Not Eating Out in Canberra
Thursday, 19 November 2009 by Dr Maytel
And really its not by choice. I love eating out. But Canberra is a different story. Bar a handful of places there is really no point eating out here. Almost all restaurants here are over priced and poor quality.
So our new hobby is recreating restaurant experiences at home. Something not hard when your husband is a chef.
The other night....Maytel's and Hock's Izakaya
including...umeboshi and chervil grilled chicken breast...this was super easy to make, just thinly slice chicken breast...dip in shoyu and grill. When just cooked dab mushed umeboshi on and sprinkle with chervil
mustard pickle rice...also very easy...fry minced pickled mustard in a little oil. Add rice, fry a little longer and season with some scant drops of soy.
fried eggplant in dashi sauce..soak kombu and dashi in soy sauce. Fry eggplant and when soft dip in dashi and serve
Potatos and shitake in foil....put parboiled potato in some foil with some shitake and a few drops of soy...bake and then season with pepper and chili flakes
Next up...Casa del Hock et Maytel's paella
For this I basically followed SBS's Food Safari advice and wah -la
Brasserie Hock et Maytel
Saffron Risotto with spinach and pan-seared snapper with capers
H&M Trattoria
Fish with a herby crust, oysters and salad
So far its been a good learning experience. I can now also cook excellent Indian takeaways. But really in any decent city, one shouldn't have to.
So our new hobby is recreating restaurant experiences at home. Something not hard when your husband is a chef.
The other night....Maytel's and Hock's Izakaya
including...umeboshi and chervil grilled chicken breast...this was super easy to make, just thinly slice chicken breast...dip in shoyu and grill. When just cooked dab mushed umeboshi on and sprinkle with chervil
mustard pickle rice...also very easy...fry minced pickled mustard in a little oil. Add rice, fry a little longer and season with some scant drops of soy.
fried eggplant in dashi sauce..soak kombu and dashi in soy sauce. Fry eggplant and when soft dip in dashi and serve
Potatos and shitake in foil....put parboiled potato in some foil with some shitake and a few drops of soy...bake and then season with pepper and chili flakes
Next up...Casa del Hock et Maytel's paella
For this I basically followed SBS's Food Safari advice and wah -la
Brasserie Hock et Maytel
Saffron Risotto with spinach and pan-seared snapper with capers
H&M Trattoria
Fish with a herby crust, oysters and salad
So far its been a good learning experience. I can now also cook excellent Indian takeaways. But really in any decent city, one shouldn't have to.
Something tells me you need to investigate job opportunities in Japan.
The paella looks phat -- let's do one in NZ!
The risotto looks eerily reminiscent of a Bed meal. And I can't help but mention the fact that Hock made fun of me when I told him that I'd made the same fish and caper dish (perhaps it's because I referred it as poisson Grenobloise?).
I wouldn't mind visiting H&M Trattoria one day...
Know exactly what you mean about recreating such things, we specialise in ExE Mexican/Thai/UrbanSaladBar and also a little hippy North American bakery I like to refer to as "my place"
Great idea, might have to entice the wife to do the same.