Rising inspiration

I love a moment of inspiration. When an idea, person or thing gets the brain ticking and formulating a thought, strategy or intention. Even if nothing is done with it, the inspiring moment itself is an uplifting experience; fleeting as it may be.

While I can’t say that I’m regularly inspired to copy when I’m at a restaurant (microherbs, paints and foams – I think not), it’s a different matter at a bakery or café, although it’s not necessarily an easier feat. There’s just something more appealing about attempting a cob loaf than a finely plated seafood dish of 10+ components.

Breads on display at Bourke Street Bakery, Bourke Street, Surry Hills

The hallowed Bourke Street Bakery in Surry Hills has become an institution, with their own cookbook no less. The long queue out the door and constantly turning-over outdoor seating is quite something; like a known and accepted ritual and a must-do if you’re in the vicinity on a weekend.

Rhubarb and almond tarts

However much a pie fiend I am, my ritual at Bourke Street is tarts. For fear of ruining these perfect cream concoction filled pastry cases, I would not attempt to make these at home. For fear of offending one of the tarts, I don’t have a favourite.

Pear and almond tarts

Depending on my mood, I’d have the lemon curd if I was up for a little cheek-pinching sourness; the chocolate raspberry if I was feeling a little naughty; one of the brulee tarts if I wanted the full force sugar hit; and one of the pear and almond tarts if I was pretending to be healthy.

Strawberry brulee tart

This particular day, I needed sweetening, so it was the strawberry brulee tart. The first touch of pastry is exhilarating and brings you back to the memory that is Bourke Street’s perfect pastry cases. The crunch through the toffee top leads you through the thick, uber-sweet custard of the crème brulee on a treasure hunt for the strawberry; hidden somewhere in the bottom of the tart.

Chocolate and raspberry tarts (back), lemon curd tart (front left) and strawberry brulee tart (front right)

It’s a very rich journey, much helped with a coffee on the side – or in my case, a chocolate tart. And a bite of the lemon curd tart. I have no favourite. The ride home is somewhat inspired by the tarty gorging on sugar and all things bakery, as well as a recent kitchen acquisition. And there’s nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread.

Using the dough hook attachment

I’d never used a dough hook before, and despite its menacing look, it’s rather fun and takes the elbow grease out of bread-making while leaving the playful yeast and proving parts. Though one really shouldn’t work the mixer till it starts smoking no matter how many more minutes the dough needs to be smooth.

My 'cob loaf' - not quite a cob loaf shape

Working from a simple cob loaf recipe, I’d wrangled some kind of roll-like shape for the first lot and brushed the top with beaten egg followed by a sprinkle of polenta. This loaf turned out a little denser than I’d intended, but was excellent cut thin and toasted to a crisp for dipping.

Sundried tomato bread proves

I wanted to change up the second lot, and trawled the fridge to find a jar of sundried tomatoes and basil, and the pantry to find chilli flakes. With these tossed into the mixer bowl, an orange hue ensued – not red. I’d seen another recipe that created a bread pull-apart, and lo and behold inspired, I had my very own round pull-apart proving in front of me.

Sundried tomato bread pull-apart

It baked to be rather fluffier than the white loaf – which I wonder if it relates to the amount of yeast (I added a bit more to the sundried tomato one) or proving in a tin which restricts expansion upwards only. Either way, I like the fluffiness and will attempt to achieve that texture from here on. I feel that sourdough endeavours are probably a bit further down the track, and I will accordingly rise to that challenge when more educated and advanced inspiration hits.

Fashionable night out, indeed

If you see a lot of uncharacteristically fashionable (read: daring and skin-baring) people out in the city tonight, it's probably because of Vogue's Fashion Night Out all over the city shopping precinct. I happened to chance by some great discounts at Mid City Centre, when I also saw one very popular man of sweets.

Adriano Zumbo at Mid City Centre, Pitt Street, Sydney

There he was, calmly creating a traffic jam while building a macaron tower. There's also Oyster Bay wine samples and minature cakes offered at the second level Cafe Dante.

Oyster Bay wines on tasting at Cafe Dante

And you've got a couple hours left to bag great bargains (as well as food and drinks in select stores; Rodeo Show had sushi platters and sparkling!) for this fashionable night out. Did I mention the fairy floss at Bardot?

Fairy floss at Bardot

Big call in little Woolloomooloo

"Home of the world's best pizza" - it's a big call and I just had to see it. We find ourselves in the less buzzy and popular, and thus less visited, end of Crown Street in Woolloomooloo, for the launch of Lanzafame Trattoria which I think has been open a while, but just getting to around to things now.

Menu of Lanzafame Trattoria, Crown Street, Woolloomoolo

The prospect of "the world's best pizza" was way too hard to pass up, so there was a degree of surprise being greeted by the sight below.

