Category Archives: Food

Cheesefest 2012

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As I said in my last post, I popped into Cheesefest on the weekend. The two day event has been on since 2005, but this year was my first. We decided to head along on the Sunday, a day when we could get dad on board to drive so that Vic could happily drink. Sunday turned out to have gorgeous weather, which was perfect for the event. We found a park not too far away, and made our way down.

Wine was first on the list, so we headed to the Coriole stall to pick up a bottle. I can’t quite remember which red we grabbed, but we headed off with glasses in hand to start trying the cheeses. Woodside Cheese Wrights was our first tasting, and it seemed fitting considering Kris Lloyd is both the head of Woodside Cheese and the founder of Cheesefest. I came face to face with their Monet for the first time. This was the absolutely stunning cheese, that if you read my last post you’ll see we took home. I also loved their Duet, with a mix of goat’s milk and cow’s milk, and I believe the Figaro was the other cheese we took home.

After Woodside we headed off along the line to try cheeses from a load of other vendors/stalls. I couldn’t even list them all, instead head over to the Cheesefest website and take a list of their list of food stalls. They list all the cheese stalls, as well as other people selling food. You do pay to get into Cheesefest, but every single cheese stall was offering tastings, as were all the wine stalls we passed. You don’t realise till you finish how much cheese you actually eat. It’s well worth the ticket price, with better tasting options than plenty of other food/drink festivals I’ve been too.

One of the other food stalls we checked out was Boulangerie 113 (I also mentioned them in my last post), who had the most delicious loafs of bread on display. They seemed to specialise in sour doughs, but these weren’t your usual ones. The Fig & Fennel was the one we had with our barbecue later that day, but everything sounded delicious. I would have loved to take an olive loaf home, but unfortunately Vic isn’t an olive fan.

I also got a freebie of one of their croissants. I was nice and shared it with the rest of the family, but I could have very happily kept it all to myself. We’ve only recently made croissants at TAFE, and taking a bite of the croissant from Boulangerie 113 made me feel quite bad for my poorly rolled viennoiserie. This one was flaky on the outside, buttery, and so light on the inside. I’ve had plenty of croissants in my life, but not always from reputable sources. It was great to see a good example of one so soon after we’d made them ourselves. I think I’ve got a lot to learn.

Vic had already planned lunch for the day, which was some quail from James Orlando, but we added to it by grabbing the green mango & chicken salad from Sprout. It was good seeing Callum, Themis, & Sam from Sprout, I think last time I saw them was back at the H by Felici launch. The salad was of course delicious, but funnily enough I also really enjoyed the free water they were handing out. They had a jug with lemons, mint, and either oranges or limes (I can’t quite remember), and it was really refreshing. It might not seem so strange that I enjoyed it, but usually I hate a hint of lemon in my water. This was flavoured that extra bit that I absolutely loved it.

The quail also came out of left field, mainly because the James Orlando stall definitely didn’t look like the type of place you’d pick up a delicious bit of quail. From far away it looked like your typical festival food (and I’m not talking about fancy food festivals), but after we got a bit closer we noticed this wasn’t really the case. Yes there was a lot of meat, but this wasn’t a meal you’d regret after a few bites. The quail came with a nice salad topped with some parmesan; I was pretty impressed with the whole lot and will have to keep an eye out for them at future events.

Before heading off we also headed over for our cheese & cider tasting. It was $10 extra, but in my opinion worth it. To be honest it wasn’t really an in depth tasting. We were given the two main ciders from the Hills Cider Company & a small square of Woodside Cheese Wrights’ Monet cheese. The highlight wasn’t actually the tastings (although they were great, in fact I just got distracted midway through writing this post and went and bought a 6 pack of Hills Apple Cider). Instead the best bit was hearing Kris Lloyd & Tobias Kline talking about their babies; I’m talking about cider and cheese, not actual children.

I definitely wasn’t complaining about some more time with the Monet, or a try of the cider & perry, but I would have been more than happy to listen to the conversation without the extra goodies.

I’m familiar with drinking cider, but that’s about where it ends. I’ve looked into beer and wine numerous times before, and while I may not be well schooled on their ins and outs I’ve still had the pleasure of listening to people who know their stuff talk about both drinks often. But I really didn’t know much else about it. So hearing Tobias talk all about the history and stories behind the Hills Cider Company was great.

