Taste of Australia

In March of this year, my parents celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary. It was also my family’s 14 year anniversary of moving to Australia. And so, to mark both occasions for my parents, I had grand plans of putting on a beautiful Australian themed romantic dinner for them.

Unfortunately business travel and social commitments interfered with the timing of my planned dinner for two. So one evening a few weeks later when my parents had dinner plans with friends, I sabotaged their evening, and instead of them going out to a restaurant, I cooked a three course meal for the four of them in my parents’ home. Luckily it was a beautiful evening and they were all happy to oblige my craziness.

My inspiration for this Australian themed meal came from a trip to Byron Bay. I was there with Daddy R, Little B and my parents (I’m eternally grateful for their generous babysitting offers), and we had some beautiful meals with interesting native botanical ingredients… lemon myrtle, wattleseed, lavender infused local honey in a savoury breakfast, locally grown macadamias, and lots of hipster style smashed avo varieties.

Avo with poached eggs and popped buckwheat

Dukkah poached eggs with lavender honey at Bayleaf Cafe

I wanted the guests to feel relaxed yet a little glamorous – just how you feel in Byron Bay. Native plants, flavours and sounds in a twilight setting looking out over the treetops, with soft glowing light. This was how I wanted to immerse their senses and stir emotions.

Farm fresh herbs and botanicals at The Farm, Byron Bay

Sight: walking out onto the balcony where the table was set, the guests were greeted with a twinkling branch hanging on the glass balustrade – a hint at rustic glamour. Glass vases of various shapes and sizes were clustered on the table and filled with gorgeous native blooms in shades of deep red, green and white. Tea light holders in their metallic holders shimmered silver, gold and bronze. A simple native blossom resting on the plate greeted the guests at their place setting.

Tablescape with native blooms and metallic hues

The table itself is black which was perfect for my black, grey and gold/metal colour scheme. I used felt grey and gold placemats with antique gold cutlery and matte black and porcelain grey plates. The colours of the food were showcased on the neutral coloured plates.

Smell: Sitting at the table adorned with natives flowers, there was a subtle aroma of being out in the Australian bush. This was all I was after and so only unscented candles were used. The fresh scent of lemon myrtle wafting from the food also enhanced native ambiance.

Sound: An intimate dinner party allows for good flowing conversation amongst friends and so the music I selected was purely for background ambience. I chose the “Australian Artists” playlist on Spotify and with musicians like Pete Murray, The Temper Trap and Boy & Bear, an authentically laid back Aussie vibe was established.

Place setting with grey felt, black slate and gold metal with a blossom for added visual interest and texture

Touch: Rustic elegance came through again in the sense of touch. The smooth cool touch of the gold cutlery and matte serving ware against the roughness of the felt placemats was a tactile stimulant. I had planned on using my grey linen serviettes, but in all the hustle, half way through the entree, I realised I had left them at home, and so, my mum’s cotton ones came to the table. Not ideal aesthetically or from a tactile perspective, but at least something to wipe hands on… I guess you live and learn.

Taste:
Entree: “smashed avo” – grilled avo with Meredith goat cheese, fresh tomato and herb salad drizzled with lavender honey.
This dish was not only inspired by the beautiful avo I had in Byron Bay, but also the hype around the smashed avo that has taken cafe menus by storm (following the much-hyped #avogate media frenzy just before our Byron trip). If you have never tried grilled avo, I highly recommend this recipe – not difficult to make and the texture and temperature combinations make the flavours really sing.
Smashed Avo

Avo’s on the grill

Grilled avo with goat cheese, tomato and fresh herbs

Main: Macadamia and lemon myrtle crusted salmon with green slaw and creamy celeriac and polenta mash.

Main course ready to go

This recipe has become a favourite in my home. The richness of the salmon and macadamia nuts are cut through by the zingy freshness of lemon myrtle. The golden crust locks in the moisture of the salmon, giving a beautiful contrast in texture. The fresh green slaw of cucumber, fennel and broccolini with an apple cider vinaigrette adds another element of freshness and tangy flavour. Celeriac and polenta mash is something new that I experimented with. It’s creamy texture but slightly bitter taste was the perfect accompaniment to the fish.

