Fox and Hounds, Mt Tamborine

For Amy’s Birthday we went for a Sunday Drive out of Brisbane, Destination Fox and Hounds.  This place was a recommendation from Amy’s work college.  After making a long and windy way up and then over the mountain we found ourselves in Wongawallen on the east side of Tamborine.  Best to use the Pacific Motorway to get there, its quicker.

I lived in England/Scotland for a few years and have always missed the pubs.  We don’t have anything like it in Brisbane.  Well if anyone knows of any let me know.  Old brick buildings with timber interior, quaintly decorated.  All with ridiculous names like the lion’s head, the queens arms, the old dog and my favourite the moat bar.  Which i use to work in in Edinburgh.  It was prounounced moooooooat baaaaaaaaaaaaarrr.

Back to the story, Fox and Hounds looked like the real deal.  Carperted floor, wooden walls, brick walls, fantastic lighting and a classic wooden bar.  Plus the folk behind it had a slight english accent.  On a rainy overcast day what a great place to visit, just like england.  A warm cozy pub with a great atmosphere.

The food is what we came for.  We decided to try the pate, well it did come with piccalilli pickle.  It was for us to share it was huge though as an entrée.  But both Amy and Roy loved it, me on the other hand found it a little too ironey (like iron – meat taste, when you are eating very strong flavoured meats)

We all got the Roast of the day for $22 either lamb or Beef was the choice.  Along side the meat of choice was an array of veggies which included, parsnip, sweede and carrot mash, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower and the yorkshire pudding.

Overall it was a winner for us all.  Even though my memories of carvery dinners in Somerset were much, much cheaper.  The standard here was top-notch.  I would love to be here in the summer in the beer garden chowing down a Cornish pasty and a Cider.  They have many great beers on tap and more bottled.    We will be back for a beer and another attempt at the food.  Maybe next time we will have a BMW to park out the front.

For more information about Fox and Hounds visit their website HERE or give them a call 07 5665 7582

Primanti Bros, Monroeville Pittsburgh

So when i found i would be winging over to Pittsburgh for a week i did some quick research on what foods they are famous for. The first thing to appear was a description of a Pittsburgh sandwich: thick bread, lots of meat, tomato, coleslaw and a heap of french fries (fries inside the sandwich that is). Ok, sounds interesting.

The institution of choice in the city is a chain of restaurants called Primanti Bros. Originally just one store in the city, but now everywhere in Pittsburgh i was interested to see this mixed up sandwich had to offer.

As i was staying in Monroeville, I went to the local outlet to see what the fuss was about.

Upon sitting down the girl was stunned that we had never eaten a Primanti Bros sandwich before and recommended the Capicola (spicy ham?). Never one to ignore recommendations that is what i ordered.

Well what arrived at the table wasnt small that’s for sure.

All in all this was pretty damn tasty. The coleslaw is what makes the difference cutting through all the grease and adding the tang. The french fries are what we would call hot chips in Australia, and had the skin on which i like.

The bread slices seemed a little too small for the sandwich, but I am unsure if i just got the slices from towards the end of the loaf.

If they sold these near my work, I would be there for lunch quite often.

Ribs in Pittsburgh

I love ribs, and by extension the USA.

After 30 hours of travel, including some very wonky sleep deprived driving on the wrong side of the road, I arrived in Monroeville on the outskirts of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.

So what to do after not sleeping for a day and a half, beer and ribs.

So down to the Holiday Inn bar I went, and got exactly that.

The best ribs i have eaten since I was in San Antonio many years earlier. Ribs like are just something you can get hold of in Australia. And these were just hotel kitchen ribs.

Later in the trip i decided i needed the real deal and headed around the corner to the Gateway Grill. This place was a classic american bar and grill, and they cooked over wood fire.

These ribs were the real deal. Slow cooked fall apart with amazing sauce. The coleslaw was also amazing, nothing like home, fresh and not overpowered by dressing.

I have heard that Blue Smoke in New Farm do some pretty good ribs. I will just have to get over there and see if they can live up to the hype (it’s all in the sauce).

