Ingredients

220 g block of good quality dark chocolate, chopped to make easier to melt

125 g unsalted butter

225 g or a firmly pack cup of brown sugar

100 g of whole hazelnuts (ground with mortar and pestle or rolling pin)

5 eggs, separated yolks from whites

1 tablespoon sifted cocoa powder

CINNAMON CREAM

250 mL (1 cup) of thick or double cream

1 tablespoon of sifted icing sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and grease and line the base and sides of a 20 cm (8 inch) springform tin.

Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the base of the bowl is not touching the water). Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter have melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Add the sugar and ground hazelnuts to the melted chocolate and stir until there are no lumps. Add the egg yolks one at a time, stirring well after each addition. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until firm peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until firm. Leave to cool completely in the tin before removing the side of the tin. Dust the top with cocoa powder.

To make the cinnamon cream, whip the cream, then mix in the icing sugar and cinnamon until well combined. Serve with the cake.

 As the entree, they will be offering Willowbrae goats cheese tortellini with pickled beetroot & honey pecans and for the main a delicious roasted mendooran lamb rack with garlic button mushrooms & baby peas. Using all ingredients sourced direct locally from the farmers. To find out more and make a booking, click here…Week Of Tastes
Courtney’s Brasserie are partcipating in the Sydney International Food Festival throughout October 15 - 25th to help celebrate the development by the French 20 years ago when it was recognised that children were losing touch with how food should taste. Now adopted by Countries Worldwide, tens of thousands of taste lessons and events are held to educate children about taste and where food comes from and how it is made.

Bring your children in to Courtney’s for an early dinner starting at 6pm. You will be able to dine alone as your kids are across the foyer learning about what goes into there meal and where the ingredients come from.
There will be an ice cream making demonstration and tasting. They will then return to finish there experience with you with some activities.To find out more and make a booking, click here…

Ingredients

6 to 8 pieces of osso bucco veal shank

Plain flour (gluten free if required)

3 onions roughly chopped

2 celery stalks diced

4 baby carrots roughly chopped

2 tins of 400g chopped tomatoes

5 garlic cloves

Salt and pepper

Dry white wine

Method

Dust 6 to 8 pieces of osso bucco (veal shank from the hind leg, cut across the bone, each piece about 4cm thick) with plain flour, heat some olive oil in a skillet and brown the meat lightly.

In a pot large enough to hold all the osso buco, saute 3 chopped onions in a little olive oil until they become transparent (not coloured) with celery and carrots. Arrange the osso buco on top of the vegetables, season with a little with salt and pepper, add tomatoes and dry white wine to cover the meat. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 90 minutes.

After that time, add half a cup of chopped parsley and 5 minced garlic cloves, and simmer for another 30 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and serve arborio (risotto) rice.

It is obvious the cornerstone of the Tyrrell’s portfolio is Semillon, in turn that of the Hunter Valley as a whole. Tyrrell’s development of the range of Single Vineyard Semillons, some from very old plantings, has added a layer of character and choice unmatched by the other makers in the region. To back this up is Vat 1 Semillon, which has won more trophies and gold medals than any other Australian white wine.

There has been a similar enriching of the shiraz portfolio: the Single Vineyard Old Patch 1867 comes from the celebrated Stevens Vineyard; the Winemaker’s Selection 4 Acres from the block on the right hand side of the road as you drive up to the winery planted in 1879, the original planting was so close spaced that in 1964 every second row was removed to allow tractors on to the vineyard.

Then, there is Vat 47 Chardonnay, the first quality chardonnay to be made in the 20th century, for long the pacesetter. The development of cool climate regions, notably Margaret River and the Yarra Valley, and the arrival of the new Dijon clones from France, has meant the overall quality of Australian chardonnay has risen dramatically since 1971, the birth year of Vat 47. Not withstanding this, Vat 47 still holds its head high, as does Tyrrell’s Belford Single Vineyard Chardonnay.

Single vineyards and old vines are not enough, of course. The potential has to be realised in the winery, and this is achieved with seeming ease by the winemaking team headed by Andrew Spinaze. Here the credo is let the wines speak for themselves without interference or embroidery. Next is the exceptional quality of the high volume Old Winery range.

Finally, there is the undoubted truth of Bruce Tyrrell’s belief that, in his words: “We are entering a golden age for Semillon.” Good Semillon will cruise through its fifth, tenth, twentieth, even fiftieth birthdays, changing as it does, gaining character and complexity, albeit losing primary fruit flavours and freshness. You can pick your moment to drink the wine, knowing there will be no nasty surprises waiting for you.

