Shepherd's Pie

Fresh off our quick trip to London, John and I were craving the comforting, hearty mushiness of shepherd's pie like no other.  It didn't help that our search for a good country pie in London was impossible what with pubs offering more culinary options these days.  (And it's hard to count the one we ate on the plane home, for obvious reasons.)  I made ours from a combination of recipes, both low-fat and, well, high.

Meat Mixture

• 2 sprays of canola oil
• 1 onion, chopped and softened in the skillet
• 2 carrots, peeled, sliced and softened
• 3 celery stalks, chopped and softened
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 lb. ground beef, browned in the skillet with softened vegetables
• dash worcestershire sauce (or a couple)
• 1 cup beef broth (extra boullion)
• 1 cup frozen peas added right before the oven
• salt & pepper to taste

Whipped Potatoes

• 4 large potatoes (I used 3 goldens and 1 russet)
• 1/2 cup no-fat sour cream mixed in while whipping potatoes
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan mixed in
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup low-fat mozzarella grated and sprinkled over the top of the casserole in the oven

Once the potatoes were whipped and the beef was browned, they were layered and sprinkled with cheese for 1 hour at 350º.  We ate it two nights in a row and had second helpings each time!

Bather's Pavilion

When I googled "Sydney's best brunch" a year ago, the resounding winner was Bather's Pavilion.  Not having a chance to figure out a 3-hour chunk of time when I could cab or bus all the way up to Balmoral Beach, I was resigned to knowing it was the best without actually backing it up with experience.  Until this week!  Meagen and I had 3 free hours between a late-morning meeting and afternoon reviews, so we sped up there as quickly as we could.  The landmark building was established in the late 20's to accommodate beachgoers in the fashion of the day.  It still has a charm that would be hard to find many other places in the world, a mix of old-fashioned elegance and sunny frivolity.  Layer that with a world-class chef whose restaurant also has a casual cafe and it's a pretty special place.  I ate a summery, smooth gazpacho with sliced cucumber and micro radish shoots plus a cool roasted tomato, eggplant and greenbean salad topped with baba ganoush.  I loved the roaring garlic in the eggplant spread.  It made the fresh vegetables taste that much sweeter.

Sydney's Hottest

The joke on this trip is that I'm like Stefon from SNL's Weekend Update with endless tips on Sydney's hottest spots.  It started with my over-selling of restaurants when we arrived: harborside for fireworks, Duke's to impress clients, beach brunch at Bondi, you get the idea.  With only the best intentions, I've managed to channel Stefon as club promoter, complete with excited (and awkward) hand gestures.  Below, a guide to Sydney's HOTTEST and all their unique selling points.

Duke Bistro: Sydney's hottest pancake party is Duke. Buttered radishes, test tube mushrooms and drug addict models.  

Ripples: Nibbles at ripples can’t be matched.  Say that five times fast.

Bondi Trattoria: If you’re looking for hot surfers and even hotter moms, the trat is where it’s at.

Zushi: Sydney's hottest gay sushi is Zushi.

Macchiato: Sydney’s hottest figs are at Macchiato.

Bambini: Meat butter.

Cruise Bar: Sydney’s most popular bar on Circular Quay that connects to the cruise ship terminal has red bull sangria and tank tops worn as dresses.

Toko: Sydney’s hottest scene is Toko with backless chairs, bottomless martinis and Brit cricketers.

Bather’s Pavilion: Sydney’s hottest non-alcoholic beach scene.

Toro: Disco. Ball. Sangria by the litre.  Don’t look further than Toro.  Sydney’s hottest tapas.

7-11: Sydney's hottest, sold-out lemon-lime-and-bitters slurpee.

Jimmy Liks: Sydney's hottest chili sauce.  Literally.

Zeta: If you’re in the mood for rose-infused foam, peach beer, and questionable pinot, Zeta has you covered.

Marble Bar: Sydney’s hottest (and only) bar made of marble.

Pitt Street: If you can’t get enough secondhand smoke, B.O. or 90º heat at midnight, Pitt Street pavement is where you want to be.