Category Archives: Events

Neon Lobster @ Alpha Box & Dice Winery

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I’m considering changing the name of this blog to Times I’ve Eaten Food Cooked by the Happy Motel, after all,  it seems to have become a pretty consistant theme amongst blog posts.

 

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This was my first time down at Alpha Box & Dice’s McLaren Vale cellar door, for a post Christmas feed courtesy of the Happy Motel and their Neon Lobster Taqueria. They were set up over over three days on the 28th, 29th, and 30th of December. Initially I’d planned on heading down twice, once with my sister and once with Celeste and Christina, but after an emotionally draining Christmas and granddad’s funeral on the Friday, the two lunch dates were merged.

 

Celeste picked us up from Moana, and an unfortunately fluey toddler meant Christina wasn’t joining us. I’ll never get tired of the drive down to McLaren Vale, and then the drive home. The rolling hills covered in rows of lush green vines, with the sea and sand just visible in the distance. It’s things like this you only grow to appreciate once you get a bit older, the Fleurieu Peninsula has a hold on me that I just didn’t get as a kid.

 

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We settled on a litre of sangria; not as strong as my dad usually makes, but more palatable for my tastes. We joined the line-up in front of the taqueria, and once the menu finally became legible we started to make our choices.

 

tacos, happy motel, neon lobster, alpha box and dice, adelaide mexican food

taco, happy motel, neon lobster, pop up food, alpha box and dice, mexican food adelaide
The beef taco was nice, but it felt a little overshadowed by the fish taco. Fish, mango, lime, coriander, cabbage;  I think I just listed three of my favourite foodstuffs. Fruit with savoury food? Another favourite. It’s not really surprising that the fish taco came out on top, it was sweet and fresh, and considering the weather was co-operating with a beautiful summer’s day, perfect.

 

dr piffle and the burlap band, neon lobster, alpha box and dice

 

We finished with a bottle of Alpha Box and Dice Tarrot, first tasted at our Happy Motel Adelaide Magazine Dinner. It was a nice disconnect from the week prior, and an ideal summer’s day. Sadly we got up for thirds just as the kitchen announced there was no more.

 

If you’re yet to eat food from the Happy Motel, or if you’re back for seconds, the Happy Motel will be part of Barrio again in 2013 as part of the Adelaide Festival.

Coming up soon: That Time I Handed Out Free Water at a Music Festival, and Then Ate Food From the Happy Motel.

Eat Drink Blog 3: Experiencing South Australia

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When we first started discussing Eat Drink Blog 3 there was one thing I really wanted from the conference, the opportunity to show of South Australia. I’ve travelled and I’ve lived overseas, I also love interstate cities, but Adelaide and it’s surrounds have such a huge place in my heart. Eat Drink Blog 3 would be my first Eat Drink Blog conference, so I didn’t really know what had been at the other conferences and what we were getting into. I just know that I wanted South Australia to be more than just the conference’s location. After the first meeting it was clear I wasn’t the only one, and so the two day conference started to form around the idea of a day dedicated to exploring some of the best food and wine available in South Australia.

On November 3rd it became a reality.

We held a little group meeting while bloggers started appearing at the doors outside the Market Kitchen in the Adelaide Central Market. Once the doors were opened they swarmed in. On the registrations desk we were meeting everyone, getting waivers signed, and handing out lanyards, programs, and information on the winery tours bloggers would be heading out on afterwards. People mingled and met for the first time, but then it was time to head out on our central market tour. Unfortunately was a bit busy to get out my camera, so I missed out on getting any market snaps apart from a few dodgy instagrams. We went to O’Connell Meat and had a tour through the store, we heard about cheese at Leo’s Gourmet Cheese Shop, tasted some non-alcoholic bubbles at Gourmet to Go, got yoghurt from the Yoghurt Shop, and were introduced to black garlic at the Mushroom Man Mushroom Shop. We only had until 12, when the winery busses would be leaving.

I’m a McLaren Vale girl, but earlier this year I fell in love with the Barossa. I had a lot of misconceptions about the Barossa. It’s filled with only big name wineries. It’s just a tourist trap. It’s too far away from the city. It’s nothing special; overrated. Then I went their for my first Breakfast Rave and started discovering the Barossa for myself. So while the McLaren Vale group headed off to D’Arenberg, I was pretty excited to do a bit more exploring of the Barossa.

The Bus stopped off at Bibu Barossa, and we split into two; the other group then headed off to Taste Eden Valley. At Bibu a large table was laid out for us with wine glasses and our own personal platters of smallgoods from Barossa Fine Foods.