Kris Lloyd is vivacious and lots of fun. Seeing her up there with her bright floral pants, and then looking down at the beautiful cheese in front of me, it was clear to see how the Monet cheese came to life. Watching an interview with Kris before I actually headed along to Cheesefest, I was quite inspired by her. She took on Woodside Cheese Wrights without any history in cheesemaking, and takes part is all aspects of the process. Plus, she founded Cheesefest, so how could I not love her? Check out the video here.

After my first Cheesefest experience I’m planning on making it a yearly tradition, and I think it just might by my favourite food festival in the state. By the end of the day I’d definitely had my fill, but by the time the late afternoon rolled around I was ready again to have some more cheese at home.

I still wish I’d stolen one of these mangosteens while we were at the tasting. The whole Talk and Cheese Pavilion looked lovely, and the styling was done by Little Sweet Styling who I follow on Facebook and always shares such gorgeous parties and events. I also can’t finish up without mention the Farmgate stall who had the best homemade lemonade, which was so refreshing on a day like Sunday. I didn’t get a chance to grab a copy of their book, but I’ll be grabbing one soon. They’re available from newsagencies and from the Advertiser building on Waymouth Street.

Family & Food

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After Cheesefest (and I’ll get to that later) we headed on down to Moana for a family BBQ with both my sisters and all the nieces. Dad has been back from the Middle East for almost a week now, so we needed to find a chance for a get together. Thankfully Sunday turned out to be such a gorgeous day, with the sun shining and the right amount of warmth; the girls got to go swimming, and it just encapsulated those days when Summer is just around the corner.


I remember I started this blog thanks to a family get together on the very same balcony. Miss 8 had just turned 7, and I’d decided to make her a pink ombré layer cake. Family & food go together.

We started off with some cheeses we’d picked up from Cheesefest. I believe one was a buffalo cheese, but the other was Woodside Cheese Wrights’ Monet. It’s a beautiful goats cheese that is encrusted with herbs and finished with delicate edible flowers. I reckon all cheese looks pretty great, but this would have to be one of the most beautiful cheeses you’ll ever come across.

What we thought was lunch, ended up being dinner; the barbie wasn’t fired up until well after five. On the menu were venison burgers. Dad shot the meat, ground it, and made it into the patties himself. We had no buns so instead we were made do with the white bread that the girls devour by the bucket load every time they come down. I added some brinjal pickle that mum picked up from a market recently. It would have been nice to add some homegrown salad to them, but unfortunately I don’t think the garden is growing much at the moment.

We also picked up some bread from the new Boulangerie 113 on Goodwood Road, who were selling it at Cheesefest. It was a fig and fennel loaf, and it was delicious. Nice and crusty on the outside, but soft on the inside. The sliced fig throughout gave it a nice sweet surprise.

After it started getting darker the real fun began, as the huge pile of wood that’s been expanding in our backyard was set alight. It burned quite spectacularly for the first few minutes, so much so that the dog refused to walk up the stairs to the backyard. Thankfully dad didn’t manage to set any nearby houses alight, and once the fire had died down a bit we got out the marshmallows and sticks and started roasting.

Miss 8 doesn’t like to eat roasted marshmallows, but she loves roasting them. So she sits there with her stick, poking them into the fire, and then shoving the gooey mess in someone else’s face for them to eat. Thankfully Vic and I have instilled a love for charred marshmallows in the oldest. You hold them in the flames until they burst alight themselves, and then let them burn. The outside is black, and the inside is a delicious sticky mess.

I feel like things have been pretty non-stop lately, but today was just a say to unwind. I feel like I managed to fit three days into one. There’s nothing quite like getting the family together on a nice day, enjoying some tasty food, and not doing too much else. I have a feeling it’s the last chance I’ll get to switch off until November is well and truly over.

Eat: Astonish Patisserie

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Let’s quietly ignore the fact that I’ve been silent on here for over a month and move straight along to Adelaide’s newest dessert offering: Astonish Patisserie. I was actually invited along to their opening night/party on the 14th, but unfortunately missed out on it because I was a bit sick. So when Sam called me up to try and book something in for Saturday night, I knew I could stay a hermit for any longer, and away we went to Astonish.


