3rd cook off 10 March 2015

The COTY award is given to the best main course, and sometimes this is a pity when the overall effect of the meal is especially good. This was the case last Tuesday, when Bill Alexiou-Hucker presented a Greek feast from go to whoa for the 3rd of the cook offs for the 2014 awards. We started with 3 canapes: some quality tapenade topping a slice of egg on a crouton; terrific homemade taramasalata on croutons, made even fishier with the addition of a sliver of dried mullet roe, or bottaga, on top; and a refreshing tzatziki (yoghurt with garlic, mint and lemon) on cucumber slices. All nicely balanced by a 2006 Wine Society Tasmanian riesling, mature and complex with fruit to complement the firm acid.

Bill repeated his braised octopus for the main course, with a rich tomato and red wine sauce which may have been a bit powerful for the accompanying whites but which was terrific in its own right. There was medium octopus as well as some babies in the mix, along with (slightly gluggy)risotto-style rice and some shoots of baby asparagus wrapped in prosciutto. To accompany it, a Greek white, the 2014 Thalassitis assyrtiko from Santorini, with forward nose redolent of dried herbs, cleansing acid and a good match with the food; and a local hero, the 2007 Tyrrells Vat 47 chardonnay, showing signs of maturity with buttery fruit balanced by clean acid. A better wine than the Greek, but maybe not as good a food match.

The feast continued, with a typical Greek salad made on pieces of red, yellow and green capsicum, spanish onion and (Greek, of course) fetta with olive oil. This was followed by a sweet dish of grilled haloumi cheese, made in Cyprus from sheep and goats' milk, topped by a lightly heated fresh fig sprinkled with honey. Accompanying this mixed bunch were a big, soft shiraz/merlot blend 2009 Dom Gerovassiliou from Elanomi in Greece, half a bottle of 2000 Stepping Stone Coonawarra cabernet, interesting but at the end of its life, and 1/2bottles of a Samos vin doux from that island, made on muscat grapes and softly sweet but lacking a bit of firmness. It went well with the fig and haloumi, and also with authentic Greek (aka Turkish) coffee, made thick and strong on the spot by the visiting barista from Aesop restaurant in the city with, of course, a piece of Turkish (aka Greek) Delight.

Well done, Bill, especially with around 52 members and guests there to support the Greek cause.

2nd cook off 3 March 2015

The first cook off featured Ted Davis assisted by Gareth Evans. This time, roles were reversed, with Ted assisting the Welsh wizard as he visited Spain for a representation of his tapas-style meal, with a series of finely wrought courses in succession. First, though, canapes in the form of salt cod (bacalao) croquettes by Ted Davis: hand-shredded and still textured poached cod with a touch of potato in balls coated in freshly fried breadcrumbs; and marinated button mushroom caps enfolding a piece of pan fried chorizo, on a toothpick. Both buzzing with Spanish flavours, and both well complemented by a 2012 Pewsey Vale Riesling from wine master of the day Hilton Chapman, fresh clean and enough acid to cut the richness of the fish and sausage.

Then came the tapas progression, necessarily condensed by timing restrictions to force two courses on the plate at a time. There was a cold octopus and chopped potato salad in a lemon-based dressing; chicken sausage pieces enlivened with white wine and sherry and served with seedless green grapes; some simple okra, still crunchy and lacking the gumminess often found; well-cooked and therefore soft and gelatinous honeycomb tripe with chickpeas, tomato and paprika; some extremely well received morcilla, or black pudding, served with a crumble of speck bacon and toasted breadcrumbs; and a mild chorizo sausage with haricot beans and some mysterious fresh chilis which tested many ( and which Gareth may have identified as Bishops Crown peppers). All this was washed down with a Deliciosa manzanilla sherry, which matched some of the milder meat courses as well as the okky, and a 2006 Embruix Priorat red, also from Spain and predominantly grenache, high (15.5%) alcohol but in balance with nice tannins which undercut the bigger meat dishes well. In summary – ole!

