Recipe: Shiro Miso and Curry-reisu

This is a blog post that I've been asked to make by... I think just about everyone who's ever eaten at my house and reads my blog regularly. It's also a blog post that I'm a little loathe to make because it takes all the mystery out of how to cook what is essentially a very simple convenience meal that always comes out marvellously. Curry rice is really one of those Japanese family favourites that Mums make to appeal to fussy kids, a family favourite that's more like a spiced stew than what we think of as a curry even the "hot" varieties are very mild.

One note I will make is that because this is a very quick meal to make that actually you should put the rice on to cook before doing anything else; even preparing the vegetables. If you are using a rice cooker generally the rest of the meal will take around the same time as most commercial machines will take to cook the rice.

Miso soup

4 cups of water
1 spring onion
1 packet of bonito dashi (Japanese sardine stock)
4 tablespoons of fresh shiro miso paste
1 pack firm silken tofu

Most of this meal is about "what to buy" when you're in an Asian supermarket. First we start with the dashi; dashi simply means 'soup base' or 'stock' and in our case we are going to use a packet bonito dashi made from Japanese sardines. My favourite brand is Shimaya which is reliable, stores in the cupboard and available in just about any major supermarket in Australia.



Put the water on the heat and add 1 packet (10g) of bonito dashi powder; if you are making dashi or have bought another brand then follow the instructions to make 1L.



While the water is heating then dice the spring onion and tofu. Heat the stock until it is beginning to boil; add the spring onion and take to a full boil.



The brand of tofu that I buy is TLY Joyce which is available in the fresh fridge section of most Coles or Asian supermarkets in Australia. It is vegan, fresh and comes in a variety of textures and flavours of your choosing.



When the water has boiled take it down to a medium heat and then take off 1-2 cups into a bowl or other heat proof container.



I prefer shiro miso - which is white miso paste. Miso paste also comes in a variety of types, red and white are the most common but some come with the dashi "built in," with wakame (seaweed), shellfish, mushroom or about any other Japanese seasoning one could imagine. Shiro miso is much less strong than other miso paste and is often eaten at breakfast time, I find that because it is milder it is better suited to most Western palettes.

You should never buy non Japanese miso paste; even Miso that is made in Australia is never as good, let alone Korean or Taiwanese miso that you can find these days. For "every day" meals I religiously buy this Miko brand. It is available in most good Asian supermarkets in Australia including at Burlington, Miracle and V-Plus supermarket chains.

Also never buy powdered miso, miso is a preserved product that should survive for months on the shelf with proper sealed containers there is no need to buy powdered instant miso.

Add the miso and stir until it's mostly dissolved.



Add the Miso/Dashi mix back into the soup and keep on a medium heat until the miso is well mixed throughout the soup. Add the tofu and warm until heated through; the soup should not boil once the miso is added.



Pour into small soup bowls and serve. Note that the miso will settle if left and form a cloud in the bottom of the bowl - this is normal and does not identify separation or other issue with the food. Stir with chopsticks and drink!



Curry-reisu

2 cups of uncooked rice

250g lean meat: Pork, beef or chicken as preference
1 brown onion
2 onions
Japanese curry paste
oil to fry

As mentioned earlier, place the rice onto cook before other parts of the meal.



In this case I'm using chicken, traditionally the meat used in curry is pork in Japan. Also excellent is the sauce sans meat poured over katsu schnitzel.



Brown the onions then add the carrot diced, you can add other vegetables at this point if you want. Potatoes and yams are excellent in this dish. Add the meat and stir fry on medium eat until the meat is browned.



I like S&B "Tasty Curry" in either Medium Hot or Hot. There are about 100 different brands you can buy, these are all a matter of taste. S&B and House are the main brands of Japanese curry, for sweeter curry buy Vermont, for hotter curry buy "Jungle Curry".



When you open the packet there are "ice cube" trays of curry paste inside. 1 square is equivalent to about 1 serve, in this case we are making food for around 4 people so will use half a packet. Cut the block into cubes.



Cover the meat/vegetables with hot water and add the cubes, stir until the paste has melted and then put onto medium heat until the rice is cooked.



The stew will thicken quickly until a thick sauce has formed; this will continue to thicken if cooled so you should serve immediately.

Review: Union Hotel, Newtown

On a Sunday night particularly if I've spent the entire day doing university work; but maybe even because you just don't want to cook, or because it's cold, or because your family are driving you nuts and you need a drink ... it's great to have a local pub with decent food. At my end of Newtown that's The Union.

