tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27188131294772430932024-02-07T18:57:56.692+11:00happiness is a shared mealOne woman's journey through life, one meal at a timeHappyLeDizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998552383159333181noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718813129477243093.post-8636253685217837412011-02-27T22:01:00.000+11:002011-02-27T22:01:38.431+11:00Black Forest Cake<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">I always have a cluster of birthdays in the first third of the year. Many of my nearest and dearest celebrate their birthday in February, March and April so it is always a busy time. This time it is my brother in law's birthday and he's turning the big three-oh so I thought I'd make him a nice cake to celebrate. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">I remember at my sister's engagement party 5 years ago that they had a rather unusual choice of Black Forest Cake for their engagement cake. I remember my sister saying at the time it was because it is BIL's favourite cake of all time so I thought what better cake to make than his favourite for his departure from his 20's?</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">I searched the net and found a Margaret Fulton recipe that I chose to re-create. My baking mojo has left me of late (the gluten free Chocolate and Chestnut brownies I recently attempted from </span></span><a href="http://www.notquitenigella.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Not Quite Nigella</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;"> absolutely bombed and I had less than an ideal result in the </span></span><a href="http://happinessisasharedmeal.blogspot.com/2011/01/molleaux-au-chocolat.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Molleaux au Chocolat</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;"> I made in my last post) and so I made this with some trepidation for a couple of reasons:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">1. It's a 'big' birthday for my beloved BIL and;</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">2. I have never made this cake before and I will be laying it before him on my first attempt</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">The recipe seemed reasonably straight forward so I started on Friday night making the cake and prepared the fillings and assembled the cake on Saturday morning just before Mr HLD and I left for the family BBQ. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Whilst it isn't the prettiest cake you'll see, it was a hit which was evidenced by my BIL sneaking more and more of it during the afternoon! Mission accomplished!</span></span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;"><u>Black Forest Cake</u></span></span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Recipe by Margaret Fulton</span></span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Ingredients</span></span></b><br />
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">For the cake</span></span></u><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">- 150g dark chocolate </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">- 150g butter, softened</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">- 150g caster sugar</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">- 6 eggs, separated</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">- 150g self raising flour, sifted</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">- pinch of salt</span></span><br />
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">For the cherry filling</span></span></u><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">- 750g jar of sour cherries</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">- 2 1/2 tbsp cornflour</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">- 75g - 100g sugar (depending on how sour the cherries are)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">- 30ml liqueur (amaretto, kirsch or cointreau)</span></span><br />
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">For the chocolate ganache</span></span></u><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">- 375g dark chocolate</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">- 250ml cream</span></span><br />
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">For the whipped cream</span></span></u><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">- 250ml cream</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">- 1 tbsp caster sugar</span></span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Method</span></span></b><br />
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Chocolate cake</span></span></u><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Pre heat oven to 170c</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Gently melt the chocolate (either in microwave or over double-boiler)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. In a bowl, combine the melted chocolate and butter and beat until creamy</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. Slowly and gradually beat in the sugar and egg yolks (adding them one at a </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> time)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3HjsFdaqBB7YKBNDTAn_7lHYe9pZs2_GtZcEjp3orC8qK4vKU4gk-MXeMA7S5tPco3EdQUnI2LugZ8yl2Ey4fao_naulije4bZEnD-YTW0Ee67cYVepdWsLyLo0XlvoMZh-xDc3Id-dk/s1600/IMG_4477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3HjsFdaqBB7YKBNDTAn_7lHYe9pZs2_GtZcEjp3orC8qK4vKU4gk-MXeMA7S5tPco3EdQUnI2LugZ8yl2Ey4fao_naulije4bZEnD-YTW0Ee67cYVepdWsLyLo0XlvoMZh-xDc3Id-dk/s200/IMG_4477.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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5. Fold in sifted flour<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8. Pour batter into a lined and greased 26cm spring form pan</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">9. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before cutting into 3 layers </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> horizontally (or 2 layers if your cake is flat like mine)</span><br />
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">To make the cherry filling</span></span></u><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. In a saucepan, mix the cornflour with enough cherry juice to make a paste</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Combine the rest of the juice with the cornflour paste and the desired </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> amount of sugar</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Cook, stirring until it boils and thickens</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. Add the cherries and liqueur, remove from heat and allow to cool</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPu1sFd7rhSMcoYhVE9Zo2V6xRVUQWeyNhjcfdZbA5RBQaeUlQ8AWknqi3fx9nFWecnVtR8Ax-dImUtLOnyXVThkYmFHK8wtTXwdOdOAw4MPEm5-xaVOYqXzpNyoiRIn98hG9DZQJqKs/s1600/IMG_4486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPu1sFd7rhSMcoYhVE9Zo2V6xRVUQWeyNhjcfdZbA5RBQaeUlQ8AWknqi3fx9nFWecnVtR8Ax-dImUtLOnyXVThkYmFHK8wtTXwdOdOAw4MPEm5-xaVOYqXzpNyoiRIn98hG9DZQJqKs/s200/IMG_4486.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Front: Cherry filling<br />
Back: Chocolate Ganache</span></span></td></tr>
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">To make the chocolate ganache</span></span></u><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Gently heat the chocolate and cream in a saucepan, stirring constantly until </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Do not allow to boil</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Pour into a bowl and allow the ganache to cool until it is the right </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> consistency, i.e. thin enough to pour but thick enough to stay on the cake </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> (About room temperature)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2NqZnCOShMm_Ny0HUDmK0SxGr8T0nULcpvKz3K__muh8iiEPqxuqp-DYrElZgaEx4vJ7wSU3pEs_S5NxfD_nsIWxTVVHCRRKMNCSk026OHwecZQRIdhpRSi4Cq8NbJsTTga0_Qo7CH4/s1600/IMG_4480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2NqZnCOShMm_Ny0HUDmK0SxGr8T0nULcpvKz3K__muh8iiEPqxuqp-DYrElZgaEx4vJ7wSU3pEs_S5NxfD_nsIWxTVVHCRRKMNCSk026OHwecZQRIdhpRSi4Cq8NbJsTTga0_Qo7CH4/s200/IMG_4480.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">For the whipped cream</span></span></u><br />
<u></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u><br />
</u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Pour cream and sugar into a bowl and whip until thick</span><br />
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">To assemble the cake</span></span></u><br />
<u></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u><br />
</u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Sprinkle the bottom layer with a little bit more of the liqueur and spread </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> over the ganache</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9T6oRwUUckxyYvmsdl7-aPgVxPc0ACkarnKMoyvBmfYWjuzvDo9aZgDDCocCeQyZTGV5YfVMjzCf3lqd2241c8rxy4CAY3zXpP_rsLWRf3A3lOdL9SvKhL_aoKnffmDyye0vfhnQDTQ/s1600/IMG_4488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9T6oRwUUckxyYvmsdl7-aPgVxPc0ACkarnKMoyvBmfYWjuzvDo9aZgDDCocCeQyZTGV5YfVMjzCf3lqd2241c8rxy4CAY3zXpP_rsLWRf3A3lOdL9SvKhL_aoKnffmDyye0vfhnQDTQ/s200/IMG_4488.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Spread the cherry mixture until it evenly covers the layer</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Spread the layer with cream</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. Repeat with remaining layers and pour over the ganache and allow to set</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfCqlPw5yp85lXxdlGEnK8g0c2VKu1f7BqtsNNI5e-oGAqJb96OVAtVD_BlQfrNpvCCx6l5-3Ft_LMwcbiXc__xC6TRgYaew1wu0CqXtriNCEfCTc2NRjfYxbjXCkpAHzPTON-WrvXnQ/s1600/IMG_4489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfCqlPw5yp85lXxdlGEnK8g0c2VKu1f7BqtsNNI5e-oGAqJb96OVAtVD_BlQfrNpvCCx6l5-3Ft_LMwcbiXc__xC6TRgYaew1wu0CqXtriNCEfCTc2NRjfYxbjXCkpAHzPTON-WrvXnQ/s200/IMG_4489.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5. Pipe cream over the cake and grate some extra chocolate over the top</span><br />
