Dear Dairy,
Today I had a total and utter carbfest. It started with the morning where I heard howling and outside doors banging hard from the wind. It was freezing when I got out of bed (must learn how to set the timer on the heater so that I am woken at a more civilised temperature) and didn’t get much warmer. Even though I knew we were going out to eat shortly, it didn’t stop me from heating a bread roll, smothering it with butter, stuffing it with ham and swiss cheese and devouring it just before we left for a bakery to have brunch.
And so the day went on and we had our carb and pastry filled lunch and finished with creamy pasta with roasted pumpkin, peas and pinenuts. And I only need now to describe to you the lunch in which I stuffed myself full of bread.
Love,
NQN
xxx
I’ve rung ahead to find reserve myself a pie. Yes I know that sounds mad but I had heard that the pies at Sonoma were good and if I am to brave the crazy howling winds outside, I need to know that the trip will be worth it. We walk into their small shopfront, a bakery that churns out lovely sourdough for many of Sydney’s top restaurants along with a happy public trade. There are 4 small wooden tables inside along with some stools outside. My husband takes a seat inside by the window and grabs a copy of Gourmet Traveller (who knew he was interested?) while I order. I choose a Reuben sandwich (toasted) $8, the Lamb and Rosemary pie that I ordered ($6.50), a Chocolate Croissant ($2.80) and a cappucino ($3). For good measure I also buy a round loaf of the Olive bread ($6.00). It’s lucky I did reserve the pie as there is only one lone sausage roll in the warmer, the rest of the pies having sold out.
Lamb and Rosemary pie ($6.50)
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It’s a cold, wintry night that brings us to Bite Me Burger Company, and one in which we’re pressed for time having spent the half half hour looking for a park in Paddington. Ever since the Wagyu burger at Plan B, I’ve been trying to find other Wagyu burgers to try. Call it my latest obsession. So with only 45 minutes to order, eat and go, we enter Bite Me Burger, a small, red lit small Burger place on Oxford Street in Paddington with a neon red Coca Cola type sign. It’s bustlingly full, there is a football game on at the stadium nearby and we explain our impending movie dilemma to the staff. They suggest that we pre-order our meals as it can sometimes take up to 20 minutes for the burgers during a busy period and by then a table should be free.
Sure enough, we’re seated within about 5 minutes and help ourselves to water. There is a large communal table as well as two high tables at the front. We’re seated at one of the front tables but not the very front. Once when we sat there everyone stopped and watched what we ate which made us feel like monkeys in a zoo exhibit.
Everything is visual merchanised to within an inch of itself, the fork and knife come in a sleeve that says “Hold Me”. The ketchup is in a tomato squeezy and of course the salt and pepper co-ordinate.
Onion Rings $4.50
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Would you believe me, Dear Reader, when I told you that the humble sausage roll had broken the $7 price barrier? You might be even more surprised when I tell you that at $7 it was worth every lip smackin’, finger lickin’, slowly savoured bite. The sausage roll in question is from Justin North’s “Plan B”, the tiny hole in the wall cafe next to Bécasse. I was put onto it by Y from Lemonpi who had visited earlier and told me about their fantastic Wagyu burger and $7 sausage roll. The most expensive sausage roll I’d had was the sausage roll at Bourke Street Bakery and even that was hardly what you’d call expensive at $4, and a lovely sausage roll it was. But I wasn’t too fussed about trying this one as it was almost double the price. I had no idea that Plan B existed, so tiny hole in the wall it was, I even dined at Bécasse right next to it without knowing of its existence and that it has been there for as long as the restaurant has, for 3 whole years.
Cake selection $3.50-$4 each
There are 3 tables outside that seat 2 people each, so it’s definitely more of a takeaway your lunch back to the office and read blogs during your lunch-hour kind of place. Apparently the new logo’d umbrellas call out its existence a bit better to passing trade. It’s small but it is stylishly outfitted of course. You’d expect no less from Becasse. I’ve rung ahead to pick up my lunch as we’re stopping through the city. I ordered a Wagyu burger (made with 600 day grain fed Wagyu beef) and a sandwich with pork and apple. The crisp pork belly, hoisin sauce and spring onion was out unfortunately so I made do with the pork and apple although I did toss up between that and the coronation chicken. I’d decide on a cake when I got there and I could see them up close.
Sandwich selection, $8 each
My wagyu burger was lost, apparently there was a miscommunication between the cafe and kitchen and my burger was just put on the grill when I arrived to collect it. Two suits who are standing up inside having finished their burgers get up to leave. I see the range of prepacked sandwiches and a plate of cakes and biscuits as well as designer drinks (I don’t think they even had Coke). The cakes look particularly good. The menu on the website seems to have changed slightly for the seasons. Whilst they had a caramelised mango tart, now it’s caramelised apple.
My burger is still running late and a man comes in from an outside table asking for a paper napkin. He happily declares “I’m covered in crumbs but it was all worth it, that was the best sausage roll ever! Worth every crumb!” and wipes the imaginary crumbs off himself and exits. I need no more convincing and I add a sausage roll to the order. I also buy a caramelised apple tart and a candied lemon and vanilla cookie for good measure. I get a coffee takeaway and it is fantastically good, one of the best coffees I’ve ever had (if not the best). It eventually all comes together in a brown handled paper bag and the lovely girl behind the counter apologises profusely for the delay.
Wagyu burger made with 600 day grain fed Wagyu $10
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Please don’t think me condescending to you dear readers in that I am including a recipe for a B.L.A.T.. I know a B.L.T. or B.L.A.T. is rather self explanatory. One things I find cookbooks or food blogs good at is reminding you of things that you haven’t had for a while and want to eat again. You don’t necessarily need the instructions, just the inspiration or the idea.
I did add a bit to the Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado and Tomato with the condiments. Indeed I added a little Harissa, spread very thinly for some chili zing and some smooth real mayo for creaminess. I also gave it some spanish onion and another type of tomato, the sun dried variety which is one of those foods I could never get sick of. I would have put in some sexy baby spinach leaves but they’re a rare commodity in our house. You see, I confess that I tend to eat baby spinach like Popeye. So if it is there one day, it will be gone to next having been eaten by me.
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This would be incredible for a kid’s or a kids at heart party. Indeed when we went to the Blue Mountains recently for Christmas we had a good old fashioned kid’s party complete with fairy bread, vampire teeth lollies, mini meat pies, sausage rolls (and the vegetarian versions) along with delicious Finnish pinwheel pastries and we played pass the parcel, treasure hunt and donuts and apples on a string. Despite the fact that everyone was well and truly grown up, we all had a ball which goes to show that some kid’s things never go out of fashion.
An adult may scoff at first if they see this, thinking that they were too sophisticated for this sort of silly stuff but you can bet they’ll be all alone pouting on the sidelines when everyone else happily digs into this.
Mermaid’s Tuna or Mackerel Magic
- 1 filled smoked mackerel or 200g canned tuna flaked
- Real Mayonnaise or tartare sauce (my favourite is Taylor’s Tartare sauce)
- Baguette sliced in half horizontally
- 2 cherry tomatoes
- celery
- slices of cucumber halved
- 1 small carrot grated
Kids will love this. Mix the fish with mayonnaise. Fill an open baguette with the mixture. Give some character to the filling with the addition of two cherry tomatoes s eyes, celery for the mouth, cucumber slices as the scales and some grated carrot for the tail.
Recipe created by Bernadette Oliver from Your Sandwich Made It!
Variation: add finely diced spanish onion and celery
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