I’m not going to do FebFast this year because I suspect giving up alcohol altogether isn’t going to do anything for Australia’s economic progress. Let’s face it, the economic impact on restaurants and bars of Febfast is horrendous. Most hospitality venues are doing it fairly tough and the fact that the economic model is based [...]
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I started with a vieux carré; Buffalo Trace bourbon, Remy VS Cognac, Rosso Antico, Yellow Chartreuse, Orange & Rhubarb bitters, a grapefruit twist. But this whole creole contraversy was shaken and stirred when @burgermary started calling the authenticity of My Mexican Cousin’s creole credentials into question. Is short the restaurant, which is attached to and [...]
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As the Christmas and new year break recedes and Australia Day approaches, once more the open wound of the hospitality game one again resurfaces: surcharges. This time though it has hit the headlines big time thanks to the perfect storm of a silly season slow news cycle and Masterchef judge and serial restaurateur George Calombaris [...]
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What: Dinner featuring a new Creole-styled menu When: Tuesday 17 January, 2012 – 7pm Where: My Mexican Cousin. Melbourne Recital Centre, 31 Sturt Street, Southbank. How much: $67.00 a person (plus 30 cents booking fee) including cocktail on arrival. Further drinks are available at bar prices. Booking: Sorry! We’ve sold out. Bookings (via TryBooking) Happy New Year everyone and welcome [...]
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When I arrived in my flat nearly a year ago, I brought only half a kitchen with me and had many essentials missing. I’ve been limping along with a cheffy frying pan that needs replacing and no griddle. But the early arrival of zucchinis at my plot in the Mater St Community Garden meant that [...]
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What: Seasonal and local 4 course meal, plus canapes, with matched wines Chef: Matt Wilkinson When: Thursday 1st December Where: Pope Joan, 77-79 Nicholson Street, East Brunswick (96 Tram – stop 24 cnr Glenlyon Road) How much: $115.00 a person (plus 30 cents booking fee) including wine. Booking: Bookings (via TryBooking) We will be featuring forced rhubarb in two courses, one savoury [...]
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This blog is unprofessional, according to the person behind chef Paul Wilson’s Twitter account – whether it is Paul himself or his wife Bec. I’ve asked for an apology but they have chosen to ignore the request. And now I’m telling this story which encompasses how people fuck-up on Twitter, ethics and how and why [...]
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There are only two main species of Oysters that we find ourselves gobbling in Australia, the flat and the cup-shaped. This week at the Oysters and sake event I organised with Andre from Kumo and Adriane Strampp as part of the Fringe Food Festival we had 13 varieties including from (Tasmania) Blackmans Bay, Saint Helens, [...]
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I‘m sent a lot of stuff. In the past few weeks alone, two cookbooks, a bottle of whisky, beer x 2, prawns, wine, magazines and more. Dealing with the packaging alone is a pain as I don’t own an industrial compactor and only have a small recycling bin. But out of all the guff, I [...]
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We don’t see much innovation in cookbooks nowadays but The Family Meal: Home Cooking with Ferran Adria is as you’d expect from one of the world’s most innovative chefs. What most people don’t realise is that most book publishers don’t test their recipes properly. Yes, the chefs and celebrities that write them actually cook the [...]
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Three years ago I went on a boozy winery tour with a busload of artist mates. Somehow along the way I managed not only to buy two small olive trees, but also two magnificent French oak wine barrels to plant…
There’s a rumour that Melbourne hospitals lay on extra staff in the Emergency Department at this time of year. Yes, it's tomato season and given our vast migrant population, there will invariably be a few home-bottling and canning disasters. Every Italian…
Making yoghurt at home is really simple and doesn't take much science. Here we make two different styles of yoghurt using both cows' and goats' milk.
It took four hours of a Saturday afternoon to construct this gigantic pie.
The recipes available are all pretty similar, three different types of pork with herbs and spices surrounded by jelly and encased in a hot water pastry. This one…
There's a lot of meat and fat in a pork pie including the hot crust pastry which is made with lard and butter.
I bought a whole tub of dripping, which is basically like lard (pig fat) but from beef, as…
Five days later and the bacon is cured. Salty and sweet, with a hint of juniper and sage, it was worth it.
Nothing is ever easy for me. Frustrated by the poor quality of filling and pastry in local pork…
Recent journalismWe don't see much innovation in cookbooks nowadays but The Family Meal: Home Cooking with Ferran Adria is as you'd expect from one of the world's most innovative chefs.
What most…
Consult a financial adviser before drinking from a Riedel.
Dishwasher tablets erode your glasses and crockery. Use liquid instead.
Decant heavier reds at least 8 hours before drinking.
If you want to drink…
Three years ago I went on a boozy winery tour with a busload of artist mates. Somehow along the way I managed not only to buy two small olive trees,…
There’s a rumour that Melbourne hospitals lay on extra staff in the Emergency Department at this time of year. Yes, it's tomato season and given our vast migrant population, there…
Making yoghurt at home is really simple and doesn't take much science. Here we make two different styles of yoghurt using both cows' and goats' milk.
One of the most exciting chefs to be in town for the Sydney International Food Festival was the witty and erudite David Thompson. If you aren't familiar with Thompson, the…
I recently had a non-brush with death while eating what turned out not to be my last meal.
It made me think of all the meals I'd wasted. A bad…
Neil Perry (left), Thomas Keller and Heston Blumenthal (bald). Courtesy of the Melbourne Wine and Food Festival.
On the SBS Food site you can see my story on meeting Thomas Keller…
Typical. Just as the world peaked Paul Levi, the man who had no small part in bringing us the slightly dubious word “Foodie”, launches the Gastrosexual, a man with more…
With thanks to the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.
It's 3.50 on a Friday afternoon. I've just finished a great meal cooked by Scott Pickett at The Point in Albert Park…
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