The Gunshop’s New Spring Menu

Don’t these photos make your mouth water?  Well if you want to taste these dishes, the Gunshop has its new spring menu ready to go.  I was lucky enough to spend the night with a few other food bloggers in Brissy and get to be the first ones to try the new dishes.  Fist up was Stradbroke island rock oysters, tomato & 50-year-old sherry vinegar.

To my surprise, for someone who hates oysters, I loved these!  Roy demolished loads of these, and reckons that I should still try them fresh off the rocks?  What do you think?  How do you like your oysters?

On to the next dish, Hervey Bay scallops, salmon pearls persimmon and Squid Ink.  I reckon this was something that fell out of Heston’s kitchen. There was foam on my plate, so many flavours going on.  I loved the persimmon sitting under the scallops which were cooked to perfection.  Overall this was my second favourite dish of the night

Above, Queensland Wild Boar, morton bay bug, ham and pineapple salad

Below, Goondiwindi lamb rack, salsify puree, Toowoomba olives and fresh peas

Above Queensland cheese plate, with some of my favourites like, Gympie farm ash rolled cherve and Kinagroy bunya black brie. mmmmmmmm I do love cheese

Below, Peach souffle, raspberry ice cream and Qld vanilla creme anglaise

After a few bad breakfast experiences and not being back for a long time now.  Taking a chance to revisit a favourite cafe/restaurant, for dinner was intriguing.  I have been won over by the menu, the love of Qld farmed food and that Jason Coolen – Gunshop owner has over 61 suppliers.  That is EPIC!  so total respect there.  Skip breakfasts at gunshop on the weekends people and go for dinner during the week, the menu is fantastic.  Above most of all you need to try the Lamb.  My favourite thing on the menu, not only was it served with peas which made me happy but it was cooked so well it melted in your mouth.

Go experience a night out at the Gunshop.

Jam Update

As of the 6th of October Food Connect will be selling our jams to there loyal customers. You can order online or over the phone.
We are still chasing up a spot at the West End Markets. It looks like there is a waiting list. So fingers crossed we get in!

Over the last few weeks our internet died in the ass. But we are back on line today and we have a few stories for you all. Roy has just been away to Pittsburgh with his new camera.

How to make a Sponge Cake – Recipe

Sponge cakes are something my mum could never make.  “They just flop in the middle”  once taken out of the oven.  This is my first attempt at making this sponge and I had no problems.  Maybe ovens these days are a bit better?  not sure.  I have broken the curse of my mum’s side of the family and can now bake a sponge.

For a friend of mine’s birthday, a cake was needed and why not pull out the gun’s for someone you care about.  That’s you Juna. Happy Birthday again.  As well as part of my assessment to get qualified I have been baking a lot.  Loving it at the same time.

To make a sponge, I had a simple recipe from my text-book.  First step 4 eggs are separated.  Place the 4 egg yolks in a bowl along with 100g of caster sugar and a pinch of rind from a lemon.  Mix till well combined.  Then whisk the egg whites till they are stiffly beaten and add to the egg and sugar mix.  Stir gently.  Add 100gm of cake flour (low gluten)  and fold through with a wooden spatula.  place the mixture carefully into 2 x 17cm baking tins and bake in a 185’c oven for 20 minutes.  allow to set for 5 minutes before turning out.

Enjoy with freshly whipped cream and strawberries.

Hot dog with Zucchini Pickle

I like stuff.

Durian, blood sausage, cognac with sarsaparilla…..

Do you like stuff?

But some things i like more. (Although i try not to grade things that are good too much, as this is directly related to how long ago i had something. Mmm, that was the best cup of tea I have ever had.)

I like hotdogs more than you like hotdogs. (Although 5 minutes ago I liked tea better than you liked tea, but through the passing of time that may not now be true.)

I like cheap hotdogs, I like fancy hotdogs and I love 7-11 hotdogs that have been sitting on the little hotdog spinning machine way too long.

So when Liz made too much zucchini pickle for her jam selling enterprise and asked me should we bring it home, what do you think I though of? (I will give you the benefit of the doubt here as it was days ago and it could have had something to do with meat of some kind (very likely)).

So lets just say it was “Hotdogs”.

