primo italiano 2009

The Sydney Italian Festival is a month long celebration of all things Italian – art and culture, fashion and design, and our personal favourite – food and drink.  Primo Italiano is one of the headline events which sees an area just to the east of the CBD turned into an Italian piazza for hosting a proper Italian wedding.

I could hardly do an Italian event with out trying some pizza – and what better way to do it than topped with rocket and prosciutto (it wouldn’t be a true festival without some hastily spelled signs ).

The pizza was VERY good, but I have to say that the wild mushroom & white truffle risotto was quite disappointing, particularly since Amanda’s mushroom risotto is soooooooo good and creamy.  I didn’t even finish their watery version.

There really was a great feel to the area, particularly on such a lovely sunny (and unseasonably warm) day.

We did a little shopping for some very fresh produce, getting ourselves some baby turnips, huge peppers and great big leeks.

Biscotti, Ciabbata, Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Al Tartufo- just a sample of the wares on offer that are just as fun to say as they are to eat.

It was at our last Italian Event (Ferragasto, which paled in comparison with Primo) that I discovered cannolis.  This time I discovered the rich mascarpone and ricotta filled Italian doughnuts/cream horns called Zuccherati (which seems to be its Australian name, as in other parts of the world Zuccherati normally refers to a type of sugar coated biscuit.  “Zuccherato” is an Italian adjective meaning sweetened, so you can see the connection.)  These were absolutely fantastic and perfect to enjoy while being serenaded from above.

What a truly atmospheric and enjoyable event.

Afterward we walked back towards the city and ended up completing our day with some simple but delicious dumplings in Chinatown.  It was a great way to wrap up another very lovely day.

Picture Sunday Wine

Sunday saw us celebrating the start of NSW Wine Week by attending the Sydney Cellar Door event in Hyde Park.

It was a really nice event with a good crowd of suitably keen winologists all eager to taste the many wares on offer.  It was a sunny day and thankfully not as crowded as our annual Hyde Park trip for the Food & Wine Fair.

We had some really delicious wines, both white and red. Sauvignon blanc, verdhelo, semillon, pinot gris, shiraz, pinot noir … all of our favourites were there.  Some of our standouts came from Pepper Tree, Tower Estates and the suprise find, Helm Wines out of Canberra.  I didn’t even know they made wine in Canberra, but their Premium Reisling was lovely.

And of course, as with all good wine events, there was food!

Our first joyous nibble was some roti canai (pronounced chanai) from one of the Malaysians.  It is increasingly clear to me that as a child living in Malaysia there was so much good food I could have taken advantage of but didn’t.  What a waste.  Their pull apart bread treats in nutty lentil “gravy” are just heaven.

Heaven is also a literal taste bud translation of wagyu.  From the people that brought me the wagyu burger a few weeks ago (though this time through yet another offshoot: Etch), came these wafer thin slices of wagyu bresaola served with water cress and pickled peaches.  While it was nice, I have to say I was a little disappointed with the combination, as the cress really overpowered everything else on the plate.

But the day wasn’t all wine wine wine – as Amanda mention we also wanted to see the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit.  The Australian Museum is conveniently situated on the other side of the park so it was a pleasant stroll to an excellent display of the awesomeness of nature.  What incredible photos, they really were.  We could have looked at the Macaque monkeys, assorted birds and especially the snow leopards for hours.   Some of the shots were so well lit and beautifully yet naturally composed that it was hard to believe they were real – but that’s just the amazing world in which we live.

After such inspiration, we headed back to the park the contemplate our experience over a few more wines, and we ended the day with a little plate of salt and pepper squid.

Good wine and good food always makes for a great Sunday.  The bonus of the fantastic photographs (not to mention all of the stuffed birds in the permanent collection of the museum- life sized emus!) just makes it even better.

Sydney Food & Wine Fair 2008

Another year, another Good Food Month has passed, capped off by the big, final event: The Sydney Food & Wine Fair which was held today in Hyde Park.  This is a great event for many reasons, not least of which is that all the proceeds go to The Aids Trust of Australia.

