Here's seven dip recipes to keep those cocktail revellers sated and on their feet:
Sumac & Beetroot Dip is sourced from JenJen in Australia (Milk & Cookies). JenJen tries to ween friends onto the mature flavour of beetroot through the non-confrontational medium of the dip. In her recipe roasted beets and onions are blended with sultanas, ginger, balsamic, yoghurt and sumac, a tangy Middle Eastern spice. Photo courtesy of JenJen.
Broad Bean & Mint Mash could be a dip, a spread or a side dish and comes from Ulrike in Germany (Küchenlatein). Potato is boiled in stock until tender then mashed with softened broad beans, chopped mint and heaps of parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with olive oil and you have yourself a tasty treat. Photo courtesy of Ulrike.
Pepita, Cherry Tomato & Sage Dip comes from Mellie in Australia (Tummy Rumbles). Dry fried pepitas (pumpkin seeds) are combined with oven roasted onion, cherry tomatoes, sage and chilli before processing into a smooth dip to eat with corn chips, toasted bread or pita crisps. Photo courtesy of Mellie.
Hot Cheesy Artichoke Dip is a Thanksgiving recipe from Kalyn in the USA (Kalyn's Kitchen). Artichoke hearts are pulsed with mayonnaise, parmesan, shredded cheese, onion powder and Anaheim chillies. This is then baked until the flavours meld. Photo courtesy of Kalyn.
Muhammara is a fiery red dip from Binnur in Canada (Turkish Cookbook). Binnur roasts red peppers and blends them with walnuts, garlic, breadcrumbs, cumin and olive oil to create a dip with a pesto-like texture and a spicy kick. Photo courtesy of Binnur.
White Bean & Nut Butter Dip is simple "emergency-dip" from Clotilde in France (Chocolate & Zucchini). By using ingredients that are mostly on hand (canned white beans, peanut butter, tahini, lime juice, sundried tomatoes and chilli sauce) Clotilde has come up with an addictive, creamy treat that's great served with veggie sticks. Photo courtesy of Clotilde.
Apple & Red Onion Tzatziki is an exciting twist on regular tzatziki from Anne in Sweden (Anne's Food). Grated red apple replaces cucumber and honey and white pepper give this dip a little something extra. This is another one of my original Recipe Carousel entries that's getting another plug under an appropriate theme. Photo courtesy of Anne.
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Tag: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes recipe carousel snack snacks dip dips appetiser tzatziki muhammara broad bean white bean apple mint sage tomato pepita artichoke sumac beetroot
Pacific oysters are not native to Australian waters and were introduced from Asia. They can grow anywhere and as one of the oyster growers at the Forum said, “I could cultivate them in a bathtub”. They are very fast to mature (about 12 months) whereas Sydney Rock Oysters take at least 2½ years. Pacific oysters are prized for their size and white flesh.
Angasi oysters Ostrea angasi (above) are oysters native to southern QLD, WA and all southern States in Australia. They were an important part of the Aboriginals’ diet before Europeans arrived but were almost wiped out due to settler’s desire for the large shells to make mortar.
We were directed to go through our oyster tasting plate in specific order since the flavours of each oyster needed to be taken into context with each other. 
Control oyster (centre)
Sydney Rock – Hastings Rivers, NSW
Sydney Rock – Pambula, NSW
The oysters were matched with some of the yummiest wines I’ve tried recently. They were all very light bodied with high acidity and slight citrus tones.
The entrée consisted of still more oysters, this time Pacific oysters were coated in coarse breadcrumbs and fried. They retained their moisture and plumpness but were contrasted with the extreme crispiness of the crumbs. They were served with delicate shreds of smoked salmon and baby rocket leaves.
For our main course we indulged in farmed Hiramasa kingfish with roasted kipfler potato and parsnip and a tomato, parsley and caper salsa. The fish was cooked perfectly: the flesh flaked under a fork and had a soft bounce in the mouth. The skin had been salted well and its crispy texture contrasted well with the sweet meat. Very well done considering the kitchen was pumping out 80+ to feed all the guests at the Oyster Forum.
For dessert we were served pannacotta. I am usually very disdainful of pannacotta. It’s ubiquitous on Australian restaurant menus and it’s rarely done well. More often than not you battle between gluggy mush or hard gelatine rocks. The flavouring of a pannacotta is also a delicate balance, with many tasting very bland.
When researching my poppy seed post, I found a great little 
Poppies probably came from the Mediterranean and although their use by humans predates written history, there are images found in Sumerian objects from 4000 BCE and records show the Egyptians were crushing them for cooking oil in 1500 BCE.
Opium had become so important and influential in many societies that China and the British Empire went head to head in the mid-1800s in the 
Poppy seed is produced all over the world, with the most notable production coming from the Netherlands, Australia and Turkey. Dutch poppy seeds are considered the highest quality.
Service at Yoshii was friendly but fairly poor. Maybe it was due to the onslaught of diners taking advantage of the GFM deal?
When I first saw Beau’s 
Insolia should be served slightly chilled (i.e. not too cold) and is recommended with fish and white meats since it can cut through strong acidic accompaniments such as lemon juice and chilli.
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First to arrive was the sashimi plate which came with two slices each of salmon, tuna, kingfish and shiromi, which mysteriously translated into white fish. Silke was very impressed with the flavour and freshness of the sashimi. I found the it slightly dry (it had been prepared before we arrived) but the flavours were good and they all had excellent marbling throughout. I thought the kingfish was particularly good.
Next came my heart’s desire: gyu tataki. In Japanese, gyu means beef and tataki means beaten. At Chocolate Buddha this translated into slices of raw beef served with shichimi sauce, grated daikon and fresh ginger as well as some onions and pretty greens. Shichimi tōgarashi 七味唐辛子 means seven flavor chilli pepper and although there was a soy-like sauce splashed over the paper-thin slices of beef, it didn’t have much bite to it. Instead I relied on the spicy fresh ginger and mildly pungent white daikon radish to add an extra kick to this gyu tataki. The meat was flavoursome and met with favour at our table.
Our hot dish was unagi don, freshwater eel fillets smothered in teriyaki sauce and served on a generous bed of rice. The dish was garnished with garishly bright purple pickles that had a squeaky texture and sour-sweet flavour. The earthy flavours of the eel were matched perfectly to the sweet-sour of the teriyaki. The flesh broke away easily with a spoon and I thoroughly enjoyed this dish.
I especially like the fact that this recipe uses kefalotyri cheese. I’d never even heard of this ewe’s milk hard cheese until I read this recipe.
Last night, after Jonas made an online application for his Australian citizenship, I made a fruity, creamy cocktail to celebrate.
