Good Food Shopping Guide

Hungarian tiramisu:

Layers of roasted hazelnuts, walnuts, choc chips, pastry and light cream. Sold at Wellington Cake Shop, Bondi.

Nick Palumbo, left, and Donato Toce of Messina Gelato in Darlinghurst. Photo: Marco Del Grande

Pavlova gelato:

Possibly the best expression of the pav we have tasted: creamy, with just the right amount of sweetness from fruit and a whimsical smattering of meringue. From Gelato Messina, Darlinghurst.

Traditional Afghan bread: 

Wellington Cake Shop's tempting range. Photo: Jon Reid

Made the way they make it back home, fresh from the hand-made clay oven at the Afghan and Arab Bakery, Fairfield.

Cheeses that go beyond boring:

 Where do we start? How about goat's milk gorgonzola or Valtellina aged in a cave in Lombardy from Formaggi Ocello, Darlinghurst. Or Australian buffalo ricotta and mozzarella from Paesanella Latticini Cremeria, Haberfield. Or Greek kasseri mizithra and kefalograviera plus more kinds of feta than you ever thought possible at Earlwood Wines, Earlwood.

Organic wine:

 Michelle Gadd stocks about 140 organic, biodynamic or preservative-free wines on her website, and delivers. Check out the annual Medal Winners Pack at organicwine.com.au.

A new breakfast topping:

 Silan is a date syrup produced in Israel around the Dead Sea. It is exceptional on porridge or bircher muesli, or use it in desserts. Find it at Starks, Grandma Moses and Krinsky's in the Bondi kosher belt.

Rosetta pasta:

 Scrolls of silky pasta wrapped around ham and doused in a tomato and bechamel sauce. A freezer standby from Adamo's Pasta, Rosebery.

Pep in your step:

 Peppery rau dang or bitter mint is used by Vietnamese cooks such as chef Luke Nguyen in hot pot dishes and noodle soups. You'll find this and other medicinal herbs at Bele greengrocer in Cabramatta.

Organic pork:

 Pasture Perfect organic pork from well-treated pigs. Buy it as cuts or smallgoods or in a caramelised beetroot and smoked chilli sausage. These are good enough to seduce a vegetarian. Go to Dulwich Hill Gourmet Meats, Dulwich Hill.

Ultimate Middle Eastern sweet:

 Mafrouki is a fudgy slab of semolina topped with a tangy, cooked cream and rosewater syrup. Drool over it at Lebanese pastry palaces such as Farouk El Bahsa & Sons, Auburn; or Patisserie Arja, Lakemba.

Schwartzwalder schinken:

 Black Forest ham is a peerless German smallgood in the hands of master makers such as Bavarian Smallgoods and Butcher, Ermington; or Brot & Wurst, North Narrabeen; or Rudi's Continental Butchery, Kirrawee.

The best Spanish rice:

 It's called Bomba, it's related to a strain originally taken to Spain by the Moors and once you've cooked with it, you'll never use anything else. At Broadway Cellars, Glebe.

Ethical foie gras:

  Edouard de Souza in Spain doesn't force-feed his geese, he lets them do what comes naturally, be gluttons at migration time. Find it at Terry Wright's Gourmet Meats, Randwick.

Best bacalhau (bacalao if you're Spanish, baccala in Italian):

  Historically this was dried codfish from Newfoundland, today it's mainly from Norway and it's sold in Sydney's Little Portugal, Petersham, at of all places, the Italian-run Charlie's Deli. Best belly cuts come in at Easter and Christmas.

Fresh bam dates:

 You'll understand how desert travellers quenched their thirst when you try these juicy beauties from Iran. Go to Al Jamil in Fairfield or Aria Store in North Parramatta. Buy them in peak season.

Haggis as good as in Scotland:

  Go to Hill's Butchery at Maroubra or Scottish Fare at St Marys where it's sold from one to three kilograms.

Asafoetida:

 You'll find three forms of this strange and useful gum, hailed as an anti-flatulent, at Grahame's Place in Yagoona, a remarkable warehouse of sub-continental foods on a suburban street.

