tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45837336717215622832024-02-18T22:57:07.794-08:00Flavour CowboyDissecting any food and drink theme which dares to flirt with my attention.Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-74633101399496563012011-06-18T01:11:00.000-07:002011-06-18T01:50:26.089-07:00A Sombre Sign-out dedicated to Mick.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfKhxry6eNC_Pr6cTzoxlN_JYWBRXSplqOC6XYbt0utSRKbPA6MvHAE92krBjTtUCc9AHn_s0HnzXZhLK-4zTxASSnkRRX9Fk24gymPWA0CimjwaSOjD85d-e0KAVyRkZS2z2F1UcCYE/s1600/images.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 275px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfKhxry6eNC_Pr6cTzoxlN_JYWBRXSplqOC6XYbt0utSRKbPA6MvHAE92krBjTtUCc9AHn_s0HnzXZhLK-4zTxASSnkRRX9Fk24gymPWA0CimjwaSOjD85d-e0KAVyRkZS2z2F1UcCYE/s320/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619472632077237138" /></a>Given my horribly static and arbitrary contributions to the food and drink stratosphere in terms of blogging, I find this a perfect Saturday in the tropics to sign out, once and for all, as the FlavourCowboy. <div><br /></div><div>Fortunately for you dear reader, this blog isn't going to be about me (definitely my least favourite topic of conversation!), but is instead dedicated to <i>the fallen solder: </i>Mr Mick Edmonds.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mick's existence was spent every bit in the same way as so many of us the bar & hospitality industry. <i>Giving a tricky craft a solid punt whilst trying to make his way in the world around us.</i> What haunted Mick I'll leave out of this post for respect for the wee man, but I know one thing for certain, and his tragic passing has only solidified my resolve.</div><div><br /></div><div>The theme has gnawed at me for some time, but now it's clear to me and it seems Mick has left one last message scratched into the bartops of our lives; we as a community aren't getting to know each other enough, and because of that - definitely aren't looking after each other enough! We spend so much time talking shit, and shop, on Sunday drink fests and at industry events that we too often miss the opportunity to build a closer bond with each other.</div><div><br /></div><div>A closer bond means fuller knowledge of our peers, and sure it's hard work, uncomfortable and taxing on our trust - but then, and only then, are we in a position to properly and truly help each other when times get tough! You never know what's <i>really</i> going on with the person you're sharing a bevvie with until you <b>sincerely</b> ask.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mick, I didn't know you well enough, and I'm sorry like so many of us that I didn't see it mate - all I can leave, if this is an epitaph, is the shell promise that I'll try harder from now on, as I hope we all do.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sail well mate.</div><div><br /></div><div>Deo Optimo Maximo.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cowboy out...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-11345236313474060162011-02-15T20:17:00.000-08:002011-02-21T05:34:53.473-08:00Is It Just Me?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3DpbHsV5ppJR14z6_0ex0o8r4k_eDRzd_Z-mDIo50EtAXaIVVAcTGrwSsu1HIJ4rG4ttHKh3Rg7X615uxWMitpLf9CDPHXfLUAUoL6A616oVBG7aEehLrmwodzX62hIWYuviHG1Ky4Q/s1600/IMG_0133.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3DpbHsV5ppJR14z6_0ex0o8r4k_eDRzd_Z-mDIo50EtAXaIVVAcTGrwSsu1HIJ4rG4ttHKh3Rg7X615uxWMitpLf9CDPHXfLUAUoL6A616oVBG7aEehLrmwodzX62hIWYuviHG1Ky4Q/s320/IMG_0133.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576132857878430530" /></a><div>
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<br /></div><div>Asia's full of weird and wonderful stuff - and much of it is well worth investigating. Ok you can keep the Phoenix Claws (chicken's feet) and fried frogs legs etc, but fresh gin botanicals in the supermarket? Hell yes!</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Following is a little collection of some of the left-field discoveries that I've made in my first month in Singapore.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>It's an amazing world and as each culture imitates another, there's bound to be bits falling through the gaps of understanding:</div><div>
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<br /></div><div>It's gotta be said however, Western concepts do tend to get steered in a funky direction when they get exposed to interpretation!</div><div><div>
<br /></div><div>Take this fella for example. Sure the title's a little bit...questionable, but what are they trying to say in that first tasting note!?</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Are we all going to be awkwardly trying to get to the bathroom pitching tents afterwards? What about the ladies?? Aye-oh!
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<br /></div><div>I spotted this whizzing by on a sushi train and had to grab the shot. WTF does that mean!? I mean, I'm not sure if it sounds awesome, or entirely scary!</div><div>
<br /></div><div>I'm taking ideas and comments on that one - please put me out of my fear of ravenous Egyptian microchips tasting my sushi intermittently from the inside out. Yikes.</div><meta charset="utf-8"><div>
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<br /></div><div>Sorry, I'm not dropping bank on <i>Coffee Sauce Chicken</i> until someone I trust recommends it. No dice.</div><div>
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<br /></div><div>He he he he he....now this might just be me, but I think this is hilarious and amazing! Why hasn't anyone offered me waffles with my menu earlier!!? Come on World - catch up!</div><div>
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<br /></div><div>Considering this was my meal - yeah, not so funny. I now appreciate their menu's bold claims that "you'll never forget our famous jumbo dog". No shizzle.</div><div>
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<br /><div>What is this abomination? Probable the greatest snack food on Earth has been seriously molested by an Asian flavour renegade - perhaps a member of a sleeper cell bent on the destruction of all things sacred.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Who knows, but considering I didn't man up for</div><div>the ridiculous 15 clams (they'd best be amazing for that!) maybe I'm missing out on something..</div><div>
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<br /></div></div></div></div></div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-67697708806222197422011-01-29T07:57:00.000-08:002011-01-29T08:40:36.780-08:00Asian Food Tech Goodness!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPlBIAOgyJr3n8-zQmq_s6i-KtyTs7AY5bTXz5JpGm1MjcR8IFhZRBWr9usW0AJ7TMMA3YnxyJF9kWf3EGawDCgJx88rBZbTkRgAYeTqhXr1mnf7jKj9dXQaltllvXTxXc2mW9N1D1YI/s1600/IMG_0008.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPlBIAOgyJr3n8-zQmq_s6i-KtyTs7AY5bTXz5JpGm1MjcR8IFhZRBWr9usW0AJ7TMMA3YnxyJF9kWf3EGawDCgJx88rBZbTkRgAYeTqhXr1mnf7jKj9dXQaltllvXTxXc2mW9N1D1YI/s400/IMG_0008.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567642938814608402" /></a>Look a little closer at the labeling on this pack.<div><br /></div><div>What an awesome advancement on technology! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">This's</span> a small blog in a tepid attempt to get my pen flowing again, and what a great place to start with our <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ol</span>' mate bacon.</div><div><br /></div><div>How it comes that we've been subjected to bacon from only one source for all these centuries almost defies belief! I'm so grateful to the cheeky Asian food tech who's offered us such an amazing conciliatory boon, but I'm equally confused that they chose to limit their thinking to beef.</div><div><br /></div><div>What I want to see proudly adorning our shelves is the whole animal gamut. Lamb bacon, duck bacon, rabbit bacon. You know what? Fuck it. Fish bacon! Rock the lot out; it'd be rad!!