We get together with friends Teena, Phillippe, Gina and Hot Dog quite often (a bit too often for Hot Dog the unsociable creature that he is). And as fate often works in mysterious ways, Teena had come across a butcher that sold Haggis. None of us had tried it although I do have memories of being in Primary School and having a “bring your own plate from your culture” day. My best friend then was Scottish and she brought Haggis. She had it cooking away, the aroma making us all hungry and lining up for a piece. Until she told us what was in it. The line of kids couldn’t have disappeared more quickly. And even I am ashamed to admit I abandoned my friend food-wise and I couldn’t bring myself to eat it.
Now that I am a more adventurous eater, I lament the lost opportunity. But Teena’s suggestion allowed me to try the Haggis on what was coincidentally Robert’s Burns’s (author of Auld Lang Syne) birthday on January 25th. For those of you unfamiliar, Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish made up of Sheep’s pluck (the heart, lung and liver) mixed with suet, oatmeal and seasonings and stuffed into a sheep’s stomach. You may be able to understand why we almost fainted when first hearing about it. It is usually served with mash potatoes or “Tatties” and a dram of scotch whisky.
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February 19, 2009
by Not Quite Nigella
The Organic movement here in Australia started off strong last year with many Australians starting to buy or at least question where their food comes from and what was used in the harvesting or production of it. Supermarkets adopted small organic sections, mainly of fruit and vegetables and some meats and of course there was the requisite premium attached to these items. And just as Australians, and the world, seemed to become more interested in Organic items, then the economy bottomed out thanks to a series of most unfortunate events and we were left wondering how we could afford to eat organically in a cost effective manner.
Inside Alfalfa House
Variety of produce
One way I heard of was through Food Co-ops, several of which are found around Sydney. These are usually non profit operations that pool their resources in order to gain buying power and pass on the bulk savings onto customers. They usually entail serving yourself from large containers, bringing your own packaging and are staffed by a combination of full time paid workers and volunteers.
Teas and leaves
Various powders and grains
I’ve driven past Alfalfa House on Enmore Road many a time always meaning to stop but a friend reminded me about them and I knew it was time for an actual visit. Originally borne of a rent strike by one household in Erksineville, the household used the rent money to instead buy bulk non perishables which they sold at a small markup in the front room of their house. It then moved to the Erksineville Anglican Church and then in 1983 it moved to Alpha House in Newtown. It has grown and developed since then into the place it is today.
Italian Dried porcini mushrooms sold by 100g
Tiny, pink, pungent Italian garlic
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February 5, 2009
by Not Quite Nigella
They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and whilst I usually maintain that this is true, at times like these, I have to disagree. For what was to greet me when I drove past the Woollahra end of Paddington but a Ferrero Rocher Wrapping store. Part of the new PR trend of Pop up stores, that is, stores that open up for a short period of time to display a new product or launch a new concept, the Ferrero Rocher Wrapping store is one where you can purchase Ferrero Rocher chocolates but also get your Christmas Wrapping done for free. Yes no matter which store you buy the item from, the lovely girls will wrap it for you for free. And if you buy an item from the Ferrero store, you can get up to 3 items wrapped for free.
Complimentary samples
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December 8, 2008
by Not Quite Nigella
As an avid cupcaker, I was waiting for these Cupcake wrappers to be imported into Australia. I’d seen them on various cupcake sites hoping that they would soon grace our shores but always without much luck. Then I heard that a shop nearish to me stocked them and I knew that I would have to pay a visit to get a hold of these wrappers.
As I’m learning to drive, I took the chance to drive there (driving in the Northern beaches for an L driver is much nicer as people are more relaxed) and drove up to the store.
Inside there are displays of fresh flowers, some of which I’ve never seen before (they have a florist that picks their flowers). Even for this Sunday morning it’s full.
Halloween Displays
There is a display that completely appeals to me, the Halloween one with the Spider Cupcakes wrappers, the very ones that I have come here expressly to get a hold of.
Cupcake wrappers
I ask them about the Cupcake wrappers and they tell me that when they first arrived they sold out of them straight away and now they get orders from everywhere in Australia requesting them.
Stonewall kitchen
Stonewall Kitchen’s Grade A Dark Amber Maple syrup
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November 1, 2008
by Not Quite Nigella
For a city girl like me, the chance to visit a farm that prides itself on fresh fruit and vegetables plucked as close to the day that they’re ordered as possible is like the childhood equivalent to being asked to go to the best birthday party-you know the one with the pony and the jumping castle. So when the lovely people at Field to Feast contacted me about coming out for a visit to their farm, the answer was “Absolutely, when?”. I invited my in laws, a bunch of country lovin’ folk who left their idyllic country home to venture out into the capitalist jungle of Sydney, but who still missed the country setting.
Finger eggplant
Cath (who runs the marketing) and Hapi (who runs the farming) have 5 acres of land for their vegetables all neatly rowed and pretty as a picture with vivid greens and purple sprouting like exotic flowers, all lined up to bask in the goodness of the sun under Hapi’s green thumb. So blessed is he that he holds the record in his native Tonga of the largest taro at 6 foot long.
We’re shown the rows of produce, all beautifully cultivated and mostly unsprayed (only when absolutely necessary). The cabbages are bursting open with their wide open leaves like petals.
Lemon chilis
We see their range of chilis including the fiery hot Habanero, milder Jalapeno, long reds as well as a new one, the Lemon Chili, with a whole new taste to it. It’s said to be particularly good for Indian cooking and they cannot keep up with demand.
Black capsicum
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August 13, 2008
by Not Quite Nigella
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