We tasted a number of wines from Diggers Bluff and Soul Growers, and were talked through the smallgoods and how each went best with the various wines. My favourite wine from the day was the Diggers Bluff GSM, I hoped to pick a bottle up, but we were running on a tight schedule and so I ran out of time. I know everyone really enjoyed the tasting at Bibu, so I felt like a bit of a downer when I had to keep reminding everyone that we had to wrap things up soon.

Here’s our group shot with The Hungry Excavator, The Saucy Redhead, Drunk.com, Chew Town, Beyond Jelly, Finger, Fork & Knife, Belly Rumbles, Melissa Loh, The Littlest Anchovy, and Foodie Cravings.

From Bibu we went to Hentley Farm. This was probably one of the things I was most excited about. Lachlan Colwill is a chef I’ve heard a lot about, but I’d never had a chance to eat of his food before. Now executive chef at Hentley Farm, Lachlan was previously at the helm of The Manse; sadly a restaurant I never got a chance to try prior to it’s closing.

Unfortunately I don’t remember too much about the wines, I’m sure it’s not because they’re unmemorable, but I was operating on not much sleep and the food was drawing most of my attention.

The food was interesting without being over the top. We weren’t using pipettes to launch streams of roast beef reduction into our mouths, but there was a certain creativity with them.

It’s hard to pick a favourite, but I did really enjoy the crispy rice cracker with mushroom floss and snapper; not a particularly pretty dish, but one that melted in your mouth releasing the flavour of the mushroom and snapper. We also got some beautiful delicate chocolate lollypops that didn’t particularly enjoy being outside in the heat. There were a few that sadly fell from their sticks after the first bite.

Then we were back on the bus, where a few of the bloggers had a bit of a sleep during the long drive.

At the Hilton most people had a bit of time before getting off to the dinner, but as a committee we regrouped and ran over a few aspects of the night. Things were a little tense as the clouds started to get darker and it started lighting spitting. The entire dinner was outside, it was a gorgeous set up with fairy lights and the open sky. Rain was not to be part of the equation.

Thankfully it subsided, and while all our candles still blew out, we had a clear night.

While the bloggers poured in we were all treated to these ‘snow cones’. I can’t remember exactly what was in them, but it was ice and a sweet syrup with red bean (?). I thought maybe they were similar to the shaved ice desserts you get in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines  but apparently these were very different. They were light and refreshing, and everyone I saw seemed to enjoy them. They were definitely something different.

These were also followed by some delicious sliders.  Yes, yes. Sliders are super trendy at the moment, I know everyone’s serving them. But you know what, I don’t care. I’m all for shamelessly supporting a trend if people are doing it well, and these definitely fit in that category. They’re almost like the sandwiches you make with roast left overs, grab a dinner roll, some meat, and add some mayo. Mmmmmm. Like that… but better.

We took our seats and started chatting to everyone on the table. I was next to Geoff Kwitko, SEO expert extraordinaire and one of our speakers at the conference, so I got to meet him for the first time and also chat to a few of the bloggers I’d met earlier in the day. Geoff was a real hit on the table (as he’d later prove to be at the conference) as he answered everyone’s pressing SEO questions with a whole load of enthusiasm.

The corn was very popular, and I love the way the husks had been tied back. It made it very easy to pass them round the table (which happened often considering everyone wanted seconds). Dennis also very kindly posted a recipe for the corn on his blog (yes he’s a blogger too, make sure you go check him out). We had plenty more to eat, in fact the food just kept coming. My absolute favourite dish of the night would have to be the ribs. The meat was so tender and fell right off the bone. I made sure I grabbed seconds when the plate came around again. I didn’t get any good pictures, because I think that by this stage most of us were concentrating on the food rather than getting any pictures (that’s an impressive feat when food bloggers are around).

One of the highlights of the night for me was actually meeting Dennis Leslie, the executive chef of the Brasserie at the Hilton. The Brasserie is one of my favourite restaurants in Adelaide, and I’ve always enjoyed Dennis’ menus. He’s always seemed like such a friendly guy, and finally getting a chance to meet him proved this was true. I love that he shared the corn recipe saying “nothing is a secret“, something that you definitely wouldn’t hear from all chefs. He definitely doesn’t fit the stereotypical profile of an angry and egotistical chef.

A close second was a little ‘birthday moment‘ I had with the rest of the Eat Drink Blog committee members. Yep. It was my 23rd birthday, but I’d been a little bit too conference focussed to pay it too much attention. But we stepped away from the dinner for a little while, and they sang me happy birthday and gave me a little tart. Then I left a little earlier than I would have liked, so that I could get back home to make sure all of the cupcakes were ready for afternoon tea the next day.

I would have loved to have stayed a little longer, and perhaps continued on well into the night as I know  a few other bloggers did. I guess that will be what next year is for, when I’m not on the organising committee.

It was such a fun day, and I know I got to see a bit more of South Australia than usual; I’m glad all the interstate bloggers did too.

