WA Part 1 - Go West Young Man

Did you know I recently went "out West"?

Me neither… hang on a minute. It was me, of course I knew, I was there. But don’t tell anyone.

We were off on a pilgrimage to see Jane’s Uncle Pat, a New Norcia monk of the Benedictine order now known as Father Anscar and the erstwhile priest on the Kalumburu Mission in far north WA. He’s been over there something like fifty years, and people still ask him how he likes it “out West” (you can say that when you go there too - it's like New Zealanders calling NZ "Kiwi").

On picking our car up at the Perth airport (surrounded by reassuring messages from Chevron™ that everything was going to be alright and that they "agreed" with us), I asked our delightful car rental hostesses which was the gourmet trail to take on the drive up to New Norcia?

“Well, you’ll go through historic Guildford.”
“Yeah, they have to go through there. And then the Swan Valley.”
“Oh yeah, got to go there. Maybe a winery for lunch. Jean? Jean goes there. Jean, what’s the name of that winery you go to up there?"
“Oh you know the one with the duck in the name.”

So, taking their advice as local knowledge , and even ­– since I was on a pilgrimage – gospel truth, we shuffled down the gourmet trail on the way to the promised land.

Welcome to Kit’s Cucina “Out West” Part 1: Guilford and the Swan Valley. Now, read on! (and yes, Mum, I do go on a bit, but it's "the journey"...)

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The Station Hotel - Footscray

59 Napier St
Footscray VIC 3011
ph: 9687 2913
www.thestationhotel.com.au



This is officially a record. The same restaurant getting a review in my blog... TWICE!

"Qu'est que ce que ca?" I hear you think.  "But surely, Christoforo, you can't step into the same river twice, not in Melbourne anyway."


I'm delighted to say no, since time rolls on and things change, but also because I was sent an email from another of the illustrious mentor's in my life, Peter Downie; bon vivant, raconteur, chanteur, engineer, family man and general larger than life gentleman of the highest order.  He felt compelled to contact me about the Station Hotel and just how fantastic it is, and I, in turn, felt compelled to share it with you.

Over to you Peter:


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Cicciolina

www.cicciolinastkilda.com.au
130 Acland Street
St Kilda, Victoria 3182
T: 03 9525 3333
F: 03 9525 3397
E: cicciolina@netspace.net.au






So I'm on a diet.

Last night for frickasee's sake I had - actually it felt pretty lush - fresh salmon seared on a pan to make the salt and peppered skin crispy but leaving it rare inside (gave half the skin to the dog because I'm getting skinny), a green salad (using mixed leaves, cucumber, dill, feta and seasame seed - lemon olive oil dressing), a half grilled mango and a single boiled potato - with some more olive oil and salt (come on!). Two thumbs up and slim-er-ific (if you make up for it with a run and some more physical work outs!!  Come on!!).

But you get to the end of a week of vegetarian plates from Friends of the Earth, eating fruit for breakfast and generally making the Buddha proud (except for that poor Sandy situation - with apologies to Shiro Kishibe), and you finally get to a point where you think:

"Stuff this. I can't take it anymore. I want some meat. I want wine! I want a dessert with an aperitif and a good coffee. Basically, I want my old life back. Bring me a cigar and a vodka!"

Enter Cicciolina in St Kilda.

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Fat Cat City

Viriginia Plain
31 Flinders Lane
Melbourne VIC 3000
www.virginiaplain.com.au

Why yellow there! How are you?
I'm fine, thanks for asking.

In fact, I'm somewhat better than fine. I'm grinning, greased and gassed... in the words of the illustrious George Throughgood. I've just returned from lunch with my Uncle Garry (God bless!), who forwent his usual lunch with colleagues at the Athenaeum Club, going out with me instead for a catch up that incorporated a general browse and glass of the good stuff.


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Make Lemonade! Sure fire lemonade recipe

OK, OK... I know what you're thinking.  You're thinking, in an Al Pacino voice:

"This guy, see, he says, he says to ME... What?  He's gonna make me thin?  He's gonna make me the envy of every goddamn hippo in fatsville and what happens?  HMM??  I'll tell ya.  Nothin.  I keep lookin', and where's the recipes, dammit? I'm getting outta control here, my goddamn pants is splittin down the ass .  And then finally, FINALLY he comes and tells me to drink some goddamn LEMONADE! The whole goddamn drink is sugar!  What does he take me for?"

Anyway, I think that's what you're thinking after my last article.  Either that, or you read the heading and thought "Milk, milk, lemonade, round the corner..." {that's quite enough - Ed.}

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Lose that Winter Coat!

OK. I admit it. I’ve been letting myself go. The idea, in the middle of winter, of eating a salad when I could sit down to a roast suckling pig, with cheesey potatoes, washed down with a gallon of porter, wines and followed up with a cheese platter was a no-brainer. The latter was simply too good to refuse.

However, it’s unsustainable. As I was reaching the dawning of the age of aware-y-ness about my crumbling physical edifice, I was talking to a guy who’s a wine writer from Sydney (do NOT ask me how you get that job; he’s got an ex-wife, kids in new York, and a house on the North shore. Let’s call it a second income, like a millionaire secret patron). He had two great pieces of advice:


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Age Good Food Guide Awards 2013

The Age Good Food Guide Awards 2013 have been announced (and how they know what's going to be good next year I'll never know)!

Here's a link to a summary. Bon appetite!

http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/restaurants-and-bars/talk-the-toque-doff-your-hats-to-our-good-food-guide-winners-20120827-24we2.html
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