Friday, November 6, 2009

Got Milk?

Well, even if you have, you might still need a little more. Today I obtained my morning caffeinated beverage from The Milk Factory Gallery Cafe. Whilst I could launch into simple exalted praise about the state of the coffee at this establishment (it is truly some of the finest in the Highlands: a couple of top baristas and Allpress beans is a heavenly match made in a takeaway cup), I was also informed that MFGC is now open for dinner.

For those lowlanders amongst you, MFGC is housed in the old dairy depot at 31 Station St in Bowral. It is a gorgeous old heritage building, right on the railway line, which incorporates a magnificent and capacious gallery space, and a funky cafe. The gallery has been enormously successful, securing some marvellous exhibitions of late, including Brendon Darby and the Bald Archys. The cafe, meanwhile, has been equally successful in securing Highland hospitality identities Tony Capps and Mat Fraser to run the dining side of things. The continued success of the cafe has led them to now open for dinner, as well as breakfast and lunch.

The MFGC makes a wonderful spot for dining: easily accessible from the Bowral CBD, in close proximity to the train station, and with suitable space for the most intimate meal to a Christmas function. Mat is happy to discuss the various options available for Christmas parties, but be quick: in the short time they have been open for dinner, the pre-Christmas period has begun to fill up.

If you're in the area, pop in for a look and a coffee. With a dash of milk, of course.

Congratulations are in order...

to a number of our Commercial customers. The Southern Highlands Business Awards were presented last week, and we are proud to raise our Spiegelau Vino Grande Champagne flutes (isn't that a stunning glass?) to those recipients who feature amongst our ever-increasing list of valued clients.

So, a toast to...

Coffee Culture, for Excellence in a Cafe
Stones Restaurant at Eling Forest Winery, for Excellence in a Restaurant
Springs Resort Mittagong RSL Motel, for Excellence in Accomodation (9 rooms or more), and
Red Olive Bar and Bistro, for Excellence in a New Business

Cookshop Commercial was in the running for Excellence in a New Business, so if we had to accept defeat, we could not have bowed out to more deserving winners than our friends Tim and Melinda at Red Olive.

Many felicitations to you all.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Feelin' Fruity?

It's glorious to visit the fruiterers at the moment and find so much wonderful produce. The mango season has started early, and combined with so many other tropical fruits and in-season beauties, the obvious progession is from fruit shop to fruit salad. However, having made four fruit salads in the space of one week, the thrill of peeling and chopping is fast wearing thin. So, it must be time to have a look at some gadgets which will simplify the fruit preparation situation.




You have already been lectured upon the brilliance of the Avanti Mango Slicer, but the promised photos have not been forthcoming. Until now: here he is...



Amazing, no? But wait, there's more. Not for a mango, but for another messy, unpleasant fruit friend: the pineapple. I have erred on the side of cleanliness for most of my life, and avoided a real pineapple. Spiky, juicy, mostly unuseable lump of mess, I always thought. Cast those aspertions aside, readers, and meet the Vacu Vin Pineapple Easy Slicer. Just like the Mango Slicer, it seems a frivolity until you meet a fresh pineapple. After that, it will be indispensible. This corkscrew-like device will peel, core and slice the fruit for you in moments, leaving you with lovely pineapple rings. It even leaves the outer shell intact, meaning you can serve your fruit salad (or even a clever cocktail) inside it. Grab a maraschino cherry for a garnish, pop Club Tropicana on the record player, and you'll never look at a fresh pineapple with fear and trepidation again.

Now, how about the most popular pre-school purchase of recent times: the Apple Peeling Machine. Yet another machine which will peel, core and slice, it works in a similar way to the Pineapple Slicer, except you impale the apple on one end of the machine, and start cranking the handle at the other. This ingenious contraption also has a core-and-slice-only option (all the goodness is in that skin, remember!), or a peel-only option (which can also be used for potatoes). The suction base holds the machine firmly on your chosen surface, the stainless steel blade is adjustable, and there is even a release mechanism to pop the apple off the prongs.

You can also find simple corer/slicers, cherry/olive pitters, or a fabulous soft-skin peeler, perfect for delicate-skinned summer fruits such as peaches and nectarines. I would also recommend a couple of little Victorinox paring knives: these are cheap as chips, and absolutely invaluable in the kitchen. One of our best-sellers, anyone who buys one always comes back for more, and they can be used for just about any situation in which a small, manageable, sharp knife is required.

