In Which TSL Makes Her Own Soda Syrup…

Tags

Groucho Marx, Homemade Soda, Natural Soda, New South Wales, Rhubarb, Six Barrel Soda Co., Soda Syrup, Strawberry, Summer Drink, Sydney, Syrup, Syrup Receipe

Rhubarb, Strawberry & Blood Orange Syrup TSL – Style
(Image by TSL)

Remember the Six Barrel Soda Co. post from a couple of days ago? The good people of Six Barrel Soda Co. actually touched based to let me know that it is possible to sample their wares in Sydney. Apparently, Nan’s Place is the trailblazer. So, if you’re after a tipple of Six Barrel Soda, get thee to Zetland! I may even see you there…

It did occur to me, after last week’s post on the subject, that I could actually make my own syrup for soda. I mean, how hard could it be? I did a bit of googling and discovered more than one actual recipe for celery soda.

Who would’ve thunk it?

But then, after reviewing all the feedback I received on just the idea of celery soda, I determined it was possibly a better idea to start my flavoured syrup journey with a slightly less ambitious flavour. Celery just doesn’t seem to hold universal appeal!

Well, Art is Art, isn’t it? Still, on the other hand, water is water. And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now you tell me what you know.(Groucho Marx)

As it happens, rhubarb is in season for us at the moment here in the southern hemisphere. And, I am in the habit of stewing a batch of it every week – often with some strawberries – for LM to have on his granola (rather, Nutola) in the morning.

Logical then, that I use this as the base for my inaugural syrup.

And, whadda’ you know? Not only did it work, LM reckons it tastes just fab’! And, he still has the left over stewed fruit for his breakfast. Sometimes, I surprise even myself…

So, today I bring you TSL’s Rhubarb, Strawberry & Blood Orange Syrup…

Rhubarb, Strawberry & Blood Orange Syrup TSL – Style
(Image by TSL)

It’s easy-peasy. Here’s what I did. You’ll need…

1 x bunch of rhubarb
1 x punnet of strawberries
1 x blood orange
1 x cup sugar (I used coconut sugar)
1 cup filtered water

1. Prepare the rhubarb by washing thoroughly. Top and tail each stalk. Chop into pieces (roughly 3cm) and throw into a medium pot.

2. Prepare strawberries by washing thoroughly. Remove hulls and chop each strawberry in half. Add these to the pot.

3. Juice the blood orange and add the juice to your pot. Add sugar and water as well.

4. Bring the covered pot to a boil. Lower temperature and gently simmer for 15 minutes.

5. Turn off the heat and allow the stewed fruit to come to room temperature. Then place a clean cheesecloth over a sieve and strain. Pour the syrup into a bottle and refrigerate until needed.

6. The leftover fruit compote can be kept for eating over cereal, ice-cream or whatever you fancy!

Who knew it would be that easy?

Rhubarb, Strawberry & Blood Orange Syrup TSL – Style
(Image by TSL)

Oh – and, if you make my wee rhubarb, strawberry & blood orange syrup concoction, please let me know how it turns out?

Support the Cloth Fabric Bush Fire Appeal…

Tags

Australia, Banksia, Blue Mountains, Bushfires in Australia, Cloth Fabric, Company Manifesto, Design, Echidna, Fabric Design, Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife, Homewares, Interior design, Julie Paterson, New South Wales, Surface Design, Tea Towels

(Image from here)

One of the coolest things about living in Australia is the abundance of native plants and wildlife. It is so different from the flora and fauna of New Zealand. And, it is not uncommon to see koalas, wallabies, kangaroos, wombats and echidnas in the wild here. I promise I’m not exaggerating. That makes Australia pretty special.

One of the worst things about living in Australia is the bush-fires. And, after a particularly mild winter, followed by one of the hottest and driest Octobers on record here in New South Wales, we have had a hugely destructive start to the summer bush fire season.

Julie Paterson is a bit of an iconic native Australian, too. As the founder of Cloth Fabric, she has developed a wonderful (not to mention very successful) outlet for her creative talent.

