Archive for the 'All about…' Category

Sarah Crowe of Bimbagen

I am so lucky to have so many passionate wine makers and wine experts on my show. Sarah Crowe Senior Winemaker from Bimbadgen is no exception. In fact she is rather special. A woman in a very male dominated world, who was the recipient of the Hunter Valley Wine Industry Association’s Hunter Legends “Rising Star of the Year” Award in 2009.

Sarah Crowe Senior Winemaker at Bimbadgen

For a girl from the coastal town of Wollongong, New South Wales, who went to the Hunter Valley to explore horticulture she has done amazingly well. Sarah works on a range of wine varietals across the Bimbadgen range.  Bimbadgen is going through a brand extension and part of this is taking a strong stance on environmental sustainability; a new bottle is being used that is 28 percent lighter than previous bottles for its wine range, saving 140g per bottle. Across a yearly production, this equates to an approximate 42,000 kilograms of glass saved per annum. I am passionate about sustainable living and recycling so this is good news.

Bimbadgen Regions 2010 Sauvignon Blan

With a fresh look and feel, come sensational additions to the Bimbadgen wine range including the Bimbadgen Sparkling range, consisting of the popular Sparkling Semillon and new release Sparkling Rose, is a fun and lively twist on classic varieties. I was lucky enough to get to try some of the great Bimbadgen classics on the show.

Beautiful Bimbadgen

when I am next in the Hunter  I will be visiting Esca their restaurant that has just released its highly anticipated winter menu. This features gastronomic delights inspired by fresh local Hunter Valley produce.  Signature dishes within Esca are the Tasting Plates, available in red and white wine options. These tasting plates offer three ‘tastes’ from the Esca Menu, presented with a taste of the matching Bimbadgen wine – an introduction to the food and wine matching process which is always so much fun.

Esca Pumpkin Tortellin Pan Fried Manning River Prawns, Labna and Baby Chervil

Also put a note in the diary about the ‘Day on the Green’ concert series.  These are held at the property’s outdoor amphitheatre overlooking the magical vineyards and they have  just announced American rock legend Meatloaf to feature on October 8, 2011 and jazz-rock legends Steely Dan and Steve Winwood on Saturday, October 22, 2011. Wine, food and music can’t  go wrong there.

Bimbadgen can be located at  790 McDonalds Road, Pokolbin  NSW
Tel 02 4998 4600. www.bimbadgen.com.au

The perfect day out, wine, food and great music

Published on August 15, 2011 in General and Limited Table. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

Butter and Cream or Creamy Butter – Meet Pepe

There are two things I get asked all the time, one; is “can you recommend a restaurant” at which point I become brain dead and suddenly forget all my favourites, and two; is “what are you eating at the moment”.

So I pondered number two for a while and thought I would put it out there. My food passion at the moment which is likely to last a very long time, is Pepe Saya’s handcrafted salted butter. It is handmade with total love. This man is so passionate about his award winning butter his entire face lights up when he talks about it.

Award winning salted and unsalted butter from Pepe

When I popped in to discuss my new Limited Table venture with him he insisted on sending me home with a hamper. Oh and what a hamper. Not only is the butter sensational, his chocolate mousse is a show stopper. I offered the chocolate mousse to a friend as an afternoon treat and tried to pass it off as my own except she knew I can’t cook that well. Boy but can I eat! This mousse tastes totally homemade, not overly sweet, with good texture with the added decadent chocolate swirls through it.

You can pass this Choc Mousse off as your own and get away with it

What is really, really good is the Berry Brownie, I managed to eat it slowly over four days by cutting it into four thick chocolate fingers, then I put one in the microwave for 20 seconds poured the Vanilla Pouring Custard over the top and ate it while sipping my tea in front of the telly. I am not sure my body will recover from this total sugar high I have had it on but seriously it has been worth every second of sublime sensual pleasure. Pepe, thank you!!

Thick and Creamy Panna Cotta

Sticky Date Pudding

Presto Pesto

I can rave on about these products but the pictures speak for themselves. You can find them in Harrison Farm and Thomas Dux or you can swing by the shop at 17 Campbell Street, St Peters It is called the Dessert Wholesaler.

