I was in the grocery store Tuesday night when I saw this. Oh, there are SO many juvenile jokes just waiting here...but, I'll abstain *giggle* and wait until things cool off *snicker*!
Wordless Wednesday - Grocery Store Edition
I was in the grocery store Tuesday night when I saw this. Oh, there are SO many juvenile jokes just waiting here...but, I'll abstain *giggle* and wait until things cool off *snicker*!
Perfecto Graham Cracker Crust . . . Works for Me Wednesday
Here is my recently discovered trick for making perfect graham cracker crusts....use a measuring cup to press the crust mixture into the pie pan!
This is a great recipe for graham cracker crust...I used it again this week for Mr. E's birthday pie. More on that later....
Graham Cracker Crust
{source: Betty Crocker Cookbook (Bridal Edition) }
1 and 1/2 cup finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
1/3 c. butter, melted (I used salted)
3 TBSP sugar
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine all of the ingredients. Press into the bottom and sides of a 9" pie pan.
So simple and utterly yummy! Graham Cracker Crust works for me! What's working for YOU this week?
Donna Hay's Caramel Sponge Cake
Light and fluffy sponge cake, mounds of whipped cream, and generous drizzles of caramel sauce. Evil, pure evil. That is how my boss described the caramel-sponge cake that I made for our office bake-off, to raise money for Jeans for Genes.
Prior to the day, I wasn't sure what to make and bring. I didn't want to go for anything too common, like a standard Swiss roll or carrot cake. (I'm glad I didn't, as other people brought them!) Having said that, I didn't want to make anything too weird and challenging.
In the end I chose a recipe I'd had my eye on for a while, but never tried - Donna Hay's caramel sponge cake recipe, from Modern Classics 2. It ticked all the boxes - cheap and quick to make, a little different, but not inaccessibly so. I never used to be good with whipped sponge cakes, but buoyed by the success of my recent Swiss roll, I thought it'd be alright.
The cake is a very simple sponge - just whipped eggs and sugar, with flour and melted butter folded through. The volume decreased a little as I folded the flour in, but it didn't seem to affect the finished product too much. I must say it smelled a little eggy after being baked, but I had a sneaky taste test (scooped some out of the middle with a teaspoon), and it tasted like normal cake. Next time I might use some vanilla extract to counter the egginess.
While the cakes were cooling, we went out and watched I Love You Phillip Morris at the MIFF. It was awesome - mega-love for Rodrigo Santoro and Ewan MacGregor! I assembled the cake after we came home. (See, this is why I needed a cake that could be made quickly!)
The caramel sauce itself is very easy, no scary spluttering sugar required. It's just cream and brown sugar...
...which you simmer rapidly for 8 minutes until well mixed and thickened slightly. (It thickens more as it cools). I used light muscovado sugar, as that was all that I had, and I think it gave the finished product a nice, deep caramel flavour.
Pardon me while I do a few (dozen) taste tests!Then I had to whip the cream. I was in a mad rush, as it was already midnight by this stage, and I still hadn't packed my bag for the next day or cleaned anything up, and in the distraction I, er... whipped the cream quite a bit more than I normally do. Oops.
Super-stiff (heh).I was scared it had turned to butter, but I tested it and it seemed fine. Just. (Do we see a theme here?) This was lucky, as it was 12:30am and I didn't have any more cream. Phew!
Anyhoo... assembling the cake is easy, as it looks better a little messy. I think you're aiming for the "billowing clouds" look with the cream, and the "Jackson Pollock" look with the caramel.
Layer 1Repeat with the next sponge cake, and you are done!
The next day, I carried it on the tram all the way to work, and luckily, it arrived unharmed. We had about 15 cakes all up, and mine came 2nd and was auctioned for $40. Yay! My boss (who judged the bake-off) described the cake as pure evil. It tastes all light and fluffy, but definitely packs a mega calorific-bomb. I recommend small slices, if you can restrain yourself! I think of this cake as an easy crowd-pleaser.
And yes, that means that someone actually beat me in a bake-off! Yeah, I was shocked too. (Just kidding!!)
