Sydney Food Diary

"Feeding Desire"

Coolhunting's video podcast does a walkthrough of the "Feeding Desire" Exhibit about the history and design of flatware (which looks fascinating).

From Coolhunting: "New York's Cooper-Hewitt design museum traces the evolution of utensils from 1500-2005. Including highlights like pre-18th century sharkskin-handled knives (used when inns didn't provide flatware for guests), and pieces by well-known Scandinavian designers such as Georg Jensen and Arne Jacobsen that exemplify the Danish modern aesthetic, the show reveals the way these quotidian objects of design are also some of the most emotional and intimate."

Sneak Preview: Sydney Good Food Guide 2007

Well as it turns out, our sources are better (and kinder, thanks source!) than even we thought.

So here is your exclusive sneak preview of this years' Good Food Guide cover in all it's red and raspberry goodness (just a touch early for this year's summer berry season).

We're surprised from a design perspective not to see the new Good Living typeface on the cover (but then it's pretty irrelevant unless you, like us, are actually interested in fonts as well as food)

Hopefully though you, like us, are eagerly anticipating this years' results (and the requisite residual bruised egos).

The Hat Day Cometh

Just in case you aren't aware, we thought we'd mention that the new Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide will be unveiled next week to some fanfare at a dinner full of anxious chefs that we once again didn't receive our invite for (must've been eaten by a dog in the mail).

We weren't able to dig up an advance copy of the cover image this year but are still holding our breath that some advance results might magically appear as they did last year.

This year's guide should prove really interesting as it's been a year of many closings, many more openings and more than a few changes around foodtown.

Check next weeks Good Living for the full rundown, or link from here.

Drink Link: Vinosense

We've been meaning to mention how much we've enjoyed having Vinosense around.

Having a wine industry expert like Dave Brookes kicking out the vintage jams regularly is a luxury that we non-expert enthusiastic consumers have lived without for far too long.

Pop over and taste vicariously through him.

Works In Progress

There are many stops on the way to a great dish especially for us non-professional-part-time cooks. These are two of mine that are really close but either need more or less of something to tweak them nearer to perfection.

Strawberry and white pepper tarts, marjoram, buffalo mozerella and balsamic reduction
Notes: These are really good but maybe too small. Poached the strawberries in sake this time around but might try something like dry riesling next time. I think goat cheese might add something more than the buffalo mozerella did but I also worry that that'd be too many disharmonious ingredients.

Parmigiano Reggiano Crisp with roast squash and prosciutto
Notes: Another one I'm still perfecting though it was delicious (this photo doesn't really do it justice). Next time I might mix the roasted squash with ricotta and pipe it on top of the crisp as the squash lump here isn't very attractive.

Nest

When we leave the general area of our nest, one of our favorite brunchy-lunchy spots is Potts Point's Nest which sits unassumingly spilling out of a residential building on Victoria.

They serve up Campos coffee and the food, though mostly no-nonsense has some deliciously different options from the usually Sydney brunch suspects.

Personally we find both the pears poached in ginger and cinnamon with marscapone on sour cherry toast (pictured above) and the four cheese and relish on toast (pictured, partially eaten below) hard to pass up (but Daniel swears by the truffled eggs).

...and they've just started serving up dinner on Thursday, Friday, Saturday. We've yet to check it out but we had a glance at the menu and it looks promising. Anyone been?

Cafe Nest is at 145 Victoria St Potts Point NSW 2011. Phone (02) 8356 9505

Snap Happy

Just wanted to share Benjamin's new article on the art of food photography. It's a delicious primer on framing, lighting and styling your food shots and if you want more it alos links out to some useful online resources. (the discussion below this article might also prove useful to any budding photogs)

Baja Cantina and the Sydney Mexican Food Dilemma

So it's been well documented in discussion recently that Sydney doesn't really have it very good for Mexican food.

