Saturday 31 December 2011

Meat and Cheese Only Part 1: The Rage Introduced (a.k.a. How To Order A Pizza)

Superman says:

As a man of habit I stick to things I like and know and stick to the mantra “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. My intention with this blog is simple – I am fighting the good fight of people who would like a plate of food without the bullshit. Don’t feed me vegetables with a side of steak. If I order Mongolian Lamb I didn't order a plate of fucking onions and capsicums - stop cost-saving and give me my lamb! A pizza doesn’t come with eighteen toppings – have you been to Italy? A burger should not contain a pickle, nor should it contain cheap tomato sauce (unless at Oporto, in which case give me extra kthnxby). In case you haven’t worked out the theme yet, meat and cheese only derives from a simple ordering technique that one needs to employ to alleviate the mess that finds its way onto my plate – tell them to hold the shit and put only the good stuff in. 

This isn’t without flaw. The good fight against the foods one doesn’t like is certainly not without incident.  In high school I went into a McDonalds and ordered a burger “meat and cheese only” (a.k.a. The Burger known in a very non-P.C. way as being somewhat irregular, deviate or unusual). Sidebar: censorship on my first post! Oh no! ... Because such a simple concept is too creative for the employees, I ended up getting a bun with nothing on it. McDonalds 1 Superman 0.

Also, ordering pizza can be a struggle. When asking for “meat and cheese only” (or in pizza’s case: “ham and cheese only”), this concept can be too non-conformist for knob employees. When met with that 10 second heavy-breathing silence as their brains try to process the order that is clearly not explicitly on the menu, you must do the heavy lifting for them:

- Option A (works 33.33% of the time): Margherita plus Ham. Tell the half stoned, 12 year old employee that they need to bill you for a margherita pizza with the additional cost of the added ham. It can also be polite to call them a moron at the end of such an explanation.

- Option B (works 66.67% of the time): Hawaiian minus Pineapple. Now I don’t know what Hawaiians have to do with a traditional pizza menu, but OK, I’ll roll with the punches. Pineapple on a pizza? I’d rather a turd sandwich. Anyway, telling the employee that you will pay the normal Hawaiian cost, despite the missing ingredient is a MUST. I can’t begin to tell you how many times their pea-sized heads shrivel into obscurity trying to deconstruct the pizza costs to work out the individual costs of toppings trying to work out how much the Pineapple is worth on a pizza. In my mind, fiscally speaking, the true cost of Pineapple on a slice of pizza is a slap in the fucking head. Next you will be putting all the other ‘juices’ on a pizza: oranges, apples, mangoes. What the fuck? Give me my ham and cheese. And hold the spit when you make it. I don’t like the taste of your disdain.

Now that you get the idea of the eternal fight, my next posts will revel in the ingredients I don’t like. As a preview, it is internationally agreeable that coriander is Satan.

Superman out. The fight against bullshit food continues. We will prevail.

Restaurant Review: Cafe Sopra (Fratelli Fresh)


It's about time I wrote this review; Superman and I have been going to this restaurant at least once a week for about a year now. My biggest regret is that the one time I came here before the coeliac diagnosis, I got risotto instead of pasta. Every time we go, SM gets the best looking pasta dishes known to man, and I get salad.

Please note to find it - walk through the Fratelli Fresh store, and go up the stairs to the left, past the cooking school section and up more stairs. Anyway..back to the review...
Service: the staff here are consistently friendly and helpful, and many remember my gf/df status and tell me off the bat if I can order the specials of the day. I have heard the service unfortunately isn't as good at other branches of Sopra, but I have never had a problem here.
The other thing worth mentioning is this place is brunch/lunch only, and doesn't take reservations. So either turn up for lunch no later than 12:30 or expect to wait ~ 10 minutes for a table. Mr R. "doesn't do lines" so I don't bother trying to go here with him. But you can order coffee or wine in the line so I'm happy.
Food: SM has covered the pasta section of the menu 10 times over, and recommends anything with the word ragù, bolognese or duck in it.
Salad wise, depending on what season it is the best ones are
-
Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Pancetta and Poached Egg
- Bresaola salad with Gala apples and aged Balsamic Vinegar 

- Witlof salad with hazelnuts, gorgonzola, pear and pomegranate
- pickled beetroot with soft boiled egg, pancetta, gorgonzola and rosemary
and as a side, the cabbage with reggiano and balsamic is great.
Dishes we dont like: smoked trout salad, and spaghetti carbonara

Desserts are always great, but rarely gluten and dairy free, but the sgroppino is good, as is the meringue, the baked rhubarb, and i'm told the tiramisù.
Ambience: as you can see from the photo, it is on the top level of a warehouse which is pretty cool, but not a formal atmosphere.

