Sigh.
I can't say I was overly happy at providing the comic element to my table of 7 for the evening, but luckily the quality of the food and the wine served at the Autumn offering of The Dinner Project far over-shadowed my rookie mistake.
The Dinner Project is an Australian not-for-profit venture raising money for charities through dinners created by chefs who are willing to donate their time, energy and innovation for the greater good. Originally started in Sydney, The Dinner Project has now had three very successful seasons in Melbourne and, judging by the numbers who attended last night's dinner, will continue to do so.
Inspired by The Mission Street Food project in San Francisco, Australia's The Dinner Project has three main objectives:
* to provide a platform for passionate chefs to showcase their cooking skills and gives them the chance to collaborate with their peers outside the specific kitchen they currently work in. Last night's chefs were all sous-chefs, which meant that the dinner allowed them to explore and experiment with their own flavours and techniques and wonderings.
* allowing the public to enjoy inventive food at a reasonable price and in an informal setting
*to raise funds and public awareness for charitable causes
The Autumn Dinner Project began with a fresh-tasting cocktail of gin, umeshu (japanese plum wine), ginger, sparkling wine, and finished with sparkling water.
Flatbread, smoky eggplant dip, chickpeas tantalisingly roasted in seaweed salt and wasabi and Mt Zero olives were the palate teasers.
The entrée came from Dan, who first started cooking in a small Japanese restaurant called Yardbird in Hong Kong in 2011 and then moved to Melbourne in May 2013 to work for Cumulus Inc. Dan's choice of Seared King Fish, radish, yuzu kosho (a spicy japanese seasoning) and ponzu (a citrus-based sauce) was fresh, light and slightly zingy. Accompanied by a glass of 2012 Ophalum Albarino, this was a lovely way to enter the meal.
The next course was created by Jun, whose philosophy is all about cooking slowly and sustainably, taking time with food, as we should do with life. Jun had spent the morning foraging for pine mushrooms in Woodend to create the beautiful dish, so plainly labelled "Roots, Grains and Mushroom'. Barley, red quinoa, sweet potato chunks, the heady mushrooms, and some tiny roast brussel sprout leaves provided a beautifully woody, salty, nutty harmony.
The main course of Lamb mechoui, came from Cush. Slow-cooked lamb shoulder...8 hours worth of slow-cooked with subtle moroccan spices, served with labneh, a sort of strained greek yoghurt, marauding as a soft cheese, and earthy seasonal beetroot. To accompany this incredibly rich and flavoursome dish were bowls of freekeh (quasi-newcomer to the unpronouncable and yet highly fashionable and super-foodish ancient grain brigade) and walnut salad and a hearty red wine, Ponce Depaula Monastrell.
But wait, there's more. Gemma, the pastry chef from Tonka, finished the meal with an elegant and cleanly uncomplicated Ginger cake, walnut toffee and pear sorbet. Further enhanced by a glass of Friends of Punch 'Berry's Creek' Noble Riesling, this was a lovely cadence to a beautiful meal.
Autumn is a beautiful season. Sad, poignant, as we let go of the warmth and possibility of summer and look towards the shorter days and cooler climes of winter.
Thank you The Dinner Project for providing a sparkly nod to this in-between season and reminding us that it is not in-between at all, but a beautiful moment all of its own, which we should savour and share.
No comments:
Post a Comment