Sydney Sandwich Social

Seared chorizo and peppery rocketLast Saturday Saffron and I co-hosted the first ever Sydney Sandwich Social.The premise was simple. Everyone brings a sandwich and swaps half of it for another. Creativity was encouraged, but the classics were welcomed as well.Our idea wasn't original, but it sure was fun. Who doesn't reminisce those sandwich swapping days of the schoolyard?I packed two types of

Mmmango

Today I relished every sticky mouthful of my first mango of the season.Mangoes epitomise summer to me. Their cheerful golden colour like sunshine, their irresistable heady perfume, their inevitable stickiness of messy consumption. Summer isn't summer unless you've licked all your sticky fingers and only then noticed the mango stain on your t-shirt.When I lived in London I couldn't understand why

Bourke Street Bakery, Broadway

Olive, rosemary and salt crust flatbreadThere is something to be said for good quality baked bread.Something like ngh mrph nj mmnh *ahhhh*Or perhaps just a simple "More".At the moment I'm in the middle of reading Not On The Label by Felicity Lawrence, and the chapter on commercial breads has me craving the nourishing satisfaction of lovingly proved and nurtured real bread.Thank goodness for

IMBB #19: Strawberry and Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

The latest Is My Blog Burning challenge is to trick someone into eating something vegan.I admit it. The word 'vegan' is usefully enough inducement to emit a Mr Burns-like shudder of envisioned displeasure. Don't get me wrong. I love my vegetables. But when the word vegan is placed in front of something on the menu/blackboard/chocolate bar, it's usually a big fat warning sign to my terrified

Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Walnut Streusel

In addition to the pineapple coconut muffins I made last night, I also decided to make another fruit-themed batch (when baking fever hits, take full advantage!).Of the two, these were probably my favourite. The walnut crunchy streusel definitely makes it addictive.The recipe is almost the same as the pineapple coconut ones. I like the use of oil in this recipe as it means you don't have to worry

Pineapple coconut muffins

I whipped these up tonight for our first-ever Sydney Sandwich Social tomorrow.It was only as they were cooling that I realised these were a perfect entry for the latest Tiki-themed blog party. And with the deadline recently extended by another day, well, here I am... and here's the recipe.Pineapple Coconut Muffins2 cups plain flour1 tablespoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 cup sugar1/2 cup

Post 23... what do you see?

Saffron tagged me for this latest meme variant.The instructions:1. Delve into your blog archive.2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.5. Tag five people to do the same.My 23rd post was Welcome to Tokyo, as I babbled giddily about my first impressions of Nihon.The fifth sentence

Grab Your Diary, 22-30 Sept

So have you got your killer sandwich idea ready for the weekend? That's right. This Saturday is the first inaugural Sydney Sandwich Social.THURSDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2005Blog Party #2: The Tiki EditionGet your beach party and laua-style nibbles and cocktails over to this month's host Dispensing Happiness.FRIDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 2005Does My Blog Look Good in This? #9Send your favourite August food photo to

Pho An Restaurant, Bankstown

I still remember my first time at Pho An.It was about ten years ago. Back then they were in their old premises, and the decor was, well, non-existent. As we sat down at our table, a waiter seemed to materialise from thin air and almost leapt on us with questioning eyes waiting for our order. Brandishing an electronic keypad(which was impressive itself back in those days), he tapped in our orders

Ripper Sipahh

Does anyone remember wax straws? And how there was a fleeting fad of coating the insides with chocolate syrup so it would flavour your milk as you sucked?The chocolate flavour never lasted very long (and I always ended up destroying my straw in the process) but as we all know, retro is in, and technology is rampant!Enter the Sipahh: easily the most exciting product we saw at the Fine Food Show

Fine Food Australia, 2005

Judging at the Official Great Aussie Meat Pie Competition.We headed over to the Fine Food Australia expo last week after receiving invitation tickets in the mail. Restricted to trade-only, this huge tradeshow made up of more than 800 exhibitors was the first ever to take up all six halls at the Sydney Exhibition Centre.Hosted alongside the Fine Food Australia expo was Hotel Australia as well as

Cabramatta Moon Festival

Yup. Another festival.Luck seemed to be shining on AG for when I arrived at Cabramatta in Sydney's west at 11.35am, I heard the sound of beating drums and clashing cymbals. Following the adrenalin-inducing beat, I discovered a huge crowd around lion dancers, who were performing moves sans-costume.The crowd was thick and since I could barely get a look-in, let alone a lens in, I was about to walk

Iron Chef coming to Sydney

Iron Chef French, Hiroyuki Sakai, is coming to Sydney!Sakai will perform a tag-team cook-off with Galileo's Chef Harunobu Inukai in front of a dining audience. As diners sup on seven courses of Japanese-French cuisine with matching wines, Sakai and Inukai will recreate the meals with large screens relaying all the action from the kitchen. (Rumour has it that Tetsuya was devastated that he missed

SHF#12: Coconut pandan baked rice custard

Every month foodbloggers from around the world are invited to participate in simultaneous cook-offs around a theme ingredient. For the 12th edition of Sugar High Friday, Elise revealed the lastest theme as custard.I was a little skeptical at first I'll have to admit. Custard sounded so limiting. Custard tart. Baked custard. Creme caramel.But a little more legwork and, well, more and more recipes