</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Hmmmm</span>...it's certainly interesting living in Singapore, and I'm sure that there's going to be plenty more random posts just like this one <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">which'll</span> continue to flow while my curiosity lasts. Truly nothing is sacred, but it's good to see the pig getting knocked off the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">dais</span> once in a while, life's enlivened by a bit of healthy competition after-all!</div><div><br /></div><div>Take it easy cats,</div><div><br /></div><div>Adi</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-89585905259086686052010-10-28T18:56:00.001-07:002010-10-28T19:34:05.974-07:00Lists, lists, lists...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTctTGeYpYtGG7x-TJDarQTqCBgNmnGXUt6HQzOBgrEPhxArBc0hyphenhyphenpkD_CMvazDTeG0UpDS7dpw0PO8o8ew0EZYVarWiQ8TwVJXJmFpQxAYT3yfAvQ1LFoQq34jWjr6glJFRlWZUZUMgc/s1600/richard-the-number-1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTctTGeYpYtGG7x-TJDarQTqCBgNmnGXUt6HQzOBgrEPhxArBc0hyphenhyphenpkD_CMvazDTeG0UpDS7dpw0PO8o8ew0EZYVarWiQ8TwVJXJmFpQxAYT3yfAvQ1LFoQq34jWjr6glJFRlWZUZUMgc/s320/richard-the-number-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533290521889895170" /></a><br />A surprise blog from an increasingly shithouse blogger! Who'da thunk it.<div><br /></div><div>When the chips are down and the general hum-drum of life is really starting to piss you off, there's nothing quite like escaping into the fantasy world of cocktail list creation. It is simply awesome. Seasonal flavours get mashed into modern and classical cocktail technique, and bartenders up their game in the ever-ending quest to out-do each other and to make something bangin'. </div><div><br /></div><div>The process is also wonderfully Darwinian, where only the fittest survive, and for that to happen - bar folk need a simple and one eyed dedication to flavour. The most interesting challenge for us all with that in mind is to produce drinks that are different from the channels most invariably groove into (even the best at this game get stuck in ruts creating similar style drinks with fond ingredients - my particular foibles are Aperol and apricot brandy, which I must conciously avoid when creating drinks!). </div><div><br /></div><div>Added to that wee dilemma is the need to keep shit simple - never again shall the <i>Ginger</i> days resurface when cocktail dinosaurs ruled the menu landscape seventeen ingredients high (unfortunately I'm not exaggerating). Well, they may resurface - but I'll be there with a spiked 2-by-4 and a grim smile! Simple, new drinks are the holy grail of the cocktail bartender where few parts mixed equate to a greater and transcendental whole.</div><div><br /></div><div>Produce quality is another corner of our nexus which seems does not get paid quite enough its due - a perfectly fresh <i>and seasonal</i> mango when shaken into quality rum, tenderly pressed lime and quality syrup (or <i>powdered</i> sugar) makes a daiquiri in a whole different league than someone bashing one out with puree and hours-old lime! When was the last time you heard a bartender get excited like chefs get excited in the face of some stunning seasonal produce? Yeah that's right - hardly ever. That folks is balls.</div><div><br /></div><div>So in a very Martin Luther King kinda moment - I have a dream. One of a cocktail list where simple awesome spirits and liqueurs are married intuitively, and highlighted by great produce, wines, bitters, sherries, conserves, spices, molecular technique (that works well) and everything else that's awesome with cocktails. A list that reads like heaven. A list that upon reading a drink's ingredients you go "ooooooooooooo".</div><div><br /></div><div>I wanna go "oooooooooooo", and hopefully when I go to work tonight and try some of our new menu ideas out on the punters - I might be able to get one or two of those myself. here's to hoping were all about to invent the next negroni!</div><div><br /></div><div>Adi</div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-82429271156145706172010-08-30T23:27:00.000-07:002010-08-30T23:40:21.705-07:00The Frat Years<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg60Ke3XZA0pkt06vCQhqKBv-F1i6FohstthIvO-VugJt2wFzilLLUZPWTNE0otzQE26m5MKYHBxMZx3DvRAz4w4INTpVmcbtoPR7tX73yfHkXC2JTnvDjunovF7Up8I_qxmawXCf0mDII/s1600/untitled.bmp"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 207px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511457020767197362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg60Ke3XZA0pkt06vCQhqKBv-F1i6FohstthIvO-VugJt2wFzilLLUZPWTNE0otzQE26m5MKYHBxMZx3DvRAz4w4INTpVmcbtoPR7tX73yfHkXC2JTnvDjunovF7Up8I_qxmawXCf0mDII/s320/untitled.bmp" /></a><br /><div>See this guy...He's Ronny Sullivan, and good at snooker. I am not Ronny Sullivan, and snooker is very bloody hard!!</div><div> </div><div>We lucky few who're Ketel 1 fraternity members got spoilt last night by getting to play our own snooker tournament while drinking too many martinis. Dressed up like a bunch of dandies, we looked the part but largely sucked (except Logan, who was apparently born holding a cue).</div><div> </div><div>The problem, and beauty, of snooker I guess is that everythings so far awar! I felt most of the time like I needed a 9 iron instead of a stick! Somehow we came second (by the grace of my crapness we could've won it), but I sank three (that could even be a lie) coloured balls in the whole evening! Balls. Literally.</div><div> </div><div>Not content with that however we all trucked down to Alhumbra to watch a rum cocktail comp, drink tequila, have a chuckle, drink more beer and swing outta there to more watering holes. Last reports were of me trying to enact the Manny Pacquia v Floyd Mayweather fight with various people, falling over a table and getting cut off at Black Pearl. Somehow it took me 45 minutes to walk home - but I fared better than Hippy who decided to go for a bike ride with painful results!</div><div> </div><div>Big ups to Greg for being a good troop-leader, and Hip and Cash Money for taking out top prize...and Serena for winning a trip to Jamaica, mon!</div><div> </div><div>Now I'm gonna try getting <em>fins herbs,</em> the classical delicate herb mixture to work in a drink. We'll see...anyone got any chervil out there?</div><div> </div><div>A</div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-82479821741494249612010-08-01T04:19:00.000-07:002010-08-02T18:48:15.974-07:00The 1st Annual Fergie Awards!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKGv9IPPYneWj_t9p05YQoqGd8pYdta2mpUGhMDj6EPB7DES4KaYbdGtvFb6eazxF7jhX5t73c4sG8flRhqZO5ZzvcKCDqylxYkzNPxSrqsTpp8pqtTujj2KFf_2jyQaMU7DRgEyyoYw/s1600/fergie.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggKGv9IPPYneWj_t9p05YQoqGd8pYdta2mpUGhMDj6EPB7DES4KaYbdGtvFb6eazxF7jhX5t73c4sG8flRhqZO5ZzvcKCDqylxYkzNPxSrqsTpp8pqtTujj2KFf_2jyQaMU7DRgEyyoYw/s400/fergie.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500400044142489554" /></a><br /><div>In a tip-of-the-hat to the Uk bar scene's underbelly awards (or whatever they're called), and in the spirit of the awards season, I'm pleased as punch to open nominations for the first annual <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6633FF;">Fergie Awards!</span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i>The Fergie's</i> is a very tongue-in-cheek gala celebration of all those things which make the Australian Bar Industry both funny, crazy and ridiculous. It's named in honour of anyone who's letting down the team out there, <i>a la </i>Fergie in the Black Eyed Peas!<i> </i></div><div><br /></div><div><i></i>So here and now, without further pomp or ceremony, we present to you the categories for nomination in this year's awards across the period of '09 - '10:</div><div><ol><li>Best munter performance.</li><li>Best dork drink.</li><li>Worst new product.</li><li>Biggest bar geek.