PCL

where that?

The Carringbush Hotel $10 parma last night was sensational.

Just to add to the mix. Generally I do the following with leftover roast meat, provided there's enough gravy left, if not, I'll knock up some sauce and do this: - chop garlic and shallots, and soften in butter - deglaze with wine (whichever you prefer) - add remant of gravy, reduce - when at spoon-coating-consistency, add sliced cold meat and heat through at low-med flame - serve hot with crusty bread, garnished with chopped parsley and don't forget to wipe the dish... I find that jacking the gravy with extra garlic/shallots/whatever herby thing you got lying around and wine etc and then re-heating the meat slowly in the resulting tasty goop makes for a good impromptu semi-braise/daube/saucy mess of meat that makes for good eating.

Quick announcement: Chicken Parma night at the Carringbush... $10, beer extra. Tuesdays. A good Parma. The Carringbush is on Langridge St, Abbottsford, next to the railway line, a couple metres back from Hoddle St.

Grazie grazie... penso che questa ricetta da divina e la piatta della 'Mama Rita' in Forte dei Marmi... lo provero questa weekend! Trans: Thanks and thanks! I think divina's recipe is the dish from 'Mama Rita' in Forte dei Marmi (small holiday town near Viareggio). I'll give it a go this weekend. Edit: to add translation

Their cassoulet, when they have it, is GREAT. Lacking in pork belly though... their terrines etc as well, wow.

L'Oustal is next to a Mediterranean steak/seafood joint right?... Forget the name of the street...

Quick update. Aux Batifolles, 400 Nicholson St, Nth Fitzroy, served up a cassoulet as a special a couple nights ago. Sausage, duck confit, and lamb chop. "Pork is too fatty at the moment," said the chef (Stefan) but he was referring to the whole anti-fat thing, that horrible disease amongst common diners. Nevertheless, it was good. The beans were reinforced, or jacked up with a squirt of demi-glace just prior to serving. Wholesome, flavorsome, and I still had room for dessert after. In my mind, it was better than the Paris Go option.

Interesting article on Australian Shiraz... http://www.theage.com.au/news/epicure/beyo...0329359048.html

Love them too. It's the small details like the seamless inside cavity and the accuracy of the heat. But it's the big details like the price that put Miele out of my range. Incidentally, we found a toy oven, complete with Miele labelling, in a kids shop last week. ← It's all market protection driven. The taxes and duties we pay on European imports are just stoopid. I checked out the Miele prices say in the UK, and I just might get my sis-in-law to pick up a stand alone stove unit, use it for 6 months and then ship it back to Australia minus taxes. It will set me back $$2000 plyus shipping say $400 for a six burner + oven stand alone unit.

Everyone's baking... man, I want to bake too... and Shin, you will have a kid soon... so start practising!

one word... Miele... so expensive, so beautiful, so functional, so good.

Thanks for the bump! Miss Harry is a favourite at the moment. I first came across it when my all time no.1 brasserie ran out of southern rhone wine and the French waitress commented, "Try the Miss Harry, it's almost the same." And so it was and is. In my opinion, it's very Rhone like. Damn, need to get back to Swiss Chef about the wine exchange programme!

Now, depending on mushroom types, soaking time may vary. You don't want to cook the little critters. Having said that, can anyone provide a rough guide to shroom types?? and soaking times??... I've found that for dried Shitake, a hot blanch, followed by a cold soak for 2-3 hours is good. Water from the hot blanch is discarded (cooled and fed to plants) and the cold soak water can be used as a broth/sauce base or flavouring agent.

There would have been tomato in the form of a puree/paste as part of the base for the cassoulet. For me, personally, the meats are more for texture than anything else, with the real star of the show being the beans beans beans beans beans.... YUM... However, some people in France would include fresh confit/sausage/salt pork in the dish to up the ante on overall flavour and body. Kind of deconstructed. And I last ate it at Paris Go like, the day before my post. Apparently Bistro Thierry in Toorak does one too, so might head over there soonish...

get 'em early on the plum sauce. but be very very careful. I'm Chinese, and a single bad Chinese Roast Duck experience can scar one for life. Ensure that your purveyor of Chinese Roast Duck is reputable in all ways possible. check his nails, check the status of his stall and display and for heaven's sake, no drippy oily bits man... AAAARRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!

For quick and simple duck breast, I can suggest the following: couple star anise seeds (not crucial) clove of garlic honey/maple syrup white wine fresh OJ, or from a bottle/pack shallots/1 medium onion salt + pepper duck breasts, skin on. Preheat oven to 200C. Lay breasts skin up on baking tray, slash skin at 1/2" intervals and whack 'em in the oven. While they cook for 15/20 minutes depending on done-ness, do the following: brown onion/shallots in butter deglaze with OJ and white wine add honey or maple syrup and reduce at this point, chuck in the star anise as well. the duck should be medium rare/just done depending on time heat a heavy pan with half and half butter and oil and stick the duck on skin side down to crisp up. should be medium high heat. pour off excess fat (or pour into sauce over heat, yum!!) when crisp, simply carve into slices or serve whole with sauce on the plate, but not poured over the duck 'cos you wanna the skin to be-ah crispy-ah...

Like I said earlier, do go check out Nicolas in One Canada Square, ie. the big silver tower at Canary Wharf. It's on the lower ground level in the 'tunnel' that leads out to the outdoor plaza before you get to the Tube station.

As a Melbournian, the Mornington region is the best bet in my opinion. Daylesford is too um, superficial?? these days and the restaurants are expensive and quality does not seem to be a priority. Went there with my parents for a 'family' holiday not long ago and got completely ripped off in my reckoning. But there is a great rental property there... check out www.villaparma.com.au In Mornington, you have choices for beaches (ocean vs bayside) lots and lots and lots of cool climate wines, and probably the best Pinot Noir in the country if not the Hemisphere out of Main Ridge Estates, cellar door sales only and FANTASTIC sunday lunch. And you have seafood coming out of your ears. And Melbourne the most livable city close by, I mean, less than an hour's drive away. Is good, very good.

Good fish at Prahran market recently. A whole snapper in the oven could be fun.

Search on hold for this puppy. Blew a head gasket in the 4x4 so that kind of takes precedence as it's our primary form of weekend transport. In the meantime, making do with the large Weber and the Smokey Joe. RE: oven lights... many new ovens these days have a permanent light on when in operation. so you can see how good your food is looking as it goes... don't think it drinks too much power at all.

mate, don't forget to 'season' the oven man... pizza and pork... sounds good... but you wanna scrub it and then heat it then cook with it, otherwise there might be this 'flavor' you're not really looking forward to. can't wait for another sublime Shinboner report...

Thanks for this. I too have a few 707's lying around. Might crack one this weekend. As for Virgin Hills... hmmm... i'll ask someone. I am also pleased to hear of your self-regulating Shiraz ban. I'm over the stuff at the moment, although a notable exception is the Charles Melton (B.Valley) Cab-Shiraz blend 2003, a bottle of which will be cracked this weekend.

When we lived in London, Nicolas was a favourite. there's one in Chelsea, Kings Rd, and one in Canary Wharf, under the tower. Wine bar and wine shop. They're a French-based franchise. Good food too.

HAIL YVES!!!!...