food.4.two

The Montpellier Public House

2011-11-08T03:45:00.000+11:00

We finally made it to the renovated Balzac site, transformed from a fine dining restaurant to a gastro pub downstairs, and a more formal dining area upstairs.

We opted for the more casual pub downstairs. It's strange to think that a few months ago when we were at the same place, we were in a quieter dining room. It's been transformed to a more casual dining area - more relaxed and comfortable and a bit noisier.

We started with the Fish & Chips, Mushy Peas,Tartare Sauce ($25)
Fish was not as cripsy as I'd expected, but the white flesh inside was sweet and piping hot. The handcut chips were delicious, but funnily enough, for me the winner was the mushy peas!

I've always wanted to know what a traditional Welsh Rarebit ($10) tasted like. It was a lovely tasting cheesy toasty - would I have it again? Probably not for $10 but it was a nice comforting dish.

I've never had a traditional Yorkshire pudding. Well, Montpellier offered Yorky Puds with Mustard ($6) and we couldn't resist. Best of all, due to a slight delay they were on the house. And they were awesome! Light, fluffy yet crispy and piping hot served on top of 3 different kinds of mustard. The texture can be likened to a deep fried Choux Pastry...I would definitely go back for this dish!

I'm so glad that Montpellier kept their trademark Bread and Butter Pudding ($8) on the menu. It does come as a slightly smaller portion and without any ice cream - which would have been good with it! But I'm happy to say it's as good as I remember it, and I'd be happy to drop by anytime to have a portion of this beautiful pud. Or maybe next time I'll go for the Eton Mess ($7).

It's a great local place to get a good feed, with plenty of choices at reasonable prices. I'll definitely be back! Best of all? It's open 7 days.

http://www.montpellierpublichouse.com.au
141 Belmore Road Randwick NSW 2031
ph: (02) 9399 9660
hours: Public Bar – 7 days – Midday to Midnight
Dining Room – Tuesday to Sunday – from 6pm

Danks St Depot

2011-11-01T23:27:00.001+11:00

It's been awhile since I posted...it's been a mixture of busyness at work, and preparing for a new addition - coming soon in the next few weeks!

Well, I'm just biding my time until she makes an appearance in the world. Work is over for me for a year, and I had a Spreets voucher to redeem at Danks St Depot (and of course I had left it til the very last minute to use!).

Our brunch (for two) started of with a plate of poached pears, with labneh and mint, and sweetened walnuts. The labneh was fresh and delicious, and the pears wonderfully warm and tender.

We then had a choice of an egg dish each, and we both couldn't resist ordering the poached eggs with bacon hash. I almost went the truffled scrambled eggs, but the bacon hash could not be ignored.

The eggs were poached perfectly, when pierced, the runny molten egg yolks flows out onto the plate - perfect to be swept up by the toasted sourdough that comes with the dish. The bacon is moist yet crispy, served in cubes, rustically mixed together with roasted potatoes.

With the deal comes an offer of 50% off all Danks St Depot cookbooks. My only gripe is that I spelt my name for the waitress (she offered for Jared Ingersoll to sign the book I purchased), but it still came out with the wrong spelling *sigh*. But no matter. Danks St Depot is still a great place for a good solid breakfast.

http://www.danksstreetdepot.com.au/
1/2 Danks St, Waterloo NSW 2017
ph: (02) 9698 2201
hours: Sunday - Friday 9.00am - 4.00pm, Saturday 8.30am - 4.30pm

Dulce de leche ice cream @ Patagonia Ice Cream & Cafe

2011-06-24T21:28:00.001+10:00

I'm kind of obsessed with dulce de leche. In churros, on churros, on anything sweet! I think it's a slight obsession with sweetened condensed milk too....

I stumbled upon this cafe and I've never seen such a gloriously deep caramel coloured dulce de leche ice cream. (Ignore the snickers tag!)

You can find this rich concoction at Patagonia Ice Cream & Cafe in Coogee.

Patagonia Ice Cream &Cafe
231 Coogee Bay Rd, Coogee, NSW, 2034

Brasserie Bread Cafe

2011-03-16T09:24:00.000+11:00

The Brasserie Bread Cafe is actually now my local, and I can't complain. I've been coming here at least twice a week, sometimes with friends, but sometimes for a quiet breakfast by myself.

Here's one of my favourite dishes. I think it's pretty unique - I've never tried sourdough pancakes anywhere else before...it's a must have. Of course there are many other dishes (egg with soldiers, poached egg and crispy bacon on toast to name a few), but this dish you must try. Oh, and the Allpress coffee they serve is pretty decent too!

Sourdough Pancakes with Banana & Pure Maple Syrup

1737 Botany Road, Banksmeadow, NSW 2019
Hours: Monday to Friday - 7.00am to 3.00pm, Saturday & Sunday - 8.00am to 2.00pm, Public Holiday - Closed

Restaurant Balzac Lunch Special

2011-03-13T00:35:00.001+11:00

It's been awhile, I know. Work has been crazy, and we just came back from Hawaii (Aloha!).

I feel a recent lunch at Restaurant Balzac is worth a mention. For $39 for 3 courses, it's a great deal for the calibre of food served at this restaurant.

Salad of Poached Chicken, Walnuts, Watercress, Mayonnaise and Croutons
The chicken was tender and seasoned perfectly, the croutons light and crisp, and the mayonnaise creamy. I wish there was twice as much!

Warm Veal Rump with Tuna Mayonnaise,Capers and Parmesan

I must say, it was the idea of Tuna Mayonnaise and Veal that intrigued me, but I was told by my fellow diner that this was not an uncommon combination - her mum cooks a similar dish. And it does work! The veal was sliced in tender slivers, and was cooked to medium. It was a pleasantly salty dish.

Warm Parkin, Caramel Sauce with Creme Chantilly

What's Parkin? That was a question that was asked by our whole table, bar the only Pom. I googled it before we came for lunch and Wiki said it was a cake made of molasses. Gosh it was delicious. It tasted almost like a spicy sticky date pudding, only much lighter. It tasted as if it was lightly toasted, and it was served with a caramel sauce with a dollop of vanilla dotted cream

The Balzac lunch special changes every week, and is available every Thursday and Friday from 12pm - 3pm. I'll definitely be back soon!

Restaurant Balzac

141 Belmore Road, Randwick NSW 2031

ph: (02) 9399 9660

Lunch special available: Thursday, Friday 12pm-3pm.

Good design: Trivet Coasters

2011-01-18T14:47:00.001+11:00

Love this design idea....pretty affordable too, I must say, for some good functional design. $29.95 for 10!

Check out more designs (some more affordable than others) here.

Easy mini quiches

2011-01-08T23:04:00.001+11:00

It's a new year, and I'm glad last year was over! It was a year full of great things, but also tough things we had to go through.

We've been busy moving house, and also going to different parties over the past couple of weeks, and I thought I'd share my never-fail mini quiche recipe with you all. I've always gotten compliments for it, it's dead easy and it's a great dish to bring to a party or a bbq. A colleague of mine passed the recipe to me (verbally) years ago and I've kind of tweaked it here and there but it's simplicity remains the same.

It makes a great lunch, served with salad and some spicy tomato relish.

Ingredients

Puff pastry (readymade)
300ml pure thin cream
3 eggs
Parmesan cheese, finely grated
100g shaved ham or Spinach, blanched

Method

Preheat oven to 180ºC.
Line a 12 hole muffin tin with puff pastry
Whisk cream & eggs together, & season with salt & pepper.
Fill the pastry lined muffin tin with approx 1 tsp ham/spinach & 1tsp grated Parmesan cheese
Fill each hole about ¾ full with the egg & cream mixture.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until pastry is browned & filling is cooked.

Why so quiet...

2010-10-01T17:21:00.000+10:00

We've had some tragedy befall us, hence the lack of posts, hope you all understand.

I hope cooking and eating will become a distraction once more, so please be patient with me dear readers.

Love
Deb

Lilianfels, Katoomba

2010-08-30T19:25:00.000+10:00

We had a short break from the hustle and bustle of work and life, and got to stay a couple of nights in Katoomba - and it was freezing! There was frost on the grass in the mornings, but the air was so crisp and cool it was incredibly refreshing.

One of the highlights of our trip was some afternoon tea at Lilianfels. I couldn't quite justify $55/head for High Tea with my husband, but I could have little plates of scones, biscuits and pav!

The sitting room is so lovely and cosy, it was the perfect place to get away from the cold and to have an elegant Devonshire tea. I think from now on, a trip to the mountains could not do without a cuppa at Lilianfels, it's definitely highly recommended.

Scones with clotted cream and jam.

Comes with a pot of tea!

A selection of biscuits

Pavlova, with cream and berry compote

Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa,

Lilianfels Avenue, Katoomba NSW 2780

ph: (02) 4780 1200

http://www.lilianfels.com.au

McCain Sweet Potato SuperFries

2010-08-03T21:52:00.000+10:00

I was lucky enough to get a sample of McCain's new range of Sweet Potato SuperFries a few weeks ago.

What did I think?

Firstly, I love sweet potato, so the product was already very appealing to me. I was sent two types of fries - the Crinkle Cut and the Thin Cut, and I definitely like the Crinkle Cut better. Because of the ridges, the Crinkle Cut chips end up being more crispy than the Thin Cut ones.

Secondly, they're cholesterol free (that's really good for me!).

We served the SuperFries with some sour cream and sweet chilli sauce and they were delicious.

Please go out and try them, they're definitely worth having in the freezer for that next lazy meal accompaniment!

Joseph Joseph 8-Piece Food Preparation Nesting Set

2010-07-29T10:54:00.002+10:00

I came across this product in the world wide web...what an awesome product!

I live in a relatively small space where storage is an issue, and I think this would make me throw out all my miss-matched mixing bowls for a better functional and storage solution.

It's called the Nest 8™ Preparation Bowl Set.

What are your good storage solutions for cookware?

No photo-taking!

2010-06-15T10:33:00.006+10:00

I've come across a couple of places on Dank St, Waterloo that have a no-photo policy. In fact, I've been asked to delete the photos I've managed to take (they've waited as I do it). No photos of the interiors, of the menu of the food, etc.

{Cameras ..//, originally uploaded by Only u*.

My friend was also showing me photos on her digital camera during our meal, and I had a lot of warning/worried looks from the servers of this particular place (which is located on top of a fruit shop)..ahem...

Has anyone come across this in their food adventures? Any restaurants I should avoid bringing my camera to?

Melbourne Day 1: Cafe Vue, Little Cupcakes, Ying Thai & Koko Black

2010-06-07T10:28:00.004+10:00

After my San Francisco trip, my friend from Melbourne asked me how I could've managed to eat so much in the short period I was there. She found out during the weekend we spent together in Melbourne!

I arrived in Melbourne in time for lunch, and my friend suggested Cafe Vue for a quite, light lunch, and this is where we start.

Cafe Vue
Cafe Vue has a few locations, but we went to the one in the city, as it was close to our hotel and easier to get to. The Cafe is situated next to the restaurant on Little Collins St.

My friend and I shared a couple of dishes...

French Onion Soup
Croutons weren't as great as I'd hoped...I was hoping cheesy yet still slight crispy. The onion soup was great though. It took me back to a bistros in Paris, where I never had a bad French onion soup. - but you gotta love onions!

The Cafe Vue Lunchbox
Pickled beetroot salad, smoked salmon brioche, chicken and pistachio terrine, chocolate macarons
It was a small lunchbox...we were not very full, but it was good for a light lunch. I'm usually not a big fan of beetroot, but maybe my palate's changing? The beetroot was nice and tangy. The chocolate macarons were the highlight....yum!

Look at the pretty macarons!

Little Cupcakes
We went on to explore the little laneways in the Melbourne CBD, and we stumbled across this little shop, which my friend said had a very good red velvet cupcake.

Ying Thai

After watching a movie, we went to Lygon St to have some dinner. Whenever I go to Melbourne, I have to go to this Thai restaurant, because they have this dish that I have not seen in any other Thai restaurant
anywhere, and that is the Crispy Pork Salad. I even took some home with me on the plane back to Sydney!

Yum sam Grob
Crispy Skin Pork salad mixed with prawns, squids, vegetables and special sauce (ask for mild!)
It's not a very good-for-you salad, I suppose :) But it's so good! The sweet, spicy, sour sauce mixed with the crispy pork salad is just perfect perfect perfect. I seriously don't feel like I've been to Melbourne if I don't get to eat this dish.

Gana Panang with Duck
Can't just have the salad of course :) The curry was not the main event, but it was nice, spicy, creamy, and generously dotted with roast duck.

Koko Black
Ok, we're very full at this stage, but again, I can't go to Melbourne without hitting Koko Black. I only manage a small dessert, but it was packed with rich chocolate....

Chocolate Moelleux
Baked fresh to order, hot liquid centre and served with raspberry espumn

Basically, a chocolate fondant (yum), served with a raspberry puree that has been aerated. It was a good accompaniment to the fondant, because the molleux was so rich.

Look out for Melbourne Day 2: Babka & Maze!

