the heart of food is now a little over a year old, having first started on February of 2009. The birth of this blog is in some part thanks to Helen, from the prolific Sydney food blog Grab Your Fork. She was the one that inspired me to start this whole blogging thing, as she has with a number of other Sydney food bloggers.

Over this past year, there have been quite a number of amazing food experiences. One of the things that stands out in my mind are the birthday celebrations of various food bloggers.

Please join me for a review of the food experiences regarding birthdays and birthday-related posts over the past year, including some new material and images.

Before I continue, apologies in advance if I’ve overlooked anyone’s birthday that I was a part of over the past year.

The first series of posts on the heart of food were about presents and a birthday, or rather a birthday I had to miss due to a last minute work related matter.

The birthday boy, whom I’ll refer to as “That Guy”, is of Filipino origin. The food to be showcased on his birthday was authentic, homemade food from the Philippines made with loving care by his mother. It saddened me to no end that I not only had to cancel, after previously agreeing to go, due to work (on a Saturday no less!), but also had to miss out on such a good food opportunity, especially considering Filipino restaurant food just doesn’t rate from what I’ve been told.

Despite these circumstances, he was kind enough to offer me some of the party left overs the following day. I returned his generosity by getting him a hamper of various gourmet goods from a few of my favourite vendors.

Not long afterwards, Richard from Here Comes the Food had kindly invited me out to a birthday dinner to have all you can eat mussels at Bungalow 8. It was an intimate affair with only four of us in total.

The experience was somewhat surreal. I guess it’s kind of like that moment when you first make friends at preschool or in kindergarten. There’s a sense of child-like joy when you meet with someone that likes what you’re interested in, and just “gets you”, for lack of a better term. In some ways it’s also a sense of belonging. That you’re among like minded individuals, and not just some weird, misunderstood outcast. From a food blogging perspective, that was my moment.

To this day I don’t know why Richard invited me. However, I am thankful that he did, as a lot of interesting experiences have been had since that time.

For instance, a masquerade themed birthday party of around 30 food bloggers, crammed into a private dining room at Wagaya that is supposed to only cater for 25. Who else other than the ever popular Suze of chocolatesuze, whom I like to jokingly refer to as the poster child of Sydney food bloggers (though not entirely untrue), could organise a gathering of this size? It was a gathering of her food blogging friends, acquaintances and other food bloggers that she has yet to meet in person.

At the time it was rather surreal to see a roomful of food bloggers pause from their current activity or conversation in order to take photos of food that had just arrived. A storm of people gather around plates of food. The rolling thunder of conversation goes quiet as photographers focus; the beeps, clicks and whirrs of digital cameras taking over the growing din of silence. On occasion a flash fires; a blinding bolt of lightning that briefly illuminates the room. The eye of the storm soon approaches, as one by one food bloggers sit back and wait patiently for others to finish with their photos. A calm settles in as the beeps, clicks, whirrs and flashes become fewer, less frequent. As the last of the photos are taken, the rest of the storm front rolls in as hungry food bloggers rain down upon a plain of food.

The dinner is a large gathering of friends and strangers alike, all with the common purpose to not only celebrate a birthday or share a meal, but also partake in the appreciation of food beyond that of mere sustenance. It is one that has only since been eclipsed by the Sydney food blogger’s Christmas picnic in Hyde park. Another successful gathering organised, in part, by the poster child of Sydney food bloggers.

Karen of Citrus and Candy gathers a small, intimate  group of some of her closest food blogging friends to celebrate her birthday at the Belgian Bier Cafe. The hearty fare of Belgian beers, meatballs and mussels, finished with some wonderful sweet desserts of chocolate and waffles, makes for a fantastic meal.

It ceases to amaze me how quickly friendships can be born and forged over the common appreciation of food. People, that under different circumstances would likely amount to little more than casual acquaintances, become close friends, mentors, advisors and confidants.

It isn’t just with food bloggers that birthday celebrations have been shared. Adriano Zumbo’s Macaron Day was not only a celebration of 60 different flavours of macarons, but also an opportunity for the food blogging community as well as the general public to celebrate his birthday.