Gorgeous celeriac ready for chopping and roasting

Macadamia and Lemon Myrtle Crumb

Perfectly golden crumbed salmon

Green slaw ready to be assembled

Macadamia and Lemon Myrtle crusted salmon
Green Slaw with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

My mum’s friends generously brought a bottle of Hunter Valley Semillon, specifically Australian, which complemented the meal beautifully – thank you!

Dessert: Vanilla wattleseed ice cream with grilled peaches and lamington drizzle.
Roasted wattleseed has a rich warm flavour, sort of somewhere between dark chocolate and coffee. When ground and added to vanilla ice cream, it is heavenly, and addictive! I used fresh orange peaches which were in season, which added the right amount of tartness to this decadent dessert. Melted dark chocolate sprinkled with shredded coconut was the “lamington drizzle”. The chocolate turns hard when poured on top of the cold ice cream, which again creates a beautiful play with texture.

Vanilla wattleseed ice cream with grilled peach and lamington drizzle

Vanilla Wattleseed Ice Cream with Grilled Peaches and Lamington Drizzle

Not only was the sense of taste and sight addressed in all three courses, but also, the sense of “touch” with contrasting temperatures and textures within each dish. The surprisingly warm and creamy avo, the hot salmon with a crunchy coating, cool freshness of the slaw and creamy mash, and the warm peach, cool, velvety ice cream and crisp chocolate coconut topping. Paying attention to all senses plays a vital role in enhancing the guests’ whole dining experience.

Honest Outcome
Good: The guests absolutely loved the relaxed and personal dining experience. They were much happier in the home with someone cooking a carefully crafted meal for them than being out for dinner in a busy restaurant. Even the non “foodies” in the group appreciated the flavours of Australia and the peaceful, but elegant setting.

Not so good: I think I rushed through the courses a little – I will know for next time to allow more time for conversation and digestion which will also make my kitchen experience a little less stressful. I have also learned that when catering outside of my own home, I need a carefully planned checklist – I would have loved to have used my own serviettes!

A trip down Tuscan memory lane

2006. A European heatwave. Three girls braving the backpacker route, and by “braving it” I mean staying in gorgeous old converted monasteries and doing gourmet cooking classes in the heart of country Tuscany…think an Under The Tuscan Sun style love affair with food.

Gelato in San Gimignano, Tuscany

Our love affair with red wine started in Guiseppina’s kitchen, 2006

After 10 years, a few uni degrees, overseas life experience, sharing in each others weddings, three toddlers and a couple more on the way, the three girls, who have swapped backpacks for nappy bags, and their awesome husbands, finally got back together in the kitchen and cooked up a true Italian feast, courtesy of Guiseppina’s cooking school,  in Tuscany. I could not have pulled it off without the help of my two beautiful friends.

All grown up, sipping Prosecco

My Bondi kitchen  was never going to replicate the very traditional Italian kitchen, and so I decided to give my meal a more modern twist, but with elements representative of our memories in Tuscany. I wanted the evening to feel organic and natural, as all Guiseppina’s produce was fresh from her garden, and nothing was too complicated or fancy.

Tablescape – muted tones and organic shapes, with fragrant lavender and sunflowers

Sunflower fields in Tuscany

Sight: Linen tableware, in muted tones of blue and stone, dressed the table. Small stone plates in similar tonal colours set the rustic scene, while long, curved platters on which the entrees were served, further created the relaxed feeling. Clustered around the table were vintage blue and green bottles, filled with bright yellow sunflowers and fragrant lavender. The girls immediately noticed this detail which reminded them of walking through the stunning stretches of sunflower fields and the lavender bushes growing in every quaint garden, including that of our hostel. The blue and green  bottles were also a nod to the similar glass vases which were part of our hostel’s decor.
The food was presented on simple white and glass dishes, maintaining the uncomplicated atmosphere. Being able to see the food through the glass dishes creates excitement and the neutral colours showcase the vibrant colours of the fresh produce which are so vital in Guiseppina’s cooking.

Lavender blooming in Tuscany

The green and blue bottles at our hostel

Smell: I didn’t have to do much to create the authentic Italian aroma – the fresh basil and juicy ripe tomatoes, together with the fragrant garlic and lemon set the stage pretty well! The yeasty warmth of freshly baked bread sticks further reminded us of being in the Italian mamma’s home. I lit a blood orange candle, which added freshness to the rich aromas.

