I’m not the type that easily gives in especially when there has been a lot of energy and love put into a passion that I hold so dear. So for the past few weeks (now that I’ve had some time off and regained some perspective) I’ve spent time reflecting on the last four months of 2011 and thinking about where I went wrong and how I can still ‘do’ Terroso and reconnect to my passion for wine and food again.  At the crux of my whole dilemma was this problem: how do I realistically manage the demands on my time as a mother and full-time worker so that I can give Terroso the energy and professionalism that it deserves? I’ve come to the conclusion that I will scale things back a little. So from 2012 there will be no longer be newsletters or trio’s. They simply take up too much time and to be honest, they take the fun and spontaneity away of sharing an experience. I want Terroso to be more organic and authentic than that.

When I started Terroso back in 2009 it was at the behest of friends and family who were constantly badgering me for recommendations, recipes and information about wine, food and restaurants. I’d just left the restaurant scene after spending about 15 years working in some of Australia’s best, alongside some of the industry’s greatest. It wasn’t until I left the industry though and joined the 9 to 5ers of the world that I realised just how limited the access to good wine and how homogenised the offering in retail had become. I also realised just how spoiled I was! For years I had been writing wine lists, training staff and connecting with some amazing suppliers and had taken it for granted. I figured that if that these few people in my life were wanting information, then there’s probably others out there in the same situation, that I don’t know. So for me Terroso started with this single intent – to share. I wanted to share the knowledge that I’d amassed over the years (and continue to do) and explain why this or that is worthy of purchase or tasting, or why you should try this restaurant or that recipe at your next dinner party. So that will be the focus of Terroso from 2012. It will have a greater emphasis on sharing information, something I love to do.

The Bespoke service will still run, you can rest assured that if there’s something in particular that I’ve written up, or that you want sourced, that can still be done. It’s how Terroso is staying in touch is the only thing that is changing.

So bring on 2012! Positive change, lot’s of great reviews, loads of sharing and feedback and sharing and of course the odd hangover or two!

Liz

With these few days of crazy hot weather I decided to pull out my 5 year old (never been
used) magimix glacier ice cream maker. Much to the children’s delight, we attempted to use the glut of stone fruit and berries at the moment to try to cool off. The magimix recipes are not fantastic this is my take.

It is totally delicious but take your time and remember buy the very best fruit, very ripe but
no blemishes and chill your bowl min. over night for best results. This recipe makes soft Italian style ice cream. I am told you can do all kind of exotic things like olive oil and cauliflower. However the next request is for rainbow…mmm not sure about that one. Watch this space…

Mixed reviews from my tasters

‘Why does it take so long… can’t we just get some from the shop’

‘why are their bits in it?’ and

‘delicious mummy you are the best maker in the world’ (i like this one)

Put bowl in freezer over night, dont take it out until you pour in your mix

Recipe

7 egg yolks

180gms castor sugar, next time I may use brown sugar I like this idea with nectarines.

Beat until pale and thick, whilst this is beating

Combine and heat ( very low) to below boiling point , DO NOT BOIL

540mls full fat milk

540mls cream

2 ts vanilla bean paste

In a blender wizz until smooth and foamy

6 large very ripe nectarine, no pips skin on. ( thus the bits I like small people may not you can sieve if you like)

1 cup castor sugar or brown sugar

1TB lemon juice

Place this mix in the fridge, leave in jug

Pour the hot cream mix into the yolk mix keep beating with your electric beaters until combined.

Place this mix back on low heat and stir until it coats the back of your wooden spoon. DO NOT BOIL it is supposed to look like runny custard.

Let it cool down and then place in fridge until cold

When everything is chilled combine fruit and custard

Set up maker turn on blades and pour in mix. Churn to taste. Because it has been so hot I have had to put mine back in the freezer before serving.

Makes about 1 litre.

Delicious!!!

Thank you for your support!

We wish you a wonderful Christmas and a safe, happy, restful New Year 2012

Liz and Jane x

are you trying to think of a last minute, hand/home made gift that is easy and delicious and will be loved by kids and adults

This recipe from the fabulous Smitten kitchen (not be confused with Smittenkitten- which would also make a gorgeous gift for someone).

Look out for some:

lined craft bags and plain card craft tags www.brownpaperpackaging.com.au

add a $10 Christmas stamp from Rock Paper scissors www.rps.com.au

and hey presto

Merry Christmas!!  and all for about $5 a serve.

