Don't Forget Flowers For Mother's Day!!

Make sure you treat Mum this Sunday - just a gentle reminder for you all.

Autumn Has Arrived

All the leaves are falling at this time of year!

One of our new creations for the season.

Chocovic Tarakan Mousse With Pear Gel & Walnut Cream

Preserving the best pears around.

The season gives us the chance to introduce exotic fruits from North Australia to our menus.

Summer is over, and a new season is upon us. We have been enjoying the change of temperature here in Melbourne and we are excited about the produce that is now available to us. Out go berries, stone fruits and light desserts and in come orchard fruits, heartier dishes and fantastic exotic fruits from the north of country. We have been putting to good use the beautiful pears around at the moment and have come up with a dish pairing chocolate, pear, and nuts. Really wonderful combinations and a beautiful way to finish a superb meal. Something we really look forward to in the cooler months in Victoria is the chance to try out the amazing tropical fruits from Queensland, the lucky people up there seem to have sunshine all year round and as such top quality produce comes down to brighten our menus. Finger limes are fantastic and the fruit resembles caviar like pearls of citrus. They make wonderful garnishes on lighter style desserts and we are working hard to use them in a unique and progressive way. Stay tuned for our updates on this and other seasonal produce we are working with.

Congratulations..........NOMA - World's Best Restaurant 2010

Well the list is in and the honours go to the talented Rene Redzepi and his team at Noma, well done! We can't wait to get over there ourselves and see what all the fuss is about. Here is the full list.......

1. Noma, Denmark
2. El Bulli, Spain
3. The Fat Duck, UK
4. El Cellar de Can Roca, Spain
5. Mugaritz, Spain
6. Osteria Francenesca, Italy
7. Alinea, USA
8. Daniel, USA
9. Arzak, Spain
10. Per Se, USA
11. Le Chateaubriand, France
12. Le Colombe, South Africa
13. Pierre Gagnaire, France
14. Hotel de Ville, Switzerland
15. Le Bernardin, USA
16. L'Astrance, France
17. Hof van Cleve, Belgium
18. D.O.M., Brasil
19. Oud Sluis, Holland
20. Le Calandre, Italy
21. Steirereck, Austria
22. Vendome, Germany
23. Chez Dominique, Finland
24. Les Creations de Narisawa, Japan
25. Mathias Dahlgren, Sweden
26. Momofuku Ssam Bar, USA
27. Quay, Australia
28. Iggy's, Singapore
29. L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, France
30. Schloss Schauenstein, Switzerland
31. Le Quartier Francais, France
32. The French Laundry, USA
33. Martin Berasategui, Spain
34. Aqua, Germany
35. Combal Zero, Italy
36. Dal Pescatore, Italy
37. De Libriji, Holland
38. Tetsuya's, Australia
39. Jaan par Andre, Singapore
40. Il Canto, Italy
41. Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenee, France
42. Oaxen Krog, Sweden
43. St. John, UK
44. La Maison Troisgros, France
45. wd~50, USA
46. Biko, Mexico
47. Die Schwarzwaldstube, Germany
48. Nihonryori, RyuGin, Japan
49. Hibiscus, UK
50. Eleven Madison Park, USA

There you go, do you agree? Any notable omissions? More on this and the Aussie contribution to the world scene later on this week.

Food Photography - What We Have Been Snapping Lately

Ian getting it just right!

Image of after dinner treats.

A fun dish we have been working on - unfinished yet!

Very arty!

Cool shot of confit lime zest.

Mini chocolate 'bombs' with salted caramel.

Aerated Chardonnay chocolate.

Chocolate 'magnum'

Everyone's at it! Here is Sharlee Gibb, program manager for the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival!

As you know we take a keen interest in photography, especially on our favourite subject....Food! This is what we have been looking at through the lens in the last few weeks. It's great fun and saves us money employing a professional to record our visual library of dishes and creations.

A Couple More............Whoops, we forgot to post!!

All done for another year!! Look out though for more of our chocolate flowers soon!! Thanks for reading guys.

MFWF Review 3 - Theatre Of Ideas With Mugaritz IMAGES

Chef Andoni describing calcium oxide, and its uses in his cuisine.

Stunning dessert that showcases Mugaritz' unique style and wit.

Matt Preston hosted the event and was able to help the audience understand a little bit about the significance of Chef Andoni's food.

Salsifi cooked in the calcium oxide to produce a self pureeing vegetable. Their food photography is some of the best we have seen.

A packed house is entertained and informed.

The dessert being explained by Andoni and prepared by Javier Bergara (in picture) and Leire Extaide (out of shot).

Dan Hunter - one of Mugaritz' favourite sons, moderates the event. 

Interaction from the chef to the audience kept everyone entertained.

When a vegetable is cut and immersed in the calcium oxide solution, it's pectins react and forms a gel on the outside of the fruit/veg. This is then baked at a low temperature and the steam cannot escape through the gel. This causes the inside of the ingredient to almost puree inside itself giving rise to a unique texture. The picture is of Jerusalem artichoke cooked in this manner which gives way to the appearance of crab.

Ian & Darren were lucky enough to spend some time with the guys from Mugaritz and it was inspirational learning from the humble approach to life and cooking. We helped in some prep for this class and the offer was extended to us to visit the new Mugaritz. We cannot wait to visit San Sebastian and experience the cuisine and hospitality of Andoni, Javier and Leire. Thanks to all three for your humility and passion.

 

Visit Mugaritz at http://www.mugaritz.com/index.html

EASTER 2010

We hope you had a fun, chocolate filled Easter! Here are some of our Easter creations for this year.