Archive for March, 2012

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22
Mar
12

Villa Maria Wins Gold at Finnish Wine of the Year competition

By Casa E Cucina Leave a Comment
Categories: Latest News and Wine & Drink

Villa Maria Estate, New Zealand’s most awarded winery, received a gold medal for
its Private Bin Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010 at the 15th Finnish Wine of the
Year competition.
The Wine of the Year competition has been established to improve wine knowledge
amongst Finnish consumers and to strengthen Finland’s wine culture. The
competition is only open to wines sold in Alko, Finland’s alcoholic beverage retailing
monopoly.
Bernard Budel, Villa Maria Estate’s European Market Manager commented on the
result: “We are excited to have won a gold medal for our flagship wine, Private Bin
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. The result reflects our relentless commitment to
quality.”
Summary of Villa Maria Estate’s results:
•             Gold – Villa Maria Private Marlborough Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2010
•             Silver – Villa Maria Cellar Selection Marlborough Pinot Noir 2009
•             Certificate of Honour – Villa Maria Reserve Wairau Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2010

19
Mar
12

Galileo Restaurant Launches Business Lunch Menu

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Categories: Latest News and Restaurants & Bars

The five star Galileo Restaurant is the perfect setting for a business lunch – dine
alone or with colleagues and friends.
Jonathan Bruell, now at the helm of Galileo Restaurant, has crafted a two course
lunch menu to meet the needs of the busy executive.   Bruell’s style of cuisine is a
wonderful combination of Australian produce and innovative modern cuisine, served
in an atmosphere reminiscent of a grand Parisian salon.
Experience Bruell’s sumptuous fare, Monday to Friday, priced at just $40 per
person. The menu changes weekly and is guaranteed to satisfy the most astute
gastronomist!
Available from 26th March 2012
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday: 12.00pm-2.00pm
For all reservations and inquiries please contact us on: Ph: 02 9256 2222
*menu changes weekly, and is not available during public holidays or in conjunction
with any other offers.
Sample menu
Entrée
Crab and avocado cocktail
Roasted capsicum and tomato soup
Cured ocean trout with fennel salad
Chicken liver parfait with toasted brioche
Main
Corn fed chicken breast with asparagus and tomato salsa
Minute steak with red wine jus and roasted kipfler
Tempura fish with wasabi mayonnaise and salad
Goat’s cheese gnocchi with roasted pumpkin and pine nuts

18
Mar
12

Enzo’s Rocky Road

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Categories: Enzo's Recipes

INGREDIENTS

400g good quality dark chocolate

140g marshmallows

50g Turkish delight

½ cup shredded coconut, toasted

½ cup peanuts, roasted

METHOD

Melt chocolate over pot of simmering water in a glass bowl making sure not to touch the water.

In the meantime place a baking paper in a tray.

Toss all the ingredients into the melted chocolate and quickly mix through.

Pour the mixture into tray and place in the fridge to set.

Use a sharp knife to cut marshmallows into small bite sized piece.

18
Mar
12

Enzo’s Apple Pear Peach Tarte Tatin

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Categories: Enzo's Recipes

INGREDIENTS

  • 100g of butter
  • 100g of white sugar
  • 1 Pear
  • 1 Apple
  • 1 Peach
  • 1 Vanilla Bean
  • 30ml Brandy
  • 30ml Amaretto Liquor
  • 1 sheet of  puff pastry

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C, Measure your pan and cut your pastry sheet into a round disc to fit as a lid. Cover the pastry so it doesn’t dry out and put aside for later.
  2. Peel the pear, apple and peach cut each one in half removing the core. Brush with lemon juice so they do not brown.
  3. Melt the butter and sugar in heavy bottomed seasoned cast-iron pan until a caramel starts to form add the brandy and Amaretto liquor and scrape the vanilla seeds out and place in the sauce and then arrange the fruit in the caramel sauce.
  4. Place the pastry round securely on top of the fruit and remove from stove and place in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
  5. Place a serving dish over the pan and flip upside down to reveal the beautiful tart.
18
Mar
12

Enzo’s Zucchini Fritters

By Casa E Cucina 2 Comments
Categories: Enzo's Recipes

INGREDIENTS

5 Zucchinis, grated

1 Onion, chopped finely

1 tbsp sea salt

1 cup Pecorino cheese, grated

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp ground Pepper

1 cup Italian parsley, chopped

½ cup mint, chopped fresh

Vegetable oil for frying

½ cup plain yogurt

METHOD

Mix zucchini, onion and salt in bowl and place in a colander to drain out excess water about 30 minutes and then squeeze out excess moisture with a cloth.

