Month: March 2013

Easter Egg Masterclass By Cacao

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Easter Egg Masterclass by Cacao

It’s the time of the year when you start indulging in chocolate eggs and bunnies and the only aisle you want to walk at the supermarkets is where all the deliciousness is located. Walking the aisle actually feels like I was partially in the chocolate factory of Charlie! The smell of chocolate is unbeatable and just inevitably puts a smile on my face. I have to say this is one other time of the year that I love and have lots to be thankful for.

Just a week back, I was invited to a Easter Egg Masterclass by Cacao Fine Chocolates & Patisserie and TinkPR with a few other awesome food bloggers (Iron Chef Shellie, I’m So Hungree, Brunch Addict, Sweet Cherrie Pie, Off The Spork, Melbourne Food Snob Peach Water & Never Too Sweet For Me ). Was so good to see everyone from the Pizza challenge and also put faces to some whom I’ve followed since I’ve started blogging! hehe Needless to say, this was one educational and fun class! hehe Do be warned that this post will definitely make you hungry and possible make you crave for some chocolate & salted caramel! hehe

Cacao Fine Chocolates & Patisserie

Address : 52 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda

Phone : 03 8598 9555

Website : http://www.cacao.com.au

Hot chocolate

When we got there, we were asked if we wanted a cup of their signature hot chocolate, and I don’t know how anyone could resist such an offer? It was my first time having their hot chocolate and I have to say, it is one of the best ones I’ve ever had! And it was perfect for the cold windy night. Their hot chocolate is made from Belgium chocolates and it’s so rich and definitely chocolatey! I just couldn’t stop picking my cup up and sipped continuously! hehe

Canapes

Canapes

Canapes

We were also served some delicious canapes and they were perfect with the hot chocolate. It was good to fill us up before the class so we don’t gobble all the Easter eggs we were going to make! hehe (:

Tim Clark

Tim Clark who is the mastermind behind all the delicious chocolates and macarons introduced himself and led us to his kitchen which had a beautiful marble top which I’ve always dreamt of having in my kitchen! And we got down to business immediately!

Tempering chocolates

Tim taught us the art of tempering chocolate and the importance of doing it – so that we can get smoother and shinier chocolates! hehe We also learnt that different types of chocolate temper at different temperatures. Tim made it look so easy spreading the chocolate out and scraping it back again. It’s like second nature to him! He could do it with his eyes shut! hehe Once the chocolate was tempered, it was ready to be used for our Easter Eggs!

Ashely @ I'm So Hungree did really well at tempering the chocolate too!

Ashley of I’m So Hungree gave tempering chocolate a shot and I have to say, she did a marvellous job! hehe She looked like a pro doing it! hehe and while she was tempering, and us watching, the beautiful Julia of TinkPR came around (like an angel) offering us macarons and chocolates! How pretty is this box of macarons? I wanted to steal the whole box! hehe

Macarons

I tried the cookies and cream one and it was SO GOOD! Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The ganache was not too sweet as well! Really enjoyed it and was so tempted to go for seconds, but had to control myself! hehe

Tim Clark showing Daisy and us how to fill the shells

The time has come when we learnt how to make the shells of Easter Eggs! Miss D stepped up to give it a shot! hehe Before filling it up with the luscious chocolate, we first have to make sure the shell moulds are polished and shiny. This can be done just by using a cloth or paper towel! hehe

Filling the mould up

Then we fill the mould up all the way to the top!

Tapping the air bubbles out

Then tap the side to make sure there are no air bubbles in between and then scrape the top.

Making chocolate shells

Then comes the fun part : flip, tap, allow it to drip and scrape the access off! What you get in the end are some nicely covered egg shells!

Salted caramel chocolate egg shells

To make it extra special, we sprinkled some salted caramel crystals before covering and sealing them with another layer of chocolate! Yummo! Next up, Tim showed us how to be the best salted caramel EVER.

Tim Clark making salted caramel

We all stood around him and all you could hear is the Ooos and Ahhs as the salted caramel is being made. We were big fans of the salted caramel and just couldn’t wait to taste it! hehe

Almost done!

