MilkBar

Recently, I've been missing in action on this blog due to work and personal constrains, however, my time in 2 weeks time may be more free. I am about to embark on a new adventure or venture. I am starting an online shop named "MilkBar". It is an ode to slow food made by hand, from scratch, in small batches and with the finest ingredients. Having said that, I will also have more time to blog on "Strathmore Living". Till then, take a peep at these sites.

MilkBar on Facebook.

MilkBar's Invisible Store

Tea Together.

The best jam I have ever tasted is from them. I had a taste of No. 16. I loved every bit of it. Soft, silky apricot with a hint of lavender. It was all I could think of for the next few days. Tea Together has done an excellent job. It changes my perception of jam, something we take for granted on some mornings. It's a pity that we don't get them here much except in St Regis and Capella.

Pure and simple-our first marmalade.

Cooked with a fistful of cardamom pods – pop them open and crunch the grains or recycle in a ragout or milk pudding.

A funky, dark, sensuous late summer jam, stuffed with violet figs from Provence and with a generous dash of sailors' Rum.

A jam of Autumn, even though we offer it all year round. As evocative as woodsmoke and hedgerows, the elderberry wraps a wildwood vibe around the core flavour while the heat of ginger gives a hike to the otherwise rather soft flavour.

Whole apricots in the final jam are framed by the almond-bitterness of the kernels that we break open and peel by hand, and by sprigs of summer lavender whose grey-green leaves decorate the bright, soft orange of the fruit.

Ingredients: whole lemons, unbleached cane sugar, Earl Grey tea.

The essence of Summer in a jar, we use the natural setting qualities of the currants to support our damask rose petals. The result is a jam of glistening scarlet with the full-on fragrance of summer roses. Crunch the petals between your teeth for extra sensation.

Spiral Cellars.

I find this terribly fascinating. The thought of being able to add a wine cellar to your home easily and in a stylish manner. Spiral Cellars is a smart way of storing up to 1900 bottles in your home without building another room by sinking into the ground a watertight pre-cast cylindrical system and like any traditional cellar, it relies on the earth for insulation and it requires no additional power for cooling. It has an ingenious airflow system that keeps the bottles cool, so after it has been installed, all you pay for are more bottles to store in it. Fabulous.

Absinthe Salon.

I remember a road trip that I took with a couple of uni-mates and their other halves a few years back. My then fiance and I were going back to Melbourne for our annual ski/snowboard trip. We decided to plan a road trip to Port Fairy with our uni-mates and stay by the river for a little fishing and bumming for a few days. At the airport, we decided to buy a bottle of vodka and we hankered over what else to buy till we spotted absinthe. I thought it was a good idea to bring along a bottle of the green fairy. I must declare that the boys are terribly good drinkers on most accounts. They polished the bottle of vodka with ease even pairing it with nachos and fruit gum snakes. They were still terribly sober after that one bottle of Absolut. Then came the bottle of absinthe. They made it only halfway through the bottle and were in a bad state. We are talking about 5 boys (and 4 girls, forget about the girls, we drank little. More beer and wine) who were in a terrible state. They hated absinthe, were vomiting in the front lawn, walking out in the wee hours of the night to our private jetty while puking. Another one just broke up with his girlfriend of many years, was talking trash and crying. I've never seen the boys so trashed. The girls were just high and laughing at the state of the boys. All these bring back fantastic memories of a carefree life.

Absinthe has been controlled and hard to acquire for the longest time. Recently, it has been made popular again. In Sydney, an Absinthe Salon has opened in Surrey Hills to promote the forgotten culture of drinking absinthe, traditionally. By the way, the water fountains, perforated spoons and vintage looking glasses are also for sale online through their website. This could be fun for a drinking party, lots of novelty and sure to have your friends talk about it for weeks to come.

Slow Food International.

Globalisation, Industrialisation, are they dirty words? They represent the ease of technology, the "help" we get, but at what price? Skilled workers everyday are replaced by machines, garden vegetables on our plates replaced by those store bought ones, is this the life our forefathers envisioned? We think that our palates are more refined over the years by how easy it is to taste the cuisine from somewhere else in the world through store bought frozen food, bottled sauces and canned condiments.

Let me clear your head. We have slowly let our cultures slip; the once broad line between one culture and another slowly thinned, blurred out. Do we even know which dishes belong to our heritage? Do we understand what type of pork we are buying in the supermarket? How many different kinds have you tasted? Heard of heritage fruits and vegetables?

Slow Food International was set up in Italy in 1986 to counter fast food and fast life, the dwindling interest in the food we eat, where they come from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world. They aim to preserve cultural cuisine and the associated food plants and seeds, domestic animals and farming within an ecoregion. The movement has spread across the world with 100,000 members in 132 countries. They have organised many food fairs, and meetings among the food communities. They have also a University of Gastronomic Science at Pollenzo which aims to promote good food and nutrition.

Cascade Apple Isle.