As much as he may be the maestro of the macaron, he is a rather humble, approachable and softly spoken individual in person. One without the pretension or arrogance that quite often comes with those with a high degree of skill or, dare I say, genius. It was personally satisfying to be able to wish him a happy birthday, as well as to discuss a range of topics including his favourite macarons from the collection.

Then it came time to organise & celebrate my own birthday party. Well, birthday parties but I’ll get to that.

When it was time to organise my birthday dinner for a close circle of food blogging friends, I wanted to incorporate a little of the familiar with something that was new to all of us. The familiar ended up being Wagaya, a safe bet when it comes to the quality of the food (not bad), service (fast & attentive) and cost (reasonable, depending on what you order). Wagaya is the sort of dining experience that I prefer; fairly casual & laid back with food that can be easily shared amongst a group of people.

We then moved onto the something new for entertainment and dessert, in the form of Norita Cafe & Board Games. It’s a place where you can enjoy various contemporary & Asian flavoured drinks, desserts and the occasional savoury snack whilst playing a multitude of board games.

The board games are a core part of the experience rather than some tacked-on gimmick, as is demonstrated by the extensive menu of board games they have on offer, separate to that of the food & beverage menu. Though the food & drinks weren’t noteworthy, the fun that was had with the board games was well worth the experience. There were many fits of uncontrollable laughter, as well as a few things that are better left unmentioned. What happens in Norita, stays in Norita :)

Birthdays are a fantastic opportunity to meet with new people and be reacquainted with ones that you may not keep in as close contact with as you may have liked. My second birthday party, a BBQ picnic at Centennial Park, introduced a few new faces, namely Jacq from Penguin Says Feed Me, as well as The Shooter and The Ninja from The Ninja Review.

I could imagine that it would be somewhat intimidating for newcomers entering into an established group of friends or associates, especially when it’s a sizable group.  For instance, it took some time for the The Ninja Review crew to step down from a battle-ready state, take off their disguises and intimidating weaponry, and actually relax and enjoy the company and the food. Well, as much as one could in a blistering 40+ degree heat wave. Once the picnic was over, a subset of the attendees made their way to Sinma Laksa House to counteract the heat wave with Ais Kachang.

On the subject of food at the picnic, a huge thanks must go out to Mei from Brasserie Bread for catering a large portion of the picnic. So large in fact that everyone had a generous parting gift to take home with them, all of it great stuff. From a number of chewy rolls and sour dough loaves (the wholemeal mountain bread makes for excellent toasted sandwiches), wonderful sweet pastries such as various fruit tarts, tea cakes and brownies, as well as THE BEST garlic bread to date I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. The caramelised garlic bread was so highly regarded by the picnic attendees that negotiations were held to determine the lucky few that would be taking a portion home.

The birthday party of Helen from Grab Your Fork was something of a special event for a number of reasons. Firstly, it was a dumpling making party, for lack of a better term. Everyone contributing ingredients and making a large number of handmade gyoza-style dumplings, a fair portion of which were devoured with gusto soon afterwards.

For dessert, Ais Kachang was made from scratch. This began with preparing the various ingredients to form the mise en place. Once this was done, two ice shaving machines buzzed constantly as mountains of ice shavings piled up, ready to be topped by the ingredients and syrups prepared earlier.

To close the evening, chocolatesuze had prepared a fork-shaped cake, a reference to Helen’s blog name. Whilst this was in itself impressive and well received, the true genius of the cake lay within, in the form of a stunning rainbow of colours. Though rainbow coloured cakes are not anything new for chocolatesuze, this implementation of her trademark cake was particularly impressive.

Lastly, we come to a recent birthday dinner, celebrating the birthday of Jacq from Penguin Says Feed Me. She had managed to gather an impressive 17 food bloggers at the Waterfront Grill for all you can eat ribs for $29. The ribs are served along with some tasty but stomach filling steak chips. There is also a web special that is meant to score you a free soft drink with your ribs. It had taken a fair amount of insistence, the attention of the restaurant manager and an iPhone before the free drinks were flowing.