Visit www.pepesaya.com.au to see all the products on offer and watch the video about how good butter is made.

Published on August 2, 2011 in General and Limited Table. Closed

Pony Lounge and Dining – Review

I arrived at  Pony Lounge & Dining situated in the Rocks with some trepidation. On occasion I am expected to like or at very least be willing to try just about everything food related. But morally I can’t eat horse, I grew up riding and loving them. I also really don’t like black pudding and Sean Connolly once made me eat  it on the radio show while we were live. It was awful and I am now scarred for life. So to my total relief and joy I read through the Pony Lounge and Dining menu to discover that they do serve lots of wonderful sustainable produce like Kurabuta Pork, Veal, Thirlmere Chicken, Mirrool Creek Lamb but thankfully no pony.

Pony Lounge and Dining Emphasises Good Produce

I interviewed Executive Head Chef Damien Heads on the show and discovered a man who is working very hard. With two demanding restaurants on either side of the bridge as well as a young family he arrived at the studio with a tiny parcel of food. Naturally I hinted I might be a little hungry and he mumbled that they had done so many covers the night before they had almost run out of food. What he did bring was the Seared Sirloin – Soy, Lime, Chilli and Lemongrass dressing. It worked very well with the wine and I was left wanting more.

Damian Heads

My dinner guest was the dynamic, energized and passionate Claudia Bowman from McIntosh and Bowman the cheesemongers. Claudia loves good food so she was the perfect guest. Plus I am cooking up a new exciting venture and I knew she would be a great sounding board. The rocks would not usually be on my list of  food destinations. However in the past few months I have had two very good, reasonably prices meals here. One at Baroque and now at Pony Lounge and Dining.

Sashimi Yellowfin Tuna Spring Roll with Green Soybean Sauce

We started with Sydney Rock Oysters $3.60 each, trying both the natural and the Nham Jim Dressing, Crisp Eschalot. I always love a meal when it begins on the right note and fat creamy oysters are the way to start the magic. We then moved onto the small plates of which there are around 16 dishes. My favourite was the Sashimi Yellowfin Tuna Spring Roll with Green Soybean Sauce $16.50. Good textures with a great balance of crispy and spicy.

The team hard at work

The Tortellini of Slow Cooked Beef Cheek, Heirloom Tomato, Broccoli and Tarragon ($24 entrée, $32 main) was delicious; I was starting to regret the suggestion of sharing everything. The waitress was very knowledgeable about where the produce came from and was happy to assist us with her favourite choices, which made the ordering process a breeze.

The mains are all meaty and hearty

The Firstlight NZ Wagyu Sirloin, with Potato Dauphinoise, Eschalots and De Puy Lentils $46, was very good. Our chips could have been slightly crispier but the meat was tender and full of flavour. I know the supplier of this product personally and I know that he is very particular about quality so these animals live well and the results are in the eating.

The dessert menu is short and sweet with fresh delights

Dessert is the the moment of truth and my Apple Flan, Apple Caramel and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream $15 was delicious, as good was Claudia’s Dark Chocolate Pudding, Salted Peanut Brittle and Espresso Ice Cream $14.80. I did have a little food envy when I saw hers.

The Rocks on the left, Neutral Bay on the right

The interior is long and thin but warm and comfortable, the atmosphere is buzzy and the wine list good. My ideal evening would be going to Wine Odyssey across the cobbles for a pre-dinner drink and then having several Pony dishes to share. On the other hand if I were going to hang out with my North Shore friends Pony in Neutral Bay would be a very good option.

Good ethically produced, sustainable produce puts this restaurant on my top 10 recommends. Well worth the dinner out. www.ponydining.com.au

The Rocks
Cnr 14-15 Kendall Lane and Argyle Street
The Rocks, Sydney
T: (02) 9252 7797
Open: Daily 12pm-3pm, 6pm-11pm
[email protected]
Neutral Bay
12-25 Grosvenor St, Neutral Bay
T: (02) 9904 3400, Sydney
[email protected]
Open: Lunch Thursday – Sunday 12.00 – 3pm
Dinner Monday – Sunday 6p, – late
Breakfast Sundays from 8am
Published on July 27, 2011 in General and Limited Table. 3 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Honest to Goodness

Matt Ward from the company Honest to Goodness was on the show on Saturday. I love a guest whose home lifestyles mirrors their product beliefs. Organic all the way for this family.

