EoMEoTE #6: Warm and sunny

In the fried egg world you're either a runny-yolk person, or you're a... Neanderthal.

Why anyone would deny themselves the bliss of piercing the golden sun of a barely cooked egg yolk is beyond me. Rich, thick and eggy it oozes languidly into your toast providing nourishment and comfort.

So for this month's End of Month Eggs on Toast Extravanga #6 it was back to basics. Fried egg on toast. Extra runny. Guaranteed. Here's how...



In the Old Days, I used to hop from one foot to the other mentally willing the egg white to cook faster than the egg yolk. It was a nail-biting dilemma--should I risk a blasphemous firm set egg yolk or cut my losses and enjoy yolky goodness with the risk of gelatinous gloopy uncooked egg white?

Until one day.
When Everything Changed.

It was an ordinary morning when I watched an egg-spert tap an egg on the benchtop, crack its shell open, and then pour the egg innards over his cupped hand above the sizzling frypan.

Egg white drizzled into the frypan, egg yolk lay nestled in palm of hand.

Genius.

Wait 10 seconds of the egg white to cook then gently slide the precious egg yolk onto the silky white mattress. Cook for as long as you desire and then slide that quivering baby onto your waiting toast.

Look. Smile. And then poke.
*sigh*



This is also how I cook my eggs for that empty-fridge favourite--runny fried eggs on fluffy white rice with a splash of light soy. *shudder*

Runny egg yolk soaking into rice granules.
Protein and carbs.
Sweet and salty.

Goodness never came so easily or cheap.

For a full summary of all the EoMEoTE #6 entries, check out Jeanne's wrap-up at Cook Sister!

Related GrabYourFork entries:
EoMEoTE#5: Eggy-mite
EoMEoTE#4: Chorizo and rocket

Bar Fly: Pier 26, Darling Harbour

So I've posted on the Pier 26 bar before, but for Sarah's first dining-out online flogger event: Bar Fly: eat at the bar (great idea!), I couldn't resist heading back here again.

In the dying throes of a gorgeous Sydney summer (technically it's the end of autumn but don't tell the sun that), Pier 26 is one of our favourite places to sit back with a glass of wine and watch the world go by.

Straddling Cockle Bay and King Street Wharf, Pier 26 is popular with both the tourists and officeworkers who inundate the area. A set of stairs takes you up to the open-plan bar, giving you an elevated view of Darling Harbour and the envy-inducing water traffic.

We especially love the open deck verandah here, where giant white canopies offer welcome shade from the glaring sun. Wooden tables and bar stools offer a casual viewpoint of the sun glinting on water; and comfy lounges line the wall.

But best of all, Pier 26 can always be relied on for good food. With a fairly extensive menu extending from pizzas to bruschetta to dressed-up pub grub, there's something here to please every preference.





Smoked salmon baguette with mixed leaves, tomato and
salsa verde cream cheese $13.50


Beer-battered hake with chips, salad and tartare sauce $14.50


Pan-fried jewfish with tomato couscous, beans and mango jam $17.00

I had the jewfish with a glass of 2004 Margaret River Sentinel Verdelho ($6.50). Classily presented without being over-the-top, the jewfish was moist and tender. The beer-battered fish was also declared a winner with a light crispy batter, and the smoked salmon baguette was generously portioned.

Cockle Bay and King Street Wharf are both littered with al fresco-style cafes, but Pier 26 offers a great sense of airy seclusion amidst the hustle and bustle. The music is always funky but low enough to hold a conversation, and the general atmosphere is casual but cool. And they have pretty funky bathrooms too...



The buzz: Open deck, water views and good food at reasonable prices

Food: Daily specials from $12, pizzas from $14, snacks from $6

Beers: on tap $4.50-$6; bottled $6-7
Wines: decent range $6-$8/glass; sparking $7/glass
Cocktails: $14

Cigars also available (Monte Cristo minis $3, Romeo y juliettes $15,
Monte Cristo No. 4 $20)


Pier 26 Bar
Aquarium Wharf, Darling Harbour
Tel: 02 8270 5126

Open 12pm till late, 7 days

For a summary of all the Bar Fly posts, check out Sarah's wrap-up
at The Delicious Life.

Related GrabYourFork posts:
Pier 26, July 2006
Pier 26, March 2006
Pier 26, June 2005
Pier 26, August 2004

IMBB#14: Orange You Hungry

Foodgooat's theme for the 14th version of Is My Blog Burning was Orange You Hungry (say it in an American twang-- "Aaaaaah", sigh the Antipodeans).

