Est.

My fiancé took me to Est. for my birthday last Saturday. I was blown away by the restaurant.

For those that may not be familiar with Est, it is a 3 hated restaurant located above Establishment.  The head chef is Peter Doyle, who by many is considered one of Australia’s most prominent chefs of Australian modern cuisine.

The restaurant is decorated with muted tones of cream, opulent lounges and large Greek style pillars surrounding the tables.

Unlike most hated restaurants the staff are welcoming and attentive.

The restaurant offers an extensive list of wine. So much so in fact, that you get an entire thick book, filled with pages and pages of exquisite wines from places far and wide. 

We opted for the degustation menu, although a la carte is also available.

The dishes were simply amazing. Peter Doyle is able to create flavours that stay true to the freshness of the produce but makes it taste that extra bit special.

The broths that the seafood floats in are filled with intricate flavours that dance on the tongue.  Whilst I am not a usual fan of white fish, I found myself eating every last skerrick. The fish was moist and the broth light and refreshing.  

One of my favourites was the roasted duck Foie Gras. The pate was rich and creamy and paired well with the sweetness of the rhubarb sauce (which in itself is an unusual ingredient to include in a main).

The desserts were decadent and rich and an amazing way to finish of the meal. Have a look at that soufflé (see picture below)! It had risen beautifully and the texture was soft and light.

It took us about three hours to eat our way through the degustation menu, which was the perfect amount of time to savour each dish, whilst giving you plenty of time before the next dish was presented.

It was a very memorable evening, full of amazing company, food and drinks!

I’ve included some pictures so you can see the quality of the food!

Fruit Juices

As summer looms it's a perfect time to dust out that juicer and try a healthy drink to kick start your day.  I've provided a recipe, (it's nothing fancy) but hopefully it gets you thinking aboout all the amazing fruit and vegetables in season.

I've juiced 5 small sized carrots, 1 celery bunch, 1 apple (for sweetness), a knob of ginger and fresh apple mint.

Delicious!

Don't forget you can just juice the ordinary juices like orange juice too.  The thick, luscious consistency is oh so different to that which you find in a bottle.

 

Salt with a Twist

Next time you reach for the salt and pepper, think about adding a flavour twist that is sure to cause a tastebud sensation.

The first is chilli salt.  For those that like things hot, chilli salt adds that extra kick.  To make simply add 1 part chilli pieces (not powder) to 3 parts sea salt. Dry roast on the stove pot until the aroma develops.  Take it of the heat and grind using a motor and pestle.  The salt should become a pale red colour.

The second is sichuan salt and pepper. Sichuan creates a lovely tingling sensation on the tongue and is fantastic in Chinese dishes.  To make simply add 1 part sichuan to 3 parts sea salt.  Dry roast on the stove pot until the aroma develops.  Take it of the heat and grind using a motor and pestle. The salt should become a light brown colour. It will have the most amazing aroma.

Keep both salts in an air tight container. 

Note: It is very important you use sea salt and not the ordinary table salt for these recipes.





Preserved Lemons

It's a great time to start preserving lemons, to be able to be used in the upcoming weeks. Preserved lemons can be used for a number of different dishes from cous cous, to roast chicken and ofcourse an addition to a Morrocan style tagine.  The best thing about this recipe is it is both easy and attractive to keep in the kitchen.

To start using a mortar and pestle, ground sea salt with a handful of cummin seeds and corriander seeds.

Throughly wash each lemon and pat dry (you want to remove the waxy coating). Then cut each lemon into quarters, ensuring you do not go completely through and the lemon remains intact.

Stuff the salt mixture into the crevices of the lemons.

Push the lemons into a sterilised jar.  Ensure the jar is airtight.  In the jar add 2 cinnamon sticks and 3-4 dried bay leaves. Pour the juice of an additional three lemons and cover with olive oil.  When labelling don't forget to put the date, because preserved lemons should be stored in a dark area of your kitchen for at least 6-8 weeks.  They can then be used for up to two years.   In the upcoming weeks I will show you some recipes of how to use these delightful little lemons.



Spice Temple

My fiancé and I visited Spice temple for the second time, in a very long time. The restaurant creates an exotic ambiance from the very first moment you enter. The door has a large LED screen onto which is projected an Asian silk, billowing in the breeze.  You enter a flight of stairs that lead you to the darkly lit restaurant, where your eyes need a few moments to adjust. Above each table is a lamp which casts a soft glow onto the food.

The cocktail menu is truly enticing and encapsulates an interesting combination of ingredients that is far from ordinary.  Below are some of the interesting combinations available. I couldn’t go past the lemon grass and rose cocktail-which was both refreshing and paired beautifully with the Chinese flavours to follow.