It’s a very cute little store, located in a blink-and-you-might-miss-it spot on King William Street by Gilbert Street on the Southern End. It doesn’t seem like the most central location, but who are we kidding, all of Adelaide is central. Because it’s a less busy part of town it’s easier to find a park, or you can catch the tram to the City South stop.

There are 4 separate dining sections: a small section as you first walk in, a larger room that can be used for private functions as well, an outdoor courtyard, and the ‘library’ type room complete with shelves of books and a fireplace that can be fired up in winter. Of course we chose the library. Because of the 4 different areas Astonish manages to have a lot of space, without losing any atmosphere or feeling hollow.

We had an early visit, at around 7:00, so we were the only ones in there. It was great because we got to go on a little tour of the building, and had the entire menu explained in full. We also made a few trips running back and forward between our table and the display cabinet, trying to decide what desserts we’d be trying.

It really wasn’t too hard. I knew I’d be having the panna fire before we event arrived. Vanilla panna cotta, rhubarb jelly, pistachio bombe alaska, and brandy snap. I had absolutely no idea how the dish was going to be presented, but being able to enjoy panna cotta and a bombe alaska in the one dish – I’m instantly sold. Sam ummed and ahhed for a while, but ended up settling on the warm banana cake. Freshly baked banana cake, caramelised banana, and almond praline banana smoothie.

The banana cake came out first. Three slices of very moist banana cake, with the cream and caramelised banana, laid out on a wooden board. I unfortunately didn’t try the smoothie, but it was very cute, a nice little shot to follow the cake. The serving was a little smaller than I expected, but it ended up being a good size – especially with the addition of the smoothie.

My panna fire came out with the blowtorch blazing. A long block of panna cotta with a mini bombe alaska on the side. I’ve probably said it before, but the resurgence of the bombe alaska is one of my favourite dessert trends. It’s such a visually stunning dish, even without the flame, and I love the different textures of the gooey meringue and the creamy ice cream or parfait. This was a lovely little example. I perhaps let the flame burn a little too long, charring the outside of the meringue. But it was delicious, just like biting into a black marshmallow after it’s been held over the campfire. The panna cotta was nice and light, it didn’t blow me away with it’s flavour, but it was vanilla. Nice and subtle, but ultimately very tasty.

Overall I loved everything about the dish, except maybe the brandy snap. It was just a little bland. I still ate the whole thing and enjoyed it. Obviously I wasn’t complaining too much.

We mulled over the menu as our first desserts settled; trying to pick the last one to share was a very hard task. Thankfully our problems were solved when we were asked if we’d like to try a special dessert that wasn’t on the menu. How could we refuse?

We were presented with a huge profiterole filled with caramelised banana (like with the banana bread) crème pat, and other delicious things that I can’t quite remember. The surface had some sort of coating, almost like a crumble, which was delicious and gave the whole dish a nice crunch. It looked beautiful on the plate, in a kind of naughty way; we knew that the only way to enjoy it was to skip being dainty and just dig right in. I’m glad we got to taste it, because I think it was my favourite dish of the night. I never thought I’d be saying that about a profiterole.

At one moment the music stopped playing, we were still the only ones there so it was silent. All you could hear were the mmms and ahs as we savoured every mouthful.

I had a bit of a chat about the menu. There are small sweets like cakes, tarts, and macarons that are likely to change depending on current flavours, but the dine-in menu will be a fairly permanent menu. Apparently after they’ve been around for a bit longer they’ll start bringing out specials, which judging from our night tonight I’m excited about.

We couldn’t leave without trying some of the macarons. I chose the salted caramel, and Sam went for the dark chocolate and got a pistachio for us to share. I enjoyed salted caramel, but it wasn’t the best I have had. I loved the amount of saltiness, but I felt it could be a little too much for some people. The pistachio was fantastic, such a clear pistachio flavour, and a beautiful texture.