She’s also an ambassador to The Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife. And, as a way of generating support for the devastation caused by the recent bush fires, has designed the first two tea towels, in a series of three, to raise money for the foundation. $20 from each tea towel sold will go towards local organisations helping Australia’s native wildlife in bushfire affected areas.

What a great cause…

Echidna Tea Towel by Julie Paterson at Cloth
(Image from here)

Julie has a property at Blackheath in the Blue Mountains. Fortunately, her house was spared by the recent bush fires in the region.

She chose an echidna for the second of her tea towel designs because they are slow and vulnerable. They can’t run fast. In times of stress, they curl up into a ball. The words on the tea towel tell you what to do if you come across and echidna needing your help.

When it’s hard to paint the clouds we draw the mountains. (Part of the Cloth Fabric ‘Imperfect Manifesto‘)

The first tea towel in the series is of a Banksia – a plant that needs the help of the smoke of a bush fire to germinate. Julie is still working on the third…

The tea towels are AU$38 each. Postage is free if you live in Australia, but they can be shipped internationally. You can learn more about the project and order the tea towels here.

And, while you’re having a look-see around the Cloth Fabric website, do check out their imperfect manifesto. I think it rocks.

Shoot the Chef – My Favourite Part of Good Food Month

Tags

Anthony Bourdain, Australia, Chef, Cook, food, Food Photography, Good Food Month, New South Wales, Photography, Photography Competition, Shoot the Chef

Ali and Osso Buco by John Mcrae
2013 Shoot the Chef Winner of Critics Choice
(Image by John Mcrae from here)

I’m a decent cook; I’m a decent chef. None of my friends would ever have hired me at any point in my career. Period. (Anthony Bourdain)

It’s Good Food Month here in Australia. In reality, it’s good food month every month here at Casa TSL, so it really makes little difference to LM and me.

And, I can’t really enjoy the Night Noodle Markets as they should be enjoyed because of my wee gluten problem…

But, what I do love is the annual Shoot the Chef photography competition. Professionals, students, (and for the first time in 2013) amateur photographers are invited to literally shoot a chef – with their camera. It always attracts some seriously creative food-loving photographers…

(Image from here)

Say Hello to my little Friend by Teodora Tinc
2013 Shoot the Chef winner of Peoples Choice Award
(Image by Teodora Tinc from here)

Blood and Bone by Steve Evans
Chef James Viles from Biota Dining
(Image by Steve Evans from here)

Shannon Debreceny of Three Blue Ducks by Daniel Sponiar
(Image by Daniel Sponiar from here)

Betty by Lauren Yates
Self portrait in honour of Betty Crocker
(Image by Lauren Yates from here)

If you’d like to see all the entries to the competition, The Star is exhibiting in Sydney from October 10 – 31 and the Rialto Towers has the honour in Melbourne from November 1 – 29. 

I may just see you there…

Being Tempted by Sydney’s Living Museums

Tags

Australia, Childrens' Activities in Sydney, Christmas Markets, food, Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales, Jared Ingersoll, Kate Walsh, Museum, New South Wales, Sydney, Sydney Living Museum

Sydney Living Museums Food Table
(Image from Sydney Living Museums)

There’s an awesome new set up in Sydney-town. In April of this year, the Historic Houses Trust of NSW launched Sydney Living Museums, its new collective name for 12 of New South Wales’ most important museums and historic houses.

The Trust, incorporating Sydney Living Museums, cares for significant historic places, buildings, landscapes and collections. Focusing on the lives that were lived in each of its museums and houses, Sydney Living Museums offers insights into the personal stories of how people lived, worked and played, and vital parts of Australian culture and heritage that are unique and fascinating.

From carefully curated exhibitions, events and ‘everyday’ experiences covering food, through household interiors, gardens and outdoor living, to social class, rural lives and crime and punishment – Sydney Living Museums has 12 of the best places to experience Sydney’s living history. And, the best part is that the team at SLM have created a brand that is exciting and accessible. It makes me want to visit all twelve of their sites…

Sydney Living Museums Eat Your History
(Image from Sydney Living Museums)

The summer food programme, including the ‘Eat Your History’ exhibition looks fantastic – and, it seems to have a little bit of something for everyone. Inspired by the historic homes, and their gardens and kitchens, the programme presents a specially curated menu of enticing food experiences. SLM has partnered with some of Sydney’s most highly respected chefs, foodies and craftspeople to bring you a tasty mix of experiences.

