Vive la Rosé Revolution

Celebrating dry Rosé wines, the Rosé Revolution aims to bring our palates into summer with gorgeous pink, savoury wines.

Forget the sickly sweet Rosé wines you may have tasted, the ones which taste like raspberry cordial. There are some fantastic Rosé drops made by winemakers all over the world, they're complex, savoury and sophisticated, perfect for summer drinking and also make brilliant food matches.

I was lucky enough to attend a launch party tasting at Cover Bar + Dining, River Quay. I'm a huge fan of the new dining precinct, right on the river in South Bank. There are five restaurants in this intimate and stylish location, situated at the southern end of the river front promenade.

Cove, a contemporary oyster and champagne bar, is in prime position and stands out with its gorgeous bar constructed from 231 vintage drawers.

The wines were matched with divine, freshly shucked Coffin Bay oysters.  Here is a quick rundown of my tasting experience at Cove.

2010 Jamsheed “Jose the Rosé” Yarra Valley - 50% Syrah and 50% Pinot Noir, this was one of my favourites.  Pretty pink with a slight orange tint, it's quite dry on the palate with fresh berry fruit flavours.

2011 Kellybrook Yarra Valley - made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, another dry style with strawberries and cream aroma.

2010 Domaines Ott “Domaniers” Provence, France - Syrah and Grenache grapes are balanced perfectly with flavours of stone fruit and orange.

2011 Woodstock McLaren Vale - hot pink, this wine is slightly sweet, and tastes like Turkish delight, which I love. Predominately Grenache, with some Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, this would go great with some spicy Thai food.

2011 Red Claw ‘Pink Claw’ Mornington Peninsula - this variety made from Pinot Noir grapes was created by Yabby Lake to help raise breast cancer awareness and a portion of profits from every bottle are donated to the Breast Cancer Network.

2011 Alta ‘for Elsie’ Pinot Noir Rosé, Adelaide Hills - another Pinot Noir variety it tastes of berries and has a soft, dry finish.

2011, Chateau Pierre-Bise “Cabernet d’Anjou, Loire, France - this one was quite sweet, almost like a dessert wine with honey flavours, it went well with the cheeses we were treated to at the end of the evening. I'd also like to make special mention of the Chef's Pumpkin & Currant Marmalade, made in house with figs, shallots and orange zest.

Cove will have a brilliant selection of rosé available until the 14th of February if you'd like to experience some different styles yourself. Or you can check out the Rosé Revolution website for other pink inspired events.  There are also some great prizes to be won if you take a pic of yourself drinking Rosé over the next few months.

Happy quaffing.x

Images courtesy of Cove Bar & Dining

Cook Off at the Chopping Block

Firstly I'd like to thank all my wonderful friends and partner Paul for coming to the Good Food & Wine Show to support me. Your cheers and smiles were very comforting during my 30 minutes of fame, I was so nervous my hands were shaking. Not ideal when you're trying to chop ingredients!

Over six months ago I entered the Gourmet Garden Blog Off / Coof Off  competition, myself and five other Brisbane bloggers were selected out of 80 entries for our creative writing and recipes. The next stage was a cook off at the Good Food & Wine Show Brisbane.

The lovely Amanda from Cooking For Busy Mums, was my competitor and she made Pork & Vege Sausages with Chilli Beans a family and budget friendly delight. The competition was close and I'm sure Amanda was as nervous as me, but in the end she was the winner! Congratulations to Amanda!

My recipe of Moroccan Lamb Cutlets with Herb Yoghurt and Zucchini Salad, I'd like to say came second, not last :). It's a great recipe for a summer BBQ and you can do all the prep before your guests arrive. It's full of seasonal and fresh produce. The herb yoghurt is also great as a dip if you have left overs.

Moroccan Lamb Cutlets with Herb Yoghurt and Zucchini Salad

12 lamb cutlets (3 per person)
1 tube Gourmet Garden Moroccan Seasoning
Sea salt

Herb Yoghurt
200g natural yoghurt
1 tbsp Gourmet Garden Parsley
1 tbsp Gourmet Garden Chunky Garlic
1 tsp Gourmet Garden Mint
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to season

Zucchini Salad
2 large zucchini
¼ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
Approx ¼ cup parsley, roughly chopped
Approx 3 cups lambs lettuce
1 tsp Gourmet Garden Mild Chilli
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
100g Danish feta
Salt and pepper to season

1. Place cutlets in a large bowl and squeeze entire tube of Gourmet Garden Moroccan Seasoning on top and mix until cutlets are coated well.

2. Combine yoghurt, Gourmet Garden Parsley, Gourmet Garden Chunky Garlic, Gourmet Garden Mint, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. Slice zucchini lengthways with mandolin; then slice again, lengthways with a knife. Place in large bowl and add pine nuts, cherry tomatoes, parsley and lambs lettuce. Make dressing by combining Gourmet Garden Mild Chilli with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour over salad and toss. Arrange salad on plate and crumble feta over the top.

