Maliaty

Also, ceramic knife caused one of our microwave Pyrex type glass dishes to explode violently. It was very exciting.in the not good way. Something about the tension being released by the awful sharpness. All I know is that it doesn't happen with metal.

That scallop sushi looks SO good. Okay, girl, dish where you got it...and I will be making a haymarket stop at some point in the near future. I love the Thai Kee. It has the best little dishes that the kids love to use. AND it's the only place that I could find rice paddles without having to acquire another rice cooker. Don't ask. Cheers Maliaty

So cold, so very, very cold. Sydney has this icy wind that comes down between the buildings that adds wind chill factor. Also, us Sydney siders aren't very good at dealing with anything that's not balmy weather. No central heating etc, in the main. Loving the blog. Must go back to Emperor's Garden for some soy chicken...Was that Marigold for yum cha? Lovely blog. Dragged me out of lurkdum. cheers Maliaty

Pomegranate molasses. Great tang and sweetness. Adds to any braise or even stir fry noodles. Cheers Maliaty

I think Jane means Balmoral (since that's where Bather's is located). Balmoral beach is lovely, but that's some pricey real estate thereabouts. Cheers Maliaty

Dear all I've been out of the fine dining game for a while (mother of a 3yr old), am huge with second child, but have a dear of a husband who would like to take me out for a birthday dinner. We've been to Tetsuya's and while it was lovely, don't want to besmirch the memory by going back. we've had celebrations at Rockpool in the past. Sydney siders, help me by suggesting a fine dining experience - preferably in the CBD / inner west that is going to see me through for another couple of years! I've had Glass, est, Quay and Sailor's Thai recommended... but would love to hear first hand experiences from you guys. Thanks in advance Maliaty

My turn now - I live in Annandale, which is in the inner west, a tad closer to cbd than Balmain. Close to us are - Glebe - cheap, because near university, with a mix of food shopping but accent on Japanese / Chinese; - Leichhardt / Haberfield - essentially little Italy - some great cafes, pasta / pastry / pizza places - family houses. Well known AC Butchers are based in Leichhardt. - Lilyfield / Rozelle - close to trendier / expensive Balmain, but with a bigger emphasis on the macrame / organic markets on weekends focus and cheaper. Various bits of the inner west (like Glebe, Five Dock) have excellent bakeries. On the other side of harbour, Chatswood - chinese / korean / japanese shops. Strangely high rise apartment buildings, mixed in with older style houses. Medium prices - further out from cbd. Foodie shopping destination The Essential Ingredient (with prices to match) is now in Crows Nest. Northern beaches - worth exploring if you are an outdoors person, cafe culture in various pockets - like Manly, or the more upmarket Avalon (which used to be more macrame / organic / hippy and is now more aimed at the weekend beachhouse contingent). Prices vary from suburb to suburb. There's a great Irish butcher in Harbord and a great Sth African one from memory. The big vegetable markets are out at Flemington - by which I mean the big boxes of veges sold to grocers at 4.30am. Further out west are pockets of good Asian food shopping - but can't give you much help with pricing because of the commute factor have never researched. And forget about Melbourne as a food shopping destination. Clothes and shoes, my friend, clothes and shoes. While property prices are higher in Sydney, we have the harbour. Okay, they have culture, but why would you want that? What are you, yoghurt? (sorry, traditional Sydney / Melbourne rivalry showing up again. Some of my good mates are from Melbourne, really). Cheers Maliaty ←

And speaking from the southern hemisphere - I stick to clockwise. And our toilets don't spurt! Seriously, the coriolis effect is pretty weak, and I think I have read that the shape of the bowl has far more to do with it, Simpsons cartoons notwithstanding. Cheers Maliaty

It ended up being 10.30. We did walk down to the lovely Chinta Ria, got in a last order before the kitchen closed, ate it in nothing flat, and taxied off home to relieve the grandparents babysitting. Golden Century, yum. Not such a fan of the pancake experience... thanks Shalmanese! Maliaty

A rice cooker is a thing of beauty. it doesn't ding. Bananas are also good. They don't rustle. The hospital gave us the helpful advice of keeping noise up while putting baby down. Problem = baby so excited that does not want to sleep. Outcome equals tired parents, less bmilk, grumpier baby. Forget about it! Baby whisperer is great if it works for you. Also the contented child? can't remember what called, baby brain strikes again. however, we found that problem went away with age anyway. And mileage varies. Ours certainly did. I second the make ahead / buy 4 orders of whatever takeout (cold pizza worked for us) approach. If oven door doesn't make too much noise, heating up in there rather than microwave is another approach. First baby now = almost 3. Second due in couple of months. Sleep = thing of distant past. it's all good! Maliaty

Mmm, salt is good. At the moment in pregnant state, salt on tomatoes. With olive oil. Sometime balsamic. Also, roasted eggplant with salt and much olive oil so the edges go crispy. Salted nuts are also excellent. Protein, fat and salt. Tasty! cheers Maliaty

Suggestions please for late night dining in Sydney, preferably around the MLC Centre. While I work mid city, I don't usually go back in for dinner, and we have Theatre Royal tickets for Snugglepot & Cuddlepie tonight. I won them. Really I did. Thoughts, peoples? My default option is going to be walking down to Chinatown... Cheers Maliaty

I'm another vote for the Hunter Arcade Malay place (down the escalators, hard left). The ginger octopus and sambal eggplant I had yesterday were fantastic. And they do good rice. I was a regular devotee of the Malay-Chinese place when it was on the corner of King / Castlereagh, opposite the MLC Centre. Great Hainan chicken rice. But it's closed now and i got sidetracked by the first Malay place when I tried to find their other place in the Hunter arcade yesterday. Here's to spice! Maliaty

Harold McGee has a good summary on his blog (scroll down the page). http://curiouscook.blogspot.com/ regards Maliaty

I found some Roquefort in Coles, of all places (but I'm in Sydney, ymmv) http://www.ap-foodtechnology.com/news/ng.a...eciality-cheese it's definitely hit the shores of down under. Cheers and best luck with the unpasteurised fromage Maliaty