Hen’s day out at Zigi’s Cooking School

I will often have a drink while I'm cooking – beer, cider or a glass of wine – but that's generally not in a commercial kitchen with pleasingly sharp cooking knives.

It was flutes of sparkling wine in hand at Zigi's Cooking School in Chippendale late last year for a hen's day out, while slicing beef, making praline and other hen-related activities.

Chef Zigi Ozeri of Zigi's Cooking School, Abercrombie Street, Chippendale

Other than an overseas trip away, I've probably experienced the gamut of hen's nights (and days) during my adult years: from the expected – strippers, tacky restaurants, cruises and gay clubbing – to the less common, including refined wine bar sessions and shows at the Opera House.

For the food-inclined, Zigi's offers something different (potentially followed by some of the very much expected activities) and an ideal environment for groups that don’t necessarily all know each other. And a drink before noon as the cooking school kitchen adjoins Zigi's Art Wine Cheese Bar.

Drinks in the kitchen

A range of classes are available – from cooking three-course meals to much more elaborate cheesemaking – and all can be tailored to the group and budget. Our group of 10 was, aside from mid-morning boozing, cooking a two-course meal with chef Zigi Ozeri and his offsider supervising us in two groups.

Cooking class

With paper chef’s toques and silly nicknames, we were split into main course and dessert teams, with a range of tasks for everyone. Team work and cooking tips went hand in hand with bubbles and kitchen fun.

Beef fillet

On our menu for the day was grilled beef fillet with Israeli couscous and a spring vegetable salad with lime chilli vinaigrette, followed by dessert of a berry mille feuille with pastry crème and hazelnut praline.

Sliced beef fillet

Helpful kitchen tips included tightly wrapping fillets of beef in cling wrap while marinating and cooking, so that the meat can retain a neat shape for even cooking. These thick steaks were cooked on a grill and finished in the oven.

Chopping cucumbers for salad

Sharp kitchen knives are everything. Indeed, dull knives are more dangerous than sharp ones in the kitchen.

And always have a non slip surface beneath a chopping board, especially the plastic ones. Use different chopping boards for meat and vegetables.

Pastry rounds for mille feuille

Our mille feuille used store-bought puff pastry sprinkled with sugar and baked beneath a second tray, minimising the 'puff' action, but still allowing crisp, golden layers to form within the flattened pastry rounds.

Mixed berries for mille feuille

Zigi and cooking class

A cheat's version of creme patissiere was whipped up with the inclusion of custard powder - not a bad replacement if one was time short, but not quite as good as the real egg-y vanilla cream for piping.

Baked  pastry rounds

Our baked, glazed puff pastry rounds came out of the oven perfectly while a hazelnut praline was formed from freshly roasted nuts and hard sugar toffee, blitzed to a crumb when cooled.

Chef Zigi

Chef Zigi re-heating beef

Another restaurant tip imparted by chef Zigi was the use of a blowtorch to reheat food just before serving; for example, the outer surface of meat that's been resting post cooking.

Grilled beef fillet with Israeli couscous, spring vegetable salad and lime chilli vinaigrette

We feasted on our handiwork of a platter lunch while undertaking standard hen's activity.

With a well-dressed salad of Israeli couscous, tomato, cucumber and rocket, the mostly medium-rare cooked beef fillet was an ideal accompaniment to awkward questions and making sure the bride-to-be was really ready to enter marriage-dom.

Piping pastry cream

We returned to the kitchen to assemble and complete dessert, which comprised pastry rounds, piped pastry cream, berries and hazelnut praline, finished with that dessert fix-all, a shower of icing sugar.

Wild berry mille feuille with pastry crème and hazelnut praline

The mille feuille is actually a great idea for a versatile, last-minute dessert, so long as you have puff pastry in the freezer and fresh cream or an easy creme patissiere recipe and some fruit.

We probably spent just over three hours at Zigi's: cooking, drinking, laughing and having a fun, educational and belly-filling time of it all. Pretty much everything you'd need for a hen's day out. See their Facebook page for more details.

Sunday roast: Murray Valley Pork rolled loin

I’m not the best home cook. I like cooking but hate the cleaning. I have a short list of things I can do well, a longer list of things I do at a very average level, and an unenviable reputation for kitchen disasters that are still somewhat edible.

Murray Valley Pork cranberry and almond rolled loin
(Food, booze and shoes received a complimentary sample, with thanks to Acumen Republic)

So a partly prepared product like the Murray Valley Pork cranberry and almond rolled loin is perfect for me as the end result gives off the impression that I can cook, when in fact it's as easy as unwrapping the product, putting it in the oven with some vegetables and basting every now and then.