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</span></span>HappyLeDizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998552383159333181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718813129477243093.post-83149542056193564962011-01-23T12:29:00.013+11:002011-01-29T14:48:48.604+11:00Molleaux au Chocolat<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">I was fortunate enough to take a working holiday in France back in 2006 where I worked and lived with a French family as their au pair. The job itself was tedious but it afforded me the opportunity to live as the French do which is an experience I would not swap for anything. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">It is in France that I really started paying attention to food and its ingredients; I had always enjoyed cooking prior to my stint 'en France' but the French culinary culture just opened my eyes in a whole new way. Let me put it this way, I was 'squinting' at food in the past, this stay opened my eyes to their full aperture and make food and cooking a hobby. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">One of the many recipes I was taught by Jacqueline, the stern and strict but ultimately wonderful housekeeper was a French chocolate cake. The cake, made purely of chocolate, butter and sugar, with only a tablespoon of flour (or almond meal for a gluten free option) is rich, moist and best enjoyed in small portions. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">I love making this cake, every time I do it takes me back to that kitchen in Nantes, speaking pidgin French to Jacqueline (who was always immaculately dressed and made up, even when scrubbing the bathroom) and a lot of happy memories. Funnily enough my ipod always seems to be playing 'la vie en rose' when I'm baking this cake, which must help bring back those memories. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">I</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">t is really simple to make, so dear reader I decided to share this recipe with you today! </span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Molleaux au Chocolat</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Ingredients</span></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">150g good quality, 70% dark chocolate</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">150g demi-sel (lightly salted) good quality butter</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">150g icing sugar</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">1 tablespoon flour (or almond meal for gluten free)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">5 eggs</span></span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Method</span></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees celcius </span><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Break up chocolate and cut butter into cubes and place in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (or bain-marie) and melt, occasionally stirring, until smooth and completely melted</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">The chocolate and butter in the bain-marie<br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, one by one, until mixture is light and fluffy</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. Pour about half a cup of the chocolate mixture to the eggs and mix through (to prevent scrambling the eggs), then mix in the remainder of the chocolate mixture</span><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5. Add icing sugar and flour/almond meal and mix through until fully combined and the batter is dark and glossy</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">The pic's a bit blurry but trust me, this is glossy and dark!</span></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6. Once all ingredients are fully mixed, pour into the prepared cake pan and place in oven</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7. Cook in oven for 40</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> minutes, checking to make sure it doesn't burn. Don't worry if the top cracks, I think every single one of these I've made the top has cracked. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Deliciously ugly</span></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8. Slice into pieces and serve; it is really nice if you serve it with raspberries and double cream, or even on its own!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Enjoy! So tell me, what is your favourite type of chocolate cake?</span></span><br />
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</span></span>HappyLeDizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998552383159333181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718813129477243093.post-33305298319981220502011-01-16T14:30:00.004+11:002011-01-29T12:26:01.043+11:00A lovely, light lunch: 3 ways with grilled prawns<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">I've recently started seeing a Chiropractor who also practices Kinesiology and Nutrition. She has asked me to completely overhaul my diet to the Blood Type Diet. Now, my blood type is not allowed pretty much everything I love and eat regularly including ham, bread, pasta, cheese, yoghurt, milk, avocado amongst others but one very important inclusion to my allowed foods list is prawns. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">I love prawns, they are versatile, their meat is flavoursome and they are bite sized. Prawns are considered good for my blood type because they are high in iodine which is good for thyroid function. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">One Sunday afternoon I decided to prepare a light meal of prawns marinated 3 different ways and grilled on the bbq, accompanied by salad.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Marinated and reading for grilling!</span></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">The 3 different marinades I chose were:</span></span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Outback Pride Native Currant and Chilli Sauce</span></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">An indigenous approach to sweet chilli sauce, the combination of currants and bush chilli makes this slightly spicy but very delicious!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Masterfoods smokey barbeque seasoning & olive oil</span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We use this seasoning a lot at home, it is nice to sprinkle on salmon before baking in a greaseproof paper parcel or on your steak before barbequing it. I just sprinkled it over the prawns and poured over a touch of olive oil and mixed it through.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jYngutN0Ny2ACpX2onwxQmK7to6bYJeSgSBjoMFZbIVVRkJ1W6iUBhX0K75oVblyqCGstnblMOriNh_qPnedTiQNC1cZdk4MlOkW-bn-Yl2cpZv1rVwNncTWXzN7l2cFoh1roj400PY/s1600/IMG_4439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6jYngutN0Ny2ACpX2onwxQmK7to6bYJeSgSBjoMFZbIVVRkJ1W6iUBhX0K75oVblyqCGstnblMOriNh_qPnedTiQNC1cZdk4MlOkW-bn-Yl2cpZv1rVwNncTWXzN7l2cFoh1roj400PY/s320/IMG_4439.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Barbushco bush dukkah, honey and lemon myrtle infused macadamia oil</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This native dukkah is made from macadamia, almond, hazelnut, sesame seed, coconut, linseed, sunflower seed, lemon myrtle and dorrigo pepper. It is really delicious and when it is mixed with honey (sourced locally) and the macadamia oil it is a really sweet, citrusy flavoured marinade. The honey caramelises a bit on the barbeque.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1H-4GF9HqWMcLHnCLN59tH6PyowuOqdg0iYTgVs23U1Zi1GGQksjL1X5APJhu4S9KaT_SCdvDEkUqm7hNNoon4qsoKejqFPejvYiFN4_L0cyggp4Ed7VhV6s50RGS5knDH8sEIjfdzd8/s1600/IMG_4436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1H-4GF9HqWMcLHnCLN59tH6PyowuOqdg0iYTgVs23U1Zi1GGQksjL1X5APJhu4S9KaT_SCdvDEkUqm7hNNoon4qsoKejqFPejvYiFN4_L0cyggp4Ed7VhV6s50RGS5knDH8sEIjfdzd8/s320/IMG_4436.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I just prepared a salad with mixed leaves, olives, capsicum and marinated artichoke, which was a nice accompaniment to the prawns.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffmEbmFOEnydnZLUu0t9UIq3hOdkVZSnpFc41dMuBL6HZHSJByDtuFTFMMc9WzhRV51eRuja38hVvCZMsb-HOrkeAX9LoM79uYzcghWNgKNqxpXhBor4ap5SI5u5gZyzP2TyQ4LOipPY/s1600/IMG_4440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffmEbmFOEnydnZLUu0t9UIq3hOdkVZSnpFc41dMuBL6HZHSJByDtuFTFMMc9WzhRV51eRuja38hVvCZMsb-HOrkeAX9LoM79uYzcghWNgKNqxpXhBor4ap5SI5u5gZyzP2TyQ4LOipPY/s320/IMG_4440.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mr Hogan would be proud! L - R Smokey BBQ, Currant and Chilli, Dukkah and Honey</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0MjFC19ZNN-JtDtmoXlmfxBu-TtKHfONnir6IpryMt2v0__5GeUzfK6FcS1t1AxXnl41grRWB0o4MT413gW24R-lOOU2lILQ1nzPCrIojHXnQH9xcNOq9o_HqrQDuSX5kF1Xn07R8-w/s1600/IMG_4441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0MjFC19ZNN-JtDtmoXlmfxBu-TtKHfONnir6IpryMt2v0__5GeUzfK6FcS1t1AxXnl41grRWB0o4MT413gW24R-lOOU2lILQ1nzPCrIojHXnQH9xcNOq9o_HqrQDuSX5kF1Xn07R8-w/s320/IMG_4441.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Lunch is served!</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And what was Mr LeDiz's favourite? The dukkah, honey and macadamia oil marinade. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do you care to share your favourite way to eat prawns?</span><br />