Matt & Karen

The Honest to Goodness products are very good for you, many of them include super foods which have far reaching health benefits. The products are all selected and hand packed so there is no production line here. This is a small-dedicated group of real foodies who are more interested in how to offer a healthy, tasty way to live than watching the bottom line. Karen Matt’s wife advocates buyer co-ops to make organic living and eating affordable and believes it brings back community spirit to the food process. There website contains loads of great info  and it is well worth a look. www.goodness.com.au

Hand packed and no preservatives

The delicious list of products is impressive from honey and adult trail mix to flour and berries. They stock the new incaberries which hail from South America, these taste fantastic and are another great antioxidant superfood. You can find Honest to Goodness at the markets and online visit here www.goodness.com.au for locations, information and if you bump into Matt and Karen let them know I sent you.

Published on July 25, 2011 in General and Limited Table. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Bistro Ortolan – Review

When the idea of doing an interview with Paul McGrath from Bistro Ortolan for Bastille Day was proposed I was hesitant. If I was going to do something then I wanted it to be with a really good restaurant not one I had never even heard of. OOPS! My mistake, it is not a good restaurant; it’s a great restaurant. I was in the money. What’s more, I felt like I was really special, as it seemed like everyone else had missed this coup.

Paul & Jenny McGrath

Run by husband and wife team Paul and Jenny McGrath, Bistro Ortolan deserves its two hats, having kept them on for the past three years. Great restaurants are better than great dates; the waiters and sommeliers treat you with utmost respect, laugh at your jokes, and pander to you. The restaurant envelops you in warmth and delights you visually. Then you journey through all the senses, taste, touch, smell getting to great heights as the delicious morsels slip down your throat and after all that you don’t even have to kick them out of bed!

Where we sat - Upstairs Bistro Ortolan

So onto the serious stuff. The venue is located in Marion Street in Leichhardt, it is French and classy in an understated way. The locals love it and I would imagine want to keep it for themselves.  The tables are covered in quality linen and crystal candleholders twinkle at you suggestively. There are two dining rooms, one downstairs as you enter and one upstairs with a more private sunroom where I am sure you could hold a private function. There are no sad corner tables or as I refer to them, Siberian tables. Each seat is carefully considered so you get privacy and comfort but you are still surrounded by a warm atmosphere.

Perfect Vegetables being prepped

There is great attention to detail from the cutlery and crockery to the beautifully plated dishes. My BFF Janine and I started with Sesame rolled loin of Yellowfin Tuna with a petite salad nicoise and softly cooked quails egg $26. When the dish arrives it looks beautiful, tiny perfectly crafted fresh produce morsels carefully placed to visually delight and then you get the taste sensation. Balance and technique come together like an orchestra. Brandade and cured fillet of house-salted ling with baby fennel and seaweed brioche $28, follows with Janine starting to look less likely to share.

Rare spice roasted sirloin of Cervena venison

The stand out main and only because this was mine was the Rare, spice-roasted sirloin of Cervena venison with a fricassée of glazed winter vegetables, foie gras and game pie $45. Warm and wintery with an unctuous jus poured at the table. The dish was generous for this type of restaurant and apparently the locals make sure it all stays very real.

Dessert Roasted Banana and salted Caramel Bombe Alaska

Chestnut, chocolate and Pedro Ximénez ‘Bombe Alaska’ with roasted banana and walnut dacquoise $18 followed but my Cadeau of poire belle Hélène with warm chocolate $18 was indeed delicious, the final moment to a beautiful meal when you know that you would rather stab your BFF in the hand with the fork than share. There is a good selection of cheese on offer and the wine matches for each dish were spot on.

