Akachochin Masterclass

As a member of EatWithMe, I had no hesitation in signing for the sushi making demonstration when I heard that Akachochin was hosting it.  The restaurant had opened since April 2012 and had maintained consistent food and service according to Urbanspoon members. South Wharf is still establishing itself to be in the high end dining and shopping scene. Other restaurants in the area include The Sharing House, Shed 5, Bohemian Bar and Restaurant just to name a few.

Head Chef Kengo Hiromatsu (and I think owner as well) prepared one of Akachochin's signature dish - Hiramasa Namerou aka kingfish tartare served with rice cracker. The recipe was simplistic but very delicious. The rice cracker could take more than a day to make as it involves a drying out process for that sublime crunchy texture. The soy beans and picked wasabi stalk are other exotic ingredients to tie all the flavours together. I wanted more!

Head Chef Kengo later shed some light into sushi making and the techniques involved. I have been to other sushi making classes before however it is always interesting to hear what other tips the chefs impart.

He prepared an inside-out sushi with the help of a volunteer from our group. She was able to eat her salmon avocado creation afterwards. They served us snapper, tuna, salmon and vegetarian sushi rolls/nigiri. The fish was fresh and served traditionally warm (around human body temperature), not icy cold like Kengo said.

The light dishes were accompanied by a beautifully smooth sake from the Mikata region. Sadly, I didn't get the name of the drink.

Would I return to try their food again? Yes definitely! 

This event was exclusive to EatWithMe members and costed $35 for the sampling dishes including the sake. It was a fun way to meet new people and a nice way to share a meal with other food loving minded people. It may hosted again in the future - best to sign up with EatWithMe to be kept informed of all the happenings!

Red Spice Road - QV

Red Spice Road (RSR) has recently opened up a sister branch in QV where the former Duck Duck Goose restaurant resided. Every time I venture into RSR, their famous carmelised pork belly dish is a must order. At first glance the recipe appears complex due to the combination of various flavours and textures. Hence I have not had the leap of faith to attempt it yet. I will post a copy of the recipe in another post.

My dining partner and I went for an early dinner so the express banquet was offered ($25 per person). It comprised of an appetiser, 3 shared mains and steamed rice. One dessert offering was optional for an extra $5. My favourites were the pork belly and the pandan dessert.

A full description of the dishes can be found here: http://www.weekendnotes.com/red-spice-road-qv/

By comparison, I like the McKillop branch more. Pork belly came out warm and not hot thus the texture wasn't quite the same - I hate to think it was microwaved and understand the recipe takes a few hours to make. There's not much you can do with it once it finishes cooking. The service at QV was inattentive. Staff had to be waved at which happened on more than one occasion. The restaurant wasn't busy yet so either more staff was yet to clock on or they weren't assigned designated areas to look after. Hopefully it will pick up once they settle into routine. Three weeks has surpassed since. Will I return? Not in a hurry. I would rather walk over to the McKillop branch instead.

Baking: Scones Attempt #2

In my first ever post for this new blogsphere environment, I attempted to make scones from scratch after experiencing disappointing crumbling ones at a cafe in Olinda. Due to the touristy atmosphere, scones were also charged a fortune for these flour and milk delights. Surprisingly, scones are not too difficult to create at home using ingredients that you should have around the kitchen.

The second scone attempt was made using buttermilk instead, crumbling butter with chilled butter and less oil. The result? A heavier scone that I wouldn't eat too much of. I thought the buttermilk and butter would add more flavour however that proved not to be the case. It just made it denser...and more calorie loaded! The tops of my scone got burnt due to brushing the buttermilk on top :( the recipe called for 230 degrees...I found that too hot and my scones didn't look appealing in the end.

What you will need:

• 3 cups (450g) self-raising flour
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 60g chilled butter, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups (375ml) buttermilk, plus extra to brush
• Raspberry jam, to serve
• Double cream or clotted cream, to serve

Step by Step:

1. Sift & rub

Preheat oven to 230°C. Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

2. Stir

Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Pour in the buttermilk and use a butter knife in a cutting action to stir until a soft but sticky dough forms (add more milk if necessary to make the dough soft).

