Week 10: Malaysia

Friday 27 September 2013

Week 10: Malaysia -  A melting pot of spice and flavour

I have never been to Malaysia, but I do have an intimate connection with the place. In 2011, we adopted an orang-utan through the WWF. His name is Koyan, and he lives in the oldest rainforest in the world (130 million years old, older than the Amazon and the Congo) . It is devastating that the orang-utan's habitat is being destroyed, displaced by the lucrative palm oil industry, which is the highest yielding and cheapest oil per hectare on our planet. This rainforest is also home to the world's largest flower, the Rafflesia, which can weigh up to 10kg, and the world's longest stick insect (longer than an adult's arm). A huge effort by organisations like the WWF is being undertaken to protect the forest and all its threatened treasures.

Speaking of treasures, about 7km to the east of the Brisbane CBD, we found a little gem called Satay Ria Malaysian Restaurant.  It is located in a shopping plaza in Cannon Hill. Never was there a cannon on a hill in Cannon Hill. Rather, in 1868, a land surveyor noted two dead tree stumps that resembled a cannon, and that surveying landmark gave the suburb its name.

Satay Ria has earned numerous awards for their authentic Malaysian cuisine, which is strongly influenced by its historic trading partners and neighbouring countries. Often described as spicy and flavourful, the Malaysians rely on fresh herbs and spices to create the texture, taste and colour that is key to their style of cooking: daun kemangi (type of basil), daun kesum (laksa leaf), kunyit (turmeric), nutmeg, wild ginger, coriander, star anise and fenugreek, together with chili, all mixed into a paste, form the foundation of most curries. Rice, noodles and bread (roti) are staples, and given that Malaysia is a country with 878 islands, seafood features prominently. A speciality on the menu is the Chilli Crab. You actually choose a live crab from a fish tank located near the entrance to the kitchen, and 15 minutes later you are guaranteed to have sticky fingers, stains on your shirt and a huge smile on your face. So here we go: Jemput makan! (please eat!)

The menu was overwhelming....over 100 dishes to choose from. We steered towards the conservative in our food selection, heeding Mr Scoville's SHU's (see Jamaica blog week 8).  To start, we shared satay chicken skewers, a seafood Laksa, tofu goreng with a shrimp paste sauce  and a Malaysian style pork spring roll with sweet/sour dipping sauce. This was a feast. Noticing our endless trouble dividing the laksa....noodles flying all over the table..... the owner, Raymond Lee (one of 92,337 Malaysians living in Australia), came to the rescue and masterfully dished up five individual bowls for us, fearing we might break another beer glass....Phil! For mains, there were Martina's King Prawns with Assam Sauce, Phil's Beef Rendang curry, Keith's Hung Po Fish, Nielen's Roti curry and my Malaysian chicken. I really enjoy the flavours of this cuisine: lemongrass, kaffir limes, ginger, cumin, coconut milk and coriander, spiced up with your preference of chili heat. What is not to like? By now the restaurant was packed (mostly Malaysian families), noise levels high, and the atmosphere festive. We had a fabulous Friday Night Out! Only one rule was broken last night (see week 1 blog)...and Boetie broke it, simply for not being there!

Driving home, we delighted in our adventurous spirit, and how privileged we are to have all these amazing cuisines on our doorstep. Next week we shall continue our food safari, and taste the treats of Turkey.

King Prawn with Assam Sauce

Malaysian Chicken Curry

 Seafood Laksa

Kung Po Fish

 Owner Raymond Lee 

Week 9: France

20 September 2013

Week 9: France   Haven for Food and Wine Enthusiasts

We've been to some interesting places, and experienced extraordinary dishes, however I have been yearning for something familiar. Flavours that sit more comfortably on my palate. Ingredients that resonate with my desire to satisfy my senses. Food one can enjoy, not because you are hungry, but because it is masterfully prepared, artistically presented and offers somewhat of an intellectual challenge. And most of all, food that can be seamlessly complemented and enhanced by wine. What better place to go than France.

The foundation of French cooking is technique. Whether you are preparing a  mirepoix as base flavours for your bouilion, deglazing the pan for a rich jus, barding or larding a beautiful cut of meat or simply whisking and folding eggwhites to produce a fluffy soufflé, it requires some degree of skill and an understanding  of what it is you are trying to achieve. To the French, the process is as important as the end result. And so are the ingredients. In France, every road leads to splendid food. Just think of the chickens from Bresse, the butter from Normandy, the Grenoble walnuts and Dijon mustard. Fundamentally, France is regionally based cuisine. Food is produced where conditions are best suited for premium quality. The concept of terroir applies as much to food as it does to wine.

If you want to eat your way through France, then C'est Bon is a good place to start.

