The great Soup Off

My lovely cousin Kate and her husband Rohan live in Melbourne, and while visiting earlier this year, an annual "Soup Off" was mentioned.  This was like waving a red rag at a bull... a Soup Off!!  Kate, tell me more!  What, when, where and how does this Soup-Off work?? 

Here is what she had to say...

Rohan and I were invited to a "Soup Off" from a work colleague, we didn't really know what to expect but were advised to bring along a soup.  The soup would be judged by all in attendance, and was a bit of a laugh. The best soup won a prize!

I had a few practise runs of soups and ended up making a spicy coconut and pumpkin soup with sesame salt. There were about 6 soups at that event, not one was the same. We had to give a score out of 10 for each soup.

We won the Soup Off that year, and decided to have a 'Curry Off' the following year with our group of friends that are all made keen on curry. 

I made a goat curry and Rohan made his magnificent Sri Lankan chicken curry. We had a big score board on the wall with the team names and name of each curry, some names were tongue in cheek and that has since become a bit of a tradition too, to give your soup a good name!!!

The curry off was a great hit, but it was a lot of food, so we decided to go back to the soup off for the following year. (Turns out Rohan won the Curry Off... amazing culinary talent in my family!)

  

The Rules?

No dessert soups is really the only main rule.

You have to prepare your soup at home and bring in the pot to just re-heat. Any condiments you wish to serve with your soup must be semi prepared also. You have full use of the kitchen when it is your turn to serve your soup, and the oven if required for condiments.

How many soups?

There are 7 couples/individuals that have been with us from the start. The previous year's winner, and therefore host, can invite some friends.  Last year (2010) the soup off was at our place as we won the comp from the year before (2009). I invited some friends to come along as they had heard me talking about making soups for the Soup-Off.  In 2010 we had 12 couples (so therefore 12 soups).

When?
Soup off is held yearly, generally in late July/early August. Being Victorian we have to work around the AFL games too...so it is a big event. 

So... any recipe sharing?

After the soup off is held we can share our recipes, before the soup off there is a bit of a 'lock down' of no talking about soups!!! It has grown into a bit of a serious competition now. We generally see each other weekly at football games or the boys have a chat, but there is never talk about soups...it is top secret!

What makes a winning soup?

I made a zucchini, broccoli and blue cheese soup last year and it had some crumbled blue cheese on the top - I got a caining from some people that don't like blue cheese!! So needless to say I did not do terribly well with lasts years soup!!!

We have never had the same soup at a soup off event. Last year there was only 1 soup with meat in it, the rest were all vegetable type soups.

I do try and do a different type of soup each year, and some people just try a pot luck kind of soup and hope for the best.

Some of the soups have been:-

• Peanut soup (a combination of peas and nuts!) not nice!!
• Spinach soup with a touch of cumin
• Moroccan lamb soup
• Beetroot and apple soup
• Prawn wanton soup
• Roasted tomato and capsicum soup with parmesan biscuit
• Cock-a-leekie- soup (chicken and leek)

  Winning soups?

• Spicy Coconut and Pumpkin soup with sesame salt
• Pea and Ham soup
• Tomato and Red lentil soup
• Chicken, corn and veg soup

The Prize?

The winner receives a white chefs hat and the right to hold the event the following year. They then wear the hat for the rest of the evening!!! Peter, who won last year, still likes to wear it as he was so surprised that he won!!! He will hold the soup off for 2011.

Thanks to cousin Kate for sharing the details of her "Soup Off" - hopefully we can get some recipes out of her, and a post-even report of the 2011 Soup Off - watch this space!

An annual themed dinner is such an awesome idea, especially for people who are not quite ready for regular dinner-parties.  If you have an annual cook-off of some sort, let me know, we'd love to hear from you!

  

To cheat, or not to cheat...

When I cook, I get a huge sense of achievement, and I've definitely noticed the same sense of pride developing with every Feed Lot dinner we have.  This is particularly noticeable with our male members... who at first were quite happy to simply attend and eat whatever the girls had prepared.  Now, the boys are rising to the challenge, contributing to the monthly Feed Lot dishes and bursting with pride as we all enjoy 'their' dish.  The Feed Lot has become just as much about the food as it is the friendships.  I think given the chance, we would all choose to make our meals over "cheating" with store-bought, pre-made or straight-from-the-freezer options.  Which brings me to the 'cheating' bit...  

I have just been reading a post by Mia Freedman at Mamamia, discussing a Daily Mail report stating 'four in ten people cheat when preparing for a dinner party'.  I didn't find this overly surprising... as I've come to discover not everyone feels at home in the kitchen, in fact, cooking for guests can give some people the same angst as speaking in public or sober karaoke.  What I did find surprising, was the Daily Mail's Top Ten 'Cheat' List...