Grab Your Diary, 16-30 Sept

FRIDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2005Sugar High Friday #12: CustardCook up some custard and get your sugary delight to Elise from Simply Recipes.SUNDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2005Gusto Italian Regional FestivalCooking demonstrations by top chefs at Sydney's Fish Markets.Burwood FestivalBurwood Park (cnr Burwood Road and Park Avenue), Burwood10am - 5pmMarrickville FestivalMarrickville Road (between Victoria and

Blogging By Mail: Spokane to Sydney

Everyone likes getting packages in the mail. Expecting one is even more exciting!So when the first inaugural Blogging by Mail event was organised, I was in like Flynn! Foodbloggers from around the world were paired up with a secret recipient, to send a carefully chosen package of homemade treats or local specialties.The wonderful organiser, Nic from bakingsheet, kickstarted the proceedings by

Doma Bohemian Beer Cafe, Potts Point

Pork.
Sauerkraut.
Beer.

Say hello to Czech and Slovak cuisine, taverna-style.



I had made a booking for Doma Bohemian Beer Cafe after hearing someone at work constantly wax lyrical about it. I'd been told that the portions were huge, the food was cheap and the duck was goooooood (cue raised eyebrows and emphatic head-nodding).

My mandatory websurfing background check only cemented it as a

Chinese Moon Festival

In the hustle bustle of Sydney's Chinatown, it's mooncake fever. Towers of metallic red decorative tins are huddled over by mothers and grandmothers as they compare prices, brands and the number of egg yolks.What is mooncake? Why the fuss?Next Sunday, 18 September, is the peak of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, a time when farmers traditionally celebrated their summer harvest on the day when the

Pyrmont Growers Market

There must be some kinda magic in the meteorological forcefield at Pyrmont Bay Park. It seems that without fail, the whole area is drenched in warming sunshine on the first Saturday of every month. The Vitamin D is drunk in greedily by every Sydneysider and their dog, as they browse the produce and gourmet goodies on offer at the monthly Pyrmont Growers Market.This month I met up again with

Haldon Street Festival: Part II

Shiny urns at an Indian foodstallAfter all the camera-snapping action of the festival parade, my stomach was making loud and angry demands for breakfast.Haldon Street had a number of Lebanese bakeries, I discovered, and after my recent relevatory experience with Lebanese pizza, I was determined to eat some more. After a quick appraisal of all options, Moussa's Bakery & Pizza seemed like the real

Grab Your Diary, 9-30 Sept

There are no excuses for boredom this weekend with a whole raft of things to see and do this Sunday! Unless I'm abducted by aliens, I'll be at the Cabramatta Moon Festival. How can I resist the allure of a moon cake eating competition?FRIDAY 9 SEPTEMBER 2005 Omnivoribus Australis - AugustAussie and Kiwi foodbloggers should send their favourite August post to Saffron to be included in this month's

Haldon Street Festival, Lakemba

It's true. I love a festival.So there was little doubt I'd be making my west to Lakemba for the annual Haldon Street Festival late last month.About half of Lakemba's residents were born overseas resulting in a main street which is dominated by "ethnic" eateries, intriguing grocery shops and yes, good cheap food!The day's festivities started with a parade showcasing the diversity of nationalities

Neil won't kneel

The knives are out.Neil Perry, whose Rockpool restaurant was downgraded from three hats to two in the newly-released SMH Good Food Guide Awards, is not happy.Read more on the SMH story here.Edit 12.50am 8 Sep 05: Read Neil's full response to the awards here.Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!

Sydney Sandwich Social

Do you remember swapping your lunch with the kid next to you in the school playground, upgrading your boring ol' cheese and Vegemite sanger to the excitement of a peanut butter one?Are you the type of person who still checks out what everyone else is having for lunch, and enquiring "so what does that taste like?"Do you insist on swapping mains with your dining companion halfway through your meal,

One Hat, Two Hats

The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Awards were announced last night.For overseas readers, you could perhaps liken these to the restaurant Oscars. Incorporated into the 800-odd entries of the SMH Good Food Guide 2006, the awards highlight those restaurants which display a particular level of flair and culinary expertise, as experienced by the panel of secret reviewers.Like most Sydneysiders

Childhood Food Memories

I was recently tagged by Adam, the other AG (he's the Amateur Gourmet) who had been tagged by Clotilde for this latest meme which seems to be making its way around the blogosphere.I say recently when in fact I mean fourteen days ago. Which may not appear all that long ago, but, in Amateur Gourmet time, that actually means 28 posts ago. And that includes a movie and a podcast in there as well. Eek

EoMEoTE #10: Silverbeet frittata

Silverbeet FrittataThere is no hamThere is no spamBut there is greenInside this panWhat is the cause?It's silverbeet!Except it's greenIt has me beat!Perpetual spinachIt's called you'll find.Swiss Chard? Mangold?Make up your mind!Enough of thatWe must make hasteDeadline is nearNo time to waste!We chop the stemsAnd fry them fastThen add the leavesGive them a blastNow crack some eggsAnd season