4. Heat a large fry pan on high heat, add olive oil and fry lamb cutlets. Reduce heat after first 30 seconds and cook for approx 1 1/2 minutes per side for rare, longer if you like it medium and depending on size of cutlets. Set aside to rest for a few minutes then sprinkle with a small amount of sea salt, serve next to salad with a small dish of herb yoghurt. Serves 4.

Good Food & Wine Show

This weekend the Good Food & Wine Show is back in Brisbane to tantalise your taste buds!  And best of all, I will be participating in a cooking competition against a fellow blogger, creating my own recipe with Gourmet Garden herbs.  The cook off starts at 11am at the 'chopping block' stand, so please come and cheer me on.  After the excitement of the cook off I'll be picking up a shopping list of goodies.

There will be hundreds of exhibitors at the show, live cooking demonstrations and wine tastings.  Here are some exhibitors I encourage you to visit:

Pana Chocolate – Australian  handmade chocolate made from raw and organic ingredients, it's the healthiest and tastiest chocolate I've tried and comes in yummy flavours like rose and mint.  The packaging is also very cute and recyclable.

Pukara Estate – olive grove in the Hunter Valley producing premium extra virgin olive oils which come infused with garlic, lime, lemon, chilli, pepper, wasabi and truffle. Perfect with bread and a bit of sea salt.

Villa Maria Estate – I visited the cellar door when I was in Marlborough NZ last January, they have a very big range and beautiful Chardonnays. Their Gewürztraminer is also worth a try for something different.

Wirra Wirra Vineyards – a more well know producer from South Australia, my favourite wines are from their RGT Collection.

Barambah Organics Dairy - produces a range of certified organic dairy products and was most recently awarded a Delicious Produce Award for their all natural yoghurt.

Barossa Valley Estate - BVE is located in the gorgeous Barossa Valley and their cellar door is very warm and welcoming with fireplace and comfy lounges.  I have a bottle of BVE Ebnenezer Shiraz '05 waiting for a special occasion.

Maggie Beer Products - Maggie has had astounding success over the last few years, which is not surprising  considering the quality of her gourmet products.  A good place to pick up some Christmas gifts.  Maggie has also designed the menu for the Oxford Landing Restaurant, which is worth stopping by after bustling around the exhibition.

I'm also looking forward to discovering some new food delights, tasting a lot of cheese and wine of course.

Hope to see you Sunday!

Details
At the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, South Bank
Friday 9 Novemberr: 9am - 5pm
Saturday 10 November: 10am - 6pm
Sunday 11 November: 10am - 5pm (Cook off at 11am)

Easy Entertaining

Happy summer!  It’s party season, time for picnics, BBQs and dinner parties.  If you're planning on hosting a dinner party here are some tips to ensure easy, stress free entertaining.

1. Have a shared dish party, where everyone brings a contribution.  This is a very cost effective option and easy on the host.  You can be in charge of the main course and your guests can volunteer to bring other items or dishes such as cheese and dips, salad, dessert or drinks.  Guaranteed to create a fantastic feast with more than enough food.

2. Focus on one feature dish – a deluxe dessert or succulent main and keep everything else simple.  This way you only have one thing to concentrate on and more time to enjoy your guests company.  Visit a gourmet deli for some cheeses and crackers and arrange on a platter for entrée   For dessert buy a moreish ice-cream or mousse (I love Maggie Beers Burnt Fig, Honeycomb and Caramel Ice Cream) and serve in Martini glasses.

3. Keep in mind seasonal ingredients when planning a menu.  Not only is it more affordable to use ingredients which are local and in season, you won't get caught out having to substitute or use frozen food.

4. Be prepared!  Make as much as possible in advance.  You can make dips, salad and dessert all before the event day.  If you’re having a BBQ you can pre-make salads, meat balls, veggie skewers – then all you need to do is fire up the BBQ and cook.  Everyone can then help themselves.

5. Table settings – try a pot of fresh herbs or some native greenery/sticks/flowers foraged from your garden or different size pillar candles.  Play around and have fun, you'll be surprised by what can look good from items you already have at home.

6. Serve a signature cocktail or welcome drink, for my housewarming I served shot glasses of Bloody Mary.

7. Have a theme – it doesn’t need to be dress up, you could have a pizza night where you make fresh dough and have an abundance of toppings for guests to get creative and make their own pizzas.

8. Finger food or bowl food can be a great option if you don't have much space for guests to sit and eat.  Just make sure the food is filling and substantial so no one goes home for cheese on toast.

I hope these tips ensure your next party is stress free and affordable.  I'd love to hear your entertaining tips?

Elise xo

Veggie Curry Puffs with Herb Yoghurt

I must give credit to Mr H. for this recipe - whilst house/dog sitting at the tree house last weekend we prepared some snacks and supplies, including very tasty curry puffs made from scratch.  I have to admit, it is time consuming making your own pastry and filling the little pockets, but well worth the end result.  Crisp, fresh pastry is wonderful! And you can freeze them, just defrost before frying.

