Maliaty

Therese, I can't figure out the song from the movie that has to do with a food item beloved of orphans. Although I'm a fan, I'm ashamed. Unless it's the reference to mashed potatoes in Shake A Tailfeather. However, I really would like a rubber biscuit right about now. All time favourite Blues Brothers song! Cheers Maliaty

Dead people? or just icecream...

Thanks all. I'll just have to get out the icecream machine and make some myself. While I fully support our quarantine laws, it is sometimes frustrating to think about things I would love to eat but can't. Another favourite is greek honey - which I have found in a couple of places in Marrickville, but in nowhere near the varieties etc that my greek friends turned me on to in Kefalonia in 1996. Any other overseas favourites that people want to fess up to? Cheers Maliaty

Aqua Luna in Sydney used to do divine marrow on toast. My mother (a farm girl by background) was nuts for offal - kidneys, lamb fry etc. I like chicken gizzards myself. My partner is quite the man for liver - although I'm only going to join him if it's pink on the inner. And we both fight over the inside of the lamb shanks.... It's all good. And honest. Maliaty

Reading the topics over in the US re Ben & Jerry's icecream flavours made me drool. I was over recently and got to indulge, but am now missing it agin. Does anyone know whether B&J's has made it down under (particularly Sydney)? I'm guessing not, but a girl can hope... Maliaty

I've seen this in recipe books, but never been game to try it...avocado icecream http://www.ice-cream-recipes.com/ice_cream...ipe_avocado.htm Cheers Maliaty

See, I was sure I could find them, too. I have a look in just about every Coles/Woolies/IGA I've been to lately, and no dice. I keep getting false hope from the red and green cocktail onions in the pickle section, although those would be good for festive Gibsons. ← I don't think I've seen them in jars - I've seen them in packets though - in the dried fruit section next to the baking part in Coles. You might have more luck in the months leading up to Xmas. There's always the Essential Ingredient - now in Crows Nest, for your expensive shopping requirements... cheers Maliaty

Oh yes on Alhambra - on Friday or Saturday nights, they also have flamenco dancers (from memory). They do tapas as well as mains - and only a short distance from the ferry. Cheers Maliaty

Now at about 4 days overdue...I don't think I've had any cravings. How boring am I? unless I can somehow disguise my lust for expensive icecream (which was present prepregnancy) as a pregnancy related craving....My chocolate taste has waned somewhat (probably for the best). The most bizarro craving that I have heard of involved the topping of seafood pizza mixed with vanilla icecream. I cannot begin to deconstruct that one from a nutritional POV. back to calcium supplements, protein & iron..... cheers Maliaty

Hi ECR Yes, Leichhardt is definitely the place to go for capers, anchovies etc - and specifically, the Leichhardt grocer (looks like a fruit & vig shop), on Norton St, in the Leichhardt shopping centre (downstairs) which fronts a pedestrian crossing. The Turkish pide place...King St in Newtown is the main "drag" (newtown has a high population of alternative lifestylers....and if you are coming soon, it will be in full mardi gras regalia...definitely fun). The shops start past Sydney Uni, and the pide place is closer to the Uni than the other end...hmmm...on a corner, on the left side of the street and called something like "effies". It is past the biggest secondhand bookshop (and most disorganised bookshop) that I have ever seen (called Goulds), past a big complex of apartments with a Thai place down the bottom... and beyond that, my description fails me. Hope that helps! The other Italian recommendation I had was Aqua Luna, also at the Quay. The most memorable dish I have had there is their roasted bone marrow, on woodfired bread. V indulgent (and I don't want to think about the fat content). Reservations - for the blow out meal, sooner rather than later (particularly if you are thinking of Tetsuya's, which you need to do as far as possible in advance - someone help out with when you have to ring?? cheers Maliaty

