Spatula, Spoon and Saturday

For once I feel like I’m keeping up with the Melbourne food trend. No. Not really. But I have been going back to my old materials and found out that I really cannot remember about things I ate last year! So I figure I might try a different tact and post about a restaurant I’ve been to recently.

Just in case you haven’t heard of China Red (And why haven’t you? Jess, Billy, Penny, Dani have all written about it), it’s a new dumpling place in that newly renovated arcade on Burke St. We rocked up on the very first preview night of Hairspray* at the Princess Theatre and we were looking for somewhere to grab out dinner. Jacqui wanted to hit the pub but, you see, I haven’t had dumplings in 22 days. Did you get that? I went twenty two days without dumplings. Suffice to say, we did not go to the pub.

(Eight treasure noodles – $9.80?)

You might have also noticed that the novelty of this place is the touch screen ordering. Where you simply choose what you want, go through a couple of  ‘Are you sure you want to order this? There is no cancelling it, you know?’ warnings on the screen and about 5 minutes later, your dish arrives. Loves it. No fuss. No talking to waiters over noise. No mispronouncing xiao long bao (seriously, does anyone know how to pronounce that word?). So it’s all great. Except, well, notice how much food we had for 3 people? Yeah. That. Be careful. Sooooo easy to over order. And also bear in mind that it is a nice dumpling place – not your average hole-in-the-wall cheapo dumpling place. The prices are slightly higher. Read the rest of this entry »

May I started with the obligatory ‘you can’t beet a root’ joke? No? Oww. Skip over the next few paragraphs if you just want the recipe for this beetroot salsa rather than the rambling.

<rambling start>

I’m not too sure if anyone has noticed this but over the past months I have been slowly posting less and less home cooking stuff. There are two very different but related reasons for that.

First of all, and this is the sad reason, I managed to tear up my little camera’s case. This means I am no longer able to attach it to our industrial-sized tripod. And my camera is really compact. As in, it will fit into my skinny jeans’ pocket compact. My kitchen is also a black hole when it comes to lighting and so taking photos with my compact without a tripod produce some very poor photos indeed (flash is mandatory).

So I have given up doing my own photos when I cook and Josh has taken over. While he does some fabulous photos, he is slow. He takes his time doing his photos. He gets out his SLR, off-camera flash and a reflector (which is actually a shiny white cardboard bag but that’s another story).  I can’t afford to have him hanging out around taking several shots before he’s happy because things will start overcooking. And I hate eating anything slightly overcooked. So there’s less and less of that.

Secondly, and this is the happier reason, just in case you’ve missed it, we’re expecting a little baby girl soon. Unfortunately, it’s bloody hard work being pregnant and it results in two things: Josh overtaking most of the cooking duties because I get too tired (and he’s a boy, he can’t take photos and cook and I can’t be bothered learning to use an SLR) and when I do cook I a rotation of really simple (but good) food. Most of which I have cooked a million times.

And so sadly, for now, Spatula, Spoon and Saturday will concentrate on restaurant reviews and food porn. I have been trying to keep up with the Cookbook Challenge but I’m failing. Oops.

<rambling end>

Now for the root-beeting (all right, all right, I’m stopping), beetroot salsa.

We were having some char-grilled lamb backstraps for dinner. This recipe arose from having a beetroot in the fridge and no idea what I should have done with it. So I figured I should try something that may go with the lamb. And after asking my uncle Google, I came up with this.

Oh yeah. Just in case you’re wondering, I had cravings for chips and so bought a pack of minimum chips from our local fish & chips who actually does really good chips. Once in a blue moon, we buy some chips to serve up with whatever we’re having for dinner (usually Josh’s burger with the lot). We never had their fish though. Anyway, wow sight-tracking galore this post, here was my lesson: CHIPS DO NOT GO WITH BEETROOT SALSA. Nor lamb backstraps.

Beetroot Salsa

1. medium sized beetroot
2. 1/2 tbsp olive oil
3. a pinch of ground cumin
4. a pinch of ground coriander
5. a squeeze of lemon
6. 1 tbsp of chopped fresh coriander leaves
7. salt & pepper

Rinse the beetroot to get rid of any excess dirt. Microwave, peel on, with a splash of water in a microwave cook on high for about 7-10 minutes (depending how big it is – take it out after 7 and stick a skewer through. If the skewer goes through easily, it’s done).  Remove from heat and let it cool.