Murray Valley Pork cranberry and almond rolled loin

Murray Valley Pork hails from a network of farms in the Riverine region in southern NSW and northern Victoria, produced by Rivalea Australia. They offer over 30 different cuts of pork exclusively through retail butcher shops and select restaurant (not supermarkets).

The cranberry and almond rolled loin - ready to go into the oven

The stuffed cranberry and almond rolled pork loin is a new product offering from Murray Valley Pork available from select butchers. Each rolled loin varies from 1.0-1.5 kilograms each and is sold in vacuum-sealed packs (RRP $19.50/kg).

Rolled loin side view

Tightly rolled and tied, the loin holds a bread-like stuffing featuring dried cranberries and almond, while the loin is coated in a sprinkle of cranberry seeds.

Murray Valley Pork brand manager, Paul da Saliva said, "We've been listening to our customers and have developed a value added product that takes the stress out of cooking." And hence, my first pork roast.

Rolled loin with first baste

Along with the sample I was given came a recipe to pimp my rolled loin up a little with a honey and balsamic vinegar glaze for basting (600mL balsamic vinegar mixed with 60mL of honey).

Roma tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, to be roastec

To accompany the roast was a recipe for balsamic roasted tomatoes, while I added a few other roast-friendly vegetables to my oven.

Rolled loin at second baste

Basting regularly through the 1.5 hour cooking time, the kitchen was filled with the sweet aromas of honey and cooking pork.

Rolled loin at fourth baste

At some point when the pork was starting to cook through, the stuffing started to ooze from both ends, while a sauce of cooking juices and excess glaze pooled deliciously at the bottom.

The cooked rolled loin 

Once cooked, the rolled loin had 15 minutes' resting out of the oven and it was all but impossible to resist cutting a bit off the caramelised end to taste.

Side view of the cooked rolled loin 

The meat itself was quite lean and tender, complemented beautifully by the honey and balsamic glaze. The stuffing was light and joyfully studded with cranberries, while the almond was somewhat less noticeable.

Murray Valley Pork cranberry and almond rolled loin with roast vegies

The more than 1 kilogram rolled loin I had would have been enough to feed four or five people with a bunch of vegetable sides, although the leftovers were pretty good too.

Great with reheated roast vegetables the leftovers even made for a gourmet sandwich filling two days after (with wholegrain mustard, rocket, caramelised onions, brie cheese and pickles).

Stuffing of the cooked rolled loin

For a quick and easy Sunday roast, the Murray Valley Pork cranberry and almond rolled loin is a great, no-fuss, low-hassle option that will still impress your home diners, and helping me grow my short list of things I can do reasonably well.

Murray Valley Pork works closely with chef and television host Manu Feildel who is the brand ambassador. It is also the exclusive pork supplier to Channel Ten’s 'Everyday Gourmet' with former MasterChef contestant, Justine Schofield. See recipes, hints and stockists at the Murray Valley Pork website.

Food, booze and shoes received a sample of the Murray Valley pork with thanks to Acumen Republic.

Going nuts over Australian macadamias

I've learnt a few new things recently:
a) it is indeed possible to misplace a big chunky DSLR camera;
b) it's quite fun out in rainy weather when you’re prepared for it;
c) raw sorrel has an amazing citrus flavour;
d) the macadamia nut is the only nut that is native to Australia; and
e) the new season of Australian macadamia nuts are currently being harvested and dried for our eating pleasure.

Australian macadamia nuts - in shell and kernels
(Image courtesy of Australian Macadamia Society)

Australian macadamia growers, predominantly in subtropical northern New South Wales and Queensland, are anticipating a yield of 39,000 tonnes of macadamia nut in-the-shell in this year’s harvest, which will translate to 11,500 tonnes of luxurious macadamia nut kernels, of which 35% remains in the domestic market.

Colin Fassnidge, Australian Macadamia Society's Lynne Ziehlke and Australian Macadamias
ambassador Eamon Sullivan at Sydney Seafood School, Sydney Fish Markets, Pyrmont

This nugget of agricultural information was imparted at a recent Sydney Seafood School experience, courtesy of the Australian Macadamia Society which represents growers and the broader industry.

Olympic swimmer, and Perth café and restaurant owner, Eamon Sullivan, is an ambassador for Australian Macadamias and was on hand with restaurant chef and owner, and My Kitchen Rules judge, Colin Fassnidge, for a bloggers "maca nut" cooking challenge.

