France

Just a quick little note to explain my lack of posting lately. I am currently in Europe for six weeks and before that was just slightly manic getting ready for my trip, battling a bout of bronchitis and finishing up things at work!

My holiday has a number of different, equally exciting, parts. Some time in beautiful Paris, a quick trip to vibrant Barcelona then back to Paris to join the Cruise for Mates Avalon river cruise through France. The final part of my trip will be two weeks in Provence staying in a gorgeous villa. I hope to do some posts whilst I am here though the Wifi situation will influence that somewhat. You can also now follow me on Instagram - a link is on the top right of this page. 

Au revoir. 

Fig, Goat's Cheese and Prosciutto

My sister's friend passed on this recipe a few months ago and I have been obsessed with it ever since.  This is a simple, delicious appetiser.  Just three beautiful ingredients - very easy and tasty. 

Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees.  Trim and halve your figs. 

Dollop on a generous amount of goat's cheese.

Wrap the fig and cheese in a thin slice of prosciutto.  I generally halve the prosciutto slices - half is usually wide enough.

Place the wrapped figs on a tray lined with baking paper and bake for 15-20 minutes. 

The end result - soft gooey figs, creamy cheese and crisp prosciutto. An impressive, delicious outcome for little effort.

Enjoy!

Mornington Peninsula

As I have mentioned before it doesn't feel like summer if I don't spend some time on the Mornington Peninsula.  This year a relaxing break included lots of time sitting on the deck doing this..

and watching this..

and gazing at this..

We visited some wineries for tastings but as the designated driver I was more interested in the gorgeous vineyard surrounds.

At Paringa Estate these cute guys completely captivated my attention as I watched them waddle around.

The magnificent view from Tuck's Ridge

 

And lastly the view from Red Hill Estate winery.  It was a very hot day so I was standing in the cool shade.  Love the glimpse of the ocean in the distance.


So, lots of clear blue skies, endless ocean, gorgeous views and sunsets.  And, of course, some yummy food!

 

Cafe Jett
197 Point Nepean Road
Dromana 3936


Cafe Jett is opposite the beach at Dromana not far from Pier Street.  Offering the usual cafe fare of burgers, wraps and all day breakfast we all enjoyed our meals however I think my Dukkah toast was the pick of the bunch.  Delicious!

 

That's beetroot on (and in) the ciabatta ;)

L'Aqua
173 Point Nepean Road
Dromana 3936

A little bit further down the road is L'Aqua.  There was a large group of us lunching at L'Aqua and so we got to try a wide selection of the menu.  Everyone enjoyed their meals, though I found my Thai prawn salad to be a bit bland and boring.  I didn't write down what everyone had but the pictures are pretty self explanitory.

 

One of our group got the "Stonegrill".  The super hot stone is delivered to the table with your choice of salmon or meat and then you cook it yourself. One way of making sure your meat or fish is cooked to your liking!





So, that concludes my 2013 Mornington Peninsula post.  I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed reliving my summer holiday :)

Mr Hive Kitchen & Bar - MFWF Restaurant Express

Mr Hive Kitchen & Bar
8 Whiteman Street
Southbank 3006 

I love the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival Restaurant Express lunches.  The deal is 2 courses and a glass of wine for $40. There are many participating restaurants and it is a great way to try a restaurant without a huge financial outlay.  This year I only had time for one lunch so chose Mr Hive Kitchen & Bar which has been on my 'list' for awhile.  It is located in the Crown Casino complex in the space previously occupied by Gordon Ramsay's Maze.  Entry is via the Crown Metropol Hotel.    

The restaurant decor carries through the 'bee hive' theme.

We began with delicious bread and salted butter.  There were a number of wines to choose from including a sparkling.  I had the Yarra Ridge Sauvignon Blanc which was lovely and crisp.

Jicama ravioli / avocado / pistachio

My friend and I decided to share an entree and dessert to try as much of the menu as possible.  The two entrees on offer were Smoked Rainbow Trout, potato, cucumber, celery or Jicama ravioli, avocado, pistachio.  We chose the ravioli but I have to admit we had to ask what Jicama was first!!  Turns out it is root vegetable that looks like a turnip.  

The salad is served cold and the ravioli is actually very thin slices of Jicama filled with the avocado mixture.  It was light, fresh, different and quite tasty but it didn't overly excite me and is probably not something I would rush to order again.

Ora King Salmon / peas / asparagus

The two options for mains were "Black Angus" flat iron (300g), black miso, shitake salad served medium or Pan fried Ora King Salmon, peas, asparagus.  We both chose the salmon which was divine.  Beautifully cooked, with a deliciously crispy skin it was a lovely dish.

Dessert was Summer berry Eton mess or Mrs Hive's chocolate bar, peanuts, caramel.  I have previously had Mr Hive's Eton Mess at Taste of Melbourne 2012 and whilst it was delicious we were very keen to try the chocolate bar.

Chocolate bar / peanuts / caramel

The chocolate bar was every bit as good as it looks though it was very rich and dense and I would struggle to finish it alone.  The peanut butter ice cream was lovely and helped cut through the richness.

Our meal concluded with tea or coffee.  Despite this being an express lunch we weren't rushed which was nice.

Shed 5

Shed 5
37 Dukes Walk
South Wharf Promenade
South Wharf 3006

Shed 5 is a modern Greek/Mediterranean restaurant in the South Wharf restaurant precinct.  South Wharf is a short walk over the Seafarers Bridge from the WTC Wharf precinct.  Shed 5 is literally located in one of the old cargo sheds on the Yarra River. Renovated of course!  DFO and the Hilton Hotel are neighbours as are a number of restaurants and bars. 

Setting sun giving the city a beautiful glow!

I dined at Shed 5 with my sisters on a beautiful summer night. To start we shared some entrees.

Fava Puree - Fried Chickpeas, Shallot, Hazelnuts $8

I'm afraid my picture does not do the Fava Puree justice.  It was divine.  Creamy and soft then topped with gorgeous crunchy chickpeas and hazelnuts.  I would return to Shed 5 for this dish alone!  We ordered some Pita Bread to dip.  

N'Duja & Mozzarella Croquettes - Oregano & Rosemary Aioli $4ea

The croquettes were delicious.  N'Duja is a spicy, spreadable pork sausage.  The inside of the croquette was soft and gooey.  The outside crisp and crunchy.  Perfect.  The aioli was the perfect accompaniment.

Saganaki Cheese - Grilled Onions & Roasted Peppers $16

The saganaki was lovely.  Salty cheese with sweet onions and peppers - a great combination.

Bannockburn Half Chicken - Zucchini and Haloumi Fritters $32

For main I had the Bannockburn Half Chicken.  A large serve but delicious.  Cooked in the wood oven the skin was beautifully crispy and the meat juicy and succulent.  The fritters were an interesting addition and very tasty.

Slow Roasted Lamb Neck - Dates, Pinenuts, Capers $32

My sisters both ordered the lamb and were very happy with their meal.  The meat was beautifully tender and melted in your mouth.

Spring Village Salad - Peppers, Olives, Green Beans, Barrel Aged Feta $13

Potato Fries - Bay Leaves, Chilli, Rosemary, Garlic $8

We ordered salad and potato fries to enjoy with our mains.  Nice classic flavour combinations.

Almond Praline & Honey Semifreddo, Apricot Sorbet, Berries $12

We were quite full by this stage so just ordered a dessert to share.  It was fine with a nice contrast of flavours.


Shed 5 was a lovely dining experience.  I look forward to returning.