This gorgeous little French restaurant is tucked away in the suburb Woolloongabba, 4km south of the Brisbane CBD. Woolloongabba means "fight talk place" in aboriginal language....maybe that is why Australia's famous cricket ground, The Gabba, was built here! There was no fighting talk last night, as we were transported to food heaven. From the complimentary amuse-bouche (feather light choux pastry with a gruyere filling) on arrival, to the crepe suzettes to conclude, the meal was authentically French. As is the interior, with red leather bistro-style benches, frosted glass panels for privacy, glistening chandeliers,  crisp white tablecloths, crystal wine glasses and charming French waiting staff. Already I felt right at home. Bon appetite!

As a starter, I ordered the soupe a l'oignon, hidden under the most perfect puff pastry crust, followed by the lapin aux figues, surely the most delicious rabbit casserole I have ever tasted. Nielen had the ravioli de fruit de mer ( a mixed seafood soufflé encased in pasta sheets, topped with a lobster cognac sauce) and then  canard l'orange. Boetie started with 6 escargot in a garlic and parsley sauce, followed by Coq au Riesling ( a clever white wine coq au vin). Keith loved his presse de tomate (confit of tomatoes, basil, caramelised onions, tapenade and spinach with a drizzle of basil oil) and then broke the "Friday Night  Out" rules (see week 1 blog) by also ordering the rabbit. Phil and Matrina shared the evening with us, and I honestly cannot remember what they had, but it looked delicious! At this stage of the evening, after a bottle of Louis Roederer  and an elegant Santenay pulsating through my ancestral Huguenot blood, I was simply sitting back and quietly praising the French for all things French.

There is a lot to praise the French for: cinematography (the first ever screening of a film was in Paris on 28 Dec 1895), the taxi ( the first taxi was in Paris, 1640), the bicycle (1864), the scooter (1902) and the helicopter (1907),  the spirit-level (1661) dry-cleaning and the hair-dryer.... to name but a few.

We also learnt that it is illegal in France to name a pig "Napoleon" ; that the face of the Statue of Liberty is modelled after the sculptor's mother; and in 1685, Louis XIV decreed  "The length of handkerchiefs shall equal their width throughout my Kingdom", and that is why all handkerchiefs are square.

The most alarming fact about France (now, this one I cannot fathom, given the fact that they have all things French), is that 25% of the population take tranquilizers. Another glass of wine, rather?

I look forward to visiting C'est Bon again.   But that will have to wait another 42 weeks, as we work our way through the culinary diversity of Brisbane. Next week:  Malaysia

(Note: Owner/Chef  of C'est Bon , Michel Bonnet,  originally from Burgundy, recently published a new book: "A Million Meals A Million Miles". Worth having.)

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Week 8: Jamaica

13 September 2013


Week 8:  XAYMACA, the land of wood and water.

To put our Jamaican experience into perspective, I need to tell you about Wilbur Scoville:
In 1912, Wilbur Scoville  took it upon himself to invent a scale to compare the spicy heat of chili peppers.  The chili's "Scoville Heat Units" (SHU) will determine where it sits on the scale. For example, the green pepper or capsicum we use in salads has a SHU of zero (no spicy heat), whereas the jalapeno pepper has a heat rating of 8,000. Let's leave that there for the moment.

Our Jamaican adventure takes us to Jamroc Jamaican in Fortitude Valley, a suburb 1km to the east of the city. It was established in 1886 by Scottish immigrants who arrived on the ship SS Fortitude. In the early 1900, it was a thriving shopping precinct with supermarkets, department stores and flourishing small businesses. The 1960's  saw the rise of the suburban shopping centre and the closure of the tram network. This was the death knell for The Valley as it soon fell into urban decay and disrepute as it devolved into a hub for illegal gambling and brothels. Urban renewal started in the late 80's, and today it is a major entertainment destination with night clubs, bars, restaurants, live music venues.....and of course designer shopping (coming full circle!)

The traditional jerk seasoning of Jamaican cuisine has two principal ingredients: Pimento (Allspice)and the Scotch Bonnet pepper (also known as the Boab Bonnet), with cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, thyme and garlic added to the mix for flavour complexity. The  jerk seasoning can be applied to meat (mostly chicken) as a dry rub or a wet marinade. At Jamroc Jamaican, whatever dish you choose, comes on a scale from "Chill Out" on the mild end,  to "Rasta Revenge" at the other extreme. Most of us settled somewhere in the middle for "Hot Affair". We ordered some jerk chicken wings and chicken kebabs to share while deciding on our mains. They looked delicious, beautifully flame-grilled with just the right amount of char. We soon were elbow deep in jerk sauce, in weekend mode, and into sharing our Jamaican facts. But it was as though someone, without any warning,  switched off the sound, as we all sat there, on our little red, yellow and green stools, huddled around  our table in this tiny restaurant that can seat no more than 10 people, speechless, gasping for air. Keith was in such obvious discomfort that I nearly dialled 000 for paramedic intervention. Nielen,  Boet and Olivia were stunned into silence for what seemed to be forever before a gush of omg's  were expleted.  Lani, Betsie and Ophelia could well have been mourning the loss of an old friend as tears were uncontrollably rolling down their cheeks....and this was only after the starter!