Transfer mixture to large bowl and mix in the rest of the ingredients

Put vegetable oil into heavy based saucepan to depth of 3 cm and bring to 180 degrees celcius or when a piece of bread goes brown in ten seconds.

Shape zucchini mixture using a tablespoon into small balls.

Add the balls to hot oil, frying in batches until fritters are golden brown, turning once, about 3 minutes in total, transfer fritters to paper towels to drain.

Serve with fresh lime or yoghurt sauce

16
Mar
12

Enzo’s Sydney Rock Oysters

By Casa E Cucina 2 Comments
Categories: Enzo's Recipes

INGREDIENTS

12 Sydney Rock Oysters

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 long chili with seeds removed, chopped finely

2 sprigs coriander, chopped finely

METHOD

Combine all the ingredients except oysters in a bowl and whisk vigorously until sugar is dissolved, then spoon a little of the dressing over each oyster, arrange the oysters on some crushed ice on a platter and serve.

10
Mar
12

Enzo’s Chorizo and Tomato Eggs

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Categories: Enzo's Recipes

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2 Roma tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1/2 Chorizo, sliced

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 tsp Tomato Paste

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Method:

Fry the chorizo in olive oil until brown 1 minute and remove and set aside. Add the onion and tomato paste and cook for a futher minute or two until softened add chopped tomato and a little water and let cook for a few minutes if it becomes to dry just a add a little more water and then add the chorizo back to the pan. Make some little wells and break an egg into each well and put a lid on the top and turn down the heat to low and cook until egg whites are set and yolks are still runny. Season to taste with salt and pepper

 

07
Mar
12

The Village, Potts Point

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Categories: Latest News and Restaurants & Bars

Breathing new life into the Potts Point scene, The Village is a new local favourite and
the perfect venue for any event. Sprawled across two levels and encompassing
three bars and an enviable courtyard, the venue can accommodate for up to 400
people despite its boutique feel. Exuding a style that can only be described as
‘casual luxury’, The Village complements its upmarket design with a flawlessly
devised menu that will leave even the hardest to please highly impressed.
A diverse and delectable food menu is complemented by an extensive cocktail list
that includes new recipes, old favourites and popular share jugs. The cuisine -
modern pub food with a strong Italian influence – is made with passion and served
with care by a kitchen team led by esteemed Chef Tristan Johnson. Modern
interpretations of old classics may be the heart and soul of this menu, but it’s the
fresh produce that distinguishes every dish beyond expectations. Quality sashimi is
available alongside Italian meatballs and pasta, baby beetroot salad and tiger prawn
pizza. As eclectic as the crowd that frequents The Village, there truly is something
for everyone.
To accompany a meal at The Village or to simply enjoy on their own, drinks have
been carefully selected to capture the spirit of modern Sydney drinking culture.
Influences from near and far, and a taste for every palette have inspired the
extensive list.  Wines hail from close regions of the Hunter Valley and Margaret
River, as well as foreign wine destinations in Italy, France and Argentina. House
cocktails are a twist on long-loved brews with elegant reinterpretations such as The
Village Mary, Mediterranean Margarita and Rum & Raisin Old Fashioned. Embracing
the sense of community established by The Village, cocktail share jugs are a
popular choice with Sangria, Pimm’s & Lemonade, and Passionfruit Caipirinha mixed
by bartenders with a wealth of experience. For those that love their ale, local and
imported bottled beers are available along with Tiger, Monteith’s Sparkling Ale and
Monteith’s Crushed Apple Cider all on tap.
As sundry as the menu options, the multifunctional capabilities of the venue allow
for an entirely new experience every visit. A main bar and dining space sits
adjacent to a bistro section, leading out onto the only true pub courtyard in Potts
Point. An outdoor bar and café-style seating make The Village’s courtyard a
fantastic place to enjoy a sunny afternoon. The Gold Room, a semi-private dining
space, is used for large dinner bookings and casual affairs. Tiled with beautiful gold,
this space has become a covetable area for smaller functions and birthday dinner
seatings. Extending up to a second floor, Upstairs at The Village boasts a balcony
with views over residential Potts Point and yet another bar.
A pub at its core, The Village charms with an informal bistro-style lunch and dinner
daily. As the night goes on, a bar atmosphere pre-empts the weekend club night,
Matches, held every Friday and Saturday upstairs from 10pm. And, with breakfast
launching in April, The Village truly is Sydney’s one-stop ultimate dining and
drinking experience at any time of the day or night.

