eG Foodblog: rarerollingobject (2011) - Mealtimes at the University of

[Broken English]

I love the Asian slant your cooking has. It's definately something I'd like to learn more about.

Sydney has an amazing food culture I think, I don't quite get how Melbourne is called the food capital of Australia, especially when people try and tell me that Sydney doesn't have the level of dining that Melbourne does.

[nikkib]

That looks amazing! I am stealing all these recipes - expect to see them pop up on the dinner thread in some point! I also love the ethnic influences of your cooking - do you just take your influences from your environment living in such a multi cultural city or have you lived in any of these places (you mentioned tokyo neing your favourite city for eating) or is that just from travelling?

[rarerollingobject]

I love the Asian slant your cooking has. It's definately something I'd like to learn more about.

Sydney has an amazing food culture I think, I don't quite get how Melbourne is called the food capital of Australia, especially when people try and tell me that Sydney doesn't have the level of dining that Melbourne does.

I've thought about this too..I think Melbourne has a better range of really great quality but mid-level in terms of price/fanciness restaurants, while Sydney kills it at the very top end, and also at the down home very cheap eats end. And don't even talk to me about Melbourne yum cha!! Pathetic!

That looks amazing! I am stealing all these recipes - expect to see them pop up on the dinner thread in some point! I also love the ethnic influences of your cooking - do you just take your influences from your environment living in such a multi cultural city or have you lived in any of these places (you mentioned tokyo neing your favourite city for eating) or is that just from travelling?

I'm a bit culturally confused myself, or 'culturally cross-trained' is my euphemism of choice. I was born in Hong Kong and grew up between there and Beijing and then a period of moving countries every 18 months with my father's job (he's retired now, but was a foreign correspondent for Reuters). All through this time, we had nannies and cooks (don't judge, it's what expats in Asia do!). They were variously Shanghainese, Cantonese, one who'd been grown up in Manchuria in the 1930s and therefore spoke mainly Japanese, and later, a Filipina nanny. I can thus speak a good deal of Japanese, a fair bit of Mandarin, pretty bad Cantonese and can only swear in Tagalog.

They all left their mark on me, food-wise, though! I'm most comfortable cooking Cantonese food, but have some Filipino dishes I get incredibly nostalgic for.

As soon as I had any money of my own as an adult, I started travelling again, and have been back to HK and China and all over Vietnam and Japan six times and..always thinking about escape. Korea is my next plan.

Edited July 26, 2011 by rarerollingobject (log)

[Blether]

...

Will never look at a low-flying duck the same way again. Would like to hear the R-rated ones.

PM'd and apologies to your delicate sensibilities in advance!

...

Now you're in trouble, 'cos everyone wants a copy.

Edited July 26, 2011 by Blether (log)

[Broken English]

I love the Asian slant your cooking has. It's definately something I'd like to learn more about.

Sydney has an amazing food culture I think, I don't quite get how Melbourne is called the food capital of Australia, especially when people try and tell me that Sydney doesn't have the level of dining that Melbourne does.

I've thought about this too..I think Melbourne has a better range of really great quality but mid-level in terms of price/fanciness restaurants, while Sydney kills it at the very top end, and also at the down home very cheap eats end. And don't even talk to me about Melbourne yum cha!! Pathetic!

I love the cafe culture and the street food scene in Melbourne, but I can't think of anything else it comes close to matching Sydney in, especially at the top end of the spectrum.

On an unrelated note, I had dinner at Gastro Park tonight, it was, for my money, better than the last two meals I've had at Quay, and definately in the top five for the city. Have you tried there yet?

[rarerollingobject]

Now you're in trouble, 'cos everyone wants a copy.

I'm not even sure it's possible to offend YOUR sensibilities! So stand by.

[rarerollingobject]

A little midnight meat-handling. Something for tomorrow night's dinner: galbi, or Korean grilled short ribs.

Look at that beautiful marbling! Be still my saturated-fat-saturated heart.

Marinating overnight in a mix of soy, mirin, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and kiwi and pear to sweeten and tenderise, all blended to a puree in the food processor. Some of my Korean friends use a can of 7 Up in the marinade. *faint*

I also added a little of this incredible Malaysian 'cooking caramel'. It's basically flavourless but imparts the most amazingly deep colour.