The day got off to a bit of a rocky start with some scattered showers, but luckily things cleared up before we arrived.  Overall, the quality of the food wasn’t quite as high as in years past, but there were two standout dishes.  Our favourites were the Barbecued Lamb Salad from Quay and the Vanilla Bean Macarons from Guillaume at Bennelong.

Other dishes we enjoyed today included Barbecued Quail with Rosemary, Lemon & Chilli from Lucio’s and Frangipane Tart with Berry Compote & Cream Chantilly from The Bathers’ Pavilion.

There was also Slow Cooked Pork Cheek Dolmades with Red Pepper & Oregano Dressing from Essence Restaurant and Rhubarb Tart from Bourke Street Bakery.

And let’s not forget the Zurich Veal with Potato Rosti from Bavarian Bier Cafe (served with Paulaner) and an Orange Macaron from Sweet Infinity.

And last but not least, we enjoyed a Snapper & Mussel Empanada with Aioli from Catalina.  We ended the day with a couple of tokens leftover, with which we bought two glasses of sparkling wine and a Chocolate Orange Cheesecake Brownie from Central Baking Depot (which we haven’t even eaten yet- it’s still in the kitchen).

Overall, it was a fantastic day out despite the grey skies. 

Ferragosto ‘08, Five Dock

Now that we’re back safely in the confines of the Lower North Shore, we can truly appreciate how much we love our little hood.  It’s nice to visit other parts of Sydney, but we always leave with a sense of “I’m really glad we don’t live there.”

That might sound a bit snobby, but you know, if it looks like a duck, and it quacks, etc. . . 

If you’ve never been to New Jersey but want a similar experience, I’d highly recommend a trip to Five Dock for next year’s Ferragosto festival: big boobs, knock off sunglasses, no sense of personal space, lipstick in a shade much lighter than said lips, oh yeah- and some great cannolis.

The cannoli was the real star of the day.  I didn’t realise that Scott had never had one before.  Being in New York for many years, I’ve ingested cannolis a plenty, but our last trip to Italy (which was Scott’s first) was strictly limited to the Piedmont region, which is so far North that it’s surrounded on three sides by the Alps.  Being a traditionally Sicilian pastry, cannolis- thin on the ground up there.  Needless to say, after his first bite, he was a fan. 

We also came home with some prosciutto and an organic corn-fed rabbit.  I now have three days to learn how to cook rabbit.  Let the training begin. . . 

Show Me Good Food And Wine

This time last year we took Dad and Sue to the Sydney Good Food and Wine Show, and as part of that had a fun half hour with Ainsley Harriot. Well, the show has rolled around again, but this year it brings one Gordon Ramsay, you may have heard of him.

We’ve been looking forward to this one for some time, and so we were up nice and early yesterday to head down. So was half of Sydney. It was a very busy event, but it was thoroughly enjoyable. Bustling slowly through the crowds, deciding from the hundreds of tasty treats on offer … it’s definitely a must for us on our annual culinary calendar.

Hundreds of vendors. Thousands of people. Among the highlights for us were the new French Vanilla Kahlua, broadening our knowledge of the fantastic wines of Tulloch, and discovering the exquisite fine wines of Warramate (the White Label Shiraz was particularly nice). Some seriously great wines.

And then came Gordon. We had great seats close to the front and enjoyed an entertaining and informative half hour. Where as Ainsley had help from the audience and joked around and entertained through the whole demonstration, Gordon had an amusing opening, calling Jamie Oliver a fat bastard, but then got down to some proper, focused cooking with his sidekick Sarge. For the record, he’s such a fidget that it was very difficult to snap a picture of him that wasn’t blurry. This was the best we could do.

The picture of the day, however, comes from after we returned home. A number of food magazines were selling goodie bags with the latest issues, filled with an assortment of grocery fun. The way this usually works is that you pay for an issue of the magazine, and everything else is a bonus. This is our haul from yesterday:

The particular highlights included French-style lentils, cooking stocks, teas, spreads, and lots of healthy gluten free goodies. We never buy snack foods, but now we’re fully stocked. Overall: another year, another fantastic food show.

