The coolest thing!

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Posted by Nibbler | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 06-01-2009

I was reading through all my blog subscriptions (and there are lots of of them) when I stopped on The Old Foodie  and saw this post:  http://theoldfoodie.blogspot.com/2009/01/tyromancy.html

How cool is Tyromancy! I then googled it and found this definition at www.occultopedia.com

Tyromancy

Alternatively Tiromancy and Typomancy.

Derived from the Greek t?ros (‘cheese’) and manteia (‘divination’), it is the art and practice of divining the past, the present and the future by interpreting omens found in cheese.

In the Middle Ages, the shape, number of holes, the pattern of the mold, and other characteristics were used to prognosticate love, money, or even death.

Young maidens in countryside villages would divine the names of their future husbands by writing the names of all prospective suitors on separate pieces of cheese. The one whose name was on the piece of cheese that grew mold first was believed to be the ideal love mate. This also worked just as well for the opposite sex.

Another method of Tyromancy was to write the possible answers to a question on separate pieces of cheese and them place them inside a cage along with a hungry rodent. Whichever piece the mouse ate first would provide the desired indication. This manner of divination was also a form of Myomancy.

On yet another method, omens were drawn from the patterns and designs formed by the coagulation of cheese.

Happy New Year!

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Posted by Nibbler | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 01-01-2009

It’s 3:15am and I am just back from watching the New Year’s Eve fireworks in the city. Sydney is a marvellous backdrop for fireworks and the Harbour Bridge is used to great effect. My friends and I were so close to one of the fireworks barges that the whole building rocked as the fireworks exploded.
We had a fantastic night starting with dinner – beautiful marinated salmon cooked on a BBQ with fresh mushrooms, zuchini, asparagus and baby potatoes. Once we moved into the city we had lemon-lime tart, rich home made chocolate ice cream and moist cinnamon cake. We moved to the windows and ate cheese. I selected Valedeon (a yummy Spanish blue), a yummy English cheddar, two French triple cream bries and creamy gorgonzola dolce latte. (Plenty of leftovers for me to indulge in over the next couple of days too!)
I hope you all celebrate the arrival of the new year in the way that pleases you most.

Happy New Year!!!

Too busy to write!

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Posted by Nibbler | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 07-12-2008

It has been a crazy couple of months with my day job getting busy and lots of foodie like activities. You know it’s bad when it’s only just gone December and you already start formulating next years New Year’s Resolutions!
November saw my birthday come and go. A trip to Aria to spoil mum before a David Hobson concert. But best of all was the cheese making class I did. Oops! I forgot – there was Thanksgiving too! (A tale of two turkeys and a ham – no, not my friends and I! The menu!)
There are so many photos and entries to show and write! The back log is huge. I am really looking forward to the Christmas holidays to catch up. Are you already into the holiday craziness too?
Friday was my company’s Christmas party. It was at the Slip Inn, famous for being the location where the Danish prince met “our” Aussie Princess Mary.

This week is shaping up to be a great week of experiences too. This Saturday I went to an Australian Cheese Experience on Fort Denison in the middle of Sydney Harbour. Tomorrow friends and I are off to Aria to the Chef’s Table. I am really excited as the table is within the kitchen and you get to watch the service. Fingers crossed that Chef (Matt Moran) is working tomorrow night!
More to come….

Word Clouds

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Posted by Nibbler | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 21-10-2008

There is this fantastic site that takes lists of words, or even blogs of words, and makes them into Word Clouds. I think that they are beautiful. For me there are just some words that make you happy to read them or to say them. Sometimes it’s because the word is associated to a good memory or good story. Sometimes it’s the symmetry of the spelling. Sometimes it’s really just whimsy. Put a bunch of those words into the word cloud generator and you get art and beauty.

Here is the link to Somethingtonibbleon’s word cloud based on the current posts. Funny how cheese is the biggest word in the bunch!

http://wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/257482/Somethingtonibbleon

Good Food Month

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Posted by Nibbler | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 21-10-2008

October is Good Food Month in Sydney. The month is filled with dinners, events and classes. It is foodie heaven! Every year in the last week of September the Sydney Morning Herald provides the program detailing the dinners, special events and activities available during GFM. This year the date was marked in my diary so I wouldn’t forget. Bright and early on the day I raced to the newsagent to get my copy.