Orange as in orange-coloured foods or spices, or products even.

What to cook? I thought of Aussie favourites like pumpkin soup and pumpkin scones. Then I thought about orange poppyseed cake and sweet potato chips.

But then I thought, why make things difficult when you can do amazing things with basics? Like the good ol' carrot. I love carrots!

And suddenly the kitchen became an Iron Chef-like stadium when I found myself with not one, but three orange entries! No I didn't write out my menu in calligraphy, and there were no capsicum-chomping comperes to be found; but I did have a small judging panel who giggled, philosophised and critiqued appropriately.

I ended up with an international spectrum of three dishes: tarka dhal; Moroccan carrot dip and German carrots cooked in beer... yes, you heard me right. Beer. Scroll down (or click on the pics) for all the details...


For a full summary of all the orange-themed recipes, check out ladygoat's wrap-up at Foodgoat.

IMBB#14: Tarka dhal

I've been craving dhal for some time now. There's something deliciously comforting about a spoonful of steaming hot, spicy dhal with rice.

I've never made it before though, and IMBB#14: Orange You Hungry seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so.

A couple of clicks later on the Internet and I found what looked like an authentic recipe from someone who had visited a friend's mother in New Dehli. Wow I love the Internet.

I added coarsely mashed carrot to this recipe for extra sweetness, texture and yes, orangeness too.


Amit's Mum's Tarka Dhal (Lentils)
For 2-3 people

Ingredients:
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 large carrot, steamed and roughly mashed [my addition]
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder)
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup red lentils (lal dhal) [I used chana dhal, or yellow lentils]
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sunflower oil, or for special occasions 50g butter
Water (to cover lentils at step 4)

Method:
1. In a saucepan, fry the onion and tomato in oil (or butter) for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add salt, cumin seeds, coriander and garam masala and fry for 1 minute.
3. Add the lentils and fry for a further 1 minute.
4. Cover the lentils with water and bring to the boil.
5. Slowly boil lentils for 15 minutes (add a little water if they go dry).
6. The lentils should turn yellow and mushy.
7. Boil off the excess water and serve.



Maybe I was doing something wrong but I ended up cooking my lentils for about 2 hours and though it was cooked, it still wasn't quite mushy enough for my liking. However I was cooking a whole bag of lentils (probably about 3 cups) which may have had something to do with it.

Still, it tasted good, and the carrots did add a nice touch of natural sweetness.

For a full summary of all the orange-themed recipes, check out ladygoat's wrap-up at Foodgoat.

Related GrabYourFork posts:
IMBB#14: Moroccan carrot dip
IMBB#14: Germans carrots cooked in beer

IMBB#14: Moroccan carrot dip

With left-over carrot mash from my tarka dhal on-hand, I decided to turn this into a Moroccan carrot dip for my second submission for IMBB#14: Orange You Hungry.



Moroccan Carrot Dip
1 cup cooked carrot
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinammon
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Puree or mash the cooked carrot and combine with remaining ingredients.

The end.



This would probably bind better with a splash of olive oil and perhaps some lemon juice or red wine vingar, but if you like it chunky and/or healthy, these can be omitted.

You could experiment with any number of spices according to your preference/adventurousness. I could quite easily see a couple of variations incorporating olives, walnuts or extra ginger.

This was dead easy to whip up, using ingredients that are readily available in any kitchen. I'll have to remember this one for the next impromptu picnic or dinner party.

For a full summary of all the orange-themed recipes, check out ladygoat's wrap-up at Foodgoat.

Related GrabYourFork posts:
IMBB#14: Tarka dhal
IMBB#14: Germans carrots cooked in beer

IMBB#14: German carrots cooked in beer

When I stumbled upon this recipe, there was noooooo way I could resist this one. Carrots and ale? Oh boy, do I know a few people who would love this one! You know who you are...


German Carrots In Beer
(4 servings)

4 large carrots
1/4 ts salt
1 tbp butter
1 tsp sugar
1 pint dark beer

Method:
Peel and slice carrots into long, thin slices.
Melt butter in medium-size frying pan
Add beer and carrots.
Cook slowly until tender, stirring frequently.
Stir in salt and sugar.
Cook for another 2 minutes and serve hot.