From the outside it looks a little dodgy like many inner West pubs. The walls are tiled, they're showing sport in the main room and the decor is what you might call... utilitarian. Step inside and through the back and instead you find yourself in a warm friendly family pub bistro, the TVs are showing the Sunday night family movie at muted volume. They're playing The Cure softly as well, because this is Newtown after all, and most of the pub are young families or alternative types talking media analysis. In short I feel pretty at home.



Herb and garlic bread $5

The garlic bread looks a little sad with its burnt corner! If you like that overly soft pizza chain garlic bread you'll like this, though it is thankfully much less oily than most pizza places. Not the best item on their menu.



This month's special - Warm crisp pork belly and apple salad with matched drink $19

Admittedly I am drawn to this dish primarily because it comes with a large glass of Bulmer's cider but on arrival I'm very happy with the results. Sharp but not overpowering balsamic are dashed on sweet fruit that hits the perfect note with the crisped meat and fat of the pork. For pub bistro food this is top notch and I make strange little noises as I chase the last of the crackled pork around the plate.



Sunday night roast with vegies $12
There's something quite homely about a roast counter meal in a pub isn't there? I don't know that there's much to say about this, it's certainly not fancy but the meat isn't overcooked and is fairly moist. The gravy I suspect comes from a packet but there's definitely some induced meat fat in there. The vegetables are well cooked and not overdone either. It's not high class but it does certainly hit the spot especially given the price and certainly not a bad rendition of a pub classic.



Chicken parmiggiana with mashed potato and vegetables $18

Not the cheapest chicken parmiggiana in the inner city but its much better quality than most pubs. The meat is well cooked and moist, the bread crumb not too oily. The sauce is fresh and the cheese is actual fresh mozzarella. This brings a classic pub meal up to the inner ring suburbia lifestyle.



Zucchini and sweet corn fritters with grilled haloumi $14

I have a love affair with sweet corn that I'm well known for, and corn fritters in particular are a favourite of mine. To find out I can have them and call it dinner rather than having to seek out Sunday brunch cafes with it listed on their menu is music to my ears. I suspect when I order that I will get one limp piece of haloumi on the side and am happy to see most of a block cut up and grilled with my food. The fritters are well made and served over a wilted spinach salad with tomatoes and a healthy squeeze of fresh lemon.

I do the happy food dance and vow to return.

The Union really is a classic pub bistro brought upscale just enough to appeal to the professional queers and goths who can still afford King St rent but not so much that it detracts from the rest of the Newtown and Marrickville regulars. The drinks are cheap, the atmosphere is pleasant and unrowdy and the service is pretty fast. For pub food its very satisfying and their regular list of well thought out specials is worth a look over.

The Union Hotel
http://www.unionnewtown.com.au/eatery.html
576 King St
Newtown NSW 2040

Fully licensed, pub atmosphere but children and family groups welcome so long as children are supervised
Walk in, no reservations required

Laphroaig Scotch

I don't claim to be a Scotch afficionado but I do like to make note of really unusual alcohols and Laphroaig is definitely in that category.



Claiming to be one of the most "richly" flavoured Scotches the strength of the woodiness in this whiskey was enough to stop me in my tracks and I admit I could not finish the glass, and this was before we got to the quarter cask stronger flavoured version.

Unusual and very much worth seeking out if you like brown liquors, it was certainly a taste experience for me, courtesy of

Hunter Valley Day Trip: Part the First

Recently it was 's birthday so she organised a wonderful day trip out to the Hunter Valley.



This required falling out of bed at an ungodly hour for a weekend and heading into Central Station. On arrival though I got a pleasant surprise that warmed my heart a little; the Historical Society were having an event complete with steam trains, boogie woogie singers and more fur than I've seen in an aeon.



Our birthday girl had ordered our own 21 seat bus so in piled all the odd fellows that constitute her friends and we were away on a road trip!



Snacking started on the way of course with choc dipped strawberries and chocolate cherry fudge from the kitchen of Elisa.



Screeching and gossiping and makeup application continued all the way to Cessnock with myself looking curiously out the window at every opportunity, being from up North I've never seen this part of Australia and all the places that everyone else seems to think of as familiar.



Firstly we stopped at Audrey Wilkinson winery.



We may like our alternative cultures but we sure do like our food and wine; I personally think this picture sums up our day and in fact possibly our group of friends to a tea. 's beau replete with stove piped jeans and spiked hair standing over a vineyard desperately pulling smokes out lest he die from the clean air.



