In The Tiffin Box VI

There’s no cooking going on in my kitchen at present but that doesn’t mean there’s not lots of other things happening in the world of TIFFIN. Let’s take a look inside Tiffin Box.

Ladies In Black
If there’s one thing I love more than theatre, it’s musical theatre. Starting on November 28 for a short run at the QPAC Playhouse, Ladies In Black is the final show for QTC in 2015. An adaptation of Madeleine St John’s 1993 novel, The Women in Black, it is the first full musical mounted by QTC since The Sunshine Club in 1999. I attended a highlights event and can’t recommend this show enough. Not only is Tim Finn the composer, it is a stellar showcase for a strong female cast, including Christen O’Leary, Naomi Price and Carita Farrer Spencer. Queensland girls represent! If you have ever visited a houndstooth department store and been served by the aloof, sometimes contemptuous, always elegant Ladies In Black, this show will resonate with you.

Ladies In Black
QPAC
14 Nov – 6 Dec
www.queenslandtheatre.com.au

Cream Patisserie
A lack of kitchen facilities has opened up other dining opportunities. We recently visited Cream Patisserie in Coorparoo, for breakfast. For some reason, and I have no idea how I formed this view, I thought Cream Patisserie was an overrated venue. This was completely unfounded and totally wrong. As it turns out, Cream Patisserie was an excellent breakfast venue with a well priced menu and attentive service.

My benchmark dish is the Eggs Benedict. It’s either right or wrong. This version was in the ‘right’ category with good quality smoked ham, made from scratch hollandaise and for those following my breakfast adventures, the requisite firm poached eggs as requested. A large and filling breakfast for a very reasonable $15. Mr Tiffin crossed over from all day breakfast to the lunch menu and enjoyed some Smoked Barramundi Cakes ($20) that were crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside. Served alongside a salad of rocket, pear and parmesan, they were declared to be ‘excellent’. Cream Patisserie also sells a wide range of cakes and pastries made on premise. They are suppliers to several upscale restaurants in SE Qld, so skip the hefty dessert price tag at these venues and get a treat to takeaway from the patisserie itself.

Cream Patisserie Boulangerie
3/380 Cavendish Rd
Coorparoo  Qld  4151
www.creamstyle.com.au

Flaxman Wines
Some years ago at the Good Food & Wine Show, I tasted from a small winery called Flaxman Wines. The wine was excellent and winemakers Col and Fi Sheppard were engaging and easy to talk to. Since then I have followed the rise and rise of Flaxman both in the wine industry and also in Col’s foray into cooking on Masterchef Australia. We have visited the winery in the Eden Valley on a couple of occasions including a wonderful long lunch in the Flaxman Vineyard earlier this year. In the past few weeks I’ve noticed that the accolades continue. In the Oct/Nov 15 edition of Halliday, Flaxman Wines Reserve Eden Valley Cabernet 2013 received 96 points. ‘You can see the reason for the Reserve name and the price – there is simply no way you would pick this as anything but a classic cool-climate region wine… faultless.’ Last week we also visited the Australian Small Winemakers Show where Flaxman picked up medals in both red and white classes.

I was therefore delighted to see Fi and Col at the Good Food & Wine Show again this year and spend some time catching up on their successes and what’s been happening at the vineyard. Of course, there was a chance to taste the 2013 Reserve as well. There are plenty of very well priced wines available on their site with many under $40 a bottle. Given their ongoing success, I suggest that some bottles cellared for a few years would be a wise investment. I wish them continued success and look forward to visiting again in 2017 when we next return to the Barossa and Eden Valleys.

Flaxman Wines
www.flaxmanwines.com.au

Prawn To Be Wild
The Jacaranda are blooming, the horses have run, the first storms have hit Brisbane and that can only mean one thing – Summer is here! And as we all know, Summer means prawns. I was doing some research for my segment on 4BC about foodie events over the summer and came across a promotion with the Treasury Hotel & Casino called Prawn To Be Wild. It features promotional prawn dishes in its various restaurants including Tempura Prawns + Cocktail at the Kitty for $25 and Oriental Chargrilled Prawns at Luke Nguyen’s Fat Noodle for $18.

These seem like ideal meals for the inevitable catch up lunches you’ll be having with friends and after dinner drinks with colleagues as the festive season gets into full swing. I haven’t tasted these meals but have enjoyed many other promotions at the Treasury and think they are great value for money.

Prawn To Be Wild
Treasury Hotel & Casino
1 – 30 Nov
Full menu: Prawn-To-Be-Wild