Did someone say duck?

I love duck, especially roasted duck, so naturally, after mentioning duck congee in my previous post,

Being sick: Medicines and food, it was all I could think about. So yesterday, when my dad wanted to buy some crispy Chinese roast pork belly from a Chinese butchery/barbequed meat shop for dinner, we decided to buy half a roast duck as well. The butcher usually chops up the meat for you as well with a meat cleaver, so it saves you getting your kitchen dirty at home, doing it yourself.



 

Roast pork belly and roast duck - the two tastiest things from a Chinese BBQ shop!

 

As tempting as it was to just attack the delicious, golden-skinned juicy duck with my bare hands, dripping copious amounts of liquidised fat and marinade over a bowl of jasmine white rice, I had to remind myself that I shouldn't be eating roasted meats and such, while I was still inflicted with a bacterial throat infection and nasty cough. That's right: the roast duck was bought exclusively to flavour my congee. When I make duck congee, it's usually from left-over duck from dinner (same goes for the chicken for its version), so this was going to be one luxury congee.

 

Okay, so I know that most people think that congee is nothing to get excited over, and might think that it's silly to devote a blog post to it. However, when I cook something, I like to know a bit about it, and I'd like to think there are people out there who are the same. Cooking and eating, to me, is not just a culinary experience, but also an educational one, because through food, we can get an insight into different cultures, their lifestyle, their diet, their history even. It's so unreal to think that we're able to eat the same food via the same cooking methods as the people who lived many, many years, possibly even hundreds of years, before us did. Moreover, cooking food from other cultures, together with this learning, somewhat connects people, without even needing to know the language, and allows them to recognise in each other, not a foreigner who has different values and beliefs, but a fellow human who also frets about the prospects of their crème pâtissière curdling over too-high-a-heat. Surely I am not the only one who finds this food connection fascinating?

 

So what exactly is congee? Congee is basically like a rice porridge, which is commonly eaten in many Asian countries, such as China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Indonesia, where rice is the staple in their diet, as well as in Portugal. In the old days, congee was mainly eaten by poor peasants, who could not afford meals of rice, and accordingly, it was the mainstay meal during famines to stretch the rice supply. Additionally, it was also the main form of sustenance provided for the sick, usually made with a thinner consistency and left bland, because it is easy to swallow and digest, while still providing semi-solid food to fill the stomach and satiate hunger. Nowadays, rice congee, like most other originally peasant foods of other countries, such as Italy's ciabatta, is eaten by all, regardless of societal status. As such, it can be found on the menu at many Asian (though predominantly Chinese) restaurants and cafés here in Australia. The time the dish is eaten; the type of rice and grains used to make the congee; the other ingredients added to it; and its consistency differs according to culture and geographical location, but common to all congee-eating countries is the fact that it is still the choice food during illnesses. The version I make is the Cantonese congee.

 

I'm sure most people out there would be familiar with how to make rice congee, as it is Chinese cooking 101, but I thought I'd post up some pictures anyway, for those who don't (and if that is the case, refer to the link provided above), and explain the process a little bit.

 



Cooking congee (and yes, while drinking pearl milk tea from Sakuraya - it does gets boring) 

I think of the cooking process of congee as a bit like that of the Italian risotto, in that the rice is slowly cooked in liquid, releasing starch from the grains to slightly thicken it. Of course, the end products are totally different, congee being less substantial and 'lighter' both in terms of texture and calories. Well, that is, unless you add a lot of whole duck meat; that's a different story. Risotto is also easier to get wrong (in fact, I had a bad risotto experience at a bistro just the other day - story to come in a later post) and involves more steps. However, both require you stand over the pot, stirring constantly for the whole cooking time, and both take around the same time to prepare. At this point, I should mention that congee usually takes a bit more than an hour to cook, not the half-hour I guesstimated in the other post - oops, sorry! I timed it this time.

I know that a lot of people can't be bothered to constantly stir the congee, and opt to just lower the heat, pop the lid on, and let it cook by itself; but this extra attention is important, because you want to cook the rice over high heat with a rolling boil, and if you don't stir, the water will just boil over the sides and possibly extinguish the gas flame, potentially causing a gas-leaking hazard (yep, that's what happened that other night when I was distracted by blogging). You want the heat to be high, so that the rice disintegrates quickly while continuing to cook, and by constantly stirring, you're coaxing the starch from the grains into the cooking water, to thicken it and achieve an overall soupy consistency. So you can imagine that if you leave the pot on low heat, the bulk of the water will evaporate before the rice breaks down sufficiently, and you will end up with a nubbly gruel, where the grains are still distinct from the watery liquid. Some people don't mind this, but the way I see it, why bear with something that doesn't taste nice, when you know you could make it better with just that little bit more patience?

Basically, you want it to go from this.....


At about 15 minutes: the rice is partially cooked



.....to this...

The duck meat was added when the rice had reached its water-absorbing capacity and had started to disintegrate

.....and finally to this.

At this point, the rice had almost completely disintegrated and the congee had thickened

You want to make sure you add enough water at the start, because, as you can see from the picture below, you only have a bit over half a pot left by the end of the cooking time.

