Sugar and Spice and all things nice, that’s what little girls are made of.

My gorgeous “little A” celebrated her 5^th Birthday last week. She invited 10 other little princesses to share her special day. For the first time in almost a month the sun was shining so our planned indoor party was taken outside to take full advantage of the day.

When 1.00pm arrived, the pink helium balloons had been filled, the decorations were in place, the bubble machine was on and dance tunes were playing.

Mum’s first job was on the makeup table. She had everything set up to do “princess makeup” for each of the girls as they arrived. We had fairy dust glitter and lots of pink and purple eye shadow, naturally the girls looked adorable.

I had used plastic martini glasses for a layered trifle of jam roll, red jelly and custard to keep with the pink theme and there were red velvet mini cupcakes, and oodles of lollies.

Mum had made mini pizza in the shape of hearts and stars which the little ones devoured.

“Little A” had ordered a piñata which I found online at www.celebrating.com.au. She hadn’t advised a particular theme so I chose a unicorn which I stuffed with, hair elastics, rings, necklaces, cute cupcake and lipstick erasers and lollies of course.  Judging from the way the princesses reacted I had chosen well, both with the unicorn and the trinkets.

To take advantage of the beautiful weather we walked to the beach.  The princesses threw off their gowns and swam in their underwear. The next hour was full of girly squeals and splashing around in the water. After a short walk back home where the girls dried and redressed it was time for the birthday cake.

A Barbie Birthday cake was “little A’s” final surprise. I tried my hand at a Dolly Vardin cake.  I had a few minor setbacks, ie Barbie was taller than the cake so I had to do some construction work with fondant. The cake itself was a white chocolate mud cake covered in a light pink ganache and then recovered in white fondant icing as the “dress”. I decorated the bottom of the dress with marshmallows which had been split in two and a purchased royal icing flower motif.

I have to admit that I am not great at working with fondant. I found it difficult to minimise the bumps and creases in the icing but for someone who is comfortable with this style of icing it would have been an easy cake to make.  Having said that I was still really happy with the result and the kids adored the cake.

The princesses enjoyed a little bit of dancing before being picked up in their respective chariots and taken home on a sugar high. The carried with them helium balloons and a pink noodle box full of extra take home treats.

Happy Birthday Princess!

Sorry about the serious lack of images in this story, it was such a busy day! Does your little one like to chose a theme for the party?

Roses Vineyard at Innes View

Roses are Red 2007

With the first hint of winter in the air, the order of the day is warming comfort food, and a full bodied red wine to match.  Made from the chambourcin grape, the Roses are Red 2007 vintage shows strong tannins and a deliciously spicy flavour. This fruit driven red is great to drink now or cellar a little longer and watch it mature.

Partner this wine with a slow cooked lamb shank, or your favourite hearty winter’s dish, for a cosy night in.

Roses are Red is the perfect drop, to warm a winter’s night! Cost $20.00 per bottle

Available:        At the cellar door

132 Apanie Road, Lake Innes

www.rosesvineyard.com

The above article is as published in the May 2012 edition of Focus Magazine (Greater Port Macquarie)

We are all looking for ways to increase our fibre consumption whilst not sacrificing on flavour. After all low GI fibre is what keeps us feeling full in between meals, and is an important part of a healthy diet.  An excellent source of fibre is the Kelloggs Bran Fibre Toppers.  This product can be added to cereal, fruit or yoghurt to give your breakfast a healthier boost.  Just ½ cup of Bran Toppers will give 33% of your daily fibre needs.

With the children returning to school this week I thought I would experiment and create a healthy lunchbox cookie using the Bran Fibre Toppers. I am pleased to say they turned out absolutely delicious.  The dried apricot and macadamia added even more fibre, protein and healthy oils to the cookies, and the orange zest lent a fresh zing to these crunchy treats.  Oh, and I am sure no child could resist the drizzled white chocolate on the top! Try my fibre rich lunchbox treats; I am sure the children will never guess they’re healthy.

Ingredients:

1 ¼ Cups Kelloggs Bran Fibre Toppers

1 ¼ Cups Kelloggs Just Right Clusters & 5 Grains

2 Cups SR Flour

½ cup brown sugar

1 cup white chocolate bits

½ cup unsalted macadamia nuts

½ cup diced dried apricot

Zest from 1 orange

½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice

150gm butter (melted)

½ cup milk

1 egg

Method:

Preheat oven to 160 degrees.

Place baking paper on two cookie slides

Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix together.

Melt the butter in the microwave. In a small jug combine the butter, milk, orange juice and egg. Whisk this mixture lightly until combined.

Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix by hand.

Form balls by hand and place on the baking tray. Flatten the balls and place in the oven to cook.

Cook until golden brown. Approx 15- 20mins

To Finish:

Melt ½ cup of white chocolate bits in the microwave in 30 second bursts. Once the chocolate is sufficiently melted, use a teaspoon to drizzle over the cookies.

Perhaps if you are in a hurry of a morning they could double as a breakfast bar.

As the weather becomes cooler I long to be curled up in front of a fireplace with a blanket, a glass of red wine and a good book. Living in the coast is ideal in summer but to really embrace my ideal winter Gourmet Getaway I need to fully immerse myself in the season.

Mr GG and I decided that a romantic road trip was in order.  We wanted somewhere with quaint little Bed & Breakfasts, Vineyards, Luscious food and a lovely historic character.

We decided on Tamworth. We all know that Tamworth is the home of country music, but I have never been a fan, so in the past we have only ever driven through. After a little bit of research I have found that there is a lot more to this town than just the country music festival.

Tamworth is ideally located for a mini break as it is situated halfway between Brisbane and Sydney on the New England Highway. Flights from each of the cities take just one hour.

The town was settled in 1850 so there are many historic buildings which have been lovingly restored. The main street is tree lined and the old light post gives a reminder that Tamworth is also known as the “first city of lights,” being the first Australian city to use electric street lighting.

Our first stop on the way to Tamworth was the Banalasta Plantation.  Banalasta is located about 20minutes outside of Tamworth. The property has 1800 hectares of beautiful vineyards, lavender farms and Eucalyptus plantations.  The produce from the plantation is available in the visitors centre in the form of the award winning Blickling Estate Wines, and the Banalasta skincare products which utilise the antibacterial properties of the Eucalyptus and the therapeutic properties of the lavender.

Mr GG and sampled and tested the gorgeous aromatic creams and rubs but our real interest was in the wines, particularly the Pinot Noir.  After a recent trip to Tasmania I had become hooked on this variety and I was interested to see if this region was able to produce a wine of equal quality.

Naturally we commence the wine tasting with the whites. Mr GG likes a wooded white and he found the Blickling wooded very much to his liking. The Rose was my pick, it was light, crisp and fruity, I can’t go past a good rose, I find this style of wine is perfect for taking on a picnic, or sharing with friends. Most people enjoy the lightness of a rose, even if they usually only drink white or red.

We continued through the reds and settled on a 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon.  A full bodied, fruit driven wine that I felt would be perfect for the upcoming winter months, an ideal match to the comfort food that the season naturally brings.

Driving into Tamworth we are reminded that we are in the country. Rural produce store are many, the utes outnumber the cars and are shiny and new, the guys are trim and tanned, and the local uniform is boots, jeans and a button up RM Williams shirt.

It is the change of scenery I was wanting.

Mr GG and I take a walk down the main street of Tamworth and I fall in love with leafy tree lined street and cute period lamp posts.

We stopped in at the Bell Tower. The building was formally St Andrews church but has been converted to a cafe gift shop. It is home to an eclectic range of gifts and quirky home furnishings.

There are so many little rooms filled with everything from antique style small furnishings to cute cups and sauce.  The retro feel of the store is added to by a juke box which plays while customers dine.

I wandered into the bell tower and find a plaque which has the names of the men from Tamworth who were lost in the WWII. The Bell was a memorial to these men.

There is still a rope leading to the bell itself, and the naughty girl in me desperately wanted to hear the bells chime. I was just considering finding a child I could encourage to pull the rope when Mr GG pointed out a sign saying “go one, pull the rope... you know you want to” That was all the encouragement I needed. The St Andrews Bells chimed once again.

Everything was so beautiful that I spent way too much time planning purchases and didn’t consider the time. By the time I wandered over to a table it was apparent we were too late for afternoon tea.

I was relieved to discover that the Bell Tower is opened seven days and I would be able return to make a few more purchases and perhaps have a spot of morning tea.

Next stop was Lavanda Cottages, (Review to Follow) our home for the night. As we entered the property I instantly relaxed, it was even more beautiful than the pictures I had seen.

Various species of lavender lined the drive way of the cutest restored cottage I have ever seen. Mr GG checked us in while I wandered around the grounds.

The cottages are located on a one hectare property in Calga, five minutes drive from Tamworth town centre.

I needn’t have worried about going hungry; Karen from Lavenda B & B had prepared a plate of delicious homemade treats ready for our arrival. Mr GG made us both a cup of tea and we enjoyed our afternoon tea in the communal lounge.  Our neighbours were making use of the garden, and sharing a bottle of wine, so Mr GG and I took up a position on the lounge. We enjoyed our afternoon relaxing and reading as I had hoped we would. It was lovely to take advantage of the quiet tranquility.

With the darkness of the evening came the grumbling of my belly yet again. It was time to prepare for dinner.  Mr GG and I had our own private bathroom which had lovely finishing touches such as lavender soaps and hand cream from Banalasta.

I had made a booking at Monty’s Restaurant located on the site of the old Powerhouse. The restaurant is home to a three times Michelin Star chef who fell in love with a girl from Tamworth and moved from Europe to marry his love.

I feel we may be in for a treat tonight... (review to follow).

So far Tamworth has been full of wonderful surprises.