Don't forget to enter the draw to win your very own Panasonic Lumix TZ10! Just leave a comment on my post here. The competition closes this Friday!
Tuesdays At The Table - Trail Mix
Happy Tuesday and Happy National Trail Mix Day! I don't remember who mentioned this healthy little holiday to me...but I had to Google it a few times before I believed it! :-) Sure, it's not a "real" holiday, but it's still fun.
In honor of the holiday, I'm sharing my favorite version of trail mix.
Trail Mix
2 Cups M&M's
2 Cups unsalted peanuts
1 Cup raisins
1 Cup banana chips
2 Cups pretzel rods (or twists)
1 Cup Chex or Honey Nut Cherios
1/2 Cup of mini-marshmallows
1/2 Cup of pecans or almonds
Mix all ingredients together. Store in a large airtight container or in smaller serving size sandwich bags.
What's cooking in your kitchen?
Oh, and I'm doing an "About Me" post in the next week or so...if you have a question, click here and ask away! :-)
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In honor of the holiday, I'm sharing my favorite version of trail mix.
Trail Mix
2 Cups M&M's
2 Cups unsalted peanuts
1 Cup raisins
1 Cup banana chips
2 Cups pretzel rods (or twists)
1 Cup Chex or Honey Nut Cherios
1/2 Cup of mini-marshmallows
1/2 Cup of pecans or almonds
Mix all ingredients together. Store in a large airtight container or in smaller serving size sandwich bags.
What's cooking in your kitchen?
Oh, and I'm doing an "About Me" post in the next week or so...if you have a question, click here and ask away! :-)
Go Ahead; Ask Me!
I've been blogging for a year and a half, and it just occurred to me that I've never done an "ask me" post. So, this week, feel free to ask me anything... Well, you can ask me anything, and I'll answer it if at all possible.
Depending how many of you lovely ladies ask questions - this will either be one or several post next week. Yep, you have all of this week to get your questions in.
So, um, someone ask me a question! I don't want this to be a complete failure!! :-)
reade more...
Depending how many of you lovely ladies ask questions - this will either be one or several post next week. Yep, you have all of this week to get your questions in.
So, um, someone ask me a question! I don't want this to be a complete failure!! :-)
From the pantry...
When I made Nigella's double potato and halloumi bake, I mentioned that I hadn't been cooking at home enough. (Excuses, excuses!) That frustration resulted in me searching through the kitchen to see what ingredients we actually had in the pantry...
In the freezer...
And on the shelfy thing that lives between the stove and the fridge.
And boy, I have accumulated a lot of food in the few short months I've been here! Rice, pasta, curry pastes, oils, packet-fixes, frozen veggies and other leftovers. After this, I made a big effort to actually cook at home, using up ingredients we already had. I'm happy to say the following meals were the result!
Rindfleischtopf mit Rotwein
This dinner, from my Dr. Oetker Eintopf (one-pot) recipe book, was a deliciously soupy beef stew, with a lot of red wine added. The red wine in question was the cheap red wine which we'd bought for Glühwein.
For the last 20 minutes or so, I chucked in a few handfuls of short tube pasta which had been in my pantry for months.
These little circles of pasta cooked in the stew, absorbing all the delicious beefy, winey flavours.
Delicious! A bowl of this with a DVD of Mad Men is a great night in!
Frikadellen with Sweet Potato Chips
This wasn't quite as glamorous as the red wine stew, but it was a nice and easy little dinner nonetheless. I took the Frikadellen out of the freezer, and chucked them in the oven with some McCain Sweet Potato Superfries that a nice PR lady sent me a while back. The Frikadellen are, well, better when freshly cooked, but I quite liked the superfries - I think of them like roast sweet potatoes, but without the peeling and chopping.
Chicken Tikka Masala with Pilaf and Cucumber Raita
Shortly after I bought Jamie's Ministry of Food, which has a whole chapter devoted to make-at-home curries, I went out and bought a bunch of curry pastes, thinking that freshly made curries would be a great weeknight dinner. That, of course, was some months ago, and with the pastes rapidly approaching their use-by date, I thought I'd better get cracking!
