Chit Chat Chomp

January.

2012-02-02T08:30:00.000+11:00

Can you believe January has already been and gone?

It went so fast that I thought I'd take a little wander down memory lane again.......

A little snap shot of January.

Starting the year off in style with a little Sangria

Finally mastering the art of the scone.

Celebrating my mum's birthday (as well as my niece Ms M and my nephew Mr M)

Our Plonkers Excursion to the wineries of Red Hill

And finding comfort in cake when saying 'goodbye' to my trusty little car of 14 years.

A lazy Sunday morning.

2012-01-31T12:03:00.000+11:00

One of the lovely things I'm finding about not having a car on the weekends is that I'm forced to slow down. Something I've been craving and wanting to do for a very long time.

Giving me time to enjoy a lazy brunch of apple pancakes topped with maple syrup and yoghurt along with a big pot of tea.

125g flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp of caster sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup of milk

1 apple, coarsely grated

Mix flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl, then add the egg, milk and apple and whisk to combine.

Place heaped tablespoonfuls of the batter onto a lightly greased fry pan over medium heat and cook for approximately 2 minutes each side.

Serve with maple syrup and yoghurt.

Makes 8

Geez, I could sure get use to this!

A little goodbye.....

2012-01-29T13:03:00.002+11:00

After almost 14 years it looks as though I'll be saying goodbye to my little car. The car that helped make lots of memories during most of my 20's and 30's.

Written off in an accident on Australia Day (no one hurt luckily), the first thing I do......

Bake!

A comforting carrot cake.

A Plonkers Excursion......

2012-01-27T12:26:00.000+11:00

Last Saturday, 23 of us threw out the window any 2012 resolution for alcoholic abstinence as we headed off on a Plonkers Excursion to the Red Hill region of Victoria.

First stop - Quealy Winery

It is now one of my favourite wineries to visit of all time - family run and stuck in a time warp (which I love) and some of the best wines I've tasted in a long while.

Then a visit to the Port Phillip Estate Winery. The complete opposite to our first stop - sleek and modern with a spectacular view.

Finishing up a byo picnic in the picturesque Seawinds Gardens at the top of Arthurs Seat.

My contribution - a Potato Gallette......

and a Rhubarb and Sour Cream Cake (recipe to follow soon, I promise).

A big thank you to Ms E for organising such a perfect excursion!

A Birthday Celebration

2012-01-25T11:51:00.000+11:00

Following on from my last post (see here), on Sunday my family celebrated my mum's 72nd birthday.

Just a wee little afternoon tea filled with bubbles and some of our favourite nibbles.......

There is something so simple and wonderful about sandwiches with their crusts cut off, don't you think?

These were home-made pork sausage rolls

Happy Birthday to the best mum in the whole wide world!

Hope you had a wonderful day and a wonderful birthday.

A sneak peek at my weekend.....

2012-01-23T12:07:00.000+11:00

A little sneak peek at my weekend which involved catering for my mum's birthday party.

Just a little 'High Tea' sitting out on the deck at my sister's house.

Green Goddess Tea Sandwiches

Egg, chive and lettuce finger sandwiches

Almond and orange blossom cupcakes

An apology and a little almond & pear tarte.....

2012-01-19T11:31:00.002+11:00

For my tardiness, all I can is sorry. I'd mentioned back in August (see here) that I would post the recipe of the delicious French Almond & Pear Tarte I made for my brother's birthday. Between the catering jobs I've had on and the hectic lead up to Christmas, it just simply slipped my mind. Thank you to those of you who reminded me with your emails.

So in order to redeem myself, even just a little, please find the recipe below.

1 quantity sweet pastry (below)

55g caster sugar

1 vanilla pod

3 pears (ripe but still firm), peeled, halved and cored

3 tbsp apricot jam

Almond Filling

150g unsalted butter, softened

145g caster sugar

few drops of vanilla extract

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

140g ground almonds

finely grated zest of a lemon

30g plain flour

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Roll out the pastry to line a 23cm round loose-based tart tin. Chill for 20 minutes.

Put the sugar and vanilla pod in a saucepan. Add pears and pour in just enough water to cover them, then remove the pears. Bring the water to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add the pears, cover and poach for 5-10 minutes until tender. Drain and leave to cool.

For the filling, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract together until pale and creamy. Beat in the eggs gradually and then fold in the almonds, lemon zest and flour.

Line the pastry shell with a crumpled piece of greaseproof paper and baking beads and blind bake for 10 minutes, remove paper and beads and bake for a further 3-5 minutes, or until just cooked but still pale. Reduce oven temperature to 180 degrees.

Spread 3/4 of the filling in the pastry shell and put the pear hales on top,cut-side down and stalk ends in the middle. Fill the gaps with the remaining filling. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the filling is golden and firm. Melt the apricot jam with 1 tsp water and brush over the pears to make them shine.

Sweet pastry

340g plain flour

small pinch of salt

150g unsalted butter

90g icing sugar

2 eggs, beaten

Sift flour and salt onto a clean work surface and make a well in the centre. Put the butter in the well and work, using a pecking action with your fingertips and thumb, until it is very soft. Add the sugar and mix together, then add the eggs and mix together.

Gradually incorporate the flour, flicking it onto the mixture and then chopping through it until you have a rough dough. Bring it together with your hands and knead a few times to make a smooth dough. Roll into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and put in fridge for at least 1 hour.

Whenever I talk about French food, and in particular French desserts (which is quite often the case) I'm always surprised by others reactions. The most common comment being "way too complicated". In actual fact (and I'm not talking about Michelin Star dishes here), French cooking, especially the rustic, day to day cooking is so very simple and tasty as hell. This tarte is no exception. I urge you to try it and see for yourself. Yes I'll admit that if you're not a fan of making pastry from scratch it can be a bit daunting so I suggest either to make extra and pop it in the freezer for next time - this is what I do, or simply pick up some good pre-made pastry. Someone out there has put a good deal of time effort into making the pastry for you, so why not partake?

Joie de Vivre

2012-01-16T19:11:00.002+11:00

A bunch of wonderful friends + French music + Yummy picnic food =

The perfect way to spend a lazy Sunday!

So Frenchy So Chic - The ultimate French garden party held at Werribee Park under the watchful eye of the Mansion.....utter bliss.

(Nouvelle Vague)

A scone a day....

2012-01-13T13:15:00.002+11:00

"I asked the maid, in a dulcet tone,

to order me a buttered scone.

The silly girl has been and gone,

and ordered me a buttered scon!"

I'll admit, I call it the later (rhymes with gone). I'm really not that fancy.

I'll also admin, that I think I've finally mastered the art of making them....toot toot!

I made dates ones also.......maybe I am a little bit fancy after all.

The elusive fish patty....

2012-01-10T12:40:00.001+11:00

When I was young, my mum and I would going Friday night shopping to Myers, but before the retail therapy would begin we'd head straight for the Myer Cafeteria. Showing my age here. Yes, Myers had a cafeteria way back when where you'd collect your tray at the beginning and then shuffle along the counter collecting your drinks and dinner along the way.

Always, my choice would be the fish cakes. There was something appealing about the little patties with a slice of tomato sitting on top. Albeit a rather dry slice of tomato as the patties would have been sitting under the heat lamps for quite some time. Nevertheless, I wanted it.

Still to this day I've never been able to make or find fish patties that taste the same. Not sure if that's a good or a bad thing?

Having picked up some salmon, I decided to give these little salmon patties a whirl, teamed with a zucchini salad they were light, delicious and refreshing and not too heavy as I didn't add any bread crumbs.

2 pieces of cooked salmon, flaked

handful of chives, chopped

handful of parsley, chopped

1 tbsp of good quality whole egg mayonnaise

1 tsp Dijon mustard

salt & pepper

1 egg, beaten

Mix all ingredients together (except the egg) using your hands to combine and roll into 6 balls (or 4 if you'd prefer larger patties).

Coat each patty with the beaten egg (top and bottom) and place into a heated, oiled pan and cook on each side, pressing down a little to form the correct shape, for approximately 3 minutes, or until golden.

Tip: Ensure the patty is golden before flipping as it holds it shape better. Flipping before this time will make the patty fall apart. Trust me!

Baby it's hot outside...

2012-01-06T13:18:00.000+11:00

When it's 500 degrees outside the only food I'm going to make for my friends is rice paper rolls. That's it! I may change the filling depending on my mood, but lump it or leave it, that's all you're getting.

This was the other dish I took along with me for NYE (along with my Sangria).

Fresh, light, tasty and oh so simple. So simple in fact that I'm not even going to put down the recipe for them, although I will give you the recipe for the yummy dipping sauce I made to go with them....

Over low-medium heat stir 1 cup caster sugar with 1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil and allow to cook for a few minutes, until a little thick. Add in a finely diced small red chilli and a handful of finely chopped coriander. Allow to cool.

Delicious!

Un vaso de sangría por favor...

2012-01-03T15:47:00.000+11:00

If you're a fan of fresh fruit and a little white wine, then you'll enjoy this. I'm very fond of a little Sangria every now and again. Something about all that fresh fruit submerged in yummy goodness that keeps me coming back again, especially on a hot summers day and that's exactly what Melbourne is experiencing at the moment. Hot days! Summer has well and truly arrived.

I needed to take a few little bits and pieces along with me for New Years Eve, but with no air-conditioning in my home there was no way my oven was being switched on for any length of time. What to take? I wanted something quick and easy (that didn't take up too much brain power as I don't function well in the heat), and something fresh and light......Sangria Blanca.....perfecto!

To be honest, I would normally drink the more traditional red Sangria over the white one, but with the temperature hitting 39 degrees......a fresh, sparkling white one was the only choice.

The recipe below is loosely based on the one found in Valli Little's cookbook - More Please. I've changed it here and there to suit my taste buds (I'm not a fan of vodka and I don't like my Sangria too sweet) so feel free to change it yourself to suit yours.

1 bottle dry white wine mixed with 1/4 cup caster sugar - stir until sugar has dissolved. Add any fruit of your liking (I added sliced orange, peach, raspberries and some mint leaves). Stir in 1 cup of gin (or vodka or schnapps) and allow to stand and infuse for approximately 2 hours at room temperature.

When serving, I pour this mixture into a large glass jug and add icy cold mineral water and ice.

Salud!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-03T14:05:00.001+11:00

Hmmmm.......did i miss a little thing called Christmas? Surely it hasn't already been and gone??

Sitting here writing this little post, I truly cannot believe that Christmas has been and gone and the new year has already arrived - what happened?

It's been a strange end to the year for me and not quite what I had organised but it's taught me that you can't control anything and that you just have to go with the flow starting with finishing work on the Thursday before Christmas without the usual frantic running around that normally comes hand in hand with that time of year. It just didn't feel right, and in fact, it didn't feel like I had closure to the year at all as suddenly I was attending our firms Christmas party and then it was all over. I was on holidays.

Heading up to Healesville for a little 'get away' before the family formalities, day one saw us stopping at a little winery for a yummy lunch. What a fantastic start to the holiday, or so we thought, until a couple of hours later I was hugging the toilet bowl. Hmm....not such a great start actually.

Unfortunately this meant that my idea of popping out to coffee shops, wineries and antique stores along with the prawns and cheese platter (and bubbles) I had planned for Christmas eve all got pushed aside and replaced with dry toast, black tea, my pillow and the couch. Although I have to say, it was very relaxing - forced relaxation.

Feeling better for Christmas day, but still not 100%, we headed to my sister's for a seafood feast of oysters, prawns and whole snapper cooked on the BBQ. Some of my favourite foods sitting right in front of me and me not being able to indulge......I know I was hoping not to over indulge this year, but this was ridiculous.

And the pièce de résistance - the white Christmas Melbourne experienced in the form a freak hail storm which changed all plans for the afternoon/evening.

And that my dear readers was my unplanned Christmas. The good news is I had a lovely an uneventful New Years Eve with lots of bubbles, Sangria and loads of yummy nibbles. I may not have ended 2011 in the way I wanted, but I certainly started 2012 perfectly.