The one hour train trip provided plenty of time to read through the guide marking out each event I wanted to go to. I think I went a little crazy but it all sounded so good! Check out the online guide at http://gfm.smh.com.au

Even before I got into work, my friends and I started SMS’ing back and forth to co ordinate what we wanted to go to. The key thing you have to know is that most of the events, classes and dinners sell out on the day that the program is released. So it’s really important to choose quickly and be ready to call the organiser to get your tickets. Events like the Young Chefs Dinner were sold out in hours.

It’s now October 21 and I have been having a blast! I am tired from late night dinners and more alcohol than the few sips a month I usually partake of but I have had lots of fun!

So far I have been to:

Blog posts to come soon on each of these experiences. 🙂

I still want to somehow slip in a Sugar Hit and a trip to the Night Noodle Markets.

Cheese

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Posted by Nibbler | Posted in cheese, Uncategorized | Posted on 16-09-2008

One of my projects for this year has been educating my palate with as many different cheeses as possible. My cheese fascination began last year after watching Will Studd’s Cheese Slices on TV.  I love watching Will visit the cheesemakers and learning more about the science and art of cheese making. It’s amazing how the different seasons, grasses, animals, techniques and environments take the same ingredient, milk, and turn it into so many different cheeses. Right then I knew I had to taste as many as possible.

My first foray into cheese beyond the supermarket was visiting family in France. My first visit to the village fromagerie was like a trip to the candy store! Thankfully a helpful and French speaking family member was able to step in help me choose cheese for us to take home. Lucky too that there were 4 other people to help me eat it because I chose way more than I could eat in the 4 days I was there! The next visit the owner was serving customers and even though neither of us understood each other, we both understood we had a common love. He was so patient, allowing me to try all kinds of cheese, before regretfully I was pulled away by friends and family. Of course I took panaromic photos of all of his cheese displays. (Once I figure out how to include pictures I will post them)

I returned to Sydney determined to learn more and to taste more (and as soon as possible!) but it wasn’t until March when a friend wanted company attending a cheese course that I was able to follow through on my vow. C and I attended Mcintosh & Bowman’s Goat and Sheep Cheese class in early March. I looooooved it. Ten different goat and sheep’s milk cheeses, from fresh cheese through to blue, accompanied by 4 glasses of wine. Yum! I learned from this experience that my determination to try new cheeses was stronger than my fear of the unknown.

This set me up for my biggest challenge yet….. the Blue Cheeses of the World class! Twelve blue cheeses. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide! Me, the person who ferociously guarded the cheese knife used for brie from the evil blue cheese people, was in front of twelve blue cheeses! And I was going to eat them! Even stranger – I even liked them. No actually, there were some I loved! I never thought I would ever say that in my lifetime.

Since then I have gone to another French cheese class (which some friends enjoyed more for the champagne than the cheese!) and I have signed up for an Australian Cheese experience for later this year. C is also continuing her cheese education and she has generously shared some of her great cheese finds.I am now a regular at the GPO Cheese Room at Martin Place as well as at the Mcintosh & Bowman cheese courses.

One of the most difficult parts of trying new cheeses is choosing which cheese to try. So I joined the Mcintosh & Bowman cheese club. Once a month they send me 3 cheeses. More details later but I have enjoyed the last two months’ selections very much.

The most exciting event I have planned for my great cheese education quest is yet to come. In October I am going to a cheese judging course! I am really excited and trying very hard not to wish away all of September. Three days to learn what makes good cheese, how cheeses are judged and I am assuming three days to eat cheese!!!! I can’t think of a better way to educate my palate.

Some links to yummy cheese things:

Getting started…

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Posted by Nibbler | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 16-09-2008

Getting started is much harder than I thought! I really thought if I just created the blog (which was much easier and quicker than I thought!) I would be off and posting. No, that’s not the way it works! I have made some changes since I first created somethingtonibbleon. A new theme and a new header picture (thanks to K for finding the pictures and all her advice).  I have got to get posting….

Hello world!

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Posted by Nibbler | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 04-09-2008

I thought I would leave the title provided by WordPress when they create the blog. It’s traditionally been one of the first exercises when learning a new computer language. It’s kind of fitting.

I am so excited to finally create this blog and get started. I have been planning and planning. Talking and talking. I have finally done it! 🙂

After reading so many other blogs it’s strange to be finally writing in mine. I think the posts are going to be a little bit rough as I find my voice and approach.

Don’t worry I’ll get the hang of it soon!