The first curry I made was chicken tikka masala, (Patak's brand) made even more aromatic by the addition of onions, coriander root and chilli.
Very inauthentically (even considering that chicken tikka masala is an inauthentic dish itself), we added carrots and cauliflower for a higher veggie content.
Jamie's recipe makes a huge amount - even though I halved his recipe (which serves 4), there was way too much for the 2 of us! But leftovers were good the next day!
To go with, I made a pilaf (just plain rice, with stock, spices, nuts and onions), and a cucumber raita.
Roast Chicken "Tikka Masala" with Muttar Halloumi
Another Indian style meal, this one to use up the remainder of the tikka masala curry paste. Rather than making a curry again, I mixed the paste with natural yoghurt and used it to marinate a chicken. (Wear gloves! Marinating a raw chicken in hot curry paste is an unpleasant task!)
I let it sit in the fridge overnight, and I put it in the oven as soon as I got home from work the next day. While it was cooking, I made a muttar paneer, but with halloumi instead of paneer. (I'd luckily found some cheap halloumi at the market and thought this might be a nice way to use it). I hadn't made muttar paneer in over 5 years (see here for proof!) but now I'm thinking I really should make it more often! It's delicious.
The chicken was a little brown coming out of the oven due to the marinade, but didn't taste burnt at all. In fact, it was lovely and juicy thanks to the yoghurt! There were heaps of delicious pan juices too.
Madeleines
And finally, the madeleines you see at the top of this post. I can't really say that making these helped to clear out my pantry, but they certainly are a storecupboard recipe. Flour, butter, baking powder, vanilla, honey, sugar... and that's about it! The Roux Brothers' recipe doesn't even need an electric mixer, just some light folding with a spatula. 15 minutes of easy work and 6 minutes in the oven (and an hour of resting time in bewteen if you can be bothered) and you have a tray of delicious, light, fragrant cakelets.
What foods do you have lurking in your pantry?
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year . . .
...or it will be in 3 days. Are you ready? Are you ready for PUMPKIN season?
My sister has a laugh at my expense every year because once September 1st rolls around, it is all-pumpkin-all-the-time around here. It becomes a slight obsession.
{PS....Starbucks, I'll be at your door Wednesday morning....hoping those Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are in the bakery case. And if they're not, be prepared for some tears.}
I want you to be prepared, so here is a little pumpkin bread recipe for you.
Pumpkin Bread
{Just slightly modified from my girl, Paula Deen 's The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook
}
3 and 1/3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 and 1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
3 c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
2/3 c. water
1/4 c. pumpkin seed kernels
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans.
Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
{If you're wondering about what whole nutmeg looks like, this is it. There are fancy nutmeg graters, but I just use my small handheld grater with the tiny holes.}
Beat the sugar and oil together until combined. Beat in the eggs and mix, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add pumpkin and blend. Add the water and blend completely.
Slowly add the flour mixture and beat on low until combined. Pour into loaf pans.
Roughly chop the pumpkin seed kernels, I like to leave some whole, and sprinkle on top of batter. (I got these in the bulk section of my grocery store.)
Bake for 1 hour, or more, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pans on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool completely.
Want more pumpkin? Here are some goodies from last year...
1. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
2. Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
3. Pumpkin Cream Cheese
reade more...
{PS....Starbucks, I'll be at your door Wednesday morning....hoping those Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are in the bakery case. And if they're not, be prepared for some tears.}
Pumpkin Bread
{Just slightly modified from my girl, Paula Deen 's The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook
}3 and 1/3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 and 1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
3 c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
2/3 c. water
1/4 c. pumpkin seed kernels
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans.
Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
Beat the sugar and oil together until combined. Beat in the eggs and mix, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add pumpkin and blend. Add the water and blend completely.
Slowly add the flour mixture and beat on low until combined. Pour into loaf pans.
Bake for 1 hour, or more, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pans on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool completely.
Want more pumpkin? Here are some goodies from last year...
1. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
2. Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
3. Pumpkin Cream Cheese
Happy Pumpkin Season, Everyone!!!
Gone In A Flash...
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to commemorate the passing of my favorite ever camera. You lived a short, but valuable life - providing great color, clarity, zoom and facial recognition. You will be missed.
There was a little prying with fingertips.
Much googling ensued.
To no avail...
I ended up going to BestBuy (where I bought the camera), where they promptly told me that they have no idea how to actually fix cameras and that I'm S.O.L. (Shit Outta Luck, for those of you who don't use the same random acronyms that I do.) I went on to Ritz Camera. They were very helpful and told me that I could fix the camera. For um...$15 less than I paid for it...and it would take 8-12 weeks. *Update: After two frustrating encounters with camera experts, I let my dad have a crack at it. He did get the little door open on the camera but somehow that killed the circuit. Before dad's fix, it turned on...but there was no memory card in there (I had just removed it before the drop) and now the door opens but the camera won't turn on. Whimper....*
So, now I'm stuck. I know that a camera is an "extra" for some people, but it's a neccessity for me. Do I buy a cheap one and suck it up until I can buy a new nice camera? Do I try and find a way to fit a new camera into my already tight budget? At least I get to borrow my mom's fabulous camera while I decide! (Mom is awesome, and if she isn't careful...I'm permanently borrowing this sucker!! Well... maybe not. But it's tempting!)
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Yep, my poor camera is dead. I love, love, love taking pictures. It's rare that I go more than a few days without using my camera. My cute little Canon PowerShot was always with me. Sure that meant that my purse was that much heavier...but you never know when you'll have see something cute, funny, sweet, absolutely beautiful and need to take a picture to share with other. It suffered a "fall injury" that seemed minor. It barely touched the floor...but that was enough to jam the battery/memory card door shut.
There was a little prying with fingertips.
Much googling ensued.
To no avail...
I ended up going to BestBuy (where I bought the camera), where they promptly told me that they have no idea how to actually fix cameras and that I'm S.O.L. (Shit Outta Luck, for those of you who don't use the same random acronyms that I do.) I went on to Ritz Camera. They were very helpful and told me that I could fix the camera. For um...$15 less than I paid for it...and it would take 8-12 weeks. *Update: After two frustrating encounters with camera experts, I let my dad have a crack at it. He did get the little door open on the camera but somehow that killed the circuit. Before dad's fix, it turned on...but there was no memory card in there (I had just removed it before the drop) and now the door opens but the camera won't turn on. Whimper....*
So, now I'm stuck. I know that a camera is an "extra" for some people, but it's a neccessity for me. Do I buy a cheap one and suck it up until I can buy a new nice camera? Do I try and find a way to fit a new camera into my already tight budget? At least I get to borrow my mom's fabulous camera while I decide! (Mom is awesome, and if she isn't careful...I'm permanently borrowing this sucker!! Well... maybe not. But it's tempting!)
Bowling In Style...
I don't know if I've divulged this before....I bowl. Not well, but I bowl.
Last year, I was the permanent sub on my cousin (Lady) Kirstren and her best friend (Queen) Heather's team. (BTW, I have a royal monicker too...feel free to guess what it is) I think I bowled more times than the woman I filled in for. But that story is better left alone.
This year - I get an actual spot on the team. I mean, I'm happy just to get a night out with a few of my favorite peeps, an excuse to people-watch, and my weekly fix of MaryLou's News coffee - but I'm really happy that I get to participate on a more frequent basis.
That means I need to buy bowling shoes. I know you're laughing at me (and I don't blame you), but I was really excited to find something cute. I was READY to have to look online for hours - far and wide. Um...not so much. The first website I stopped on had what I consider to be the height of bowling fashion (or geek chic; your choice).
Aren't they cute?!?!
reade more...
Last year, I was the permanent sub on my cousin (Lady) Kirstren and her best friend (Queen) Heather's team. (BTW, I have a royal monicker too...feel free to guess what it is) I think I bowled more times than the woman I filled in for. But that story is better left alone.
