Guys, I did it.
I survived Taste of Melbourne 2010.
My shoulders are sore, my feet are aching, and I spent far more money than I expected, but to be honest, I’d repeat the experience in a heartbeat if I could!
After arranging to meet quite a few friends there, my date for the evening and I got there at a quarter past five to a crowd which had gathered in hungry anticipation to see what the event had in store for them, and the wait seemed like forever to get in, but soon the beautiful big doors of the Royal Exhibition Building opened and the herd eagerly pushed its way inside and scattered amongst the many many sights to see and things to taste.
Our first stop was at the Gourmet Traveller stall to pick up our complimentary copy of the August magazines, then we zipped over to the Green & Blacks stall to witness the chocolate fountain and say thank you for all the tickets they provided to my readers so that I could invite them to experience the event for themselves!
While we were there, we tried a number of lovely treats, but the standout was absolutely the chocolate chip cookies made with Green & Blacks butterscotch chocolate bars.
My friend (who is not a huge fan of sweets and definitely not much of a chocolate fan) grabbed two cookies, popped one in her mouth then her eyes doubled in size as she shoved the second one towards me and demanded that I “shove that in your gob!”
Ahmigawd.
Let’s just say that I’ve sourced the recipe and it will be featured on the blog very very soon. It’s actually from the currently being developed Green & Blacks recipe book, but more on that later this year…
For now, let’s continue on with more delicious foods from Taste of Melbourne.
We wandered past the many wine stalls (alas, we were both driving and therefore were having a sober night) and our next stop was at Yarra Valley Dairy who were exhibiting a fabulous selection of their goats cheeses.
As we both adore our cheese, we plonked ourselves front and centre and proceeded to taste every single one. As soon as I was done with the tasting, I grabbed my wallet from my bag and purchased some of the Gentle Goat and Cardi marinated goats cheese without a second thought – and in fact, I’m fairly sure that they will not live to see through the weekend as I’ve already got plans for them!
We then made a beeline for Stokehouse Restaurant, as Wot’s For Tea had recommended their wagyu beef cigars, and I was very eager to give them a try.
Wagyu beef cigars, artichoke tapenade and horseradish
Verdict? The best way to describe them would be to say that my friend and I both sat in our chairs, experiencing intense foodgasms as we savoured every mouthful of this splendid dish. This is one that I highly recommend to every omnivore attending the event as it is just sensational!
Jess from That Jess Ho then called me over and shoved a plate of scallops in my face, ‘encouraging’ me (let’s try ‘demanding’) to try them. Jess, I will love you forever for this because they were absolutely gorgeous, and I already regret not having them with the perfectly crispy lardo that they came with!
Seared Atlantic scallops, lardo, breadcrumbs, gazpacho dressing
After this was the slow braised pork cheek and the schiaciatta from Mezzo Bar & Grill, both extremely generous portions and very well cooked – we adored both offerings though we found them quite filling and wondered about how much stomach space we could conserve for other dishes that we were yet to try!
Schiaciatta (Sicilian pastie) with beef, corn, chilli and oregano
Organic slow braised pork cheek, white polenta, raisins and marsala sauce
At this point we found ourselves rather thirsty, so decided to pop upstairs to Longrain Bar where a fantastic selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails were to be found – we tried the Ping Pong, Calmin’ Miranda and Mojito, and each one was fantastic. Not only that, but the showmanship of the bartenders meant that the considerable wait to get these drinks was not lost as they put on quite a show while mixing each drink!
Virgin Calmin’ Miranda – mandarin, apple, cranberry and pink grapefruit juice (with some added passionfruit pulp)
Virgin Ping Pong – lychees, passionfruit and fresh lime
Unfortunately we had both had rather late lunches and weren’t particularly hungry, so we decided to make our final dishes special and chose our stand out favourites. Bec went for the Baby Chorizo from Comida Bebe, while I decided to go with the smoked duck, apple & walnut rillettes from Libertine & Le Traiteur.