Sullivan and Fassnidge demonstrating macadamia recipes

While I’ve enjoyed many a macadamia nut, mostly roasted and salted, I've never really cooked with the nuts – until now.

On the menu for the challenge were a winter-appropriate Jerusalem artichoke and macadamia soup by Fassnidge and a not-nearly-as-healthy-as-it-sounds macadamia granola by Sullivan.

Sullivan and Fassnidge

Sydney Seafood School is such an excellent venue for classes, starting with the demonstration kitchen where both Fassnidge and Sullivan cooked, entertained and educated the small class.

Fassnidge plating up his soup

Sullivan's macadamia nut granola out of the oven

While there was wine and banter on hand, one did need to pay some attention as we'd be recreating the dishes shortly after.

It didn't take long for the demo kitchen to fill with hearty smells of onion, Jerusalem artichoke and creaminess of Fassnidge's soup nor Sullivan's caramelly, sweet, nutty granola.

Australian Macadamias aprons

In the Sydney Seafood School kitchens, it was action at all stations from the word go. Fassnidge and Sullivan did the rounds, proffering helpful advice and tips that I wouldn't mind in my kitchen every time I cook.

Macadamia and Jerusalem artichoke soup

I found chef Fassnidge's general seasoning tip – salt, pepper and, intriguingly, lemon in everything – particularly interesting and one that I'll be trying in the home kitchen.

We garnished his creamy, white soup of blitzed macadamia nuts and Jerusalem artichokes with more macadamias, raw sorrel shreds and picked crab flesh; the latter presumably to suit the Sydney Seafood School charter.

It was by far the best soup I've had any hand in making with the unique flavour of the root vegetable enhanced by the presence of creamed, rich macadamia nuts. The sorrel was a crowning glory, lifting the soup with its fresh citrus flavour.

Macadamia nut granola mixture uncooked

Meanwhile, Sullivan's macadamia granola was admittedly not something the elite athlete would eat too often. His recipe incorporates 300g of sugar, a combined 300mls of honey and golden syrup and almost 300mls combined of oil and butter.

The rolled oats and dessicated coconut give the granola a definite 'Anzac biscuit' taste and feel. But given the oil and sugar content of the granola, I'd recommend it as a now-and-then dessert treat with yoghurt or ice cream rather than an everyday breakfast item.

Macadamia nut granola out of the oven

The speed in which my granola was caramelising – or let's be honest in my case, burning – in the oven had me a little thrown, so too it's seemingly not-solid state while cooking. It firmed up as it cooled on the tray out of the oven and was loudly crunchy when completely cooled.

Fassnidge and Sullivan tasting and judging dishes

With both soup and granola completed in under an hour in teams of two, I was pretty happy with my efforts and the end result of dinner and dessert (burnt granola bits aside), even if they weren't winners of the night's challenge.

Sydney Seafood School dining room light features

We dined on our efforts in the Sydney Seafood School's gorgeous dining room after a fun and educational kitchen session.

Following the class, inspired and equipped with a hamper of "maca nuts" and other macadamia products, thus far at home I've made a macadamia choc chunk cookie based on a mashing of a couple of recipes and will be trying out Sullivan's decadent macadamia chocolate brownie recipe soon.

My macadamia and salted chocolate chunk cookies

Buying and storage hints (from the Australian Macadamia Society):
When buying macadamias, look for ones that are plump, crunchy and light-coloured.

To help maintain their quality, correct storage is vital. Once opened, keep macadamias in an airtight container, refrigerate and use within two months, remembering to return nuts to room temperature before eating.

The Australian Macadamia Society was founded with the objectives of promoting and coordinating all aspects of the Australian macadamia industry, to encourage free exchange of ideas and information, and to foster goodwill among members. See their Facebook page for macadamia recipes and ideas.

Food, booze and shoes participated in the Australian Macadamias Food Blogger Challenge with thanks to the Australian Macadamia Society and Crossman Communications.

The year that was, 2012

It's been a whirlwind year and I'm really not just saying that. I remember last new year's eve all too well and the 12 months that have transpired since then have been jam-packed with work, life events, new and old faces, and an almost unbelievable amount of food and booze.

Below are some of the highlights of my year in Food, Booze and Shoes.

Food and Booze

Steamed brioche and smoked trout roe from Grain, Sydney

One of the most exciting new bar openings in Sydney this year wasn't a small bar but rather a hotel bar: Grain at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney with food by Bar H's Hamish Ingham and chef Josh Niland.

