Help Us Help Others

Could you help us feed the world's hungry?

UPDATE: Check out the centralised list of prizes gathered by the Asia Pacific region here.


Menu for Hope is an annual fundraising campaign originally devised by Chez Pim, perhaps the most well-known food blogger in the world. Last year the campaign raised US$17,000 for UNICEF in just twelve days. In 2006 we will be raising funds to support the United Nations World Food Programme.

How does it work?

On December 11, 2006, food bloggers around the world will publish posts encouraging their readers to purchase online raffle tickets for individual prizes. These are prizes that have been donated or sourced by food bloggers and will be food- or wine-related. Each raffle ticket will cost $US10.

Who will be collecting the money?

All donations will be collected by a third party, the online fundraising company First Giving.

How can I help?

Before December 11, 2006: Help us increase the prize pool by either donating a prize personally, or finding others who can.

From December 11-22, 2006: Buy raffle tickets and help us publicise the campaign (on your blog or by word-of-mouth) to help us raise awareness, interest and most importantly, more funds.

I'm a food blogger. What type of prize could I donate?

You may wish to donate a cookbook, a restaurant guide or local, homemade or gourmet goodies. Perhaps you could donate your expertise or experience. A lesson in food-styling or food photography. A gastronomic tour of your favourite dining or shopping area. A cooking class on making bread, pasta, pastries or dessert. A lesson on understanding html, using Photoshop or redesigning a template for a food blog. Get creative! Think laterally. Just keep it food-and-wine related and remember that you will be responsible for posting out prizes to the winner.

I'm a cash-strapped food blogger and I can't think of any experience I could donate. How else can I donate a prize?

Get in contact with local food- or wine-related businesses, including restaurants, hotels, bookshops, bakeries, cake shops and vineyards. Would they be interested in donating a voucher for specific food- or wine-related products or services?

I'm involved with a food- or wine-related business. Can I donate a prize?

Absolutely. Vouchers work best especially as all prizes will be posted out by yourself to the winner.

I have my prize donation. Now what?

Contact the coordinator for your geographic region and email the details of your pledged prize (and a photo if possible) as soon as you can. On December 11, 2006 each host will publish a central list of all the prizes collected for their region. If you have a food blog, you should also publish a post outlining the details of your prize, encouraging your readers to purchase raffle tickets.

Who are the regional coordinators?

Contact the host blogs below with details of your prize pledge. They will also be happy to answer any queries.

Asia Pacific: Helen from Grab Your Fork
Canada: Jasmine from Cardamom Addict
Europe: David Lebovitz from Davidlebovitz.com
Latin America: Melissa de Leon from The Cooking Diva
US East Coast: Adam from The Amateur Gourmet
US West Coast: Sam from Becks and Posh
US (the rest): Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen

When will I find out what prizes have been donated?

Check the host blog for your region on December 11, 2006. Bookmark this page and I will include updated links to all the prize listings as they become available from December 11.
UPDATE: Check out the centralised list of prizes gathered by the Asia Pacific region here.

When can I start buying raffle tickets?

Monday December 11, 2006.
UPDATE: Now.

Other posts on Menu For Hope III:
Campaign organiser - Chez Pim: A Glimmer of Hope
Regional host Canada - Cardamom Addict: Raffle Prizes Needed: Menu for Hope III
Regional Host Europe - David Lebowitz: Menu for Hope III
Regional Host US West Coast) - Becks & Posh: Menu for Hope III Announcement
Public Relations Asia Pacific - Chubby Hubby: Calling All Food Bloggers!

A Dinner Party with J

Veal cutlet with capers

J was my fellow foodie at work until he recently moved onto greener pastures. *sigh* The end of an era. No more clustering around the desk as he revealed last night's baking efforts: a huge batch of cookies, a lemon meringue pie, or a dozen melting moments whipped up "because I felt peckish at 11pm".

No more impromptu excursions at lunchtime, in search of good tasty cheap feeds (my favourite kind). No more detailed gossip sessions about the fantastic restaurant he discovered last Saturday. No more trips to the Korean grocery shop where he spent longer than me examining everything excitedly!

For months I had been meaning to officially credit him as a GrabYourFork senior researcher. There was even talk of J's Cooking Corner :)

But now his office is on the other side of town, and although there are occasional emails, it's always better to catch up in person. Last Saturday he hosted a casual dinner party with friends, a chance for us to find out about his new job, whilst he impressed us all with his delicious yet no-fuss cooking.

