Bites
The Age
Tuesday February 2, 2010
MOTHER and daughter Joy Campbell and Karen Montgomery are the two-woman team behind the Yarra Valley's Grace and Paige, handcrafting artisan chocolates with palpable affection and attention to detail that some of their bigger competitors are lacking. Nuggets of sweet honeycomb encased in thick milk chocolate disappeared in minutes in the Epicure office, with less traditional offerings, such as spears of organic dark chocolate-dipped grapefruit confit, rewarding the curious. The hand-filled individual chocolates are adorned with ingredients from gold leaf to caramelised cocoa nibs and come in flavours typical and inspired €” try a dark chocolate goats' cheese and lemon-filled truffle rolled in white chocolate, or a milk chocolate truffle infused with organic chai tea. Free of preservatives, the chocolates have a short shelf life €” seven days, on average €” but we doubt you'll have any trouble getting rid of them before their use-by date.ANNABEL ROSSGrace and Paige: $1.50 each; box of six $9.40; box of eight $11.90. Wooden boxes: nine chocolates $24.95; 36 chocolates $69.95. Bagged chocolates: $4 to $6.95. Stockists: Yering Station Cellar Door, 38 Melba Highway, Yarra Glen, phone 9730 0100.See graceandpaige@optusnet.com.au.Quacking good treatIMPRESS unexpected guests with Rillettes de Canard, a crusty baguette and a glass of sparkling. While sourcing wines for his importing business, My Favourite Wine, Marcus Gniel came across these delicious duck rillettes from the Dordogne in France. Mulard ducks, a cross between the male Muscovy and the female Pekin duck, which produce fleshier, fatter duck meat, are cooked slowly on the bone for 4 hours before the meat is flaked off and combined with duck fat, salt and pepper. No need to chill €” just open the can and serve.GAIL THOMASRillettes de Canard: $20. Gniel is only importing small quantities, so they are only available direct from him.Phone 0447 772 387.Spread the wordTAKE freshly roasted ground hazelnuts from Nutpatch Hazelnut Orchard near Kettering, south of Hobart, combine them with Callebaut chocolate and nougat hand-made in small batches on the farm and you have Nutpatch Hazelnut Creme, a delicious and versatile sweet spread. This luscious combo is perfect straight from the jar as a topping for baked apples or ice-cream, a biscuit filling, made into a hot drink or simply spread on waffles or toast. Fold the spread into whipped cream and use as a decadent filling for a rich chocolate cake or in an old-fashioned trifle with a sprinkling of hazelnuts on top.GAIL THOMASNutpatch Hazelnut Creme: 240g jar about $10.99. Stockists: Food House Deli, Prahran Market; Top Shelf, Ashburton; Renaissance SUPA IGA, Hawthorn; Bill's Farm, Victoria Market; King & Godfree, Carlton; and Artichoke Deli, Altona. Also available in 2kg pails from Down Under Fine Foods, phone 0458 222 031.
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