One thing regular dessert eaters will notice is that the prices are a bit higher than some places. The cakes, tarts, & mousse section ranges from around $5.50-$7, but the dine in desserts are $12-$18. It’s definitely more expensive for some, but when you consider the fact that most places seem to greatly undercharge I don’t think it’s much of an issue. They’re about on par with prices you’ll find in any restaurant around town, but with better desserts than most.

They’re still only a couple of weeks old, so they’re quite obviously still finding their feet. So far I’m excited to see them join the list of Adelaide dessert bars. Keep an eye out for them, and if you’ve been there, let me know what you think.

Astonish Patisserie on Urbanspoon

Eat: Go in Hot Pot Train

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A few weeks ago, after an online discussion about food ‘trains’ and my revelation that I’ve never eaten hot pot before, Celeste from Travelling in Mary Janes took me along to Go in Hot Pot Train to show me the ropes of hot pot. It’s just one of those foods that I’ve never eaten because it’s always confused me too much. What do you do? How do you eat it? Where do you even start?

Hot Pot Train is just round the corner from where I live, and I walk past it all the time. It only opens for dinner, but every time I look inside (or try to look inside) the steamy windows the place always looks full. Our night was no exception, and when I joined Celeste and her BF around the train I couldn’t see too many other spare seats.

To start with you choose your base. I was actually quite surprised by the variety of options. I’d always thought hot pot was just a simple broth that you then added things into. But there are heaps of different soups to choose from, I decided to go with tom yum. When they bring your ‘pot’ they light the small burner in front of you and place the pot on top. When it starts to boil it means you can start adding things in.

We ordered out meats from the menu, but everything else comes along the conveyer belt and you just pick them off as you like. From what I can tell, while other hot pot trains exist, this isn’t the usual way to enjoy it. The reason Go In Hot Pot Train exists is because it actually used to be a sushi train, but after it closed down they decided to keep the train and this is the result.

Celeste was a fantastic hot pot host. She explained just about every dish that went along the belt, and made recommendations based on what worked and what didn’t work. Without her I would have been completely lost, as there were so many things I’d either never seen before, or never eaten before. I must have been quite hilarious to watch, I was like a wide-eyed tourist.

Apparently the train offerings weren’t as good as other times, but I was still pretty impressed with what we got. There were many different kinds of mushrooms, quail eggs, and even lotus root; something I’d definitely never eaten before. Some of the items were there for taste, and some just for texture. I learned that there’s a method to hot pot as well, start with your proteins and end with your veggies.

I haven’t been back for a second time yet, but I’m building myself up to it. At least I don’t feel like a complete hot pot novice anymore. It’s great in winter, but I suspect it’ll also be a great summer option. There’s something about sweating it out while you eat a hot and spicy soup in the sweltering summer heat.

Have you eaten at Hot Pot Train before?
What is your favourite food ‘train’?

Eat: Aviary Dessert Kitchen

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I haven’t been back to Aviary Dessert Kitchen for a while, despite the fact it’s been on my list (Although when my list contains most of the restaurants and cafes in Adelaide it’s no wonder I don’t keep up with it). But we were planning the second meet-up for our dessert club, The After Dinner Mints, and we settled on a trip up the parade.

There are two rooms at Aviary, I didn’t even realise the downstairs room existed because I’ve always sat upstairs. We were upstairs again, in the small dimly lit room. There are small (fake) birds peeping out from corners, and vines draped across the ceiling. There’s a little bit of magic about the Aviary, and I find it’s best enjoyed with a little bit of childlike wonder.

You have to wander back down the stairs to place an order, but at least it means you get to eye off all the goodies in the cabinet. I knew I’d be having the Graceland before the place even opened, so I was first to order – adding on a mille crepe cake for the niece and a peanut butter hot chocolate. There was a $15 Eftpos minimum, which was a little bit annoying. It didn’t affect me because I was buying for two, but Tempting Tyson had to add a macaron onto his order because he was short. Surely a $5 or $10 would suffice?

Two on the table ordered the mille crepe cake, and it was the first to arrive. Gee whiz it looked good. It is layer upon layer of thin crepes, with patisserie cream, lemon curd, and a delicious brulée top. Benefit of bringing my niece along is that not only did she make a great choice, but that I got to eat some too. This was a really beautiful dessert, simple but delicious. Many sweets work well in layers, and this is just one more to add to the list. We were all expecting a round stack of small crepes to come to the table, but the slice was very cool.