THE TOP TEN DINNER PARTY CHEATS

1. Using ready-made pastry - 50%
2. Using shop-bought stock - 35%
3. Using sauce from a jar or packet - 33%
4. Using frozen vegetables - 19%
5. Ordering a takeaway - 12%
6. Getting your mother to prepare a dinner party for you - 10%
7. Hiring a catering company - 10%
8. Serving supermarket microwave meals - 9%
9. Serving tinned soup - 8%
10. Having a friend cook a meal and drop it round - 5%

Using shop-bought stock!  Oh my... maybe we've been cheating all along!  How far do you have to go before dinner party bragging rights are awarded?  Is it still cheating if you wholeheartedly admit to the shortcuts you've taken?  Just where do we draw the line?

Despite this (alarming) list of 'dinner party cheats', I still don't consider our Feed Lot group to be 'cheaters', and couldn't bear to tell our proud-as-punch new male chefs they're efforts were wasted because they didn't make their own pasty when really, the end result was an achievement regardless. 

So maybe, when it comes to dinner parties, it is less about the food, and more about the effort... for "one man's cheat, is another man's hard work."

Thanks for this Mamamia... you've given us much food for thought!

Dinner for Eight

Recently my husband celebrated his 34th Birthday.  He didn't want any fuss, so I did what I have over the past 12 months learnt to do best, and threw him a dinner party.  The dinner was a surprise, to be held in our backyard.  Eight people, three courses, and a black tie theme. 

Surprising my husband is no easy feat, but with the assistance of friends, we pulled it off.  I spent the evening before at Mum's, preparing the entree and main, with some girlfriends pitching in to produce dessert. 

My husband's best mate arrived from out of town early, and helped me get the backyard ready - shifting garden furniture, filling buckets with ice and placing lights around the yard.

If only he'd taken the black tie theme just as seriously....

Probably my best decision, and something I highly recommend if you're planning a dinner party at home, was to 'hire' family members to help out on the night.  I had already done most of the cooking, so my Mum and her friend simply had to plate, serve and clean up each course.  Having them there meant I was free to enjoy the evening without having to spend all my time in the kitchen, or have our beautifully dressed guests help with the washing up!

The menu was chosen based on the Birthday boy's favourite meals, here is what we enjoyed:

Entree:  Smoked Salmon, Avocado and Goats Cheese terrine

Main:  Green Olive and Tomato baked Chicken with Couscous

Dessert:  Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch sauce

We had a fabulous night, and it was well worth the preparations to enjoy a dinner party in our backyard with close friends.  The black tie element just made it all the more special. 

One day, I would love to host a dinner party each month, for a year... the time and money required would be well worth it.  Only problem is, finding enough people to invite!

The Gift of Cooking

Let's face it, cooking isn't for everyone.  In fact, something I've learnt over the years is not everyone has the same experience in the kitchen as I do, which is why something like The Feed Lot makes some of my friends cringe, while the rest start to clap.

The beauty of The Feed Lot is it forces us to try something new each month - Mexican, Thai, Madagascan, Italian, Traditional Christmas or the humble Pie - with delicious results.

I wasn't always into cooking.  Sure, in high school, I graduated top of Home Economics, and grew up with a great example of home cooked meals from my Mum, who never failed to disappoint at dinnertime.  But it wasn't until recently that I truly became interested in cooking.  I started reading cooking magazines, finding new recipes, trying foreign ingredients and getting a fabulous sense of achievement from producing something delicious.

Something else I've enjoyed along the way is cooking lessons.  Admittedly I've only done a few, with varying levels of hands-on involvement, but I have generally come away with a new skill, recipe or friend.  My first cooking lesson was a wedding gift, a voucher to The Spirit House cooking school in Yandina, Sunshine Coast.  This was hands-down one of the best wedding gifts we received - it was great fun, particularly for my husband who now happily tackles new recipes when the opportunity arises - no longer the spaghetti bolognaise/curried sausage/beef stroganoff man I'd married!

Why not give the gift of cooking this Christmas?  Here are some I've tried, to get you started:

Spirit House Cooking School, Yandina
Gordy's Cafe Deli, Toowoomba
Gypsy Gourmet, Toowoomba

Happy cooking xx

MUNCH: A Monthly Lunch

Recently I was reading the August edition of Shop Til You Drop magazine, where editor Justine Cullen wrote about her group of girlfriends called Munch.

Munch is an abbreviation for 'Monthly Lunch', started years ago for the girlfriends of a tight circle of guys.   According to Justine, half of the couples have now broken up, and while the boys are not as tight, the girls have stayed strong, turning Munch into a noun (when's the next Munch?) and a verb (can't wait to go Munching!).

Justine describes her Munch as "the most all-accepting, like-minded, fun-loving group of girlfriends" she's ever had.  "Munch is all about love, support and a good time (not to mention good wine)... you never leave Munch feeling judged or not good enough.  You just leave it feeling good."

I feel the same way about our Feed Lot dinners.  Each month the Feed Lot is highly anticipated, our little group just seems to work - we are comfortable with each other, and in the same way as Justine's Munch, there are no soapboxes, high horses, grudges or agendas at our Feed Lot.  Just my three favourite ingredients... good food, good drink and great company.

