We did lunch at the Beach House Restaurant at Whale Beach on the weekend.  I've said it before and I'll say it again - best food around!

 

I had spiced cuttlefish for an entree -  lightly battered and spiced with coriander and cumin, served on rocket with a lime and chilli dressing.

 

Main was grilled snapper with scallops, spinach, shallots and blanched leeks.

 

Dessert - chocolate terrine with strawberries and coffee anglaise.  The terrine - magic.  White, milk and dark chocolates, layered together with a mousse-like consistency.

 

I think I might be able to reproduce the terrine.  It's well worth a try in any case!

Jen and I went to the Red Centre Restaurant at Crows Nest to catch up with a friend of hers.  Here's my review of the place -

 

 

Doesn't really fit the "Australian" theme that they're trying to push.  Some dishes have that feel while the rest are your typical trendy restaurant fare.

 

Well prepared and presented but lacks the polish I'd expect for $30 mains - an example would be the mango, coriander and chilli salsa I was served as part of my entree.  I was pretty much just mango with one fleck of chilli and a 1mm square green thing I can only assume was coriander.

 

 

An open kitchen and wide open space to sit in.  Tables aren't too close together.  Seating was semi-budget and pseudo-comfortable.

 

 

Polite but clueless and incredibly slow.  The place was only half full and we were left to digest our own stomachs while waiting on our orders.

 

I ordered a dessert that they had run out of.  They told me fifteen minutes later which made the delay even longer.

 

 

The restaurant is located in Alexander Street, Crows Nest.  There's about two car spaces per restaurant in that area if you exclude the car park that was full.  We had to park some distance away which isn't particularly convenient for the pregnant Jen.

 

 

Pretends to be more than it is.  If they want to charge the prices, they should pick up their act and delivery better service and meals that more accurately reflect their description.

 

It isn't all bad though.  The venue is spacious and comfortable and the food is well prepared and tasted great.

 

 

 

 

No I'm not talking about shoe makers (who seem quite rare in these Days of Nike).  I'm talking about the dessert.

 

My parents who retired to Tasmania are up this week for a wedding.  Jen and I had them over last night for a catch up and we thought we'd serve dessert - Gingered Apple Cobbler with Orange Sauce.

 

Now I wasn't familiar with the cobbler phenomenon but liked the sound of the recipe when I read it.  I have to say - it's darn tasty.  A little vanilla ice cream on the side rounded it off nicely.

 

If you've never had a cobbler, it's basically stewed fruit (of your choice) with a nice cakey topping (consisting primarily of cream, sugar and flour).  During it's time in the oven, the topping merges with the fruit giving you a crispy top, followed by a pudding like centre and finally a fruity bottom.  Fantastic!

 

So a friend of ours (Jen and I) asked us over last night for dinner.  Tacos were on the menu.  She asks "how many would you like?"

 

Jen replies with a conservative "two please".

 

Being a larger fellow (198cm and 110kg) I say "four or five thanks."

 

So the taco components are prepared and I get started on three while the girls have a couple each.  Polishing off those three I return to the taco manufacturing area to find five more shells.  Not wanting to appear greedy, I build myself another three, add a pile of mince to the plate also and settle back to the lounge.  Jen wasn't impressed that I was eating the mince with my hand but when tacos are on the menu, anything goes in my book.  Thankfully the hosts father deals with the other two taco shells.

 

So I've had six of these things and a pile of mince and our friend asks "would you like me to warm some more shells?"

 

"Yes please" I say.   <- ERROR

 

A few minutes later I'm building tacos seven and eight.  Once again, I polish them off and return to the taco manufacturing area.

 

I survey the situation and there are two lone taco shells remaining.  It's all up to me.

 

Tacos nine and ten find their way past my chompers and I settle back feeling accomplished (and finish the rampage with a few Kingstons for dessert).

 

This morning I wake with heartburn from hell.  I'm not surprised.  I do it all the time.

 

I don't know if anyone else experienced this as a child but my parents used to tell me that if I ate it all up I could have dessert.  I think I may have psychological scarring because of this.  I've noted that if it's there, I must eat it.  I wouldn't normally choose to eat it but if food is there and in reach, it must go into my mouth.  A friend of mine proved this once by producing a 1kg year old bag of coloured popcorn.  You know the stuff.  It tastes like sugary polystyrene and is about as nutritious.  Well - I ate the WHOLE DAMN THING.

 

I'm starting to look as pregnant as Jen (and she's almost six months gone).  I don't need a diet - I just need a blindfold.

 

<sigh>

 

Well I just made a couple of loaves and they're in having a bake at the moment.  Had a crack at it on the weekend and was pretty happy with the result so got into it again when I got home this arvo.

 

It's all smelling quite delicious right now.  Why people buy bread machines I'll never know.  We have one - it was a gift - but it takes less time doing it by hand.

 

Can't wait until the loaves are done.  mmm-mmm ... tasty!

 

So Jen (my wife) and I decided that we'd get out and have a nice meal the other day.  After thinking about it a bit we decided on the Beach House Restaurant at Whale Beach.  We'd had our wedding reception there and it's just plain nice.  The food is always excellent, it's out of the way and it's relaxed.  Almost more important than the fantastic menu is the fact that it's quiet.  Jen and I can actually hear what each other is saying.

 

So for me it was the scallops with coriander and witloff to start.  Jen had the quail and sweet potato pie.  I sipped a Brandy Alexander while we waited.  No booze for Jen - she's up the duff

 

My next round was a beautiful juicy steak with mushrooms and a red wine sauce.  The Jindalee Merlot went with it nicely.  Jen enjoyed the Kingfish which was perfect as always (I had a taste).

 

We both finished off with the bread and butter pudding accompanied by whiskey and spiced prune icecream.  Something quite special and I'll be aiming to reproduce this in the kitchen soon.

 

I seriously think you'd be hard pressed to get a better meal in Sydney.  Some might argue but my bet is that other venues are just more pretentious.

 

I've started making my own Pizza - from scratch - the dough and all.  This is a good thing because:-

So how much time does it take me?  Well it's about 30 minutes of mixing dough and kneading.  It sits around doing it's own thing for about three and a half hours (rising, sitting in the fridge, coming back to room temp) and then I top the thing.  It goes in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes and you've got heaven..

 

So my choices are buying pizza from a chain where the dough deep fries in its own self, buying pizza from a real pizzaria but departing with cash or spending  a little time to make exactly what I want for cheap.  NO CONTEST.