Baking for Bloggers: Eat.Drink.Blog 2012

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It’s safe to say in the lead up to Eat.Drink.Blog all of us had our task lists to tick off. I had to get a few things for the morning tea, make sure I had my business cards ready, and read through a few blogs to make sure I was up to speed on all our delegates. I’d already planned to take Friday off TAFE to make sure I had enough time to prepare and to make sure I could find an outfit for Saturday night’s dinner.
Then the phone call came.

Our afternoon tea supplier had to pull out at the last minute; for a completely legitimate reason, but still one that left us in a bit of a tight spot. With only one full day before the conference started we needed to find someone new, and thankfully that was where I could step in.   So after an early TAFE finish on Thursday afternoon I packed up my trolly, had quick stop offs at the General Trader and Ecotel, and made my way down to Moana to start baking.

Thursday night & Friday are honestly just a blur of baking. I was doing 5 different cupcakes (which included a new addition of gluten free orange cupcakes), plus cake-pops and chocolate mousses. It’s not just about the cakes and the icing, but there’s all of the extra bits that seem to take so much time. Things like the candied carrot curls for the carrot cupcakes, the mini towers of caramel popcorn, homemade peanut butter cups, and chocolate moustaches. I also decided to experiment with some candied rose to go on top of the chocolate mousse; even if I’m not sure how strong the flavour of this ‘dust’ was in the end.

On top of this I had extra stuff to plan and print, like business cards for The Cupcake Table as well as for my blog, and little place cards for the cupcakes. Thankfully I had the graphics already, and just had to make a quick stop off at Officeworks to get them printed (Fruit Salad and Mixed Veg has a great post about getting last minute business cards printed).

None of it would have been possible without the help of Miss C, my fabulous niece (I’m not a mummy blogger, so I tend to forget the pseudonyms I have for my nieces. Miss C, Miss 12, Miss soon to be 13?). Working with her in the kitchen reminds me of this quote from Mario Batali:

My opinion is that yelling is the result of the dismay you feel when you realize you have not done your own job.

Miss C puts up with a lot when she joins me in the kitchen. I don’t really yell, but I get stressed, and I’m not good at dictating work to others. I like to do all the work myself, because when something goes wrong I’d rather blame myself than think it was all the fault of someone else. But she puts in a lot of hours, and a lot of hard work to help me out. Whether it’s baking the cakes for my cake pops, or just doing the dishes.

When I get frustrated with her, I have to keep reminding myself (and her) that it’s my fault something is running behind or not turning out, not hers. I should be the one teaching her. But she was amazing, and half the time I just love having her company, not only because she’s fun but because it’s easy to go crazy when you’re alone in a kitchen with sugar seeping into your pores and a clock that just keeps getting later and later.

But it happened. We finished. And amongst all the baking we also managed to pack the 90 goodie bags that the delegates took home, and cut up a bucketload of fruit for Sunday’s morning tea. Miss C stayed behind to clean up the kitchen, and I made my way along to the conference.

Then the longest day in existence happened.

I’ll write a detailed post about other aspects of the conference later, but for now I’d just like to focus on the cupcakes. Afternoon tea wasn’t until 2:45; I was tired and sore, and just really eager to get them out and prove that all this exhaustion was worth it. Finally 2pm rolled around and I started to set up. The chocolate mousses were delivered by my dad, because they wouldn’t have fared well sitting around unrefrigerated all day. Most of the cupcakes have to be ‘assembled’ just before their served, as toppings can go soggy or bleed. So piece by piece I placed my candied carrot curls, pressed on my popcorn towers, and sprinkled rose dust on the chocolate mousse.

Even before I could finish setting up bloggers were coming up and asking me about the cupcakes, what they were, who made them. I was buzzing with excitement, but trying not to show it too much.

Dennis Leslie (who I’ve raved about before, and who cooked our dinner on Saturday night) mentioned being a little daunted about cooking for food bloggers; I was feeling the same. I knew everyone was lovely because I’d already spent a day and a half getting to know them all, but I was just so scared of everything falling flat on it’s face.

I was especially nervous about having Adelaide blogger Rachel from The Little Cookbook try them. We met for the first time recently at one of the local Adelaide food blogger meet-ups. We had a great chat about cupcakes, avoiding fondant (or plastic icing as I feel I should be calling it, lest I get a rap on the hand from a TAFE chef), and having food that looks like food. So I was a little nervous that my cupcakes weren’t going to stand up to my ideals.

Watching food bloggers descend on food is an entertaining sight. Everyone piles around, with cameras and phones in hand, snapping away. It’s great being around other bloggers, because no one cares and everyone just has fun. There are no scornful looks, people just snap away until everyone’s had their photographic fill.

