Say Cheese!

I love cheese. My better half loves it even more. So what better way to celebrate his birthday (commiserate his aging) than to bake him a cheesecake. There is only one tiny insignificant problem - I can't bake. Not to save my life nor the lives of others. In fact, the few who have had the misfortune to taste my baking were probably contemplating my untimely demise.

Sure the odd packet mix has successfully transformed into something that vaguely resembles the picture (though taste cannot be guaranteed), mostly it likened to swallowing sand or chewing rocks. 

But I am determined to bake this cheesecake. And no memory of baking disasters will stand in my way.

First, finding a good recipe. I searched high and low and settled on this one. I won't reproduce it here since it is much more nicely set out on their website (note they did not pay me to put it here, I wish!)

How to make the perfect cheesecake

I am a perfectionist, so the recipe had me at the title. But what I like about it, is the explanation of how each component fits together, the common pitfalls, and the little things we worry about that doesn't really make a difference to the final product. The encouraging comments from non-bakers and first-time bakers also made me think that maybe this recipe is so fool-proof that even I can do it.

Finished product

To cut a long story short - I did it! I made a cheesecake (see below) and no teeth were broken in the process of eating it. In fact it tasted amazing.

Tips and Notes

1. One note I'd like to add (which may seem obvious) is that start making this early. I started at 8pm and when it was all cooled and ready to put into the fridge, it was about 2am. Since the crucial part to a smooth and uncracked cheesecake is slow cooking and slow cooling, the turn around time I found was around 4-5 hours until you finally put it in the fridge. This means if you're making for a dinner party, either do it the night before or the latest would be in the morning, since it needs at least 4 hours in the fridge after it has cooled to room temperature to really get it to that consistency of a cheesecake.
2. For my own taste, next time I would probably add a little more sour cream and lemon juice and a little less sugar
3. I used half Neufchatel and half Philadelphia cream cheese. More Philly will make it denser and more Neufchatel will make it lighter and fluffier 

Famous last words

If I can bake a cheesecake, so can you! Feel free to share your baking tips, adventures or disasters below!

Duck Duck Rabbit at Oscar W

The first thing that impressed me about Oscar W is how understated it was. I was told that it is the creme de la creme as far as restaurants are concerned and even Melbournites can't resist its charms and come to Echuca especially to savour its culinary delights.

As I bush-bashed down the Historical Port area however, I almost missed it. Walking through the tiny entrance, it felt as if I was transported to a different world, where the best view of the river surrounds an immense dining hall. High ceilings, dim lighting, walls filled with fine wine -  everything about the place boasts of class and taste. But the rustic Murray and the burnt gum leaves along the river bank makes it feel much more down to earth and accessible. It makes you feel special without being intimidating.

Dining alone, I was shown to a corner table by the window, with perfect view of the river and secluded from the rest of the dining crowd. The music is contemporary but not overpowering and the waiters are courteous and helpful. The special today is a 45 day aged angus beef steak. Mmmm sounds tempting, but since I had studied the menu in depth before I arrived, I had my eye on the double roasted duck. But first a drink! The mojito hit all the right notes especially generous with the amount of rum. But a little it sweeter would have been perfect!

The entree is certainly interesting. Rabbit rillettes, which is a first for me. It is rabbit meat, heavily salted and slow cooked in fat until tender to give a very soft consistency. It is eaten like a pate spread over crunchy bread. I have to admit, the bread was bordering on teeth-breaking, but the rillettes was surprisingly good, especially served with pickled onions.

Now for the main. Drumroll... twice cooked duck. I am a lover of duck, I can eat it plain boiled if I had to. Even if it is cooked very badly, I still love it. So I can't really go wrong here, but for me, cooking duck poorly just makes me sad. It is just simply such a waste! I am happy to report that from the word go, my heart sang. Golden brown to the eye, crispy to cut and the meat just melts on the tongue. The caramelised sauce and the side accompanied it perfectly. As you can see, a well-cooked duck makes me a happy little vegemite.

Half way through devouring the duck, I was happy to discover that my mentor is sitting at the next table, she generously invited me to join her guests. I am happy to report also that the 45 day aged angus is cooked to perfection also. It is accompanied by a whole-baked tomato, whose skin is so crispy and light that one the guests peeled and ate all the skin.

If you're a wine lover, then Oscar W's has another treat for you - their phenomenal wine list. Or should I say wine compendium. It contains at least 20 pages of all types of wine, liquer and spirits and of course cocktails.

Whomever Oscar W is or was, he has created something special in Echuca. It successfully combines the rustic charm of this historical port town and the quality and attention to detail of fine modern Australian dining. This is definitely something for a special occasion, and though the price is by no means cheap, you definitely leave with the satisfaction that it is money well spent.

Laksa in Echuca

As a general rule I seldom eat Chinese food when I go out, despite being Chinese. Sounds peverse, but it seems that it's the case for many people with an ethnic heritage. The food is usually anglicised, over-priced and you're often left with the feeling that you could have done better. The only exception is when my parents take me out to dinner. They are a couple of very dedicated taste detectives. Any Chinese restaurant they approve of is usually authentic and value for money and I conveniently leave the scouting work to them.

So what possessed me to try a Chinese restaurant in Echuca, a Victorian town on the Murray where I have only seen one other Chinese person? Well you can blame my friend Lindee. I'm doing this for her.

As I walked in to order my takeaway laksa, I realised that this is where they keep the Chinese people. Granted a laksa isn't technically Chinese, but I'm in Echuca I was not going to argue with anyone. I carefully walked home with my bowl of soup egg and spoon race style as I couldn't wait to try it.

Lid off, the soup looked thick and full of coconut, as a whiff of the familiar laksa smell filled the air. Thank god, I thought to myself, I'm not going to go hungry tonight. I'd like to tell you that as I put the noodles in my mouth, my taste buds had a moment of zen and that when the soup hit my throat, the world was at peace. But all was not to be. In reality, the soup was thin, the noodles strangely sour, and just generally lacking in seasoning. It tastes a carefully diluted laksa in a factor of about 1:100. Alas, looking the part just isn't enough when it comes to food.

Lucky I can eat anything when I'm hungry.

Totally Addicted

After an interminable amount of time spent searching for a url that is not already taken, my much anticipated project (mainly or rather only by me) has finally taken off. There should be a rule about abandoned blogs - use it or lose it. Ah, but I am being cruel. Though who would have thought that a blog named "food for thought" is about PCI staffing solutions...

So food, unapologetic, unassuming, totally glorious food. The love of food is a life long obsession, and deserves nothing less than a thorough meditation. This is food according to me. I'm no food critic (fortunately). And I am also no cook (unfortunately). I hope that the former will stay the same throughout these meditations and I hope for my and my partner's sake that the later won't stay the same. There will be musings about food and un-musings about food. Like a real love story, there will be battles, there will be tears, but in the end, there will be food... and love... and a lesson to be learned (for those who like learning lessons).

So without further ado, without further procrastination, without further endless editting of this single post, let us begin, bon appetit, itadakimasu, let's eat!

In the beginning was food.