When quick is good

Its been a while since my last post and yes... its because I have returned to full time work and have rejoined the days of waking up earlier than I would care to and going home later than I would like... but I am grateful. It does feel strange to suddenly have routine again in my life and I'm learning that time becomes more of a valuable commodity when you have less of it to call your own.

Instead of taking the time to cook meals you would otherwise love to create during the week, sometimes quick bites that can be whipped together in minutes with minimal fuss are irreplaceable.

So it was with great excitement that I came across Momoya Gohandesuyo, a seaweed kelp paste I found in a Japanese specialty shop. Traditionally eaten with steamed rice, I started experimenting with this very tasy condiment and was pleasantly surprised at the results.

Mix a tablespoon of seaweed paste with a dollop of butter into freshly cooked spaghetti or angelhair and top with finely diced cherry tomatoes and chives... Incredibly simple but surprisingly tasty. The mixture is also darn good folded with butter through freshly cooked short grain rice and topped with a crispy fried egg...

Sigh... if only all fast food could taste this good.

Twisted fork

Wafu pasta restaurants have been sprouting up all over Singapore of late - putting Japanese twists on what is essentially an Italian ingredient.

I prepared my own simple version today - essentially an alio e olio with the addition of scallions and shallots and topped with teriyaki glazed chicken and chopped chilli.

Strangely, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would have. Perhaps its because I much prefer traditional sauces and ragus on my pasta... or perhaps its because I think a dish needs to have an identity to be memorable (somehow Japanese and South East Asian influences confuse rather than connect the palate).

But it was nevertheless tasty - the sweet teriyaki glaze a perfect backdrop to the heat of the chillis and the beefiness of the onions... and simple too, taking all but the time it takes to cook the pasta to prepare. And as far as quick and tasty lunches go, you won't have to twist my arm to try this one again.

Spaghetti with Slow cooked Veal Ragu

One of the great things about being back in Australia is the affordability and availability of great ingredients to whip up a delicious but simple pasta meal... something that I really missed when I was in Singapore. This is a dead simple dish but very tasty and perfect for a fuss free mid week dinner.

Ingredients
400g good quality veal shank (which your butcher can happily mince up for you)
350g dried good quality spaghetti

Bottle of Passata
Glass of white wine
2 cloves Garlic thinly sliced
2 dried bay leaves
Diced carrots, celery and onions
Roughly chopped Italian parsley
Extra virgin olive oil
The all important parmesan (get your hands on Parmigiano Reggiano if you can get some - it makes all the difference)
Splash of full cream.

Salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Slowly fry up the carrots, celery, onions and garlic in the olive oil with a pinch of sea salt on a low heat and cover (this is to allow the vegetables to steam and not burn) - after around 5 minutes,the onions should be slightly translucent.
2. Add mince to pan and brown. Pour in the passata, chopped parsley stalks, bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, turn down to a medium low heat, cover and leave to cook for approximately 40 minutes. You can basically forget about the ragu at this stage and go about and do whatever you need to do.
3. 10 minutes before the end of cooking time, boil up the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water.
4. Season the ragu with salt, pepper and a teaspoon of sugar. Add three handfuls of the grated cheese, splash of cream and toss the pasta through.

Serve up on a heated plate garnished with more cheese and chopped parsley.

A simply cooked meal that's simply delicious - exactly what home cooking should be all about.

Melbourne Bites #10: It's all in the name

This fine dining restaurant makes no secret about what it serves with its choice of name. Straightforward, traditional Italian fare. The smart and elegant dining room is popular with the corporate types who work in the office building which it is housed in and has an air of understated intimacy.

We started with a classic – Parma ham wrapped around succulent rockmelon. Salty, sweet – superb. We then proceeded with oxtail ragu with hand made pici, slow cooked tripe served with creamy polenta and a wagyu tenderloin served with mixed mushrooms. For mains, our table had the swordfish, porterhouse and a Ligurian fish stew chockfull of fresh seafood. The food here is competent but we were let down on a few occasions by the service and attention to detail (we had to ask repeatedly for a dessert menu and were not offered more wine when our glasses were empty).

But all was forgiven with a sweet ending to the evening – the desserts here are pretty darn good. We had a magnificent tiramisu and a done just right panna cotta with mixed berries compote. All in all, the Italian will do its namesake proud if it smooths out a few service issues in the dining room.

The Italian

101 Collins Street

Melbourne Victoria

Italian with Heart

I had the privilege of joining in the celebration of the wedding anniverary of close family friends, the L's last night. The L's are close family friends and have been there for my family during our darkest hours when dad became critically ill. They are incredibly giving people and last night, celebrated 33 years of marriage.

We celebrated this wonderful occassion at Trattoria Lafiandra Al Museo - an unpretentious, cosy Italian restaurant housed in the Singapore Art Museum. Another close family friend who had hosted a party there previously arranged for a menu designed by the chef and owner, Cataldo Lafiandra.

We started off with the antipasto which consisted of grilled vegetables (portobello mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant), calamari with aioli, eggplant parmigiana. The presentation of the dishes were very rustic as were the flavours - robust and had a great home cooked element to them. The eggplant parmigiana in particular was excellent - oven baked eggplant rolls in home made tomato ragu filled with meltingly gooey mozzarella.

We then followed with two types of pizza - rocket with fresh tomatoes and parma ham. Both were very good with perfectly thin and crispy crusts. Chef Cataldo is also very generous with his toppings, the latter pizza covered with deliciously salty prosciutto.

We were also served a very hearty fettucine bolognese. A dish that is often misunderstood because of the trashy versions that are served in American style diners... this was done the way it should be. Hand made pasta tossed in a rich ragu of beef and pork mince in tomatoes finished with a hint of cream... Love it.

For mains we were served an assortment of simply grilled crayfish, pan fried dory, grilled chicken and beef fillet with sauteed mushrooms. Aside from the chicken which had obviously spent too much time on the grill and was actually burnt rather than charred, everything else was delicious. The beef was cooked to a perfect medium rare (just the way I like it) and had been simply seasoned with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

The food at Lafiandra has a comforting factor to them with most dishes being hearty in portion and flavour - the restaurant is very unpretentious and doesn't try overly hard to impress. Prices are very reasonable which is something which I have found is a rarity for good Italian food in Singapore.

We left Lafiandra happy and I was glad to have been able to share such a joyous occassion with such dear friends. Happy Anniversary Uncle KL and Aunty CH... May your life together be like one big party - filled with delicious food, infectious laughter and great company in one another.

Simply Bellissimo!

The occassion - To celebrate the birthday of a close family friend. The venue - Pontini, a reputable Italian restaurant located in the Grand Copthorne Waterfront hotel in Singapore. The result - a great evening filled with laughter, great wine and simple yet delicious Italian food.

We started with Pontini's freshly made wood fire oven pizzas (roasted vegetables, italian sausage and prawns with rocket being the three different toppings). The pizzas were all well made and had a deliciously thin, crispy base. Simple toppings using quality ingredients are the best in my book when pizzas are concerned - and Pontini delivered just that.

What followed was an entree sized pasta dish - spaghetti with pancetta, chilli and mixed mushrooms. Perfectly al dente freshly made pasta with yet again clean flavours. The salty pancetta was perfectly balanced against the earthy mixture of porcini and portabello mushrooms.For mains, I decided on a medium rare tenderloin steak which was served on a bed of spinach in a veal jus and balsamic reduction. Whilst not a particularly large serving - the meat was perfectly cooked and the uncomplicated accompanying sauce made this a more than satisfying dish.

We of course had room for the birthday cake - a stunning dark chocolate grenache cake to round off the meal with freshly brewed Italian coffee.

The service at Pontini's was spot on - waiters were readily available without being overly intrusive. The clean presentation of the dishes and the elegant private dining room also reflected the restaurant's approach to its food to a tee.

I thorougly enjoyed this meal - and what defined it for me is the fundamental appeal of Italian food - using the best ingredients available and cooking it simply but well.

Good Italian food should be unadorned, rich in flavour and beautiful in its simplicity... and Pontini's food is exactly that - simply beautiful.