Here are a few of the offerings that particularly appeal to yours truly…

Jared Ingersoll’s ‘Farm to Table Dinner’
(Image from Sydney Living Museums)

The very talented Mr Ingersoll (you may recall him from here) has partnered with Kate Walsh of Real Food Projects to bring us the Farm to Table dinner on Thursday 14 November at the Hyde Park Barracks Museum. I’m stealing shamelessly from the SLM sales pitch when I tell you, “inspired by menus from the 1800s, this unique banquet will use local, indigenous and heirloom produce grown in the Vaucluse House kitchen garden especially for the dinner”. YUM!

The combined talents of Jared and Kate (of Real Food Projects) make this sure to be an occasion.

Shape and Bake Gingernut Biscuits
(Image from Sydney Living Museums)

Here’s one for the kids over the looooong summer school holidays.  Bring them along to Elizabeth Farm to learn the art of ginger-biscuit making and baking at the Shape and Bake. Afterwards, you can explore the house.

Baking sessions will be held on Monday 13 & 20, and Wednesday 18 & 22 January at Elizabeth Farm.

Elizabeth Bay House
(Image from Sydney Living Museums)

No surprises that I’m heading to Stories From the Cellar at Elizabeth Bay House on 27 February. I’m keen to take a wee journey through the history of food preservation with Wildwon Projects. I’m going to delve into the preservin’, saltin’, curin’, fermentin’ (there’s that word again!) and smokin’ and see what I can learn. Can’t wait!

(Image from here)

I guess I should have put THIS one first, but perhaps I was just saving the best for last. The hugely fab’ Real Food Projects are putting on the Christmas Artisan Food Market at the Hyde Park Barracks on 18 December from 4 – 8pm.

There’ll be over 50 stalls featuring the best that Sydney has to offer by way of food makers using local, seasonal and sustainable produce. There will even be a wrapping station.

Be there or be square, I reckon…

This is only a wee taste of all the events the Sydney Living Museums have on offer for their summer season of food. Do go and check out their website (here) AND sign up to get the newsletter. It looks grand!

ArtExpress Turns 30 – That’s MUCH Older Than its Artists

Tags

Archibald Prize, Art, Art Express, Art Gallery NSW, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australian art, creativity, Exhibition, Higher School Certificate, New South Wales, Painting, Sulman, Sydney, Visual Art, Wynne Prize

‘Love the Home You’re In’ by Lochlan Howard
St Francis Xavier’s College
(Image from here)

Arguably, the Archibald Prize is regarded as the most important portraiture prize in the Australian art scene. Along with the Wynne (best landscape painting of Australian scenery, or figure sculpture), and Sulman (best subject painting, genre painting or mural project in oil, acrylic, watercolour or mixed media) Prizes, the Art Gallery NSW is currently exhibiting the entrants for 2013. It’s almost un-Australian not to go.

Well, even though I am not an Australian, I tootled along to see the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman. I go every year. All good. But, what I was really looking forward to was ArtExpress…

Regular readers may recall my post from last year on ArtExpress 2012 (here). ArtExpress is an annual exhibition featuring a selection of outstanding student artworks developed for the art making component of our Higher School Certificate examination in Visual Arts in New South Wales. It includes a broad range of approaches and expressive forms, including ceramics, collection of works, documented forms, drawing, graphic design, painting, photomedia, printmaking, sculpture, textiles and fibre, and time-based forms. And it is
A M A Z I N G. What these students achieve is mind-blowing, and this year was no exception (although I think 2012 just nudged ahead for me).