Enough for around 4 serves

 

For the congee last night, I had removed the skin and its underlying fatty layer from the pieces of duck before adding to the congee, in my attempt to make a healthy, low-fat, low-sodium, sick people-friendly version (but who am I kidding? Most of the tasty skins ended up in my mouth!). However, under normal circumstances, I would have added the whole lot - bones, skins, fat and all - to the pot, in order to best extract the flavour of the roast duck. Nevertheless, the healthier version still had the flavour of duck, but less intensely so, and, best of all, was without obvious traces of oil - well, except for those left by my roast duck wing! Alas, I couldn't resist afterall.

 



Duck congee at its healthiest



Not bad for a sick person's food!

 

Knitting into the Spring

I recently started working on my Knot-Sleeve top again, after finishing the band of a beanie I am knitting my sister. I am finally past the bottom border and onto the waist shaping *phew*! There's so many projects on hold at the moment, because they're waiting to be blocked. Besides the beanie, there's the cross-over stays from the Jane Austen Knits magazine, which is otherwise almost all done! I guess it will be ready for Spring/Summer....

 

The problem is that I have limited room in my house, and there is no single room with a big, clean, uncluttered table, on which I could block my work. On top of that, I have a shortage of towels - there is literally just enough available at a time for use in the bathroom; hence, I will need to buy more white towels just for blocking. For smaller items, I've actually been using my ironing board, covered in plastic bags; ridiculous! I saw on the Coco Knits website what the creator calls the 'Knitter's Block Kit', which looks like just the thing to solve my problems (except for the space problem). However, shipping to Australia from the US for these costs almost as much as the product itself, and will altogether set me back almost $100, just for the small kit of 9 tiles! I think I'll just buy some cheap towels, thank-you very much. For those of you living in the US, and won't have to pay an arm and a leg for delivery, you might be interested in this nifty product: http://store.cocoknits.com/categories/products/knitter%E2%80%99s-block/.

 

I also forgot to post a picture of my completed charity beanies for premmies/sick babies at one of the local hospitals, which I finished a month or so ago. Here you go:

 

I was a bit less creative with the designs this time, because I wanted the beanies to mainly go to the babies in the neonatal ward this time, as opposed to in the hospital foundation's shop. A friend of mine is expecting a baby girl in September, so I can put my creative cap on then!

Being sick: medicines and food

It's been a week already, and I'm onto my last dose of antibiotics, but not only has my condition not improved, the symptoms have seemingly gotten worse. It's rather frustrating, especially since I've spent more money on this particular occasion than for previous bouts of similar sore throat/cold/cough conditions. Although this blog is not intended for health advice, I shall list the things I have tried and what they are for, in case some readers are also unfortunate enough to be suffering from the same condition and might find this information useful: -

1. Ventolin puffer/syrup: Salbutamol. Largely used in asthma, but also used in some other respiratory conditions, including bronchitis, for bronchodilation. In my case, the bronchodilation is to help stop the coughing - but it didn't work for me at all. Best to opt for normal over-the-counter cough syrups instead. Ventolin Syrup is available via prescription only. (Note: not routinely recommended for cough relief (use only on medical advice), nor does it replace the need for preventers in asthma, due to the desensitisation of the receptors in your airways that will occur with overuse.)

2. Pholcodine (e.g. Benadryl Dry and Tickly Cough): A cough suppressant for dry, unproductive coughs. The other non-herbal alternative is dextromethorphan (e.g. Robitussen Dry Cough Forte), but if you're taking mood-alterating medications, pholcodine is the safer option for you.

3. Dimetapp Cold and Flu Elixer: Contains brompheniramine and phenylephrine. These 2 ingredients work to decongest your nose and dry up nasal secretions. (Note: should not be used by those taking mood-improving and blood pressure-lowering medication, as well as other medications that also have a sedating or drying effect.)

3. Soluble Aspirin (e.g. Disprin, Aspro-Clear): an anti-inflammatory drug that is commonly recommended by doctors for sore throat conditions. The idea is to gargle the prepared solution, so that some is absorbed locally to help target pain relief at the site. For those with high blood pressure/other heart conditions, I'd spit out the solution after gargling, or, even better, gargle instead with...

4. Warm, salty water: fill a cup with water and dissolve about half a tablespoon of fine salt (or more, depending on the amount of water). Gargle a few mouthfuls at a time, for as long as you can each time. I usually opt for this, but was so desperate that I tried the aspirin. The result? It's really gross, and doesn't work (but I'll admit I gave up after one go). Back to the good old salty water.

5. Difflam cough lozenges: has antibacterial and antiinflammatory properties. Flavours sound nice, but tastes gross and has a numbing effect, even though I bought the ones without the local anaesthetic in them. Better to stick with the honey-centred Butter Menthols (non-medicated and are essentially lollies, but I find that the honey helps to soothe the throat... as honey does). Note: with cough lollies containing menthol, please do not take too many, because it can dry out your throat and make you cough even more. Also, the sugar-free lozenges can cause a laxative effect if you have too much, due to the artificial sweetener. Like you're not suffering enough from the sore throat already.