Ellie from Almost Bourdain capped of the dinner with a homemade Momofuku Crack Pie, which she had generously offered as a birthday cake. I can see why it’s called Crack Pie. So addictive… :)

To end this post, I’d like to thank those of you that have followed my blog over the past year, especially the ones that have weathered through the dry spells, and those that take the time to leave comments. It’s very much appreciated!

For the silent readers out there, I encourage you to step out of your shell and show your love, or share your opinion, by leaving a comment. I don’t just mean for my blog, but for any other one that you may be reading as well. We food bloggers, and I presume bloggers in general, thrive on comments.

Also, a special thanks to Helen for inspiring me to begin this food blog in the first place, as well as all the people to date that have made the past year of food, friends & fun a memorable experience.

The Taste of Sydney Festival for 2010 is right around the corner (March 11 – 14). As the name implies, the festival gives one a taste of the culinary scene in Sydney. It showcases what this great city has to offer with regards to good food, whether that be a fine dining restaurant, or a food & beverage supplier.

If you have yet to experience the Taste of Sydney Festival, or you’re after a refresher, read on for a summary of what to expect, along with a few handy tips to make your experience as enjoyable and as effortless as possible.

Please excuse the quality of the photos in this post. The photos were taken around a year ago on a compact camera that I’d only used for a month, with an equivalent amount of experience in photography. Anyhow, moving on.

Tickets

First things first – obtaining a ticket for entry into the festival. You can either order your tickets online at Ticketek, or at the venue on the day.

I would normally advise ordering online without question. However, if you’re looking to go there on your own with a standard entry ticket, depending on what you go for, you’ll either save 5 cents and perhaps a long wait in a queue if you don’t arrive early enough, or it ends up costing you a few dollars extra, for ordering online no less! This is due to a $4.95 transaction fee that Ticketek charges.

Go through the costs and weigh them against the potential time wasted on queuing to see what works for you.

Location

The Taste of Sydney Festival is held on the grounds of Centennial Park, located within the Inner Eastern Sydney suburb of Moore Park. Just make your way towards the centre of Centennial Park in order to get to the Festival. It’s very hard to miss! That’s the easy part. Transporation on that other hand can be somewhat bothersome depending on what you decide to do in that regard.

Transportation

Buses are, in most cases, the best means of transport to the venue. If you’re coming from the city area, a large number of buses either at Central Station or down Elisabeth St. will stop right at Centennial park.

I wouldn’t advise going by car, especially if you’re looking to go to one of the evening sessions. I use to work at Fox Studios (just opposite Centennial Park) so I know what the evening peak hour traffic is like. Let’s just say that you either need to come real early (I’d suggest an hour prior to the Festival start time) or have a lot of patience. Then there is the issue of parking.

If you’re the kind of person that hates to pay for parking, you’ll likely find that you’ll have a lot of trouble finding a suitable spot. Odds are too it’ll be a very long walk if you do.

The parking arrangement at the park itself is apparently very limited, so I believe your next best bet would be the parking station at the Entertainment Quarter, the retail side of Fox Studios. Check out the Centennial Parklands FAQ on the Taste of Sydney event for more info on how to get there by public transport (direct link), and parking (under Patron Information).

Crowns (Currency)

Crowns are the currency of choice (in most cases) at the festival. They have a 1-1 value to the dollar and are sold in books of 30 Crowns for $30. Though Crowns can be pre-purchased online at Ticketek, I wouldn’t bother with it as you’ll have to queue up in order to claim your Crowns. If last year was anything to go by, there will be a number of stands, such as the one in the above image, to purchase Crowns from. Also, there will likely be individuals floating around, especially around the ticket booths, selling Crowns as well.

In my mind, there’s no real advantage of purchasing Crowns online beyond those that may already be included in the ticket price.

Restaurants

Once you’re inside, there are a fair number of restaurant stalls to check out. These stalls are of restaurants on the finer end of the dining spectrum. Places like Becasse, ARIA, Longrain, Danks St Depot & Marque, just to name a few. In other words, don’t expect restaurants like food blogger regular haunts Chat Thai or Mamak to have a stall.

