Roasted Marrow Bones with Parsley Salad

Ingredients
1.2Kg (approx 6-8, 8-12cm long) Pieces of Calf/Yearling Marrow Bones
        (tip: get your butcher to cut the bone into the required lengths)
1 Bunch of Flat Leaf (Continental) Parsley, chopped roughly
2 French Shallots, very finely diced
1 Tbspns Capers, roughly chopped
2 Tbspns Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbspns Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
A Good Quality Salt, such as Murray River Salt Flakes or Fler de Sel Salt
8 Thick Slices of Toasted Artesian Bread, check out our awesome finds: http://the2littlepiggies.blogspot.com/search/label/Bakery



Method
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Place bones, cut side up on a baking tray/Corning Ware/ovenproof frypan.

Carefully place the bones into the oven and bake for around 15-20 minutes. Please note, if the bones are very cold (i.e. straight from refrigerator), the baking time might be increased to around 25 minutes.

Check the bones at the 15 minute mark to see if the marrow is soft and has begun to separate from the bone. Note: remove bones from the oven just as the marrow begins to ooze out.

Meanwhile, combine chopped parsley, finely diced shallots and chopped capers in a small mixing bowl.

Just before serving combine olive oil and lemon juice and whisk. Drizzle dressing over  the parsley mixture and toss (best using one’s hands) until just coated in the dressing.

Place roasted bones, parsley salad, salt and toast on a large plate. To serve, scoop out the marrow, spread on toast, sprinkle with a little salt and top with parsley salad.  Suggested cutlery: crab, lobster picks and digging tools work well in getting the marrow out & onto your toast.

Taruhachi Restaurant

Shop 5
83 Mount Street,
North Sydney, NSW, 2060
Ph. (02) 9954 6441
Hours: Mon - Fri 12pm - 2pm & from 6pm

You certainly can not get more traditional Japanese than Taruhachi in North Sydney. What a find! Traditional, it certainly is, with the tv playing our all time favourite Japanese shows, right down to the manga magazines on hand.

The walls are lined with the usual specials, mostly in Japanese. The lunch menu consists mainly of set bento boxes consisting of a main (choose from the menu on the wall, with a side of salad, fruit, rice and miso soup), while the dinner is A La Carte. The lunch trade is also extremely busy however, the evenings tend to be a lot more quiet suitable for an intimate dinner for two or a group gathering. The restaurant is not large so there is limited seating.

Tempura ($18)

Our recommendation, come here for the Tempura and Agedashi Tofu. Definitely the best we've ever had. The tempura is so crisp, light and not oily. There is a great variety of veggies and seafood in this dish. The Agedashi Tofu is also crispy on the outside and delicately soft on the inside. I'm told by the waitress that this is their signature dish.

Agedashi Tofu (Deep-Fried Bean Curd, $8.80)

Other dishes worthy of a note are certainly the Agedashi Nasu and Negi Maki.

Agedashi Nasu (Deep-Fried Eggplant, $8.80)

Negi Maki (Marinated Beef wrapped around Shallots, $9.80)

Some other dinner dishes on offer include:

- Torikara-age (Marinated Deep-Fried Chicken, $9.50)

- Yakitori  (Skewered Grilled Chicken, $10.80)

- Sushi ($22.00) & Sashimi ($28)

- Teriyaki Chicken or Fish ($15.80)

- Teriyaki Beef ($17.80)

- Tonkatsu (Deep-Fried Crumbed Pork, $15.80)

- Nabeyaki Udon, Tempura Udon or Soba ($15.80)

- Oyako-Don ($15)

- Katsu-Don ($18.80)

- Natto ($4.00)

- Oshinko ($5.00)

Sushi ($22)

The Japanese dinner menu is more extensive than the English one on offer so just ask the friendly waitress to translate, recommend or you suggest a dish.

Deep-Fried Garlic (From the Japanese Menu)

Maguro Sashimi (From the Japanese Menu)

This restaurant is very popular with the local Japanese and North Sydney workers alike. It is not cheap, however the quality is certainly worth the price. For two we generally pay from $50 - $70 for dinner but the good news is, this premises is BYO with a $1 corkage. Expect to pay around $18 - $20 for lunch and a possible wait due its popularity.