I used a stubbie of Tooheys Old Black Ale, a dark malty ale reminiscent of Guinness but a little sweeter in my opinion [the pic is of the empty bottle]. After a couple of swigs by the chef though, I regretted not buying a long neck!

I thought the carrots would end up stickier than they did, though they did taste delightfully of beery goodness. The carrots took on a brown tinge, and the sauce at the bottom of the pan was worth mopping up with bread.

The carrots do taste quite rich and would probably go well with a shovel of mash and a side of seared cow.

Trust the Germans to come up with alcoholic vegetables.

For a full summary of all the orange-themed recipes, check out ladygoat's wrap-up at Foodgoat.

Related GrabYourFork posts:
IMBB#14: Tarka dhal
IMBB#14: Moroccan carrot dip

SHF#7: Dense gingerbread

My first-ever Sugar High Friday entry! Woohoo!

When I found out Derrick's chosen key ingredient was molasses, my first thoughts--like Niki--were of literary memories of childhood. I can remember poring over English and American stories, trying to imagine the treacle tarts, pulled taffy and treacle toffee so lovingly described. I had no idea what these things were, but boy, they sounded good!

I've never even cooked with molasses before. In Australia, golden syrup (or light treacle) is more the norm--to make Anzac cookies mainly, or to drizzle on toast. In fact I couldn't find molasses at all and so ended up using treacle (as allowable by Sub-section 4, by-law 21 in the SHF Guidelines). Watching the thick viscous dark syrup of treacle drizzle languidly into my saucepan was a new experience--fascinating and totally mesmerising...

So what to make with my treacle? With so many recipes to choose from (bless the Internet), I finally settled on making gingerbread. I'd only recently been discussing with someone how much I miss my Soreen malt loaf from Sainsburys--I love moist dense cakes which seem to be enhanced in flavour with a mouthful of tea.

I was allured by the title of this recipe, Dense Gingerbread. Ooh! Sounded goooooood.



Dense Gingerbread
From CD Kitchen

3/4 cup butter, lard or cooking fat (I used butter)
2/3 cup moist brown sugar
2/3 cup black treacle
1/3 cup golden syrup
3 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon allspice, or to taste
2 teaspoons ground ginger, or to taste (I used double this amount for extra kick)
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons milk
2/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 300F.
Line a 8 inch square or 9 inch round cake tin with greaseproof paper or baking parchment.
Put the fat, sugar, treacle and syrup into a large saucepan, stir over a moderate heat until melted.
Sift the flower with the bicarbonate of soda, allspice and ginger.
Pour the melted ingredients over the flour then stir in the beaten eggs and milk and mix together.

Heat the water in the saucepan in which the fat was melted, stir to absorb any of the mixture left in the pan, then add to the other ingredients.
Beat briskly to a smooth, soft consistency.
Spoon into the cake tin [I added glace ginger on top for extra flavour and yes, visual presentation] and bake for 1 1/4 hours or until firm to the touch. A fine wooden skewer inserted into the cake should come away quite clean.
Cool in the tin; remove the paper or parchment.
Store for several days before cutting.




This was dead-easy to whip up. The hardest thing was probably packing them into airtight containers to store and resisting the urge to taste-test!

Three days later though, the gingerbread was definitely glossier on top and seemed to have gotten darker in colour. I actually made two loaves--one in a shallow tin about 5cm / 2 inches high [pictured]; the other more of a bread loaf size at 13cm / 5 inches high.

The higher loaf was definitely moister but both have been absolute winners at home and in the office!

The gingerbread has a wonderful rich toffee colour and is so heavy, dense and moist it's almost pliable! The heady aroma of spicy ginger hits you when you lift the container lid. Slicing it is a breeze--it gives way just enough to prevent too many crumbs tumbling.

Even though I doubled the amount of ginger, it still could have done with more (you ginger whore you!). But I've found eating it simulateneously with a good strong cup of tea does bring out more of the ginger flavour. The sticky crust on top is definitely the highlight and saved until the last few mouthfuls.

I'm eating this for morning tea, afternoon tea and after dinner. It makes my tummy feel all warm and happy. Ginger's good for you, you know =)

- For the full listing of all the black and sticky entries, check out Derrick's wrap-up at An Obsession with Food.