6. Vick's honey-flavoured Cough lozenges for dry cough: contains dextromethorphan (see above). Tastes gross and does nada for the cough. Better to try to the syrup and a non-medicated soothing throat lozenge that tastes better.

7. Sambucol syrup and throat lozenges: contains black elderberry extract, and the lozenges also contain vitamin C and zinc. First off, I have to clarify that I am not a strong believer in complementary medicines, not because I'm narrow-minded, but because strong evidence of clinical effectiveness is lacking for the majority of them. However, when you're sick, you generally lose your pragmatic senses and are willing to try almost anything under the sun that just might help you feel that wee bit better. Sambucol is all the rage at the moment, as it supposedly can halve the duration of influenza by half, if you start taking it within 48 hours of symptom onset (syrup and capsule form). I have yet to see the clinical studies reports for myself, but decided to try it anyway, to cover all possible causes of my illness. I started it after the 48 hours, but I'm willing to accept any placebo effects. Unfortunately, the syrup has thus far done nothing for me, as my symptoms, as previously mentioned, have worsened. The lozenges are pretty much useless for soothing the throat, no thanks to its gummy lolly form, which tempts you to chew it. Even if you just suck on it, it doesn't last for long. They're tastier than normal cough lozenges, but please don't take more than the recommended dose, as an overdose of zinc can be dangerous.

8. Nature's Way Kids Smart VitaGummies multivitamin and vegies/omega-3 fish oil: for overall wellbeing. I'm taking these to help boost my immune system, though I normally take the multivitamin in this range anyway. Before you say "Why on earth is she taking kids vitamins?", yes, ideally, you'd want to be taking the adult formulations, if you're an adult, to ensure you're taking the right amount for you. However, I'm one of those people who have tried and failed at taking multivitamin tablets, because of the size, smell, and taste of them. Even the adult formulation in this brand's gummy range smells and tastes bad. The kids gummies, however, are shaped like gummy bears (and are shaped like fish for the omega 3 gummies) and taste just like lollies. Better to have some in you than none, right? Of course, an adult would have to take waaayy more of these than what is recommended for a child; however, take note of the vitamin A content and do not exceed the RDI (Note: Do not take these when you're pregnant). I normally take about 3 gummies daily. The fish oil gummies taste nothing like fish oil, which is what I love about them. One of the obvious negatives with the gummies is the sugar content (they are sugar coated), which is what makes them taste so good, so we have to think about dental health and sugar intake, especially for those with high blood glucose levels. The other is that you have to keep them out of reach of children, because they do taste just like lollies and kids can't tell the difference. The bottles have child-proof screw top lids, but kids are very smart and have great dexterity these days.

I'm sure there are a lot of people out there like me, who would like to but can't take multivitamin tablet supplements for some reason or other, may it be problems swallowing or a dislike of the taste. If you're one of them, and gummy lollies don't float your boat, there is something else I've used in the past, which I'd found to taste okay when mixed in a glass of orange juice (if anything, it adds a bit of zing to it). It is a multivitamin powder called Base Jump, which was formulated by a doctor who practices next to my oral surgeon's clinic. I got it for free after I had my wisdom teeth removed, to aid a speedy recovery. I had a look at the website just now, and read that apparently it can be used to replace sodium bicarbinate in baking as well to optimise taste and improve the glycaemic index! I'm usually a bit skeptical about claims made about benefits of certain vitamins, but since a surgeon created it, and my oral surgeon provides his patients with it, I think it's safe to recommend it here (Note: contains phenylalanine. Consult a doctor for advice first if you're pregnant or have any sort of vitamin/mineral dietary restrictions). Here's the web address, in case you want to read more about it: www.basejump.com.au.

Dosing up on meds and vitamins

Of all the above things that I've tried, I will recommend only the salt water gargle and the multi-vitamins and fish oil. Of course, it comes without saying that with all supplements, they will only be of benefit if you're lacking them in your diet. Having said all that, do note that different people can respond differently to the same medication, so if your medical professional advises you to take one of the items in the above list, please do not assume that they are trying to sell you an ineffective product. 

Edit: After taking the pholcodine last night, I still coughed but less so than on previous nights without it, so it is worth a try, if you're after something to relieve a dry cough.

Besides the taking of over-the-counter pharmacy medicines, another everyday thing that has changed for me is the type of food I eat. Now, I know that everyone has their own beliefs about what kind of food to eat when they are sick, depending on family, culture, or just what they've found is best for them when they're not feeling 100%. For my family, when one is sick, whether it be a sore throat or an upset tummy, bland food is the answer, with the most popular food choice being plain congee. For that very reason, I made myself some tonight for dinner.  



Sick people's food



Making congee is very simple. Just add half a cup of washed rice to a medium-sized saucepan, and fill almost to the rim with filtered water. Bring to the boil over high heat and keep stirring constantly to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Keep at it until the rice is cooked and starts to disintegrate - think risotto with too much liquid - about half an hour or so. You can alter the ratio of rice to water, depending on what sort of consistency you want. I prefer mine to be more watery with the rice more disintegrated, so I use less rice. Whatever you do, make sure you don't overcook the congee, because it will become a glue-like paste!