Cafe Vue

Normanby Chambers, 430 Little Collins Street (between Queen & William Streets), Melbourne

http://www.vuedemonde.com.au/cafe-vue.aspx
ph: (03) 9691 3899

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 7am to 4pm, Friday evening from 6.30pm for Cocktail Nights

401 St Kilda Road (near the corner of Toorak Road)
ph: (03) 9866 8055

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 7am – 11pm, Saturday and Sunday 8am – 11pm

7 Templestowe Road, Bulleen
ph: (03) 9852 2346

Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm, Thursday to Saturday 6pm-9pm

Little Cupcakes
Shop 7 Degraves St, Melbourne VIC 3000
http://www.littlecupcakes.com.au/index.html
ph: (03) 9077 0413
Opening hours: Monday - Friday 9.00am - 6.00pm, Saturday to Sunday 10.00am - 5.30pm

Ying Thai 2
110 Lygon St, Carlton 3053 VIC
http://www.yourrestaurants.com.au/guide/ying_thai_2/
ph: (03) 9639 1697
Opening hours: Tuesday - Sunday, Noon to 10.00pm

Koko Black
167 Lygon St, Carlton 3053 VIC
http://www.kokoblack.com.au/
ph: (03) 9349 2775
Opening hours: Sunday - Thursday, 10.00am - 11.00pm, Friday - Saturday 10.00am - Midnight

Bistrode: Surry Hills

2010-06-04T22:22:00.000+10:00

Sorry dear readers, I've been remiss in updating the blog - I've just been so busy!
My husband and I recently celebrated our birthdays with a big bash, but more on that another time.

But we had a nice quiet dinner tonight at Bistrode in Surry Hills - it was a bit impromptu, as we were hoping to go to our usual birthday treat, Billy Kwong, but it was closed - all we saw were covered up windows! So we opted for another place around the corner.

Bistrode is owned by Jane and Jeremy Strode, who are regular contributors to the Good Living insert in the SMH. It has been awarded One Chef's Hat in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. It's nice to go to a place that is still quite reasonably priced, and serves quite fabulous food. We didn't have a reservation, but we were able to be seated at the bar at this small, cosy bistro. Here's an account of our meal.. :)

We start with some sourdough bread...

Then we ordered a side of chips, that we asked to come as a starter, because we were hungry but we didn't want to order an entree....we were saving room for dessert!

The chips were delicious. These handcut chips still had the skin on, were very crispy on the outside, and soft and mushy on the inside and well seasoned, and they were just a perfect starter.

Chips

My husband ordered the Petuna Ocean Trout, Savoy Cabbage and Bacon. The cabbage was tender, but still had a bit of crunch in some bits, which is how I like my cabbage. The skin of the ocean trout was crisp, and the flesh was cooked to a beautiful coral pink, not overdone at all. The taste of the dish was fresh and well balanced.

Petuna Ocean Trout, Savoy Cabbage and Bacon

I came into the restaurant feeling like I wanted to eat a big steak...and I did! I ordered a Grass Fed Scotch Fillet (with Roast Bone Marrow). The steak was just beautiful...the fat melted in my mouth. There was a not a piece of the steak that was dry or chewy, the whole piece of meat just broke away in my mouth. I'm not sure I'm a big fan of the Bone Marrow, but you can take it or leave it - it comes separate.

Grass Fed Scotch Fillet (with Roast Bone Marrow)

Finally, dessert. I've been meaning to come back here to try the Honey Tart and Peanut Butter Ice Cream, their signature dessert. It's very sweet, and I made a valiant effort to finish it, but just couldn't. It's definitely a dish to share, and you have to really like honey, as the tart is like eating a whole bottle of Honey. The Peanut Butter Ice Cream was a good foil to the sweetness of the tart.

Can I just make a comment on the tart shell? (I've been up to my arms in sweet shortcrust pastry over the past few weeks). The tart shell was so buttery and flaky, and thin...I really do appreciate very well made pastry - after having some dodgy, stodgy thick, floury versions, this was one of the best pastries I've had.

Honey Tart and Peanut Butter Ice Cream

It was a nice way to celebrate my birthday...we'll be back again!

Bistrode

478 Bourke Street, Surry Hills 2010

http://www.bistrode.com/

ph: (02) 9380 7333

email: info@bistrode.com

Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, from 6pm and for lunch on Friday from midday

Iron Chef Dinner in June

2010-05-16T23:26:00.002+10:00

Hi readers, are you interested in winning a Double Pass for 6 course dinner cooked by Iron Chefs Sakai and Chen? The event will be on Sunday, 6 June 2010 in Sydney.

Click here to enter!

Competition ends on 21 May 2010.

Brunetti Carlton - Melbourne

2010-05-15T22:57:00.002+10:00

This tray of goodies was in Melbourne 3 hours ago, in a wonderful pasticceria in Carlton. It was packed in a nice big red box, and it sat next to me on seat 3C on my flight to Sydney.

I.love.Melbourne!

Brunetti Carlton

http://www.brunetti.com.au/

194 - 204 Faraday Street, Carlton Vic 3053
ph: (03) 9347 2801

hours: Sunday – Thursday (6am – 11pm) Friday – Saturday (6am – Midnight)

Tarte Tatin

2010-05-13T23:16:00.001+10:00

I love tarts, pastries with pears and apples, and I've collected many recipes for Tarte Tatin, but I haven't bothered to make it until I came across this very easy recipe from Justin North's "French Lessons". Over the past month, I've made this tart about 5 times, because it is that easy...it is now just something I whip up for a quick dessert! It literally takes 30 minutes from start to finish...

The interesting thing about this recipe, is instead of stewing the apples/pears in butter and sugar, you make a 'caramel powder', that you can make in advance and have in stock for the time that you would like to whip a tarte tatin.

Caramel Powder
This recipe makes 100g Caramel Powder.
I like to make a double batch of the recipe below, just to have it in stock.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Ingredients:
75g caster sugar
25g unsalted butter

Method:

Line a baking try with greaseproof paper
Put sugar in a heavy-based saucepan. Heat gently until sugar is dissolved.
Increase heat and bring to the boil, simmering to a medium caramel.
Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter.
Pour the mixture to set onto the prepared tray.
Once set, break into pieces and process in a food processor until a fine caramel powder forms.

Tarte Tatin (serves 4)
Ingredients:
1 sheet of Puff Pastry, defrosted
100g caramel powder
1 large pear/2 small apples, peeled and cut into wedges

Method:

Preheat oven to 190°C
Lightly butter a 18cm cake tin (don't use one with a removable base), or 4 individual smaller tins.
Cover the bottom of the tin(s) with the caramel powder so that the base is completely covered.
Arrange the apple/pear wedges in the prepared tin(s), leaving a 5mm gap around the edge.
Cut a circle(s) a little bigger than the cake tin and drape the pastry over the fruit, tucking the edges down the sides of the pan.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until pastry is golden.
To serve, place a plate on top of each tin and quickly invert it.

Note: Justin North's "French Lessons" is just fantastic. I borrowed it from the library, and I'm now awaiting my own copy from The Book Depository.

ATL Maranatha Ayam Goreng Tulang Lunak

2010-04-15T21:37:00.001+10:00

You've never had fried chicken like this.
This chicken is marinated, cooked in a pressure-cooker until the bones are so soft that you can actually eat them, and then deep fried. It comes to the table glistening, with crispy chicken flavoured flakes on the side.

It beats KFC anyday!

Ayam Goreng Tulang Lunak (fried soft bone chicken) - 1/4 of a chicken $8.00

It comes with a side of sambal, and rice is an extra $2, but still a bargain!

Bebek Bakar Manis (grilled duck with sweet soy sauce) - 1/4 of a duck $10.00

This was surprising delicious! The duck must be cooked in a pressure-cooker too because it was hard to distinguish the bones from the duck meat...and the sweet soy marinade had seeped well into the duck.

61 Todman Ave, Kensington NSW 2033 (Corner of Todman Avenue and Baker Street)
ph: (02) 9663 3410
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11.00am-9.00pm, Sun 12.00pm-4.00pm, 6.00pm-9.00pm

Cadbury Fairtrade

2010-03-31T23:27:00.001+11:00

I came home today to find a package addressed to me - it was bulky, and when I opened it, guess what I found?

200g of chocolate for me! :)

Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate is now Fairtrade Certified - so you can now feel better about eating that block of chocolate.

For your chance to win heaps of Fairtrade chocolate, coffee and tea, click here!

Taste of Sydney 2010

2010-03-25T23:14:00.000+11:00

I know that the event has been and gone, but I feel it deserves a homage here.

I enjoyed last year's (even though I got caught in a rainstorm) and I really enjoyed this year's! The event seemed bigger this year - more spacious and just more variety.

And I spent more than I had planned to, but it is really a great opportunity to taste fantastic food from some of the best restaurants in Sydney...can't wait til next year! Imagine being able to get a taste of a main for a mere $12!

Highlight was the mini sandwich with with blue swimmer crab and coriander mayonnaise from the Guillaume at Bennelong stall, and the famous wobbly vanilla panna cotta from Jonah's.

Can't wait til next year!

Bathers' Pavillion Cafe

2010-03-12T22:02:00.005+11:00

Beautiful venue, stunning breakfast
On a day off, we headed off towards Taronga Zoo to see the 7 month old baby elephant Luk Choi.

This was a perfect excuse to go to the Bathers' Pavilion for some brunch! What a perfect venue - right on the beach, with the sounds of the waves lapping against the sand.

It was rather grey that day, but it didn't take away from the stunning location.

I love the bright coloured napkins - it's so..happy!

Eggs Benedict with short bacon and hollandaise sauce

Smooth hollandaise sauce, that was subtle, and not too tart..yum!

Apple filled brioche French toast with cinnamon sugar, ricotta and raisins

Oh, this is how French Toast should be made all the time. It was divine!
There was not only the baked apple you see on top of the brioche, there was a soft apple puree sandwiched between two pieces of brioche.

(Although we asked for extra maple syrup, and were told we had to pay $2.50 for the pleasure)

The Bathers' Pavilion Cafe
4 The Esplanade, Balmoral NSW 2088
ph: (02) 9969 5050
www.batherspavilion.com.au
Opening Hours: Mon-Sun 7am til late (breakfast from 7am til noon, lunch/dinner menu from noon to late)

Spinach Pesto

2010-02-12T21:34:00.002+11:00

I've had lots of pesto over the years - some are super creamy, some have too much basil or some have too much garlic.

I went to a cooking class once, and got a recipe for spinach pesto, which I loved, and whenever I've cooked it, has been a hit at the dinner table. I think it's the combination of the spinach that takes the bite off an overwhelming basil flavour, often found in many pestos.

This recipe is not exactly the one I was given at the class, it's my haphazard throwing together of ingredients for a pesto for two servings. It's really such an easy thing to make, there's really no excuse to not make your own.

Ingredients:
one handful basil (approx 7g)

one handful baby spinach leaves
half handful continental parsley
a pinch of salt
1/2 clove of garlic
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp olive oil
200g pasta

Method:

1. Boil water for the pasta. Once the water is boiled, add sea salt and pasta and cook pasta as per the packet's directions.

2. Drain the pasta, but retain the pasta water.

3. Place basil, spinach, parsley, salt and garlic in a food processor, and process until ingredients are minced and mixed well. [Note: If you have a mini food processor (Bamix-type instrument), this is best for this amount of pesto.]

4. Place 2 tbsp olive oil in the pesto mix, and blend until mixture has a creamy consistency.

5. Place the pesto mixture in a bowl. Add the Parmesan cheese and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Mix well.

6. Place pasta in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp of pesto and one large serving spoon of the pasta water. Mix the pasta, pesto and water well.

7. Keep repeating step 6 until the pesto is finished.

8. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese and cracked pepper.

Banana Fritters

2010-01-20T21:12:00.004+11:00

Banana fritters conjure up memories of childhood. Sunday afternoons were the times where mum would do a session of deep frying - banana fritters, prawn crackers, taro, sweet potato fritters - it was a deep-fry fest!

Here's my recipe for banana fritters. I don't have an exact measurement for the water to be added, but I think you need to just get a feel for the right consistency of the batter. You'll just know! The batter is nice and crispy, and is slightly salty, but I think it's a good match with the sweet banana.

I used regular bananas, but you can use sugar bananas if you want a sweeter fritter.
Ingredients:
3 semi-ripe bananas, cut in 1cm segments
3 tbsp plain flour
3 tbsp corn flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
water
canola oil for deep-frying

Method:

Mix the flours, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Make a well in the centre, and slowly add a little water while mixing the flours into the well.
Mix to make a thick, smooth mixture, then add more water to bring the mixture to the right consistency.
(The mixture shouldn't be too thin so it won't adhere to the banana, and not too thick that the batter becomes to cakey)
Heat the oil up in a wok to 175°C (use a thermometer).
Put the banana pieces in the batter mixture and carefully place the pieces into the oil.
Fry until golden brown.
Serve with a side of condensed milk.

Bells at Killcare

2010-01-14T08:10:00.001+11:00

Beautiful setting, some hits, some misses

My best dining partner (husband) and I had a lovely, relaxing holiday up the Central Coast. Most nights we cooked simple meals in our little serviced apartment, but one night we decided to splurge and have a nice meal out.

Except we didn't really need to splurge, because when we called up Bells at Killcare to make a reservation, we were told that Tuesday night is locals night, and they have a special deal that means we could have a two-course meal for $39....score!

I've always wanted to come here, every since I knew that they cooked from their own little garden. Imagine, fresh produce straight from the garden :)

Pre-dinner drinks in their comfy lounge area:
Raspberry bellini & a coke

Complimentary olives and cheese biscuits

Bread (including some rosemary bread) and olive oil

First course:
Seafood, potato and saffron soup
This was a beautiful, light soup, with generous chunks of fish and calamari.

Main course: Panfried pork cutlet with braised borlotti beans and tomato
I was excited about the crackling, there's nothing better than good pork crackling.
It was the best part of the dish, unfortunately. The cutlet was overdone, so the meat was too dry to enjoy. I only got through half of it.