Being in a tour group affords informative talks, a little less personal than the one on one guides I'm used to but interesting to see how they deal with it. The tour guide gives a run down of the juicing, fermenting and storage processes and then begins to explain the tasting process to those unfamiliar.



To be honest I don't have much nice to say about the Wilkinson label. Hunter Valley wine isn't my favourite to start with being of a sort of limp and weak taste and the varieties that grow here aren't my favourite.

The somewhat "funky" labels give away the sort of market they're going for here which is mid priced upmarket pub counters and funky neighbourhood restaurants in Sydney. I am entirely offended that they've decided that Gewürztraminer is too hard to spell and have just called it "Traminer." On the other hand the Moscato goes down extremely well with the non wine people in the tour and should be taken note when trying to introduce others to wine. Also I am a little interested that they have a Malbec blend even if the resulting wine was quite average.



Next we're off to First Creek Winery which I'm told is a blender rather than a grower and while I'm sure it takes away from the authenticity of the tour I feel somewhat satisfied that most of their fruit in fact doesn't come from the Hunter at all. Mostly they ship in from Canberra and Tasmania.



Again we're given another speech and some tastings; they're very open to us trying different varieties and I am keen to get onto the Pinot and Verdelho.



The surprise winner for me though was the Semillon dessert wine, and I end up walking away with 2 of these plus 6 of their Sauvignon Semillon and 6 late release Verdelho in preparation for the BBQ season.



Oak barrels at First Creek

I feel compelled to make a note here on the topic of dessert wines since they seem to be quite common in the Hunter what with the explosion of Semillon and I heard words bandied about but not understood for much of the day. Botrytis is not a label or a name for a wine but a method of making dessert wines. To get the additional sweetness in dessert wines water must be removed to allow the syrupy thick sweet after dinner wines. This is done in Australia primarily in two ways; Ice Methods and Botrytis. In the former liquid is cooled and the pure water which freezes first is removed to leave a more concentrated juice behind. In the latter the fruit is left on the vine long after it has ripened, this attracts a damp and beneficial fungus called Botrytis cinerea which leeches water from the fruit leaving more solids and a stickier fruitier juice used for dessert wines such as those used for Noble or Tokaj.

Lunch and more to come later...

Review: Pho 236, Newtown

Every neighbourhood has a restaurant like Pho 236; the walls are slightly sticky with oil, the plastic chairs have seen better decades let alone days and the menus are filled with helpful descriptors like 'Soup, short' but the restaurant is packed day and night and people walk out clutching their stomachs happily. Unlike Happy Chef just up the road Pho 236 doesn't even have the ubiquitous backlit plastic waterfall painting that seems to have been cloned across every cheap and cheerful Asian restaurant in Australia. This is just a space that you enter, functional only for people to eat and leave satisfied, not to linger and chat.



On a sunny Spring afternoon there really is nothing better than sitting down to a big fresh bowl of noodles and vegetables, and Pho 236 has amazingly fresh and authentic soups to appeal to any food afficionado. They do other Sino-Viet cuisine but really if a restaurant is named for a dish, you should order that dish.



Beef Pho $7.50

Par cooked beef is added to fresh delicious beef stock with fresh coriander, rice noodles and onions. Just perfect with lots of chilli.



Spicey noodle soup with chicken $8

An almost laksa like soup is thick with chilli oil and spices, soaked and roasted Viet style chicken is boned and shredded into the soup with thin rice noodles. Table thumpingly good. To top it off there's enough for me to take half home and eat it for lunch the next day, when it is just as good reheated. 2 tasty lunches for $8? Don't mind if I do.



Our order comes with fresh herbs, lemon and bean sprouts to be added at will to your soup. I add a very generous amount of coriander and lemon to my soup because they offset the fresh shredded chicken perfectly.



If you're so inclined though they also have red vinegar, soy and fresh birds eye chilli on every table.

There's nothing refined or special about Pho 236, it's just good fresh food done well and served fast and at $20 for two with a soft drink affordable for even those on a student budget. The service isn't the friendliest, though that may change if your Vietnamese is good; but the food is cheap and excellent and highly recommended. In Newtown where your choice of Asian restaurants is plentiful this is a local favourite for a good reason.

Pho 236
236 King St
Newtown
Near the Mitre 10, look for the sign

Casual dining atmosphere
Walk in for a table, come early for dinner

Almond Pudding

Sometimes when it comes to specialty foods like those bought in Asian supermarkets knowing which brand to buy is half the battle. There are any number of products I use regularly from ethnic stores that others are interested in and so this is the first of what I hope will be many such posts.