Baby Chorizo – glazed in cider, served on a skewer with candied and fresh apple and topped with an apple toffee sauce.
Smoked duck, apple & walnut rillettes – shredded duck confit en croute
At this stage, we were pretty damn full and decided to retire to some couches to chat and digest with our second Longrain mocktails for the evening while perusing the many other dishes on offer that we didn’t think we’d be able to try due to our rather full bellies. However, when my eyes settled upon the pistachio panna cotta offering from Sarti, I knew I had to give it a try.
The look on my face as I took my first bite into it caused my friend to burst into laughter…not that I was paying attention since I was so intensely focused on the beautiful texture and wonderful pistachio flavour in the panna cotta!
Pistachio panna cotta with caramel salted popcorn
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed each and every dish and though I spent far more than I anticipated, I don’t regret a single dollar as I thought every dish and purchase there was totally worthwhile!
However, if you’re planning to attend the event this weekend, these are my tips on how to survive it!
- If you are driving, then park close by (the Melbourne Museum next door has very handy undercover parking). The reason for this is that there’s no room for trolleys, and carrying armfuls of goods gets very tiring very quickly!
- The restaurants and displays are split over two floors and each has got a LOT to see and sample. Pick a floor and take your time winding all the way around it, then try the second one. If you go backwards and forwards continuously, you may find yourself getting lost and losing track (and time!)
- LOOK AT THE MENU! There is so many dishes on offer that if you don’t go there with some game plan in place, you could lose a lot of time deciding what to get! The full menu of dishes on offer from each restaurant can be downloaded from the Taste of Melbourne website, so I highly recommend that you do this before attending.
- If you’re working with a budget then be firm and stick to it, otherwise be prepared to spend quite a bit of money. The crowns aren’t a problem so much as the actual produce itself – I spent almost $100 on wine and cheese alone, which I certainly hadn’t intended on doing but once I tried the samples I wasn’t able to stop myself!
- Attend the event with a friend or two – some serves are large (well, larger), some are small, but the more friends you take, the more dishes you can split and ultimately this means the more dishes you can try!
While I enjoyed the event, I do think that it’s tailored more towards the mid range consumer who doesn’t eat out a great deal or has not tried these restaurants as it gives them a chance to experience their food and see if it’s too their liking and may encourage them to go to the actual restaurant in the future. I can safely say that I’m already planning on going to dinner to a few of these establishments since their tasters at this event impressed me so much!
Thanks goes to SBS_Food for providing my entry ticket and some crowns to get me started, as well as Green & Blacks for arranging the free entry tickets for the lucky winners of my random draw!
fff
I love my lemons.
Think about it – they’re so incredibly versatile that it’s almost a little bit suspicious.
Need to add a fresh ‘zing’ to your fish, potatoes or salad? Just squeeze over some fresh lemon juice.
Wanna stop your cut apple from going icky and brown? Rub the surface with a little fresh lemon.
Have a bit of a stinky issue in your refrigerator from someone forgetting that they’ve left a few whiting in there to ‘defrost overnight’ for three nights in a row? Throw some lemon in there (it works rather well with smells caused by other sources too)
Getting a tickle in your throat from an oncoming cold or yelling too much at the most recent football match (whether that be AFL OR soccer)? Dump a slice of fresh lemon in a cup of boiling water and let it work its magic.
Suffering from dandruff/acne/eczema/blackheads/freckles or wrinkles? Put some lemon on it! (Actually, please don’t – while lemon is fantastic, I’m not sure that rubbing a fresh lemon slice on dandruff is quite the best way to go about getting rid of it. I don’t endorse any of these beauty uses for lemon, but hey, if you’re that bored then I guess I can’t stop you…)
In fact, I love lemons so much that often my problem is not trying to use them all before they get manky, but rather HOW do I use them all and which of my favourite lemon recipes will grace my kitchen while others have to wait for another day.
Did I mention how much I love lemons?
One easy standby lemon recipe is lemon curd.
This, my friends, is some good shit.
