December 2011
1 post
5 tags
macaron masterclass at baroque
ok campers, christmas is officially one week away. if you’re like me, you’ll engage in some panicked online shopping this week in an attempt to avoid visiting those seemingly unstaffed shops that rhyme with mavid pones and nyer.
but before you start freaking the feliz navidad out, i may have a solution for you. the macaron masterclass at sydney’s baroque bistro is a brilliant...
November 2011
1 post
6 tags
jam jars & country charm: the rustic revolution
if you’re a food-lover, you have probably heard a lot of the “r” word lately. no, not rissole. i’m talking about all things “rustic.” these days it’s impossible to flick through a cookbook or read a restaurant review without seeing some mention of rustic cookery. sensing that this trend could have more staying power than the sundried tomato craze of the 90’s, i decided to investigate.
a quick...
September 2011
1 post
8 tags
quay, sydney
you know how excited some people get when their chosen troupe of athletic professionals achieves some form of triumphant gain? well, needless to say i’m not one of those people. i’m the type of person that gets unreasonably excited about attending a highly-regarded restaurant. luckily for me, a moment just like this arose a few weeks ago when lovely mr. joe king (so named for privacy...
August 2011
2 posts
7 tags
artery cloggin', u.s.a
today at grain of salt, i would like to take a moment to, for lack of a better term “spit some truth.” you see, my recent culinary tour of the united states was not all trendy restaurants, notable chefs and degustations. quite often, it was more about indulging in the less finer things in life. namely, sugar and brown food. some of these items i have chosen to showcase today. in order...
12 tags
cookin' in san fran
cooking in a kitchen you’ve never been to before is always a challenge. if you’ve ever been a caterer, personal chef, or just a really generous stranger, you’ll know what i’m talking about. in amongst the usual stress that comes from planning and executing a menu, are a number of troublesome questions. questions such as: “can i assume they have olive oil?” and...
July 2011
6 posts
11 tags
commonwealth, san francisco
we’re off to san francisco for the next edition of grain of salt’s u.s food adventures. this time it’s commonwealth; a progressive american restaurant in the eclectic mission district. “what is progressive american cuisine?”, you ask. what a fantastic question! you are very clever. though often confusing, like similar terms “modern australian” or...
4 tags
girl & the goat, chicago
my general understanding of restaurants on a monday night is limited to a rather sad image of one couple quietly eating in a corner while a maitre d’ stands hopefully at the front door, willing people to come in and fill the sea of empty tables behind him. or alternatively, an image of me looking through the window of a restaurant, in disbelief that it’s closed, even though the last...
11 tags
cru, los angeles
now, i am not what you would call vegan or vegetarian. but my dear friend bec is, so you could say i’m a vegan sympathiser. you may remember bec from my vegan bolognese post- not only is she a vegan but she is also celiac. “no animal products or gluten?” you say. i know, those are my favourite food groups too.
despite not being nutritionally impaired (i believe this is the pc...
8 tags
delicatessen, nyc
next stop on the u.s food train is delicatessen in new york’s soho district. with the tagline “international comfort food,” the popular lunch spot offers a diverse array of… well, just that. from whole wheat pancakes to a new england lobster roll and steak frites, delicatessen’s menu is undeniably comforting. at the time, however, i found myself slightly distracted...
7 tags
gilt bar, chicago
with all the formalities now out of the way, i’d like to kick off grain of salt’s greatest hits (us edition) with a look back at a brilliant restaurant in chicago. as it turns out, chicago is positively covered in excellent eateries, but more on that later. this one in particular is gilt bar, located in the river north neighbourhood. much like a culinary centaur, gilt bar is half...
6 tags
born (to eat) in the u.s.a
a few months ago, when i told my friends and family that i planned to set off on a culinary tour of the united states, i was startled to hear the same reaction each time: “why would you go to america for food!? yuck, the food there is terrible, you should be going to europe!” after a quick, sagacious “you don’t know me!” i felt dismayed at the apparent misconceptions...