Having said that, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a gozleme or Dutch poffertjes stall at the festival. I’ve seen at least one of those at every food festival, including the SIFF Asian Night Noodle Markets of all places!

The restaurant stalls typically serve three courses; an average of two savoury dishes with one dessert. These are usually dishes that you can find in larger, more elaborate portions at their restaurant, giving you a sense of what’s on offer if you were to actually dine in. In order to get more coverage with sampling a large number of dishes, bring along a group of friends in order to spread the cost, as well as the load on your stomach!

Chef’s Table

The Chef’s Table is an opportunity for an informal chat over wine with the head chefs from the restaurants featured at the festival. You can glean an insight into their background, philosophy with regards to food and the restaurant business, as well as learn from their many years of experience and expertise in the industry. Seating is limited and, at least from the previous year’s experience, is on a first come, first served basis. However, if you happen to miss out on a seat, feel free to loiter around the area to listen in on the conversation.

For a schedule of the Chef’s Table sessions, as well as staying ahead of the curve with regards to available seating, check out the Taste Featured Areas on their website.

Taste Kitchen

The Taste Kitchen is the venue where the chefs from the various restaurants at Taste hold a cooking demonstration, usually of something easy enough that you can try at home.

George Francisco of Jonah’s at Whale Beach demonstrates how to make his famous Vanilla Panna Cotta with Fresh Pomegranate & Lavender Honey.

Prior to this, George prepared a toasted truffle gruyere grilled cheese sandwich with truffled egg, whilst talking about his previous experiences with truffles early on in his career.

As with the Chef’s Table, seating is limited and is on a first come, first served basis. Once again, check out the Taste Featured Areas for a schedule.

Other

Last but not least, what I’ve lumped into the “other” category (mainly because there aren’t photos to break it down any further). This consists of the various food and beverage producers/vendors selling items typically with cash more so than Crowns, as well as sessions for Wine Tasting and a live band.

The food & beverage stalls are a rather eclectic mix of gourmet foods, chocolates (above image of the cocoa nibs was from the Zokoko stand), ice cream & real wasabi in paste form just to name a few. There are plenty of free samples to go around here, so it worth checking out. With some stalls, a few times :)

That’s about it for the run through of the Taste of Sydney festival. Hopefully, the tips provided will make for an enjoyable and frustration-free experience at the festival.

For more specific details with regards to last years experience, read the previous posts on the Taste of Sydney Festival 2009 Part 1 & Part 2.

One last thing, if you’ve never tried Jonah’s Vanilla Panna Cotta, I recommend that you give it a go. I’ve not found many panna cotta that have been as good as his. Certainly not as fun to play with! :)

I’ve finally made my first foray into print media, namely with the first issue of GourmetRabbit magazine. GourmetRabbit looks to bring together the collective knowledge, talents and expertise of the food industry, as well as the energy, passion and experiences of a community of passionate foodies and food bloggers all in one publication.

The above image is an article that I’ve contributed to the magazine, regarding an experiential review of the first French-Caribbean themed tasting menu at the French Bistro, Tastevin. Click on the above image to read the review.

I also had the pleasure of conducting a shoot in the kitchen of the Galileo restaurant, located within The Observatory Hotel, for a serial article known as “The Masked Apprentice”.

But first, the experience at Tastevin.

For those of you that know a little about food blogging (or blogging in general), sourcing the material for the article was no different to what you would likely experience for any other blog post. You take some photos, taste some food, make a few notes here or there.

Seeing that this was meant to be an article for print, I was expecting a more formal approach. Direction about what photos to take. What key points or phrases need to be raised in the article. However, there were no such restrictions, to my pleasant surprise. It’s pretty much ran the way I would expect for any other post on this blog, except with a lot less photos due to space restrictions.

The issue of space had also placed small limitations onto the contents of the article itself. For instance, there wasn’t room to comment on the Ti’Punch cocktail, a wonderful off-menu drink that was very much in the Caribbean theme. Nor was there room to comment on their wine list.

