LACE

LACE

Elegant. Sexy. What more do you need? Very simple designs can be completely transformed by lace. The textures can vary greatly, and can add dimension to monochrome designs

Pallet Tables

RESPONSIBLE DESIGN

Designers have a responsibility to create practical living spaces that utilize materials that otherwise would go to waste. Pallet tables and seating areas pictured below are just a few clever ways to recycle "one man's trash" and transform it into a stylish and functional space.

TREASURE

Simply stacking 2 pallets as a coffee table. It matches well with the natural wood floor to create a neutral palate of colors to work with in the room.

2 Pallets joined by 4x4s on the corners. Stain to desired color, add wheels. Portable outdoor furniture. Affordable, Easy, and Useful!

Another simple stacked Pallet design coffee table, great for storage (shelf)

With a heavy canvas or waterproof fabric, this could be a great outdoor furniture piece

Vue du Monde, Melbourne, Australia

"Shannon Bennett’s established fine dining, recently reinvigorated in the move to Level 55 of Melbourne’s iconic Rialto. Vue de monde is testament to the belief that restaurant dining can be a wondrous, unforgettable experience and pays homage to classical fine dining in a sophisticated, modern context" ~vuedemonde.com

I had the immense pleasure of going to lunch at the amazing Vue du Monde Restaurant in Melbourne, Australia. The 10 course meal, including wine pairings, a cheese course, and several desserts and petit fours was a once in a lifetime experience. Each course awakened the senses and pleasured the palate. 

Inspired by master chefs such as Carême, Dugléré and Escoffier, Shannon Bennett’s cuisine respects classic techniques and ingredients while reflecting his own innovative style at his Melbourne, Australia restaurant, Vue de monde. His culinary journey began at age 15 with an apprenticeship at the Hyatt in Melbourne under Roger Leinhard, and continued in Europe in the kitchens of Albert Roux, John Burton Race and Marco Pierre White.

In 2000, Bennett opened his first Vue de monde in Carlton, and a few years later opened the current location in Melbourne, where he translates his background in classic French cuisine to an Australian setting. Vue de monde was awarded “Restaurant of the Year” by Australian Gourmet Traveller for 2006 and again in 2007—the first time in the award’s history that it was won by the same restaurant in consecutive years. 

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 First Course- Presented on a pink himalayan salt block, then rolled 

Second Course-Smoked Trout with white chocolate and caviar, roasted sunflower seeds wrapped in a pastry with almonds, and lemon gel entree

Albino Strawberries with blue swimmer crab, sage, crumbled meringue

Elegant table settings changed with each course. Fine ornamental silver set on natural elements like beach driftwood and river rocks. The tables were upholstered with kangaroo leather.

Palate Cleansing sorbet

Sorbet rolled in pestled edible flowers and herbs that were frozen and made brittle with liquid nitrogen

Wagyu 3 ways, grade 9

Cheese Course

Deconstructed lemon curd tarte

Chocolate souffle with 1982 Sherry

Hendricks Gin Gels, toasted mint marshmallows, and petit fours

The View from the deck just outside of the bar

Zucchini & Feta Tart

One of the many amazing recipes from Australia's Gourmet Traveller Magazine website. I was looking for a recipe to use up the last harvest of zucchini and tomatoes from the garden, and what a better way to celebrate the beginning of fall than with this tasty and healthy tart. The colors are amazing and will make your palate happy!

Zucchini and feta tart with roasted cherry tomatoes

Serves 6

250 gm	butter puff pastry (see note)
3	zucchini, thinly sliced on a mandolin
200 gm	Bulgarian sheep feta, coarsely crumbled
¼ cup	coarsely chopped dill
1	lemon, finely grated rind only
1 clove	garlic, crushed
300 gm	truss cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp	extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp	red wine vinegar

1	Preheat oven to 200C. Roll out pastry on a floured surface to 5mm thick and use to line a lightly greased 11.5cm x 34cm loose-bottomed, fluted tart tin, folding in any excess pastry. Line pastry-lined tin with baking paper, weight down with pastry weights or rice and bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove paper and weights and bake for 5 minutes or until golden.
2	Combine zucchini, feta, dill, lemon rind and garlic in a bowl and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spoon into prepared pastry case and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
3	Meanwhile, place tomatoes on a separate oven tray, drizzle with olive oil, red wine vinegar and season to taste. Place in oven with tart and cook for 10 minutes or until tomatoes just split, then remove and keep warm. Stand tart for at least 10 minutes before cutting. Serve tart warm or at room temperature with roasted cherry tomatoes.

RECIPE GOURMET FOOD TEAM PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS COURT STYLING EMMA KNOWLES

Kitchen Confidential

When you read this, you hear his voice. Everything about each page, each chapter, just oozes Anthony Bourdain. He has had an amazing life and career. You can smell his cigarettes, feel the grime under his fingernails, and appreciate what that entree has been through before it hits your table. I can't wait to begin on his "Nasty Bits" these books were the best birthday gift I could have received! I leave you with my favorite quote of the entire book...

"My business model was, 'I don't give a shit' and Im trying very hard to keep that as my operating business model"
-Anthony Bourdain

Improve your Palate

Ever wonder how & why you develop tastes for things you once hated? Tastes evolve and developing your palate for wine, beer, spirit, or food tastings can be as easy as following these tips:

1.) QUIT SMOKING!

Smoke- no matter what kind- diminishes your ability to smell and taste. Nicotine suppresses the nerve activity in the brain that detects taste. 

2.) Pay attention to what you are eating

Be mindful when you eat. Pay attention to the color, textures, and flavors of every bite. Try to eat without distractions like television, work, or driving. Eat slowly and compare and contrast each ingredient. 

3.) Try new foods

Eat all the colors of the rainbow everyday. Giving your diet a variety will ensure you get all the essential nutrients, and plenty of fiber, iron, and protein. Introducing new foods will stimulate your palate and help you to identify flavors in more complex dishes.

4.) Avoid foods that coat/distract your palate

Strong flavors, salts, sugars, and fats coat your palate and overstimulate your tastebuds making it harder to distinguish between subtle flavors. Cutting out these may make your food taste bland for the short-term, but will help your overall health and improve your eating experiences for the long-term

5.) Stay healthy!

A cough, cold, and stuffy sinuses can inhibit your sense of smell & taste

Palate Pallet Palette

This blog is an attempt to cover 3 of my favorite things, Eating/Food/Culinary (Palate) Design & Crafts (Pallet) Art & Music (Pallette)

Definitions brought to you by dictionary.com

Palate:

1.Anatomy . the roof of the mouth, consisting of an anterior bony portion (hard palate)  and a posterior muscular portion (soft palate)  that separate the oral cavity from the nasal cavity.
2.the sense of taste: a dinner to delight the palate.
3.intellectual or aesthetic taste; mental appreciation.

Pallet
1. a bed or mattress of straw.
2. a small or makeshift bed.

Palette
1. a thin and usually oval or oblong board or tablet with a thumb hole at one end, used by painters for holding and mixing colors.
2. any other flat surface used by a painter for this purpose.
3. the set of colors on such a board or surface.
4. the range of colors used by a particular artist.
5. the variety of techniques or range of any art: a lush but uneven musical palette.