We unwound with glasses of crisp Moet & Chandon on the balcony as we watched the sunset over Sydney, before heading inside for a three-course dinner.


Prawn and mango bruschetta

Thick slices of bread were spread with freshly minced garlic and toasted under the grill, then topped with a mango salsa made with lemon juice, green onions and finely chopped parsley. A peeled king prawn was laid on top, with scatterings of fried red onions (from Asian grocery shops) adding a pleasing crunch.


Noritake dinnerware

Dinner was served on Noritake dinnerware, a set inherited from J's grandma. I thought the pattern was gorgeous.


Veal cutlets in the frypan


Veal cutlet with capers on a bed of rocket with rosemary baked potatoes

Our mains were a classy twist on the classic meat and potato combination. A rich and tender cutlet of veal (cooked according to individual preference) was balanced with a scattering of salty capers and a bed of peppery rocket. Potatoes were baked to a crisp with the delicate scent of rosemary shards.


Cooking dessert on the stove

Dessert was apparently a long-time favourite of J's, a recipe he'd read years ago and constantly re-enacted for its apparent ease and crowd-pleasing abilities. Cubes of apples were panfried in plenty of butter until golden, a handful of chopped figs added, then brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla essence and a splash of port combined to create an aromatic and sticky mixture.


Caramelised apples and figs with vanilla ice cream

A wickedly delicious combination when accompanied with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

J - I'm keeping you on as a senior research consultant. Duties may include occasional dinner party host :)

Nagoya Japanese BBQ Restaurant, Haymarket Chinatown, Sydney

It seemed appropriate that for a pre-concert dinner for Kylie's Homecoming tour we indulge in a buffet of sizzling meat.

Of course it helped too that Nagoya BBQ is only around the corner from the Entertainment Centre, perfect strolling distance to Kylie's opening concert in Australia after an 18-month hiatus.
We elected for Barbecue Buffet A, the cheapest all-you-can-eat option at $28.80. Consumption time was limited to one hour and we ordered off a set menu page which seeemd more than generous.

Barbecue Buffet A: marinated Korean vegetables, edamame, spinach & almond salad, special beef tongue, lamb, beef loin, beef harami, beef rib, beef rib finger, special beef tripe, pork rib, chicken, chicken gristle, squid, vegetables, lettuce, rice, seaweed soup, ice cream and oranges.

A random pointing of fingers at various photos, and within minutes our barbecue was lit, Asahi beers were distributed, and our table was soon cluttered with salads, rice, soup and our meats for grilling.


Slices of lamb and pork rib


Spinach and almond salad


Edamame (boiled soy beans)


Chicken, lamb, beef loin, beef rib and vegetables


Water spinach

We were done in about 45 minutes, eating almost everything on our table after the threat on the menu that said "reckless buffet customers may be charged $6.00 for every 100g food wasted".

Many of the meats are quite fatty but this also means that it's all very tender and juicy too. I left craving a little more vegetable sustenance, and could only smile when a gaggle of dressed-up females came in asking whether they had many options for a vegetarian in their party.

Upgrading your buffet option results in better cuts of meat and access to prawns, mussels and scallops. They also offer shabu-shabu hotpot with platters of beautifully marbled beef.



And Kylie? She was great. A thunderously supportive crowd greeted a clearly emotional Kylie with a heartfelt standing ovation. An incredible and memorable concert.



Nagoya Yakiniku Japanese BBQ Restaurant
Shop 3, 76-86 Harbour Street, Haymarket Chinatown, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9212 0007

Lunch:
Monday to Friday 12.00pm-2.30pm
Saturday to Sunday 12.00pm-3.00pm

Dinner:
7 days 5.00pm till late

Harry's Cafe De Wheels, Haymarket

Harry's Hot Dog de Wheels elevates the humble hot dog to new heights of existence. Sure there's a frankfurt, and yes there's a soft hot dog bun, but there's also a slathering of mushy peas, a layer of chilli con carne, a couple of cooked onion rings and then a zigzagging crown of creamy cheese sauce and lip-tingling chilli.


Harry's Hot Dog de Wheels $4.95

It's certainly the most filling hot dog I've ever eaten, and the chilli con carne contains chunks of real beef, not mince, which is quite impressive. There's plenty of chilli sauce and the frankfurt itself is sweet and smoky.

And call me a victim of American movies, but all I can think of as I'm eating it, is a subconscious desire to watch a baseball game.

I don't even like baseball.



