shopping extravaganza

Jonas and I are still on holidays after our nuptials and we’re spending it doing what we love best – resting, cooking and eating.

Last night we visited one of Australia’s top restaurants, Rockpool, and I had the best (and most expensive) meal of my life. Yes, it was that good and I promise to divulge the photos and menu soon.

But we’ve also been shopping and now I have a cornucopia of treasures in my larder to sate my curiosity for months to come.

We visited Herbie’s Spice Shop in Rozelle and picked up some interesting treats:
- Pink peppercorns
- Barberries
- Panch phora
- Cassia
- Rose petals
- Long pepper
- Nigella seeds
- Mulled wine spices

We also bought jars of:
- Pomegranate molasses
- Fava beans
- Black truffle salsa
- Ajvar (hot pepper relish from the Balkans)
- Onion stifado (red wine and tomato stew)

Then today we visited Chinatown to purchase some Asian goodies:
- Tofu puffs
- Nori rice seasoning
- Coloured tapioca pearls
- Gochujang paste (Korean chilli paste)
- Sriracha chilli sauce
- Shredded dried squid
- Macapuno strings (mutant coconut flesh)
- Mung bean drink
- Sour sop juice
- Potato starch noodles
- Dashi kombu (seaweed for stock)
- Chinese black vinegar
- White pearl barley
- Coconut juice
- Tomato flavoured chips
- Kimchi (pickled chilli cabbage)
- Wasabi peas
- Bawang goreng (fried shallots)
- Bamboo shoots in chilli oil
- Dried waxberries (also known as snowberries or coralberries)
- Kaffir limes
- Persimmon vinegar drink

Jonas also bought vegetarian sweet and sour pork, fish balls and mock duck! Now that's going to be interesting to taste.

We have so many new ingredients and a lot of potential dishes we could make. At this stage I’m thinking:
* Korean kimchi & tuna stew
* Salt & pepper tofu
* Panch phora baked potatoes
* Cambodian lemongrass soup
* Stir fried pak choy & bamboo shoots w chilli & garlic
* Macedonian kjebapchinja (grilled sausages)
* Green mango & dried squid salad
* Persian jewel rice

. . . but I’m sure I’ll be further inspired with all this loot.

Watch this space!