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</span>HappyLeDizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998552383159333181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718813129477243093.post-28054545831369721232011-01-11T17:52:00.002+11:002011-01-11T17:56:45.505+11:00Weekday wonder: Pasta with Chorizo and Vegetables<b> </b><br />
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<b><div dir="ltr"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">I had one of those days where I had forgotten to take something out of the freezer to have for dinner and had to assemble something from the ingredients in my fridge and pantry.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Not feeling particularly inspired, I thought I'd throw together a quick pasta and it turned out to be a beauty!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">I always love it when something comes together and so simply. I hope this helps you on an uninspired, time poor weekday!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Bon appetit!</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtsImAPnmmelpCuu2Ayvuihiis-b7EhzWKjJJ7JuZvEVB1853whjlyOe_QcfQgq6W1KBwoH6onWk8GSOL8vXJokJuXPwQnpWmprh8ZDvagnzGlkp5l8V_O1e7ZfC4WAx4kuaD03z5OBU/s1600/IMG_4424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtsImAPnmmelpCuu2Ayvuihiis-b7EhzWKjJJ7JuZvEVB1853whjlyOe_QcfQgq6W1KBwoH6onWk8GSOL8vXJokJuXPwQnpWmprh8ZDvagnzGlkp5l8V_O1e7ZfC4WAx4kuaD03z5OBU/s320/IMG_4424.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Pasta with Chorizo and Vegetables</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></div></b><br />
<ul dir="ltr"><li><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Penne</span></li>
<li><div><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 chorizo sausages, sliced (or buy the sliced chorizo from the lunch meats section at the supermarket)</span></div></li>
<li><div><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 red capsicum</span></div></li>
<li><div><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 punnet mini roma tomatoes</span></div></li>
<li><div><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">100g marinated artichoke</span></div></li>
<li><div><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">100g sliced kalamata olives</span></div></li>
<li><div><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/4 cup of rocket, leaves torn</span></div></li>
<li><div><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic</span></div></li>
<li><div><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chilli flakes</span></div></li>
<li><div><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Salt / pepper to taste</span></div></li>
<li><div><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Parmesan cheese to serve</span></div></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZIsEHyao4mwScmNdNlo5RSh-A2CahOcq-bBtukm4k3hAhh6k2a2hC8c8hjTvJe202atPGSWrRv1FXDkxXe5fVIIsfo5NhuI2ANlTQICVR7emYsy0EE1iWkLTSmEOAfUFSuN7hw_2kE0/s1600/IMG_4423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZIsEHyao4mwScmNdNlo5RSh-A2CahOcq-bBtukm4k3hAhh6k2a2hC8c8hjTvJe202atPGSWrRv1FXDkxXe5fVIIsfo5NhuI2ANlTQICVR7emYsy0EE1iWkLTSmEOAfUFSuN7hw_2kE0/s320/IMG_4423.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A riot of colour!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Method</span></div></b><br />
<ul><li><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Put on the water for the pasta</span></li>
<li><div><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Heat olive oil in a frypan and fry garlic, tomatoes and capsicum until the tomatoes are softened</span></div></li>
<li><div><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Add pasta to water and boil according to pack instructions</span></div></li>
<li><div><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Add chorizo, artichoke and olives and season. Sprinkle the chilli flakes to taste</span></div></li>
<li><div><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Drain pasta and add to the pan, stir through to ensure pasta is coated</span></div></li>
<li><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stir through the rocket leaves and serve sprinkled with parmesan</span></li>
</ul>HappyLeDizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998552383159333181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718813129477243093.post-68880387493699516362011-01-09T12:28:00.001+11:002011-01-11T17:55:01.230+11:00Quick 'n' easy hummus<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">I was feeling peckish (and looking for an excuse to stop ironing!) and wanted a healthy snack. I stopped and looked in my cupboards and, once the tumbleweeds had rolled past (it's grocery day today) I spotted a can of chickpeas and thought 'mmmm, hummus'.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Hummus is a delicious, high protein, low fat snack that I have since discovered is a cinch to make. I adapted this recipe from a cook book my good friend Sharvs gave me called 'Falling Cloudberries' (the recipe also included 3 tablespoons of tahini, which was not in my bare cupboard).</span></span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Ingredients</span></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">400g can chickpeas</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Juice of 1 1/2 lemons</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">1 clove of garlic, crushed</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">3 tablespoons olive oil</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Sweet paprika</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Salt (to taste)</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Mmm, delicious and good for you</span></span></td></tr>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Method</span></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Crush garlic into a bowl and use some salt to mix into a paste</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Drain chickpeas, reserving some of the water and put into the jug of a blender</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Squeeze in lemon juice and add garlic paste</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Blend until smooth and decant into a bowl</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">If the mixture is a little dry, add some of the reserved water to thin</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Taste and add salt (if necessary)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Add olive oil and lightly mix through</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">Sprinkle with paprika</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">This is a light and delicious accompaniment to some crackers or fresh, crispy raw vegetables.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">The hummus will keep in the fridge for a week in a airtight container.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhH_oKsIW5KgqdrhTwyr8JtexaRSp8iHQw-e2e_A38bLpArtnVNMp-KA6AqO3rVk8NZCGj_YPVTn0UF8fB7IweHiaPzjGWmJk-4AUmZDaPEZ_QgbJc-Ufm86TiOR08bdZad6ZP2AXYDRQ/s1600/IMG_4419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhH_oKsIW5KgqdrhTwyr8JtexaRSp8iHQw-e2e_A38bLpArtnVNMp-KA6AqO3rVk8NZCGj_YPVTn0UF8fB7IweHiaPzjGWmJk-4AUmZDaPEZ_QgbJc-Ufm86TiOR08bdZad6ZP2AXYDRQ/s320/IMG_4419.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;">It is especially good in original 70's tupperware!</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6fa8dc;"><br />
</span>HappyLeDizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998552383159333181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718813129477243093.post-8144491136128459242011-01-04T12:26:00.002+11:002011-01-11T17:55:31.051+11:00New Year, New Resolution!<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Happy New Year to you all!</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My name is Rachael and it has been 100 days since my last post... well, in my defence it was a very busy 3 months!</span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I travelled to the good ol' US of A for almost 3 weeks, attended 2 weddings and finalised a transaction in that short period. With all that activity happening, I neglected my little blog and my 4 (that's right, 4!) followers, something which I have no plan of repeating. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This post is just dipping a toe back into the blogging pool. I have been doing a lot of cooking (and eating) over the past few months and plan to write some belated posts covering these events, including a bumper post covering my culinary adventures Stateside. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, dear reader, I ask your forgiveness at my neglect and publicly declare my New Year's resolution is to reignite my blog and post about my cooking adventures!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Watch this space!