They run masterclasses and tasting sessions every now and then, and I decided to finally get around to going to one. MACARONS!!! This session was demonstrated by the very lovely Gauthier Oger who is head pastry chef Jones. Gauthier is a french pastry chef, who makes macarons each and every day for the Jones chain of stores, so certainly well qualified person to be taking instruction from.

So with a glass of champagne in had and a selection of mini macarons to taste test, I sat at the front of the class so I wouldn’t miss a thing. During this session Gauthier made Jaffa Macarons (An Orange flavoured biscuit filled with chocolate Italian butter cream).

Gauthier’s tips for the perfect Macaroon:

• Fat is the enemy of the pre-baked macaroon
• A Kitchen Aid mixer is your friend
• Weigh your egg whites
• Sift your almond meal
• Work quickly and precisely
• Don’t put too much in the piping bag, you will take all of the air out of the mixture (and no one likes a flat macaron)
• Criss-cross your piping to fit more on the tray
• No fans allowed, if you have a fan forced oven turn the fan off
• Let your macarons sit to form a skin before you bake them, this prevents them cracking in the oven
• To create perfectly smooth macarons dip your finger in water and smooth out any peaks from the piping before baking

Recipe

Ingredients Macarons

• 500g icing sugar
• 280g almond meal
• 285g egg whites
• 130g caster sugar
• 1-2 drop of food colouring

Method

Using a fine sieve, sift icing sugar and almond meal, pushing through with a wooden spoon, In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1 tbs at a time, and whisk until stiff peaks form.  Carefully fold meringue mixtures into almond meal mixture. And add desired food colouring.

Spoon minute into a piping bag fitted with a 5mm piping nozzle. Pipe 1.5-4cm cm rounds onto baking paper-lined oven trays, set meringues aside, uncovered, on trays for about half an hour (this will minimise cracking).

Preheat oven to 90-140C and bake macarons, for 20-40 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove from oven and cool on trays before attempting to move them. Macrons should lift easily when properly cooked through. Store in an airtight container until ready to fill.

Ingredients Filling

• 800g butter
• 8 egg whites
• 200g icing sugar
• flavour (in this case chocolate pieces – but really whatever you want)
• 50mls water

Method

Using an electric mixer, beat butter until pale and fluffy and set aside. Make a sugar syrup by slowly dissolving the sugar in the water then bring to boil at 121C (using a sugar thermometer). Beat the egg whites until firm peaks form them slowly pour the syrup into the egg whites while still beating. Leave to cool then fold in the beaten butter and combine. Add flavouring. Stir to combine. Sandwich macarons with filling and serve. Once filled store in the fridge, to keep butter cream fresh.

Do enjoy – I need to get myself a couple more pieces of equipment before I try these ones. But I’ll give it a go shorty.

I’ve always avoided rabbit as a food. Why;  I’m not quite sure. I mean, I don’t think those fluffy white creatures are too cute to be eaten or anything. I just didn’t really think food when I saw a bunny. That is,  until now…

I went to Solarino (which is my go-to place, if I can’t be bothered thinking of where to go) with a friend for an early dinner or afternoon snack as it was only 5pm (whatever!). We shared a plate of spaghetti with rabbit, garlic, parsley and chilli. I was a little hesitant, but the lovely Scarlet highly recommended it, saying she never really liked rabbit either until she tried this. Perfect! Since it was going to be my first time, I decided to take her recommendation.

When it came I was rather disappointed. I guess, I was kinda half expecting it to turn up with rabbit ears or a fluffy white tail. You know, for garnish.  (Oh, I’m sorry, was that too gross? ) But when I tried it, I was happy to say that eating rabbit is not gross at all.  And it wasn’t as gamey as I had in mind. In fact it is not dissimilar to chicken. I like.

So now I can finally put rabbit meat down on my resumé.

Expect to be seated in what looks like a small island, in the main drag surrounded by shops and bussling shoppers.

The food is smart, neatly presented and always delish! Obviously the work of a very talented kitchen team. The consistancy coming out of their kitchen is always spot on.

If you are dining for breakfast they do a great poached eggs with sides. The coffee is bold flavoured using the Genovese bean. For lunch you can’t go past the Sapore burger or any of their salads. The calamari salad is my dish of choice. Expect to pay around $20 with drinks for these tasty morsels.

The oversized plates and glasses barely fit on the table if you are dining with more than one other person. So I suggest done be tempted by too many side dishes.

