Chimichuri

Situated in a quieter nook of Chatswood, this café is blooming as it fulfills the many “musts” that café-hopping and brunch eating requires – interesting beverages, trendy food with big and bold flavours along with Instagram-worthy plating.

chimichuri

It’s definitely become my new go-to when I schedule weekend brunches with friends and am too lazy to venture out into different neighbourhoods or the city. The café has an interesting aesthetic, there is graffiti on the walls and an open kitchen so you can see all the buzz and work behind the plate of food you’ll be receiving. The look is almost warehouse-like, but at the same time you’re treated to seasonal flowers on your table which adds warmth and welcome to the café.

sharon

The name Chimichuri reflects the roots of the café which at it’s heart is Latin American – and you can see some of this flow through in the menu such as Chimichuri eggs which is poached eggs with labneh, artisan bread and chimichuri sauce. However, at the same time it has completely branched off to ‘exotic’ flavours which excite the public. For me, I found the assortment of lattes very interesting – they covered dirty chai, green matcha which I feel have almost become staples in any busy and trendy café, but have also added into the mixture coconut, taro, red velvet and golden turmeric. Wow – what a bonanza.

golden tuermeric latte & taro latte

I’ve visited this cafe maybe four times over the last 6 or 7 months and whilst it was once on the quieter side, it has really become very busy ~ but packed enough without the queue at 11:30 for Sunday brunch. The prices are ok – a little on the expensive side for a student budget – but still worthwhile as the portion sizes are definitely fair and the food really yummy! I suggest readers in Sydney go soon because I’m very sure with it’s Instagram following that it’ll only become busier. For those who want to visit, I’ve popped the café’s details and opening hours below. I’ll keep the writing on this one short and let the photos speak for themselves, because for sure they speak volumes.

Sauciness ,)

Moony

coconut & cherry hotcake (signature) with cherry compote, toasted coconut flakes, glazed cherries, vanilla ice cream, lindt dark chocolate sauce ($19)

fried chicken burger with crumb fried chicken, avocado, chimichuri slaw, tomato salsa, peri peri sauce served with chimichuri black bun & battered chips ($19)

black benedict (signature) with soft shell crab, poached eggs, salmon roe, house black hollandaise served on brioche ($22.50)

chimichuri eggs with poached eggs, labneh, chilli oil, chimichuri sauce, house dukkah served with artisan bread. ($17)

french toast with brioche, nutella, lychee ganache, berry coulis, strawberry gel, marshmallow, persian fairy floss, seasonal fruits ($18)

brunch spread

Chimichuri

1/6 Help St, Chatswood NSW 2067

T: (02) 8084 5272

Monday 7:00am – 3:00pm

Tuesday 7:00am – 3:00pm

Wednesday 7:00am – 3:00pm

Thursday 7:00am – 3:00pm

Friday 7:00am – 3:00pm

Saturday 8:00am – 3:00pm

Sunday 8:00am – 3:00pm

 

A Pumpkin and Sweet Potato ‘kind of’ Bubur Cha-Cha

Wow, I know this dish isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing – partly because of it’s actual appearance, but mostly because of my very poor photography skills and the fact that there is not much natural lighting at 5pm on a wintry Sydney day. But such is the reason that I made this in the first place – it’s easy and it’s exactly the kind of more-ish comfort food that I crave for in late July Sydney.

pumpkin, sweet potato, sago, coconut cream, brown sugar

For those who have been game enough to look at this post despite my photos – welcome and I sincerely hope you make this and feel the warmth that I did. I made this with my grandparents in the late afternoon/early evening and ate it before dinner because we simply couldn’t wait. And as we ate Bubur Cha-Cha together, I don’t know why but my natural reaction was to fake sob with my whole body (shoulders, stank face and all) and exclaim in a teary kind of way 很好吃 (Hěn hào chī) which means “it’s so delicious!!” to which my grandparents semi-snickered and chuckled 神经病 (Shénjīng bìng) which figuratively means “you’re crazy.” It is that good, I kid you not – I mean imagine, sweet potato, pumpkin, sugar, coconut and sago mixed together in a bowl of vegetable goodness, in dessert form and swirling in velvety fragrant coconut liqueur.

sweet potato and pumpkin 

Wow.

