EARL ate Eating with Jack

So I've hinted at it ages ago but just not actually gotten around to telling you how it actually is...

I've been eaten, swallowed whole.

By EARL Canteen my new business.

Three weeks ago PDC (well actually Simon my husband and, yes still my 'permanent-dining-companion') and I opened our first business. Its called EARL Canteen and its located at 500 Bourke St, Melbounre, actually the cute courtyard that is behind 500 Bourke, looking out onto Little Bourke.

We have spent the last year and a half working on many, many business plans and this one, at this site, actually stuck finally. And now we have a baby called EARL, a big time consuming, energy sucking and constantly screaming for attention baby.

Hence I've had a bit on, actually a bloody lot; even freelancing as a food stylist and doing the odd restaurant shift has never seen me be this busy.

Even my twitter account, has been starved of content to feed the EARL twitter account. I hope you continue to follow my foodie travels through a different tag for now; I still eat, dine out and constantly think about food, just for now its echoing from within EARLs hungry, time consuming tummy.

Ciao for now x

Melbourne Dining Hotspots

I may have temporarily fallen off the blogging bandwagon but I definitely haven't stopped my favourite past time, eating out.

After the excitement of hearing Pim Té of the inspirational Chez Pim would be visiting Melbourne as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival I decided I better actually get to it and write down out my Melbourne Must Visit List.

The list is formed with savvy internationals in mind but no doubt savvy Melbourne-ites will find it just as useful.

So here it is: (with links to the official website, where possible)

Restaurants

Attica -Ben Shewry is at one with his internationally acclaimed food, a kiwi that cooks from his heart, yet uses techniques to marvel, oh and a great guy to boot

Cumulus Inc/Cutler & Co -You can't eat in Melbourne without visiting one of Andrew McConnells restaurants, I love the relaxed nature of the bar overlooking the kitchen at Cumulus but Cutler is where the pure McConnell innovation is at

Rumi/Gigibaba -Lebanese/Turkish. Vividly fresh Middle Eastern flavours at both sites, usually packed to the rafters so arrive early

Pearl/Ezard -Modern Australian cuisine; frenchy techniques, lots of Asian produce and flourishes Melbourne icon restaurants

Circa, the Prince -a recent luxe refurbishment and a roof top kitchen garden make Circa feel like a new, yet strangely very familiar old favourite restaurant

Giuseppi, Arnaldo and Sons -Maurice Terzini's Melbourne outpost (home-post?) and the perfect moody spot especially for a late meal or snack (website is nearly useless, try my posts)

Hellenic Republic -its too hard to pick from the huge casual Greek menu, so have the trapeze menu and save reading the translations but make sure to ask for the lamb from the courtyard spit

MoVida (a bar stool at the original, Next Door as a second choice) -Modern tapas and Spanish wine, consistently buzzy and in high demand for good reason

Stokehouse -its a shame Melbourne doesn't have a nicer beach but once you're sitting upstairs at Stoke looking at the water-filled horizon it will not matter much. Slick service and food, and a beachy dining room thats getting a substantial overhaul come winter

Gills Diner -casual share friendly food that has meticulously been made in house, an eclectic winelist and passionate friendly manager that looks after regulars with extra TLC

Rockpool Bar and Grill -many of Australias best here; probably the best available aged meat in Australia, seafood direct from the fishermen and an unrivalled winelist. Its a fast paced grill thats used as a special occasion place for many or a spot for a cheeky wagyu burger for many others

Dainty Sichuan -Like sichuan numb lips? Go to Dainty, enough said.

Coffee

MarketLane -roasts in house, espresso, pour-over, clover

Brother Baba Budan -espresso, clover

Seven Seeds -espresso, clover

Wall Two 80 -espresso (and my thinking place)

Outpost by St Ali -all of the coffee gadgets!

