Winter Supper Club: Sue Lewis Chocolatier

Follow your nose to the Perth Town Hall this Friday as the Winter Supper Club delivers another bounty of fabulous food.  From Colombian delights to Aussie bush tucker, you can even enjoy a short trip to Paris with a belly full of crepes and macarons or delve into Italian eats.  The Winter Supper Club is a melting pot of flavours and it would not be the ultimate foodie gathering without everyone’s favourite sin… chocolate.

Sue Lewis has worked with the cream of the crop in the in the world of chocolate.  Step aside Willy Wonka!  The past year has been a busy one for Sue, having recently set up her own little sweet shop in Subiaco.  At her studio you can find all sorts of wonderment. Each chocolate is lovingly handcrafted, bearing unique and exotic flavours in the finest quality chocolate. 

Not only have I had the pleasure of enjoying a truffle (or ten) but I have also had the pleasure of meeting Sue on many occasions at her pop up stalls and most recently on The Food Alternative on RTRFM.  She is an amazing woman, with a huge amount of talent and not much time to herself.  Anyone starting up their own business knows the amount of  hard work, dedication and passion it takes to make that dream a reality.  Sue has a great Pozible campaign running so that she can share her chocolate a little further than Perth.  Visit this link to see what you can do to make this happen!

You will find Sue and her team smiling whilst serving up dairy-free hot chocolate, brownies and mulled wine.  They will be ready to warm you up on Winter’s final Friday and are always happy to share their story.  And if you are feeling ultra indulgent, treat yourself to a box of her signature truffles.  Rumour has it that salted caramels, creme brûlée, raspberry, black cardamon and ginger are on the menu, so get in quick!

Mary Street Piazza

The City of Vincent, The Beaufort Street Network and the community have been busy popping up a People Space on Mary Street in Highgate. The Piazza is a space for locals and loiterers to enjoy. Pretty rad spot to hang whilst washing down a salted caramel doughnut. 

It's trialling for two weeks so make sure you head down to show your support.

Sunday strolls

Early morning Sunday strolls around Leederville Farmers Markets is such a peachy way to start the day.  

A quick browse at The School of Life pop up, a generous serve of Shak Shuka and a coffee to go from Higher Grounds .. triple delights. 

A CONVERSATION WITH - The scoop on Chicho Gelato

Chicho Gelato are an independent local gelato venture, started by creative couple Chez and Carly De Bartolo. This mad pair of foodies lived abroad in London for 4 years and travelled extensively throughout the world in search of cutting edge gelateria’s and icecream parlours to seek inspiration before returning home to Perth to send Westralian palates into a spin.

On their homebound journey, they studied at the Gelato University in Bologna to learn the true art of making gelato. Since January this year, they have been hitting the streets of Perth with their Italian gelato carts peddling their take on new wave flavours combined with the artistry of artisan gelato.

You can find Chicho Gelato at Winter Supper Club tomorrow night!

Oh hey Chicho cuties! When did you both know that gelato was your kind of romance?

We are both gelato fiends at heart. There are plenty of fond memories of us eating our way through gelato menus on the streets of Rome. We have both grown up being surrounded by incredible good food, which has now evolved into a full-bodied passion. Our time in Europe exacerbated our palates’ desire to find new flavours and culinary experiences. It also gave us the courage to reach out to our creative side and throw in the towel to the throws of ‘working for the man’.

Bada Bing, Bada Boom, we decided to follow our hearts and passion and started making Gelato.

Who in the land of sweet treats do you admire?

Well in the world of gelato it’s pretty difficult to ignore what Gelato Messina are doing in the East Coast. They are taking some bold steps with their combinations of pastry and gelato. We admire their direction but consider our gelato a less unadulterated version.

There are also some really exciting gelato chefs pushing the boundaries in Italy and the USA that we take inspiration from. There is also a gelato store in NZ called Giapo, who have created a hot gelato; it’s a chocolate and hazelnut ganache that is coated in dark chocolate which remains solid at room temperature – before serving it, they heat it at 180 degrees for 90 seconds then top it off with roasted hazelnuts. Sounds incredible!