This year - I get an actual spot on the team. I mean, I'm happy just to get a night out with a few of my favorite peeps, an excuse to people-watch, and my weekly fix of MaryLou's News coffee - but I'm really happy that I get to participate on a more frequent basis.
That means I need to buy bowling shoes. I know you're laughing at me (and I don't blame you), but I was really excited to find something cute. I was READY to have to look online for hours - far and wide. Um...not so much. The first website I stopped on had what I consider to be the height of bowling fashion (or geek chic; your choice).
Arintji
This post is sponsored by Nuffnang.
Arintji
Federation Square
Cnr Flinders & Swanston St
Melbourne 3000
Ph: (03) 9663-9900
Website
When I was approached by the folks from Nuffnang to visit Arintji, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I used to visit Federation Square quite often when it first opened, for drinks, cultural festivals and meals. That was 8 years ago, however - and just typing that makes me feel so very old! These days, apart from the odd film festival or exhibition, I don't find myself down at Fed Square too often, and haven't been keeping up with the changes. I think this may have been a good thing, as I didn't come to the restaurant with any preconceptions of what it should be like.
We visited Arintji last week on Friday evening. After an extremely gruelling week, (which involved heaps of late-night meetings), you can't imagine how happy I was to cast off the shackles, and step into the warm and welcoming restaurant. Over the night, it was pleasantly busy, without being noisy or overcrowded.
We began the evening with a couple of drinks as we perused the menu. Sparkling for me (of course)...
Grant Burge “Blanc de Noirs” - $12
And a sweet wine for Sandra (of course).
Margan Botrytis Semillon - $10
The wine list is reasonably extensive and well priced, with a strong focus on Australian and New Zealand wines. The majority of bottles cost between $50 - $70, with a couple of premium wines at over $100. Importantly, they offer a good selection of wines by the glass! Perfect for me, as I would struggle to finish a whole bottle of wine over dinner, and I like to try different ones.
The menu is designed for sharing, and is divided into 3 sections: Food with Drinks, Food with Friends, and Food for After. I'll go through each of these sections in turn.
The items under Food for Drinks are priced from $3 (for a single oyster) to $8.50 for a more substantial eat, and include items such as grilled chorizo, salt cod fritters with saffron aioli and a gorgonzola and leek tart.
To start, we ordered a beef burger and some duck-liver parfait. The parfait was actually from a separate specials menu. I hope it stays on for a while, because I quite enjoyed it!
The beef burger was a cute little patty, wodged between soft buns, with lettuce, cheese and relish.
Beef burger, tomato relish, cheese and caramelised onion - $8.50
Duck liver parfait with toasted brioche condiments - $9.50
I thought the little jenga-tower of brioche sticks was very cute, although there was way too much parfait for them to accomodate. The condiments on the side were little cornichons, mustard fruits, and an apple-and-pear chutney. I particularly liked the sweetness of that chutney against the creamy and smooth parfait.
Food with Friends - These meals are entrée sized and designed to be shared. You can choose any 2 items for $35, or 3 for $50. Between 2 of us, we ordered 2 items, which I felt was a good amount. Your own appetite may be more or less voracious than mine.
This part of the menu is quite varied, with items such as smoked duck breast, pickled cherries, sweet potato and frisee; chicken wings with spiced salt, chilli and mint; and terrine of wild and farmed mushrooms with braised shallots. I think we played it quite safe, with a steak and some stuffed calamari.
Grain fed Angus, green beans and roast garlic butter
This was a good steak, tastily charred on the outside, and quite tender, even though we had it well-done. (Sandra's request, not mine!) The accompanying beans were crispy and fresh.
Stuffed calamari, preserved lemon and currants
The 3 little calamari were stuffed with a soupy rice mixture - somewhere between a risotto and congee - and was studded with sharp preserved lemon and sweet currants. Whilst the calamari were fresh and well-cooked, I found the stuffing very salty for my taste. I much preferred the steak!
Sides are priced separately, and based on what we ordered, I'd definitely recommend getting a side with your meal.
