CIRA (The Council Of Italian Restaurants In Australia) was started by 12 Italian-Australian restaurateurs for cultural and educational purposes, to promote the values of Italian food in Australia. Fortunately for us, CIRA has a cooking school with the best Italian chefs offering courses to the general public and specialized courses for students and the industry.

Massimo (ex Buon Ricordo, and about to open Uccello at Ivy) gave a very personal cooking course at the kitchen of Casa Barilla, next to a long communal dining table. The format was perfect – we learn one course, we sit down and enjoy it with wine, and then we move onto the next. One of the founding members Armando Percuoco (Buon Ricordo) was also there to offer his advice on truly authentic Italian cooking.

Fettuccine with prosciutto, pomodorini and pecorino

There is a common misconception that pasta can be cooked as soon as the water starts to boil. The water has to be violently boiling – and you can heavily salt it, not just a pinch, but enough so you can actually taste the salt in the water. Drain the pasta about a minute or two less than the packet instructions (if you taste it, it’s still slightly raw in the middle) because when you pour it back into the pan with sauce, it will keep cooking. Save a cup of the pasta water (as it is “starchier” than normal water) for the sauce later if it becomes too dry. But in Rome, the sauce can never be watery, it has to stick to the pasta and be as dry as possible.

Scottadito d’abbacchio alla Romana (Scottadito means ‘by the finger’; d’abbacchio is young lamb – lamb chops you can eat with your fingers)

True Italian cooking only requires you to slightly crush garlic bulbs with your palms. Brown them in olive oil until they’re almost burnt (dark brown) and remove them from the oil. There is no need to chop it up as the flavour in the oil is enough. Garlic that is cooked through also makes the food taste less heavy, compared to say, French food. The same goes for the Rosemary – put the entire sprig in the pan, cook, and then remove. Keep the pan at high heat at all times so the lamb doesn’t end up broiled.

When the lamb chops are ready, the remaining fat can be made into a beautiful creamy sauce (without the help of cream or butter) by reducing with some anchovies, wine and vinegar.

La Ricotta

Ricotta cheese – made into a pattie, dusted with flour, covered in egg wash and deep fried in Strutto/sugna (pure pig’s fat) until golden brown. Dusted with cinnamon and sugar, cholesterol never tasted so good. Served warm.

This is truly sinful - but it tastes somewhat light.

If anyone is interested in the recipes I can scan them (with my notes included) for you to download.

Celebrity guest chef, the infamous 6″5 Half-Asian Adrian Fowler – He can reach all the top shelves of my cabinets. Wow!

Prep time: 15 mins, Cook time: 2.5 hours
A simple recipe to put together as soon as you get home from work, and 3 episodes of your favorite TV show later (stirring the pot after each episode) it’s ready!

Ingredients:
1.2kg Lamb Shoulder
1 cup chicken broth
3 onions (finely chopped)
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
6 slices of anchovy
3/4 cup baby peas
handful of endives

Brown onions for 5 minutes in olive oil, then add garlic and anchovy – cook until anchovy melts
Add lamb and cover with chicken stock, simmer with lid on for 2 hours, stirring occasionally
Stir in fresh peas and endives and its ready to serve!

My additions to the recipe in the magazine:
3 teaspoons of Salsa Verde
Polenta, made with leftover chicken stock

They bake twice a day, so if you buy bread home after work, it would be fresh out of the oven. Opens til 6pm!

Hearty beef pie (with soft chunks of braised meat) in a flakey pie pastry ($4); Lamb, harissa and almond sausage roll – sensational mix of flavours ($4). Chocolate meringue with a soft gooey centre that my entire office went ga-ga for ($2.20); Chocolate poppyseed stick – two long strips of croissant pastry sandwiched with chocolate sauce, and baked in a crispy poppyseed shell ($3).

Talk about a carb overload for lunch in the office! I think I’m in heaven…

Highly recommended! 24 Hickson Road, Sydney (02) 9252 6285 (approx $100 per head including wine)

I returned to Sydney plenty more relaxed, rested and happy. Another quiet one coming up for new years eve as well. Fortunately, The Ivy doesn’t open til Jan 8th, due to multiple complications – hence my sudden unplanned holiday. Happy New Year everyone!

I booked a 2 bedroom apartment for my friends at Tonic Hotel which is in Lovedale. It is ultra modern, the fridge is fully stocked with goodies (most of them complementry, such as bacon and eggs, fruit juices, cereals, milk, fruit salads etc), there is a fireplace, a large outdoor entertaining area, BBQ, two GIANT bathrooms with showers and Aesop products. Even the latest chillout music CD’s are provided by the strereo.

We began our day having lunch at Esca Restaurant @ Bimbagen. There were “wine tasting plates” on offer where you have an assiette of three dishes that are matched with 3 small glasses of wine. The view from the restaurant overlooking the vineyards is also amazing.

[left] Sumac spiced prawns with a watermelon, marinated fetta and mint salad
Caramelised onion, olive and duetto tart
Poached asparagus with a smoked salmon terrine and soft boiled egg

Matched with three Bimbadgen Estate White Wines  

[right] Wood spit-roasted duck with sauteed Ya pears
Wood char-grilled cumin lamb fillets
Wood char-grilled beef with parmesan polenta

Matched with three Bimbadgen Estate Red Wines 

 

This is followed by a visit to one of my favorite places – Piggs Peake Winery

Girls love the “I Swine”, which is a cute name they use for their popular Icewine – where my guyfriends bought multiple bottles, as “chicks totally dig it”, they say. You only need to take one look at the happiness on our faces.

Another favorite is the Scarborough, which are famous for their Chardonnays. I’m not a big fan of the Chardy, but if there is one winery that does it right, it is Scarborough. Very highly regarded by a lot of chefs I know, and they provide a very comprehensive tasting with free cheese!

Dinner was at Mojo’s Restaurant, where they only use the freshest local ingredients, and the menu changes seasonally. The atmosphere is casual and cosy.

 

On the way back to the hotel we caught a baby frog… it’s sooo cute! (No, I didn’t eat it)

Don’t make this afterwork on a weeknight – or you won’t get to eat dinner until 9:30pm!