Cultured az bro.

Gingerboy.

Yep that's right. Gingerboy.

Date with Other Jess. March 16. Dinner with the San Franciscans. Awesome day.

So Other Jess and I are pretty glad that we didn't cancel our plans to see The Australian Ballet's matinee performance of 'The Silver Rose'. We got tickets through a SwinBin friend and were lucky enough to be sitting second row center. Can you believe it? Us two four eyed girlz didn't even NEED to wear our specs.

Anyway that's how the day began. With a very unexpected beautiful performance that neither one of us are likely to forget.

Next step. Tessuti Fabrics for a cheeky peak at some magnificent Missoni fabrics.

And then... by this time it was time for our early dinner at Gingerboy. Despite our late booking, we were lucky enough to get a table for four right in the front one-way mirrored window. It was pretty cute, The Twin got confused and turned up at 7pm. I didn't mind though - more time with the San Franciscans. So as the amazingness of this wonderful day was so unexpected - I didn't even bring a camera and my iphone was dead :(

But here is what we ordered.

To start -

Spring bay scallops, smoked chilli and black bean dressing (3 pieces) $15.00
- Oh yeah. Black beans and scallops rock.

Steamed prawn and ginger dumpling with peanut chilli soy (3 pieces) $15.00
- So much prawn. Juicy, potent goodness.

Pork and shitake dumplings with chinese black vinegar (3 pieces) $15.00
- Umm I think it woulda been good.

Chargrilled eggplant rice noodle roll with chinese vinegar and chilli $31.00
- This was amazing. Everything about it was so good. Of course you'd need to love rice noodles and eggplant in order to fully appreciate this dish. But this made me totally get why Gingerboy is so good. Simple hawker food philosophy with careful preparations and quality ingredients make for a beautiful marriage. Romantic enough for you?


Roasted kingfish in banana leaf with lemongrass and ginger curry $34.00
How good is lemongrass?


Fried baby snapper, lime and red chilli bean sauce with lychee salad $34.00
- So lychees rock. They really go with everything. Omogod have you had shitake mushroom and lychee salad? You should. Ohhhh that was so good.

I think that's what food is supposed to do you know? Help you to appreciate flavors that sometimes go unappreciated. I need to go back to gingerboy - perhaps the posse will try again soon?

Gingerboy
27-29 Crossley St
Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9662 4200

The biggest disappointment of them all *sigh*

Alas, it has been three weeks since that fateful night at Mo Via Aqui. I've been putting off writing this post cos the night was kinda a bust.




I've been contemplating how much of a cheap-as food snob I am, and have proudly decided I'm just enough of one to write this post in thought out honesty.

Boy, was I excited. After my booking at Gingerboy for a Chinese New Years banquet dinner, fell through I was pissed. I was so angry, nothing was going to make me feel better - except for booking a dinner at Vue de monde (for our cocktail night) and the first Saturday night booking available for Mo Vida Aqui; which turned out to be April 12th. It was February. So we saved, we waited, we researched and we got excited.

I don't think I am going to bag out Mo Vida Aqui as much as I want too (I think I was a bit PMSy that night- so i take responsibility too) for a crappy night, but apart from a few great choices I was underwhelmed with both the food and the service.

I like my table service to be seamless. One waiter for the evening (or one for drinks and one for food - i dont care) and a friendly and understanding manner. We had about three or four waiters asking us the same questions over again - I don't like that. Almost as bad as when Bestie May and I went to Nobu in Hollywood and they kept taking each of our plates away before we'd finished!

Anyway back to the night. This little rant will be titled - "The Paella Saga".
I have a odd sense of humour, or so my friends and dinner companions tell me - I tend to be sarcastic in a very serious manner (isn't that what you're supposed to do). Some waiters/bar staff/retail peops find it charming and it breaks the initial awkwardness. But ours did not think I was charming, funny or being sarcastic at all.

We wanted to get a paella to share as a base dish amongst the five of us - a complicated task considering (as I explained to the waitress) "she's Jewish, she's Muslim, he doesn't eat fish and I don't eat red meat or poultry..." - we understood the dilemma this caused, but i found it really weird that in a multicultural city like ours a vegetarian paella (at $50 a pop) was too much to ask for.

Other Jess explained that it's not authentic to have it without either seafood or meat - but I wonder how authentic is it to be eating Spanish street food at a overpriced restaurant in Melbourne with a 12 week waiting period? Okay so I'm a bitch sue me.

Anyway, after much discussion we got the seafood paella, which turned out to be over seasoned, bland and with poor quality chalky seafood. Bummer.

So that's the paella saga - onto the rest!

And the eating begins... as well as the salivating...


Buey - Roast beef wagyu with tocino de cielo, potato crisps, pickled garlic and black garlic ($17.50) - the non-fish eaters pink-tastic suppliment shared with Bestie May, who's only eating request is 'sans raw tomatoes'.