Who to take: parents who don't know why you live in Surry Hills instead of the North Shore, Eastern Suburbians slumming it west of Anzac Pde, your beau of the moment for lunch the morning after the night before, groups of friends who like getting boozed on good italian wine, reluctant boyfriends who don't understand how you spend so much money on produce.
Who not to take: grumpy children - their crying echoes, people who don't do lines, people with limited mobility - no disabled access.

Café Sopra on Urbanspoon


Restaurant Review: Muum Maam

Finally, a thai restaurant with a gluten free menu (that I trust)!
Mr R. and I found this recently after an extensive search of the gluten free friendly asian eateries on offer in the Surry Hills area. As any coeliac (or close friend of) will know, finding an asian restaurant that you can rely on to use clean pans, not use any soy sauce or wheaten corn flour in their "gluten free" offerings are few and far in between. On this note, if  anyone knows of another Chinese restaurant in Sydney apart from Fu Manchu that has a gluten free menu plese let me know!

I have been to Muum Maam 5 times now, and each time I have found the majority of specials to be gluten free (and tasty) and plenty of options on the gf menu (see http://www.muummaam.com.au.php5-16.dfw1-2.websitetestlink.com/menu/vegetarian-and-gluten-free/ )
Superman and Mr R. have also found great non-GF options there too.

I highly recommend the poached chicken salad, however Superman finds it "too herby" for his tastes (some of his other comments about food like this include - "what is this f*ing coriander doing in this dish?" "why can't you just cook food normally without f*ing it up with all this herb sh*"
Did I mention that Superman is king of the bullsh* ordering? His order at McDonald's is "double cheeseburger, meat and cheese only (none of that sauce sh*, it ruins it)", Domino's "Hawaiian, no pineapple aka. ham and cheese, hold the spit".

Anyway, back to Muum Maam. Other good choices on the menu include the satay chicken sticks (if coeliac, ask for it to be cooked on a pan, they normally cook on a grill that is also used for soy marinades). I also enjoyed the various curries and the pad thai.


Muum Maam on Urbanspoon

Recipe: Lasagne al Forno

I cooked this last night - it was kinda awesome! I have, however, altered the original recipe if only because the pedant pharmacist (and italophile) in me doesn't agree with some of the mise-en-place. At the bottom of the recipe, I have written how I made the recipe more lactose free. It is gluten free if you use gf pasta sheets.
The original can be found here: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef-recipes/simple-baked-lasagne

Lasagne al forno
  • 100 g pancetta or speck, sliced/diced (depending on how you buy it)  
  • a pinch of cinnamon
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 carrot, cubed
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 handfuls of fresh herbs (sage, oregano, rosemary, thyme) - chopped roughly
  • olive oil
  • 400g veal mince
  • 200g pork mince
  • 2 x 400g tins of diced italian tomatoes
  • 400 mL (1/2 a bottle) red wine
  • 2 bay leaves
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 400g fresh lasagne sheets (or gf ones if required)
  • 400g mozzarella, torn up 
for the white sauce
• 1 x 500ml tub of crème fraîche
• 3 anchovies, finely chopped
• 2 handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
optional: a little milk



for lactose free white sauce option
  • 1 x 250g tub of soy sour cream
  • 1 cup lactose free thickened cream
  • 3 anchovies, finely chopped
  • 2 handfuls of parmesan, grated
Method
  1. In a large pot or pan slowly fry the pancetta and cinnamon until golden, then add the onion, carrot, garlic and herbs and about 4 tablespoons of olive oil. 
  2. Add the veal and pork mince. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the tinned tomatoes and the wine or water. 
  3. Add the bay leaves and bring to the boil. Then get some greaseproof paper, wet it and place it on top of the pan with a lid placed on top. Simmer on a low heat for ~1.5 hrs. 
  4. When the sauce is sufficiently reduced, season to taste and put aside. 
  5. Mix together your crème fraîche, anchovies, and a handful of Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper. You may need to loosen the mixture with a little milk. 
  6. Turn the oven to 200ºC. To assemble the lasagne, rub an earthenware lasagne dish with olive oil, lay some sheets of lasagne over the bottom and drape them up the sides of the dish.
  7. Add a layer of meat, a little white sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Repeat the layers, finishing with a layer of pasta covered in white sauce. Tear the mozzarella and sprinkle with some extra Parmesan. Cook in the preheated oven for 30–35 minutes until golden.