The down side to Sapore is its loud, obnoxious and oggling host – Elvis. If you are a young women expect to be handled and groped with his eyes throughout your lunch. This man does not hold back in the slightest. I suggest you choose to dine in the rear section if the cafe to avoid him altogether. From here you will still hear him; most likely bellowing out orders to his staff or shouting out “Bella!” to anything in a skirt. But! At least he won’t be attempting to grind pepper down your top (yes this did actually happen on my last visit…).

Sapore is open when Chadstone is, next time you are shopping skip the food court and try something new.

Preparation Time

60 – 180 minutes

Ingredients

• 100g butter
• 1 cup, firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup treacle
• 2 eggs, lightly whisked
• 4 cups plain flour
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1 tbs ground ginger
• 1 tbs ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 egg whites
• 2 2/3 cup pure icing sugar
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Method

1. Place the butter, sugar and treacle in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly.
2. Combine the butter mixture and egg in a large bowl. Sift the combined flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and bicarbonate of soda over the butter mixture. Stir until well combined. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Shape into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour to rest.
3. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Divide the dough into 2 even portions. Roll out 1 portion on a lightly floured surface until 5mm thick. Use a 12.5cm-long Christmas tree-shaped cutter to cut trees from the dough. Place on the lined trays. Bake for 5 minutes or until golden. Set aside on the trays for 5 minutes to cool before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
4. Place the egg whites in a bowl. Use a wooden spoon to lightly beat the egg whites until foamy. Sift icing sugar over the egg whites and stir until smooth. Add lemon juice and stir until well combined. Divide icing between a piping bag fitted with a 4mm plain nozzle and a piping bag fitted with a 4mm fluted nozzle, and pipe onto the biscuits to decorate. Set aside for 1 hour to set. Serve.

Sidenote

I made these recently for a baby shower and split the icing into two batches – I dyed half of the icing pink and the other half blue using food dye. I decored them with pin and blue questions marks as the sex of the baby was not yet known They were a real hit!

We’ve been to Red Hill many a time but we always went to the same place.. T’Gallant.. Red Hill Estate… same old, same old! On this occasion we traveled there for Reniar’s birthday! Tim decided it was time to try some new places. The second stop on our journey (which coincided with lunch time I might add…) was Foxy’s Hangout.

As you park your car at Foxy’s and walk up to the heavy wooden door, you could be forgiven for not thinking much about the outside of this venue. But from the moment you step inside you will be swept off your feet. The space is small a bit like a large kitchen, with simple wooden decor; it certainly feels like home. The large floor to ceiling windows lead out onto a deck that continues on with green rolling hills and vineyards that unravel before your eyes.

We promptly parked ourselves at wine tasting counter. Whilst sampling the sparkling wonders that Foxy’s had to offer, the smells from the open kitchen over came us and we quickly became distracted by the massive blackboard with an amazing sampling menu. As we argued over which ones we should get our host suggested that we try them all. Hooray for degustation! It didn’t take long for us to agree and put the T’Gallant pizza’s on the back burner once more! What proceeded was eight courses of yumminess…

Marinated Olives with Feta

Zucchini Fritters.

Grilled Quail with Lemon

Nina and I missed on photographing a couple of the courses; these included: Mushroom encased in Vine leaves and Mint, Tomato and Goats Cheese Salad and.

Lamb Meatballs

Avocado, Speck and Walnuts

St Agur, Caramalised Fig and Lavosh

I suggest you get your butt down there next weekend and partake in this feast – go with an empty belly! Foxy’s Hangout can be found 795 Whitehill Road, Red Hill, Vic, Australia. http://www.foxeys-hangout.com.au/

Props to Nina for the photography!

I first tried the chickpea bake at a friends house and I was hooked immediately! It wasn’t long before people where going back for seconds and asking for the recipe. This is the type of summer dish that you just become obsessed with. But if you take this one back to its roots you would find it in the Moroccan Soup Bar. They serve the Chickpea bake as part of the banquet style meal vegetarian meal.  If you cant get into the Moroccan Soup Bar… or you simply can’t travel there; here’s how you can make it at home. The trick to the chickpea bake is NOT to bake it!!!!

Chickpea Bake

::what you’ll need::

400g can of chickpeas

6 small pitabread

500ml greek style yoghurt

1 bunch parsley (chopped)

2 cloves of garlic (crushed)

50g butter

200g  slivered almonds and pine nuts

::how to do it::

Toast pitabread under the grill until crunchy.

Warm chickpeas and garlic in a saucepan, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Break pita bread into a long lasagna style dish in rough pieces.

Add yoghurt to the chickpea and garlic mixture and stir, add in half of the parsley and stir.

Pour yoghurt mixture over the pitabread to create a layered effect in the dish.

Finally melt the butter in a small pan and add almonds and pine nuts, simmer and stir often until they begin to change colour in the butter.