Breakfast

Deadman Espresso -coffee good enough to join the list above and an interesting menu too

European -inside or outside very Melbournian

St Ali -as per Deadman Espresso, and just around the corner as well

Cafe Vue, St Kilda Rd -you could go to the Shannon Bennett's fancy restaurant or get the plush without the fuss

Bars

City Wine Shop -afternoon glass of something interesting

Supper Club and Siglo -late night (early morning?) institution

1806/De Raum -molecular cocktails

Izakaya Den/Coda -smart subterranean bars and even smarter snacks

Foodie Shopping

Baker D Chirico -organic sourdough breads and pastries

Melbourne Farmers Market -changing location, at Gasworks, South Melbourne the weekend of the 20th March

Prahran Market -I host Hidden Gems Tours on Thursdays and Saturdays

La Latteria -Mozzarella Lab. Go!

Essential Ingredient/Simon Johnson -Australias answer to Fauchon

Casa Iberica -Everything Spanish

Mediterranean Wholesalers -European supersized supermarket

Short Trips

Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld

Sunnybrae, Birregurra

Healesville, Yarra Valley (whole town)

Aussie Must Taste List

Pearl Meat

Wild Barramundi

Finger lime

Angasi Oyster

Kangaroo

Mud Crab

Blackmore Waygu/Mishima (if available)

Yarra Valley Salmon Roe

Vegemite/Pavlova and other Aussie cliches

This is my short (long) list, so what have I missed?

Julie and Julia, and boeuf bourguignon

Any self respecting food blogger knows all about the ones that 'come good'; the bloggers that go on to write about their love of food and actually get paid for the passion.


I've have books by Clotilde, David, Adam and Pim (and Steve, though not strictly a food blogger), I read the mainstream media articles written by local bloggers and cheer on our community's victorious moments at regular get togethers.

So it's with the same interest that I keenly accepted an invitation to the latest instalment of these victories; a food bloggers story being made into a book, that then gets made into a movie...

No doubt, I am the marketing trifecta when it comes to the Julie and Julia movie.
Chick - check.
Foodie - check.
Blogger - check.

So I guess I was destined to love it and I did... well actually I loved it more when I, as a good blogger, (not one of those naughty, unresearching ones that all the boring people talk about) did my due diligence looking at examples of both Julie and Julia's work. Initially, watching Meryl Streep play Julia Child all I could see was a frumpy version of the Devil not wearing Prada, and then that thought morphed into an annoying drunk drag queen that likes to grunt. I was disappointed by her strange acting...UNTIL I watched this and this and this. Now I think Meryl is a genius, close to the god like status Dan Aykroyd has in his interpretation but you'll need to see the film for that clip!

I was fortunate enough to watch the film in the luxury of a big fat lazyboy style arm chair while eating Julia Childs recipe for boeuf bourguignon with creamy mash and sipping Red Claw Shiraz. You can to with a special deal at Victoria Village Gold Class, check it out here.

If you are even half as keen as me when it comes to foodie things, I know you will enjoy it immensely. I think I need to see it again just to pull out all my favourite quotes and scenes... who doesn't remember with excitement their first comment?

Persimmons, different styles for different uses

A few years ago I learnt the difference the hard why. But since then I haven't seen the offending (when firm) acorn shaped persimmon that often.

I'm still cautious though whenever I buy one of these vanillian scented beauties.

The acorn shaped style on the left should be soft and a deep orange orange colour when its jellied flesh is ready to be spooned out.

The tomato shaped style on the right should be firm and a apricot orange colour whrn its crunchy flesh is ready to be cut into wedges or eaten as an apple.

Nice and simple.

Oh and thanks to Jess for beating me to the idea...! ;)

This little piggy - the challenge. Six ingredients, simple tools and 30 minutes – COOK!

I wrote this the week after my brush with reality tv, the program airing this week may put all the pieces together...

I’m not very good, at not being very good at something.