Contacts for this story;

Lavanda Bed & Breakfast

104 Calala Lane Tamworth NSW 2340 

Ph: 02 6762 6026 Mobile: 04 8803 6561

www.lavanda.net.au

Banalasta Visitor's Centre

Green Valley Road, Bendemeer, NSW 2355

Ph: 02 6762 6026 Mobile: 04 8803 6561

www.banalasta.com.au

The Old Bell Tower

152 Marius St

Tamworth NSW

Ph:. 02 6761 2785

www.theoldbelltower.net.au

I have been looking forward to this evening since I first booked our cruise onboard the Pacific Dawn. The images on the P & O website were mouthwatering, and I knew husband and I would be taking advantage of the opportunity for a romantic meal.

Salt Grill is both intimate and welcoming.  Like everywhere else on the ship the service is impeccable. The restaurant guests are all dressed in a casual elegance befitting the stylish surrounds.  I can’t help but feel immediately relaxed and indulged.

We order the house baked plain & zartar breads which are served with the “Luke Mangan brand olive oil & dukkah.

Everywhere we look the “Luke” insignia is displayed proudly. The attention to detail is meticulous. Luke Mangan brand water is served while we decide on a wine.

We settle on a 2007 red from the Barossa Valley.  It is a gorgeously mellow Cabernet Merlot, with the body of the Cabernet grape and the gentleness of the Merlot. I congratulate Mr GG on his choice of wines and we settle down to the serious task of ordering our entrees.

There are number of Luke Mangan signature dishes on the menu but I just can't go past the seared scallops. I am craving the sweet fat flesh of the scallops, and it is to be served with a blue cheese polenta and truffle oil.  The dish does not disappoint I am moaning and groaning in delight to Mr GG after the first mouthful. Generously I share with Mr GG and he is in agreement, it is a simple dish but the flavours are divine. 

Mr GG is in love with anchovies so he can't pass up the opportunity to try the bruschetta of roast capsicum, sultana served with white anchovy. It is another fresh dish which burst with flavour and texture.

By this stage in the meal we are chatting to the two neighbouring tables. Dining on a ship is a little different than a regular restaurant. It almost feels like dining with your neighbours. After watching me take a series of food images the neighbouring couples curiosity got the better of them and they asked for a an explanation. We soon discovered that we had both attended the same Cheese and Wine Tour in Noumea. Our table of two became a table of six as we chatted throughout the meal o each other.

Our neighbours recommended the Scotch fillet wagyu, cross-angus. We had secretly noticed the dish being served to our new friends and Mr GG was very keen to give it a try.  I am a bit of a steak snob and I don't like the idea of my wagyu being crossed with another bred.  If it doesn't have a marble score of 9 and come from Raging River Wagyu at Wauchope I struggle to be impressed. The menu states that it is grain fed for 300 days and hubby choses a chimmichurri sauce to have on the side.

We also select three side dishes to have with our mains.  After the truffle oil in my entree I need another hit so I chose the truffle mashed potatoes.  Mr GG can't get enough of the blue cheese so he chooses a salad of rocket, blue cheese, pear & walnuts.  For the final dish we decide on a roasted curried pumpkin, served with feta & coriander.

I can never go past grilled Atlantic salmon so it is an easy choice for me too.  I am pleased that the salmon is still moist and pink in the middle with a gorgeous smokey flavour on the outside from the grill. I chose a chipotle aioli to accompany the fish and sat in raptures whilst slowly devoured the dish.

From the moment I noticed the "Luke’s liquorice parfait" on the dessert menu I knew it had to be mine! I had no idea what it would taste like but a creamy licorice desert had my mind racing. I was right in my decision making. It was a deliciously cream smooth pannacotta styled dish with the overwhelmingly delicious flavour of licorice. It was served with a crispy tuille and lime syrup. Even our neighbours sampled this dish and agreed that it was both gorgeous and unique!

The chocolate tasting plate was the dessert I just had to choose. In my world it is a given that a lovely meal needs to be finished with a chocolate dessert. I would like to not be so predictable, but my chocolate cravings get the better of me everytime. The plate included a gorgeous chocolate fondant that was filled with a rich liquid lava chocolate centre, it was also served with a decadent dark chocolate truffle and a mini fondue of grilled marshmallow and chocolate ganache sauce for dipping. Thankfully I love by the moto that "Too much Chocolate is probably almost enough!"

Despite our generous servings and our rich desserts, Mr GG and I decided we would finish our delightfully indulgent meal with a serve of petit fours.  Throughout the evening we had noticed these delectable bites being delivered to couples enjoying their own romantic evening. My favourite was the Turkish delight! I love the sweet stickiness of this light but floral dessert.  Mr GG is a fan of Lemon Meringue Pie and the mini version was his favourite item on the Petit Fours plate. 

We shared our Petit Fours with the neighbouring tables and chatted about how disappointing it was to be nearing the end of the cruise. I have a real soft spot for luxury, and our experience at Salt Grill has again reinforced that it is the finer things in life that I crave.  Salt Grill was another great highlight of our holiday on board the Pacific Dawn.

What a great response we have had to the Philadelphia Giveaway, although it’s no surprise given the popularity and versatility the product.

So who are the lucky readers, and what were their comments??

Mademoiselle Slimalicious April 2, 2012

Philadelphia Chilli Philly Pourover is my favourite Philly product!

Daisy@Nevertoosweet April 2, 2012

YAY! I love Philadelphia products ~ but nothing beats their traditional and original cream cheese block :D Its so versatile ~ you can use it in both savoury and dessert recipes WOO HOO! Thanks for the opportunity to win!

Natasha N April 1, 2012

I love PHILLY Spreadable cream cheese

Congratulations to our three winners, you are each receiving a prize pack which includes a Philly cookbook, spatula and an oven-mitt, total value $29.95. This prize is provided courtesy of the gorgeous people from Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

Check out some of the other delicious treats on the Philadelphia Cream Cheese Website!

Please drive safely everyone, and enjoy the holidays.

Tomorrows story will include another delicious Philadelphia recipe especially for Easter. Easter Bunny cake pops. Shhh it's a secret until tomorrow ;) Remember there is no such thing as "too much of a good thing!"

Have you ever noticed that the Easter holidays are usually a wet affair? The temptation is always to take advantage of the waning warmer season’s weather, and plan one final BBQ or camping weekend. Inevitably this event is nearly always washed out. I now know better, I embrace the approaching winter and plan activities which rely on the gloomy weather to make them completely guilt free.

One of my favourite wet weather activities is curling up on the lounge with a blanket, eating chocolate fondant cake and watching a funny movie. If the sun was shining I’d never contemplate such an activity, but wet weather is my permission to hibernate with comfort food and mindless entertainment.

So with Easter approaching and the opportunity for some serious rest and recreation, Village Roadshow have released a bunch of great movies on DVD for your school holidays viewing pleasure.

When it comes to entertaining children nothing can beat a trip to the cinemas, but sometimes you just want to watch a couple of good new releases, in the comfort of your own lounge.

I recently had the opportunity to attend a private screening of “Our Idiot Brother,” courtesy of Nuffnang & Village Roadshow.  Given my love of a good comedy, I jumped at the chance! That is how I came to be wandering across the city, admiring the lights near Darling Harbour.

The screening was being held to celebrate the release of “My Idiot Brother “on DVD and Blue Ray.  Whilst it had already been shown in cinema’s I hadn’t managed to make time to see it yet.

Once at Village Roadshow’s Pyrmont theatrettes Mr GG and I made ourselves comfortable in the bar.

We ordered a drink and made ourselves comfortable in the lounge until movie time. Fairly soon we were ushered into the intimate thearte with popcorn and drinks in hand.

We were primed and ready to be entertained by funny man Paul Rudd. The movie did not disappoint! I was in stitches at the quirky humour throughout.  I am not going to spoil the movie but sharing too much but take a look at this preview.

This is definitely a movie to add to the collection ready for some warming winter laughs.

After the movie we went to get a bite to eat in the city, over our meal I asked Mr GG for a comment on the movie.  He thought about it for a few seconds, laughed a little to himself as he remembered various scenes and said, “well, it’s not quite an “I love you man” (one of hubbies favourite Paul Rudd movies) but the laughs just keep coming. It will be a movie which keeps me amused for a long time to come.

Granted Mr GG has a bit of a “man crush” on Paul, but it is a movie which is funny for both guys and girls. There are scenes to amuse all.

So consider grabbing a copy of “Our Idiot Brother” on DVD or Blue Ray ready for some serious Easter laughs.

Gourmet Getaways was a guest of Nuffnang and Village Roadshow.

Friday Day 7

Oh...  I am a little sad! It is the final day of our cruise on board the Pacific Dawn, and I don’t want to go home. I am really going to miss being on the sea, with the most majestic of views all around.

As usual I crept out of my cabin for an early morning cappuccino in the Lido Cafe.  This has become my new morning ritual, followed by my ½ hour sunrise stretch class and then the exercise class of the day. Today the stretch class was followed by a yoga class.  The stretch class was full, but given the yoga class charge was $13 for ½ hour session everyone except one other keen yoga enthusiast abandoned me. This meant that I came under way more scrutiny than I would have liked, as a novice yogo participant.

Having said that I thoroughly enjoyed the class. I have only done yoga on one other occasion in Bali.  During this class I was really challenged and found my heart rate racing. In the last week I have completed more push ups than I had previously done in my lifetime!

I decided I had earned myself some bacon, eggs and baked beans from the breakfast buffet, (otherwise known as “the trough” by Mr  GG & I) In actual fact I think I have gained about 5kgs this holiday and really shouldn’t be eating a bite until we are well into next month. None the less I enjoyed a delicious buffet breakfast with the family in Cafe de Sol.

Predictably about half way through breakfast the children were begging to be allowed to return to “Turtle Cove” their home away from home... otherwise known as kids club. It’s a hard life on a cruise ship for abandoned parents... but we make do.

We checked the kids into Turtle Cove and find they have a performance in the main show lounge at 10.15am.  I suspect that Locky is going to be on stage juggling so I tell Mr GG we will go and watch.

