- New Zealand Natural – New ‘Golden Manuka Honey’
By Ms. Taste
I’m not one to shy away from trying new things – especially when an interesting concoction such as Manuka Honey ice cream comes my way.
New Zealand Natural Ice Cream recently launched a new flavour for summer, the Golden Manuka Honey. I went in with the expectation that it would be like Hokey Pokey, a flavour that often tastes like sickly sweet toffee than honey. (Coincidentally, the best Hokey Pokey I’ve ever had was on a flight to San Francisco on Air New Zealand).
But Golden Manuka wasn’t at all what I expected. The flavour was light and creamy with a very slight hint of honey, which was hidden in pockets of luscious swirls. The addition of golden kiwifruit was subtle yet unmistakably present at the same time. The texture of the ice cream, like all ice creams at New Zealand Natural, was velvety smooth and pleasant on the tongue.
If you haven’t already, you can try the new Golden Manuka flavour for free at all participating New Zealand ice cream stores for a limited time. Get in quick and don’t miss out!
New Zealand Natural Ice Cream
www.newzealandnatural.com
# 02 9460 3344Many thanks to New Zealand Natural and Mark Communications.
- Cumulus Inc – Melbourne
By Ms. Taste
A hearty breakfast is one of Melbourne’s many signature dining experiences. Whether this means coffee and toast at a laneway cafe on Degraves or a meaty Bratwurst Dog from Victoria Market, there’s no better way to start your day in the city than going all out for breakfast.
Crusty white bread sandwich, bacon, egg, tomato, avocado & lemon mayonnaise - $14
After a wonderful meal at Cutler & Co, we visited Andrew O’Connell’s other hatted restaurant, Cumulus Inc for some late morning breakfast.
The full English – farmhouse slab bacon, blood sausage on toast, fried eggs & smoked tomato - $18
The breakfast menu had a good variety of choices, guaranteed to appease the fussiest of eaters. However, the menu didn’t allow for changes to any of the dishes – so if you wanted to swap the sides around, you couldn’t.
Sardines with parsley, tomato and lemon on grilled sourdough - $13
CUMULUS INC. breakfast – boiled egg, toast, preserves, yoghurt, organic orange juice & coffee or tea - $16
The service was painfully slow at Cumulus Inc. It took me half an hour before I got my coffee (the waitress had apparently forgotten my order) and another hour for us to get our food. Even with 10 or so chefs in the open plan kitchen and six other tables, we all stared at each other in bewilderment as to what was holding up our food.
When our orders finally arrived, we hoed in without hesitation. It was satisfying, but it was far from fantastic. Everything tasted great and there was nothing I could fault, but the meal lacked the wow factor of Cutler & Co. Here, we just felt a little short changed.
Cumulus Inc.
45 Flinders Lane
Melbourne VIC
# 03 9650 1445
www.cummulusinc.com.au
- tasted by two in Tiger Tales Jan/Feb issue
By Ms. Taste
My second round-up for the Sydney Hotspots section (now known as Touchdown) in Tiger Tales magazine has gone to print. Check it out!
Featuring…
* Incu, 256 Oxford Street, Paddington
* Single Origin Roasters, 60-64 Reservoir St, Surry Hills
* Gumshara, Eating World Food Court, Shop 209, 25-29 Dixon St, Chinatown
* Bodega Tapas Bar, 216 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hils
* Strike Bowling Bar, King Street Wharf, Sydney
* Shore Club, 36-38 South Steyne, Manly
* Meriton World Tower, 95 Liverpool Street, Sydney
- Cryogenic Sorbets & Cocktails @ Zeta Bar – Sydney CBD
By Ms. Taste
Friday night… it’s been a long week, it’s hot as hell and you’re longing for somewhere cool to cut loose for the weekend. Where should you go?
Zeta Bar is redefining the way Sydneysiders wind down on a Friday night with the launch of an innovative menu of ‘cryogenic’ sorbets and cocktails. Remember Richard Blais’ wacky liquid nitrogen experiments on Season 4 of Top Chef? Zeta Bar takes it to another level with alcohol. That’s right, frozen alcohol. Didn’t think that could happen?
The liquid nitrogen and dry ice used to make the frozen cocktails and sorbets drops the temperature of alcohol to its freezing point – and because it does this in a matter of seconds, the resulting product is devoid of crunchy ice crystals and tastes incredibly smooth. It’s almost like a puffed ball of alcoholic air!