This kind of dessert is known as 糖水 (Tángshuǐ) which literally translates as “sugar water” in Cantonese or Mandarin. It is a category of desserts that is very popular among Asian countries. Speaking specifically from my experiences, I have to come know 糖水 (Tángshuǐ) through Yum Cha, Hong Kong dessert shops and just home. For this Bubur Cha-Cha, my sister and I call it “Po Po Cha Cha”, but I believe the Cantonese name for it is 西米露 (pronounced Sai Mai Lo in Cantonese or Xī mǐ lù in Mandarin) which is served cold.

cook em sweet potatoes

Originating in Hong Kong, 西米露 (Sai Mai Lo) is a cold style coconut and sago dessert which is designed to be refreshing – as it is often paired with mango, taro or pumpkin. From my research, there is also a Vietnamese dish called chè chuối chưng that is very similar with coconut, sago, pandan and bananas served warm. The one we made today is Malaysian Style ~ because that’s where my grandpa’s roots are and I’m guessing that our Cantonese accent has just moulded it phonetically to be Po Po Cha Cha. (I’ve titled this post Bubur Cha-Cha however because that is the popular name for this dessert)

Add pumpkin when sweet potatoes are semi-soft

Before I end this post, I must justify why I call this a “kind of” Bubur Cha-Cha. This is because Bubur Cha-Cha generally implies the use of sago, which we use here. However, when I go out and eat this, usually the liquid is white (the coconut milk/cream) with a lot of sago, and a bit of taro or papaya to top it off. That is also what it looks like on the internet. The Bubur Cha-we’ve made looks so different it makes me reluctant to call it so – hence the “kind of”. The liquid colour is like a soft mauve/burgundy ~ which is a result of one pot cooking convenience, but also because my grandparents and I haven’t made this in a long time and we don’t keep record of recipes (apart from right here, right now).

when the sweet potato and pumpkin are cooked through, add in the coconut cream and sago 

Because of this, the recipe or these photos aren’t entirely perfect, such as life is – and I write this disclaimer because I’m sure that you may be more used to refined and beautiful blogs. But I just had to upload this, because I was so excited when I tasted it. I guess life isn’t perfect, and it’s not necessarily beautiful or Instagram-worthy, but there are these moments of deliciousness that dispel all those requirements. And this is it. Try it, seriously.

Warmth and Happiness,

Moony

bowl of happiness :).

A Pumpkin and Sweet Potato kind of Bubur Cha-Cha Recipe:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (1.1 kg), peeled and roughly chopped up into 2*3 or 2*4 cm pieces
• 500 g pumpkin, peeled and roughly chopped up into 2*3 or 2*4 cm pieces
• 200 g brown sugar in pieces*, broken into halves
• 50 g dried sago, rinsed
• 400 g coconut cream
• water

Place approx. 1.5L water into a pot under medium-high heat. Once boiling, place the chopped sweet potatoes inside the pot – the water should just cover the potatoes. Approximately 8 – 10 minutes later when the sweet potatoes should be half cooked. Place the pumpkin into the pot and stir.

While your sweet potato and pumpkin are cooking, put the sago into a small pot/saucepan with approx 80mL water. Cook this on a stove on low-medium heat for approximately five minutes until the sago just becomes translucent. Set this aside.

Now, check to see whether the sweet potato and pumpkin are cooked through and soft. Once you are satisfied they are cooked through, put the brown sugar into the mixture and let it dissolve. Afterwards, pour the coconut cream and mix that into the soup until the clumps have melted. Then, pour in the sago mixture and once it simmers again, serve hot.

Additional Notes:

• Honestly, I think you can use double the amount of sago for a bit more texture to your 糖水 (Tángshuǐ).
• Be careful of overcooking your sago as it will become sludgy and the individual balls will lose their shape.
• You can also add in taro or substitute it for the pumpkin or sweet potato.
• You can see the brown sugar I’ve used here are in sticks* – you can buy this at Chinese grocery stores. However, the regular brown sugar from your local grocery store works just as well.
• Remember to adjust cooking time according to when you think the sweet potato or pumpkin is cooked. You do not want to overcook these.

sweet potato galore!

