Bucci Brisbane

TwEat UPs have become part of the foodie culture globally. These unique events have recently begun in Australia – if you tweet and you eat, you are eligible to be invited to attend. TwEat ups have occurred in Melbourne and Sydney with more on the way.

I was lucky enough to be part of the first Brisbane TwEAT UP dinner last week, hosted by Bucci. I started to take a lot of photographs, but as the night stretched on I gave up. I wanted to focus on the food. It was so good (and there was so  much!) so I can share a few highlights and leave the rest up to your imagination.

Or you could just go there and eat.

Do it.

Entrees:  These were all served platter style for us to pick at. All 12 ‘courses’.

OLIVE ALL’ASCOLANA: Crumbed giant green olives filled with fennel, salami, chicken, rosemary & chilli, lemon aioli

GAMBERI CROCCANTI E PICCANTI:  Spicy fried school prawns with garlic aioli & chilli salt

 

ARANCINI FUNGHI E TALEGGIO: Porcini & field mushroom risotto balls filled with Taleggio

CAPESANTE CON PREZZEMOLO E AGLIO: ½ dozen Hervey Bay scallops grilled with garlic & parsley

Salumi: 

PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA, 18mth: Origin: Italy Prosciutto di Parma DOP is produced in the original area of production using the best locally raised meat. It gets its characteristic look and flavour from the humid air in the hills outside Parma.

PROSCIUTTO DI SAN DANIELE, 24mth: Origin: Italy Prosciutto di San Daniele is obtained by maturing fresh Italian pig thighs. The pigs come solely from farms situated in ten regions of central Northern Italy

 QUATTRO STELLE FINOCCHIONA (Fennel salami) Origin: NSW This variation on salami supposedly owes its origins to a thief at a fair near the town of Prato, who stole a fresh salami and hid it in a stand of wild fennel.

 QUATTRO STELLE NDUJA TRADIZIONAL (Spicy spreadable salami): Origin: NSW  Nduja is made from pork meat, pork fat, home grown red peppers & lots of finely minced chilli. Extra virgin olive oil gives the salami its typical spreadable quality & finishes off this soft, spicy, hot Calabrian tradition

 ALBERT SPIESS’ WAGYU BRESAOLA (Air dried wagyu beef) Origin: NSW Definitely one of the most luxurious air dried speciality meat products ever made. This strongly marbled piece of prime meat is as tender as possible.  It is thinly sliced & melt in the mouth

House made breads

Other dishes not pictured:

BUCCЇ OLIVES: Mount Zero olives in a house marinade of fennel seed, garlic, rosemary, chilli & lemon (Manzanilla, Kalamata, Gordal, Blonde Kalamata & wild)

                     BACCALÀ MANTECATO: Local salted cod, blended with fresh herbs, lemon & olive oil, ciabatta

CARPACCIO DI MANZO: Thin slices of aged Black Angus beef fillet with EVOO, garlic crisps, hot truffle Pecorino, herbs & lemon

BURRATA TARTUFATA: Stretched curd cheese from Vanella cheese factory with crisp pancetta, truffle honey, blueberries & walnuts

 CICCIOLI DI ZAMPONE: Twice cooked pigs trotter, chilli salt & salsa verde

SARDINE FRITTE IN ARGRODOLCE: Breaded South Australian sardine filled with fresh herbs,parmesan & black olives, sweet & sour onion, lemon aioli

CALAMARI RIPIENI ALLA CALABRESE: Chargrilled local squid, filled with homemade Calabrian sausage, tuna mayonnaise & lemon

 

I could have happily stopped here. But no, the main event was yet to come. And it was an event.

          Main: Spinatora’ . Spinatora refers to the special round table or board of the Abruzzi on which cooked wet polenta is spread, with a mound of stew in the middle. People sit around the table, armed with forks, and tuck in.

BUCCï SPINATORA: Wet polenta poured down the middle of the table and served with slow braised wagyu beef shin, Italian sausage and grated pecorino

 

As if we were not bursting by now…

Desserts:

CANNOLI DI RICOTTA: Cannoli filled with rosemary ricotta, dark chocolate & praline sauce

CHOCOLATE NEMESIS DEL “THE RIVER CAFE”   served with Vanilla mascarpone & crushed frozen raspberries

BOMBOLINI: Italian doughnuts, spiced fennel sugar, dark chocolate, Aperol & orange marmalade

There was also

BUCCÏ TIRAMISU                                                                                                                               

 LIMONCELLO GELATO AL BASILICO: Homemade limoncello gelato with biscotti & basil

 ZABAGLIONE: White chocolate, fresh berries & biscotti

But I didn’t see – or taste – these.

We had 2 vegan diners with us who were catered to beautifully. I have to say the raw food pot looked simply divine from where I was sitting. Unfortunately my photo didn’t work so this comes courtesy of Matthew and James .  A small pot containing baby fennel, asparagus, radish, peas in pod, tomatoes  and edible soil made of hommus & breadcrumb/walnut/olives/pine-nuts. I would SO  like to eat this.  Their main was a vegan twist on the spinatora and looked equally impressive but on a smaller scale.

 

 

The evening was a great opportunity to catch up with other foodies from Twitter, taste sensational food from Bucci, and experience the uniqueness of a Spinatora, which was pretty awesome!

 

~Rhu

 

Felton Food Festival – QLD

The last thing you expect to see in a field of corn, cows or chickens are chefs, cooks or celebrities.

And yet here, in the fine fields of Felton, is exactly what I found.

2012 is the Year of the Farmer and there certainly are wonderful farms with fantastic produce surrounding the fine fields of Felton. The festival was packed with fantastic events and the organisers were stunned at the support and people who rocked along.

Celebrity chef and owner of Tank and Brett’s Wharf Alastair McLeod, showcased his wit and wisdom as he gave cooking demonstrations. Celebrity gardener Costa Georgiadis from ABC TV’s Gardening Australia was passionate and inspiring as he demonstrated tips and ideas on growing food in the home garden . To cap it off, profits from the day went to the national suicide prevention charity R U OK?, and the locals used the opportunity to publicise their opinions on the proposed opencut coal mine and petrochemical plant plans earmarked for the area. Contentious conversations indeed.

The Food Festival also managed to raise $830 for ‘Plates for Mates‘ by passing around a bucket and auctioning off a signed plate with signatures of chefs including Manu Feidel and George Calombaris. (Which sadly I did not win!)

Felton was absolutely gorgeous, and the festival probably was hosted in the best possible place – a large open field shared with cows and chooks, surrounded by rolling hills, gorgeous scenery, fresh local produce of every kind imaginable.

I will be back next year for sure. Earmark the date – May 20 – and be sure to head out to the Hampton’s High Country for next year’s show.

In the next few posts I will showcase some highlights from the day in the form of the local producers, their goods and how you can contact them.

Silken Chocolate Pots with Shiraz Syrup

How lucky we are in QLD to have such wonderful produce available. From bovine to grapevine and all in between, there is little that is not locally grown and available to us at some time each year. Our wineries  are really coming into their own, and it was from sampling a fine Shiraz on the weekend that lead me to seeking a dessert based on such an unusual  taste. Shiraz is not the name of the wine, as most people assume. Shiraz is a dark-skinned grape grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce powerful reds – reds that are gutsy and strong and cellar well even in our Australian climate.

These silky smooth pots of chocolate are complimented by a peppery shiraz syrup – perfect on these cooler nights.

Ingredients:

2 cups Australian thickened cream
250g dark chocolate – couveture preferred
1 cup shiraz (you can use any varietal)
1 cup caster sugar
2 cups fresh or frozen mixed berries of your preference
Dark chocolate shavings, for serving

Method:
Heat 1 cup of the cream in a small saucepan until almost simmering, remove and stir in chocolate until melted. Cool until just lukewarm.
Whip remaining cream until soft peaks form, fold in the chocolate mixture until well combined.
Spoon mixture into the base of 6 serving glasses, refrigerate until set.

For syrup, combine shiraz and sugar in a small saucepan, heat gently, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to a gentle simmer and turn off heat immediately. Cool to room temperature, stir in berries 1 hour before serving and macerate well. To serve, pile soaked berries into the serving glasses and drench with syrup. Garnish with chocolate shavings.

This chocolate dessert is very rich so don’t be tempted to serve too much!

Custard, Almond and Peach Tea cake

I made this yesterday to christen my new red kitchenaid.This is posted  for Leanne. Happy cooking Leanne! :) x

 

125g butter, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste
2 eggs
2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
200 g almond meal (or 200 g ground almonds)
1 & 1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup thick custard (I make this first and prepare the cake mix while it cools)
2 or 3 peaches, sliced into 1/2 cm slices. (You could use other stone fruit – I have had great results with plums and have even made it with figs. Overripe fruit is great in this recipe. )
1/2 cup flaked almonds

 

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 6cmdeep, 22cm (base) round cake pan. Line base and side with baking paper, allowing a 3cm overhang around top.

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add vanilla paste and drop speed. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in flour, almonds and milk.

Spread half the mixture into prepared pan. Top with custard. Arrange peach over custard. Spoon remaining mixture over peaches.

Using a spatula, smooth top. Sprinkle with almonds and a little extra castor sugar.

Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean (but be aware – your custard will coat the skewer so use your intuition!)

Stand in pan for 15 minutes. Turn upright onto a wire rack to cool.

Amaretto and Maraschino Cherry Cookies

I love Maraschino Cherries. They are an item I savour. I love the smell. I love the taste. I love the texture.These cookies work equally well without the maraschino cherry, I often sub a single almond in the middle of each cookie instead.

125 grams butter, softened
1/3 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon Amaretto Liqueur (or sub almond extract)
2 1/2 cups self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups shredded coconut
2/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
1 jar maraschino cherries, drained and halved

Line 2 large cookie sheets with baking paper.  Preheat oven to 180 F.

Cream butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Blend in liqueur or almond extract.  Aerate flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl with a wire whisk and gradually add to creamed mixture.  Stir in the coconut and nuts and blend well.

Use a desert spoon to drop cookie dough onto sheets and leaving 3 – 4 cm between cookies (These cookies grow to a nice 4 cm ish round).  Place a half cherry in centre of each cookie, pressing lightly.  Bake for about 15 minutes or edges are lightly browned.  Remove to wire racks to cool.  Makes about 3 – 4 dozen.