‘Double Think’ by Aoife Coleman-Clarke
Rose Bay Secondary College
(Image from here)

‘Babel’ by Rachel Cronin
Loreto Kirribilli
(Image from here)

‘Sweet Simplicity’ by Milli Wheeler
Oak Flats High School
(Image from here)

‘Conscience Vote’ by India Gates
Wenona School
(Image from here)

‘After Leonardo’ by Alexis O’Connor
Wenona School (a cracking year for Wenona School!)
(Image from here)

2013 marks the 30th anniversary of ArtExpress at the Art Gallery of NSW. If you haven’t yet made it to the exhibition, you have a few more days to do so. If you’re not in NSW, you can check out the works here.

Best Sydney Breakfast Spots: Bathers Pavilion Cafe

Tags

Australasia, Australia, Balmoral, Bathers, Breakfast, Brunch, Cook, New South Wales, Plenty, Recipe, Saturday, Shakshuka, Sydney, Yotam Ottolenghi

View From the Bathers’ Pavilion Cafe
(Image from here)

Welcome to the first in a wee series I am calling ‘Best Sydney Breakfast Spots’. I LOVE breakfast. Honestly, it’s probably my favourite meal of the day. So, having a few favourite spots for a good brekky in Sydney up my sleeve is kind of important to me…

We had some friends visiting Sydney over Easter. We wanted to take them somewhere nice for breakfast. And, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the massive cultural phenomenon that is ‘brunch*’ in Australasia, let me tell you it is huge.

Brunch in Sydney is a potential minefield for the uninitiated – especially if a) you want to take advantage of the super harbour views; b) you don’t want to queue for hours; and c) you want good food.

This time, we decided on the ever reliable Bathers’ Pavilion Cafe.

The Bathers’ Pavilion Cafe
(Image from here)

The Bathers’ Pavilion at Balmoral
(Image from here)

The Bathers’ Pavillion is owned by well-known chef, Serge Dansereau. Frankly, it’s a Sydney institution and offers a number of ways to enjoy eating or drinking within the old beach changing shed pavilion. And, for my money, the café offers one of the better spots in Sydney for a breakfast that ticks all my boxes.

We arrived early – for a Public Holiday, anyway. The café doesn’t take reservations, which is frustratingly common for breakfast service in Sydney. Our party of 6 were all present and correct at just before 9am and we were pleasantly surprised that a table was waiting for us.

We had a lovely time – the food and the service were spot on. The ‘Three egg omelette with goats curd and herbs’ ($23) was apparently “superb”. The ‘Balmoral breakfast of Eggs – your choice – on toast with bacon, sausage, mushroom, potato and roast sea salt tomato’ ($25) was declared “just what you want from a traditional breakfast, and the sausage was excellent”. The ‘Basque style baked eggs with cured ham and chorizo’ ($22.50) were a big hit with the remainder of our party (including yours truly) – if just a smidge light on chorizo.

To be honest, I have had mediterranean-style baked eggs on the foodie part of my brain for some time now. All those onions, capsicums (peppers) and tomatoes sautéed with herbs and spices, then topped with a perfectly baked egg (or two) is my idea of breakfast heaven. Or, at least it is until my next ‘must try’ dish comes along.

I did a wee bit of digging, and as a result, this coming post-farmers market Saturday morning, LM and I will be dining on Yotam Ottolenghi‘s Shakshuka recipe from his cookbook ‘Plenty’, made by me. (Seriously fab’ cookbook, by the way!)

Shakshuka from Plenty
(Image from here)

I may have to bastardise it just the tiniest bit with some Eumundi chorizo, but here is the recipe I will be using…

Shakshuka from Yotam Ottolenghi’s ‘Plenty’
Recipe serves 8

Ingredients

½ tsp cumin seeds
190ml light olive oil or vegetable oil
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
2 red and 2 yellow peppers, cored and cut into 2cm strips
4 tsp muscovado sugar
2 bay leaves
6 sprigs thyme, picked and chopped
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped
6 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
½ tsp saffron strands
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
Up to 250ml water
8 free-range eggs

Method:

In a large saucepan, dry-roast the cumin on high heat for two minutes. Add the oil and sauté the onions for two minutes. Add the peppers, sugar, bay leaves, thyme, parsley and two tablespoons of coriander, and cook on high heat to get a nice colour. Add the tomatoes, saffron, cayenne, salt and pepper. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes, adding enough water to keep it the consistency of a pasta sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning. It should be potent and flavoursome. You can prepare this mix in advance.