The meme from Spain stayed to our gain with the cheese, a classic semi-hard Queso Iberico from Central Spain, made from a mix of cow, sheep and goat's milk with a lovely sweet nuttiness and a distinctive embossed rind showing the imprint of the dried grass bands used in the manufacturing. It was back home with the matching wines: a soft and savoury 2005 Tyrrells Stevens shiraz and a bigger, more assertive shiraz cabernet from Rosemount at Mudgee, a cleanskin but picked correctly by many as the Mountain Blue.

The coffee from master Spencer Ferrier, was from El Salvador, an Arabica clone medium roasted to produce a soft and sweet brew on the palate with a fairly short finish. Nothing short, though, about the birthday wine from Leigh Hall, a1978 Baileys Vintage port, intensely sweet and spirituous which will be going strong long after most of those drinking it.

Finally, let's repeat the plea from the Acting President Keith Steele that members, and their guests, book for the remaining cook offs. We can't guarantee that future chefs will be able to repeat the loaves and fishes exercise that Gareth pulled off, and you may be turned away if you haven't booked.

Wine tasting 24 february 2015

The first wine tasting for 2015 saw a trip around the world vinously, and Greg Sproule acting the goat in the kitchen.

Starters was a fresh scallop, done just so, served with a fine shred of shallot and carrot in a tangy dressing on porcelain spoons. Described as Normandy scallops, they were great wherever they came from and were well matched by a (masked) muscadet from the Loire region of France, traditionally matched with oysters, but with soft acidity to wash down the scallops.

The main event saw Wine Master Ferman at the height (or depth, depending on your viewpoint) of inscrutability, presenting six masked wines with regions, but not in order, announced and nothing more, except that they were all cabernet or similar fruit. The guessing game progressed, not assisted by the fact that wine no.2 was badly corked on a few tables. When the veils were lifted, the results were: 2009 Bourgueil from the Loire made from cabernet franc; 2002 Alkoomi cabernet from WA; a 2002 Barolo from that region of Italy, made on nebbiolo grapes; 2002 St Hugo cabernet from Coonawarra; 2002 Huntington cabernet from Mudgee; and 2000 Ch Lanessan, an unclassified Bordeaux. An interesting lineup, with palate loyalty showing in the popular choice of St Hugo as the top wine, and the Huntington mistaken for Bordeaux by many. The real Bordeaux was also well supported, as was the Bourgueil, the Barolo disappointingly acid and thin to most.

Similar controversy erupted with the food, where Greg had butchered and braised a whole kid goat, edible organs and all. To most, the result was a fine daube, with the offal flavour of the liver and kidneys in particular adding a meaty umami character to the delicacy of the meat. To some, it was too much, an education for which they were unprepared. C'est la vie. With it was an interesting gnocchi in assorted shapes, made with a rare pepper which hit the palate when chewed.

The quality of the top wines provided a soft slightly acid balance to a wonderful chevre d'affinois from the Rhone-Alpes region of France, made in an unusual hexagonal shape and showing particularly smooth creamy but nicely sour texture and flavour from the preparation of the milk prior to making. With a good bitter green leaf salad, the cheese ,as observed, went well with the reds; but not nearly as well as it went with the remains of a superb 2005 Boillot Puligny-Montachet white, presented by birthday boy Ross Tzannes at the outset of the main course, for those lucky enough to have kept some. A fine example of generosity by Ross, which we hope other members may emulate.

The coffee was a Bun Coffee blend from a maker in Byron Bay which we enjoyed a few weeks ago. This time, the beans were grown, again in South America, under sun and not shade, which may have influenced the robust flavour and firm dark chocolate finish.

First cook off 17 February 2015

The cook offs for the 2014 Chef of the Year got off to a flying start with contender Ted Davis in the lists (assisted by fellow contender Gareth Evans) producing the goods for a large crowd of 54, some unbooked and exerting pressure on quantities which Ted surmounted with aplomb.

Canapes were superior pork rillettes with plenty of moisture and flavour topped with a cornichon and served on baguette slices; and some salty, tangy white anchovy fillets atop roasted red pepper slices, again on baguette. Fresh and inviting, they were well accompanied by (some of) 2005 Tyrrells Vat 1 and HVD, the ones not oxidised or corked being pleasant, plus some extras from First Creek in the Hunter, some chardonnay from Vasse Felix in WA and the reliable Lustau manzanilla sherry.

On to poultry as the main course, with all ducks fed and ready to fly. They had been boned and rolled into a ballotine with a stuffing of pork mince, pistachios and the intense flavour of duck livers to lift it. Baked then sliced, it came to the table above a well- made kumera puree and under a terrific sauce made on the duck bones with aromatic vegetables and a large glug of port. Simple in concept if not in execution, it was a wonderful combination of colours, flavours and textures, and certainly set the standard for the cook offs to come. The accompanying wines were of higher than usual standard, being a 2012 Chiroubles gamay from Beaujolais with colour, lift and some elegance which had most mistaking it for a pinot; and a 2009 Tamar Ridge pinot from Tasmania, lighter in colour and body with a delicate fragrance but lacking substance.

It was Ted's pick for the cheese, and he did it again, with Ross MacDonald presenting a top Bleu D'Auvergne from that part of France. It was in great condition, showing plenty of marbling, a creamy but slightly crumbly texture and some soft blue mould spices with a tart finish. Cabernets were a good match, a 2008 Vasse Felix showing dark rich fruit, a bit tough at this stage but destined for greater things, and a 1998 Wynns Black Label from Coonawarra, at its peak with minty, Ribena fruit balanced by soft drying tannins, a pleasure to drink.

The coffee, in the absence of the Master, was a concerto (or cacophony) of blends from previous weeks which turned out surprisingly rich and rounded: perhaps the start of a Society blend. With it, for some but not all, were a couple of spare stickies providing a sweet contrast.

Lunch 10 February 2015

The excitement of the 1st week back must have proved too much for some members. For a disappointing attendance of only 30 was on hand to experience a taste of Portugal from chef Peter Kelso, capably assisted by Martin McMurray.

Seafood started things off, with baccalao, or reconstituted dried salted cod, made into a paste similar to the French brandade, and served on toasted bread squares topped with a few tiny balls of citrus from finger limes, a native Australian fruit. Also on hand were toast strips topped with a simple sweet pepper paste and a white anchovy, tangy and salty. Washing these down was a 2010 chardonnay from Pemberton in WA, which won unanimous applause for its intense tropical fruit flavours, balanced by fresh acid and a touch of spritz. The lucky few also saw a very dry manzanilla sherry from Lustau, perfect with the salt of the canapes.

For mains, the kitchen produced a healthy helping of chicken. Superior thigh fillets were quickly seared then baked in a bed of red onion, tomato, mustard and wine, naturally with a hit of port for sweetness and a splash of brandy for the hell of it. Plain pasta accompanied it, together with some halved and baked zucchini, in top condition at the moment. Accompanying were a brace of European reds, a 2010 La Giola Veronese from Italy, and a 2009 Dao Alvaro Castro from Portugal itself. Both with modest alcohol levels, the Italian showed as more Australian in style, soft with forward sweet fruit; whilst the Portuguese was a more savoury and complex wine with drying tannins which complemented the food rather better than the other.

We stayed on the Iberian Peninsula for the cheese, an Ossau Iraty semi-hard sheep's milk number from the Basque area of SW France with a history going back more than 4000 years. At least 90 day's old, it showed a supple oily texture with a nutty flavour reminiscent of olive oil, and was in terrific condition. A simple green salad on iceberg lettuce and torn nasturtium leaves was dressed with a dressing made on balsamic vinegar infused with figs and, to accord, some pieces of fresh fig, now nearing the end of its season. In the wine department, it was back home with a 2004 Bethany Barossa shiraz (13.5%), dark and fruity with good clean tannins and plenty of life left; and a Zema Coonawarra cabernet from the same year (14%), showing strong minty Coonawarra fruit and a long way to go, if lacking in the complexity of top wines from this region.

The lunch concluded with a BunCoffee organic blend, made in Byron Bay but from beans grown in South America. It was a dark roast with mouth-filling flavour of bitter chocolate, but a bit short on the finish.

