Lentil and Pancetta Salad

Food Download Part 2

Jamon - Carpaccio style

Roast Lamb Loin with baby rocket, feta and red eschallot.
Jamon - Del Carmen Style

Food Download Part 1

Duck Carpaccio

Double Cooked Omelete with Spec and Crumbed Feta
Pea and Ham Soup
Snapper with leaks and caper butter
Aged Beef Carpaccio

My Favourite Photos

New York at Sunset

A nice photo of New York I took back in December.

Lamb Caprice

Lamb:

• Leg of Lamb
• Turmeric
• Paprika
• Cumin
• Fennel Seeds
• Thyme
• Salt

Caprice Salad:

• Vine Ripened Tomatoes
• Boccaccini
• Basil
• Grated Horseradish
• Salt
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Olive Oil

Wine:
Cleanskin - Western Australia Cabernet Merlot

Music:
Mo' Horizons - Remember Tomorrow

Process:
Step 1 - Stoke your fire and grab a glass of red.
Step 2 - grind spices together, and rub over lamb. Cook lamb at 180degC (1hour per KG).
Step 3 - toss tomatoes, basil and boccaccini onto a plate. Season with grated horseradish, salt, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Step 4 - Pour another glass and enjoy.

Rating:
The fennel seeds and horseradish are essential!!! Everything else is the base flavour. The fennel and horseradish provide that piercing flavour which bolsters the entire meal.

Pasta in Chilli Pesto Coconut Sauce

Tonight's random recipe

• Egg Pasta
• Pesto
• Fried Chilli Flakes in oil (e.g. Ma's Brand)
• Coconut Milk

Cook coconut milk, pesto and chilli in pan. Mix with pasta. I served with a raw egg which when mixed gives a creamier taste.

Score: 3 Chefs

This worked really well, the fried chilli flakes really added to the flavour.

Blue Cheese and Pear Salad

Following the theme of really simple salads, I tossed together this baby with only three ingredients.

For the tastier complex recipe try here

What's in it:
- Baby Rocket Leaves
- Crumbed Blue Cheese
- Canned pears in syrup

Toss it together

Score: 2 Chefs

Prosciutto Salad

This is something I whipped together from the leftover rocket mix that I had last night. It was a great mix of rocket, french shallots, grated horse radish, thyme and lemon zest. I couldn't let something that tasted so good go to waste.

Stuff:

Yellow Grape Tomatoes

Grilled Slices of Prosciutto

Mushrooms

Parmesan

Mix it all together. Done

Verdict: 3 Chefs

Another very simple and tasty meal.

Not f***ing likely

Is Gordon Ramsay opening in Melbourne? At the Windsor? Not according to one of the grand old hotel's owners Adam Garrisson, the property investor behind Fifteen, Melbourne.
A Ramsay friend, Arias' Matt Moran said last week he also thought it unlikely the Scot would open in Melbourne. But a reliable Espresso source says otherwise.
The same source had Fifteen going to MoMo, one of last year's big secrets, two months before Garrisson announced it. And you have to admit, it's a plausible fit. We'll just have to wait and see.

[Source: Epicure]


Saw this on Epicure today. What I find amazing is that I'm designing a resturant at the Windsor and it is in the same league as Fifteen. Looks like I'll be the last to know.

If your wondering this is what it looks like at the moment. It's been empty since the seventies.

Caparccio

What you need:

• Extra Extra Lean Eye Fillet Steak
• Baby Rocket
• Sliced Parmesan
• Fresh Horseradish
• Fresh Lemon Zest
• French Shallots
• Fresh Thyme

Sundries:

• Early Harvest Virgin Olive Oil (because I love the stuff. Even use it for cooking which is completely unnecessary)
• Flake Salt (Murray River if you have it)

Rub eye fillet in salt, chopped thyme and oil. Sear in a hot pan on each side (until it just starts to brown). Remove from heat and let it sit for several minutes. Slice thinly and arrange on plate.

Mix chopped shallots, some thyme, rocket, lemon zest and grated horse radish in a bowl. Add oil and toss. Add to plate of slice eye fillet and sprinkle with oil and Parmesan.