To the plain congee, I only seasoned it with a bit of salt to improve the taste, and topped it with julienned fresh ginger, shallots, and a few cracks of fresh black pepper. I'm sure raw ginger does not appeal to many people, but it's supposed to be good for colds and tastes really good when mixed in hot congee - really! Providing you add enough salt, etc, plain congee actually tastes quite pleasant. If you prefer your congee more flavoursome, you could add meat (e.g. chicken, pork or fish) to the congee 3/4 of the way through cooking time. Duck congee tastes amazing. But remember, plain is best when you're not feeling well, especially when strong flavours make you feel nauseated.

What are the foods that you eat and prepare for your family on sick days?


Disclaimer: Contents of this blog regarding health are my opinions only and do not replace advice from a medical professional.


Another birthday cake!

It was my dad's birthday last week, which meant that it was time for me to unleash my cake-making skills, which are seldom used now, except for on special occasions. I had planned to make a black forest cake, but because my dad doesn't like eating chocolate cake, I would have had to change it to a sponge cake, and probably just use the kirsch in the cream filling...all of which would render the cake anything but an authentic black forest cake. Anyway, my dad ended up buying strawberries, so I decided to make the good ol' strawberries and cream layered sponge cake. Here's the result!

I hadn't done any cake decorating in a while, so my chocolate writing looks a bit wonky. The cake would have also looked better if I had used green kiwifruit to decorate it; but at the time, there were only the sweeter golden variety in the fridge, so they were used.

Three-layered sponge cake

I made two 20cm sponge cakes and divided each into two layers, but only ended up using three of these, because the cake would otherwise be too tall. Pieces were torn from the spare cake layer by bare hands and dipped into the leftover chantilly cream, serving as a quick afternoon tea. It felt so primitive and wrong eating cake that way, but it didn't detract from its deliciousness of course.

Oh, and we had burritos for dinner! Yum!

In case you were wondering, yes we did use the same candles as last time (the damn Magic Relighting Candles that even sends out random electricity-like sparks - The Cheesecake Shop really needs to amp up their quality and safety tests), but learning our lesson from the last 2 times, the lighted candle was plucked out of the cake before it was blown out and then had its wick squashed (on the table - why?!) to fully extinguish the flame this time. It was all done so quickly that dad even forgot to make his birthday wish before doing all that - oops!

What's interesting is that although I'm sure I didn't do anything different than what I usually do, the whipped cream ended up being much smoother and lighter this time, such that I didn't even need to run the spatula over the top of the cake that many times to achieve an even, smooth surface. It even tasted lighter and fluffier. Same brand, same type of cream, same electric beaters, still me... Very interesting. I wonder if it's because I might have overbeat the cream previously? In any case, cake success! :)

Lunch at Bretts Wharf

449 Kingsford Smith Drive Hamilton Q 4007 - 07 3868 1717
www.brettswharf.com.au

Bretts Wharf Restaurant is an award-winning, iconic Brisbane seafood restaurant, situated along the Brisbane River in Hamilton. Established in 1995, the restaurant offers a relaxing, wide riverside view, with a spacious interior dining area, which is structured lengthways, to take full advantage of the view, as well as an outdoor dining area and a private dining room. On site is also a private function venue, known as 'The River Room'. The restaurant boasts fresh, local seasonal seafood, so the à la carte menu changes frequently, according to produce availability.

Headed by executive chef, Alastair McLeod, the restaurant has secured a strong reputation in the Brisbane fine-dining scene over the years. Besides the food and the service, its continuing success is no doubt probably also attributed to the rising popularity of their executive chef, who is also a celebrity chef here in Australia. He presents for radio and television shows, such as Ready, Steady, Cook, and also attends food shows to present food demonstrations, as well as to MC for other chefs in the 'celebrity chef theatres'. He is hilariously funny at the food events, and through his light-hearted, laid-back manner, one could almost perceive the type of food that could be expected from him at his restaurants - contemporary and simple, in a relaxed, informal dining environment. And that is exactly what Bretts Wharf is renowned for.

Despite its success as a business, certain events surrounding the local council's decision to reclaim the land on which the restaurant is situated led to the owners' ultimate decision to close the restaurant down (a more detailed explanation of the situation can be found on their website). This was sad news for me, because I've never dined there before, and it's been on my 'to-dine-at' list for quite some time. My friend messaged me about it as soon as she saw announced on the news that Bretts will be closing down at the end of this month, so I hurriedly went on their website to make a reservation, as I was convinced that if it was on the news, they would very soon be inundated with bookings. The booking was successful, and I went there for lunch yesterday afternoon with my friend, Joanne.

Without further ado, let's get started with the review!

The restaurant:

On arrival, we were taken to a corner table in the indoor dining area, overlooking the boardwalk and river. As described previously, the dining space was very large, so the tables were at a comfortable distance from each other, allowing privacy and ample personal space to relax. Although the Brisbane River is not the cleanest nor the prettiest body of water to look at, there's just something so tranquil about looking out at water and the large expanse of blue sky (it was a lovely bright, sunny day). It lends to the calm, relaxed ambience of the restaurant, and perfectly suits its seafood theme. The sight and sound of water, seagulls and pelicans can also make diners imagine their seafood to be extra fresh. Positioning a seafood restaurant next to water is a clever tactic indeed.