Joyeux Noël Everyone!

2011-12-23T08:16:00.000+11:00

The Cookbook Challenge No.25: Cool

2011-12-19T19:26:00.000+11:00

Ice-creams, sorbets, salads....so many choices to make for this fortnight's theme of Cool. Unfortunately nothing grabbed my attention when I flicked through the cookbooks.

Even though I love bright blue skies, eating picnics outdoors and all the delicious stone fruit that's on offer during Summer, it's just not my favourite season. I don't cope well with the heat.

I wonder if that's why I struggled with this theme so much?

But then I found it......a recipe that meant 'cool' to me. A recipe that I wanted to make and a recipe I wanted to eat.....well, in this particular case, drink!

Lychee Cocktail

Cookbook: Out of the Pantry

Author: Trish Heagerty

1 tin of lychees in syrup

1/4 cup of gin

1/4 cup of vodka

1/3 cup of sugar syrup (recipe below)

ice

Place a lychee in the bottom of two glasses. In a cocktail shaker or blender, mix together the gin, vodka, sugar syrup and 1/4 cup of the lychee syrup and shake/mix well with ice. Strain over the lychees.

Sugar Syrup

1 cup of caster sugar

1 cup of water

Place sugar in water into a pot over medium heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes until all sugar is disoved. Allow to cool. This syrup will last for up to a month in a well sealed bottle in the refrigerator.

C'est bon!

You'll lick your lips with this drink as the sweetness of the sugar syrup and the lychee juice touch them, followed by the heat of the alcohol as it hits your mouth. Hallelujah, I've found my drink which will help me get through the summer months. Through those 40+ degree days.....phew.....I'll need all the help I can get.

I thought it was the perfect match with my Christmas tree twinkling in the background.

The 12th Annual Christmas Feast....

2011-12-14T12:38:00.002+11:00

This past Sunday I held my 12th Annual Christmas feast.

I cannot believe that 12 years has past since my very first one was held in my little flat in Prahran when I was so very young and innocent. Six friends sitting around my decoupaged dining table (jeez....what was I thinking??) and ended with us singing Madonna songs into the salt and pepper shakers....ahh....good times.

I'm now 12 years older and wiser (well, occasionally I'm a little wiser), and this years feast was held in a gorgeous little park in Clifton Hill. The weather wasn't great but certainly much better than the freezing temperatures we experienced at last years lunch. The sun kept trying to poke it's little head through the grey clouds and when it did come out of hiding, it was absolutely beautiful. Just a little warmer, and it would have been the perfect picnic weather where we could have lazed away on the grass, drinking and eating the afternoon away.

My annual feast is my Christmas gift to my friends. I decided a long time ago that I didn't want the stress of thinking and then searching for the perfect gift for my friends (and now also including all the children of my friends). Gifts that would probably end up in the back of the cupboard or 're-gifted', so I made the easy and really only decision I could and that was to cook for them instead.

This year the menu consisted of:

A ricotta and parmesan bake served with fresh bread, pickled cucumbers, roasted cherry tomatoes and marinated olives.

Along with a fresh watermelon punch (I was ever hopeful that it would be a hot Summer's day)

For mains:

12 hour roasted lamb served with Salsa Verde

Roasted vegetable salad

Roasted beetroot, orange, walnut, mint and feta salad

Fig and goats cheese tart

(one of my vegetarian friends also brought along a little olive gallett which went down a treat).

For the kiddies, I just made up some simple little finger sandwiches, with the winners of the day being the little sprinkle pinwheels (or known as "fairy sushi" on the day). The only problem came when little Ms C wanted the "pink sushi only"!

And then it was time for dessert.......a mixture of meringues (chocolate swirl, rosewater and pistachio) where everyone helped themselves to their favourite meringue toppings, including berries, fresh cream, passion fruit or toffee. Such a perfect dessert for a picnic as the meringue can be made in advance and so easily transportable. My personal favourite was the rosewater ones topped with fresh cream and berries.

And then it was over.

Much too quickly in my opinion.

(majority of the above photos are courtesy of my very talented and wonderful friend Cathy Clare)

A little Razzle Dazzle.....

2011-12-12T21:02:00.000+11:00

A little sneak peak at our team's Christmas party which I organised......

A trip back in time to the 1920's......

In the beautiful Tea Room located inside the Supper Club (European Restaurant), a place where all the good boys and girls of Melbourne should know....and one of my favourite places to share a drink with friends......

The staff of the European were exceptional, and the food was swoon worthy. All in all a successful night, if I do say so myself. Toot toot goes my horn!

(that's me with my blue and purple headpiece seen in the bottom right hand corner)

The Cookbook Challenge No. 24: Seafood

2011-12-07T12:00:00.000+11:00

I picked this cookbook up for a bargain recently. I really loved the concept of the book - how to create a perfect meal from a few well-chosen standby pantry items. I don't know about you, but I love it when my cupboard is full. Filled with all my everyday items like tinned tomatoes, artichokes, lentils and chickpeas. I love knowing I have flour and caster sugar on hand just in case I get in the mood to bake. I love shopping each week for fresh fruit and vegies and creating something from it all when I get home from work. It's like a little mini mystery box challenge from Master Chef in my very own kitchen every night.

This particular recipe came out of the Grains and Cereal's chapter and uses Weet-Bix. I don't eat Weet-Bix myself, however I do occasionally have a hankering for Vita-Brits and they can be often found in my cupboard.

Crispy Fish Fingers

Cookbook: Out of the Pantry

Author: Trish Heagerty

4 Weet-Bix

zest of 1 lemon

1 cup loosely packed parsley

1 red chilli, chopped (optional)

1/2 cup plain flour

2 eggs, lightly whisked

700g firm white fish fillets, cut into thick strips (I used John Dory)

Put the Weet-Bix in a blender and blend until breadcrumb consistency. Pour into a shallow bowl and add the lemon zest, parsley and chilli. Place the flour in a separate shallow dish, and the egg in another. Dip the fish into the flour, shaking off any excess, dip in the whisked egg and then coat with the Weet-Bix mixture. In an oiled frying pan over medium heat, cook the fish for about 3 minutes on each side, until golden.

I've often used crushed corn flakes as an alternative to bread crumbs, but never Vita-Brits, and to be honest, I'm not quite sure they worked in this case. I found the flavour a little overpowering with the fish. Maybe Weet-Bix would have been more suitable. Or maybe this crumb mixture on chicken might have worked better - I'm not sure. I did love the ease of this recipe though. So quick and simple to put together which is perfect for dinner after work, and much lighter (and healthier) than the battered fish you'd probably pick up from the fish and chip shop on the way home after a long day.

Hmmm.....don't think I'd have won that Master Chef Challenge!

Just a wee little gift....

2011-12-04T16:55:00.001+11:00

Please excuse my indulgence here but I've started a new little cooking venture and needed a space to show friends and family. I'm always on the look out for little 'token' gifts to give to people when giving a larger gift just isn't appropriate. I've bought items, spending way too much money, that I'm quite sure have been thrown in a draw and forgotten about. I've paid out money for boxes of chocolates and truffles which I've ended up throwing in the bin because frankly, they're just not great.

And then I had an epiphany.

Make my very own little boxes of love.

Little gifts filled with various home-made goodies including my Chocolate Brownie, Coconut Ice and one of my favourite little bite sized sweets - my Chocolate Fudge.

All dressed up for a special occasion.

Above, my box of 4 bite sized pieces of heaven.

For those of us needing a little extra......boxes of 6.....

Be Merry!

Surprising Sweden

2011-11-29T10:00:00.000+11:00

I recently picked up the Jamie Oliver series on DVD "Jamie Does...."

I had only seen 2 of the episodes when it originally aired (Venice and Morocco) so was quite excited when I saw it sitting on the shelf for $9.95. You don't get much for that price anymore.

I've had the cookbook for quite a long while but had never cooked anything from it as yet. In fact to be honest with you, I don't think I'd actually opened the book since bringing it home from the book store. Now having watched the series, I haven't been able to put the cookbook down.

The surprise episode for me was the one based in Sweden. I've never really thought much about Swedish food (well, except for Swedish meatballs I guess) however, it looked and sounded so fresh and zingy, and with the huge amount of seafood on offer, it was a win win in my book. I especially loved the amount of dill they used in dishes. I LOVE DILL! I could eat dill everyday!

The other thing that surprised me was the recipe for Split Pea Soup.

Apparently Swedes have been tucking into this hearty soup since the middle ages, filing their bellies with this dish on a Thursday to get them ready for the Christian Fast that would start on a Friday. I found this surprising as I always thought this to be an English recipe. I guess many counties have this soup or something similar in some form or another.

I found it delicious.

Hearty and comforting. One of those soups that reach all the way down to your toes and makes everything better.

The Cookbook Challenge No. 23: Red

2011-11-27T16:00:00.000+11:00

Technically the dish I chose for this fortnight's theme isn't red, but I don't care. During the process of looking for something red to cook, I discovered that I'm a lover of just about every food that's red, whether it's raspberries, tomatoes, chilli or capsicum - I love them all, but when I saw a photo of this dish, I wanted it straight away. I actually craved it.

Beetroot is one of my all time favourite vegetables. One of my dreams would be to have a huge vegetable patch in the backyard of a double fronted terrace house located in North Carlton where I'd grow tonnes of beetroot. I lived in North Carlton for a few years and fell instantly in love with the area. I felt so at home when I moved there, walking down Rathdowne Street, drinking coffee at all the delicious cafe's which were all within walking distance of my house......sorry, I've digressed.....I'd actually settle for a small vegetable patch. Well, ANY vegetable patch at all would do me.

When I was little we ate loads of beetroot in our house, however you needed a can opener on hand as it always came out of a tin. Never fresh. I remember trying it fresh for the first time and being unsure about it. I was so use to the pickled flavour of the tinned variety that tasting the earthy flavour of the fresh was a real challenge for my tastebuds. I was a quick learner though.

So I've decided that my theme for this fortnight will be Pinky/Red, and my contribution to the challenge will be:

Saffron and Pesto Spaghetti with Beetroot and Feta

Cookbook: In the Mood for Entertaining

Author: Jo Pratt

Serves 4

a large pinch of saffron

500g dried spaghetti

2 tbsp olive oil

3 large shallots, thinly sliced

300g cooked beetroot, cut into small cubes (I baked mine with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tbsp good-quality pesto (I used some of my home-made pesto out of the freezer)

400g feta cheese, crumbled

Place the saffron in a small dish with 3 tbsp boiling water and leave to infuse while you cook the pasta.

Cook spaghetti until al dente.

While pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a saucepan and lightly saute the shallots until they are softenend and just taking on a light golden colour. Add the beetroot, cooking until it is heated through. Season well. Drain the pasta, return to the pan and toss with the saffron water, pesto and seasoning. Stir in the feta and divide among four dishes. Spoon the warm beetroot on top. Serve straight away.

I had some spinach fettuccini in the cupboard which I decided to use for the dish. I like that it has a bit more texture than 'normal' pasta which I can find a little too bland occassionaly I guess it depends on my mood at the time. I loved the earthy taste that the fresh beetroot brings to this dishe and the salty, creaminess of the feta makes it a real winner. My tip though is when cooking your beetroot, definitely add balsamic vinegar as this really helps with the overall taste of the dish.

Such a quick and simple meal to pull together on a weeknight, and if you plated the dish a lot nicer than I have (or even serve in huge bowl for people to help themselves), then I think it could have a rather nice impact on your guests.

The Last Stop (New Zealand Part IV)

2011-11-24T10:32:00.001+11:00

Having just come from Lake Tekapo, I place I feel totally in love with, I have to admit that not much else was going to top it as we started to head back towards Christchurch and towards the end of the . "Bback to work on Monday" was looming ahead of me in the not to distant future.