Labneh

Labneh is a fresh soft cheese, which is made via straining yoghurt to remove the whey, that is the watery part of milk. It is popular in Middle East and most probably originated from there because cheeses made from strained yoghurt have been eaten in the Levant* for thousands of years. Therefore, the use of labneh is steeped in Middle Eastern cuisine as shown through the traditional use of za’atar* as garnish, as dip with pita or in traditional mezze spreads.

To strain yoghurt, place 2 layers of cheesecloth over a strainer, which is propped over a bigger bowl. 

My very first interaction with labneh was around two years ago when my mother and sister brought home some delicious deli cheeses marinating in oil from the Blue Mountains. My foremost favourite however was labneh, which on the label described itself as a yoghurt-cheese marinating in a selection of spices and herbs. It was incredibly delicious, a bit tangy with a cream cheese consistency. We would generously spread it on Turkish bread every morning, but as the jar emptied with the last spread ~ I thought it would be my last time trying this exotic cheese only to be found in the Blue Mountains.

ingredients for labneh with wet marinade

Yeah, I was quite silly. But, I am fortunate as well to have stumbled upon this wonderful cheese again. Upon watching Masterchef this year, one of the cooks made labneh ~ a word which sounded strangely familiar so I looked it up and shock glee, it was THE cheese. It was also incredibly easy to make. So I did.

Clockwise from top left: Add salt to greek yoghurt, pour into strainer lined with cheesecloth, tie up cheesecloth with kitchen string

There are many variations of labneh. These variations depend on the:

• Milk of the yoghurt which can range from goat, sheep, cow, camel, water buffalo
• Consistency, that is how long it’s taken to separate whey
  • For a dip-like consistency a few hours to 1 day is enough, for a harder cheese like what I have made the separation process can take up to 4-5 days
• Whether it is eaten fresh, dried or preserved in oil

 

rosemary, chilli, garlic

Traditionally, labneh is served with za’atar as garnish. For me, I made something nostalgic and from memory. Therefore, I made a harder labneh to marinate/preserve in olive oil with chilli, rosemary and garlic. These are also known as labneh koorat which translates as labneh balls. This is the recipe I have adapted from Amelia in her Simple Provisions blog. Enjoy!

Xoxo,

Moony

* The Levant – a historical geographical term which describes “the crossroads of Western Asia, the eastern Mediterranean and North East Africa.” (UCL Institute of Archaeology) It includes countries Cyprus, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Turkey.

*Mezze – a way of eating in the Mediterranean and Middle East where there is a spread of different foods, dips, meats, bread (usually pita) and vegetable dishes to constitute an entire meal.

*Za’atar – a Middle Eastern spice blend usually consisting of sumac, sesame seeds, salt and a range of other herbs and spices depending on the recipe.

Labneh recipe:

• 1 kg greek yoghurt
• 1 tsp salt
• cheesecloth
• strainer
• kitchen string

Line the strainer with 2 layers of cheesecloth and pop over a bowl so that the strainer is not touching the bottom of the bowl.

Mix salt into greek yoghurt and stir. Pour this mixture into the strainer. Fold up the sides of the cheesecloth and tie up with kitchen string. For labneh koorat (labneh balls) leave to strain for at least three days. The longer you strain for, the harder the cheese will become.

Depending on the softness of the cheese, if the consistency is harder – you can roll them into balls. Alternatively, if it is softer you can quenelle them with two spoons (which is what I did). Pop these labneh koorat (labneh balls) or quenelles into your marinade.

Marinades:

Wet Marinade:

• Olive oil
• 3 chilies
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1 bunch rosemary

Dry Marinade:

• Cayenne pepper
• Dry herb mix

For the wet marinade, chop up your chilies and rosemary roughly. Smash the garlic and put them all into a fry pan over low-medium heat with a bit of olive oil just to extract the flavours and oils. Then pour them into a jar with olive oil and leave them to cha cha cha.

For the dry marinade, combine cayenne pepper and whatever dry herbs you have in your cupboard ( I used thyme) in a bowl. Roll your labneh quenelles or balls into this mix and pop into a jar with olive oil.