 



We chose the banquet menu which was more than enough for two. The flavours are punchy and bold.  You begin with the picked cucumber and radish as well as a poached chicken salad.  The pickled vegetables are not at all overpowering but clean the palate well for the dishes to follow.

 

Next is what Neil Perry has deemed to be the “Chinese American” dish which is deep fried noodles laced with mince in a rich sauce.  The dish has great texture arising from the noodles.

Next are the dishes to be eaten with rice.  The first is the Chinese style fish.  The fish fillets are succulent and the sauce absolutely beautiful.  I was scooping the remnants of the sauce onto to my rice because it was so tasty and that dish alone, would have made my satisfied.

 

This is accompanied by the salt and pepper squid.  The taste and visual presentation of the dish is quite different to that which you would see in a normal Chinese restaurant.  However once squeezed with the lemon wedge sitting alongside, the flavours are more strongly brought out. The squid is soft and simply melts in your mouth.



The next mains come out being the greens, the pork belly and the beef brisket. It’s quite amazing the flavours that Neil Perry has captured with what really is quite cheap ingredients. The beef brisket for example is paired with baby eggplants that pop in your mouth.  There are red chillies laced in this dish, so be careful to avoid these if you don’t enjoy it hot! The pork belly is soft and juicy, in a light sauce.

 

The dessert is a lychee granita.  I think a sweet granita is always once of the best ways to finish of Asian flavours.  It’s sweet so it helps sooth the tongue after the spiciness of the dishes.

 

The al a carte dishes look just as enticing, if not more (if you can be discerning enough to choose the dishes from the long menu).  Just watch out for those highlighted in red they are doused with Sichuan peppercorns. And I mean doused! For those that have never eaten these peppercorns it is not the same heat you would have experienced with say, a chilli powder or black pepper. Instead it has an almost numbing sensation on the tongue and lips.  It is however a quintessential Chinese cooking ingredient.

If you haven’t been before and you are looking for an upmarket Chinese restaurant I would definitely give this one a go.  Being one of Neil Perry’s flagship restaurants he has put effort into creating an evolving and creative menu, sure to entice.

A great start to the day- a freshly made banana smoothie

This recipe is so simple I almost feel silly putting it up on the blog.  But I recently dusted of my blender sitting at the back of the cupboard and thought with this amazing warm weather, what could be better than a home-made banana smoothie to start to the day!

This recipe will make about 6-8 glasses.

Ingredients

• 4 bananas (ensure they are on the ripe side)
• ½ cup Natural Greek style yoghurt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 4-5 ice cubes

Method

Dice each banana into about four then slowly add the natural yoghurt and milk.  Add the honey and cinnamon to taste. Blend in the ice cubes or alternatively place in the fridge to cool. Depending on your desired consistency you would add more milk for a thinner consistency and more yoghurt for a thicker consistency.

Enjoy!

 

Red Velvet Cupcakes

These cupcake are taking the world by storm and its popularity is only increasing.

I recently made these red velvet cupcakes for my niece’s birthday- they were a major hit! This recipe is both moist and looks amazing. I've added a twist to the traditional recipe by adding shredded coconut to the icing-this gives the cupcakes additional taste and texture.

 The hardest part about this dish is not eating all the batter before it goes into the oven!

Ingredients

Batter:

·         1 ½ cups caster sugar

·         ½ cup butter

·         2 eggs, room temperature

·         2 1/3 plain flour

·         2 tablespoons cocoa powder

·         1 teaspoon bi carb

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         ½ teaspoon salt

·         1 cup buttermilk

·         1 ½ tablespoons red food colouring

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         1 teaspoon white vinegar

Frosting:

·         ½ cup butter

·         1 packet of cream cheese

·         Icing sugar (to taste)

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         ½ cup shredded coconut

Method:

1.       Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy

2.      Add the eggs one at a time until fully mixed through

3.      Sift in the plain flour, cocoa powder, bi carb, baking powder and salt.

4.      In a separately bowl whisk the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla extract and red food colouring.

5.      Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.  The batter will be a soft pink, but don’t worry when it bakes it actually turns out red.

6.       Scoop the mixture into cupcake papers and bake for about 20 minutes.

7.      Once you have taken the cupcakes out of the oven and it has cooled you can make the frosting.

8.      Cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add the vanilla extract and icing sugar. The amount of icing sugar you add will depend on how sweet you like the icing. Stir in the shredded coconut.

9.      Pipe the icing onto the cupcakes and serve.