), the other, a Bloody Mary.Somehow, the idea of drinking a Virgin Mary sounds all wrong, completely and deeply heretical.Like,"What will you have?""Make mine a Virgin Mary."It's just the religious overtone: To drink the mother of the Son of God just can't be right.On the other hand,

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-23763936245984273142009-11-29T19:52:00.005+11:002009-11-29T22:31:36.608+11:00

Browsing through the grocery store at Ikea - yes, they do have other things besides flat packs - I saw a blonde hair, blue eyed chap stride straight up to the crispbread stack and grab not one but two 1kg packs of the stuff. Sensing a food moment, I strolled over and said,"You must really like crispbread.""Yes, I do and so does my family," he replied in that slighty squashed vowel sound of

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-29664160976127939722009-11-16T20:31:00.007+11:002009-11-16T23:10:27.914+11:00

Many of you would be aware that autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) means problems with the way an affected person communicates and relates to people around them. It is a complex lifelong condition that seems on the rise, which may be attributed to better and earlier diagnoses.For a range of reasons, it can affect the diet of those affected in a myriad of ways such as heightened sensitivity to the

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-14231801211227474262009-11-13T17:24:00.005+11:002010-02-21T20:44:36.647+11:00

You know how it is. Limited time and budget, but you need to get your teeth into something.That's how I was feeling the other day in the bookshop, equivocating between two Australian authors, Matt Preston (Cravat-a-licious), who is now a contender for Australia's sexiest man, and George Calombaris, who also has a bit of a ladies fan club.Fame can do that for you.It can also make people want to be

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-23837401795979437162009-11-11T22:23:00.006+11:002009-11-11T23:06:34.513+11:00

Jeez, just when I was on a roll, the hard drive cooked itself.Back to the computer shop to get the offending part replaced and while I was there, thought, why not update to Windows 7? My daughter had recommended it and there was that glowing review. Can't put a finger on it, but there was something about Vista which I was never comfortable with.Get back home, put all the plugs back in the right

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-3697221377601381062009-10-19T20:51:00.005+11:002010-03-05T23:29:23.080+11:00

Letter from Your Turn in The Age supplement, Good Weekend.'Your article on the world's best restaurants by Matt Preston (September 26) stimulated my palate. It must be an honour to travel the world tasting the likes of "strawberry rose air" or "beetroot on earth", but I don't know if my stomach could handle all those exotic dishes and there's not enough on the plate anyway. No offence, but give

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-5880411822868779042009-10-18T16:58:00.008+11:002009-10-18T18:20:33.193+11:00

I can't ever recall buying a bottle of wine for the label. There was that 20 year old bottle of burgundy bought at auction which had a label some might call romantic, others, very suggestive, but I new nothing of that when placing my bid.But when this bottle popped into view, I was completely helpless, it had to come home.Who can resist a garish fifties monster scene, crashing and burning his way

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-63503081914144684452009-10-16T21:02:00.006+11:002009-10-17T22:13:44.938+11:00

Isn't life funny?You can be happily giving food bloggers a bit of gratuitous stick one minute, then, out of the blue comes a totally unexpected bagging.Dave O'Neil, comedian and breakfast announcer on Melbourne's radio station Vega 91.5 fm and champion of the greasy spoon had a few strong words to say about George Colombaris's souvlaki.According to fellow announcer Dicko (Ian Dickson). O'Neil

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-35184011482135272212009-10-13T20:08:00.011+11:002009-10-13T22:57:25.487+11:00

Can you pick the speck?Easy, isn't it.Look again, there are two lots of speck on the platter. If you picked the pickled mushrooms or fermented cucumbers, hang your head in shame!Any self respecting German would point excitedly at the pure white fat slices at the bottom and exclaim, "That is the real stuff", while an Austrian would remonstrate with him that the only true speck was at the top.Both

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-85935490717277143962009-10-12T16:33:00.005+11:002009-10-12T17:44:11.822+11:00

When you have a surfeit of produce, like a box of artichokes, you need a variety of ways to deal with them. The previous post featured preserved artichokes, which is an excellent method of using up a large quantity of small ones, but to make the most of them, recipes keeping things fresh and vibrant really herald in the spring season.What better than to feature a trio of vegetables at their peak

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-12453798041090439002009-10-11T21:54:00.004+11:002009-10-11T23:38:07.879+11:00

One vegetable's arrival we eagerly look forward to each spring, is that of the artichoke. This fantastically shaped treat is the flower bud of a thistle plant, which would otherwise, if not picked, burst into a fabulous pink/purple bloom.There are quite a few varieties, ranging from green through to purple and violet, some with thorns, some without. What all have in common, are tightly packed

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-51296753558631696082009-10-10T14:33:00.009+11:002009-10-10T21:45:54.505+11:00

At Chez Neil's we really enjoy our local cheeses, yes we do. Some Australians that feature regularly on the menu are Red Hill Cheese, Tarago River Cheese Company, Holy Goat and in a welcome return to form, Pyengana Cheese Factory.Artisan Australian cheeses are a fairly recent phenomenon, Will Studd in his excellent book, Cheese Slices, wrote about what he discovered in Australian cities after he

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-75323670457616282622009-10-07T21:15:00.006+11:002009-10-07T23:42:29.188+11:00

Has anyone noticed lately, the scarcity of television cooking programs that actually teach cooking? Furthermore, how is everyone going with programs like Iron Chef, Come Dine With Me, Great British Menu, Chopping Block and others of this ultra-competitive ilk?Personally, I've had my fill of their incessant theme that one dish or cook is better than another. For heaven's sake, there is even a

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-353106117381828902009-10-01T20:38:00.005+10:002009-10-01T22:25:05.391+10:00

The normally cheerful Australian MasterChef's George Calombaris has revealed something of a dark side in a recent article in the Herald Sun's extrafood supplement.In a piece on Melbourne food bloggers, Calombaris was interviewed and revealed his disdain for the food blogging fraternity, in particular, online restaurant reviewers.In a quite bizarre and previously unheard of

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-48641607832612110612009-10-01T20:06:00.002+10:002009-10-01T20:37:20.639+10:00

photo Elliot RubensteinAfter three long dry years, it's nice to see the return of some old friends. These are Australian morels (Morchella elata), sometimes known as black morels.At first, they are hard to see amongst the forest floor litter, but soon, your eye gets in. The best places to look are in the box-ironbark forests of central Victoria. You can pick them is State parks with a licence, or

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-71751265949518926002009-09-13T17:44:00.003+10:002009-09-13T17:55:33.206+10:00

Checked out a hip new local hamburger joint the other day.The mustard mentioned on the menu was Dijon, but it had a real kick to it, like someone had messed around with some English mustard in the mix."Can you tell me what the mustard is? I really like it, got a bit of a kick.""Yeah, it's French...from Dijon.""Do you think you could tell me the name?""Sure."After a walk to the back of the shop,

neilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17247582833451153687noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19162668.post-41992602161398448952009-06-14T20:46:00.003+10:002009-06-14T21:47:00.740+10:00

Perhaps the most fraught area parents face in raising their kids are meal times, when children bemoan their misfortune at not being cast in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and parents resort to the kind of plea bargaining that would raise the eyebrow of even the most seasoned judge."C'mon Johnnie, just eat your broccoli and we'll take you to Disneyland."It's war out there and neither side is

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