2006 First Drop JR Gantos Cabernet Sauv Touriga Nacional - McLaren Vale SA

When you have a sommelier like Philippe Lebrun, who is a French national, engage you in a wine matching journey the pursuit of the perfect match becomes one of the most exciting parts of the meal, and our journey was as good as the Tour de France. There is beauty, symmetry and perfect balance in this kitchen; Paul is an artist who understands flavour, texture and really works with his superb produce. I realized at the end of this meal that BFF Janine and I had little time to do our usual laugh and cry dinner routine. Most of the time we just closed our eyes and sighed with pleasure.

Bistro Ortolan is now on my top 5 list.

Just make sure you ask how much the specials are before you order when they are full of the good things like fresh truffles and foie gras you can expect to pay a bit more.

Where: 134 Marion St., Leichhardt, Sydney
Times: Dinner: Tuesday to Saturday (6 to 10) – a la carte and degustation.
BYO: permitted Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (max. 1 bottle per person. No BYO for groups of 8 and over)
Corkage: $15 per bottle
Email: [email protected]
Bookings: recommended 02 9568 4610

Published on July 19, 2011 in General and Limited Table. 2 Comments

One Hell of a Bird!

In Africa, the idea of a Game Farm immediately makes me think of beautiful Lions, Elephants and Buck. So you can understand my confusion when I interviewed Scott Evans and Karl Fraser from Game Farm and discovered it was all in the birds. I sighed with relief and got into some very good game bird eating.

I love a man who can cook on the go, sort of reminds me of when I was little and I still believed in the idea of the knight in shining armour. So Karl impressed me with his ability to cook delicious marinated quail breast on a tiny, portable stove in the studio kitchen. I could not get enough of the quail breasts, delicate, easy to cook, tender and great as an entree. Add a little soy, garlic, ginger, olive oil and a touch of lemon juice to the quail breasts, let them stand for a couple of hours (in the fridge) and then pop them on the barbie or in a pan. A little exotic and seriously tasty, serve with a toothpick. I proudly cooked them for my BFF Janine and my son when I came home from the show. He said I was a MasterChef. Got to love the six year old. BFF loved them too. If the quail breasts don’t inspire you go for the whole quail.

Braised Quail with Dates and Leeks

I was lucky enough to come home with a goody bag and I asked Camilla van Beuningen (who is a great chef and was the food editor for the FoodinFocus magazine), how to cook duck breasts.  It was so simple but to do them well it is important to score the fat and to make sure you season well. I got it just right, add a potato rosti and a berry jus and another MasterChef moment was created! I also loved the spatchcock which I poached and turned into a healthy salad.

Spatchcock with White Wine Lemon and Rosemary

I asked Scott about his treatment of the birds. I like to know that like any living thing, while alive they are having a good time and the answer was yes, these birds live the life, happy, fat and juicy. Plus I discovered that Australian birds and that includes all chickens are all hormone free and have been for 40 years. Now there is a good question for trivia. For more information on food myths visit www.abc.net.au/landline/stories/s543233.htm

Game Farm offer access to their Gourmet Club where you can download  the most beautiful magazine style newsletters. They have gorgeous photography, helpful recipes and product information. To subscribe, locate stockists and for recipe ideas click here www.gamefarm.com.au

Recipe

Duck with Spiced Citrus Sauce

Duck with Spiced Citrus Sauce

Ingredients
2 Game Farm Duck breasts
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns

Citrus sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 star anise
1 cinnamon quill
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
(about 2 small limes)
1 orange, skin removed and cut into fillets

Method
Preheat oven to 200°C.
Using a small, sharp knife score the skin of the duck breasts soak into the breasts and spread the salt and pepper over each duck breast.
Heat a non-stick oven-proof frying pan over medium heat.
Add the duck, skin-side down, and cook for 3-4 minute.
Turn the breasts over and place the pan in the oven for a further 7-10 minutes.
Remove from the oven, cover with foil and set aside for 5 minutes to rest.
Meanwhile, make the sauce.
Combine the water, sugar and ginger in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally for about 7 minutes to reduce slightly.
Add fish sauce and spices and simmer for a further 2 minutes.
Stir through lime juice and orange and remove from heat.
Slice the duck, place onto heated serving plates and pour sauce over.
Serve with steamed asparagus or another seasonal vegetable

Published on July 14, 2011 in General and Limited Table. 1 Comment

For The Girls Who Have Everything

This is for men and women who love chocolate and love shoes.