A pot of gold just about completed!

sifting the salted caramel

The pot of salted caramel is then blended before going through a fine sift and there in the big metal bowl is magic. Just thick and delicious. You just want to lick the whole bowl and any drips around it. haha

when it's cooled

Once it’s cooled, all is left to do it to dig a spoon in and ENJOY!

spoonful of salted caramel

And we did just that of course! hehe We each were given a (tea)spoon to try and OH-EM-GEE! It was super yummilicious! Wish we could have more, but no double dipping! 😛

Filling the small shells with salted caramel

We piped the salted caramel into the small egg shells that were made prior to our arrival and they were sealed with even more chocolate before capping it with the other shell. This small chocolate ball of goodness was going to be placed within our large chocolate egg!

Shiny chocolate egg shells ready to go!

Our chocolate shells were popped out of the moulds and getting ready to be filled and sealed too! (: We each did one after Tim demonstrated how it should be done. We never knew how it was sealed and it’s always great to learn something new everyday! hehe

sealing the easter egg

Just lightly heating the egg shells, then placing the small egg filled with salted caramel then sealing it! VIOLA! An easter egg is formed!  Or some would say, this is how the baby egg is formed. haha

Completed shells

Take home box

We were lucky enough to take an egg back at the end of the class and there was nothing but big smiles on our faces! hehe Thank you Tim Clark from Cacao & Julia from TinkPR for this wonderful opportunity to learn how to make beautiful Easter eggs and irresistible salted caramel! I definitely enjoy every single bit(e) of the class and will be back for more macarons and hot chocolate! Mmmm (:

Happy mid week everyone! Just one more day till the long weekend! Remember to always cook and bake with love!

PS : Did you see the Humpy Dumpy display at the top? Do head to Cacao at St Kilda to have a closer look! Everything is made with chocolate and each Humpty Dumpty used 40kg of chocolate! Happy Easter everyone!

Disclaimer : I was invited to this Easter Egg Masterclass as a guest of  Cacao Fine Chocolates & Patisserie and TinkPR.

Seafood Mentaiko Pasta

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Seafood Mentai Pasta

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you had a good start to the short week and no one had the Monday blues! (: Even if you did, hopefully this post would brighten up your day a little bit! hehe Recently, I chanced upon a small packet of flying fish roe (toboki) and just had to buy it! There was one dish I’ve been wanting to get, but couldn’t get hold of any fish roe to make it! So you can imagine when I saw it, I knew what I was going to make for dinner that day – seafood mentaiko pasta! Mmmmm (:

Flying fish roe

Mentaiko is just a cream-based fish roe sauce that is so delicious and not overly heavy. I know many a times, when you have cream-based pasta, it tends to be a little too thick and you end up not being able to finish the plate. But trust me, this is one creamy pasta which you would want to slurp every single drop and be tempted to lick the plate! hehe I first had this pasta many years back in Singapore at a Japanese cafe. It was the first time I had pasta at a Japanese cafe and I totally loved it! Just couldn’t have enough! Till this day, I could still remember the taste of it, and that to me means it was one super-awesome-yummilicious dish!

Seafood in mentaiko cream sauce

So I headed to my favourite Japanese blog, Just One Cookbook, that always had amazing recipes ( do head to her blog and look at her beautiful bento boxes for her children, so so detailed and I can just imagine how excited they are when they see it! ).  I changed it up a little bit but the sauce was delicious! In fact, the sauce wasn’t thick or heavy at all, which was great! hehe To add a little more richness to the dish I added a soft boiled egg so the runny yolk would flavour the sauce too. The mr and sister-in-law loved it! So I urge you to give this a try, especially if you like cream-based pastas! hehe

seafood mentaiko pasta

Seafood Mentaiko Pasta (adapted from Just One Cookbook, serves 6)

1kg seafood marinara

1 packet (about 50-100g) of tobiko (flying fish roe)

3 tbs japanese mayonnaise (kewpie)

3/4 cup of thickened cream

30g unsalted butter

2 small onions, finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 cup fish stock

salt & pepper, to taste

shredded nori (seaweed), to garnish

6 soft boiled eggs, to serve

250g pasta (I used linguini but you can use any you fancy)

Steps :

1) In a large bowl, mix the tobiko, mayonnaise and cream gently until well combined. Set aside.

Tobiko, cream and mayonnaise

2) Boil a pot of water and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and run it under cold water to make sure they don’t stick together. Set is aside.

3) In a heavy based pan or pot, add the butter and allow it to melt completely before adding the chopped onions and garlic. Fry till fragrant, with caution not to burn it or it will taste bitter.

Frying the onion and garlic

4) Add the seafood marinara and mix it well to make sure it is coated with the buttery onion and garlic mixture. Add the fish stock and allow it simmer for 15 minutes or until the seafood is completely cooked through.