We spent our second last night in a little self-contained cottage located just outside of Christchurch called The Gardeners Cottage. A sweet and charming cottage filled with loads of antiques. I myself love antiques and love collecting tea cups and platters, etc, but am not much of a lover of the furniture, especially when I'm wanting to sit and relax. It doesn't scream comfort to me which is what I was looking for and hoping from this cottage. HOWEVER, the garden was another story. If it had been warm sultry night, I could have slept out there it was that peaceful and beautiful. Little pathways wound themselves through lush trees and beautifully flowering plants. Like a little fairy garden when you were a little girl, you didn't know where the path would lead and suddenly you would come out in front of little lake with it's own old fashioned rowing boat. Or perhaps pop out onto an isolated clearing with a park chair for you to sit and just listen. It felt like we were the only people for miles.

Such a special place.

The morning we left there wasn't even the slightest wisp of a breeze in the air which allowed us to view beautiful reflections in the lake - as you can see I had a ball with my camera trying as hard as I could to capture the moment and the colours that were there.

And then it was over and it was back to reality. I guess all good things must come to an end, but what an amazing couple of weeks. New Zealand surpassed all of my expectations in all areas from the scenery to the food, even to their coffee.

I think this photo wraps it up perfectly!

Lake Tekapo (New Zealand Part III)

2011-11-22T13:15:00.000+11:00

I have found my heaven.

Having run away from Queenstown earlier than expected we headed north to Lake Tekapo and I can honestly say that it was the best thing we did that whole holiday. I loved Lake Tekapo. The colour of the lake is something you can't even imagine, you have to see it for yourself. A vivid baby blue colour with a milky appearence. Beautiful.

Our accommodation didn't disappoint either, and in fact, it was the large front window with views of the lake and surrounding mountains that made this part of the holiday my absolute favourite. Highview, a self-contained house located at the top of the hill had all the mod-cons you could ask for and a nice big kitchen for me to cook in. I hadn't cooked anything in over a week and I was chomping at the bit to get in there and pick up a knife again.

Our dinner one night - Corn and Bacon Chowder taken from a cookbook I picked up on my travels - it was exactly what we wanted (I'll post the recipe shortly).

Between cooking in the kitchen, sitting at the big window watching the world go by with my book and a cup of tea, and sipping coffee each morning at the cafe located ontop of Mt John with breathtaking views of the lake, I could have stayed for ever. This place did something to me. I felt so relaxed and so inspired with loads of ideas flowing through my mind of what I'd like to do with my life, ideas of making every section of my life even better than I think it already is. Things I want to try and take a chance on and not wish in 30 years time that I'd given it a go and hadn't because I was too scared. Even now looking back at the photo's of this special place, the feelings come straight back and I hope I don't lose the feeling when I get back into every day life, as it so often happens.

If ever you do make it to Lake Tekapo, I can highly recommend heading out on the Earth & Sky's Stargazing Tour. Leaving from town around 10pm you head up to the top of Mt John for the best view of the night sky, viewing stars and planets through the telescopes whilst sipping hot chocolate. I was blown away viewing Jupiter and it's moons. Not something you see every day is it?

We got to load up our DSLR cameras onto a special tri-pod which allowed us to take photos of the stars - amazing!

Can you see the saucepan?

Ahhh Lake Tekapo - I think you may have changed my life!

Queenstown (New Zealand Part II)

2011-11-20T10:00:00.000+11:00

I'll admit right at the beginning of this post that I was not excited about going to Queenstown.

I'm not an adventure junkie and I don't like places filled with tourists (even though I'm a tourist myself), but I prefer a higher ratio of locals to tourists in any one place and unfortunately Queenstown is not one of those places.

However the drive from the east coast to Queenstown was breathtaking. From views of the Southern Pacific Ocean to lush green hills and farm land to almost barren mountain tops. As we started to descend into Queenstown, coming through the outer little towns/suburbs I started to get excited. Things were looking good.

And then we hit the centre of town.......urgh!

We were surrounded by fast food outlets, groups of young tourists sitting on the curbs with their slabs of beer and noise. Lots and lots of noise.

My worst nightmare had come true and it was one I didn't want to stay in at all. So a compromise was had and instead of staying the four nights like we'd planned, we pulled the plug on the last night and got the hell out of there.

I'll admit, we managed a couple of highlights during this part of the holiday, all mostly located outside of Queenstown, however they have allowed me to have a really nice memory of the town.

First highlight was the little French bistro (Les Alpes) we found and which we ate at twice (in the one day I might add). Stopping off for a breakfast of a yummy omelet and coffee, we decided to come back for dinner. An evening 'trying' to speak French with the lovely waitresses, munching on yummy and way too much French food and listening to some beautiful jazz music. I slept well that night.

The second highlight occurred when we escaped from the hustle bustle and headed into Arrowtown. A quiet and charming little historic town where we felt the peace and quiet of New Zealand come back to us again, and some brilliant scones to boot. Served with real cream! It doesn't get much better than that.

The third highlight occurred after a quick breakfast at the pretty Bathhouse and a leisurely cruise on the lake.....

A lazy lunch at one of the wineries located in the Gibbston Wine Region (about 30 minutes out of Queenstown). At Gibbston Valley Winery we munched on the harvest platter which included frittata, pickled vegetables, cheeses, charcuterie, fresh bread and the most delicious hummus dip I've EVER had. Such a creamy, smokey flavour that I wanted to take some home with me.

And finally, the last wonderful memory I take away with me from Queenstown was the breakfast we had on the last day. The food was lovely (nothing too exceptional), however it was the atmosphere that made it so enjoyable. Sitting out on in sun at a little cafe called Vudu sipping our coffees made for a very special memory of Queenstown - before we then ran far far away!

Fleur's Place (New Zealand Part I)

2011-11-19T00:54:00.000+11:00

Do you know how relaxing and liberating it feels to not have your mobile phone or laptop with you when you go on holidays? No-one able to contact you. No feeling of "I should check my emails". I think this was one of the reasons I felt so relaxed on my recent holiday.

The other reason would be the absolute beauty and peace of the South Island of New Zealand.

I've just spent the past two weeks travelling and eating my way around this amazing place and can I just say that I was in utter Heaven with a capital H. The scenery is nothing like we have here in Australia. Over there, I saw snow capped mountain ranges from just about every angle, sheep by the bucket full, lush green fields (and I mean every shade of green), loads more sheep and lakes of the most beautiful colour blue you could ever imagine. When you walked, your feet crunched on hundreds of pine cones falling from the millions of trees that were imported over to NZ from the Northern hemisphere - we could almost be forgiven for thinking we'd woken up in Switzerland each morning with the views that greeted us.

There were a number of highlights for me on this holiday which I want to share with you, but in summary, I just loved it. Every single bit of it.

Highlight one for me was when I first felt like I was on holidays. Arriving at the B and B for our first night - St Itas Guesthouse.

Walking into this gorgeous home - a refurnished historic convent was my first feeling of relaxation. We'd had so many bumps and hiccups leading up to this holiday that we really didn't think it was going to happen. Miriam and Ken were so welcoming and so full of knowledge that we left the next morning with a plan and a lot more excitement for the trip that lay ahead - we were actually here!

My second highlight was a chance discovery. Ken from St Itas mentioned a restaurant we should try as we were headed South and were seafood lovers. He couldn't remember its name but that it was "Fleur's place". Who the hell was Fleur? We sure didn't know but we loved the sound of fresh fish being cooked straight from fishing boats. So we set off down the coast and found ourselves in a quaint little town called Oamaru, filled with a large number of beautiful historic limestone buildings, and for us, a yummy place for lunch which just happened to be called "Fleur's Next Place - The Loan & Merc".

We loved this place - from the building, to the lovely staff and to the delicious food.

As we were taking a look around this restaurant we discovered who Fleur was and most importantly, where her seafood restaurant was. Chatting to the waiter we were dismayed to find out it was a 3 month wait to get into Fleur's Place (funnily enough, this is what the restaurant is actually called), however luck was on our side as sitting at the table next to us was the manager of the restaurant who mentioned he'd get us in if we got there before 7.30pm. Yippee! It was an understatement to say we were excited.

In short, we ended up spending one of the most memorable nights of our holiday eating freshly caught blue cod, green lipped mussels, clams, cockles and loads of other delicious seafood. As well as discovering who Fleur is (in my eyes, a seafood version of our Stephanie Alexander), as she helped serve the dishes and clear tables in her own restaurant located in the most gorgeous sleepy little fishing village called Moeraki.

Loads more to come so stay tuned.......

A dinner party with a twist....

2011-11-18T09:20:00.001+11:00

Melbourne’s laneways host biggest simultaneous dinner party for charity

I'm not one for advertising anything on this little blog of mine. It's purely my own little diary where I record my thoughts on recipes, food in general, travel, etc, etc. However, when I saw this promotion I had to share it with you all.

I'm personally someone who volunteers my time to a number of charities throughout the year, and being a lover of Melbourne, and in particular a lover of Melbourne's restaurant scene - this charity event is right up my ally and hopefully yours......

On Tuesday November 29th, up to 500 diners will head into Melbourne at 7pm for a 3-course dinner including a selection of Australian wines – but where they will sit down to dine, they have no idea!

Streat Party invites diners to submit themselves to the hidden laneways and culinary delights of Melbourne for one mysterious and delicious evening with all proceeds going to STREAT, a charity that provides jobs and training for homeless youth through food and coffee street carts in Melbourne.

A meeting location is provided to guests at the time of booking, and only after enjoying a cocktail at the meeting point is their secret dining location revealed. There will also be an after party, again, at a secret venue revealed on the night.

Bars taking part include Gin Palace, Madame Brussells, Cabinet Bar, Palmz, Loop, Bar 1806, Sister Bella’s, Pony Fish Island and High Society, while restaurants presenting a signature three-course include Punch Lane, Seamstress, Il Solito Posto and Izakayaden. The infamous Thousand Pound Bend is even creating a pop-up restaurant for the evening.

The concept is the brainchild of authors Jonette George and Daniele Wilton who have released a new book, Flavours of Melbourne, that takes a peek into the delicious nooks, crannies and laneways that the city is famous for. Diners will receive a signed copy of Flavours of Melbourne, valued at $70, which features photography, local history, street art and recipes from iconic restaurants.

Tickets are limited and cost $150. Guests are advised to book together if they wish to be seated together.

Visit www.streatparty.com.au for more information and bookings.

The Bill Cookbook Club No. 5

2011-11-16T11:01:00.000+11:00

There are times in your life (well, for those of us who enjoy cooking that is) when you come across a recipe that is so simple looking you think nothing of it, and then you cook it......and wow!

This was one of those times.

I'd seen this recipe so many times flicking through this cookbooks but never really paid it much attention. It looked nice, but being a chicken dish, I tended to keep turning the page, but for some reason today I was in the mood for it.

Fragrant Chicken and Spinach Curry

Bill Granger Everyday

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 lge onion, chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

pinch of cayenne pepper

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

750g boneless chicken thighs, cubed

400g tin chopped tomatoes

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp soft brown sugar

1 tbsp lime juice

90g baby English spinach, finely chopped

Large handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Heat oil in a large heavy-based pan over medium heat and add onion and cook, stirring for 5-6 minutes until onion is soft. Add the spices, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring for 2 minutes more. Add chicken and increase the heat to medium-high. cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until the chicken is browned.

Stir in the tomatoes and salt and bring to simmering point. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add the sugar, lime juice and spinach and stir until the spinach has just wilted. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with coriander.

The addition of the brown sugar and lime juice (which is nothing fancy or new) just made this dish sing. I loved every mouthful, and I have to say it froze and re-heated very well.

I'm personally a big fan of curries, whether it's for comfort during the middle of winter or on a hot balmy night with friends and a icy cold cider. Living in the inner city suburbs of Melbourne I'm lucky enough to have every variety of curry restaurant on my door step, and I can honestly say that I've tried pretty much all of them. Even though this dish is in no way authentic, or even a true curry, I still enjoyed it just as much as I have eating at all of these restaurants.