What the F* is a Soffritto?

http://proximalkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/08/carbo-loading-tagliatelle-alla.html
This is an essential piece of knowledge for any self respecting foodie/cook - Clementine and I had an argument heated discussion about it this morning over breakfast, including RE its spelling.
I was perplexed as to why it wasn't a part of the lasagne recipe I recently used (can be found HERE)

AKA: mirepoix (french), refogado (portugese), sofrito (spanish)

A soffritto is the flavour base of many sauces, soups and stews e.g. bolognese sauces, minestrone; it normally consists of celery, carrot and onion. The vegetables are diced (all the same size) and sautéed with olive oil and/or butter.
The italian version can also include garlic and in some recipes the onion is swapped out for leeks or shallots.

Sunday 18 December 2011

Recipe: Milk Chocolate Rocky Road

This is the other rocky road that I'm going to make for Christmas. I always buy Rowie's Cakes' gluten free, dairy free Rocky Road from the supermarket for morning tea at work, so thought I'd make the one from Rowie's cookbook! (Indulgence, by Rowie Dillon)
I have made it dairy free by using Sweet William dairy free chocolate (health food aisle).

Not So Nutty Rocky Road
Makes 18 - 20 pieces

  • 2 cups marshmallows, roughly chopped
  • 30 g puffed rice (make sure gf - had to go to organic grocer to get one that was uncontaminated)
  • 70 g hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
  • 50 g sultanas
  • 50 g fresh or frozen raspberries or cranberries
  • 375 g dark chocolate, chopped
  1. Line a tray with baking paper
  2. Combine the marshmallows, puffed rice, hazelnuts, sultanas and berries in a large bowl
  3. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth
  4. Pour the chocolate onto the marshmallow mixture and stir until well combined. Spoon onto the tray and allow to set. Beak into random pieces and serve.

Christmas Tree 2011

Recipe: White Chocolate Rocky Road

Mum's Christmas Cake doesn't turn out very well gf, so I'm making 2 types of rocky road. This can be found in the original at http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/18595/gourmet+rocky+road

White Rocky Road
  • 375g white chocolate melts (I use dairy free white chocolate - Sweet William can be found in health food aisle)
  • 1/2 cup pistachio kernels, toasted
  • 2/3 cup shredded coconut (make sure no gluten contamination)
  • 2 2/3 cups marshmallows (gluten free)
  • 2/3 cup dried cranberries
  1. Line base and sides of a 4cm-deep, 27cm x 17cm (base) slice pan with foil, allowing a 2cm overhang at both long ends. Place chocolate in a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high (100%) for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every minute with a metal spoon, or until smooth and melted.
  2. Combine pistachios, coconut, marshmallows and cranberries in a large bowl. Pour over chocolate. Stir to coat.
  3. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set. Turn out onto a chopping board. Remove foil. Cut into 24 pieces

Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Coleslaw

This is another addition to my Christmas lunch because I just recently got this book for my birthday.. Thanks Mr R.! Indulge by Rowie Dillon - completely gluten free cook book.
Superman is going to have to shred the cabbage, last time I was let loose with the cutter I sliced off part of my thumb :p


Sweet and Spicy Coleslaw
Serves 4

250 g red cabbage, finely shredded
250 g green cabbage, finely shredded
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 white onion, grated

Dressing
1/4 cup whole egg mayonnaise (S&W is gf)
1 tbs Dijon mustard (Masterfoods is gf)
2 tsps apple cider vinegar
1 tbs caster sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine cabbages, carrot and onion in a large bowl.
For the dressing, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar and peppers.
Add dressing to the slaw and toss. Cover and leave in fridge for at least 2 hours to allow flavours to develop. Toss slaw again before serving.