1st lunch 3 February 2015

Like pent-up headwaters, the members flooded into the 1st lunch for 2015, around 50 of them. They may have come for the occasion, but they found a great meal and cheese, and some interesting wines from Paul Ferman.

In the kitchen, James Hill produced the goods, starting with canapes actually made by long-term member James Muir putting in a welcome reappearance. Little rounds of pecorino pastry enfolded a mix of chopped mussels and clams in a tangy green tomato sauce, topped with baby octopus and herbs; whilst a mousseline of flathead and anchovies was coated in seasoned flour and served in deep fried balls. They were washed down by a variety of aperitifs, notably a 2008 Stoney Rise riesling from Tasmania with good, slightly developed fruit, a creditable fino Innocente sherry and a brace of bottles including a fresh semillon cleanskin, probably from Lindemans.

A hot climate deserves a good curry, and we got one in the form of a Goan fish curry, made on ocean trout with the usual onions, garlic and ginger, plus a heap of spices and turmeric, in a coconut gravy. Rich and spicy but not too hot, it was served with lime slices, basmati rice cakes and wilted silverbeet with ginger and garam masala, and side dishes of onion and tomato sambal, cucumber yoghurt and an intense lime pickle. Plenty of flavour and colour on the plate and a great way to start the year. An eclectic pair of wines accompanied it: a 2011 Salomon gruner veltliner from Austria, and a 2011 Cos Pithos Rosso nero d'avola from Sicily. The former was pleasant but overwhelmed by the food; the latter light but dry and herby, a better match if not the best example of this little known but growing more popular variety.

The quality extended into the cheese, a Holy Goat La Luna chevre from Victoria: a supreme version of the style with a chalky sour but creamy paste ripening into rich sticky soft paste from the surface in. Some better wines to match: a 2007 Tyrrells Vat 9 shiraz, still young but with Hunter fruit and new wood starting to integrate; and a 2007 Barwang 842 Tumbarumba chardonnay, a fine example of cool climate wine of this variety with some developed notes. A salad of James' signature thinly sliced and pickled with red onion cucumber completed the picture.

Spencer Ferrier provided not only a Devon Estate medium roast coffee from SW India, but also an Indian Chai tea which blended well with the food if not the wine. And a fine old Lindemans vintage port was on hand to celebrate a couple of birthdays, not least Paul Ferman and treasurer Mike Staniland, age in each case withheld.

Welcome back, one and all.

Last lunch 9 December 2014

It was the last lunch for 2014, and members (and a few guests) came from far and wide: 62 in all. They were treated to some great food, a mixed bag of wines and festive camaraderie.

The event kicked off with good flavoursome canapes: a terrific terrine from James Hill made on pork and chicken with plenty of larding, served with a piece of cornichon on Iggy's sourdough; and some colourful roasted red and yellow capsicum served with an intense white anchovy on the same, from Graham Fear. All were washed down by a mix of aperitif wines: 2002 Rothbury Black Label Semillon with inevitable bottle variation; a 2012  Riesling from Clare, matched with, and out pointing, a 2008 Stoney Rise Riesling from Tamar in Tasmania; and a couple of our favourite Lustau sherries, the amontillado and the manzanilla.

An entrée appeared when we sat down: a nostalgic prawn cocktail, complete with shredded iceberg lettuce and a creamy tomato and Worcestershire sauce dressing. Somehow the Wine Master, Paul Ferman, had found time to prepare it, but not to find a more compatible wine than the main course reds to accompany it.

Then came the main course from Food Master Nick Reynolds: a traditional Xmas ham and turkey, but not as you know it. The ham had been hand- smoked in hickory by Nick, and was delightfully moist and smoky; while the turkey had been cooked, of course, sous vide with buttermilk, and came to the table soft and juicy. A degree of blandness was well overcome by a tasty cranberry chutney, and the plate was completed by some duck fat-fried potatoes and a helping of green beans. With it were a 2009 Les Courtilles Cotes du Rhone, acceptable but uninspiring, and a 1999 Lindemans Hunter River sparkling red, smooth and sweet of fruit but surprisingly fresh for its age.

Once again Cheese Master Ross MacDonald intrigued and delighted with his offering. Guesses at the cheese varied from local to NZ to Europe to England, but we were still too far south, the cheddar coming from the Isle of Mull in the Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. Strong and salty, with a nicely crumbly texture, it went extremely well with the Iggy's sourdough, and with some plain roasted almonds.

As to the wines, they were a contrast in local styles: a 2011 Shiraz by Farr showed spice from a touch of viognier and a lighter savoury berry character; whist a 2002 Chapel Hill cabernet from McLaren Vale and Coonawarra was in the bigger fruitier Oz style, but with complex characters indicating its age and the quality of the vintage.

The Coffee Master, Spencer Ferrier, chose to end the year with a look back at the classic Illy pre-ground blend: plenty of flavour with a definite hit of caramel beans, but a bit flat at the end. It went down well, however, with a nicely developed "vintage character" port from the home of that style, Portugal.

And so we bade farewell to the Society for 2014, with many fond memories, and the anticipation of 2015, to sustain us through the season of good will and excess.

Mixed lunch 2 December 2014

It was the last mixed lunch, and the penultimate lunch, of the year, and it was a triumph, with a gratifying 65 members and guests on hand to enjoy the meal from Roger Straiton and Ian Witter, with the feminine influence of Annie Straiton and Chris Witter much in evidence.

We started with some inventive canapes from the Witter team: white anchovies over a tangy capsicum sauce on crostinis, and a magic mix of tart egg tomatoes, a bit of basil leaf and rich buffalo burrata (mozzarella around a mix of the same with cream) on a toothpick. They were well matched by an opening round of Salinger, a superior local sparkler, with various other bottles including a very dry Warramate rose made on malbec grapes.

Then Team Straiton came to the fore, with deboned lamb legs crusted with Moroccan spices and roasted, then carved pink and served with a tabouleh of couscous and chopped tomatoes, parsley and mint, shaped into a mini-Xmas pudding and coated with a "sauce" of yoghurt with mint. There was extra colour, and flavour, on the plate with a scattering of ruby-red pomegranate seeds, plus green in the form of baby peas and once-peeled broad beans. The colour on the plate was wonderful (and festive), but not at the cost of great flavour especially in the meat, although there were unavoidable differences in texture and doneness. The accompanying wines were from Spain and Italy: a 2008 Trapis monastrell (mourvedre/mataro) and a 2011 Allegrini valpolicella. The former was dark and intense but a bit hard and extracted; the second softer with good balance of fruit and tannins and better with the food.

We stayed overseas with the cheese, a slightly crumbly and quite salty semi-hard cheese which most placed in France or England, but which turned out to be a Cabot's cheddar from Vermont USA. A pretty good example of cheddar, matched with simple dates and walnuts, and with a 2002 Saltrams Mamre Brook shiraz from Barossa, and a 2008 Chardonnay from Den Mar in the Hunter. They were both interesting, the shiraz showing ripe fruit underlying an alcohol of 15%, but developing a slight volatility with age; the white still young but with some Hunter toast characters, more regional than varietal, and a better match for the cheese.

The coffee, supplied as usual by Forsyths through Spencer Ferrier, was a medium roast bean from Colombia, full and flavoursome, as was a Pedro Ximenes rich sherry, green/ brown and lingeringly sweet.

Wine tasting 25 November 2014

For the last wine tasting for 2014, Wine master Paul Ferman took us north with a mix of French and Italian, red and white. But first, it was back home for aperitifs, starting with a 2006 Delatite riesling from Victoria, sound and fresh but uninspiring against a 2001 Richmond Grove riesling from Watervale. There were also a few mixed bottles, including a terrific Lindemans HR Semillon which most didn't see, and the usual Lustau sherry, this time a manzanilla. All in keeping with some great seafood canapes from James Hill: Sydney rock oysters minimally treated with lemon juice and pepper, and an intriguing tartare of cubed raw ocean trout, avocado, sushi rice and grapes with salmon roe, served on porcelain spoons.

