Dear Dairy,
Today I had a total and utter carbfest. It started with the morning where I heard howling and outside doors banging hard from the wind. It was freezing when I got out of bed (must learn how to set the timer on the heater so that I am woken at a more civilised temperature) and didn't get much warmer. Even though I knew we were going out to eat shortly, it didn't stop me from heating a bread roll, smothering it with butter, stuffing it with ham and swiss cheese and devouring it just before we left for a bakery to have brunch.
And so the day went on and we had our carb and pastry filled lunch and finished with creamy pasta with roasted pumpkin, peas and pinenuts. And I only need now to describe to you the lunch in which I stuffed myself full of bread.
Love,
NQN
xxx
I've rung ahead to find reserve myself a pie. Yes I know that sounds mad but I had heard that the pies at Sonoma were good and if I am to brave the crazy howling winds outside, I need to know that the trip will be worth it. We walk into their small shopfront, a bakery that churns out lovely sourdough for many of Sydney's top restaurants along with a happy public trade. There are 4 small wooden tables inside along with some stools outside. My husband takes a seat inside by the window and grabs a copy of Gourmet Traveller (who knew he was interested?) while I order. I choose a Reuben sandwich (toasted) $8, the Lamb and Rosemary pie that I ordered ($6.50), a Chocolate Croissant ($2.80) and a cappucino ($3). For good measure I also buy a round loaf of the Olive bread ($6.00). It's lucky I did reserve the pie as there is only one lone sausage roll in the warmer, the rest of the pies having sold out.
I take our spoils to the table and I cut the top off the pie, something of a compulsion I have to do, not only for pictures but to see what the filling looks like inside. There are large, soft chunks of lamb and the gravy is a perfect consistency, not too runny and not too thick. The top is a browned very flakey pastry and the bottom is soft, almost at the brink of collapse. After snapping away I dive into the pie. It's delicious and the perfect antidote to the day.
The lamb is wonderfully soft and the gravy and pastry go gorgeously along with it. There are actually quite a few large chunks of meat which I like although my husband says that he doesn't like the big chunks. I like it as I know they use real meat instead of gristle but his personal preference is for more mince. No matter, that always means more for me :)
The Reuben sandwich with pastrami, swiss cheese, baby spinach, sauerkraut and garlic aioli comes on toasted bread slices. The sauerkraut is an interesting addition, not one that I would normally go for and I don't know if I would order it again. Not that it was bad but it was a bit more unusual than I would like. I could also not taste the garlic aioli. The bread however is gorgeous and worth ordering just for that.
The chocolate croissant is next. It's not warm which is how I like my croissants but it is gorgeously puffed and golden. There is just a small piece of chocolate inside but it feels like just enough chocolate. I love the crunch that I hear when biting into this and the layers of buttery pastry and air collapse with every bite. My husband, not usually a croissant fan likes this too.
The cappucino, with organic raw sugar is not as good as we'd hoped. We'd heard that the coffee depends on the barista working at the time. Looks like we were out of luck with this.
As for the Olive bread, it was generously studded with olives and delicious untoasted but really comes into its own when warmed. At home, I warmed a slice, spread it with butter and proceeded to eat 3 large slabs of it, the butter melting into it and the warming giving it a spongey crumpet-like texture. My husband thought that it would benefit from some olive tapenade also swirled through it to increase the olive flavour and I wouldn't say no to that.
And after all of that lovely breadness, it was back to the heater and indoors away from the barbaric winds. And I will break the rules today and allow food to be eaten in bed, the warmed bread with butter and cheese of course.
Sonoma Bakery Café
215 Glebe Point Rd Glebe
Tel: +61(02) 9660 2116,
Opening hours 8am - 3pm Monday-Saturday, 8am-1pm Sunday
Also at:
24/198-222 Young St Waterloo,
Tel: +61(02) 9690 2060
Opening hours 8am - 3pm Monday - Saturday
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