Pat Churchill

Just received that one - and the Sydney one as well. Plus "Sydney Eats" and Grower’s Market - cooking with seasonal produce", by Leanne Kitchen. They're featuring on my website currently - http://www.cookingdownunder.com/books/bookintro.htm Walked into The Avenue Bookstore in Albert Park this morning (wonderful shop) and came out with Bourdain's "The Nasty Bits" and Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking". I have the earlier edition of the latter, plus McGhee's "The Curious Cook" and they've both been great reference books - as well as a good read. Got Damien Pignolet's "French" for my birthday so I have a lot of reading to do.

I make a duck breast salad with spiced pears - http://cookingdownunder.com/articles/2006/218.htm - but you could also use the pears with hot duck breast. Last summer I pickled cherries - http://cookingdownunder.com/articles/2005/216.htm - and we also eat them with duck dishes.

It's quite some time since I prepared a crab dish from scratch. I keep meaning to pick up a couple of crabs from the market and practise the dissection thing. I used to make a nice Thai chicken and crabmeat pattie. I seem to recall a lot of labour for little return! Like the artichokes I cooked the other night. A huge bag of discarded bits and four small artichoke hearts! Twice recently I've had great softshell crab dishes - one at Misuzu's, Albert Park and the other at Longrain.

Daniel I wondered about that, too, as I had read that crabs should be used as soon after purchase as possible. I did a little research. According to the Sydney Fish Market site "Blue Swimmer Crabs are one of the few crabs not sold live, but are available cooked or green (uncooked), as they don’t survive well once captured. Look for brightly coloured, firm, intact, lustrous shells, without any discolouration, particularly at joints, and a pleasant fresh sea smell. If possible, give them a gentle shake to ensure there’s no sound of sloshing water." You could email their Fishline fishline@sydneyfishmarket.com.au Got any good crab recipes?

Crudites, framboise, ananas, tom yum gai, and cavolfiori, semi freddo, brown Betty, squid, ras el hanout, cloutie dumpling, athol brose...

Can personally vouch for Te Mata Estate Bullnose Syrah. Check out Was even prepared to pay Oz's extraordinary bureaucratic tax on our last few bottles when we shifted cross the ditch last year. (Kiwi friends offered to buy them and save us the angst!)

I don't often frequent Southbank as a dining destination. Usually eat there only if we've been to a movie at Crown or a show at the Arts Centre. Wonder how Neil Perry's place will go at Crown Casino. Here's the menu

Had real slack service at a place tonight so said so and didn't tip (not a capital offence here in Australia)

Called in to Greco on Southbank in Melbourne tonight after a movie, circa 9pm. We were seated readily enough but it took a lonnnnnng time before anyone came to take our order and then only because I flagged down one of the several passing waitpersons and asked if we could order. He didn't actually take the order - went and found another person (another 5 minute wait). We asked if we could have the wine forthwith - no problem. And the food was prompt. But we had to flag down another waiter for some water. And yet another because our wine had disappeared down the deck for "chilling". No offers of desserts or coffee. We nailed yet another waiter for our bill. You guessed it - no one wanted to collect the credit card so we eventually went to the till. "How was everything?" Spouse went into polite mode. "Food was good." (It was). Dammit, I thought, so said: "BUT the service was VERY SLACK." The place was crawling with waitpeople. No excuse. Man on till apologised. We have a son in hospitality to pay his way though a degree and we usually tip generously because we know it's part of their income. Not tonight, folks. It would be the first time in yonks we haven't tipped. What would you have done? Just looked at their website - they claim to be the "Champse Elise" in Melbourne

Yeah, but less bread that way

I wonder what they'd do if, having complained and got no sympathy or action from them, you asked for a doggy bag for the offending dish?

Often the waiter is just checking that they haven't missed anything like water, condiments, the bottle of chardonnay you ordered but never received. Sometimes it's a welcome opportunity to request more bread, missing cutlery, whatever. Frequently, though, I think it's just a rhetorical question. Occasionally the devil makes me do it and I ask: "What's everyone else in here saying about the food?"

Oh, yes. I am going to waste some time there! First recipe I looked at involved dog fat. But I got over it

That sounds a lot more appetising than the straight avocado half topped with a poached egg that a friend was served at a diplomatic dinner in Germany! Bit large to stuff in her little handbag, she said. I like alternating slices of avocado, buffalo mozzarella and tomato, sprinkled with a peppery olive oil, some lemon juice, flakey salt and ground black pepper and strewn with a few basil leaves. One of my "lazy" salads.

I like a couple of cutlets off a rack of lamb, all pink and tender, or a juicy venison tenderloin steak. Kangaroo is good, properly cooked! I also have a lingering fondness for beef olives. The Spouse would probably prefer I used the beef slices for Wiener Schnitzel.

How about taking a small cube of Oasis (the green foam stuff florists use) poke in little sprigs of herbs or general foliage, and stick the label pick in the top. Oasis blocks can be cut to the appropriate size with a sharp knife.

Umm. I am thinking tamarind paste...

If your beef cheeks aren't already history, I picked up a recipe for cooking them at a recent Slow Food demo here in Melbourne - http://cookingdownunder.com/articles/2006/slowfood.htm Fergus Henderson's roast suckling pig is on the same page, for anyone who's interested.

Hasn't sous vide been banned in NY?

Oh, yes. Got the picture, Jason, thanks. Remember those days well. Our sons are now in their 20s. They still like to come out for dinner with us, specially when Dad is paying. Just be grateful your kids are 12 years younger than my two and less expensive to feed. (And probably don't drink alcohol when they eat!)

Hi Janet Thought it looked like something that would take your eye. Glad you saw it already! In similar vein, I found some real gems of cookbooks over at Project Gutenberg. Cheers

I love the Italy book and the new Cook with Jamie sounds like another one I will buy. Have you seen the TV series he made in Italy. Unfortunately I missed a few episodes but the book gives the general flavour. Currently showing here is the series made when setting up the Melbourne Fifteen which opened a couple of weeks back. Unfortunately I've missed it so far.

No fear of anyone here turning vegetarian in a hurry...

Where would sportsmen be today without endorsing assorted products? Don't hear too many people criticising them. But then I have no idea what Applebee's is. Can someone translate, please?

Yes, I agree with Marlene. You can add in some chopped fresh herbs for variety.