Where can we find Chicho gelato hiding during winter?

This is our first winter and so far we haven’t really had the opportunity to hibernate! We have frequented various food events and functions that have kept us busy.

Do your flavour profiles change as the colder months have set in?

Absolutely! As our fruit sorbets are seasonal, so we tend to use more stone fruits in summer and citrus in winter. For our gelato (milk based), the flavours are pretty much year round though we have created warmer flavours such as our coffee gelato (cold brewed), 9 spice chai gelato, chestnut gelato with white chocolate and of course chocolate with salted caramel.

What are the most exciting flavours you have developed?
Recently we have created:
Lemon/Lime and Bitter sorbet,
White Chocolate with Rosewater gelato and crushed WA pistachio
Chestnut gelato with crushed chestnut and white chocolate
PAVLOVA – Fiore di Latte with smashed in-house meringue and strawberry/passionfruit coulis

HELLO PAVLOVA!

Oh and for the Truffle festival we made a Manjimup Truffle gelato (infused truffle and truffle honey)

These are just some of the flavours we have experimented with, we have a host of ingredients that we will be trialling of the next few months that will hopefully send our Chicho fans into a dizzy spell next season.

Stay churned!

Any flavours that didn't make it to the menu? I've had pig fat ice cream before and that was pretty gross!

That does sound gross! Our brother in-law is an amateur chef and he is adamant that fish sauce with lime juice / palm sugar / ginger and kaffir lime leaves could be a winner as a sorbet. We might leave this flavour on bench for the time being. Though he did suggest the Lemon/Lime Bitter sorbet, which was a hit!

Other than gelato, what will you be eating at Winter Supper Club?

Can’t go past a tasty Shak Shuka…

You can find Chicho Gelato on Facebook and Instagram. 

Giving Up the Ghosts

A lone tree looms in the background, its bare limbs sorrowfully mirroring the sad girl on stage. She paces back and forth frustrated, back and forth past the worn car seats that litter the stage. Circling the car, she looks into the distance with wild, manic eyes. The girl checks her watch and shakes her head. The mood of the theatre grows uneasy with her consuming panic as she paces and circles some more.

‘Giving Up the Ghosts’ follows the story of an unlikely pair. After connecting on an internet forum, Ruth and Steve plan to meet a week later, both with their hearts set on the same ill fate. A secluded beaten track, off a quiet country road, is the perfect place to be forgotten.

Ruth, neurotic and still living at home, has never really known happiness, whilst Steve an affable truckie feels lost and hopeless. Based on a real event in the UK where two strangers meet online to commit suicide, this compelling production explores the story of two souls rather than the act itself. What unfolds is a tender and honest depiction of the human heart and how easy it is to break.

Georgia King and Paul Grabovac deliver stand out performances in this dark and brooding new works by emerging talent, Sarah Young. The dialogue is thoughtful yet wry, the intimacy of the Blue Room providing the perfect setting for this provocative piece to unfold.

‘Giving Up the Ghosts’ is showing at the Blue Room until 12 July and is part of the Winter Arts Season. For more info visit the Blue Room Theatre.

Film, popcorn and choc bombs

Revelation Film Festival

This July our city transforms into a film lover’s paradise.  Escape to a cosier land where salty popcorn and hand made choc bombs reign supreme.  Immerse yourself in some of the world’s best offbeat cinematic offerings at the Revelation Film Festival. 

Rev as it is affectionately known, showcases contemporary independent films across Luna cinemas from this Thursday, 3 July.  A myriad of documentaries, features and shorts, usually shocking, brilliant and provocative or a mixture of all three!  

Here is what I can’t wait to see at Rev:

Under the Skin
Rev kicks off with the festival’s darling, Under the Skin.  Love her or hate her, Scarlett Johannson always turns heads.  This time she plays Laura, an alien luring men to their deaths with her captivating looks.  Some would think, there are worse ways to die! The film is dotted with scenes capturing non-actors being filmed unawares with hidden cameras. 