Highly, highly, highly recommended!

chorizo carbonara

2011-11-13T11:43:00.000+11:00

I've mentioned before on this blog how I tend to avoid pasta recipes. When I make the decision to flick through my cookbooks to try a new recipe or just to get inspired, I tend to flick straight past them, rarely giving them a second thought. Yet when I'm home with limited time and I need to quickly whip up some dinner, it's usually pasta that I lean on.

Go figure?

This time, however was a little differnet. I actually spotted this pasta recipe when I was flicking through the above cookbook and it actually made me literally hop up off my chair and start cooking straight away.

I already had all of the ingredients ready to go. Gotta love that!

I just love recipes like this. Ones that get me excited by a single glance at just one photo. I often get this feeling when I'm in a bookshop flicking through the cookbook section, and this feeling has cost me a lot of money over the years! Just one photo is sometimes all it takes for me to purchase the book - I may never cook the dish, but that's not really the point, is it?

So it was with absolute pleasure that I whipped up a quick and simple pasta dish of

Chorizo Carbonara

Delicious: More Please Cookbook

As the recipe suggests, you can use chorizo or any other type of good quality sausage. I unfortunately didn't have chorizo on hand, but I did have some yummy Jonathon Butcher sausages in the freezer.

Such a rich and filling dish - you certainly don't need a lot of it, but perfect with a glass of wine to help wind down from a busy day.

The Cookbook Challenge No 22: Breakfast

2011-11-10T11:13:00.000+11:00

I've never been one of those people who could skip breakfast. How could anyone skip breakfast? Within half an hour of waking am usually in the kitchen putting something together - avocado on toast, poached eggs, grilled tomatoes or even some yummy hot porridge with yoghurt.

How could you skip this sort of food?

So my problem with this challenge was trying to limit myself to making only one dish. But what dish?

Caramelised Mushrooms with Ricotta Toasts

Delicious Quick Smart Cook Cookbook

Author: Valli Little

Oh my! I'm in love.

I know it's not mushroom season, but seeing the picture of this dish won me over and the cravings for mushrooms begain. You could use any mushrooms in this dish but as it wasn't the season for them I found most of the 'unusual' ones just didn't look so great (and cost a pretty penny), so I stuck with the flat and Swiss brown variety. When buying Swiss brown mushrooms though I'm always reminded of something someone once said on the Mushroom Picking Tour I did back in 2009. They said not to waste your money on Swiss brown mushrooms as they're exactly the same as the common button mushroom. Hmm....not sure myself.

What a fantastic combination. The earthy mushrooms tossed in the caramelised sauce and mixed with the melting tangy and oh so creamy ricotta.

The perfect start to a lazy Sunday morning, especially when you're relaxing on the sofa with a pot of Earl Grey Tea and the latest cooking show on iView. Bliss!

ginger apricot slice

2011-11-05T10:30:00.001+11:00

The sun was shining through the bedroom window when I woke up and the birds were chirping - such a gorgeous Spring morning here in Melbourne.

Something about this type of weather makes me want to potter in the kitchen and bake. Nothing too heavy, and my taste buds usually want something fruit based with a fresh zing. Not too much to ask for, especially once I've had my morning coffee. My problem when I get into the baking mood is that like for most people I'm sure, I tend to want to eat lots of it. In hindsight (and for the sake of my thighs), I really shouldn't make them but I just can't help myself.

So with some St Germain playing in the background and the doors and windows open, I set to making....

Ginger and Apricot Biscuit Slice

100g unsalted butter

3/4 sweetened condensed milk

150g dried apricots
100g crystallised ginger, finely chopped, plus extra chopped to serve

90g desiccated coconut

1 tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp lemon juice

375g plain sweet biscuits, crushed to fine crumbs

2 tbsp pistachio kernels, chopped

Lemon Icing

50g unsalted butter

1 tsp lemon juice

525g icing sugar, sifted

Line a 30cm x 24cm baking pan with baking paper.

Heat butter and milk in a pan over medium-low heat, stirring until butter melts. In a separate bowl, mix together apricot, crystallised ginger, coconut, ground ginger and lemon juice, then add crushed biscuits and stir to combine. Add butter and condensed milk mixture, stirring until well combines. Press into prepared pan and refrigerate for 1 hour.

For the icing, melt butter and mix to a smooth consistency with lemon juice, icing sugar and 1/4 cup boiling water. Spread over base and sprinkle with extra chopped crystallised ginger and chopped pistachios. Leave to set, then cut into slices or squares and store in an airtight container in a cool place.

Such a delight!

Each little mouthful filled with a creamy sweetness for the condensed milk, a chewy fruitiness from the apricot, a crunch from the biscuits and nuts and of course a zing from the ginger.

I couldn't stop at one. Sorry thighs!

The Cookbook Challenge No. 21: Childhood

2011-10-28T11:58:00.000+11:00

Growing up with English parents, our meals when I was a kid (when all of my siblings were still living at home) mostly consisted of meat and three veg. At the time, I never thought it was boring as I didn't know anything else.

As I got older and my brothers and sister (I'm the baby of the family) left home leaving just mum and I, it was time for us to experiment. We started playing around with different flavours including Italian and Asian, using weird ingredients like goats cheese, coriander and parmesan (and not the smelly stuff found in a green tin). I know it sounds really basic but you have to remember this was quite a while ago, before these ingredients became every day shopping basket items.

I was the 'strange friend' who used sour cream in my cooking.

When I think of food from my childhood, I think of custard, apple pies and crumbles and roasts with Yorkshire puddings smothered in gravy. However the one we had the most and the one that reminds me, whenever I eat it, of my mum is.......

Cottage Pie

Chicken Cottage Pie

Cookbook: It's Easier than you Think

Author: Jo Seagar

olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

500g skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut in chunks

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup sweetcorn (frozen or canned)

1/2 cup creme fraiche

3 tbsp coarsely chopped parsley

salt and pepper

1kg potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

2 tbsp butter or extra creme fraiche

Pre heat oven to 200 degrees.

Heat the oil in a large fry pan and cook onion and chicken over a medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes, until the onion is soft and the chicken is lightly browned. Pour in the stock and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the sweetcorn, creme fraiche and parsley and season wt salt and pepper.

In a saucepan of lightly salted water, boil the potatoes until tender. drain and pass through a potato ricer or mash with the butter or extra creme fraiche. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the chicken mixture into a medium pie dish. top with the mashed potato and bake for 2-25 minutes until golden brown.

I'll admit that this is not the sort of cottage pie my mum would make. Ours consisted of minced meat, finely chopped carrots and peas. Never chicken or corn. However, times have changed and finding an actual recipe for 'cottage pie' in one of my cookbooks, I just couldn't resist.

I couldn't stop eating this dish. Comfort food at its best.

I'm giving mum some of the left overs when she comes over so it will be interesting to hear what she thinks...gulp.

The Bill Cookbook Club #4

2011-10-26T15:18:00.000+11:00

I'm not sure why this is but I never order chicken in a restaurant. I couldn't tell you the last time I ordered it, and it's not because I cook it all the time at home. I'm not talking about chicken that has been chopped up and added into casseroles, pies or curries as I'll happily eat my fare share of these delights, it's more to do with the large single piece of chicken, on or off the bone. I've tried it stuffed, poached, baked and roasted and still no "WOW" factor.

I remember a time growing up when most of our dinners involved chicken - maybe I had my lifetime quoter back then?

More likely is the fact that I was always disappointed by how dry the chicken was when I ate it no matter what the chef had done to it. No matter how many herbs or spices had been added, it still tasted like dry chicken.

So I'm oddly surprised that I happened to have some chicken in the freezer (I must have bought it for those 'just in case' moments), and along with a growing mound of lemons, a recipe was needed.

I loved the simplicity of this recipe and it can be easily whipped up after work (which is what I did). I even had time to make the warm lentil salad which Bill said to serve the chicken with. So you understand what I mean about being quick, I'm usually starving hungry by the time I get home from work so I have no intention of standing around cooking dinner for hours - I want it quick smart. An hour tops.

Unfortunately I'm still not a huge fan of the good-ol' chook. I enjoyed the dish and I loved how the lemons caramelised in the pan and gave a sweetness to the dish, but it still tasted like dry chicken.

Still no "WOW" factor.

Sorry Bill!

A High Tea for a Wonderful Cause....

2011-10-24T19:49:00.001+11:00

I've previously mentioned in this space my love of High Tea. Two little words that when put together spark something inside of me. I love the pomp and ceremony, I love the bone china crockery, and I love love love the food. Bite sized pieces of heaven.

So when I was invited along to the inaugural McGrath Foundation Pink Ribbon High Tea, my answer was yes, yes, yes!

It was held in Mural Hall located on the top floor of the Myer city store. Mural Hall is called so because of the impressive collection of 8 original murals displaying influential figures from the arts, opera, literature, dance and fashion. So significant are these murals, the venue has been honoured with a National Trust Classification. The space was originally designed by business extraordinaire, Sidney Myer to host private fashion parades and exclusive events for the Melbourne elite.

The food was catered by the Big Group and I was very impressed.

As much as I love High Tea, I'm often (unfortunately) disappointed with the quality of the food. This is purely my own personal taste, but for a High Tea I'm not interested in fancy scones or lavish cakes. I want real scones with real jam and cream and proper tea cakes, and not to mention little finger sandwiches with simple fillings.

The Big Group delivered.

The food was perfect and included a range of finger sandwiches (a selection of egg, chicken, and cucumber), mini chocolate eclairs, mini cinnamon tea cakes and I have to say, the most perfect scones with REAL CREAM.

The McGrath Foundation raises funds to place McGrath Breast Care nurses in communities right across Australia, as well as raising awareness in young Australian women and I was extremely happy to be a part of this wonderful event.

The Cookbook Challenge No 20: Asian

2011-10-19T12:00:00.000+11:00

Confession: I own no Asian Cookbooks at all! It seems such a strange thing to admit when I would have to say that Japanese food would be one of my favourite cuisines.

I guess I figure that I'll leave these cuisine's to the experts as I'm more than happy to simply pay my money over when a craving shows itself.

When I do crave Asian food, there seems to be just two types of flavours I run towards - sushi (which I could eat for every meal, day in day out), or noodles. I swear they add some sort of addictive substance to these dishes because no sooner have I indulged, then I want them again and again and again!

So the dilemma is what to cook? What recipe do I have that I could do some sort of justice to and not make a total fool of myself? My guess is that it would have to be a cookbook by a non-Asian chef putting an Asian slant to a dish.

And the winner is......

Rib-Eye Stir-Fry with Dan Dan Noodles

Cookbook: Jamie's 30 Minute Meals

Author: Jamie Oliver

2 rib-eye steaks

1 heaped tsp Szechuan pepper, ground in a pestle & mortar

Chinese five spice

2cm piece of fresh ginger

1/2 red chilli

1 clove of garlic, unpeeled and crushed

1 lime

few sprigs of fresh coriander

6 tbsp chilli oil

4 tbsp soy sauce

1 clove of garlic

200g beansprouts

1/2 a bunch of fresh coriander

8 spring onions, trimmed and sliced

400g dried medium egg noodles

1 organic beef stock cube

1/2 a lemon

runny honey

squeeze of lime juice

In each serving bowl, put a tiny pinch of the ground Szechuan pepper, 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp of chilli oil, 1 tbsp of soy sauce, and the crushed pulped flesh of 1 clove of garlic. Also add beansprouts, coriander and sliced spring onions along with a squeeze of lemon juice and a thimble amount of honey.

For the Steak

Sprinkle the remaining Szechuan pepper, a good pinch of five-spice, salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil - rub in. Place steaks on a hot griddle pan to cook for 2 minute on each side for medium rare, or until cooked to your liking. Once cooked, place on a chopping board and top with finely grated ginger, chilli and garlic just to flavour and perfume. Squeeze over the lime juice. Slice steak at an angle into 1 cm strips, then toss so they mop up all the flavourful juices on the board. Tear over the coriander.