A gang of pelicans

The pelicans were definitely a talking point and a good distraction for those silent breaks in conversations. There were so many of them! It's all well and good that we were separated by a sheet of glass, but I think I might have been a bit intimidated if I had to walk along the boardwalk, with these birds manning it like it was their territory.

The service:

The restaurant certainly lived up to their claim of having friendly, professional waitstaff. The waiter, who serviced our section of the restaurant during the whole sitting, was fantastic. He was attentive without being intrusive, like a shadow. As soon as the water in the glass was drained halfway, an arm with a jug of water would instantly appear over the shoulder and automatically refill the glass. Even when we had questions to ask, he was never far away from reach, unlike in some other restaurants, where you might have to wait for some time before a waiter does their round near your table. When he saw my friend and I staring out at the birds, he told us a bit about them, like how one of them was 70-80 years old, and when standing tall with beak in the air, the bird would reach his height (i.e. quite tall). He also told us how when the kitchen had any fish left, they would feed the pelicans, which explains why there were so many of them wandering along the restaurant part of the boardwalk, and why even when in the water, they waded closeby in flocks.





We saw a lot of people walking along the boardwalk to take pictures of the pelicans, so they're quite popular birds!



I can never tell if the birds are looking at me when they look side on or when they look en face

The birds kept walking up close to the window and peering at our food on the table. Just imagine the chaos that would ensue if they found their way inside!

The food:

For drinks, I ordered a pineapple and ginger-root mocktail, and my friend ordered their Berry Crush mocktail, which was a blend of cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, and lemon juice. Her's was, as expected, a bit tart, and mine was sweet and tasted okay. 

Mocktails

There was a large range of starters and entrées on the à la carte menu, all of which sounded extremely tasty. We decided to order some stuffed olives and fresh natural oysters to share. When I read the description of the stuffed olives on the menu, I imagined bite-sized olives, which would be crispy on the outside, due to the crust, and yieldingly soft on the inside, because of the soft cheese filling. They weren't as delicious as I expected them to be, but, for a largely non-olive-eater, eating my fair share was a pretty big compliment.

Parmesan-crusted olives, stuffed with goats cheese, and served with aioli 

Deciding to go for natural or grilled oysters was a no-brainer for me. In my opinion, anything that can be eaten raw, may it be oysters, salmon sashimi, or salmon roe, should be eaten raw if it is very fresh, as that is when you can taste and savour its freshness. That's not to say that if the food is cooked it doesn't have to be fresh, but it just seems like such a waste to cook fresh food that can be eaten in its simple unadulterated form. Same with fruit. You wouldn't poach a perfectly fresh, ripe peach, now would you? Back to the oysters: they were super fresh, and the simple shallot vinegar and lemon juice added a bit of zing that enhanced the natural taste of the oysters. Thumbs up!


Natural Pacific oysters served with shallot vinegar

The mains featured largely seafood, but also offered two steak dishes. It seemed a bit silly to order steak at a seafood restaurant, so we decided to go for the fish. I ordered the roasted fish of the day, which was swordfish, with two grilled tiger prawns, on a bed of petit pois à la Française (peas, bacon pieces, shredded cabbage in a beurre blanc-like sauce). My friend ordered the roasted barramundi, which came atop spaghettini.


 'Roasted local fish, grilled tiger prawns, petit pois à la Française'

'Roasted barramundi, king prawns, spaghettini, tomato'

I must admit that I was a tad disappointed when the dishes were placed on the table. On first impression, the plating was boring, and the presentation was simple and homely, probably moreso my friend's dish than mine. However, when I cut into the fish, my fears of not being able to finish the huge cut of boring-looking fish were alleviated. Despite the fact that the steak of fish was cut quite thickly, the flesh was cooked to perfection, and it was moist and juicy throughout. The seasoning was spot on, and the creamy peas complemented the fish and its creamy sauce well. The prawns were okay. The serving size was a bit too big for me, and I couldn't finish it all, but I'm sure it would have been just right for someone with a bigger appetite. Overall, it was a simple but wholesome and delicious dish.

My worries for my friend's dish, which looked like it was lacking sauce, were also needless. My friend said that her pasta was well coated in the sauce and tasted really nice. It comes to show, yet again, that one really should not judge a book by its cover. It does say on the restaurant's website that Alastair likes to present his fish simply, too. I think all these reality cooking shows on television, like MasterChef and My Kitchen Rules have brainwashed us to expect a lot more presentation-wise at restaurants.

At this point, we were already quite full, but didn't want to forgo dessert. I ordered the coffee-flavoured crème brulée with an espreso poached pear, and my friend ordered a chocolate fondant with vanilla icecream. The fondant would take 15 minutes, we were told, which gave our stomachs some time to digest the first two courses.