So much so, that as I lay in the recovery position (okay catching up on sleep) in my bed after the craziests of weeks, I could not help but think (okay dream) about how poorly I did at my one chance… it wasn’t that hard. Use these ingredients with this equipment and make something delicious.
My self imposed restrictions were to also make something different to the rest of the crowd and make sure I represent myself well by making my food look ‘hot’… well that’s were I stuffed up, you no doubt would say it was fine, if it makes it to tv but it definitely was not inspired.

So with a couple of hours of self prescribed therapy, I reproduced the challenge (nearly) and put myself back to the test.
Could I do it again but better, in a better time, with a better result and a better looking finished dish?

Following the same thought processes of the day I recreated the same dish but here dear readers you get to see how it should have looked, should I not have plated it in 10 seconds (oh god I know; a food stylist plating their food in 10 seconds, what was I thinking??... “Must cut all the pith from my lemon zest”… oh, so we learn!)

So here are the ingredients and equipment (please note, I used a normal stove not a camp stove and am not sponsored by scanpan or global so my Circulon and Mundials will have to do!)

The six ingredients (unnecessary ones not used...), the basic equipment and my 30 minute count down timer

Whipping a mayonnaise (egg yolk, salt, lemon juice, olive oil) with a fork. In the challenge I also boiled an egg as a backup dressing in case the mayo split

Marinating the pork chop

Prepared salad components; cabbage, apple, lemon zest, parsley to be mixed with the mayo, just before serving

Cooking the chop

Resting the cooked chop

The finished dish.
Lemon zest pork loin (well rested and cooked properly this time), apple and cabbage 'remoulade' (well that was a mistake... I'll explain if its aired...), pretty dressed apple bits and a lemon cheek (lets not bring that up either...)

The finished dish with 5 minutes still on the clock. And yes I took all my own photos at the same time!

I think I then ate it in the remaining count down...

Three minutes to go...

One minute to go...

Finished and the chewed bone, that I had cut the loin off.
Wonder what would have happened if I served this? Perhaps I would have actually made it onto the tv.
On reflection I should have eaten it, as we were not served lunch until nearly dinner time.

What is it?

In the spirit of the Slow Food Gastronomica Trivia night on Monday -that I unfortunately missed- I stumbled across a very interesting piece of produce at the market today.



I had no idea what it was, do you??

PS No, its not a frazzled underdeveloped tomato (like the ones in my garden!) or a fancy Thai eggplant...

Please leave guesses in the comments!

Where the hell is Jack??

Missing in action, but now recovered...

Full news to come on Monday with some fun Sydney based food stories to share.

Now if only I had time to make it to Universal; bugger Bodega and Spice I am will have to do... with guest appearances by some of the most inspiring food people I have meet in a while.

What's that burning sensation? Chilli and mustard explained...

I used to always buy New Scientist magazine but slowly over the years replaced it with food mags, and more food mags. Something caught my attention in the first edition of the new year and I purchased a copy - my first for years.

Flicking yesterday I came across my favourite section, The Last Word were readers can write in and ask questions about "everyday phenomena". One particularly had me ah-ha-ing out loud...

Hot to Trot
Mustard and chillies are both hot, but the burning sensation
from a chilli stays in the mouth for ages while the sensation from hot mustard
disappears in a few seconds. Why is this?

Answer 1 (written in by another reader and edited by NS)
The chemical mainly responsible for the burning spice in
chilli peppers is capsaicin, a complicated organic compound that binds to
receptors in your mouth and throat, producing the desired (or dreaded)
sensation. Capsaicin is an oil, almost completely insoluble in water. This is why
you need a fat-containing substance like milk to wash it away - watery saliva
doesn't do the trick. On the other hand, the compound responsible for the hotness
of mustard (as well as horseradish and wasabi) is called allyl isothiocyanate.
This chemical is slightly water-soluble, and can be more readily washed away
into the stomach by saliva. Further, the chemical in mustard is more volatile
than capsaicin so it evaporates more readily, allowing its fumes to enter the
nasal passages (explaining why the burning sensation from mustard is often felt
in the nose). These fumes can be easily removed by breathing deeply, a useful
strategy if the sensation becomes overwhelming.

