As you may have seen on our social media, the winedirect.com.au Christmas bash was held at www.sprout.edu.au.
Food
- Read moreIt's time to get your roasting game seriously sharpened up! This roast chook recipe is quite simple and will really help lift the flavour ratings on Christmas Day. Ingredients: 1 chook for roasting Olive oil Butter, cold and cut into two finger size pieces 4 anchovies, chopped 1 lemon, quartered 2 garlic cloves, crushed Sage, thyme and parsley, chopped roughly 4 Tblspn Verjuice or white wine Salt and pepper [caption id="attachment_1982" align="alignnone" width="300"] Festive Roast Chook. Get your roasting game on..[/caption] Method: Sit your chook on the bench and make a small slit just under the skin at the base of each breast. Place a finger of butter inside the skin. This will help retain moisture inside
- Sweet, sour, spicy, fresh. There are countless cuisines around the globe that have this idea together. Often we think of Asian recipes (Tom Yum Soup, Vietnamese/Thai Salads to name a few), however my favourite iteration of this is more in the Cuban/South American department. This salsa idea pays homage to the Cuban 'Mojo' sauce, but combining a few elements from something Mexican like a Pico de Gallo. It's great for any sort of BBQ'd meat or seafood for some added zing upon serving. [caption id="attachment_1977" align="alignnone" width="255"] You'll be putting this salsa on your brekky in no time..[/caption] Ingredients: 1 clove of garlic, crushed and chopped Juice of one orange Juice of two limes Oregano (flakes or fresh - fresh isRead more
- Read moreWe get it. Sometimes 'family time' just gets too much at Christmas. This joyous, festive occasion turns itself into some sort of logistical nightmare trickier than Saint Nick's present delivery.. Here's a bunch of places that are open, should you feel the need for a refreshing ale, a bit of turkey or an alternative to the norm. Russell's Pizza The Lion Hotel German Arms Hotel Red Ochre The Throttle Shed The Edinburgh Hotel
- Ahh. Summer BBQs. We all love 'em, but if you're like me, you're looking for a variety of things to cook, not just chops and snags. Fish burgers, or just fish goes so well on the BBQ. Maybe it's the liberal freedom of a big squeeze of lemon while cooking or a splash of white wine - I'm not sure. This Dill & Caper Mayo recipe is designed to serve with fish on burgers, to form a salad dressing base in which fish can be added.. you can use it however you like. Ingredients: A jar of free-range egg mayonnaise A bunch of fresh dill *Don't be tempted to buy a plastic container from Coles. It will NOT have the flavour needed. Herb garden of fruit and veg shops only!) A tablespoon of small capers 2 lemons ready for juicing A splash of white wine vinegar or Verjuice A dash of olive oil A clove of garlic (optional) [caption id="attachment_1965" align="alignnone" width="300"]Read more
- Read moreAs the weather gets warmer, I find the appeal of fresh and crunchy vegetables with citrus flavours gets just that little bit higher. This dish is really easy, quite cheap to prepare if you shop at an asian grocer and you can adapt as you wish.
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Santiago, Chile. It's exciting, textural and mysteriously sexy. Distinctly European, with heavy Northern American influence, it's one of those big cities that can be compacted into a CBD with a number of different and interesting 'barrios' or neighbourhoods.
Barrio Italia spawns off 'Avenida Italia' (Italy Avenue), where one can find designer furniture shops, craft and garden stores and cheeky boutiques with architecture to match - for example. Around the corner from Santiago's ritzy 'The Singular' hotel and the Centre for Contemporary Art, you'll find artists and jewellers sporting their wares and a smattering of people looking for somewhere to satisfy their desires. Our destination was Bocanariz, Santiago's most awarded wine bar. [caption id="attachment_1913" align="aligncenter" width="499"] Barrio La Starria, Santiago.[/caption] - Read moreMoroccan flavours are some of my favourite. Generally, in common with Italian, Indian and many other cuisines, the food choices depend on what's local, in season and cheap. Moroccan food for me has the perfect blend of exciting spices and aromas, fresh herbs and accompaniments and the permission to make food organically sweet.
- Read morePumpkin and ricotta are the best of friends. The caramelised earthy texture married together with a creaminess that's not going to send you to the cardio doc.. Choose your own pasta type, although I suggest something with a bit of texture behind it.. ravioli, gnocchi, orechiett etc. Fresh is best, but Barilla is my go to for packet pastas. Ingredients: Olive oil 30 grams butter^ 2 cloves of crushed garlic 1 small chilli 1 red onion, finely sliced (1 rasher of bacon finely chopped) 1/4 jap pumpkin, peeled and chopped into 3 cm chunks. 100-120 grams fresh ricotta* 120ml cream White wine for cooking Handful of fresh basil & parsley Pasta of choice Salt & Pepper to taste ^This doesn't need to be accurate, just enough to coat your pan for caramelising. *Most supermarket delis these days stock fresh ricotta. It's fresher, cheaper and tastier. [caption id="attachment_1951" align="alignnone" width="300"]
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This is a very quick and hearty meal to prepare and perfect for the upcoming cooler months.
Serves 4Ingredients
6 chicken thigh fillets, boned and skin off, diced into large chunks3 sticks of celery, sliced thinly1 fennel bulb, chopped roughly into thin slices Clove of garlic, chopped finely (optional)1/2 brown onion, sliced thinly (optional)8 medium sized full flavoured tomatoes, chopped roughly (removing the skin is optional)1/3 cup of concentrated tomato sauce (normal tomato pasta sauce consistency is perfect)1 cup of chicken stock1/3 cup of white wine5 stems of fresh thymeHandful of fresh tarragon leaves, chopped roughly (optional)Salt and pepper to taste2 tablespoons of crème fraiche (optional) or a tablespoon of butter (optional)Method
Sautee celery and fennel (with - Read more
With International Friendship Day coming up this Saturday we figured the best way to celebrate friendship would be around a table with shared food and wine.
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A good Sauv Blanc like the Tomich Wing & A Prayer is a great accompaniment for appetisers and particularly seafood - the subtle passionfruit and zesty citrus make it a great pairing for the fresh and delicious combination of textures and flavours in a smørrebrød spread.