The tasting comprised 3 whites, all from France, and 3 reds, 2 Italian and 1 French. In order of presentation, the whites were: a 2010 Dom Ferde 1er cru Chablis, quite forward and slightly sweet; a 2010 Sancerre (sauvignon blanc) showing varietal grassy notes but intense flavour and acid to hold it; and a 2008 dry iesling from Alsace, still piercingly acidic with fine underlying fruit and a lingering finish. They, and the 2nd two in particular, were a better match with the food (but not the cheese) than the red group, which were in order: 2011 Cos Pippas, a lightish and slightly brambly wine from Sicily; a 2010 cabernet franc from Anjou, big nose and palate lacking complexity; and a 2009 Antonori chianti classic, big, soft tannins and the best of the 3. To accompany, an Indonesian/ Malayan style coconut chicken: organic thighs marinated overnight in ginger, lemongrass, coconut cream and a masala paste, then baked and served with jasmine rice cooked with ginger, and a cool salad of smashed cucumber with red onion, a hit of garlic and pickled ginger. Despite the Asian origins, the dish was only delicately spiced and was a good match for the wines, especially the whites.

The cheese had everyone floundering, with a semi-soft smooth texture, a light ivory colour and a strong caramel nutty taste. It was in fact a Midnight Moon goats' milk number from Holland, matured for at least 6 months and surprisingly well paired with simple ripe nectarine halves and with the tasting wines, where the reds came good.

The coffee came to us from Indonesia, organically grown Arabica beans from a commune in the Aceh region of Sumatra. Sometimes superb in quality and presentation, this particular batch showed some but not all of that quality, with a strong, slightly caramel palate followed by a persistent finish.

Lunch 18 November 2014

Nigel Burton was in the kitchen, ably assisted by son Oliver and Hilton Chapman on canapes, but Brent Savage wasn't. Advertised as an "assistant", Mr Savage's assistance turned out to be more inspirational than actual, but the large crowd of around 50 members and guests got their money's worth anyway.

Hilton produced some well-received starters: quality smoked salmon wrapped around equally smoky baba ganoush and secured with toothpicks; intriguing caramellised anchovies on the same baba ganoush, on crackers; and crunchy marinated raw skate with vegetables in a spicy Korean sauce on porcelain spoons. All well matched with a Tyrrells late bottled HVD Semillon, vintaged in 1999 but only bottled a couple of years ago. It showed some developed fruit with some sweetness, but remarkably fresh and attractive for its age. An ever-reliable Lustau manzanilla sherry also went the rounds.

The main course featured some long and lovingly cooked beef cheeks, prepared and poached in a broth of many stocks and flavours, with star anise coming through on the plate. A wonderfully unctuous onion marmalade lifted it well, although an attempt at smoked mashed potatoes was less successful, being over-worked and a bit pasty. No problems, though, with finely sliced and slightly pickled zucchini which completed the plate. Coming across all this were a couple of big McLaren Vale shiraz, a 2009 Olivers Tarango and a 2001 Burton kindly provided by the maker. The former showed plenty of fruit and flavour on both nose and palate but a bit unsubtle compared to the Burton, which had more elegance and depth on the palate, albeit a slight volatility on the finish.

The standard continued with the cheese course, featuring a red and stinky-rinded Jensen's Red from Tarago River in Gippsland Victoria. This was a washed rind cheese of the old school, with the intense colour and flavour of the rind opening to a soft sticky and nutty paste. It was beaut with a simple green salad with very little dressing but sweet fresh orange segments to provide a touch of acid, and two quite different reds: a great 2008 Vasse Felix Margaret River cabernet showing typical mint , elegance and youthful development with years ahead of it; and a 2001 Tatachilla Partners cabernet shiraz from various regions of SA, solid and straightforward but starting to show its age.

The coffee was from El Salvador in Central America, quite light in the US style but a good mouthfeel and some subdued citrus characters on the back palate to give it length.

And to conclude proceedings, all participated in the now traditional tot of birthday rum from Wal Edwards, 98 years young this year.