Main course: Whole grilled fish (leatherjacket) served with salsa verde
My husband said it was good, but it was hard work to get through the fish. Is leatherjacket always a challenge to eat?

Side dish:
Rosemary roast potatoes

Dessert: Nougat semifreddo with peaches in Zibibbo
little chunks of chewy nougat through the creamy semifreddo. It was a warm day though, so it was a race against the sun to eat the dish before it melted away!

View from our table

107 The Scenic Rd, Killcare Beach, Central Coast, NSW 2257
http://www.bellsatkillcare.com.au
ph: (02) 4360 2411
Opening hours: Mon-Thu 6:30pm-10pm; Fri-Sun 12pm-3:30pm, 6:30pm-10pm

Dong Dong Noodles

2010-01-11T21:44:00.003+11:00

I love cheap Asian restaurants. Sometimes, I find it hard to justify going to a "nice" Chinese restaurant that charges me 3 times something I can get at these smaller basic Chinese eatery.

I'd like to share one of the dishes that I always order at Dong Dong Noodles, it's definitely my favourite dish. And can I say, that I have converted one of my good friends to pork by feeding her this dish!

Order the Pork Chop with Black Pepper and Honey and rice, and you're set for a meal for two.

The pork is deep fried and crispy, and the sauce is sweet sticky dotted with lots of cracked pepper, it's delicious.

Pork Chop with Black Pepper and Honey $10.80

428 Anzac Pde, Kingsford NSW
ph: (02) 9662 1877
Opening hours: Daily, 11.00am - 10.30pm

Christmas for two & Mangomisu recipe

2010-01-04T22:50:00.005+11:00

Happy belated Christmas everyone. We've been away and busy during this period, so posts have been scarce. We had a nice time up the coast, relaxing, reading, sleeping - just plain lazing around.

This Christmas, all our families decided to be overseas, which left just the two of us on Christmas day, which we didn't mind at all!
So we were very true to this blog....here's what we had on Christmas day.

Entree
Tiger prawns with seafood dipping sauce

A little ham (1.5kg), glazed with sherry, marmalade and honey, studded with pineapple.

Roast potatoes cooked in duck fat
If you've never cooked potatoes in duck fat, go out and buy a tub now...it's amazing!

Mangomisu

I saw this recipe in the latest issue of Delicious, and I couldn't resist. This is a cake I will definitely keep in my repertoire.

Mangomisu recipe
(based on recipe from the Delicious magazine, Issue 89)

Ingredients:
500g mascarpone cheese
600ml thickened cream
1/3 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup Cointreau
juice of two oranges
300g savoiardi (sponge finger biscuits)
3 mangoes, sliced 1cm thick

Method:

Line the base of a 22cm springform cake pan with plastic wrap or baking paper
Place the cheese, cream, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and beat until thick and well combined.
Combine the Cointreau and orange juice in a separate bowl.
Dip half the sponge fingers into the juice, and create a layer in the base of the cake pan.
Then, spread 1/3 of the cream mixture, top with 1/3 mango slices, and repeat the process.
Top with remaining cream mixture and top with mango slices.
Cover and chill overnight.
To serve, remove the cake from the in and transfer to a platter.

Vanilla Marshmallows & a Blog Award

2009-12-18T23:30:00.007+11:00

I've always wanted to make marshmallows. I love the texture, I love them in biscuits, slices and rocky road.

I also wanted something I could give out this Christmas. After many tries, and several recipes, I'm sharing the recipe that worked (with some variation), thank you Martha Stewart!
Makes about 20

Ingredients

Non-stick cooking spray
2 tablespoons powdered gelatine
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups caster sugar
2/3 cup glucose syrup
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons cornflour, sifted

Method

Lightly spray a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, sprinkle gelatine over 1/2 cup cold water; let it stand for 10 minutes.
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, glucose syrup, and 1/4 cup water. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and bring up to 120°C on a candy thermometer.

Remove from heat, and, with the mixer on high, slowly pour the boiling syrup down the side of the mixer bowl into gelatine mixture. Add salt and continue mixing for 12 minutes.
Add vanilla extract and mix well until combined. Spray a rubber spatula and spread mixture evenly into pan.

Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place, spray side down, on top of marshmallows. Leave to stand overnight.
Sift icing sugar and cornflour together in a bowl.
Place a large piece of baking paper on a chopping board, and sprinkle well with the icing sugar mixture.
Remove the top plastic wrap and carefully remove marshmallows from pan onto the baking paper. Remove the rest of the plastic wrap and discard.
Cut marshmallows into 4cm squares using a sprayed sharp knife. Working in batches, add marshmallows to bowl and toss to coat.
Marshmallows can be stored in an airtight container up to 3 days.

On another note, at the beginning of this month Citrus and Candy awarded my blog an Over the Top Award - thanks for the referral!

Basically, you answer the questions below (try to limit it to one-word answers as much as possible), and pass the award on to another six bloggers you would like to know more about.

1. Where is your cell phone? ottoman
2. Your hair? black
3. Your mother? Away
4. Your father? Sleeps
5. Your favorite food? Tarts
6. Your dream last night? Scary
7. Your favorite drink? San Pellegrino
8. Your dream/goal? housewife
9. What room are you in? Living
10. Your hobby? Sleeping
11. Your fear? Falling
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Kitchen
13. Where were you last night? Friend's place
14. Something that you aren’t? Crazy
15. Muffins? Savoury!
16. Wish list item? Kitchenaid Mixer
17. Where did you grow up? Sydney
18. Last thing you did? Blogged!
19. What are you wearing? Red shirt
20. Your TV? Frasier
21. Your pets? Fish
22. Friends? Close
23. Your life? Getting better
24. Your mood? Relaxed
25. Missing someone? Friends overseas
26. Vehicle? Mazda 3
27. Something you’re not wearing? watch
28. Your favorite store? Chocolate shops
29. Your favorite color? brown
30. When was the last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? two weeks ago
32. Your best friend? Husband
33. One place that I go to over and over? Cradle Mountain
34. One person who emails me regularly? Keiko
35. Favorite place to eat? Billy Kwong

Here are the six bloggers I'm award the OTT award to :). Just remember to link me on your post!

1. mochachocolatarita
2. Ooh, Look...
3. Be The Foodie
4. Lena Soka Cooks
5. lemonpi
6. Brown-Eyed Baker

Mystery Box Challenge November 2009

2009-12-03T20:46:00.005+11:00

This is the last of it's kind for the year. And I'm sad to say I'm saying goodbye to two of the friends who have been regular participants in this event - they're moving away from Sydney, which is quite sad. So, here's one more for the road - you did a great job girls!

The ingredients were:

including, fresh pasta sheets, pork and veal mince, haloumi, mangoes, white chocolate...

Entree:
Orange and grilled haloumi stack with orange rind on a bed of mint leaves, and pork and veal meatballs served with sweet chilli sauce

Main Course:
Deconstructed lasagne with asparagus and white sauce.

Dessert:
A mango Eton mess with a rich white chocolate sauce, studded with blueberries, . Garnished with crushed pistachios and served with a puff pastry twist.

Thanh Binh on King

2009-11-29T11:15:00.001+11:00

Nice clean and fresh flavours...best Vietnamese in Newtown?

This restaurant is a particular favourite with our family. It can fit a large group well, and there's something for everyone. Let me share some of our family's favourites...

Green papaya salad with prawn and pork
The salad is served on large rice cracker bed. Scoop a bit of salad on top of a bit of cracker and you're off!

Rice paper rolls with sugar-cane prawns
It's a game of roll-your-own rice paper rolls, and it's fun and yum. the serving is quite generous. Sugar-cane prawn is my favourite of all the choices available.

Vietnamese spring rolls with fish dipping sauce
I don't know if you've noticed, but I love deep-fried food. This is one of the best specimens of what deep-fried food should be. It's deliciously crispy on the outside, and it's the most packed spring roll I've ever had. My nieces and nephew love this dish (and so does their auntie!).

Wok-fried diced rump steak with garlic and cracked pepper, with lemon dipping sauce

This is just a very good beef dish. I love anything with extra sauce, so the lemon dipping sauce is a great accompaniment to the dish. Dunk away!

Salt and pepper pork fillets with lemon dipping sauce

Another one with lemon dipping sauce (it is a very good dipping sauce!). The pork fillets remain surprisingly tender beneath the crispy battered exterior.

111 King St, Newtown NSW 2042
ph: (02) 9557 1175
Opening hours: Tue - Thu 5:30pm - 10:15pm, Fri 5:30pm - 11pm, Sat Noon - 11pm, Sun Noon - 10pm
http://www.thanhbinh.com.au/

Billy Kwong

2009-11-27T23:19:00.005+11:00

Modern Chinese Food, with quality organic ingredients.

I love Billy Kwong. Over the past few years, it's been one of our favourites, and we always go back for two of Kylie Kwong's signature dishes...the Homestyle Fried Biodynamic Eggs with Organic Tamari & Homemade XO and the crispy duck with a sweet syrup and some sort of citrus fruit - sometimes it's blood orange, sometimes normal orange, sometimes mandarin. These two dishes and rice is more than enough for a meal for two.

Homestyle Fried Biodynamic Eggs with Organic Tamari & Homemade XO

We dream about these eggs, they are just too good. You wonder how good eggs can be? I think this is the ultimate egg dish. It's crunchy, spicy and I've never known eggs to taste so silky.

Signature dish of crispy duck with oranges, mandarins or plums
(depending upon the season)
The duck is delightfully crispy with a textured szechuan pepper and salt crusted skin, and the syrup is sweet without being too sickly, with a bit of a tang from the citrus fruit.
This is a dish that must be eaten with rice, to balance out the intensity of the flavours.

3/355 Crown St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
ph: (02) 9332 3300
Opening hours: Daily, 6pm (no reservations, some come early)
www.kyliekwong.org/BillyKwongs.aspx

Chicken & Corn Vol au Vent

2009-11-11T23:19:00.002+11:00

I love cream of chicken and corn soup. The combination of rich, creamy chicken soup with the sweetness of the corn is just gold.

I had to come up with a quick, inexpensive canape for a recent event, and so I experimented with my favourite soup, and it turned out! The recipe is certainly not rocket science, but I'm pretty happy with the results, and I'll pulling this recipe out for many years to come.

Ingredients
1 can of Campbell's Cream of Chicken and Corn condensed soup
1/3 of the soup can's capacity of full cream milk (less if you want a less runnier consistency)
a handful of grated tasty/mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper to season
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 x 12 mini vol au vent shells

Method

Preheat the oven to moderate.
Pour the soup into a large microwave safe bowl.
Pour milk into the empty soup can, up to 1/3 of the can's capacity.
Mix the milk in with the soup.
Throw the mozzarella cheese into the soup mixture and mix well.
Cover and microwave for 1 minute until the cheese is slightly melted. Season to taste.
Spoon the filling into the shells, and then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top.
Bake for 10 minutes or until shells and top are nicely browned.
Enjoy!

Mystery Box Challenge October 2009

2009-11-09T21:59:00.007+11:00

Our friends brought over a whole lot of mystery ingredients and this time it was our turn to cook.

It was a lot harder than I expected, and I used a lot of dishes and pots and pans! But it was really fun, I would definitely do it again (bring it on!). Having said this, we're doing another one this Friday (this time our friends are cooking), so watch this space.

Ingredients were:
sundried tomatoes
red onion
capsicum
chorizo
lamb loin chops
couscous
fetta
pine nuts
turkish bread
hummus
baby spinach
rocket
pumpkin
frozen mixed berries
filo pastry
almond meal
tomatoes
lemons
coriander

The result

Entree:

Toasted turkish squares, rubbed with garlic and topped with
a) hummus, chorizo and wilted baby spinach

b) tomato relish, chorizo and coriander

Main:

BBQ'd lamb chops with a lemon, honey and fennel glaze.
Roasted capsicums filled with couscous seasoned with lemon rind, and mixed with fetta, sundried tomatoes and roasted pumpkin.
Rocket and Parmesan salad with caramelised balsamic vinegar.

Dessert:
Filo pastry topped with a coconut butter sugar mixture, topped with mixed berries.

Filo pastry with a frangipane filling (almond)

Coffee Crème Caramel

2009-11-05T21:50:00.004+11:00

I love crème caramels. I had forgotten how easy it is to make - I can't recall why I stopped making them too often, they are just a really nice simple dessert to make.

The only thing I still have difficulty with is trying to get the custard nicely out of the ramekin, even the tips didn't really help much...any suggestions?

This recipe has only been slightly adapted from Issue 46 of the Donna Hay magazine.

Ingredients
150g caster sugar
80ml water
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup single (pouring) cream
1/4 cup espresso coffee
2 eggs, plus 4 egg yolks
1/3 cup caster sugar, extra
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 150°C.
Place the sugar and water in a saucepan over high heat and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Bring to the boil and cook for 10-12 minutes or until golden.
Pour the caramel into 4 x 3/4 cup capacity oven-proof dishes.
Set aside for 5 mins until caramel is set.
Place the milk, cream and coffee in a saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to the boil. Remove from heat.
Place the eggs, extra yolks, extra sugar and vanilla in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Gradually add the milk mixture.
Place the dishes in a water bath. Bake for 35 minutes until set.
Remove from dish and refrigerate for 2 hours until cold.
Turn out onto plates to serve

Tip: The magazine says to dip the base of each dish into hot water for 10secs before turning out, this will loosen the caramel and help it to slip out more easily.

Black Star Pastry

2009-11-01T23:13:00.001+11:00

This post has been a long time coming. I almost feel it's a shame talking about this place on my blog, because I selfishly want to keep it an inner-west secret. It's definitely a place where locals like to go and have a lovingly created sweet, as well as a pretty decent coffee.

I've also been here for some toast and a coffee, and I love the "help yourself" communal tray of butter, Vegemite and assorted preserves and jams.

Lamb Shank Pie
Eating a stew in a flaky pastry. This is a must have when you have lunch here.

Chicken mayo Sandwich

Chocolate Caramel Tart
I can't believe I finished this tart - it was so rich, and that IS salt on top. But the very short tart shell, the salty sweet caramel and the dark chocolate on top were just perfect in combination.

Turkish fig and Orange Cake
The dried fig was mor decoration, but the Orange Cake was orangey, moist and the icing tangy.

Elderflower cheesecake
It was so pretty we had to have it!
The cheesecake sat on a base of a very thin sponge.
The cheesecake itself was light as a feather. The layer of elderflower jelly was a looking glass to the thinly cut pieces of blueberry and grapes. Best cheesecake I've ever had.

277 Australia St Newtown NSW 2042
ph: (02) 9557 8656
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 7am-5pm

SIFF: Meet 2008’s Best Young Chef for lunch at Lotus

2009-10-31T22:19:00.005+11:00

This post could not wait. We had the most fantastic lunch today at Lotus. The weather was so pleasant (we sat outside), and we just watch the locals go by. I used to work in Potts Point, so sitting outside on Challis Ave brought back some pleasant memories.

Dan Hong, the winner of the Best Young Chef award in the Good Food Guide 2008, hosted a subscriber-only lunch at Lotus bistro on 24 and 31 October. I've been wanting to come here, especially after hearing about his take on the Hot Fudge Sundae. This lunch was a 5 course degustation for $60.

Tartare of NZ King Salmon with sweet wasabi and soy truffle vinaigrette
beautiful fresh flavours - that sweet wasabi cream was subtle, without the usual burning aftertaste of intense wasabi

Caramelized Pork Belly with watermelon, goats curd and endive
The pork belly (2 pieces) was wonderfully sweet, and crispy all over - just the way pork belly was meant to be.
The watermelon was a nice refreshing partner. I'm not usually a fan of goats curd, but this wasn't too overpowering. This was my favourite savoury dish of the day...

Steamed Snapper with jalapeno, crab and ginger
Sweet tender white fleshed fillet, with a gingery sauce, served on a bed of al dente noodles and mushrooms. The jalopeno was nice and spicy surprise.
This was my husband's favourite dish of the day.

Crisp Pastilla of Lamb, quinoa, beetroot puree, spiced lamb jus
I was starting to get full at this point, and I definitely wanted to leave room for dessert. But the lamb inside the Pastilla was lovely and tender - it was like having a rich stew in a spring roll.
The jus was a rich gravy, and the beetroot bright dots on the plate.

Hot Fudge Sundae with honeycomb and raspberries
Ice cream on a bed of berry puree, topped with whipped cream with shards of honeycomb, and dotted with two raspberries. On the side was a thick warm fudge sundae.
Yes, this was the highlight of the meal, and I want to go back there and devour another plate sometime soon.
I love when chefs take a simple classic and take it to another level without over-complicating things.

Here's a shot of the pouring of the fudge sauce...yummm!

22 Challis Ave, Potts Point 2011
ph: (02) 9326 9000
www.merivale.com/lotus/lotus

Sugar Hit: Perama

2009-10-31T21:58:00.005+11:00

Very good value sugar hit, busy and loud atmosphere.
I'd be keen to come back here and try the savoury stuff...

(From top left, clockwise)
1. Patchavoura - Northern Greek slang for wet rag ; a soggy baklava really, not my favourite on the plate, but that's a personal thing. The thing I like about baklava is the crispy pastry.

2. The whole dessert plate

3. Semolina Milk Pudding - A classic from old Constantinople of halva pudding made from milk, almonds, semolina and currants. Served with classic buffalo milk anglaise. This was the sweet of the night - it was delicious, smooth and served warm.

4. Greek Coffee Chocolate Tart - A Greek coffee chocolate mousse cake with a cinnamon shortcrust base.

5. White Chocolate Chamomile Gelato Fingers - Gelato is sandwiched between lemon flavoured shortbreads with a poppy seed sprinkle.

88 Audley St, Petersham NSW 2049
ph: (02) 9569 7534
www.perama.com.au

Flying First Class

2009-10-23T23:10:00.001+11:00

Have you ever wondered what it's like to fly first class? So have I.
We were fortunate enough to do so on the way back from the States.

Here's what it's like to travel on the brand new Qantas A380, and on their sensational new first class. It was absolutely great service

The seat, and it rotates and transforms into a flat bed, that the flight attendants make up for you with a comfortable quilt.

The huge tv, and you can start watching as soon as you get on the plane, without any interruption

Greeted by name, and given a light snack and a drink.

I got to sit and have dinner with my husband in his "suite". They set up the table with a crisp tablecloth and nice cutlery (but plastic knife)
In the shot, is my husband wearing the pyjamas given to all first class passengers, designed by Akira Isogawa.

They take your order like in a restaurant.
You order from a small selection on a printed menu.
Bread roll with olive oil and balsamic

Entree: Cauliflower Soup

Entree: Prosciutto & Rocket Salad

Main Course: Rosemary Chicken

Main Course: Salmon with white beans

T2 Green tea

Dessert: Pear and toffee tart

Dessert: Fruit Salad

Breakfast is served a couple of hours before landing.
Again, I had breakfast with my husband, and they took our orders and
we settled in for a three course breakfast....
Breakfast: Granola

Breakfast: Fruit salad in juice

Breakfast: Croissant

Breakfast: Cinnamon Scroll

Breakfast: Bacon, eggs, potato cakes, toast

Breakfast: Bacon, eggs, potato cakes, toast and relish

The first class experience was sensational, and the new A380 was very very nice. The service was excellent, but I guess it's what you should you expect in first class. Bring on the next trip!

Texas

2009-10-20T08:09:00.000+11:00

This was our last stop in the States. Why Texas? Well, one of our good friends moved here to study, and we'd promised we would visit her. She kindly took us around, and indulged me in my photo taking before meals. Thanks Jenny!

One thing I noticed is that food is quite cheap here. You can get a huge appetizer for $7. Huge meaning, a main-sized meal. Some of the places I went to offered unlimited soft drink refills, or if not, the drinks that came to the table came in a medium bucket. You can be full for a very small cost.

Our friend took us to the Stockyards in Fort Worth, and a Fort Worth institution, Riscky's.

Riscky's
140 E. Exchange Ave, Historic Stockyards in Stockyards Station Fort Worth, Texas 76164
An authentic Texas BBQ restaurant, in a historic setting. And you just have to have BBQ ribs when in Texas...

Riscky's Famous Pork Spare Ribs $10.95
Grade A pork spare ribs rubbed with “Riscky Dust” and smoked for hours over a wood fire and served with Texas toast.
Very different from Hurricane's here, but delicious and smoky.

Riscky's Famous Sliced Beef Brisket Sandwich $6.99

A generous portion of trimmed juicy beef brisket served on a toasted bun.

Texas Mess $7.95
A combination of nuggets of corn, stuffed jalapenos, cheese sticks, and barbequed shrimp.

Babe's Chicken
1006 West Main Carrollton, Texas 75006 (and various other locations)
Comfort food at it's best (as far as my limited knowledge of comfort food goes). This was a favourite of Jenny's friend who has been in Texas for the past decade, and loves food.

I have a colleague who goes on about Southern comfort food and I never really understood what the big deal was, but after trying Babe's, I finally got it, it is absolutely wonderful stuff - fattening - but realllllyy good stuff.

Vegetables and Breads (From top left, clockwise)
Green Salad, Homemade biscuits, beans, Grandma's Corn (creamed corn), mashed potato, gravy (not pictured)

These dishes were unlimited, as much as you wanted.
Once the plate was finished, you could get some more, excellent deal!
And eating the biscuits with honey, so good!

Main Dishes
Each person chooses a meat dish from a selection of Fried Chicken, Chicken Fried Steak, Fried Chicken Tenders, Fried Catfish, Smoked Chicken, Pot Roast and Hickory Smoked Ribs

Chicken Tenders and Fried Chicken

This fried chicken was just so darn good. Better than the best KFC or any kind of fast food fried chicken I've ever had. This is what fried chicken was supposed to taste like!

Smoked Chicken
Smoky, tender chicken, with a tasty marinade.

Banana Pudding
A mushy, custardy banana dessert with a meringue topping.
It was sickly sweet, but apparently a must have when in Texas.

Pineapple Upside-Down Pudding
This was an unexpected delight!
The pineapple cake was served warm, and the cake was moist and the pineapple a tangy accompaniment.

Next Post: First Class Travel!

Las Vegas

2009-10-19T19:59:00.006+11:00

I was surprised at how much I liked Vegas. I do love the movie "Oceans Eleven", but I don't gamble at all; but just the whole vibe of the place, and how everything is just so over-the-top, made me really enjoy our stay here.

One of the best things about Vegas is the heavily subsidised buffets at various hotels. We managed to squeeze two buffet meals in...

The Bellagio
This is supposed to be the best buffet in town, with the weekend gourmet buffet being a popular choice. We weren't here on the weekend, but the regular buffet dinner costs about $28, and this includes unlimited soft drinks and juice - alcoholic drinks are extra.

The best thing about this buffet was the desserts. Creme brulee, creme caramel, tarts, sorbets, chocolate dipped strawberries, caramel bananas....

Check out the vol-au-vent
They have a special station making them, and you can choose the fillings and sauces you want in it. This was a spinach and scallop one.

MGM Grand
We were around this end of the strip during lunchtime, so we thought we'd step in for a lunch buffet. This buffet was pretty good value for a lunch buffet for about $18. It wasn't as complete as the dinner buffet, but the pickings were still good. Pasta, pizza, ribs, some seafood, and same deal of unlimited soft drinks and juice. Oh, and some pretty decent desserts as well!

The funniest thing was that there was a sign where you can sign up for an all day pass to the buffet. That's right, breakfast buffet, lunch buffet and dinner buffet. $33 Mon-Thur and $39 Fri-Sun.

Key Lime Tart

Dinner: Woo
We were staying at the Palazzo, and we got a voucher to use at one of the restaurants in the hotel. It was described as a progressive Chinese restaurant, so kinda Chinese fusion?

Peking Duck Profiteroles
These were slightly disappointing. I think you can't beat the traditional pancake to go with the duck. The duck was more meat than the traditional peking duck (no crispy skin!)

Baby Back Ribs with honey tamarind glaze
This was finger licking good. The ribs were crisp on the outside with a sticky sour glaze.

Stir Fried Scallops in Szechuan Sauce
great scallops, not as spicy as I expected, but a decent stir-fry.
And yes, it was a small portion for a main meal.

Lobster with Thai Basil Chilli Sauce
Tasted similar to the scallops so not very Thai tasting, but the lobster was beautiful. Good produce cooked well. Just not Thai, really.

Next stop, Texas!

San Francisco - Day 2 (Part 3)

2009-10-16T00:41:00.001+11:00

We planned one fine dining experience during our quick trip to the US, and I knew we wouldn't get to go to The French Laundry in the Napa Valley, so we decided on something in the city.

I had read a few good reviews of Jardinière, and I felt it was a safe bet being near the symphony/opera/theatre area of SF.

We rocked up without a reservation, but we came at the right time, as the theater/opera goers were on their way out. Apparently, they offer the full menu at the bar & lounge, which is such a great idea, especially for single diners who would like to enjoy a two or three course meal without the conspicuous empty chair across the table.

Jardinière
300 Grove St, San Francisco, CA, 94102
Excellent service, an elegant dining room. I was not at all disappointed with our experience at this restaurant. The food was sensational, not unlike something you would find at a good fine dining restaurant here in Sydney (like est.). The interesting thing about the restaurant is that they have no specials, because they say the menu changes daily.

Entree: Confit Duck Salad
We decided to share an entree and a dessert. When our entree arrived, it came on two plates - that had split the entree for us! I loved this gesture - they didn't scoff at us for sharing an entree and listened to us when we said we'd share, how lovely!

Main: Short Rib
Sorry about the lack of descriptions - I was remiss in not writing down the menu items, but I can tell you that the meat on this plate was so tender - it literally fell apart on the plate and melted in the mouth.

Main: Pan fried halibut on a bed of bell pepper puree
The fish was lovely, well seasoned, not overcooked, golden brown on top. The puree was this intense capsicum flavour, unexpected but a nice accompaniment to the fish.

Dessert: Dessert platter
Mint creme brulee, opera cake, little lemon tart, vanilla tart, shortbreads, chocolates.
The mint creme brulee was surprising. The soothing flavour of fresh mint in the creamy custard was actually quite nice. It's definitely a recipe to experiment with.

And there is our food adventure in San Francisco!
Next stop: Las Vegas

San Francisco Trip so far:
San Francisco Day 1
San Francisco Day 2 (Part 1)
San Francisco Day 2 (Part 2)

San Francisco - Day 2 (Part 2)

2009-10-15T20:25:00.010+11:00

The Mission district is an eclectic neighbourhood, and still has marks of the Spanish/Mexican influences of the past. The district has heaps of taquerias (taco shops) scattered around the place. About a block away from Tartine, there's a little place called El Toro Tacqueria that I had been told serves very good authentic Mexican food. That's right, tacos that taste nothing like the Old El Paso stuff.

I only had one taco - I had more food adventures for the rest of the day and needed to reserve room in my stomach!

Morning Tea: El Toro Tacqueria
598 Valencia @ 17th St San Francisco
Simple, authentic Mexican, a must try!

A taco with Carnitas (slow roasted pork) with a side of corn chips
The pork meat was delicious, and the salsa was so fresh and tangy.

For more morning tea adventures, we hopped back on a Muni to the Ferry Building. We arrived and to my delight some Farmers' Markets were on outside the Ferry Building. I wished I was staying longer in SF and not in a hotel, so I could buy some fresh produce and actually cook something. Maybe something to do for next time? :)

The Ferry Building is filled with specialty food shops - bread, cheese, delis, patisseries - to name a few. There was a shop that specialised in just mushrooms; it was fascinating to see the different kinds of mushrooms - I had never seen lobster mushrooms before!

But we really only had one destination in mind, a sweet little patisserie called miette.

Morning tea 2: miette
Ferry Building Marketplace, Shop 10, San Francisco CA 94111
This kind of shop makes me giddy with happiness. Is it being around so much sugar? Looking for beautifully crafted cakes, sweets and tarts, this is one place you can't not visit in SF.

I bought some macarons, but the little treat that I indulged in straight away was a vanilla bean panna cotta.

Vanilla panna cotta
It was served in an adorable little jar, with finely diced strawberries on top.
Deliciously smooth and sweet offset by the slight sourness of the strawberries.

After this sweet treat, we headed to Ghirardelli Square for a cupcake treat (yes, another sweet treat!)

Morning tea 3: Kara's Cupcakes
Ghiradelli Square, Plaza Level, 900 North Point, San Francisco, California 94109
A lovely little cupcake store with cupcake flavours such as fleur de sel, chocolate velvet and peanut butter milk chocolate. I opted for a Meyer lemon cupcake, and it had a scoop of lemon curd inside the cupcake. I love anything lemony...

Lunch: Boudin Bakery at Fisherman's Wharf
160 Jefferson St. San Francisco, CA 94133
San Francisco is apparently the home of sourdough. Each loaf of Boudin's sourdough is supposedly started with a portion of the mother dough. The Boudin Bakery was established in 1849, so I was looking forward to trying some of their sourdough.

At their Fisherman's Wharf branch, they actually have a Boudin museum, but it was closed when we were there :(

Crab Cake Sandwich
I guess it's a SF specialty? But I wish they had more crabcakes here in Sydney, these were full of crabmeat and were perfect in lovely airy sourdough, toasted.

Clam Chowder in Sourdough Bread Bowl
We devoured this dish. Not so much clam, and more cream, but it was cool outside, and this warmed us up quite nicely.

After this was a trip to Alcatraz, so we did get some sightseeing done!

Next post: Some fine dining on our last night in SF.

San Francisco Trip so far:
San Francisco Day 1
San Francisco Day 2 (Part 1)

San Francisco - Day 2 (Part 1)

2009-10-12T13:41:00.007+11:00

As I was putting the pictures together, I realised how much we actually did in the two days we were in SF (food-wise, that is). So I will break Day 2 into a few parts.

The next day dawned on us, and it was bright and sunny, but still pretty cool. We went for a short Muni (tram) ride to Alamo Square, to see the houses from the opening sequence of Full House (Olsen twins anyone?). After a quick pic, we hopped on another Muni to the Mission area for some breakfast.

Breakfast: Tartine
600 Guerrero Street San Francisco, CA 94110
Real coffee made with care, great pastries, eclectic setting. I felt at home.
I had read a lot about this place. Tartine is well known for great pastries and cakes, and if you've been reading this blog you know I love a good bakery or pastry shop. At this point of the trip, this may have been one of the highlights because for the first time ever, I had a great coffee in the US. A cafe latte in a bowl - divine.

Chocolate Croissant and a Morning Roll (orange and cinnamon)
The morning roll is reminiscent of a orange and cinnamon roll I've had at Sonoma in Waterloo. This was delicious, and I felt transported back to Sydney. It's funny how you end up eating at different places in the world and the good stuff is something that reminds you of home...

Just for observation (didn't actually try)
Lemon Cream Tarts and a Banana Cream Tarts

left: Lemon Meringue Cake (genoise, caramel, lemon cream, meringue)
right: Coconut Passion fruit Bavarian (genoise, passion fruit and lime)

Next - some authentic mexican food!

San Francisco Trip so far:
San Francisco Day 1

San Francisco - Day 1

2009-10-07T21:35:00.009+11:00

We only had 2 days in San Francisco, and in between the usual attractions of Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf and Union Square, we managed to slot in quite a few food adventures. So here goes!

Lunchtime stop: In-n-Out Burger
Cheap, decent burgers.
Forget about the chips (tragic).
Free refills, get a small drink.
We arrived around lunchtime, and our first stop was Fisherman's Wharf for what I've been told is a Californian icon, the In-n-Out Burger. Reviews tell me that this place was what McDonald's might have been like 50 years ago.

My husband got the Double-Double - double meat double cheese burger and I got a regular cheeseburger. It wasn't the best burger, but for $2.35 for a good-size burger, I'm not complaining at all!

Coffee stop: Peet's Coffee & Tea
Tasted like instant, and milk was NOT frothed with love. Yes, I have arrived in America.
By 4pm, we were feeling the lack of sleep and the loss of a day from the flight over here. Peet's Coffee & Tea is everywhere in SF - it has more of a presence here than Starbucks. It won this poll for the best coffee in SF, so I was hopeful, and excited at the thought of caffeine running through my veins.

I am forever the optimist. Except when it comes to American coffee.

Dinnertime: The Cheesecake Factory
The most extensive menu I've ever seen
Efficient service, delicious complimentary bread and massive servings.
Do share the dishes...I repeat, they are MASSIVE.
Plenty of people from the office often travel to the States and when they come back, they rave on about the Cheesecake Factory. They talk about the menu, how wide and varied it is, how huge the servings are, and how they wouldn't hesitate to go back there again. I was sold.

Appetizer: Crab bites

Mini crab cake bites, crumbed, deep-fried, delicious!

Main meal: BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

Slow Roasted Pork Covered with Our B.B.Q. Sauce on a Brioche Bun.
Served with Cole Slaw, and French Fries.
This is the most beautiful meat sandwich ever.
And the sauce is just like the basting you get at Hurricane's here in Sydney.
I wish they did something like this here.

Salad: Caesar Salad

A massive Caesar salad, with no bacon (sadly) and a dressing that was made to ward off vampires - it was so garlic-y....

And herein lies our first day in SF. More food adventures in SF coming up!

Coles Butter Chicken

2009-10-06T00:26:00.003+11:00

I couldn't believe it when I walked into a Coles and saw fresh naan being made in the middle of the store. They were giving out samples of butter chicken and freshly made naan (heaven).

It WAS heaven, especially as the butter chicken was one of the best I've had. I say this incredulously, as I found myself licking the sample cup as I went around the store going about my business.

Needless to say, before I went to the checkout, I picked up a container of butter chicken ($8.50) for dinner, along with a $3 container of fragrant basmati rice. Oh, and I scored some beef vindaloo for $1.95 (on special).

Chuck in so 99c pampadums, and you've got yourself a meal for two for under $15!

I want....KeepCup

2009-10-02T18:57:00.004+10:00

This is so cool! For all you coffee drinkers out there, could this be a new funky alternative to those yucky metal coffee cups?

Small cup is $10.20
Medium cup is $12.20
Large cup is $14.20

Check it out here.
http://www.keepcup.com.au

(If anyone wants to order with me, email me on food4two@gmail.com).

Back in town

2009-09-29T17:52:00.003+10:00

Hey everyone, sorry for the lack of posts, but I'm back in town, but now I'm feeling a bit under the weather, so please be patient with me and continue to check back.

I have a whole lot of posts but here's a little taste of our trip - we had a great time and had lots of interesting food adventures.

Here's a beautiful vanilla panna cotta from miette, a lovely little patisserie in San Francisco.

Conclusion is still that Sydney has the best food....it's good to be home!

Out of town

2009-09-13T18:48:00.001+10:00

We'll be out of town for the next 10 days, but the food adventures will not end...off to the US and I have a comprehensive list of places to visit...stay tuned!

Sideways Deli Cafe, Dulwich Hill

2009-09-11T16:36:00.004+10:00

Good food, great choc-hazelnut cake, lovely service, all you want in a local cafe

This was an unexpected delight for many reasons. I sat down to a table with an old friend I was catching up with, and was greeted by the waitress - who was a girl I went to high school with! This girl and her sister own this excellent local cafe - I'd be very happy to call this my local if I lived in Dulwich Hill.

Second delight was the food. I got to try my friend's Corn Fritters with Haloumi, which was a fantastic combination with a tomato relish (I love tomato relish). I ordered the Lamb Moussaka (coz I was starving), a warm, hearty dish with a satisfyingly, creamy bechamel. I'm not usually a big fan of thyme, but in this moussaka, it was actually really good!

The highlight of the meal was the Chocolate Hazelnut Cake. I closed my eyes in delight when I took the first bite. I think I'll be back.

37 Constitution Rd, Dulwich Hill NSW 2033
http://www.sidewaysdelicafe.com.au
phone: (02) 9560 1425
hours: Daily, 8.00am - 5.00pm

My Family Feast on SBS

2009-09-10T19:41:00.003+10:00

Currently watching My Family Feast on SBS One. Thursdays at 7.30pm....finally a good show on Thursday!

Tonight - The Chinese
Next week - The Mandeaen Iraqis
24 Sep - The Vietnamese
1 Oct - The Cubans
8 Oct - The Burmese Kachin

How did you find tonight's show? If you missed it, you can watch the episode online here.
http://www.sbs.com.au/shows/myfamilyfeast/listings/page/i/1/h/Episodes/

Cheat's Sausage Rolls

2009-09-10T14:53:00.000+10:00

This was a hard post to write. I'm staring at the picture attached to this post and it's making me hungry.

This is a recipe I pull out when:
a. I have nothing organised for dinner after a long day at work; and
b. Have all the ingredients in the pantry.

The secret ingredient is SPAM. You don't need to worry about having pork mince in the fridge/freezer, SPAM fits nicely in the pantry for a very long time. This feeds 2 hungry people, or can be a nice snack for a handful of people.

Ingredients:
1 can of SPAM
1 piece of bread
1/4 cup of milk
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
salt and pepper to season
3 sheets of puff pastry

Method:

Preheat the oven at 180°C. Line a couple of baking trays with greaseproof paper.
Lay out the puff pastry sheets to defrost.
Open the SPAM into a mixing bowl, and mash up with a potato masher until meat is roughly minced.
Soak bread in the milk and combine with the SPAM and the egg until evenly mixed.
Add nutmeg, then season with salt and pepper.
Place 1/3 of the mixture on each pastry sheet, about 3cm from the edge.
Fold over the pastry to enclose the filling, ensuring the roll is well sealed, then cut off excess pastry.
Make shallow, diagonal marks on each roll, then cut each roll into 5 pieces and place on lined baking trays.
Whisk the egg yolk and a dash of milk, and glaze each sausage roll.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until pastry is puffed and browned.
Makes 15 pieces.

Brasserie Bread (visit no.2)

2009-09-03T08:55:00.000+10:00

from top left (clockwise)
Croque Monsieur
ham, cheese, melted, toasted. Delish!

Raspberry & Pistachio Friand
I've had this at another cafe, and it isn't my favourite friand. Definitely prefer the orange and hazelnut cake.

Apple and sultana pastry
I took this home, heated it in the oven and ate it with some ice cream. Flaky pastry perfection, that's all I can say.

Tasmanian Smoked Trout with Cucumber Salad on Rye bread
I didn't have this one, but my colleague assured it was very refreshing. It was quite small as a portion, so I wouldn't order this if I was starving....

See previous visit here: http://food-4-two.blogspot.com/2009/07/brasserie-bread.html

1737 Botany Road, Banksmeadow, 2019
phone: 1300 966 845
hours: Mon-Fri 7.00am to 3.00pm, Sat-Sun 8.00am to 2.00pm, Public Holiday - Closed
http://www.brasseriebread.com.au

Pasticceria Tamborrino

2009-09-02T08:27:00.001+10:00

I love Italian sweets. What I love even more is mini Italian sweets. I like that this authentic Italian pasticceria makes two sizes of some of their sweets - cannoli, tarts, etc. They also sell some beautiful biscuits by the kilo. I'm thinking of my next visit as I write...

Me and a friend started our brunch with the savoury stuff, and continued with lots of sweet stuff....

Arancini:
Chicken and mushroom (top left and bottom right)

Spinach and ricotta (top right and bottom left)

Bolognese (bottom centre)

Sweet things:
Ricotta cannoli, hazelnut meringues, strawberry tarts, various biscuits including a hazelnut meal biscuit and a honey almond biscuit.

Also, stumbled upon a great deli a few doors away called Ranieri's Deli. Stock up on your Parmesan cheese here!

Pasticceria Tamborrino

75 Great North Rd, Five Dock, NSW 2046
Phone:(02) 9712 1461

Ranieri's Deli
97 Great North Rd, Five Dock, NSW 2046
Phone:(02) 9712 6886

Campos Decaf

2009-09-01T23:33:00.006+10:00

Sometimes, we long for a second cup of coffee in the afternoon/evening sans the consequences later on. I heard from someone that the Campos Decaf was quite decent - that it doesn't taste like "Decaf" and has a satisfying "Caf" taste.

That someone was absolutely right.

This is a very happy medium for afternoon/evening cravings...

Campos Coffee
193 Missenden Rd, Newtown NSW 2042
phone: (02) 9516 3361
www.camposcoffee.com
hours: Mon-Fri 7.00am-4.00pm; Sat 8.00am-5.00pm

Assiette

2009-08-31T21:47:00.010+10:00

Sensational value, beautiful flavours for a very reasonable $30 for 3 courses on Fridays, lunchtime only.

If you ever get a chance to do this on a Friday for lunch, it's well worth it. We were lucky enough to get in a last minute booking for their second sitting at 1.30pm. You can order from their normal a la carte menu, but most diners are there for the $30 special. You get a choice of two entrees, two mains and two desserts, so between the two of you, you can try the whole special menu. They are degustation-sized courses, so if you're expecting a full feed, you may be disappointed, but hubby and I were well-satisfied.

Entrée
Curried parsnip veloute with crispy onion bjahi
I thought I was getting the lesser of the two entrees, but I was pleased that I got this one, it was sensational! The veloute was nice, smooth and creamy, and the curry was so subtle. And the crispy onion....salty, crunchy yum! (we ended up going halves on the entree because we agreed this was the better choice).

Cured salmon with beetroot duxelle and dill sour cream
It wasn't a terrible entree. The flavours were nice and fresh, and the dill sour cream accompanied the salmon so very well. But the veloute was so unexpectedly lovely, that it was the dish we fought over...

Main
Roast chicken thigh with soft polenta and field mushrooms
The roast chicken was wonderfully crispy on the top, and the meat tender inside. It was just a very good roast chicken - how do you get it so crisp without deep-frying? The polenta was ok, maybe because we're not big fans of it...

Butternut pumpkin risotto with garlic prawns and candied pumpkin seeds
I was very happy with my pick of the mains. It was just a great example of the importance of good produce (prawns) cooked simply. The risotto was nice and buttery with the sweetness of the pumpkin coming through.

Dessert
Crème Caramel with grapes, raisins and pinenuts
Smooth, creamy crème caramel with a mystery nutty ice cream. Presentation was beautiful. Husband was carefully guarding this dessert...

Strawberry Eton Mess
Meringue, cream, strawberries is just a magic combination. I don't care how simple this is, I can't go past this dessert. It was one of the better versions I've had (another good version was at Cafe Sopra). And the extra scoop of raspberry sorbet, melting into the dessert? Genius!

48 Albion Street, Surry Hills, Sydney
phone: (02) 9212 7979
http://www.restaurantassiette.com.au/
hours: Tue-Sat from 6pm, Fri 12.00pm - 3.00pm

Tiramisu Challenge

2009-08-28T08:49:00.000+10:00

Someone claimed that they could make the best tiramisu. As I've said, I work with several Italians who would claim such a thing. The gauntlet was thrown, a challenge issued, and the inaugural Tiramisu Challenge was created.

Five challengers; three of those Italian who are seasoned Tiramisu chefs, the other two non-Italians, never having made Tiramisu before. Three judges, and of course, a people's choice award.

These are the results of their efforts.

(Clockwise from top left; A, B, C, F, E, D)

A. Italian
B. Non-Italian
C. Italian
D. Italian (winner Judge's choice). The secret? He did not use mascarpone...mmh?
E. Non-Italian (winner of the People's Choice award)
F. Non-Italian, from the Shire, non-homemade, disqualified!

The rest of us tasters were completely stuffed with Tiramisu the whole day!

Now, any suggestions for the next challenge?

Sticky Date Pudding

2009-08-26T08:23:00.012+10:00

I've tried a few recipes in the past (some dry, some ok), but now I think I've finally found the best sticky date pudding recipe.

This is taken from http://www.taste.com.au/. If you want to read other comments on this recipe click here, but I've modified the original recipe a bit, but only very slightly and I've increased the measurements for the sauce. I think you can never have too much of the butterscotch sauce, and it sucks when you make the cake and find you've run out of the sauce...

The recipe serves 8, but what I've done is freeze* the leftover cake for a rainy day. I also baked the batter in a lined rectangular tin, which makes for easier serving and apportioning of the cake later on.

Ingredients
250g pitted dates, chopped
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 cups boiling water
125g butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsps vanilla extract 2 eggs
1 3/4 cups White Wings Self-Raising Flour, sifted

Butterscotch sauce
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
450ml thickened cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
90g butter

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 23 x 30cm cake tin.
Place dates and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Pour over boiling water.
Allow to stand for 20 minutes.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Using a large metal spoon, fold through date mixture and flour until well combined.
Spoon mixture into prepared cake pan.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Turn onto a plate.
Make sauce
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat.
Cook, stirring often, until sauce comes to the boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Serve warm cake with the sauce, and a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.

*Note: To freeze, slice up the cake, and wrap in baking paper, then in aluminium foil. Then put in a freezer bag. I wouldn't freeze the butterscotch sauce, so let that be a consideration when you're making a portion of the sauce.

Current Blend: Toby's Estate Sustainability Blend

2009-08-25T10:42:00.001+10:00

Now we are armed with a new non-pressurised basket for my Sunbeam EM4800C coffee machine, we're looking forward to making better tasting coffees for many years to come.

We've just finished our Crave beans (Espresso Blend), which we were quite happy with.

We are now currently using the Toby's Estate Sustainability Blend, which has been proving quite strong but we're getting that satisfying caramel aftertaste (yeah to the new basket for making non-fake crema!).

Burgerfuel versus Burgerlicious

2009-08-24T13:25:00.015+10:00

I'm glad this blog post came out in the smh. It was timed nicely, as I recently had a conversation with someone about which burger place was better - Burgerfuel or Burgerlicious.

Having not tried Burgerlicious at the time of the conversation, I could say nothing but what I knew - that Burgerfuel made the best burgers in Newtown.

After having tried Burgerlicious, I can now say what I know - that Burgerfuel make the best burgers in Newtown!

I apologise in advance for the pictures - but believe me, the burgers are good!

Cheeseburger from Burgerlicious
Bun was mediocre, cheese was not melted. Meat was ok, but what was disappointing was the sauce - it was just regular tomato sauce and mustard. Nothing wrong with these two sauces, but when you're paying more than $5 for a burger...

Hamburgini from Burgerfuel
A nice light meal, flavoursome beef patty, cheese melted, toasted bun, tomato relish. YUM!

Classic burger from Burgerlicious
Same issues as the cheeseburger. Will not be in a rush to go back.

Fuel Burger from Burgerfuel
Bigger beef patty, tomato relish, fresh ingredients, toasted bun. Comes with beetroot. I think the toasted bun with the sesame seeds on top just makes the burger.

Kumera chips with aioli from Burgerfuel

I'll only bother giving you the details for Burgerfuel...it's definitely worth a visit!

172 King St, Newtown NSW 2042
phone:(02) 9519 4700
hours: Sun-Thu 11.00am-10.00pm, Fri-Sat 11.00am-11.00pm

Pempek Clovelly

2009-08-21T16:50:00.001+10:00

I must admit this dish is an acquired taste. When I first had it (not here), it didn't quite take, but maybe it was because I didn't have a very good one.

I'm talking about Indonesian deep fried fish cakes. I mean, they're deep fried, so that's a good start right?

At Pempek Clovelly, that make all kinds of shapes of fish cakes. Fish cakes with boiled eggs in the middle, long fish cakes, flat fish cakes, fish cake balls, the list goes on.

My favourites are the long fish cakes (Pempek Panjang) and fish skin fish cakes (Pempek Kulit). Noodles and vermicelli are an optional extra and I'd recommend having them with the dish.

The fish cakes are served with a sweetish sour sauce. It's a unique flavour, made with Indonesian palm sugar and tamarind.

The fish cakes are $2.50 each, except for the one with the egg, which is more expensive. Three $2.50 fish cakes is enough for a good meal.

(Also, if you can ask for them to put the fish cakes on a separate plate, it's even better (to avoid soggyness) - but if you're not so particular...)

The service can be a bit gruff, and you're definitely not there for the ambiance, but it's all about the food. Only gripe is that it closes so early, 8.00pm!

198 Anzac Pde, Kensington NSW 2033
phone: (02) 9697 0009
hours: Mon-Fri 12.00pm - 8.00pm, Thursday closed, Sat-Sun 11.00am - 8.00pm

2-minute snacks : Parmesan Crisps

2009-08-17T14:35:00.006+10:00

This is one of my favourite snacks - it's quick, it's easy, it's inexpensive.

You will need:

finely grated Parmesan cheese
(the pre-grated Parmesan you can get at Coles is fine as well)
baking paper
optional: cracked pepper

Method:

Sprinkle a thin layer of grated Parmesan onto a small piece of baking paper.
Optional: Season with some cracked pepper if you like.
Place the baking paper and cheese in the microwave.
Turn the microwave on high for 90 seconds.
Take out of the microwave and leave to cool for 30 seconds.
The result should be a crispy Parmesan disc. Break into small pieces and enjoy!

Parmesan Crisp
Parmesan and cracked pepper crisp

Mystery Box Challenge August 2009

2009-08-17T00:08:00.006+10:00

Four people for dinner. Two people cooking (and it's not me or my husband!).

I buy the ingredients, and my friends come over and cook - I think it's a pretty good deal. don't you think?

The ingredients are (from top left, clockwise):
hazelnuts, truss cherry tomatoes, sweet potato, fresh cherries, passionfruit pulp, dark chocolate, chicken thighs, scallops, leek, parsley, thickened cream, fresh pappardelle.

The process:
It took about an hour for the main meal, and half an hour for the cake. (very impressed!)
The result:
Main
Creamy leek sauce, poured over the fresh pappardelle. Sweet potatoes were fried off, and scallops and chicken thighs well browned. The truss tomatoes were slow-roasted in the oven, and this made the tomatoes deliciously sweet and soft. They were artistically placed on top of the pasta dish. Great presentation!

Dessert:
Chocolate torte with cherries and hazelnuts, drizzled with a passionfruit cream and vanilla ice cream. The hazelnuts that were placed on top of the cake ended up being nice and toasted in the oven.

The least we could do was wash the dishes. Well done, girls - it was an absolutely delicious meal!

bills Surry Hills

2009-08-15T16:18:00.006+10:00

I picked up a travel guide for Sydney and was curious to see where the guide recommended to eat around the traps. I've had some mediocre experiences with recommendations from travel guides - I ate at very average "highly recommended" places in Venice (Italy), Arrowtown (NZ) and Christchurch (NZ).

I do agree with this one recommendation for Sydney though. It's an oldie, but a goodie - bills. My brother and his wife kindly took me out for lunch one day....

We share three dishes amongst three people. I must admit that I haven't managed to get past ordering at least two out of three of these dishes when I go to bills, because;
1. they're iconic and characteristic of bills and
2. they are always consistently very very good!

From the top left (clockwise):
Ricotta hotcakes with fresh banana and honeycomb butter $16.60
fluffy, soft, almost cakey hotcakes, with the not-as-sweet-as-you-would-think honeycomb butter. I must admit that I've come to bills just to get this for dessert (yes you can and it's cheaper, but for a smaller portion)

Sweet corn fritters with roast tomato, spinach and bacon $17.50
corn kernels fresh off the cob, in a crispy fritter with a really nice avocado salsa.

Hot chocolate with Callebaut $4.00
See those little chocolate bits? You mix it with the hot milk and ta-da, there's your rich, dark, hot chocolate.

Sunrise Drink $5.00 (small)
mix of orange juice, banana, yoghurt and berries

Scrambled organic eggs with sourdough toast with a side of bacon $12.80 (plus $4.50 bacon)
The best scrambled eggs in Sydney. Super creamy, soft - never overcooked. Served with sourdough toast you can slather with good quality butter - ok, I should stop here!

It is a Sydney breakfast/brunch/lunch must. Avoid coming here for Saturday brunch - be prepared for a long wait.

359 Crown Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
phone: (02) 9360 4762
http://www.bills.com.au/restaurants/surry.htm
hours: daily 7.00am to 10.00pm

Toby's Estate Coffee & Tea

2009-08-13T08:38:00.007+10:00

My favourite thing to do is to go out and have a good breakfast (most often ends up brunch really!). It doesn't have to be a particularly big breakfast, but it must be a good, quality breakfast. And coffee is a must.

Toby's Estate in Chippendale is one of my favourite breakfast cafes. Not only is the coffee always spot on, but they have a great range of breakfast items. Watch out for their specials on the blackboard.

Special: French Toast with Berries and Bacon $11
Look at those massive chunks of french toast drizzled with maple syrup! This has got to be the best french toast I've ever had. The waitstaff tell me they use ciabatta for the french toast, unusual but perfect. Served with a berry compote and crispy bacon on the side, and a sea of maple syrup.

Scrambled eggs with bacon, roast tomato served with toast $11
Creamy folded layers of scrambled eggs, sourdough toast, crispy bacon. This is a good old-fashioned breakfast done well.

Piccolo latte $3
I love the taste of their roast. It's strong, and the crema provides a nice toasty, caremelly flavour.

Other favourites (all under $10):
Sourdough toast with avocado, tomato and basil
Sour cherry toast with a side of ricotta and honey

On a side note, I have great success in making good coffees at home using their beans. I take their Broadway Blend ($11 for 250g).

32-36 City Rd, Chippendale NSW 2008
phone: (02) 9211 1459
www.tobysestate.com.au
hours: weekdays 7.00am-4.00pm; weekends 8.00am-4.00pm

Mamak (supper)

2009-08-10T22:24:00.001+10:00

There are not many Asian places I like to go to to have dessert. About a decade ago, I used to be excited about getting some pearl milk tea - now easyway is around almost every corner, and Tea Inn at Kingsford isn't really up to scratch anymore.

I am so glad that Mamak is open til 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. There is nothing like a sweet Roti Tisu (sweet, thin, crispy) with vanilla ice cream, and a side of condensed milk (thanks to chocolatesuze for the tip!) to satisfy a late night sweet craving.

What we had that night..:
Roti Tisu $9
What else can I say? I always have it when I come here and it's also so fun to eat!

Teh Halia $3.50 - Teh tarik with a hint of ginger
The ginger is subtle, and you feel the warmth of the ginger at the back of your throat as you swallow. Perfect for a cold winter's night.

Milo tarik $3.50 - Malaysia's hot chocolate
Just milo, you say? I say definitely worth the $3.50 - better than some average hot chocolates I've had in some dodgy cafes across Sydney.

15 Goulburn Street, Haymarket Sydney 2000
phone: (02) 9211 1668
hours: Open daily, 11.30am - 2.30pm, 5.30pm - 9.30pm, Supper to 2am on Friday & Saturday
www.mamak.com.au

Coffee & Ladyfingers

2009-08-07T20:15:00.000+10:00

I work with a lot of people who enjoy food, whether it's cooking it or consuming it. It makes life at work a lot more pleasant when you all share the same interests!

Within this group of people at work are a bunch of Italians that are passionate not just about any food, but are also passionate about what is "good" Italian food and what is "not good" Italian food, and what we non-Italians do to ruin good old Italian ingredients and recipes. (apparently Parmesan on seafood is a no-no?)

Here's one of the practices that apparently all Italians do (a practice that they've kindly shared with me and I have quickly adopted!).

Some nice ladyfingers (this brand is apparently especially good for making Tiramisu) dunked in your morning/afternoon coffee. Yum!

A big pack of Sweet Italy Ladyfingers are $3.99 at the Haberfield IGA.

(The packet of biscuits in the picture may never make it into a Tiramisu, but will make themselves into many cups of coffee in the near future!)

Sydney Food Awards

2009-08-06T20:56:00.008+10:00

Time Out Sydney has just published their Sydney Food Awards. They've done a great job!

Here are the ones I can comment on:

Restaurant of the Year : Marque, Surry Hills
Do I agree? I've never been but I've heard from people who have and they haven't been inclined to go back. So although it's a good deal on Fridays (3 courses for $45) are we saying it's nice because it's a much-lauded restaurant? Jury's still out on this but happy to be proven wrong.

Where is Restaurant Balzac on the list? Even though it's not a 3-hat restaurant, I think the food and service is sensational.

Glad to see Est. made it on the list (no.7). I still think of the passionfruit soufflé I had there many many moons ago...

Best Cafe: Cafe Sopra, Waterloo
I do like this place. I think they are one of the best users of seasonal ingredients (advantage of being situated on top of Fratelli Fresh). Get in early (before 12noon), I agree with the review. Must have their battered zucchini flowers stuffed with four cheeses, penne bolognese and their tiramisu made with panettone.

Bitton Gourmet Cafe, Alexandria
Bitton didn't make it on any list, but it's my pick as a great cafe. They serve good Grinders coffee, and a great one pan bacon and eggs. Must try their crepes with orange jelly - it's a small serving but deliciously buttery. They also do a great dinner service on Wed-Fri evenings for $20/main meal. (the garlic bread is a must!)

Best Burger: Rockpool Bar and Grill
Would you really spend $22 on a burger, even if there is wagyu in it? I don't think I could convince my husband to shell out that much for a burger. I definitely think Plan B by Bécasse, should be no.1!

Best Cheap Eat: Black Star Pastry, Newtown
This is a nice cafe. Fantastic coffee, unusual cakes & pastries. But is it the Best Cheap Eat?
Bring on the Bourke St Bakery Pork and Fennel roll (which does get a mention in Best Patisseries) or Chicken Roll from Hong Ha, Mascot($4 or $5 with a drink). Great spring rolls there as well! Or $6 Thai in Newtown....

Glad to see Mamak on the list. I crave Roti Tisu.

Best Thai: Spice I Am Surry Hills
Yes, yes yes! I definitely agree with this one. There are some dishes here that I haven't seen at any other Thai restaurant in Sydney (Basil Crispy Pork Belly, the fermented vermicelli noodles), but even the regular things (red curries, pad thai, green papaya salad) are done extremely well here. Around the corner from the popular one-hatted Longrain, and given the choice between the two, I would choose Spice I Am any day.

Best Yum Cha: Fisherman's Wharf, Pyrmont
I haven't been here, although I've passed by it and been curious.
Without having tried this restaurant, my favourite yum cha has to be Fook Yuen in Chatswood. The only Yum Cha I know that does has trolleys of "beer" as "dish" to be stamped on your card.

Best Desserts: Universal, Darlinghurst
I haven't been here, so I can't comment, but I've heard good things about it.
Again, without having tried this restaurant, my favourite dessert is the bread and butter pudding at Restaurant Balzac. I love the fact that the top of the pudding comes to the table slightly brûléed.

Longrain's banana fritters with palm sugar ice cream is just too good. I have come to Longrain just to share the dessert platter (with 2 or more people!). Glad to see it on the list as a runner up.

Sweet Potato Chips

2009-08-06T19:55:00.008+10:00

These are the best chips, so easy to make, but it does require deep-frying. It won't work if you put the sweet potato strips in the oven - you will never get that level of crispness you get from frying in a wok full of oil!

I served it with a wasabi dill dip.

Ingredients:
Chips
1 medium sized sweet potato
canola/vegetable oil for deep frying

Dipping sauce
3/4 cup whole egg mayonnaise
1 tsp wasabi
2 tsp chopped dill
1 tb lemon juice
salt & pepper to season

Method:

Heat up the oil in a wok.
Used a good vegetable peeler and peel sweet potato into thin strips.
Fry the strips in the oil.
Drain the fried potato strips well on paper towels.
Mix the dip ingredients, and serve with the chips.
Enjoy!

Donna Hay Issue 46, Aug/Sep 2009

2009-08-04T21:26:00.005+10:00

The latest Donna Hay magazine is fantastic.

I was flicking through it today, and it's great for a couple of reasons:

It's answered some questions I've had in my head recently:

How much gelatine powder do I need to replace gelatine leaves? (pg 71)
What's the best use of dried porcini mushrooms? (pg 67)
How to best make choc top ice creams (pg 70)

More than three recipes I'd like to try and I think are quite do-able (which is unusual), like..:

roasted haloumi, bacon and tomato salad (pg 45)
step-by-step creme caramel (pg 52), and variations
salt and pepper quail (pg 96)
roasted parsley lamb with cream potato gratin (pg 122)
crispy seafood with herb dipping sauce (pg 122)
honeycomb soufflés (pg 138)

As a disclaimer, I don't work for donna hay, or am in anyway affiliated with the publication.

Check it out, this issue has got to be one of their best. Watch this space because I'll let you know how the recipes turn out!

Sweet Pork Noodle Soup

2009-08-03T18:49:00.002+10:00

This is a dish my mother-in-law made for us when she came over for dinner one time. It was so tasty and simple to make that I have replicated this dish many times over. It's especially good to make for large groups of people, but here's the recipe for two. The recipe is something I've sort of made up according to what I think it should taste like.

The pork mince should turn out sweet (mostly from the kecap manis), with a good dose of ginger and garlic.

Ingredients:
1 tbs peanut/vegetable oil
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 tbs diced/grated ginger
400g pork mince
5 tbs kecap manis**
1 tbs oyster sauce
1 tbs shiau xing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
2 tsp brown sugar
1 packet thin egg noodles*
1 cup chicken stock
sesame oil
2 shallots for a garnish
2 tbs light soy sauce

Method:
Pork mince

Put oil, garlic and ginger in a cold frying pan and put on medium heat. Fry garlic and ginger until fragrant, but not browned.
Add the pork mince to the pan and fry mince until cooked through.
Add the shiau xing wine, then the kecap manis, oyster sauce and brown sugar and simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste (I like to add quite a bit of white pepper).

Chicken soup

You can make your own chicken broth from scratch, which I like to do but you can just as easily heat up 1 cup of chicken stock and season to taste.
Add a dash of sesame oil for a smoky flavour to the broth.

Assembly:

Cook the noodles* according to the instructions on the packet.
Place 1 tbs light soy sauce and a dash of sesame oil in the bottom of each bowl.
Place a portion of noodles in each bowl and mix through.
Place a few tablespoons of the pork mince mixture on top of the noodles. Garnish with some shallots cut on the diagonal.
Pour a bit of chicken broth over the noodle and mince, just to moisten the dish.
(note: There shouldn't be too much soup in the bowl!). Just enough soup to soak up some of the sauces in the mince and make a tasty soup.
Enjoy!

*Don't worry if you can't make it to the Asian grocery store for egg noodles - you can find some egg noodles or something similar near the fresh pasta in of your local Coles/Woolies.

** Below is my kecap manis of choice. The ABC brand is fine, but if you can find this brand it's worth getting.

Newtown Thai

2009-08-01T00:25:00.004+10:00

There are heaps of Thai restaurants down King St, and a few who offer $6 lunch specials. Thai La Ong, Thai La Ong 2, Thai Times 9, Newtown Thai & Newtown Thai 2 to name a few.

There's only one that's worth mentioning today, and that's Newtown Thai -not Newtown Thai 2, but Newtown Thai (full stop). They make the best Pad See Ew I've ever had (yes, big call), and for $6, it's pretty unbeatable value.

Pad See Ew $6 (Lunch Special)
Wide, flat noodles stir fried in a sweet, brown sauce, with your choice of beef/chicken/pork/tofu. My husband chooses pork, I choose beef (to ensure that they don't just cook one big batch and divide it in two - quality control!).

One of the best things about this dish is that the green vegetables that come in this pad see ew are vibrantly green and deliciously crisp. I usually finish other noodle dishes with a small pile of the limp green veges on one side of the plate, but not with this noodle dish.

Also, it's served with a mystery black powder on the top. Is it a type of pepper? Don't know, but it sure makes it taste good.

177 King St, Newtown 2042 NSW
phone: (02) 9557 2425
hours: Open daily 11.30am-3.00pm, 5.30pm-11.00pm

Kingsford Chinese Restaurant

2009-07-30T23:07:00.004+10:00

Cheap, fast, tasty Chinese food. It is no-nonsense service here, heck, I'm being nice - the service is quite abrupt, bordering on rude. But I can't seem to stop myself from coming back, the food is just too good. You're usually not there for too long anyway, the service is fast and the food comes out promptly.

Salt & Pepper Calamari with Rice $7.70
This combination is not on the menu, but you can ask for it and they'll do it for you. You get a mound of rice with a generous portion of salt and pepper calamari.

On this day we weren't very hungry so we decided to share the rice that came with this dish to go with the other dish we ordered as well.

The salt and pepper calamari is the best I've had in any Chinese restaurant. Let me know if you know any other place that does it better and for the same price!

Shantung Chicken $11.00
The skin of the chicken is crispy, and the whole dish is drenched in a sweet, vinegary sauce. It's topped generously with garlic and shallots. The crispy, sweet, sourness of this dish makes it a winner.

426 Anzac Pde, Kingsford NSW 2032
phone: (02) 9663 1728
hours: Open daily, 11.00am-11.00pm

Lamb Shanks

2009-07-29T21:35:00.002+10:00

Culturally, lamb shanks just never made it to the dinner table when I was growing up. We went to our neighbour's place for dinner a few months ago, and she cooked this sensational dish of lamb shanks with a sauce that had a lovely balance of sweet and sour flavours (not quite like the Chinese sweet and sour dishes, but close to it.)

Susan was kind enough to impart the recipe to me, so here it is. It's so easy to make - less than 15 minutes of prep and cooking (outside the oven), and ~2.5-3 hours of cooking in the oven.

Ingredients:
2 lamb shanks (frenched if possible)
2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 tsp cumin seeds
400g can chopped tomatos
3/4 cup vegetable stock
3 tbsp honey
1/4 cup lemon juice

Method:

Preheat oven to 160°C.
Brush lamb shanks with oil. Preheat a pan until moderately hot and brown lamb well. Transfer to a large casserole dish.

Add oil to pan with onion and cumin. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, stock, honey and juice. Bring to boil then spoon mixture over lamb.

Cover the the casserole dish tightly and cook for around 2.5 to 3 hours, until lamb is falling off the bone.

Double Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding

2009-07-28T22:23:00.006+10:00

I've been having a lot of chocolate self-saucing puddings this year, I don't know why - there's just been a sudden influx of puddings! It's a perfect dish for winter, with a big scoop of Blue Ribbon, vanilla ice cream on the side. I also love the fact that there are no eggs in this recipe, which leaves the dry ingredients that should be staples in your pantry already.

This recipe serves two, adapted from a recipe from Super Food Ideas (June 2009) by Kim Coverdale.