For the noodles

Pour boiling water into a large saucepan over high heat and cover with a lid. Add noodles to the water when boiling with 1 stock cube. Once cooked, divide noodles between the bowls and ladle over a little broth.

Wow! What a mouthful.

Please don't be put off by all of the ingredients and the steps involved in this dish. When you sit down and read the recipe, it's actually a really simple dish. I promise. I have to admit that I find the set up of this cookbook a tad confusing. It all makes perfect sense when you read the recipe through a few times, but because he gives you the process steps for each dish in stops and starts, I find it quite off putting. I like to see the whole recipe and then make my own judgement call on what section I do first, etc etc.

So for those of you who have this cookbook, you may notice that I've left out a bit of Jamie's processes involved in creating this dish. Even though I love his writing - it just made things confusing, so if you want his quirky little notes, you're just gonna have to buy the book yourself.

I'm sitting on the fence with this dish.

Parts of it I loved, other parts were a bit so-so and I'm not sure I'd go to the effort to make again.

(I did, however like pulling out my bowls I picked up in Hong Kong a million years ago!)

To view my fellow challengers, click here!

A little ray of sunshine....

2011-10-17T12:59:00.001+11:00

I seem to be at that stage of life where all my friends are having babies. You know how it is, you go through various stages where all you're doing is attending 18th birthday parties, then it's the twenty-firsts , the thirtieths, the weddings (some separations), and now ......... the babies!

I can't seem to keep up with those that have been born and those getting ready to pop into the world. However a couple of weeks ago some friends welcomed their new little baby boy Miles into the world and to celebrate, I cooked!

With the sun shining, some left over lemon curd in the fridge, I decided some cupcakes were in order.

Well, actually some Lemon Curd Fairy CupCakes to be exact.

I actually adapted the Fairy CupCake recipe from the It's Easier than you Think Cookbook by Jo Seagar, adding a blob of the lemon curd before topping them with their little wings and dusting with icing sugar.

I'll admit I found them a teensy-weensy bit dry (I should have pulled them out of the oven just that little bit earlier), but I loved the addition of the lemon curd as it added a nice tart kick to the sweet cake. It was also a winner with the other kids when I caught up with my friends recently, which in my books is always a good sign - can't get more honest than kids.

So with a glass of bubbles in hand and a cupcake in the other, we said a big 'welcome' to baby Miles.

Tip toe through the tulips......

2011-10-13T12:59:00.000+11:00

I recently found a beautiful way to spend a cool, drizzly Sunday in the Springtime - wandering (or rather tip toeing) through the masses of tulips at the Tesselaar Tulip Festival located in Silvan (up in the Dandenong Rangers). An unbelievable display of over half a million Tulips made up of more than a hundred different varieties and colours.

A grey and miserable looking morning greeted me as I looked out of my bedroom window last Sunday. For some reason I thought the weather man said it was going to be 20 degrees and sunny....humph!

But what a day it turned out to be. Pouring down rain one minute then bright blue, sunny skies the next. Ahh, the joys of Melbourne weather in the Spring.

After taking the 'scenic' route (yeah ok, I admit I was the navigator and got us lost) and of course suffering car sickness because of this (pay back), we finally made it up the hill. I love heading up to the Dandenongs, no matter what the weather, however I think it's particularly special just after it's rained with the smell of wet wood and leaves drifting through the car door and everything shining that little bit more. Everything just seems that little bit more fresher.

To be completely honest, I wasn't expecting much of the festival. Of course I expected to see tulips, and maybe some fast food vans (which there were plenty of) but that was about all I was expecting, so I was pleasantly surprised with how 'cute' the set up was.

And the colours.........

This was my favourite flower of the day (almost the colour of deep red wine).

Confession Time: The thing we admitted to loving the most about the day was the Japanese tourists who arrived by the bus load, clomping through the mud in their designer outfits (and shoes), posing down in between the tulips - I was having a great time just watching them have a ball!

So finally, after braving the elements, being covered in mud and a dose of car sickness - I was ready to head home to a nice hot bath and my pj's.

(I kinda felt a little like this guy below)

Dish du Jour

2011-10-09T21:24:00.000+11:00

Dish du Jour is a wonderful little cooking school located in the back lane ways of Prahran and run by French chef Sebastien Piel. This little cooking school is where I spent my Saturday (along with a girlfriend of mine, the cooking whizz Miss A), whipping up some delicious French dishes whilst sipping champagne and listening to the dulcet tones of our very own French chef.

If you've read my blog before, you know that I'm a huge lover of French food. I love it's simplicity, its flavours and the addition of French chef to show us hands on how to cook it.....Oh la la!

Arriving at the venue I was instantly inspired. The kitchen is located within an amazing warehouse (a place where beautiful wooden pieces of furniture and kitchen accessories are created during the day) and dotted with gorgeous pieces of bric-a-brac, including vintage miss-matched plates and cutlery. I was in love! What an amazing venue to work in every day.

Our chef, Sebastien was a delight. Sometimes hard to understand with his heavy French accent, but loads of fun, down to earth, and very willing to pass on helpful tips he'd learnt throughout his years cooking in France, London and here in Australia.

A bit of cutie too, don't you think?

And for the menu - I have to admit that when he first explained what we'd be cooking, I had no idea what he'd said. I actually thought I heard the word 'tart' for our entree, however it turns out that he'd said 'trout' and I was one very happy girl. In fact our entree ended up being - fresh trout wrapped in puff pastry and stuffed with mushroom and spinach, served with a mussel sauce.

Oh my, what a dish! The trout was so juicy and full of flavour, and a mouthful of this fish with the buttery puff pastry - perfection. Such an amazing way to cook fish as the pastry kept everything contained and moist, and really quite simple to put together. It might not look or sound it but believe me, it was. Just a few simple ingredients cooked correctly was all it took to create a real wow factor.

Now when Sebastien was telling us the menu for the day, I didn't hear the word 'mussel' either (and I want to live in France someday???) As mentioned above, I had no idea what he was saying, I was just happy to go along for the ride, but when he pulled the bowl of mussels out of the fridge, my eyes (and taste buds) nearly popped out of my head - this day was getting better and better.

The only thing I can say about the mussel sauce is that I could have eaten it all on its own!

I can happily say that I did understand him when he spoke about our main - Lamb. Spring lamb. Rack of Spring lamb with a herb and mustard crust served with pommes fondante sand green vegetables to be exact...oh my!

And then there was dessert -

Raspberry creme brulée.

I think that's all I need to say on that subject.

If you're a lover of French food like me and/or perhaps looking for ways to impress your friends at your next dinner party, then I can highly recommend Sebastien and the Dish du Jour Cooking School. Miss A and I had a wonderful day, albeit ending a few kilo's heavier than when we started, but filled with loads of general cooking tips, French cooking tips and recipes and loads of inspiration.

Thanks Sebastien for an wonderful day!

A little French/New York Bisto in my kitchen.....

2011-10-07T09:38:00.003+11:00

I first cooked this dish when I discovered the recipe whilst flicking through a much loved cookbook - At Home with Magnolia. In fact, I've tried almost every recipe inside this book (as I said, a very well loved cookbook) which I picked up off a sale table for a bargain price. I'll admit that I originally bought the book purely for the pictures, not the recipes. Go figure!

The original recipe I loved, but I have tweeked it over time depending on what I have in my fridge at the time of the craving - and yes, this dish does produce cravings.

I'm a lover of light, zingy, fresh dishes for mid-week dinners, so if you put lemon in a recipe I'm pretty much gonna love it, however I sometimes find the addition of heavy cream a little too much (again depending on my mood). So with some left over ricotta in the fridge and a hankering for this dish, I set to it.....

Lemon, Thyme and Ricotta Chicken

(originally adapted from At Home with Magnolia Cookbook by Allysa Torey)

Olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely sliced

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup white wine

1/4 cup ricotta cheese (or 1/4 cup heavy cream)

1/4 cup lemon juice

salt & pepper

4 chicken breasts, poached (or cooked anyway you wish)

lemon thyme leaves

Heat olive oil over low-medium heat and add onion and garlic and cook gently until softened. Add wine and stock and bring to the boil, allowing to gently boil until the liquid is reduced by half (approx 15-20 minutes).

Add the ricotta (or cream), lemon juice, thyme, salt & pepper and simmer gently for 5 minutes. At this stage add the chopped poached chicken and serve with rice. Voila.

I find it interesting that Allysa first created this recipe after eating a similar dish at a little French restaurant near where she use to live in New York City. No wonder I was drawn to this dish as it involves two of my favourite places in the world - France and New York. I also find it interesting how recipes evolve as they're past along. A bit like Chinese whispers.

I love the addition of ricotta to this dish as it adds an extra tang to the flavour, it doesn't sit as heavy in your tummy, and gives the texture an extra boost - one of the reasons I love ricotta. If ricotta is not your thing, then using cream is absolutely delicious also.

Thanks again Allysa for a great recipe!

2011-10-04T20:27:00.000+11:00

Have you ever heard of the World Wide Photo Walk?

Up until a few weeks ago I hadn't either, but it's what I spent this past Sunday doing, and I loved it.

Basically there were 1,117 walking groups registered all around the world (28,251 participants in total), where in a group, you walked along selected routes capturing the scenery during the weekend of 2/3 October.

The walk I joined started at the Vic Markets and ended at Errol Street in North Melbourne.

A relatively short walk through the markets, via a local park and a beautiful church, however due to us constantly stopping along the way snapping shots, it actually took 2 hours to reach our destination - a yummy Lebanese restaurant located on Errol Street.

I have to admit that I found it a little intimidating at first as everyone in the group pulled out their whopping great big cameras and I found myself standing back, watching and copying their moves/ideas. I figured pretty early on that this process really wasn't going to help me get creative, nor let me find my own style, so I separated from the pack - keeping an eye on where everyone was and meeting up at various locations, but I found being on my own with no "professional photographer" watching over my shoulder, I could relax and take my time.

The sun was out, everyone was in a great mood and the streets were relatively quite (probably all nursing hangovers from the Grand Final held the day before). All in all I'm really glad I joined in. I love every opportunity to pull out my camera and practice and it was lovely to be around people who feel the same way.

Hope you enjoyed some of my shots from the day!

A little New York Deli in my kitchen....

2011-09-29T14:59:00.000+10:00

(The back streets of Soho)

Feeling a little nostalgic for New York at the moment.

I've been flicking through my photos from my holiday there last year (you can check some more of them out here and here) and am wishing I was right back there, eating all that gorgeous food, walking down the streets and popping into some of the amazing vintage and home ware shops located on every corner.

(Chelsea Market and a back street of Soho)

Unfortunately my budget at the moment doesn't allow me to jump on the next plane out of here, but it does stretch to a visit to the local deli to pick up some much craved ingredients.

Pastrami and Potato Salad Sandwich

One of my girlfriends re-introduced me to this winner of a sandwich combination and whenever I eat it, or think about it for that matter, I'm immediately transported to one of those old Italian delis you find in New York.

It also conjours up pictures of a scene from the movie When Harry Met Sally which was filmed in Katz's Deli located in the East Village of New York (I've been there!), where Sally munches on a pastrami sandwich and a side order of potato salad while showing Harry how women can 'fake it'.....remember the scene or am I the only 80's movie fanatic?

Ahhh New York - Me and my red sneakers will be back real soon. I promise!

(View from Brooklyn)

The Cookbook Challenge No. 19: Green

2011-09-27T12:02:00.000+10:00

When I initially thought about the combination of the colour green and food, I couldn't think of anything - don't ask me why I couldn't think of anything considering the vast amount of vegetables that are green. Vegetables I love and eat daily!!

I have no answer for my initial stupidity, but I did come out on top in the end with something I've never made before. I spotted this recipe when I was cooking last fortnight's theme for Roast. I bought Sophie Dahl's cookbook quite a while ago after watching a couple of episodes of her TV cooking show. I'm not usually one to buy cookbooks devised by celebrities, however I actually fell in love with her show. I found her surprisingly personable, and reading her cookbook you get a further insight, through her stories, into the interesting life she's lived to date.