Supermarket deli hotdogs, with supermarket bakery bread and amazing homemade (if I lived in a commercial kitchen) zucchini pickle. Oh and supermarket tomato sauce (gonna need some homemade of that).

What can I say but it was the best thing I have ever eaten. (Well until I ate an orange that blew my mind.)

I would highly recommend Strayed from the Table Zucchini Pickle with meaty things. (Oranges also)

I think Liz will be selling this stuff at the West End markets in a couple of weeks. So when you get you hotdog from the german sausage place, take to see Liz and ask her pretty please for a little Zucchini pickle (and i hear there is now tomato sauce!!) to go on top and you may be in luck. Say Roy sent you (though we have established that I may or may not remember it).

Our Birthdays

Roys Argentinian barbecue and for me we went all out and went to fancy french restaurant.

ROY: I love meat. Oh, it was already obvious? Sorry for wasting your food photo ogling time with words.

For my birthday i wanted to keep it simple. Here in Australia that means a barbecue.

But I wanted a real barbecue! What is that you ask? It’s an Argentinian barbecue (brazilian, spanish or portuguese may also count, but i havent been to those countries. Yet.)

What does it look like in the plate? We have some bread, salad, chimichurri sauce and some smoky smoky meat.

To pull this together I located a couple of grills (out of our old fridge), a few bricks and some charcoal.

Whilst waiting I got my one present of the evening, some very expensive and tasty whiskey.

And we begin.

Later we retired for a classic game: Beer Trouble.

LIZ:  For my birthday it’s usually a quite affair with friends and family.  I was spoilt with Roy taking me to a fancy French Restaurant “Belle Epoque”  at the Emporium in Fortitude Valley.  With only 2 weeks exactly between our birthdays its hard to save money, when what we love is food.  In our house its birthday season, end of june to end of july.  Which means there is at least one birthday a week, then it becomes party season.  Well I guess its great to have your friends close in winter to snuggle up with on a cold night, while you are drinking whiskey.

On the Saturday night for our dinner we got all dolled up.  Yep a dress and heels for me and Roy even ironed his shirt and trousers.  Well I did for him. Trying to look the part even if we still looked like two country bumpkins.  We drove in style to the emporium with the Val.  We drew heads upon us as we pulled in with the roar of the engine as we looked for a carpark.  Only had to go around once.  Ended up outside of the restaurant.  Too easy.

We walked in with Roy being nervous.  The first time in a white tablecloth establishment.  Full fine dining service, yes glasses being topped up, with water and wine, the waiter helpful and informative.  The look on Roy’s face was priceless once our waiter for the evening put our napkins across our laps with a quick flick.  I must have forgotten that part of dinner service.  I covered most things in the car before we had arrived the cutlery, glasses, drinks before dinner, ordering and etiquette.

Sitting in the restaurant with the menu opened deciding what to have was going to be a little challenge.  As they had a degustation menu and then ala-carte menu.  I really wanted to try the decustation dinner, however on the day they did not have what we wanted on the menu.  Our first course was escargot (snails) and the famous foie gras (duck liver pate).  I had the snails with the first one scaring me off, but after the second one I loved them, garlicy, oily and little chewy.  The texture was almost like calamari.  The foie gras was very rich, I did not mind it, but to eat a whole serve of it may have been too much. It did have poached rhubarb and a honeycomb ball.  That once it was broken exploded with a strong smell of the sweet honey.  A moment you don’t forget.

Our second meal of the night, Roy had a truffle risotto and I had a duck breast which was resting on a big gnocchi with cherries and almonds scattered on my plate.  This meal was so mouth-watering I wish it went on forever.  Roy said that it was the best risotto he had ever eaten.  Which is huge, as it was creamy and still a bit chewy.  Perfect.  I recently made a mushroom risotto with wild rice and pecorino.  Mine came close,  I forgot to take a photo of it, though which is  a bummer, which means now I will have to make it again and take a photo.  I guess it couldn’t be too bad.

Dessert for both of us, doesn’t usually appeal.  But the cheese menu did.  We ordered three cheeses which was served with grapes, apples and fig spread.  To finish off our beautiful meal.    My night was perfect.  I had the best time out, it was like we were on a date. Except we probably were acting like an old married couple sitting in the corner having a romantic dinner for an anniversary or something.  Damn hillbillies in a fancy restaurant.  Just doesn’t make sense.  Now I want to go and eat out more, with both of us having things we had never eaten before, and Roy getting excited about food that was not asian.  It made me very happy.