</span>HappyLeDizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998552383159333181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718813129477243093.post-25339518314682907892010-09-26T11:00:00.093+10:002010-09-26T12:41:45.868+10:00Sandwich of meringue with macerated raspberries, vanilla glaze and tiramisu ice cream<a href="http://jeroxie.com/addiction/09-2010-international-egg-incident-pary"><img alt="International Incident Eggs Party" height="135" src="http://jeroxie.com/addiction/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/iip-banner-eggs.jpg" title="iip-eggs" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>Being new to the blogging world I am entering anything I can to attain more experience in blogging and to expand my skills in the kitchen. When I found the International Incident Party I was excited to be involved in something on a global scale. For those who are unfamiliar, the International Incident Party is a monthly online party where bloggers cook a dish based on a theme ingredient and submit their results on the same day and celebrate their successes and pick up a range of fabulous new recipes to try. </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: large;"><em></em></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>This month's theme was eggs so I thought I'd cook one of my favourite desserts but add a bit of a twist to it. </em></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<strong><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>Sandwich of meringue with macerated raspberries, vanilla glaze and tiramisu ice cream</em></span></strong><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Pa6lugftcxtz7waf09nh-1vJTjKgWELNxsPdFrLhGNDG8uGaDwf0ow5wSFoyYH33sWckAdtD5oQiHgG88OjviqWQMJ2tqKjFpNL2-BsrS-LhVXZHj649DQ_9Qo5Ztks0UPC7e2OuJlc/s1600/IMG_2114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Pa6lugftcxtz7waf09nh-1vJTjKgWELNxsPdFrLhGNDG8uGaDwf0ow5wSFoyYH33sWckAdtD5oQiHgG88OjviqWQMJ2tqKjFpNL2-BsrS-LhVXZHj649DQ_9Qo5Ztks0UPC7e2OuJlc/s320/IMG_2114.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><strong><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the meringue:</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 egg whites</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup caster sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the vanilla glaze:</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2.5g gelatine leaves</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">15ml cold water</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10g glucose liquid</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10ml water</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">100g thickened cream</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 vanilla bean, split & seeds scraped</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">40g miroir glaze</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the macerated raspberries:</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 punnet raspberries</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 shot grand marnier</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbsp brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the tiramisu ice cream:</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 egg, separated</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">100g mascarpone</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbsp instant coffee (I like Nescafe Gold)</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">50g caster sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 shot Tia Maria liquer</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before I tell you the method I have a confession to make - I had made the tiramisu ice cream a few weeks back and the Vanilla Glaze when I attemped Adriano Zumbo's </span><a href="http://www.masterchef.com.au/zumbo-v8-cake.htm"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">V8 cake</span></a><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> from the last series of MasterChef which I had frozen in my spare fridge. To make these takes considerable time and I don't have photos from the process so I apologise in advance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Method:</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>For the meringue:</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Preheat oven to 150<sup>o </sup>C</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Add egg whites to a clean bowl and whisk until soft peaks form</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Gradually add the sugar whilst still whisking and continue to whick until firm peaks form</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-If0aR7udP3s-RojTjGEd66On8LX7UbNSXEeNQUOLUFVAKkTRUS2hIrFpjJlvSzlzeHs7u4bkjq-eoQy_uKpLKsnxtXmy5Z9pJcxyyJyZ1k2sr2dcH8T-j1qzDh7Afs2yi4uctTy2vmE/s1600/IMG_2112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-If0aR7udP3s-RojTjGEd66On8LX7UbNSXEeNQUOLUFVAKkTRUS2hIrFpjJlvSzlzeHs7u4bkjq-eoQy_uKpLKsnxtXmy5Z9pJcxyyJyZ1k2sr2dcH8T-j1qzDh7Afs2yi4uctTy2vmE/s200/IMG_2112.JPG" width="150" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Meringues ready to be shaped and baked!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Spoon the meringue mixture onto an oven tray lined with greaseproof paper and shape into a dome (I cheated and used silicon poach pods)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. With the left over mixture place small spoonfuls on another lined tray and add this to the oven with 20 mins to go (these will be crumbled on the plate)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Place meringues in the oven and bake for 40 mins or until golden</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlMrCS8q9bz-wHOgWlshUOI3pzV0_U8_UcFj6alQqAe_gJv621nTIyoLGmI_KfL5gKeN622YTEd1eiKXv8M0Cu_xgkxMmQKcG301TZbzAYXAMifMtoSpj9h_uGkkwFijH3KB1GOHYfbA/s1600/IMG_2113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="150" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlMrCS8q9bz-wHOgWlshUOI3pzV0_U8_UcFj6alQqAe_gJv621nTIyoLGmI_KfL5gKeN622YTEd1eiKXv8M0Cu_xgkxMmQKcG301TZbzAYXAMifMtoSpj9h_uGkkwFijH3KB1GOHYfbA/s200/IMG_2113.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">All baked and cool, ready to be sandwiched!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Turn off oven and leave door slightly ajar while the meringues cool</span></div><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>For the vanilla glaze:</em></strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Soak the gelatine leaves in the cold water until softened and squeeze out excess water</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Boil glucose, water and sugar until 165<sup>o </sup>C, brushing down the sides of the saucepan with a wet pastry brush as you go. Do not allow the caramel to take on any colour</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. In a separate saucepan, bring crease and vanilla seeds to the boil then add to the sugar syrup. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Mix through, cool to 70<sup>o </sup>C and add softened gelatine, stirring well. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Add miroir glaze and titanium oxide and blend well. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Strain, then freeze until set</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Reheat to 35<sup>o </sup>C when using on meringue</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>For the macerated raspberries:</strong></em></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Place raspberries in a bowl and mash with a fork</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Pour over liquor and sugar and mix to combine</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Place covered in the fridge for at least 30 minutes</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>For the tiramisu ice cream:</strong></em></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Beat egg yolks with sugar and coffee until thick and creamy. This will take about 15 mins</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Add mascarpone and liquor and mix until combined and smooth</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. In a clean bowl beat egg whites until thick and stiff </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Gently fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Spoon into ramekins, level off and place, covered in the freezer until frozen</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>To assemble the sandwich:</strong></em></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Place 1 meringue dome on a plate and cover with the raspberrie mixture</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Spoon vanilla glaze over raspberries</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Place other meringue dome over the base to complete sandwich</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Place a ramekin of the tiramisu ice cream next to the sandwich</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Crumble meringues around the plate to decorate</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfThWi8IsE6wUsiszB-KN-fIynDXnOhRynaQgvBMYv5z2rRvR05NiFT2t1d6nrgn4EykE8W951osvzOZCTieXB0LLyH9xUT1yh-3hnyLvm7lBK3t1xegyoAZNtJ1_4c9I4AHfXm6g7C3M/s1600/IMG_2115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfThWi8IsE6wUsiszB-KN-fIynDXnOhRynaQgvBMYv5z2rRvR05NiFT2t1d6nrgn4EykE8W951osvzOZCTieXB0LLyH9xUT1yh-3hnyLvm7lBK3t1xegyoAZNtJ1_4c9I4AHfXm6g7C3M/s320/IMG_2115.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>HappyLeDizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998552383159333181noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718813129477243093.post-10126738733838595332010-09-24T13:39:00.001+10:002010-09-25T06:16:05.026+10:00Something yummy for lunch<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>Imagine a lunch that is light, yet filling and flavoursome; I'm sure a million different images just ran through your head (and your tastebuds' memory) of exotic options and lovely restaurants but this lunch is one you can eat at your desk on a busy day and still feel indulgent... intrigued? find out more</em></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Name</strong>: Bar Fresco<br />