It was all a little bit overwhelming, and I’m pretty lucky I didn’t break down in tears. I was tired. exhausted. Achingly sore. And every one was so goddam lovely. I’ve never had so much time to talk to people when I’ve been supplying cupcakes. At the markets it’s always busy, and there are people to serve, but here I got a chance to chat to people about cupcakes, how to make cake pops, and just generally about my business.

For me the joy of baking doesn’t come from the baking itself (while it’s something that seems to calm most people I’m often quite highly strung in the kitchen), for me it’s when I get to see other’s enjoying the things I’ve made.

FUCK YEAH.

 

Adelaide Magazine Reader Dinner: Press* Food & Wine

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Why does no one want to eat with me at Press?

Last Tuesday night was my second Adelaide Magazine Reader Dinner. As soon as I saw the invite I knew I was going. After all, the last dinner (a collaboration between the Adelaide Magazine, the Happy Motel, & McLaren Vale Wineries) still goes down as one of the best nights out I’ve ever had. Then there is Press, one of my favourite restaurants in Adelaide. So I watched my bank balance like a hawk until about a week before the dinner when I knew I could spare the $90 to splurge on a ticket.

But that was it. I bought one ticket. Usually I can convince my sister to come along to things like this, but she was going to be off in Cambodia, and after a chorus of “Oh, I’d love to but I don’t really have the money” I knew I’d be flying solo. It wasn’t until I got the phone call confirming my booking that I started getting a little nervous.

“Hi Natasha, just calling to confirm your booking tonight at Press for … just yourself.”

Suddenly I was imagining myself cooped up in the corner on a lonesome little table. Thankfully this was well and truly a long table event. I ended up on a great table of people, and I can always have a good night surrounded by strangers who love food and drink.

I think it’s pretty safe to say that I’m a fan of anything with the words ‘pork’ and ‘bun’ in the title. From the Asian steamed pork buns I’ve eaten my whole life, to Pearl’s Diner’s sloppy pulled pork bun deliciousness, and now these well known pork buns at Press. They were first on the menu, handed round on trays while people drank and mingled. The sliders seemed like a strange way to start the meal, but no one was really complaining, because the mix of fresh salad, sweet bun, and crispy pork was pretty yum.

Gravlax of salmon, crème fraiche, dill & mustard dressing. Morcilla, apple remoulade. Fennel, witlof, orange, radish, red onion, sumac. Bef carpaccio, fresh horseradish, capers. 

local squid, chipotle mayonaise. 

The actual meal kicked off with a range of brightly coloured dishes. I’m a very visual eater, if something looks incredible I just can’t wait to actually get it in my mouth. Dinner was set out just like the regular Press menu, with their categories like Raw, Small, Meat, Offal, etc. all getting their chance to jump on your plate.

Our first dishes (the gravlax, carpaccio, & the salad) were all really light and fresh, while the squid and morcilla had a bit more spice. I’d never eaten carpaccio before, but I always love me some raw meat, and I liked the saltiness of the capers. Morcilla was also new to me, and most of the table. We had to do a quick google to double check that it actually was a blood sausage. It usually also comes as part of the offal mixed grill at Press, which I think I might have to choose next time I pop in.

Roast suckling pig with all the trimmings. 

As soon as the pig came out people jumped up to get a picture of it. It’s interesting to think that something that makes so many people salivate with hunger, would also put a lot of people off of their food. I was pretty happy with the shot on the left, which was right before the pig was carved up and served to the tables.

This is the dish I first went along to Press for, but after not enough people showed up we had to pass up on the suckling pig and order from the menu instead. It’s pretty clear to see why it’s such a popular dish. The crackling was crisp and the meat was so juicy. This course also came with my favourite wine of the evening, The Alpha Box and Dice ‘blood of jupiter’ sangiovese cabernet.

Beef pie, pea puree. 

We also had the beef pies as our main course, I think these were the ones featured on the Adelaide Mag cover a month or so back. I wasn’t bowled over by them, but I did love the presentation. There are just so many other things to eat at Press, so while I enjoyed them I might not order them again.

Rum & Raisin bombe alaska, cinnamon anglaise. 

Finally dessert. Which funnily was the course I was least looking forward to. Maybe it’s because for me Press is about meat (and some pretty awesome salads). There were two possibilities for dessert, but you got what you were given. The lemon curd tart is always a nice option, and I’ve had a few bad experiences with rum & raisin desserts in the past that I can’t say I was really looking forward to either.

Then my rum & raisin bombe alaska came out. It was this beautiful meringue beehive sitting in a pool of anglaise sauce. While unfortunately not on fire, it looked lovely. I had a spoonful and kind of fell in love. It wasn’t overpowering like almost every other rum & raisin experience I’ve had, and the meringue was still warm while the inner parfait was so creamy. It almost managed to be one of my favourite dishes of the night.

