October Newsletter 2017

With the tours/cruises I host, we have some included meals, a balance between formal and informal dining, some lunch, some dinner. We opted for a special dinner in Rome, on our first night and it was a wonderful lasting memory.

I researched online and was not disappointed in my choice. Gastone and Franco Pierini founded Ristorante Moma overlooking the Via Veneto over 10 years ago. This is a modern, elegant restaurant with a contemporary interpretation of Roman and Italian cuisine. Service is of the same standard; slick and welcoming. While the approach is modern, prime ingredients reflect small artisanal traditions and vegetables come from their own garden.

First up, the bread baskets on the table were amazing with several different types of bread including authentic foccacia with tomato topping and dough which had been rolled thinly through a pasta machine before baking.

We had to choose prior as to whether we wanted the seafood or meat menu. Typically with such restaurants, though we had opted for three courses, rather than the tasting menu, there is always much more. All were given the amuse bouche, a wonder in three parts with strict instructions on which to eat first.

I chose the seafood menu and the entree (pictured) was stunning, also labour intensive but that’s why you go to a restaurant! The combined flavours worked really well. My main was “Risotto” mussels, leek and camomile, the latter being a dust on the top which worked really well.

The meat menu which began with Egg poché, amaranth, cheese fondue and pecorino cheese was pronounced stunning. The Mixed boiled beef “Mora romagnola” green sauce and vegetables comprised several different cuts of beef poached to softeness.

I know I have featured Calabria Family wines before, but I just can’t get over the value of some of the range at $15. They make wonderful everyday drinking wines. I had some really good house wines in Europe, especially in Spain where they tended to deliver well above their cost.

This Montepulciano is one such wine. While this is the name of a place in Italy, it is also the name of a red grape variety, now planted in Australia. I appreciate the savouriness of this wine, along with the dard red fruits and hint of spice and tannin structure which helps with food, but is not too grippy, rather soft and balanced.

Makes: approximately 30 truffles

Plastic Chocolate
500g Callebaut W2 white chocolate, melted
100g Callebaut cocoa butter, melted
150g glucose
20g white oil soluble colour (titanium dioxide)
50g water
Callebaut white chocolate truffle shells

Place the chocolate, cocoa butter, glucose and white colour in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture reaches an even consistency. Add the water and emulsify again. Pour the mixture onto a tray lined with plastic wrap and cover with a second sheet of plastic wrap. Allow the mixture to crystallise at 16?C for 24 hours.

To use the plastic chocolate, knead it with your hand to get an even consistency and softness. Store the plastic chocolate at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.

Milk Chocolate Honey Ganache
87g Bulla Pure Cream
20g Honey
½ tsp vanilla bean paste
150g Callebaut 823 Milk Couverture
300g Callebaut white chocolate W2, for dipping

Place the cream and honey in a saucepan, add in the vanilla bean paste and bring to a boil. Place the milk couverture in a bowl and pour the boiling cream over it. Whisk by hand until all the chocolate is melted and combined with the cream to create a ganache. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the ganache. Leave at room temperature until it cools. Transfer the prepared ganache into a piping bag and pipe it into each of the truffle shells, filling to the top.

Temper the white chocolate and add in the titanium dioxide, mixing together until fully incorporated. Transfer some of the chocolate to a paper piping cone and pipe a small amount of the chocolate on top to seal the truffle shells. Stick the lollipop sticks into the base of the truffles immediately before the chocolate sets. Once the chocolate sets, dip each truffle shell into the tempered white chocolate and place onto a lollipop stand or stick into a polystyrene base.
Ghost Eyes and Mouth
50g Callebaut 2815 Dark Couverture

Temper the dark chocolate and transfer to a paper piping cone. Pipe a small amount of the chocolate in the shape of eyes and a mouth onto a piece of baking paper or a guitar sheet on top of a baking tray. Allow to cool.

Assembly
QS  cornflour or corn starch, for dusting
50g Callebaut W2 White Chocolate

Lightly dust the top of the bench with cornflour. Roll out the plastic chocolate to a round shape 10-13cm and 2-3mm thickness. Temper the white chocolate and transfer some to a paper piping cone. Pipe a small amount of the chocolate on top of the truffle shells to ensure the plastic chocolate sticks to the shell. Cover the outside of the truffle shell with the plastic chocolate and create the desire ghost shape by immediately curving it with your hand. Finally stick the eyes and the mouth onto the body of the ghost, securing with the tempered chocolate. Leave the plastic chocolate until it sets completely.

Preheat the oven to 170?C. Mix the butter, caster sugar and brown sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until the butter is fully incorporated. Add the eggs, vanilla and peanut butter and continue mixing. Sieve the flour and baking powder together into a bowl. Add the sieved dry ingredients to the mixture and lastly add the chopped chocolate chips. Remove from the stand mixer.

For each cookie, weigh out 40g of the dough and roll into balls. Place each ball onto a baking tray lined with baking paper, leaving space between each cookie to allow for spreading. Lightly press down on each ball. Bake at 170 ?C for 10 minutes.

Remove the cookies from the oven and using a teaspoon, make a small dent in the middle of each cookie while they’re still warm. This will allow the spider to sit on top of the cookie. Cool the cookies at room temperature.

Place the cream and honey in a saucepan, add in the vanilla bean paste and bring to a boil. Place the milk couverture in a bowl and pour the boiling cream over it. Whisk by hand until all the chocolate is melted and combined with the cream to create a ganache. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the ganache. Leave at room temperature until it cools. Transfer the prepared ganache into a piping bag and pipe it into each of the truffle shells, filling to the top.

Temper the milk chocolate and transfer to a paper piping cone. Pipe some of the chocolate on top of the truffle shells to seal them. Once the chocolate sets, place a toothpick into the base of each truffle and dip the shell into the tempered milk chocolate. Tap the shell on the surface of the chocolate to create surface tension and remove any excess chocolate. Wipe the base of the truffle on the side of the bowl and carefully place the shell onto a sheet of baking paper on a baking tray, twisting the toothpick to remove it. Allow to set.

Temper the dark couverture and add in the titanium dioxide, mixing together until fully incorporated. Transfer some of the dark chocolate to a paper piping cone and pipe a small amount of the chocolate into a half sphere mould. Allow to set.

Temper the white chocolate and add in the titanium dioxide, mixing together until fully incorporated. Transfer some of the white chocolate to a paper piping cone and pipe a small amount of the chocolate on top of the dark chocolate, covering it. Allow to set.

Ferris Wheel Dinning is back for it’s second year in Sydney. The Deck and Luna Park Sydney have once again joined forces to host the Ferris Wheel Dining experience which takes guests on a 3-course degustation journey with matching wines whilst they enjoy spectacular of Sydney. 

Where: Luna Park – 1 Olympic drive milsons point
When: Only Sunday’s from 5th November – 25th March
Tickets: $399 per carriage which accommodate 2 guests

For more information or to purchase a carriage click here.

This year’s Tasmanian White Wine Weekend is on this weekend featuring over 50 wines from wineries and vineyards from throughout Tasmania, with wine classes, food, live music. Understandably the varieties are those the island does best: Sparkling, Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Grigio, Rosé  (strictly speaking red, but made like a white!) and some other less known varieties.

Where: Princes Wharf No 1 – Castray Esplanade, Hobart
When: Saturday 28th – Sunday 29th October
Time: 12am – 5pm

To get more information or see which wineries and vineyards will be there click here.