3. Knead & pat

Turn dough out on to a lightly-floured surface and gently knead until dough just comes together (it is important to knead very lightly, as heavy, long kneading develops the gluten in the flour and creates denser scones). Use your fingertips to gently pat the dough into a 2cm-thick disc. (Do not use a rolling pin, as it can be too heavy-handed.)

4. Cut & brush

Lightly flour a 23cm-square cake pan. Use a 5cm-diameter round pastry cutter dipped in flour to cut out scones. Arrange scones side by side in the prepared pan. Gently brush the top of each scone with a little extra buttermilk to glaze (alternatively, dust the scones with flour for a softer finish, if desired.)

5. Bake & serve

Bake scones on the top shelf of preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and scones sound hollow when gently tapped. Turn scones out on to a clean tea towel and cover lightly with another tea towel. Serve scones warm or at room temperature, with jam and cream, or butter, if desired.

Recipe: http://www.homelife.com.au/homes/food/scones+recipe,4620

I will stick with the first recipe until there's another fail-proof recipe floating around :)

Hong Kong Dim Sum

The name of the restaurant is not only limited to dim sums alone. I'm surprised that not many Urbanspoon viewers have voted on this as the food during dinner was decent. They served generous portions, flavours were present and it was good value. It seemed overshadowed by other sprawling Chinese or Malaysian eateries nearby but patrons know this place gets busy for a reason.

The decor is not flash but as long as the food didn't disappoint, that is what mattered. The majority of main dishes were $12-$18. Our most expensive dish we ordered was the pippis ($22). The selection of dishes on offer were quite varied and they stuck to mainly traditional Cantonese combinations. Most restaurants would charge more than $20 for a standard main dish of equal portions. We ended up paying $25 per person between  8 people. We were happy with the execution of their dishes and would happily return.

Pippi in XO Sauce

Hotpot eggplant with minced meat

Deep fried Japanese tofu with mushroom veggies in gravy

Taro battered roast duck

Bright (and surrounding Alpine regions)

The weather was finally showing some promising spring weather therefore we opted for a day trip somewhere out of Melbourne. The intention of the road trip to the town of Bright (approx 4 hours drive from Melbourne) was to see what the 24th annual Spring Festival was all about. 

Myrtleford

Our first stopover was at The Butter Factory in Myrtleford as it was close to lunchtime and we were all starving. Restaurant/cafe was operating front of house while the actual butter factory process and deli section was at the back. They offer tours and tastings on Thursdays with bookings only.

Wine: Ladies who shoot their lunch....lol

Different types of butter they produced:

20 Reasons why you should include cultured butter in your diet

They had a good selection of homemade quiches, lasagne, pies etc. I found my lasagne a bit dry and missing some flavours. Mr I ordered one of the Specials of the Day - pork spare ribs in carrot and ridicchio slaw ($18.50). I think the ribs were a tad burnt but the sauce had some Asian influences to it. Mr J liked his homemade quiche. Food was overall so-so unless you order a dish cooked to order. Coffees were decent.

After lunch we went to check out the assortment of deli goods they had on the shelves. They also made jams, spreads and soap.

The Butter Factory's products are stocked locally in Melbourne so you don't have to drive all the way to Myrtleford! If you want to purchase for your pantry, the list is as follows:

Bright

Bloated and tummy's satisfied, we make our way to Bright which was about 20 minutes away from Myrtleford.  The road trip ended up being on the last Sunday of the festival which was a bad idea as it had limited events or programs on that particular day. The previous night they had lit fireworks in the nearby racecourse. The only thing available to us was the open gardens on display which we didn't end up seeing or the winery which had discounted wines for sale. Also being a country town, do note that the majority of shops close by 3pm or 4pm. Upon suggestion of the Visitors Centre, we had the option of the Canyon or the Cherry Tree walk. We didn't go for the latter as the volunteer said, in a very casual tone mind you, to watch out for snakes along that path!! Thanks but no thanks...