His restaurants have distinct charm and sense of style that you want to emulate in your own home. As I was sitting against the back wall while having dinner and looking out over the dining space, I thought to myself, he has such a distinct aesthetic  - you know when you’re in a McConnell restaurant. The feel is always relaxed but there is an uber-chic edginess to how he puts it altogether. He really does set the trend for his bracket. The other thing that I have to say up front is that the staff in any of his restaurants are always spot on, accommodating and knowledgable. No easy feat in an industry that is fickle and sometimes overly egotistical and sensitive.

So to the important bits – what we ate and drank. We started with a couple of beers easing our way into a bottle of Prager Hinter der Burg Gruner Veltliner. Gruners are a great all-rounder when it comes to mixing spicy food at varying degrees of heat and complexity from a menu. They’re relatively neutral but still have enough perfume and texture to intrigue you. We started with King Salmon served with Chinese mustard, pickled shallots, ginger and cucumber. A stunning dish, very delicate. The flavours and textures hit every sense and made this one of the most memorable of the night. We enjoyed with the Grass fed Black Angus beef with Kimchi puree , egg yolk and crudite. This is the Golden Fields take on steak tartare – very good, but not quite enough oomph for me (or my dining friend), it was still enjoyable none the less.

Following our entrees we moved onto some fabulous plates to share which included: Crispy soft shell Mud Crab with fried egg aioli, scuds (very hot chilli’s) and holy basil;  fabulous twice cooked duck served with freshly made steamed bread, vinegar and plum sauce. This on it’s on was just plain hedonistic. The bread is what made this dish, if it hadn’t been freshly made to a recipe to cope with the level of steaming, it would have just been limp and revolting – no matter how good the duck was. Another testament to reaffirm the importance of technique!

Not to be outdone, and yes the Gruner was still with us at this stage, we shared whole crispy flounder – to be honest they’ve taken it off the menu and I can’t remember what else was with it! Apologies. It was delicious though and the perfect little match to mixed greens and XO. I have to say that by this stage I was very content, not ready to leave but feeling just right about my level of fullness.  Again my dining partner who has a secret  sweet tooth, reminded me of the importance of dessert. It was a knowing look but a reminder none the less…. Just was well I’m running in the morning I thought to myself.

We absolutely devoured the Peanut Butter parfait with salted caramel and soft chocolate along with the baked Meringue accompanied by vanilla, rose and lychee.  There has been a lot of talk about the New England Lobster Roll in the media recently, but seriously have those guys tried these desserts? Heavenly and just so balanced. Unbelievable.  Of course we enjoyed our desserts with a glass of Madeira from Henriques & Henriques as well as a cheeky Sauterne from Roumieu Lacoste.

Following two short blacks and a very reasonable bill, we were home by 11pm, perfect. I can see us going there on a regular basis to be honest. It’s one of those restaurants that just feels good on every level as well as the menu and winelist being tweaked regularly. I totally recommend Golden Fields as a date night venue or a place where you can hook up with friends and relax in comfortable company. And for those of you wondering, yes I did get up and run the next morning!

Last weekend, armed with my copy of Ottolenghi and some beautiful wines that my long weekend buddy brought along, I cooked exclusively from his cookbook. Below are the three dishes out of the six that I cooked that really were above and beyond either of our expectations. And made our Sunday afternoon and evening a very flavoursome memory! It wasn’t that the others weren’t enjoyable at all, I’ll tell you about them at a later date though.

I need to preface this also by saying that you really must follow the order and quantities of his recipes, don’t try and get clever – it will end in tears!

Etti’s Herb Salad

This was my dish of the day. I love herb salads and the simultaneous complexity and elegance of this dish was second to none. This does require you though to focus and coordinate your timing so as it gets to the table, perfectly.

35g coriander leaves

40g flat leaf parsley leaves

20g dill leaves

35g tarragon leaves

30g basil leaves

40g rocket leaves

50g unsalted butter

150g unskinned almonds

1/2 tsp course sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

Gently immerse the herbs leaves in cold water, being careful not to bruise them. Drain in a colander and then in a salad spinner (or by spreading them over a dry cloth)

Heat the butter in a frying pan and add the almonds, salt and pepper. Saute for 5-6 minutes over a low to moderate heat until the almonds are golden. Transfer to a colander to drain – making sure that you keep the butter that’s left in the pan. Leave it somewhere warm so as it doesn’t set. Once the almonds are cool enough to touch, chop them roughly.