Fresh ingredients from Guiseppina’s home – Tuscany, 2006

My key Italian ingredients in Australia, 2016

Sound: I love Spotify! I selected the playlist Café Europa, which wasn’t too cheesy, but the romantic music with foreign accents and classical nostalgic sounds definitely made us all feel like we were back in the heart of Europe! Of course, the conversation turned to reminiscing about our time spent there. There were many laughs and, when I brought out the old photographs, a few “OMG do you remember that!” exclamations, as well as comments from the occasional shocked sounding husband.

Friends having lunch – Salute!

Touch: The organic feel of linen on your fingers provided the physical sensation of being in the countryside – understated luxury, a little rough but so romantic.
The different textures of the food, as always, play a vital role in how your “touch” sense is stimulated. It begins with the nibbles eaten with your hands – warm, soft bread sticks contrasted against the sharpness of hard pecorino cheese, which was also complemented by the gooey sweetness of onion jam. Entrees of arancini and fried zucchini flowers both had a crispy coating, the former with a melt-in-your-mouth inside but the latter, firm. These warm dishes were contrasted further by the cool, fresh deconstructed Caprese salad. This principle of hot vs cold, soft vs hard etc, continued throughout the meal, really stimulating your sense of touch.

Wild mushroom arancini with garlic aioli

Crispy fried zucchini flowers

Taste: Most of the menu was directly from Guiseppina’s Cooking School, however I substituted a few things to suit dietary requirements and increase diversity. I think the most important ingredient was LOTS of good quality extra virgin olive oil, adding a rich fruity flavour to the dishes.
Each couple brought an Italian drink, to complement one of the courses. I also served ice cold San Pellegrino Aranciata Rossa as the non-alcoholic option.

Nibbles: Homemade breadsticks fresh from the oven, (which my Little B so enjoyed helping to make), with a gourmet olive selection, sharp pecorino cheese and the piece de resistance, delicious onion jam which had the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavour. Harris Farm Markets make their own, which, luckily, was so similar to Guiseppina’s homemade speciality. It made my week when I found it!
Italian Prosecco perfectly balanced out these rich flavours.

Little B – my kitchen helper

Home made grissini fresh from the oven

Nibbles – grissini, pecorino cheese, onion jam and gourmet olives

Entrees: Wild mushroom arancini and crispy fried zucchini flowers served with a garlic aioli and a tomato dipping sauce. I used dried porcini mushrooms, which gave the most gorgeous depth of flavour. Guiseppina’s original menu included bruschetta. I didn’t want more bread as I had added in the breadsticks earlier, so I decided to re-work the bruschetta ingredients into a deconstructed Caprese salad. I used big balls of rich, creamy burrata, my absolute favourite cheese, and decadent buffalo mozzarella. Served amongst a medley of roughly chopped heirloom tomatoes, with fresh, fragrant basil and a good slug of evoo (extra virgin olive oil), caramelised balsamic vinegar and of course freshly ground himalayan pink salt and black pepper…so so yum! We also opened a bottle of beautiful chianti from Tuscany, a perfect accompaniment.
wild-mushroom-arancini

Wild mushroom arancini, crispy zucchini flowers with garlic aioli & roast tomato dipping sauce

Deconstructed Caprese salad with buratta and buffalo mozzarella

Mains: One of the most memorable pasta dishes I have ever eaten was the creamy pasta, made without any cream, in Guiseppina’s home. Fresh spaghetti with vibrant cherry tomatoes, basil and lots of garlic and parmesan cheese, combined with walnuts, both crushed and chopped, give this dish the most amazing texture and creamy taste. Ground walnuts and the oil they release mixed through pasta is definitely something worth trying! The combined effort and advice from the other girls (who have made this dish countless times) while cooking was so helpful, and not to mention fun.
guiseppinas-spaghetti

Chopped walnuts going into the pan

Walnut oil becoming creamy

Guiseppina’s special spaghetti

For a bit of protein to complement all the carbs, I decided on a simple white fish (ling), cooked with good quality olive oil, fresh lemon juice and lots of seasoning, on a bed of thinly sliced red onion and topped with wholesome baby asparagus, all steamed in a foil parcel in the oven. The clean flavours were great together with the rich pasta.
The chianti continued to flow into the main course, balancing out all the beautiful flavours of Italy .