One friend commented that the Bright Autumn Festival was much more vibrant and you can at least get some nice photography shots of the autumn coloured leaves of the maple trees lined along the street. We didn't see much trees in semi-cherry blossom state. Instead, we saw masses amount of pollen floating around the air! Picture can be found further below. Luckily we all took hayfever tablets that morning upon seeing the pollen weather report.

Off to the approx 3km return Canyon walk track we go....hi ho hi ho...

Walking along the relatively flat path, the trees looked like it was covered in a light blanket of snow. Until we realised it was actually pollen when we inspected it closer...stay away! I've never seen so much pollen in one area. It seemed like the trees were animals and moulting...haha

During the walk along the river, you will encounter two canyon bridges and ascend on some unpaved rock paths. We saw kids canoeing along the way. The hot weather make our walking tour slightly more difficult. Alas no snakes!

After the sweaty walk, we decided to reward ourselves and offset the exercise with some much needed ice-cream. Queues were expected on this sunny day. I scan the flavours list...zabione??? I had no idea what zabione flavour was so thought I'd be a bit adventurous. It ended up tasting like a weird caramel with off rum flavour...another wrong decision for the day. My other boysenberry flavour was much better but a bit too sweet for my liking.

Next stop was to the winery which featured the discounted wines in the official Spring Festival programme. I forgot the name but it was located along the Great Alphine Road heading back to Melbourne (Hume Highway) after passing Myrtleford. Sadly, the cafe was closing so we couldn't stop for afternoon tea before the long drive home.

Glenrowan

Final stop on the way home was the town of Glenrowan, famous for Ned Kelly's last stand. A quick photo of the giant statue was a must as this country has a love for big things. The museum was closing so we couldn't check it out.

Sunset was happening when we were passing the Yarra Valley. Great views to end the day. 

Overall, it was a tiring daytrip and an overnight stay in Bright or nearby towns is highly recommended. There was also an accessible bike path heading to Bright which appeared popular with locals. The area also offers paragliding and mountain hiking for the slightly more adventurous. Our next trip to Bright will be in autumn/fall 2013, with another intention to sample one of their award winning restaurants.

Baking: Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes are one of my favourite cupcake flavours. I guess the hint of cocoa and the cream cheese frosting makes for a wonderful marriage in heaven :)

The following recipe is from popular Hummingbird Bakery in the US. Despite forgetting to add the egg to the recipe until most of the batter has been mixed through, the cupcakes still turned out moist and fluffy *phew* I used mini cupcake tins instead so guests would still have room for sweets after a heavy lunch. One full sized cupcake would have been a massive sugar hit!

For the red velvet cupcakes:

• 60g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 150g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 10g cocoa powder
• 20ml red food colouring 
• ½tsp vanilla extract
• 120ml buttermilk
• 150g plain flour
• ½tsp salt
• ½tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1½tsp white wine vinegar

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 300g icing sugar, sifted
• 50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 125g cream cheese, cold

You'll also need:
12-hole cupcake tray, lined with large cupcake cases

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3.
2. Put the butter and the sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy and well mixed. Turn the mixer up to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract to make a thick, dark paste. Add to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until evenly combined and coloured (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Turn the mixer down to slow speed and slowly pour in half the buttermilk. Beat until well mixed, then add half the flour, and beat until everything is well incorporated. Repeat this process until all the buttermilk and flour have been added. Scrape down the side of the bowl again. Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until you have a smooth, even mixture. Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the salt, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Beat until well mixed, then turn up the speed again and beat for a couple more minutes.
4. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 mins, or until the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
5. Meanwhile for the cream cheese frosting: Beat the icing sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 mins. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.
6. When the cupcakes are cold, spoon over the cream cheese frosting on top.
7. 
   

