Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category

Wildfire Desserts

Thursday, January 29th, 2009

wildfire 1.jpg 

wildfire 2.jpg

Every year for the Sydney Festival, I like to try one of the Fast Festival Feasts where you get a main course and a glass of wine for $25.  This year, Wildfire, at the Overseas Passenger Terminal was the choice; where we had kingfish, with one scallop tortellini and romesco sauce. Great sauce, but sadly I think the fish had seen better days and was ready before our 6pm arrival.  Nevermind, we moved onto dessert.  A very interesting looking dessert menu, we decided upon the doughnut box, and the nougatine souffle, both $18.  The donut box was in fact 6 mini donut holes, which come with 3 test tubes and pipettes of sauce – raspberry, white chocolate, and chocolate, which you squeeze and inject into the donuts!  The donuts are covered in sugar and cinnamon and set in a pretty box with a shot glass of caramel and chocolate mousse.  Not too sweet which was good.

The souffle was the chef’s choice and was a good balance of light and airy whilst actually having a bit of substance – usually I find souffles like eating a cloud of nothing.  It came with a chocolate crackle type thing on top of an ice cream segment; and the same shot glass with a chocolate cigar in it. (more…)

Foodie Events

Thursday, February 28th, 2008

Sorry about the last of posting. I wish I could say that I was off on a long holiday sampling international delicacies, but I wasn’t! Anyway, to keep you going, here’s a couple of food events coming up:
a) Good Living Growers Market in Pyrmont, on the 1st Saturday of every month. I hope it’s on this Saturday because the wet weather suggests otherwise!
b) Sydney Morning Herald is having NSW Regional Wine week with wine dinners, and a fair in Hyde Park with over 100 winemakers sampling their wares on March 9th.
c) Well, not really a foodie event, but Easter is coming up – so start easing into Hot Cross buns and eggs symbolising new birth, new life. I had a yummy one from Jeff de Bruges – milk chocolate coated honeycomb/praline bits. mmmm.
d) Lastly to TV – Jamie’s Great Italian escape (the series) is on Lifestyle Channel on Foxtel on Thursday nights – get ready for a carb and wine fest!

Casa di Nico, King Street Wharf

Sunday, September 2nd, 2007

Very pleasantly surprised at the Italian offering from the Nick’s group (Nick’s Seafood/Bar and Grill/Bondi Beach/I’m Angus).  I’m a fan of I’m Angus but wondered what steak and italian had in common!  Well I thought I should make my way through the chain… At the quieter end of King Street Wharf, it’s a cosy waterside location, with wooden decor and open kitchen - centered around the wood fired oven.  Out of which come some pretty amazing pizzas – thin and crispy base, with fluffy bubbled crunchy but still with bite crust.  The Capricciosa ($23) would make a nonna proud with not too much topping of smoked ham, mushrooms, tomatoes, artichokes and scattered with olives 

pizza 2.jpg  lasagna.jpg

My sister raves about its version of the vegetarian lasagna ($24). It could fool any carnivore – tuck into it and see if you can finish the rich slab of layered zuchchini, spinach, mushroom, eggplant and cheese, lovingly adorned with shaved parmesan and fresh parsley.  Not over powering, but nevertheless an efforto finish it all due to the sheer size of the thing!  Other pastas include carbonara ($24), ragtoni with salami, capsicum, asparagus, walnuts and gorgonzola ($25), and risottos ($34) of chicken and mushroom (below) or seafood.

risotto.jpg  fettucine.jpg

We also tried the fettucine ai Gamberi – fresh king prawns, garlic, basil and chilli in tomato sauce ($29.50). The prawns were unreal – plump and fresh, and plenty of them – although personally I prefer thinner fettucine. Again – huge serving and couldn’t finish… the sauce was satisfying and not too brothy but not too thick either.  Strange pricing structure though where seafood pastas cost only little more than non-seafood ones!

seafood platter.jpg

The seafood platter for two ($85) wowed everyone – an impressive crustacean tower comprising wood fired scampi, balmain bugs and king prawns, sitting on a bed of tasty marinated octopus, mussels and vongole done in garlic, chilli and olive oil.  We LOVED the variation on bread - crispy garlicky garlic naan to scare the vampires away.  I would have loved some chips with this, but oh well – as if there wasn’t enough carbs in the pasta/pizza!  Dad didn’t find the seafood that fresh though – maybe because we went on a monday night - or was it Friday that you’re not meant to have seafood??  (more…)