Category Archives: Food

Burnt

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I watched the movie Burnt (staring Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller) recently. If you love food, cooking, restaurants, and drama, then this is a fabulous movie. It’s witty, with a great script and cast, it’s also beautifully directed, with outstanding production values, and a great score (including some excellent John Lee Hooker).

Burnt_Poster_Updated

For whatever reason, this movie scored very badly with critics, but it really touched me. Perhaps because for me (having run a bakery and loving good food and cooking), I can absolutely understand the passion, the intensity, the need to create and to astound with fabulous food. I also understand the lifestyle that people who work in the food industry live, the long and horrible hours, the poor pay, the work done because you love what you are doing, even though no one else will ever get it in the same way – even as they adore your food.

And then there are the egos. Many chefs truly are like psychotic rock stars. Their staff living in fear of the next outburst, the thrown pots and pan, the broken crockery. Cooper had experience growing up working in kitchens, and he then took that to the next level studying for the part at Gordon Ramsey’s three Michelin Star restaurant in London – as did all of the cast. It really was a movie that took the job of authenticity seriously. You can read more about that here and see what Gordon Ramsey himself had to say here.

It’s a great film – regardless of what the critics say (plebes).

If you love food you should watch this movie.  If you also love sex, then come and watch this movie with me and we can have great sex afterwards ;-)

John.

My favourite hotel in Sydney

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I just noticed this article in the Herald …

http://www.traveller.com.au/shangrila-sydney-hotel-renovation-first-look-at-8-million-revamp-12kcyz

Looks like my favourite hotel in Sydney has had a makeover!  Seriously though, for the best harbour views from a hotel in Sydney I can’t recommend a better choice than the Shanri-La.  They also do an excellent breakfast.

The staff are also extraordinarily professional.  I once arrived (in fancy dress – painted blue from head to toe and wearing a kilt) for a book launch and the parking valet didn’t even bat an eyelid.

John.

Life is more fun when you’re fit and healthy

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There is no denying that life is more fun when we are fit and healthy.  You feel good, you feel virtuous, you can do the things you want to do.  And it makes sex and relationships better.

The list goes on and on.  Sadly, the society that we live in makes it ever harder to look after our diet and exercise needs; putting tempting foods, and longer working hours in our way every day.

My whole life I have been an active person.  I played hockey from age seven and have never looked back: cross-country running, skiing, cycling, swimming, triathlon, sailing, rock climbing and more.  Exercise and a good diet have become the habits of a lifetime for me.

I get out to exercise most days, but usually I am doing it alone.  So, here’s my offer:

Would you like to be a fitter, healthier version of yourself and have fun doing it?  Then employ me as your personal trainer+.

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Fresh tomatoes

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It’s late in the season for tomatoes, but my plants are still producing.  I was making a big batch of curry for dinner today, so I picked almost 1.5kgs of lovely red tomatoes to add to the dish.

They were so colourful that I had to take a photo and I thought that I would share it with you!

John.

 

The Boathouse

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I had the pleasure this weekend of visiting The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay for dinner.

Anzac Bridge at sunset ...

The ideal way to get to The Boathouse is by water taxi.  You approach from under Anzac Bridge and the taxi drops you a short distance along the waterfront from the restaurant.

It’s a great location looking out over the water back to the city, especially on a warm evening like last night.

Looking passed The Boathouse toward the city

As you might expect The Boathouse specialises in seafood.  They have a great menu and I have to say that the snapper pie is fabulous.  No, I really mean it.  It is absolutely fabulous. They also do very good chips!

Sadly I don’t appreciate oysters, but if you do, then The Boathouse will deliver.  They have a special section on their menu just for the oysters (all natural of course) listing the oysters that they serve that come from a dozen or more locations or more.  The Boathouse is oyster lovers heaven.

This was the view from the corner table at The Boathouse looks back over the bay to Anzac Bridge. It really is a spectacular place.

So, there you have it.  If you are looking for somewhere special for lunch or dinner, then The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay is a great choice.