While I’ve focussed on the food, it was really the people that made this night great. It’s one of the reasons why I love the Adelaide Mag Reader dinners, and while I’ll definitely be buying a ticket to the next one even if I am all alone again at the start. Katie & Jim from the Adelaide Mag are great, and it was great meeting so many other fun and interesting people throughout the night.

If you get an invite to dine at Press, or an Adelaide Mag Reader dinner, jump at the chance.

Eat Drink Blog ’12 & Other Foodie Things

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I’ve got a few food related things on my mind so I thought I’d break them down in one post.

1. Eat Drink Blog ’12
I’m pretty excited to share that registrations have opened up for the third Eat Drink Blog food blogging conference. It’s being held in Adelaide, and I’m so excited to be part of the committee organising it. We have so many exciting things planned, like Dianne Jacobs flying down from San Francisco and a host of fantastic speakers sharing all they know. Of course there will also be a chance to enjoy some great food and show of Adelaide & SA to all the interstate guests.

If you’re an Australian food blogger you can find out more information & register online on the Eat Drink Blog website.

2. Blogger & Yelp Meetups
Last Sunday I got to meet up with two different, but both utterly fabulous groups of people. The first was at Steven Ter Horst with a bunch of local food blogging ladies from The Apprentice Foodie, She Cooks, She Gardens, Octavia & Vicky, & The Market Basket. I also brought my niece Chloe along for the afternoon. Chloe had the Lemon Lust (she’s not really a chocolate fan) and I had the Salted Caramel Truffle Tart. I’ve been wanting to get here for so long, but every time something would pop up, so it was great to kill two birds with one stone and meet up with some great bloggers & enjoy the treats.

Later that night I had another dessert date (HELP I think I have an addiction). This time was at Eggless where Yelp‘s new community manager Chloe was hosting her first UYE (Unofficial Yelp Event). I was already heading along for their pyjama night, and so Chloe helped wrangle up a few other Yelpers to enjoy some desserts. We had two Chloe’s on the table (Yelp + my niece) and the other two along for the ride were fellow bloggers Op Shop Diva (and her two boys) & Tempting Tyson. I’d met Kamini from Op Shop Diva before at another blogger meet-up and it was greet to see her again. I also got a chance to pick Tyson’s brain, he’s finishing up Commercial Cookery at TAFE while also working in the industry. While I’m heading down Patisserie which follows a different pat, it great chatting about it – and finding out about this delicious dessert.

3. TAFE – Week 4
I’ve started Week 4 at TAFE, with a few theory tests this week and our next practical coming up soon. It’s also pretty exciting that in about two weeks we’ll have our first component of Patisserie. Today we popped past the cafe to check out the Cert IV Patisserie students who had a special afternoon tea event selling their gateaux.

The other day we made a delicious beer batter fish & chips, it was so good I’m tempted to bring my deep fryer up to my new place in the CBD so I can try and recreate it. Today we cooked lamb cutlets with with tzatziki & zucchini. They’ve been two of my favourite meals so far. I’ve also got a good group of friends at TAFE which makes the whole process a lot more fun. One of the girls also has her own cake business, so go check out Sweet As… Cakes by Kathy. It’s fun having someone to talk to about cake orders, and troubleshooting any cake related problems.

4. The Adelaide Magazine Reader Dinner
Next Tuesday I’m heading along to Press* Food and Wine for my second Adelaide Mag Reader Dinner. It may sound like some exclusive party, but really they’re for everyone. The last one I went to was Someone in New Mexico Loves me ‘a dinner of heart & hand’ with The Happy Motel. It goes down in history as being one of my best nights out, ever. So I can’t wait for this one at Press, a favourite of mine when it comes to food in Adelaide.

Press noms

The only downside is that I’m going all alone, thankfully there will be plenty of food & wine, so I’m sure I’ll settle in to mingling fairly quickly. But if anyone wants to come along and be my friend there are still some tickets online. DO IT.

5. New Digs
I’ve moved into a new place in the CBD so I’m not quite so far away from TAFE. Major benefit? I have the world of CBD dining on my doorstep. So I’m counting down the days till my dinner buddy Sam gets back from overseas so we can have some awesome eats without him driving me all the way home to Moana. It’ll also be fun now that he’s started up his own food blog The Smiling Foodie.

Well I hope you’ve enjoyed my linkerific post. Expect some more next week after we start on hot and cold desserts at TAFE and also after the Adelaide Mag Reader Dinner.

