A Dinner to Rival My Mum's

I grew up in a family of foodies. My Dad likes to BBQ. Riley loves to bake. Kacy likes to make scientific experiments involving unlikely ingredients. My Mum loves to cook.

And boy, does she cook.

(I think Steven may have asked me to marry him so he could keep coming back for dinner!)

Having an epicure with a European background as a mother really made dinnertime popular. We were never the kids who had to be coerced and threatened to be home for supper. If anything, we would invite our friends over for dinner so we didn’t have to miss it ourselves!

Okay, so you get the picture – I love my Mama’s food. So when Steve and I went out to eat on Wednesday to Bluestone, I had my knife and fork ready for battle. Steve works downstairs at the bar, but the upstairs restaurant is noted citywide for its fresh, tasty ingredients, imaginative dishes, and ideal aperitifs. In the end, it didn’t disappoint. In fact, Bluestone revealed itself as a worthy adversary to Mum’s home cookin’.

I was salivating with anticipation; the warm, fresh baked bread, olive oil from the local Grampian mountain range and beetroot infused rock salt happened across our table to hold us over while the chefs prepared the first of our 8 courses.

First up to bat was a magenta coloured tuna sashimi paired with finger lime “caviar” and wasabi sorbet. Hervey Bay herb-encrusted scallops, still sleeping delicately in their shells, followed as the second.

The seafood party didn’t end there. Next was calamari stuffed with prawn and chorizo sausage, lying on a bed brushed with lines of pesto and it’s own ink, and topped with the crispy, buttery tentacles.

At this point, Steve and I weren’t even full yet. We were having too much fun pretending we were wealthy people eating in a schmancy restaurant, and all of the delicious wine was just whetting our appetites. The timing of the plates’ arrival was a tease – just long enough for you to start getting antsy for the next bite and your imagination running wild as to what it would be. It was hard not to scarf it down once the surprise arrived!

To cleanse our pallet for the next dish, we were served a bite of refreshing broccolini sorbet. (Which, I thought, tasted like a dreamy combination of green tea and sweet pea.)

Cured, spiced sirloin and a hearty, nutty-flavoured winter bean soup started to assuage our appetites. Interestingly, this dish was served with a cold, sparkling Shiraz - I couldn’t decide if I liked it or not since my taste buds were thrown from the peculiarity. Of course, I drank it all trying to decide.

The deal-closer to this long line of hedonistic fare was a plate of rare wallaby, with a splash of Jamaican-themed capsicum sauce. The wine served with this was my favourite by far – however I forget the name! I’ll have to get Steve to find out because it was delicious! Then you can try it at home!

After the wallaby, I was almost too full for dessert. Almost!

In strawberry, lime and macadamia infused glory, the creamy cheesecake served as the finale. If I hadn’t been raised with manners I would have licked the plate. Actually, it was really hard not to, considering my inhibitions had previously been swallowed with the 8 glasses of wine that came with dinner.

Steve and I wobbled home with satiated smiles on our faces, and stretched bellies. For only the second time since I’ve been in Australia, I had found a dinner to rival my Mum's.