Pour nut and butter mixture over the top of the dish and finish with chopped parsley.

Serve immediately.

I suppose you could consider this a follow-up to Tim’s post. I could not let him hog the joy of presenting to you a review of what is was our current favourite dish: the Crispy Chicken Ribs from Rose Garden (aka Rosey-G). I introduced him to it after all.

Spicy-Crisp-Groovy
Tim and I are in a quandary. We eat the dish often, but until now are not sure of its real name: Spicy Chicken Ribs or Crispy Chicken Ribs? Either way the dish is a good mix of both. It is not a very spicy dish, but spiced enough for you to feel some heat. And the crispiness, well, allow me to devote a small paragraph to it.

One of my fondest memeries as a child was stepping on dried leaves. Crunch. The perfect aural, visual and tactile experience. Needless to say, I love crispy fried chicken, perfect french fries and crackling pork skin… Crispy Chicken Ribs by Rosey-G brings me back right there. To those sweet memories. The chicken is flavourful, wonderful and sounds chunchy-great. The crispiness is deeply addictive.

And meet its friend
I normally like having the crispy chicken on plain steamed rice with a small side of fresh steamed broccoli. But there are days (like today) where I feel just that bit more hungry. On days like these I call on Mapo Tofu (just a small order, without rice) to accompany my main meal. They simply compliment each other. Let me explain.

Mapo Tofu is a very common dish. Each Chinese restaurant would have a variation of it. Essentially it is fresh beancurd, sliced to small cubes, cooked with minced chicken or beef (I prefer chicken) presented in a thick and spicy sauce. Rose Garden’s variation is a lighter flavoured dish that leaves you with a wholesome feeling. I feel as though it balances out the spice-salt-crisp assault of the chicken with a gentle goodness—the soft tofu being something like an antithesis to the crunch.

A bite of crispy chicken followed by a spoonful of Mapo Tofu and I am content. The lunch time rush subsides and I will happily consume my meal at such a pace that surely raises the ire of those waiting for a seat. And so they must wait. For here is a man savouring a portion of bliss.

Waxing lyrical you think? Well, let me challenge you to try the dish on a grey Melbourne winter day and see if the sun will not, for at least a while, shine warmly on your face.

Verdict
The Crispy Chicken Ribs and Mapo Tofu duet is a winner. Aim for a late lunch (maybe around 1.30 to 2). Expect to pay about $14 for the two dishes. And as you pay, please tell Helen that Reinar, Tim, Jaye and Pam say hello.

Rose Garden: Chinese and Malaysian BBQ Cuisine
435 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne (between A’Beckett and Franklin Sts)
Phone: 03 9329 1560

The love affair began during a 10 minute break I took a few years ago. I ran across the road from my work and ordered the first thing that came into my mind—the Special Fried Rice. I was hooked. Not too oily, it was big portion, fresh ingredients and a full flavour enhanced by their special roast pork.

Ever since, I’ve worked my way through their extensive menu, enjoying many of their special dishes. Some of my favourite (regular) dishes have included the ‘Emu in Black Pepper Sauce’ and the ‘Szechuan Spicy Chicken’. Currently, it is all about the ‘Spicy (Crispy) Chicken Ribs’. Typically, they’re small pieces of chicken fried in a special crispy batter with a side of broccoli, chili and garlic, served on a bed of steamed rice. I don’t know what else to say other than this stuff is addictive! I recommend having it served on their Special Fried Rice instead, for a bit of extra flavour. So here I am, aiming to try new foods to keep this blog alive, yet I keep getting called back to the chicken ribs. It’s hard work I tells you, although we never said this job is easy. We actually have to fight indecisiveness everyday.

Verdict
So what’s my verdict? Well Rose Garden is not an upmarket restaurant by any means. There is a high turnover of diners in there everyday, but being mostly lunch-break munchers – the turnover is relatively quick. The food is served fast and in terms of price, is very easy on the pocket. Most dishes are under $10 and are of a respectable serving. The staff there are extremely friendly despite being overworked. I guess their strongest point is the effort they put into making sure you enjoy your meal. The quality of their food in terms of taste is hard to compare when you consider the price. The food may be simple, but the tastes are complex and well-considered. It’s definitely worth overlooking their window display to check out what they have to offer. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. Reinar and I always walk away from Rosey ‘G’, feeling satisfied and much happier than when we walked in—which for busy people like ourselves, is very rewarding.

Recommendations
During lunchtime (12-1pm), it’s not uncommon to have people waiting outside to get a seat. You often find yourself sharing a table with someone else, so it is a very social place. It does get packed. If you are REALLY rushed for time, try to plan your visit to miss the lunchtime crowd. They do also do take-away, so it is sometimes a good idea to ring ahead if you’re pressed for time.

