The weekend just gone was ridiculously busy in our house. We had my work function on Friday night, tickets to see Leonard Cohen on Saturday, and a 7 course lunch on Sunday. We didn't get to bed before midnight either night, and MacK was up at 0500 each morning. I think it would be fair to say that we were ready for bed on Sunday night.
The theme for the work dinner was Masquerade, and we were lucky enough to have it at our local pub (also one of Brisbane's best entertaining and function venues). I dropped Jane off there so she could have a drink with her work colleagues and took the car home as we needed it for swimming the next morning. I rode the motorbike back to the pub, which is only worthy of note as I was wearing a kilt at the time!
The photo above is Jane and I on our way to the ball. We are truly hopeless though - there are no photographs of us in masks. It was a great night though. We had excellent food - all cooked a la minute, which is really unique for function catering (how it SHOULD be done though…). I was even more impressed with the drinks package, which had a couple of really good beers included - Matilda Bay Fat Yak, and Stone & Wood Pacific Ale.
On our way out of the Grand Ballroom, we thought we might look in at the pub to see who was still partying. Thoughts that were short lived, after we were asked for ID at the door. Can I tell you that is the first time in my life I have ever been asked for ID. So… we went home, and felt much better for it the next day!
Jane managed to get a couple of hours in bed, and I took a hour on the Saturday prior to our bucket list tick on Saturday night. Does anyone else think that you should get a babysitter for the day after a big event too?
Jane bought me tickets to see Leonard Cohen. He was simply incredible. There wasn't a support act - but I don't know who you could possibly put with him in an case. He is 79 years old, and ran onto the stage. He cam on shortly after 8:00pm, and didn't leave until after 11:30pm having performed four encores. He epitomises "cool", but manages to maintain a level of humility and humour with it. His voice is incredible, and his band were all brilliant musicians in their own rights.
I don't know what I can write about this brilliant musician, who Lou Reed called the most important songwriter of his generation, that would do his performance justice. He performed one of his classics - Hallelujah - and all I could think was that none of the covered versions comes close to the intent or emotion of the original. Quite simply the best live performance I have ever seen. Thank you Jane - that truly is a big ticket item on the bucket list. I just hope I one day have the opportunity to see him perform again.
On Sunday we had the second of our festive season events. The first was a couple of weeks ago, when we caught up with old friends (Keren and Waz) for dinner. The highlight of the dinner for me was the slow roasted grass fed New Zealand Rib Fillet. it really took me back to that beautiful beef that I was fortunate to grow up with. We served it with a Yorkshire Pudding, for which I used Marco Pierre White's recipe - one cup each of flour, eggs and milk. So simple, but light and delicious! It was really good to catch up - and testament to how busy we have been here in Brisbane that this was the first time we have really had the time to meet (and now we are about to pack up and move on).
Lunch this Sunday was to repay the hospitality shown to us by Alex and Elisabeth (see Na Zdrowie, from October 13). I played in the kitchen, and we had a couple of courses… Joining us at the table were Raf and Susan. Half the discussion was in Polish, and everyone had a great time. We were not allowed to take anything with us to Alex and Elisabeth's, but they brought a bison grass vodka, and some home made smoked sausage. Regardless of propriety, there was no way that any of Alex's sausage was going home with them, as it is simply too good.
We served the following menu:
Fresh bread, with a chicken liver and port pate. (I haven't made pate for at least ten years, and had forgotten how good it tastes. It is definitely back on high rotation!)
Roast tomato and sheeps milk cheese tart, with balsamic vinegar glaze and rocket (This is the third time we have served this tart, and the third time we have failed to photograph it. Lucky it is one of Jane's favourites, so we will just have to keep cooking!).
Slow roasted pork belly, jellied beetoot, salsa verde and carrot and mustard jam.
We served this with a side of roast Brussels sprout leaves and potatoes.
I was too lazy (?) to make a sorbet, so we used fresh watermelon as a palate cleanser, with fresh chopped mint and pistachio dukkah.
We served Jane's favourite cheese course next - the cheese and cabernet paste napoleon, with honey roasted walnuts.
Dessert was Tiramisu, and we had "Rugelach" with tea and coffee.
Susan brought a bottle of a Barossa shiraz called 'Dracula's Blood', with tasted a whole lot better than it might have, and we pulled a bottle of Belvedere vodka from the freezer with dessert for a few well deserved toasts!
It was really nice to not be eating well into the night, and I think we will be doing more long lunches into the future. We finished this one at about 6:00pm… The company was superb, and we didn't need to think too hard about dinner!
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