5 things I would buy again from Salt Meats Cheese

In the heart of industrial Alexandria in Sydney lies a fine food deli, Salt Meats Cheese that is all about quality. I know it has been open to the public for awhile but it wasn’t until I tried one of their cooking classes that I actually had a proper look around and did my grocery shopping there on a Saturday. The imported fine foods stocked in this gourmet outlet will make your mouth water and give you the urge to try cooking something different or something the same with different ingredients – really, meal preparation using ingredients from Salt Meats Cheese is limited by your own imagination.

As I’m busy at work during the week, I set a rule that any cooking to be done on weekdays must take no more than 20 minutes to prepare. So, these were the ingredients I purchased that would be used to make two of my favourite dishes – pasta and oven-baked chicken with vegetables or salads:

#1 Saffron dried pasta: Fragrant pasta with a beautiful colour of saffron. This pasta is soft, appetising and ready in minutes after boiling.

#2 Salt Meats Cheese housemade bolognese sauce: Delicious, tasty and easy way to cook your sauce served on top of the saffron pasta.

#3 Avocado oil infused with lime: Fantastic alternative healthy cooking oil used to oven bake chicken or pan fry minced meat for the pasta

#4 Salt Meats Cheese housemade extra virgin olive oil: Fresh, delicious, full bodied and fruity olive oil over salads.

#5 Peach tea leaves: The fragrant was strong and fruity and I could not resist trying a different flavour of tea that isn’t the usual English Breakfast, Earl Grey or Chai tea.

There were many other products I could have purchased but given my limited time during the week, I don’t really like to store food too long in the pantry so thought I try these basic products first as I could always go back. The ingredients from this deli will make you love cooking and seek out different recipes.

I used the avocado oil to panfry and bake organic free range chicken breast and haloumi with vegetables one weekday evening. My cousins (14 years and 7 years) came over that evening and even though they had already had dinner, the smell of my cooking made their mouthwater (and hopefully, not insulting their mother’s cooking) they were eager to try my dinner. Luckily, I cooked extra 3 chicken breast fillets as they ate it all in a flash as if they hadn’t eaten before. The zesty avocado oil made the flavour of the chicken even more appetising. I’m definitely going back to Salt Meats Cheese.

Now, for the busy city workers. You don’t have to wait until the weekend to make a trip to Alexandria. Instead, you can go to their Pop Up shop in the MLC Centre, Martin Place during lunch hours on a weekday or shop-online, though I recommend you go to the store to see the full range of fine foods available. I could spend a long time in their store checking out all their beautiful labels and thinking through the various cooking recipes I could use them in. If only there were more hours in a day! Head down to Salt Meats Cheese, and be inspired by cooking up a new recipe using their delicious ingredients.

Where? 41 Bourke Road, Alexandria
Phone? (02) 9690 2406
When? Mon to Sun 9:00 am – 6:00 p
Online: www.saltmeatscheese.com.au

Pop Up store: MLC Centre, Martin Place
When? Mon – Wed, Fri, 9am – 5.30pm
Thurs 9am-7pm
Sat 10am-4pm