Candy News: Of cravings, whale meat and my last supper

Ladies and Gentlemen, happy Friday and welcome to the first installment of Candy News – a sporadic roundup of tidbits, news and just general mumbo jumbo not fit for normal blog consumption :P

Now if you excuse me, I’m going to curl up in a fetal postition in the corner of my room because I’m officially debilitated by cravings. Feel free to satiate my yearnings. All deliveries will be paid with a good cuppa and stimulating conservation :P

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… Wonton Noodles @ Wonton House, Russell St, Melbourne

Do you like to slurp? I cerainly do and I love my soup noodles. One of my favourites is Wonton Noodles and woe of woes, it isn’t one that I indulge in often as there’s nowhere in Sydney that has gotten it right. Of course I’m prone to drama queen-esque bold claims so if you think that I’m just spouting nonsense because I haven’t tried ‘Xyz’s’ version then leave me your tips and recommendations! Preferably in Sydney of course otherwise you’re just teasing me.

The awesome soft-shelled crab

One place in Melbourne has come close and that was thanks to Laurent Garnier who’s more than happy to take me every time I’m in his fair city. The steaming bowl doesn’t stinge on the wontons, which were flavoursome. Brownie points! And the soup looks like the right colour and depth and it wasn’t too salty, too diluted, too bland and MSG-ed up. Not only that, their soft shell crab? A-ma-zing.

C’mon, Melbourne isn’t too far to drive with a bowl of Wonton Noodles on your lap, right? Pretty please?

Wonton House

181 Russell Street
Melbourne NSW 3000
(03) 9662 9882

… Luther Burgers

Forgive me for I have sinned. I have tasted the forbidden apple and now I want more. More. MORE! All thanks to the arch-temptress Chocolatesuze, the maniacal mastermind behind introducing these devil burgers to a post-Christmas gathering of gluttons. Now us food bloggers do have our limits. And we nearly reached ours today. Clutch your hearts people and unclog your arteries because wait for it…

Burger patty + fried egg + bacon + cheese + pineapple lovingly sandwiched within a Krispy Kreme glazed donut. Holy cholesterol! These were apparently named after singer Luther Vandross and I know what you’re thinking…huh? Personally I think the names of ‘dirty burger’ or ‘doburgnut’ were more appropriate. Gasp in horror all you want, the truth is, these burgers are unfreakingbelievable!

Of course, I could make these myself but I’ve banned myself from buying Krispy Kremes ever since the debauchery of 2007. Now let’s never speak of it ever again.

Oh jezuz is that a thing of beauty? Or a horror show?

Back in the early mist of 2009, Sydney food blogger A Table For Two posted about a mysterious tin of meat that he ‘smuggled’ home from Japan. A tin of Roasted Minke Whale Meat in gravy. A year later, I’m honoured that he chose to share his holy tin at the aforementioned post-Christmas gathering of gluttons. Remember food bloggers and their limits? Well this tin of mammal was beyond most of theirs. For me? I have no shame and I just had to try it for research purposes… despite my ardent anti-whaling stance and the fact that I’d never touch it again after this.

At first impressions it looked like pet food. And it smelt like those cans of cheap, gravied beef. I went in for the kill and all I could say is that it tasted, well, fishy but with the meaty texture of pork. As for the remaining blubber, it tasted like the gelatinous meat jelly that you find in tins of SPAM. Not entirely bad overall but I think a processed tin of meat and gravy perhaps wasnt the most accurate way to try whale meat. But I’ve got to be honest, if somebody put that in front of me with a bowl of steamed rice, I’d eat it and probably like it.

It’s a chocolate cheesecake. Topped with marshmallows.

And blowtorched. Oh baby!

Can this cheesecake be any more perfect? Check out the recipe from the baking queen Raspberri Cupcakes!

Midnight NYE fireworks at Nelson Bay foreshore

And finally, what was your last meal of 2009? My new year’s eve was spent on an impromptu camping trip up the North Coast of NSW around Stockton to Nelson Bay.

Stockton Beach- famous for its sand dunes, 4WD hooning, sandboarding, shipwrecks and its WWII history. It’s 32km/20 miles long!

With an obvious lack of, well, everything (we didn’t really pack much), our last supper consisted of fresh cooked tiger prawns, barbequed steak seasoned with garlic, thyme and lemon salt, grilled haloumi and a couple of bottles of bubbly, courtesy of a quick shop at Raymond Terrace.

Steak and picnic plates – tres chic!

The drama was driving for over an hour trying to find a (clean) public barbeque on a beach – a feat harder than we originally thought! Finally we found our haven in Boat Harbour where it was virtually secluded and we ate and drank on a sunset beach to the sound of lapping waves. Bliss!

Boat Harbour beach

So now that the holidays are well and truly over, normal transmission (i.e. a myriad of summer baking!) will resume shortly! In fact I can’t wait to get my butt back in the kitchen especially when I’ve just received a whole bunch of luscious summer fruits. In the meantime eat, drink, be merry and have a good weekend!

Karen xx