All you need now is the fruit. And to switch the record to The Best of Carmen Miranda.

Monday, November 2, 2009

All Hail the Newcomer

Well, I am happy to say that The Imperial is just fabulous. Moving away from the many traditional-style establishments which populate the Highlands, The Imperial is slick and shiny: it smells new and expensive, and the operation is as smooth as the interior design. With more than a hint of the late Anders Ousback, The Imperial was even more impressive in looks and service than I had envisaged.

The owners generously threw open the doors on Saturday afternoon to all those who had assisted in the regeneration of the site, and it was the perfect weather to show off the intelligent design of the hotel. With some people-watching (and posing) tables on the front verandah, and a peaceful, sheltered-but-sunny courtyard in the back, the forecast for summer at The Imperial is fine and frantic. I was most impressed by the small and unobtrusive gaming room: not for the "entertainment", but for the way the inclusion of it does not impact on the rest of the hotel. A pool room with two tables makes up one side of the U-shaped rear which surrounds the courtyard, with the "facilities" on the other side. The kitchen is partially open, and it was rather pleasing for us to peer in and see what we had contributed to the fit-out!

Speaking of the kitchen, we were fortunate enough to taste some of the creations from Jamie and his team. I have to admit to doing a George Costanza, and positioning myself right in front of the point from where the food was emerging: the ravenous hoards were falling upon the trays, and not much was making it to the front of the bar.

Undoubtedly one of the main attractions of The Imperial, especially with summer approaching, is the natural light. While one side of the hotel provides a more intimate, secluded environment, most of the hotel is bathed in light through huge expanses of glass on three sides of the building. More importantly, it is flattering light. How do they do it? Who can say. But everyone looked a million dollars.

It is evident that a lot of thought, time and investment has been made in the creation of The Imperial. It has all the right ingredients to become a bustling, stylish destination in the Highlands. However, like all local businesses, it relies on the patronage of the target clientele. Consequently I encourage all of you, who may have been disappointed in recent years by the behaviour of the patrons in our other hotels, to visit The Imperial and support a new venture from a local family who are trying to take this hospitality sector in a new direction for our region.

Or, as Basil Fawlty would say, no riff-raff.

Milking It

Let's talk milk pans. Yes, contrary to the presumptuous attitude of the ever-present espresso machine, some of us (myself, on occasion, included) still heat milk in a pan. You may not need to heat milk for a coffee: you may need it for a bechamal, for an ice cream custard, or for a bevy of other applications. For this, you need a dedicated milk pan. Yes...you do.

Firstly, I must mention that a Turkish coffee pot will do the job. It won't do it spectacularly, or with any kind of bells or whistles, but they do look kind of funky, and you can pretend you have a hubbly-bubbly out the back for after the milk-heating.

So, at the entry level of milk heating, we have the Raco milk pan. It has a very good non-stick surface, is stout and sturdy at 14cm diameter, features a comfortable cool-touch handle, and is (in my opinion...and I have one) a perfectly satisfactory little milk pan.

But the Anolon is just that little bit better. True, at 12cm diameter it is almost the same size as the Raco (did I mention the pouring lip? Both incorporate this handy feature), but I am completely enamoured with its fat bottom. Look at it: the shape is just luscious. It's almost squeezable. Also, it is anodised non-stick, inside and out. Does this make a difference, when the aim is to ensure the milk doesn't spill over the outside? Well, if appearance is important (and remember: I've just talked about how squeezeable the pan is), then yes, it does make a difference. Because the enamelling on the exterior of the Raco goes a bit dull after a while, whereas the Anolon stays spiffy and smart.

However, both live in the shadow of the king of the dairy warmers: the SKK Milkpan. Measuring up at a whopping 18cm diameter, with phenomenal dual pouring lips, this is milk-heating in luxury. It features a titanium non-stick surface inside and out, and has a thermocore base which is impervious to just about anything. It is completely indulgent to purchase this just to heat your milk: please, tell me you will use it for porridge as well. SKK pieces are not selected for their beauty, but for their utilitarian, practical designs which are unfailingly superior.

Obviously, it is quite an investment for something which is labelled a milk pan, but when you think of all the trouble the cow goes to in order for you to have your milk, it's not such a big price to pay...