</li><li>Messiest industry relationship. </li><li>Worst haircut.</li><li>TP's Hottest Piece Award aka The Batting above Their Average Award for hottest girlfriend.</li><li>Human wastecan award - for the industry figure showing their body the least respect!</li><li>Worst classic cocktail comeback (some things should remain in the past).</li><li>Best bar prank.</li><li>Best use of overproof rum.</li><li>Outstanding banter award.</li><li>Most popular foreigner award - for the journeyman bartender.</li><li>Biggest whinger about "we did it better here" award.</li><li>Biggest service embarrassment award (for that golden performance in the line of duty).</li></ol><div><br /></div>So! Now that we've seen how much fun we're going to have, I invite all to wait patiently while I set up a Facebook page so all and sundry can submit their nominations over the next few weeks. Once we've got all the nominations I'll post the finalists and we can start getting our vote on! </div><div><br /></div><div>On a final note for now, I'd like to take a quick minute to speak towards our philosophy and infrastructure. <i>The Fergies </i>are a (largely) harmless celebration of stuff in the industry the we normally "can't" talk about. Nominees should be both pleased and embarrassed depending on their category, yet the categories themselves have been selected to defy malice. No hatin' is intended here (consider if you will, some of the categories we chose to leave out!), and the awards will be decided on 100% industry voting!</div><div><br /></div><div>Leave not, your workmates safe.</div><div><br /></div><div>Adi + conspirators!</div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-46548509440167267142010-07-22T07:23:00.001-07:002010-07-22T07:47:54.051-07:00Legends of the Cabinet<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMMh3p_2L4iafb55TJf2lJwbEC26b8JvHh1ZWm17sycTxiz-vBxI7gz7rHnH3jyMmkQLrPw4JEXF5cVIm7y98onioQycpBeuDxdv9RKfbibu8JOFZ-RX6AewWEO5D7W4fOHQ703Cpq4M/s1600/liquor+cabinet.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMMh3p_2L4iafb55TJf2lJwbEC26b8JvHh1ZWm17sycTxiz-vBxI7gz7rHnH3jyMmkQLrPw4JEXF5cVIm7y98onioQycpBeuDxdv9RKfbibu8JOFZ-RX6AewWEO5D7W4fOHQ703Cpq4M/s320/liquor+cabinet.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496736317586717810" /></a>Do you have any memories growing up of your parents liquor cabinet from childhood?<div><br /></div><div>It's a typical piece of everyday furniture that sits idly by until you turn fourteen or fifteen - when it's transformed into an Alladin's Cave of contraband and possibility.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm sure many of ya's have fond recollections of the moonshining days when we skimmed minute quantities off each bottle and mixed them into a rank new beast. A beast responsible for many swaying teen moments and nasty hangovers!</div><div><br /></div><div>But think more closely to what was really lurking in there. No wonder we all got sick! Stale and half empty liqueur bottles from the 80's, cheap Scotch and random spirits that your folks would never drink like tequila, and nasty obscure rum. The Gordon's is the only thing that seemed to enjoy a regular workout!</div><div><br /></div><div>Shelved into this sorry collection however, were a few products which never really got their time to shine! I guess it's fair enough that most parents wouldn't know where to start using 'em - but it suck that things like Grand Marnier, Drambuie, Stones Green Ginger Wine and Benedictine always seemed to get overlooked.</div><div><br /></div><div>Enough lamentations however. Now that most of us are of the current generation to get their breed on - we can effect change into this vicious cycle of stomach corrosion. If we all maintain tasteful liquor cabinets with shrewdly chosen bottles, we can break the family tradition of bad moonshining!</div><div><br /></div><div>When my kids are ripping me off as teenagers - they'll be drinking only the best, and hey, maybe I'll get my own back by grouping bottles together strategically! Imagine the look of disgust on a teenagers face when he grabs gin, Campari and sweet vermouth (yeah I'm gonna keep my vermouth in the cupboard, so what?? It's an un-cracked unit!) and "accidentaly" mixes a Negroni! Boo-ya.</div><div><br /></div><div>Who's gonna have the last laugh then!? Yep, it's gonna be me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mwa ha ha ha haaaaa</div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-20237949313565686092010-07-20T08:49:00.000-07:002010-07-20T09:14:04.578-07:00Don't Call it a Comeback<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8M2Trcvzv21cbxXAjCSOCelLt55HBwkDSHGZhAw9SC6F6XeRL7HJCUkHAyiqLP9_Tx5FEGj-X-4M-mjdGCmDDcOFB-Iq4ZKcY0X_nmU1qE4IM_g3SGE5ygiBOirXY6PJ-MBUsk2xXNDw/s1600/howlin'.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 87px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8M2Trcvzv21cbxXAjCSOCelLt55HBwkDSHGZhAw9SC6F6XeRL7HJCUkHAyiqLP9_Tx5FEGj-X-4M-mjdGCmDDcOFB-Iq4ZKcY0X_nmU1qE4IM_g3SGE5ygiBOirXY6PJ-MBUsk2xXNDw/s320/howlin'.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496022363597042674" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzbrvnvtwrvcYX2cmN42EAXkEqLjIT1lk5nLKgtmgA_CeFhqs9N7dplSnfRd2-Gm_1eaUjols2wEd08PAH3mNVl_KiiYy7ts5ZP7Jz-Vgizt3nm3edcFOrQlH4nWqTP3klybij1oZf64/s1600/howlin'.jpeg"></a>Just like the O.G Howlin' Wolf, Im right on the beat. WIth a shiny new internet connection and laptop, I'm happy to be able to sit at my desk and break the bloggy drought.<div><br /></div><div>What I'm gonna' write about today, is passion.</div><div><br /></div><div>Passion is a vastly underused tool. It is a rarely cultivated resource, and many of us forego it for many reasons. One great speaker recently said that we too often replace our passions for apathy, because it comfortably helps us pass through the World, but I do know this:</div><div><br /></div><div>Out of all the people who're into food and drink (I've gotta keep things a touch relevant!), the ones that stand out; the interesting ones, the crazy ones, the inspiring ones, the controversial ones, the dedicated ones - they're all incredibly passionate! Is it enough for us to pass our time without nurturing, developing and firing-up what we really care about?</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't think so. Thus, a small treatise to any readers tonight. I'm sending out the call for us to stop worrying about what other folk are up to, what people are talking about and the meaningless crap that we kill time with, and instead find what we're passionate about - so we can spend more considered time investing in it, and each other.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'd rather be perceived as crazy than mundane!</div><div><br /></div><div>A parting drink, and an old favourite. Let's bring back the <i>Mac. </i>I'm down for two parts whisky to one part green ginger wine with a lemon peel (because it works). Pick a whisky and raise your glasses to the North.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bon chance.</div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-86208670154600852932010-06-17T22:33:00.000-07:002010-06-17T23:37:16.127-07:00La Bella Vita (or something like that...)Now that things have settled down for the year (for me anyway), it's time to get back in the kitchen to wrangle with some mean flavours. In light of the fact that I'm hotly anticipating a new dining table (selected by the expert eye of the wonderful Missy Bell, this vintage banger will no doubt see some Texas Holdem' action too), it's time to highlight some decadent fare for the winter months which'll keep your arteries well and truly blocked - yet your soul well and truly satisfied!