Additional Notes:

• To quenelle, just take a spoon with a generous amount of cheese and use the other spoon to scoop it up, repeat this motion until the cheese forms an oval shape.
• You can use both the dry and wet marinade together or separately.

sorry for the blurry photo(!) but here is labneh in oil 

Chinese Food Puns and Birthday Superstitions

Recently my uncle celebrated his 52^nd birthday and as is the beautiful tradition and social prescriptive it seems, that one always celebrates with food – our family went to our usual haunt, a seafood-based Canton restaurant in Beverly Hills, Sydney.

There is always a generous array and variety of foods we can order at a Chinese restaurant. However, menu selection can definitely be somewhat of a nuanced cultural tango between dishes and meats because of the Cantonese (which I speak) and Mandarin words they may sound similar to or the well-wishing phrases, which may arise.

To put this into context for English speakers (I apologise for non-English speakers, I don’t know any other languages well enough to know about their slang and pun traditions to create an example), but for example a pun manifesting from the consumption of eggs might be that they are egg-stremely egg-cellent (extremely excellent). You get the idea. I’m bad at puns. Moving on.

In Cantonese and Mandarin there exists similar puns and phrases, which translate into menu selection etiquette. This is particularly important at a celebratory affair like a birthday – for names, puns and meanings are perceived to symbolise or somehow impact what the year ahead for the birthday boy or girl will be; such is our superstition. And I love it, because I find it entertaining and moreover it is the only place and time – that is the dinner table of a birthday or new year – where I can seem somewhat witty because I’ve memorized all the puns or well-wishing phrases.

So these are the intricacies of our etiquette, or superstition.

First and foremost, you can choose three or five dishes, just never choose four 四 (sì). This is because it sounds like both the Cantonese and Mandarin word for death死 (sǐ) which as you can see has similar phonetics, but a different tone. For my uncle’s dinner we had eight 八 (bā) dishes which is a popular number because it sounds like the word 发 (fā). Whilst this word on its own takes on several meanings, it is commonly associated with fortune in the new year phrase 恭喜发财 (Gōngxǐ fācái) which means happiness and prosperity.

Clockwise from top left: poached chicken with ginger and garlic dipping sauce, lotus root soup, stir fried gai lan with ginger

From there, we ordered dishes which include lotus root soup, poached chicken with ginger and garlic dipping sauce, pippis, lobster with egg noodle, steamed fish with ginger and shallots, stir fried gai lan with ginger, stir fried water spinach with garlic and chilli and green bean and corn sweet soup for dessert.

pippis on fried vermicelli with xo sauce

stir fried water spinach with garlic, fermented tofu and chilli – my favourite!

YUM. Some of the dishes above do not have food puns, but there are a fair few where the language and puns are a factor in influencing the birthday dinner menu.

This is particularly reflected in our crustacean choice – the lobster. Actually, my uncle prefers the crab dish 蟹 (xiè) with vermicelli, but that has a “唉唉声” (Āi āi shēng) which means a rough sound, thus foreshadowing rough hurdles ahead. This crab pun only applies in Cantonese, and not mandarin, because as you can see from the above xiè and āi use different phonetics (therefore this pun is not applicable in Mandarin).

lobster, fried with garlic, ginger, shallots on a base of egg noodles

So instead, we ordered the lobster 龙虾 (lóngxiā) which literally translated in Cantonese means dragon prawn. From there, the auspicious idiom arises 龙马精神 (Lóngmǎ jīngshén). This phrase is used to describe the vigour and spirit of a dragon 龙 (lóng) to wish one an energetic new year filled with good things. This is also a phrase commonly used as a greeting during Chinese New Year 中国新年 (Zhōngguó xīnnián) to wish those around you good luck for the year. Such is the same tradition that is engrained here for my uncles’ birthday celebration.

Furthermore, we always go with the steamed fish 鱼 (yú) from which the phrase arises 年年有余 (Nián nián yǒuyú) where the last word sounds like the word for extra or remainder 余 (yú). This is supposed to mean that there is always something leftover, a surplus year after year.

steamed fish with soy, ginger and shallots

Such are the auspicious tidings, puns and superstitions that can arise from a Chinese Birthday dinner (as well as Chinese New Year).

I hope you enjoyed reading this article as much as I enjoyed writing it – for thinking about food has made me reflect on my culture, and has made me appreciate cultural experiences, that I’ve oft taken for granted. So thank you for reading and learning one of the many nuances of Chinese culture and food.