Rocket, radicchio and grana salad - $8
This salad is a classic combo, and I found it a nice refreshing counterpoint to the richer food we'd eaten. I also liked that the radicchio had been shredded finely, so that its bitterness was not overpowering.
Fries - $6
Fries were crispy, hot and fried in fresh oil! I know it seems odd to critique French fries, but so many places get it wrong! And it is so disappointing when you get a bowl of poorly cooked chips. These, however, were fantastic.
A little rest... and then it was on to dessert, or as they call it at Arintji, Food for After. Much like the Food with Friends, the desserts are designed for sharing. You can get a choice of 2 for $15, or 4 for $28. Again, I'd go for 2 desserts between 2 people, but the 2 ladies sitting next to us shared 4 between them. Well done!
English Breakfast Tea
Tart of milk chocolate and coffee ice-cream
When I saw "milk chocolate" on the menu, I just had to order the tart. I don't quite understand why foodies go crazy for very dark chocolate, when milk chocolate just tastes so good! The scoop of coffee ice-cream slid off the tart as it was placed on our table, but tasted no less delicious for it. The tart was made of a short and crumbly pastry, filled with a rich milk-chocolate ganache. Quite intense on its own, but the strong coffee ice-cream really cut through the richness.
Vanilla Brulee, Shortbread Cookies
The brûlée was covered with a thin and crispy sugar topping, revealing a creamy, vanilla-flecked custard below. A good version of a ubiquitous dessert. Being an absolute biscuit-fiend, I loved the addition of shortbread cookies!
We had a lovely time at Arintji, and given its central location, it would make a great spot for after-work drinks, a pre-theatre dinner, or even a mid-week meal. Based on what we had, the sharing items under Food with Friends can vary a lot in size, so value-for-money would really depend on what you order. The food is, overall, well executed without being too adventurous, which I think is important for a menu that is designed to be shared amongst a group.
Giveaway: Arintji has offered a $75 meal voucher to give away to one of my readers. To enter the draw, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post, answering the question: "If you could share a meal at Arintji with anyone in the world, who would it be?"
Please comment on this post by midnight on 9th September 2010 to enter. (Include your email address so I can contact you!). I will choose the winner based on the most creative response, and will announce the winner on my blog on the 10th September. My decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into! Good luck, guys!
Sarah and Sandra dined as guests of Arintji.
reade more...
Arintji
Federation Square
Cnr Flinders & Swanston St
Melbourne 3000
Ph: (03) 9663-9900
Website
When I was approached by the folks from Nuffnang to visit Arintji, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I used to visit Federation Square quite often when it first opened, for drinks, cultural festivals and meals. That was 8 years ago, however - and just typing that makes me feel so very old! These days, apart from the odd film festival or exhibition, I don't find myself down at Fed Square too often, and haven't been keeping up with the changes. I think this may have been a good thing, as I didn't come to the restaurant with any preconceptions of what it should be like.
We visited Arintji last week on Friday evening. After an extremely gruelling week, (which involved heaps of late-night meetings), you can't imagine how happy I was to cast off the shackles, and step into the warm and welcoming restaurant. Over the night, it was pleasantly busy, without being noisy or overcrowded.
We began the evening with a couple of drinks as we perused the menu. Sparkling for me (of course)...
Grant Burge “Blanc de Noirs” - $12And a sweet wine for Sandra (of course).
Margan Botrytis Semillon - $10The wine list is reasonably extensive and well priced, with a strong focus on Australian and New Zealand wines. The majority of bottles cost between $50 - $70, with a couple of premium wines at over $100. Importantly, they offer a good selection of wines by the glass! Perfect for me, as I would struggle to finish a whole bottle of wine over dinner, and I like to try different ones.
The menu is designed for sharing, and is divided into 3 sections: Food with Drinks, Food with Friends, and Food for After. I'll go through each of these sections in turn.
The items under Food for Drinks are priced from $3 (for a single oyster) to $8.50 for a more substantial eat, and include items such as grilled chorizo, salt cod fritters with saffron aioli and a gorgonzola and leek tart.
