If anyone were in any doubt, here in Australia it’s definitely ice cream weather. A couple of 40c plus days resoundingly puts us in ice cream weather and when we’re invited to a Northside BBQ one hot Summer’s Day we feel it our duty to stop by the newly minted Ben & Jerry’s Ice cream shop in Manly on the way home. Open with a soft launch for a few weeks already, this Saturday the 28th of November is the big launch where people can meet Ben & Jerry in person and enjoy some free ice cream (and keep reading for my interview with Ben and Jerry!).
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| November 26th, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella
My friend Teena has been telling me about Ganache many times over. You see she is a friend of the owner’s wife and as a croissant fan or fiend, she adores the croissants here. So after a lunch together one day we make our way over to Ganache in Castlecrag. Having undergone a recent renovation earlier this year it looks oh so French in an understated way.
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| November 8th, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella
I have wonderful readers – they’re like me and get excited over new food discoveries and want to share them with others and my inbox is full of fantastic reader recommendations, many of which I follow up and/or intend to follow up. Cottage Point Inn was one of those places that reader Wayfarer emailed me about. I saw that it was a gorgeous, secluded spot in Cottage Point, accessible only by car, boat or seaplane it was that remote. I also saw the prices for dinner and accomodation and promptly filed that away for a special occasion.
Fast forward almost 1.5 years later and I’m glad to see that it’s included in the SIFF Let’s do Lunch prgrame which means for $35 we can enjoy a main there, a glass of wine and a coffee! There was a false start, one booking had to be postponed because of apartment renovations so I find myself with my friend MamaMia driving up towards Cottage Point,about 45 minutes drive from the North of the city. We go through the Kuringai Chase National Park and follow the signs towards Cottage Point. Much of the scenery obscured by a screen of trees but the anticipation whets our appetites further. “There are a lot of proposals here” MamaMia tells me and I can imagine the secludedness and the accomodation lends itself to wedding proposals.
We pull up and she looks down at my feet. “Good no heels, you can’t walk down there in heels as it’s quite steep” she says. Indeed there is a woman that removes her stilettoes before going down the sraitrs. There’s a wharf to the right and a sign saying “Only restaurant visitors past this point” and we head towards the restaurant. A woman walks towards us with a clipboard and greets us warmly and we take a seat. As it’s slightly breezy, the plastic has been erected and blankets are on the backs of chairs.
I’m one for entrees, I always seem to prefer them to mains and the king prawn dish with champagne cream, butter brioche and avruga black herring roe is just screaming my name so I opt out of the Let’s do Lunch option and go for this entree instead. MamaMia goes for the Let’s do Lunch which is fantastic value as mains range from $39.50-$46. The local tap water isn’t drinkable so mineral water needs to be ordered (there is an option with the Let’s do Lunch to have a 500ml bottle of San Pellegrino with your meal instead of wine).
Kookaburra pose 1: profile shot
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| October 28th, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella
Chef de Cuisine Alan Compton puts his finishing touches on a dish
“Forty seconds! It better be ready” says Alan Compton the Head Chef at Bather’s Pavilion. There are 15 plates of food in front of him at the two tier pass and all of them are in various states of dress (or should that be undress?). “Thirty Seconds, are you ready?” and the younger chefs yell back simultaneously “Yes Chef!” and then “Twenty seconds, why aren’t you ready?“. A chef stumbles and swears and dashes around the corner to grab something. “Ten Seconds hurry up!” says Alan and faces are taut with studied concentration as the final flourishes are put onto a dish. Welcome to the wonderful world of a high end restaurant kitchen. And a little warning this story is long but interesting so settle down with a cup of tea or coffee.
Plating at the pass
This event was my number 1 pick of the whole Sydney International Food Festival programme. Having never really been in a kitchen for an extended period of time (ok I had visited the Gordon Ramsay RHR and Petrus kitchens and that was exciting but that was for about 15 minutes) but to get up close and personal was something that I’d always wanted to do. I should admit that I’ve never wanted to open a restaurant myself which is why I haven’t really gravitated towards trying out for Masterchef, preferring to write a cookbook instead or a regular book. Somehow the hours, hard work and sheer difficulty of the business particualrly in restaurant saturated Sydney put me off. I’d also heard that many chefs were also angry, unfriendly, egomanical divas so I was a little trepidatious before entering the hallowed kitchens of Bather’s Pavilion (or just “Bather’s” to locals). I realise that I”ve eaten at all of Dansereau’s restaurants from Kables back in the previous century B.B. (Before Blog) to the Bather’s Pavilion Cafe also B.B., Bather’s Pavilion Restaurant and The Bather’s Pavilion Kiosk.
Serge shows us the view from the top balcony
I was sent the information sheet. I was to wear black pants, a white t shirt, minimal jewelry and rubber soled shoes. Ransacking my wardrobe I realised that a) I don’t have any plain white tshirts and b) the only rubber soled shoes I have are black patent leather ballet flats and c) I’d have to leave my cocktail rings behind.
Balmoral Beach
At 5.30pm this Thursday night Mr NQN and I arrive along with the other 14 people that have signed up for this once in a lifetime opprtunity. This is the first year they are doing it and we are handed a blue and white striped apron. Serge emerges in his chef’s whites and greets us and takes us upstairs to show us the building. We’re shown the view from the upstairs balcony which is a stunning view of the blue hued waved Balmoral Beach and then sit down in one of the function rooms.
He tells us about the history of the building and his history coming to Australia and the challenges he had to face with developing new produce and how at the time it was he and Neil Perry and Stefano Manfredi who were helping each other out and sharing their new discoveries of things such as Wild Mushrooms. At the time there were only a few types of lettuce: Iceberg, Chicory and Mignonette. He talks about his partnership with Vogue editor Victoria Alexander who fought for years with the council to get the site (which was originally a changing place for people who went to the beach) to be made into a hotel and with Dansereau they finally settled on making it a restaurant.
The Blue Room (private dining room)
He also shows us his next book which is yet to be sent to the printers and is in a yellow ring folder to be called the “French Kitchen” which is a more home style based book as is the trend now. His first book “Friends and Food” won the Julia Child prize for best cookbook and interestingly, all of the photography in it was done by Danserau himself after taking a short course on camera basics. He also conducts yearly tours of France on top of running the cafe, restaurant and kiosk. How he manages with two young kids is something of a miracle.
The Pastry Kitchen
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| October 15th, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella
MamaMia and I were hungry, it was 9.45am and we were driving around the North Shore in search of food. She stopped in front of Delicado Foods in McMahons Point and pointed at the striking red and black facade. “That’s the place I was telling you about, it’s always full. Always.” It was music to my ears and to our stomachs as we sauntered up to the front, past the rather impressive looking wine shop (it was only 10am so we bypassed it), through the deli, past the small but pretty courtyard to find a seat outside. We both grab a cushion (and why don’t all cafes have lovely cushions to rest against?) and take a look at the menu.
The deli section
Courtyard area
We’re looking at the breakfast menu as well as their extensive beverages menu. There is a range of teas and coffees as well a Bloody Mary section (only available after 11am!) which is a Virgin Mary where you can select the range of spiciness you want from the mildish Siesta to Running With The Bulls for what sounds to be an extreme chili hit. There’s an Adults Only coffee called Cafe Carajillo which is a black coffee with a shot of Spanish Brandy on the side ($14) and it is another after 11am item. Sadly since it’s early, we miss out on these but we choose a couple of coffees and the churros for breakfast (would this qualify us for extreme eating?) and something I completely butcher when pronouncing called the Huevos al plato al modo de Avila.
Cafe Canario $4.50
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| October 9th, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella
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