Maz March 19th, 2010
This week our head chef, Graham Waddell, put together a 6 course duck dinner for a packed restaurant of 93 people at Baguette Bistrot+Bar – and pulled it off splendidly. He used (every bit) of the excellent duck we get from organic grower Bendele Farm, outside Gympie. The menu:
* Duck liver parfait on apple galette, date confit * Soft boiled duck egg, tarragon brioche & white asparagus soldiers * Duck consomme with asian flavours, artichoke tortollini * Confit duck leg, crisp potato mille-feuille, veloute of wild mushrooms * Pan roasted duck breast with giblet & fig pie, cinnamon sauce * Pear & duck egg clafoutis with brown bread ice-cream
WINES
The food was team with some very interesting wines made in France by a group of Australian and French winemakers … for the Australian market. Fascinating idea and highly successful, if comments on the night are anything to go by. The project put together by Fosters is called Maison de Grand Esprit (loosely “a meeting of the minds”). Ask for them at your independent bottle shop — they go under La Belle Voisine, Les Petites Vignettes and Les Seize Galets labels.
Maz October 17th, 2009
In this Weekend’ Australian newspaper, Graeme Blundell writes: ‘…when many of us are tired of poncy, expensive restaurants, the lionisation of self-indulgent food critics and esoteric cooking that has lost its attachment to a living culture. We want satisfying platefuls of good ingredients, cooked well, and value for money.’ Amen to that!
Maz October 4th, 2009
Did you know that you can take a 2 1/2 hr canal boat ride, starting in the centre of Paris (under the Bastille) and finishing in the gentrified suburb of Parc de la Villette? The cruise takes you via the 100 year old Canal Saint Martin, through four locks and two swing bridges, past retro style cafes and shows you “Parisians’ Paris”. Whilst in a long tunnel at the beginning of the trip they give you a “Sound and Light” history trip of the area. Quite unlike anything else we have ever done in Paris. You can catch the Metro back into Paris from Parc de la Villette. More info: www.canauxrama.com
Maz October 3rd, 2009
We have just returned from Paris and this time we took an apartment for 5 nights, rather than a hotel room. Paris hotel rooms are notoriously miniscule (they must price real estate there by the square inch), and even though our “apartment” was hardly commodious it was still the much better option. Get a one bedroom not a studio, so that if one of you is jetlagged you have the living room to read your book, rather than perching on the toilet in the middle of the night. We used ParisAddress.com which gives you excellent information (including the square meterage of the unit) and you can book in real time. It pays to do your homework on which areas of Paris you prefer. We like Ile Saint Louis (the little island behind Notre Dame) because it’s 17th century little streets are like a village in the heart of Paris. Other areas to consider are the Marais (the medieval Jewish sector) and The Latin Quarter. I prefer to avoid the Champs Elysee and Louvre areas because of the wide boulevards and traffic. If you are set on a hotel check out Hotel du Jeu de Paume on the Ile Saint Louis (www.jeudepaumehotel.com) — small and full of character.
Another option is VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner) which Kathy from Lets Travel told me about (minimum 2 nights). Kathy said that she did this very successfully in Rome, where the owner picked them up at the Airport and showed them the nuts and bolts of the apartment.
Maz October 3rd, 2009
I really think Messrs Rudd and Swan should be ringing Baguette to check on the health of the economy. They don’t need to wait for the quarterly (after the event) figures, because any restaurateur can tell them ahead of those figures how we are travelling. We are like the canary in a coal mine in that regard. The minute people lose confidence, their job or read too many gloomy newspapers they stop eating out in restaurants.
So at the end of March 2008 we knew that something unpleasant was happening in the economy. The good news now is that as early as May this year the trend reversed — with no particular marketing to explain the improvement in our figures. A crude measure maybe, but having had Baguette for 33 years we have seen several recessions, one depression, many downturns and upturns. Just give me a ring if you need to know what is happening next!
Maz August 4th, 2009
Just returned from Sydney and can recommend these 2 hotels — ones that you may not have considered before:
The Lord Nelson Hotel
The Lord Nelson Hotel — said to be the oldest hotel in Sydney, it is situated in the Rocks area in a quiet backwater on the corner of Argyle Place & Kent Street. It is a micro brewery, popular bar, brasserie and rooms. The queen or king bedrooms with ensuite and breakfast (with contemporary fitout) cost $190. The rooms offer individual charm and with only 9 rooms you wont find any specials for this hotel on Wotif. I would however check how noisy it gets downstairs in the bar in the evenings.
Observatory Hotel
The Observatory Hotel – is now 16 years old but has the timeless appearance of an old (but stylish) English aunt. The rooms are huge and luxurious and as a “small” hotel of 100 rooms you are really looked after by staff who really care. Although they do have harbour view rooms (Darling Harbour, not the more spectacular views you get from Circular Quay hotels) I would choose the city view rooms – their standard room at $315 per night, and worth every penny. (There may be specials on Wotif.) It also has an amazing subterranean heated pool with twinkling LED lights on a deep blue ceiling — just like the movies — and a spa for massages and facials. The high tea is quite special too. This hotel is part of the Orient-Express group of unique hotels, cruises and luxury rail advantures.