The World's 50 Best Restaurants

Britain's Restaurant magazine recently published its annual list of 50 best restaurants in the world. Not surprisingly London, Paris and New York feature prominently:

1. The Fat Duck, England
2. El Bulli, Spain
3. The French Laundry, California
4. Tetsuya's, Sydney
5. Gordon Ramsay, London
6. Pierre Gagnaire, Paris
7. Per Se, New York
8. Tom Aikens, London
9. Jean Georges, New York
10. St John, London

11. Michel Bras Laguiole, France
12. Le Louis XV, Monte Carlo
13. Chez Panisse, California
14. Charlie Trotter, Chicago
15. Gramercy Tavern, New York
16. Guy Savoy, Paris
17. Restaurant Alain Ducasse, Paris
18. The Gallery at Sketch, London
19. The Waterside Inn Bray, Berkshire
20. Nobu, London

21. Restaurante Arzak San Sebastian, Spain
22. El Raco de Can Fabes San Celoni, Spain
23. Checcino dal 1887, Rome
24. Le Meurice, Paris
25. L'Hotel de Ville Crissier, Switzerland
26. L'Arpege, Paris
27. Angela Hartnett at the Connaught, London
28. Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, Oxford
29. Le Cinq, Paris

30. Hakkasan, London
31. Cal Pep, Barcelona
32. Masa, New York
33. Flower Drum, Melbourne
34. WD50, New York
35. Le Quartier Francais Franschhoek, South Africa
36. Spice Market, New York
37. Auberge de l'Ill Illhaeusern, Alsace
38. Manresa, California
39. Restaurant Dieter Muller Begisch Gladbach, Germany

40. La Maison Troisgros Roanne, France
41. The Wolseley, London
42. Rockpool, Sydney
43. Yauatcha, London
44. The Ivy, London
45. Gambero Rosso San Vincenzo, Italy
46. The Cliff St James, Barbados
47. Le Gavroche, London
48. Enoteca Pinchiorri, Florence
49. Felix, Hong Kong
50. La Tupina, Bordeaux

And just like the Olympics =P, Australia doesn't do too badly for itself despite our modest population of 20 million. Three restaurants made the list, with Tetsuya's making the top four!

It's all about fine dining (and pricy degustations it would appear) but there are definitely some intriguing establishments. The Fat Duck's degustation menu features snail porridge; sardine on toast sorbet; salmon poached with liquorice; and, wait for it... smoked bacon and egg ice cream!

I've only made it to one restaurant on this list and I probably could have visited more throughout my travels (I used to loiter longingly outside Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's staring wistfully at the menu). But I was young. I was poor. I was a fool.

I could quite easily get to the other two Aussie flag-flyers. Then I just have to work on the plane ticket.

How many have you been to?

Snapped: The Bridge by Night

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Killing Heidi, Tumbalong Park

After checking out the Northside Produce Market, we headed back over the Bridge to check out the Killing Heidi gig at Darling Harbour's Tumbalong Park. Not only did we get a free concert, but we also (apparently) got into the Book of Alternative Records for the world's biggest air guitar gathering.


Current New South Wales Air Guitar Champion, Darrin "Jimmy Dangles" Smith



A tough act to follow, but Killing Heidi took to the stage with youthful exuberance. They've grown older, their dreadlocks are gone and their sound has matured a little since they first shot to fame as 15-year-olds. Sure they're still kinda teeny-bopper pop-rock but I've still got a soft spot for them...


Jesse Hooper (guitar)


Warren Jenkin (bass)


Ella Hooper (voice)


Adam Pedretti (drums)

And aw... ain't they sweet--they even stuck around for 20 minutes for autographs (yes I got them all).

Northside Produce Market

I think I'm becoming addicted to markets like muso's get addicted to gigs. There's something intoxifyingly adrenalin-pumping about talking to the people behind the product, getting all the insider info, and sharing the experience with like-minded foodies.

We got up with the birds and made it all the way over the Bridge. (Note to non-Sydneysiders: The Harbour Bridge divides Sydney much like the Thames divides London--generally everyone sticks to their side and rarely makes the leap across if they can help it!)

But the promise of gourmet goodness at the Northside Produce Market made the trek a worthy detour. And with another three weeks to go until the next Pyrmont Growers Market (confound those five-week months), Northside is perfectly timed to tide you over in the interim.

The first thing you notice about Northside is the excess of greenery. There are trees, plenty of outdoor garden furniture, and the stalls are set up in a more relaxing meandering pathway.