Verdict: 3 Chefs

For a gourmet recipe this is really quick and easy. I give it three chefs mainly because I prefer my alternative which is a much more complex recipe of wasabi and sake marinated caparccio in a Parmesan tower.

Prada Party - Valencia Markets

'Last month the label hosted one of the parties of the year in the city of Valencia in Spain to celebrate the America’s Cup. As principal sponsors of one of the participating yachts, Luna Rossa, Prada spared no expense at its lavish VIP do held at the Central Market which is normally home to a buzzing produce market.'

And how the market looks on a typocal day. When I was there in October.


[via Coolhunter]

Smoked Mackerel Salad

Ingredients:
Smoked Mackerel Fillets
Snow Pea Leaves
Schallots
Mushrooms

Sundries:
Goats Curd
Olive Oil
White Wine Vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Method:
Finely chopped schallots and mixed with sundries. Mixed main ingredients with dressing. Ensure the skin is removed from the mackerel fillets.

Score: 4 Star
The only thing I can think of trying here is some crispy baked potatoes. I think it would work well with the flavour of the mackerel.

Melbourne Podtours

This is a great idea from Your ABC. Hosted by Stephanie Alexander the gourmet food and history tour leads you from Federation Square to the Victoria Markets via some of Melbourne's eateries.

According to the website highlights include:

• The story of Australian food icons, like Vegemite, the Freddo Frog, and the Dim Sim, which were all invented in Melbourne.
• The site where the Prince Alfred caused Melbourne’s biggest food-fight involving 100,000 Melburnians.
• Rollicking yarns about Melbourne's famous pubs and vineyards.
• Stephanie Alexander’s advice on how to select a good cheese or cut of meat.

I find the Dim Sim claim interesting.

Podtours

American Shampoo = Aussie Food?

Aussie Hair

I found this advert today which has me a little puzzled.

They compare Australian food to British Food for the sake of selling shampoo.

Places I've Been (only 18 Countries and 8% of the world)

To help achieve my goal of visiting every country on earth I've broadened my blog to also cover my travel planing. But don't worry. A very important part of this is finding great places to eat.

Kanchanaburi, Thailand

I went to Thailand a couple of years a ago with some mates. As an Australian it is almost essential to visit Kanchanaburi, a place that is synonymous with Australian World War Two history for the Burma railway and the Bridge over the river Kwai.

My floating hotel room in the River Kwai. Probably the most idyllic place I stayed in Thailand. The place was actually owned by a Burmese couple who were more than happy to spend the days cooking extraordinary Burmese dishes for us.

Tiger Temple
Outside of the town a group of Buddhist monks take in domesticated tigers that are no longer wanted by there owners. Apparently it is a sign of prestige for rich people in Bangkok to have their own tiger.

If you are the last in the temple at night you my be lucky enough to walk the tigers back to the cages. :) That's me in the background and my friend Fluro in the foreground.

Sai Yok Noi waterfalls

Death Railway

Bridge Over River Kwai - By Train

Sunset on the River Kwai

Duck and Snow Pea Leaf Salad

Ingredients:

• Snow Pea Leaves
• Half and Roast Duck (I just happen to have a Chinese restaurant outside my door :-)
• Coriander
• Chives
• Mint

Sundries:

• Fish Sauce
• White Vinegar
• Palm Sugar
• Chili Flakes
• Ginger

Chop duck, snow pea leaves and herbs place in bowl. Mix sundries into a sauce. Mix and serve.

Rating: 3 Star
Good, but not the complex flavours for which I was hoping. This may be helped with the addition of lime zest.

Downgrade

Well the 'upgrade' to blogger 2.0 hasn't gone too well. I've lost all my graphics and the new XML template is really difficult for a novice like me to edit.

So I've taken the opportunity to re brand and open the blog up a bit. I'm still going to be selfish and write this for my own benefit, but will now cover travel planing and experiences as well.

Pear and Blue Cheese Salad

Ingredients:

• Rocket
• Pears
• Blue Cheese
• Walnuts
• Shallots
• Garlic
  

Sundries:

• Dijon Mustard
• Olive Oil

Process:
Coarsely chop pears, blue cheese, shallots, walnuts and garlic. I cheated and did this with the pulse mode on my food processor.
Mix Rocket, the above mix and sundries in bowl and serve.

Rating: