Who knew avocados were so versatile?

I have new respect for the humble avocado after attending grower's group Australian Avocados' Avocado Masterclass at Matteo's in North Firtzroy yesterday.

Designed to inspire chefs who might not usually use them in foodservice, the event presented avocados in a whole new light, sauteeing, deep-frying, pureeing, marinating and spicing them as part of a 6-course degustation meal.

Highlights were chef Brendan McQueen's steamed avocado "chawan mushi" custard  with Yabby tail and sweet dashi sauce, and guest chef Raymond Capaldi's "Ahuacatl" (the Nahuatl word for "testicle", which the name avocado is derived from!), golden almond, oyster and fig, a sophisticated and texture combination of flavours in a clear, nutty broth.

Missing from the menu was one of my personal favourites - avocado, tomatoes and chopped basil on turkish - but you know what? I had it for breakfast instead - mmmm...

Book project update #6

Here's what I've been reading this fortnight. It's an eclectic list, to say the least...

Eats, shoots and leaves by Lynne Truss
Who would have a thought a book about punctuation and its correct usage would be so amusing? If I didn’t hate “text-speak” I’d say LOL.

Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs
‘dem bones, ‘dem bones, ‘dem dry bones... Are the bones discovered in a pizza parlour basement as old as they appear at first glance or is there something sinister going on in the here and now? Forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan investigates in the face of opposition from her male colleagues. These books are meticulously researched and always enjoyable.

The arsonists guide to writers’ homes in New England by Brock Clarke
This is a delightfully screwball and unpredictable romp that had me giggling on the train. Anti-hero Sam Pulsifer, having served several years in prison for accidentally burning down Emily Dickinson’s house, is a “bumbler”, lurching from one disaster after another after his release, with hilarious results.

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
Personally I think spelling fairy “faerie” should be a punishable offence (The defendant has been found guilty of first degree pretentiousness, m’lud) but I enjoyed this tale of shadowy and sinister fairies and the mortals drawn into their world, temptation and unexpected consequences. Anyone expecting Tinkerbell and fairy dust will be disappointed.

The President’s Wife by Thea Welsh
This was one of a bag full of “airport reads” my frequent traveller friend Annabel gave me before my recent trip to Beijing and it fulfilled the brief admirably. I’m hesitant to use the words light and fluffy, because I enjoyed this so much, so let’s say it was light, fluffy and enjoyable.


Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child
Another from my donated airport reading bag, I read this mostly on the flight back from Beijing. Light and fluffy however is not the vibe here; this is a dark and disturbing ride. I’ve read a Jack Reacher novel previously but this one makes me think I should hunt out the other nine or 10 in the series. (Only about eight more airport-appropriate reads to go – I need more trips!)

The men who stare at goats by Jon Ronson
After seeing the trailer for the movie based on this book I got the idea it was a comedy; after reading this book I’m convinced the real life US military operation its based on was an absolute farce. The story goes that in 1979 a secret unit was established by the US army to train a force of psychic “super” soldiers, believing men could pass through walls, adopt a cloak of invisibility and kill goats by steering at them. What’s more, investigative reporter Ronson says the same core philosophy behind the program is being used in the War on Terror. Ahem... An interesting, if totally wacky “true” story!

Sharing the love

I like to think of myself an an independent woman, well educated and enquiring, with a well-informed opinion on most subjects (sport and cars excepted) and especially food, so why do I delight in handing over my decision-making capability when dining out?

On a night out earlier this week in Beijing, where I was attending TABEE 2010 (a Tourism Australia iniaitive to sell Australia as a business events location for Asian corporations), I accompanied a group of Tourism Australia staffers and international media to Da Zhai Men, a local restaurant famous for its Beijing Duck and also for being a faithful recreation of the set of one of China's best loved (cheesiest?) TV soap operas.

As we were entertained by sword-wielding acrobats, warbling Chinese opera singers and a dapper-looking xylophone player, I mildly looked on as one of the company, who had admittely been to the restaurant before, ordered for all of us. The food journalist in me should have been champing at the bit to pore over the menu but no, I was just happy to go with the (hopefully delicious) flow as dishes including Chinese cabbage in mustard; fresh, marinated bamboo shoots; fried bean curd with chilli; alarmingly vivid purple Chinese potatoes; a pyramid of tofu salad resembling tabouli; scallops cooked in ginger and soy, and served on the half shell; whole steamed fish; crisp, sweet-savoury red bean pancakes; a soy bean, noodle salad; and crispy-skinned duck arrived in wave after aromatic wave.

Some of the dishes, such as the scallops and the duck, I would have probably ordered anyway but others I most definitely wouldn't, yet I was delighted to try them. Highlights for me were the fried bean curd, an unappealing-looking bowl of grey-brown sludge topped with whole fried chillies that tasted sublime, had a babaganoush-like texture and a complex flavour profile which had our table speculating as to the ingredients; finger-sized garlic eggplant; and of course the duck, sliced into wafer thin slivers of moist, rich meat and crisp, flavoursome skin and served not only with cucumber, shallots and hoisin sauce, but also sugar which cut through the fattiness of the skin and lifted the flavour to another dimension.

Asian food lends itself to this kind of dining, thanks to its shared nature. I would be less inclined to put my tastebuds in someone else's hands if there wasn't going to be a range of dishes for me to try. Even if I hate one of them, chances are there will be several others that I love.

Call it inquisitiveness or perhaps greediness but I love any kind of dining that allows me to try lots of different dishes, taste and textures - tapas, mezze, yum cha  etc... The recent trend toward "small plate" dining, in evidence in restaurants such as Christine Mansfield's Univeral restaurant in Sydney and the recent Gordon Ramsay offering Maze in the Crown complex in Melbourne, get my whole-hearted support.

I also take every opportunity available to indulge in degustation-style dining, transferring the decision of what I shall eat to the chef responsible for sourcing, preparing and cooking the food. Who better to know what stands out on a menu?

Has everyone got a cookbook in them?

One of the perks of working in food media is having access to new release cookbooks, which regularly arrive on my desk for review. A highlight this week was Our family table (Random House) by Julie Goodwin, winner of the first series of Masterchef. I came to Masterchef late, in the last few weeks, and wasn't a particular fan of Julie's - like most people I expected Poh to win - but I am pleasantly surprised by this book.

Over seven years of reviewing cookbooks for Australian Table and BBC Good Food I have literally read hundreds of them but Our family table stands out for its warmth, friendliness and lack of pretension. The photography (by Steve Brown), styling (Janelle Bloom) and design are all gorgeous, of course, but what I like most about it is that in tone it reads like a collection of recipes which have been written out for you by that nice lady down the street who always brings the fantastic wild rice salad to barbecues.

Which is pretty much exactly who Julie Goodwin appeared to be on Masterchef but it's nice to see that her publishers haven't tried to trick her food up and make it appear anything more than it is - nice, familiar, non-intimidating dishes that are easy to whip up and taste great. There's nothing particularly challenging in this book and serious gourmand-types will probably turn up their noses but I'd hazard a guess and say that this is the type of food that most Aussies eat most of the time; not pork belly on seared scallops or confit duck legs.

This week I have also been reading a book called Look me in the eye by John Elder Robison, which outlines the author's experiences growing up with Asperger’s (a form of autism) before it was recognised as a condition. This isn't the sort of book that would normally appeal to me - I picked it up on a whim - but it turned out to be both fascinating and entertaining, proving once again my theory that everyone has a book of some sort in them. Julie's book makes me wonder if everyone has a cookbook in them.

Several years ago my parents put togther a volume called The Wright Family Christmas Recipe Book (print run: three copies), which collated all the tried-and-trusted Christmas recipes we've been using for years on Christmas day, and is one of my most prized cookbooks. My friend Gary meanwhile has a wonderful idea for a contemporary '60s cookbook, reinterpreting Mad Men-era recipes for modern diners. Another friend wants to put together a book of mid-week dinner party menus that are easy and quick enough to be whipped up after work but still have serious wow-factor. I'd like a copy of both if they ever get round to actually putting them together. Personally, I haven't decided on a theme for "my" cookbook yet, but in the meantime, if you'd like a copy of my seared asian beef recipe, I'm happy to write it out for you...

Book Project Update #5

Only a short list this fortnight because I’ve also been working my way through The girl who kicked the hornet’s nest and Parky: an autobiography, both listed in Book Project Update #4. While Parky was a breeze to read the sheer weight of The girl who kicked the hornet’s nest - at least a kilo - excludes me from enjoying it during my prime reading time on the bus to work.

Too close to home by Linwood Barclay

Forgettable is the first word that comes to mind when trying to describe this crime novel. Seriously - it’s been about three days now since I finished it and I am struggling to recall the plot. I know there was a murder... And a gun... And, hmmm, a prostitute. Maybe...?

The last breath by Denise Mina

Set in Glasgow in 1990, this typically bleak Scottish novel has an Irish protagonist and an at-times baffling IRA-themed plot. Did “the troubles” jump the ditch to Scotland in the early 90’s? I’m not sure but it’s worth persevering with for no other reason than the fat, irreverent, gloriously failed-Catholic newspaper columnist, heroine Paddy Meehan.

Look me in the eye by John Elder Robison

A fascinating memoir about growing up with Asperger’s before the label had been invented by the brother of Austen Burroughs, who documented his own childhood struggles in the bleakly funny Running with Scissors. Books like this make me think how comparatively great my own childhood was.