<div><br /></div><div>I'm putting it out there; there are few better combinations than fat, potato and cheese. The dish pictured isn't mine, it's probably French <i>and </i>I don't know what it's called, but who cares! When it's as easy to prepare as slicing potato thinly (but please, please use the guard on your mandolins!), and layering that alternately with sliced onion and cheese before dabbing with thick cream and a healthy sprinkle of seasoning you're on a winner. Provided each component is kept in a respectful proportion, 45 minutes later your moderate oven will yield up a tantalizing result, which in this case I served with green beans, a baked field mushroom and some grain fed porterhouse. Graaaaaavy (that means good, by the way!)</div><div><br /></div><div>Not to be outdone, and because I really should include some drinks banter, our accompanying wine almost stole the show and made me look bad...damn you <i>Ten Minutes by Tractor!</i> We had their Northerly facing Mcutcheon single vinyard '07 pinot, and boom -what a stunning wine! I really know very little about wines, but this magnificent drop was beautifully structured, with perfect red berries, a bordering-on-minty herbaceous lift and gorgeously fine tannins. Go find some right now. Really...right now.</div><div><br /></div><div>At some stage I really should make some desserts lest the Gnomes of Zurich strip me of my pastry cooking veil, but until then, have a great weekend all!</div><div><br /></div><div>Adi</div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-13738695839334780892010-06-09T04:39:00.000-07:002010-06-09T05:40:53.117-07:00The Brewster Takes it Home!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_YzVvJubbJHfq6HX0sfeSWsIoqLJYNPaGOUHAik5igs6MlTxG3FbFaWPMddug_gHx3PcLV9ieFPMbt5_GwYdo_6DMsMtqJ1IZZKUhThUKtIbNd2ya3FceLGld-A_ls-KN9Hg2LxwKyTo/s1600/Autumn+and+other+078.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_YzVvJubbJHfq6HX0sfeSWsIoqLJYNPaGOUHAik5igs6MlTxG3FbFaWPMddug_gHx3PcLV9ieFPMbt5_GwYdo_6DMsMtqJ1IZZKUhThUKtIbNd2ya3FceLGld-A_ls-KN9Hg2LxwKyTo/s320/Autumn+and+other+078.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480752879972198578" /></a><br />After an exciting and innovative couple of days of competition, 2010's Australian World Class representative has been crowned in Sling's Adam Brewer. Adam competed strongly and consistently both days smashing out a fresh Luxury cocktail list, a solid exam, blind tasting and luxury drinks presentation and wrapping things up cleanly with a great live bar round. <div><br /></div><div>I'm stoked to hand the mantle over to Ad, who's gonna have a pimp, pimp experience in Athens provided he can duck any flying masonry or molotov cocktails given Greece's current political climate.</div><div><br /></div><div>For myself, I'm chuffed to swing in a cheeky second ahead of my comp nemesis and good mate, 'ol Widgey. Amazing presentations went down at the stupidly maxxing Lavendar Bay mansion, and I decided to handycap my second day's competition by slicing the top of my finger off with a killer sharp mandolin - better was the decision not to incorporate the piece into my garnishing! </div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks go out to Cat Lyon who kept me from whiting out, and ceasing the flow of the crimson river! With large bandaged comedy finger on my right hand, the day's comp was great - especially the live speed round! </div><div><br /></div><div>Big ups to the Behind Bars kids and Dee-ag-ee-o with all their fancy booze. </div><div><br /></div><div>The mansion was sick for the awards night, and everyone had a bangin' time hob-nobbing and drinking delicious cocktails and canapes. The crazy buggers even set up a blazer station outside on some barrels which fueled the banter, and left me with a contented Johnnie Blue glow. </div><div><br /></div><div>What went down on the bus and Eeu de Vie afterwards....that's not for your eyes!</div><div><br /></div><div>Adi. x</div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-12379633609800124382010-05-30T19:14:00.000-07:002010-05-30T19:42:45.563-07:00The Dark Night of the Soul<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNh-IJ0Iy9jisKJp8fpnSw0e2Y3RMTp6jfnJIY_rBGL5OwlYhIgroEjd1cAXSyZLN73C885orXKhyphenhyphen7x5W4lsFFPaVUUw3YfmElf4LmKMdycbkvdiojzWWmXx0qik10SNs8F-0WBBoqY4/s1600/W+class+%2B+Melb+random+%2B+Perth+107.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNh-IJ0Iy9jisKJp8fpnSw0e2Y3RMTp6jfnJIY_rBGL5OwlYhIgroEjd1cAXSyZLN73C885orXKhyphenhyphen7x5W4lsFFPaVUUw3YfmElf4LmKMdycbkvdiojzWWmXx0qik10SNs8F-0WBBoqY4/s320/W+class+%2B+Melb+random+%2B+Perth+107.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477258648583026674" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0BC-Vf_SxoN2Ik7YvVcoEBKQXOKohkChW6vw5ykCIMKr9F_3xJCQwqs99yJcZ_0KVDgoXh5I3yCAuGBfgwr_DA_IYsDMOPBRcnxaBsdtLF8VTDe6x6DTHVPEUIh1530X2xr-q1nNxYM/s1600/W+class+%2B+Melb+random+%2B+Perth+093.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0BC-Vf_SxoN2Ik7YvVcoEBKQXOKohkChW6vw5ykCIMKr9F_3xJCQwqs99yJcZ_0KVDgoXh5I3yCAuGBfgwr_DA_IYsDMOPBRcnxaBsdtLF8VTDe6x6DTHVPEUIh1530X2xr-q1nNxYM/s320/W+class+%2B+Melb+random+%2B+Perth+093.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477258633110623842" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyW07POFt1gOMak3NQO1dtAhyqYQK-7it0Ugw4pfSMA943-wLBuPih7tKfyatNYIFVxJZlZcSAh6TWmmnXm4Pug28WmBtYqmrzHvFLkzB2Oz2kuXB8R4CjXToKeo4niPzTGZ3sVtaFd4/s1600/W+class+%2B+Melb+random+%2B+Perth+069.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyW07POFt1gOMak3NQO1dtAhyqYQK-7it0Ugw4pfSMA943-wLBuPih7tKfyatNYIFVxJZlZcSAh6TWmmnXm4Pug28WmBtYqmrzHvFLkzB2Oz2kuXB8R4CjXToKeo4niPzTGZ3sVtaFd4/s320/W+class+%2B+Melb+random+%2B+Perth+069.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477258628020690626" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip57hOB4ZYlLkaYoqE9Mxn6sfC2g94r9lh0JXQRNrQENXZVre02LE3h-PY524tDIEOZDVjRVfpj8RzXAa6JYvFNmrOVJwKbFG3DYr9_os6Jpvr8Gs-rVQuhmML-HV2y4AvccC_mt4rzIQ/s1600/W+class+%2B+Melb+random+%2B+Perth+066.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip57hOB4ZYlLkaYoqE9Mxn6sfC2g94r9lh0JXQRNrQENXZVre02LE3h-PY524tDIEOZDVjRVfpj8RzXAa6JYvFNmrOVJwKbFG3DYr9_os6Jpvr8Gs-rVQuhmML-HV2y4AvccC_mt4rzIQ/s320/W+class+%2B+Melb+random+%2B+Perth+066.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477258607572225154" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Just when the garden path was rosy with the petals of flowering <i>Quality Banter</i> trees, the less-than-famous blog has been disrupted by a lion stepping out of the foliage.</div><div><br /></div><div>That Lion is the great competition that will be <i>World Class 2010.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Please dear folk turn a kind thought in my direction as I cram and mix my way to a date with Sydney next Monday to take on Australia's elite mixololologists...yippee!</div><div><br /></div><div>This year the game is going to be strong as we compete in exams, blind tastings, luxury cocktail list presentations and live bartending throw-downs. Phew! It'll be just like the <i>Highlander </i>(Chris Lambert's greatest work) where there "can be only one"! This year's winner will have to be a sharp cookie with cracking knowledge, banging bar skillz and a more-than-cool head under pressure.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm using a few molecular techniques this year (hey, was that a pig!?) which should have me freakin' balls, making loads of mistakes and generally cursing like a trooper, or an Australian ladies cricketer. Stay tuned for updates and my menu posting (which'll have to be once competition is under way so no-one bites my late 90's style), and fear not - the banter tirade is merely on a very short sabbatical.</div><div><br /></div><div>Get busy living. </div><div><br /></div><div>Adi</div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-24422392041164115642010-05-23T01:50:00.000-07:002010-05-23T21:51:57.260-07:00Banter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5BDvSW0_-AztPrI2K3zby5ntmjWefQP_Ocw3Wu8V4xeg6T2tPX9rp2pbS3ul2SgsGwTqiFlbASbNdKGJVhoUuRyHxStU3UpiIJEr-q0s_rMsrerOEIk6-IOYGHbTogJ6KRNJW-dZEjY/s1600/Milk+and+Honey+NY+Bar.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5BDvSW0_-AztPrI2K3zby5ntmjWefQP_Ocw3Wu8V4xeg6T2tPX9rp2pbS3ul2SgsGwTqiFlbASbNdKGJVhoUuRyHxStU3UpiIJEr-q0s_rMsrerOEIk6-IOYGHbTogJ6KRNJW-dZEjY/s320/Milk+and+Honey+NY+Bar.