Newtown food tour

Is there a greater adventure than one that revolves around food?We set off on a Newtown food tour today, a group of food bloggers led by Newtown local John. Food lovers are naturally treasure troves of information, and the mutual sharing of knowledge when it comes to a cuisine or a suburb is always rewarding and inspiring. I still remember the first food tour - an Indian spice tour of

Win one of three Rochester Ginger drink double gift packs

Did you spot Rochester Ginger in Sydney over the last two weeks? Keen foodies may have tasted this spicy non-alcoholic ginger drink which popped up at both the Good Food & Wine Show as well as the Aroma Festival in The Rocks.The Rochester Ginger drink is made to a Dickensian recipe and contains 14% raw ginger root, as well as raisins, cowslip herb and elderflower. It promises to unleash "the kick

Food Bloggers' Dinner - taking over the kitchen at Bistro CBD

Food bloggers. What do they know about cooking in a commercial kitchen?As of last night, four Sydney food bloggers found out a whole lot more, after gaining access to the other side of the pass at Bistro CBD when they were enlisted to cook dinner for 70 paying guests.The Food Bloggers' Dinner was a brave initiative by Merivale, who agreed to let four amateur cooks into their kitchen as part of

Restaurant Review #233: Firehouse Cafe, Simi Valley

California Fireman omelet with hash browns - $7.75

Sitting in Firehouse Cafe, you'll feel like you've been transported out of Southern California and into a friendly Midwestern city--say, St. Louis. There's zero pretense at this affordable, no-frills breakfast and lunch joint. The flooring is charcoal gray industrial carpet, the chairs are standard-issue black metal with padded vinyl seats, and

Kopi Luwak at Olio, St Leonards, Sydney

Charcuterie plate $13Prosciutto, Spanish salami, bresaola, roasted olives, pickles and grilled sourdoughThe smart Mediterranean brasserie, Olio, is the last thing you'd expect to find at The Forum, a jostle of takeaway stores, a supermarket and a non-stop thoroughfare of commuters. It's barely a dozen steps away from the humdrum of train travel, but Olio is an oasis of calm - a warm and

Apam balik, Kek Look Tong temple caves and suckling pig

Hot and steamy.

Perfect adjectives for a Saturday night, but not so appealing when it's mid-afternoon in downtown Ipoh, Malaysia.
A takeaway bag of freshly squeezed kalamansi juice, packed with ice and a little salty from a ball of salted plum, does wonders.
We had just come from Kek Look Tong, a temple cave that offered cool refuge from the unrelenting heat, and one of Ipoh's main tourist

Win two tickets to the Efendy Celebration Dinner worth $110

It's Friday. Let's celebrate!This week's Freebie Friday celebrates Turkish cuisine with a prize for two tickets to the Efendy Celebration Dinner on August 19. This special one-off dinner follows on from the announcement of Istanbul as the European Capital of Culture for 2010. Each year the European Union chooses a city to showcase its cultural life and cultural development. In 2010, three

Chicken liver parfait recipe

I don't know what I was worried about.Making your own chicken liver parfait -- as I soon found out -- is one of the easiest things in the world. I brought little pots of chicken liver parfait to a Christmas in July Yulefest dinner with fellow food bloggers, a little nervous and filled with trepidation at presenting my first efforts to pate aficionados. When there was no shortage of volunteers to

Haven Seafoods, Terrigal - and a Christmas in July feast

Christmas in July.For most Aussies, Christmases are about fresh prawns, cold ham and oysters. The notion of digging into a hot roast with roast potatoes and gravy is at odds with our stifling hot summers, regardless of tradition. Celebrating Christmas in July is one way of beating Mother Nature at her own game, and this year Billy and The Pom were kind enough to host a small party of food

Restaurant Review #232: Saddle Peak Lodge, Calabasas

Cream of mushroom amuse bouche

Saddle Peak Lodge, named after the rock formation it sits under, has been around for more than 100 years in various incarnations, including a general store and a summer resort. Tucked away in the hills of Calabasas, sort of on the way to Malibu via Las Virgenes, you'd never know the restaurant was there if you weren't following a set of directions to it. That

Ipoh bean sprouts, Concubine Lane and Funny Mountain Soy Milk

Short, fat and stumpy. The bean sprouts in Ipoh are said to be the best in the world.
There is no such thing as a humble bean sprout in Ipoh. Forget about wilted, soggy and translucent imitators. The pride of Ipoh are another experience entirely. Squat in appearance, the sprouts are firm, pure white and decidedly crunchy.
They are addictive to eat on their own, and I'm not usually a big fan of

Becasse, Sydney

Black olive biscotti with whipped goats' curd

I am in love.
His name is Butter and he likes to be whipped.
Like so many great things in life, he's not an attention seeker but tucked away quietly in the corner. He's not even listed on our dinner menu tonight at Bécasse , the inaugural monthly Cellar Night where patrons can bring their own bottle of wine to dinner for waived corkage.
The Cellar

Restaurant Reivew #231: Corner Bakery Cafe