I liken wine to art, in the sense that I don’t know it but I know what I like. With Stewart from Wine Without BS serving as the dining party’s exclusive sommelier of sorts, we ended up with a couple of great ones. Somewhat pricey, as they ended up being over $100 for a couple of bottles, but very good all the same.

As mentioned previously, there are a lot of photos that were not able to be included in the article, such as the one above. Check out the heart of food Fan Page on Facebook to see images of the Ti’Punch, a bottle of some fine wine, as well as other images from the French-Caribbean themed tasting menu at Tastevin.

This striking image was used for the first “Episode” of The Mask Apprentice, something along the lines of a food-industry-specific gossip column. Whilst the articles are written by apprentices within the food industry, they adopt the identity of The Masked Apprentice in order to remain anonymous. I trust that in later episodes, more sordid gossip, tips & insider knowledge will be uncovered.

Unlike the photos taken for the Tastevin article, this ran more like a formal shoot. A brief was established to communicate the kind of image required, a meeting had to discuss the details of the brief, models brought in specifically for the shoot etc.

As much as you may thing that it would be glamorous to view a fine pair of feminine legs through the view finder of a camera, there’s a little more to it than that.

When you factor in that you had to lie down on the kitchen floor with the view finder barely off the ground in order to properly frame the shot, with constant adjustments of the model in order to obtain the look we’re after (in case of the above image, the position of the model’s legs), and doing so whilst in an actively operating commercial kitchen (note the guy in the background)… Well, let’s just say it was more work than play.

Photo editing afterwards, on the other hand, was another matter… :P

The GourmetRabbit magazine is available online or at a number of food-related locations. In fact, the magazine will be on sale at the Urban Food Market stall at the Dank St Markets, this Saturday 6th March. For more details regarding the Danks St Markets, including its location and operating hours, check out their website.

Otherwise, check out the GourmetRabbit website for more details. While you’re there, feel free to browse the online content. Some of the articles online are also found in the hard copy edition of the magazine, giving you a taste of what’s inside.

Tastevin
Level 1, 292-294 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010
(02) 9356 3429

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There is a Czech proverb that goes “A fine beer may be judged with only one sip, but it’s better to be thoroughly sure”. There was opportunity for plenty of both fine beers and thoroughness at a special beer appreciation dinner held at the MuMu Grill, owned and operated by Head Chef Craig MacIndoe.

Craig had invited a number of bloggers, as well as some twitter followers and some regulars to this dining experience. Various courses of food were served with matching beers in the same way that one may serve food with a matching wine. However, there was a little more to this dinner than just food & beer.

Dan Hampton is something of a beer snob. A self professed one at that. He, along with his business partner Graham, heads a company, and in some ways a movement, that encourages others to become beer snobs as well. Strangely enough, this company is called Beer Snobs.

The mission of Beer Snobs is not as bad as it may seem. The term “beer snob” in this case is something of a misnomer in my mind. It is true that there is the air of appreciation for a higher standard of beer. However, this appreciation is done without an elitist, condescending or negative view on cheap, mainstream commercial beers. It instead focuses on awareness and promotion of the breadth and depth of a range of good quality beers that may otherwise go unnoticed by the mainstream public.

The dinner is conducted very much like a wine tasting dinner. The selection of glasses, traditionally used for the service of wines, evokes the notion that a good quality beer could be appreciated in very much the same way one would with a bottle or glass of fine wine.

The evening began with a Moo Brew Hefeweizen, served in a glass one might expect to be used for a sparkling wine. This was paired with a smooth tartare of Grass fed Angus Pure Beef served on cruets. No images of the tartare. However, if you can imagine what a mound of minced beef on a thin slice of crusty bread would look like, you’re most of the way there.

The next course featured a Murray’s Pilsner. A little too bitter for my tastes but still a nice beer. This was paired with a platter of 18 month Jamon Serrano, some divine ox heart tomatoes fresh out of the garden of one of Craig’s providers, and some freshly baked focaccia-like bread. This made for one killer ham & tomato sandwich!

18 month Jamon Serrano. What more needs to be said? :)

Dan gauges the level of beer “snobbery” around the room by posing a hypothetical situation in a pub whereby a person within a group of friends offers to buy a round of beers.