Medieval Feast @ Rigoni’s Bistro

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When someone offers me meat on a spit, there’s no way I can refuse. Enter the Medieval Dress Up Dinner at Rigoni’s Bistro on Leigh Street, helping to celebrate Coopers 150th Anniversary and raising money for Variety. I found out about it on Facebook, and thankfully mum and dad were both in. We got dressed at my new place, before walking over to join the festivities.

The lamb and pork were already set up on the street. It was great having the spits out in full view rather than hidden away out the back, plus they made something warm to congregate around while we stood outside. Inside one long table was set up, each place with our own tankard to fill with beer throughout the night. Most people dressed up, which was great, and it was fun watching people’s heads turn as they walked down Leigh Street.

I wasn’t just hanging out with mum and dad for the night (although I was lucky enough to have a song dedicated to me about my mum courtesy of Elbow Skin). Caitlin from the Good Food Society was there with her friend Leigh, which helped the night get extra merry. There was free flowing wine and beer throughout the night, with everything provided by Coopers & Aramis Wines.

As well as all the food and drink the night was also about raising money for Variety. Rigoni’s have/sponsor a car in the Variety Bash and seem to put a lot into supporting the charity. So there was a silent auction on the night, we bid on a few of the bottles of alcohol, but didn’t come away with anything at the end of it. I forget the exact numbers, but there was over $1000 extra raised from the auction.

There was meat, meat, and more meat. We started with something a bit lighter, prawns and oysters, before moving onto a plate of meat pasties, terrine, pork pies, and other meats. We popped outside to check on the meat on the spits (i.e. stare at it longingly) and by this stage they’d begun roasting the quail. Boy did they look delicious.

The plates of meat were brought to the table – there was quail, pheasant, pork, and lamb. There were supposedly steaks on the menu as well but I didn’t see any. The lamb was hands down my absolute favourite. The plate was piled high, and the meat was just so succulent. I would have loved to eat a lot more than I did, but I just couldn’t fit it all in.

We were entertained throughout the night by the two funny and hilariously rude guys from Elbow Skin, but it was also great just chatting away with everyone. Everyone was in good spirits, and how could you not be? The fun and festive Medieval theme was definitely embraced. The girls behind the bar were lovely, and always seemed to be there at the perfect moment to refill my glass.

I’m just adding it to the growing list of great experiences at Rigoni’s. Now I just need to have a day off so that I can head there for breakfast again.

Chocolate & Wine Tasting with chocoMe

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When an email lands in your inbox with the words ‘Chocolate & Wine Tasting’, would you refuse? No, I thought not. So I very gladly went along to a media event at the National Wine Centre to take a look at their collaboration with chocoMe. So first off, a few details.

chocoMe are a local company that produce gourmet handcrafted chocolate bars. They have the potential to create over 6million flavour combinations using a mixture of nuts, spices, freeze dried fruits, edible flowers, and more decadent toppings like 24 carat gold. They’ve teamed up with the National Wine Centre, who not only stock their chocolates, but also offer chocolate and wine tastings. The chocolates and wines are paired together, each complementing the particular flavours and notes in the other.

This was not my first chocolate and wine tasting, I’ve also enjoyed the ChocoVino Experience up at the Hahndorf Hill Winery. But this was different for a few reasons. Firstly, the chocolates are made locally, unlike the mostly imported chocolates at Hahndorf Hill. Secondly chocoMe chocolates are just so visually stunning. fruits, nuts, and even spices are are visible on top of the chocolate, and each item appears carefully placed. This is very different from the spice infused chocolates of brands like Dolfin. The way the flavours interact in the two styles is vastly different, and both are definitely worth experiencing.

I was one of the first to arrive, and walking into the tasting room I was greeted by this delectable chocolate candy bar, wine glasses filled with shards of about fifteen different flavoured chocolates. There were a few other familiar faces including Christina from the Hungry Australian and Alex from Eating Adelaide, as well as an old school friend who now works for SAFM. I also got the chance to chat to both Andrea and Laszlo Simko, the couple behind the company.

After some bubbly and canapés we were directed through to the tasting room, and this was where the fun would begin.

Like an eager school-kid I was right up the front. We were presented with five chocolates and five wines.

White chocolate w/ strawberry and gold leaf // Croser nv Sparkling
Milk chocolate w/ ginger and lemon myrtle // Pike & Joyce Pinot Gris
Milk chocolate w/ murray river pink salt and caramel // Langmeil ‘belle rouge’ Rosé
Dark chocolate w/ glazed rose fragments, raspberry & strawberry slices // Riposte ‘the sabre’ Pinot Noir
Dark chocolate w/ raspberry, pistachio & pink peppercorns // Yelland & Papps ‘greenock’ Shiraz

Lucy and Andrea led the evening and took us through the stories of how particular chocolates were created, and why they were paired with certain wines. It was a guided tasting, but still very casual. It’s hard to pick a favourite out of all of the chocolates, as they were all delicious, but I loved the glazed rose fragments. As soon as I tried them my first thought was Nerds! Lucy also mentioned making the same connection, and they really were like a gourmet Nerd.