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474694767346843634" /></a><br /><br />Ooooo the post that had to happen! The election we had to have...<div><br /></div><div><i>Banter: The quality and art of one's conversational abilities.</i><br /><div><br /></div><div>The quality of someone's banter can define their lives, and after dark, when the day is over and people creep out to cafes, bar and restaurants - the restrictions are lifted on what we discuss, how we interact and how well we get the message across.</div><div><br /></div><div>Being a bartender leaves one with the special privilege of seeing how all walks of life talk amongst each other and with strangers. So we open the topic today riding on my experiences listening to the public, and industry folk, with no clear goal except to embark on a journey of discovery into language and people.</div><div><br /></div><div>To facilitate this, in my complete gall and pomp, I've come up with a character heirachy to help categorize the quality of people's banter to help open up the topic a bit, and dissect what's behind aaaallllll those words:</div><div><br /></div><div>The Banter Heirachy - listed from least desirable, to the very best characters. Order may change slightly in future</div><div><ol><li>Banterless: this person has absolutely nothing to say for themselves. This is not necessarily an unattractive quality, because no banter is often better than bad banter, but conversations tend to be short. </li><li>Evil banter: the type of person who's soul has been stained with acid and rust beyond cure. Someone so poisonous that no good utters forth from their mouths. Turn and walk the other way with your 20th Century cocktail immediately.</li><li>Rubbish Banter: the character who talks loads - often in great volumes about himself or herself, and often about subjects which he/she clearly knows very little about. It can be a torrid barstool next to this character - arm yourself with overproof rye whisky in double quantities!</li><li>Idol Worshiper: Very closely related to <i>Rubbish Banter</i>, Idol Worship has the alchemic power to turn <i>any</i> subject into a discussion about themselves. I'm all for romance, except when that romance is sloppy, passionate and public. With yourself.</li><li>Ranter: This fella's great in small doses. Always imbued with a fervent cause, the ranter'll raise his voice and argue to the death on all of his favourite topics. Observe him at the height of the night doing battle or blowing down the walls of some poor chick who's got too many manners to tell him to shut up.</li><li>The Tech-spert: This harder-to-find breed is an authority on selected topics, but alas! Take 'em off topic and they're fish out of water to the last. The tech-spert will throw 3 solid hours (or more) of banter at you going to the minutest detail on the subject with total abject fascination. To endure this requires simply....chemical drugs.</li><li>The Nutter/Fruit Loop: Depending on what kind of day they're having - these unpredictable folk can be further up or down the list. No social convention is safe, and no subject is off topic. The nutter is free in the simplest sense. Freedom of expression in any shape or form. Watch out for colourful clothing or silly haircuts, and possibly dredlocks - if they look like a bit of fun buy 'em a shot and engage at will.</li><li>Average Joe/Jane: Slotting comfortably into the list is the everyday person. Comprising the biggest banter category are the folk who just do their thing typically, be it talking about reality TV, current affairs or sports. Most are comfortable to coast on this level for the course of their lives, and fall victim easily to the banter of characters 1 - 7.</li><li>Jack-in-the-box: Jack and Jill are a pleasurable find to come across. They're most often knocking about in camouflage as <i>Average Joes, </i>but then they surprise you by pulling out gems of information, and left-field opinions on things which are either interesting, funny or both. Engaging with the <i>Joe's</i> is a worthy pursuit simply based on the hope of meeting a <i>Jack. </i>Buy them some biscotti to make 'em feel appreciated.</li><li>True breeds: Simply put, the type of folk that you'll quickly develop a man or woman crush on. The <i>true breed</i> is an exquisite character possessing charm, poise and wit. Ready to deal with life's situations with flair and good humour, he or she'll share info in such a way that'll leave you feeling better than you were. Be aware! <i>True breeds</i> often operate like terrorist sleeper cells and you may not even know you're sitting next to one. Engage therefore, at the peril of meeting the rest of our characters in the hope of snagging one of these rare beasts. Across the table with a glass of red is the best scenario - but any setting suits he or she just fine!</li></ol><div>Phew! Just when you thought this crap would never end, I'm inserting a tiny elite elemental hierachy based on banter's nickname <i>chat</i> - this is a sub category of the true breeds, and a rating is generally agreed upon by close friends or peers:</div><div><br /></div><div><ol><li>Bronze chat (although I think bronze is a mix of tin and nickel - fuck it, I'm not a chemist!)</li><li>Silver chat.</li><li>Gold chat.</li><li>Platinum chat. You'll know within five minutes if you're dealing with one of these fine rare folk!</li><li>Diamond encrusted platinum chat. Simply the best - I've probably met less than five of these ever. Pure unicorn shizzle.</li></ol><div>Well I'm probably so far of course now that I'll leave you with a few discussional points on the categories, before tying this all together with the next post! Happy living out there...</div><div><br /></div><div><ul><li>People can be composites of some categories. Probably.</li><li>Alcohol and drugs amplify people's characterization, and often assist in helping folk switch between categories.</li><li>More characters probably need to be added.</li><li>Names will never, ever, be named.</li><li>Yeah that's all I've got for now - clearly not quite qualifying for an elemental rating. Bugger.</li></ul><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-65333801790372578052010-05-15T20:56:00.001-07:002010-05-15T21:13:00.995-07:00Sunday Mornings!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Tdd_W6SW2NjEcWRSqJnHs9Wn1FbG_wF2LUx5z4wO5v9A0X-EHmedvAs1yo_k2fLAgHdNx85z6GeVTK-biXhfSfwqBuqtMo896dnSU0YRAKR0pIVXp4cWhX7sF4TTqSEtU8keKnKJg60/s1600/New+bangers!+094.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Tdd_W6SW2NjEcWRSqJnHs9Wn1FbG_wF2LUx5z4wO5v9A0X-EHmedvAs1yo_k2fLAgHdNx85z6GeVTK-biXhfSfwqBuqtMo896dnSU0YRAKR0pIVXp4cWhX7sF4TTqSEtU8keKnKJg60/s320/New+bangers!+094.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471712178160285522" /></a>There's nothing that'll make you feel better after a bruising weekend behind the stick than a massive piece of meat (well, besides those fairer services of course). <div><br /></div><div>The sight of an entire lamb shoulder not only healed my bruised heels, but helped ward off a degree of sleep deprivation as well! </div><div><br /></div><div>For this evening's slow roasted fair I imbued the lamb with an entire knob of butter (oooohhhh yeah), sea salt, cumin, cinnamon and ground fennel. A loose Moroccan arrangement if you will. Into a high oven, turned down to a hundred and left for....6 hours!! Bloody ripper - enough time to eat some Sultana Bran, talk some jive with the housemate, go shopping for some sides, clean the crib, write this post and do some work. Is slow cooking not the most relaxing and enjoyable way to go or what!?</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm thinking some cous cous (an insidious device which I still don't fully understand nor wholly trust) with poached sultanas and lemon zest, shredded carrot salad and some grilled flat breads with greens. Probably some harissa spiced yoghurt for heat and delicious drinks by someone else!</div><div><br /></div><div>I might be knackered, but Sunday could be worse! I hope ya'll have a good one too...</div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-60339786818012077522010-05-12T00:25:00.000-07:002010-05-12T00:56:59.232-07:00Ingredient Focus!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfyRCgGRpUed-mcaEcttwtx_5ckLXxPkiYucKfziMo8zrfxs1__j2bzz3YwvZJ1aDGrhdDbpBR0xnaDPdQmChZUgD-Frefq_j11JTTcA28vZfRsdEmOicThIsUb1qAThSdmWAEo9Nkbo/s1600/bronx.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 127px; height: 127px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLfyRCgGRpUed-mcaEcttwtx_5ckLXxPkiYucKfziMo8zrfxs1__j2bzz3YwvZJ1aDGrhdDbpBR0xnaDPdQmChZUgD-Frefq_j11JTTcA28vZfRsdEmOicThIsUb1qAThSdmWAEo9Nkbo/s200/bronx.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470289430080289666" /></a><br />Delving into interesting kit of the past is a thoroughly entertaining exercise. <div><br /></div><div>This week's cocktail ingredient of interest is <i>Pimento Dram. </i>A flavouring made from the not-so-well diagnosed Pimento; a.k.a Allspice (yes that's right, that stuff on supermarket shelves isn't anise, nutmeg, clove and cinnamon mixed together!).</div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps it's called allspice however because it mocks all of those flavours to a degree. And so it goes that I lovingly ground a whole bunch of 'em and patiently steeped them in white rum for two weeks, stopping only once to taste the concentrate which sent my mouth into a wild anesthetic shock. Not recommended unless you're one of those sick puppies who enjoys eating Berroccas...</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyways, yesterday was the great unveiling when I reverently mixed the coffee-filtered infusion with a 2:1 brown sugar gomme (brown sugar and water). Flavouuuuuurrr Country!!</div><div><br /></div><div>Now I'm pumped to get down and dirty with some awesome mixing action and happy to shine the light on The Lion's Tail (good drink name - solid) extracted from Ted Haigh's book <i>Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails</i> (pretty good, save for the fact that anyone with an eye for a drink recipe can cherry-pick a bunch of recipes from various tomes. All we'd need are the props!). A great place to start, although this recipe is adapted to reduce Dram content from 3/4 of an ounce - a concentration which'd happily let you pull out a few teeth without feeling a thing!</div><div><br /></div><div><i>The Lion's Tail</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>60mls of good Bourbon whisky - get some rye content in there...</div><div>20mls of Pimento Dram</div><div>25mls freshly pressed lime juice (like, right there and then!)</div><div>5mls of sugar syrup (equal parts sugar and water pls - no boiling)</div><div>1 healthy dash of Angostura bitters.</div><div><br /></div><div>Shake the devil out of it and strain into a chilly coupette with a Beazley garnish (which means none!).</div><div><br /></div><div>This is a slightly off the track application for the dram, which shows its feathers most proudly in the mighty realm of tiki concoctions - get a few rums and some pimp juice (or any of your favourite juices) and have a play. Alternately, check out the Beach Bum's new book, it's full of great recipes! Giddy Up!</div><div><br /></div><div>Adi</div><div><br /></div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-84812039700334406152010-05-08T23:05:00.000-07:002010-05-08T23:47:22.573-07:00What's in a Name?After a long weekend of making cocktails and other miscellaneous bevs, I've finally made it back to the keyboard to write about something which is pretty important to me. <div><br /></div><div>Cocktail culture is pretty damn interesting, and many folk who claim to know a thing or two or even threaten to make a decent drink put loads of work into ensuring that everything they turn out is tip-top. This involves lots of work behind the scenes researching, tinkering, prepping, analysing, tweaking and progressing craft and recipes.</div><div><br /></div><div>That being said, it's a bloody shame to put in all that greasy elbow juice only to waste your hard work by being too serious at the coal face during service. This is a broad topic, and a philosophy that'll need more discussion here - but one thing that's been pissing me off more and more lately is the formulaic and boring approach to naming new drinks.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now I've copped a bit of schtick lately for creating a drink obtusely named <i>Eric the Cocktail. </i>Fair enough, it doesn't adhere to any of the "rules", and for our benefit I'll list those critters which have got us all bogged in nomenclature boredom here:</div><div><br /></div><div><ol><li>The cocktail name should be linked to the classic cocktail class on which the recipe is based. For example: <i>The London Fizz </i>(fictional).</li><li>The cocktail name should be linked to the based spirit which is chiefly used. <i>The Bourbon Whisper</i> (largely fictional and highly gay).</li><li>The cocktail name should be linked to the culture from which the drink's theme has been extracted. <i>The Tropical Breeze </i>(probably not fictional somewhere).</li><li>The cocktail name should be linked to its creator: <i>The Calabrese Special</i> (highly indulgent and a cheeky swipe at one of our cocktail "legends"). Gravy.</li></ol><div>Well f all that. Know what? Customers don't care! Let's entertain them!!</div><div><br /></div><div>What about names which are just down right ridiculous? What about names which just inspire customer interest? I want to trigger the mechanism in the human brain that says "well, I've gotta read what's in that!". Let's toss out the rules and have some fun at the bar - maybe it'll even rub off on us industry folk who take the game a bit too seriously.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, in the name of the cause, I offer some names which haven't been used, but could be bags of fun:</div><div><br /></div><div><ol><li>The <i>Time Crisis Cocktail</i> (named after a video game - preferably one which needs to be taken quickly!).</li><li><i>The Holy Moses</i></li><li><i>The Transplant Cocktail</i></li><li><i>The Sticky Icky Rickey</i> (has a classic name, but makes an awesome Snoop Dog reference!)</li><li>Hysted's <i>Jethro's No-Doze</i> (JD and espresso. Inspired.)</li><li><i>The Crusta Demon of Dirt</i> (ok, another classic reference) </li><li><i>The Hard Graft</i></li><li><i>Nashville Cow Juice</i></li><li><i>The Sponge Bath</i></li><li><i>Icy Introspection Cocktail </i></li><li><i>The "Get to the Chopper!" Cocktail</i></li></ol><div>Ok, things are getting weird, and I should probably stop rattling things off the top of my head, but you get the picture! Let's hope we see a bit more imagination, and a bit less <i>Bittersweet Symphony.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Adi</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-45274743710338440382010-05-03T01:10:00.000-07:002010-05-03T01:32:50.953-07:00Sangrita!Howdy do-dy folks!<div><br /></div><div>We're on drinks today and smashing it out in fine style. Sangrita is the mystical spiced chaser to that beloved drop tequila. I'm happy to concede that I'm no expert on the red stuff, but I understand that it varies depending on where you are in Mexico - to the point no less that it becomes a secretive source of pride and competition between neighbours in Jalisco. </div><div><br /></div><div>Every recipe I've seen on the net, and heard from my peers follows the pattern of tomato, oj, pomegranate and lime formula - with chilli of course. Plenty of recipes include bloody mary spices, ground olives, coriander (at least that's pretty common in mexican food!), onions and just about anything else anyone feels like throwing in it!