Mr NQN has never been one for birthdays. He has had his share of dubious birthdays borne from an eccentric upbringing where rocks from the front garden were given as gifts. So every year I try and get him excited about birthdays and Christmas and it has started to have an effect on him. He actually seems to enjoy celebrating them although I suspect the best part for him is the presents-he seems to be making up for a childhood of rocks with his current day presents.
The part I enjoy the most though is the dinners (well of course given my vocation!). And tonight we are dining at Bloodwood in Newtown. We have meant to get here for the longest time (and we went a few months ago for my friend’s birthday but were late and missed out on the best food) but that user unfriendly no booking policy has put paid to a more imminent second visit. It seems night after night people gather at the front bar hoping for a table in the restaurant. The only way to confound this is to book for a table of eight or more and we have nine of us tonight.
Menus appear to change monthly as the recycled brown paper menu indicates that we are dining from the August menu. We look up and see that there are doors suspended from the ceiling, bright yellow painted pipes and light bulbs dangling from black cords. As we are late (arrgh stupid sporting games in our suburb), everyone has familiarised themselves with the menu which is designed for sharing. As befits a modern Australian menu, there are touches of Asia, the Mediterranean and Europe. The Head Chef is from Claude’s in Woollahra. There are three vegetarians in the group and five vegetarian selections to choose from and there is also a nine omnivore course set menu for $40 per person. Service from our waiter is very friendly and accommodating.
Socca $25
The first vegetarian dish comes out. It is chickpea pancake topped with zucchini, pumpkin, Persian fetta and lashings of dill and resembles a small pumpkin pizza. The chickpea pancake however has a crispy texture and a thick, slightly dry texture to it and the flavours are fantastic. Correction, it’s like a pumpkin pizza but better.
Fried bean curd roll $15
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“Honey I hope you don’t mind but your birthday cake is going to be a handbag” I told Mr NQN just before his recent birthday.
He looked at me, that usual skeptical look that he gives me when I suggest something that he isn’t too thrilled about.
“But it will be blue!” I said gaily.
“What about that thousand layer apple cake instead?” he says cheekily.
“We don’t talk about that cake any more” I told him firmly my mood turning instantly dark and I fix him with a menacing look.
From this…
I was lucky enough to attend the Planet Cake Novelty 103 Complex Handbag Workshop recently. In fact it was the day before Mr NQN’s birthday and I figured that having spent seven hours decorating a cake meant that I had no time to make another cake for him. Photographs are strictly not permitted at all Planet Cake cake decorating classes and our pre course email warns us that it can cause you to be ejected from the class without a refund. So I feel particularly lucky to be able to document this!
To something like this!
The class is being taught by Jessica, a cake artist and professional fighter (she sounds to me like a movie character “By day, she decorates cakes, by night she fights!” ). Marianne is the facilitator who ensures that we have all of our supplies. We all do introductions and I realise quite rapidly that I am out of my depth. You see I had missed that crucial word “complex” and I didn’t realise that I had jumped a level in enrolling in this. Everyone else here is experienced in cake decorating so I shrink back and pray to the gods of pastry that a miracle will emerge. My bench neighbour Rebecca is here from interstate and has flown up for three classes. She will drive all the way back home with three cakes in the rental car. On my left is Veeni whose boyfriend is an NQN reader-hi!
Trimming off the crusty or hard bits at the top with serrated knife
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Oh hai!
It’s a Dog Day Afternoon. Literally. The sun is shining, there is a cool nip in the air and Mr NQN and I look to our left and right and we’re surrounded by a happy jumble of dogs. Where am I? Outside the Chew Chew Dog restaurant in Wollstonecraft where dogs can dine on goodies such as doggie cappucinos and doggie cup cakes. And the rules? “There are no rules at all here! Dogs can do as they like!” Chew Chew owner Naoko says happily.