Peel the beetroot, the skin will come off really easily. Cut into tiny cubes. Leave to cool down but not completely. While warm, dress with the other ingredients. The beetroot should be dressed very very lightly. It does not need much.

This will also make great bruschetta topping, served with lamb burger, souvlaki, or pita bread pizza. I think.

This time last year I made: Linguine with Italian Sausage and Tomato Sauce

We landed, pause for a gasping effect please, on the other side of town in the suburb of Flemington on public transport through a drizzling of Melbourne’s first day of Spring. That, my friend, was a rare occurrence indeed. I can’t believe I have never been to Melbourne’s North or West on PT before. Stranger things do happen.

We met up with Celeste and a couple of her friends for some good old Malaysian food at Laksa King. She had attempted to make a booking for the five of us but it turned out that we could only get reservations for either 5.30pm or 7.30pm. Seriously? So we just rocked up at about 6.00pm and scored ourselves seats without too much hassle although they were pretty much the last of the seats even though the newly renovated dining room was set out communal style (to cram as many people in as possible). Wow they were popular.

(Char Koey Teow – $10.20)

We decided to order a few popular non-sharing dishes to share. It worked out quite well. I had ordered a char koey teow (stir-fried rice noodles with prawns, fish cakes, beansprouts in soy and chilli sauce) because it was one of the dishes that Celeste had recommended. It was one of the better char kuey teow I have had in Melbourne but I have had better in Penang. But bear in mind I spent 5 years in Penang and I am uber fussy about my char kuey teow. Read the rest of this entry »

Cookbook Challenge Week 12 Egg

Book: The Food of Thailand: a Journey for Food Lovers by Oi Cheepchaiisara Theme: Egg Recipe: Son-in-law Eggs

I am so behind! I was meant to have posted this by 1-Feb-2010 but better late than never (although my year 11 English teacher Mr. Cadman used to say ‘better never late’ to my late homework excuses). So the famous son-in-law eggs. Well, I don’t know how famous it is really. This isn’t a dish found in your typical Thai restaurants in Melbourne but it seems like the dish is well known enough among the foodies.

There are a couple of popular stories of why this dish is so called son-in-law egg. My favourite one includes the dish being made by a new mother-in-law as a warning to her son-in-law (‘egg’ being the Thai slang equivalent of ‘balls’) – a kind of ‘treat my daughter badly and this is what your balls will look like’ scenario. Alternative but more boring version is that it’s such an easy dish but impressive dish that a son-in-law made to impress his in-laws.

Strangely enough I have done some research and I have yet to find the first story being told in Thai (although many versions of the second one – again, how boring). I have also noticed two seperate trends of bastardising this dish (neither of which I approve. Okay, do I say this way too often?) one is the introduction of minced pork into the mix (bleugh) and another is the introduction of fresh chilli rather than dried (meh). The second trend, I suspect purely because fresh red chilli is just prettier to stylise and so everyone thought it’s the right way to do it. No. Wrong.

Ah, let’s just get on with the recipe. Shall we? For god’s sake, it’s only a Cookbook Challenge. One that’s about 8 months late.

Deep-fried Eggs

1. 4 duck eggs (you can use chicken eggs but duck eggs are the traditional choice)
2. oil for frying

Place eggs in cold water and bring to boil. Once the water is boiling, time for 6 minutes for almost-hard-boiled eggs. Shell the eggs. Heat up some oil in a round-bottom wok and fry eggs, turning until golden brown all over. Set side.

Deep-fried shallots and dried chilli topping

1. 15 Asian shallots, very thinly sliced
2. 4-5 dried chillis
3. oil for frying (same oil as above)

Add the shallots to hot oil and fry on medium heat until lightly brown (ignored the picture, I screwed that one up). Remove and place on paper towel to remove excess oil. Don’t be lazy and buy pre-fried shallots from your Asian grocer please! Those are for Malaysian dishes. They are too crispy for this dish. Fry the chillis for less than minute or so in medium hot oil. Be careful though, nothing is worse than burned chilli (can I remind you of this story?)

Tamarind Sauce

1. 3 tbsp tamarind paste (my local Safeway stocks this in their Asian aisle or your Asian grocer will)
2. 2 tbsp fish sauce (substitute this with soy sauce and I will hunt you down, baby)
3. 5 tbsp palm sugar
4. 1 tbsp of the already deep-fried shallots (from above)

Stir the tamarind paste, fish sauce and sugar together over medium heat to dissolve. Bring to boil, add the shallots and simmer for about 5 minutes on low heat.

