Here's my first post on my new Let's Eat blog. I think this could be fun ... hope it will be fun ... what if I just end up writing stuff and putting up pics and I'm the only one who ever looks at this. Oh well, that's the fun of it!
Recently moved to Sydney from Melbourne but am a born and bred Kiwi. Melbourne was a foodie's dream, the markets are so rich and lively, and generally in Melbourne you could get food from every nation around the world. It's a city designed to please every palate, stomach and budget!
Moving to Sydney means having to try and rediscover the new foodie spots. Where are the markets? Who has the freshest produce? And who has the best variety, and of course what are the prices like?
This weekend I went for the second time to the Sydney Markets to get some fresh fruit and veges. We left home around 7am which is a little late 'cos it's so busy there. This is a very different experience to going to the markets in Melbourne (my favourite is South Melbourne Market). The Sydney Markets are not a retail experience, they're there for wholesalers to buy produce for their shops. So if it's your first time heading out there, don't expect to sit in a bustling, warm cafe to sip a latte! Oh no, it's all warehouse, pallets and forklifts.
There's a reasonable selection of fish there too, so I picked up some fresh Australian banana prawns and some small calamari. Calamari was from Malaysia, but I bought it anyway as it was quite small which is what I was looking for, and they didn't have any Australian available which would be my first choice.
I found a great spice stall there too, with big buckets laden with fresh spices, and yes they are very fresh. Colours are vibrant and the smells are great. There is a good number of people shopping there so I would expect that they turn over quite a bit of stock, ensuring everything is fresh.
Brought myself some Iranian saffron, which is stronger than other varieties, and according to our good friend Ali the Persian, "the best"! Also picked up some ground tumeric, black peppercorns and sweet paprika.
Spices at Sydney Markets
Got a few other fresh items like galangal, Thai basil, chillies and garlic in anticipation of some Thai cooking during the week. But Saturday night I was making Paella!
For those who've tried to make a good paella, it can be very tricky. Finding the correct rice, and yes that is important, the tastiest saffron, and the freshest fish, all add to the equation. I've tried so many recipes over the years and most have been a disaster - and that's because they've been Anglo adaptations of this traditionally Spanish meal.
The best recipe I've found over my many years and attempts at cooking paella that comes close to what I've experienced in Spain, is from the TV show "Spain on the Road Again" with Gwyneth Paltrow. It's simply perfect, and so easy to follow. Someone's posted this up on YouTube so take a look if it's still up there.
My Paella!
So, how was the paella? Delicious of course, and we were joined by a couple of neighbours for an impromtu get together before they headed into "Dry July". Have to say there was a slight debate between myself and Mike on the Aussie vs NZ mussels - I think the small Aussie blue mussels are sweeter and tastier than the large NZ green lip.
That's blog post number one done! And we're rushing out the door now to share a meal with neighbours ... we sure do live in a great neighbourhood! Have made a almond mandarin syrup cake to take with us. Will post the recipe for this up tomorrow.
Bon Appetite!
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