Harry's Cafe de Wheels – Haymarket
Hay Street, Haymarket, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9281 6292

Also available at:
Harry's Cafe de Wheels – Woolloomooloo
Cowper Wharf Road, Woolloomooloo, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9357 3074

Hannah's Pies
562 Harris Street, Ultimo, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9211 2506

Related GrabYourFork posts:
Harry's Cafe de Wheels, Woolloomooloo
Hannah's Pies, Ultimo

Golden Century Seafood Restaurant, Haymarket Chinatown

If there's one dish that I've ever coveted, it would be the lobster sashimi at Golden Century.

Yep, you guessed it. My dreams came true.



Eight o'clock on a Friday night, and the reception area at Golden Century is more like the moshpit at yumcha. The lady with the walkie talkier is looking meek and harangued, the faces of the hungry and waiting are looking more and more stormy every minute.

After a twenty minute wait, we are finally given the authoritative nod to proceed upstairs.



We all receive menus but Veruca Salt has already done the legwork. She's been deliberating over our menu choices for weeks now, and despite tweaking via email in the preceding weeks, we still have the painful task of eliminating further dishes. We are a table of ten-- down from twelve--and no, we cannot possibly consume 14 dishes, I argue.

We have to call the attention of a waiter to take our order and within minutes he returns with two plastic bags containing our live pippies and one live lobster.


Our live lobster 1.8kg

There are stickers on the waiter's shirtsleeve confirming the correct weight and once we nod, he rushes off into the kitchen. Meanwhile we wander downstairs for a look at the amazing fishtanks.


Barramundi

There's a bountiful array of live seafood, and every few minutes a waiter comes hurrying up to a tank, scooping out the next victim with the pole of his net.


Live mud crabs


Live abalone

We return to our table and wait another five minutes before our first dish arrives: pippies in XO sauce are sweet and spicy, the fried bread sticks a perfect vehicle for mopping up the thick, slightly gelatinous seafood-infused sauce.


Pippies in XO sauces $62.20 ($40/kg)
with fried bread sticks ($3.00 per serve)

Our lobster arrives on a huge plate which is clouded in a dramatic white haze of dry ice. There's a collective ooooooooooohhhhhhhh around the table, and then of course everyone has to wait whilst I take endless photos.


Lobster sashimi $250.90 ($140/kg market price)
(includes second cooked lobster dish)

On one side of the lobster are slices of salmon sashimi; on the other side are a handful of Sydney Rock oysters. But it's the lobster sashimi that my eager chopsticks are seeking.


Lobster sashimi

The lobster sashimi is nothing like I expected. The flesh has been lightly scored and tenderised, the mass of white flesh sits in ribbons on a pile of ice cubes. The taste itself is quite mild, it has the subtle flavour of lobster with only a hint of sweetness. I'm more enamoured with the texture though, which is slippery and shiny on the tongue, and a little like jellyfish to the teeth (and I love jellyfish). It's not rubbery, but there's a definite chewy firmness to the flesh which I find very addictive.


Lobster mustard

Then we notice the little dish of lobster guts, more euphemistically known as lobster mustard. There is general trepidation around the table but I'm game and dip my chopsticks in.



It's quite a confronting tidal wave of flavour. It tastes of guts, but sweetly so, with a vague bitter aftertaste that lingers. On my second and third tastings (yes, the takers were few), I start to enjoy it, and I figure that just as oysters usually taste pretty nasty the first time, so too will lobster mustard. I say that it reminds me a little of raw sea urchin roe (which I adore) but Veruca Salt just thinks I'm mad.


Complimentary house soup

It hasn't escaped my attention that we haven't received the complimentary house soup, and given the amount of money we are spending tonight, I feel we are perfectly entitled to request its dispensation. A charming smile and a polite request, and it arrives on our table within minutes.


Fried rice $12.00

An onslaught of dishes has me snapping like crazy whilst Veruca does the official "photography clearance" signal as I complete each one. Never dine with a foodblogger on an empty stomach, is the suggestion I give :)


Crisp skin chicken (whole) $32.00

The crisp skin chicken is exactly how it should be: glossy thin skin fried to a crisp, with juicy sweet flesh within. The accompanying prawn crackers are also fresh, and stay crisp for quite some time.



I'm a little disappointed with the salt and pepper squid and salt and pepper tofu, both of which are distinctly lacking in both salt and pepper. I enjoy the Peking style pork ribs which are predictably sweet but rather meaty.


