Food and Wine this Carnivale
Food and Wine this Carnivale
Monday May 19, 2014
Wine
Wine comes in various styles which include Dry wines, Sweet wines, Sparkling wines, Fortified wines (previously known as Ports) etc.
Originally grape wine was sweet because the fruit is so very sweet. Grapes happen to be one of the sweetest fruits in the world. Do you know that fully ripe grapes are 4 times sweeter than a Mango or a Lychee?
Back to basics
The sugar level in fruit can be measured in the Baume system. As an example; fully ripe grapes can have a Baume level of about 28. In comparison the Baume level of a Mango or Lychee is about 7.
One Baume of sugar when fermented creates approximately one percent alcohol. If fully ripe grapes contain about 28 Baume of sugar, then in theory you should be able to get about 28 percent alcohol in the wine. But at about 15 percent alcohol, the yeast will die leaving around 13 Baume of sugar. And this is your simple Desert wine. Very sweet but tasting great.
To make a dry wine from grapes the fruit has to be picked when it has around 12 to 15 Baume of sugar, and when the fermentation is complete there may be little or no residual sugar left, thus giving you a dry wine but around 15 percent alcohol. The problem here is that while Desert wines made from ripe grapes taste really great, wine made from half ripe grapes doesn’t taste of grapes. And that is the problem that grape wine makers have.
The question is why we drink dry grape wine when it doesn’t taste of anything in particular. The answer could be that alcohol is the main preservative in wines and only grapes can create up to 15 percent alcohol. No other fruit has as much sugar and therefore no other fruit can make enough alcohol to keep a wine for any length of time. In the past few hundred years only wine made from grapes could last more than about 8 to 10 months. No other fruit could do this. So gradually fruits other than grapes were not used to make long lasting wines. Grape wine became the dominant wine.
So to have a bottle of wine that has kept its values, dry wine with its high alcohol became the norm. These days relatively few people like sweet wines. Yes there are a few but not many.
In the next Food and Wine Feature I will show you how a dry wine can be made from fruit other than grapes. How making a wine with Mango, Lychee, Passionfruit, Jaboticaba and Ginger will give you a wine with a 12 to 15 percent alcohol and still taste of the fruit it is made from.
Focus on a local restaurant:
Zebras, Great Barrier Reef and Hi Tide Restaurant.
All of these magnificent things have one thing in common. They are unique.
Ok – maybe we don’t have Zebras in Port Douglas, but the other two have local unique claims to boast.
You will hear all about the Great Barrier Reef whilst in Port Douglas – it could well be the reason you find yourself here.
It is the locals best kept secret.....like the little gem establishments that you seek out because someone told you about it when travelling. It was a friend who recommended it to me and has certainly been my secret spot for a while.
Hi Tide is a compact and almost hidden little beachside restaurant at the quiet end of Macrossan Street on the Esplanade – part of Peninsula Boutique Hotel. Just one block towards the ocean from Macrossan Street. Just one block. It is the only licensed Restaurant in Port Douglas that overlooks the azure Coral Sea and the white sands of Four Mile Beach. It is Hi Tide Restaurant.
“When coming in town, try turning right when you reach the main street instead of the “automatic” left – you will find the locals best kept secret” says Jeremy Parer – Hi Tide’s Restaurant Manager.
Hi Tide is unique in other ways too. It is the only Restaurant in town that offers different theme nights for dinner (as well as a delicious a la carte menu) and is one of the very few places in town where you can get your breakfast hit of thick crema on a Lavazza coffee as early as 7am each day.
What I love about it- is that it even has a friendly tropical feel with its open kitchen, where on passing by you can meet and talk to the chefs directly.
Jeremy comments on Hi Tides wonderful ambiance “It is so gratifying for me to see our diners sit on the deck under the sails, feel the ocean breeze, listen to the waves, gaze out to sea and dine for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We feel you may as well enjoy the stunning natural views in Port Douglas as well as the local produce.”
When I asked why their dinner menu isn’t displayed on the menu board at the front. Jeremy replied “Why? Because dishes change every day based on what is delivered fresh”.
With a new recent push to patronize locally owned Restaurants in town, Hi Tide has proudly been locally owned and operated since 2000. It seems a happy and symbiotic relationship – the Restaurant employs locals, supports local causes, suppliers and charities and in turn, locals support the Restaurant.
So.......whether you are local or just visiting, wanting coffee, breakfast or a delicious dinner...... try out Hi Tide. I shouldn’t be writing about it … because that’s what best kept secrets are about!
It’s Carnivale time and what better to make you in the festive mood than a delicious cocktail – the BBC! No, not the acronym for the British Broadcasting Company, but much more festive – Bailey’s Banana Colada! This cocktail brings together the carnival tropical feel with our own FNQ bananas in the mix! Sip this and get in the festive spirit.
Bailey's Banana Colada
Ingredients
1 oz. Baileys Irish Cream
1 oz. Rum (Preferably Dark Rum)
1 oz. Banana Liqueur
1 Banana
3 oz. Pina Colada Mix)
Instructions
Put banana and liqueur into blender until it is a thick paste. Add Bailey's Irish cream, pina colada mix and rum. Blend well then add 1 cup of ice and blend again until smooth.
Make your own edible Carnivale streamers
Ben's stuffed chicken and cauliflour puree
Ben's Kitchen - Stuffed Chicken and Cauliflower Puree
FNQ chef Ben Mahon dishes up a delectable delight, sure to impress friends and family.
The chef recommends a crisp glass of white wine to compliment the dish.
Method Once the alcohol has flamed off, add the rest of the ingendients, bring to a simmer and reduce hear to thicken sauce. | Stuffed Chicken
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