Sanma Chips (From the Japanese Menu)

Highly recommended if you are after authentic Japanese food and to reminisce about being in Japan. We are now regular diners of this restaurant and the only let down is that they aren't open on the weekend!

Brot & Wurst

1442 Pittwater Road,

North Narrabeen,

NSW, 2101

Ph. (02) 9970 6151

Hours: Tues - Fri 9am - 5pm; Sat 8am - 4pm, Sun 8am - 3pm

One word best describes this place, and that is 'amazing'! This would definitely have to be the best of our latest finds in Sydney. Brot and Wurst is a family run business on the Northern Beaches serving Sydney's best German small goods, breads and pastries.

Run by a German master butcher of 25 years, Dean Stockburger and his family, this place draws in crowds from all across Sydney and you can see why. His small goods are manufactured on site and are comparable to the best in Germany.

When approaching this store you will be lured in by the smell of smoked meats from their smokehouse, which by the way, uses imported German sawdust. Upon entry, your eyes will feast on an array small goods including suelze, liverwurst, hams, salami, speck and hocks, as well as a fine selection of European dry goods and freshly baked breads and pastries.

A selection of their products include:
- Suelze

- Liverwurst

- Leber Kaese

- Pizza Meatloaf

- Gebackener Bierschinken

- Black Forest Ham

- Kassler

- Tounge Wurst

- Gypsy Ham

- Hungarian Salami

- Danish Salami

- Smoked Beef

- Buender Fleisch

- Pate de Campagne

- Speck

- Smoked Pork Hock

- Chsabi

- Blut Wurst

- Fleisch Salad

- Wurst Salad

- Sauerkraut

- Grieben Schmalz

- Nurnberger

- Thuringer

- Weisswurst

- Pork Bratwurst

- Bockwurst

- Smoked Kransky

- Smoked Chorizo

- Cheese Frankfurter

- Cevapcici

- German Rye

- Pretzels

- Sourdough

- Polish Rye

- Croissants

- Cherry Strudel

- Hazelnut Twist

- Mustards

- Garlic Sauce & Salad Dressings

- Belgium Bernaise Sauce

- Hollandaise Sauce

- Rosti

- Honey Cake

- Riga Sprats
- Fried Herrings

- Senf Gherkins

- Curley Kale

- Sluisje Hazelnut Squares

- Dutch Peanut Lace Biscuits

Not sure of what to buy? The friendly staff are more than happy to cut you a sample to try before you buy. They are also very helpful when it comes to food allergies. Prices are reasonable and all products are of a high quality.

The store is quaint and the walls display a collection of awards for their small goods. All of the small goods are gluten, colour, soy and preservative free. I could seriously spend hours here! The family that run this store are so friendly and offer a level of service that these days is becoming difficult to come by.

My only regret? Not living closer to this store! I can see why people travel far and wide across Sydney to visit Brot & Wurst. A visit to this store is a must!

Our purchases on the day included suelze, leberkaese and proscuitto.

Pfefferjaeger. Absolutely superb!

Egg Free Chicken Schnitzel

Ingredients
1 Kg Chicken Breast
1 1/2 Cups of Milk
2 Tbspns Maggi Seasoning
1 Tbspn Paprika
6 Garlic Cloves, crushed
3 Cups of Bread Crumbs for coating
1/2 Cup of Olive Oil for frying

Method
In a large mixing bowl, add the milk, garlic, paprika and Maggi seasoning. Whisk together until the mixture is combined. Set aside.

Lay a chicken breast down on a plastic cutting board. Carefully slice the chicken breasts (parallel to the board) in half starting at the thickest end. Repeat for each breast fillet.

Place the chicken into the marinade mixture, ensuring that all of the chicken has been coated in the marinade and return the bowl to the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

On a large plate, lay out half of the bread crumbs. Remove the chicken from the fridge and crumb each fillet with bread crumbs.

In a large non-stick frypan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Carefully place the crumbed chicken onto the hot pan and cook for 7 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove schnitzels from the pan and place onto absorbent paper for 1 minute.

Serve with your favourite condiments such as lemon, mustards, sweet chilli, Piri Piri and BBQ sauces.