To assemble the salad, place the herbs in a large bowl. Add the almonds, cooking butter, lemon juice and olive oil. Toss together gently and season to taste before serving.

Seared duck breasts with blood orange and star anise

This was a stunning dish. If you can’t get your hands on blood oranges as they are only in season for a short time, use mandarins instead.

Serves 4

4 ducks breasts, weighing 180-200g each. If you can get either Muscovy or Pekin Aylesbury duck breasts, these are ideal.

2 tbsp fennel seeds

pinch dried chilli flakes

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

1 tsp coarse sea salt

240ml blood orange juice (from about 4 oranges) plus 4 extra oranges

180ml red wine

2 tbsp sherry vinegar

16 star anise

6 dried chillies

Score the skin of each duck breast in three or four parallel incisions, without cutting into the meat. Repeat this process at a 90° angle to the other cuts to get square shaped incisions. Mix the fennel seeds, chilli flakes, cumin, black pepper and salt together then rub them into the duck breasts with your hands. Place on a plate, cover and put them in the fridge for at least four hours, but better if it’s overnight.

To prepare the oranges, use a small sharp knife to cut the top and bottom off each orange. Stand them up on your board and neatly (and slowly) follow the natural curves of each orange. Cut each orange horizontally into 6 slices. Remove the pips and put all the pieces into a bowl and set aside.

It’s now time to sear the duck. Thoroughly heat a large heavy based frying pan (make sure it has a lid). Place the duck breasts, skin side down, and cook for three minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crisp. Turn over and cook the other side for three minutes. Remove the breasts from the pan and let them rest in warm place. Discard most of the duck fat from the pan and add the wine, orange juice, vinegar and star anise. Bring to the boil and simmer 5-6 minutes until reduced by half. Taste and season if necessary. Return the duck breasts to the pan and cost with the sauce. Cover with the lid and simmer gently for 7 minutes

Take the dried chillies, orange slices and any additional juice and place closely to the breasts in the pan, continue simmering for 3 minutes. At this stage, the breasts will be medium rare. Remove the duck breasts and place on a board and allow to rest 3-4 minutes. Check the sauce again and season again if necessary. Slice each breast at an angle into pieces that are 1cm thick and place on serving plates. Pick some of the orange segments from the pan and place on the plate next to the sliced breast. Gently spoon over the top of the breasts and serve the rest on the side.

We loved this dish! Etti’s Herb Salad was a great accompaniment, as was the fennel salad below.

Fennel and feta with pomegranate seeds and sumac

In its purest form, this salad is just a festival of colour and flavour. It’s crisp, aromatic and over delivers in all its sensory pleasures, especially the heady fragrance of tarragon and fennel together.

1/2  pomegranate

2 medium fennel bulbs

1.5 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp sumac, plus extra to garnish

juice of half lemon

4 tbsp tarragon leaves

2 tbsp roughly chopped flat leaf parsely

70g of good quality Greek feta cheese, sliced

salt and pepper

Start by releasing the pomegranate seeds, The best way to do this is the halve the fruit along it’s belly then hold one half with the seeds facing your palm and start hitting the back of the fruit with a wooden spoon. Be careful not to hit too hard so as you don’t bruise the fruit.

Remove the leaves from the fennel, keeping a few to garnish the salad later. Trim the base, making sure that you leave enough of it still attached to hold the slices together. Slive very thinly (a mandolin is very handy to do this).

In a bowl, mix the olive oil, sumac, lemon juice, herbs and some salt and pepper. Add the fennel and toss well. Taste for seasoning remembering that the feta will add saltiness.

Layer the fennel, then the feta and the pomegranate seeds into your serving dish. Garnish with fennel leaves, sprinkle over some sumac and serve.

When you put it like that it actually seems like ages but beware it is only 12 weeks.

If you have a Christmas function or festivity to organise, or unlike me are one of those super organised people and are menu planning  for the big day already, Terroso can help with a variety of Bespoke packages to suit every taste, style and budget. Big, small and everything in-between let Terroso take care of the wine so you can concentrate on all those other (226) jobs you need to do.

Contact us directly (oh yes and sorry for frightening you!)

wine@terroso.com.au

Jane 0409 391 773  or Liz 0422 085113