Good food right here

This week is a big one for the restaurant world in Australia with the announcement of the Gourmet Traveller top 100 and awards. I can't help but be interested as an outside viewer, a consumer with a keen interest in good food. A Tasmanian chef, Luke Burgess, won best new talent, and I'm sure this will certainly cement his restaurant Garagistes on the culinary map of not only Tasmania but that big island we are sometimes included in.

I haven't yet tried to visit Garagistes. The concept is certainly intriguing. But I'm worried now it will be near impossible to get anywhere near it!

It has had me thinking about the revolution in food in Tasmania. The bar has been lifted by keen chefs, bakers and producers. Take bread, it wasn't that long ago when our only option for good bread was Jackman & McRoss in Battery Point. Now we have such a wide variety of may I say damn good bread that Rob and I take some time to decide where we'd like to buy a loaf. We can have the Companion Bakery country batard, Sweet Envy's potato bread, Red Velvet Lounge rye, Summer Kitchen sprouted rye, or Pigeon Hole's sourdough, and that was just this week! Just joking, although we are eating a lot more bread than we ever used to.

Rob and I popped in for a quick mid-week lunch at Pigeon Hole, mainly because my friend Pauline has been working in the kitchen a few days week recently and I wanted to see her in action. We work together in our real life at uni, but I think I can safely say that most of our days are spent thinking about food, cooking, baking and mentally composing blog posts about it. She looked content, and perfectly at home there. Whilst eating my eggs baked with cheese, onions, spinach and jamon and Rob ate his jamon on bread, I said outloud, how lucky are we now to have a cafe like this in little ol' Hobart. We often linger 10 years behind the mainland, but the food was excellent and I didn't have to travel to eat it.

Not only Pigeon Hole, but Tricycle, Sweet Envy, even the perennial favourite Jackman & McRoss, we now have so many options for a quick meal during the week. I did then have a slight moment of panic- what if we regress in Tasmania- could that happen? Rob thought not, we always appear to go forward.

Things are exciting here in Tasmania at the moment, new food shops like Bottega Rotolo complement our old favourite haunts like the Italian Pantry and the Wursthaus. I am yet to get out to an Agrarian Kitchen cooking class but have heard nothing but good things from those who have been. I love the change at the Salamanca markets, more local produce, free-range eggs, cheese, and of course our favourite sweet treats from the C and C cupcake factory. Producers of well treated animals such as Mt Gnomon farm. Regional cafes and restaurants mean that you don't have to stick to Hobart to eat good, honest food.

We bookended our week with the Pig Day Out at what I like to call (now) our local, Red Velvet Lounge. Steve's food is a constant delight to us, and last night was great fun. A wood-roasted pig, local cider, beautiful smoked salmon and an apple pie with such crispy pastry I forced myself to finish up even though I probably shouldn't have. Such bloody good food highlighting the quality of the produce, shared with 68 other people who appreciated it as much as us, rustically shared with others at the table in such a generous way. No phaffy pretentious food here!

I am so excited that good food is right here, in Tasmania, my home, and I look forward to it only getting better.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A crazy busy week

Thank goodness for an extra hour of sleep (end of daylight savings) last night, after this week I needed it. Last weekend Rob was on a field trip with his university students, so I had a weekend to look after the dogs. My sister had flown in from Sydney for a few days before heading back home to the UK. So there were a few family dinners (I seemed to spend the entire weekend peeling potatoes). I did bake an experimental cake. I had bought a bag of limes that were just going to sit and grow mould if I didn't do something with them. So I made lime curd. I baked a couple of coconut cakes and sandwiched them together with the curd. Next I made a Nigella italian meringue frosting, a little exciting but manageable (egg whites, sugar, golden syrup over a double boiler), thank goodness for electric whisks! Verdict was pretty favourable. It certainly looked the part. Rob came home Sunday night and we rushed to have a look at the hut (not much had happened during the week) Rob spent a few lonely days coating the boards in a preservative but the builders weren't really there. I'm afraid I am quite an organised traveller, I always write a list, and tick off things as I put them in my bag. Normally I am laughed at for this behaviour. I even put out the clothes to wear the next morning. I had picked the horrible 6am flight to Melbourne, which means being at the airport at 5.30am. So I set the alarm, booked a taxi and fell asleep. The next morning I woke to my work mobile phone ringing. Gosh I thought that's wierd. The phone call was the taxi company, wondering if I still wanted the taxi waiting at the front gate?! After a few exclamations of oh my gosh, I quickly put my contact lenses in, dressed, threw the last few things in my suitcase and was in the taxi in 5 minutes. I swear I wasn't awake til I got to Melbourne. I collected my suitcase and tried to make myself presentable in the airport bathroom. But wasn't really looking forward to a whole day at the conference without having had a shower! Luckily on arrival at my hotel my room was ready (I had even been upgraded to a spa room) so I felt far more human once I'd showered. The conference didn't start til quite late so I visited a favourite shop. Cake deco (in a little arcade opposite Flinders St station) they have so much stuff in there. Cupcake cases, icing colours, biscuit cutters, books. It's quite overwhelming. But I got a few things I needed for making "hut" biscuits, and couldn't resist a tea pot cookie cutter. A quick coffee stop at Degraves and then I hopped on a tram to head up to Carlton for the conference. The conference food was as normal quite ordinary. A few of us decided to head out to dinner together. I should've heard the warning bells when they both admitted to eating baked beans in their hotel rooms the night before (rather than dining out). We wandered around china town (although one of the group was keen on Thai), even sat down in the Hairy canary, but ended up in a little Thai place. It could have been worse and the company was excellent but it wasn't a good use of an evening meal in Melbourne! I was quite tired though so didn't mind heading back to my room by 8pm. Next morning, I was up and wandering up Bourke St to Spring St for breakfast at the European, I'd read online they serve the best eggs benedict. It was a cute little place, a long narrow room with dark panelled walls. The eggs were certainly very good and the two coffees woke me up. Off to the conference. The lunch breaks were very long, (and the food was certainly not worth lingering over overcooked chicken drumsticks or an unidentifiable white fish), so I headed for a walk along Lygon street, eating a gelato as I window shopped. At the end of the day I squeezed in a little shopping before deciding to try my luck at Movida. One of our favourite places (although I ususally book weeks in advance). Being 8pm I thought I'd give it a go. Sadly the main restaurant was busy, but they directed to me to their little sister, Movida next door, and I was seated at the bar in a few minutes. Perfect for the lone diner. After ordering a glass of El coto (Spanish red of course) I tried to narrow down what I'd like to try from the menu. I settled on a white anchovy on tomato, some Queso cheese, a potato bomba, flathead wrapped in jamon and mussels, and I hate to confess confit pork belly. That's right I put the body on the line to try as many different plates as I could! I waddled out into the warm Melbourne evening, satisfied and headed back to the hotel. I made the most of last remaing meal in Melbourne and headed to Earl Canteen for breakfast. Ok but I think I'd like to head back at lunch for the famous pork belly sandwich! Rob and the builders have been busy at the hut, the timber overlay flooring has been stuck down in the living room, Rob has coated most of the boards and, finally the blue is starting to disappear, slowly replaced by vertical celery top boards. It looks just how we imagined. All going well we should have a timberclad hut by the end of this week. It was nice to have a weekend together again, we spent time at the block (coating more boards) and drinking tea in the living room yesterday. Then today we've been to the market for vegetables, bread and treats and a chat with Jo and Michelle from C & C cupcake factory. Couldn't resist some hot cross buns as well from Jackman & McRoss. Rob has some quince jelly bubbling on the stove top.Time for tea I think. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Birthday week

My favourite breakfast at the moment, Companion Bakery sourdough with Reed avocados and little cherry tomatoes. The tomatoes look like rubies.

Claudia helping us make our bed! She is definitely a snuggle pup.

I was quite spoilt on my birthday, we went out for lunch and dinner. This is the beautiful Sushi platter and grilled eel sushi we enjoyed at Orizuru in Hobart for dinner. My family and friends spoilt me with lovely gifts, and we had a bit of a shopping trip yesterday to buy new gym gear- surely it makes me more believable in the weights class?!

The builders are back at the hut after their Christmas break. Framing windows and setting up all the electrical wires. It looks very confusing, but it means we're one step closer to a finished hut.

Finally the dogs have been enjoying the return of summer weather with our daily beach trips. They run and splash, chase sticks and each other. Very funny indeed. When it came time to leave the other day and I pulled out the lead, Claudia deliberately walked just out of reach into the water and sat. She wasn't quite done yet thank you very much!

I'm going to make the most of our last few days of holidays, with maybe a few more birthday celebrations thrown in. My birthday treat to myself is to take Rob down to Cygnet to have dinner at Red Velvet Lounge tomorrow. I've been looking forward to that all month!

A trip to the big smoke

A month ago I booked myself in to a professional development course in Melbourne. This was before we got ourselves a puppy! So it was with a slightly heavy heart I farewelled Rob, Nigella and Claudia at the airport last Sunday.

Despite this, as I drove into Melbourne in a taxi, I felt excited and glad to be back. I like Melbourne, in short bursts of course. I find Sydney a bit showy and besides a picturesque harbor is not such a novelty to someone who has grown up in Hobart. I’ve been to Melbourne frequently and love the restaurants, laneways and shops. We have our favourite haunts. But as I was heading there on my own for work, I had deliberately decided to try some new experiences. Stupidly I forgot to take a camera.

