Coming to America

Posted on May 25, 2012 by

Last Saturday, Sister A left for a 3 week holiday to America to visit some friends. The Tuesday before she left, my family and I decided to have dinner to say farewell.  Sister A’s friend Miss S also joined the 5 of us for a 2-course meal served at our place. Of course, I was in charge of cooking dinner, while Sister E was in charge of dessert.

Knowing Sister A loves her roasts and salads, I decided to do a roast lamb served with a choice of two salads. For the lamb, I used Mum’s old reliable Turkish Lamb recipe that she has been making for years – it’s always a family favourite.

I then settled on two salads to serve with the lamb. The first was a recipe from Gourmet Traveller, combining quinoa, cauliflower, chickpeas, herbs, and creamy feta. Sister A loves cauliflower, and since I had some quinoa in the cupboard I thought this would be perfect.

The second salad was a simple beetroot salad with dill, a recipe I found from Nigella Lawson that appealed to my Scandinavian side. Both Sister A and Mother K are huge beetroot fans, so I thought this would go down well. Beetroot is also great with lamb due to it’s sweetness, and the colour is just amazing. You don’t need too much of this salad though – it’s a bit like a condiment almost which is why I didn’t serve my roast lamb with any gravy or sauce.

Sister E then produced a brilliant steamed golden syrup pudding served with stewed apples for dessert. She found the recipe for the pudding on the Gourmet Traveller website and decided to add the apples herself (I must be rubbing off on her). They were a nice touch – not too sweet. I had a second helping of the apples with some ice cream (it’s fruit so it’s good for me, right?).

All up it was a very enjoyable night. I was pleased with how everything turned out, considering I was rushed for time. I had my PT that night so wasn’t home till 7. I prepared the lamb, cauliflower and chickpeas and beetroot salad the night before, so that the next day when I got home, I just had to throw the cauliflower and chickpeas in the oven with the lamb, cook the quinoa and put it all together. I had to adjust the seasoning of the beetroot salad on the day though, as I find salads that sit in the fridge a while loose their seasoning. A very impressive and easy meal.

TURKISH ROAST LAMB

1kg butterflied lamb leg or shoulder (ask your butcher to do this)
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
handful fresh mint, chopped
salt and pepper 

  1. In a dry pan, roast the cumin, coriander and garam masala until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
  2. In a large dish, combine the spices, olive oil, lemon juice, mint and plenty of salt a pepper. Add lamb to dish and rub well with marinade. Leave to marinade overnight, covered, in the fridge.
  3. Remove lamb from fridge 1/2 hour before cooking.
  4. Preheat oven to 180C.
  5. In a large pan, brown lamb on all sides until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a roasting tray and roast in a hot oven for 30 minutes for medium rare.
  6. Remove from oven and allow to rest 15 minutes before carving.

Serves 4-6

ROAST CAULIFLOWER, CHICKPEA & QUINOA SALAD

350g cauliflower (about ½), cut into small florets
400g canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed
Finely grated rind and juice of 2 lemons
100 ml extra-virgin olive oil
200g quinoa
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1½ cups each coarsely torn flat-leaf parsley and mint
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
100g Greek feta or labne, coarsely crumbled

  1. Preheat oven to 180C.
  2. On half a lined roasting tray, spread out cauliflower, and on other half, spread out chickpeas. Scatter over lemon rind, drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Bake in a moderate oven for 15-20 minutes or until beginning to brown.
  3. Meanwhile, cook quinoa in 400ml salted boiling water until all the water is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Add more water if necessary. Drain if required.
  4. In a large bowl, combine cauliflower and chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, quinoa, garlic, herbs, spring onions, vinegar and half the feta.
  5. Transfer salad to a serving dish and scatter with remaining feta. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6

BEETROOT & DILL SALAD

500g raw beetroot
1 bunch / ½ cup chopped fresh dill
Juice of 1 big lemon (or 2 small)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp mustard seeds, lightly toasted in a dry pan
salt and pepper
chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley to garnish

  1. Using goves, peel beetroot and cut into small wedges. In a food processor with a grater attachment, grate beetroot.
  2. Transfer beetroot to a bowl and mix in remaining ingredients except parsley. Season to taste.
  3. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with parsley.