In the meantime I found a copy of the days program and highlighted some of the things we were yet to try.  We have a few activities to cram in but I am confident we can make it.

At 10.15am we are front and centre to watch all the kids from the various aged kids clubs perform. Our little Turtle Cove group are first and Lachlan does his juggling act with a little bit of shuffling mixed in.  He is such a shy boy and has never even tried juggling previous so I am amazed at his performance.

Anais participated in a short play with some other children. There was singing, dancing and skits for the next hour.  All the children were amazing and I am shocked that the staff and children have been able to produce such an entertaining performance in just 6 days.

Next on my list of things to try was a session of Bingo. I really haven’t played this game before, but I was determined to win my fortune.  The prize pool is up to $4700 for the morning session, and if I won I think I might just have book another cruise!

Unfortunately it wasn’t to be. I was very close to the full house for the big money, with just two numbers remaining, when the call of “bingo” was made. So no big prize for me, I think my stint as a gambler has now passed.

Like I said, we needed to cram a lot into the last day.  We collected the children from Turtle Cove and took them to juggling class.  There two teachers instructed on the finer points of learning to juggle.  Lachlan, Anais and Mr GG watched and completed each of the exercises until SUCCESS! Mr GG is now and accomplished juggler! After a one hour session he can juggle two balls in one hand, or three balls in two hands.

We took the kids back for a quick lunch at "le trough" and found it was absolutely clogged with people.  The queues were horrible and barely moving, this was the worst meal line up we had experienced, and we were in a hurry! The kids wanted to get back to kids club for their “Ice-cream Party” and I wanted to get Mr GG to the “Martini Making Class”.

We succeeded on both counts, although Mr GG and I did walk in a little late. When we arrived Jonathon our friendly Kiwi bartender was busy demonstrating the finer points of making a Cosmopolitan and explaining the importance of balancing flavours in a cocktail.

Each of the class participants was given a glass of cosmopolitan to sample. It was quite delicious, although it’s not my favourite cocktail, I was finished in only a mouthful or two.

An assistant was then chosen from the class to help prepare a Poinsettia.  This cocktail is made with a vodka and cranberry base and then topped up with sparkling wine. The flavour was like a glass of sparkling pink champagne, again not my favourite flavour but a very entertaining demonstration.

My interest was piqued when the waiters placed martini glasses drizzled in chocolate syrup in front of each guest. The cocktail we were learning to make was called the milky way, although looking at the recipe it isn’t made with milk, just liqueurs and spirits.

It was absolutely delicious, again it disappeared in two mouthfuls and I was left wanting more!

The final exercise of the class was to break into groups and design and name our cocktail. We then had 45 seconds to create the drink for tasting and judging.

Although this sounds like a recipe for disaster, armed with what we had been taught about the necessary quantities of juice, spirit and liquor we all managed to be quite successful.

Here are the results of our concoctions:

Group 1(Mr GG's Team)

Double Dragon

Group 2

Jonathon Shuffle

Group 3

Pacific Pine Lime

Group 4

Nana Nap

Group 5

Meer Cat Magic

Group 6

Smiggle

After the judging we had the opportunity to try the other teams creations.

As an interesting note I learned that it is bad luck to garnish a martini glass with two olives.  It must be an odd number, preferably three. Pictured above are some of the garnishes we had to chose from.

We left our Martini making class in high spirits only to be reminded that it was time for the sad task of packing our bags. The end of our holiday is fast becoming a reality.

Once the bags were packed we left them at our front door, ready for Tutu to collect and put into the hold for our departure tomorrow.

We had a little bit of time left for relaxing, so Mr GG and I retired to the Oasis Bar and took up our lounge chairs on the deck.  I managed to finish the book I had been reading and watched a final sunset prior to collecting the kids.

Earlier in the day I had made one final request of the teenagers.  The request was that we all eat our final meal on board the ship together.  I booked a table for six in the Palm Court Restaurant for 8.00pm.

Palm Court Restaurant Review to follow

6.30am

We are day 5 of our 7 day Pacific Island cruise on board the Pacific Dawn. I am writing this update whilst sitting in the Lido Cafe on deck twelve overlooking the still blue sea’s near Vanuatu.

It has taken me a good five minutes to establish what day of the week it is, as I sip on my morning coffee. This is a sure sign that I have completely relaxed into this holiday. I am starting to find it difficult to even imagine life after the cruise. I am now in love with the gentle rocking of the sea, and I spend hours just watching the water mesmerized.

At 6.50am when I go for my morning coffee there is not a s sole about, so I have my own private cafe not more than 50 metres from my bedroom door. I soak up the early morning atmosphere for a few minutes before contemplating my exercise class. Although I can see Port Vila, I know I will still have time for my grueling Body Conditioning Class and the half hour stretch class.  These classes have become one of my favourite activities on board the ship. For the first time in my life I actually have time to enjoy a class every day.

7.30pm

Today has been a typically huge day!

After breakfast we took the children for some sightseeing through Port Vila. Mr GG, the eldest teen and I have holidayed here before so we decided to get a $10 cab into town for some quick shopping before our tour.

Last visit Hubby feel in love with the local bread. It tasted almost like sliced donut, but was in the form of a loaf. Mr GG was on a mission to locate and devour a loaf of this bread. We made a beeline for the markets but could not locate any bread.

Given that we had just finished breakfast we were not really tempted by some of the other foods on offer. I have to say that seafood sitting in the sun at 40 degree heat has never really been a favourite with me. Even with this fact, I do always enjoy a trip to the markets, poking around the produce and noting unusual foods. We noted that most of fruit and vegetables looked completely foreign!

We bought the children a coconut each to drink, and took them to a shady spot before continuing to our tour meeting place.

The teenagers were booked on the Cascade Waterfall tour which took the group inland 20 minutes to the base of a waterfall. They then hiked another 20 minutes to the top and swam in the cool water. The boys were able to slide down some of the smaller falls into the quite pools below.

Mr GG and I like small groups, so we had booked the Waterfall Eco-Tour. This tour was conducted on a private estate called "Eden on the River". We were guided through the tropical gardens and were shown local fruits and flowers which are cultivated on the property.

We followed the guide into the cool lush rainforest. Periodically the girls would stop and explain the native uses of various trees, pods, seeds and flowers. As we descended further into the rainforest we could hear the sound of rushing water.

Once we reached the gully the track opened up and we could see the water below. Each of us chose a private spot behind a tree to slip out of our hot clothing.

The children were quick to grab a tyre and float about in the water.

I find swimming in fresh mountain water so refreshing. Mr GG & I swam up to the water and stood on the ledge behind it.  We watched thousands of litres of water curtain our view and then we dived through the waterfall and swum with the current. It was such an invigorating experience.

I could have happily stayed and swum all day. The children were happy and the rainforest provided shade from the hot sun. It was a sublime feeling. Having only a small group of only ten in such a large space was ideal.

By 4.00pm we had been returned to the boat just in time for its' departure. Predictably the children wanted to rejoin their friends in Turtle Cove. Mr GG and I were happy to take up our usual positions on the Oasis Deck. From this vantage point we could watch the slowly disappearing Islands of Vanuatu, with a glass of champagne in hand.

Once the islands had fully disappeared from view I recommenced the book that I had almost completed "The Vintners Letters"  Who would have thought I could finish a book in just five days with four children on board.  It has been years since I have been allowed to even pick up a book!

Mr GG and I enjoyed the romantic sunset and then decided to collect the kids from kids club for dinner.  We are booked into the Palm Court Restaurant for dinner tonight so I will be sure and keep you updated.

To be continued...

In the spirit of my Pacific Island holiday I decided to share a delicious cocktail recipes which I first tried on my recent Pacific Dawn cruise.

There is something about this pink, sweet yet tart drink which I love, of and it certainly does pack a bit of a punch ;)!

So have a drink on me and read along with my week long Pacific Dawn Cruise to New Caledonia, the Loyalty Islands and Vanuatu.

Ingredients:

60ml Vodka

30ml Triple Sec

250ml Cranberry Juice

1/2 lime juiced

Method:

Pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake, shake, shake. Pour into individual martini glasses and serve with a slice of lime.

The links to the stories so far are shown below:

Day 1 - Pacific Dawn Cruise

Day 1 - Pacific Dawn Cruise - The Evening

Day 2 - Pacific Dawn Cruise - At Sea

Day 2 - Pacific Dawn Cruise - La Luna Restaurant

Day 3 - Pacific Dawn Cruise - New Caledonia

Day 3 - Pacific Dawn Cruise - New Caledonia Cheese & Wine Tasting Tour

I have found my sea legs at last and bounded out of bed for my sacred cappuccino. Our cabin is internal, so it is pitch black 24 hours a day.  This is a godsend! The darkness allows hubby a chance to sleep in without the little ones waking.

When I came up on deck I was amazed that it was such a beautiful day. It was all blue skies and none of the wind that had seemed to have followed us from Brisbane. The pool was still closed as the seas were still quite large. I now love the movement of the boat, I find that it adds to my relaxation.  I sit and enjoyed the quiet of the Lido Cafe and my deliciously strong coffee. I had noted that the sunrise stretch class was schedule for 7.30am with “body conditioning” to follow. After my huge banquet at La Luna yesterday I was determined to check out the morning exercise classes.

When I arrived at the class I had to try to slip inconspicuously into position in the circle. The class had commenced right on time! Our trainer took us through a half hour of stretching and then we moved onto Body Conditioning. It was a gruelling workout which was made a little harder by the rocking of the boat. At the end of the hour I was really pleased I had participated and decided to add these classes to my morning ritual.

I met the family at the buffet for breakfast.  I decided that my tummy was well settled and it was time to try the breakfast buffet. I made myself a plate which included baked beans, mushroom omelette and garlic mushrooms. Absolutely delicious! Naturally I had to include a croissant since we were in french waters!

The children began nagging to be allowed to join their friends at Turtle Cove, the onboards kids club. We relented and took them down to level 6, only to find that there is a children’s concert in the show lounge in only an hour.  Right or wrong the children didn’t want to stay with us! We left them at Turtle Cove and told staff we would collect them for the concert.