Vladmaster Viewmaster Experience
Celebrate the analogue with Perth’s first, Vladmaster Viewmaster Experience. With a Viewmaster in hand, this interactive session will take you on a visual journey like no other as you click along to the soundtrack. Definitely one to share with friends!  Once the word spreads, I have a feeling this one will sell out. 

Palo Alto
Being the niece of one of film’s most influential female directors would be a little scary.  Or perhaps a flirtation with film from a young age is a healthy confidence booster.  One thing is for sure, Gia Coppola, had the right connections to bring James Franco’s 2010 collection of short stories to life.  Palo Alto follows a group of teens living in a small Californian town of the same name.   Starring the likes of James Franco and Val Kilmer,  its hard not to put this one on your ‘one to watch radar’.

The Man Whose Mind Exploded
This curious doco follows the bohemian life of Drako Oho Zarhazar.  With all the trimmings of a circus performer it’s not hard to believe there are many whispers about Drako.  Stories of a dancing career and modelling for Salvador Dali, but this film explores a deeper side as Director Toby Aimes pieces together the fragments of Drako’s life.

Wetlands
What do avocadoes, filth and bodily excretions have in common? Wetlands.  Dubbed by Buzzfeed as the most WTF movie of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, you will have to watch this cult bestseller turned movie to find out.

For more information check out the Revelation Film Festival website.

Pintxos - to spike

JON FAVREAU’S CHEF (2014)

Don't see Chef on an empty stomach!  With a colourful cast, witty dialogue and oh so many delicious scenes it is definitely one to watch with a big bowl of popcorn.  Here are my favourite snippets from the film.

1.  Chef Carl and his son tucking into Cuban sandwiches like a boss.

2.  A dark haired Scarlett Johannson eating pasta like a babe.

3.  The gang perfecting their Cuban sandwich recipe.  I am sure many of my wonderful food vendor friends have all had this moment of glory.

4. Discovering that Franklin Barbecue is legit!  The smoke house they visit in Austin Texas is the real deal. 

Winter Arts Season - picks for June

With the days drawing shorter, the nights unfold early, with no better place to scurry away than somewhere warm and inviting. The Winter Arts Season offers that retreat, delivering another enthralling line up in its tenth year. You have all Winter to lose yourself in theatre, music, dance and more, why would you bother staying in? Here are my top picks for June:

The Winter Supper Club will have you reaching for mulled wine and lining up for dinner time delights.  Twilight’s wintery little sister takes over Forrest Place each Friday to warm up your appetite.  Discover the tastes of Colombia at Marcelita’s empanadas, marvel at pulled pork at Boss Hoss BBQ or slide into a burger or two at the Merrywell food van.  The last Friday of each month brings a different line up of food vendors with a myriad of flavours and is definitely worth a look.

Dark tales stir in the sleepy little town of Huntersville.  Werewolf Priest is a wry little musical held in the intimacy of the Blue Room Theatre. A story of love with bold, brazen personalities and a creature lurks in the night terrorizing the town.  Somewhere between American Werewolf in Paris and Beauty & the Beast, it’s as if Disney took a swing at you then laughed in your face.   This production is a perfect Winter’s night out with a peppery glass of red in hand.   More info ...

Rabbithead tells the story of two best friends. Loving life, taking selfies and totally inseparable… well until life takes a sour turn and messes it all up.  With beats by DJ Catlips and more feathers on stage than a night at Connies, this production is set to be electric.  You can catch Rabbithead at the Blue Room Theatre until 14 June, so be quick!  More info ..

From 6-22 June, award winning playwright Aidan Fennessy brings us House on the Lake.  Studio Underground at the State Theatre Centre will host this psychological thriller.   Fellow blogger Carmen Jenner has written a fantastic review which you can read here.   I cannot wait to check this out.  More info ..

Last year I was utterly mesmerised by G.  The high octane dance works by the Australian Dance Theatre Co was my favourite performance in the 2013 Winter Arts Season. 

