The Good Life in Sydney - a 'cookbook' weekend

On the top of my list of my favourite 'Good Life' things you'll generally find travel, good food, and sharing great experiences with friends.

The Sydney landmark - unmistakable

A few weeks ago fit the bill perfectly.  Not only is Sydney one of my favourite cities,   (I lived and worked there during my backpacking days so I guess I'm a bit partial), but it's also home to 3 amazing restaurants for which I have the cookbook, and where we ended up eating at in one weekend! There are plenty of other things to do in Sydney (and the shopping was great) but this trip was really about the food.

Ok, this was no ordinary food weekend. It was for a big birthday and for the last many years Mark and Cath have raved about 'Tetsuya's', one of the world's best restaurants, so 6 months ago we made our reservation (because it pays to book this far in advance!) and organised a whole weekend to Sydney around this 1 meal.  Crazy?  Yep!  But oh so worth it. So Tet's was at the top of the list, but we also made it to Spice Temple and Bather's Pavilion to round out the cookbook trifecta.

In addition to cookbook destinations, we also found another amazing bistro called DOV, which Cath found through her diligent cross referencing of multiple 'best of Sydney' lists.

There was also one other new foodie thing we discovered which deserves a mention and that's the coolest butcher I have seen in a long time that we just stumbled upon in the suburb of Woollahra called 'Victor Churchill'.  There was a big, aged, hunk of meat in the window, beautiful butchery inside and a meat smell which cannot be adequately described in this blog and which drew us all inside for a closer look.  Unfortunately we had other lunch and dinner plans so we didn't buy anything.....
 

Cookbook number 1 - Tetsuya for lunch:

Cookbook1: Tetsuya

Tetsuya's was pure magic and food perfection, from the immaculately starched table clothes and waiter's uniforms to the perfectly symmetrical dots decorating the plates on the signature dish of ocean trout, as perfect as the picture in the cookbook. The food was simply extraordinary - art on a plate and not a single piece out of place.   Our sommelier  was a real star and Cath's desert came complete with gold foil and a candle.  It is definitely a special occasion restaurant and the bill for the 9 course degustation with matching wine (or 10 if you want to try the Tasmanian oysters which we did of course) would definitely generously cover the grocery bill for a month.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually thought I got what I paid for.

Cookbook number 2: Neil Perry Balance and Harmony:  The Spice Temple for dinner

Cookbook 2: Neil Perry

Balance and Harmony is probably one of the most beautiful cookbooks I have.  It comes in a box with a ribbon, the photos are beautiful and it's an experience just to finger through it.  We've been to the Spice Temple in Melbourne already but I think the food at the Spice Temple in Sydney was actually better.  I really like spicy food, but in Sydney I tasted the food more and not just the chilli. The 'balance' Neil Perry speaks about was somehow better.  It is a beautifully dingy, poorly lit space and you could easily imagine being in an opium den somewhere, but the food gives it away.

Cookbook number 3: Serge Dansereau's The Bather's Pavilion,   Balmoral Beach.

Cookbook(s)3: Serge

I accidentally bought Serge Dansereau's autobiography a few years ago called 'For the love of good food: a 20 year journey through the Australian food scene'.  It was an online purchase that seemed like a cookbook so I was disappointed when an autobiography landed in my mailbox, but I couldn't help reading it - a really interesting story!  (Maybe it was his Canadian roots, but that's just by the by...) It was good enough that I also bought the Bather's Pavillion cookbook. In the autobiography he speaks of his project of renovating a run down Bather's Pavilion, so it was really neat to go there on a sunny Sunday morning for brunch. The building is stunningly restored, the food was great and 100's of nippers on the beach really brought what I had read to life.  

Out front at the Bather's Pavilion

Tetusya's Seafood Medley

Tetsuya's Lamb

Le Menu at Bather's

Great Coffee at Bather's

Souffle at Bather's

Al's artistic shot from inside Bather's

Bather's - Perfect day at the Beach

Mark inspecting the meaty window display

How Awesome does this hunk of meat look at Victor Churchill's! It's already a few weeks old

The Butchers at Victor Churchill's

The Opera House doesn't cease to be amazing

Birdcages in a Sydney Alleyway

graffiti outside Max Brenner's, where we
had the ultimate hot chocolate

Max Brenner's 'subliminal' messaging

Dov - Best croc madam I've tasted

Found this really cool cafe, DOV, for breakfast

Morning walk around The Rocks

Lab Night at Pinot Plus - 3 years and counting

Well, I can hardly believe it's now been 3 years since our good friends Jo and Elle started 'Lab Night', the monthly wine lovers evening held at John Ingles' Pinot Plus. It's a great time out and I'm quite sad any time we have to miss one.