Hi ECR 1) mindblowing sushi - the last great sushi I had (at a sushi bar) was at a place in Crows Nest called something like Chango - not sure of spelling, but it specialised in food for sumo wrestlers - the chef could see (b/c we were at the bar rather than the table) how much we were digging it, and started giving us things that weren't on the menu to see how we liked it (we liked it! we liked it!). I have heard good things about the sushi place - um, something like Unkai, in what used to be the ANA hotel, now I think the Shangri La in the CBD. 2) Italian - I live quite close to Leichhardt, which has the Norton St strip of Italian restaurants. most places we have tried along there have been pretty good - Sorriso's has a "hat" in the good food guide, and we quite enjoyed it - but have only been there once. Buon Ricordo in Paddington is well regarded, Bel Mondo in the Rocks is / was superb the last time we were there, but both are bit more expensive than Norton St. Tra To Ra Ro (again, not sure of spelling) in paddington was great last time we were there (but that was about 8 yrs ago). 3) Mediterranean. Hmm. Greek - Eleni's in Newtown, or Mylos in Glebe Pt Rd, Glebe are okay, but if you have time, think about going out to Brighton Le Sand (past the airport) which has many Greek restaurants - including one I have always wanted to try that advertises Greek yum cha. The mind boggles. Moroccan - Kasbah in Balmain (Darling St) is a favourite of mine. Sorry, can't offer any suggestions for Turkish restaurants, but there is a great Turkish pide place on King St, Newtown. 4) Relaxing lunch by the shore. Pricey - watermark or Bather's Pavilion - both at Balmoral (Mosman) but gorgeous. Across the road at Balmoral - you can get great fish and chips from a place called Bottom of the Harbour - and eat on the beach. Palm Beach has some nice places, but that's a bit of a drive if you are staying in the CBD. Manly has some great places for a relaxed lunch - it's just a short hop on the Manly ferry or jet cat (brief chance to be a tourist) (Brazil, BarKing Frog) opposite the promenade on the Surf Beach, and a new brasserie has just opened in the old Manly surf club if you fancy a walk up from the corso - or in the other direction is the Kiosk - or a great cafe half way round which I have forgotten the name of (pregnancy brain - I'm due today and trying to distract myself - does it show?). Alternatively, on my side of the harbour are some great places down at Bondi - the Icebergs surf club has a new restaurant that is always getting great write ups (which you have probably read in AGT) and at the opposite end is another one - fellow Sydney siders, help me out! 5) Fish fish fish - Watson's Bay - Doyles, or Doyles at the Fish Market are both reputed to be great. Shores or Fresh Ketch at the Spit Bridge (bridging Mosman and Clontarf) are pretty good. There is - slightly more touristy - Jordan's at Darling harbour. 6) Fabulous cheese plate. Hmm. Not really my thing. Suggestions, anyone else? Simon Johnson - providore - stocks a fantastic range of cheeses (either in Paddington or Pyrmont), but can't help you with restaurants. 7) Aussie friend splurgy lunch...depends where she lives, what her tastes are etc. Luke Mangan's Salt gets great write ups (probably in the AGT somewhere), Tetsuyas is always fantastic but expensive and you need to book well in advance...friends of mine rave about Jonah's (which is up towards Palm Beach)... 8) Oysters on the half shell - half way along from Circular Qy to the Opera House is a great oyster bar. Alternatively, Milsons in Kirribilli has some great treatments of oysters....or (my fav option) - just go to Sydney Fish Markets (hop on the light rail from Central, or the Haymarket or Darling Harbour is the easiest way to get there) and go to the oyster seller just inside the main hall, purchase some delicious sydney rocks, or Sth Australian anything, or tasmanians, take outside after acquiring some good beer / sharp wine and devour (watching out for seagulls and pelicans). Okay, the Sydney Fish Markets smells of fish - if that's not your thing, cross the road to a big green park and eat there. Hope this all helps. It has certainly made me hungry - and one of the first things that I need to eat after bub arrives is definitely sushi!! Cheers Maliaty

While I used to love the AGT reviews, when I shelled out for that mag, I find the SMH good food guide more useful for getting the feel of a place. Cookware stores in Sydney - if you have the money, The Essential Ingredient in Camperdown is a great collection (and has a good collection of cookbooks). There is also a kitchen supply warehouse just a bit further down Parramatta Road into Annandale which is v reliable. In the CBD, Victoria's Basement (or Victoria's Kitchen or something like that - not Victoria's Secret - ha ha) is down the bottom of the Queen Victoria Building and has a reasonable range. Peter's of Kensington, in Kensington, is well stocked with plates, crockery etc but can be very crowded, because they always seem to have a sale on. The major bookstores in the city (Dymocks, Angus & Robertson, Borders) usually have a good selection of cookbooks, if not quite as comprehensive as The Essential Ingredient, and are always keen to order in books ( I think for free, from memory), as are most bookstores in Australia. And of course, there is always the department store option - David Jones and Grace Bros (soon to be called Myers to fit in with Victoria). I think (and please Melbournians correct me if I am wrong) that there is a bookstore in Melbourne that sells nothing but new & 2nd hand cookbooks...but have not myself visited (www.booksforcooks.com.au). Hope this helps, ecr! Maliaty