We've always liked Azteca's in Randwick but have heard that it changed hands a little while ago (can anyone confirm?). And the truth is it's a really long haul for us when we need a quick Mexican fix. (let's face it, fine dining it ain't, Mexican really is craving food)

So anyhow when we saw that Baja Cantina was opening up in Glebe we were a bit excited but also didn't have the highest expectations (and some of the early comments we saw confirmed more or less what we thought).

Well we gave in to our better instincts last night and gave it a try. And we were pleasantly surprised, the food was fresh and tasty and not disgustingly smothered in cheap cheese and bland sauce. Our food beef fajitas and fish tacos were both really good and satisfying. The fish taco was made with beer battered flathead and had a fiery chipotle cabbage slaw that really brought it to life. The beef fajitas were straightforward (better than the home version), well spiced (we ordered them "spicy") and came with all the fixins'.

The only real disappointment for us was that we couldn't BYO and that the wine list was abysmal. I'm sure most of you will be thinking "I'd rather have beer/Sangria/Margaritas with Mexican anyway" and if it were a summery night we'd probably agree but we felt like a bit of red.

We'll definately be back but we won't write home about it.

Baja Cantina, 43-45 Glebe Point Rd Glebe NSW 2037 Phone (02) 9571 1199

Per Se

Ok, so the previous post (now removed) was a tease to say that we did also get to Thomas Keller's Per Se when we were in NY (as we little by little try to work our way through this list).

Suffice it to say that we had a terrific meal without flaw, no surprise there. But we were surprised by how warm and open the service was. In most of my (admittedly somewhat limited) experience with restaurants of this calibre (and there aren't many) service was professional and proficient but at the cost of individual personality and charm - making the whole experience a bit stiff.

The case here was the opposite and despite the fact that we were overlooking Columbus Circle there was an intimacy to the whole experience that we genuinely enjoyed.

(the photos are a bit ordinary, apologies we were too focussed on the eating)

Amuse

"Oysters and Pearls" - "sabayon" of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and Russian Sevruga Caviar

"Torchon" of Moulard Duck Foie Gras - Pickled Bing Cherries, Pistachio "crumble", "Sylvetta," Balsamic reduction and toasted brioche

Pan Seared Fillet of Sturgeon - Smoked Sturgeon "Rillettes" Roasted Beets, "Melted" Leeks with Horseradish-Golden Beet Emulsion

(Photo MIA is Minestrone - Butter Poached Nova Scotia Lobster, Spiring Pole Beans, Hand Rolled "Trizzi," Lobster "Consomme" and Armando Manni "Per Me" Olive Oil 2002)

All-day Braised Four Story Hill Farm's Pork Shoulder - Braised Collard Greens, Tokyo turnips

Rib-Eye of Nature Fed Veal 'Roti a la brioche" - "Ragout" of "Ris de Veau," Greenmarket carrots, Bluefoot Mountain Mushrooms and English Peas with Anson Mills White Corn Polenta "Croutons" and Veal Jus

Burrata - "Pain de Campagne," Sweet 100 Tomatoes and "Petites" Basil Leaves with Garden Basil Syrup and Tomato oil

Tarte au Chocolate Noir Acidule - Yuzu-scented Chocolate Ganache Grahma cracker dust and Lemon-Verbena Infused Lemon Curd Ice Cream

(Photo MIA is Strawberry Sorbet - Vanilla "Chiboust," Strawberry "Jam" and "Coulis de Creme Fraiche")

Mignardises

Take home Macrons

Steak Sunny Side Up

When the sun is out (as it has been the last few days) there are few things that are finer than splitting a salt and pepper mud crab and chowing down on Kingsley's 150 Day Grain-Fed Australian Angus Fillet.

That is all.

Kingsleys is located on the finger wharf in Woolloomooloo, 1300 KINGSLEYS

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Still think about it? they also have a sale on some of their cellar wines including '99 Clarendon Hills Liandra.