The new menu includes:
Zeta Sorbet – A summer inspired collection of all time favourite classic cocktails and champagne fixes – deconstructed and frozen in to cold palate cleasing sorbets. Flavours include: Black Raspberry Clover Club, Champagne, Mojito, Margarita, Pina Colada and Spiced Black Raspberry Mule.
Nitro Puffs – A selection of classic cocktails freshly made to order and cryogenically frozen with liquid nitrogen and served as an edible trio on a platter.
Champagne Ice Blocks – Served on the terrace from a bed of steaming dry ice. Perfect for a refreshing summer cocktail indulgence.
Cocktails – A selection of bespoke Belvedere Black Raspberry Cocktails.
Thanks to the team at Hilton for providing us with an entertaining and exciting entree into molecular gastronomy. Now, if only I took a barrel of liquid nitrogen home….
The Cryogenic Sorbet & Cocktail Bar is available from the Terrace Bar every Friday night until the end of March. Sorbets and cocktails start from $4.
Zeta Bar
Level 4, Hilton Hotel
488 George Street
Sydney
# 02 9265 6070
www.zetabar.com.au
- Cutler & Co – Fitzroy, Melbourne
By Ms. Taste
On our last trip to Melbourne, I kicked myself for missing out on eating at Cutler & Co, The Age Food Guide’s 2009 Restaurant of the Year. It wasn’t until seeing Andrew McConnell on Masterchef four days before we were due to fly to Melbourne again that I picked up the phone and made a reservation.
When our flight landed at 7pm, we raced from the airport to the city, dropped off our bags and caught the 86 tram to Fitzroy. The restaurant had a great vibe when we walked in and our party of four was shown a table near the back.
We had a bit of trouble deciding what to order from the menu – the dishes all sounded really fantastic and we wanted to cover as much ground as possible. We did travel farther than anyone else to eat there after all.
Amuse Bouche of Crisp Crostini with Tender, Slow-cooked Octopus, Chorizo and Aioli
Parmesan chips
Mr. Taste and I shared the Salad Lyonnaise for our entree, which had a poached egg yolk encased in caramel as its centrepiece. I had seen it on the food blog, Melbourne Dining Experiences beforehand and was dying to try it.
I absolutely loved this dish, it was a smorgasbord of contrasting textures, colours and flavours. The egg was a real highlight and had me wondering how I could recreate it at home.
Salad Lyonnaise - frisee salad with crisp pancetta, garlic sausage, smoked tongue, confit gizzards and poached egg yolk - $19
Our friends, Wendy and Molly shared the Asparagus Salad as their entree. Decorated with Nasturtium flowers, this dish tasted as good as it looked. “Real” crab is hard to come by on restaurant menus. We normally see the frozen variety, but at Cutler & Co, we were pleased to find fleshy chunks of spanner crab lining the plate.
Asparagus Salad, Seared Scallop & Picked Spanner Crab - $26
Mr. Taste’s main, the line caught snapper, had him enthralled from the first bite. The glistening flakes of fish, accompanied by the broad beans, shallots and potato aioli was a winning combination.
Line caught local snapper, broad beans, glazed shallots, potato aioli - $39
The pork belly was also a memorable part of the evening. Cooked sous vide (a method used all too often on Top Chef), the pork was pull-apart tender, with lots of flavour. The crisp layer of crackling on top provided the perfect finish.
Roast suckling pig, sweet and sour onion, prune vinegar - $43
While I’m not a big lamb eater, I chose the slow roast lamb for my main. The dish was accompanied by a ’spring roll’ filled with a confit of slow braised lamb. The roast lamb was probably a little too rare for my liking, but its braised counterpart was right up my alley.
Slow roast lamb, merguez spice, carrot & black olive oil - $40
Throughout the night, we had excellent service from our attentive waiter who didn’t hesitate to check up on us regularly. This made us wonder whether we had been sticking up with Sydney’s notoriously bad customer service for too long.
Violet icecream, chocolate ganache, sour cherry sauce and chocolate sponge - $17
Although our original plan was to skip dessert at Cutler & Co and head somewhere else, we found it hard to move (literally). So we settled on a third course of strawberry sorbet on vanilla rice and chocolate sponge with violet ice cream. The two desserts couldn’t be any more different and yet, we enjoyed them all the same.
