condiments Archives - cooking melbourne

cooking melbourne

Discovering Melbourne's Artisan Foods and Produce

Sauce Gribiche – lessons in technique

The cookbook writers and TV presenters that I really admire are those that always explain a cooking methodology – they manage to slip in a little gem of wisdom along with the pinch of salt without too much fuss. Too often writers or presenters will insist one must do this or that but never explain…

Small Bites Make A Big Impression

I like serving interesting small bites with drinks. I guess I have been influenced by my Austrian mother who always made little open sandwiches with pretty garnishes no matter what the occasion and for whoever dropped in unexpectedly. Somehow she always managed to rustle up something that looked appetizing and that’s what an appetizer should…

Oysters Alive Alive O

Nothing beats freshly shucked oysters. Their just caught, or rather dispatched, ocean flavour really sets them apart from those long dead ones in trays you mostly see in fish shops and markets. That wonderful fresh flavour is why oyster bars and good restaurants shuck to order and why tourists head to The Seafood and Oyster…

Ajvar – Balkan Roasted Pepper Relish

Ajvar (EYE-vahr) is a popular roasted pepper relish throughout the Balkans. The word, Ajvar, is Turkish for fish roe but the method of roasting peppers and eggplant, slowly cooking the skinned and chopped flesh with lemon juice, sunflower oil and salt seems to be of Serbian origin. Ajvar is a great accompaniment to barbecued meats,…

Spicy Shanks

There’s nothing I enjoy more than spicy shanks with the meat falling off the bone into a pool of spicy North African tomato gravy. Harissa is the perfect chili paste for the job and Australian brand, Garnisha, is such a good product I have no qualms with opening a bottle and using it as my…