You can keep eat it by the spoonful, it is DIVINE on a buttered bagel (trust me on this), you can use it to fill cakes and cupcakes and even sandwich butter cookies. It’s sweet and tart and sour and carries a massive lemon punch and is just one of those things that your fridge is probably a better place with than without.
Best of all? It takes nothing but lemon, sugar and eggs. Gluten-free and nut-free and the perfect thing for dessert time if you’re dealing with allergies 
Well, so long as you love lemon. But let’s be honest – what’s not to love?
Lemon Curd
Ingredients
3 lemons
200g caster sugar
3 large organic eggs
120g unsalted butter, diced
1. Zest the lemons, then juice them (leaving out all the pips and bits) and combine with the zest.
2. Lightly beat together the eggs then run through a fine sieve. This is necessary to make sure the curd cooks evenly and reduces the chances of getting big chunks of egg in your curd as it cooks.
3. Combine the strained egg with the lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar in a large heat-proof bowl. Prepare a separate bowl with iced water and set aside.
4. Bring a pot of water to a low simmer, then place the bowl with the lemon mixture on top and stir continuously till it thickens considerably and coats the sides of the bowl and the back of the spoon. This should take about 20-30 minutes.
5. As soon the curd is cooked, remove it from on top of the pot and place it on top of the iced water while stirring continuously for another 5-10 minutes. Add the butter, once piece at a time and stir vigorously till it is all incorporated.
6. Store in a clean, airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the fridge and enjoy however you’d like!
As wonderful as lemon curd is, you know there is something that (to me) is just a step better!
LEMON CREAM.
Lemon cream is simply a combination of lemon curd and cream in a ratio of 1:3, whipped together till it stiffens up and takes on a lovely pale color like in the above picture.
I find that the cream doesn’t detract from the lemony flavour at all, oh no. In fact, what it does is that it retains the sparkling citrus punch but carries it in a better texture – one that is airy and smooth, almost like a creamy mousse.
And this, my friends, is the ultimate lemon filling.
The texture is too good to be described. Lemon curd is pretty smooth and silky, but there is some sticky and gooeyness to it that is hard for some people to get past. Once it’s combined with cream, it just becomes this light-as-air mixture that dissipates on the tongue and melts into nothing but the essensce of lemon.
And by now, we all agree that this is a good thing.
Right?
Right.
These lemon tartelettes are something that can be prepared in advance for quick and easy assembly just before being served, but can also be made 2 to 3 days in advance and just stored in the fridge in an airtight container. Though, as a responsible food blogger, I probably should warn you that the inherent danger in taking the latter path is that you may find yourself sneaking a tartlette whenever you walk past the fridge. Or two. Or three.
Not that I succumb to this at all.
Of course not.
Shut up, thighs.
Cute Lemon Tartelettes
Crust
120g unsalted butter
1/4 cup caster sugar
Pinch of salt
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose/plain flour
Filling
1/3 cup lemon curd
2/3 cup thickened or double cream
Decoration suggestions
Fresh berries
Chopped roasted nuts (pistachios are a favourite)
Candied lemon zest
1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C, then place all the ingredients for the crust into a food processor and blitz till just combined. If doing this by hand, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt and set aside. Beat together the butter and vanilla, then combine with the flour mixture.
2. Lightly butter and flour your tart cases (silicone mini muffin trays are GREAT for making tiny little tartelettes!), then press the pastry into each case in a thin, uniform layer. This is a veeeeery crumbly shortcrust so don’t even think about rolling it out and laying it into pastry cases the traditional wait.
3. Using rice / beans / pastry weights, blind bake your pastry for approx 30 minutes, or till golden (the time will differ according to the size of the pastry so it’s a good idea to check it every 10 minutes.
4. While the pastry is baking, whip together the lemon curd and cream till the mixture has approximately tripled in size and is fluffy and very pale yellow. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent the surface from drying out, then store in the fridge.
5. Once the pastry is cooked, remove to a wire rack and cool completely. The pastry cases can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week without being filled. Or, once they’ve cooled down, you can fill them with the lemon cream and decorations of choice and serve immediately!