Veggie Curry Puffs with Herb Yoghurt

Pastry

3 cups plain flour

200g chilled butter, chopped

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup water

pinch salt

1. Process flour, butter and salt in a food processor, until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add egg yolks and water, then combine with your hands.

2. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 mins or until smooth. Wrap in glad wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Make filling in the meantime.

3. Slice dough in half with a butter knife.  Roll each piece of dough until 5mm thick on floured surface with floured rolling pin. Using an 10cm biscuit cutter, cut rounds from each pastry half.

Filling

You can use anything you like as a filling, I used whatever veggies I had on hand.  It's good to have a pumpkin or potato base.  Same goes with the seasoning, the more the merrier!

100g pumpkin, mashed

100g sweet potato, mashed

1 cup broad beans, shelled

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 brown onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp ground cumin seeds

1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp curry powder

2 tsp oregano, chopped

salt and pepper

1. Combine all ingredients, and let cool for about 10 minutes.

2. Spoon 1 tablespoon of vegetable mixture into centre of each pastry round. Wet edge of pastry and fold in half to enclose mixture, pinching edges together to seal.

3. Half-fill a large fry pan or wok with vegetable oil. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. shallow-fry curry puffs for 1 to 2 minutes or until pastry is golden. Transfer to paper towel to drain.

Serve with herb yoghurt

200g natural yoghurt

1 tbsp parsley, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

salt and pepper

Next time I will try oven baking, for a healthier option.  I'd love to hear what veggies you use if making this recipe?
Enjoy.
Elise xo

The Red Hen - A Review

Italian is one of my favourite cuisines and I've been longing to devour another delicious, creamy pasta dish ever since my trip to Italy over a year ago.  Italy has a fantastic food culture nourished by passion and basic recipes.  Quality ingredients and loving preparation are fundamental to creating the perfect Italian dish.

I was lucky enough to be invited to a special dinner at The Red Hen with a group of food lovers.  Located amongst Indonesian, Ethiopian, Greek, Vietnamese, Mexican and Tibetan restaurants on Hardgrave road, West End, it is definitely a culturally diverse place to be, and also very appetising place to be. 

I'd never met my fellow dinner companions in person, but sure enough conversation flowed easily as we all shared a common interest - food. 

For entree we shared five items from the menu:

Polpettine di pollo - chicken meatballs served with a white wine sauce and crostini.

Calamari fritti - fried baby calamari served with fresh rocket, lemon wedge and aioli.

Bruschetta al pomodoro - toasted sourdough with fresh tomato, basil, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Involtini di melanzane al forno - oven baked eggplant parcels filled with ricotta and fresh herbs, served with napoletana sauce and topped with parmesan cheese.  This was definitely my favourite entree, full of fresh ingredients and lots of cheese.

For main course I had to make a decision, a very hard decision based on the enticing menu selection.  I eventually decided on the gnocchi al gorgonzola - housemade potato dumplings with gorgonzola, cream and spinach.

It was an excellent choice, perfectly creamy with strong gorgonzola flavour, garlic, and freshly chopped spinach.  If you're a blue cheese lover, this one is for you.

And just when I thought I couldn't possibly fit anything else in, it was dessert time! I was told, the Rich Chocolate Brownie is the best in Brisbane.  Moist on the inside with a delicate crust, the sweetness melted with slight bitterness from the cocoa. Mouthwatering.

To sum up, The Red Hen is a great casual dining spot in West End and you won't be disappointed by their good, hearty comfort food.  The dishes are simple with only 4-5 ingredients, classic, authentic Italian, made with love.

The Red Hen is BYO (corkage $5 per bottle).  Gluten free bread and pasta options $2.00.

Elise dined at The Red Hen as their guest.

Food and Wine Celebration - James Street

I’d just like to make a quick announcement about an exciting foodie event coming up next week.  James Street Markets will be celebrating 10 years next week with a huge program of food, wine and style events. The James Street Food & Lifestyle Trail, 15th-20th October, will involve restaurants and shops along James Street showcases their wares.

Here are a few of my top picks:

Gerard's Bistro - live cooking demonstrations throughout the day Saturday 20th, including free tastings of breakfast bites from the new menu and spring cocktails with Matty Hewitt, Bar Manager and Bartender of the year 2010.

Magnolia Interiors - partnering with Marie Claire Executive Fashion Editor, Jane Roarty, showing you how to set the perfect table for summer entertaining whilst sipping champagne. 11am Saturday 20th.

Taste - wine education with Mezzanine Wines, Italian varietals. $10, 1pm Saturday 20^th.

Scrumptions Reads - book launch for the Brisbane Foodie Guide by Karen Reyment, lucky door prizes of Hardie Grant book packs, Foodies' Guides, champagne and goodies from a selection of those featured in the book. 2pm Saturday 20th.

Visit the website to view the full program of events.