06
Mar
12

Sean Connolly – Celebrity Chef

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Categories: Chefs Profiles

Sean Connolly is a man of many talents. His humble demeanor, generous nature, witty sense of humour and award winning talent in the kitchen and on screen has carved his career to become one of Australia’s most celebrated celebrity chefs.
His stellar career has seen him: at the helm of hatted restaurants, hosting award winning TV shows in Sydney, documentaries in New Zealand and cooking for some of the most influential people in the world. Recently he has started consulting on a number of new exciting food and wine ventures in Sydney as well as charming the socks off anyone he comes into contact with.
Sean’s passion for cooking started in his hometown of Yorkshire at the age of 13 but it’s where his passion has taken him over the years that is so interesting. In 2011 Sean, together with SKYCITY Auckland opened the doors to a multimillion-dollar restaurant in New Zealand called “The Grill by Sean Connolly”.
As if the challenge of setting up a new restaurant wasn’t enough. A six-part documentary called “Under The Grill” was filmed and watched by 1.6 million viewers, which is a hefty 39% of the entire country. This documented Sean’s journey, armed with a four million dollar budget and a 100 day deadline he was challenged to create a world-class restaurant from scratch.
In 2009 Sean hosted the award winning 13 part series on SBS called “My Family Feast”, a celebration of Australia’s love of multicultural food and family life. The show has since won best TV show at the 2010 Australian Food Media Awards, plus best TV series for food and wine culture at the world TV Food & Wine Festival.
The “My Family Feast” cookbook released to coincide with the launch of the series won best Celebrity Chef cook book in the world at the 2011 Paris book fair, beating international stars like Nigella Lawson.
From 1995 to 2010 Sean was the Executive Head Chef at Astral, situated at the top of the former Star City Casino. He steered Astral to receive five consecutive chefs hats from 2007 – 2011 and in 2008 Sean launched his namesake restaurant called Sean’s Kitchen in the same venue to much acclaim.
His passion for food, his clear technical ability and his easy social manner have seen him a favourite amongst charity event planners and he has undertaken many fund raising activities for organizations from The Benevolent Society to Table4Ten (supporting prostate cancer).
We expect his star to continue to rise. As Joanna Savill so eloquently remarked when naming Sean Connolly; Chef of the Year at the 2008 Sydney Morning Herald Chef of the Year Awards
“Blessed with sound technical wit, imagination and the intelligence not to try to hard, Connolly continues to entertain and please… and sheer bloody talent ensures that his star will continue to rise”.

Accolades
Inducted into the Australian Hotel Association Hall of Fame after winning Chef of the Year four years in a row
Chef of The Year, 2008 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Awards
Chef’s Hat, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Awards (Astral)
Chef of the Year, 2008 GQ Man of the Year Awards
One Star, Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 & 2011 (Astral)
Chef of the Year, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009, Australian Hotels Association NSW Awards for Excellence
Best Restaurant of the Year, 2007 & 2010 AHA NSW Awards (Astral)
Best Fine Dining Restaurant in a Hotel, Restaurant & Catering Awards for Excellence NSW & ACT 200

03
Mar
12

Enzo’s Stuffed Capsicums

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Categories: Enzo's Recipes
INGREDIENTS
  • 4 Red Peppers (Capsicums)
  • 4 cups of fresh breadcrumbs coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup grated parmigiano cheese
  • 1/2 cup pancetta
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper

METHOD

Preheat an oven to 180C.

Cut the top of the peppers just enough to remove the seeds from inside
pour equal amounts of red wine vinegar in each pepper and swish around to coat the inside.
Meanwhile while they sit marinating cook the onions in a little olive oil until soft and starting caramelise then add garlic and cook for a minute or so add pancetta and cook until starting to crisp and remove from heat let cool slightly and then add to breadcrumbs and remaining ingredients and mix to combine, should not be to runny if so add more breadcrumbs.
swish the vinegar once more inside the peppers and then spoon stuffing into peppers not compacting it to much and level it at the top.

Heat a fry pan until hot and add olive oil and place peppers with stuffing side down to seal the peppers, once browned lie them skin side down on a baking tray drizzle with a little olive oil and sea salt and bake for about 25 minutes, turning them as you go every 5 minutes.
NOTES & TIPS
These can be served hot or cold with a salad or with an Italian style tomato sauce. If you want to make it vegetarian just leave the pancetta out.
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