The four kids clubs are separated into four age groups, from 3-17 years. They two younger kids clubs have a turtle and shark as a mascot.  These mascots were singing and dancing with the teachers from kids club in a one hour performance. Periodically all the children also sang and danced on stage.

Every child was in awe during the performance.

Believe it or not it is time to eat again. Once again we go for the easy option at “the trough” aka Sol de Cafe.

We return the children to their friends and find a comfortable spot at the Oasis Bar where we can watch the islands of New Caledonia appearing before us.

It is around 4.00pm when we arrive in Noumea.  The teenagers are booked on a catamaran tour of the bays. We went through the disembarking procedures as a group and Mr GG and I saw the big boys to their bus.

Our tour wasn’t due to leave for another hour so we decided to go adventuring on our own. Armed with a map and some high school French we wandered through the streets of Noumea.  I have been to France twice and I absolutely love the French language and food! I was determined to explore both! Something I have noticed is that when you see a sign in French it looks like it is an invitation to eat. Hubby would say, “look, there’s a bakery of there!” When we would get closer it would be something as mundane as a laundry mat.

We went into a few stores but being that we were still very close to the port I couldn’t find anything to excite my tastebuds. I did find a huge home wares store but the owners was very distrusting and after I snapped this quick picture I was told to put away my camera.

Pictured above is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Noumea. It is a wooden rotunda which is positioned in the village square.  There are also quite a lot of statues which naturally remind me of the European heritage of the city.

Even with such a short glimpse of this country I find that it is so unlike other pacific Island that I have visited.

Mr GG and I make our way back to the meeting point for our tour, on the dock beneath the boat.  We are surprised to find the cafe by the port has fairly quick free Wifi. I make a bunch of quick facebook and twitter updates as hubby purchases a No 1 Beer, the local’s choice.

The beer gets the better of me and I have to sample a mouthful. I think it’s a must when visiting a new country to try the local brew. No 1 is a pale ale and I find it is very much to my liking.

It is 5.30pm and still about 30 degrees so the last of hubbys beer goes down quite quickly. I note that Heineken are behind the brew and I am suddenly not surprised that I like beer. I have always had a soft spot for Heineken, perhaps it has something to do with one of my first independent holidays to Amsterdam. ;)

We board the bus and begin our tour of the cities historical landmarks and look outs. I never realised that New Caledonia played such an important part in the Second World War. We received a commentary along the way which was both interesting and surprising. The only city in New Caledonia is Noumea, most of the remaining land is natural habitat or very small villages.

From our vantage points at Notre Dame de Pacific we are afforded an amazing view of the city and port area. It is a beautiful day with blue skies for as far as the eye can see. We move onto the Ouen Toro Lookout which has another spectacular view, this time over the various island which form New Caledonia.

It is moving onto dusk when we arrive at La Coupole in Anse Vata Bay for the Wine and Cheese tasting.

To Be continued...

I woke to the gentle swaying of the boat.  To some I am sure this would be soothing, and may even lull a person to sleep. For me who gets ill in a rocking chair or hammock it was more than a little disconcerting.  To my relief though I am not feeling so ill.

I start to type the words that have been going through my head since we arrived “this is really not the Palazzo Versace.” I realise that I sound like a spoiled prima donna, but all I can think is “I like nice things,” and I am feeling so ill.

There is no doubt that other people on the boat are having a great time.  Everybody else is loving the food at the buffet, and no one else seems to notice the size of the pool or the number of people packed onto the boat.

I reminded myself that I have only had a glimpse of the cruise ship so far, I knew I needed to get out of my room and try to get over the sickness.

When I went on deck the pools had been closed and drained due to the high sea's.  We had seen waves breaking at each end of the pool as the water swayed to the boats movement. I am told that pool closures rarely happen.  Strangely this makes me feel a little better. Seems that I am not being as woosey and girlie as I feel.

I decided to seek out the more gourmet aspects of this cruise. It occurs to me that readers may want to know the costing of this style of holiday as well as how much spending money they may need to "pimp their holiday." I will include a summary at the end of the seven day review.

So while the family was sleeping I decided to go in search of a nice cappuccino. My coffee is a morning ritual which cannot be forsaken.  There are a number of “Nescafe Stations” which are available for guests to help themselves, but I was looking for something more.

The Cafe Lido answered my call.  I was really pleased to find that the ship had two cafes! I made my way to a corner lounge where I could gaze out the window at the sea below, and ordered a skinny cappuccino.

The coffee was music to my lips, it was perfect, and all of a sudden everything was once again right with the world. Up to this point I had been surviving on the self serve coffee stations.

I took my time to savour the view and this relaxing moment of bliss before returning to the cabin.

Breakfast was once again a buffet in Cafe del Sol, the breakfast menu was exactly what you would expect at any regular hotel buffet.

The little ones enjoyed the choice between banana pancakes and regular pancakes with maple syrup.

The big boys took their time demolishing the best part of a tray of bacon sausages and eggs.

We have been enjoying the choice of fruits available on all the buffets and breakfast was no exception.

Although I had been trying to talk myself into feeling better I am not prepared to risk food at this point.

The children had been begging all throughout breakfast to go back to Turtle Cove.  Turtle cove is the name of the onboard 3-6 years Kids Club. It is very well set up for the little ones.  When we arrived the kids were busy playing and seemed to be having a great time.  Our kids ran in straight away, and were happy playing before we were even given our pager or finished the sign in procedure.

Mr GG & I part ways as he heads to the lower deck and the gym equipment. My motion sickness wasn’t too bad at that moment but I felt that the worse thing I could do is start doing physical exercise. Instead, I am off to a one hour seminar which advises passengers of the tours available at our island destinations. There are so many tours on offer and they really do have something for everyone, from thrill seekers, families, invalids or the elderly.

I find that there are quite a lot of tours I would like to do in the limited time available. Ordinarily I prefer the route of self discovery but given we are in each port for such a limited time it makes sense to take advantage of a pre arranged tour.

Once the seminar is over I meet Mr GG and we head to the lido deck with the intention of a swim, spa and a bit of a relax in the open air. We arrive to find the deck quite full of people, with the pools unavailable we can't see any reason to hang with the masses.

We took some time on the deck to choose our tours and then decide to collect the children for lunch. Anais has been busy painting and has artwork to show us. She has even made a cardboard sun visor! Locky has completed some colouring. Amazing neither child is covered in paint, as would usually happen at childcare!

The children choose their food from the buffet and Mr GG & I do the same. I have inquired about the meals at the “Palm Court Restaurant” which also opens for lunch. We decide that for the convenience of allowing the children to choose how much of each item they want, we would continue with the buffet for the moment. Mr GG and I have christened the buffet “the trough.”

The kids are in a hurry to get back to Turtle Cove. I had highlighted a “mocktail making” class to take them too but they were more interested in the activities at Turtle Cove.

Mr GG and I decided to try and find a quite spot on the boat out of the wind.  The wind had been blowing a constant 40 knots since we left Brisbane and it had not been pleasant to sit on the Lido Deck. We started on level twelve and made our way down the various outdoor decks until we found a little deck to the rear of the boat, and out of the wind. There were only a few guests here as it was designated for adults only due to the bar.  The lounge was aptly called "The Oasis Bar," Mr GG and I settled in with a book each and spent some lovely relaxing hours, reading and enjoying a cocktail or two.

The hours seemed to pass so quickly and before too long I realised we had missed the French lesson I had been intending to take, as well as the Martini making class. We decided to spend a little longer relaxing on the deck and skip the “sunset stretch” class also.

Mr GG and I had booked in to La Luna for a couples dinner so we collected the kids club and took them off to the buffet for their meal.

After they had finished dinner we decided to treat them to an ice-cream at the ice-cream parlour.

Anais chose a choc mint flavour with jelly bean mix ins and Lachlan went for a straight chocolate with peanut M&Ms.

The kids returned to Turtle Cove for the evening movie session and Mr GG and I linked arms and took up our reservation at La Luna.

Review to follow

I have chosen the Shiraz Sangiovese blend from Cassegrain Wines to review this month for focus magazine and Gourmet Getaways readers because it has been my preferred red lately. I am off on holidays at the moment, so it is strictly cocktails by the pool for me.  This is a brief intermission from my Pacific island cruise whilst I share an easy drinking  bottle of red with readers.

AS PUBLISHED IN FOCUS MAGAZINE - PORT MACQUARIE

Cassegrain Wines

Addition Noir Shiraz Sangiovese 2009

 My choice of red wine for summer is always a Pinot or a Sangiovese  These reds are light and refreshing, very easy to drink and perfect  for consuming at this time of year. The combination of Shiraz and Sangiovese in this wine gives a gorgeous ruby red colour and fresh fruit flavours of cherry and spice. It is ideally balanced and an easy drinking wine for a casual night in. Grab a pizza and share a bottle with friends.

Goes with: Pizza, Antipasto or cheese Platter

Cost $25.00

Available: All good bottle shops or online at

www.cassegrainwines.com.au

I love a good laugh, and comedies are always at their best when you can relate to the story line. At the risk of offending my dear brother, I have to say I know “Our Idiot Brother” is going to be a side splitter for me.

Does anyone else have a sibling who defies reason, who is loveable, adorable, completely cruisey and laid back, but will drive any normal “Type A” personality absolutely crazy in about two seconds flat.

“Our Idiot Brother” tells the story of Ned a happy go lucky sibling who manages to get “tricked” into selling pot to a uniformed police officer. Ned’s situation begins to take a downward spiral when he is released from jail only to find his girlfriend has left with their dog “Willie Nelson” (there is a joke or two there I am sure!)

Ned moves back in with the family, and naturally there is friction!

I think for an added laugh I will be taking my own dear brother, “AKA The Higher Being” to see this movie with me.

 “Our Idiot Brother” will be out on DVD and Blue-ray on the 15^th March 2012.

Take a look at this trailer and tell me what you think.  Can you relate to this scenario too?  Who would you choose to watch “Our Idiot Brother” with?

Thank you to Nuffnang for providing a private screening of this movie for Nuffnang bloggers in Sydney on the 14th March. This is a sponsored post.

What do you do when your child turns 21? Maybe a party? Perhaps reminisce over a job well done with your husband and those significant in your life.

What do you do when that child isn’t with you anymore?  This is something I have never known.

Do you grieve even more horribly than before? Do you fall into the depths of depression wishing that things were not the way they are?

Do you keep yourself busy and try to ignore the day?

Do you celebrate the birthday that would have been?

For the last 4 1/2 years I just haven’t known. I know people will say you do what you feel, but this doesn’t really help me. Nothing feels right.

21 years ago my beautiful girl was born. I knew thing were not right straight away, they wouldn’t let me hold her. They lied, and said that she was fine, but because I had needed an emergency caesarean she would be looked after in the nursery. I begged that she be allowed to stay with me, even with the epidural in, I tried to pull myself with my arms up to sitting while they stitched my stomach. I was quickly ordered to lie back down and stop being silly.

Every hour through the night I asked the nurses to bring my baby, every hour they told me lies. She is not maintaining her body temperature, she doesn’t have great colour. We are keeping her so that you can get some sleep. At about 3.00am they told me that she had stopped breathing and she may not survive.

How is it that my healthy, full term baby, of 8 pounds is hanging on so thinly to life. The baby I haven’t even held.

I am wheeled down to see her, through all the tubes, machines and monitors I see my gorgeous first born daughter. We have named her Kaela Elisia. I still can’t even touch her.

She is the biggest, fattest, healthiest baby in level 3 neonatal intensive care... ironically she is also probably the one who is the least likely to survive, and the most likely to the highest level of support needs during her short life.

Thankfully my daughter was a fighter. I adored my gorgeous girl and although she never spoke, I always knew exactly what she needed. She was never able to walk, but that’s okay because I loved to carry her around with me anyway. She couldn’t sit upright by herself, but she could cuddle into the corner of a lounge with me just fine. She was the happiest little girl, even total strangers smiled at us in the street.

Her first birthday was a mixture of emotions for me. My baby was still precariously hanging onto life. I was more grateful for the year I had spent with her than for any other year of my life to date. However, internally I already grieved for the day I would lose her. I grieved for her lost future. She would never speak, eat (tube feed), sit up, walk, play with other children, marry, have children, have health, have a life! I didn’t know what the future would hold.

I decided to ignore the grief and my broken heart and just celebrate!

It had to be the biggest first birthday party I could manage with a sick, disabled child. Our party completely took over the grass hill on the North side of Bondi Beach. Every family member and friend was there to celebrate with us.

That party and the support of family was what allowed me to take a deep breath in and just look at the positives, the fact that I had a future with my baby. There was no more wishing for what might have been. We just celebrated for what we had, a gorgeous happy girl who would fight all her life for a short stay with us. I had a wonderful family who only saw the positives, who gave me strength.

From that moment I took the grief and push it aside to be dealt with at a later date. A day when she didn’t need me anymore.  We had too much to deal with.  The most heart wrenching surgeries you could imagine enduring, learning how to inject my baby with Valium if she continued to have an epileptic fit and stopped breathing before and ambulance arrived, dressing her stomar, physio to stop her limbs curling as her limbs grew and the tendons, and ligaments didn’t.

My baby passed away just before her 16^th birthday. She was still the same as the day she was born, only bigger. She had a double bed, so I could jump in with her if she was ill. She was still the most gentle, happy soul.  Naturally everyone loved her.

So now it is her 21^st birthday, I only feel loss. Loss for the baby I had. Loss for the person she was, loss for the person she may have been.

I don’t know what to do on this day each year. I can’t go to the cemetery, as I can’t bare to remember her that way. I don’t believe in God or heaven so there is placating me with those myths.  Intellectually I want to spend the day adoring my four other gorgeous children . Mentally I want to just curl up in a ball and cry for my eldest baby girl.

So what do I do?

For the moment, it is a glass of wine, some tears and this story.  Next year, and all the years after I think it will try and plan something special for the other children. I will choose to try and block some of the emotion.  I am told it gets easier but I just don’t know how this could be true.

I haven't been able to post images due to a technical problem. I will come back to it when the problem is resolved so I can provided a proper memorial to my girl.

Kaela Elisa

18th Feb 1991 - 13th Oct 2006

It is day four, on the Mid North Coast Foodie Tour with Lorraine from NQN. Unfortunately it is nearly time for me to bid this lovely lady goodbye.

We have a little time to wake slowly and enjoy our beautiful beachfront surrounds at Saltwater, on Emerald Beach. I soak in the view of the waves breaking on the shore just 100 metres away and contemplate breakfast.

I can hear the restaurant below in full swing downstairs. I am tempted to run down for a quick coffee but I can’t quite bring myself to leave the tranquility of our abode. I settled for making a cup of tea for myself and my traveling companion, and just remained where I was, simply staring at the sea.

Mid North Coast Tourism have put together a bountiful breakfast hamper for Lorraine and myself, but alas after being so totally indulged over the last three days we both feel that even a bite and we may never be able to eat again! What a tragedy that would be! Instead we divide up the hamper so we can enjoy it completely at our leisure.

All too soon there is packing to be done before one last stopover at a famous Coffs Harbour icon.

Oh course we are visiting the Big Banana! I am embarrassed to say that I have never eaten a frozen chocolate banana, so I intend to rectify this oversight today.

As we walk through the Big Banana, on our way to meet the manager we are drawn into the candy store.  There is a candy making demonstration taking place and we watch at the skill involved in making these sweet treats.

There is every flavour conceivable on the shelves. I can’t help but purchase a passionfruit candy which is filled with white chocolate! Delicious! Now I just need to hide it from the children when I go home ;)

Just upstairs from the candy store we notice a puppet shop. We are entertained by a cheeky little boy puppet as we wonder through admiring the toys.

We meet Drew, the Big Banana manager next and he takes us for our special tour.  We are shown through the first of two theatres to watch a history of banana growing in the area and a second show explaining the health benefits of the humble banana. By the end of the second show I am beginning to notice a rumble in my tummy. It has been about six months since I have eaten a banana as they have been up to $18 per kilo in the supermarket due to the Queensland crisis.

We are taken on a walk through the plantation and the packing area. In Coffs Harbour we grow Cavendish bananas. As we have a sub tropical climate it takes longer for Coffs Harbour plants to produce bananas than they do in Queensland. A plant would take between 12 and 18 months to bare fruit in Coffs, whilst in Queensland the same fruit may take just 6 months. It is not all bad news for the Coffs Harbour banana however.  The longer the fruit spends on the tree the more the sugars and flavours are allowed to develop. Meaning we produce a sweeter, tastier product.

Most of the Big Banana’s product is destined for their very own food court.

Here you will find the most delicious variations on banana themed desserts that you will find anywhere.

Naturally I am intent on trying the chocolate covered banana. The banana‘s are frozen on a stick and then dipped firstly in chocolate and then in either 100’2 & 1000’s or nuts. The can also be purchased without the addition on the sprinkles, but we choose the more adorned banana’s. I start with the 100’s & 1000’s and then move on to the nut coated banana. My favourite is the nuts as it seems to me that nuts, chocolate and banana are the perfect combination.

Next we are treated to a banana fritter.  Made from one of the Big Banana’s A lovely sweet banana which has been fried until crispy and golden. It is topped with a caramel sauce, a served with banana ice cream, of course!

Then we are a presented with a banana milk shake.  Made with real banana naturally and not a syrup, it is more like a banana smoothie. The milkshake is the biggest I have seen an I am feeling very full at this stage.

We have only just started on the banana desserts, we also try the banana split. These are served in gorgeous little banana boat dishes and include a banana, whipped cream, ice cream and topping of your choice.

In the food court area we notice so many products made using banana’s. The banana jam catches our eye. Lorraine is fascinated and soon extracts a promise from the manager to supply the recipe.

As always occurs we find ourselves in a rush for the airport, we bid each other goodbye, and sadly my journey with Lorraine has come to an end.

I feel so fortunate to have had this wonderful experience.  I would like to thank everyone involved as it has been a marvellous opportunity to share the area I love with my readers and my idol.

If you have missed any of our adventures links to the full itinerary are below;

Signature Dish Dinner at Saltwater

The Jaaning Tree - Nambucca Heads

Day 3 - Food Tour w NQN

The Milkbar - Town Beach

The Corner Restaurant

Day 2- Mid North Coast Signature Dish Competition

The Stunned Mullet

Day 1 - Food tour w NQN

Gourmet Getaways & NQN have been guests of the following Tourism Departments, Restaurants, Hotels and businesses.

Destination NSW

Mid North Coast Tourism

Saltwater Restaurant & Accommodation

The Observatory Hotel

The Jaaning Tree

The Corner Restaurant

The Stunned Mullet

The Milkbar Town Beach

Ricardo’s Tomatoes

Gaian Poultry

The Big Banana

Comboyne Cheese

Macadamia Farm

Lil Baba Chocolates

Have you ever noticed that when you’re showing a guest around your local area you see things with fresh eyes? I have really noticed this whilst traveling around with Lorraine from Not Quite Nigella. We have stayed in gorgeous accommodation and eaten in restaurants which are showcasing the best the region has to offer, fresh from the local grass roots producers.

Tonight’s dinner is the culmination of all that we have experienced on this road trip.  We have met the local producers on the land, watched the up and coming star chefs of our region, fight it out in the this year’s Signature Dish awards. This evening we will be meeting the lovely people from the tourism departments who have been the wheels behind this event and many more like it.

We settle in to our beachfront accommodation at Saltwater, right across the road from the local surf spot of Emerald Beach.  Lorraine and I spent a little long enjoying the Jaaning Restaurant and we need to hurriedly prepare for this evenings event. The evening is being hosted by the previous year’s Signature Dish winner, Chef Dustin Bowie Ford of Saltwater Restaurant.

Dustin won the title last year with his Confit Duck & Pork Belly signature dish. Tonight this dish will feature as part of the menu .  After all the amazing food we have been treated of late I have high expectations for tonight’s meal and I am expecting something quite exquisite.

Oysters and passionfruit served with Cassegrain Edition Noir N.V. Pinot Chardonnay

We make our way downstairs and after just a few quick hellos we are seated and looking at the delicious sounding, if not very brief, dish titles for this evenings menu.  It is explained to us that Dustin has been deliberately cryptic as on the menu as he wanted his dishes to have the element of surprise. Tonight was his night to have a little fun, and take the opportunity to express himself in the food he presents.

The first of the four courses arrives, two fat oysters sitting on a decorative bed of meringue. On the menu it states Oyster & Passionfruit but the dish is so much more. The deliciously fresh oysters are served with two different toppings, the first with a passionfruit gel and the second with crab meat and tamarillo. I love a light start to a meal, so this entree suited me perfectly. It was paired with one of my favourite sparkling Chardonnays, the NV Pinot Chardonnay from Cassegrain so I quickly settled in and become very comfortable.

Swordfish and chickpea served with Cassegrain Reserve 2009 Fromenteau Chardonnay

I adore chick pea‘s, and I love Swordfish when it is just barely cooked, and still moist. I don’t know that I ever would have thought to combine the two in a dish but the dish really worked well. The chick pea was served as a smoky puree and benefited from the addition of a few crunchy deep fried chick peas. Caramelised braised fennel added another texture and flavour to the cuttlefish and the dish was finished perfectly with squid ink foam on the side, it was really quite a special dish.

Confit Duck and Pork Belly served wtih Cassegrain 2010 Pinot Noir

The moment I have been anticipating arrives, and the 2010 Dustin Bowie Ford, winning Signature Dish is put down before me. The dish won this prestigious title as the judges felt it was a dish that best describes “the taste” of the Mid North Coast.

...another angle ;)

So what is the gorgeous meal before me? Confit organic duck leg from Gaian Poultry, a master stock pork belly rectangle which is mouth-wateringly soft, salty and delicious. This moist and crispy skinned duck was resting on a diakon rosti and garnished with a crisp Chinese salad of pickled carrot, cucumber, mango, diakon and ginger. There was just so much to love on this plate. We were even given our own wavy stick of crackling to save arguments on the table.

Next the menu announces a “palate cleanser,” no further description is given, but when we question the waiter we are told that we would be served a square of Beetroot Jelly and one of Blood Orange.

Dustin was playing games and the room erupted in to confused chattering as guest began to realise that the flavours and colours were actually the reserve of the logical. The mind is an amazing thing, and it is quite strange to look at a red jelly expecting it to taste of beetroot, only to find a delicious citrus explosion.

Once the excitement in the room died down we began to wonder what would be in store for dessert. The menu said merely “Lemon Meringue Pie”. I don’t think anyone expected to see a version of nana’s lemon meringue bought out but we didn’t quite know what Dustin would be up to with this one...

Lemon Meringue Pie served with Casay

What we had set before us was a deconstructed lemon meringue pie which had also undergone a bit of pimping on the flavour stakes. The lemon was a tangy set lemon curd slice which was sitting beside the most crunch piped meringue and served with the addition of an arty wave of ginger snap flavour biscuit base and some shards of pavlova for a little more crunch.

On this sweet final note the staff came out from the kitchen to take a bow and say a few words.  Sonia Fingleton of Mid North Coast Tourism spoke of the ripple effect that this event is having throughout our region as it highlights our area as a producer and supplier of fine foods. She spoke of the importance that the heightened sense of awareness events such as the Signature Dish, Tastings of the Hastings, and the Crave 100 Mile Challenge have on the area. This awareness is what is putting our local area firmly on the foodies road map.

So it is no longer a secret, the North Coast of NSW is a Gourmet Getaways paradise.

Gourmet Getaways was a guest of Lorraine from Not Quite Nigella, Destination NSW and Mid North Coast Tourism.

Saltwater Cafe, Restaurant and Accommodation

104 Fiddaman Road

Emerald Beach NSW 2456

PH: (02) 6656 1888

Breakfast Wed – Fri 9:00 am, Sat – Sun 8:00 am
Lunch: Wed – Sun 12:00 pm
Dinner: Wed – Sat 6:00 pm

What did the roast beef and cheese sandwich say to the green tomato pickles? You complete me... or maybe that's just a line from a bad Tom Cruise movie. Anyway these pickles are so delicious. I have just finished smothering a bread roll in this spicy spread and devouring it, and believe me it really does make the sandwich complete!

There are so many traditional recipes that I remember my grandparents making when I was small. I have noticed they just don’t seem to get made anymore! When I was younger everyone was making, and giving away, chutneys, pickles, relishes and jams. This recipe is a real blast from the past. My taste buds instantly remembered this flavour from my childhood. It took me back to eating roast beef and cheese sandwiches at nan's, with heaps of pickles and chunks of real butter.

So how did I come to be sharing a recipe for Green Tomato Pickles. I had just made my Tomato Chilli Chutney from the excess tomatoes in my garden.  A friend commented that his mother made the best Green Tomato Pickles.  After talking about the pickles for a while Craig decided that it was time he should learn how to make it. He was going to engage the assistance of his mother Maureen to make his own batch of the famous recipe.

As it turns out, finding 6kgs of green tomatoes isn’t that easy, but after a trip to Ricardo’s Tomatoes in Port Macquarie the vital ingredient was secured. The pickle making is a two day process so Craig’s mother kindly offered to dedicate two days to the pickling and teaching of her recipe. The result would be three batches of pickles or about 18 jars!

I have given the recipe for a single batch which is about six jars.

Ingredients:

1.9kgs Green Tomatoes

400gms Onion

9 Tbs salt

900gm sugar

750ml vinegar

¾ cup flour

3 Tbs Curry powder

1 Tbs Ground Turmeric

One of the really cute things about this recipe is that it was typed on nice little indexed cards in pounds! We had to convert the recipe to metric as we went.

Method:

Day 1

Wash the tomatoes, remove any stalks and dry them thoroughly.

Chop the tomatoes and onions into a similar sized dice. In a large saucepan add a layer of 1/3 of the tomatoes and 1/3 of the onions, add 1/3 of the salt evenly over the layer.

Continue this process until you have three layers. Cover the saucepan and leave to stand overnight.  This will draw out any moisture.

Day 2

Drain off all the liquid from the tomato mixture.

Boil a jug with hot water and pour over the tomato mixture and drain again. Do this twice to remove all the salt.

Put the tomatoes on the stove and add 450ml of white vinegar. Bring the mixture to the boil cover and then cook for ten minutes using a timer.

In the meantime in a bowl combine the flour, turmeric, and curry powder with the remaining 300mls vinegar until it becomes a paste. Reserve for later use.

Once the tomato has boiled for ten minutes add the sugar and stir until dissolved.

Turn off the heat and add the paste slowly to the tomato mixture while stirring.  Avoid lumps by adding the paste slowly and continuing to stir.

Once the paste has been fully combined, place the pickles over a low heat and simmer gently. Pickles should be cooked for another 10 minutes, or until the mixture has reached the desired consistency.

Remove from the heat and allow it to cool slightly before bottling in sterilized jars.

Maureen (Craig’s mum) warned us that she would be the quality controller for this recipe. Unless the batches all past the taste test they wouldn’t be allowed out of her kitchen. We have obviously learned well under her watchful eye, because although there were differences in the spiciness of each pickle, they were all delicious.

So thank you so much Maureen for sharing the recipe and your time with me. These pickles are just the way my nana used to make them so I bought a jar out to my mum and my nan.

Both loved them!

So readers, are you like me and have food memories, once you taste something it instantly triggers a time in your life?

I don’t know about you but all my original plans for Australia Day have gone out the window.  The weather is playing games, and camping on the beach no longer seems like a really good option.

Even with the lousy weather I am always up for an Australia Day BBQ with friends.  So the Australia Day celebration has now been relocated to a friend’s hinterland property just outside Coffs Harbour.

Given the weather I have also changed my mind on the menu for the day. I will keep the main event a secret until tomorrow but here is what I thought I would make for the kiddies.

Australia Day White Chocolate Cake Pop Ups! How cool are these!!! Kids can eat them, there is no mess, and they are really easy and fun to make.

You could use any cake recipe for this treat.  I like the white chocolate because it is a dense cake and holds together well while you cut it and put it into the cake pop holders.

Ingredients:

250gm butter

190gm white chocolate

2 cups caster sugar

1 cup milk

1 ½ cups plain flour

½ cup SR flour

1 t/s vanilla

2 eggs

Red colouring

Blue colouring

1 ½ tins Betty Croker Vanilla Frosting

Lollies to decorate

Method:

Cover a large baking tray with baking paper.

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.

In a saucepan melt the butter, sugar and chocolate over a very low heat until just melted.

Remove from the heat and add flour and milk stir until combined and then add the eggs and vanilla.

Divide the mixture in half and separate into to bowls. Add blue colour to one and red to the other.  Pour the red mixture into one side of the baking pan and the blue into the other.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until cooked.

Remove the cake from the pan and allow to cool.

Use the cyclinder of a cake pop up to cut circles from the mixture.

Press the cake into the cake pops. Layer the two colours of the cake with a heaped spoonful of frosting in between the colours. Add more frosting and lollies to the top to decorate.

These are so delicious! There is the perfect amount of frosting to cake. I kept mine in the freezer and the coolness of the treat was even better. Plus it travel better as a lunch box treat.

This recipe makes about 20 cake pops

On another note, have you ever been let down by a supplier?