John.

New Orleans again …

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I have found myself once again at the New Orleans Cafe in Crows Nest on this wet afternoon.  I had quite an enjoyable lunch and thanks to the staff generously allowing me to use a power point, I am not getting down to some work (thanks to my laptop and smartphone – have I ever told you I just love what technology allows us to do!).

Anyway, the actual point of this post was to share some grafiti and other stuff from the Mens Room here.  First up was this grafiti.  When I think of the real New Orlean (although I have never been there personally), I think of food and music … I think this really embodies it!

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I am not sure if this is going to be legible, but I will upload a high res version of the image another day if it’s not.  The message though is this: Never, ever, fuck with the person who prepares your food!  It’s a heart warming reminder for all those under appreciated cooks out there ;-)

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John.

Lettuce

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I love food, especially fresh salad.  And with the weather warming up salad makes a good light meal for dinner with some grilled chicken, fish, or a hard boiled egg.

To that end the veggie garden has an abundance of lettuce of different verieties growing this year.  Along with onions (who’s leaves are great chopped and tossed in) and a range of herbs.

Lettuce has proven remarkably easy to grow and they also look rather pretty!

The male escort’s kitchen: Teriyaki Chicken

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Lunch today had a Japanese theme. I am quite partial to Japanese food, but I must say that I love teriyaki.

Teriyaki sauce is simplicity itself to make. Just take soy sauce, add mirin (sweet rice wine) to taste (if you don’t have mirin, then sake and brown sugar will do). Chicken (or any other meat) can then be marinated in it and (as the meat is being cooked) more teriyaki sauce brushed on to get that seductive dark glossy look.

I am told that traditionally the Japanese use teriyaki on fish, but outside of Japan it has become popular on chicken and other meats.

Sadly, I ate my lunch before taking a photo of it today, but I have found a photo of teriyaki chicken and rice for this post.

I love Japanese cuisine, but don’t get to eat it as often as I would like. Having had this little adventure, I think that it is probably time to see if I can whip up a Chanko-Nabe (a Japanese one pot stew based on chicken broth with meat and vegetables famously created by and for Sumo wrestlers).

This dish is typically cooked at the table and everyone serves themselves from the pot. I think that it will make for a delicious hearty meal, just right for cold, wet winter days.

John.

The image used in this page was found at Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fried_chicken_thighs_with_rice.jpg.

Ravioli filling recipe

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I made ravioli for lunch recently. I have been asked for the filling recipe by a friend over at Concierge du Monde, so here it is:

Ingredients:

  • Pork mince (250 grams)
  • Sauerkraut,finely chopped (80 grams)
  • Coriander, finely chopped (two tablespoons)
  • 1 Egg
  • Breadcrumbs (4 tablespoons)
  • Parmesan cheese (2 tablespoons)
  • Fresh cracked pepper (1 teaspoon)

Instructions:

  1. Drain the sauerkraut and chop finely
  2. Chop the coriander finely
  3. Grate the parmesan
  4. Beat the egg
  5. Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix until they are completely combined. Mixture should be stiff and hold together well. If it is too wet, add more bread crumbs
  6. Heat some oil in a small pan and drop in a half a teaspoon of the filling. Fry until cooked through, then taste. The filling should be quite strong flavoured. Stronger than you would prefer if you were eating it alone. The pasta and the sauce will balance this out. The mixture is now ready to be made up into ravioli.

I make each ravioli using a rounded teaspoon of the filling mixture. This recipe should be enough filling for fifty or so ravioli. I prefer to make my own pasta. If you do, then the pasta should be rolled as thin as you can make it. I find that gives the best balance of texture and flavour.

Cooking time for these ravioli should only be about three minutes in boiling water. To be sure, pull one out and chop in half to check if it is cooked through before removing the rest. Serve with the sauce of your choice. I prefer a basic tomato, herb, and cream sauce that won’t compete too much with the flavour of the ravioli.

John.