<strong>Where</strong>: AMP Centre Food Court, Young Street, Sydney</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Cost</strong>: a measly $7</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Diner: </strong>HappyLeDiz</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not one to extol the virtues of a food court. They're generally full of the same shops with the same food and I go to them for convenience at work rather than a drive to eat from a take away outlet. The food court near work is your garden variety food court - it has your fish shop, sandwich shop, salad shop, chinese/japanese/korean/middle eastern takeaway and to be truly honest I am sick of the sight of it after 3.5 years of working here. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However there is one shining light in the daily ritual of finding something to eat and it comes from the sandwich shop and it has inspired me to share it with you dear reader.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">It is the <em><strong><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Chicken Tenderloin sandwich</span></strong></em> - innocuous in name, it doesn't exactly inspire rapture but it is a wonderful meld of simple, complementary flavours that keeps me coming back, week after week.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWk-3fButp2W4BdZC3iSeJffWSt6s8qyQjQ4MtPXrm0lWUg72IMK4mnVAti2Rjz6BucImB_UewA_N52FLOrsgQ6W5Fpolk74jGa1n1l_AxhuR8lqrYGBsFKJMqk-fSDxgZZRFk5zE7s_0/s1600/Tenderloin+Sandwich.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWk-3fButp2W4BdZC3iSeJffWSt6s8qyQjQ4MtPXrm0lWUg72IMK4mnVAti2Rjz6BucImB_UewA_N52FLOrsgQ6W5Fpolk74jGa1n1l_AxhuR8lqrYGBsFKJMqk-fSDxgZZRFk5zE7s_0/s320/Tenderloin+Sandwich.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The very, very yummy chicken tenderloin sandwich</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take two slices of wholemeal bread and add to it avocado, baby spinach leaves, sweet chilli sauce and chicken tenderloins that have been marintated in spicy tomato flavours and you have joy on a plate (or in this case, greaseproof paper). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>PS: If you're extra nice to the man behind the counter he puts a few chips in the top of your sandwich for free!</em></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Not exactly along the lines of my usual posts, but I thought it might be good to share nonetheless for all you cube farmers who struggle with lunch choices each day. <em>Happy weekend!</em></span>HappyLeDizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998552383159333181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718813129477243093.post-3990214193358754792010-09-23T09:25:00.042+10:002010-09-25T06:15:43.535+10:00Cocktails and tapas at Subsolo with iFranc and the fabulous Mrs New<em><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Subsolo is one of those places to which you just keep going back. I often find myself gravitating towards it whenever I need to find a venue on the north eastern side of town and had reason to go there again last night when good friend iFranc said he was up for drinks. So I roped in the fabulous Mrs New and tottered there in excitement...</span></em><span style="color: #666666;"><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Name</strong>: Subsolo<br />
<strong>Where</strong>: 161 King St, Sydney</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Web: </strong><a href="http://www.subsolo.com.au/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">www.subsolo.com.au</span></a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Diners: </strong>HappyLeDiz, the fabulous Mrs New and iFranc</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Whenever I am headed to Subsolo, I always love having an excuse to show up earlier than my reservation so I can prop myself up at the bar and have a few cocktails. Although I have sampled a fair portion of the cocktail menu, I have to confess that I don't even peruse the menu anymore because I am in love - I have a definitie predilection for anything citrus based and have therefore wed myself to the <em>Bello Fin</em>. This cocktail was made with me in mind - a chilled martini glass' rim is encrusted with sugar and filled with a beautiful concoction of homemade limoncello liquor and fresh lemon juice with the slightest hint of ginger; this is finished off with a cherry in the bottom of the glass. It is absolute heaven in a glass</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQXIlYRIfrZmbtCKrYyXnQHt1Nzwuk8BVpAEaboGJ9C4bXPPiDXGg7v0qTkgG7G_xzeb01e1xWkZwPZL_LqfWOztHKeZHcOMgZLcDUUsCdIDyUU5Uyoc3sNBE72d_xdxoLm-1KkdObWk/s1600/IMG_2076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #666666;"><img border="0" height="400" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQXIlYRIfrZmbtCKrYyXnQHt1Nzwuk8BVpAEaboGJ9C4bXPPiDXGg7v0qTkgG7G_xzeb01e1xWkZwPZL_LqfWOztHKeZHcOMgZLcDUUsCdIDyUU5Uyoc3sNBE72d_xdxoLm-1KkdObWk/s400/IMG_2076.JPG" width="225" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heaven in a glass - Bello Fin</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #666666;"></span><span style="font-family: TTE2632ED8t00; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: TTE2632ED8t00; font-size: medium;"></span></span><br />
<div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">iFranc proceeded to order a bottle of the Telmo Rodriguez – LZ, 07 Tempranillo – Rioja </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: small;">which is described quite aptly on the wine list as <em>"A fresh, light & concentrated unwooded Tempranillo. Impeccable fruit, meaty & earthy with hints of liquorice & cola at the finish".</em> It was my first time consuming a Tempranillo and I really enjoyed it. It managed to be light but earthy (I don't know how, but it was) and I'd be happy to have it again.</span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWEVDZf6T3NKA1IEqYBmcLYggmlUgA4ayfECSnliRQukRLumV9mphIjlNX_9pV3QPWVwgv3ekY8MuFt3XvVa-4q6ljD3NrrnygBL10Bcs6LM59ZucBowjr0KTB9Fxi1JyrLOJH6tZODo/s1600/LZ+wine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #666666;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWEVDZf6T3NKA1IEqYBmcLYggmlUgA4ayfECSnliRQukRLumV9mphIjlNX_9pV3QPWVwgv3ekY8MuFt3XvVa-4q6ljD3NrrnygBL10Bcs6LM59ZucBowjr0KTB9Fxi1JyrLOJH6tZODo/s320/LZ+wine.JPG" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our very drinkable Tempranillo wine</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="color: #666666;"></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">iFranc and I decided to share some tapas to go with our lovely beverages (or else I'd have to be poured into a cab); seeing as iFranc had just returned from Spain (and I've never been) I asked him to make the selection. He chose 4 dishes:</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><em><strong>Chicken Chorizo with Caramelised Escallots </strong></em>- garlicky slices of warm chorizo that were delicious</span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em><span style="color: #666666;"><strong>Baked Piquillo Peppers with Spanish Goats Cheese, Roasted Pinenuts & Wild Rocket</strong> - deliciously soft cooked peppers stuffed with goats cheese and offset with peppery rocket - yum!</span></em></span><span style="color: #666666;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_bMsYuRy0dMPsk-uCVMsGMR_30Tzsu3YE3LB5OU5z319axBtT7ZFMyV2FYTGfkKV5T4ON7f-SrdeWf2PPi-ISa6Qx0-CxW3Ug65CNSQeSZw3Hi_qktYj7p01pqrjVf4PhO19dBZzcAc/s1600/Piquant+peppers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #666666;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_bMsYuRy0dMPsk-uCVMsGMR_30Tzsu3YE3LB5OU5z319axBtT7ZFMyV2FYTGfkKV5T4ON7f-SrdeWf2PPi-ISa6Qx0-CxW3Ug65CNSQeSZw3Hi_qktYj7p01pqrjVf4PhO19dBZzcAc/s320/Piquant+peppers.JPG" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Baked piquillo peppers with Spanish goats cheese, roasted pinenutes and wild rocket</span><br />
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<div align="left"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><em><strong>Crunchy Bacalao (Salt-Cod) Croquettes on Aioli</strong> </em>- these were nice but I found them too salty (and I'm normally a salt fiend) it was about this time I started signalling the waiter for some water - for both the purposes of sobriety and re-hydration from the dish</span></span></span></div></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXqNjCbk9Dr5rWCyZuIt-HOhwizMEhbbWXjS5unnAhwuIrkJ_s5mjrDlYCmmQtHUgz54Z7Hc1aVDeogh4XkHrlUYRUjIdsJj3egD8U1R8HPGCSVPrYLG7x0PkiSRahhSb8FHIB_Bgv-g/s320/Salt+cod+croquettes.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crunchy bacalao croquettes on aioli</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXqNjCbk9Dr5rWCyZuIt-HOhwizMEhbbWXjS5unnAhwuIrkJ_s5mjrDlYCmmQtHUgz54Z7Hc1aVDeogh4XkHrlUYRUjIdsJj3egD8U1R8HPGCSVPrYLG7x0PkiSRahhSb8FHIB_Bgv-g/s1600/Salt+cod+croquettes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #666666;"></span></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>Sliced jamon serrano</strong> - </em>the serrano ham was the star of this dish, sliced thinly and simply served on the plate with slices of fresh baguette. Deliciously simple. </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="left"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sliced jamon serrano</span></div></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">On the whole I always enjoy my time at Subsolo (which is why I keep returning!). Whilst the service can be a bit slow, it can be hard to catch a waiter's attention unless you're placed in their path, it is friendly. This venue is great for some drinks and tapas or a big meal and is an excellent venue to settle in and catch up with your friends. </span></div>HappyLeDizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998552383159333181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718813129477243093.post-27215446138822273142010-09-21T17:19:00.008+10:002010-09-25T06:15:20.063+10:00Happiness really is a shared meal...at Sailors Thai @ Ivy<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>I've been a fan of the original Sailors Thai at the Rocks for many years so when I heard they had opened at the Ivy needless to say I was rubbing my hands in anticipation. What would they do different? What will be the same? I took the opportunity to try it out when my dear friend iFranc called to say not only was he was in Sydney, but he was free for lunch!</em></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Name</strong>: Sailors Thai Ivy<br />