The lollies that I have decorated the cake pops with were originally bought for Christmas. I had a story planned and I was also going to add the red and white ones to gifts I was making. The lollies were ordered and paid for the lollies at the beginning of December. After numerous emails they were finally I received on the 29^th December. Naturally at this time they were totally useless to me.  I now have three kilograms of jelly beans that I am eating my way through. NOT HAPPY!

The cake pop up cylinders are a similar story. This time the package arrived promptly but one item was missing. I have now been emailing backwards and forwards for over a week with the company not prepared to admit that a mistake may have been made. All this for a $4 item!  Seriously, would I lie about something so trivial. I just want to have the item I selected for a story.

Have you had a similar incident? Should I name the companies? I always like to write positive things so I won’t name names, but come on people, customer service please!

Happy Chinese New Year!

We are now in the year of the Dragon according to the Chinese calendar. This is the most powerful of the Chinese signs, and symbolises strength and good fortune. Chinese New Year is a time of celebration and feasting. Our family is very fortunate to be hosting a Chinese student by the name of Jing Yuan Chun.  Chun has prepared a special celebration dish for us which her family usually eat on special occasions.

Chun says that she has never prepared this dish before but she has seen it being made. Like most Chinese families they will usually eat this meal in a restaurant, as Chinese households do not usually have an oven.

For dinner tonight we have our family, my mum and Jiang chao (kaka), Chun’s boyfriend all joining us for dinner so we have be prepared two ducks for the meal. Chun has been demonstrating the technique on the first duck; I have been diligently taking notes and preparing the second duck as per her instructions.

Ingredients:

1 Duck

1 T/s salt

1 tsp Szechuan pepper (sweet)

3 star anise

½ t/s ground cinnamon

¾ ts ground ginger

1 green shallot sliced length ways

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup light soy sauce

1/3 cup Chinese rice wine

Basting Sauce:

¼ cup white vinegar

½ cup honey

Serving Suggestions:

5 potatoes sliced

Cucumber

Kechup Manis

Soft Burrito

Method:

Dry the duck with a paper towel. Rub salt all over the duck.

In a mortar a pestle, pound the star anise and szechuan pepper roughly, set aside.

Mix the soy sauce and rice wine in a bowl and add all the spices include the star anise mixture. Add the sliced shallot.

Place the duck in a bowl and pour the marinade over.

Ensure all the duck is covered with the marinade.  Cover the duck with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, turn the duck periodically.

Next day prior to cooking, remove the duck from the marinade. Dispose of the marinade and allow the duck to air dry.

To make the basting liquid combine the honey and vinegar and allow to stand.

Once the duck is completely dry baste the bird in the sauce.

Ensure that all areas are completely covered in the sauce. Continue to sit the duck on the bench so that the basting liquid will dry.

Once the basting liquid has dried on the duck wrap the drumstick and wings in foil to prevent burning.

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.

Slice the potato into ¾ cm thick rounds and place in a layer on a covered baking tray. Add the duck to the potato layer.

Cook the duck for 1 hour. Half way through the cooking time remove the duck from the oven and repeat the basting process.  The duck must again be completely dry prior to entering the oven.

Once the second 30 minutes cooking period has elapsed remove the duck and baste again using the same drying process. Increase the oven temperature to 220 degrees and cook for a further 15minutes to crisp the skin.

I can't tell you how amazing the kitchen smelled whilst the duck was cooking. The aroma was of a rich star anise and sweet honey sauce. 

The duck was served with sliced crunchy cucumber from my garden a sweet soy sauce and potato which had been roasted with the duck.  These fillings combined with the duck in a warmed flat bread as a delicious rich sweet parcel.

The duck itself had a sweet and salty crisp skin with the delicious after taste on Star Anise and Ginger.  The duck flesh was very moist, sweet and succulent. Chun explained that because duck is a sweet meat the accompaniments should always be sweet to compliment the flavour.

It was such an amazing meal, I am so grateful to Chun for sharing this feast with us and giving us the opportunity to learn more about the food she enjoys in China and how she celebrate the important days in  her culture.

I was surprised to learn that because Chun and her boyfriend were both born in the year of the Dragon that the coming year was supposed to be fraught with danger and obstacles which would need to be overcome. Chuns father is very concerned that she is out of the country for this inauspicious year. KaKa explained that the repeated year can be very difficult.

I am looking forward to sharing our Australia day with Chun and Kaka. Although China having a history which span over 5000 years old, kind of makes Australia look like an infant by comparison :)

So tell me readers do you join in celebrations from other cultures such as Bastille Day for the French, thanksgiving for the Americans or perhaps St Patrick's Day?

Australia Day is just around the corner! What are your plans for this wonderful public holiday?

Thanks to the generosity of the lovely people at Bakers Delight I was given the opportunity to select some of their delicious products to take home and try.

I decided to embrace the “Aussie Day” spirit and chose the “Cheesymite Scroll”.  They are one of my favourite Bakers Delight products for the kids.

If you haven’t sampled one before imagine Bakers Delight dough, spread with just the right amount of Vegemite and a generous amount of cheese. The dough is then rolled up and baked to a delicious golden finish. The taste is so much better than any cheese and vegemite sandwich. The bread is so light and fluffy and the cheese perfectly melded with the vegemite.

What could be more Australian than a “Cheesymite Scroll”?

The perfect Australia Day kid’s food!

Bakers delight have been baking this very Aussie combination for 31 years now, and the Australian public just love them. As a way of thanking customers Bakers Delight will be giving away fresh baked mini Cheesymite Scrolls to customers on 26 January.

The offer is available at all 614 Bakers Delight bakeries across the country. Bakers will be getting up extra early on the 26 January to bake fresh from scratch the Mini Cheesymite Scrolls. It is expected that over 250,000 customers will enjoy this free treat on Australia Day. 

I know whatever we do on Australia Day it will include a Cheesymite Scroll for the kiddies, they are always a favourite!

So readers tell me what is your favourite Baker’s Delight product?

Will you be grabbing some “Cheesymite Scrolls” for the kids this Australia Day?

When chef Joel McCulla from Zulu’s Restaurant in Coffs Harbour asked me to be a party to the creation of a new dish there is was an overwhelming mixture of feelings on my behalf. Naturally I was honoured and excited, there was a huge amount of curiosity, but I have to say there was an aspect of apprehension.

There is no doubting that Joel is an excellent chef with a talent for creating amazing food but there is another side to this chef, his alter ego is that of a mad scientist, with perhaps a slight sadistic slant. My thoughts went to the various Heston style dishes we have eaten as a guest in the restaurant, I wondered how he would shock the senses with this new dish.

I jumped at the invitation without so much as a second thought. Even when Joel started talking about the menu idea I have to say my mind had already skipped ahead to the story I would write. I barely took in the title “Mouse Burger with Squeaky Fries.” I did wonder in passing how he would create a burger that resembled a mouse and what squeaky fries could mean, but that was the extent of my ponderings, I was committed to the adventure.

After a few emails to arrange a date for this experiment it started to become apparent that the mouse burger was not just an unusually small burger, or a burger which looked like a mouse, but was a burger made from mice!

To say that I immediately regretted my enthusiasm is not an understatement. I honestly didn’t know whether Joel was seriously going to make me eat a rodent or whether this was all part of his sick sense of humour. Perhaps it would be an eleventh hour trick, and once I tried it he would announce that it was some regular form of meat??

When I arrived in the kitchen Joel was hard at work preparing the making for what looked like a very regular burger. I was anxious to have my mind put at ease so I ask him some questions about the various components of the dish which were busy bubbling away on the hotplate.

Mentally I had come to terms with the possibility that I may be eating a totally unacceptable form of meat. I kept reminding myself that Andrew Zimmerman had eaten far worse on his show “Bizarre Foods” and he had survived to date. I did however hope that this rationalising would not be necessary.

Sitting on a plate were three cute little knot rolls which Joel explained he had baked earlier. On the gas was a delicious smelling stock, I asked him what he was using to make the stock he named off the vegetables and herbs with the final ingredient being the carcasses left over from filleting five mice! There it was, we were eating mice, there was no longer any question!

Joel explained that the mice he was using in the dish were not caught locally, but were actually bred for consumption.  My moment of relief was short lived however, as he went on to explain that these mice had been destined to be pet food for someone’s snake!  Apparently this was however positive because it meant they were bred in captivity and killed without chemicals.  Joel seemed to be confident in the safety aspect of eating the mice, and I was very confident that if anyone could make a mouse taste good it would be this chef so I was prepared to put my concerns aside and continue on with this adventure.

Step one in making a mouse burger. Once you have acquired the mice you must first gut, skin and fillet the rodents. Thankfully I wasn’t a part of this process as Joel had kindly completed that step prior to my arrival.

Next the rodents were very finely diced into a minced meat. I was quite impressed with Joel’s knife skills and before very long there was a little pinch bowl of very moist sticky looking minced meat.

Next Joel finely diced some ecshalot and added it to the mice mince with some secret seasoning.

The mince was then formed into a miniature burger and allowed to stand in the fridge to take shape. It is surprising that five mice condense down to just one miniature patties. He commented that the dish could never actually go on the menu as he had costed this entree sized burger at around $90 due to the preparation time involved in dealing with such a small animal.

I didn’t have the heart to tell him that perhaps that wasn’t the only reason why it wouldn’t make the menu.

Watching the burger take shape I was beginning to gain confidence in the flavours and meal that would be presented. Joel prepared a delicious white chocolate & lime aioli using the most fragrant cocoa butter. He firstly added whole garlic cloves to the butter and allowed them to infused whilst the butter was heated in the oven. The cocoa butter was them used with the lime to form the aioli

Next the mouse stock was strained and further reduced to form a demi glaze for serving with the burger. We both sampled the sauce and found that it was really tasty, rather a lot like oxtail soup. What a relief, it wasn't the least bit rodenty but it still had a real meaty full flavour, quite delicious!

The tails which had formed part of the stock were reserved for the final presentation. Joel’s plan was to fry off the tails in the hope that they would achieve a crisp finish.