An islander feast:

 Head to Bula Food Supplies, Granville, or Fiji Market, Newtown, and gather plantains, breadfruit, okra, taro and tinned corned beef.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Chris Hazell and David Furley, Chefs' Warehouse

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For more than 30 years, Chris Hazell and David Furley have supplied kitchen hardware to the cooks of Sydney. For all that time, they've shared their love of excellence, tradition and innovation, and generously ladled out their knowledge to apprentices and stars alike. Over the years, Hazell and Furner have seen them come and seen them go. With tongue firmly in cheek, Hazell says “our fortune is based upon the comings and the goings of these restaurants.” From Gastronomia Chianti to L'Aubergade to Marque and Bird Cow fish, Chefs' Warehouse has sold them their knives and pots and pans and plates and Robot Coupes. If you want to know who's shaky or who's doing well, ask Chris or David who's paying their bills.

Joe Antico Young Achiever Award

Nikky Tsang, Gelatiamo

Guided by his father, Thomas, the young Nikky Tsang is an eager, enthusiastic exponent of the art of iced confection. He has a curious mind, a thoughtful palate and an impressive studiousness. creations. Nikki, wise beyond his years, pays attention to the two main gelato attributes, flavour and texture. When he wanted to make a coffee gelato, he made it with Illycaffe, a double shot espresso in each cone. He keeps himself fit for the business by body building. We look forward to seeing his future

Best Service

Sweet Belem, Petersham

Warm, attentive and consistently smiling, no matter who is behind the counter. John de Almeida is the reliant baker whose smiling face you'll see peeking out from the kitchen under his trademark trilby. This is where you find the pasteis de nata, the Portuguese tarts that remind you of what the fuss is all about. De Almeida makes them the way they should be made. Out front is his wife and childhood sweetheart, Lina who runs the place so graciously. They're both from the Lisbon suburb of Belem, and this little place is a tribute to their home.

Regional Hero

Totally Local, Orange

Pick up a bottle of Orange Highland Wines Rose and co-owner Ellen Howard will say: “That's actually my neighbour.” Her business partner, Jewels Farrell, will pipe up: ”My husband David and I helped plant the grapes.” The other partner is Graham Smith. Sticking within a 100-mile radius this 'every day farmers' market' is housed in a big shed just out of town. They stock a wide range of local produce, from the best selling goat meat to fruit and veg including stone fruits in season. Regular wine and produce tastings and online shopping soon to come.

Champion Retailer

Fourth Village, Mosman

Peter Quattroville, who owns Fourth Village, was an early adopter of the Food Store trend with his Four Olives Deli in Manly that he ran for three years from 2000. He installed a cheese room, prepared food and bottled his own olive oils. Then he sold Four Olives and went on a travel spree for five years, walking the streets of New York and admiring stores such as Dean & DeLuca and Balducci's. His retirement was cut short by his oldest son, John, who convinced his dad to take on a massive, run-down art deco building and transform it into a market, grocery, deli, kitchen and restaurant. Like their food store compatriots, the Quattrovilles honour honest produce. "We have a farm and we understand what it is like to bring food to the table," says Peter, whose last name translates to that of the enterprise.

Best Retail Experience

Victor Churchill, Woollahra

Where else will you find tourists ogling a shop? A butcher shop already. A butcher shop with a concierge and a display window more like a jewellery store. Victor Puharich and his son Anthony have joined forces to give Sydney a butcher shop like no other in what was one of Sydney's oldest butcher shops, Churchill's. Victor trained as a butcher in Croatia and Anthony brings along the business knowhow with a degree in finance and commerce. Together, they've created a butcher shop like no other, the first in Sydney with a French chef and a chef's table.

Other awards:

Best Asian

Taste, Cabramatta

Best Bread

Central Baking Depot, city

Best Butchers and Poulterers

Victor Churchill, Woollahra

Best Cakes, Biscuits and Pastries

Adriano Zumbo, Balmain

Best Cheese

Balmain Gourmet Grocer, Balmain

Best Chocolate

Boon Chocolates, Darlinghurst

Best Coffee

Allpress, Rosebery

Best Deli

Lina's Deli, Bankstown

Best Fish

Fine Fish, Neutral Bay

Best Food Stores

Forestway Fresh, Terrey Hills

Best Greengrocers

Galluzzo's, Glebe

Best Ice Cream & Gelato

Gelato Messina, Darlinghurst

Best Markets

Northside Produce Market, North Sydney

Best Organic

Summer Hill Organic Fruit Market, Summer Hill

Best Pasta

Pasta Emilia

Best Smallgoods

Brot & Wurst

Best Tea

Pine Tea & Coffee

Best Takeaway

Victor Churchill, Woollahra

Best Wine

Australian Wine Centre

MARGARET FULTON'S ESSENTIAL RECIPES

Margaret Fulton nominates essential recipes for a quick feed, family feast, popular choice, light alternative and celebration.