When you combine the two you have a work of art. I would not know if they should be kept in the closet or in the kitchen.

Where would you put your new shoes?

Love Me Eat Me

Published on January 13, 2011 in General and Limited Table. 1 Comment

Just Give Them Cake

For those of you who listen to the radio show and those who know me, you will agree that I have bucket loads of very naughty humour. It is one of the reasons I love the men on my show because they will always get into the swing of things. Last weeks show featured Ray Carter from South West Trading (he is so seriously hot), Paris Cutler from Planet Cake in Balmain, she looks like a model and the coolest guy ever Sven Almenning the owner of Eau de Vie (a serious bar, well known in Industry circles). We had a total blast everyone was on form and it was a laugh a minute.

Ray and Sven in Studio

In fact we had such a good time I received this email from a lovely listener. “Dear Natasha, I am sure my husband has already emailed as he was very amused by your show. We were travelling to Wombarra on Sunday and tuned in for the first time. We loved your warmth and energy. Great show. Julie”


Paris Cutler author & owner of Planet Cake

Well more about Ray Carter later in the week but Paris Cutler is my kind of girl, she got right into the Johnny Walker whisky tasting and her gorgeous blonde looks hid a wicked sense of humour and a tough successful business woman.

Around the World with Cupcakes Amazing

Planet Cake is all over the planet. The expert team have created cakes for stars like Celine Dion, Nicole Kidman, Rihanna, Masterchef and the list goes on. Paris has launched cookbooks her latest being Planet Cake Cupcakes and she can claim the largest Cake Decorating School in Australia.

I Love You

Without doubt this is impressive but I was more enamoured when Paris arrived with three cupcakes for me each with red icing and the FoodinFocus logo proudly displayed. I was sold. More importantly they actually tasted fantastic, vanilla cupcake recipe below.

My Very Own FoodinFocus Planet Cake Cupcake

You can order cakes and cupcakes for any occasion however these are not your usual cakes and you need some serious ‘dough’ to be able to afford them. Anything from $600 to $2500, it just depends on how big, how wide and how high!

For more information on Planet Cake click here www.planetcake.com.au

Recipe for Planet Cakes Vanilla Cupcakes

Makes 12

Preparation time: 15 Minutes (+ Cooling)

Cooking time: 25-30 Minutes

Ingredients

175g (6oz) Butter, at room temperature
165g (5 ¾ oz ¾ cup) caster (Superfine) sugar
½ teaspoon natural vanilla extract
2 eggs, at room temperature
110g (3 ¾ oz ¾ cup) Self-raising flour
150g (5 ½ oz 1 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
160ml (5 ½ fl oz 2/3 cup) buttermilk

Method

1.     Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Line the holes of a 12-hole 80ml (2 ½ fl oz 1/3 cup) muffin tin with paper cases.

2.    Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

3.    Beat the eggs into the butter mixture one at a time. Add half the sifted flours and half the buttermilk, and mix in the remaining flours and buttermilk.

4.    Divide the mixture evenly smooth the tops (this will help the cupcakes to rise evenly).

5.    Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow cupcakes to stand for 5 minutes in tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Dragon Cupcakes

Published on December 15, 2010 in General and Limited Table. Closed

Beautiful Wine Labels

Everyone knows I love a good drink.  Over the past two years on my show I  have tasted over 300 wines and a large number of spirits and cocktails. While some of the packaging has been impressive, I have yet to see anything that really rocks. Then I found these. Please someone bring something this hot onto the show! Click here for more.

Designer Wine Labels and Packaging

Published on November 17, 2010 in General and Limited Table. 1 Comment Tags: , , , .

Monkey Magic Restaurant – Review

I love eye candy; in fact I love mouth candy… any candy really will do. So when I landed at Monkey Magic on Crown Street in Surry Hills last week I was thrilled. Eye candy everywhere, the barmen, the chefs, the venue, the food. I love the venue; New York meets Sydney meets modern Asia. The upstairs room is large enough to feel spacious. Designed in warm tones of exposed brick with diffused lighting, exposed beams and dark wood it also manages to convey a feeling of intimacy.