The formula has always been the same (and part of its success in my view):
     -7pm on the first Monday of every month
     -Pay a fixed price for a 3 course set menu
     -Bring an interesting bottle of wine to share

The only occasional  variance has been the venue, with a few hosted by Martina (so still in the family!) at Wine Chambers and at Number 5 for the 3rd Anniversary celebration where we were treated to a sensational 4 course degustation.

I'm actually writing this a month late - its already 3 years plus 1 month.  The latest 'Lab Night' found us back at Pinot Plus where there's always a welcoming, fun loving crowd who gain immense pleasure in sharing their quirky treasures with an appreciative wine loving audience.  We've made many a bottle reach around over the last 3 years just so everyone gets a taste of something unique or special and I am a happy person for having been able to share and to try some of these 'Lab Night' treasures.

Also, Jo diligently writes a great email each month which I have only posted 1 or 2 of previously, but which is also an integral part of the evening.  Here's the latest instalment for your reading pleasure with details on December:

-------

All,

November’s Lab Night was a stunning event.  It was wonderful to be back at Pinot Plus, the home of Lab Night in Auckland.  It was a lovely spring evening which meant were had a third of the crew dining in Pinot Plus’s outdoor dining area.  I think the fact it as light out, and the fact that spring really was in the air added a palpable sense of energy to the whole evening.  It seemed to be extra noisy and with an extra buzz!

The team at Pinot Plus served up yet another delicious meal.  The starter of Ministrone paired with some perfectly crispy fried shrimp (with a dab of guacamole for dipping) was a lovely combination of Mediterranean and Latin American/Mexican cuisines.  I had the lamb rack served on spicy black beans.  It was a brilliant spring dish – enough carbs to help with the wine, lovely spring lamb racks, and just enough spice in the black bean to keep things lively (without overpowering the wines).  Both the Fish and Braised Beef Cheeks looked wonderful (and I have it on good authority that they tasted mighty fine as well).

Here are my thoughts on a few of the wines:

1984 Cope Williams Rhine Riesling – This was a remarkable wine for a number of reasons.  Firstly, the labelling; These days, the EU would have their men in high-vis vests and clipboards on your front door in a heartbeat if you dared describe a Riesling as being ‘Rhine’ when it was made in Australia.  Secondly, the sub label; This wine is listed as having Romsey Chardonnay in it.  Romsey appears to be a town in Victoria, and I don’t think this wine had much of the chardonnay in it.  Thirdly, the age; This wine was from 1984 and it was in wonderful condition, which brings me to my final point – the taste.  This wine wasn’t in the searingly dry category.  There was lovely citrus fruit weight to it with strong notes of mandarin and lime, but also with delightful hints of peach and ripe red apples.  There was enough acid to keep the wine focussed, but not so much as to make it feel overly lean.  This was not your typically Aussie Riesling.  It was however, rather fabulous.

2011 Clearly Organic Tempranillo – This (very proudly organic and biodynamic) Spanish Tempranillo was wonderfully spicy on the nose - not quite getting into Christmas cake spectrum, but something a little brighter – maybe spice cookies, along with lovely red fruits.  The palate featured darker berry fruits along with the spices.  There were lovely fine tannins giving the wine firmness and length. 

2010 Murray Street Vineyards Benno – Benno was the great great grandfather of Andrew Seppelt and one of the wine growing pioneers in the Barossa Valley.  This wine is a fantastic blend of Shiraz and Mataro (or Mourvedre if you prefer).  The wine is essentially their top red, and is full and rich with plenty of spice, fruit, and length.  There is a density to this wine that is quite remarkable, but yet the wine never seems jammy.  This is probably due to the Mataro that is in the blend.  The tannins were very firm, and I’d suggest that this wine is one that deserves to be put away for a few years to get the best out of it.

1996 Penfolds St Henri Shiraz – Conversely, here is a shiraz that has been put away for a while (quite a while).  The tannins on this wine were perfectly integrated, and drinking this wine was an experience in hedonism.  There was cinnamon and nutmeg (and even a few peppery notes) on the nose, along with a little black fruit.  On the palate the wine was dense black fruits, a little vanilla, Christmas cake, and utterly moreish.  In the Penfolds tradition, this wine was aging impressively.  I’m not sure how much better it will get, but I imagine it will stay this good for many years to come before beginning to fade!