Omelet

Many a good cook's reputation has been built on the ability to make an omelet. The perfect omelet must be beaten quickly, cooked in seconds and served immediately. Some claim the traditional French version of 2-3 eggs should be beaten, cooked and served in 90 seconds. It can be done if the stage is set: eggs broken in the bowl, the filling, if any, heated and at hand and the fortunate omelet eater already seated.

Basic omelet

Anyone who can make the basic omelet and discovers the other great versions will always be able to serve a delicious meal at a moment's notice.

3 eggs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1-2 tsp butter
Extra butter

Beat the eggs with a fork only enough to blend the yolks and whites thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Melt the butter in an omelet pan over a moderate heat. As the butter melts and foams, tilt the pan to film the base and sides. When the foam has almost subsided and the butter starts to colour, pour in the eggs. With a fork, pull the edges of the egg mass towards the centre as it thickens. The liquid part will run into vacant spaces. Repeat until there is no more liquid but the eggs are still very soft. Lift the handle of the pan so the omelet rolls over on to the warmed plate. Smear the top with a little extra butter to give it that professional sheen and serve immediately.

Variations

Lightly mix one of the following into the beaten eggs.

Cheese Sprinkle in 1/3 cup shredded cheese.
Parsley Mix in lightly 1 tablespoon chopped parsley.
Herbs Add 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, thyme, basil, tarragon, chives, parsley or dill, in any combination.
Ham Add less salt to the eggs and mix in 2 tablespoons diced ham.

French roast chicken dinner

When I was a girl, a roast chicken dinner was a rare treat, enjoyed by our family only once a month. Now we cook chicken in a variety of ways, several times a week, but sometimes I still want roast chicken the way it was — firm to the bite and tasting so good on its own that you hardly need to do anything but roast it with a little sea salt, pepper and butter or olive oil. I also prefer to have chicken less often and pay a bit extra for a quality organic bird — one that has scratched around and pecked the ground and had some sort of life.

This kind of chicken dinner is worth travelling miles for, especially on a Sunday. The French roasting method is to add stock to the baking dish and baste the chicken during the cooking. The chicken may appear pale but miraculously the skin turns a lovely golden brown towards the end and the flesh stays beautifully moist. The potatoes taste good, too, having taken in some of the flavour of the chicken.

1 size 15-18 (1.5kg-1.8kg) free-range chicken

60g butter or ¼ cup olive oil

Salt and ground black pepper

A few tarragon or flat-leaf parsley stalks

3 strips orange rind

1 ½ cups chicken stock

500g baby new or 4 large desiree potatoes, peeled and quartered

½ cup white wine

Preheat oven to 200C. Wipe the cavity of the chicken with a paper towel. Place a little butter or oil plus salt, pepper, tarragon or parsley stalks and orange rind inside the cavity.

Truss the chicken (tie with string) and rub all over with the remaining butter or oil. Place the chicken on its side in a baking tray with some stock, preferably on a roasting rack. Add the potatoes to the tray and roast for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken on to the other side, baste with stock and turn the potatoes.

Reduce the oven to 190C and continue to cook for another 50 minutes, turning and basting every 15 minutes and adding more stock (or a little water) when necessary. There should be just enough stock to keep the juices in the pan from scorching. Towards the end, add the wine and turn the chicken on its back for the last 15 minutes to brown the breast. Turn the potatoes from time to time.

To test if it is cooked, run a skewer into the thigh joint. The juice should be clear. Remove the chicken from the dish and discard string. Keep in a warm place.

Serves 4-6

Crispy potatoes with roasted capsicum

There is something irresistible about the smell of fried potatoes. This dish not only looks and tastes great but has the added bonus of being good for you.