Another response also added this information about capsaicin
It is soluble, however, in alcohol, which raises the question: which came first, the lager or the vindaloo?

So to summarise...

If you are like me and love a chilli kick but can't deal with the elongated pain, drink beer, wine or if its really bad go for the vodka!
Now if I only knew that when I was in Thailand a few months ago, perhaps I would have been tempted by the Sang Som rum.

Laughing out loud

This article on the Guardians Word of Mouth blog about the changes to Cadbury's mixed chocolate box has had me laughing out loud.

And then I remembered my impassioned despair a few years ago, learning that Allens were no longer making Kool Chocs (yes the 'Fruits' use to have siblings).
I rarely eat lollies but Kool Chocs got me through Uni and were a nostaligic treat, yes I was as the Guardian article quotes, BITTERLY DISAPPOINTED (capitals are necessary for dramatic effect...).

Any favourites you've missed recently? Are you bitterly disappointed?

A question I didn't have the balls for...

During my European holiday last year I visited markets all over France, Spain and the UK.

Market images make up a huge component of my holiday flicks (luckily there were a few of PDC and I together - probably at a market...).
Some of these images made it to Eating with Jack, some didn't because they were boring, and some others didn't because I couldn't torture you with them; they were a bit gory on reflection.

But one in particular, I have always wanted to post, as I didn't know what it was and I hoped you may be able to help. The thing is, I now know the answer and it actually quite funny so look away if you need to...

Some time after my holiday, I labeled this image "what is it", the answer I have just discovered is... wait for it... testicles.
The Guardians blog had a funny piece and identifying image of them a couple of days ago.

If only I knew the answer at the time it would have set the pace all day for ball-sy jokes!

Now that I have shared a rather grisly image from my files and I'm sure the vegetarians have already clicked over to Michael and Cindy, here is my favourite holiday market image.

Also fabulously entitled, "toothy smiles".

Poor little buggers I know, but I bet they make great Greek lamb soup or something like that.

The thing about these images, that is not funny, is how removed we are from the raw ingredients in Australia. Rarely would you see such large displays of offal and obvious bits - such as heads - that remind us of the real source of our food. Perhaps if it was more common, we would be more discriminating, respectful and mindful of our decision to eat it.

Don't get me wrong, I couldn't give up meat, but I am becoming more and more aware of the sources of my food and the effects of what I put in my body.
What about the idea that if you were to increase your fruit and vegetable intake by 20% you are likely to lose weight... I can't remember the source, but I know its true for me.
After my holiday this year and a strict diet of 3 meals a day, stuffed to the gills just enough to go and lay back on the beach, I actually lost weight I believe, because of all the vegetables, fruit and seafood. Not breads, meats and dairy, I consumed.
I'm not a nutritionist, but I know that if I am stuffed full of fresh, fantastic veggies and fruit then I don't even think of the other stuff that weights me down and requires more hours at the gym.

It's a good thing that I like my veggies and like the idea of eating more of them, as there are some pretty dramatic lifestyle changes, likely to force themselves upon us with increasing food costs in the future. Some of the ideas are old fashioned yet very embraceable - I planted my little vegetable patch today, rocket again, tomatoes, cavolo nero, and silver beet - others ideas perhaps will take a little getting use to.

Take a moment and read this piece by David Chang (the chef owner, of that impossible to get a reservation at 12 seater in NY, Momofuku Ko) found it incredibly inspiring.

Menu boo-boos

I've been thinking a lot about menus lately... my reasons will make themselves be known in good time, but to be quite frank, I am a little tried of it.

So it really must be funny for me to crack a food nerd smile as I was flipping through the hundreds of images that I have just never gotten around to blogging on (does everyone else have these vast files??).


This image was given to me by a friend that lives in Japan, it's from her local 'wine bar' that serves Italian food.