Sending you lobsters, fish and number eights,

Moony xoxo

p.s. Do you have any interesting cultural experiences and traditions with food? I would love to gain more insight about Chinese and other cultures too!

 

Red Date Tea 红枣茶

As I write this recipe, I question the category in which I’ve assigned it, that is under tea. However it seems the most appropriate as the recipe calls for dried red dates to be boiled, simmered and steeped – infusing water with a smoky, sweet sometimes also syrupy flavour. Therefore, as you can see – this post is labeled Red Date Tea – translated from the Chinese 红枣茶 (Hóngzǎo chá).

A single 红枣.

Red dates 红枣 (Hóngzǎo) also known as jujubes are prominent in different cultures. I only know of it through my Chinese upbringing, but I believe it is also a kitchen staple in Korean kitchens as well – I believe they also have a version of red date tea with ginger – as well as Indian foods. Today, I write about Red Date Tea, as I know it – because as a kitchen go-to and as a recipe in which Chinese households don’t usually think twice – it is therefore rarely written about. But people should read and know more because it is delicious and also healthy.

Water, egg, red dates, sugar.

Dried red dates or jujubes are known to have really amazing health benefits. It’s often used as a health tonic or in herbal medicines for balancing Qi and blood in your body. From my personal experience, and the information I’m about to tell you may make you uncomfortable (sorry in advance, I enjoy a healthy dose of tmi) or you may exclaim Hallelujah gal – but for someone who lives in a matriarchal family unit – whenever it is anyone’s time of the month, this recipe is a go to for replenishing blood.

Put the washed red dates, egg and water into a saucepan over medium heat. And there you go – life is delicious.

I’m not sure if the above has put you off or not – but it really is delicious and not medicinal– tasting in any way. It’s simply a hot beverage that is a great source of comfort, for warming your body or your tummy. It works a treat as an after dinner sweet snack because it is not just really tea~ hence my earlier confusion, we always make it with a boiled egg and serve it in a bowl. So, it really is quite a substantial and flavourful dessert which rests on the uniqueness of the red date, with no fuss cooking and very few ingredients. What a triangle of positives?!

Come on, you know you want some.

Sending smoky sweetness your way

Xoxo,

Moony

Red Date Tea (红枣茶)Recipe

• 15 – 30 whole red dates (30 – 60 red date halves), washed
• 4 bowls of water
• 1 egg, washed
• ½ tsp of sugar (optional)

Put the washed red dates, egg and water into a saucepan over medium heat. Keep a lid on the saucepan until the mixture comes to a boil, then leave the mixture to simmer with the lid off.

After approximately five to seven minutes, your egg will be boiled and fully cooked through. With a spoon, take the egg out of the mixture and once comfortable to touch, peel the shell. Place the whole egg back into the red date tea mixture. Reduce heat to low.

The tea will be ready after simmering for a further fifteen to twenty minutes, or until the red dates have softened.

Much of the water will have evaporated to approximately a third of what you originally had in the saucepan. The colour of your tea, depending on the number of dates/ the intensity will range from a golden yellow to a darker plum colour.

If serving in a bowl, this is a generous portion for one, or if you like the mug life, this recipe serves two.

Additional Notes:

• Feel free to add an additional egg if you’re serving more than one person. Alternatively, you can leave out the egg.
• Eat the red dates! They are very healthy. Did I mention this before?
• I personally don’t think the extra sugar is necessary, the dates give a lovely smoky sweetness – but it is totally up to you.
• IMPORTANT: You can buy red dates or jujubes at any Chinese grocery store or herbal shop! They are very accessible.

Red dates usually come in a bag like this at an Asian grocery store.

Boeuf Bourgignon

I cannot specifically remember how I had come to know about Boeuf Bourgignon, but I believe it was around five or six years ago when I was curious about French cuisine. At first I thought it was a very fancy dish, mainly because it was French and also because my pantry staples did not include red wine, western herbs like thyme or bay leaf or purple gem-like onions, i.e. eschalots. Therefore, it was ironic when upon researching Boeuf Bourgignon, I realised it was in fact a peasant food, as the ingredients were accessible and inexpensive in its originating country and region.