So for Green theme and to welcome in Spring, here is my contribution:

Teddy's Lettuce Soup

Cookbook: Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights

Author: Sophie Dahl

2 full lettuces

2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup of frozen peas

2 cups of semi-skimmed milk

1 tsp soft brown sugar

1 pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

salt and pepper

Creme fraiche or a pat of butter, to serve

Cut lettuces into thin ribbons afer giving them a thorough wash and discarding any tough leaves. Put the lettuces in a pan with the stock and simmer until the greens are soft. Add the peas and cook for a furterh 4 minutes. Take off the heat,cool for a minute then puree.

Return to the pan and on a low heat, gradually add the milk - less for a thicker soup, more for a lighter summery soup. Add the brown sugar, nutmeg and seasoning to taste. Serve with the creme fraiche or a pat of butter.

Teddy is Sophie's mum Tessa who has apparantly been called Teddy since she was a little girl and was trained at the French Culinary Institute.

Surprisingly, I loved this soup. I say surprisingly because who would have thought that boiled lettuce would taste any good?? I sure didn't yet it had loads of flavour, very fresh and light, and I felt like was eating Spring itself.

Thanks Teddy!

To view my fellow challengers, click here.

A friendly competition...

2011-09-25T21:45:00.001+10:00

Are you a hoarder of recipes like me?

I have tonnes of cookbooks with their recipes earmarked or pages of recipes ripped straight out of magazines, printed off from other blogs or the internet and stuffed into folders; some dating back 10 years or so.

So as you can imagine I love it when I get the opportunity to actually put one (or two) to the test. For me, it recently came in the form of supplying supper for the new little camera club I joined earlier this year. Last week, we hosted a friendly competition with another local club, and as hosts, we needed to provide the nibbles for the night. So loaded with my recipes and my fridge stocked with fresh veggies from the market, I happily hit the kitchen and came out with.....

Vegetable Frittata topped with Hummus and Olive

(Recipe adapted from Small Foods Cookbook)

I just love the colour of this dish. There is something about the colour orange that puts a smile on my face, and I have to say, the flavour was superb. I really loved how these turned out! You could taste every layer of vegetable - the eggplant, zucchini, capsicum and sweet potato. Such a subtle flavour and so so moreish.

I've also had my eye on the recipe for these little beauties for a longish time.....

Green Goddess Tea Sandwiches

(recipe adapted from Joy the Baker Blog)

I'm a sucker for anything bit sized, and in particular, baby sized sandwiches and this one was no exception. Such a fresh combination of ingredients including carrot, cucumber, spinach, chives whipped into cream cheese and a smearing of avocado.

All in all I was really pleased with these two recipes (even though I did change them both slightly). There are a few more changes I'd like to make to both - a little tweaking here and there for my taste buds, but definitely two recipes that were worth holding on to and two recipes I'll definitely be making again.

Even though we didn't win the photo competition on the night (boo hoo), we had some yummy food to console ourselves with. Better luck next year!

The Bill Cookbook Club #3

2011-09-20T11:52:00.002+10:00

After having back to back catering jobs between June and September, I'm now currently relishing my somewhat free weekends. Catching up with neglected friends, going to the movies, going for hikes and just generally potering in my kitchen just for myself.

As much as I love cooking for other people, I'm really enjoying having my kitchen all to myself at the moment.

I find when I do have a party to cater for on the weekends, I tend to rely on pre-cooked dishes stashed away in my freezer - rarely will I cook anything from scratch during these times, so I'm very excited to be heading home to cook my very own dinner. From scratch!

The chicken is marinating the fridge and I picked up the fresh vegies from the market on the weekend.

Roasted Soy Chicken with Noodle Salad
Bills Open Kitchen Cookbook

For the noodles
1 tbsp sesame oil
80 ml dark soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp brown sugar
200g egg noodles, boiled according to manufacturer's instructions
6 spring onions finely sliced
200g snow peas, blanched and refreshed with cold water (I used green beans)
2 sticks celery, finely julienned
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Place the sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the noodles, spring onion, snow peas and celery then sprinkle sesame seeds over the top.

For the chicken
150g fresh ginger, finely sliced
2 tbsp caster sugar
125 ml oyster sauce
125 ml shaoxing rice wine
1 tsp sesame oil
4 chicken breasts
2 spring onions to garnish

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator, bringing to room temperature in the last 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Sear the chicken skin-side down with a little oil in a frying pan on medium to high heat. Remove the chicken when golden and place skin-side up on a baking tray. Brush lightly with the marinade and cook for 10 to 12 minutes.

Serves 4.

This dish took no time at all to prepare (as mentioned above, I marinated the chicken overnight) so all I had to do when I got home was pop it into the oven (I didn't worry about searing first as I bought chicken with no skin), whip up the salad, snap the photos and then gobble it down.

Fresh and zingy - definitely a dish I would make again - in particular the chicken.

Just your average Tuesday night...

2011-09-15T21:21:00.001+10:00

Here's a little peek at what I was doing on Tuesday night.

A wee little drinki poo up the top of the Rialto at the new Vue de Monde.

Just as the sun was setting.

A perfect way to end the day!

The Bill Cookbook Club # 2

2011-09-12T15:43:00.000+10:00

Weekend breakfasts for me usually consists of eggs, whether poached, scrambled or boiled with soldiers. Maybe bacon and grilled tomato on toast. Perhaps even avocado on toast with a squeeze of lemon and and sprinkling of salt. My tastebuds crave savoury on a morning, never sweet. However, occassionally I do get a hankering for pancakes.

With my parents being English, we were brought up on crepes - thin pancakes topped with lemon and sugar. Not the big, fat, fluffy American style pancakes.

But that's the type I wanted this morning.

Wholemeal Pancakes with Butter, Lemon and Sugar
Bills Food Cookbook

I really liked the use of wholemeal flour in the pancakes as I sometimes find pancakes made with plain white flour too soft. Like white bread - no flavour or texture.

I actually had a little lemon curd left in the fridge from another recipe which I ended up dolloping on top once I'd taken these photos along with some yummy vanilla yoghurt. I found it took away a little of the sweetness and added a much needed tang.

Yummy breakfast for a 'once in a while' treat, but not something I could eat every weekend.

Hmmmmmm...how to have my eggs tomorrow morning....?

The Cookbook Challenge No. 18: Roast

2011-09-04T20:01:00.001+10:00

This weekend was spent catering a lovely woman's 40th birthday party. Happy birthday Sheridan.

I first met this family at a housewarming party I catered last year, and since then I've done a number of parties for them and their friends. Finding amazing people like this makes my job so much easier and so much more enjoyable. I loved every minute of preparing the food knowing I'd be stepping into their beautiful kitchen once again (my whole home could fit into their kitchen!)

As you can imagine, having taste tested food all day Saturday, the last thing I wanted to cook today was anything time consuming, fiddly and filling but I was running behind on the Cookbook Challenge and needed to pull a rabbit out of my hat.

So here is my lighter and oh so very simple (thank God) contribution to this fortnight's Roast theme.

Warm Roasted Winter Vegetable Salad

Cookbook: Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights

Author: Sophie Dahl

1 red onion

1 sweet potato

2 carrots

2 parsnips

1 celeriac

2 beetroots

salt & pepper

Olive oil

handful of chopped walnuts

handful of crumbled feta cheese

For the dressing:

2 tbsp of olive oil

1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped

1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Squeeze of lemon juice

Preheat oven to 220 degrees. Peel and chop the vegetables into wedges. Put hem into a roasting tin, season them and give them a healthy shower of olive oil. Cook for about 30 minutes, turning a couple of times. Five minutes before they are ready, put the walnuts on a baking tray, pop in the oven to toast.

Pour the vegetables into a dish and sprinkle the feta, walnuts and dressing.

As you can probably see by the photos, I didn't use walnuts (purely because I didn't have any in the house and I had no interest in popping down the street to pick any up).

Also, I completely forgot to add parsley (which I did have loads of). I only just remembered as I typed out the ingredients list above...doh!

Apart from all of this the dish hit the spot I wanted it to. It was tasty and light and the addition of the feta (especially eaten with the beetroot) was delicious. The vegetables gained a real caramelised flavour from roasting and it really brought out their sweetness. The pinenuts I added gave a great crunch and texture to the dish, however I can really imagine that the walnuts would have made it that much better.

So as the days now start to get longer and the weather a little warmer, this dish is my little good-bye, farewell, alvederzein and goodnight to Winter.

To view my fellow challengers, click here!

The Bill Cookbook Club # 1

2011-08-31T23:08:00.000+10:00

I happily admit that I have a crush on Bill Granger. How could you not? Those gorgeous white teeth and tousled blonde hair, and the fact that the boy can cook.

I have quite a few of Bill's cookbooks which I use sporadically. Like many of my other cookbooks, there are recipes there that have been cooked to death with others not even getting a second glance.

I find his recipes super simple and unfussy (depending on my mood, sometimes a little too simple) however, I find them perfect for mid-week meals, giving me a chance to still indulge in my favourite pleasure (cooking) yet not too demanding on my time and energy after an exhausting work day.

I also love his approach towards using fresh produce in dishes that are clean and pure."I can't bear processed food" - his words from his cookbook "Simply Bill".

So today I have decided to start my very own little club. The Bill Cookbook Club. My plan is to pick and cook a dish out of one of my Bill Granger cookbooks. I'll post the recipe and give you feedback on how they turned out. Was it worth the trouble? Would I cook it again? You get the drift.

So let's get started, and for recipe 1, I've chosen:

Ocean Trout with Red Chilli and Tomatoes
Simply Bill

Serves 2
1/2 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra
2 x 200g ocean trout fillets
1 large red chilli, sliced
2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, sliced
1/2 can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp soy sauce
3/4 tbsp sugar

Heat the oil in a large frying an over medium -high heat. Add the trout and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until cooked to your taste. Remove from the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium and add a little extra oil. Add the chilli, ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes until golden. Add the tomatoes, soy sauce and sugar and cook for 5 minutes, stiring occassionally until thickened.

Serve the trout with steamed rice and the sauce spooned over the top.

As you can probably see from the photos, I didn't use trout. When I went to the market today it really didn't look great, so I picked up the salmon instead and I think it worked really well. I also made the decision to bake the fish in the oven as in the past, when frying salmon, my place ends up smelling of fish for days - not very pleasant at all!

I really liked this dish. So quick to whip up (the sauce took the same amount of time as the fish did baking in the oven) and so very, very tasty with a nice kick of chilli.

Definitely a dish I would make again and one I would make for anyone coming over for dinner.

Nice one Bill!

A weekend away in Ballarat

2011-08-29T11:33:00.000+10:00

A few months ago, I joined a camera club. A place where I could learn more, talk with fellow enthusiasts and just generally be inspired.

I'm loving it.

Each meeting/catch up we have I'm learning something new, no matter how structured or un-structured the session. So when some fellow members wanted to head up to Ballarat to visit the Ballarat International Foto Biennale this weekend - I was on board.

I'll admit, the exhibition sounded exciting and I was looking forward to again, being inspired. However I will admit to you that the thought of having a weekend away, staying in a gorgeous B&B, was probably a little higher on my list. I'm a sucker for a B&B.

So arriving in Ballarat late Saturday morning, I wandered around a few of the exhibitions - my favourite being Maggie Diaz, a US born photographer who migrated out to Australia in the 60's. Beautiful black and white candid shots of people in the 50's and 60's.

Then it was time to check into the B&B and I can tell you - it didn't disappoint.

I stayed at the Silver Birch B&B with it's huge bed that you had to jump up to get on and its deep claw foot bath (which I spent over an hour indulging in (how often to get to do that!) The only problem is that I found it really hard to get back out there and view some more exhibitions as I just wanted to curl up and read my book in front of the fire.

I caught up with the guys from the camera club for dinner that night at the Craig's Royal Hotel - delicious. The food was wonderful - especially the mussels and pinot I had, sitting in pretty dinning room surrounded by some prints from the exhibition.

