Pat Churchill

On his Australian Gourmet Pages website, (http://www.classic.com.au/wizard/reviews.htm), Franz Scheuer says, apropos his restaurant reviews: "Please note: I do believe that even bad publicity is still publicity. Due to this I will generally only post reviews of restaurants that I believe to be worthy. I take no pleasure in talking about a place I wouldn't go back to. This is the reason that most of the reviews posted on this web site are good and they are meant to be a tribute to the amazing talent, the tremendous dedication and the hard work put in by all concerned." What would you all say about that approach? Personally, I'm not comfortable with it. But then, of course, he's writing for a different medium and he's openly stated his policy. He doesn't have to say to his editor, right on deadline "No review this week. Didn't eat anything I liked."

When his Kobe Club restaurant was given a no stars rating by New York Times’ restaurant reviewer Frank Bruni, Jeffrey Chodorow (remember him from The Restaurant reality TV show about Rocco DiSpirito) not only got mad – he set out to get even. He took out a full page ad in the NY Times, addressed to Pete Wells, editor of the newspaper's Dining section, and attacked Bruni’s credentials. Pointed out Bruni was a political correspondent in Italy before becoming the NY Times reviewer. But restaurant reviewers aren't the only ones dissing restaurants. If we get bad food, bad service, bad attitude from the staff, don't we all let everyone know? Equally, if we have a great meal, a memorable experience, don't we recommend the restaurant to others? Stroll by a group of restaurants. Some will be absolutely buzzing. But what about the one with a couple of lonely souls in the window seat and a sea of empty chairs further in. Would you be tempted in there? I know of one not far from where I was living. I'd eaten there once. Quite acceptable but not brilliant. However, there seldom seemed to be many people dining there when I passed by. Curious about its lack of customers, I thought I'd check out the reviews. Nothing in the Good Food Guide and only one mention online that went beyond a description of the decor and contact details. I wasn't surprised to see the place had closed late last year. So - maybe no reviews isn't always good news either...

The Smokehouse on the wharf in Mapua, near Nelson for wonderful smoked fish etc. The restaurant at the Pegasus Bay vineyard at Waipara. French Farm at Akaroa. All were good last time I tried them. Where are you studying? Christchurch? There are some good dining places in Merivale.

As a Kiwi, I'm with you on that one. Yay to the sticky, as well. I also like Roquefort (now available in Oz) and Danish Blue Castello - try my blue cheese and asparagus tart. I was first introduced to blue cheese when I was about nine. Smelt like vomit but tasted pretty good. Wonder what Kiwi blue cheese I was eating then (in the '50s)?

You're right, Jane. Went there with a friend for a cooking demo and have bought a lot of duck. Only thing I don't like is the Peking Duck pack. Mine was pretty average, one pancake short and lacked the flavour sachet. But the fresh duck is great, as is the jar of duck fat which I use for roasting potatoes.

As far as New Zealand salt goes, I like white Marlborough Flaky Sea Salt. Unless someone else has entered the field in the past year or so, I think it's the only finising salt produced there. Since moving to Oz I have been using peach coloured Murray River salt as a finishing salt. I'll be interested to read other people's choices as I'd like to try some other varieties. Did I read somewhere about one restaurant offering a dozen different salts? The cynic in me says NaCl is NaCl but I guess some of these salts have unique "characteristics"

I'm sure there's a damn good book in there, guys.

We've just moved down to Port Melbourne from Albert Park. Looks like plenty of good places to sample (and keep me out of the kitchen occasionally). Anyone have any particular recommendations/"don't go there!" places?

Like sloe gin :-0

I like Manju Malhi's Indian cookbooks. Check her website.

I think you might best describe this as "an occasion of sin".

I see another shipment of Roquefort looks like it might be dumped or returned to France for not meeting the local E coli regulations. Story here

A while back I made some quince sorbet but actually the spiced cooked quince it was made from also went very nicely with roasted pork.

The cat and I have one each. No one else in the family knows about them. Cook's perks. I've always referred to them as "oysters".

Christmas entertaining season is coming up (summer in these parts). Anyone have a favourite tapas recipe they'd like to share? Even a general description of a tapas dish you've enjoyed would serve as a springboard.

When I am dining out I have no hesitation in asking for a slice of bread for the sauce mopping. Let's face it - a fork is not the instrument of choice! Chefs don't spend hours making delicious sauces and gravies just to have them come back to the kitchen. I love watching others round a table follow suit once someone takes the "mop up" initiative. And when it comes to raw oysters which are often served with separate dipping sauces, I just pour any remaining oyster juices into one shell and slurp. Discreetly, of course.

Instead of an ice cream scoop, have you tried a melon baller? It's my instrument of choice for the occasional (mainstream) presentation.

Thanks

Maybe they use them for chicken stock?

I recently bought the splendid "French" by Sydney chef/restaurateur Damien Pignolet and I am still wandering through it, choosing dishes I want to make. There's a thread about it here on eGullet. The only real reservation I have about the book is the use of the font Tribute which is a little heavy on ligatures.

Great topic! And we wonder how come our kids were picky eaters? I love cold ice cream on hot dessert. Trouble is you need a double dose of ice cream to last the whole dessert. Maybe there's a niche market for a two-tier or two compartment dessert plate?

I've put together an ebook for novice cooks. I had people like my sons in mind when I wrote it - young people fending for themselves, trying to set up a store cupbard, put together a bit of equipment, master some basic skills, learn the jargon. You can download it free here. It's a pdf file. Good cooking!!

I went to a lunch where Ramsay was speaker last week. He said pricing dishes on the menu is a critical issue. A diner’s perception of the cost can influence the evening’s spending. “If we go into a restaurant and we know that the food’s good and not expensive, I guarantee you’ll spend another £5 or £10 on a bottle of wine. Subconsciously we know damn well it’s not as easy to make money on wine as it is on food.” He said they had a situation at Claridge’s five years ago where they opened the restaurant with a £21 lunch menu. “The general manager got really upset with the fact that I was ‘degrading’ the front of the hotel. He thought that we were cheapening the brand of Claridge’s. So we had an argument, as we do, and we established the importance of removing intimidation and admittedly we never made money on £21, but what we did do, we established a very healthy business and the money we didn’t make on the food was made up on what we’d done on the wine. Now of course, five years later, the lunch menu is £30 and we still cater a fully booked lunch five, six lunches out of seven.” The rest of my report is on my website if anyone wants to read more. I'd say he doesn't want to intimidate New Yorkers at this stage

The hotel restaurant cooked two dishes from his Sunday Lunch book. Roast lamb rump on an eggplant puree. That puree was absolutely terrific. Dessert was a rhubarb creme brulee done in a wide shallow dish. Just a little rhubarb. Quite a simple dish - but enough

I am going to a lunch here in Melbourne on Thursdsay where Ramsay is promoting his autobiography and a new cookbook. I will report how he comes across. ← Here it is