Oven steamed ling with chilli, red onion and fresh asparagus

Dessert: Another dish that we still talk about, 10 years later, is Guiseppina’s tiramisu. This easy recipe delivers every time, its decadence and deliciousness even convinced the girls who are on a pregnancy “no raw egg” diet, to have a spoonful (or two!). One lesson that I learned that day in Tuscany which I will never forget, is that REAL Italian tiramisu doesn’t contain any alcohol, and I think its even better this way!
guiseppinas-tiramisu

To contrast the rich creamy dessert, I added to the menu a sour cherry granita. The secret ingredient…balsamic vinegar! Both desserts were served in glass bowls, showing off the gorgeous layers of the tiramisu, and the stunning cerise pink colour of the granita. I picked a flower from my garden in the same shade of pink to garnish the chocolate dusted tiramisu – it looked pretty enticing.

Tiramisu

Sour cherry granita

Through the looking glass

I brought out my favourite glasses which I reserve for dessert wine and liqueurs (by now I think I have 16 different types of glasses in my house!), and we salute‘d to lasting friendship and delicious food over chilled limoncello (itself, in an amazing bottle, which will definitely be up-cycled soon).

Chilled Limoncello is served

Mum’s almond biscotti

Homemade (by my generous mum) almond biscotti were served to end the meal with fresh peppermint tea…always room for more it seems!

Honest Outcome:
Good: we laughed and reminisced and had a lot of fun cooking together, just as we had done on our travels 10 years ago – this was the main goal of the evening, so I would say it was a pretty successful night. My girlfriends were of the same sentiment, while the boys were very complimentary of the food and the Italian experience in general. The small touches definitely didn’t go unnoticed. … so I was happy.

Not So Good: I hadn’t anticipated how long everyone would chat for over the nibbles, or how quickly the entrees would take to fry, so by the time we sat down at the table, they were a little cold, but still delicious. Timing is everything!

Hentley Farm: A True 5 Senses Experience

Four years of marriage – seems like such a short portion of our lives and yet so much has happened! Rich and I celebrated our anniversary with a weekend in South Australia’s Barossa Valley and we wanted to do something special to mark the occasion. And what we found did not disappoint! Hentley Farm is a very special place – a small winery in Seppeltsfield with the most incredible on site restaurant. You can choose from a 4 course or 7 course meal, with or without matching wines (or the half pour option for people like us on antibiotics, cold and flu meds and having to drive home afterwards!).

personalised menu

I can’t exactly call it a set menu – I gave them our detailed dietary requirements and they adjusted the menu to suit, not leaving either of us feeling let down because of our restrictions.

When we were initially seated, Rich commented that he felt like something was lacking in the decor/set up – we were seated in a small square shaped room with glass walls, seemingly perched on top of a hill, and surrounded by the greenery of the property. With very few tables in the room, nothing on them except our glasses, knives and forks (resting on a thick wooden branch), there was a lot of empty space – both visual and actual.

My response was that this was not only intentional, but very special.

awesome cutlery on raw wood

SIGHT: This part of the experience was simple – glass walls enabling us to see outside, and feel like we were sitting amongst the natural beauty of our surroundings. The one solid stone wall and the wood tables, further gave us the feeling of being out in nature. The uncluttered table worked to highlight the artistic skills of the chef – each dish was a magnificent work of art. The simple, organic looking plates provided an uncomplicated backdrop to each dish, allowing the colours and textures of the different elements of each dish to pop. Another component of the visual experience was the vivid colours – both in the produce as well as the wine. The rosé was the most gorgeous raspberry colour and the sparkling Blanc de Noir, like watermelon.

kingfish, asparagus, verjuice and puffed wild rice, with roasted almonds and the 2016 Rose