[rarerollingobject]

I love the cafe culture and the street food scene in Melbourne, but I can't think of anything else it comes close to matching Sydney in, especially at the top end of the spectrum.

On an unrelated note, I had dinner at Gastro Park tonight, it was, for my money, better than the last two meals I've had at Quay, and definately in the top five for the city. Have you tried there yet?

Patisseries. Melbourne does have good patisseries.

Gastro Park..NO, BUT I REALLY WANT TO! Sorry for shouting, but it's top of my 'to try' list, just never seem to get around to it. It's even close enough to walk sloshedly home! Note to self: stop sounding like an alcoholic. Take pictures of the food, by any chance?

[rarerollingobject]

OK, this might ook people out: savoury oatmeal.

As a kid, I got fed A LOT of congee, and I really do love it, but looking a quicker and slightly healther alternative to the carbiness of rice, I now effectively make congee with oatmeal. I personally don't see WHY it's ooky, but some perfectly sane and well into food people that I know always seem to freak the eff out at the mere mention of savoury oatmeal so...*shrug*.

Here's my prep, mostly mixins: chopped green onion, crispy fried shallots, white pepper, soy, leek flower sauce, Sichuan pepper oil, a spoonful of melting duck fat, and Lao Gan Ma chilli oil (this is the variant with peanuts and chewy turnip cubes in it).

I cook the porridge in the microwave in chicken stock (OK, bouillon powder and water, no time to defrost homemade stock in the morning) and then garnish till the cows come home.

Breakfast of champions, I say! And a lot less hard to explain than the other porridge dish I sometimes get a craving for..Filipino champorado, a sweet chocolate rice or oatmeal porridge garnished and eaten with salty dried fish..

[catdaddy]

OK, this might ook people out: savoury oatmeal.

As a kid, I got fed A LOT of congee, and I really do love it, but looking a quicker and slightly healther alternative to the carbiness of rice, I now effectively make congee with oatmeal. I personally don't see WHY it's ooky, but some perfectly sane and well into food people that I know always seem to freak the eff out at the mere mention of savoury oatmeal so...*shrug*.

Here's my prep, mostly mixins: chopped green onion, crispy fried shallots, white pepper, soy, leek flower sauce, Sichuan pepper oil, a spoonful of melting duck fat, and Lao Gan Ma chilli oil (this is the variant with peanuts and chewy turnip cubes in it).

I cook the porridge in the microwave in chicken stock (OK, bouillon powder and water, no time to defrost homemade stock in the morning) and then garnish till the cows come home.

Breakfast of champions, I say! And a lot less hard to explain than the other porridge dish I sometimes get a craving for..Filipino champorado, a sweet chocolate rice or oatmeal porridge garnished and eaten with salty dried fish..

This is a brilliant use of oatmeal. I'll be trying this soon.

Loving a look into your kitchen.

[Dejah]

I grew up eating savory oatmeal in Hong Kong, but not nearly as eleaborate as your version!

My Mom made it with pork broth, ginger, and slices of pork or minced pork. I remember it being so good in the winter before heading off to school. Once in a while, she'd soak the conpoy overnight and shredd this into the oatmeal. I didn't like green onions in the oatmeal but I love it in rice congee.

I tried to introduce this to my husband - blasphemy!

The kids agreed with him...

Thanks for bringing back a wonderful childhood memory.

[heidih]

Love the savory oatmeal - I have seen that reported more and more on the internet for breakfast along with variations using quinoa and other mixed grains.

So....what is your bouillon powder of choice. I am a Knorr user - I think they have different variants for different countries so the one I get here has the label printed in English and Spanish and I think is geared to Mexico

[helenjp]

I agree with you about oatmeal, it tastes just as good (in some cases better than) rice congee with savoury things.

Your blog is making me terribly homesick. I think it's the fact that the emphasis on seafood and the nearness and accessibility of East Asian food is just part of everyday life.

I'm interested to see that you like a middle eastern twist to your cooking too...it seems to be part of OZ & ENZ food culture, and it works in well with Japanese food too I'm happy to report! Love that tri-color quinoa...I　was just thinking about cold quinoa summer dishes, so I'm going to see how a cold version works, thanks.