This isn't so much a recipe; this pudding requires the addition of hot water only and being set in the fridge overnight rather like a commercial jelly mix. I use these non stick metal pudding moulds from Wiltshire which run for about $5 each at the supermarket. Each mold uses 2 "serves" of a packet of pudding and so 1 packet will make 3 molds; more than this is overkill unless you're having a dinner party. A set of 6 molds will do most kitchens more than well.



Fairsen Pudding mixes are excellent quality and run for about $2.30 at Miracle Supermarkets in Sydney. The mix is easy to use, has English instructions on the side and comes in a variety of flavours (though I will generally beeline straight for the almond every time). It is a Taiwanese brand rather than Thai like many of the 'ready made' products available, so the style is much like that from Chinese restaurants. Most importantly all the ingredients are recogniseable natural products which is more than can be said for many of the alternatives on the market.

This pudding mix contains Agar and not gelatin and is Vegetarian friendly however it does contain Milk powder and is not Vegan friendly. I would declare this product safe for the lactose intolerant though, as an extreme intolerant case I can eat a single serve with no ill effects; those who are dairy allergic should avoid. For my pick of the Vegan almond puddings I suggest you try TLY Joyce Almond Tofu Dessert which is available fresh in most Asian supermarkets and some city Coles stores.

Traditionally this dessert is served with mixed boiled fruit and inexplicably in most restaurants it has one lone perfectly preserved Maraschino cherry sitting on top with stem intact. Not for me today though, so here's me putting my little Western spin on a Chinese classic.



Almond Pudding with Maple Syrup and Stewed Spiced Apple

So there we have it, a little slice of heaven made at home with very little effort, try it yourself sometime!

Review: Cooper's Arms Hotel Bistro, Newtown

Ooh but I do like a drink don't I? That just has to come with good pub food on occasion, particularly after the stress of moving. Still this is Newtown so there's an abundance of places to stop for both a drink and a bite to eat. The Coopers Hotel is definitely one of the better pub bistros in the area and comes recommended. From the outside the pub still hints at its VB and racing punters history with its tiled wall and high beer stools, but upstairs is a Newtownian wonder of upmarket alternative lifestyle; all power lesbians and skater-punks drinking Shiraz.



The decor is quite tasteful, all dark wood and no 60s pub carpet in sight. Outside there's a small beer garden where you can smoke and a rather tranquil water feature that tones down the rowdiness of the patrons.



Bulmer's Cider $6.20

One of the biggest wins for me since the Coopers' renovations is that they finally have decent English cider on tap, though for unknown reasons they don't stock pint glasses. I still don't really understand non-UK drink sizes in Sydney but this is a "schooner" for unfortunately about the same size as a pint at Kelly's down the road... but anyway we're here for the food!



Pumpkin and Rosemary Risotto tossed with Goat's Cheese and shaved Pecorino $18

You know your neighbourhood has gentrified when they put goat's cheese in the pub food; but being the poster girl for middle class alternatives I really don't mind one iota. The risotto isn't gluggy like it can be and is fresh, creamy and delicious. Large pieces of pumpkin are scattered throughout and the creamy rice has taken on the fresh vegetable flavour. The risotto itself was a little underseasoned in my opinion, but once the cheeses were stirred through this more than balanced the dish and I suspect this was the cook's thinking.



Spiced Lamb Burger with smoked eggplant relish, tzatziki and kumera chips $16

If Blackbird had the burger that doesn't deserve its price tag then the Coopers does. The lamb patty is fresh, thick and a little pink just as I like my lamb, the entire burger is so thick it must be cut in half to be able to pick it up. The salad is fresh and inventive, the relish and yoghurt superbly complement the meat. Kumera is a new zealand sweet potato for those that are unaware; and though what we have here could barely be described as chips they are extremely tasty. Highly recommended especially after a couple of drinks.

The Coopers Hotel Pub, Bar and Bistro
http://www.coopershotel.com.au/
221 King Street,
Newtown, 2042
Enquiries: 9550 3461

Head upstairs for the bistro

Monday - Saturday Midday - 10pm
Sunday Midday - 9pm

No booking required
Fully licensed, pub atmosphere

Review: The Boatshed @ The Regatta, Toowong, Qld

My previous long term partner has been living in Japan for a year teaching English, and my recent trip back home to Brisbane was the first chance I had to see him since his return. We decided that a reunion was worthy of an old tradition so we hit up The Boatshed, the upmarket steakhouse at The Regatta in Toowong. This was a venue we went to regularly while we were together and is still a family favourite of his clan.