Now for the invite to the December Lab Night.  The next Lab Night will be on Monday the 2nd of December and we will be at Pinot Plus on Hurstmare Road.  As always the formula remains the same.  $49 gets you a stunning three course meal.  Kickoff is 7pm.  Bring a bottle of wine along and be prepared to share it with your table (you are welcome to bring the bottle masked and ask a few questions, but remember it is optional!).  If you’ve got a bit to spare after you’ve passed it round, feel free to share with the other tables as well.  It’s always a night of lively conversation, high humour, and wonderful people; so if you’ve not come to a Lab Night before, I’m sure you’ll be made to feel welcome!

Yours in Oenophilia

Jo 

The Olive Pick

The fruits of our labour - freshly picked olives

Although I've seen it many times on Food TV, I've never actually picked an olive until last weekend.  I use Olive Oil by the litre and, like wine, I have my everyday variety and I have ones that are special and I am particularly fond of knowing and seeing where they come from, which is much easier now that New Zealand and Australia are starting to produce some of their own very interesting oils.

There is something about the provenance of tasting an oil from a place that you have picked the olives - and that's exactly what we did.  Off we went on an autumn's day with our new found friend Rex and our combined pack of 4 hounds to Susan's olive grove, eco house, El Paca farm and all around self sufficient property located on the Kaipara Harbour South Head north of Auckland. It's totally off the grid, solar and wind powered, and with NO mobile coverage whatsoever (!).

2 puppies enjoying the freedom. The olive grove is to the left in the background

This weekend was a communal effort which you only often read about, where all the neighbours and friends turn up in their carloads, grab a bucket, a ladder, some of the very high tech Italian tree shaking equipment, and go to work.  Some people were in the kitchen preparing the communal lunch to feed the masses, there were dogs running around everywhere (ours had a ball - at one stage there where 10 dogs running around together!) and everyone pitched in and had a good time, either meeting new people or catching up on the gossip with old friends.  The food was deliciously wholesome, the wine and stories were flowing, and of course everything is served on a communal table.  I could have been on the set of an Italian cooking programme that was trying to convey the spirit of 'familia'. The Europeans do this well - reminds me of family events such as my parents making sauerkraut and also stomping grapes for wine with their crazy German friends.  The wine/sauerkraut/olive oil are revered, but quite honestly the produce seems like a good excuse to get together and have a good time!

Sorting and drying out olives

many hands and many stories - one of the crews at work

Even as a complete novice I got top marks for my carefully and properly picked olives with no bruises, and  sorting the olives in preparation for the pressing was a soothing escape from the brain based office work that I usually find myself doing.  Picking olives is not hard, sort of like picking cherries if you ask me.  All you have to do is treat them gently.  Stems get pressed so are OK, but bruised olives, leaves, and too much moisture make for a bad press.

What more can I say - I had a great time and I'd recommend it to anyone.  I do not profess to know much about the olive oil process and I'm sure you can read about the agricultural aspects on line, but the bottle of olive oil I was given in exchange for our efforts at the end of the day and the story which has been carefully pressed with the olives into the bottle will be a treasured part of my foodie collection. 

Susan 

Wishing she could join the El Pacas in the olive grove....

Rum and Coke Ribs

I got my love of cook books from my mom. Even now when I go home for a visit, I can't resist flicking through her latest interesting additions. It seems appropriate then, that she's the one who bought me the quirky Canadian cookbook which has inspired this ribs recipe: Cooking with Booze by Ryan Jennings and David Steele. We're also doing a family cookbook, and this is the first recipe I have added as it's become a favourite and I'd happily serve these to any rib lover.

I absolutely love ribs - it's my desert island food. It must be the way it taps into the primal self, gnawing on bones and licking your lips. Even one of my favourite family foodie experiences includes ribs - it was on a trip to Alaska when I was a kid, eating Alaskan sized beef ribs in Fairbanks (I think they found an extinct Mammoth, these were so big!). This was an early food reference point and my family still talks about them to this day. You can imagine then, how horrified I was when I first came to New Zealand a number of years ago, and getting ribs was virtually impossible. Butchers looked at me funny, no restaurant in their right mind would have it on their menu, and it was THE one thing I had to have whenever I made a trip home to North America. Things have come a long way in New Zealand, and ribs are now par for the course but this early deprivation is probably one of the reasons I now have an obsession and just can't get enough of them.