Naoko
I hope you’ll forgive the slight departure from our human restaurant reviews to something more for our canine friends but I thought that this was the cutest idea I had heard in a long time. Naoko has been making healthy dog food for dogs for three years already. She started her business off making organic, healthy food for sick and ailing dogs and it is has since grown into a restaurant which has been open for one month. Here little furry creatures have their choice of a one of six main meals which can include fish soup, chicken mince with sesame, grilled salmon with herbs and spaghetti bolognese. All of the meat used is organic and Naoko helpfully gives dog dietary advice to anyone. And before anyone starts going on about spoiled pooches eating designer dog food the prices are very reasonable here with a main starting at $3.80 and a dog cupcake being $2.20.
Lucy
Dash
Joining us today is The Second Wife’s main man Gravy Beard (she’s busy jetsetting overseas) and their two adorable poochies Dash and his older sister Lucy. They’re also joined by a gaggle of other dogs and their owners who stop by to buy a special meal for their four legged buddies. There’s a man who is opening up his own dog hotel in Chatswood and his seven very well trained poochies (the top pic) and his girlfriend who has two of her own.
The restaurant itself is quite small, one room really and Naoko prepares all of the meals fresh to order. As it is small you may have to wait your turn while other dogs eat their food (but let’s be honest, dogs eat quickly and they don’t really linger to chat) or they can eat outside al fresco on the grass. There are also ready made foods and dog snacks available for purchase.
Dining doggies
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With the Treetops cooking class a wonderful memory we rush to get to Auckland in time for our booking at Euro at the Viaduct. We reach the Sky City Grand Hotel with nary a moment to spare. The hotel location is good, it is located right in the centre of Auckland. There’s no time to spare to check out our room though as we are late late late!
We take the short walk to the Viaduct which is similar to the Darling Harbour area of Sydney. It’s on the waterfront and it is buzzing this Saturday night. We’re seated in the front corner with a window view. The menu is interesting with some classic dishes and some innovative ones. Curiously there is even a Pie of the Day with a “P.O.A.” written after it. Price on Application for a pie? I’ve seen P.O.A. but usually in fashion magazines referencing couture outfits or properties that you just cannot afford – not a pie. It turns out the pie of the day is a fish pie for $38. Our waitress comes over after quite a while to tell us the specials. The poor gal is clearly run off her feet although when we try and catch the eye of other staff members standing there and chatting they see us although they don’t come over or tell her which is a little irritating.
Bluff Oysters with raspberry saba, balsamic jelly, smoked tabasco and prelibato $27.50
The Bluff oysters are in (yay!) and here they come with four different accompaniments. There is raspberry saba which is a sweet unfermented syrup, balsamic jelly which is nice but a little overwhelmingly sweet and strong for the oysters, smoked Tabasco which is too strong for the oysters and prelibato, a cooked grape must which is slightly sweet and unusual. We feel like Goldilocks trying to find the perfect fit.
Peking Duck with Chinese pancakes, orange chipotle slaw, cashew dukka and hoisin sauce $26
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You may have read that I recently visited Cobram Estate’s olive groves and production facilities. What I did get out of it, apart from a lot of knowledge about how olive oil is made, is an insatiable love and appreciation for using extra virgin olive oil. I always had used it but had no idea about the health properties of extra virgin olive oil and how many of the oils we were getting were in fact rancid or sub standard or simply not extra virgin.
Cobram Estate is an award winning extra virgin olive oil maker. They harvest their olive oil within an incredible eight hours of the olives being picked. Thanks to the kind folk at Cobram Estate, 10 lucky Not Quite Nigella readers will win a pack of Cobram Estate’s Olive Oil including:
1x 375ml Manzanillo Olive Oil from the Premium corked series
1x 250ml Chilli Blast (to add flavour to Asian dishes)
1x 250ml Garlic Crush (drizzled over pizza, to flavour a roast)
1x 250ml Lemon Twist (which can be used in baking sweets)
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