All the usual Pyrmont suspects are here. I'd hazard an estimate at 75% of the regular stalls from Pyrmont being here. And it seemed a lot less crowded too, with a little more elbow room and access to samples =P



La Tartine with yes, the beloved fruit loaf taking centre stage


La Tartine fruit loaf $5.50
and black rye $4.50




Consummate (pastries, cake and all things good)


Eggs and bacon a-sizzling at Consummate


Frantically feeding the masses - inside the Consummate stall


Strumming busker


Formaggi Ocello


Breakfast!
Spinach and melted fetta on toasted sourdough $2.50 from Shepherd's Bakehouse
It was good!


Mandagery Creek venison
Samples of their venison sausages (4 for $10.00) and venison jerky were both rather good. And apparently the sausages are only 5 per cent fat too. Deer me!


Eumundi Smokehouse
His smoked meats are flavoursome, meaty and very very good.


Banana loaf $7.50 from Shepherd's Bakehouse
Wheat and gluten-free, this is made with soy flour and um, other non-wheat flours (confound my ailing memory).


Inside the banana loaf (apologies for the hacked slicing, but we had it for an impromptu picnic-style morning tea using AG's trusty pocket knife--no, I've never been a Scout, but I am generally as prepared as one).

Not quite as moist as wheat-versions, but still quite nice. It was also missing the spidery banana look you get from mashed banana loaf, instead boasting chunks of semi-dried banana. I think I'm going to try it toasted with butter.



Northside Produce Market
Miller Street, North Sydney(between Ridge and McLaren Streets)

3rd Saturday of every month
8.00am - 12.00pm

Free parking available in Ridge Street car park.

Related GrabYourFork posts:
Northside Produce Market: September 2006 ¦ March 2006 ¦ July 2005 ¦ April 2005

bills2, Surry Hills

Some might call it greed. I call it thoroughness.

And so in a selfless gesture to ensure Quality Assurance for you, dear reader, we found ourselves at bills2--just to double-check that Bill Granger's scrambled eggs are as equally good here as they were at bills in Darlinghurst.



It's 8.00am Thursday morning and the place is already 30% full with businessmen, couriers and a handful of Japanese tourists. The furniture is pretty much the same as Darlinghurst, although here there seems to be a more industrial-like coolness to the place with steel light fittings overhead, and of course, a more modern building.


The kitchen is tiny and is cleverly hidden behind a mirrored shelf-fitting holding wines, bottled water and Bill's cookbooks (bills food, sydney food and bills open kitchen). The shelf pictured is as long as the kitchen, which doesn't give the chefs much room at all.


Sunrise drink of fresh fruit, yoghurt and organic orange juice $5.00 (large available for $7.00)


Free-range scrambled eggs with wholewheat toast $11.50


Free range scrambled eggs with wholewheat toast $11.50
with fresh tomato $3.50
and bacon $3.80


Wholewheat toast with jam $4.50


Apple and ricotta fruit muffin $5.00


Homemade toasted coconut bread $5.50

*sigh* It was all so good.
I mean, inspection test passed and fit for consumption. Excessive consumption.

My eggs were a little more cooked than they were at Darlinghurst, but still soft, buttery and oh-so-creamy (so it should, with a third of a cup of cream in each serving, rants the nutritionist in one ear). And with the slab of butter served in-between your thick bits of toast, well, it's just too much effort to stop it from melting deliciously into every morsel of carb-filled goodness. There was a comment that the grilled tomatoes weren't very hot but otherwise it was good, as the ensuing silence testified.

I finally got to try the sunrise drink (which tasted much like strawberry drinking yoghurt--I'm not sure what I was expecting but I was disappointingly non-plussed); the fruit muffin (packed full of apples and baked with a ripple of ricotta) and the homemade coconut bread (dense, rich and very filling).

I struggled to finish my eggs and toast (yes, I know, probably something to do with the bucket of cream involved) but we all agreed that we would definitely prefer to breakfast here than pay $22+ for a buffet breakfast at a 4-star hotel.

Enjoyably decadent.


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bills Surry Hills
359 Crown Street, Surry Hills Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9360 4762

Breakfast menu / Lunch menu / Dinner menu

Open: 7am - 10pm 7 days

This has been included on Grab Your Fork's Top 10 Sydney Eats for Tourists. Read the entire list here.

Related GrabYourFork posts:
bills Surry Hills (dinner)
bills Darlinghurst
bills Woollahra (Jun 2007)
bills Woollahra (Jan 2007)