I have to say that I knew I would have to draw the line at munching on the mice’s tail. Perhaps I may have been able to be convinced? We will never know because once Joel described the tail as kind of chewy and cartilagey the mental struggle was over for me, no mice tails.

A burger is not a burger without onion rings and salad, so Joel set to work preparing the burger fillings. Everything was cut with absolute precision for these “mini mouse” burgers.

Joel shredded the capsicum and trimmed the lettuce so that it would fit neatly on the little buns. The buns were first smeared with the lime aioli and then the salad was added.

Whilst the burger patty was being grilled Joel went to work to prepare the squeaky fries. These were to be made from squeaky cheese ie: Haloumi cut in slices to resemble thick cut chips. The haloumi was seasoned and fried ready for serving.

The meal was coming together nicely and it was looking rather delicious. Periodically I would be shocked back into the reality by the sight of a tail but for the most part I kept forgetting that this very regular looking burger was anything but the norm.

The bun was topped with the “Pièce de résistance”  five little mice made into one miniature meat patty. The onion rings aka fried eschalots were added to the top and the burger was ready for service.

Now I know that it is usually a case of ladies before gentlemen, but in this case there was no way I was taking a mouthful until Joel had done so first. I may have been committed to the experiment, but self preservation meant that I still wanted to see the chef eat first.

I had visions of being a child again and being tricked into eating something gross, only to have that peer say “haha, I didn’t really eat mine”

It was no trick however!  Joel cut the burger in half and took the first mouthful. He looked thoughtfully and nodded. I took my first tentative bite. I chew and enjoyed the flavours. The meat was very moist, and had a tender melt in your mouth texture. I hate to be the one to compare mouse to wagyu but the complete lack of chewniess in the meat took my mind to this style of meat.

The lime aioli gave the burger a really nice creamy, musky citrus kick and the salad gave the whole thing fresh crunch. Regardless of the lovely flavour I still found that I was having trouble swallowing. There was a growing lump in my throat which was threatening to stop me swallowing my mouthful. I continued to chew and with some force I swallowed... and the world didn’t stop. I had eaten a mouse!

Joel went ahead and had a second bite, so I did the same. I have to say that I enjoyed that mouthful more. I was no longer concerned about whether I would be able swallow the meal, and I already knew that the flavour was good. Joel had done an amazing job at working with the flavours and turning it into something very unique and tasty.

The really naughty aspect of this story for me is about the squeaky fries. Even in the somber atmosphere of devouring our mouse burger both Joel and I had to let out a totally wicked laugh as we bit into the haloumi and there was an audible squeek! It was as if the mice were saying one last goodbye. It was a little evil to get such a giggle out of the experience but it just made the meal more than just the smell, taste, texture it add a fiendish new dimension.

So I guess my question to you my dear readers is... how far would you dabble into the range of “Bizarre Food”? Where would you draw the line for the sake of a story?

Some like it hot – and - some - sweat when the heat is on....

Oh how I am showing my age now! Robert Palmer straight out of the 80’s!

So keeping with the retro theme, I have a retro recipe, and old fashioned Chilli Jam.

With all this rain and humidity, lately my garden has been producing vast quantities of both tomatoes and chilli. I tend to eat about a punnet per day of cherry tomatoes and I am not even coming close to making a dent in the stock of tomatoes I have in the fridge. I decided that if was going to make use of all this abundant fruit I would need to do some preserving. Mr GG is not a fan of tomatoes at all so I didn’t tell him this chilli jam was made with tomatoes, lucky because he loves it! He has been adding it to his sandwiches everyday!

The recipe does have a bit of warmth to it, but the extra medium heat chillies just give a depth of flavour to the chilli without adding any more heat.

You could also use this chilli for your next BBQ on a nice rare steak.  YUMMY!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this recipe, it is one just like nana would make J. If you have anymore suggestions of ways to use up tomatoes I would love to hear them all.

Ingredients:

1 lg onion (sliced)

1 habanero chilli

3 or 4 med heat chilli’s

24 cherry tomatoes

1 tbs olive oil

3 tbs balsamic vinegar

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Method:

Heat the oil in a saucepan, and add the onion along with the sugar.

Cook on a low heat for 10 minutes until starting to soften.

Finely chop the chilli’s, and add to the pan along with the balsamic vinegar.

Cook for a further 5 minutes over the same low heat.

Cut the tomatoes in half and add to the pan along with the salt.

Stir, cover and cook gently, on a low heat, for about 20 minutes.

When the tomatoes start to collapse use a stick blender to roughly chop the jam mixture.

The jam can be served hot or cold.

The recipe will make about 4 jars of chilli jam and it will keep in the fridge for about a month.

So tell me readers, do you have a favourite family recipe for a relish, chutney, jam or marmalade? Are you like me and love having these tasty spreads in the fridge to liven up a meal or sandwich?

I have given a jar of my chilli jam to a friend so I will be waiting for her feedback on the site.

Take a relaxing deep breath, and settle in for the afternoon is my advice when visiting the “Jaaning Tree”. That’s what Lorraine from Not Quite Nigella and I did when which reached this picturesque restaurant. We were on our North Coast Food & Wine Tour and arrived at “The Jaaning Tree,” we were instantly mesmerised by the lull of the water and the tranquil, serene environment of the Nambucca River.

Chef and owner Clayton Donavan grew up in the Nambucca area, as a boy would go “foraging” for food in the rainforest and on the beach. He always wanted to be a chef and his passion for local and native food is evident in the menu and his enthusiasm to share “local knowledge”.

After a prestigious international career cheffing, Clayton has returned to this spot on the water, to raise a family with his beautiful bride and lovely English Rose, Jane. Jane commented that if the chef ever goes “missing” he is usually off picking edible flowers or native berries for the restaurant.

Lorraine and I perused the menu and are instantly drawn to the oyster entree. We are after all sitting more or less on the banks on the Nambucca River so it fits that we should enjoy some fresh Nambucca oyster. We choose a selection of Natural and Asian Style Oysters.

We are presented with the most beautiful display of modern fresh food. The oysters are served with a salad of fresh edible flowers including nasturtiums, apple berry flower, viola and home grown rocket with radish, red onion and cucumber.

The oysters are fat and delicious. The taste so fresh and remind me of the sea spray. The natural oysters are served on rock salt, with some lemon and fennel. The Asian styled oysters were my favourite, they were garnished with coriander, wasabi oil, mirin and pickled ginger.  The flavour was amazing! I instantly decided that I needed to try and reproduce this dish at home for Mr GG.

The menu at the Jaaning Tree is so inviting that Lorraine and I found it difficult to choose. For entrees we finally settled on two dishes, a Citrus Cured Crocodile Carpaccio and a Cheese & Macadamia Nut Beignets.

I adore raw food so I was sold on the crocodile Carpaccio as soon as it arrived. Wafer thin slices of succulent tender crocodile cured in juice and served with fresh salad leaves and pickled ginger, a wasabi crème fraiche and a chilli and coriander dressing. There was just so much flavour in the dish. It was nicely presented topped with a crispy wonton wrapper.

The Cheese and Macadamia Nut Beignets were the next dish I sampled. The choux pastry had been made with a puree of cheese and macadamia through the light crisp pastry.  This deliciously light pastry it was then deep fried. The little pastries were served with an array of reductions, flavour powders and foam. There was a balsamic and wattle seed reduction plus a Davidson plum reduction, a citrus foam and native flavours in the form of powders and ground spices. I thoroughly enjoyed the combination of native traditional food, French style cooking techniques and modern ingredients. The Jaaning tree has taken “Modern Australian Dining” to a whole new level.

The Jaaning Tree also carries a range of quality preserves made from native ingredients. I was intrigued by the sound of these flavours and both Lorraine and I bought quite a few to sample at home.

Lorraine and I had decided to share a main dish of Smoked Loin. When the dish arrived it was spectacular, gorgeously presented and very large! After all the food we had consumed on the trip I was grateful we had decided to share.

This is the dish the Jaaning Tree is famous for, the Kangaroo is hot smoked using the leaves of the highly aromatic scented lemon myrtle, and served with organic baby beetroot and carrots, caramalised pear, wilted spinach and a chocolate jus to finish.

I felt so guilty eating this dish without my husband that I took a photo and sent it to him. I know he would have enjoyed the meal as much as I was. The kangaroo was so tender and flavoursome and the salad was the ultimate in fresh, healthy and tasty.

Something I have certainly learnt of the last few days is that a meal is not a meal without dessert, when you are dining with the Queen of Desserts Miss NQN!

We chose a gorgeous Creme Brulee which was deliciously rich and creamy. It was served with a divine range of coulis and powders to enhance the flavour of the brulee and a homemade ice-cream. It was a beautifully sweet finish to an amazing meal in the most idyllic of locations.

Clayton shared so many interesting stories about growing up in the area throughout the meal. We asked how he named the restaurant and he told us that when he was a child, if he was naughty and was about to be chastised, he used to hide in the backyard behind the Jaaning Tree. The Jaaning tree had a sweet sap which was like lollies from the bush.

Dorrigo Pepperberry

The name is so apt for a restaurant which serves the most gorgeous native foods, I felt like a child discovering for myself new flavours, ingredients, textures and techniques. Clayton told us stories of his foraging adventures in the local area and all the unique foods which are available in the bush, beach, river and dunes. He was so knowledgeable and inspirationally that Lorraine and I quickly agreed to be a part of his next foraging trek.

Native Citrus

Dining at the Jaaning tree was a total experience, Clayton is so charismatic and enthusiastic about the food that he is sharing in his restaurant that the meals speak volumes on native, sustainable, local, unique, healthy tasty food.

Gourmet Getaways was a guest of Destination NSW and Mid North Coast Tourism. Thank you kindly to both for hosting such an amazing experience.

For reservations contact details are;

Jaanning Tree

8/1 Wellington Drive, Nambucca Heads NSW

Ph: 02 6569 4444

Website