Archive for May, 2007Some time ago Scott from Grods Corp annointed me with the Thinking Bloggers Award (thanks Scott). In keeping with the spirit of the award, I spent a long time One of the reasons for my delay is that I know memes can somtimes be a pain in the proverbial. While I think the idea behind this one is great, and I wanted to celebrate the blogs that I enjoy, I also didn’t want to burden them… anyway, blah, blah, blah, a couple of weeks later, I decided to list some of my favourites but make it clear it’s obligation free and they don’t have to keep up the meme if they don’t want to. The meme works as follows: 1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think, Here are my choices: The Old Foodie: Every day the old foodie publishes a food related story that has a link to a historically significant event from that day. It might be the birth or death of someone who left an impact on food, a recipe associated with an annual holiday, or a reference to food by a historical figure. As much as I enjoy food blogging, it can tend towards homogenity, with a never-ending cycle of food events, recipes and infinity background photos. I love the fact that the old foodie avoids this side of food blogging altogether, and concentrates on producing a completely unique blog, with posts that are intriguing, charming, interesting and thoroughly researched. Limes and Lycopenes: Kathryn is a vegetarian food blogger who actually knows what she is talking about. Straddling the worlds of naturopathy and journalism, she writes with authority about nutrition, food and current health debates. I learn something new every time I read her blog, and love the fact that she brings a broader political perspective to the food blogosphere. Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once: There are some food blogs that leave me bewildered at the writer’s energy. I can’t believe they find the time to cook fabulous food, take beautiful photos, write informative posts, research new food products and still manage to have a life outside the Internet. Haalo’s blog fits squarely in this category. She’s indefatigible, creative, talented and inspiring, and one of Australia’s best food bloggers to boot. Oikos: Everything I know about enivornmental economics I’ve learnt from this blog. Dave is a great writer and a clear thinker. He doesn’t accept common wisdom - he questions it - but always in an open and entertaining manner. With so much emotion, fear and propaganda encircling environmental issues, it’s always a pleasure to read Dave’s blog and get a fresh perspective. Crazybrave - the arrival of a new baby has left things a little quieter on the crazybrave front, which just makes me realise how much I miss Zoe. Political, sassy, funny and eclectic, crazybrave is awesome and always makes me wish my blog had more of those qualities.
V Rating: VVV I have a theory that there are some restaurants the universe prevents me from reviewing. I’ll visit them time after time, but scandal, bacchanalian excess, or forgetfulness always conspire to stop me from getting my thoughts in to a post. The problem is most acute for two of my mainstay restaurants in Bondi, Thai Terrific and Bondi Social. Determined not to fall victim to this curse again, I made a concerted effort to bring my camera and notebook last time we visited Bondi Social. Bondi Social is a stylish first floor restaurant and bar in the heritage listed (and oddly named) Cairo Mansions complex on Campbell Parade. It’s one of my favourite spots in Sydney to while away time. I liked it so much that Andy and I had our engagement party here in 2005. The interior designer of Bondi Social got that the restaurant’s biggest asset is its best on the beach-front view of Bondi Beach, and kept the stylings welcoming but minimalist. There are polished wooden floors, benches and tables that seem to flow into each other, and white walls. The room, which was formerly an apartment, is small but cleverly one side wall is lined with mirrors so that it reflects the view and create the illusion that you’re looking out of windows. About a year ago Bondi Social moved to a Modern Australian tasting menu concept. The dinner dishes are stil loosely themed as starters, entrees and mains, but you receive the dishes in smaller portions at the same time and are intended to share them with everyone at the table. There were three of us for dinner, and we ended up ordering five dishes. All the dishes are about the size of a tapas plate, so you’re better to err towards ordering more rather than fewer.
We started with the marinated olives (cutely served in a glass) and the beetroot, honey and lemon thyme dip with Turkish bread.
We shared sauteed green beans with macadamia nuts and spanish onion.
I liked the baked artichoke hearts with aged parmesan and sage. The artichoke flesh was soft and favourful, with each layer holding its shape.
The asparagus, haloumi, goats cheese, and fresh fig was also a hit. The fresh figs were the star of this dish, adding a lovely, soft pink colour, and a cool, sweet taste. It’s a pleasure to find a Modern Australian restaurant that provides a selection of vegetarian dishes. With such great, fresh produce in Australia, it’s a real bugbear of mine that Modern Australian chefs treat vegetables as no more than a garnish or an accompaniment to meat, poultry or seafood.
V Rating: Super V Badde Manors is a much-loved vegetarian cafe at the Sydney University end of Glebe Point Road. Arranged on an acute corner, it’s hard to miss with windows and walls flying out in all directions, and a shop sign featuring a large bronze sculpture of two cherubs proudly flanking a coffee machine. Inside, there are deep red walls, old fashioned wooden chairs, and tables with peeling paint. The cafe is brimming with nooks and crannies to lose yourself in. Combined with the art deco light fittings, mirrors and hexagonal tables, grainy black and white and sepia photos, and precarious stacks of second hand books, you almost feel like you’ve stepped into the parlour of an eccentric aunt or an artlessly bohemian university pad. The patrons are equally eclectic. On Saturdays it’s over-flowing with people, perhaps because it’s just over the road from the fabulous and busy Glebe markets. There are students, academics, goths, artists and Glebe locals. It’s the kind of place that provokes right-wing columnists to sneer about green-voting, latte-sipping inner west types, which is just another reason to love it. Badde Manors is a cafe rather than restaurant. The house specialities are European cakes, home made gelati and sorbet, and some unusual hot drinks (I have it on good authority that the sahlep is highly memorable). I like the fact that it doesn’t make a big deal about being vegetarian, or rely on this as it’s only selling point. There are also unpretentious light snacks and more substantial dishes, for example foccacia and Turkish bread sandwiches, ‘authentic’ bagels, daily soup, pasta and mains specials. It is vegetarian, but makes an effort to include some vegan choices. Although I liked the sound of the bagel with mushroom pate, grilled haloumi, fresh tomatoes and spinach, but chose to have the chef’s special salad of the day. It came with iceberg lettuce, corn, cucumber, tempeh and tomato. It wasn’t an exciting dish, but it made a healthy, satisfying lunch. Badde Manors has been a Glebe fixture for over twenty years. It has a strong sense of community, and is famous as the birthplace of the Cafe of the Gate of Salvation, Sydney’s popular non-denominational gospel choir. A great place to savour cakes, coffee, and conversation, any visit to Badde Manors is usually memorable. |
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