This is my absolute all time favourite drink. It used to be the first thing I drank in the morning to perk me up. It is made from clear pressed Tasmanian apple juice and is carbonated. After returning from Melbourne, I have never drank anything quite like it. It has such a unique flavour.

Since we are on the topic of Cascade Brewery (the oldest brewery in Australia), I thought I'd feature their special ale, the Cascade First Harvest. It is brewed with fresh hop flowers from that current season of hop harvest. It is brewed in small batches, making it very limited. The current year's release is expected in April/May.

Another Christmas Party.

These pictures are self-explanatory. Enjoy.

Espressamente illy.

It's a toss up between architecture & design and food as in which is my greatest love. The love of food and cooking has been nurtured since I was little by my parents. They have always been passionate about cooking, entertaining and dining. It is also because of them that I have been inspired to cook. I made my first banana pancakes at the age of 7 or 8, grilled my own steak at 10. Before that, I was my dad's kitchen help. I watched him prep, cook and plan. It was all so exhilarating for me to watch the process, to see how happy quality food can make people and just to feed.

With coffee, the science of getting the blend of beans, the roast, the grind, water and even temperature right is pure magic. Since I have tasted my first cup of illy coffee in the 80s, I was in love. The appeal of the aroma, the colour of the essence, the flavour of the coffee is beyond description. I will declare that I am not a caffeine addict. Instead, I am a coffee lover.

That is why I am so happy that the folks from illy have come up with the Espressamente Illy cafe that has been sprouting all over the world; over 200 locations, in 32 countries and 5 continents to be exact. No two Espressamente illy outlets are the same. They aim to bring to you a different sensory experience through their coffee, the different interior designs and menus to arouse your senses. For those living in Singapore, hang tight. We will be having two outlets opening in 2010 by the same folks who brought to us, Harry's Bar. One would be in Ann Siang Hill and the other at Mohamed Sultan. Something to look forward to in 2010.

Chupa Chups 18+.

Chupa Chups has already been associated with naughty schoolgirls who deserve a spank. So what happens when they requested for Firma, a Moscow based creative firm to come up with 3 designs for Chupa Chups? They decided to up the ante and come up with Chupa Chups 18+, for the kids who not only love their spanks but also their whips, bondage and leather. Should these go into production, would they restrict it to just 18+ is anyone's guess.

The Sydney Picnic Company.

I will un-bashfully declare this. I absolutely love picnics. Nothing like sitting on a mat in a quiet park when the sun is just about to set, running your fingers through grass, having a meaningful conversation and of course, paired with a beautiful selection of food and drinks.

The Sydney Picnic Company founded by Natalie and Simon, understand how important it is to combine quality food with the element of surprise. Simon has had experience working for Simon Johnson, the famous Australian grocer as well as his family owned wine bar in the UK. Using all that knowledge, he has put together a beautiful line-up of food to sit in the park and savour.

All picnics should have an element of surprise for the other party who is not packing the basket. It's great to discover what you might be having for dinner or to have little details like linen for napkins, nice drinking glasses, a bottle of pink moscato, etc. I suppose that is what makes picnics so much more special and intimate that a dinner in a restaurant. It's like being in a world of your own. Your little escape.

Here's a sneak peep at what they have on offer now. Note that prices are for two.

The Brit Pic. AUD$105

• Tasmanian free range wood smoked ham with tomato chutney
• Quickes cheddar cheese & pickled onions or Cropwell Bishop stilton & toasted walnuts
• Patchett’s pork pie
• Quiche lorraine & green salad
• Sonoma sourdough
• Marinated strawberries & vanilla cream

The Sydney. AUD$145

• Roast almonds, chilli & sea salt
• Black olive tapenade
• Slow roast tomatoes, basil, toasted almonds, marinated Meredith goat’s cheese
• Australian King prawns, kipfler potatoes & watercress with tarragon & lemon dressing
• Sonoma ciabatta
• Valrhona chocolate brownies with organic pecans, sour cherries & vanilla cream

The Italian. AUD$155

• Grissini & marinated Ligurian ‘Taggiasche’ olives
• Slow roast tomatoes, basil, toasted almonds, marinated Meredith goat’s cheese & 20 year balsamic
• Wild onions cooked in thyme & balsamic with parmigiano reggiano
• Italian charcuterie plate including prosciutto di Parma, sopressa & coppa
• Risoni with mozzarella, chargrilled zucchini, asparagus, peas, lemon zest & olive oil
• Sonoma Ciabatta
• Valrhona chocolate pots with Armagnac soaked amaretti biscuit

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The Spanish. AUD$185

• Ortiz white anchovies with pickled chillies, caperberries & parsley
• Olives marinated in rosemary, chilli & garlic
• Paprika smoked almonds
• Chorizo, manchego & potato tortilla served with garlic aioli
• Roast artichokes stuffed with goat’s cheese, thyme, chilli, lemon zest & toasted breadcrumbs served with Jamon Serrano
• Sonoma sourdough
• Valdeon cheese with sweet olive tortas & quince paste
• Spanish almond & honey nougat

Natalie and Simon.