With a bar menu to rival some restaurants about town, Grain raises the bar so even locals join hotel guests for drinks and unexpected bar snacks like smoked trout roe and crème fraîche on house-made steamed brioche buns.

Pig's tail salad, walnuts, sorrel, currants, pomegranate, farro from The Apollo, Potts Point

It was a great year for modern Greek food with both David Tsirekas' Xanthi and Jonathan Barthelmess and Sam Christie's The Apollo picking up inaugural hats in this year's Good Food Guide.

The latter, Potts Point restaurant did an out-of-this-world pig's tail crackling salad that probably wasn't all too healthy but showed a liveliness in modern Greek cuisine that was new to me.

Orecchiette with lentils, pine nuts and mascapone from Table for 20, Surry Hills

I've been to Table for 20 a couple of times this year, and adore the homely pasta entrée every time.

I've had second and third helpings, brought my own wine and had a ball every time, all the while remembering to leave room for their rich, always-pleasing whole cake dessert offerings - to share, of course.

Xiao long bao from Mr Wong, Sydney

The year's biggest restaurant opening had to be Merivale's Mr Wong, where Cantonese cuisine went high-end in an impressively atmospheric, two-level, laneway restaurant setting.

Dan Hong and Jowett Yu's golden touch continued with a classic Cantonese menu dotted with additional Sydney favourites, like xiao long bao pork soup buns which are simply divine with a cocktail at Mr Wong's bar.

Pork pintxo, lima beans, guindillas from bloodwood, Newtown

A new favourite was discovered in bloodwood, which is a bit of a difficult one to categorise. In any case, bold international flavours, amazing service and interesting wines make it a winner in my books.

The explosive flavours in small share dishes like the pork pintxo means bloodwood is ideal for drinks and snacks, light meals or the all-out meal with a set menu group banquet.

Spiced popcorn and Bloody Maria from Tio's Cerveceria, Surry Hills

It was the year of the Shady Pines Saloon spin-off bars, with new Sydney CBD booze-quaffing venues from Anton Forte and Jason Scott, and a tequila-focused offering from a couple of ex-Shady guys.

Tio's Cerveceria is my casual, Surry Hills back street, go-to place for free popcorn and good times fuelled by tequila refrescos like the Bloody Maria which almost feels healthy.

Pulled veal ravioli, broad beans, cornichons, shiso from Chiswick, Woollahra

I think Matt Moran and Peter Sullivan's Chiswick has a firm place in Woollahra hearts. Indeed, it feels like it should have been in Chiswick Gardens all this time and is the epitome of a long lunch venue.

Their seasonally-driven menu is supplemented by an expansive kitchen garden, which I hope is an enduring restaurant trend. The pulled veal ravioli was a stunner at the De Bortoli Windy Peak wines launch.

Ayam goreng kalasan with nasi uduk and ati goreng from Ayam Goreng 99, Kingsford

It's not only the new restaurant openings with no-bookings policies and queues out the door. A favourite cheap eat, Ayam Goreng 99, still draws crowds to its low-key store, with local students and those in the know waiting for quarters of fried chicken and coconut rice.

Maltagliati with osso bucco, gremolata from 10 William Street, Paddington

One of the best pasta dishes I've had all year came a little unexpectedly from wine bar 10 William Street, where the narrow venue belies the depth of its rustic Italian menu and well-considered wine list.

The maltagliati sheet pasta with osso buco ragu was a dreamily perfect pasta, ideal with any wine recommendation from the very knowledgeable staff.

Pan fried pork dumplings from Chinese Noodle Restaurant, Haymarket

There were no signs of my dumpling obsession abating this year, whether home made or from Chinatown cheap-eat, Chinese Noodle Restaurant.

I seem to have a scarily insatiable appetite for dumplings, especially pan-fried ones filled fresh with minced pork and chives, and definitely a combination of chilli oil and vinegar sauce on the side.

Goat’s cheese lollipop, mandarin glaze, quinoa crunch from Cara & Co, Westfield Sydney

Innovativeness is a double-edged sword in the land of restaurants but dining at Cara & Co, in the middle of a Westfield Sydney fashion retailer, was a clear win for innovation.

Its Modern Flemish cuisine aided by innovative techniques was such an eye-opening journey; both curiously fun and tasty, particularly the goat's cheese lollipops in mandarin glaze.

Fried chicken wings from The Norfolk, Surry Hills

There are no signs of the fun ending at The Norfolk and its merry band of other Drink and Dine refurbished pubs across Surry Hills and Sydney.

Fun themes, quirky fitouts, affordable booze and food made for drinking is a winning formula - like Bloody Marys in tin cans and crunchy fried chicken wings.

