New truffle cheese

If you’ve developed a love for the distinctive aroma and taste of truffles, you’ll be seduced by the latest addition to the Tognini’s Cheese Room, Moliterno Black Truffle Pecorino.

This raw sheep's milk cheese with black truffles comes from the Italian island of Sardinia. Unlike most truffled cheeses, the truffle paste is infused after Moliterno has been aged so that the cheese develops its own character before the truffles are injected. Though the truffles are only visible in the ‘veins’, the truffle flavour permeates throughout the entire paste of this amazing cheese.

During the aging process, oil and vinegar are applied to the cheese's rind to prevent weight loss. Once cut, the dark paste oozes out of the crevices of the cheese like trickles of water from a craggy cliff. Both delicious and intriguing visually, this cheese is a show-stopper.

Mark says enjoy this pecorino with a big, earthy Italian red with enough muscle to stand up to the truffles. Narelle says serve it on its own or shaved over fresh pasta with butter tossed through. Also try it over scrambled eggs for breakfast or add to some rocket and drizzle with raspberry vinaigrette.

Try the cheese on the lunch menu at Tognini’s Spring Hill with Grilled asparagus with leek mash, roasted capsicum and truffle pecorino cheese.

According to Mark’s sister Yolanda, who has a degree in Italian language, technically translated 'pecorino' means 'little sheep'. So authentic pecorino cheese should be made from sheep milk – as it is in Italy.

Sweet peppers with a bite!

Filled with lightly sweetened mascarpone and other secret ingredients, these stunning red South African Bell Peppers are a real mouthful of flavour.

The slight touch of chilli is perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the filling. Mark says try them with some of the Spanish jamon in store now and feel your taste buds dance.

They are busy in Tognini’s kitchen filling these red surprises with another mixture as well. This one combines mushrooms with truffle oil and the smell is amazing! Add them to a platter with some crisp bread and you have another taste treat that would make a great drinks nibble or entrée.

For a really unusual touch, add some Innes Rosales Sweet Olive Oil Tortas into the mix. These individually wrapped rounds are crisp, light and sprinkled with sugar. The sweetness is great foil for a slice of jamon! Mmm… have to try that again!

Fabulous fast food

Check out both the freezer and the fridge for Tognini’s new range of par cooked pizzas. They are so easy to prepare – just pop into a 180 degree oven for five to ten minutes and you are eating!

Look for Margaretta with fresh Prosciutto, Potato and Rosemary and Italian Sausage varieties.

There’s also a good range of other Italian frozen treats including Arancini with prosciutto and mozzella and Arancini al sugo - both absolutely delicious.

For easy entertaining, it’s hard to beat the crab net spring rolls and the bok choy rolls. Just steam them through and serve. Yum.

Cutest cone ice creams

Are these the cutest ice cream cones you have ever seen? These baby gelato cones come in 12 mixed flavours and are perfect to serve after your next dinner party. The flavours include strawberry, chocolate, apricot, vanilla, spearmint and for the true child at heart - bubblegum! The cones are crisp and the gelato simply yummy. Find the Giotto gelato in 150gm tubs at Togninis at South Bank where children are lining up to enjoy them as a treat after visiting the library or GOMA.

If you want to be a bit more grown up, there are also zabaglione filled mini cannoli and hazelnut gelato baby profiteroles. All in the freezer, just waiting for you at Togninis!

Chilli Mud Crab Feast

Wow, what a way to end the year! Our Chill Mud Crab Feast on Boxing Day was a lunch to remember with crabs flown down from Mackay especially for the occasion.

Mark did the cooking with plenty of helpful advice from Narelle and Tracey.

Mark says it was an effort getting all the spices (see the recipe) together (he had to source the cinnamon quill and Chinese Shao Xing wine from Chinatown) but the result was well worth it.

Mark also suggests having two people involved in the cooking as it helps when ingredients need to be added quickly into the wok. And it's great to cook with a crowd to watch!

Congratulations to Sirromet's Executive Chef Andrew Mirosch who published the Wok Fried Muddies with Chilli and Ginger recipe in his Q Weekend column in The Courier-Mail.

Narelle served a Mango Salsa with pan fried green prawns on a bed of watercress - seasoned with chilli + coriander and her world famous Asian Noodle Salad with the crab. Yum! The Noodle Salad includes Chinese cabbage - shredded, capsicum -sliced, red onion, shallot, bean sprouts, snow peas, roasted peanuts and coriander. As a variation, Narelle sometimes makes it with Chinese BBQ pork sliced through. The Chinese deep fried noodles are crumbled in last

What the experts say

2008 is well behind us and we are looking forward to an exciting 2009. We've got lots of plans for the year so stay tuned for all the action.

Here's what a few of Brisbane's food reviewers have to say about Togninis.

Brisbane Times

Fromers

Your restaurants

Christmas elves at work

Things are getting busy at Togninis. The pudding elves have been in store busy , scraping , trimming and wrapping Tognini's delicious handmade puddings ready for your Christmas table.

The fruit has been marinating in juices and grog for the past three months - now it is almost time to eat! Each pudding is hand made, lovingly hugged and then boiled for eight hours - hung overnight - rested - scraped and retied to look perfect. On Christmas Day you simply reheat and the job is done. Don't forget to pop in some silver sixpences for the children and young at heart. Serve with Tognini's Brandy Cream or Vanilla Bean Anglaise.

Order yours now for a special treat on Christmas day - 1.5 kg puddings are $60.00

Pictured are Narelle's Auntie Myrl, a Christmas pudding elf of longstanding, and her friend Lynda (not sure that this elf wants to come back next year).