May 2011
1 post
7 tags
thyme french toast & home made ketchup
until recently i was a savoury food only kinda gal. ice cream? no thanks. cheesecake? not today. giant plate of beer battered fish and chips? yes, now hand them over before i get violent. unfortunately, as i have ventured further into the culinary universe, my once dormant sweet tooth has flared up. where once i shuddered at the thought of sugar, i now daydream about brulee-ing bananas and adding...
April 2011
2 posts
7 tags
tetsuya's
part of me feels this post should really be titled, “tetsuya’s: grainofsalt & the quest for the missing hat.” like many sydney food lovers, i was shocked by the 2010 removal of the acclaimed restaurants’ third prestigious sydney morning herald chef’s hat. that disbelief escalated with last week’s announcement that tetsuya’s is no longer part of san...
11 tags
australia's biggest morning tea: how to
each year cancer council australia holds one of the country’s most beloved fundraising events: australia’s biggest morning tea. the event, which has raised $90 million since its inception in 2004, sees local schools, businesses and communities come together to hold morning teas in support of vital cancer research.
in 2011, cancer council is aiming to raise $11 million nationally to...
March 2011
2 posts
9 tags
perfect pan-fried snapper
this is a story about my dad. let me think… how can i describe my dad? fun, exciting, and happy-go-lucky… are all terms that i wouldn’t use. yes, anyone who has met ol’ mr. grainofsalt will attest to his generally serious disposition and dislike of almost everything. and yet, this self-proclaimed m.o.r.b.o.f (middle-of-the-road-boring-old-fart) has one surprising culinary...
sonyabunnies asked: hello! Pizza help please! I stumbled across your page from a post Kate Leaver put up. I'm so curious about your pizza dough recipe - your new years party looks awesome!
February 2011
2 posts
19 tags
district dining
don’t you hate it when you exchange gifts with someone, and what they give you is ten times better than what you gave them? you know, like when you give your friend a box of chocolates for christmas and they buy you an actual present that wasn’t from the service station on the way to the party? me too.
i have a friend called alex. not only is she beautiful and funny, but she’s...
9 tags
risotto 101
i like to think of myself as a risotto aficionado. i pride myself on achieving the perfect risotto texture, the pursuit of which can only be described as a labour of love. this texture is referred to as “oozy” (colloquial term), or in other words must-be-able-to-spread-around-the-plate-or-bowl-it-sits-on (technical term). i will stop at nothing to achieve the ultimate...
January 2011
3 posts
6 tags
degustation- marque restaurant
if, by some culinary miracle, mark best is reading this, then mark: i’m sorry.
you see, i recently paid a visit to marque restaurant in sydney’s surry hills, and with the naive enthusiasm of a new food blogger, planned to document the meal in all its finery. unfortunately, upon taking my seat, my camera decided not to work.
now, if you’ve been reading this blog, or if...
19 tags
rustic italian new year- grain of salt
happy new year! should old acquaintance be forgot? yes, if the acquaintance you’re referring to is 2010. most people i’ve spoken to were all too ready to kiss the past year goodbye. floods, fires, budget crises… and that was just within my kitchen.
nonetheless, a new year cannot dawn without some acknowledgement, so i decided to host a small get together for some wonderful,...
14 tags
December 2010
13 posts
18 tags
a grain of salt christmas
merry christmas! whether you had a barbecue on a hot summer’s day, roasted chestnuts over a roaring fire or delivered presents to children across the world in your sleigh, i hope you had a fabulous time.
this year i decided to do a low-key, rustic lunch for my guests. and, in an attempt to minimise stress, i asked everyone to bring something. i usually am not a fan of the “bring a...
cherry chicken salad- grain of salt
some dishes are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them. this particular meal represents the latter. ok, not so much greatness… rather… cherries.
it’s summer here in australia, and while we’re making news around the world for our unseasonably cold weather, there are still cherries about and you...
sous vide opakapaka keahole lobster w/ edamame puree, pumpkin flaxseed waffle, glazed purple carrots and charred red pepper coulis- Duo Restaurant, Four Seasons, Maui
i was lucky enough to assist executive chef Roger Stettler of Duo with the planning of this special occasion menu. Roger’s use of a savoury miniature waffle was an exciting concept to me, and i enjoyed it as a refreshing...