Rose Garden: Chinese and Malaysian BBQ Cuisine
435 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne (between A’Beckett and Franklin Sts)
Phone: 03 9329 1560

Wildfish was relatively easy to locate, as Port Albert isn’t a large town. It is set on the pier, with 180 degree views of the water. We arrived late for lunch service but the waiter kindly seated us anyway, and promptly took down our order.

We decided to share an entree as it was only lunch after all. We went for the Garlic Prawns on Rice Pilaf. The freshness of the prawns just popped in your mouth.  The delicate pilaf underneath the prawns was perfectly offset by the creamy sauce. We stopped short of licking the plate.

For main, I had the Flake and Scallop Pie with leek and saffron. Firstly it looked amazing. The crisp brown flaky pastry served with massive criss-crossed spears of fresh asparagus and cherry tomatoes. Once I cut into the crispy shell the pie oozed with a thick creamy sauce with chunky pieces of flake and mini scallops. It certainly warmed the chockles of heart on this windy cool day.

Timi went for the Linguine Marina with prawns, scallops, mussels and white fish. It was served in a pre-tangled pile, and drizzled with a deliciously light olive oil. The seafood was fresh and full of flavour, again the perfect meal for a blustery sea side day. We also ordered a side salad of roasted beets, mint, fetta and hazelnuts which didn’t ever eventuate. This so often happens and frustrates the hell out of me…get it right people!

Lastly came the Wattle Seed Creme Brulee, which was divine at the very least. I don’t think I’ve ever sampled wattle seed before so this was a totally new flavour! Hooray! The wattle seeds really turned this dessert on its head, they add must have been roasted and added a light crunch to the smooth texture of the brulee. The toffee on top was thick and crunchy. A rolled wave of almond tuille, packed with honey flavour, was ideally matched and was just screaming out to be dipped into the brulee. To accompany this delight, we of course, ordered coffee. Two macchiato’s. Not sure what they thought a macchiato was… but it certainly wasn’t what they served us. You could be forgiven for looking at this picture and thinking we ordered stumpy strong lattes. The coffee left a lot to be desired! But after a week of camping… it was still coffee.

The wine of choice: Narkoojee Lily Grace 2008, Chardonnay, Glengarry VIC.

Wildfish Cafe – 40 Wharf Street, Port Albert, Vic, Australia.  http://www.wildfishrestaurant.com.au/

I know my last post was about the king of fruits. But I was going through one of the CF cards that I used while I was in Singapore and I found more images. These ones doing better justice to the fruit and giving a better idea of what the experience is like to the durian-uninitiated.

The name durian comes from the Malay word duri which means thorn. Fairly clear, really, how the fruit gets its name. They grow on trees and can get fairly large. There are jokes/stories about ripe durians dropping on the heads of unsuspecting people who stand under the tree. There are even signs in plantations warning people of falling fruit. There is a common saying though to the effect that the fruit has eyes. This is said because it usually falls from the tree during the evening when people are not around. Very considerate really.

The Chinese consider the fruit very heaty and excessive consumption can, according to belief, cause a host of unhealthy symptoms. There are those that believe the fruit to be an aphrodisiac. A pretty funny Indonesian saying goes: the durians fall and the sarongs come up. I must be more observant of this phenomenon.

Wikipedia has a nice collection of descriptions about the fruit and its odour by contemporary Western authors. For example:

British novelist Anthony Burgess writes that eating durian is “like eating sweet raspberry blancmange in the lavatory.” Chef Andrew Zimmern compares the taste to “completely rotten, mushy onions.” Anthony Bourdain, while a lover of durian, relates his encounter with the fruit as thus: “Its taste can only be described as…indescribable, something you will either love or despise. …Your breath will smell as if you’d been French-kissing your dead grandmother.”

Travel and food writer Richard Sterling says:

“… its odor is best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away. Despite its great local popularity, the raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways and airports, including public transportation in Southeast Asia.”

Personally, I love it. The smell. The texture. Everything. The taste and texture is sweet, rich, creamy and almond-like. I sometimes think, while eating it, that it was cooked this way. Man-made I mean, like a pudding. I don’t think its fruity at all, aside from its sweetness. Fruits to me are light and fresh. I think durians are dense, deep and involved. I prefer them slightly over-ripe giving the fruit an alcoholic flavour and a stronger aroma which, I think, enhances its already complex taste.

After looking at those pictures and talking about it I am craving the fruit again. Here in Melbourne, I can only get the inferior frozen from Thailand kind. But I suppose its a fix. Woolworths here I come.