Place four saucepans on medium heat and divide the mixture between them. Break two eggs into each pan, pouring into gaps in the mixture. Sprinkle with salt, cover and cook very gently for 10-12 minutes, until the egg just sets. Sprinkle with coriander and serve. YUM!

Hopefully the sun will still be shining and we can sit outside in the garden…

The Bathers’ Pavilion Cafe at Balmoral Beach on Sydney’s lower north shore is open for breakfast Monday – Sunday from 7am to midday.

Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook ‘Plenty’, and his more recent and equally fabulous cookbook ‘Jerusalem’ are available through Amazon.

*BRUNCH:A late morning meal eaten instead of breakfast and lunch.

I Still Need REAL Books…

Tags

Abraham Lincoln, Art Books, Bookstore, Design Books, E-book, eReader, Foreign Language Books, Groucho Marx, IPad, Japan, Kinokuniya, New South Wales, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney

The Size of Books
(Image from toothpastefordinner.com)

The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who’ll get me a book I ain’t read. (Abraham Lincoln)

I like to think I’m a modern, forward thinking kind of girl (at least for a Gen’ Xer, anyway). In some circles, I could even be considered an ‘early adopter’ of some technology. For instance, I was one of the first among my friends to get an iPad. I loved it. Now, I have graduated to an iPad mini – and I love it even more.

I’m a bit of a reader, and I have quite a few eBooks. I just counted them for you – 404 as at the time of writing! I even surprised myself! 

Anyhoo. The point I’m getting to is that as much as I love my eReader, sometimes I need a real book. Not a soft copy. I love my eReader for fiction. I particularly love it when I’m travelling because real books are heavy and take up a lot of room. And, because I have been known to chew through a book a day when I’m on a serious reading bent.

But still, sometimes, I need a real book. I ALWAYS buy cookbooks in real book form. And, I’m starting to think I shall now do the same with all my non-fiction reading. Sometimes, especially with non-fiction, I want to flick back and forward. I want to spend time on specific information. I want to refer back to things I may have read earlier. At these times, a real book is the answer.

Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read. (Groucho Marx*)

Today, I was in need of a specific real book**. And, for me, the first port of call in Sydney for a real book is the most fabulous Kinokuniya.

Kinokuniya Sydney
(Images by TSL)

Kinokuniya is the largest bookstore chain in Japan with over 80 stores worldwide.

Kinokuniya Sydney offers a huge range of books with over 300,000 titles in English, Japanese, Chinese, French and German. So, it’s great if you’re visiting Sydney and need a wee something to read in your language of choice!

Located in the heart of Sydney CBD, Kinokuniya stocks an extensive collection of Manga, graphic novels, art and design books, cookbooks, travel books and children’s literature. I reckon it is the place to come for art and design books.

You can find Kinokuniya at Level 2, The Galeries, 500 George Street (opposite the QVB), Sydney NSW 2000.

*eReaders clearly had not been invented at the time of Groucho’s quote!

**as it happens, my book was out of stock, but the very helpful man at the information desk sorted me out.

Christmas Haircut Time at Casa TSL…

Tags

Bella, Christmas, Christmas wishes, Dogs, Haircuts, Holidays, New South Wales, New Zealand, Pets, Poodle, Sydney, the poodle

Bella – before
(Image by TSL)

When I was a child in New Zealand, I always knew Christmas was only a few sleeps away because my Dad would get his ‘Christmas haircut‘. The Christmas haircut was a super-short, low maintenance number which was more convenient for boating and swimming and other summer pursuits.

Today, Bella received her Christmas haircut. We are heading to the beach for a couple of weeks in January, and Bella is a water-baby. Short is best. In addition to this, it is tick season in a big way on the New South Wales coast over the summer. We don’t want to take any chances with our beloved pooch, so this year, we have gone extra short.

Bella now resembles a rat…

Bella – after
(Image by TSL)

I think this will be the last post for a while as we get ready for the summer break down here. A very happy and safe Christmas to everyone.

I look forward to catching up with you all again in late January.