The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook, Recipe text ©

All About Sourdough Bread

Source: Meet me at the Sourdough Hotel - full post below. Informative and interesting post to share ^_^

Sourdough breadmaking has seen a real revival in recent years; so popular, in fact, that in Sweden you can now check your Sourdough starter into the Sourdough Hotel to keep it alive while you’re on holidays.

In a previous interview with Malin Elmid from Berlin Bread Exchange, Malin told me that a good sourdough bread only needs three ingredients: flour, water and salt. But I never got to the bottom of how you actually make a sourdough bread.

How is the sourdough bread made?
Dench Bakery in Melbourne, describes their process as “starting the day before with the mixing of the leaven (sourdough culture) which ferments for almost nine hours. Then it is at least another six hours from mixing everything together to the first hot loaf of bread; most of that time is resting, allowing the yeast cells to do their work and to develop as much flavour as possible. The time invested in the process is the only way to achieve a loaf with body, flavour and a crust that acts as its own preservative.” 

Key Steps in the Sourdough Process
How to start?
The starter is simply flour and water which is left to ferment and used as an agent to rise the bread.  There are several methods to create a sourdough starter - here are a few: Sourdough Campion, Pinch My Salt, Sourdough Baker and The Fresh Loaf

When making your dough, remember to keep a little starter so that you don’t have to make more. A starter will respond best to a bit of regular attention (food) and will have the most activity if it is fed every day. A starter will survive in the fridge for days or even weeks without feeding but you can keep it lively by feeding it once a week. Here are a tips on how to feed your starter.

I knead you
Bread dough when fully developed is malleable, stretchy and smooth but to get it there, you need to knead it to maximise gluten formation and create air pockets in the dough.  Traditionally dough is kneaded by hand for maybe 10-12 minutes or more, however Dan Lepard popularised a short knead approach: kneading for no more than 10 secs, interspersed with resting the dough

Kneading is simply repeating folding and compressing of a dough. Sourdough Companion recommeds that the “simplest way of doing this is to push with the heel of your hand in the middle of the dough, stretching the far side of the dough away from you. Grab hold of the far (stretched) side of the dough, and fold it back towards you. Turn the whole dough by 90 degrees. Repeat this process about 10 times”. See their pictorial lesson on how to knead.

Show me the proof
The proving process is extremly important for the creation of a great sourdough. During the process the yeast multiply by feeding on the tiny amount of sugar present and carbon dioxide is produced which fills up the tiny gas pockets generated during the kneading of the dough. The sourdough flavour develops during the proving and you can actually intensify the flavour by manipulating the time and temperature during this process.

Shape Me
For a variety of shaping techniques, go no further than this beautiful video by Madison Sourdough.

After shaping, certain types of sourdough are slashed before baking. The pattern of slashes where previously used to identify a person’s bread in the communal ovens, however, the slashing is important in allowing the dough to rise in a defined way and lessen the resistance to expansion by making weak points in the crust. When slashing, slash the top firmly, quickly and decisively with a very sharp knife – it is a slash not a cut.

And now to see all this in action watch master artisan baker Dan DeGustibus’s abriged Sourdough lesson here. 

Wedding Food Symbolisation

This year's social calendar has been brimming with engagement parties and weddings as friends around me are at that stage of looking to progress to an important milestone of their loving relationships.  I wish those embarking on this next chapter all the very best and happiness in the world.

I was invited to a Vietnamese engagement party the other weekend and was curious about the symbolisation behind the food presented. I have attended Chinese wedding dinner banquets in the past and they also serve similar dishes.

The following explanations are from ehow and another blog on Vietnamese culture:

Roast Pork

• The groom presents his bride's family with a whole roast pork as a wedding gift during the engagement ceremony. This is a traditional gift. According to Kaimee, the pork is a traditional symbol of virginity in the Vietnamese culture. This symbolism makes it an important gift for the engagement.

  

Husband-Wife Cake

• The husband-wife cake is offered as a gift from the groom to his bride as a symbol of marriage. The cake is sticky, which is used to symbolize the marriage ties, states Vietnam Beauty. The name in Vietnamese is "Banh Phu The."