Classes

There were several 'firsts' this year as a result of various cooking classes and demonstrations that I was lucky enough to take part in.

Snapper with Vernaccia, green olives and parsley from Sydney, Seafood School, Pyrmont

I cooked my first whole snapper. I've tended to cook fish fillets at home more than whole fish which are a little daunting for a home cook of limited ability.

But with a friendly fishmonger and a Sydney Seafood School class with hatted chef Giovanni Pilu under my belt, roasting a four-kilogram whole snapper doesn't seem as scary anymore.

Feta cheese made at Zigi's Wine and Cheese Bar, Chippendale

I made cheese for the first time. A highlight of the food year overall, the cheese making class at Zigi's Wine and Cheese Bar was so much delicious fun I would recommend it to any cheese lover.

Creating a number of fresh cheeses from scratch in a few hours was made possible by the effervescent Chef Zigi, quality raw ingredients and solid teamwork in the commercial kitchen in Chippendale.

Gently poached Southern rock lobster, hand caught Tasmanian squid,
golden tapioca, lobster velvet from Quay, Circular Quay

I dined at Quay for the first (and second) time. I now understand what all the "fuss" around Quay is about. There were enlightening kitchen tips from chef Peter Gilmore during the Electrolux masterclasses, but the degustation dinners I was treated to were another level above any other Sydney dining experience I've ever had.

Luxe ingredients and modern techniques deliver harmonious dishes that are stunning to look at and even more satisfying to eat - which isn't always the case in fine dining or technique-driven cooking.

Travel

There was a trip to Japan this year, highlighted by various food, booze and tourist experiences.

Fish at Tsukiji Fish Market, Tsukiji, Tokyo, Japan

The early-morning visit to the world's largest wholesale fish markets - Tsukiji Fish Markets - was a highlight of the trip, even if we didn't make it to see the tuna auctions. Sushi breakfast at Sushi Dai added to the lengthy and wet experience.

Martini at Tender Bar, Ginza, Tokyo, Japan

There was no doubt that we were going to hit up a few cocktail bars in Tokyo and the gin martini at Tender Bar was a memorable, if not pricey, one.

Pork shoulder, grilled on a stick, Namba, Osaka, Japan

Our short side trip to Osaka from Tokyo may well have been an eating trip, especially of street food. It was in Namba we discovered a pork-only yakitori-style restaurant where we gorged on all manner of pork and vegetables grilled on a stick.

Events

David Chang at the Good Food Guide Awards 2013

I honestly jumped and squealed with excitement when I got invited to the SMH Good Food Guide Awards for 2013.

It was an unparalleled experience of endless champagne, canapés and chefs all doing the (tight) rounds at Establishment, and plenty of happy smiles in the face of hats, awards and general celebration of the Sydney restaurant industry.

Dîner en Blanc, Museum of Contemporary Art forecourt, Circular Quay

Hands-down event of the year has to be French pop-up picnic phenomenon, Dîner en Blanc, which took place at the forecourt of the Museum of Contemporary Art for its inaugural Sydney outing.

It was a memorable sight seeing 1,500 people in head-to-toe white waving white napkins and then sparklers in the air as they dined on gourmet picnics to the bemusement of passing tourists and Sydneysiders.

Beef empanadas at Marrickville Festival

I made it to the Marrickville Festival this year for the first time; a community street event that stretches around two main roads. Goodies on offer included these amazing beef empanadas, fresh out of the deep fry with a golden corn meal concealing a tasty beef filling.

This year saw a number of restaurants farewelled, especially a sad number of high profile venues and chefs, including the following:
13b, Anise, Argyle Bazar, Assiette, Azuma Kushiyaki, Becasse and Quarter Twenty One, Berowra Waters Inn, Bird Cow Fish, Bistro Ortolan, Bling Bling Dumpling, Bruno's and Hunky Dory Social Club, District Dining relaunched as Mexico Food and Liquor, Element Bistro, Etch, Firestick Cafe, Gotham, Gourmet Pizza Kitchen, Kable's Restaurant, Lanzafame Trattoria, Mad Cow, Monkey Magic, Pagewood Steakhouse, Piano Room, Rambutan, Summit relaunched as O Bar and Dining, Sushi Choo and The Montpellier Public House.

It has been one heck of a year. Many thanks to all my readers and followers here, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - thank you so much  for your support and kind comments throughout 2012. 

I hope to see you for more Food, Booze and Shoes in the New Year. Cheers and happy (and safe) drinking tonight to see out the year that was, 2012!