Now we have to wait to go to live in france to eat all the duck, foie gras, escargots and baguettes we could possibly imagine.  Just got to keep learning more french.

Vine Dining in the South Burnett

I love going to visit my parents, nothing beats leaving Brisbane and enjoying the smell and sounds of the country.  My parents who live in Kumbia have fantastic views of the Bunya Mountains.  This weekend saw Roy and my family trundle over to my grandparents for a cuppa then on to Vine Dining in Moffatdale.

Thanks to mum who reads the paper always, and notices every little ad init.  I wanted to go and explore something new in the South Burnett region.  Well the sky was blue and it was not to windy.  It rained most of the way up there from Brisbane.  A relief to have such a picturesque day.  Mum noticed there was a Vine Dining thing going on in Moffatdale, which is just outside of Murgon.  Three wineries were open with live entertainment, lunch and of course wine.  Buses were going in between each one constantly.

We visited the Cloverly Estate winery, which my parents have been wanting to go and check out for some time.  Off first to the cellar door we had to choose wine!  Incredible hard when everyone likes something different.  But as it was lunch time an easy pick was a table wine which was light and easy to drink we chose the 2010 Shiraz Merlot Cabernet.  This is what we had for lunch.  Both meals were $18 and dessert was $10

Kilkivan Bendele Organic Duck on Potato and Celeriac Mash with Orange Sauce

Qld Wild Barramundi, Choron Sauce on Cream of Spinach

Profiterole roll filled with Vanilla Ice cream and Chocolate Fudge Sauce

The meals were prepared by Jacque who is from Compiegne in France, who now lives in the South Burnett.  It was great to talk to a real french chef, we got some ideas about our future trip to france.  Charcuterie here we come!

Clovely estate was quite pretty, here are some other photos from the estate

Vine Dining was on Saturday the 21st of August 2010

Above my Dad’s car, which was our ride for the day.  It is his pride and joy.  I also own one of them too, but mine is still in dad’s shed waiting for me to move out of Brisbane.  This week my parents were lucky to have got a new baby alpaca, which is now called Sherbet.   Unfortunately for me my camera ran out of batteries and I missed taking a decent photo of him.  However, below is a picture of Abba and to the right, behind him, you can see a fluffy new alpaca.  So cute and so soft and cuddly.

Beetroot Ravioli stuffed with ricotta and endives

Beetroot Pasta:  Boil 150gms of beetroots till soft.  Take off the skin and then blend till they resemble a fine mash.  In a bowl place 500gms of ‘OO’ Flour, add beetroot puree and then 4 eggs, one at a time, till the mixture is combined.  Let the pasta rest for 1 hour before rolling.  Once rested divide the mixture into four.  Roll our the pasta to about 2mm.

The stuffing:  Finely dice a red onion with one clove of garlic and sweat it slowly in a fry pan for a few minutes till they become transparent.  Do not burn.  Put the onion and garlic into a bowl.  Place 100gms of endives finely sliced, 250gm of ricotta, zest of one lemon, sprinkle of nutmeg than  salt and pepper to taste.

Constructing the ravioli:  I now have a pasta roller so it make this process a lot easier.  Once the dough reaches 2mm, lay it on to a floured bench.  With a teaspoon dot the mixture down the length of the pasta with plenty of room around it.  I egg wash the gap between the pasta then fold it over to seal it.  Set aside the finished ones on a floured board.

Cooking:  it takes about 3-5minutes to cook the pasta once your pot of salted water has come to the boil.

I just made a brown butter with  parsley and basil.  If you can get sage use that instead of the other herbs.  Once the butter has browned I added the herbs and then a small squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper.  Then fold it through the pasta, then serve.  I finished the dish with a sprinkle of parmesan and toasted pine nuts.

To keep pasta you can freeze the raviolis on a flat tray.  Do not layer them in the freezer.  Once frozen you can then put them all together in a tight sealing container/bag.