Beefsteak & Burgundy: The Experience

Previously I wrote about Beefsteak & Burgundy, a dinner club with branches all over the world, including two in our local town.  I was very excited about our invitation to the September Beefsteak & Burgundy dinner, and I can tell you we were not disappointed.  The dinner was held at a new restaurant in town, so that in itself was something to look forward to.  I bought a new dress especially for the occasion, and was glad I did.  Despite claiming to be quite a 'casual' group, the excuse to 'frock up' was obviously embraced.  Upon arrival we were handed a glass of champagne (Nova Vita Sparkling Chardonnay NV, from the Adelaide Hills, SA) and a name tag, which was a nice touch for guests to a club where we didn't know everyone.  For the next hour we sipped our champagne and enjoyed the entree served as finger food:

Scallop Ceviche

Chicken and Goats Cheese Mousse Tarts

Mediterranean Beef Brochettes

We were then escorted into the main restaurant and seated at our tables.  I noticed a few things here, not only had the tables been beautifully decorated by the host Melissa, but there was also a seating arrangement which allowed members to sit with their guests.  Back to the table decorations quickly... Olive Trees were used as centre pieces and gifts for each couple, with their names attached to each tree also determining the seating plan.  What a great idea!  This was such a lovely gesture, and extremely appropriate as not only is an Olive Branch the symbol of peace and goodwill, but this was also the name of our restaurant.

Immediately after being seated we received an Amuse-Bouche, a small jelly to cleanse the palate, while the club's President stood up begin the official part of the evening.  I felt very chuffed to realise we were not only guests at this dinner, but our friend was also the club President!  The President welcomed everyone, introducing the guests of members with a special welcome.  They went through some quick 'housekeeping', before introducing Melissa, that month's host, to make a quick speech.  The owner of the restaurant had an opportunity to speak, then lastly we were given some information about the wines chosen for the evening by the club's wine master. 

The main course was a choice of two dishes, which we were able to nominate as opposed to an alternate drop:

Rabbit Rillette cannelloni with herb pomme puree, chive veloute & rabbit glace

Served with Rabbit Ranch Pinor Noir 2008 (Central Otago, NZ)

OR

Wagyu Rump with roasted field mushrooms, sage potato & gruyere souffle & cep jus

Served with Hayshed Hill Cabernet Savignon 2008 (Margaret River, WA)

Dinner was DELICIOUS.  As usual, my husband and I ordered one of each, and shared.  This is something we do quite often which so far suits us both (we will be in a bit of trouble when this changes!)

After dinner we had a mint sorbet, again to cleanse the palate, in preparation for dessert:

Apple Tarte Tatin with Caramel sauce & Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

OR

Jaffa Creme Brulee & Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Served with Punt Road Botrytis Semillon 2008 (Yarra Valley, VIC

This actually was one occasion I was reluctant to share.  I had chosen the Apple Tarte Tatin, and it was amazing.  We have recently returned from 6 months in France, and I can say hands down this Tarte Tatin was better than any I had while away.

We had a lovely night, with delicious food, nice wine and great company - all the ingredients that make up this blog, simply prepared in a different way.  Thank you to our friends Stuart and Rae for inviting us to share their dinner club experience with them, and to Melissa for the Olive Tree, which is now happily sitting in our garden, soaking up the rain. 

Beefsteak & Burgundy Club

This blog isn't just about The Feed Lot, but also about how other people regularly get together to enjoy food and drink with great company.  My first post about other groups is dedicated to the Beefsteak & Burgundy Club.  There are two Beefsteak & Burgundy clubs where we live, and we happen to be invited to attend the September monthly dinner as the guest of close friends...  

Here's some history:

Beefsteak & Burgundy began in Adelaide in the 1950's, a group of 8 Gentlemen met regularly for Friday lunches, bringing a bottle of wine disguised in paper bags for the comments of their peers.  This quickly developed to a formal club, allowing up to 30 members before a new branch was formed.  Nowadays, Beefsteak & Burgundy continues, with branches all over the world, Ladies clubs and mixed clubs.

The Beefsteak & Burgundy club we will be joining for dinner this month meets monthly, with each member taking it in turns to host a meeting.  Monthly meetings are generally held over dinner, with the host choosing the venue, planning the menu with venue staff, organising accompanying wine and sending invitations.  Members are able to invite guests, and the cost of each dinner is $85 per person (budgeting $55 for the meal, $30 for wine).  Members pay an annual membership fee, and there is a waiting list for membership of this particular club.  In order to be considered for membership, you must attend a minimum of two Beefsteak & Burgundy dinners as a guest.  The second Beefsteak & Burgundy club in our area is for Men only, and, as with several other Beefsteak & Burgundy clubs in the world, has a headquarters containing their own private wine cellar.

For more information about Beefsteak & Burgundy clubs in your area, visit http://www.beefsteakandburgundyclub.org.au/

Unlike The Feed Lot, being part of a dinner group that meets at a restaurant allows for a much larger group than at home.  It also takes the pressure off busy people who are happy to pay for a night out each month. 

I am very much looking forward to my first Beefsteak & Burgundy experience, which will be held at a new wine bar and restaurant in town, and promises to be a Night of Taylor'd Elegance... watch this space!