Letters from America
Having returned just a week ago from 2 weeks in California I have so many letters from America I hope to write. The worst of it is that as we arrived at the airport last Sunday after an amazing, yet mammoth, meal at the renowned French Laundry , I felt a little off colour as I boarded the plane; nothing to do with the food I can assure you; and have been ill with a virus for the last week, so my good intentions of sharing so much with you immediately have been put on hold.
Just to give you a glimpse of the trip I’ll simply tell you of two nights we spent there.
Always with my ear to the ground about good food things, friends had told me that Nancy Silverton’s new LA restaurant ‘Mozza’ had just opened weeks before. Nancy is ex La Brea Bakery and has gone into business with Mario Batali of New York. Not easy to get a booking as it’s the hottest place in town, but as we’d travelled overnight and our sleep patterns were out, it wasn’t a problem to go at 10 p.m.
It’s all about the pizza….but what a place. An amazing room, 6 metres tall with windows 3.5 metre high to the street. Dark red walls with a dark grey ceiling coming down to the top of the window height. Very dramatic! Low lighting; long hanging lights on 8 foot pedestals from the ceiling. A bar created around the wood fired oven where all the action was taking place in the back corner, where we were seated watching it all play out. Such a happening place and the scale of the room seemed to create more space than there actually was. What a buzz it was and pizzas taken to their height! We ordered 4 antipasti dishes and a pizza to share.
Nancy is also well known for her anti pasti. Brussel sprouts cooked and tossed with vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, herbs and breadcrumbs with prosciutto (will definitely do my version of this one on ABC later in the year). Eggplant caponata with pine nuts and currants and just a touch of chilli - that I tolerated!
Chicken liver crostini with red wine vinegar, capers and pancetta, a classic combination with simply fabulous bread.
White bean bruschetta with radiccio at the base tossed with vino cotto.
The pizza cooked in the oven in just minutes. The thinnest crust on the base of the pizza with the folded over edges risen quite high. Smashed waxy potatoes with rosemary and thinly cut radiccio and gorgonzola. Absolutely fantastic pizza dough - one where you ate every bit of the crust available.
Mozza specialises in Italian wine by the glass at the most reasonable price we experienced anywhere in our eating marathon over the 2 weeks. We slowly sipped our Italian red, feeling incredibly un-jetlagged!
The following night we had a booking at Angelini Osteria. Once again, bookings are very much required and you often have to dine late.
From a design point of view this was the absolute antithesis of Mozza. It was small, tables so close together you had to breathe in as you passed, and how the waiters managed I don’t know, but it was such a great Italian experience. The dish of the night for me was perhaps the best tripe dish of my life. Tripe cooked in tomatoes long and slow with baby cuttlefish in the centre. It sounds improbable but was fabulous. As was the Vietti 2001 Barola Castiglione red we imbibed.
So much more to tell but …..
Flat Out Delivering
I’d like to say thank you to all the food club members who wrote in and helped me arrive at the decision to simplify our delivery options online. It has now been well and truly ironed out! I’ve decided, based on your requests, to set the fee at a flat rate of $10.00 to anywhere in Australia starting in March ( for this month though enjoy free postage and handling! ). I’m hoping this will not only speed up the ordering process for you but also allow you to consider our online shop as a very relaxed alternative to wandering the aisles of a supermarket.. and no need to carry anything!
Many Happy Returns…
As mentioned in our last newsletter, I am very pleased to say that Simon and I will resume filming for our ABC programme, The Cook and the Chef, to go to air on the 14th February. I know there are always promises of ‘bigger and better’ when it comes to TV and although I’m sure the next series will be, I know our new Cook and the Chef online competition definitely is! This year we will have a monthly prize (and yes, trickier questions!) of a $50.00 voucher for our online shop, leading up to the grand prize of a complete signed collection of my recipe books (including the new one due out in November) and a beautiful hamper filled with all my handpicked favourites. Stay tuned!
