Mineral
A glass of Perth tap water, notable for its hardness in the mouth. Sourced mostly from subterranean stores, the remainder coming from dams and desalination. It has a faint but distinct note of crushed lime stone and talc. The calcium giving a mineral e...
Green tea ice cream
A small hiatus in my imbibing which I thought I'd punctuate with ice cream.Using Thermomix - add 3-4 tablespoons of Genmaicha (aka pop corn tea) and process at speed 10 for 20-30 seconds, so a very fine powder if produced. To this add 2 cups of full cr...
Pistachio Kulfi
Coincident with this attempt at a Kulfi I've been reading about language games and Wittgenstein. So whilst this might not conform to a purists idea of how, it does seem to have the right core.With Thermomix - process 1 cup of unsalted shelled pistachio...
Les Heritiers du Comte Lafon Macon Milly Lamartine Clos du Four 2009
Macon, Burgundy, France. Chardonnay. 13%. Cork. Approx $A55.The middle sister, with the same DNA but more poise and flair than its cheaper sibling. Again there's flint and butterscotch, peach skin, nut and tan lines. It seems larger than the stated 13...
White plastic
I've forgotten how pleasing and immediate wine can taste when it is bought and then opened within seconds and poured into a white plastic cup. Consumed standing and without a sniff or swirl, there is no time or place for affectation or tasting notes, t...
Billecart Salmon Brut Rosé NV
Being the 14th of February, there is a vase of long stemmed red roses on the bench, though the crimson you see reflected is from a baseball cap. Various other cultural aphrodisiac are also unseen. Chocolate by Nakamura and figs so fecund they have spli...
Bress Harcourt Valley Cider Brut
Yarra Valley, Victoria. 10%. Crown seal. Approx $A20 for 750ml bottle.Delicious and complex. At first and with the bubbles it smells of gum and confection. I'm sure this is not just a framing error. Green apple, sour dough, blue vein cheese and the fai...
Custard Cider
Donnybrook, Western Australia. 4.5%. Approx $A4.20/bottle.The Original is pleasingly golden and turbid, the bottle has a hand written best by (28/7/12) date on the back. I'm learning to accept what I would find a taint if it were in a glass of wine; it...
Moo
There is much wiser comment about these Tasmanian craft beers to be found, I just wanted to take a photo of my daughter's balsa wood cow. I was once more catholic when it came to alcoholic beverages, but now with a middle aged liver to nurse I tend to ...
Knappstein Enterprise Cabernet 1998
Clare Valley, South Australia. Cabernet sauvignon, Malbec 3%. Cork. Cellar.Last tried as a 9 year old, this seems unchanged. It still smells and feels like a Clare red. It's sharp with blackcurrant, eucalyptus and bay leaf. There is something bushy and...
A recipe for lamb
A leg of lamb (2kg) stabbed (x30) and then rubbed with a marinade of spring onions (5), garlic (4), juniper berries (12), mint (handful), olive oil (2 tbs) and salt. Roasted (200 degrees C, 60 minutes), rested and served with a salsa of charred, peeled...