Hunter Uncorked @ Balmoral

Sunday saw us once again heading out to Balmoral Beach for what I think is my new favourite wine festival, Hunter Uncorked. I can’t think of a better setting in which to enjoy drink from some of Hunter Valley’s best wineries and food from some of their best restaurants.

They did a superb job with this one. For starters, the souvenir glasses were actually proper glasses, unlike many wine festivals around that charge the same amount for cheap plastic versions. Even better than that, you had the option of buying wine by the glass for $5 or by the bottle for $15, which was brilliant. We opted for a bottle of Semillon Sauvignon Blanc from Tulloch, which we can highly recommend. At a low 11.5%, it’s perfect for a warm day at the beach.

Along with this we first opted for some Twice Cooked Duck and Porcini Mushroom Risotto with Crispy Kumera Chips from The Verandah Restaurant, followed by some Marinated Fromage Blanc from The Hunter Valley Cheese Company.

We also found time to sample some olive oils and vinegars from Pukara Estate. Their Garlic Extra Virgin is a staple in our kitchen, so imagine my excitement when trying their new Pomegranate Balsamic!! Unfortunately, they had already sold out, so we weren’t able to take any home, but it was fantastic, and we’ll definitely pick some up in the near future.

We stuck around until the very end of the day, listening to live music and enjoying some fantastic wine. Afterwards, we wandered over to Bottom of the Harbour, picked up some fish and chips (love their homemade tartar sauce) and had an early dinner, sitting on the beach. What an absolutely brilliant day!

Look At The Tastiness

I can’t believe that this time last year, after attending the Sydney Food and Wine fair – the highlight of Good Food Month (if not the culinary sampling year) – we were satisfied to merely TELL you about all the tasty goods. How we ever expected to truly convince you that October is a great month for a visit, that this is THE unmissable event, without showing you how great it was is beyond me.

I mean not only can you sample from some of the best eateries in the city while sitting in a beautiful park on a lovely sunny day with a few thousand of your closest foodie buddies … but all proceeds go to the Aids Trust of Australia, so you can give while you amply receive.

It is highly advisable to get there early. Not that there are really any less people, but stalls do run out of food. And if you can decide what you want sooner rather than later you won’t have to queue for nearly as long.

There are plenty (I say PLENTY) of options to choose from, so it’s always nice to start with canapés and cocktails. On the left a selection from Chilterns: Vietnamese rice paper roll; apple beetroot and fetta on crispy wonton, Thai chicken ball with sweet chilli sauce; smoked salmon on cucumber with avocado and flying fish roe; chocolate brownie; and a strawberry frenchy – a frothy blend of vodka, strawberry liqueur and pineapple juice. And on the right: a Spring Bay scallop with pork belly and warm noodle salad served with a very refreshing tetanka of elderflower and Żubrówka vodka.

After appetisers comes the fish course.  I was a little unsure of having fish when there was so much meat to be had.  But I needn’t have been concerned because Bécasse served up the most delicious smoked Tasmanian ocean trout with citrus tea vinaigrette and radish salad I have ever had.  The only I grant you, but it would take a lot to beat it’s exceptional texture and flavour combination.

I blogged a while back about how I always forget quite how good pork is.  Just because I have diagnosed this facet of absent mindedness, does not mean I have eliminated it.  Thus I was once again struck by the majestic flavour
sensations that pork can provide.  First there was the incredible rabbit and pork (you don’t need to read that again, I did indeed say rabbit) rillette with sour cherry compote and watercress.  The Restaurant at the Art Gallery of NSW sure created a masterpiece with this fine merging of Bugs and Porky.  Next up, and always a Scott-pleaser, was the Bavarian Beer Cafe’s presentation of pork belly bites with apple compote and dark bier pineapple sauerkraut.  At once crispy, juicy and meaty I can only tell you that I love pork belly.