First off, I’d picked a hotel right in the city centre. Usually Rob and I choose to stay in Richmond. Hotel Causeway is a small hotel in one of the laneways off Little Collins Street. I dumped my suitcases and headed to Flinders Street station. The novelty factor of the large shopping centre called, that and the fact I’d realised I hadn’t bought any Christmas presents yet! But I was completely overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle. I did find a few shops that we don’t have in Tasmania and ticked off a few people on my list. I also hit IKEA and that was a lot of fun! Getting it all back to the hotel on the tram was awkward though.

I had done a little prior research on restaurants, I went through the Gourmet Traveller book and picked out a few places that were new or we hadn’t tried before. Armed with this list, I’d pick one and try my luck, as I had no reservations. Even though I dined alone, I didn’t mind, I could concentrate on the food that way. So I tried the following places:

Coda: After a hard day shopping, a glass of burgundy and a few small dishes at the bar hit the spot. I have a soft spot for sang choy bao, so I tried the Quail lettuce delight, with lup cheong, shitake mushroom, coriander and water chestnuts, quite delicious. Next was a smoked trout fritter and paprika aioli, suitably moreish, before a crispy herb crumbed lamb cutlet with lemon and some steamed broccolini.

Rockpool: I’d heard about the wagyu burger, and wanted to try it out. After a brisk walk over to the Crown complex, I walked down the dimly lit wood lined corridor to reception. They let me know it would be half an hour before I could have a table, but I was happy to sit at the bar with a beer and read through the extensive and impressive (but totally out of my budget) wine list. Once seated I ordered a calamari entrée and the burger. The fried calamari was tender and came with a Romesco sauce. The Burger was as impressive as it sounded, piled up high on the plate, a soft bun, a thick juicy burger with bacon, gruyere cheese and pickle. It was worth the wait.

Cumulus Inc: I had braved the breakfast at the hotel on the first day, it was bad. Packet cereal, white shop toast and the worst coffee I have drunk in awhile. It seemed criminal to keep eating there (especially as it was an internal room with the worst music in history playing a little too loudly) so I headed out for breakfast on my second morning. I walked up the swanky Collins Street, with all of the beautiful shop fronts (at 6.45am it didn’t matter that I couldn’t afford to go in them!) and then walked over to Flinders Lane to find Cumulus Inc. By now I seriously needed coffee, the first latte disappeared quickly and gave me a chance to check out the place. Light and airy with a long bar overlooking the kitchen. Deciding to be virtuous I chose Bircher muesli and orange juice, and a 2nd coffee. Worth the walk, I laughed when I spied Miellerie honey for sale at the counter. I told them (quite proudly) that it’s the best honey!

MoVida Aqui: After a big day at the course I wandered in the humid evening over to the bigger but younger sister of MoVida. Overlooking a terrace to the dome of the Supreme Court it was buzzing on a Tuesday night. I got a spot at the bar, and deciding to be appropriately flippant in my choice of drink, a glass of sangria (Rob via text did warn me not to drink too many!) Over some olives I chose a couple of tapas and a main. It would have been better to be there with at least someone else to try paella, but I soldiered on alone. The Cantabrian anchovy on crouton with smoked tomato sorbet was delicious and gone in a flash, followed closely by a fresh baby sardine. Next up was the main of slow-roasted lamb with a dark sauce. It was so tender and I had plenty of bread to soak up the sauce with. I really didn’t need them, but I couldn’t resist the Churros with hot chocolate. Damn. They were good. Crispy fried but soft inside, perfect for dipping into the molten chocolate. It felt wicked, but I didn’t care. I walked slowly back to the hotel to lie down for awhile!

Grossi Florentino: Undaunted by the previous night’s excess, I was determined to make the most of my meal times on the final day. I slipped into the little Cellar Bar on the side of the main Grossi restaurant. Greeted by the two waiters with a very enthusiastic “Buongiorno” (especially pre-coffee and at such an early hour), I settled into a table by the window overlooking the pavement. I quickly ordered my first coffee to get the brain working. I decided on slow cooked poached eggs, smoked salmon, hollandaise, on a homemade muffin. It was a most civilised breakfast, with classical music playing in the background, and two very formally attired waiters bustling around ensuring all the customers were happy. It tasted as good as it sounds, and truthfully my choice was all about the sauce! I love hollandaise.

Café Vue: On a rushed walk from the final session of a course to a meeting on the other side of the CBD I dropped into Café Vue for a takeaway wagyu pastrami baguette. The baguette had a nice chewy crust and I hadn’t had the wagyu pastrami for ages. Rob and I used to buy a few slices of it from the Wursthaus and eat it simply in a Jean-Pascal baguette. Unfortunately I don’t think they stock it anymore. Would like to head back to Café Vue again, the menu and the cute macarons in the glass cabinet were enticing. Picked up a few of the Vue de Monde business cards with Tom Samek’s quirky paintings on them as bookmarks.

So there you have it, my culinary adventures in 4 days. Fun. Delicious. Indulgent. Satisfied for the moment, I can’t wait to return with Rob in the new year.