I love the idea of a Japanese restaurateur translating into English an Italian dish, the thing I most wonder about is whether the English is a direct translation from the Japanese characters (any insight from clever readers is appreciated).

Of course, the prostitute style pasta is puttanesca; a classic combo of tomato, garlic, chilli, capers anchovy and olives, yet I giggle to myself at the simple yet on-the-mark translation.



Funny enough I should admit, I was given this image after dinner at GA&S a couple of months back and used the idea of this basic translation in my description of the "angry crab pasta" - Arrabbiata, I had enjoyed. I found out only recently that even PDC did not know what I had meant by this... arh food nerd, at least I laugh at my own jokes. ;)

"The pork belly (for your gut), Sir?" - You are what you eat

Having always been on the leaner end of the scale, in the last few years I have had to start moving my arse at the local gym to keep in my favourite jeans. I totally understand the problem, I like food too much, but not the kind of food that generally makes people fat; good food just enjoyed a little too much, really it's a more of a food loving lifestyle habit than a fueling stop for me.

I was truly embarrassed to read recently of Australia's new title of worlds fattest nation, truly I was, and though I don't fall into the category of over 25BMI, I thought long and hard before I served PDC and myself some beautiful cheese the other night.

The thing is, that it's a very complicated issue mostly based around an un-food-educated public and the fact that we don't move enough, but it's also got a lot to do with portion sizes.

What has happened to the idea of an elegant sufficiency as my Nan would say? Why do we strive to finish the huge American sized popcorn (drenched in awful, salty, butter tasting oil) at the cinema while we sip from the impossibly too big to hold coke.

Growing up in the country, I understand the one-up-man-ship of finishing the biggest steak or drinking that extra beer, but we all really need to understand that this is the reason we have won this scary world wide anti-accolade.

I have been working back in restaurants recently and a fresh set of eyes has given me a new perspective of what the dining public eats. It's far too easy, while running food to look at the table ahead and pick who has ordered what dishes. The largest steak with bearnaise sauce goes to the man with the large round tummy with the empty beer glass in front of him. The confit duck leg with fondant potatoes goes to the lady that should be wearing one size larger, but can't admit it enough to feel comfortable in her clothes. The slow cooked pork belly goes to the person, with the porky belly... it's a sad sorry state.

Rarely am I surprised as I deliver food to tables, I understand that most of these people are perhaps celebrating, but food needs to be part of your long term life style choice and if you look like the food that I just delivered you then, this does not seem like a one off.

I like to play a game at the supermarket and stand in the long queue and peer into peoples baskets as they go past, it's always the love handles with the guilt ridden apple pie or the chubby teen with the large bottle of softdrink and chips.

An even more fun game, if you are ever tempted by the convenience of a fast food shop, is to stop and watch the customers for a moment, I bet there is very few bodies you would like to emulate. If you don't like the look of the butts in the queue, don't join it or you'll get a matching one, is the story that goes through my head.

As I step of my high horse now, I can also enlighten you that two entrees is the choice of the trim and terrific crowd and a glass (or even two) of a quality wine, is also duly acceptable instead of the saddening routine of multiples of spirits with 'diet' softdrink.

Do you look like your food? I'm off to buy some organic carrots!

Macawronged

They got him started and now its on...

I have eaten the evidence of his excellence and read his impassioned (some say fanatical) writings on the topic, we are expecting the retraction any day now... no seriously!! ;)

Passion and knowledge is power. Duncan has my vote.

Thank you Clotilde

I receive the Chocolate and Zucchini newsletter and am an admirer of Clotilde's blog, so was interested in this video interview from her recent book tour through the US.



Apart from being inspired by seeing her speak and not just reading her, I loved the smart advise she offers about dining at french restaurants.

If I may, I'd like to suggest this also applies to Australian restaurants were, as Clotilde advises, you are entering what should be treated as an extension of the owners home, don't rearrange stuff or change things around, she likens it to going to the theatre.
I find that all too often restaurant experiences are altered for the worse by people that demand changes to menus, move furniture (then complain when waiters bump their chairs) and generally don't go with the flow like an invited guest. I guess the rule of thumb for me is if the experience is not right then leave with the realisation that its not for you, don't go trying to change it to suit, I doubt you will ever be 100% happy with the result.

Food Fight

Just by chance, I found this cute yet serious video on the web today, kind of topical since its ANZAC day and we are reflecting on the diggers.
The author has gone to a lot of trouble to make a video depicting the wars from WWII to today... all done with food to represent each country.




Australia is not represented, but its got me wondering what we would be; perhaps a clichéd meat pie?
It's interesting how easy it is to work out which country is represented by each food. (If you can't work them out look here. )

Watch out for the key scenes such as the meat pattie bomb and the twin burger towers.
Perhaps not totally PC, but very clever.

Australia Day, some things never change

And others can surprise you...

Things that never change
-our sense of national righteousness about having a barbeque on Australia Day - or on the public holiday at least
-my relief that it didn't end up like the last - a fire engine squiring water up onto our third floor balcony to put out the barbeque and gas bottle on fire. We laugh now but are still a little (correction, a lot) paranoid with the barbie
-that if you offer a pavlova, you will not have left overs

Shhh, the resting pav...

All dressed up and ready to go

Things that surprise me

-we also served kangaroo fillet, marinated and seared on the barbeque, it went so fast I felt like a bad host for stashing a marinated fillet for later (thinking that the consensus would be 'no thanks').
I have been eating kangaroo meat for years, and apart from loving the gamey earthy flavour, its inexpensive, really good for you - high protein vs low fat, and sustainably produced in our environment.

So we ate from the coat of arms... but if only I had invited Anna from Morels and Musings with her emu dish from earlier in the month and we would have completed the pair!

Pavlova
A fun dessert in my house, were Kiwi and Aussie rivalry is already alive and well, we don't need to make it worse reminding them that it really is an Australian dessert.
In case you care... created in Perth by a German chef called Herbert Sachse at Hotel Espanade in 1935. He named it after Anna Pavlova the ballerina. The tricky part is that Herbert is like all good chefs, he reads lots of cook books and was 'inspired' from the equivalent to the Womens Weekly and used a recipe sent in by a kiwi reader. So yes a meringue, cream, fruit thing was made in NZ first but Australia owns the Pav (the kiwis can keep the lollie cake though... don't ask if you don't know!)

The even funnier thing is that PDC the kiwi of the house made this perfect pavlova, from an Aussie recipe -Thanks Stephanie.

Stephanie Alexanders Pavlova recipe
4 egg whites at room temperature
pinch of salt
250g castor sugar
2 teaspoons of cornflour
1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
a few drops of pure vanilla (we didn't have any)

Preheat oven to 180C
Line a tray with baking paper
Beat egg whites and salt until 'satiny' (not sure what this means!) peaks form
Beat in sugar a third at a time until meringue is stiff and shiny
Sprinkle over cornflower, vinegar and vanilla and fold in
Mound onto paper lined tray about 20cm round with a smooth top and sides
Place in oven and immediately reduce the heat to 150C and cook for 1 1/4 hours (ours took a little longer until golden)
Turn off oven and leave pavlova in it to cool completely.

Stephanie flips her pav but ours was served crunchy side up with whipped cream (no sugar) and heaps of very sweet passionfruit - the especially purchased mango and peaches stayed on the shelf...

Hope yours is as successful as PDC's

Jack

Mishima. The new, old 'wagyu'

Every restaurant worth their fancy salt has given wagyu beef a go in the last few years. It's so common (and bastardised) now that you even see it as wagyu burgers and pies. So what is the new step up from this, apart from having producer branded 100% wagyu cuts on your menu?