After such a succulent feast, it was time for dessert.  We were more than happy to take receipt of The Bayswater Brasserie’s moorish Shiraz soaked strawberries with almond pastry and cream.  Time to sit in the park, with a glass or two of wine, and just enjoy the sun soaked atmosphere.

This is one of our favourite events of the year.  The food was so good, and this time round it was even better than the last.  We can’t wait to see you there next year!

Weekend Sampler

This weekend, smack dab in the middle of good food month, was a very busy one for us with the Australian Beer Festival, the Rocks Market and our very own Crows Nest festival. Now, we could go on and on about what a great time we had in the glorious weather enjoying all manner of taste sensations, but that’s really not fair on those of you (that would be all of you) who missed out. Instead we wanted to present you with just a sampling of snaps to show you why even our local events (just five minutes from our own front step) offer a whole world of enjoyment.

Firstly there’s the entertainment: maybe it’s a Scottish thing but I sensed the pipe band almost as soon as we’d left the house – even when they were just warming up; and what could cover more fun AND educational bases than an Egypt themed bouncy castle.

While you are serenaded (I told you I liked bagpipe music) you can browse all the stalls – from things to make and things to wear, things to grow and things to wear if you’re Dad.

Of course, on such a glorious day, with so much to see and do, one needs sustenance. You want freshly grilled corn on the cob? You got it. You crave something sweet? Try a fly free jam tart. Taste-tastic!

And of course, what fair would be complete without a petting zoo. Though the miniature Shetland Ponies were sorely missed, we present for you ‘aww … so cute’ appreciation one friendly goat, and one seriously fluffy chicken.

Newtown Feastability

On Sunday we headed down to Newtown for Feastability, one of the first food festivals we hit upon our arrival in Sydney last year:

This year was just as good as the last. There were many repeat offenders, like Mojo Picon, with their Chorizo Roll and Garlic Prawns:

The Spanish Cook provided lovely a Paella:

We also had fantastic food from African Feeling (one of the best African Restaurants in Sydney IMHO), some Indonesian, Portuguese, Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, and finally we ended the day with a refreshing Strawberry Balsamic Gelato from Ice + Slice:

Entertainment was also provided. Everything from drag queens, choirs, and Dave Matthews-esque accoustic performers were around. One of the highlights however was the tribal dance. Here’s a shot of the girls:

For the boys dance, imagine the Haka with weapons:

Oh wait! That’s Scott ordering wine. Well just trust us when we say it was really intense.

Overall, a really fun relaxed festival. If you’d like to hear more of my personal observations about lesbians, polo shirts and sangria, send me an email. There is so much more. . .

The Main Drag

Sunday saw us head down to Kings Cross for the first time since we passed through it on our first ever taxi ride from the airport. It’s an interesting area, with hostels, adult book stores and an awesome food festival. The obvious first port of call for us was restaurateurs Pete and David Evans’ Hugos Bar Pizzeria. Disappointment at the lack of pork belly pizza was washed away by the far from basic Italian meatballs they dished up. Washing down of these gems was ably assisted by some sparkling refreshments from Peterson House.

Zachary’s Gourmet Pizza Bar decided they’d go with what they do best, the Michaelangelo – chicken breast, spanish onion, sun-dried tomato topped with roasted pine nuts and seeded mustard aioli. Pizza is of course best accompanied by some of Melville Hill’s fizzy, along with some Gestalt organic wine.

German Psychology should always be followed by a trip to the Czech republic for some juicy veal sausages and very smooth Grimbrinus pilsner from the Prague Beer Restaurant. Disappointment of the day was the Chambourcin wine (sounds like cheese doesn’t it) from Ridgeview. To make up for this, the pinot gris from Hungerford Hills was easily Amanda’s pick of the day. The organic pilsner from the Outback Brewery was good, though not as good as the Czech. We must say that as a finishing dessert, you could do worse than the chocolate and sour cherries from the Teahna Banana Gelateria.

And what better way to end a lovely day of great food and wine than enjoying another glass of Peterson House with new friends: