Being invited to a Becasse degustation dinner was an exciting invitation indeed. Not just because it came directly from the Becasse chef Justin North but also because this was my first degustation there. Becasse holds degustations every month matching different wine regions with food and this one was the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France and tonight’s dining companion is Rebecca.

Canape: Sardine mille feuille

I did like the strong sardine flavour but I should confess now that I didn’t fall head over heels in love with this. I thought the puff was a touch dry because it was so voluminous compared to the sardine and longed for something in the centre of it.

Bread: Green olive and lemon thyme olive bread served with 2005 Caves de Sieurs d’Arques, Blanquette du Limoux, Roussillon (a mix of Chenin, Sauvignon and Chardonnay)

The green olive and lemon thyme bread is like an olive foccacia with a light lemon flavour. It comes with the olive oil gel with black salt and really comes into its own with it. We adore it so much that when they ask me if I’d like more, after some initial hesitation at excess carb ingestion, I nod a resounding yes.

Amuse bouche served with 2005 Caves de Sieurs d’arques, Blanquette du Limoux, Roussillon

Our amuse bouche is an Oyster with lime caviar. The lime caviar is made with molecular gastronomy techniques and is the exact size of ocean trout roe. Inside the liquid is more viscous so there’s less of a liquidey pop than you get with roe but more a slow oozing onto the tongue. And it’s good, oh so very good.

Assiette Montpellier served with mas des Bressades, Cubee Excellence, Costieres de Nimes

Our Assiette Montpellier was escalopes of marinated rouget and scallop with rouget jelly, carrot emulsion, carrot and orange sorbet, sesame filo, petite herbs and Spring flowers and radish sprouts. Now I knew this one would be interesting with the quenelle of carrot and orange sorbet with the fish and tiny scallops. Whilst Rebecca initially hesitated with the differing temperatures, I thought it was wonderful, especially when the sorbet had melted a little and became a cool sorbet “soup” with glistening rouget jelly, soft scallops and rouget. Texturally this was heaven. I did need a spoon to scoop it up though once it melted and we used the bread to mop up the last precious drops of this. This wine was interesting with almost a blue cheese aroma and it was very creamy on the tongue. It was 70% Roussane, 20% Viogner and 10% Grenache Blanc.

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Love these scarecrows!

Town 1: Tilba

We were on the third day of our Sydney to Melbourne Road Trip and doing quite a bit of driving on this particular day. We had mentally prepared for the long drive – I had drinks at the ready and snacks as well as wipes for my hand washing OCD. Our first stop after breakfast is the Tilba region of which there is Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba. Central Tilba’s main street is where most of the shopping and eating action takes place and we start off our tour at the ABC Tilba cheese factory where we stop off for some morning tea snacking. At the front counter there are a range of cheeses with tastings for all varieties available. Mr NQN and I try some as sampling is encouraged and my favourite is the chive and the Tilba gold where he likes the Olive cheese.

There’s all sorts of useful kitchen items as well as their own honey which are also sampleable. I try the round box honey that reminds me of a golden syrup which I think would be perfect on some crumpets so I choose this along with some ginger lollies and I admit rather randomly, a cling wrap cutter (well I do make Mr NQN sandwiches every day!).

I lament not having a fridge as we’re travelling as there is a three layer cheese wedge for sale that combines the chive cheese with a layer of sun dried tomato cheese and another cheese. Of course the alternative was just to buy it and eat the whole wedge (ok not that odd for me) but we had a lot of eating to do that day as you’ll see…

A Penny Farthing outside a store

Rose & Sparrow Tea Rooms

We then head out of the store and up the street and spot some nice homewares in some stores. It reminds me of Arrowtown which is a  gold mining town in New Zealand. There’s Rose & Sparrow which was recommended by the SMH Good Food Guide so we stop for lunch. The menu is on the chalkboard inside and there are a lot of gluten free options. Mr NQN chooses a burger and I go for the mandarin and almond gluten free cake for morning tea which reminds me of those lovely flourless orange cakes. All of the cakes are homemade here. The service is not particularly friendly and we get our order after everyone else, even the people that arrive after us.

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“Sicilian food?” I muse out loud when Mr NQN asks me what other Sicilian restaurants Sydney possesses. I think and think but can’t recall many at all. So when I wanted to show Alex (who was visiting from interstate) a nice Sydney vista, I thought Gusto in scenic Watson’s Bay would be a good choice.

I love the car ride to Watsons Bay, past the lighthouse and water and before long I arrive at the glass fronted restaurant. Inside Paolo the chef and owner is talking to Alex and explaining about Sicilian food and how it differs from Italian cuisine. He tells us that it has sharper flavours and usually has a sweet and sour combination and tends to be spicier. They use vinegars and to balance this they use sweetness. Ricotta is the most frequently used cheese.

Antipasto plate

We start with an antipasto platter with pecorino cheese, grilled sweet potato, zucchini and ricotta filled grilled eggplant. I love the ricotta filled eggplant as it’s divinely soft with a smooth ricotta filling.

Bread with three olive oils

The crusty Italian bread comes with a traffic light of olive oil (or an Italian flag, not the Sicilian flag which we’re later shown) with three olive oils: an extra virgin, pesto oil and a chilli oil. They’re gorgeous and we find the chilli oil very spicy indeed. Paolo tell us of how he was trained in Sicily where for 6 years he went back and forth between Australia and Sicily for 6 years chasing each Summer but was told on doctor’s orders to stop doing that as his immunity has suffered as he hadn’t experienced any Winters. Damn! There goes my plan to follow Summer climates around the world

Gnocchi al Pomodoro e Basilico $22.90

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