(gorgeous morning sunlight)

Waking up on the Sunday morning with the sun pouring in through the window was utter bliss. So was making a big pot of tea, turning on the fire and curling up with the latest 'Country Style' magazine.

(that's me waving hello to you)

The rest of the weekend was spent visiting various exhibitions as well as the Botanical Gardens.

Stopping for coffee at Lake Wendouree and then finally spending money at the Mill Markets on my way out of Ballarat.

What a weekend!

The Cookbook Challenge No. 17: Baked

2011-08-25T12:18:00.002+10:00

Day dreams of the French countryside seem to be a daily occurrence for me at the moment.

Working full-time in a corporate firm means I'm constantly dreaming and planning my escape. My escape to France.

My dream would be to just stay put in 2-3 regions and just explore to my hearts content. I'm over the whole back-packing thing and I'm definitely a girl who likes her creature comforts, so I'd love to base myself in either a little self-contained cottage or B&B and just hit the markets, the sights, the antique stores, the cafes and anything else on offer.

So with all of these day dreams, I've been finding myself cooking anything and everything French (as you've probably already noticed), so when I had to decide on a recipe for this fortnight's theme, how could I go past..........

Croissants
(Recipe from The French Market Cookbook)

I have a huge collection of French cookbooks (told you I'm obsessed), but there is only one croissant recipe to be found in all of them. Not sure why that is as you really can't get more French than a croissant.

I'll admit, the process was long. Simple but long. But I have to admit it was a real pleasure to make. Each time I pulled the dough out of the fridge after it had been resting, and seeing it grow and puff up, I was like a child in a candy store - very excited. (I made plain and a couple with chocolate rolled inside).

So waking up on Sunday morning, I pre-heated the oven, made a pot of tea and popped my little babies in and I waited patiently.

Not quite as flaky as a well-made croissant (a little on the heavy side) but the flavour was definitely there. I was very chuffed with myself.

I'm googling away right at this very moment to see how to make this pastry lovely and flaky, as I'll be trying again very very soon. Wish me luck!

To see my fellow challengers, click here!

Hobart with a Cherry on Top - Part 3

2011-08-23T19:20:00.000+10:00

A final little update from my recent holiday to Hobart.

I've been back for over a week now and yet I'm still on a high from it. I managed to squeeze so many wonderful things in apart from The Agrarian Kitchen that I went to bed each night thinking what a great day I'd just had. My days included coffee at Jackson & McRoss Bakery. You may struggle to get a table here, but some of the most delicious bread and pastries can be found here and it's well worth the visit.

As well as a lazy wander through the Salamanca Markets where I managed to buy a lot of butter (don't ask).

We ate a yummy (albeit naughty) seafood lunch on the harbour, washed down with some yummy local Riesling.

And a visit to the beautiful Botanical Gardens set in one of the best locations in Hobart with views of the river peeking through the trees.

Our main purpose in visiting the gardens was to locate the famous vegie patch. Famous for its connection with Tasmanian television gardening guru Peter Cundall. Being a huge fan of Peter Cundall and the show, this was one of Ms B's "must do's" for the trip.

We also visited MONA (Museum of Old and New Art).

Have you ever visited yourself? I'd love to hear what you think. MONA was a place I was dying to get to. I'd heard so much about it and being a lover of galleries and museums, I couldn't wait.

The building and location were exquisite, located at the Moorilla Winery, however I have to be brutally honest here and say I really didn't like it. I found most of the pieces too confronting for my taste buds. Too much focus on death and brutality for my likely. I just didn't see the point of alot of it. It definitely had an effect on me, which I guess is the whole reason, but unfortunately the effect wasn't a good one. However, I will say that the part of the museum that focused on "old art", I loved.

I guess life would be pretty boring if we all liked the same stuff.

So from the confronting images at MONA to the picturesque scenery of the little town of Richmond, about a 20 minute drive from the museum.

The one thing I found gob smacking is that you cannot get a decent Devonshire Tea in Richmond. I know this might not mean anything to many of you but when you're in a quaint little town filled with antique stores and tourists, you expect to be able to get a Devonshire Tea. Well, all four of us expected it and we were at a loss as to why only one place served it AND used fake cream from a can! What the????

And so our last day finally arrived and to finish our holiday in the same way we started it, we headed to a cake shop.

Sweet Envy, located in North Hobart to be exact.

Superb!

Hobart with a Cherry on Top - Part 2

2011-08-18T21:28:00.000+10:00

I love everything about Tassie.

I love the weather. I love the green hills with the little houses clinging to the sides. I love that in only 15 minutes from the city you can be driving past cows and sheep. And I love, love, love the fresh produce.

As our little holiday was all about visiting the Agrarian Kitchen (see previous post here), we (myself and the fabulous gals - Ms B, Ms N and Ms K) headed straight to the little town of New Norfolk. Just a tiny little mountain town with not a lot going on, except for two places that I fell in love with.

One being "The Cake Lady" where we stopped for some lunch and a much needed coffee. A tiny cafe located down one of the side streets with only 3-4 tables squished in, but just so cute. Little antique bits and pieces for sale placed in every nook and cranny and a simple menu. Perfect for hungry girls that had just gotten off a flight.

Taking a lazy wander through the many antique stores located in New Norfolk, we found the mother ship. The Drill Hall Emporium. Filled with a mixture of English and French antiques. I was in love.

After spending way too much money it was time for us to head to our home for the night - Tynwald Willow Bend Estate, the most gorgeous B&B I've seen in a long while.

(my room)

(View from the balcony)

The sun was just setting, casting a gorgeous glow on everything we looked at, so we donned our sneakers and jackets and wander along one of the walking tracks which took us down to the Derwent River - desperately trying to walk off lunch in readiness for the dinner ahead....oh boy. Day 1 and I'm already full and we had The Agrarian Kitchen to look forward to the next day. Needless to say, we had no dinner after the Kitchen experience and took our full and extremely satisfied bellies off to bed.

More on Hobart to come - stay tuned!

Hobart with a Cherry on Top - Part 1

2011-08-16T20:44:00.003+10:00

Have you ever been to Hobart?

If you answer no to that question then you're missing out on something very special, and a place that I just love to visit again and again, and a place that I've just returned from having spent an extra extra long weekend with a bunch of gal friends - I'm still in food coma heaven.

The main reason for this impromptu little trip was to attend

The Agrarian Kitchen.

Or as I like to refer to it "Heaven on Earth!"

A sustainable hands-on, farm-based cooking school located in a little place called Lachlan, 45 minutes from Hobart in Tasmania’s Derwent Valley.

We (myself, Ms B, Ms N and Ms K) pulled up to the farm and were greeted with smiles and the smell of coffee (always a good start), and led into a beautiful dining space filled the smell of a roaring open fire and the most amazing dining table where we met and chit chatted with our fellow food lovers for the day.

Rodney (our teacher and creator of The Agrarian Kitchen) informed us of our menu while we sipped our coffees (check out the board above), and I must say I was very excited to see that we'd be working with truffles - this was going to be a fantastic new experience.

Donning our aprons, we stepped into every cooks dream kitchen to whip up our bread, which we got to take home with us and which the gals and I had for brekkie most mornings.

With our dough rising by the open fire, we slipped on our gum boots, picked up our baskets, gloves and cutters, and hit the garden for some of the freshest winter produce.

Once collected (and once my feet were nice and frozen), we headed back into the warm kitchen to begin to cook.

With the prospect of getting my hands dirty (and learn a few new skills), I put my hand up to make the chicken and truffle pies which involved making a delicious, flaky and oh so easy puff pastry (my new favourite thing to make), and properly joint a recently plucked chicken.

After many, many hours of chopping, cooking and tasting, we all sat down at the beautiful dining table to relax and eat our creations with some perfectly matched local wine. I'm still not sure how I fitted all that food in, but I do know that none of it could be left behind, I didn't care if I didn't eat for the rest of trip because of it.

I've been to many cooking schools in my lifetime but none of affected me the way this experience has. It's reinforced my feelings towards food, towards food grown with the seasons. Whole foods - not that refined rubbish we can pick up so easily in our day to day life.

It's given me a real drive and loads of inspiration to continue searching and sourcing some of the amazing produce we have here in Victoria at our door steps. I'm certainly looking forward to the ride it takes me on.

For the rest of my adventure in Hobart - stay tuned!

The Cookbook Challenge No 16: Soup

2011-08-13T09:19:00.001+10:00

Ahhh soup.

As soon as the cooler weather hits Melbourne this is probably the most common dish I turn to for almost all of my lunches.

It really is the perfect meal as you can pack as much goodness in there as you like. You can keep it chunky and rustic (when I'm really hungry this is the style I crave), or you can blend it all up together until it's silky smooth.

I love them all. So picking this week's theme was a bit of a breeze really as I have a number of soup recipes earmarked for making - it was just a matter of choosing the perfect one, so I chose -

Chestnut and Parsnip Soup with pear puree
Cookbook: Country Style: Country Kitchen
Author: Michael Ryan

Serves 6

600g fresh chestnuts
50g butter
1 brow/3 cup pouring cream
juice of 1/2 lemon
40g unsalted butter
3 golden shallots, diced
2 ripe pears, peeled, cored and diced
1 tsp sherry
1 onion, chopped
1 leek, sliced
3 sticks celery, chopped
3 parsnips, peeled and diced
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil to serve

Score a cross on the base of each chestnut with a small sharp knife. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add the chestnuts and simmer for 8 minutes. Remove, cool slightly, then peel shell and inner membrane.

Melt butter in a heavy based saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, leek and celery. Cook for 8 minutes or until tender, then add chestnuts, parsnip and stock. Season to taste. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until chestnuts and parsnip are soft.

Puree mixture in a food processor, then pour into a saucepan and place over medium heat. Add cream and return to the boil, stirring constantly. Add lemon juice.

Melt unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook for 2-3 mins or until tender. Add pears and sherry and cook covered for 10-15 mins or until pear is soft. Puree pear mixture in a food processor and season with salt.

Serve parsnip soup with pear puree and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Wow. What an amazing soup.

Subtle in flavour but so very, very filling (surprisingly so actually). You only need a small bowl to feel satisfied. The only extra I'd wish for to accompany this soup is a gorgeous roaring open wood fire to sit in front of with my blanket and book.

Unfortunately, there is a downside to this soup though. Peeling all those bloody chestnuts!

I never thought it would end, and my finger nails are ripped to shreds!

The process of shelling nuts (like podding peas) I usually find relaxing and enjoyable - but not chestnuts. Never ever again!

I definitely plan to make this soup again as it was absolutely delicious but it will be with the pre-peeled can/jar chestnuts. I'm sorry but that's just the way it goes. I'm quite sure the taste will be different but I think it's worth the try.

My finger nails think so too!

Check out my fellow challengers by clicking here.

Happy Birthday Bro.....

2011-08-10T09:22:00.000+10:00

I can't beleive a whole year has passed since I had my brother and his family over for his birthday last year - where has the year gone?

But here we are again, celebraiting once again with a little feast I just happened to whip up (hmmm....maybe took a little longer thant that).

If there is one thing I love it's birthdays.

I don't care whose it is (although I do love it more when it's mine - maybe that's just the Taurean in me), but I love celebrating them with bubbles, loads of food and lots of laughs which is just what we did on Sunday when my brother and his family headed over to my place for a lazy lunch.

My brother is 9 years older than me so growing up with him was a mix of laughter and A LOT of pranks (on me, that is). There were days that whenever we spoke to each other we had to end the sentence with the word 'sugar' - don't ask me why cause I have no idea why but I do remember laughing so hard that my sides hurt. I also remember often being tricked into doing the washing up most nights (yes, I was a very gulable little sister).

Hang on, tell me why I've made this lunch after all I had to put up with growing up???

We started the lunch off with a pork terrine served with fresh picalilli, baguette and cornichons.

Not my favourite tasting terrine as I found it a bit 'porky' (if there is such a thing), however the others seemed to enjoy it and even my sister-in-law liked it and she's not a pork fan.