Executive Head Chef Shea Crawford (back) Sushi Master Michiaki Miyazaki (front)

I hosted the new Executive Head Chef, Shea Crawford on my radio show last week and he was really good value. I had the joy of looking at him throughout the one and a half hour show (yes he is very cute), plus I was able to re-indulge in some of the delicious dishes I had enjoyed at the restaurant. Sadly the divine man is married with children but who said we can’t window shop!

The food at Monkey Magic has always been very good. This time however it was impressive. As a Japanese cuisine lover, I have always enjoyed the balance of beauty, flavour and superb produce that is lovingly plated. Shea Crawford embarked on his culinary career at the age of 20, undertaking his first formal gastronomic training at award winning French fine dining restaurant Nice Matin.  His next role was at Michelin starred seafood restaurant Oceana, in midtown Manhattan, where he worked closely with renowned chef Cornelius Gallagher – who worked with Daniel Boulud and Ferran Adria – providing Shea with the knowledge for Asian inspired cooking as well as French influenced sauces. He brings this balance to Monkey Magic. The GM of Monkey Magic, Hidetoshi Tsuboi is always on the floor when I visit this venue, he walks the walk and that is always a good sign.

Beetroot cured Kingfish

The menu is delightful, we started with the typical endamame and then my curiosity got the better of me, Renkon chips which are crisp lotus roots with pink salt $6. They are slightly dry and salted, perfect with a pre-diner drink. Stephen our waiter was laid back but totally switched on, I ordered all his recommendations. He suggested the Beetroot Cured Kingfish with pickled beet greens, cucumber, yuzu dressing and micro herbs $16. Pretty as a picture, light and delicious. You seriously can’t go past the Duck Pancake, roasted duck with buckwheat pancake, dark miso sauce $18, definitely one of my favourites. The Chawan-Mushi offered a whole new food experience, a cold steamed egg custard with shitake mushroom topped with prawn ceviche salad, my significant other (SO) loved this $15.

Chawan-Mushi

Sushi chef Michiaki Miyazaki is a maestro, he did time at two Michelin star restaurant Kikunoi in Kyoto, Japan. Under the tutelage of internationally renowned chef and restaurateur Yoshihiro Murata, Michiaki acquired an aptitude for sushi making and an appreciation for the diversity of Japanese cuisine. So you can bet the sushi was made with love and passion we had the Monkey Magic style sushi selection topped with yuzu cream, sesame dressing, basil sauce
ao-nori tempura flakes, tartare and yellow anticucho $19 small $35 large, it hit the mark with perfectly sized portions, something that I consider to be very important when eating sushi.

Artful Sashimi

The main dishes were standout, the Ocean Trout with Dutch carrots, apple and chilli emulsion, hear seaweed salad $26. The sweetness of the Dutch carrots balanced perfectly with the cooked to perfection Ocean Trout. The “Suzuki Kingfish” with English spinach, red miso, dashi and lemongrass consomme, shaved radish $28 was complex and interesting. The red miso is smeared on the side of the dish so you could control the depth of flavour. The Riverine Sirloin was another of SO’s favourites with braised silver beet, grated daikon and plum steak sauce $32.

Sugar Cinnamon Beignet served with chai latte, sweet cream

I can never leave a venue without dessert it is the last stand to a good meal and an everlasting memory, the Black Sesame Creme Caramel with red wine poached pear, coconut ice cream and pink peppercorn $13 was as delicious as the Banana, White Chocolate and Shiso Spring Roll with raspberry coulis and green tea ice-cream $13. I ordered two serves of the Sugar Cinnamon Beignet served with chai latte, sweet cream $13, so we all know what really stole my heart.

Monkey Magic is a must on the Sydney Culinary Journey.

Name: Monkey Magic
Where: 3&4, 410 Crown St. Surry Hills Sydney
Telephone: (02) 9358 4444
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 6pm – 10pm. Closed Sundays
Price: Entrée from $8, Mains from $23, Desserts from $13
Style: Japanese
Wine: Licensed
Vibe: Smart /casual
Vegetarian: Good options
Child-friendly: Not really
Wheelchair access: No
Published on November 10, 2010 in General and Limited Table. Closed