I haven't been to Sydney since it was embracing a kind of Emerald City phase, so I'm enjoying your blog very much.

Love

[ScottyBoy]

Some of my Korean friends use a can of 7 Up in the marinade. *faint*

Hey now, don't knock it till you try it

[Broken English]

I love the cafe culture and the street food scene in Melbourne, but I can't think of anything else it comes close to matching Sydney in, especially at the top end of the spectrum.

On an unrelated note, I had dinner at Gastro Park tonight, it was, for my money, better than the last two meals I've had at Quay, and definately in the top five for the city. Have you tried there yet?

Patisseries. Melbourne does have good patisseries.

Gastro Park..NO, BUT I REALLY WANT TO! Sorry for shouting, but it's top of my 'to try' list, just never seem to get around to it. It's even close enough to walk sloshedly home! Note to self: stop sounding like an alcoholic. Take pictures of the food, by any chance?

Haha, yeah it was really good. Spherified pumpkin 'gnocchi' in mushroom consomme, sashimi scallop with tuna bone marrow, foie gras with beetroot, plum vinegar and red cabbage granita, and of course the nitro pavlova. Plus, my hat goes off to any fine dining restaurant that doesn't feel the need to have a 3500 page wine list.

I don't actually own a camera, so no. There are some good photos if you do a google search and look at some of the blogs.

Edited July 27, 2011 by Broken English (log)

[annachan]

I love savoury oatmeal as well! That used to be the only way I would eat my oatmeal. My grandma used to make it with sliced or ground beef that she marinated in a combination of soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch and oil. With a little soy sauce, it was great for cold mornings. It's still comfort food for me.

I eat sweet oatmeal now. One time at work, I decided to pour coffee instead of water into some instant oatmeal. It actually goes quite well with the maple flavor oatmeal....

[rarerollingobject]

I grew up eating savory oatmeal in Hong Kong, but not nearly as eleaborate as your version!

My Mom made it with pork broth, ginger, and slices of pork or minced pork. I remember it being so good in the winter before heading off to school. Once in a while, she'd soak the conpoy overnight and shredd this into the oatmeal. I didn't like green onions in the oatmeal but I love it in rice congee.

I tried to introduce this to my husband - blasphemy!

The kids agreed with him...

Thanks for bringing back a wonderful childhood memory.

Aww, that's lovely..most of my nostalgia also involves Hong Kong. Somehow, HK homestyle food is the most comforting thing in the world to me.

Conpoy! What a good idea..I can't believe I never thought of that, I would have for rice congee..I'm going to try it!

I don't know why people are so virulent about savoury oatmeal!

I love savoury oatmeal as well! That used to be the only way I would eat my oatmeal. My grandma used to make it with sliced or ground beef that she marinated in a combination of soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch and oil. With a little soy sauce, it was great for cold mornings. It's still comfort food for me.

I eat sweet oatmeal now. One time at work, I decided to pour coffee instead of water into some instant oatmeal. It actually goes quite well with the maple flavor oatmeal....

Another one of us!! Awesome. Question for you and Dejah though: using sliced meat or ground meat, how did your mother and grandma respectively cook the meat? Pre cook it in a pan and then load onto the oatmeal, or cook in the oatmeal itself from the heat of the water?

[rarerollingobject]

I agree with you about oatmeal, it tastes just as good (in some cases better than) rice congee with savoury things.

Your blog is making me terribly homesick. I think it's the fact that the emphasis on seafood and the nearness and accessibility of East Asian food is just part of everyday life.

I'm interested to see that you like a middle eastern twist to your cooking too...it seems to be part of OZ & ENZ food culture, and it works in well with Japanese food too I'm happy to report! Love that tri-color quinoa...I　was just thinking about cold quinoa summer dishes, so I'm going to see how a cold version works, thanks.

I haven't been to Sydney since it was embracing a kind of Emerald City phase, so I'm enjoying your blog very much.

Love

Thank you, such a lovely thing to say! I do really enjoy Middle Eastern flavours..I'm fascinated with Persian/Iranian food..I love all the spices and nuts and use of dried fruit and flavours that really evoke a sense of place.

