MoVida Next Door - the making of my October Dish of the Month

You may remember my Dish of the Month from October, a crumbed Spanish anchovy on a disc of impeccable fresh curd from MoVida Next Door.

Even after writing about it late last year, I couldn't stop thinking about making the cheese myself, it sounded so easy but I knew, as it is with things like this, it's all in the technique.
If I was going to be able to make it I'd need a good mentor and I knew just the people.

So as the perfect excuse, I called the incredibly hospitable people at MND and asked if they would show me, and how nice are they... they agreed, in fact Michael and Dave were charming.
This video is a joint project between myself and the passionate people at I eat I drink I work, of whom I've know since I was a featured blogger last year.

I had so much fun planning and filming this, I hope to do some more in the future.

I hope you find this as inspiring as I do...,

...oh and a little disclaimer, my sincerest apologies to the people of Spain and all Spanish speakers around the world... my pronunciation of the dish even makes me wince!

Legumes for Spring

This year, after a bummer crop of selected goodies last year, my small garden is planted with quite a potential banquet of fruit and vegetables.
This image shows the beginnings of my sugar snap peas, planted straight into the dirt, I also have some baby heirloom tomatoes, cavolo nero and silverbeet in punnets still getting enough strength for replanting. I shot these from seeds purchased from Diggers, a great site for those keen to grow varieties that your local garden shop has never heard of.
In anticipation of a successful harvest of sugar snaps, I recently cooked with some beautiful in season fresh borlotti beans. You can have a look at them and my recipe here.
Bring on the warmer days and I'll have more beans than I can handle; if only I can keep the pesky possums away.
The water pistol seems to be working...!! ;)

The smell of Spring

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with the smell of Spring; namely one of my favourite parts of it, asparagus.
In the hospitality industry we have certain special understandings of human nature, and when nature calls, and Spring is a time of dread.
I LOVE asparagus and could eat them every day when they are in season but in a restaurant when a special features them in abundance, no body wants to do the necessary toilet checks during the night - asparagus makes urine reek - and put that in a small environment, on a busy night with lots of asparagus loving customers... well I'll definitely be very busy when the toilet check needs to be done.

Apparently, this phenomenon happens very quickly, within half an hour of ingestion, so asparagus entrees are the most deadly. Google tells me that only some people can smell these special aromas, unfortunately for me I am one of these people with a talented nose.

So eat up and enjoy, but avoid restaurant toilets in Spring. Perhaps you would like to cook some at home?

An addiction

Hacked open with the tiny blade from a wine knife, the treasures inside are addictive and cheap.

About 50c AUD for eight locally grown panama passionfruit in Dalat, Vietnam.

I ate them like mad before holidays as well, and combined them to make an exotic twist to My Mums Impossible Pie.

It really is quite impossible... how easy it is.

The ultimate diet food

Oysters.

Yes that's right; virtually no fat and low in energy (less time on the treadmill!) and with more zinc than any other food and more iron than red meat.


They also have heaps of vitamins and minerals and gram for gram are better for you than white flesh fish.

Oysters can seem somewhat celebratory in nature, but don't wait, crack a few (dozen) open now as they are gorgeous at the moment.

Have a look inside?

40% les fat then butter - Brie!

Got a taste for Brie? You know, the yummy fancy imported ones?

Then check this out.

This is Fromagerie 31 in Paris, my favourite cheese shop, possibly in the whole wide world. I can just smell and taste it from here...

A bit 'left', organic rolled oats

I've become a little more 'green' or 'left' orientated lately.

I intended to buy my usual Uncle Tobies traditional rolled oats at the supermarket (not Safeway, the other one) but I saw these on the top, difficult to reach shelf, and decided that I should buy them instead.

Makes a rich, risotto style porridge that with careful stirring teases out the sticky love from the oats and becomes nutty and stodgy. Great for a winter, warm-me and fill-me brekkie.

I had mine with gorgeous poached quince. Need a recipe?

Fancy a Feijoa?

What about a feijoa, lime zest and palm sugar jam?

I eat, I drink, I work - I do all of that...

Anybody, that has even glanced this page before knows that I am passionate about all of these things, some times the order can get out of whack, but hey that's life!
So it's with pleasure that I let you know that I am a featured blogger on the new hospitality web site

www.ieatidrinkiwork.com.au

The site features interesting bits from other bloggers like me and what will become a hospitality jobs listing site, no more waiting for Tuesday to find out; who wants, what where - if you get my drift... if not just have a look for yourself.
Happy readings