  
  

  

  
  

Betel Leaves and Areca Nut

• Betel leaves and areca nut, which often go together, are a part of Vietnamese culture and are often given as gifts from the groom to the bride's family during the engagement. The Vietnamese chew on the leaves and nuts for flavor and stimulant. Vietmedia states that chewing the betel leaves and areca nuts is comparable to a habit of smoking or drinking coffee in the U.S. or Europe.

Wine and Tea

• Wine and tea are given as gifts from the groom to the bride's family. The wine and tea are gifts for celebration of the engagement. The gift does not have the special meaning that comes with roast pork or husband-wife cake, but it is an appropriate gift for the groom to present the bride's family during a Vietnamese engagement.

  

  
  

  Quail

Quail. According to Shu Shu Costa, the author of Wild Geese and Tea, pigeon has tender meat that symbolises peace. Quail is offered whole to each guest so each and every one will also experience a peaceful life.

More explanations to come...

What's Cooking: Moroccan Lamb Cutlets with Mint Yoghurt

The following simple recipe was from SBS Food Safari - Moroccan episode. It doesn't take too long to prepare and use shortcuts such as fresh herbs/chopped garlic from a tube if you are time-poor. Alter the recipe with equal proportions of the ingredients if you have less or more meat.

Instead of lamb back-strap I used lamb cutlets and the grill frying pan instead of cooking through a BBQ. During this segment, he also adds black pepper which has been omitted from the recipe. The video can be found here.

Ingredients

1kg lamb backstrap, cut into 2 cm thick strips

Marinade
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp sweet paprika
Salt
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
1 tbsp continental parsley, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
Good drizzle of olive oil

Mint Yoghurt

1 cup natural yoghurt
¼ teaspoon sugar
3 teaspoons chopped fresh mint leaves

Preparation

Put lamb into a bowl and add all the marinade ingredients. Use your hands to combine. Cover and leave for 1 hour in the fridge before grilling medium/rare on the barbecue.

Serve with minted yoghurt: blend ingredients in a blender and serve with mechoui (marinated lamb backstrap).

We served it with sun dried tomato and garlic cous cous. Quick, simple and delicious!

Mövenpick Ice-cream

The Art of Swiss Ice-cream

Before Movenpick dessert cafes opened in the eastern suburbs, you had to hunt down the speciality grocers and stockists (such as Thomas Dux Grocer) or only taste the gourmet delights during the Melbourne Food Festivals.

The franchise started out with 3 branches in Docklands, Box Hill and Doncaster (inside Westfield Shoppingtown). The Docklands branch did not survive due to the area being a ghost town and the observation wheel still under repairs.

We were lured to the Box Hill branch due to a Spreets voucher. Buy 1 dessert, get 1 free up to the value of $12.95. We chose the waffles and the 6 flavour sampler. There was also a banana split and pancakes option which we did not get to try ($12.95). 

Chocolate Delight: belgian chocolate (love), this vanilla with choc bits (love) and white chocolate ice-cream (too sweet, dislike)

Waffles with creme brulee and one other flavour which I forgot. Both flavours were good. Waffle was OK.

 6 Flavour sampler - tiramisu (a bit strong in coffee taste), raspberry (love), strawberry (love), blueberry (love), mango (love)

The berries fruit basket was around $23. Doesn't look like the picture on the menu.

The white wall interiors are bright and welcoming.  As you enter the store, you are faced with the dilemma of choosing out of 20+ ice-cream flavours available. Take home tubs are also available. The staff was friendly and service wasn't too slow after dinner when we were there.

One scoop options start from $5 which makes it quite pricey compared to other outlets. Ice-cream are imported from Switzerland and you pay for the quality of the ingredients used. A good cocoa powder was used for the hot chocolate. It was really smooth, not too sweet and you could not taste any graininess afterwards. Real fruit and chocolate flecks could be tasted.  

Bottom line is you get what you pay for its gourmet nature. Good for an indulgent treat once in a blue moon.