Cold quinoa is great, but one of my very favourite quinoa preps is warm or cold, drizzled with ponzu and sesame oil, with an avocado sliced over and crumbled nori. Sounds plain, tastes incredible.

[rarerollingobject]

Haha, yeah it was really good. Spherified pumpkin 'gnocchi' in mushroom consomme, sashimi scallop with tuna bone marrow, foie gras with beetroot, plum vinegar and red cabbage granita, and of course the nitro pavlova. Plus, my hat goes off to any fine dining restaurant that doesn't feel the need to have a 3500 page wine list.

I don't actually own a camera, so no. There are some good photos if you do a google search and look at some of the blogs.

You had me at 'tuna bone marrow'. Sounds like my kind of place.

[rarerollingobject]

Some of my Korean friends use a can of 7 Up in the marinade. *faint*

Hey now, don't knock it till you try it

Oh, believe me, I'd never throw bbq ribs out of bed in the morning regardless of how they'd been marinated, but 7 Up is just too sickly sweet to me. Standard galbi marinade already contains one or all of kiwi, pear, sugar and honey!

[annachan]

Another one of us!! Awesome. Question for you and Dejah though: using sliced meat or ground meat, how did your mother and grandma respectively cook the meat? Pre cook it in a pan and then load onto the oatmeal, or cook in the oatmeal itself from the heat of the water?

I believe my grandma cooked the oatmeal first, and then add the meat. Since the oatmeal holds the heat so well, it cooks the meat quickly, keeping the meat tender. If flavor is more important, then the meat goes into the water the same time as the oatmeal.

Oh, when I don't have meat ready, I have just added a spoonful of bovril to the oatmeal and it's not a bad substitution.

[rarerollingobject]

Lunchingtons and a wander through the Chinatown freshmarkets.

Underneath that Chinese supermarket I showed you guys, there's a huge market selling mostly tourist souvenir junk, but also an amazing range of fruit and vegetables, and two days a week, fish. The produce is CHEAP, not sure you can get any cheaper in Sydney, and is where all my Chinese friends shop for their fruit and veg, which is how you know the quality is unimpeachable (bad fruit pun, apologies).

It wasn't a fish day today, but I can't ever pass by without taking a gander at what's on offer. Finds today included yellow chives (the grown in darkness ones) and a pomelo I'm hoping to use tomorrow night.

Some photos. It's not the fanciest of surrounds but DAMN, so much stuff..

And then it was on to Pasteur, but not in the mood for pho, I went for their grilled pork on steamed vermicelli, and split a plate of gorgeous light crispy spring rolls, made with rice paper wrappers and chock full of prawns.

And I was semi-tempted to get a banh mi next door for afternoon snacking on the way back, but sadly, decorum prevailed.

[rarerollingobject]

And dinner, a bit of a production..galbi and bibimbap (mixed vegetables on rice). I really like Korean food..the strong flavours (chilli, garlic) and the focus on vegetables (I love all the side dishes you get in restaurants).

So here we have the makings of three side dishes, with eggplant, spinach and two sad-looking carrots:

The flavourings for each are in these bowls. Wakame seaweed and yuzu salt for the carrots, sesame seeds ground with mirin and soy for the spinach, and a heady mix of black pepper, sesame oil, soy, garlic and green onions for the eggplant, which I shredded and fried. Boiled the spinach and squeezed it dry in my sushi mat.

Finished vegetable dishes and the galbi, marinated overnight and ready for grilling:

With further garnishes of gochujang chilli paste and a good pile of kimchi:

Vegetables on a bowl of rice with a raw egg yolk for an instant 'sauce':

And the galbi:

Food coma. Excuse me.

[threestars]

Wonderful and delicious photos! The Galbi looks very delicious!

[nikkib]

well you might have ruined your keyboard by drooling over ZeemanB's duck but mine has literlly just gone up in flames!~These threads really SHOULD come with a warning! I have never tried cooking Korean food but all 3 of those sides look awesome - Yuzu salt?! I am still in envy of the Yuzu tabasco!!! Great week, helping me escape from my last week of restaurant trials before we move into Ramadan which i am bound to follow (at least in public) or spend the rest of the month in jail (although these dishes would make that almost totally worth it!)