Despite being located at a very rowdy student pub and on Coronation Drive The Boatshed restaurant itself is quite tranquil, the furniture well positioned so that I can see the river and the trees and not the endless traffic. The restaurant is shielded from the oversized pub next door by a series of railings and hedges that do their job very effectively.



Pepperjack 2008 Shiraz $49

You couldn't let a steak go lonely, this Pepperjack is a lot younger than I like to drink Shiraz but nonetheless is smooth after a few minutes on the table and has evidently been grown for drinking and not cellaring. The Barossa Shiraz has a lot of pepper flavour and strong tannins expected from a wine so young and from this area but not so much they are overpowering. As a table wine it holds up very well and accompanies the beef to perfection.



Potato Cob with Olive Oil and Balsamic $8.50

My ex's tastes run a little on the plain side (though I note they have become a lot more adventurous in recent years) so we forewent the sweet potato dip and I asked for balsamic instead. For unknown reasons they gave me what appeared to be a balsamic dressing concoction rather than pure vinegar so it was pushed asside. The bread itself was lovely as was the olive oil, perhaps attempting not to mess with someone's menu would do me some good on occasion.



6 Oysters Kilpatrick $14.50

I'm not a large fan of shellfish however the ex is and devours these with glee. I do try some of the sauce and bacon out of interest and am pleased with the result. I am also impressed that they bother to bring actual oyster forks, and even then two sets laid out so we can both dine as desired.



Confit Pork Belly with Orange, Beetroot and Rocket Salad $18.50

How can you turn down confit pork belly really? The fat here is creamy and delicious, though I admit some of the middle section needs a little seasoning as the piece is quite thick and evidently not all is evenly basted. The top is crunchy and golden, the flesh sweet and delicious. Counter balanced with the orange and beetroot this is a well put together dish. Casual and rich at the same time.



Dry Aged Beef with Mash and Roasted Vegetables $34.00

Just in case that is a factor for anyone it is worth noting that the dry aged beef can only be ordered on the bone. This is due to the drying process and the way the meat is prepared but despite my dislike of bones I simply adore aged beef and tend to cut the bone out on arrival for maximum pleasure.

I admit the majority of aged beef I've eaten recently is Wagyu and this appears to be the organic Angus that the Boatshed is more famous for. The meat is not as "melt in your mouth" as Wagyu but it is a fine cut of meat cooked well. The vegetables and sauce are not what they once were sadly and I think there's been a change of direction in the kitchen since I lived in Brisbane. Sadly I think the lack of awards since 2007 is a little indicative of this fact and as always I object to the 70s-tastic sprig of curley leaf parsley thrown on as a garnish.



300g Eye Fillet with Mash and Salad $39.50

Again I really don't understand the point of this garnish looking sad and lonely next to the potato but otherwise the meat is cooked to order and deliciously tender. There are a number of other beefs worth trying at The Boatshed and really that's what this restaurant is all about. From Organic Wagyu to John Dee Angus in a variety of styles and feeds the meat is all worth a try.

I do feel as if the restaurant is not the cutting edge steakhouse it once was, the seafood salads and delicious sauces are gone and replaced with high quality but slightly more standard fare. There is always the possibility that years in Sydney have matured my palette somewhat away from the Boatshed and its fare but really, steak is steak and it's hard to confuse. I'd take Meat and Wine Co. over the Boatshed for wine selection and the quality of the aged beef however for atmosphere and service, not to mention wine at Brisbane prices (the same bottle cost $66 at a venue I attended this week in Sydney) The Boatshed is definitely superior.

More importantly of the Brisbane steakhouses it's definitely one of my favourites (Embers on Park Rd is my all time pick for those that are interested), the service is restaurant quality but the atmosphere steak house casual. You can order endless beer and cocktails from the main bar if you so wish however the patrons tend to gravitate more towards the wine list and the whole venue seems geared towards the business casual synonymous with Toowong. Unlike many steakhouses where they seem to believe that the quality of the meat can more than make up for the beer garden decor The Boatshed uses real furniture, decent interior design and good customer service. Not the most refined restaurant in Australia but definitely a pick for those craving a good slab of meat, a strong breeze and a quality tipple while in Brisbane.

The Boatshed @ The Regatta Hotel
http://www.regattahotel.com.au/eat_boatshed_restaurant.html

Regatta Hotel
543 Coronation Drive
Toowong Qld 4064
Ph: (07) 3871 9595

Fully licenced
Bookings recommended for Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday days