Bryton Taylor | A Perth Food Blog

Tsunami, Mosman Park

My knife sliced cleanly through the meat, sizzling on the slab of stone. I popped a cube of the teppanyaki wagyu steak in my mouth, closed my eyes, and my tastebuds sang to the heavens.

After what could only be described as a seriously rough week, my kiwi had booked us into Tsunami to give me something to look forward to. Food, afterall, has always been a good motivator to get me through a day.

We began with a full bowl of edamame, lightly dusted in sea salt and what we guessed to be chilli.

We ordered two serves of warmed house sake throughout the night. But it seems I nicked most of it, and being the lightweight that I am… well, let's just say, it may look like water, but don't underestimate its strength!

A bowl each of miso soup followed suit. I’m slowly being lured out of my soup hating ways by miso soup. I’m sure it’s like coaxing a 5 year old to eat green beans, but we’re slowly getting there. Excellent bowls like these fortunately make it easier.

 

After the edamame and miso soup, came the entrée sized sashimi for two. This is where my brow tends to furrow in concentration at my chopstick fingerwork, and trying not to drop it in my lap. This is one dish that my kiwi and I always look forward to, and this did not disappoint with its delectably fresh array of fish. Regardless of our full stomachs in the end, our only wish was that we could’ve eaten more. 

Finally, the moment of moments when the stonegrill was presented with seven cubes of teppanyaki wagyu beef searing on 400oC of stone. On one side white fluffy rice; on the other, a small salad of sorts with dressing.

It may be located in Mosman Park, but there’s nothing pretentious about the place. It’s laidback yet beautifully arranged, with attentive staff. What’s more, as I slid out the door at the end, I could see one of the staff members looking at their restaurant on urbanspoon. Yes, they pay attention to what you say, and by the amazing quality of service and food, believe me, they care. 

 

Nanaimo Bites

The last time I had these in Canada was several years ago now. I had enthusiastically and joyously purchased a large tray, certain that I was feeling so deprived of one of my favourite treats that I’d devour most of it. All 1.87 pounds of chocolate, coconut, custard, cookie and icing. 0.04m² of pure, wonderful, sinful sugar.
As you can imagine, a few bites in and enough was enough. My stomach wasn’t having any more of my brain’s silliness.

Three years later, the thought of Nanaimo bars finally crossed my mind again. But mini sized. Bite sized.
To do this, we turn the recipe inside out.

As we start with the shell, it’s best to use a chocolate or ice cube (if you want a bigger size) mold. 

Shell: Melt chocolate and coat mold. It’s best to do this bit by bit, pouring a little bit in and swirling it. Just remember you’re creating a shell, not filling the mold. After each has been filled, pop them in a cool place to set (the fridge works wonders).

Filling: Once solid, you can fill them with the centre. In a bowl, combine the following:

1/8 cup of room temperature butter,
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp gf vanilla custard powder,
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pure powdered icing sugar (the pink bag with no clumps and is gluten free)

 It doesn’t matter what order you put them in, it all ends up the same in the end. But if it’s too drippy, add more icing sugar, bit by bit. If it’s too thick, add just a little bit of milk until you have the right consistency. Fill each mold and set them in the fridge until firm. 

Base: Next, mix together in a bowl

¼ cup melted butter
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/6 cup cocoa powder

until the brown sugar has dissolved and the cocoa is blended in.

Then add in:

1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup crumbled chocolate cookies*
½ cup shredded coconut
¼ cup crushed pecans 

Scoop with a teaspoon the base and press into the molds. Don’t worry if you packed the filling to the brim. I did the same thing and the base just was pressed on top. They stayed together nicely. Once you do each one, back in the fridge it goes. Once chilled, pop out the Nanaimo bites, serve on a plate and watch them disappear.

*usually Nanaimo bars are made with graham cracker or digestive biscuits, but they either a) can’t be found (graham crackers) or b) taste totally different (digestives). Plus chocolate cookies were the only available gluten free cookie on the grocery store shelf. Which makes me want to point out, you know how gluten free food is usually crumbly? This is the one time we can celebrate being able to crush a cookie with ease. Made this part of the recipe that much easier.

Reminiscing on Spain, Paella & a Giveaway

Down the winding narrow cobblestone streets of Barcelona, with bedsheets fluttering out of windows above her head, and across from an old bar where a lady sang in french, my sister, Madi was introduced to paella.

And it was here in Spain that she learnt Spaniards (and herself apparently) had no fear of good food, hence her jeans no longer fitting, was introduced to Chupitos (shot bars), and found that four months of backpacking can leave you 'bathmat deranged'. She emailed me at the time saying, "by the time I get home, I'll run to the cupboard weeping for bathmats and cuddle each one individually."

Meanwhile, while making paella, there's a few things I've learnt.
First, when deciding what type of paella to make( there are many variations), take into account that when you have someone who is:

a) allergic to seafood
b) fussy about seafood
c) vegetarian

seafood paella probably isn't the best dish to make.

If you do get as gung-ho as I did, you may be reducing these people to eating bread and butter at dinnertime.

The second thing I've learnt; when making Spanish food, a large glass of sangria makes your cooking so much better (really!).

Third. prep. prep. prep.

So here we go. We're starting with the stock that goes into the paella.

Start with 10-12 tiger prawns (they called for 8, but 8 was too few). They need to be fresh-- frozen doesn't work here. Lob off their heads and shells and cook them (the heads and shells) in a good dollop of olive oil in a large stockpot for 2 minutes. The actual prawns get set aside in the fridge for the paella.

Next add 1 onion and 1 fennel bulb, both sliced n' diced for 10 minutes until caramelised. Whip in 4 tsp tomato puree, 1 big fat chopped tomato, 1 tsp smoked paprika and 1/2 cup brandy. My mind momentarily wandered around this point, and 1 cup went in. The more the better!
No brandy? Scotch or bourbon can take it's place.

Stir it all together, toss in a bunch of thyme sprigs, 2 bay leaves
and add in 2 litres of water. Bring all of this to a boil, then bring down to a simmer, and leave for 45 minutes until reduced to half the amount of liquid.

Meanwhile, drink more sangria. Then prep for the paella.

Dice 1 onion, 1 red pepper, and 1 green pepper. Slice 3 garlic cloves, and set aside 2 bay leaves. Clean 250g squid and slice into rings. Spoon out 1 tsp paprika and measure out 400g of rice (supposedly Bomba or Calasparra). Have your little saffron packet ready. And clean any other seafood. They called for 300g each of mussels and clams, but we added a handful of mussels and chopped chorizo instead.

When the 45 minutes of stock brewing is done, strain the liquid into a bowl, ready to be used.

Fire up the stove, add the paella pan and a good drop of olive oil.
Now, add everything, with 2 minutes in between each item, and stirring each item in until I say otherwise.

Onion, 2 minutes. Both peppers, 2 minutes. garlic, 2 minutes. Squid, 2 minutes. Bay leaves, 2 minutes. Paprika, 2 minutes. Rice (mix it in well), 2 minutes.

Add the saffron and most of the stock, bring back to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Now, do. not. stir. This is your first time? Don't worry, you'll burn the bottoms for sure. But it'll still taste good.

After 10 minutes, push in the rest of the seafood into the mixture. Prawns? check. Mussels? check.

If it's getting too dry, add a little more of the stock, but in 8 minutes, you're finishing cooking paella and it should be a drier dish ( you're not aiming for soup).

Set aside for 5 minutes with al foil over, before serving with lemon wedges.
And don't forget to serve bread and butter for the others.

 

Now, if you're looking for the giveaway, scroll back to the top of this blog, and look to the right column. Fill out your name, email and hit submit (but just remember, it's open for Australian residents only). Easy as that!

cooking photography © Bryton Taylor, Spain photography © Madi M.

Coffee Overloading; The Imp and Antz Inya Pantz, Victoria Park

The BFG had promised to take me to his coffee haunts. What I didn't figure was this would be in one swoop, leaving me with the coffee jitters. Antz Inya Pantz? errr, yeah. 

First stop was The Imp. My biggest problem was what to decide. Bubble and Squeak (how could you not resist with a name like that?), and the fried butterbeans. Eventually the thought of chorizo that came with the fried butterbeans had me drooling. Complete with feta, tomato, spinach and sumac, the sauce and chorizo was delectable. I had a couple of the butterbeans, but I guess the way it had been cooked, caused them to have a rather gritty texture, so I chomped down a few, before leaving the rest.

Butterbeans $15.50 

The set up is cozy, with red brick exposed, wooden tables, and food served in rustic looking bowls and wooden boards. Better yet, I was able to order breakfast with a $20 note. Good times.

 

 

Antz Inya Pantz is all about the quality of the product. They don't spread themselves thin, focussing solely on the coffee.

From what the BFG has told me, their beans are freshly roasted on site everyday, and they use the best machinery out there. Heck, even the water is purified on site. Sounds like a lot, but if that's what it takes to make coffee as good as theirs, it's well worth all the effort.

serious awesomeness

 

2012; The Year of Food Experimenting

*So I'm a little behind the 8-ball this year. But best I got my 2012 post out before I hit February!

 

2011 Bryton thesaurus
Gluten free= food denial.

Or at least that's the way I've always felt so I pretty much gave up last year. Unfortunately I was faced with a reality check at Christmas and I had to rethink this. My updated version of thinking?

2012 Bryton thesaurus
Gluten free= the push to experiment with new cuisines.

I naturally tend to get a little overenthusiastic about ideas. I've raided my nearby asian supermarket and come back with bottles that I don't know how to pronounce. Taco shells have replaced bread on the shelf. And there's Moroccan cooking dishes on the shelf that are going to require some serious Googling. It's fair enough to say I take an all-or-nothing approach.

Bring on 2012!

The beginnings of a taco gorge!

Food Tip #2: Food Always Tastes Better With Friends

There’s something about a noisy table of people chattering happily together that makes food taste so much better. It also helps of course, when you’re eating at an award-winning restaurant in the first place, like Cable Bay Vineyard on Waiheke Island in New Zealand.

It was mid afternoon on New Year’s Eve and we had gathered across the road from where we were celebrating New Years, to eat, drink and be merry. Very merry, as was the case...

Goat Cheese Croquettes
Date purée, pumpkin seed granola

Citrus Cured Salmon
Pickled beets, bitter leaves, horseradish and citrus vinaigrette

 Grilled Ribeye of Beef

Slow Poached and Roasted Breast of Free Range Chicken
Confit leg croquette, truffle butter, asparagus and mushrooms

Cable Bay Tiramisu
Coffee, chocolate, Marsala and mascarpone

  Lemon Curd Crème Brûlée
With strawberries, meringue and buttermilk

Chocolate Tart
With marshmallow ice cream and raspberry

 wine: Cable Bay Rosé 2011, Waiheke Island

Madrid, Claremont

Claremont, as many will know, has been through a major redesign. What once was a rundown, tired mall (if you can call it that, even if it did have a David Jones and Coles) has now been transformed into a shiny new centre, having even taken part in last year's Perth Fashion Festival.

Some of fashion's top names chose to set up shop, new lux apartments popped up and cafes surrounding the mall updated themselves. One such eatery was Madrid. What was once a cafe that not many people raved about, took note of the current trend for tapas bars and did a 360o, transforming themselves into a cool place to be.The first week it opened, Jess and I were there to try it out. We popped in on a Wednesday evening and were pleasantly surprised to be able to get a seat, since we were certain the place would be packed. 

 Overall it was a pleasant laid back experience, that consisted of us making our way through part of the tapas menu. First up was the panko crumbed bocconcini. Served with squiggles of basil and chilli, the bocconcini was crispy on the outside, yet wonderfully moist inside. 

Panko crumbed bocconcini, basil & chilli coulis $14

The meatballs had a nice simplistic balance of herbs mixed in. These, however nice they were to eat, were my least favourite, with an after effect of furriness. Jess didn't have this problem, while it left me smacking my mouth and reaching for a glass of water.

Spanish meatballs, vine- ripened roma tomato, spiced chutney $12

 The toasted ciabatta that comes with some dishes, had us wishing we had ordered more. It was set on our table with a wonderful lingering woodfired smell and taste. It may have just been toasted, but geez was it good!

toasted ciabatta (from the mushroom dish)

 The ciabatta came with the mushroom dish, served with melted strings of cheese and bites of lettuce. Together they complimented each other to perfection, nothing fighting other flavours, simply working together.

Rosemary, lemon marinated field mushrooms, toasted ciabatta $10

Overall, they've structured themselves as a tapas bar at heart. It's easy going, simple, a nice place to catch up with friends, and doesn't go to bed with the rest of Perth at 9pm on a weeknight.

Food Tip #1: It's Best To Go Naked

As I sat there with my plate presented before me laden with raw seafood, and slurping back a fresh local mussel, I couldn't help but agree with an online article I had read. It stated that fresh seafood such as oysters are best served 'naked', or without laden with sauces. When just-plucked-out-of-the-ocean fresh, raw fish doesn't smell or taste fishy, and shellfish doesn't need to have a deteriorating taste masked by chilli sauce or garlic.

I had just arrived in Paihia in Northland, New Zealand, and had found my way to Only Seafood Restaurant (original, I know). Housed in a building that looked like a New England beach house, our table gave us picturesque views of the Bay of Islands.

My kiwi had ordered the snapper, which was cooked just right, keeping it moist. While it looked like it had been covered in sauce, it was very light in taste, enhancing the delicate flavour of the snapper, rather than hiding it. I had ordered an entree sized seafood platter (which was main meal sized for me), complete with mussels, oysters, sashimi, raw salmon (not smoked), and sushi. Don't be surprised if in a few years I announce I'm moving. It'll be here, and it'll be for the food!

Cantina 663, Mt Lawley

Espresso Martini – house infused vanilla vodka, patron xo café, espresso -- $13

Vodka in the form of an espresso martini is a completely acceptable start to a Saturday morning. At least in my book, and it seems as well, Cantina 663’s. Add some lemon polenta cake with strawberries and vanilla ice cream to that mix, and I'm ready to take on the weekend. 

Lemon Polenta cake, with strawberries, mint and vanilla ice cream

On the other hand, my kiwi needs a good strong coffee and a hearty serving of... well, everything. Bacon, eggs, toast, beans, mushrooms, sausage. But that wasn't a problem, they served that too, and he happily chomped it down.

This little food haven is strategically located on the bustling street of Beaufort. Inside, jars of pickled vegetables line shelves on one end. On another wall, antique scales and pots are placed just so, to add that quaint feel to balance out the edginess of the place.

Mamma's Breakfast -- $20.90

Cantina lives up to its reputation as being one of the best places in Perth for breakfast (and, really, every other meal). The key is in it's flexibility to the seasons, changing the menu to fit what's available during different times of the year. It just means you'll want to keep coming back for more!

The 2nd Annual Christmas Cookie Party

Mid December a few of us got together and decorated cookies. It gives us a time to sit down, take the time to get into the Christmas mood and have a laugh (always guaranteed when adults have free rein of coloured icing!) This year I didn't decorate the room as we did last year. But never mind, here's some cookie photos as a record for this year :)