<strong>Where</strong>: Level 2, 330 George St, Sydney</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Web: </strong><a href="http://www.merivale.com/#/ivy/sailorsthai"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">http://www.merivale.com/#/ivy/sailorsthai</span></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>Diners: </strong>HappyLeDiz and iFranc</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Walking out of the lift I see Ivy Bar to my right (with gorgeous canary yellow and white candy stripe wallpaper) and a line of sinks to my left. That's right, you can see into the washroom of the women's amenities from the foyer, an interesting feature. Behind a black screen you step into a bright, airy space full of sophistication - black panelled walls, luscious green plants, white plantation shutters on floor to ceiling windows lining the opposite wall. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QBzR_hxZDP9oaR76tEL7TVa5hU-zUjONuURxpdRfBjq5pfyU9yX4EaZTr-befE08UxmuzR-Lt_vgQO7Oa3_zgwM1AnnkYUA_6ht5h1uAuggrGBR38ceBDyChoCugZC2tP-jNSLuV-70/s1600/IMG_2069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #666666;"><img border="0" height="400" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QBzR_hxZDP9oaR76tEL7TVa5hU-zUjONuURxpdRfBjq5pfyU9yX4EaZTr-befE08UxmuzR-Lt_vgQO7Oa3_zgwM1AnnkYUA_6ht5h1uAuggrGBR38ceBDyChoCugZC2tP-jNSLuV-70/s400/IMG_2069.JPG" width="225" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sophisticated dining room & bar</span></div></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was greeted by a friendly waiter, shown to my seat and offered a drink while I waited for iFranc. The music was funky, a bit of electro, funk and jazz and played at a good volume. The place has a good vibe to it but, seeing as the windows overlooked one of Ivy's many bars, I can imagine if the bar was pumping it would very quickly become hard to maintain a conversation in the restaurant.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">iFranc arrived and after we finally stopped hugging, saying good to see you, you look fabulous etc... we settled down to the menu. We decided to share 3 entrees to keep the meal light and had a glass of wine (a lovely, light Loire Valley Vouvrey) to complement the dishes. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">First up we ordered the betel leaves with crab, coconut, chilli, lime, ginger and peanuts, caramel sauce. This was far and away the best dish we had. Each bite was a burst of flavour, simultaneously spicy, sweet, fresh and crunchy; the roe on top of each leaf made a delightful pop in my mouth introducing even more flavour with each chew. Both iFranc and I loved this dish and agreed we could eat it over and over again (and seriously contemplated doing so)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFLbvI7BjPLXAYYQii7_MRtymihNczNSQhZfuDYuLEGTwFPY5k-YzcW_tTFTX_TNWbegCc-EljIqsc0VTeHMLU4rr_TrxON9jKs7RHKssfJsIWFDEpCOMpbWr0ETzqOcyqh6DUhZk3dM/s1600/IMG_2071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #666666;"><img border="0" height="225" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFLbvI7BjPLXAYYQii7_MRtymihNczNSQhZfuDYuLEGTwFPY5k-YzcW_tTFTX_TNWbegCc-EljIqsc0VTeHMLU4rr_TrxON9jKs7RHKssfJsIWFDEpCOMpbWr0ETzqOcyqh6DUhZk3dM/s400/IMG_2071.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dish of the day - betel leaves with crab, coconut, chilli, lime, ginger, peanuts and caramel sauce ($12)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Next up was the prawns in wonton skin with sailors thai sweet chilli sauce. This dish was presented with a lot of height and the wontons were fried to a golden hue. Each bite was crunchy with lovely, chunky prawns contained within and the sauce was nice too. iFranc didn't like the tails, he thought they were too crunchy (but that's a personal preference thing)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOWRHLQN1UnxZVY-JpPD_nfrDBW5BI8lN-sEkH261WPwZc6cS_tH-BBqzvx9Wzu-RhPIn_JW6iBqKyP-hjGW3EdgVbDxcOgN2FzYIcUJBSxWMf6CkZlKzGaxxB9GPFjGW5HTohmpAYiDo/s1600/IMG_2072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #666666;"><img border="0" height="225" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOWRHLQN1UnxZVY-JpPD_nfrDBW5BI8lN-sEkH261WPwZc6cS_tH-BBqzvx9Wzu-RhPIn_JW6iBqKyP-hjGW3EdgVbDxcOgN2FzYIcUJBSxWMf6CkZlKzGaxxB9GPFjGW5HTohmpAYiDo/s400/IMG_2072.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prawns in wonton skin with sailors thai sweet chilli sauce ($16)</span><br />
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</tbody></table><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Finally, after some deliberation, we ordered the twice cooked five spice calamari with red chilli, coriander and shallots. This dish took quite a while to come out of the kitchen (approx 20 minutes with a half empty restaurant) and was really beautifully presented with a mountain of coriander and a cheek of lime topping the calamari and red chilli. We looked at it in anticipation, it was such a feast for the eyes, unfortunately not so much for the mouths. There was an overwhelming fish taste (like it had been doused in fish sauce prior to dressing) and the crumb on the calamari was soggy so you didn't get the nice contrast of crunchy crumb mixed with soft calamari. The calamari itself was cooked well, succulent and not too rubbery but the dish itself was underwhelming. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKE5MNkmRJOH53TFIEGtEx_xv-iqx6G6Zns2mZMWyKpNDnrQeeHCAwBiYIehxJUle0crzrsfzrGKgIOR7kftMcuS1vA_asnER2_aYrpsvG1kDZYR2VlGWigvXM5ZxJ40Go3Vk_lpZAv3g/s1600/IMG_2075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #666666;"><img border="0" height="225" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKE5MNkmRJOH53TFIEGtEx_xv-iqx6G6Zns2mZMWyKpNDnrQeeHCAwBiYIehxJUle0crzrsfzrGKgIOR7kftMcuS1vA_asnER2_aYrpsvG1kDZYR2VlGWigvXM5ZxJ40Go3Vk_lpZAv3g/s400/IMG_2075.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twice cooked five spice calamari with red chilli, coriander and shallots ($20)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All in all I really enjoyed Sailors Thai @ Ivy. The atmosphere was good, the decor was stylish, the prices were reasonable and the service was friendly (if a bit overzealous sometimes). I'll definitely be going back.</span>HappyLeDizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998552383159333181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718813129477243093.post-79029619026101262542010-09-13T17:22:00.007+10:002010-09-25T06:14:27.662+10:00Neil Perry's Spice Temple, Sydney<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">After hearing much about this restaurant I finally had the chance to sample Neil Perry's latest incarnation first hand and I must say I was very impressed</span></em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><strong>Name</strong>: Spice Temple</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><strong>Where</strong>: 10 Bligh St, Sydney</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><strong>Web: </strong><a href="http://www.spicetemple.com.au/">http://www.spicetemple.com.au/</a><br />
<strong>Diners: </strong>HappyLeDiz and work colleagues</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Walking through a really cool door that has a dynamic image of a oriental silk drape built in, you walk down a spiral stair case and feel more like you are entering an underground club rather than a restaurant. It has an exclusive feel about it. The ambience is funky and I personally found the music a bit too loud but the interior design is simple, raw and pared back but luxurious in feel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">I was fortunate enough to go for a work lunch with 6 others so we had the opportunity to order many dishes to share across the menu. I'll have to share with you now dear reader, I am an absolute wuss when it comes to chilli laden and spicy foods, I am trying to build up my 'heat threshold' but am currently relegated to ordering the 1-2 chilli rated foods at my local Thai and Indian restaurants. With this is mind my colleagues were kind enough to order items from the menu that were lighter on the spice and chilli factor. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">The menu has a nice layout, there's a photo of a beautiful woman on the front (of which my male colleagues all joked "I'll take her thanks") and a simple, uncluttered layout. Any really hot and spicy dish (beef fillet in firewater anybody?) is printed in a deep, hot red ink to truly evoke the heat the dish contains. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">After much deliberation, our party settled on the following menu items:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;"><em>Entree</em></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Steamed eggplant with 3 flavours - garlic, coriander & sweet pork</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Fried salt and pepper silken tofu with spicy coriander salad</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Stir fried scallops with velvet noodles and chilli paste</span><br />