My attempt at taking an interesting photograph with all the ingredients.

Cook the vegetables until the leek has reduced and the celery has somewhat softened.

Boeuf Bourgignon translated to English means Burgundy Beef as it originated from the Burgundy region in France. However, others have also reflected that the name is a tribute to the colour of the stew, which because of the heady amount of red wine added, is a deep burgundy.

Maybe it’s because it’s the first Western stew I ever made, I feel as though any delicious stew would echo the same rich velvety colour. This is the colour I want to see on my dinner table in winter, when I come into the home and throw off woolen shawls and gumboots. Therefore, as we near the end of May in Sydney and autumn bids us adieu for winter’s chill, fog and rain – here is my version of Boeuf Bourgignon that’s been adapted and changed over the years from Guillaume Brahimi’s (from SBS Food Safari) recipe.

Respectively from top, bottom left then bottom right: Combining the beef chunks into the vegetable mixture, pouring in the whole bottle of wine, and parsley stalks tied with string (to be thrown into the mixture)

It is really delicious, with the beef tender and melting in the mouth, caramelised and stewed vegetable goodness, the velvety liqueur that is the stew (I swear, this stuff is gold) and if that’s not enough – come on guys, there’s a lot of red wine. It is family friendly too, as the alcohol evaporates during the cooking process. I really hope this has inspired you to make the dish, to dip your hand in some traditional French cooking and that when you do – it thoroughly warms you and the people around you!

winter elixir (though it’s not confined to any season!)

p.s. I apologise for any funny looking photographs, I’ve just started learning and appreciating the fact that photography is really hard!

Sending you much warmth,

Moony xo

Boeuf Bourgignon Recipe

• 1 kg chuck steak, chopped into 2-3 cm cubes
• plain flour for dusting
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 50 grams butter
• 3 bacon rashers
• 3 large eschalots, roughly sliced
• 3 – 4 large carrots, chopped into bite sized morsels ( 6 – 8 small carrots)
• 3 stalks celery, roughly chopped (approx. 0.5 – 1 cm width)
• 1 leek, roughly chopped (approx. 0.5 – 1 cm width)
• Handful of parsley – separate whole stalks from leaves, chop leaves finely
• 1 bottle red wine (750 mls)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 beef stock cubes
• 8 – 10 mushrooms, halved
• Salt, to season
• Pepper, to season

Coat the beef chunks in plain flour and heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in the frying pan. Do not cook the beef until well-done, you are only looking to seal the sides and give it some colour. Set aside.

In a large pot with a heavy base, melt the butter over medium heat and cook the chopped bacon pieces to render off some fat. Then add eschalots and stir for around five minutes until soft and caramelised. Then, add in the chopped leeks, celery and carrots and give the pot a wild stir so you can see all the colours and their vibrancy. Season with salt and pepper. Continue sautéing for around five to ten minutes until the leeks have shrunken and the celery is softer.

Then mix the beef cubes into the pot. Pour the whole bottle of red wine (try to pour the whole bottle, though I can understand that you’ve taken a drink before this point). Make sure the beef is just below the liquid. If not, pour some water or beef stock so that the beef can snugly fit. Then stir in the tomato paste and beef stock cubes. With the whole parsley stalks, tie them tightly into a small bunch with some kitchen string and stir them into the mixture.

Turn the heat to low, so that the stew is simmering. Cook for the next two to two and half hours on the stove top, giving it an occasional stir every fifteen minutes. In the last fifteen minutes of the cook, add the mushrooms. When the mushrooms are cooked through, season the stew with salt and pepper to your taste. Turn off the stove and sprinkle on the chopped parsley leaves and serve.