Bairro Portuguese Petersham Food & Wine Fair

Where: Audley & Fisher Streets, Petersham
When: Sunday 13th March, an annual event

This event was a magnificent and spur of the moment find today. The Bairro Portuguese Petersham Food & Wine Fair I'm told, is an annual event celebrating the food and culture of Portugal and former Portuguese colonies.

The streets were lined with food stalls selling barbequed sardines, chorizo rolls, Portuguese tarts, espetada (skewered beef), pork belly, coxinha (chicken croquettes), rissole de camarao (prawn rissoles), pao de queijo (cheese bread), churros, bolinho de bacalhau (cod fish) and paella.

Barbequing sardines in a makeshift 44 gallon drum BBQ

Barbequed sardines

Chorizo Roll

Chorizo & Garlic Prawn Combination Roll

A colourful Brazilian Food Stall

Heavily sought after Seafood Paella

To wash down all of this tasty food we had Portuguese Beer of course!

Mouth-watering smells of Portuguese, Mediterranean and Brazilian foods filled the streets while traditional dancing, music and Capoeira performances created a real carnival buzz atmosphere. What a find! We'll definitely be back next year!

An energetic Capoeira performance by the UTS Capoeira Club

Traditional folk music

Pan Roma

397 Parramatta Road,
Leichhardt, NSW, 2040
Ph. (02) 9560 5874
Hours*: Wed - Fri 12pm - 3pm & 6pm - 10pm; Sat 6pm - 10pm
* Please check with the restaurant as they are usually closed between May & September each year.

It is not hard to become immersed and fall in love with the Italian family atmosphere at Pan Roma. Located just off the main drag of Italian restaurants on Norton Street, this gorgeous family run business serves great home style Italian meals.

The ingredients are fresh and the specials board always features highlights of the season. Some of the specials during our visit included:

Zucchini Flowers ($15.50)

Mussels Marinara ($16.90)

Pasta & Crab Sauce ($15.50)

Pasta & Asparagus ($15.50)

Crespelle ($15.50)

Figs & Prosciutto/Cheese ($15.50)

Parmigiana ($15.50)

Calamari BBQ ($29.50)

Whole Bream ($27.50)

They also have several fabulous dishes on their regular menu including:

Homemade Gnocchi with Gorgonzola

Calves Liver

The meals are reasonably priced and the wine list is competitively cheap. You also do have the option of B.Y.O.

The service is friendly and very accommodating. Pan Roma also caters for groups so it can get a little loud. Our best advice is to call ahead to check if there are any groups expected and to book a reservation, as it can get very busy. Please also be aware that the restaurant is usually only open between October - April as the owner usually spends the rest of the year back in Italy.

Overall, a highly rated Italian Restaurant producing restaurant quality, home style cooking using the freshest ingredients at reasonable prices. Definitely worth a visit!

Scores

Food: 8/10

Ambience: 7/10

Cleanliness: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Value for Money: 7.5/10

Suitability: Group bookings available

Payment: Cash & Major Credit Cards





Duck Pie

Ingredients
400g Cooked Shredded Lean Duck Meat
2 Tbspns Olive Oil
2 Carrots Diced
1 Onion Diced
200g Prosciutto
4 Cloves of Garlic
1/4 Cup of Flour
100mL Red Wine
2 Cups Beef Stock
4 Bay Leaves
2 Tspns Dried Italian Herbs
1 Tspn Dried Thyme
1/4 Tspn Dried Lemon Thyme
140g Tomato Paste
1/2 Cup Frozen Peas
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Puff Pastry

Method
In a medium sized pot on medium heat add the olive oil, carrot, onion, garlic and prosciutto. Stir for 4-5 minutes or until soft. Next, add the shredded cooked duck meat. Add the flour and stir constantly for 30 seconds, coating the mixture well with the flour but ensuring that nothing burns.

Next, add the beef stock and red wine. Bring to a boil and add the tomato paste, bay leaves, Italian herbs, thyme and lemon thyme. Simmer the mixture for 40 minutes on the stove while preheating the oven to 220 degrees Celsius.

Once the duck meat is soft, remove from the heat. Stir in the peas and add salt & pepper to taste.

Prepare ramekins. Fill ramekins 3/4 full with the mixture. Next, cut a square of puff pastry large enough to cover and overhang each ramekin. Press around the rim.

Place ramekins on a baking tray and into the oven for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove and serve with a light garden salad.