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<em><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Main</span></em><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Steamed blue eye fillet Hunan style - salted red chilli & pickled green chilli</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Three shot chicken - beer, chilli, soy</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Guangxi style roast pork belly with coriander, peas, red onion and sesame seeds</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Stir fried cumin lamb with steamed bread pockets</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Stir fried grass fed beef fillet with wok blistered peppers and black bean</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Stir fried greens with garlic</span><br />
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<em><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Dessert</span></em><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Banana, chocolate and peanut sesame ball with banana ice cream</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Mango cream with condensed milk chantilly</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Sesame ice cream with candied popcorn and chocolate</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">It was such a diverse selection and I'm not going to go into the complexities of each dish (I don't think my vocabulary of descriptive words is big enough!) but the highlights for me were the:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Eggplant</strong> - unbelievable flavour combination. Just divine...but don't believe the waiter when he says you won't stink afterwards!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Scallops</strong> - the scallops were cooked to perfection, the noodles were silky and melt in your mouth and the chilli paste had a subtle heat and full of flavour</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Pork Belly </strong>- crispy and succulent and the accompanying salad was simultaneously fresh and spicy</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Chicken </strong>-<strong> </strong>the chicken was finished in a ceramic dish over a gas flame at the table. The chilli oil had heat but wasn't overpowering and the combination of soy and beer gave it a slight sweet and savoury flavour. I especially liked the touch of mixing the three shots at the table, it gave the dish a sense of ceremony</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Mango cream</strong> - I'm going to put it out there, this would have to be one of the best desserts I have ever eaten; creamy, flavoursome, more-ish. I was disappointed I had to share this!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">We shared two bottles of wine (a Riesling and a Pinot Noir) from the extensive (and fiercely selective) wine list - they have a strict list of 100 wines, if one is added another is booted - both of which complemented the meal superbly. We also had coffee with dessert. Spice Temple serves Vittoria's 'cinque stelle' blend which is a beautiful, smooth, flavourful coffee.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">I really enjoyed this experience. For the seven of us it came to just over $500 which is reasonable for the amount and quality of food and wine consumed. I'd recommend you go with a group rather than a couple so you can really experience what the menu has to offer. </span>HappyLeDizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998552383159333181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718813129477243093.post-28424129957240925212010-09-12T14:53:00.138+10:002010-09-17T09:50:23.348+10:00Lazy Greek style Sunday lunch at home<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>A Greek inspired feast with a gorgeous cake for dessert...</em></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had good friend Christine and her fiance Rob stop by for lunch after a long gap between seeing each other. In honour of such an exciting occassion I decided to cook a big, Greek inspired feast that we could linger over while we caught up on each others news.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I made a pea soup for entree (I know, not Greek, but delicious nonetheless) and a slow cooked leg of lamb with lemon and oregano flavours, lemon potatoes and Greek salad with red wine vinagarette for main. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christine, being the proprietor of CupieCakes (</span></span><a href="http://www.cupiecakes.com.au/"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">www.cupiecakes.com.au</span></a><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) was gracious enough to bring dessert which was a beautiful and moreish Poached pear, Vanilla and Almond cake that was absolutely divine! (which I was so keen to consume I forgot to take a photo)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was such a lovely afternoon, we had a wonderful catch up and we all had full, satisfied bellies. I thought I'd share the Lamb and Potatoes receipe with you so you can enjoy sharing the same meal with your good friends. Both recipes are courtesy of G, my manager, friend and fellow food lover.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Slow cooked Lamb with lemon and oregano flavours</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Ingredients</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Leg of lamb</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">1 clove garlic - cut into slivers</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Salt</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Pepper</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Dried oregano</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Olive oil</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Juice of 1 lemon</span><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Method</span></strong><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">1. Prepare the lamb by making incisions all over and inserting the slivers of garlic</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNNtZKCHtRxurzOrWqhn0oqeSFisQaCL1J8fgQHpCzvn4x_hAV7djYNmwx3vH-QIVtcJXsKpOZntpSI-LJ4UxmxWT7_KjZgRjVxIpSr49YQMaeDNX38kR3OhBFF9rJnqu0BQxsSz8sgg/s1600/IMG_2033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #666666;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNNtZKCHtRxurzOrWqhn0oqeSFisQaCL1J8fgQHpCzvn4x_hAV7djYNmwx3vH-QIVtcJXsKpOZntpSI-LJ4UxmxWT7_KjZgRjVxIpSr49YQMaeDNX38kR3OhBFF9rJnqu0BQxsSz8sgg/s320/IMG_2033.JPG" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mmmm garlic... so delicious yet so stinky</span></div><div align="left"><br />
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</tbody></table><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Pre-heat a cast iron oven on the stove over med-high heat with some olive oil in the base (if you don't have one, this can be also be done covered in a low oven). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">3. Cover the lamb in cracked pepper, salt and oregano and massage into the rind with some olive oil </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9eVZ6DVxJgw4jhGHrzUeMDl27MCW65onh_sskwPUG1bxZeh7g-by1mF1u8P_Pwq3l_nN3UqhchOTBTqkZdx28LVImkAEZghmQS1TQr5PlN897O0j_933osq8sEw261tg0pd2SJO2ZYk/s1600/IMG_2035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #666666;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9eVZ6DVxJgw4jhGHrzUeMDl27MCW65onh_sskwPUG1bxZeh7g-by1mF1u8P_Pwq3l_nN3UqhchOTBTqkZdx28LVImkAEZghmQS1TQr5PlN897O0j_933osq8sEw261tg0pd2SJO2ZYk/s320/IMG_2035.JPG" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Giving the lamb an exclusive oregano, salt and pepper massage</span></div></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">4. Place the lamb in the cast iron oven and seal on both sides until slightly brown, then turn the heat down to med-low.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">5. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the lamb and place the lid on the cast iron oven to seal in the moisture</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wrKJRJtc_gafjfTeP9Hvvuou7z01ZJEnRM-MOmjCFETHxD0DEiebnXa8fi254ALTZWwdYLwbFEQbyQdL3Z3UbDo8eJUkq_QM7N4RNXZpSGDhIKGic4YHVJTRIsBQnk8rwRulmuSrupQ/s1600/IMG_2040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #666666;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wrKJRJtc_gafjfTeP9Hvvuou7z01ZJEnRM-MOmjCFETHxD0DEiebnXa8fi254ALTZWwdYLwbFEQbyQdL3Z3UbDo8eJUkq_QM7N4RNXZpSGDhIKGic4YHVJTRIsBQnk8rwRulmuSrupQ/s320/IMG_2040.JPG" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Squeezing in some lemon juice for extra flavour</span></div><div align="left"><br />
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</tbody></table><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Cook the lamb, with the lid on, on the stovetop for five hours; turning it once per hour. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. For the last hour place the cast iron oven in the oven to co-incide with the last hour of the lemon potatoes to make the skin a bit crispy and brown it a bit further.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. Serve it straight to the table and have your guests ooh and aah over the aroma! The lamb is so tender you can use a fork and spoon to serve it to your guests.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Lemon pototoes</strong></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;"><strong>Ingredients</strong></span><br />