Rum and Coke Ribs

(Serves 4)

This recipe is pretty straight forward - It's a slow cook and moist rib recipe, with the rum and coke adding moisture as well as flavour. You can make the sauce while cooking the ribs and all will come together nicely at the end.


The Coke part:
2 racks pork ribs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 onion peeled and quartered
6 cloves garlic, crushed
8 cups (2L) coke

Preheat oven to 135C / 275F
Trim any visible fat, remove membrane from underside if attached.  Season both sides with salt and pepper and place meat-side down in a large baking dish. 
Arrange onion and garlic evenly around ribs.
Pour enough coke to cover ribs completely.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 2hrs 15 min.
Remove from oven and allow ribs to come to room temerature in cooking liquid, about 1.5 hours.

The Rum part: (Caribbean barbeque sauce)
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 onion minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup dark rum
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
(optional: Dash hot pepper sauce.  I find it spicy enough with the chili powder, so a matter of taste)

Heat oil in small saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic, cumin and chili powder and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add ketchup, rum, brown sugar, venegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce and simmer for 15 min.

Rum meets Coke

Preheat bbq/grill to low.

Place ribs meat side down on bbq and close lid.  Cook, turning occasionally, and after slightly browned and tender (about 10 - 15 min) brush ribs with the BBQ sauce. Turn and brush a few more times until nice and sticky and caramelised (about another 10 minutes). 

Cut and serve with some coleslaw and corn or other BBQ favourites.

Waiheke Headlands Sculpture Festival

Temporary by Delicia Sampero

It's been full on at the Ponsonby ranch these days but I really wanted to put in a post about the Waiheke Headlands sculpture festival.  We managed to squeeze this in on our last free weekend before invasion of the killer hounds and if there's one thing I would recommend doing over the next few weeks, this would be it. According to their website, this has been voted number 35 of the best things to do in the work in the New York Times. There are ~30 different sculpture / art installations scattered around the most beautiful walk just on the northern tip of Waiheke island, very close to the ferry terminal so immenently doable.  This is only on every 2 years (but why?!) and only on for 3 weeks so not a lot of time - it's on until 17 Feb.

Here's the link to the website: http://sculptureonthegulf.co.nz/

The stunning setting for the Headlands Sculpture Festival

When you get off the ferry on Waiheke, on the right is the Headlands pavillion where you can catch a shuttle bus for $5 to the beginning of the walk.  It took us about 2 hours to walk around and take in the sculptures before ending up back at the Pavillion. Grab a coffee or something to eat if you want (the kitchen is run by the runner up of last season's Master Chef, Ana Shwartz).  I haven't been to any of the previous years, so I can't compare, but it was an awesome experience helped by some pretty spectacular scenery and weather.  There is some real quirky stuff on this walk, and lots of it, so I've included some pics, but you really must experience this in its entirety in the setting of the headlands. Very cool.

The view from Casita Miro - worth a visit on Waiheke

Afterwards, we took the bus to Onetangi beach and had a great tasting at Obsidian winery before having lunch at one of my new favourite restaurants in the Auckland surrounds - Casita Miro.  What an awesome place!  Cat who runs Casita Miro is a quirky vibrant and passionate hostess and the Spanish tapas and wines and sherries are just perfect for the vinyard setting of this Spanish inspired hacienda. Cat pulled out an amazing Pedro Ximenez from a little bodega she found in Spain at the end of our meal, which went very well with the Churros con Chocolate. 

All in all, another brilliant day on Waiheke.

Beyond Good and Evil by Konstantin Dimopoulos

Sheep Track - a very cool woven woolen walkway
created by Gina Ferguson

Waiheke Island Sway by Fatu Feu'u



Allister took over 100 pics on the day!  This is my angle..

...and this is his

Pavillion Structure made out of pieces of recycled timber by Gregor Kregar

Breath by Nick Moon



Little Bush by Matt Elwood



Overview, Overlook, Oversee by Graham Bennett

ICOELTP - Trish Clarke



Wildfire by Sarah Brill - very cool effect



Churro con Cholate and a lovely PX at Casita Miro - well needed after all the walking around on the day!

last by not least, believe it or not, I snapped this in the loo at Casita Miro!