Go figure.

I did, however like the fresh picalilli. A sweetish pickled vegetable dish which was light and fresh, especially paired with the terrine.

For mains, I cooked a shoulder of lamb for 12 hours overnight until it just pulled apart and fell off the bone. Just how a roast lamb should be.

I first ripped this recipe out of Gourmet Traveller magazine a few years ago knowing I would want to cook it one day. When I decided that the day had arrived, I couldn't find the recipe anywhere. I found the picture that belonged to it, but no instructions. Thankfully Gourmet Traveller have most of their recipes on-line (click here for this one) and I was able to find it again. Yippee!

Such a simple (allbeit long) way to roast a lamb but my God it was tasty and well worth it.

I also made some salsa verde to go with it which helped cut through the rich meat.

Along with the lamb, I made one of my favourite indulgent dishes - Colcannon. A creamy mash of potato mixed with cabbage, spring onions and crispy pancetta. I could eat this on its own, and in fact have done so on many occasions.

I also made something I've never cooked before and am now a big fan of - petits pois frais a la francaise (braised peas, onions and lettuce). Yum!

I'll post the recipe for this shortly as it's well worth giving a go.

And then came dessert..........

In the form of a yummy tarte bourdaloue (basically, an almond and pear tart).

What a beauty.

I really love the flavour of almonds so this tarte was a winner for me and also with my niece and newphew which was a surprise as I thought they'd prefer the other little dessert I made......

Orange marmalade ice-cream.

A really quick ice-cream to whip together as there is no cooking involved. Just cream, yoghurt, marmelade and some orange juice whisked together and then frozen either in an ice-cream machine, or if you're like me and don't have an ice-cream machine, freeze it for a few hours then whisk and repeat a few times.

All in all, a good day of cooking, eating and celebrating a birthday.

Happy birthday bro!
x

A talented little lady named Ms A.........

2011-08-07T17:45:00.006+10:00

When you cook most days for yourself, your family and your friends, it's a real treat to eat someone elses cooking which is what I got to do this past Saturday when one of my colleagues at work had a baby shower. As I've previously mentioned, I'm no fan of baby showers, but I am a huge fan of sharing champagne and nibbles with friends. And, I didn't have to lift a finger. Woo hoo!

It's my own fault really as I'm normally the first person to put my hand up to provide food for any occasion, but I'm so glad I didn't because check out the food the very talented Ms A (another fellow colleague) made.

Absolutely beautiful!

Little corn bilini's topped with smoked salmon and sour cream.

Pea and fetta crostini.

Salted caramel tart (OMG!).

Carrot cake.

And lemon curd and meringue cupcakes (my absolute favourite!).

I was lucky enough to get to try these cupcakes a few months ago when Ms A gave them a try and I can honestly tell you that I could not get it into my mouth fast enough.

A wine a day.....

2011-08-03T12:35:00.000+10:00

I don't drink beer and am not a fan of spirits (unless it's gin being poured into a cold glass of tonic), but wine.......wine I love!

So when the team at work decided to put on a wine tasting night - I was there with bells on.

I've mentioned before that I love having guinea pigs to try all my little food trials, and what more perfect an opportunity is this. A captured audience, albeit a tipsy audience.

My recipe #1 was Pumpernickel and Stilton Cheese Bite Size Sandwiches.

Basically, Stilton cheese whipped with some French butter and sandwiched between slices of pumpernickel bread.

Big flavour! But served with a big red, I felt it was perfect.

For my second recipe, I made Goats Cheese Crostini topped with a Shallot and Cranberry Marmalade.

This wasn't quite the dish I wanted to make, but not being able to find the main ingredient (fresh currents), I decided to play around a bit and found that the dried cranberries worked a real treat.

Crispy bread, salty and creamy cheese, savoury shallots with a sweet burst of cranberry - I love this dish! It also went really well with both red and white wine.

Toot toot!

Quick as a wink.....

2011-07-31T19:00:00.000+10:00

I don't know about you, but I find when I'm tired, stressed or just simply lacking time, my 'go to' dish is usually pasta in some form or other.

I find it interesting that when I do have the luxury of time to cook, I rarely cook pasta dishes, opting for pretty much anything else to tempt my taste buds or my cooking skills.

So when I first spotted this recipe I knew I had to give it a go. It's one of those dishes that you don't even really need a recipe - just have the ingredients in front of you and cook away.

Tuna & Lemon Pasta
(recipe adapted from Delicious magazine - May 2011)

400g pasta
1 1/2 tbsp small salted capers, rinsed, drained
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 cup basil
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 anchovy fillets in oil, drained
1 tsp Dijon mustard
finely grated zest and juice of a lemon
425g can tuna in oil, drained, oil reserved

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to packet instructions. Drain.

Meanwhile, place herbs, garlic, anchovies, Dijon, lemon zest and juice and 2 tsp capers in a processor and whiz until roughly chopped. With The motor running, drizzle in tuna oil until a coarse paste.

Stir the paste through the pasta. Flake the tuna, then add to the pasta with the remaining capers and toss to combine.

How much easier and tastier can it get than this!

Fresh, zingy, quick, simple and very very satisfying.

The Cookbook Challenge No.15: European Part 2

2011-07-26T08:42:00.001+10:00

Bonjour!

If heaven is me being surrounding by French food (and maybe a French man or two) then I've got my bags packed and I'm ready.

As you can see, I'm loving this fortnight's theme - European (although when I saw the word European, I really saw the words French Food).

Please excuse me as I indulge in my weakness for French food with a second dish for this fortnight's Cookbook Challenge.....

Boeuf a la Gardiane
(Beef and Wine stew with Black Olives)
Cookbook: At Elizabeth David's Table
Author: Elizabeth David

1kg top rump of beef
butter
olive oil
4 tbsp brandy
1 lg glass of red wine
salt and pepper
bouquet of thyme, parsley and bay leaf
little strip of orange peel
crushed clove of garlic
175g stoned black olives

Cut meat into small cubes, and brown them in a mixture of butter and olive oil. Warm the brandy in a soup ladle, pour it over the meat, set light to it, shake the pan until the flames go out. The flaming with brandy, although not absolutely essential, burns u the excess fat and makes quite a difference to the flavour of the finished sauce, which will be a short one, most of the liquid having been absorbed by the meat. Add the red wine; let bubble fast for about half a minute. Season with only very little salt and pepper, put in the bouquet tied with thread, turn the flames as low as possible cover the pan with at least two layers of greaseproof paper or foil and the lid.

Cook as gently as possible, on top of the stove for about 3 1/2 hours. Ten minutes before serving remove the bouquet and put in the black olives. Taste for seasoning before serving.

Enough for four or five people.

A dish from western Provence and the Camargue demonstrating the stewing of a tough piece of meat in red wine without the addition of any stock or thickening for the sauce.

You may remember that I made this dish for a lazy Sunday lunch I had a few weeks ago and as mentioned in the post at that time, I really enjoyed the heartiness, texture and flavour of this casserole, especially with the addition of the olives giving a salty burst. However, it's not been my favourite French casserole recipe that I have tried to date.

Don't get me wrong, it's definitely worth trying as the meat just simply melts in your mouth, but having been spoilt recently with a wonderful Boeuf bourguignon, this one had to unfortunately take second place.

So on that note and in the words of Julia Child -

Bon Appétit!

To view my fellow challengers, click here.

The Cookbook Challenge No.15: European Part 1

2011-07-25T09:22:00.002+10:00

If you've visited here before you'll know that I'm currently obsesed with anything French. French food, of course, being at the top of my obsession list.

So it's no surprise to you or me that I ended up cooking something French for this fortnight's theme of European!

Actually, I cooked 2 dishes (couldn't help myself).

Part 1

Tarte au Chevre
Cookbook: The French Market
Author: Joanne Harris & Warde

Pastry
240g plain flour
pinch of salt
60g lard or vegetable fat, diced
2-3 tbsp cold water

Place flour, salt and fat in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until the texture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the water and mix tegether wiht a round bladed knife until the mixture forms a ball. Place on a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until the pastry is evenly blended. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to chill for 30 mins.

Lightly butter a 24cm flan tim. Roll out pastry on a flour dusted surface until just larger than the tin. Press into the tin and trim any excess with a knife, place in the fridge to chill for a further 30 mins.

Heat oven to 180 degrees and blind bake for 30 mins. Remove the baking paper and cook for a further 10 mins.

Filling
50g butter
400g leeks, finely sliced
2 eggs
150ml single cream
sea slat
freshly ground black pepper
150g goat's cheese

Melt butter in a pan and add the leeks and sweat them for 15 mins. Beat the eggs, cream and seasoning together in a bowl, add the leeks, mix and pour into the pastry case. Crumble the goat's cheese over the top and bake for 45 mins.

Nom...nom....nom....is the munching sound I made as I ate the last (left over) slice while curled up under my blanket watching episodes of True Blood.

I had actually made this little tarte as part of my entree when I had some friends over for a lazy Sunday feast last month.

What a gorgeous little tarte this is.

The pastry was so buttery and flakey I could have eaten it on its own, however mixed with the salty goats cheese and the sweet leek - delicious!

To view my fellow challengers, click here.

A day in North Fitzroy...

2011-07-22T10:02:00.000+10:00

My brother and his family are currently overseas so I've been using their home as a little "retreat".

A chance to explore a new suburb, new coffee shops, relaxing on the couch with the big screen TV and lots of cooking (using his little toy - the Kitchenaid).

Waking up one Sunday morning to a crisp blue winter sky, I threw on my coat, scarf and gloves, grabed my camera and headed outdoors.

I meandered through Edinburgh Gardens......

and wandered all the way up through the little back streets of North Fitzroy until I hit a little cafe called Mitte where I stopped for a delicious brekkie of avocado and poached eggs on toast with, of course, a coffee.

God I love weekends like this.

Some time out from the hectic working week just to indulge in everything you love. I didn't care that it wasn't spent productively (if I'd spent the weekend at home I would have been on the go the whole time). It was back to reality when Monday morning hit, but at least I felt like I'd actually had a weekend. It's not often you get that feeling and when you do you want it again and again.

Don't you agree?

How easily influenced I am......

2011-07-20T07:13:00.000+10:00

I am in love with this blog - What Kate Ate.

I absolutely love the way she photographs the amazing food she cooks.

It always inspires me to want to cook more, which in turn makes me want to eat a hell of lot more and of course, take more and more photos.

If ever you take a little peek at Kate's world, you'll understand why I think this.

So I'm sure you can imagine that when I went wandering through her blog one day and saw her post for Chocolate Fudge Cake - I just had to make it, even though I am no fan of chocolate cake at all!

(Just shows how much a pretty picture can influence me!)

Chocolate Fudge Cake

1 and ¼ cups self-raising flour, sifted
½ cup caster sugar
½ cup brown sugar
4 tbsp butter, melted
½ cup good quality cocoa
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large tbsp blackberry jam, sieved and pips removed
3 eggs
½ cup of milk

Icing
170g good quality 70% chocolate
1 and ¼ cups of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 and ¼ cups of icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tbsp pre-made instant coffee

In a bowl, combine the cocoa, sugar, flour, vanilla, melted butter and jam. Add the eggs and milk then mix until batter is smooth. Place mixture into a round, greased tin and bake in a 1600 C oven for 40 minutes or until cake is just cooked, remove from oven. After 10 mins turn onto wire rack and allow to cool. When cake is coo, slice in half horizontally to make two layers.

In a bowl beat the butter and the caster sugar until smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl melt the chocolate over a pan of lightly simmering water. Add the vanilla and coffee to the melted chocolate mixing together, it will start to go lumpy don’t worry, just add this to the butter and caster sugar mixture beating gently until glossy and smooth.

Use a spatula to decorate the cake, spreading icing in between the layers.

As I aways say "Thank God for friends", as I took the cake along with me when I caught up with some friends for dinner one night while we watched the final of So You Think You Can Dance!

Yes, go ahead and mock me, I don't care!