Serves 4-6

GOLDEN SYRUP PUDDING

90 gm (¼ cup) golden syrup, plus extra, warmed, to serve
120g softened butter
120g caster sugar
230g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs, lightly beaten
160 ml (2/3 cup) milk
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
cream or ice cream to serve 

STEWED APPLES
6 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 3mm slices
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar, or to taste
juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp ground cinnamon

  1. Butter, flour and line the base of a 1.5L capacity pudding tin. Pour in golden syrup and set aside.
  2. Using electric beaters, beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy (2-4 minutes). Sift in flour and baking powder and beat until combined. 
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, milk and lemon rind and add a little at a time to the dry ingredients, beating after each addition, until all incorporated. 
  4. Transfer mix to prepared tin, smooth top and cover closely with baking paper. Cover with foil and secure with kitchen string.
  5. Place pudding in a large saucepan and add enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, covered with a lid, until puffed and golden (about 2 hours), adding more water if needed. 
  6. To serve, invert pudding onto a serving tray and serve hot with extra warmed golden syrup, stewed apples, and cream or ice cream.
  7. STEWED APPLES: In a large pan, add all the ingredients and cook, stirring, for 10-15 minutes until apples are tender.

Serves 8

Posted in Dessert/Sweet, Dinner/Main Meal, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mother’s Day Dinner at Vinh Ky

Posted on May 18, 2012 by

Vinh Ky
114 Victoria St
Richmond, VIC 3121
(03) 9427 7768

For dinner on Mother’s Day, Sister A suggested we try a Vietnamese/Chinese restaurant called Vinh Ky on Victoria St that was recommended to her by a Vietnamese family she tutors. Since it came so highly recommended by Vietnamese natives, I went with high expectations.

I met my family (plus Mother K’s partner H who was filling in for Father T) for dinner at 6.00PM Sunday night. They had spent the afternoon at the football, watching North Melbourne loose to the Western Bulldogs and so were sad and hungry. They had already ordered starters to down their sorrows by the time I arrived.

First came the prawn spring rolls ($6.90 for 6). Beautifully crispy without being oily,  you could definitely taste the spongey prawn meat inside. But to me, a spring roll is a spring roll really, so I anxiously awaiting what was to come. I barely had time to take a photo before the family snapped them up. They do come as a serve of 6..

Next, shredded pork rice paper rolls ($6.90 for 4). I don’t know how these could be considered “pork” flavoured, as I couldn’t actually taste any meatiness. They came with the typical Chinese plum dipping sauce (not pictured) which I love and spooned over every mouthful.

For the last starter, my family had ordered san choi bow ($6.90 each). Always a family favourite, it was tasty, if not a little messy.

For mains, I chose the sizzling scallops, which came with mixed veggies ($18.90). I was disappointed to see that the chef had sliced the scallops thinly, rendering them pretty devoid of any seafood flavour. I did, however, enjoy the mix of veggies it came with and the accompanying sauce.

Sister A chose the fantastic chicken with garlic, spring onion, ginger and black bean ($15.90). Taste wise it was very traditional, and the meat was beautifully tender and moist.

To round off our mains, Sister E chose the chilli pork ($13.90). I wasn’t impressed with what arrived: gewy, translucent pale pieces of pork in an almost fluorescent sauce. It didn’t make me want to leap in and start eating it, though it tasted better than it looked.

For sides, Sister A requested the Chinese brocolli with oyster sauce, which arrived beautifully green and tender, perfectly cooked ($11.90). We also ordered steam rice (not pictured.)

Being Mother’s Day, we had to order dessert, so from the short list of options we chose to share two banana fritters ($5.90 each). Nice crispy batter encased a slightly under ripe banana, served with two scoops of the usual Chinese restaurant ice cream.

I wasn’t overly impressed by my visit to be honest. Somehow, while I was eating I felt like I had tasted everything before. While everything was well cooked and tasty, it lacked originality. Very traditional food at reasonable prices, but I wasn’t wowed.

Vinh Ky on Urbanspoon

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Breakfast Bagels from Manchester Press

Posted on May 9, 2012 by

Manchester Press
8 Rankins Lane
Melbourne, VIC 3000
(03) 9600 4054

I always forget how good bagels are, so dense and satisfying. Recently, Miss H and I met for breakfast bagels at Manchester Press. I know it seems like the only meal I eat at the moment is breakfast, but I’ve been so busy lately that it’s about the only time I have free to venture out to eat!

Manchester Press is located down a little alleyway off Little Bourke, near Hardware Societe. Owners Issy Shaked and partner Nir Kalif opened the place over a year ago, and the place has been booming ever since. Previously a gallery, the large space has been decked out in industrial chic – though I feel my chair may have fallen off the back of a truck, and then been run over a few times until it reached just the right level of dilapidation.

The Press is known for their custom coffee blend, 8oz (a standard coffee size) which they fly down from Queensland twice a week. Shaked and Kalif plan to supply to other cafes further down the track. It’s nice enough by my standards, inoffensive though perhaps a little milky for those looking for their morning wakeup.

Specialising in bagels, they have a variety on offer from the traditional smoked salmon and cream cheese, to the more outlandish avocado, feta, chilli & mint with cherry tomatoes, roquette & pine nuts. All are around the $12 mark and come with a typical side salad. They also have a small selection of salads available as well as a few breakfast options, which on this occasion we decide to skip in favour of the main attraction: bagels.

Miss H chose the goats cheese bagel – huge chunks of goats cheese crumbled roughly, topped with a roquette and roast capsicum salad and finished off with pesto. It’s a nice option for vegetarians, but still satisfying for a carnivore like Miss H.

I meanwhile chose the smoked salmon bagel, with dill cream cheese and capers. A huge mound of salmon tops my toasted bagel, which has been spread generously with cream cheese – it’s nice to see places not being stingy these days.

I would only suggest a visit to Manchester Press if you’re a bagel fan, because otherwise you’re not left with many options. I’ve read a few reviews that complain about the service from rude “hipster” waiters, though I haven’t experienced it for myself. Maybe I’m just used to them, as it seems you can’t be a barista these days without a decent beard. Definitely worth a venture down this laneway.

Manchester Press on Urbanspoon

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Paco’s Yummy Tacos

Posted on May 4, 2012 by

Pacos Tacos
Level 1 500 Bourke St
Melbourne, VIC 3000
(03) 9663 3038

A little while ago, Bf-B and I went to Movida Aqui for dinner. As we were walking up the stairs to the courtyard where the restaurant lies, Bf-B’s eyes lit up as he said “is that where we’re going?”, pointing to a crowd of business types standing around Paco’s Tacos. “No,” I replied, “we’re going there,” directing his attention to the Movida Aqui entrance. While Movida Aqui was delicious and very enjoyable, I could tell Bf-B was pining to be outside, drinking beer and eating tacos with the rest of them. So a little while later we visited the open-air taco bar run by the guys from Movida.

It was great weather the night we went (not like the crap we’re getting now) so a beer and a taco after work sounded like a great idea. We somehow managed to nab a seat at one of the few undercover tables, and ordered a few beers while we read the menu.

The menu is short, but includes all the essentials: BBQ corn ($6.00), Nachos ($12.00), Chicharrones/pork rinds ($10.00), and a few specials, but the main star is of course the tacos ($6.00 each). There’s a good selection that caters for almost all tastes: pulled pork, marinated chicken, marinated fish, prawn, or beans for the vegetarians, all of which come topped with coriander, cabbage and spring onion.

In the name of research I tried nearly all of them, the exception being the prawn. I think I should have maybe stopped at 3 but Bf-B somehow convinced me to match him with 4…

We order them 2 at a time. First up, the pork and the chicken. The tortillas are the proper corn variety, but are served cold – I think they could have done with a few minutes in the oven to soften them up slightly. The pork turns out to be Bf-B’s favourite, though I’m more a fan of the chicken. The fresh lime adds a nice zing so be sure to spritz some on!

Next up: Fish and the vegetarian beans. The fish comes deep fried, while the beans are slathered with guacamole and sour cream. The beans, though a little messy, win this round for me, though the fish isn’t bad.

Somehow, Bf-B who is still hungry cons me into ordering the nachos. And of course, again in the name of research, I try them. By now it has gotten dark so you will have to excuse my photography, but you get the idea: corn chips topped with salsa, sour cream and guacamole. Nothing special really, but great to snack on with a beer.

Paco’s Tacos is a great spot if your after a drink and something to nibble on after work. I probably wouldn’t suggest visiting if you are after a proper meal, as there are so many great Mexican places around these days, but you just can’t beat the atmosphere here on a Friday night after work.

Pacos Tacos on Urbanspoon

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Ginger Cake for Anzac Day

Posted on April 25, 2012 by

Happy Anzac day to all you Australian/New Zealander readers! A little while ago, my boss brought in some leftover cake from her son’s birthday. It was a Nigella Lawson recipe for ginger cake, and it was delicious! So today I thought I would make it to take around to Bf-B’s place to share with his family. It’s pretty easy, and doesn’t need to be iced, though if you are that way inclined I suggest a lemon icing, or maybe serve it with fresh raspberries. Enjoy!

150g unsalted butter
125 brown sugar
200g golden syrup
200g treacle
2 1/2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp warm water
250ml milk
2 large eggs
300g plain flour.

  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
  2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the sugar, golden syrup, treacle, ginger and cinnamon. Stir until smooth. Remove from the heat.
  3. In a large bowl, stir together the bicarbonate of soda and water until soda dissolves. Add milk and eggs and stir until mixture is well combined. Pour in the butter mixture and stir until well combined.
  4. Sift in the flour and beat until well mixed. Pour into a 20cm x 30cm cake tin and bake for 45 minutes, or until cake is firm when you wiggle the tin. Remove cake from oven and allow to cool slightly before inverting and removing the cake from tin. Serve warm or cold.

Serves 12

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3 of 3: Firechief

Posted on April 20, 2012 by

Firechief
169 Camberwell Rd
Hawthorn East, VIC 3123
(03) 9831 1700

So here it is, my final post for the series of “What’s new in Camberwell from Paul Mathis”. Firechief is a gourmet pizzeria opened just beyond Dan Murphy’s from Burke Rd on Camberwell Rd. It fronts Goldilocks, which is accessible via the laneway.

The place isn’t a renovated fire station if that’s what you’re thinking: the name refers to the taming of the wood-fired pizza stove. It feels as though it could have been one though, with it’s high ceilings and industrial fittings. Like Goldilocks, bright yellow-painted metal beams frame the room, with wooden panels lining the walls and ceiling. Cute design quirks like a wooden rolling pin coat rack appear as at Goldilocks, but it’s the huge timber-and-brass light fitting that really captures your attention.

Bf-B and I have visited a couple of times, and on this occasion went for dinner before seeing a movie at the Rivoli across the road. We didn’t book, but found when we arrived around 7PM they easily found a table for us.

Being a pizzeria, the focus is predominantly on pizzas (dah) with a few other mains and sides on offer. There are three pizza menus to choose from, with each cooked in a different oven: wood-fired, twin-deck, or conveyor-belt. While each cooks at a different rate and temperature, every pizza uses the same dough recipe, which is in accordance with DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta, or controlled designation of origin) tradition.

Mathis sent head chef Gabriel Espinoza and head pizza chef Daniel Barrese (ex Ladro) to Naples to attain accreditation from the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, an association established to protect the heritage and tradition of the Neapolitan pizza. With only 370 accredited chefs in the world (and only 3 others in Australia) you know Firechief means serious business when it comes to pizza.

They have a good range of options to suit everyone’s tastes, from the tradition margarita, to the more adventurous pork and fennel. I went with the Capricciosa Classica from the twin-deck oven: fior di latte, leg ham, artichoke hearts, button mushrooms, black olives and crushed tomato ($18.90). It wasn’t bad, but the prosciutto option I had on a previous visit was better. The olives tasted odd, kinda like they were from a jar.

Bf-B opted for the “meaty” from the conveyor oven menu – ground beef, pepperoni, bacon, red onion & jalapenos over tomato & mozarella ($21.90). On our previous visit, he complained that the pizzas were too light on toppings, so wanted something more satisfying. I think this did the job.

I must say I am a little underwhelmed by Firechief. With all it’s credentials, I thought these would be the best pizzas ever, but they’re not. They’re good, but a little pricey. Service is ok but nothing worth mentioning. On our previous visit, we were feeling rather greedy and had the sweet pizza for dessert which was amazing (if you’re into the whole white chocolate/custard/berries type thing..). A cute, local date night option.

Firechief on Urbanspoon

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2 of 3: Goldilocks

Posted on April 12, 2012 by

Goldilocks
169 Camberwell Road
Hawthorn East, 3123
(enter via Stanley Place)
(03) 9831 1799

Part 2 in my series of “What’s new in Camberwell from Paul Mathis” is Goldilocks (click here for part one). Situated down an alleyway off Camberwell Road at the rear of Firechief (my final post in this series), you may not have even noticed it existed. But there lies a darling little cafe boasting a great little menu and a more intimate space than the aforementioned Coffeehead.

The first time I visited, I went with with my sisters A & E for brunch. I started with my usual skinny latte – strong but slightly bitter on this occasion. I have been back since though and haven’t had the same problem.

To eat, I went for the fried eggs with pulled pork, asian salad & herb chilli salsa ($16.90). The pulled pork and asian slaw made nice change to more traditional egg accompaniments. I loved how fresh and crunchy the slaw was- it was a nice way to start the day. The pulled pork, meanwhile, had been squished into a pattie and fried, rendering it a bit of a mess (though a tasty one), while the herb chilli salsa helped amalgamate everything together.

Sister A decided on the sous-vide poached eggs served on sourdough with a side of homemade baked beans ($8.50+$4.50=$13.00). The slow-cooked poached eggs looked amazing, and on return visits I have had them – a must if you go. The sous-vide poaching means the yolk doesn’t just ooze all over the plate so that you leave half of it behind. It becomes thick and gooey, like caramel. I don’t think I’ll be able to return to regular poached eggs after these. Luckily for me they seem to be becoming more and more popular with all the trendy new cafes!

Sister E also went for the sous-vide poached eggs, though opted for a side of avocado and chorizo ($8.50+$3.50+$3.50=$15.50). Chorizo makes a great alternative to the traditional breakfast sausage, with the avocado countering it’s slight spiciness nicely.

Apart from a range of egg options, Goldilocks also offers porridge (how could it not!) served with a variety of sides including stewed fruits, nuts or yoghurt. For lunch, there’s a range of salads, mains, and a selection of freshly made pides for those wanting lunch on the run.

It looks as though they make their own cakes as well, with a nice selection available next to the pides. Somehow I’ve managed to stay away from trying any of them thus far..

In the few times I’ve visited Goldilocks, I am always really happy with my experience. It’s not one of those places you have to line up outside for hours to get a table, and yet the food is equally as good. It’s definitely on my shotlist of places I’m visiting frequently on the weekend.

Goldilocks on Urbanspoon

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