This time round, 2 One Another has caught my eye and seems to have that same pulse.  This multi award-winning work is set against a pulsing neon backdrop with haunting electronic sounds and is being held at His Maj from 18-21 June.   More info..

Rabbithead tells the story of two best friends. Loving life, taking selfies and totally inseparable… well until life takes a sour turn and messes it all up.  With beats by DJ Catlips and more feathers on stage than a night at Connies, this production is set to be electric.  You can catch Rabbithead at the Blue Room Theatre until 14 June, so be quick!  More info ..

Yum cha in the fresh air

The bustle and clatter of dining carts at yum cha on a Sunday morning can be a little too much if one has consumed far too many gin and tonics the night before.    One of my favourite tricks is to grab yum cha takeaway and enjoy every greasy morsel in the fresh air and comfort of my courtyard. 

Golden Century Seafood Chinese Restaurant always hits the spot. My yum cha favourites are steamed pork buns, radish cake, crispy squid tentacles and dumplings.  Goodbye hangover ... old friend. 

Mary Street Bakery

A salted caramel doughnut as a treat before breakfast?  Um, yes please.

Having a bakery on Beaufort Street has added many inches in all the wrong places but meh ... I would rather enjoy my breakfast with reckless abandonment.  

Mary Street Bakery will soon be turning one and has been buzzing ever since they opened their doors.  I love that the menu changes frequently enough to keep me amused but they still have all those favourites that keep you coming back.  Did I mention salted caramel doughnuts?.  This time it was my treat for my little sister's birthday.

Birthday girl enjoyed slow cooked eggs on sourdough with crispy bacon.  Sometimes you just want bacon and eggs huh?  I took those two elements to the next level with a pork scotch egg served with onion mojo and cress.  I don't think I have ever had a scotch egg so full of flavour cradling it's own perfectly cooked egg. We also chowed down kipfler potatoes with aioli and a lovely big squirt of sriracha. 

Long live hot c*ck sauce!

Anywhere that has ample servings of Sriracha Sauce at the ready makes me smile.  There is something magical about hot c*ck sauce!

We popped into Mama Tran for a quick bite before a Wildcats game.  We have tried to institute date nights each Thursday, I think it lasted about 4 weeks.  Down with love. 

We always find ourselves going out for Vietnamese.  Its a fresh, cheap and reasonably healthy way to get food into your belly if you are in a rush.  We ordered the  bun cha gio ga nuong (vermicelli chicken salad with spring rolls), coated it in that wonderful red sauce and loved every bite.  

A CONVERSATION WITH Che Tam Nguyen - Butty's

Food trucks are finally becoming a part of our urban landscape, dotting our horizons with tasty offerings with that smoky smell of the grill wafting through the air.  Butty's American Style are riding the wave of rolling dining options and their big red truck is a welcome addition to the streets.  I had a chat with Tam about Butty's, burgers and what's to come.

The word butty brings visions of buttered rolls brimming with hot chips. What does the word Butty's mean to you?

The name came about reading a sandwich recipe book I have, and it has a sandwich called Butty's which is a chip sandwich, but loosely translated also means "Buddy" friend and that sorts of sums up who we are. Friend and also "unique" food.

I remember first meeting the Butty's team at Beaufort Street Festival in 2012.  What inspired you guys to join forces and take delicious burgers to the road?

We have both been mates since primary school he (vinh business partner) went on the path to be a lawyer myself as a chef. We both love food and when I talked to him about my idea of a food truck he was keen and my dream started to take shape.

So who is the team behind Butty's?

It's a tight knit team with Vinh, Myself  and Daniel. The rest of the team are the close relationship we have with suppliers to get quality stuff.

Exactly how many burgers did you sample when researching the Butty's concept?

As the truck took a year to build so did our menu before we settled on our two burgers.

Aside from yourselves of course, where have you eaten some pretty damn good burgers?

I like the "lunch bar style" from Alfred's Kitchen or Novembars. Also like V burgers and Nic's Burger Shak, always a fan of Justin and Jus burgers and Flipside. I just lovvveeee burgers. It's one of my favorite foods because it can be so complex and so simple at the same time and everybody has a preference, "lunch bar style", "gourmet", "Street", "American", "franchise", you could go on and on and talk about the science of burgers for hours!

Diner pit-stops and popular burger chains seem to be the norm in the US, have you spent any time eating your way through the States?

| LOVE THE US! Before I went I started the truck I went through the US eating at the burger places LOVE in and out burgers, also went through Kansas City to try all the BBQ love BBQ so much really hope to bring that flavor here to Australia.

What are some of the craziest ingredients you have ever eaten in a burger?

Burgers are so awesome the most fun one is the ice cream sandwich not really a burger but two slices of sweet bread with a slab of ice cream in the middle served from a cart in Singapore.

Are there exciting new items to hit your menu or is that a big secret?

We have two burgers in the works a pork belly version and also a ice cream version soon to  hit our truck!

You guys are getting pretty famous now with such a loyal following.  From festivals, to the Cultural Centre and your regular appearances at Curtin Uni, everyone is diving into cheesy fries and rib burgers.  What does the future hold for Butty's? 

Our next move is brick and mortar! My dream is always to have a restaurant and that's our next move adding more sophisticated BBQ items and also beer to the mix.

Butty's at Beaufort Street Festival 2013

#ROTTNESTLOBSTER with the Taste Master

The first of the Experience Perth film series took Taste Master, Rich Keam, to Rottnest in search of fresh rock lobster.  

With a little help from local seafood legend Aristos, Rich and Kiren Mainwairing chef/owner of esteemed restaurants Co-Op Dining and Dear Friends, got their hands on some  beauties.  Fresh rock lobster is just perfect thrown on the barbecue on a Summer's afternoon.  When it comes to sourcing local produce, Kiren sure knows his stuff and effortlessly threw together a pretty amazing dish. 

Watch this video to remember why you should head to Rotto more often. 

Ribs and wings

Have you been down to Five Bar lately to check out their big belly American style offerings?  Taphouse Wednesdays are Five's answer to Southern style eating.  We ducked in mid week for a serving of tender ribs and spicy wings each served with a side of slaw and juicy corn

Kinfolk workshop: wreath making

The aroma of wildflowers mixed with freshly ground coffee filled the air, as we escaped the heat in the cool comfort of The Tenth State.  This blissful shop, come café, is a treasure trove of delights and on a scorching hot Sunday afternoon in December, the home of a Kinfolk workshop.

We swapped names and smiles whilst milling about, stocking up on gifts and guilty pleasures.  I spied a canary yellow rhino vase and cheekily purchased it for my boyfriend (ie. myself) and found a handful of cute cards to see me through the first months of the year.

These local Kinfolk adventures are curated by the infectious, Stacey Clark. A bubbly and damn talented local stylist bent up an Agrarian living and capturing/creating life at its dreamiest.  During our last Kinfolk moment we gathered around long tables laden with hearty home-style cooking in the hearth of a beautiful up-cycled home.  To get an inkling of the magic we call Kinfolk you must watch this video.

This time we gathered to celebrate Mother Nature and the good old time of the Yule.   Bec of Fox Rabbit, a flower fairy who makes anything green look good, took us through the nifty craft of wreath making, using the bright and rustic hues of native Australian flora. 

Photo by Glenn of Still Love

We perched cosily in The Tenth State’s intimate rear studio, tools laid before us.   As we selected flowers and leaves and wired away, I remembered how much I had loved getting all crafty.  As age sets in you find yourself reminiscing whilst flicking through magazines, saying things like ‘next Summer I will make that’ or ‘next weekend I will find the time’.  In the hectic lifestyles we all lead, those simple acts that make your soul smile are so easy to forget.