Serving size: Serves 4

Cooking time: 2 hours

Ingredients

16 scallops cleaned and in their shells, sea salt, freshly ground pepper, 1 teaspoon of finely grated lime zest, 60mL (1/4 cup) lime juice, 2 chopped garlic cloves, 2 red chopped deseeded chillies, 1 tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, whole coriander leaves.

Method

Remove the scallops from their shells and leave the shells to one side.

Mix together the lime zest, juice, garlic, chilli, chopped coriander and the olive oil in a non metallic bowl and season with salt and pepper. Place the scallops in the mixture and stir to coat.

Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to allow the acid from the lime juice to “cold cook” the scallop meat which will turn white.

To serve, place each scallop back into a half shell and spoon some of the lime dressing over each of the scallops and top with a whole coriander leaf.

The Hunter Region Tourism Awards recognise and encourage tourism businesses that aspire for excellence in all areas of their work. Winning an award is the industry’s highest accolade and the recipients represent the best in the region.

The Vintry, located at Pokolbin, in the heart of Hunter Valley Wine Country, was the winner of the Deluxe Accommodation category.

The Vintry offers boutique, luxury, self contained accommodation for up to 8 people in the heart of Australia’s Hunter Valley Wine Country. A unique location, secluded and private, set in the foot slopes of the magnificent Broken Back Range.  

Wine; from vineyard to glass and sharing that experience with friends. The Vintry experience; an encounter of relaxation, food and wine created to meet or exceed the needs of our guests.  

www.thevintry.com.au

Also featuring a modern cafe ideal for a quick break from the wine tasting romp or casual dining bite. The cafe is also perfect for corporate functions, product launches and casual group gatherings.

Muse is well complemented by a collection of prestige Australian wines, further enhanced by a Reserve Wine list featuring some of the finest vintage wines in the world.

Muse Café is open 7 days 10am-5pm and Muse Restaurant us open Wednesday to Saturday  6pm-10pm

Muse Restaurant and Cafe
1 Broke Road Pokolbin 2320
p:02 4998 6777 f:02 4998 6775

Hass
The Hass variety accounts for approximately 65% of Australian production, with peak supply from June to October. The Hass has a rich and nutty flavour and turns a rich purple shade when ripe and ready to eat. It has a characteristic pebbly skin and is more oval in shape than other varieties.

Shepard
The Shepard variety has smooth, green skin, golden buttery flesh, a delicious nutty taste, and is the only variety that doesn’t go brown when cut. The Shepard’s season extends from February to April. Shepards are grown on the Atherton Tablelands in far north Queensland and in the Bundaberg region. Unlike other varieties they don’t change colour when ripe and remain green.

Sharwil
The Sharwil, also a greenskin variety, is smaller and more pear shaped than other Australian avocados. It comes into season at the end of April through until August. The Sharwil is often marketed as a ‘gourmet’ avocado due to the rich, nutty flavour it boasts.

At age 15, Matt finished school to initiate a career as a chef. He commenced his apprenticeship at La Belle Helene Restaurant, Roseville, on Sydney’s North Shore and it was here that Matt discovered and practiced the art of classical French cooking.

In 1991 Matt and business partner Peter Sullivan, launched their first restaurant - The successful partnership led them to open their second restaurant Morans Restaurant and Café in 1995 which was also well received on the food scene. Moran’s was awarded best new restaurant in the 1995 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide

December 1999 saw Matt Moran and business partner Peter Sullivan open the doors to ARIA Restaurant. Located in one of the most enviable positions in Sydney at No. 1 Macquarie Street, East Circular Quay, ARIA overlooks the Sydney Opera House and Sydney’s spectacular harbour.

At ARIA, Matt believes that seasonality is an important basis for menu production and one of the most significant ingredients in achieving a flavoursome, balanced and premium quality menu. As such, ARIA’s contemporary menu is inspired by his passion for sourcing the finest seasonal produce available. Vogue Entertaining has described Matt Moran’s food at ARIA as “a revelation.”

Distinguished wine writer James Halliday has called the wine list ‘the best in Australia’ and the Sydney Morning Herald has said of the restaurant’s unmatched location: “If you were any closer to the Opera House, you’d be in the audience.”

ARIA has been awarded two coveted Chef’s Hats by The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Since 2003 Matt Moran has been a member of the International Culinary Panel for Singapore Airlines. He has represented Australia internationally promoting food and wine in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. In May 2003, he was invited to New York to appear at the esteemed New York culinary institution James Beard House.

Since its inception in 2005 Matt has been part of the judging panel for the coveted Vogue Entertaining & Travel Produce Awards.In 2005, ARIA Restaurant and Matt featured prominently in Heat in the Kitchen, an insightful documentary looking at the lives of three Sydney chefs and their restaurants. The documentary followed the restaurants for a year coinciding with results from the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Awards. The show aired on SBS in Australia and is still broadcast internationally.