1. Would you reject low quality commercial beers in favour of good quality ones? (Beer Snob, Level 1)
2. Would you go against the status quo order of cheap, commercial beer when someone buys a round, by requesting a good quality beer instead? (Beer Snob, Level 2)
3. If your request was ignored and you’re given the commercial beer, would you refuse to drink it and instead head over to the bar to order the beer you were actually after? (Beer Snob, Level 3)

The above is not word-for-word, but it should give you some means to gauge your own level of beer snobbery at home :)

Moving onto the next course, the Marston’s Oyster Stout was served with, oddly enough, oysters. Classic poor man’s fare back in ye old England, well so I’ve been told.

Two types of oysters are served au naturel – the briny Pacific Oysters on the left and the creamy Sydney Rock Oysters on the right. For those that dislike having their oysters in this fashion (or dislike oysters altogether), a small bowl Craig’s BBQ sauce is provided to mask any unwanted oyster flavours. Perhaps any oyster flavours at all, depending on the quantity used.

A concept that we’re introduced to at the beginning of the dinner is that of the Three C’s – colour, clarity & carbonation. This is essentially a classification system, a means by which to identify & distinguish the visual characteristics of beers from each other.

For this course, Pigs Fly Pale Ale is served with slow roasted Bangalow Sweet pork cooked in beer, along with cannellini beans & crispy fried sage leaves coated in a tempura batter.

All the elements work well in this dish. The pork, as its brand name implies, is sweet, as well as being very juicy, tender & full of flavour. The cannelli beans pair well with the pork, whilst the sage leaves are a thing of beauty. Though they work well with the other elements of this dish, the sage leaves are so good on their own that I could easily see myself snacking over a bowl full of these with a glass of beer in hand.

There is a certain ritual to appreciating a beer in the Beer Snob way beyond the Three C’s. You swirl the beer around in the glass as you would with a red wine. Then three sniffs are taken to discern the aromatic characteristics of the beer. Afterwards, a sip of the beer is taken, which must be swallowed in order to appreciate all aspects of the beer’s flavour & bitter notes.

This ritual gives a sense that beers should be appreciated to the same degree as fine wines. That it too has discernable characteristics, and a depth of flavours and aroma beyond bitter & yeasty.

Having completed the wonderful roasted pork dish, with its equally nice matching beer, I’d felt that this was the height of the evenings meal. That this was as good as it was going to get.

How oh-so-wrong I was…

Garlic & rosemary Angus pure T-Bone steak served tagliata style with a side of roasted potatoes cooked with duck fat, paired with a Knapstein Reserve Ale, was by far and away one of the most noteworthy and memorable preparations of steak and potatoes I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. Not just that evening. I mean ever. As great as the previous pork dish was, by comparison it seemed little more than something to keep the mouth occupied and the hunger sated until this dish was served.

The steak was cooked to a wonderful medium; flavourful, juicy & perfectly seasoned. The duck fat roasted potatoes were prepared just right. A little crispy on the outside. Soft and fluffy on the inside. The duck fat adding a sublime richness to the potatoes without being greasy. This is a dish I will certainly look to have when I am next at the MuMu Grill. Note, not if. When. It’s that good.

As we proceed through our beer education (or re-education, depending on your point of view), there are a few key lessons to be learned. For instance, that by drinking the beer straight out of the bottle, you are only able to taste about 10% of what the beer has to offer. The beer needs to be poured into a glass in order to be truly appreciated for its flavour. It doesn’t specifically have to be a wine glass, though beers such as the Hefeweiser benefit from being served in a sparkling wine glass due to their high degree of carbonation.

If dishes had feelings, I’d feel sorry for the beer braised cuttlefish, & chorizo salad, paired with a Red Emperor Amber Ale. This South East Asian/Spanish fusion salad did not fare well as the dish that followed immediately after the seriously impressive tagliata. Partly because of how good the previous dish was. Partly due to the fact that it was a lighter dish that would have likely had been better appreciated if it was served a few places sooner.