After the tasting we were let loose on the candy bar. There were so many different flavours to try, and just when I thought I’d had enough Andrea came over and started pointing out ones that I really had to try. I ended up leaving with a second goodie bag filled with the various chocolate pieces, and the family were definitely happy about it.

It was great to sit down and listen to Andrea & Laszlo talk about chocoMe, they’ve obviously got a lot of passion and want to create something different and unique. If you’re interested in trying a tasting for yourself they’re available in the Concorse Cafe at the National Wine Centre, and you can call 8303 3355 for group bookings.

Adelaide’s Game Renaissance

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My heart broke a little a few weeks ago. I had been hoping to spend my Thursday night tucking into a feast of game meat and other treats, but unfortunately the universe was against me. Adelaide’s lack of interest in dining on Thursdays meant that I wasn’t making it along to the Game Renaissance Dinner, but thankfully I managed to pop in on the Friday night to see what it was all about.

Obviously the star of the night was the game meat, but there’s a lot more too it than that. It was about embracing the food you eat, learning where it comes from, and finding out how you can provide for yourself. Not only by growing veggies in the garden, but also with the meat on your plate.

The venue was decked out in a fancy but rustic get-up, there was flowing wine an cider, and some gorgeous native flowers. Most of the guests had taken up the ‘Manor-born’ dress code, and it was great to see the theme so well embraced. We watched a few courses from the sidelines, and were suitably jealous looking at all the food coming out. Luckily we were able to try some of the pumpkin soup with chorizo & caramalised duck tongue.

The entertainment was the spectacle ‘meat theatre’, where we watched a live-demonstration of a rabbit skinning and butchering. I was quite impressed that not a single person left the room, obviously everyone was willing to embrace the philosophies behind the night. One of the hardest things many people find when it comes to the meat they eat, is connecting the furry creature with the food on their plate.

We left not long after the meat theatre, but I’m making sure I get along to the next one. While the date is unconfirmed, word is there may be a sustainable seafood theme. To stay up to date follow Dirty Girl Kitchen on Facebook.

Sea & Vines 2012

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So Sea and Vines was about a month ago now, and I’ve had a few photos sitting on my computer itching to go up. This was my first Sea & Vines, a pretty poor effort for someone who has lives 5 minutes from McLaren Vale for half of their life. I can’t compare it to previous years, but I believe the format changed a bit this year. There was a structured day on the Sunday, where you booked yourself into three wineries, and then a casual day on Monday where you could hop along for free to any that took your fancy.

To be honest we were there for one reason, and it wasn’t the wine.

As soon as I saw that The Vendor were serving up food at Coriole Vineyards for Sea & Vines I knew I had to be there. I don’t actually know the connection between these guys & The Happy Motel, but they worked together serving food at the Vinteloper Urban Winery Project (which I didn’t get a chance to see), and when we rocked up at Coriole half of the guys serving food were the same ones who wowed us at the SOMEONE IN NEW MEXICO LOVES ME (a dinner of heart and hand) night with the Adelaide Mag & Happy Motel. Basically I think the gist is that people who make good food in Adelaide like to get together, and I like to eat their food.

Check out the menu:

Chargrilled Squid w/ chickpea, fennel, & olive salad, crispy wood-fired potatoes, & aioli
Barbequed Chicken Wings w/ garlic & jalapeno sauce, radish & corriander, & crispy wood-fired potatoes
Oven Roased Mishrooms w/ goats cheese & herbs, w/ fennel, chickpea, & olive salad, & crispy wood-fired potatoes
Choripan DIY Chorizo Sandwich w/ chimichuri, salsa creole, & red cabbage slaw

Meals were $20 each, and between the two of us (Vic & I) we ordered the first three. Our only disappointment of the day was that we didn’t order the chorizo sandwich as well. We told ourselves we might come back for it, but after getting half way through the walk to Rosemount Estate we knew we weren’t walking back.

Rosemount was a completely different atmosphere from the laid-back casual time we’d had at Coriole. For starters it was packed, and people definitely seemed a lot drunker. Neither of us were driving, but we weren’t really drinking that much either. As we made out way through Rosemount we decided to grab some more food, and settled on some croquettes & of course pork belly (can I ever say no?).

After our first lunch, it was a bit of a let down, but the food was still nice. We decided to each have a glass of their Rosemount Botanicals range. I went for the lemon & elderflower sauvignon blanc and Vic for the blood orange and rosewater pinot grigio. I actually liked them, they were the type of drinks that I can imagine wine snobs looking down their nose at (perhaps the same way I see Cruiser’s attempt at beer), but I found it fresh and a bit fun.