Strawberry sorbet, vanilla rice & verjuice jelly - $18
Cutler & Co
55-57 Gertrude St, Fitzroy
03 9419 4888
www.cutlerandco.com.auOpen for lunch on Friday and Sunday from noon and dinner from Tuesday to Sunday from 6pm-11pm.
- Pendolino – Sydney CBD
By Ms. Taste
With Quay booked out until mid January, Mr. Taste surprised me with dinner reservations at Pendolino for my birthday late last year. This one-hatted restaurant nestled at the top of the Strand Arcade feels like Sydney’s own little piece of Europe. It’s almost like you’ve stumbled in from an unmarked alleyway in Venice.
Pendolino turns your assumptions about Italian food on its head. Dark, elegant and mysterious, Pendolino is a delightful find in this city’s crowded (and sometimes monotonous) gastronomic scene.
The menu at Pendolino is not available through the website – and some of their best dishes are not listed at all, but are instead offered as a daily special. Chef Nino Zoccali (ex Otto) has a skillful command over flavours: the dishes are rich and layered with an element of surprise. This could have something to do with the extensive range of extra virgin olive oils that are at the centre of Pendolino’s dishes.
Carpaccio of Hiramasa Kingfish, Rocket Cress, Baby Chard, Sicilian Capers, Red Radishes - $22
We start with a Kingfish Cappacio, an old favourite that never fails to impress. The kingfish is sweet to taste while the capers and rocket cress add an intriguing bitterness. I’m normally used to some sort of citrus with this dish, but with Pendolino’s rendition, I really don’t miss it at all.
Squid ink ravioli with baby scallops - $26 (entree size)
When our waiter was reciting the specials for the night, the word ’squid ink ravioli’ piqued my interest. Sure, I’ve had squid ink noodles, but never in a pasta. This dish turned out to be the standout of the evening and really made my night. The ravioli was stuffed with feta and baby scallops and sat in a sea urchin and clam reduction. The texture of the ravioli was beautiful, wafer thin and yet with lot’s of bite. This had to be one of the most successful uses of squid ink that I’ve ever seen.
Risotto Milanese - $21 (entree size)
I was so captivated by my ravioli, I hardly touched Mr. Taste’s Milanese Risotto.
Slow-Roasted Fennel and Rosemary Scented Pork Belly with white bean and potato puree, Fennel and Orange salad and Blood Orange Extra Virgin Olive Oil - $37
Our shared main of pork belly was an interesting dish. I couldn’t fault the pork belly, it was cooked to perfection and the white bean and potato puree was an enjoyable complement. But I was a bit thrown by the use of citrus in this dish and in particular, the blood orange extra virgin olive oil (which I actually loved with the complimentary bread).
Passionfruit Trio - Sorbet, Jelly and Panna Cotta - $16
Although I was ready to pass out, we found it hard to pass up the dessert special, a passionfruit trio comprising of sorbet, jelly and panna cotta. Individually, the components were nice, but when combined, the flavours really came together. The sorbet was no doubt my favourite of the three.
A big thank you for Mr. Taste for spoiling me with this wonderful meal.
Pendolino
Shop 100, Level 2, The Strand Arcade
412-414 George Street, Sydney 2000
02 9231 6117
www.pendolino.com.auOpen for lunch Monday to Friday from 12pm – 3pm and dinner Monday to Saturday from 6pm until late.
- Recipe: Gingerbread Christmas Tree
By Ms. Taste
I love seeing new recipes that take a fresh spin on an old classic. And who better to inspire me this Christmas season than the master of reinvention, Adriano Zumbo?
This month’s Gourmet Traveller magazine features a collection of Christmas themed recipes from Adriano Zumbo. The gingerbread christmas tree in particular wowed me and it was surprisingly easy to pull together (well, compared to his other famous creations, the croquembouche and the mousse cake).
I decided to forgo the recipe for gingerbread in the magazine and use my old faithful gingerbread cookie recipe. I bought a star shaped cookie cutter set in three sizes and baked eight in each size (it’s important not to overcook the gingerbread). Once they were cool, it was a matter of stacking them together and fixing the layers together with royal icing. To finish, I propped a star on top of the tree with a toothpick and dusted with icing sugar.