SMELL: The wine not only looked like the colour of gemstones, but the perfume of each one was more beautiful and complex than the next. The 2016 Rose in particular took me back to my childhood smelling just like raspberry cordial! The ingredients of each dish are sourced locally, and are completely seasonal so the freshness of the herbs allowed for the pungent aromas to really come through and enhance each bite. The most amazing smell of all was the rosemary smoke billowing out of the oyster entree. I learnt a very cool technique for creating smoke as the dish was brought to life at the table when the waitress poured hot water over the bed of fresh rosemary and dry ice.

oyster with fresh passionfruit in rosemary smoke, quinoa cracker, quail eggs with curry spice and lemon, potato crisp with tuna and peppers

SOUND: The atmosphere was very sophisticated yet relaxed. There wasn’t any music playing but what we could hear were people chatting and laughing, as well as gasps of wonderment as each dish came out. Even though I can see where they were coming from with this minimalist approach to sound, I couldn’t help but feel that some quiet modern instrumental or classical music could have warmed the atmosphere.

kangaroo, wild fennel, swede and broccoli

TOUCH: For me, what really made the experience stand out was the use of texture in the food. How the food feels in your mouth is equally, if not more important than how everything feels in your hands. The combinations of hot and cold, creamy and crunchy, rough and smooth were perfectly curated. From the bed of crunchy fresh asparagus under the delicate kingfish, to the earthy poppy seeds juxtaposing the silky passionfruit sour cream, and the warm gooey marshmallow on a stick to finish, it was a full on texture adventure.

‘egg’ sour cream, passionfruit and poppy seeds

wine roasted marshmallow

TASTE: Not only were the texture combinations sublime, but so was the taste of every single dish. The matched wines were beautiful and really enhanced the flavour of each dish – well worth the additional cost. We got a good taste of what Barossa food is all about with the local produce and wild native flora.

I have to mention one dish in particular that blew me away with its unique flavour combination – the dessert of frozen yoghurt, sesame crisp and liquorice cream, drizzled with dill oil. Yes, dill oil. Seriously, who knew that liquorice and dill were such a match made in heaven.

yoghurt, sesame and liquorice with dill oil

Our experience was completed by a visit to the cellar door, in an old stone house, glowing with crystal light fittings, where we sat in luxurious traditional leather chairs in front of a warm open fire. We left with full tummies, a few bottles of Hentley Farm wine and some magnificent memories.

Click to visit Hentley Farm

Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with Hentley Farm, I just had a really good 5 senses dining experience and wanted to tell you about it!

hello

I want to introduce myself.
I’m new to this whole blogging world, and in fact, I don’t read that many blogs myself (although I’m not sure I should be admitting that here, but I am in the process of rectifying it!).
This blog is not a blog for blogging sake. It’s an outlet for me to express myself and to have an excuse to make “special” meals for my family and friends. And best of all, it gives me an excuse to obsess about how to put together an awesome dining experience and actually bring it to life! You see, I LOVE FOOD! I love eating it, looking at it, working out what’s in it and experiencing it in a way that truly engages my whole being – through my 5 senses.

I am a mum to a gorgeous and highly energetic 21 month old little man, who unfortunately, does not appreciate food as much as I do (unless its plain cheese, grapes or vegemite toast!). Since the arrival of Little B, my darling husband, Daddy Rich, has more often than not, been the recipient of my frustration in the kitchen and therefore the meals that I have prepared (read: bought ready made) have not exactly been evident of my usual standard of food prep!

Before Little B came into our lives, I had started dabbling in the creative world of event planning, and I was loving it! But having a new born/toddler is just not conducive to a career change away from physio and into events. This has left my creative side slightly frustrated and so, “the time has come, the time is now, for me to GO GO GO, I don’t care how!” into the unknown world of food blogs!

For me, food is definitely not just about eating, and filling your belly. It’s about having an experience that transports you to another place – somewhere that inspires mindful eating and creates or conjures up beautiful memories. This is why I believe that any “special” dining experience should involve all 5 senses, to truly give you the best chance of being entertained.

My intention is to cook for my family and friends and transport them to some place or moment in time that I want to share with them. This blog is a space for me to explain how, using all 5 senses, I entertain the people I love sharing my life with.

I hope you enjoy reading about it as much as I love doing it, and I hope that I can inspire you to understand the true Sense Of Entertaining!

Lara