Posted by GameFarm at 9:57 am, July 30th, 2012
Dining out just got a whole lot more intriguing and exciting. Secret dinner clubs are an adventurous trend offering a surprise dining experience that adds a real twist to going out and enjoying a meal.
Secret dinner societies are springing up across Sydney and Melbourne delighting diners with an appreciation for the element of surprise.
How it works
Secret dinner societies arrange elaborate dinner parties, where the guests have no idea what is in store for them other than the date and time, and maybe theme, of the meal they have RSVP’d to.
A couple of hours before the event starts guests are notified of the meeting point & guided to a top-secret location. It’s a great way to meet new people who are passionate about food and try something new.
Some of our favourite secret dinner societies in Sydney are The Table Sessions, Secret Supper Society and Secret Foodies. For those in Melbourne, we highly recommend Secret Dining Society.
http://www.thetablesessions.com.au/
http://www.meetup.com/popupdining/
http://secretfoodies.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/SecretDiningSociety
Try your own
This new dining experience is great inspiration for creating your own secret foodie evening. Catch up with friends by hosting a secret foodie event, create a theme, find a captivating location and blow your friends away. Why not use one of our favourite Game Farm recipe Tandoori Cornfed Chicken Skewers for an Indian themed extravaganza.
Have you ever enjoyed the secret foodie experience before? If you have, we would love to hear all about it.
Posted by GameFarm at 12:39 pm, July 25th, 2012
Colour plays a large role in how much people enjoy a meal, more so than most of us realise. When cooking up a storm, it’s easy to focus solely on the flavour of the dish and forget about the importance of the visual element until we’re plating up.
Of course it is important for food to taste good, but how many of us consider the use of colours in the planning stages?
Studies show that colour is an important part of what makes food taste so good. The colour of our food can greatly impact the way we believe it tastes, which is why we’ve suggested some ways you can make your next meal as visually striking as it is delicious.
1. Start out with the freshest ingredients available.
2. If preparing vegies, try blanching them by briefly steaming or boiling and then plunging them into iced water. This will highlight their natural colours.
3. Take time to seal your meats with a nice crispy crust.
4. Make a focal point on your plate by using a small, but high colour contrast. Such as, slivers of ruby grapefruit through a green salad, or chocolate semi-freddo with pomegranate.
5. Finally, use simple, white plates. Coloured and patterned plates can easily distract from the star of the night – your food!
When eating out you may even find that the food is matched to the restaurant’s décor. This isn’t an exact science by any means, but it is interesting to notice when the colours on your plate are reflected in the room around you.
One of our favourite recipes at the moment featuring great colour contrasts is Grilled Spatchcock with a Salad of Beetroot, Orange, Watercress and Baby Herbs.
Posted by GameFarm at 11:18 am, July 23rd, 2012
With the 2012 London Olympics set to kick off in a matter of days, we’re all getting very excited!
Olympic fever is taking hold all over the world right now, with nations getting set to support their athletes.
We can’t wait to see all the Australian athletes competing, and hopefully winning some glittering gold medals!
Until then, we want to celebrate the 2012 hosts – England, and what better way to do so than with a delicious British dish. This Cornfed Chicken and Coriander Pie is the perfect meal to enjoy during the colder nights whilst watching the athletes compete.
What sport are you most excited to see during the Olympics?
Posted by GameFarm at 11:52 am, July 19th, 2012
Want to catch up with your friends, but can’t face cooking up a three course meal?
Inject some fun into socialising by hosting a canapé and cocktail party. You can turn the evening into a fun one by pairing your canapés and cocktails through a theme, or deciding on what type of atmosphere you want for the night.
Canapés are very simple to prepare, look fantastic, taste delicious and are reasonably cost effective to prepare. Keep your ingredients simple, letting the flavours speak for themselves and serve your canapés in a creative fashion in either spoons or shot glasses.
Remember that a canapé by definition has to be one mouthful, so keep them small and easy to eat! If you do want to serve your favourite meal, then reduce the size of your ingredients and serve it in bite-sized portions.
For the cocktail element of your evening, think of ways that all your guests can be involved in the process and enable you to mingle. You could set up a cocktail bar where guests are welcome to create their own mixtures, or have some champagne and a variety of juices that can be added to the glass.
Mini Quail Meatballs on Crostini served with some Mulled Wine will ensure your guests are kept warm all night long.
For a more sophisticated feel to your evening, serve these Mini Croque Madame with Quail Eggs and a Flirtini.
For another alternative, why not try our Fried Quail Eggs with Chorizo served with Sangria, to create a very Spanish feel for your evening.
Pairing your canapés and cocktails in an exciting and fun way is sure to be hit with your friends and family this winter! What is your favourite canapé and cocktail combination?
Posted by GameFarm at 12:24 pm, July 16th, 2012
With the cold keeping us indoors this winter, why not try out a new invigorating winter recipe this week.
Cooking with seasonal winter produce brings variety to our diet, and increases the nutritional value of the meals we cook, with positive benefits for our health, as well as enhancing the flavours of our meals.
One of our favourite winter recipes is this Caramelised Quail with Orange and Fennel Salad. Using two winter food staples, oranges and fennel, this meal is nutritionally beneficial and extremely tasty.
Fennel is not only known for its medicinal purposes, but also for its punchy flavour. It provides an excellent source of potassium, vitamin C, and fibre, can be eaten raw or cooked, and can be added to a diverse range of meals.
Oranges are packed with vitamin C; perfect for fighting off winter colds, providing antioxidants and boosting immune systems. The sweet, citrus fruit brings a fresh element to a meal and a burst of colour.
What are your favourite winter flavours to cook with? Try the recipe, and let us know what you think.
