Moulard's Top Five

Some time ago Ecumer asked us for our top five. I have mulled, hemmed and hawed as I tried to figure out what my time 5 were. Here are a few thoughts. Not really in any particular order.

5. DIY Invigoration Over the years I have dabbled with DIY food. I started with brewing (didn't we all) Then came wild yeast Sourdough - (I even managed to keep the mother alive for about 6 months before apathy set). This has been followed in relatively short succession by pasta, charcuterie and most recently (thank you David) Cheese. Nothing like trying to do it for yourself to value the hard work of all the artisan producers out there. One will never have time to do them all, but it would be nice to become at least competent at one of them.

4. Dinner at a Michelin 3 Hat Restaurant. Yes I know that there are none in Australia. But hey, it gives me a good excuse to spend some time in Europe.

3. Premier Cru Nothing says excess like drinking fine Premier Cru wines while dining at said Michelin 3 Hat restaurant. I mean hey, if you add the cost of the airfare, accommodation, museum entrance fees and other bits and bobs, then really a couple of grand on wine is a mere drop in the ocean.

2. Use them thar Cookbooks Food Pron books are good. There is a large number of them that sit on top of the cabinet in the kitchen. There is an even larger number of them which overflow into the library. Thing is I rarely use them. You see, despite all the culinary wierdnesses that I have been exposed to over the years... I am really quite conservative when it comes to cooking and eating. I avoid things that I am unfamiliar with. Maybe if I play with the cookbooks, in the quiet comfort of my own home, I might be adventurous enough to eat something new in front of others.

1. An Artisan's Babette's Feast. Prepare a dinner from 'scratch'. You know make the cheese, grow the tomatoes, make the pasta, cure the bacon (of course). OK I might not take it to extremes... no taking over the back yard and waiting 30 years for home grown avocados, or moving to the tropics to grow pepper corns. But you get the idea.