Mishima could be the answer. Mishima is the original Japanese cow, fortunately they lived isolated in the Sea of Japan on Mishima Island and were not cross breed with European cows in the late 1800's. The Japanese cross bred cows eventually became the Kobe (in Kobe -Japan) and wagyu (in Japan, Australia and the US) cows that we now are familiar with. The Mishima cows were able to stay pure bred and retain their unique marbling qualities when fed solely on grass.
These pure, native cows became so rare that sources suggest that there was less than 100 beasts left in the early 1980's. The meat is so prized and rare, even in Japan that my internet searches mainly turn up Iron Chef with $12 000 a beast competitions.

So with this level of exclusivity I could not resist a visit to Rockpool Bar and Grill when I heard that they had exclusive access to Mishima beef that David Blackmore has breed in Australia from the only ever exported beast. I don't pretend to understand the technicalities of breeding, but I'm told that these are being cross bred in Australia to eventually produce a 'stabilized breed'.
The thing I do understand though is taste.
Rockpool B&G are offering apart from steak cuts, Mishima burgers in addition to their usual wagyu burgers. To keep this experiment simple I taste compared the two burgers. A tough job but I did have experienced eaters to help...
I was told to expect the wagyu to be smokier and richer as it had a higher marble count. The wagyu had been raised on the usual partial grain diet. The Mishima by contrast has a lower marble count but can offer different flavours since it was raised on grass and can achieve very high marble count on this alone -unlike the wagyu.
So enough, commentary, what did it taste like I hear you ask?
Well... I found the Mishima burger meat to taste very rich and succulent, the typical flavours that you would have expected from the wagyu burger. The wagyu on the other hand was smoky, as we had been told and though also rich and opulent tasting, the Mishima offered another level of flavour that did not need the smoky character inherited from the wood fired grill. The best desciptor I came up with was one close to the Rockpool B&G home; the caramelised popcorn served with coffee, a sweet, yet nutty, dark nearly burnt caramel flavour.
Mishima it is, but it maybe some time before your local gets a hold of it, but that may not be such a bad thing.
Jack

Note, It's been a challenge putting this information together about the Mishima beef, if you have anything further to add or correct please let me know, so I can update this information.

St. Ali

Saint Ali may well be the guardian of coffee, yet St. Ali in South Melbourne is the guardian of food stories.

Having breakfast last weekend I was pleased at my good cafe selection, to see John Lethlean and his family arrive for coffee. Not really interesting enough for a post, except possibly if we had shared the larger table and loudly continued our conversation about why Jacques Reymond did not ring our bells despite its 3 hats, (that did not happen, and even if we HAD shared the table and a wall not been between us, would I've?? Probably not...)

It's a bit of a sport of sorts, for PDC and I to spot food reviewers and see who else in the dining room notices, unless they were particularly cool at St.Ali, I have to say no one blinked an eye.

We had just gotten back to our eggs when in walks another familiar face, Bob Harts wife (sorry, I only know her face, not her name).

Hang on a minute, a possible double food reviewer sighting and from rival papers, this was getting interesting until they choose to sit outside, with Bob arriving less than 5 minutes later.

With our noses back in our respective eggs, nothing more was to be seen until the coincidental toilet dash saw both John and Bob standing side by side. No, paper fights, no harsh words just friendly smiles and hand shakes.

I guess communal good taste, accounts for the witnessing of the similarities, of different food readerships.

Jack

Tagged - 7 Things about me

I'd never been "tagged" before, until last week, when I was tagged twice.
Christie at Pigeon Pair and Duncan at Syrup and Tang have tagged me with quite similar rules to the tag, 7/8 things that "you didn't know about me".
So here goes:

1. When I was recently in France and Spain, for my first time, I didn't enter even one museum, art gallery or church, there was far to much eating to be done, no time for cultural visits. I did go to the Louvre, considered going inside, yet decided to check out the cool bar across the road.