2 red capsicums

750g small red potatoes, such as desiree

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup black olives, pitted

Leaves from a few sprigs of rosemary

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the capsicums on an oiled baking tray and grill under a high heat until blistered and blackened, turning frequently. Cool in a paper bag, then scrape off the blackened skin and rinse. Cut into thick strips and set aside. Peel the potatoes and cut lengthwise into quarters. Rinse and dry thoroughly with paper towels.

In a large heavy-based frying pan, heat the oil over a medium-high heat until hot. Add the potatoes in a single layer. Reduce the heat to medium and brown the potatoes thoroughly on one side before turning. Fry the potatoes for about 15 minutes, until they are golden brown, crisp on all sides and tender when pierced with a fork. Add the capsicum strips, olives and rosemary to the pan and cook for a few minutes until heated through. Transfer to a warm serving bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 4

Nicolse salad

I first came across this salad in 1955 when I was invited to lunch by my boss's French wife. We had lunch in her pretty sunroom and the first course was a simple and delicious nicoise salad. Later I spent a few weeks in Provence and ate nicoise salad almost daily. I never tired of it; each day it was slightly different, depending on what the cook had on hand. Like all good salads, it is hard to ruin and usually delicious whatever the combination of ingredients, as long as they are fresh.

From its humble beginnings in the family kitchens of Nice, nicoise salad is now found on restaurant menus in every village in Provence and many around the world.

500g tuna steaks or 2 x 200g cans tuna in oil

Light olive oil

Lemony herbs such as lemon thyme, lemon balm and citrus leaves

500g new potatoes, scrubbed

4 large eggs, at room temperature

500g green beans, topped and tailed

1 cos lettuce or bunch of English spinach, washed and dried

3 tomatoes, each cut into eighths

½ cup black olives (preferably kalamata)

Chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Vinaigrette dressing

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tbsp chopped herbs such as flat-leaf parsley, chives or oregano

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tsp tarragon vinegar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil

Place the tuna steaks (if using) in a snugly fitting ovenproof pan. Cover with light olive oil and add a few lemony herbs. Cover with foil and bake in a 150C oven for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the oil.

Put the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with boiling water. Add a little salt and bring to the boil. Cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender, then drain. Lower the eggs carefully into warm water and bring the water slowly to the boil, stirring all the time so as to centre the yolks. Once the water is simmering, cook for five minutes. Drain, lightly crack the shells and leave to cool completely in cold water. Drop the prepared beans into a little boiling salted water and cook until tender, yet crisp. Drain immediately, refresh under cold water, drain again. Remove the tuna from the oil. Cut into large chunks. Arrange the lettuce on the base of a platter. Slice the potatoes thickly and arrange on top of the leaves. Arrange the beans, tomatoes, olives and quartered shelled eggs, and top with slices of tuna. Garnish with parsley.

For the dressing, mix together the mustard, salt, pepper, garlic, herbs, vinegars and lemon juice. Beat in the olive oil slowly to ensure the dressing remains thick and amalgamated. Beat again before using. Drizzle over the salad.

Serves 6

Sour cream chocolate cake

If I had to choose only one chocolate cake recipe to carry me through life, this would have to be it. It is just as a chocolate cake should be — not the fudgy, flourless kind that everyone loves for dessert but the perfect cake to slice into wedges for afternoon teas and picnics. The sour cream is the secret to its lightness. The cake cuts easily, yet is rich and beautifully moist. You can keep it plain or add a coating of buttery almonds.

The recipe makes one very large cake or two smaller cakes: one to eat and one to freeze for another time or give to a friend.

4 tbsp flaked almonds

1 cup boiling water

125g dark chocolate, chopped

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

250g unsalted butter

1 ½ cups castor sugar

3 large eggs, separated

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 ½ cups plain flour

A pinch of salt

1 tsp baking powder

2/3 cup light sour cream

Preheat the oven to 180C. Generously butter a three-litre fluted bundt tin or two 20-centimetre ring tins. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds (this step is optional), pressing them well into the butter to coat the base and sides of the tin. Put the boiling water, chocolate and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Leave to cool. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the vanilla essence, adding it to the chocolate mixture a little at a time. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder and fold in alternately with the sour cream, mixing lightly until just combined. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the mixture with a large metal spoon. Turn gently into the prepared tin(s) and bake for 1 hour-1 ¼ hours for a large cake, 45 minutes for smaller cakes, or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Leave for a minute, then turn out and cool on a wire rack.

Serves 16-20