Ingredients:
Cake mixture
40g butter, chopped
1/3 cup milk
6 tbs caster sugar
1/2 cup self-raising flour
2 tbs cocoa powder
50g white chocolate, roughly chopped

Sauce mixture
2 tsp cocoa powder
2 tbs brown sugar
150ml boiling water mixed with 2 tsp instant coffee powder (coffee is optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease two ramekins.
Place butter, milk and caster sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until butter has melted. Take off heat.
Sift flour & 2 tbs of cocoa powder into a bowl. Make a well in the centre, add butter mixture and stir to combine.
Pour mixture into the two prepared ramekins. Press white chocolate into mixture. Place ramekins on a baking tray.
Sift 2 tsp of cocoa powder over mixture. Sprinkle 1 tbs of brown sugar in each ramekin. Pour boiling coffee water, over the back of a large metal spoon, over mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes or until top has set. Stand for 5 minutes and serve with ice cream.

Tip: The note in the recipe says that pouring the boiling water water mixture over the back of a large metal spoon prevents topping sinking into batter and helps produce maximum sauce.

Shu Shin Bou

2009-07-28T22:19:00.003+10:00

Shu Shin Bou is a place that makes Japanese mochi, but the brand originally comes from Taiwan. But I was curious enough to try some out in the quest to find the best mochi in Sydney.
Black sesame mochi $2.75
This was my favourite of the two. The mochi had an almost subtle coffee flavour, with the smoky black sesame filling inside.

Coconut & brown sugar mochi, with vanilla mouse & red bean $2.75
I think coconut & brown sugar is a great flavour combination, but the coconut mochi was a bit too firm in this one. I'm not sure about having vanilla mouse as a filling.

I'm certainly not in a rush to go back to this place, but the black sesame mochi would be worth going back for sometime in the near future.

Miracle Supermarket, Lower Ground, World Square Shopping Centre, 644 George St Sydney 2000
hours: Open daily11:00am to 8:30pm
http://www.shushinbou.com

Sydney Madang

2009-07-26T17:00:00.006+10:00

Lunch with a good Korean friend at a highly recommended, popular Korean restaurant. I never know what to order at Korean places, so I was glad that she took over the ordering.

The free snacks preceding the main meal

My favourite is the boiled potatoes with soy and sugar (bottom left). It's such a simple dish, and I could have 10 little bowlfuls of this one.

Jja Jung Myun (Noodle in Black Bean & Soy Sauce) $10
The noodles are wonderfully chewy & sticky, and it's a good sauce to noodle ratio for my standards. There are bits of mushroom & pork in the sauce, but not a lot. I can only liken to sauce to a sort onion gravy, very warm and satisfying on a cold winter's day.

Dolsot Bibim Bab (Steamed Rice topped with vegetables, egg yolk & choice of beef/chicken/pork in a special hot pot) $14
Comes with a special spicy sauce you mix through the dish. I absolutely love that it comes in this hot pot. It keeps the dish hot, and there are some delicious crispy bits of rice that you find at the bottom of the pot as you dig in.

Coming back here again soon for the BBQ dishes. They have burners in the middle of the table just for that purpose!

371A Pitt St, Sydney NSW 2000
phone: (02) 9264 7010
hours: Open Daily 11:30am-midnight

Bourke St Bakery

2009-07-25T20:59:00.011+10:00

Good coffee, great pastries, brekky/snack for less than $6 - always worth a visit, this time it was for a quick breakfast.

The only thing that grates on my nerves is the service - most of the time it's absentminded at best (except for this one guy who I think is the barista).

Dark Chocolate & Raspberry Muffin $4.00
I've just figured out why these muffins always have a wonderful crunch on the top (don't you think muffin-tops are the best part of the muffin?). They throw sugar on top, then bake the muffin - so when it comes out it's like eating one of those Danish sugar cookies. Dotted generously with blocks of dark chocolate that melt when the muffin is zapped in the microwave for ~20 secs.

Praline twist $2.50
A caramely, butterscotchy, nutty pastry twist. It's not unlike a soft version of a palmier. Best value, and very satisfying.

Piccolo latte $3.00
Yes, I'm repetitive, this is my coffee of choice. It's done very well here.

Lunch picks:
Pork & fennel roll
Crunchy, buttery pastry encasing real pork meat (no mystery meat here) flavoured with fennel seeds.

Bacon & gruyere quiche
There is something so sharp about the gruyere that makes it a perfect partner to the bacon.

474 Gardeners Rd, Alexandria NSW 2020
phone: (02) 8339 1001

Mini pavlovas

2009-07-24T00:42:00.004+10:00

I really like making small versions of big things, for example, lemon tarts, pavlovas, sausage rolls...to name a few. Small enough to be able to savour something in two or three bites...

Use my meringue recipe (click here for the recipe), whip some cream, cut some kiwi fruit, add a raspberry to each pav and drizzle with passionfruit pulp!

Commenting now available

2009-07-23T15:39:00.000+10:00

I've now solved the commenting issue on the blog, so please do leave your comments if you have any!

Brasserie Bread

2009-07-21T22:55:00.000+10:00

I've been meaning to come back here. I last visited this cafe when it first opened a few years ago, but haven't had a chance to go back. It's been getting a lot of good reviews, lately, so a colleague and I drove out there for a quick lunch today.

We ordered:
Chicken burger with gruyere cheese & chutney $12.50
(Special, not on the normal menu)
This chicken breast was well marinated, and the gruyere & the sweet chutney were well balanced accompaniments.

Spicy Lamb & Harissa dressing on Schiacciata bread $10.00
I didn't know what to expect with this one, but the Harissa dressing won me over (when ordering). I really loved the Schiacciata bread, especially toasted. Satisfying pieces of lamb in this sandwich with a beautiful, not-too-spicy Harissa dressing.

Bread favourite:
Caramelised Garlic Bread
The best thing to do with this bread is to slice it up, toast/grill, drizzle with a good olive oil, or slather with lots of butter, and spread the slice with one of the many cloves that are dotted in this loaf. This beats any garlic bread you will ever taste anywhere.

Couldn't resist trying a couple of sweets.

Front: Hazelnut & orange friand
What a great combination! I don't think I would have ever put hazelnut & orange together but it was unexpectedly perfect. The friand was lovely & moist.

Back: Coconut & Bluberry friand(?) muffin(?)
Very moist (good), very sweet (too sweet?). I'm glad my colleague & I shared, because I don't think I could've finished this one myself. I appreciated the texture though, but perhaps the sweetness could be cut with a lime or lemon syrup or icing?

Definitely coming back to try some more things on the menu. Watch out for the specials!

1737 Botany Road, Banksmeadow, 2019
phone: 1300 966 845
hours: Mon-Fri 7.00am to 3.00pm, Sat-Sun 8.00am to 2.00pm, Public Holiday - Closed
http://www.brasseriebread.com.au

San Churro

2009-07-21T22:33:00.000+10:00

Had a craving for some churros & dulce de leche. We took some of our nieces & nephews out during the school holidays.

Chocolate milkshake $5.50
They don't have any kid-size drinks, but were nice enough to split a milkshake into 2 glasses.

Spanish Hot Chocolate
Very thick, very rich, very chocolaty. I probably would have this one on its own (with no other dessert) because it is so rich.

Churros for two $13.90 (plus $2 with ice cream)
We share this amongst the five of us. You get to choose two dips, and we choose the milk chocolate (for the kids) & a dulce de leche (for the adults). Dulce de leche is my dip of choice.

47 Glebe Point Road, Glebe NSW 2037 (also outlets in Chatswood, Bondi, Miranda & soon in Parramatta)
phone: (02) 9692 0119
hours: Mon-Thu 10.00am-11.00pm, Fri 10.00am-Midnight, Sat 9.00am-Midnight, Sun 9.00am-11.00pm
http://www.sanchurro.com

Lemon Tart

2009-07-18T23:10:00.000+10:00

I can never go past a lemon tart, let alone a lemon meringue tart. I didn't have time to make the meringue this time, but I improvised and put some beautiful vanilla Persian fairy floss on top.

This recipe is by Valli Little from the September 2004 edition of the delicious. magazine.
You can make one large tart, but I like to make smaller individual tarts, and using this recipe will yield 16 small tarts.

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups (250g) plain flour
110g icing sugar
110g unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
1 egg

Filling
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
165g caster sugar
Grated rind of 2 lemons
200ml lemon juice
180ml thickened cream
Creme fraiche, to serve

Method:
To make pastry

Combine flour and icing sugar in a food processor, then add butter and process until fine breadcrumbs. Add egg and process until mixture comes together in a ball.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll out pastry between two pieces of plastic wrap, and line a 26cm loose-bottomed tart pan or smaller individual tart pans with the pastry, then freeze for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Line pastry with baking paper, fill with pastry weights or uncooked rice and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove paper and weights or rice and return pastry to oven for 5 further minutes.
Reduce the oven to 175°C.
For filling, beat together the eggs, yolks and sugar. Add the lemon rind and juice, beat in the cream, then strain into the tart shell.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until just set. Serve at room temperature with creme fraiche.

Meringues

2009-07-18T22:58:00.000+10:00

What do you with excess egg whites? You make meringues!
The formula is easy.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup caster sugar per 1 egg white
(makes about 10 bite size meringues)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 100°C
Beat eggs until firm peaks form
Gradually add the sugar until mixture is smooth and glossy.
Beat mixture well until all sugar is dissolved.
Pipe mixture onto lined baking tray.
Bake for 45 minutes
Turn the oven off and leave the meringues in the oven for 1 hour.

Allpress Espresso

2009-07-18T22:38:00.000+10:00

Consistently great coffee, best sourdough bread - all at a reasonable price. You can spend under $10pp for breakfast.

Oeuf à la coque $7.00
soft boiled eggs with soldiers.

Country toast with sliced provolone & tomato $5.00
Country toast is a less dense sourdough bread. It's light and airy, and the crust has a slight caramel flavour when toasted.

Chocolate croissant $3.50
Is it a the best chocolate croissant? No - I don't think it's flaky enough - it's a bit more bread-like than flaky. But it was still pretty good. The chocolate was nice and bitter. Would have it again.

Piccollo latte $3.00
My coffee of choice.

58 Epsom Rd, Zetland NSW
phone:(02) 9662 8288
hours: Mon-Fri 7.00am - 3.00pm, Sat 8.00am - 2.00pm, Sun closed

Bavarian Bier Cafe

2009-07-18T22:02:00.000+10:00

Good value with Entertainment card.
Buy one main meal, get the other one free (pay the cost of the meal of greater value)
Bavarian Tasting Plate
Menu description:
Succulent Pork Belly, Sausages and Schnitzel all served with Traditional Bavarian Condiments

Thoughts on the dish:
Could do without the sausages, all you really want is a taste of the pork belly with the crispy crackling. The chicken schnitzel is crumbed nicely; crispy on the outside but succulent on the inside.

Crackling Roast Pork Belly
served with Granny Smith Apple Compote, Red Cabbage and Sautéed Potatoes

Thoughts on the dish:
On this day, the pork belly wasn't so great. The pork crackling wasn't consistently crispy, and some parts were quite leathery.

Entertainment Quarter
212 Bent Street, Moore Park, NSW 2021
phone: (02) 9361 3833
www.bavarianshavemorefun.com

Adamo's Pasta

2009-07-16T00:13:00.000+10:00

General price $4.50-$11.00

The drill:
Choose your fresh pasta, choose your sauce, & they make it up for at the back.
Monday-Friday, they have different specials for each day.

Best picks:

Gnocchi pesto - I didn't like gnocchi til I tried Adamo's. Sweet, smooth texture. Pesto is fresh & creamy. This dish is best fresh, it's no good to take home and reheat.
Pappardelle Boscaiola - the fresh pappardelle is unbeatable. Any sauce goes, really

Other picks:

Arancini with bolognese sauce - best value at $4.50. Has a tiny ball of oozing mozarella in the middle.

Lasagne: buy to cook at home for $12.00. Good idea to stash one in the freezer!
Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni: Not too much spinach in here, but the texture of the ricotta and spinach is firm and perfect.
Tight Tuesday Penne Bolognese: Good value for a small container for $5.00.
Wednesday & Thursday Eggplant stuffed with risotto

725 Botany Rd, Rosebery NSW 2018
phone: (02) 9310 7033
hours: Mon-Fri, 8.00am - 6.00pm, Sat, 8.00am - 4.00pm, Sunday closed
http://www.adamospasta.com.au

Spice.I.am.

2009-07-15T23:49:00.000+10:00

Best combinations (under $40)
Basil Crispy Pork Belly - crispy on most occasions, spicy, very garlicy, fried basil. We can never go past this dish.
Green Papaya Salad - spicy, fresh, dotted with nuts
Rice x 2
Lots of water - two spicy dishes, need I say more?

OR

Basil Crispy Pork Belly
Red curry with chicken - best red curry in Sydney
Rice x 2
Lots of water

Other good dishes:
Pad see ew - most close to a char kwe tiaw that we've found here in Sydney

Dishes to avoid:
spring rolls - very, very small & you only get 5 or 6, not good value at all & flavour is average

90 Wentworth Ave, Sydney NSW 2000
hours: Tues-Sun, 11.30am-3.30pm, 6.00-10.00pm
No reservations
http://www.spiceiam.com

Gelatomassi

2009-07-15T23:15:00.000+10:00

two scoops to share ($6):
panna cotta gelato (house specialty) - sweet, vanilla taste
coffee gelato - dotted with ground coffee beans, robust coffee flavour

With extra cone on top.

262 King St, Newtown NSW 2042
phone: (02) 9516 0655
hours: Mon, Wed-Sun 9.30am-midnight, Tue 3.30pm-midnight
http://www.gelatomassi.com.au