OCTOBER : FOOD : : DECEMBER : CHRISTMAS
0 comments Published by Jen and Dan Stevenson on 10/03/2009 10:12:00 AMRemember doing analogies like that on the ACT & SAT? Well, October in Sydney is all about food with the kickoff of the Sydney International Food Festival. We got a sneaky start last night with a 'sugar hit' of mango bread and butter pudding with coconut creme brulee, garnished with coconut brittle. Last night's dessert scored only 2.5 stars from me, but luckily I woke this morning with a hunch that I'd soon be in hog-heaven.
The first official event of the SIFF is the Pyrmont Grower's Market, which isn't really anything new - because we go just about every month. What was a bit special this time though, was this:
Fergus Henderson is in town, so the theme is swine - snout to tail. A handful of Sydney's top chefs came out to give their best take on the subject...any pork norm was strictly off limits - no chops, bacon or ribs for this rainy morning feast. Jen and I opted for the Pig Ear Schnitzel, prepared by Colin Fassnidge of Four In Hand Restaurant in Paddington.
It's on a puree of capers, vinegar and fresh herbs and the little white blob in the dish is some applesauce, which was truly sinful. We expected the ear itself to be crunchy and/or chewy, but it wasn't at all. Because of the process used to prepare it, the ear was almost like jelly amidst the breaded casing.
This is a close up of the skin on the spit - just beginning to crackle. I love this stuff. In fact, I'm thinking about having this picture turned into wallpaper.
And on a slightly healthier note, the veg at the market is always top notch. As spring has now sprung, we're starting to see mangoes, strawberries, artichokes (above), and avocado looking really great.
Jen and I just returned from our trip to the South Island in New Zealand. I've stuck a slide show below with pictures from our trip. Hope that you enjoy!
Originally uploaded by TeamStevenson
Saturday was perfect, but we retreated to the indoors a bit early. I attempted Thomas Keller's Cream of Walnut Soup. Like the weather, this too was absolute perfection. Homemade gnocchi did not fare as successfully but my pesto was just enough to save it from the bin.
Sunday morning, we rose with the sun to get a jump on the Sydney Aroma Festival. It's essentially a gathering of Sydney's coffee bean fiends, with hot cups on offer from dozens of makeshift cafes in tents along the water. In case you're not aware, Sydneysiders take their coffee quite seriously. Ordering a simple coffee tends to generate a fair amount of stress, and it would be beneficial if entry visas included a chart to help out the uninitiated. I suppose that this complexity and variety underscores the logic in a festival almost entirely focused around java.
Turkish Sweets
obligatory camel rides alongside Middle Eastern coffees
Jen and I went down to the Sydney Winter Festival a few days ago. From Hyde Park to Martin Place there was a river of protesters flooding the streets of Sydney with green signage and Iranian flags. The chants were civil, but passionate - and the sight evoked a lot of personal reflection. I've been riveted to the news about Iran lately.
Winter is blowing in. The low this morning was 13C (55F). I'm wearing gloves every morning now on the rides in to the office. Apples are flooding the fruit stands, and it's dark when I get home from work.
Click through to our flickr stream or use the link at the top. I've put a few new pictures up there. Expect some updates coming through soon, as we're expecting a couple month streak of visitors.
Click through to our flickr stream or use the link at the top. I've put a few new pictures up there. Expect some updates coming through soon, as we're expecting a couple month streak of visitors.
The blue bar going through the header picture in the last blog template made my eyes itch. The site was in need of an update. The new pic up top is one that I took last weekend at Hyams Beach, about 3 hours south of Sydney. We rented a little cottage and worked to squeeze the last bit of summer out before autumn marches in with chilly mornings and clear nights. Hope that you like it!
Went down to Woolloomooloo after work to grab a bite and check out the Queen Mary 2 Ocean liner that just rolled back into town.
It's the biggest "Ocean Liner" ever built, but not the biggest cruise ship. Still, it looked about as big as the USS Kitty Hawk when that came into port.
Given the choice to be on the water with a motor, though - I'd prefer a Chris Craft.
It's the biggest "Ocean Liner" ever built, but not the biggest cruise ship. Still, it looked about as big as the USS Kitty Hawk when that came into port.
Given the choice to be on the water with a motor, though - I'd prefer a Chris Craft.
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