'Latte' crème brulée and espresso poached pear

Valrhona chocolate fondant, vanilla bean icecream, blueberries

The presentation of the desserts was simple, but nice. I love how my crème brulée was served in a clear glass, which allows all the layers of the dessert to be seen. I'm surprised they managed to find oven-safe glasses to bake the custards in (Note to self: must go hunt these down). I was quite baffled over the identity of the creamy, white topping. At first, I thought the fluffy cloud of white, opaque foam sitting atop the crème brulée was whipped cream, but the light substance held its structure when cut through with a spoon, and it didn't taste sweet. In any case, its contrasting lightness helped to cut through the dense, rich, creamy custard and the sweet, caramelised sugar layer. Maybe the serving size was too big, or maybe it was because I was quite full already, but this dessert wasn't very moreish for me. Sometimes, less is more, especially when it comes to very rich dishes. I couldn't finish it. I liked it, but I wouldn't be wishing to eat it again any time soon. The poached pear was unmemorable. I don't care for poached fruit; however, I can say that it was well poached, but didn't taste of coffee, like it was probably supposed to.

My friend said the hero of her dish was the vanilla-bean icecream. She liked the chocolate fondant, but found it a bit too bitter, unless eaten together with the other elements of the dish, which makes sense.

Remember how I said that the waiter mentioned that they would feed the pelicans if there were leftover fish in the kitchen? Well, they must have, because one of the staff was seen on the boardwalk with a bucket feeding the flurry of hungry pelicans, which all seemed to have been anticipating this moment to come. It was entertaining for both diners and for the weekenders taking an afternoon stroll. I reckon some families go there around this time especially to see the feeding of the pelicans, which must happen regularly.

By the time we had finished eating, it was 3pm, so we had been sitting there for 3 hours! It was time to take our leave of this comfortable restaurant. My friend had a 'buy 1, get 1 main free' offer for Bretts Wharf from the Brisbane Entertainment Book, so with that, the total bill came to $158, which wasn't too bad, given that we did have a 3 course meal. I think the price of the entrées and mains is set a bit higher than at a lot of other fine-dining restaurants, but I guess the portion sizes are quite generous. While I appreciate the concept of presenting fresh food at its simple best, at this price point, I do generally expect the presentation to be a bit more creative. I enjoyed the food, but it lacked the 'wow' factor for me. However, with all that said, dining out is about the overall experience, and for me, the comfortable setting, the view, the extremely fresh oysters and the amazing service made for a fantastic dining experience, and made it worth the money and the travel distance. My experience would have been all the better if Alastair McLeod was there, but unfortuntely, he was at his other Brisbane restaurant, Tank, that day.

Oh, and this is not food related, but I just wanted to mention their nifty restrooms - there are two toilets in the female restrooms, both of which are in totally self-contained (all walls intact from floor to ceiling) cubicles with their own air vents. I don't think you can get any more privacy than that!

If you haven't been to Bretts Wharf before, I would recommend coming here for a lovely, casual dining experience, before they close down on the 2nd September. I am actually sick with a pretty bad cough at the moment, and was sick yesterday, but decided to go anyway, armed with a Ventolin inhaler and various cough lozenges, because my friend would not be free again until well and truly after the restaurant closes its doors for good. I'm glad I did, because the food and fresh air made me feel a lot better that day, and I didn't even cough at all at the restaurant! Let your partners know that fine dining is the sure-fire way to recovery ;)

Before I sign off, here's a picture of the outfit I wore on that bright, sunny afternoon, laced with a cool Winter breeze:

Outside the doors of Bretts Wharf for the first and last time, wearing: Alannah Hill 'Candlelight Crisis' cardigan, Kitten D'Amour 'Windy Day' skirt, Marc by Marc Jacobs 'Classic Q Natasha' bag in Meteorite Blue, Wittner 'Oria' mid-heel Mary Janes in buttermilk.

 

More pelicans along the Brisbane River!

I would also recommend taking a lazy afternoon stroll on the boardwalk after your meal to aid digestion. Following your lead, Mr Pelican!

Regional Flavours 2012

Regional Flavours is a food and lifestyle event held at Southbank Parklands, which aims specifically to promote food and wine produce from regional Queensland, including the Lockyer Valley, Granite Belt, Far North Queensland and South Burnett. Held over the 21-22 July weekend, this year marks the fourth year of this event. This is another one of those food events where you get to try before you buy. Now that's what I call informed decision-making - love it!

Here's some pictures from the event:

I really wanted to try their rainforest chiller, but the wait was too long.

There were a few educational tents scattered around the Little Stanley St Lawns, under which sessions were held about wine and dessert matching, types of beer, teas, etc, all of which were free to attend - but they were also with impossibly long queues.



My lunch from Ahmets Flavours (one of the food stalls): 'Gozleme - a traditional flat Turkish pastry folded over variou ingredients, then baked over a grill'

Relishes! I bought their pumpkin and their beetroot and chilli one at the Enrich Brisbane food show earlier in the year.

