FoodieChat

It’s summer! And summer means amazing fruit. I don’t know how I survive the other 9 months of the year without mangoes, cherries, lychees and grapes. Thankfully the US imports help us out a bit, but it’s not the same freshness or price. What better way to enjoy Aussie grown fruit than to go to an orchard and pick your own. A couple of weeks ago, I went to pick my own cherries in Wombat and Young in NSW. We thought it would be a 4 hr drive as their websites said, but I’m thinking that this excludes traffic in Sydney and also no stops. In the end, we left at 9am and were picking at 2:30 after a fly ridden picnic there. There are several orchards you pick your own fruit including Ballinaclash, Allambie and Wombat Heights. Prices range from $5.50 to $8 per kg. Hurry because cherry season is nearly over, and probably all the good ones are gone! A word of advice wear insect repellant. I still have marks on my legs And wear a hat and heaps of sunscreen too.
If you can’t make it this weekend, never fear, peaches are here. You can pick your own at Pine Crest Orchard in Bilpin. Followed suite are the apples starting from February. See my previous blog entry. Good luck and happy picking. It’s a great way to get food from its source and give our farmers a fair go, as well as showing your kids what real produce tastes like!

I really feel that I must warn you about this film.  I know this is not a movie review site, but since the movie theme is food, I figure it’s close enough!  I actually had no expectations. I knew it was about a girl (Julie) played by Amy Adams cooking through a French cookbook by Julia Childs (played by Meryl Streep) and blogging about the results, so I also had some sympathy for the plot.  My problem was Meryl Streep’s VOICE!!!  She spoke in the most fake Dame Edna voice in the entire movie!! It was shrill and ANNOYING!!! Maybe that’s how Julia Childs spoke in real life. But if you don’t like Dame Edna for 2 hours, don’t see it. The food being shown in the film was good, but not enough of it.  “No Reservations” is better in that regard.  It was such a long movie too. There was a bit in the movie about her sister which was completely unrelated too.  Consider yourself warned.  But if I were to cook through a cookbook, wonder which one it would be…. I would have so much difficulty eating some of the stuff like offal and things poached in pure butter though, as Julie finds herself also getting a bit tubby. 

When asked what is my favourite restaurant, there’s so many categories – favourite what – casual? Formal? Quick dinner?  Outdoor? Cheap?  Well, Bennelong is definitely one of my favourites in the fine dining category.  OK, so it’s not the type of restaurant you can go to everyday, but with their pre-theatre menu, you certainly can go more often than otherwise. It’s $75 for 3 courses, or $65 for two.  Well my sister was generous enough to take me for my birthday (well, I kinda asked if she could hehehe ) as I’d only eaten there once before (work paid) and I LOVED it. I’m also a big fan of Guillaume and his classic French, his precision cooking and just general yumminess (that’s a technical blogger’s term ).  OK, so sometimes it’s really embarrassing to take photos at a posh restaurant, so I did my best with my meal.  First of the rank – the scallops with jerusalem artichoke puree and fried garlic.   Pause.  Relishing the memory. AMAZING. Melt in your mouth scallops, creamy rich puree, delicious sauce.  This entree was certainly generous in proportion and even more fabulous in flavour.

Feeling almost full, I chose the crispy skinned barramundi for my main. It was VERY generous proportion as well (see – the $75 is SO worth it!), and topped with fried leeks, and Guillaume’s famous mash, with fresh peas and exotic mushrooms. 

Dessert was either sorbets, or warm apple crumble – served in its copper baking dish topped with vanilla bean ice cream,

or my choice – the trio of creme brulees (I found the coffee one seriously strong though) with 3 petite madelines for dunking.

One of my most favourite things about Bennelong is the petit fours that come with coffee.  As if you could squeeze in another bite, you get to squeeze in four bites:  Dark chocolate tart, grapefruit jelly, salted caramel and pistachio macaron.  Topped with a sensational harbourview, there really is no better way to enjoy a Sydney evening.

These restaurant deals are one of the best things about the credit crunch. Take advantage of them while they last!

Funny article in today’s Good Living, I certainly agree with more than a few of them!! I do love Yum Cha though..

http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/good-living/whats-eating-you/2009/10/12/1255195736670.html