Fondue set up for the Lanzafame Trattoria launch

It was bright, loud and spoke nothing of pizza - but the disco vibe was perhaps necessary to lift the dark space from, let's admit, a really tough venue and location to work with. John Lanzafame is the man for the job with accolades for Best Pizza at something called World American Plate in 2005. With time at Hugo's and consulting to GPO Pizza (one of my all time favourites), good things are promised from this Woolloomoolo kitchen.

Lauretana sparkling water and Martini prosecco

With the evening sponsored by Martini and Peroni, there were plenty of options to keep us hydrated. There were cocktail options, but I opted for the Martini prosecco, which isn't one of the best I've had but drinkable.

Peroni beers

I was hanging out for the pizza with much excitement that I may well have been loitering behind the DJ and as close to the kitchen as possible, where lots of little morsels were being prepared to start off.

Tomato bruschetta

The tomato bruschetta was a great start; ripely red diced tomato with slivers of basil atop a crisp and crunchy square of bread. These were so moreish I could have gone the entire plate.

Garlic prawn skewers

This interestingly presented offering was in fact a couple of garlic prawns on a toothpick. Initially I was more interested in the round block below, thinking it was cotechino or some kind of sausage (it was dark), only to sadly discover it was a bread roll for spiking purposes only. The prawns were nicely firm and fresh with just a hint of garlic.

Buffalo mozzarella in carozza

These intriguing fried triangles turn out to be filled with melty cheesy goodness of a light buffalo mozzarella, encased in a carriage (carozza) of delicately seasoned, battered deep fried bread. Definitely a first for me.

John Lanzafame and chef

I see the hard work in action in the kitchen as food starts flying out the kitchen; notably, the pizzas we've all been waiting for, all with golden melted mozzarella cheese on the base.

Margherita pizza

We start simple with the margherita pizza, with slices of cherry tomato and basil distributed across piles of cheese. The base is perfectly crisp but not quite as thin as GPO Pizza does - this has a bit more bite to it.

Mortadella and green olive pizza

The mortadella pizza was definitely a new topping experience for me - a processed meat that's not salami seems uncommon. However, I think the briney green olives were the bigger stars of this show.

Mushroom and chilli pizza

This was my favourite pizza of the night, though my slice didn't have chilli - which I presume would be those large, not hot red ones more like capsicum. The generous topping of field mushrooms gives the pizza a great earthy flavour hit along with lashings of stringy cheese on the base.

Garlic prawn pizza

I have yet to be convinced that seafood pizzas have any merit. Whether it's the combination with cheese or the base sauce that I find odd to taste, I'm just not a big fan. I can't complain about the great firm prawns or cheese or pesto or base - but just not together.

The pizzas keep coming all night long, but there was also a great variety of other food to keep the drinking crowd happy.

Risotto Milanese

The serving presentation for the risotto is very clever; no bowls and perfect with one hand. The saffron infused rice was likely without bone marrow as is traditional, but topped with cheese and cooked to a lovely creamy consistency with the rice just a little under.

Grilled lamb cutlets with salmoriglio

The platter of lamb cutlets wouldn't look out of place at an Aussie barbeque, but these are tastiliy dressed with a lemony herb oil. While the cutlet is nicely cooked, I can't bring myself to eat the plentiful fat, which perhaps wasn't trimmed to keep the meat moist and juicy.

Arancini

The arancini inspire some dashing towards the waiter as they don't make it much past the kitchen exit. Ingeniously 'glued' down in place on the board with a mayonnaise-like sauce, these risotto balls weren't rolling anywhere other than my stomach. They're vegetarian in filling with more stringy mozzarella cheesy inside, but tending a little on the dry side.

Opera singer

At some point about half way through the night, we were treated to a couple of opera singers belting out some classic Italian songs of which I have no clue of the names of, but with really familiar tunes. This lady was followed by a young man, and then a duet to close the riveting performance.

Marshmallow getting the chocolate fondue treatment

Disco followed the opera, or at least the disco fondue to which I'd taken to calling it (Disco Stu would have loved it). There was rockmelon, honeydew melon, pineapple, strawberries and irresistable marshmallows, with the drippy chocolate proving a messy but fun experience to end the night.

John Lanzafame

So the question of the big call hasn't really been answered. I mean, 'best pizza' is such a subjective notion that I don't think anyone can really rule on it. With John Lanzafame's wall of awards next to the kitchen quite impressive in itself, I think everyone should decide for yourselves as to whether this is the world's best pizza.

Some of John Lanzafame's pizza awards and accolades

Thanks to Little Black Book Agency and John Lanzafame for the invitation to the launch party - and best of luck guys!