Putting it all together: halve the eggs, top with the tamarind sauce, sprinkle with the deep fried chilli and shallots and finish with fresh coriander.

If you really need step-by-step pictures: go here.

This time last year I made: Spaghetti con vongole (spaghetti with clam sauce)

(a Peking duck pancake, drizzled with hoisin sauce)

Behold the delicious eating invention that of the Peking duck. For those of you who think Peking duck is merely pancake-wrapped roast duck doused in hoisin sauce, err… well you’re probably right! But really, it isn’t supposed to be it. I suppose when one lives in Melbourne, one has to settle for a three-course Peking duck feast at Old Kingdom.

(a whole duck is presented to the table before the slicing and dicing action ensues)

My dad told me about his recent work trip to China where he had a ‘full on’ Peking duck experience where one started off with cold cuts of duck’s tongues and eleven courses later ended up with duck-flavoured ice cream. No kidding. Now why don’t they do that in Melbourne?

(spring onion and cucumber, traditional accompaniment)

So the good people of Melbourne food Twitter community organised by Anna gathered up for a duck fest – a good three-course of Peking duck eating. Old Kingdom is one of those very popular, old institution. Due to its regular media coverage, it is a well-known spot for Peking duck eating. Which is just as well, let me tell you, because their other dishes are pretty much not worth the hassle of squeezing yourself into their cramp we’d-all-die-if-there’s-a-fire dining room. Read the rest of this entry »

Cookbook Challenge Week 38 Spice

Book: Sri Lankan Flavours: a journey through the island’s food and culture by Channa Dassanayaka Theme: Spice Recipe: Chicken Curry

I may or may not have previously mentioned about how much I am taken with Rick Stein’s Far East Odyssey. Mainly because Rick Stein is just so damn funny. But his episode on Sri Lanka made me want to run and make a really awesome Sri Lankan curry. I would have preferred to make the Sri Lankan chilli crab dish but alas it was a weeknight and I literally had to scrape all of the ingredients from what were in the fridge freezer.

(roasting spices to make the curry powder)

And while we are here, why not kill two birds with one stone with the Cookbook Challenge! I raided my spice cupboard (which is actually quite well stocked, believe it or not) and the freezer for lemongrass, pandan leaves etc. All the lovely ingredients into the ever-important homemade Sri Lankan curry powder Read the rest of this entry »

After a post dribbling about how much I love vegetable side dishes in my last post, I might as well follow it up with a simple favourite of mine. I serve this as a side dish with pretty much anything. In one of our dinner parties, I paired this with simple roast beef and roast vegetables.

Beans for 6 lucky people (to serve with a roast):

1. 200 g. green beans (get the nicest, freshest beans possible, of course), trimmed
2. 100 g. yellow beans, trimmed
3. 4 tbsp of whole, raw almonds, chopped in halves
4. 3 French shallots, thinly sliced
5. 1/2 lemon, juiced
6. 1 tsp olive oil + a bit more to drizzle
7. 1 tsp of butter
8. salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil on a frying pan and slowly fry the shallots until soft and slightly golden – this should take about 10 minutes. Add almonds and toss through for another few minutes until the almonds are nicely toasted.

Bring about a litre of water to boil. Add the beans and turn the heat down to simmer. Cook for 1 minute. Drain. Toss through the shallots and almonds mixture, butter, lemon juice, butter and salt and pepper.

That’s it! You’d think there’d be more for something so good.

Meanwhile, here are the food photos from the night: Read the rest of this entry »

It is a very unfortunate thing when you discover a fabulous restaurant by accident, it gave you such a great impression and got you excited with its genuine, interesting. good food and then you never to get around to blogging about it until months later. So now you fear you won’t do it justice. That or maybe you start wondering if it was all in your head in the first place.

Such is life. And naturally I’m digressing.

We rocked up to South Yarra (not an area I frequent) to attend the monthly company drinks which were held at, of all places, a posh car dealership. As I can only get so much networking (with fairly limited drinking ability in my current condition) done with my fellow nerds-in-suits, I still needed to eat dinner. We searched around for a restaurant nearby on the interweb and decided on Lento.

Lento (Josh didn’t quite understand why you would name your restaurant ‘slow’ in Italian but he is a music boy and not a foodie boy, innit) is a slow food Italian restaurant. Now I still have no freaking idea what slow food is meant to be because I have seen it being arsed around so much so I would just not comment but suffice to say, in food terms, slow is now good (as at 2010). Read the rest of this entry »