One of the more noteworthy shops is Broken Nose Vanilla. I first came to know of this business when I attended this same food event last year. I was surprised to find out that we have bourbon vanilla bean plantations not just in Australia, but in our very own Sunshine State! We all know that vanilla beans are typically grown in the tropics, like its native Mexico, Madagascar, Indonesia, Tonga, French Polynesia and Papua New Guinea, but I would never have picked out tropical North Queensland to be a suitable site for a vanilla plantation. But then again, why not? Best idea ever! However, despite being locally grown, these vanilla beans and the products derived from them are no cheaper than the imported ones. I have bought vanilla beans before for much cheaper from a farmers' market and from the Victoria Markets (Melbourne), though their sources of origin are unknown. Still, it is comforting to know that these beans come from a sustainably grown plantation, grown in pure rainforest mulch, without fertilisers or pesticides (though not quite certified organic yet), and better still, I can now splurge on my favourite spice, while concomitantly supporting our economy!

Some of their products: (clockwise from far left) vanilla extract, vanilla-infused honey, vanilla sugar.

Vanilla beans and ground vanilla

I bought a canister of vanilla tea and vanilla extract from their stall last year. The tea is composed of Queensland black tea blended with a ground Broken Nose vanilla bean. Although this product is a 'loose leaf' tea, the main issue I have with it is that the leaves are very processed, such that even when I'm using the finest teapot strainer to infuse the tea leaves, quite a bit of small little leaf bits still get through into the water, which really annoys me. On the positive side, the tea releases a lovely, natural vanilla aroma, which I love! As I associate vanilla with sweet things, I like to take this tea with a spot of milk and sugar.

Vanilla tea

I liked it so much that even though I still had half a canister of this tea left at home, I went ahead and bought another one, along with a pack of 3 vanilla beans. They had actually run out of the beans they had allocated to sell that day, but the boss was nice and sold me a pack from their next day's lot anyway. As you can see from the picture below, the beans are quite skinny, not unlike the ones I've bought in the past, but the picture of the cut vanilla bean from their brochure made me curious enough to take a risk and give them a go.

Vanilla tea and vanilla beans

I defy you to tell me that this image of a cradle of a squillion luscious vanilla seeds in their intensely dark and oily glory doesn't entice you. Fingers crossed that I see this when I cut open the pods I bought. They're only B-grade beans though, as they weren't selling the A-grade ones at the event. You can check out their products and/or purchase from their online store at www.brokennosevanilla.com.au.



In love.

Another stall I searched the grounds for was that of Mammino - locally hand-made ice-cream. 


Mammino!

Again, I first knew of this brand when I went to Regional Flavours last year, and I knew I had to return for more. If you like full-fat, rich, creamy, real ice-cream, then this will be your cup of tea; I mean, er, ice-cream. Literally. The ice-cream comes in frozen yoghurt-like cups, and a paddle-pop stick is stuck into it for you on purchase, which is used to twist and release the whole mould of ice-cream - et voila! You've got yourself a massive ice-cream pop. I bought the coffee and macadamia one, which was deeeelicious! However, it's a lot more rich and creamier than I remember it being (I would describe it as being much like softened butter, but it makes me feel a bit sick to think of it like that), so it's probably best shared between two people. Not that that stopped me from finishing the whole thing on my own, of course! My two friends shared one between them, and one decided that she didn't really enjoy it, because of the dense, creamy taste and texture. (www.mammino.com.au)



Coffee and macadamia handmade icecream

Another stall that deserves special mention is the Tomarata Orchard stall, which was there to promote and sell their Sensual food product range. The business runs a lychee orchard along the Sunshine and Fraser Coasts, and is apparently one of the main suppliers of lychees in Australia. Their business is comprised of the fruit growing and selling component and their gourmet product line, which are created from ingredients grown on their own farm.

After taste-testing a few of their liqueurs - perhaps a bit too much! (forgot which one I liked on my return to the stall to make my purchase, so had to try them all over again!) - I decided on the lychee and ginger liqueur. It has the taste of fresh, sweet lychees, without the strong alcohol-y aftertaste that a few of the others seem to have. Keep in mind that I'm a non-alcohol drinker though, so you might not have the same problem as me. I have, of course, bought alcohol before, but they were all for cake/dessert-making purposes (e.g. Tia Maria, Kahlua, Midori, Marsala). So yes, this was my first alcoholic purchase for beverage-making purposes. According to the owner, their lychee liqueurs are made by combining the juice extracted from the lychees grown in the orchard with grape spirit. No artificial flavouring - that explains the delicious real lychee flavour!


Different types of fruity liqueurs

Sauces, chutneys and jams

I have been using the lychee and ginger liqueur to make refreshing drops, by adding a little splash of the liqueur in a glass and topping with chilled sparkling mineral water. It is especially nice with added fresh juicy lychees. The ones I used in the picture below were so juicy that I peeled the skins directly over the cup to catch all the natural, sweet juice. Yum!



My lychee drop

I also bought their lychee dessert sauce. Well, technically, I got it for free, because the owner forgot to add the cost to the card transaction, and when I pointed that out to him, he said not to worry about it, because he knows I'll be a returning customer. If that was a business strategy, it worked, because I now feel morally obliged to make a future purchase. More than that though, I would be a returning customer anyway, because I quite like the dessert sauce. For the next few nights after the event, I had Sara Lee vanilla ice cream every night drizzled with the lychee dessert sauce and topped with toasted flaked almonds - heaven! The dessert sauce has chopped pieces of real lychees in a runny (even on refrigeration) syrup. I could probably make this myself, but due to the cost and availability of the fruit, it's more convenient and probably works out more convenient to have a bottle of these on hand, for last-minute dessert ideas. I'm thinking of swirling it in whipped cream to fill a layered sponge cake too; that is, if there's any sauce left by the time I get to making that cake! I must remind myself to try their nectarine and peach dessert sauce next time, which are also made from the stonefruit on their own farm. You can read more about the orchard and their products at http://www.tomaratalychees.com.au.