Back to Mr Scoville: he gave the Jamaican Scotch Bonnet a value of 1,000,000 SHU (yes, one million!)  If we struggled to handle the "Hot Affair", can you imagine the wrath of the "Rasta Revenge"? Having had our senses muted, the mains all appeared to be quite benign: Brown Stew Chicken, Oxtail in Broad Beans, Goat Curry and the Kingston, Montego, Mandeville and Hungry Rasta jerk chicken burgers. Disturbingly,  the Scotch Bonnet is not the spiciest chili on the planet. That honour goes to the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion pepper, with an SHU of 2,000,000.

Under assault of the Scotch Bonnet, we still managed to share our wisdoms on the history of Jamaican Art;  the Rastas , their belief that they are the lost tribe of Israel, the importance of cannabis(tree of life) for its natural consciousness exalting properties, and their desire to return to the promised land (Ethiopia);  Ian Fleming, his house "Goldeneye" in Kingston where he wrote 10 of his 007 novels, and how secret agent James Bond got his name (the book "Guide to the Birds of the West Indies" by James  Bond just happened to be lying next to Ian when he had to name his hero)......and a fascinating fact about the Jamaican flag: did you know that it is the only flag in the world that does not share a single colour with the American flag?

Well, I believe it is time for the pendulum of culinary exploration to swing back to the sensible centre. Next week:
Vive la France!

Brown Stew Chicken

Oxtail and beans

Kingston Burger

From outside

Week 7: Germany

Friday 6 September 2013

Week 7: Germany, Land of the Black Eagle.

(Disclaimer: My keyboard cannot type an Umlaut.)

Here in Australia, we went to the Polls today. I helped to distribute "How To Vote" cards at one of the polling booths, and could sense an air of optimism and excitement, as the people of Australia realise the privilege of casting their vote. With political fever running high, it was interesting to learn that the first Greens Party was established in Germany in 1979, that the term "ecology" was coined in Germany in 1866, that 35% of Germany's energy is powered by wind turbines..... but the most interesting political fact about Germany is that there is a Barbie Doll named after Angela Merkel.

Germany is the most populous country in Europe, with 82 million people. What I did not know, is that there are 898,700 people who identify themselves as having German heritage living in Australia.
That is 4,5% of our population. Two of them own Black Forest Restaurant in Highgate Hill, a suburb 2km south of the Brisbane River with some of the best city views.

Wearing Lederhosen, our host simultaneously welcomed and handed us the beer menu. The interior of Black Forest is quintessentially German. The timber chairs, cuckoo clocks, Beer Steins (ceramic German beer mugs) displayed on high shelves, German flags.....and the music. We could have been  sitting in Leutkirch im Allgau........or somewhere. 

 While waiting for Keith and our friends Jo and David to arrive, the boys and I each ordered a different  beer (Boetie's non-alcoholic, of course, and actually not that bad!), each arriving in an appropriately shaped glass to complement the style of beer. This was accompanied by a platter of cold meats and pickles (kleine Wurstplatte). Given the fertile farmlands and consequent high yields, storing excess produce by pickling vegetables and smoking meat became an integral part of German cuisine. Everyone knows Sauerkraut (shredded cabbage preserved through the natural process of lacto-fermentation) and German Speck (smoked pork belly), widely used to flavour stews and soups.

Having been to Germany, the food was predictable and did not disappoint. So here we go: Mahlzeit! 

Nielen made sure he was the first to order the Jagerschnitzel with homemade noodles; Boetie opted for the Wildschwein Pfeffer  (wild boar ragout) which he devoured; Jo, who I am happy to announce had her first beer EVER, gave the thumbs up to her Bayrischer Zwiebelrostbraten, complete with a secret Gruenwald sauce, green beans and potatoes; David expressed surprise on how much he enjoyed his Schweinefillet in Rahm (pork fillets in a rich, creamy mushroom sauce); I had the Tiroler Schweinbraten with sauerkraut and dumplings.  Keith, ordering last, settled for the Bayrischer Bauernschaums, essentially a huge plate featuring a handfull of the 1000 different sausages available in Germany, served with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. The food was freshly prepared, extremely tasty, quite rich and very filling. The portions were huge. So much so, that we all skipped dessert. We simply could not face the puddings and crepes and tortes...not even the Black Forest Cake.

We had a most enjoyable evening, made even more so by the sharing of fun facts about Germany. Jo shared her professional wisdom on German prosthetics, I bored everyone with useless statistics, Keith again presented his facts with visual support, Nielen pointed out that the tallest cathedral in the world is situated in Ulm, Boetie dissected the German flag....and we honestly could have done without David's vivid description of exploding toads and attacking crows!

Time for a change of pace: next week we travel from punctual Germany,  to laidback Jamaica, mon!

Our host at Black Forest Restaurant

Bayrischer Zwiebelrostbraten

Schweinefillet in Rahm

Tiroler Schweinbraten