Paella del Marisco - Bomba rice cooked with seafood and saffron (Grande $48: 2-4 people)

Bomba - Catalan potato bomb filled with chorizo ($4 each) I didn't have one but the two pig eaters and one naughty Jew thought they were delicious. The good Muslim and I had the calamari sandwiches.

Pincho de tortilla - organic egg potato and onion tortilla ($4.50) - Yummy moist goodness - if a little stocky and cold. Is it supposed to be served cold?

Brocodillo de Calamares - Calamari sandwich with basque guindilla and mayonaise ($6.50)
Wowsa - this was amazing ... I knew it would be as Jess Ho told me so many a month ago.

We also got a couple of the specials including stuffed deepfried zucchini flowers - which were pretty yummy - however they were stuffed with the same sauce that they were served with and I think the meat eaters got another dish - but I'm not too sure?

So if you attended this dinner please let me know if I missed anything out.

If you have been to Mo Vida Aqui, I'd love to know what you thought. Was this just a bad night or is the hype too much? Which MoVida do you prefer?


MoVida Aqui
Level 1, 500 Bourke St, Melbourne. (Access via Lt Bourke St)
Lunch & Dinner. Mon-Fri: 12 noon until late. Saturday: 5pm until late

Vue De Monde Cocktail Night

Oy. I just realised that the validity/ relevance of this post has kinda decreased since March - when the posse went to Cafe Vue's 'Friday night at the movies' themed cocktail night.

So if you haven't been, it's an awesome way to experience the Vue legacy without the scary bill at the end. For $75 a head you get matched food and cocktails! Each month caters a different theme so you're always guarenteed a different experience.

Warning though - the emphasis is very much placed on the alcohol, with the food being matched to the alcohol so it's important to be a borderline alcoholic if you're really going to take advantage of the creative genius of the head chef and his lovely waiters.

I was promised, at the end of the night, when I was fairly sloshed that they would send me the waiter notes for each of the special cocktails - well that never happened but that's okay I have to get the courage to take outta notebook and pen and be all 'food blogger' on there ass.

Anyway, the fuzziness of my memory and of my photos kinda increased as the night procressed (obvious joke - but wonder why?) which has lead me not to post anything, until now. I mean the care and detail which must go into these friday nights for the staff certainly warrents better photo taking skills and better descriptions. But I have neither of those so I'll just post these photos and urge you to book yourself in for a night out... just make sure you're not working the following day.

The vegetarian starter - zucchini flower stuffed with pureed eggplant and other pureed stuff.

Carpaccio of 'Bambi' with pink peppercorns and apples

The 'Roundhay Garden' thick... berry... yummy...

The 'Charlie Chaplin' cocktail - with sloe gin, apricot, lime and lime peel

Hot dog & Chips - Look how cute they are! The ones on the left are fresh baby corn with pickled red onion and gerkins and the ones on the right have a chicken mousse instead of the corn, all served in a brioche bun.

I don't have a photo of the 'Confit flathead with ratatouille' - the ratatouille was amazing, we all agreed that it was a highlight. Above, 'The Jazz Singer' a oldfashioned take on a bloody mary. Interesting, I mean I love bloody mary's but this was really really really interesting, not in the best way!

Caprifeuille goat's cheese with lychees poached in rose water served with the 'Rosebud' cocktail (below). OMG - the goat's cheese was amazing. It seemed so obvious that lychees would compliment the delicious french cheese so well, yet it is seldom done! I'm pretty sure the cheese dish was garnished with actual and eatable rose petals. The Rosebud cocktail - champagne served over Persian rose flavored fairy floss - peerrrrrty.

Gaaaaahhhh and finally- 'Popcorn' Madeleine with salt and butter' with a 'Buttered Popcorn' cocktail. Woooo this madeleine was amazing and the delicious salted candy popcorn was so delicious. A perfect dish and definitely my favorite of the six dishes. I would eat this everyday if I could. Strangely though at this stage the impression (as well as a photo) of the popcorn cocktail has long since left me - i seem to remember it was good though!

Me after many a drink! So happy. So 'sober'.

Photo evidence of the decline of my photo skillz.

Vue de monde

- Normanby Chambers
430 Little Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000

Telephone: +61 3 9691 3888
Facsimile: +61 3 9600 4600

Boyfriend's dads' amazing seaweed wrapped salmon with MY soba noodle salad

OMG so this seaweed salmon is amazaballs. Initially, we'd hangout till 'the master' would make it but eventually we had to start making it ourselves. Boyfriend loves salmon, I find it a little heavy but this recipe really lightens it up - its irresistable.

Shopping trolley.

Salmon.
1 large salmon steak (halved length ways)
Seaweed sheets (ones used for sushi rolls)
Pickled ginger
Wasabi
Light soy sauce


Salad.
2 bunches dried soba noodles
2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 cup cherry or mini roma tomatoes halved
3 spring onions sliced
1 tablespoon diced minced ginger
1 cup edamame beans

Salad Dressing.
3 tablespoons light soy
1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
1.5 tablespoons wasabi
1.5 tablespoon light mayonaise
1 teaspoon miran seasoning
1 teaspoon pickle ginger juice

Preparation.