Kinfolk is all about bringing local partners together for the greater good (feeding Kinfolk-ers and making them feel loved).  We were spoilt with treats to sustain the tummy and smother the heart.  We snacked on a bounty of the sweetest popcorn you have ever tasted by The Pop Institute and divine Bahen & Co chocolate. Washing away the heat of the day with icy, crisp cider from Custard & Co.  We clutched our keepsakes for the day; a gorgeous Mitchell & Dent illustration and an adorable Kinfolk decoration.

Photo by Glenn of Still Love

Trading coos and compliments over our collection of masterpieces we braved the heat clutching our wreaths for photos by the ever so clever Glenn of Still Love Photography. We sipped ice coffee and shared a moment of glee with our final creations!  How bad ass are my skills?!

Photo by Glenn of Still Love 

Our dreamy day closed on a sumptuous spread that had Stacey's ethereal touch. Her attention to detail always results in a scene that makes you simply *sigh*.  Over delicious meats, gooey cheese and a wholesome kale salad we shared tales and tribulations on the topics of wreath making, life and our busy Summers ahead.  Kinfolk is the perfect way to meet new friends and enjoy the magic of the season.

salmon + runny eggs

The festive season always takes my food consumption into what most would consider excessive. So being mindful of my expanding booty I found peace with the menu at Cantina.  You can't feel too bad about house smoked salmon on rocket with slow eggs drizzled in zesty capers and pine nuts.   And aren't the calories of banana bread with maple butter best shared with friends? 

Brazilian truckers

I am loving this food truck frenzy that is hitting the streets of Perth, hopefully as fervent as that Mexican epidemic.  Comida Do Sul is absolutely infectious, every detail and inch breathes a cool, laid back personality reminiscent of a true street vendor.  

We found this little piece of Brazilian heaven at the Twilight Hawker's Markets on a Friday evening.  Wedged between trucks of sweet goodness, Comida Do Sul, was dishing up flavours of Brazil.

Praito feito is an essential part of Brazilian cuisine, its literal translation being "composed plate".  A plate composed of rice, beans, meat, french fries and salad, in the motherland you can also find an egg or two slipped in.   

Another regular on the menu is the Choripán, served throughout South America, hot dog style, in a mix of ways with varying meats and toppings.  In Brazil you would eat this as a casual meal, a pork sausage wrapped up in French bread and washed down with a icy, cold beer. Here at Comida Do Sul you will enjoy your choripán Argentinian style with homemade mayo, tomato salsa and a good lashing of chimichurri.

The Coxinha is South America's answer to Italy's arancini or Spain's croquetas. A ball of some of my favourite things; dough, potato and tasty shredded chicken filling formed into a chicken thigh shape and deep fried.   I can imagine having a coxinha fix off many a  street cart whilst on holidays.  

For your dose of Brazilian make sure you hunt down Comida Do Sul on their Facebook page, you might even find them popping up on a street near you. 

Fonda Mexican

You can spot Fonda's brightly coloured chairs a mile off.  This bright and breezy Mexican cantina perches prettily in the heart of Chapel Street.  These two little tacos were fresh and bursting with pork, pineapple and crackle and shredded beef, chipotle and pickle.  Happily washed down with agua fresca whilst I powwowed with my friends who make Stereosonic happen. 

'let me see you do the Jane Fonda'

Buenas noches

Months can pass before we synchronise calendars to spend some much needed time together.  I love that even we can still be the same four friends we were seven years ago no matter how many lunar cycles have passed.  

As much as we love eating out it is sometimes the simple nights over home-cooked meals that are the most memorable.   I am  happiest in the kitchen busily throwing together dishfuls of flavour whilst we trade secrets over a glass of red wine. 

The Menu ...

Strawberry Gazpacho from Dani Valent's In the Mix 2 cookbook
Iceberg lettuce chunks with chilli mayo
Oven baked corn cobs with paprika butter
Chipotle and ancho chicken tenderloins with lime wedges
Jalapeno guacamole
Old Lira pizza bases with cheese and chorizo 
Tomato medley with persian fetta and torn basil

The Inspiration ...