Salt and pepper squid $18.00


Pork ribs Peking-style $18.80


Salt and pepper fried bean curd $14.80

The second half of our lobster arrives, the shell and claws having been cooked in a ginger and shallot sauce and served with noodles (or you can elect to have the lobster deep-fried with chilli).


Lobster in ginger and shallots with e-fu noodles
(noodles $8.00)

There's a fair bit of lobster meat from the claws, although I can't help hankering for the sweetness of mud crab, which imparts a more intense flavour when cooked with e-fu noodles.


Cod fillet sauteed with vegetables $22.00

Cod fillet is a plain and unassuming dish, thick fillets of fish that have been sauteed with Chinese vegetables. Mongolian hotpot is a little sweet but then it isnn't usually one of my favourites, and as Veruca notes, at least it doesn't arrive smothered in onion.


Mongolian lamb hotpot $17.80

We're impressed with the complimentary house desserts: sheets of wonton that have been twisted and deep-fried and dusted with icing sugar in a Chinese version of crostoli. The cookies are also very tasty, crisp and crunchy with a caramelly glazed top and a taste of honey or golden syrup.


Complimentary house desserts

By the time we reach the watermelon, we are well and truly spent.


Complimentary fruit platter

A banquet for all the senses, and another gastronomic goal I can cross off the list.

Thanks Veruca for the fantastic birthday dinner (amongst other celebrations).

Apparently our next goal is the King Crab at $140/kg (bearing in mind that most weight at least four kilos). We might have to save up a little while longer for that one.





View Larger Map

Golden Century Seafood Restaurant
393-399 Sussex Street, Haymarket, Chinatown, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9212 3901

Opening hours:
Open 7 days, 12pm-4am

Related Grab Your Fork posts:
Golden Century (Jan 10), (Oct 07), (Nov 06), (Oct 05) and (Jul 04)

Breakfast by the sea

Birthday brunch:
ricotta and blueberry hot cakes with walnut butter and maple syrup

I had a wonderful birthday.

On Saturday, as I entered a new age bracket forevermore, I was looking forward to breakfast with friends and then a relaxed wander through the Sculptures by the Sea. There was a short errand that Veruca had to attend to first, and as we popped into a Coogee cafe I spied my sister [a serendiptous coincedence, I thought], then a friend [why have they met without me?] and then the penny dropped. I'd been duped!

A surprise brunch party with 22 of my dearest friends and family. And I had had no idea about any of it. It was a most touching surprise (apparently my changing facial expressions were hilariously entertaining to watch), culminating in one of those twee Hallmark moments when you realise how lucky you really are.


Birthday flowers from Veruca and A

There was cake, there were presents, brunch of course, and lots of catching up to do; some with friends I hadn't seen for years. And throughout the day of course, I was constantly replaying conversations in my head, remembering isolated incidents and piecing together the whole jigsaw of how I'd been so oblivious to everything. There were so many clues and I missed them all! :)


Moules marinieres

Dinner that night was with a small group of friends and family, a homecooked seafood feast of mussels marinieres (cooked in white wine and garlic) and spaghetti with pippies and prawns.


Spaghetti with pippies and prawns

For dessert we broke out the giant box of pishmaniye that I'd purchased in Auburn some weeks before. Soft, fluffy and light, and highly addictive too!


Turkish pishmaniye, similar to pashmak or Persian fairy floss

Presents galore but the most exciting were the cookbooks that were given in addition to a gift as an afterthought, rescued from the shelves of C's kitchen "because I don't have any use for them anymore and I thought you might be interested."



Culinary jackpot indeed! The Gourmet's Basic French Cookbook was originally published in 1961, and compiled from the notebooks, records and mementoes of Louis Diat, the famous executive chef of the glamorous Ritz-Carlton in New York City. Diat worked as the head chef during the Ritz-Carlton's entire 40-year tenure on Madison Avenue from 1911-1951.




Beignets and escargots

The other donated cookbook was Cookery in Colour by The Australian Women's Weekly.


Cooking in Colour

Hours of entertainment here, and I love the Diet Chart at the back that says:

"To maintain ideal weight a typist needs about 1900 calories daily, a housewife from 2,000-2700, bus conductress or laundress, 2500-3000, and shop assistant 2,000."


Pressure cooking


Quickly prepared meat dishes

I love the paper frills on the crumbed corned beef cutlets!


Birthday cake from Mezzapica Cakes, Leichhardt

I couldn't have asked for a better birthday. Thanks to my wonderful sister for organising such a brilliant surprise, all my friends and family for sharing it with me, and everyone online (that's YOU!) for your lovely comments and wishes.