Max Brenner is great! Love the lovely chocolate shakes. While not exactly Sydney chocolate, we're starting to see in Sydney more of the Green & Black fair trade organic chocolate, which has pretty high cacoa ratings - there is one in particular which I love - the maya gold blend, which is dark, with orange and spices (mostly cinnamon) - is this turning up in other Aussie cities? I also was given the Green & Black chocolate cookbook for Christmas, and there is not a page in it that did not inspire a drool response... cheers Maliaty

This reminds me of an episode of the Simpsons (not that I am comparing anyone to Homer!)... In one of our local excellent providors (Simon Johnson in Sydney), they not only encourage you to sample the oils, vinegars, cheese (under their supervision), they provide you with superb coffee to go with. Now that is a food selling trend I can get behind! cheers Maliaty

Re the beer - you may end up intensifying the burning, rather than reducing it - the capsacin from memory dissolves further into the alcohol - and hence gets quicker into your bloodstream. Same principle (although different chemistry) to use of fat / oil in the dish. But, boy, does it taste good going down! I have once had chilli beer - and I vaguely recall a chilli tequila - vaguely. cheers maliaty

Re China Moon + ginger One of her comments - down the inside margin of my copy - is that she never peels ginger at home, but at her restaurant, peer pressure forces her into it! I have to say, I usually peel. Re the soupiness of the stir fries - for me, it's usually because I panic and put too much stock / sauce in (I find it hard to restrain myself and follow the recipe exactly). Also, re szechuan peppercorns - I live in Australia, and have no problem finding them - it's more of a problem to get the thorns out... cheers maliaty

Milk and yoghurt do work. I think the more spicy food you eat, the more you are able to tolerate (something to do with killing off taste buds?? not sure). However, I have friends addicted to hot & spicy who suffer for it afterwards - but arise no less determined to order the hottest vindaloo, eat the onion / peppers and so on. Hope your friends don't prevent you from indulging in the red end of the spectrum too often.... cheers Maliaty

Steingarten's "It must have been something I ate"...and I have just finished rererereading the China Moon cookbook which I love to death. For Christmas this year, we swapped one batch of homemade China Moon inspired chilli szechaun peppercorn oil for brother in law's killer bbq sauce... cheers Maliaty

How about a lawyer married to an IT guy? but seriously - I would love to know how the transition was made....and how I can emulate such a fine example. Cheers Maliaty

I sometimes remember to put flour in the freezer. Otherwise, I get moths etc sprouting out. Not a good luck, but I suppose it's just another form of protein....There are a hundred and one jars of mustard, tamarind paste, jams of one sort or another, anchovies etc lurking in my fridge that I really should process through and kill off the dead! Cheers Maliaty

I quite like a bit of 'roo on occasion. As mentioned above, it's pretty similar to venison - so often gets cooked in red wine, juniper berries etc. Seared /rare, it is delicious, with a soft texture. Overcooked, not so much. Wallaby on the other hand, I think tastes kinda like liver. Emu I quite like - at the local farmers markets, emu sausages are sometimes sold and are fast movers. The taste is rich, again a bit gamey, and nothing like a large chicken. I agree about crocodile - definitely one for the tourists. Camel on the other hand, is succulent and tasty. Unfortunately, not sold in the supermarkets - pretty limited to tourist destination restaurants, but like good beef.... Kangaroo is sold in our local supermarket, and quite often appears on barbies that we go to....

Heavens to Betsy! Litres of milk... Perhaps I should go and have a smoothie or something. Thanks Marlene!

Hello I'm about 6 months along - and the only thing that I have even briefly craved has been smoked almonds. I ate a tonne over a 5 day period - and craving gone! Weird. I don't normally eat smoked almonds...but after that I boosted my other protein intakes (red meat, wholemeal things etc). Aversions - during those 5 or so weeks of nausea, meat was not a good thing. Stews definitely not. And unfortunately - any form of fat...like duck fat or goose fat. My dearly beloved prepared this cabbage / duck fat thing that we had eaten some time before at a German beer-hall restaurant, and I couldn't be in the same room with it! It was a very bad thing indeed. Thank goodness for ginger! At the moment, I think I am pretty over yoghurt. The amount of calcium that this baby seems to want is incredible.... Roll on February! Maliaty

For my 2c, or $6.80 etc, the best laksa is at the Malaya / Chinese on King St, near the corner of King and Castlereagh in Sydney CBD. They do an awesome assam laksa, and a great mee siam. Can you tell it's almost lunchtime down under?? cheers Maliaty

Oh - also forgot to say that both the Banc and Bel Mondo cookbooks are beautiful creations. There is a great recipe for really intense corn soup in the Banc book.. shame about the restaurant closing. It also had a breakdown of how they prepared for service etc - typical day in the life (with glossy pics)... Cheers Maliaty