Good vanilla bean ice cream + lychee dessert sauce + toasted flaked almonds

A very unique thing they had going on at the event this year was the herbal tea garden. Neatly lined around the lawns were wheel barrows of a range of different herbs - some I was familiar with, some were totally new to me. At first, I thought they were just displayed there for people to learn about them, but realised afterwards that their purpose was for people to make their own herbal concoctions from them. The idea was to get a paper cup filled with boiling hot water at the T-Licious stall, then go around adding the herbs of choice to create a unique herbal infusion. I asked one of the ladies at the stall if any pesticides were used on the herbs and whether certain herbs combined together for consumption could be dangerous. She expressed uncertainty and said it "should be safe, because that's what the herbs are there for". Normally, the prudent me would err on the side of caution and go on my merry way, but I think it must be increasing age, which is prompting me to take more risks. I figured everyone else was doing it anyway, and no one seemed to have been reported ill from this thus far, so I decided to join in this herbal tea-making experiment.

Someone lining up to get hot water from the kettle for their herbal infusion

Herbs, herbs and more herbs!

Chocolate mint?!

For my herbal infusion, I decided to try using the unique herbs that I've never heard of or seen before: Chocolate Mint (which does smell a liiittle tiny bit like chocolate when you crush the leaves, I suppose), Pineapple Sage (smells a liiittle bit like pineapples), Apple Mint (which smells a bit like apples), as well as some Lemon Thyme and Lemon Myrtle leaves to add to the fruity notes. Unfortunately, on this occassion, herbal tea-concocting success was not to be mine. It so turns out that combining fruit-scented tea leaves does not quite give the same effect as combining the juices of different fruits. My infusion was bland and just tasted liked boiled water...that's been tainted with dirt or something (probably that too, come to think of it, since the leaves weren't washed). As you can see from the photo below, my infusion remained clear, whereas my friends' turned a slight greeny colour and smelt a bit lemony - probably because they added more lemon myrtle leaves than I did. Apparently it tasted a bit lemony but also a bit weird. I had a few little sips of mine, but its unpalatable taste meant that the remainder of it was fated to be used to water the grass with.

Custom herbal infusions! (Mine is the bottom left one)

The Regional Flavours is a great little event to showcase the edible delights that regional Queensland food producers have to offer.  I intend to go every year and I would recommend it to other foodies who are interested in supporting local growers too. I especially have a soft spot for the food producers in the regional areas after the terrible floods and cyclones happened last year, which affected so many people, and meant that a lot of farms and businesses had to start all over again.

Try to carry a hands-free bag if you go though. Trust me - you'll need your hands free to carry your many bags of goodies home!



My shopping bag: (Clockwise from top left) Fava Nuts Moroccan-flavoured toasted broad beans; Broken Nose Vanilla tea and vanilla beans; Gourmet Afrika Spicy Malay Coconut Sauce; Tomarata lychee and ginger liqueur and lychee dessert sauce; Jim's 'Safari' beef jerky; ducky tea strainer from T-Licious (floats on top of the water); Dadz Farm zucchini relish

Edit: I spoke to one of my friends today, who went with me to the herbal tea garden at the Regional Foods, and she mentioned that her and the other girl felt really sick when they returned home that day, and couldn't eat that night. They suspected it might have been the self-made tea they had (so maybe it was a good thing my tea didn't turn green afterall; however, do note that I only had a few small sips of my tea anyway), although one of her other friends, who didn't have any herbal tea, reportedly also felt sick after they went. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that there's hundreds of people taste-testing the same things as you are at the stalls, and you have to think about factors like the cleanliness of the dishes holding the samples; the hygiene of the person handling the samples; the despicable double-dippers; the people who cough, sneeze, and send spittle flying when they talk to each other/with the vendors... Not a pretty picture, but what do you expect from this sort of event arrangement? Let's also not forget that any popular, open public events means that there will be crowds of people, which leads to increased human contact and proximity, and, thus, naturally increases the spread of infection. It' like how everyone gets sick after going to the Ekka.

If you are otherwise healthy, I would not be too concerned about going to these sort of food festivals (because if you are, then really you are also ruling out all other food events, like the Good Food and Wine Show, the Taste Festivals, the Chocolate Festivals... which would be a downright shame). If you're worried, then make sure you boost your immune function by eating healthy, regularly exercising, and, if you're into complementary medicines, take regular doses of olive leaf extract (marketed to improve immune function) and a multivitamin (but only useful if you don't eat a well-rounded, balanced diet). I wouldn't say I have the best immune system, but I've been to many a food fest without experiencing any health problems. If you are sick, please stay at home. And of course, the immunocompromised, the pregnant, young children and babies, and the elderly are more susceptible to getting sick, and should avoid being in crowded places period.