And voila! a fabulous and festive centrepiece for the Christmas table.
- An afternoon affair – High Tea at home
By Ms. Taste
What better way to spend your Sunday than a High Tea brunch with your very best girls?
I always feel a little cheated paying $45 a head for High Tea. So I set out trying to recreate the special experience at home. I made all the staples the night before – scones, cupcakes, sandwiches and macarons, while my girlfriends each brought a little something as they arrived.
In the end, we managed quite a spread of goodies. Blessed with perfect weather, we spent the afternoon sipping champagne, eating sweets and catching up.
And on the High Tea menu was…
* Vanilla cupcakes with raspberry and rosewater frosting
* Trio of macarons – lemon cream, raspberry jam, peach & strawberry
* Salmon sandwiches without crust
* Fresh strawberries and cherries
* Scones with freshly whipped
* German pastries – cherry custard strudel, chocolate custard slice
* Savory quiche tartlets
* Assorted teas
* Piper champagne
- Recipe: Chocolate Macarons with Chocolate Buttercream Filling
By Ms. Taste
On a high after my first winning batch of macarons, I cracked four eggs and aged the egg whites over the work week in anticipation for a mega macaron making session on Friday night.
But when Friday rolled by, Mr. Taste spilt most of my egg whites over the kitchen counter when I was downstairs buying dinner. Extremely upset, I tried to make the most of the situation and whipped out my measuring cups to see if I could salvage enough for one batch. Lucky for me (and Mr. Taste), there was just enough.
And so I decided to make chocolate macarons. A little reluctant to try a foreign recipe, I stuck with my
basic macaron recipe and added 15 grams of cocoa powder. I was extremely happy with the results – the macarons had perfect feet, flat tops and a crispy shell. I’m on a macaron roll!
- Recipe: White Chocolate and Rosewater Macarons
By Ms. Taste
Two dozen eggs, four packets of almond meal and a kilo of icing sugar later…. I finally made my first successful batch of macarons.
All in all, I tried three methods, six different recipes and read another 20 – and it was a recipe by Frosted Envy that gave me success. That’s not to say the macarons were perfect though – some had cracked tops while others had uneven feet. But it was a great start and gave me pointers on what I had done wrong previously.
While I’m no expert on perfect macarons, I do believe I have a fair idea of what makes awful ones. So here are my top 5 tips to avoid macaron disasters in the kitchen:
1. Age the egg whites. I didn’t do this for my first five batches and they all failed. Aging the egg whites releases moisture and also makes them more stable. I aged mine for 5 days uncovered on the kitchen bench (you can also cover it with a paper towel to stop things flying in).
2. Be organised. That means prepping the almond meal and icing sugar mix, placing your piping bag in a tall glass with the sides turned over and having your sugar ready. If you don’t, you’ll be scrambling at the last minute and you really can’t afford to be.
3. Bend and press – not fold. Most recipes will tell you to ‘fold’ the almond mixture into the meringue. If you fold it in like you would a cake, you will end up with air bubbles in your macaron and it will puff up like a biscuit in the oven. I’ve also tried ‘beating’ the air out of the mixture as seen here on Youtube, but it was too hard to control and my mixture went runny. With my winning batch, I used a push and bend technique which yielded very successful results. Instead of mixing the almond mixture and meringue together, I pushed the two together by pressing on the sides of the bowl. It will start off quite thick at first but the mixture should come together quite nicely soon after. I would count your strokes, anywhere more than 40 strokes and your macarons could collpase in the oven.
4. Invest in a baking mat. The silicon baking mat makes a real difference to the heat distribution of the macarons. I found that on a baking tray, my macarons were slightly burnt on the outside rim but undercooked on the inside. The baking mat fixed this problem. I got mine for $24.95 at Chalet.
5. Leave the macarons out to dry in a warm place. I read that macarons that are left out to dry for 30 minutes to an hour have better feet than ones that don’t. While I did leave previous batches out to dry, I didn’t get the ‘dry to touch’ film on the surface which meant that I got no feet. I left my winning batch out to dry on a stool near the oven (I read that warm places were better). And surely enough, after 20 minutes, a nice film formed on top.
Good luck and I look forward to hearing your success stories!