I wish I could be half as enthusiastic about the Graceland. It wasn’t disappointing as such – more just underwhelming. I should have probably expected it, as both Tyson & Sam have given it similar feedback, but I just had to try it for myself. Here’s the description from the Aviary menu:

legend has it this combo was the King’s favourite. a toasted banana
and peanut butter sandwich served with maple syrup, banana and bacon
crumble and peanut butter ice cream

The sandwich itself didn’t have enough of the elements. The bread was too overpowering – and so you barely got any flavour of the peanut butter or the fresh banana inside. I felt like these should have been slathered on a bit more. While the bacon crumble was there, it was pretty much impossible to distinguish any taste of bacon. A rasher of candied bacon might have been a nice touch. I did like the peanut butter ice cream though. General consensus was that this was a dish with so much potential – that doesn’t quite hit the mark.

Tyson had the B&B – a bread and butter pudding made with chocolate croissants and filled with raspberries. Feedback was that it was good, but maybe not quite as good as the description made it sounds.

Chloe went for the macaron flower pot. A gorgeous little dish of a rich chocolate mud-cake with popping candy and a macaron. This was another winner, which you could tell from Chloe’s face every time she had another mouthful of popping candy. She kept the macaron for later, but Tyson still had his salted caramel macaron as a result of the EFTPOS limit. After a few bites he was pretty convinced that they’d got the flavour wrong, so we passed it round the table, and there was barely a hint of caramel.

You could taste the salt, and you could taste chocolate, but there was only the faintest taste of caramel. We ended up deciding that it probably was the right flavour, just not a very good salted caramel.

All in all Aviary was a real mixed bag, which is what I’ve felt from other trips. The love and effort is all there, but not everything comes off how it should. The mille crepe cake and the macaron flower pot are the two signature dishes, and these were definitely the table’s favourites. It would just be good if every item on the menu could be as good.

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: The Loose Caboose Cafe

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It’s not often that I hop on the train to take me somewhere. Usually it an intermediary between one form of transport and another, a necessary hassle. But today I was hopping one stop out of the city to visit to newly opened the Loose Caboose Cafe. They opened up in early August and they’re not just near the Bowden Train Station, they are it.

The last time I was charmed by a train station was back at my first Breakfast Rave, which seems fitting considering the Loose Caboose stocks Scullery Made Tea (A Barossa & Breakfast Rave local).

The first thing you notice is how gorgeous the space is. The’ve completely transformed the old station building, managing to keep the charm of the old building with plenty of fun modern touches. If you’re a fan of renovations it’s pretty fascinating stuff flicking through their albums on Facebook.

I decided on a chicken sandwich and the banana bread (which came recommended after I bumped into Chloe from Yelp as I was placing my order). I picked a spot outside, which surprisingly wasn’t too chilly. The outdoor decking is huge, and easily bigger than some entire cafes. In Summer this will be the spot to sit. It would also be a great place to have some live music (I’m still thinking Breakfast Rave-esque) during the warmer months.

When my order came out there was a bit of a mix up, instead of my sandwich they brought out the baked chicken goujons with salsa verde dipping sauce, & salad. They would have happily swapped them for my order, but I decided I’d try them instead. I’m planning a trip back soon, so the sandwich will wait till then. To be fair I probably ordred the “crumbed chicken thingy” anyway.

It was a generous serve, and while I was neither here nor there with the salad I really liked the salsa verde. This may have been a sign that I should have gone with my original order, I managed to get a drop of salsa verde on my white t-shirt. Safe to say I went home with my cardigan buttoned all the way up.

Don’t baulk at paying $10.90 for banana bread, this is nothing like the stuff you get from Gloria Jean’s. Two incredibly thick cuts of crispy banana bread topped with marscapone, banana, pistachios, cherries, and a tasty sauce. It was delicious, and I’m pretty glad it came recommended otherwise I probably would have just glanced over it on the menu.