<div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Potatoes (King Edwards or Delawares are the best) </span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Olive oil</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Salt</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Pepper</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Oregano</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Vegeta</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Juice of 1/2 lemon</span></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjgH6WcUTeLmMs7sWk2AgODI1C7sAhVO48FX4OCxzkazDaSgkDwYOVHH3VFSJgYBY6wnZ-B4wHmgyL5SLA2B0Y8HS-2eQgfvMfFV2RP1rk4WRP8mFDZz7d9b_Xl9H6jW-971Z-sZRiy0/s1600/IMG_2046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjgH6WcUTeLmMs7sWk2AgODI1C7sAhVO48FX4OCxzkazDaSgkDwYOVHH3VFSJgYBY6wnZ-B4wHmgyL5SLA2B0Y8HS-2eQgfvMfFV2RP1rk4WRP8mFDZz7d9b_Xl9H6jW-971Z-sZRiy0/s320/IMG_2046.JPG" /></a></div><div align="left"><br />
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</div><div align="left"><strong><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Method</span></strong></div><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">1. Preheat the oven to 150<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: black;"><sup>o </sup></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">C</span></span></span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">2. Peel and chop enough potatoes for your guests, into even pieces (approx 2.5 cm)</span></div><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">3. In a bowl combine chopped potatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, vegeta, lemon juice and olive oil and toss to coat</span></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikFx181lAqutFOHBjvW0L5Q7AfnoFHZqZAKLmYmTWqpzthD8VtFRzX-kzsoejdXxWYh8zMBGH0Pi4LHvcd7TND__bkPtevtgk524wQ8wGKVZ4WGi7_rNNDESp_QPt6Y81bbEkBEBeqMk/s1600/IMG_2047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikFx181lAqutFOHBjvW0L5Q7AfnoFHZqZAKLmYmTWqpzthD8VtFRzX-kzsoejdXxWYh8zMBGH0Pi4LHvcd7TND__bkPtevtgk524wQ8wGKVZ4WGi7_rNNDESp_QPt6Y81bbEkBEBeqMk/s320/IMG_2047.JPG" /></a></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">4. Put potatoes in a baking dish in a single layer and place in the oven to roast for 1.5 hours</span></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqdqpKWTvyt32DD5M9pO97vw-c-zYUZU4znCTv6nry8HQVbOTSCtBaVJKex-WPUvGtyviCKCo4KxflGvuP7LfnlE4m6-2XlI4hzRw_OfdL1-kCP9n5HjNbMRK0jz0zV3Z6d0HFnqpMYU/s1600/IMG_2048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqdqpKWTvyt32DD5M9pO97vw-c-zYUZU4znCTv6nry8HQVbOTSCtBaVJKex-WPUvGtyviCKCo4KxflGvuP7LfnlE4m6-2XlI4hzRw_OfdL1-kCP9n5HjNbMRK0jz0zV3Z6d0HFnqpMYU/s320/IMG_2048.JPG" /></a></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. The potatoes should be turned at the halfway mark (or when you put the lamb in the oven)</span></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. The result are crispy, zesty, flavoursome potatoes that are fluffy on the inside</span></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">Set the table simply, so the food is the focus and enjoy!</span></div><div align="left"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8O9ZBW2L7-VQvZ2snNZiBmfSNdVRWx4upqQJ08VsOSUVRO0ovW69XUcb38zuSvFDyCjRpWbNSgkYYXon6BKVHe01sfkGV5hJ1K296B0YNgaUjd5rwshBLg21B54RUltfkilFsUIjn9_o/s1600/IMG_2050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8O9ZBW2L7-VQvZ2snNZiBmfSNdVRWx4upqQJ08VsOSUVRO0ovW69XUcb38zuSvFDyCjRpWbNSgkYYXon6BKVHe01sfkGV5hJ1K296B0YNgaUjd5rwshBLg21B54RUltfkilFsUIjn9_o/s320/IMG_2050.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="left"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The table is set for a lovely Greek feast!</span></div></td></tr>
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</div><div align="left"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial;">So tell me dear readers, what is your favourite meal over which you linger with great company and great conversation?</span></div><div align="left"><br />
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</div>HappyLeDizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998552383159333181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718813129477243093.post-34463551511853276332010-09-11T17:56:00.003+10:002010-09-25T06:13:29.458+10:00Vanilla Bean and Lime Deli Cafe, Padstow<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<em><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Everyone has their local haunt. A place where they love the coffee, the service is friendly, the vibe is cool and the prices are reasonable. My personal weekend haunt is Vanilla Bean and Lime Deli Cafe, the subject of this post</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Name</strong>: Vanilla Bean and Lime</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Where</strong>: 61 Howard Road, Padstow </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Diners: </strong>HappyLeDiz and Moosh (aunt to Mr LeDiz)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was blessed with a visit from my aunt-in-law today and, in true food loving fashion, we decided to go for lunch to catch up on the latest happenings in our lives.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Short on time but always in the need of a decent feed, we decided to head down the road to Vanilla Bean & Lime Deli Cafe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The surroundings are lovely, in fact they have just repainted the restaurant to give it a more sophisticated feel. There are many tables and, although the place is always pumping on the weekend, you don't feel too crowded in there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The waitstaff were prompt in welcoming us and giving us our menus once seated; after a quick scan of the menu I decided on the chicken schintzel burger and Moosh decided on the grilled chicken on toasted turkish bread, both of which are served with a choice of chips or wedges. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We immediately settled in to looking at photos of Moosh's newly born grandson (who, by the way, is absolutely beautiful) and before we knew it our meals had arrived. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Both meals were presented on large, round, white plates and were kept simple with just a pinch of chopped parsley decorating the plate. My burger was toasted and the chicken schnitzel was cooked to a golden hue which had a satisfying crunch when I took a bite. The chicken inside the crumb was good quality: soft, perfectly cooked and no gristle. The salad accompanying the schnitzel in the burger was fresh and in good proportion to the meat and bread. It was flavoured with cheese, aioli and sweet chilli sauce. The serve of chips accompanying were golden brown, not too oily and generous in size (but not over the top). Altogether it was a satisfying meal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Moosh's grilled chicken on turkish was equally satisfying. Once again the chicken was perfectly cooked and of good quality. The salad was fresh and it had aioli and avocado as accompaniements. We were both happy with our meals. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Once we finish our meal we ordered coffees. These were really nice coffees, the beans were well roasted and the barista had packed it really well to get a beautiful crema on Moosh's long black. The milk in my skim latte a temperature that was hot but I could drink immediately and had a beautiful creamy consistency. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I would recommend anyone in the surrounding area to dine at Vanilla Bean and Lime. They are open from 8am each day and serve dinner on Friday nights. It is good quality food and good coffee at a price that presents value for money.</span>HappyLeDizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998552383159333181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2718813129477243093.post-73366217335845786672010-09-10T23:09:00.008+10:002010-09-25T06:13:04.779+10:00new life, new challenges, new creative outlets<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>Recently married, there's a sense of 'emptiness' once the hype and all the planning all dies down...</em></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been doing a fair bit of navel gazing since I got married in March and have wanted to focus all the extra time and energy into something positive. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like millions of other Australians I've been fascinated by MasterChef and since then I've been inspired by the myriad of food blogs in the world (even just in Sydney).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't believe it took me so long to cotton on the whole world of sharing the passion for a love of food and the experience of sharing a sublime meal with a friend or someone you love with others who share the same passion.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope I am able to move beyond this awkward post and really convey my passion for food and share some experiences as I trundle through life from meal to meal and experience to experience.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I welcome you to join me on this journey and it would be even better if you shared your comments and passions with me. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As Rick said to Louis in that wonderful film 'Casablanca": </span><br />
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<blockquote><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>"This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship"</em></span></blockquote><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until my next piece of culinary inspiration, </span><br />
<em><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HappyLeDiz</span></em>HappyLeDizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998552383159333181noreply@blogger.com0