Maz July 30th, 2009
The Weekend Australian recently had some experts review the 5 best selling, entry level machines under $500 and gave their biggest ticks to 2 of them:
1. Sunbeam Artista EM5900 @ $499
The winner by a whisker. The Artista pre-infuses (allowing the “cake” to moisten and expand before extraction) and purges post-espression. “The thing that impressed us most is that it wouldn’t allow us to extract coffee if the machine was too hot — and that self-purging function,” says Mark Dundon (bean importer, roaster and international coffee judge). It made good shots consistently and produced good steam quickly, using a simple wand that assumed you didn’t need the help of an auto-frother … and, unlike the others in this test, the Arista allows manual adjustment of both water and steam temperature, should the pre-set levels be found wanting.
2. Breville 800ED @ $450
The all-metal shell suggests quality and for the price this machine performs extremely well. Like the Arista, the 800ES pre-infuses and purges — both valuable aids to the uninitiated. However we found it slightly less consistent over the course of four shots; we didn’t like the auto-frother (which is easily removed) and there is no manual override for water/steam temperature. “Still, I’d call this the quiet achiever,” says Dundon. “I’d be happy to have this in my home.”
Marilyn April 13th, 2009
I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to do this year is shoe-horn myself onto a plane for 25 hours and go to depressed Europe or the UK. I have better things to do with my money.
With this thought in mind we recently spent 2 wks in one of our favourite places — New Zealand. Close to home, and great value for money (the exchange rate is very much in our favour at the moment), NZ offers relaxed touring on uncongested roads, great food, wine and accommodation options and fabulous scenery … not a grey gum tree in sight.
International carriers like Emirates are only charging about $200 each way to Auckland, a city remarkably like Brisbane in size and feel. We had two outstanding meals there – at the French Cafe (not a bit like a cafe, but a quietly elegant upmarket restaurant), and Soul at the Viaduct on the harbour. Both remarkably busy considering that New Zealand has been in recession for over a year now.
Whilst in Auckland try to spend time on a nearby island called Waiheke, a charming 45 minute ferry trip from Auckland harbour. There are some excellent overnight accommodation options or just go over for the day. Besides being very scenic, there are wineries and olive oil producers — have lunch at Mudbrick Restaurant or Cable Bay Vineyards. Take a private tour of the island in a 6 seater bus with Christine Gisby www.seewaiheke.co.nz
A 40 minute drive north of Auckland is Matakana, a small village with an exceptional Farmers’ Market every Sat morning. Introduced to us by Lauraine Jacobs, a food editor with Cuisine Magazine (one of the best food mags in the world we believe, and comes bi-monthly out of little NZ). She has written a book about Matakana (recipes, where to stay and eat) so tap into some local knowledge and buy it directly from her: jacobs@ihug.co.nz
New Zealand is an easy place to discover yourself, but here are a few tips: Continue Reading »
Marilyn December 20th, 2008
This is our much loved family holiday home at Mapleton, half an hour drive (up in the mountains) from the beaches of the Sunshine Coast. Work this year is keeping us in Brisbane, so we decided to offer the house to friends and customers looking for something special. It is a beautiful, serene place so don’t come expecting the ‘high life’! We find plenty to do, which if I think about it, is mainly eating and drinking with family and friends. We are however a short drive from Australia Zoo, The Ginger Factory, a Fromagerie, several wineries, some nice drives, horse riding and interesting walks.
Set in over an acre of lovely gardens, with sweeping views to the coast, the house and separate loft accommodation is suitable for one to four couples.
Go to www.french-cottage.com.au for more pics, prices and maps.
Marilyn December 4th, 2008
Lousy service has become the norm so I must tell you about a business that does good service the old fashioned way … Merlo Coffee in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley (also at Bowen Hills). If you are in the market for a home espresso machine, this is the place to go. Forget that they may charge a few dollars more than the big discount stores. What they give you is knowledgable service that goes way beyond your expectations. And this attitude comes from Dean Merlo. He teaches his staff to go the extra mile so when you bring back your espresso machine for service, they can often fix it on the spot (no charge!) — instead of simply sending it off to the service people, who usually take weeks to get it back to you. They’ll train you on how to make a good espresso, and shout you a free coffee whilst you’re there. And Merlo’s freshly coffee is the best.
Coffee Facts: Fresh is best so buy little and often and buy beans to grind as you go. Buy beans in foil bags with a one way valve ystem. This allows CO2 to escape without letting oxygen in, increasing the shelf life of the coffee. It will remain relatively fresh for up to 3 wks or a mth max. Store in airtight in a dry dark place — not the refrigerator.