Enjoy

Recipe: Flavoured Popcorn

I'm bringing this (among other things) to the family Christmas party because catering for multiple coeliacs in one family still doesn't come easily to those who don't have to cook for us much!
It makes 8 cups.


Ingredients

  • 2 tsps sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp onion salt
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup popping corn

Method

  1. Combine paprika, oregano, thyme, onion salt and half the oil in a bowl.
  2. Heat remaining oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 pieces of popping corn. Oil is hot enough when corn turns slowly in a circle.
  3. Add remaining corn. Cover pan tightly. Shake pan when corn starts popping. Remove from heat when corn stops popping. Transfer popcorn to a bowl. Discard unpopped corn. Add paprika mixture. Toss to combine. Cool. Place popcorn in snap-lock bags for lunchboxes.

Notes


Variation: For an 'adult' popcorn snack, replace paprika, oregano, thyme and onion salt with 1 tablespoon Moroccan seasoning.

PhoodiePharmacist xx

Monday 12 December 2011

Recipe: Potato Bake

This is Superman's Mum's Christmas Potato Bake recipe that is the best ever - it makes christmas lunch. It is not lactose free, but gf and so so good. Enjoy!

Potato Bake

Ingredients:

  • ~ 7 desiree potatoes (allow 1 potato each person) 
  •  ½ red onion (sliced thinly)
  • 2 tomatoes (sliced thinly)
  • ~ 2 cups pouring cream
  • ~ 1 cup grated cheese – any cheese you like: mozzarella, tasty
  • Chopped parsley
  • Salt and pepper
Method:
  1. Have a baking dish (about ½ size of normal baking dish) rubbed with butter ready.
  2. Slice potatoes thinly (~t ½ cm) & Place over base of dish.
  3. Add a few slices of onion (say 3 or 4) over top of potatoes, then add a few slices of tomato over top
  4. Season with salt and pepper
  5. Repeat  steps 2-4 till all potatoes are used or you have reached top of dish
  6. Pour cream over top of potato dish, and sprinkle cheese and parsley
  7. Cover with alfoil (with a few little cuts with a knife to let some of the steam out)
  8. Place in oven around 180 deg – convection oven or 160 fan forced
  9. Cook  for about 1 hr or until potatoes are softening.
  10. Remove alfoil and bake for another 10-15 minutes to turn the cheese/potatoes brown on the top and a lot of the cream has been soaked into the potatoes.

Saturday 10 December 2011

Friday 9 December 2011

Recipe: Meatballs & Zucchini Pasta


This recipe is a favourite of mine from Teresa Cutter (aka The Healthy Chef). I like it because 1. Superman will eat it 2. it's gf and low carb 3. it's tasty and filling. For once I don't have to feel guilty about eating pasta!
The original can be found on Teresa's website here. She also has instructions for making the tomato sauce, and making it vegetarian. Well worth a look!

Meatballs and Zucchini Pasta
Serves 6 (I freeze the meatballs, they reheat well)
  • 500 g beef mince (organic, lean, grass fed)
  • 125 g ricotta (deli-style, firm, drained)
  • 200 g baby spinach (Teresa suggests cooking it quickly beforehand, I dont bother)
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped
  • 1 egg (organic, free range)
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 cups passata w/basil or simple pasta sauce such as Barilla Napoletana
  • parsley and parmesan to top
  1. Combine beef, ricotta, spinach, ½ cup parsley, egg, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
  2. Shape into large balls and coat in a little olive oil then place in a deep tray lined with greaseproof paper.
  3. Bake meatballs for 10 minutes, then add napolitana half way up the pan. bake for a further 20  minutes until sauce is bubbling.
  4. Serve sprinkled with fresh chopped parsley a little grated parmesan and zucchini spaghetti.
zucchini spaghetti:
  • ½ to 1 leek - sliced thinly
  • 1 ½ to 2 zucchini per person, cut into spaghetti on a mandolin or similar
  • black pepper
  • freshly squeezed lemon juice
    1. Cook the leek in a pan over medium heat with some olive oil
    2. add the zucchini and toss through for a few seconds until warm
    3. season with lemon juice and black pepper
    4. divide between bowls and top with the meatballs

Wednesday 7 December 2011

Recipe: Mirin Glazed Salmon

While we are on the subject of things Superman and I cooked when we had just moved out of home, here is another Nigella dish that we cooked when we had important company (read parents) and would splash out and buy salmon. It is from Nigella Express, and can also be found online here:

Mirin Glazed Salmon
serves 4 as a main
  • 60 mL mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
  • 50g light brown sugar
  • 60 mL soy sauce
  • 4 x 125g pieces salmon, cut from the thick part of the fillet so that they are narrow but tall rather than wide and flat
  • 2 x 15ml tbs rice vinegar
  • 1-2 spring onions, halved and shredded into fine strips

Method

  1. Mix the mirin, brown sugar and soy sauce in a shallow dish; marinate the salmon in mixture for 3 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the second. Meanwhile heat a large non-stick frying pan.
  2. Cook the salmon in the hot, dry pan for 2 minutes and then turn the salmon over, add the marinade and cook for another 2 minutes.
  3. Remove the salmon, add the rice vinegar to the hot pan, and warm through.
  4. Pour the dark, sweet, salty glaze over the salmon and top with the spring onion strips.
  5. Serve with rice.
We often served this with stir fried bean sprouts and bok choy with soy sauce and rice vinegar - I'm sure you can be more creative than the novice cooks that we were!

Phoodie Pharmacist xx

Recipe: Lamb Tagine with chickpeas and sultanas

I saw Jeff Campbell cook this on Ready Steady Cook back in my Arts degree days when I watched a lot of daytime TV, still lived at home, and couldn't cook to save my life :P
This was one of the first dishes I mastered when I moved out of home, because most of the ingredients could be found in the pantry. 
This for Greta, who always requested I cook it for her when we lived in the same apartment block back in the day :)

NB: If you can't find ground fennel, I use a mortar and pestle to grind the seeds - it is messy though.

Lamb Tagine with chickpeas and sultanas
 
  • 1 tsp each of ground fennel, coriander and cumin
  • 1 lamb backstrap, cubed ~ 1.5cm
  • Olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp finely grated ginger
  • ½ cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • ¼ cup sultanas
  • ½ cup chicken stock (Massel's is gf)
  • 1 cup tomato passata
  • ¼ cup coriander leaves
  • Greek style yoghurt, to serve
  1. Combine fennel, coriander and cumin in a bowl, add lamb and toss to coat. Shake off excess.
  2. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat, cook garlic, ginger and lamb for 2-3
    minutes or until lamb is sealed. 
  3. Add chickpeas, sultanas, stock and passata and cook for a further 10 minutes or until lamb is tender. 
  4. Add coriander and remove from heat
  5. Serve Tagine topped with yoghurt. 
Pre-gluten free, low carb days, I served this also with toasted, oiled bread such as focaccia to mop up the sauce. Traditionally, I supposed cous cous should be the accompaniment - gluten freebies could use quinoa.

Recipe: Lemon and Garlic Potatoes

Lemon and Garlic Potatoes (serves 4 as a side)
Ingredients
1kg potatoes (I know a lot of people are very particular about types of potato. For the purposes of this recipe, I’m not. I like to use baby potatoes because I’m lazy)
50ml olive oil 
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Method:
  • Preheat the oven to 210C. 
  • Place potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce to a medium heat and simmer for 10mins or until potatoes are tender.
  • Drain well
  • Toss in olive oil, garlic, juice and zest.
  • Transfer to a roasting pan lined with baking paper and season with salt and pepper
  • Roast potatoes for 35-40mins until golden brown
  • Remove from oven and serve immediately, with a sprinkling of fresh oregano, if you feel so inclined.


    Clementine xx

Recipe: Tiramisù

This recipe is from my "italian mamma" who lives in Mantua, Lombardy. I went on exchange when I was 16 here and have stayed in touch. Giovanna is famous for her tiramisù, and makes this often. I will try and find some of her other recipes in my paperwork to post here. It is so easy, and so tasty. Please excuse the clumsy directions, I translated it from italian.

NB: To make gluten free: I have just found gf savoiardi (Schär brand, called Ladyfingers) in T. Dux

Tiramisù

For 4-6 ppl

1 cup of weak coffee
4 eggs
4-6 tbs of caster sugar
500g marscapone
4-6 tbs brandy
300g savoiardi (aka ladyfingers)
powdered bitter cocoa
  1. mix egg YOLKS and ~3tbs sugar together well (keep 2 WHITES aside for step 3)
  2. add to this the marscapone and 2-3 tbs brandy (check for sweetness, add more sugar if necessary)
  3. beat 2 egg whites until well beaten, and add to mixture
  4. in a shallow bowl, put the weak coffee, 2-3 tbs brandy and 2-3tbs sugar - make sure everything dissolved
  5. dip the savoiardi lightly into the bowl, and place them side by side in a pyrex dish (as a layer)
  6. on top of this, put a layer of the marscapone mixture
  7. repeat 5&6 until all used up - with marscapone as last layer
  8. dust cocoa on top and put in fridge for 2 hours.
  9. EAT

Monday 5 December 2011

In defence of mothers

I am grateful to my mother for a lot of things; insisting on me receiving a first-class education, which means I think I’m smarter than everyone else; raising me on a steady diet of cultural classics that included Gilbert & Sullivan, Playing Beatie Bow and Danny Kaye movies*, which accounts for my frequently indecipherable sense of humour; for playing taxi driver, nurse, homework editor, counsellor, sports supporter, choral enthusiast and generally giving full-throated support to the most banal of my childhood endeavours. 
However, if I were to raise one criticism, it would be that my mother did not teach me how to cook. Growing up, we didn’t even have an oven.  So when I left home, I knew how to grill a lamb chop, (over)cook vegetables and make a very sad excuse for a spag bol.
I very quickly learned that not only was there a whole world of amazing food out there; there were many, many worlds and as I took to exploring them, I realised just how large the gaps in my culinary knowledge were (to whit, they were huge. Drive-a-semi-trailer-through-them huge. I hadn’t even eaten Thai food and I live in Sydney.) So I set out to remedy this, acquiring a library of cookbooks, building my foodie knowledge and learning the basics. These, I hope to share over the coming posts, as well as the new set of gluten-friendly recipes that I have been refining since PhoodiePharmacist was diagnosed as coeliac.
One of the first things I figured out how to do was roast potatoes with a twist. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and with the tang of lemon and garlic, they are a staple that have served me well, particularly with those grilled lamb chops.


So, did your mother teach you how to cook, or did she send you out into the world equipped primarily with an ability to order take-away? And when was the first time you ate Thai?
Clementine xx
* Said Danny Kaye movies (and sense of humour) are to blame for the christening of this blog. The Court Jester is an old favourite of mine. Watch the most famous scene (and blog namesake) here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3QYkUaILOI&feature=related

Sunday 4 December 2011

New lactose free / gluten free purchases!

Restaurant Review: Il Baretto

In a perfect world, this restaurant would be on regular rotation in our house. In reality, it has been blacklisted.
We went to this restaurant a handful of times before my coeliac diagnosis, and liked the pasta - good for Sydney, normal standard for Italy. The staff could be rude, but this is Surry Hills after all.
However, after my coeliac diagnosis it has now become impossible to go to this restaurant. Yes, there are gluten free options - carpaccio and rocket&parmesan salad - gf pasta not a chance. But what has made our mind up for us is the consistent rudeness of the staff. Because of this rudeness and complete disregard for anyone not ordering their food and staying quiet, I don't trust them if they say something is "gluten free" because if they barely deign to answer the question, how can I be sure that they are just saying yes to shut me up?
Superman was a fan of the duck ragù pappardelle; but truly, we can get the same dish just as good if not better at Cafe Sopra a couple of blocks away, without the bad attitude and only $2 per dish more.
I still have friends that love this place, but I would guess that they are treated better because they pop in, order, then get out.
In this world, when "special" people like me are becoming more numerous, and not just making life difficult for the sake of it, the management here would do well to take a hard look at themselves and their menu.


Il Baretto on Urbanspoon

Thanks for my birthday card Chez and Nat!

Saturday 3 December 2011

Restaurant Review: The Owl House

This wine bar / small restaurant became a fast favourite since it opened early this year at the William St end of Crown St. The food doesn't just accompany the great wine and cocktails on offer here, it can stand alone amongst the best in Sydney.
Amir and Paul - the owners - never fail to make me at ease, and make the evenings here that much more special.
Downstairs you will find a long bar which would seat about 15-20 - where Amir will charm and recommend wonderful wines; upstairs are tables where Paul will look after you with a joke and a smile.


These guys won the SMH Good Food Guide 2012: Best Bar with Food award - quite an achievement in their first year of business. It couldn't have gone to a better place.


The Owl House
courtesy of EatDrinkPlay http://eatdrinkplay.com/drink/bars/the-own-house/


97 Crown St
Darlinghurst
Ph: 93575060
www.theowlhouse.com.au


http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/restaurants-and-bars/wise-team-mixes-it-up-20110903-1jqx3.html


The Owl House on Urbanspoon
courtesy of Concrete Playground http://sydney.concreteplayground.com.au/bars/22298/the-owl-house.htm

Recipe: Anglo Asian Lamb Salad

This is a favourite in our house, and has become a staple in many of our friends' homes too. It can be made gluten and lactose free, healthy, and although salads can sometimes be Superman's kryptonite - he actually eats this!
This recipe is from Nigella Lawson's Nigella Express; it can also be found online (see link below).


Anglo-Asian Lamb Salad
Serves: 2 as main course
  • garlic oil
  • 1 lamb sirloin, approx. 250g
  • 1 packet baby salad leaves
  • 3 tbs chopped mint
Dressing:
  • 2 tbs fish sauce
  • 1 tbs redcurrant jelly
  • 2 tbs rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp soy sauce (gf)
  • 1/4 tsp crushed chilli
  • 1 spring onion, finely sliced
 Method:
  • Heat the oil in a pan; cook the lamb for 5 minutes on one side, and 2 1/2 minutes on the other.
  • Wrap the meat in foil, making a tightly sealed parcel, and let it rest for about 5 minutes.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
  • Open the foil parcel, and empty the meat juices into the dressing. Cut the lamb into very fine slices or strips and add them too; the acid in the dressing will cook the lamb a little more while it steeps. If the meat is not rare, I'd leave it for just a short time, but for a longer time if it seems undercooked.
  • Divide the salad leaves between plates and then arrange the soused lamb with the dressing over each one. Finally scatter the chopped mint on top.


http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/anglo-asian-lamb-salad-39

Recipe : Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

This is Superman’s favourite pasta dish. The name derives from the town of Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast, however it is found on menus throughout the Campania region. As his friends know, SM doesn’t like overly complicated food, and this pasta dish suits him perfectly. Best made with fresh tomato sauce, I have also included the recipe for this. If you want the instructions for making gnocchi, see the link below to Napoli Unplugged.

Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

Serves: 4
 750g potato gnocchi
1.5 cups tomato sauce (recipe below)
350g mozzarella cheese, cubed
4 basil leaves, plus one sprig for garnish
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • Bring 8 cups of well-salted water to a boil.
  • Place the gnocchi in the boiling water a few at a time, making sure the water remains at boiling point.
  • In a pan, heat the tomato sauce.  As soon as the gnocchi rise to the top of the water, drain off the water and place them into the pan with the tomato sauce.
  • Mix together, adding the mozzarella and parmesan as you go, allowing it to melt.
  • Serve into bowls, adding basil as a garnish. Enjoy.
To Make the Tomato Sauce:
(Makes about 2 cups)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1-1.5kg fresh tomatoes, peeled & seeded (NB: you need to buy 2x this)
2 tsps salt
1-2 tsps sugar (optional – if using any Australian tomatoes, inc. Roma – add this)
4 basil leaves 
  • Using a pan, heat the olive oil and sweat the garlic for 3-4 minutes over a medium heat.  
  • Add tomatoes, salt and sugar and increase the heat to medium-high.  Bring the mixture to a boil and cook off the liquid for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. 
  • Place the tomatoes in a colander to drain, reserving the tomato liquid.   
  • Blend the sauce using a barmix or a food processor, as little or as much as you want according to preferred texture. 
  • Return the sauce to the pot, add the basil leaves, and cook on medium-low heat for 30 minutes, until it reaches the desired consistency.  If the sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved tomato juice to it.  You can remove the garlic and basil before use, but I don’t bother.
NB: Unless you are using italian varieties of tomatoes that are naturally sweet such as San Marzano, add sugar to the tomato sauce.