To start, we ordered a beef burger and some duck-liver parfait. The parfait was actually from a separate specials menu. I hope it stays on for a while, because I quite enjoyed it!
The beef burger was a cute little patty, wodged between soft buns, with lettuce, cheese and relish.
Beef burger, tomato relish, cheese and caramelised onion - $8.50
Duck liver parfait with toasted brioche condiments - $9.50I thought the little jenga-tower of brioche sticks was very cute, although there was way too much parfait for them to accomodate. The condiments on the side were little cornichons, mustard fruits, and an apple-and-pear chutney. I particularly liked the sweetness of that chutney against the creamy and smooth parfait.
Food with Friends - These meals are entrée sized and designed to be shared. You can choose any 2 items for $35, or 3 for $50. Between 2 of us, we ordered 2 items, which I felt was a good amount. Your own appetite may be more or less voracious than mine.
This part of the menu is quite varied, with items such as smoked duck breast, pickled cherries, sweet potato and frisee; chicken wings with spiced salt, chilli and mint; and terrine of wild and farmed mushrooms with braised shallots. I think we played it quite safe, with a steak and some stuffed calamari.
Grain fed Angus, green beans and roast garlic butterThis was a good steak, tastily charred on the outside, and quite tender, even though we had it well-done. (Sandra's request, not mine!) The accompanying beans were crispy and fresh.
Stuffed calamari, preserved lemon and currantsThe 3 little calamari were stuffed with a soupy rice mixture - somewhere between a risotto and congee - and was studded with sharp preserved lemon and sweet currants. Whilst the calamari were fresh and well-cooked, I found the stuffing very salty for my taste. I much preferred the steak!
Sides are priced separately, and based on what we ordered, I'd definitely recommend getting a side with your meal.
Rocket, radicchio and grana salad - $8This salad is a classic combo, and I found it a nice refreshing counterpoint to the richer food we'd eaten. I also liked that the radicchio had been shredded finely, so that its bitterness was not overpowering.
Fries - $6Fries were crispy, hot and fried in fresh oil! I know it seems odd to critique French fries, but so many places get it wrong! And it is so disappointing when you get a bowl of poorly cooked chips. These, however, were fantastic.
A little rest... and then it was on to dessert, or as they call it at Arintji, Food for After. Much like the Food with Friends, the desserts are designed for sharing. You can get a choice of 2 for $15, or 4 for $28. Again, I'd go for 2 desserts between 2 people, but the 2 ladies sitting next to us shared 4 between them. Well done!
English Breakfast Tea
Tart of milk chocolate and coffee ice-creamWhen I saw "milk chocolate" on the menu, I just had to order the tart. I don't quite understand why foodies go crazy for very dark chocolate, when milk chocolate just tastes so good! The scoop of coffee ice-cream slid off the tart as it was placed on our table, but tasted no less delicious for it. The tart was made of a short and crumbly pastry, filled with a rich milk-chocolate ganache. Quite intense on its own, but the strong coffee ice-cream really cut through the richness.
Vanilla Brulee, Shortbread Cookies The brûlée was covered with a thin and crispy sugar topping, revealing a creamy, vanilla-flecked custard below. A good version of a ubiquitous dessert. Being an absolute biscuit-fiend, I loved the addition of shortbread cookies!
We had a lovely time at Arintji, and given its central location, it would make a great spot for after-work drinks, a pre-theatre dinner, or even a mid-week meal. Based on what we had, the sharing items under Food with Friends can vary a lot in size, so value-for-money would really depend on what you order. The food is, overall, well executed without being too adventurous, which I think is important for a menu that is designed to be shared amongst a group.
Giveaway: Arintji has offered a $75 meal voucher to give away to one of my readers. To enter the draw, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post, answering the question: "If you could share a meal at Arintji with anyone in the world, who would it be?"
Please comment on this post by midnight on 9th September 2010 to enter. (Include your email address so I can contact you!). I will choose the winner based on the most creative response, and will announce the winner on my blog on the 10th September. My decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into! Good luck, guys!
Sarah and Sandra dined as guests of Arintji.