</div><div><br /></div><div>Well...enter Diane Kennedy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Who's that you say? The young lady is an authority on Mexican food. She's written one of the most authoritative tomes on the stuff and has been living there for many years yada yada yada...well she lists a friend from Jalisco's recipe circa 1970 which lists nothing more than fresh sour pomegranate juice and red chilli! Wonderful food for thought. </div><div><br /></div><div>Dear Diane goes on to say that bitter oranges and grenadine will be a sufficient substitute with chilli of course.</div><div><br /></div><div>Has anyone got anything to offer here? I want banter people!!</div><div><br /></div><div>Whatever you do - leave out Tabasco - that barrel aged flavour's got no play in sangrita. Happy mixing!</div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-75199119776499507582010-04-28T00:03:00.000-07:002010-04-28T00:07:35.058-07:00If you dareIt's about time I gave this guy a plug. If you want to taste your last meal creeping back up, and feel like maybe you should move your kids to the country then check him out.<div><br /></div><div>I cannot endorse or bear responsibility for any of the content you'll find on this blog, but if you're lucky, you may just be entertained!</div><div><br /></div><div>Drinktheshitoutofit with Tim D Phillips @ gininnit.blogspot.com</div><div><br /></div><div>Consider yourselves warned!</div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-45805691662615761972010-04-27T05:49:00.000-07:002010-04-27T08:24:53.955-07:00Winter WarmersNow that we've got that bloody pesky summer out of the way, it's time to get back in the kitchen for some warming fare. <div><br /></div><div>Cooking on the fly is plenty of fun, albeit fraught with the danger of failure (a danger in who's face I laugh, incidently). Thus loitering handily in our fridge this evening was a spare housemate chook that wasn't looking too likely to fulfil its sandwich-esque destiny, so in the finest vultural (yeah I just made up a word - what of it?) traditions I picked that sucker dry.</div><div><br /></div><div>A generous knob of butter helped me sautee a white mirepoix of leeks, onion and celery all finely chopped, with some fresh thyme in late into which I turfed (Aussie for throw for you international folk) some corn off the cobs, chicken stock and our flaked up chicken. Beauty.</div><div><br /></div><div>It came to the boil very helpfully, and with a healthy pounding of seasoning (that's my term, by the way) I let my flavours simmer and marry into delicious oblivion. Crusty toast with - you guessed it, more butter, and a spoon of double cream stirred through the soup had me and the lady sittin' tight and cosy as the winter bite chewed at the plate glass.</div><div><br /></div><div>Apple and raspberry crumble for dessert with Grand Marnier cream. Bangin'!</div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-40074541705608883432010-04-24T21:52:00.001-07:002010-04-24T22:42:40.275-07:00To the boysA sombre pot of beer is raised today to all the Aussie boys who lost their lives during the Great War that was number 1.<div><br /></div><div>Anzac day is a sober reminder to us all that people can be, well, pretty poor to each other and we owe it to the fallen to do better.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now a lot of focus is put on Gallipoli and the ANZAC's efforts there (even though it was a massive strategic bungle) but I'd like to remind all that the 8,000 or so lives lost on the rocky hills of Turkey's beaches needs to be viewed in light of the 53,000 lives we lost overall. The soil and clay of the Western Front was a brutal testing ground for a young country, but it went a ways to forging our national identity.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's perhaps typified by the loss of Tasmanian school teacher Ivor Margetts, a football ruckman with kind eyes, he was loved by all and some said he had the potential and leadership qualities to become Prime Minister. He was killed by shrapnel under the shelling at Poiziers and the private who was there when he died said "I cried like a kid when he died. I think he went because he was too good for the beastliness of war"</div><div><br /></div><div>It's less well known that the British had command of all Australian forces till near the end of the war, and their blundering, pig-headedness and stiff upper-lipped attitudes sent our boys into withering machine gun fire set against barbed wire time and time again. They were responsible for the bulk of our casualites. Thanks very much!!!</div><div><br /></div><div>No drinks today in our remembrance. Just the timeless and delicious Anzac cookie. Golden syrup, coconut, butter and oats when baked together right are a sublime, and timeless reminder. Bake some anytime.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-78703805771617281052010-04-19T23:06:00.000-07:002010-04-19T23:26:14.098-07:00Classic Cocktails!Classic cocktails are fantastic relics our our past. Beautifully traditional cocktails from a bygone era are again in vogue, and are carefully crafted by passionate industry figures who dedicate their lives to research, recipe tinkering and the craft. The classics are often shrouded in mystery regarding their origins too which helps add to their mystique, and cocktail lore in general.<div><br /></div><div>Well stuff all that - because we're abusing tradition and blending them all!</div><div><br /></div><div>Such is the sport and fun of <i>Blend the Classic</i> at the Carlton Yacht Club with the legendary Bobby Yeung. There's nothing like taking a stuffy old niche and dorking it up!</div><div><br /></div><div>Thus we small merry band gathered and stalked the bar last Monday the 19th of January - in serious need of icy refreshment. There are few rules at blend the classic, but these must be adhered to.</div><div><ol><li>Classic cocktails can be blended only once.</li><li>Classic cocktails must be slushy-ish in consistency.</li><li>Classic cocktails must be finished - regardless of how foul the final result.</li></ol><div>Round one saw a solid representation of some very famous drinks. I enjoyed a Monkey Gland (gin, orange, grenadine, absinthe), Marty corrupted the famous Mint Julep and Chris tricked out a side car. A very solid first round!</div><div><br /></div><div>Round two got a bit silly and I suffered through a Pimm's Cup with fruit and cucumber blended in, while Chris smugly enjoyed a delicious Port Stinger (port and creme de menthe is truly sublime!) and Ryan knocked off Hemingway's Death in the Afternoon (champagne and absinthe).</div><div><br /></div><div>Having warmed to the task, things got a bit out of hand when we started convincing hapless German tourists that their Scotch and cokes needed the treatment - the only thing they could do do drive away the pain was to enjoy a large herbal cigarette on one of the busiest strips in Melbourne. Clever. But we carried on with espresso martinis, Scofflaws (delicious rye whisky, vermouth, lemon and grenadine) sazeracs and fogcutters all falling before the small shiny swords of the blender.</div><div><br /></div><div>Chris finally copped an ordinary one with a disgusting <i>Black Velvet </i>(champagne and stout) which made me laugh in his face before our round of blended Cowboy shots, and we made it out of there barely intact.</div><div><br /></div><div>As I write this, we're all steeling our stomachs for the destruction that will be the impending blended dirty martini, or the Gibson (complete with cocktail onions). </div><div><br /></div><div>There are seven weeks remaining before Bobby jets off to Hong Kong, and we've got our work cut out to smash as many classics as possible. If you wanna get involved remember the last rule: No one talks about Blend Club.</div></div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-69403790931083573452010-04-12T00:39:00.000-07:002010-04-12T01:35:28.656-07:00Mexi-tearsMexican food is awesome. Melbourne's ability to produce it is not-so-awesome. All I want is cheap, fresh, spicy and well seasoned kit. Such was my feeling after seeking relief from my worryingly traditional Monday hangover.