2008

Kinds Of Red Wine THE collective knowledge about red wine at our table is that weknow we like it. It makes entering the newly refurbished, softlylit Cheese and Wine Room a daunting experience. The subterraneanroom feels like it has been carved out of a corner of the cavernousGPO lower ground floor - a cosy little oasis amid the high ceilingsand grey suits in the GPO's casual dining area. Dark wood tables topped with single candles fill the floor space,while the sandstone walls and chic style add to the feeling thatwe've stumbled into a beautiful wine cellar somewhere in Europe. But back to the wine we don't know much about. Luckily, the staffare attentive, friendly and knowledgable without being snooty.There are 250 bottles of wine to choose from - 16 by the glass(generally $8 to $12) - but being a novice, I opt for one of thethree cheese and wine "flights" on the menu. My red wine flight ($32) is made up of three Australian reds thathave been matched with three cheeses by the establishment'sexperts. The Paringa Estate Pinot Noir teamed with a WoodsideMcLaren Camembert is delicious and the Pirramimma 2002 FortifedGrenache paired with a Grandvewe Blue by Ewe is an instant hit. The flight comes with tasting notes too, so you can regale yourtablemates with interesting facts - for example, that the TorbreckWoodcutters Shiraz 2006, served with Healey's Pyengana (a cheddar),was named after the time that winemaker David Powell spent workingin the Scottish Highlands as a woodcutter. There isn't a hint of spare space on our table because we've alsochosen a European cheeseboard ($28.90 for taleggio from Italy -which my dining companion describes as "toe-curlingly good" - agruyere from France, and organic stilton from England, a salumitasting plate ($22), ligurian olives from NSW ($3.50) and marinatedwhite anchovy fillets ($10.80). Everything has its own distinctflavour without being overpowering, and we eat slowly to savour itall. The room is quiet - especially compared to the crowded area justoutside - and we waver between wondering why no one out there hasventured in and being glad the "Temple of Cheese" as it isunassumingly dubbed on its website, has remained undiscovered - atleast for tonight. The food ($3.50 to $15.50) is designed forsharing and the Wine and Cheese Room is the perfect place to meetfriends when you feel like a more grown-up date than cocktails or anight at the pub.

olives in brine Spread the tapenade (recipe follows) evenly over one side of eachslice of bread. Set aside. Place the eggplant slices on the grill and cook until golden brownand tender, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Divide the eggplant slices between 4 slices of bread, arrangingeggplant over tapenade. Top eggplant with tomato slices, thensprinkle with chopped basil. Firmly press a second slice of breadon top of each to make sandwiches. Lightly spray each side of the sandwiches with cooking spray. Grillthe sandwiches until the filling is hot and the bread is brownedand crisp, turning them carefully with a spatula, 2 to 4 minutesper side. Tapenade:In a food processor or blender, combine 4 ounces pitted kalamataolives, 4 ounces coarsely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (notoil-packed), 2 tablespoons rinsed capers, 1 clove coarsely choppedgarlic, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and 2 teaspoons extra-virginolive oil. Process to a chunky puree, scraping the sides as needed.Set aside.

Oolong Tea Drink A Tea Research Institute publication, 'Tea for Health' is the work of Dr. Tissa Amarakoon, a Senior Research Officer attached to the Biochemistry Division of the Institute. He has done a lot of workon tea and his Ph.D thesis (from University of Southampton, UK) has been on 'Anti-oxidant activity and immuno-modulatory properties of black tea'. Describing tea as second only to water as the most favouritebeverage on earth, he begins the narration with the history of teathat goes back to 2737 BC when a few tea leaves that fell by chanceinto Chinese Emperor Shen Nung's drinking water made a remarkableimpact on his drinking habits. To the emperor initially it was adrink more pleasant than hot water. However, convinced that itimproved the health, he recommended it as a "remedy for kidneytrouble, fever, chest infection and tumours that come about thehead". Soon the habit of tea drinking spread throughout Chinaand then to other parts of the world. After describing the different types of tea – Black (78% ofworld's production), Green (20%) and Oolong (2% - consumption &production limited to Taiwan and certain parts of China), Dr.Amarakoon points out that tea (without milk and sugar) does notcontain significant amounts of nutrients and that the calorificvalue of tea is almost zero "making it an ideal drink for themodern day calorie conscious consumer". Although rich inpotassium, the sodium content of tea is low. Saying that caffeine and polyphenols, the major non-nutrientcomponents in tea, have pharmacological effects, he states thatcaffeine, the well-known stimulant, acts on the central nervoussystem, increases alertness and reduces feelings of drowsiness andfatigue. Tea also contains significant amounts of fluoride, hesays, which helps to reduce tooth decay. Discussing tea and heart disease, Dr. Amarakoon says tea reducesoxidation of fat, cholesterol, blood clotting and improves theproper functioning of the arteries. He also talks about tea andcancer as well as tea and diabetes, and tea and intestinalbacteria.