2. I did Year 10 work experience in a kitchen. I had wanted to be a pastry chef, until my career planner at school told me pastry chefs start really early in the morning... well that solved that, cooking wasn't for me! I often think, that I should have trained as a chef, yet would I still love food as much, possibly not, there are a lot of chefs out there that don't love their jobs.

3. I ONLY go to the gym so I can eat whatever I want and often come up with some great work food ideas while pounding away on the crosstrainer.

4. I hate shopping at the supermarket, and would always rather to spend double the time at a market or a great shopping strip where I can go to the butcher, the fishmonger, the fruit and vegie man, the baker and where ever else looks desirable. It often sends PDC crazy that I can 'just look' in a butcher or at a fruit shop, even with no intention of a purchase.

5. Occasionally, I have to shop at a supermarket, due to the hours I work. I love to stand in the long queues and look at what people have in their baskets as they go by. Perhaps it's the food snob in me but I internally giggle at the silly people with the apple pie and the low fat custard, or the people with the old looking 'fresh' vegetables and diet coke.

6. Very few people that actually know me, know about this blog. I don't like to talk about it with restaurant friends, it just gets too politically tricky. Anyway this community have very little knowledge about the world of food blogs, so the ones that have worked it out (my full name is listed on my profile) get full points for savviness when it comes to local blogs.

7. When I worked making food look pretty all day, as a photographic food stylist, I had virtually no appetite, touching, manipulating and thinking about it all day. People would say, wow you must get so hungry doing that work, no way, it's not real food, it's painted, preened and glued in scary ways.

8. Apart from some seasonally long hours, I think I have the best job in the world for me. It's still feels funny being paid as 'the food expert', as my boss likes to say when he can't remember my official title (Menu Concept Designer), but that also brings other stresses like having my lunch scrutinised by the office as they walk past, wondering what the food nerd eats! Feels like I am in the supermarket and the roles are reversed!

Jack

NB So who do I tag in return, ... ?!!?

Percebes (!!??!!)

Weird looking little suckers aren't they!
Before the recent trip to Spain, I was doing some research on Chez Pim and came across an image of these in one of her posts. They instantly went on my must-do food list, along side looking at a broccoli romanesco, eating some northern waters fish (posts to come) and eating as much unpasteurised cheese as possible (hey look, Australian Government, I'm still alive...!)
Any way... After seeing the percebes at the Barcelona food market, La Boqueria and a few other Spanish markets that I dragged PDC through, I knew I had to find them on a menu sometime before we left the country.
Percebes are a Spanish delicacy, also known as a gooseneck barnacle (food nerd, I know!), they grow on rocks on the north-western Spanish coast, and apparently are quite dangerous to harvest.
Up close the percebes are quite scary looking, perhaps like a small clawed leg from a strange bird, with a hard shell at one end and a leathery tube that attaches to the rock.
They are typically steamed or flash boiled (I read a beautiful story that locally the women cook them in boiling water for as long as it takes to say the Lords Prayer).

The correct way to eat them is to squeeze the leather tube right near the shell and then twist, and suck the flesh out. We didn't know this at the time and because we couldn't ask our intimidating waitress, there was no way to find out how to eat them once they were in front of us. So I just dived in, knife in hand and prised open the shell like a oyster and then just torn it apart to get to what I assumed must be flesh of some kind inside. After a few I had developed a technique to suck them out once breaking open the shell.
Since I had insisted on ordering them (at 110€ a kilo! -about $200AUD) I guess PDC decided to sit back and watch me go first with the breaking open and eating. Slightly warm from being cooked, the flesh looks like a soft mushroom with a strange filament thing on top. The taste was quite intriguing, some what like a fresh briny oyster with the texture of a clam or mussel. The overriding memory is of a delicate fresh sea taste and trying not to get the squirty juices all over me.

We shared 300g of these over a bottle of Veuve Clicquot as an entree and found them messingly interesting and perfect with the champagne, but 300g was definately plenty. A fun food adventure that I look forward to eating again next time I'm in that part of the world.
Jack