Finally our last stop of the day (After trying to check out Alpha Box and Dice and finding out they were closed) was Leconfield & Friends hosted by  Leconfield Wines. A huge building was decked out courtesy of a whole bunch of smaller wineries. Highlight of this was coming across Vinteloper and getting a chance to sample their wines. Vinteloper is a small winery headed by David Bowley, brother of the utterly fabulous Monique at the Little Van that Could. He was fascinating to chat to, and he gave us the low down on all of his wines. There was even one made specially for Sea & Vines. Mum and dad had joined us by this stage, and we left with a box filled with Vinteloper wines.

We also finished off the day with some more food (of course). I opted for a pizza & some oysters, but I dare say these pictures were on one of the 5 SD cards I managed to lose a few weeks back.

Any excuse to explore McLaren Vale is a good one, but adding in some good food really made the day.

Shaw + Smith Wine Dinner at the National Wine Centre

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Wednesday night Vic and I were invited along to the Shaw + Smith Wine Dinner at the National Wine Centre. It was a pretty fitting time for wine, we’d just spent the public holiday down at Sea and Vines but with Shaw + Smith we jumped to a new region: The Adelaide Hills. I’ve been to a few events at the Wine Centre before, for product nights and for charity lunches, but this was my first time going along to one of the wine dinners.

The Shaw + Smith menu. Sashimi of kingfish canapé. Olives, dukkah, and olive oil & balsamic. 

We started with a glass of the 2012 Shaw + Smith Sauvignon Blanc and canapés. The sashimi of kingfish, with lime & fennel and horseradish gel, was really light and fresh.  We got to have a quick chat before sitting down for the meal and the rest of the wine.

But before we get to that: the bread. It just kept coming, terrible for your hips but amazing for your stomach, taste buds, etc. We were given bread before every course, and while the bread itself was nice, the real reason we enjoyed it so much was because of the dukkah and the balsamic. The dukkah had a rich and salty flavour, and was made in house, and the balsamic was sticky and sweet. We were hoping that they sold them somewhere at the Wine Centre, but unfortunately they don’t.

Michael Hill-Smith. Flowers. 

 There were 9 people on our table, and I got chatting to the lady next to me, turns out she bakes gourmet pies and sells them at the Murray Bridge Farmers Market every Saturday. *Scribble, scribble*. It’s definitely added to my diary, and how could it not be. As soon as she started talking about rabbit, venison, and beef & Guinness pies I was already drooling.

There was plenty of time to chat at the dinner, and I can’t reiterate how much I love dining with strangers. It’s always interesting to get to know someone for a night, but it’s even better when you’re sharing food and wine. Of course in-between courses we also did a lot of listening, as Michael Hill-Smith took to the microphone to talk to us not only about the wines we we drinking, but Shaw + Smith, their history, and wine in general.

He was funny, and incredibly knowledgeable, it was one of those times where I just had to sit there and soak it up. One of my favourite things with wine (apart from drinking it) is getting to hear from someone directly involved with the wine or the wine making process, because this is usually where you get really see their passion. It’s the same with food, and getting to meet the chefs who create it.

Textures of rabbit. Roasted duck breast & confit leg. House made chocolates. Aged English cheese. 

Of course, of course… then there was the food. The first dish (excluding canapés) would have to be my favourite. It was called Textures of  Rabbit: with sage buttered gnocchi, jamon iberico, & mustards. The rabbit was delicious, not an inch of it was dry, and the potato gnocchi tasted like it had been soaking in butter for days (in a good way of course). I wanted every mouthful to last so much longer than it did. With the rabbit we had a 2010 Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay, and a 2006 Shaw + Smith Aged Release Riesling.

Our main was duck, cooked two ways. It was really interesting having the two pieces of duck on the one plate, each tasting completely different. The confit duck leg sat perfectly on the plate, but the moment my knife touched the meat it just slipped through, and the meat fell off the bone. With the duck we had a 2010 Incognito Pinot Noir and a 2010 Shaw + Smith Pino Noir.

There was no grand dessert, instead we had a selection of house made chocolates, and cheese. Both good accompaniments to wine. With this we had a 2009 Shaw + Smith Shiraz and a 2010 Pre-Release Shaw + Smith Shiraz. After the meal Phillip Pope, the  chef at the National Wine Centre, came round to every table, happy to chat about the meals and how he created them.

Overall we had a great night, it was a good chance to try some wines, learn more about the Shaw + Smith winery, and meet some new people.

This was the first dinner of the 2012 Wine Dinner season. The next dinner with Henschke is already sold out, but there are four others. The wine makers involved are D’Arenberg, Charles Melton, Penny’s Hill, and Teusner.