<div><br /></div><div>Mad Mex on Chapel st was my latest beacon of hope for good Mexican food yet one soggy burrito with a side of hard, flavourless tortillas later I detected a salty liquid trickling down my face...</div><div><br /></div><div>Now I'd heard about the fabled Mexi-tears which can happen when one suffers too many consecutive bad experiences, but have never been afflicted myself till now. It's a horrible feeling and one I hope not to repeat, lest I need to get my entire flavour gland removed which would be a massive travesty. </div><div><br /></div><div>Can someone please, please open a cool cheap and cheerful Mexican diner!? I'll love you forever and promise to eat there twice a week!</div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-27443222192688241672010-04-11T00:49:00.000-07:002010-04-11T01:15:57.591-07:00Big Daddy and the Trinidad SourFitzroy this week loses one of its favourite orphans. A staple of Melbourne's North for many a year, big daddy Josh Danart's itchy feet have resulted in an <i>au revoir</i>. Know fondly for his top-class, grade A, platinum <i>and</i> tungsten encrusted banter (which is the top banter rating achievable by a human) the stool next to his at the bar was the place to be to lose a few hours, and ruminate on things over a sazerac or three.<div><br /></div><div>His legacy stays with us in personality and form represented by the insidious and creeping <i>Trinidad Sour</i>. If you can stomach this potion then you've earnt your pay - and your spot at the bar next to America's favourite son. Weighing in with a hefty ounce of Angostura bitters (told ya) it needs to be shaken hard with half ounces of rye whisky, orgeat (almond syrup) and lemon juice with a dash of egg white. Serve it straight up, lift it to your lips and go hard. There's no pussy-footing the Trinidad Sour!</div><div><br /></div><div>Josh you're a dirty Texan but we'll miss you. I'll catch you on Royal street some time. New Orleans is slow to leave the blood!</div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-28447155911543433852010-04-07T05:37:00.000-07:002010-04-07T09:08:41.694-07:00Fish in a BagWednesdays are spot on for a bit of home cookin', and a great chance for me to work with fish. Miss and I stopped by on the way back from Mordor (Chapel st) to grab some fresh rockling fillets from <i>Oysters in Richmond</i> (a solid fishy providore in Richmond).<div><br /></div><div>I've seen loads of aromatic fare produced from baking in parchment, and I had a reasonable idea about how to go about things (the danger being, that once I reach this point - I stop reading books!) but what can go wrong...!?</div><div><br /></div><div>Well not as much as usual, but I'll tell you this; I can make a paper plane fly 80m (a record that's stood un-challenged since '88) but making a bag to stick in the oven ain't so easy, particularly when you're wingin' it. So it happened that four misshapen parcels got popped in the oven for ten minutes laden with fare.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our rockling was covered in <i>Maille</i> dijon (buy, buy! American juggernaught Kraft have just purchased <i>Maille </i>and plan to shut it down therefore removing them from the competition! 250 years of tradition down the drain!!), thinly sliced lemon, vine ripened baby Roman tomatoes, dill, delicious chardonnay and salt and pepper.</div><div><br /></div><div>The steaming parcels were prized open over mash, and the plump gems of fish were tastily imbued with the aromatics + we had the great resultant sauce! Mountadam '07 Chardonnay and some pan fried asparagus rounded out a pretty tasty meal which happily led to clean plates all round. Yummy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Glenmorangie Nectar 'd Or and some football saw the later hours slip by once the fairer guests had departed. Life doesn't get much better.</div><div><br /></div><div>P.s Thanks to the kids at <i>Babka</i> today for their candour; sincerity will get us back everytime...ta!</div><div>P.p.s Best croissant I've had outside Paris - get involved now!</div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-75925884436843623172010-04-05T17:50:00.000-07:002010-04-05T18:04:17.603-07:00Humble MondaysUnder the weighted veil of a hangover the week un-rolls. Classic Aus fare was enjoyed thoroughly yesterday with a crackin' football match all tricked out with plastic beers cups and meat pie burns; the hallmarks of any good birthday celebration. Why is it that steaming gravy and Tommy K smell so good together in their proper context!?<div><br /></div><div>Not content with our prize of sporting prowess however, we rocked on with more cold lager beer by the mighty (ish) Yarra at sunset. Appetites of course needed to be whet with a couple of cheeky aperitifs at <i>Black Pearl</i> before the classic Sunday roast at <i>The Rose Hotel.</i> Sure, dining can be great, but sometimes a good pub meal cannot be topped - particularly when given the option of upgrading your plate to large for just $13 total! Awesome. Crackling, lumpy/salty/mega tasty gravy and roasted spuds all gave my pork its necessary props. Guinness provided an excellent score to the production. Satisfaction incarnate.</div><div><br /></div><div>My enduring mistake is to believe that digestif cocktails are innocent and friendly - whereas a glass of water and the couch are probably much more beneficial in the long run! Rye whisky and sweet vermouth'll put a dent in anyone's bonnet if you let them including mine! All good, if you enjoy a dose of next day penitence...</div><div><br /></div><div>Looking forward to having our tiny cooking class tomorrow night - I'm thinking seafood!</div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4583733671721562283.post-11359223083784070792010-03-30T04:28:00.000-07:002010-03-30T06:52:50.598-07:00Spanish Grind-outAlright kids, and flavour seekers alike - tonight I'm getting my Spanish on. It's not enough for me to be a commentator on other people's creativity, so I'm keen more often than not to put my money where my stove is and get involved.<div><br /></div><div>It's big Joe's last night on our fair shores and we're getting together to say au revoir in style with some (hopefully) tasty food from my motherland. On the menu tonight therefore is a line-up of oil clad Spanish hits to satisfy the hardiest of hungers. The ever-green classic croquettas done all the way with rich sauce imbued with Jamon, mushrooms and stock were bangin shallow fried (no one give me any jip about them supposed to being deep fried - I know!) and coupled with some char-grilled peppers peeled, sliced and steeped with garlic, thyme and rosemary. I'm feelin' grilled bread rubbed with garlic and tomato combo, but then again - I'm always feelin' that!</div><div><br /></div><div>For mains I'm having a crack at Catalan Noodles which is really just an excuse to throw various types of pork together in with some noodles - it's a pretty straight forward lid-on brief braising affair but has an interesting looking stir through addition at the end of <i>pacada,</i> which is a paste made of garlic (no surprises) parsley, hazelnuts and breadcrumbs. It should liven up the proceedings a bit, and hopefully bring balance to the force of all that pork fat - bring it. <i>Patatas a lo pobre</i> on the side, the famous poor man's potato which is straght up oil, onion, pepper and salt and which the heads should be all over it like a granny on a jumble sale.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cutting through all the tasty kit'll be some crackin' tempranillo finished off with some moscato for the sweeter toothed folk afterwards. Phew. Can't wait! Inevitably I'll F%$& something up so stay tuned for a wrap up and maybe a tale of kitchen rage or two.</div><div><br /></div><div>If I can work this techno hoo ha out maybe I'll even work out how to get a pic up! See you round Joe boy, we'll miss you. Cheese 4 life.</div><div><br /></div>Flavour Cowboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14109445719053008490noreply@blogger.com0