Oz Music Month

I was listening to the radio today and found out November is Oz Music Month. Music Festivals start this month and go until the end of summer in February. My roommate introduced me to The Butterfly Effect and to their newest release, Worlds on Fire, from their new album, Final Conversation of Kings. They' re an alternative metal band from Brisbane, Australia with a nice range of styles, from smooth, mellow instrumentals to heavy metal. I am already a fan and hope to catch their show in Sydney!

Hahndorf

Hahndorf is the oldest surviving German Village in Australia and is a popular tourist destination.  Many of the original buildings and traditions have been retained and is only 20 minutes from Adelaide. 

There are hotels, restaurants, artisans at work and gourmet food outlets. Several wineries showcase the best of Adelaide Hills' wines a short drive from Hahndorf. 

Authentic German food is served in Hahndorf, as well as modern Australian and European cuisine. German sausage and smallgoods are also available.

Hahndorf Village

German Hofbrauhaus

Trio of Bratwurst and Pretzel

Pig Knuckle and Assorted Meats

Here are some of the quirky, unusual foods and gifts in the surrounding shops.

Aussie Pate

Self Explanatory

It's Our Problem-Free Philosophy...Hakuna Matata

Now That's Just Funny!

And My Aussie Tour Guides...aka Mates!

How To Order An Aussie Coffee 101

If you go to a coffee shop and order just a coffee they will reply...

Would you like [with an "are you serious" look on their face]...
1. Short Black...aka espresso
2. Long Black...aka black coffee
3. Latte...aka coffee with milk and little foam
4. Cappuccino...aka coffee with milk and lots of foam
5. Macchiato...aka espresso with foam
6. Flat White...aka coffee with milk and no foam

Flat White and Latte

Can you guess what these are? The first person who guesses correctly gets a free postcard from Australia!

James Squire Beer

I went to the pub with a local the other night and he introduced me to James Squire beer, one of Australia's finest! I had their Golden Ale brew and thoroughly enjoyed it! It was a rich, golden color with a light, floral taste. It would be good to drink mellowing out with your mates watching the Rugby! And that's my Australian for the day :)

Hostel 109

My first night in Adelaide, I decided to stay in and cook so I could meet other people at the hostel. I'm staying at Hostel 109 in the city center and everything is within walking distance. I walked to Coles, their grocery store here, to grab some supplies and I stumbled upon a wine store. It was a nice change of pace because it was filled with Australian wines with a super small selection of California wines.

Wine shop

Australian Riesling

Small Selection of California Wines

I love all Rieslings and they had a good selection so I bought a bottle of Henschke Peggy's Hill Riesling to drink with dinner. They didn't have any wine glasses so please don't judge. I was young but nice and I enjoyed with some people at the hostel. It was definitely a good way to meet people!

 My first dinner in Australia!

2011 Henschke Eden Valley Riesling 

And the hostel and people are fantastic. Check out my sweet accommodations...

My new kitchen

And my new living room

I know it's not impressive but it's my pantry!

31 Hours...

31 hours of travel and I finally arrived in Adelaide, Australia!!! I traveled over the International Date Line and lost a day. Apparently, October 25, 2011 just never existed for me!

I flew Cathay Pacific. It was long but the flight was not bad at all. I had plenty of movies to watch, books to read and the food was actually good!

Lunch: Fresh seasonal fruit 

Ziti pasta with Asiago cheese, asparagus, eggplant, and red bell pepper

Apple strudle on vanilla for dessert with tea or coffee

Dinner: Caesar salad and dinner roll
Pan-fried basa with parsley lemon myrtle sauce, new potatoes, green beans and carrots
Tim Tam for dessert with tea or coffee

Breakfast: Seasonal fresh fruit and fruit yogurt 
Omelette with ricotta and marinated red pepers, bacon, hash brown and creamed mushrooms
Croissant with tea or coffee

And of course, all the "white" or "red" wine you can drink. Seriously, that's how they advertised it!

Last Supper

My last night in the States and I thought I would spend it with good friends and family at Market Restaurant and Bar. The food was so good, I almost forgot to take pictures! We started the night off with Chilled Apple Cider Martinis and Spicy Dons at the bar with the bartender Brandi. The Sushi Chef, Frank, made us an off the menu sushi roll that was a great start to the evening. After tantalizing our taste buds, we entered into the main dining room where we were greeted by a chilled bottle of Pierre Morlet Champagne, compliments of my good friend Clark Jordan...Thank you Clark!

My roommates Brent and Lauren Navratil and me

We ordered our food, which apparently they completely disregarded and prepared for us a lovely four course tasting. By no means am I complaining!


For our first course, we enjoyed...

Starkrimson Pear Salad

Shaved Prosciutto di Parma, Belgian Endive, Pear-Roquefort Cheese Dressing

Maytag Blue Cheese Soufflé & Farmers' Market Asian Pears

Roasted Apple Pave, Toasted Hazelnuts, Butter Lettuce, Spiced Pear Chutney

Orange & Anise Glazed Duck Confit

Persimmon, Spaghetti Squash "Slaw", Cider Dressing, Cardamom-Orange Marmalade

For our second course, we enjoyed...

Charred Octopus & Chardonnay Braised Artichokes

Olive-Pepper Relish, Chopped Egg-Potato Salad, Preserved Lemon Dressing

Miso Glazed Black Cod & Japanese Eel Tempura

Garlic Sticky Rice, Leek-Carrot Stir Fry, Shiitake Mushrooms, Ponzu Brown Butter

Herb Roasted Rainbow Grouper

Chanterelle Mushrooms, Chili Whipped Garlic Potatoes, Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

For our third course, we all had a trio of entrees...

Entree Tasting [from right to left]

Cast Iron Roasted Domestic Wagyu Skirt Steak with Forest Mushrooms, Brussels Sprouts Roast, Béarnaise

Cabernet Braised Prime Beef Shortribs with Sweet Onion Puree, Sherry Glazed Cipollini Onions, Root Vegetable Roast

Hazelnut Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Bacon-Rapini Saute, Golden Raisin-Pear Chutney, Roasted Kabocha Squash

And finally, for our dessert course and my favorite, we savored...

Pumpkin

Pumpkin Bread Pudding Soufflé, Pecan-Oat Crisp, Brown Sugar-Bourbon Ice Cream, Raisin Puree

Apple

Spiced Sugar Beignets, Salted Caramel Milkshake, Apple Butter, Kabocha Squash

Butterscotch & Chocolate

Warm Chocolate Soufflé, Butterscotch Custard, Espresso-Bailey's Crunch Ice Cream, Pistachio Praline

I had an amazing time and thoroughly enjoyed everything! Some of my favorites would have to be the Maytag Blue Cheese Soufflé, the Miso Glazed Cod and Butterscotch and Chocolate dessert. The richness of the blue cheese soufflé was complimented perfectly by the sweetness of the persimmon/pear salad and apple pave. The Miso Glazed Cod was moist and flavorful and the eel tempura added a slight richness to an otherwise light dish. And what can I say about the Butterscotch and Chocolate dessert. Well I love dessert but generally find chocolate desserts too rich for me. However, this particular chocolate dessert was perfectly balanced. The house-made Espresso-Bailey's ice cream cleansed the palate after a bite of the rich chocolate soufflé and the butterscotch was light and creamy with the perfect amount of salt. Thank you so much to everyone for their efforts in preparing a fantastic last supper. It was much appreciated and I will miss you all!!!