While being tempted by something hot, I ended up going for a juice, and the Ginger Tinge (carrot, apple, ginger, and cinnamon) was perfect. The juices come out in these little, almost medicinal, bottles. They’re a pretty decent size too. I drink pretty quickly, and my juice still lasted quite a while. I was also pretty ecstatic to have free sparkling water. There is a serve yourself drink station where you grab a glass and choose from sparkling or still. I felt a little out of control, and was surprised I didn’t manage to flood the place, but it’s a great addition.

I’m definitely planning a trip back soon, because their breakfast menu all just sounds too delicious. I’m currently torn between the hazelnut dukah eggs and the smashed avocado with thyme buttered mushrooms.

Seriously. Go There. Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect $200. Just head to the Loose Caboose at Bowden Railway Station. (p.s. if you’re the tramming type of guy or gal you can also catch the tram to the Entertainment Centre and it’s just across the road).

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.

Poached Eggs Mornay on Muffin* with Sautéed Cherry Tomatoes and Rocket

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We’re halfway through week two at TAFE, and we’ve got our first gradings at the end of the week. I’m not too concerned about theory, but it’ll add an extra pressure in the kitchen for prac. It got worse when we cooked one of our recipes for the first time today, only to have most of us finishing up late, a little stressed out, and with a pile of dishes by the sink.

Who knew poached eggs would be the dish? I cook poached eggs all the time at home, they’re one of my favourite breakfasts, but I usually have mine with mushrooms and a fresh corn salsa. This was a bit different, instead they were topped with a mornay sauce, which is how they tie in with our current topic of ‘stocks, soups, and sauces’.

First up, the dish I plated up at TAFE:

 

There were a few areas with room for improvement: First the sauce stuck in the pan, and I had to sieve it through a chinois to get it nice and smooth. My mornay also wasn’t quite thick enough, it should nappé the egg but mine was a little too runny. Then my tomatoes and rocket up a little cold. So I decided to pop into the shops, grab a few ingredients, and try the dish again.

 

First up is one of my favourite words so far, the onion clouté, it’s basically an onion stuffed with some bay leaves and a few cloves, that is used to give flavour. It’s also fun to make. You peel the onion, leave the root intact but cut away any nasty looking bits, and slice the onion. Then you stuff it with a few bay leaves, and pierce the cloves into the garlic.

We were told to use a smaller onion, the kind you would use for pickling, but this small red onion was the best I could find at the shops.

The milk is brought to boil and then left to simmer. While this is happening you make the roux.

 

Basically it’s butter and flour. This then gets whisked in with your milk (after you’ve removed the onion), to create your valouté. Then you cover it with a cartouche white you get some other stuff done.

Not only could I not find the right onion at the shops, but I also managed to forget the muffins, thankfully I still had two slices of bread left so I cut them into circles to use. To the valouté you also add parmesan cheese, cream, and egg yolks. This is what makes it a mornay rather than just the bechamel sauce.

I made possibly my best poached eggs ever, I trimmed them a little bit, but they were almost perfectly shaped. My toast circles weren’t perfect as muffin replacements, but they did their job. I had to get it all together to do the final test, and see if my eggs were good inside as well as out.

The eggs are topped with the mornay, and in the kitchen placed under the salamander. I used Vic’s oven grill, it didn’t work quite as well but it did roughly the same job.

I just hit one roadblock, my sauce was once again too runny. I’d even used a beurre manière to try and thicken it up a bit, but it just ran over the egg creating a bit of a mess. It was a far cry from the neat nappé we’d been shown. I’m still not certain what I’ve missed, or what I’m not doing right, but at least I managed to correct my other two wrongs. My sauce did not stick at all, and it was nice and smooth from start to finish, I also made sure I didn’t put my tomatoes and rocket in the pan too early so they were hot when served up.

 

Success! My yolks were gooey and runny, exactly how I like them. The re-cook at home took me almost 2 hours, so it’s definitely not something I’m likely to whip up in the mornings, but if you discount the mornay it’s such an easy and quick dish. I’d personally prefer just the eggs, muffin, and salad if I were eating it for breakfast. I’m pretty excited to have poached such a well shaped egg.

Tomorrow I’m just going to have to see if someone can help me work out why I just can’t get this sauce right.