Having said that, the cuttlefish was braised long enough to be tender to the bite. The chorizo brought with it a wonderful spicy/smokey note, whilst the predominately cabbage-based salad served not only as a textural contrast but also as a medium to cut through the richness of the chorizo.

We end this fabulous dining experience with a dessert of a sour cherry chocolate tart served with a hazelnut gelato. This is paired with a Moo Brew Dark Ale, something that I’m hesitant to refer to as a dessert beer. It’s not a dessert beer in the same sense that a wine may be classified as a dessert wine due to its sweetness. It’s more due to its aromatic characteristics and flavours, which are predominately of chocolate and cherry. Complementary flavours to the dessert itself.

It may seem counter intuitive to have beer with dessert but in this case it works.

The tart itself is nice, & the hazelnut gelato works well with the hazelnuts scattered within the tart. There’s no “oh my god this is so good!” moment. Then again, there was nothing that I disliked about it either.

All in all, this was a fabulous dining experience. It wasn’t just about enjoying a great meal. It was also the education about, and the appreciation for, a series of fine beers. That there is more to beer than bitterness, yeasty notes and a buzz. That it could have such depth, and could be appreciated to a similar degree as fine wines. That being a beer snob isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

From time to time, the MuMu Grill, in conjunction with Beer Snobs, will be holding these beer appreciation dinners. Check out the Events section of the MuMu Grill website to see when the next session will be held.

MuMu Grill
70-76 Alexander St
Crows Nest NSW 2065
(02) 9460 6877

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Beer Snobs
Dan
0410 071 454
Dan@beersnobs.com.au

Graham
0410 071 018
graham@beersnobs.com.au

the heart of food dined courtesty of Craig MacIndoe and the MuMu Grill.

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The Essential Ingredient recently held a VIP launch party to celebrate the relocation of their store to Rozelle.

The Essential Ingredient, and stores like it, are something of a candy store for food enthusiasts such as myself. As with a child’s first experience in a candy store, there are a wonderous array of colours, textures and aromas to dazzle the mind and tempt ones appetite. A mental list of things to purchase is compiled with giddy delight, oblivious to the thought that your weekly allowance would likely not cover even a fraction of your heart’s desire.

However, there’s more to the Essential Ingredient store, and the VIP launch party for that matter, than just candy.

Shelves and shelves of a few of my favourite things run along the expansive space of the store. A vast array from pantry goods, kitchenware, cake decoration, & party/catering supplies. A great place to spend some time building up than mental wish list that you’re likely never going to fulfill, at least in its entirety. It’s a place that can also offer some solace, a moment’s respite from the social rumble of the launch party.

A small, impromptu bar is setup by the front register, providing refreshments and social lubricant to the VIP attendees, of which there are quite a number. The movers and shakers of the Essential Ingredient group, chefs, food media types, the Mayor of the local council, a neighbour, a couple of reality TV celebrities, and a number of food bloggers just for the heck of it.

With regards to catering, an in-house kitchen is utilised to provide warm, tasty canapes. This same kitchen is used for cooking demonstrations that are held in the store from time to time.

Some of the noteworthy canapes for me includes:

Spinach & parmesan pastries. These were so good that I kept picking at them as they would float past my view. The salty bite & aroma of the parmesan made these delightful canapes so moreish.

Tuna, cooking to a wonderfully tender medium, incorporated with aromatic Asian flavours. Skewers were provided as utensils to spear these juicy morsels. If I were in more relaxed environs, I would have racked up a full skewer of these babies. Perhaps even two.

Scallops, served in the half shell, were cooked to perfection. The herb dressing served to complement the natural sweetness of the scallops without overpowering them.

There were many other canapes served that night. However, for those images you’ll need to check out the Facebook fan page for the heart of food.

As I was about to take my leave from the VIP launch party, a candy coloured corner display of KitchenAid stand mixers had caught my attention. My eyes lit up, dazzled by the rainbow of happiness that arced before me. A mental note was taken; not just to add one of these to the wish list, but to also check the piggy bank at home to see how much more allowance I’d need to save up to get my hands on one.

The Essential Ingredient
731-735 Darling Street, Rozelle.
Ph: 9555 8300

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