Additional notes:

• A lot of the time people say you should cook with a wine you would actually drink ~ but my budget does not allow me that generosity. However, it is absolutely fine, it tastes good with a regular/cheap red cooking wine (I spend approximately $5-6) at the nearby liquor store.
• After you pour the red wine into the pot, it’s okay if some of the beef cubes are peeping up. Ultimately everything will reduce so that there is more liquid than beef and vegetable content. I usually try not to put water or stock in, or if I do, it is very minimal – because I don’t want to reduce the red wine flavour of the stew.
• The parsley stalks aren’t all that necessary, but this is my way of utilising them in this recipe and ensuring minimal wastage (i.e. stowing them away in the fridge and forgetting about them).
• Ensure the beef stock cubes dissolve into the mixture. I usually smush the cubes against the side of the pot once it has started to disintegrate in the red wine mixture. Alternatively, you can dissolve it in two tablespoons of boiling water before and then pour in.
• For length of stewing, I find that once the stew hits the two-hour point and over, the taste really becomes quite marvellous – it’s rich, beefy, and winey. It’s silly because I am biased, but it’s really good.
• By a general rule of thumb, whilst it tastes better overnight, I would not keep this for more than three nights in the fridge.

Salt Pepper Nutmeg

I’m not sure about you, but it seems to me that the suburbs are constantly underrated when it comes to interesting restaurants and food. Perhaps, this is just a uni student obsession with the city that I’m simultaneously holding and challenging. And, what better way to do this than with my favourite restaurant Salt Pepper Nutmeg.

It’s somewhat hidden because there is no signage on the front door. I guess you have to be a regular or perhaps you fall in love as a curious passerby, whereon your stroll towards Roseville Cinema you peek in at all the diners chattering away gaily, all the inviting lights and colours, and become mesmerised with the smell.

As you walk in, you are greeted by a visual delight. Lights are soft, there is an array of wild flowers or cauliflowers steeped in water as décor, fairy lights, a smattering of crayon artworks along the walls (all created by diners at the table), the flickering shadow dance of tea light candles, bookshelves filled with yellowing books, eclectic objects here and there. For me, this atmosphere is like no other. On the page it may seem put on, but in reality it is completely unpretentious. Also, snuggly.

When you’re at your table, the waiter or waitress will come around with a big blackboard with the specials for the night. The food is European inspired as mirrored in dishes like Lamb Orecchiette with eight hour braised lamb shoulder or Risotto alla Zucca with saffron, wine, roasted pumpkin and cherry tomatoes. A personal favourite of mine is the Salad of Trees and Fields, a seasonal celebration of fruit and veg which grow from trees and fields. Such are a few of the dishes which spring from this beautiful nook, for a more generous idea I believe you should go and venture yourself.

The night I recently went, we ordered from the Specials Board a potato, celeriac and cauliflower soup, a “Bowl of the Sea” and a Flan Catalan for dessert.

The soup was creamy and so comforting. It suited autumnal-winter weather finely and instantly engrained in me the need to make it every time I would feel unwell. (Only this morning I tried to replicate it because of seasonal winter blues)

The “Bowl of the Sea” was not what I expected. It was a bowl of seafood with a bisque-like thick broth surrounding and some bread. We had a soup-y night, but there were no regrets. The seafood in our bowl included mussel, prawn, fish, clams and I’m pretty sure – crab leg. The broth was a meeting of tomato, white wine, bay leaf, saffron and seafood juices – can you imagine? Are you feeling hungry yet?

On the menu, the Flan Catalan was described as a “Baked egg custard infused with vanilla bean and orange, topped with sugar brûlée, citrus segments and pistachio nuts.’ And indeed, that is what we got. Really, it felt like a crème brûlée with a delicious orange flavour. Helen said the orange gave it an edge, I thought it gave a well-roundedness to the custard, but such is the subjectivity of food. Objectively though, we devoured it.

I know it may sound like I’ve been paid to write this. Rest assured, I have not – I simply have just sustained my love affair with this restaurant. Or rather, Salt Pepper Nutmeg has nurtured my love affair with it.

I hope you enjoyed reading this, and that perhaps you will give this restaurant a try – whether it is with your significant other, friends or family, I think it will truly knock your socks off.

Speaking for myself, I do enjoy a good sock-knocking.

Salt Pepper Nutmeg: 

110 Pacific Hwy, Roseville NSW 2069

T: (02) 9880 9994

Monday 4:00pm – 10:00pm

Tuesday 10:30am – 10:30pm

Wednesday 10:30am – 10:30pm

Thursday 10:30am – 10:30pm

Friday 10:30am – 10:30pm

Saturday 8:00am – 11:00pm

Sunday 8:30am – 9:00pm 

(Dinner reservations recommended)