Marinade the salmon steaks in soy sauce and wasabi (mix to taste) for min. 1 hour. Set aside until ready to cook.

Salad -

Combine all dressing ingredients until well blended. Set aside.

Combine cabbage, spring onion, sesame seeds, tomato and ginger into salad bowl and mix well.

Boil soba noodles and edamame according to noodle packet directions. Rinse well in cold water and drain well.

Combine noodles, beans, salad mix with dressing.

Serve and set aside.

Place seaweed sheet on flat, dry surface, place salmon steak on one end. Coat salmon with wasabi and ginger (according to taste) and roll up (tip - brush some of marinade onto edge of seaweed sheet to seal. Repeat for second.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in fry pan. Sear each side of prepared salmon for 1 minute per side. Longer if you like it cooked longer than pink.

Serve salmon on top of salad.


Enjoy!

Potato Gnocchi with fresh tomato and spinach sauce

So Labor Day weekend right. Boyfriend's mum gave us some kickass home grown potatoes - we roasted some of them but I still had a fair few left and decided to make some gnocci for tea.

I am a gnocci snob. I either fry up baby gnocci with some sliced shallots, garlic, fresh tomato, basil and parmesan or I make my own. If I really can't be bothered making my own I opt for premade with higher potato ratio over cheese ratio. otherwise I think it's a bit clammy.

That's enough of an explanation I think onward to the recipe!

Shopping trolley.

Gnocchi.
I kilo good potatoes, boiled with skin on
3 cups plain flour
1 egg
Salt and pepper
1 cup finely chopped basil leaves

Sauce.
1 cup baby spinach leaves
Handful basil leaves
Cup cherry tomatoes
4 tomatoes - peeled and deseeded. Mashed up heaps!
drizzle olive oil


Parmesan cheese for serving.

Okay so I use this recipe from Best Recipes for the gnocchi, with the basil added at Step 2.

For the sauce.
Add all ingredients in a small saucepan, over a medium heat. Add some water to thicken, if need be.

Add the cooked gnocchi to the simmering tomato sauce. Serve with parmesan cheese.

Roasted vegetables with tahini dressing

So a few months ago I posted a recipe from Nadine Abensur's beautiful vegetarian cookbook 'Enjoy'.

The night after I still had a fair bit of tahini sauce and eggplant filling left - so I decided so stuff some tomatoes and use the sauce as a dressing for some roasted vegies.

Shopping trolley:

For the yogurt tahini sauce:
180g Greek yogurt
4 tablespoons pale tahini paste
6 tablespoons cold water
a small handful of parsley, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
4 roasted cherry tomatoes, squeezed out of their skins

For the filling:
340g very fresh ricotta cheese, drained of any excess liquid and patted dry on kitchen paper
1/4 small red onion, very finely chopped
a good handful of parsley (about 40g), finely chopped
a small handful of basil leaves, rolled up and sliced into fine ribbons
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
100g green olives (rinsed under cold water uf very salty), finely chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
30g pistacchio nuts, roasted in a warm oven for 8 minutes, then skins rubbed off in a tea towel
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped

For the roasted vegetables:
Grey pumpkin - sliced length ways
4 Mushrooms - with the stalks removed
Tin of chickpeas
Fresh beetroot - halved and halved again
Sweet potato - sliced
1 large carrot - sliced lengthways
Garlic bunches
2 tomatoes - slice the tomato 3/4 toward the top to create a lid. Hollow out the base.
Cup of spinach
Fresh herbs - sage, parsley, basil, rosemary, oregano, chives, thyme
Red wine vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar

Okay so it's a bit complicated because I didn't want all the vegetables to taste the same. This recipe requires a few different sized baking trays. One tray for the beetroot, one for the mushrooms and one for the sweet potato, pumpkin, garlic, chickpeas and carrot.


Preparation.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Fill the de-seeded halved tomatoes with the ricotta mix and set aside.

Coat the beetroot with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. Roast in a small baking tray secured with alfoil on the highest shelf. Beetroot takes about 20 minutes more than other vegies (depending on size) so make sure you put them in advance of the other vegies.

Coat the remaining vegetables (sweet potato, pumpkin and carrot) with olive oil and sprinkle with sage, rosemary, parsley and chives. Place garlic bulbs in corners of tray. Roast on the middle shelf.

Coat the mushrooms in red wine vinegar, minced garlic and olive oil. Sprinkle oregano over the mushrooms. Roast in a small baking tray on the lowest shelf.



Roast until all are tender - around 1 and a 1/2 hours in total. At about 1 hour add the chickpeas and stuffed tomatoes with the pumpkin tray and roast for the remaining 1/2 hour.

Remove the chickpea pumpkin mix and stir in basil and spinach.

Layer all vegies on serving plates with garlic on top. Spoon tahini mix on the side.


Enjoy.

Yummy. I really love the roasted garlic and chickpeas and the way the fresh basil and spinach leaves break up the starch vegetables.


God does the tahini dressing rock.