The Compleat Housewife – Introduction The Compleat Housewife by Eliza Smith was first published in England in 1727 and went on to become one of the most enduring cookbooks on both sides of the Atlantic. Because this is the first review we have posted on an 18th Century cookbook (the […]
Bones – Recipes, History and Lore – Introduction Jennifer McLagan is an Australian-born chef who has plied her trade in Australia, England, Europe and Canada. Her books follow an idiosyncratic path, cleverly concentrating on topics that most other writers avoid. The topics of her books include Bones, Fat, Bitter, Odd […]
The Colonial Cookbook – Introduction The Colonial Cookbook was written by Edward Abbott under the pseudonym The Australian Aristologist. It was the first Australian cookbook published (1864) even though it was printed in London. The full title was the unwieldly “The English and Australian Cookery Book. Cookery for the Many, […]
Classic Russian Cooking – Introduction Classic Russian Cooking – A gift to young housewives by Elena Molokhovets is a significant book in the history of Russian cuisine and one of the great utilitarian cookbooks of the world ranking alongside Stephanie Alexander’s The Cook’s Companion, Eliza Acton’s Modern Cookery for Private […]
Joy of Cooking: Introduction Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer was first published by Irma Rombauer in 1931. It soon became the cookbook of choice throughout the United States. It is somewhat derivative of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management in that it is not just a recipe book […]
Recipes of All Nations: Introduction Recipes of All Nations by ‘Countess Morphy’ is a fascinating tour of recipes from all around the world that was very popular in the United Kingdom in the 1930s. It has some flaws and the author wasn’t a countess, but it is still an interesting […]
Ottolenghi The Cookbook – Introduction Ottolenghi The Cookbook is a beautiful book full of delicious recipes that you immediately want to try out. It is authored by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi (Yotam is an Israeli and Sami a Palestinian who both now live in London). Both were born in […]
Crescent City Cooking: Introduction Crescent City Cooking by Susan Spicer surveys the recipes of her native (from the age of 7) New Orleans and beyond and is an excellent book to add to your cookbook collection if you are interested in the cuisine of this fascinating city. We have eaten […]
Middle Eastern Cookery: Introduction Middle Eastern Cookery by Arto der Haroutunian is one of the classics of Middle Eastern cooking. It is a thoroughly researched, clearly written classic that is worth returning to again and again whenever you feel inspired to cook any of the great dishes of this region. […]
What Mrs Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking: Introduction What Mrs Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking is an intriguing book by an ex-slave from Mobile, Alabama (which is not too far east from New Orleans) who worked as a chef in San Francisco in the second half of the […]
Introducing the most challenging test of our warehouse business processes yet. All these wonderful wines made by @octavin.alice.bouvot are different but the labels are almost identical. Some Jura producers use the colour of the wax at the top of the bottle to provide a clue from a distance about what grape variety the wine is made from. Alice uses a similar approach but the clue is the colour of the gnome’s pants. There are also tiny hints with slightly different colours in other parts of the label. The only thing easily separating them is the lot number on the back label (the contre-étiquette in French, although technically because they have all the information about the wines and who made them, these back labels are étiquettes not contre-étiquettes).
And while the colour denotes the variety or blend it doesn’t necessarily denote the colour. The two wines with red pants are made with poulsard but one is white (direct pressed) and the other is red.
When fulfilling the offers we will be sending out soon we promise never to pick the orders with even the hint of a hangover.
If you are interested; over the next couple of weeks we will be putting the details for each wine on our website. Some are already there.
Some things are so glorious they need a permanent post. @kobi_ruz’s strawberry crepe cake is one of them. @lucindawinebar / @analiesegregory Friday lunches (the only place we know where you need to reserve ahead what you eat but can’t reserve your seat – a unique form of walk-in) is one of the very good things to have emerged from the last 20 months of upheaval.
Strawberries from @littlewoodberryfarm and elderflowers from @arundel_farm (because in this town we like knowing and sharing who grew what we eat!)
And another chance for a little public lobbying for a patisserie add-on to Lucinda.
The @agrariankitcheneatery is one of Tasmania’s must visit dining experiences. It’s essential for anyone truly interested in a local eating experience and because of that it is quite different depending on the season. That’s our excuse for trying to eat here several times a year, over and above our weekly visits to its kiosk for bread, butter and other provisions.
This meal is peak spring – so many delicious green things. Artichokes, broad beans, and asparagus were highlights, all served with sauces rich in umami from previously fermented garums, misos and other preserves. Cotechino from an aged Agrarian Kitchen pig (8 years old?) served with polenta made with corn from the same place was extraordinary. (Yes we know – if you follow this account we rave about the polenta each time we visit here but it is a benchmark. If you enjoy the glory of great polenta you need this in your life. It is its cornness that blows you away every time.) Three quite different cheeses, all made in house with tiny biscuits made with The Grain Family’s oats. Three sweet things – meyer lemon tart, blackcurrant leaf infused cream with blackcurrant granita and hazelnut and coffee biscuits.
There is a menu at the end of this sequence of photos to help describe most of what we missed but few photos to capture @__keene’s truly inspiring non alcoholic drinks we matched with this meal. One veered into something sake-like, one almost had the texture and colour that channelled Alice Bouvot’s Potion Magique (except it had bubbles) and others to blow your mind in different ways.
As always thanks to the entire team for a completely satisfying afternoon.
How good are greens?
Very good at @tmchugos.
Rocky Top Growers’ Collective (under the stewardship of @heirloomtony) with smoked pork
Lambs’ tongue in broth with laksa leaf, chives, radishes and erba stella.
Thank you to the growers and the cooks.
Despite all these photos it feels like we only captured about half of the dishes and condiments at @roughrice and @lukeburgess77’s collaboration at @the_seven_and_a_half_floor last night. The calamari and guanciale is missing, the nutty aged rice is not given due prominence, there’s nothing to document the sake and wines. But hopefully there’s enough to tempt you to try to get a seat if they do it again. That’s not easy but truly an extraordinary night if you get the chance. Thanks Luke and Adam (for the food, drinks and your insights) and our dining companions at our shared table for 10 for a unique and delicious evening.
Photos from a visit just after it opened a couple of weeks ago, @poolishandco is yet another addition to the reasons why Cygnet may be the best small town in Tasmania for the availability of good food. With Cygnet Garden Larder a few steps away, a local butcher, and @theearlybirdmarketgarden just up the road, before you even start looking further afield, it’s easy to buy good ingredients and eat well. If you’re thinking of holidaying in #Tasmania and have a romantic vision of shopping for local produce and cooking each day in this area the romance can be matched by reality.