Other lemon recipes you might be interested in:
Okay, the random number generator has done it’s magic and the following people have tickets to Taste of Melbourne on either Thursday or Friday night, as well as a selection of Green & Black’s chocolate!
2. wotsfortea
3. Penny
4. Rory Hart
5. Green Chick
6. indigohalo
7. philipthiel
8. lilykaufman
The emails have gone out so if you’re one of the winners, PLEASE send me your postal address ASAP and no later than midday tomorrow so we can make sure the tickets get to you in time
Aaaaand so this post isn’t completely without visuals, here’s a random picture of Mr Woofy checkin’ out some bubbles!
To all my Melbourne-based readers – I’ve got a very last minute giveaway for you! I have 8 tickets to giveaway to the Taste of Melbourne event next week, valid for entry on Thursday and Friday night – and each ticket comes with a small selection of chocolates from Green & Blacks!
To enter, leave a comment on this post as well sending out the following tweet: “I’ve entered the last minute #TasteOfMelbourne draw @Kitchenwench – http://bit.ly/ak47Fr”
This is literally last minute, with the random draw being done on Monday night! So if you haven’t got plans for next Thursday or Friday and would like a chance to sample dishes from some of Melbourne’s best restaurants, you know what to do
I don’t consider myself to be a particularly envious person, I really don’t. I don’t feel the need to keep up with the Joneses, don’t need every new kitchen gadget that appears on the glossy pages of the brochures in my mailbox, and am pretty much at ease with letting the latest fashions and trends pass me by.
There’s only one thing that causes me to have actual pangs of agony from the deep, deep desire in me to have it all.
Seasonal fruit.
In summer, I roll gleefully in the season’s bounty – mountains of mangoes, piles of peaches, walls of watermelon, baskets of berries…eeeeeh, you get the drift. However, despite the bevvy of goodness, there is a part of me inside which whimpers for crisp autumn apples, pale yellow quinces and ruby red rhubarb.
Of course, I indulge and appreciate summer fruit when it’s here, but in that first month of autumn when the changing of seasons is followed by the change of seasonal stock, my overwhelming glee is pretty clear as I bounce and skip my way through the aisles at the local markets and independent grocers.
And then, rather predictably, the moment passes, and I’m buried up to my eyeballs in apples, reading food blogs from across the equator and jealously eyeballing their recipes for blueberry pies, mango tortes and watermelon sorbet.
It’s okay though, the berries will be here soon enough. In the meantime, I’ll keep myself focused on using up the sacks of apples we bring home from the local orchard, in dishes such as these apple & cinnamon pancakes!
Apple & Cinnamon Pancakes
Ingredients
4 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 cup self-raising flour
3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp bicarb soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 pink lady apples (or sub any other tart cooking apple), peeled, cored and quartered
Ingredients (when using gluten free pancake mixture)
1 pack Vitarium Gluten-Free pancake mix
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 pink lady apples (or sub any other tart cooking apple), peeled, cored and quartered
Whipped cream, fresh fruit and maple syrup, to serve
1. Whisk together all the ingredients except for the apple, till you have a smooth batter. Take each apple quarter and slice lengthwise into slices no thicker than about 2-3mm (you want to be very careful here, do not sacrifice a finger for the sake of thin apple slices!)
2. Heat up some butter or olive oil in a cast iron griddle or frying pan (a non-stick frypan will suffice) over a low-medium flame, then place 1/2 cup pancake batter on the heated pan and decorate with apple slices to form a flower shape. Once the bottom has cooked and is golden brown, carefully flip over to the apple side (try not to dislodge any of the apple slices) and fry till the apple is cooked and golden brown with caramelization.
These pancakes are very fluffy and taste very much like an apple and cinnamon teacake, except in pancake form. This being the case, they are absolutely best if served with some cream or ice cream! Don’t be mean with the maple syrup either – sure, the pancakes are pretty sweet as is, but it really helps to make this a pretty special breakfast dish
[tags]Apples, Autumn, Pancakes[/tags]