Adding in the seafood

5) Use a strainer to take the seafood out and place them in the creamy tobiko mixture, reserving the liquid in the pot. Give it a good stir and make sure the seafood is well coated with the creamy sauce. Bring the liquid in the pot to a boil and reduce it till about around 1/4 cup and add that to the seafood mixture. Then add the pasta and slowly stir to combine everything together. Season with salt and pepper, careful not to over salt it as the tobiko can be quite salty (depending on how much you put)!

6) To serve, place some pasta and seafood on a plate, and add some mentaiko sauce. Top the pasta with a soft boil egg and sprinkle with some shredded nori. Cut through the egg and allow the egg yolk to flavour and thicken the sauce. ENJOY!

PS : Just found out mentaiko is different from tobiko! But you can use either and it will still be delish I’m sure! Sorry about that! (:

Have a great short week ahead dearest readers and remember to always cook and bake with love! (:

Thai Feast : Middle Fish

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Thai feast at Middle Fish

I absolutely love thai food! I don’t know about you, dear readers, but I just love how thai food always packs a punch with their flavours! Somehow, they get to squeeze in the salty, sweet, sour and spicy all in a dish and equally in a mouthful, and leave you wanting more! It is definitely one of the cuisines I enjoy the most and would never turn down a thai meal. hehe

Middle Fish

I was introduced to Middle Fish by my dearest Miss D, and when I saw the pictures she was posting on Instagram of the food she was having, I knew we needed to head there, ASAP! Last weekend, the mr ended early at work so I headed down to Carlton to meet him and Melissa for some deliciousness! The sky had the most beautiful shade of blue and excited couldn’t really describe how I was feeling when I got there!

Middle Fish - Entrance

I love love love the entrance to the warehouse converted restaurant, so welcoming! (: The colours of the signage and furniture just pops out and everyone there were so friendly. The moment I stepped in, I was greeted by the owner, Pla, who has the most infectious smile and oh-so bubbly. You just feel so comfortable and just an amazing atmosphere!

Middle Fish - Inside

One side of the restaurant had booth seats and the other was a mix-match of tables and chairs which made the place so vibrant. I was so ready to order and feed our hungry tummies the moment I sat down! Truth is, I was salivating just looking through what the had to offer!

Our drinks

While deciding on what to order, we ordered our drinks first. I have always been a huge fan of thai ice milk tea and I remember Daisy highly recommending it, so I had to try it! Boy was it good! Plus, how cute is the metal bowl that it’s served in? I kept going “WAH WAH WAH!” when it arrived at our table! hehe The Mr and Melissa ordered their usual drinks of latte and hot chocolate respectively, and they were good too! (:

thai ice milk tea

Had to snap another shot of my thai ice milk tea, just cause I love the metal bowl so much! And it was quite a big bowl as well, I almost couldn’t finish it after scoffing down all the food we ordered. hehe But I did, every single drop of it!

Crying Tiger

We covered almost all the different kinds of protein that afternoon. First of : Crying Tiger. The name just cracks me up! But when you had a bite of it, you would understand why they had the “crying” part. The chilli in this salad dish added a good kick and there was a really good balance of flavours. The angus rump slices were so flavourful and tender, and the herbs added a freshness as well. DELISH! I could have this for lunch any day. hehe

Kao gapi

 Our next dish had pork : Kao Gapi. It was presented almost like a bibimbap! hehe So we called this a thai version of bibimbap. The shrimp paste rice was pungent and flavoursome, although the caramelised pork neck could have been a little more tender. Mixing in the green apple, red onion, bean shoots and carrot gave a crunch to the dish. Like I’ve said many times before, I love dishes with different textures so that was definitely a plus! The omelette tasted like it was made using salted eggs, and I just love having egg with rice. Somehow it’s a perfect combination to me. hehe

Crispy chicken ribs

We ordered a street food dish as well : Gai Tod which is crispy chicken ribs with a sweet and spicy sauce which was SO GOOD! We just wanted more of those ribs. So crispy and so juicy on the inside. Couldn’t get enough! hehe But this was meant to be a snack, so the portion was smaller than the others, but perfect for the 3 of us. (:

Middle Fish famous crunchy mussels omelette

This, my lovely readers, was our favourite dish of the day : Middle Fish’s famous Crunchy Mussels Omelette. Before Pla placed this dish on the table, she did a short dance and almost sang the name of the dish and told us it’s their best dish at the restaurant in her opinion, but we TOTALLY agreed! The outside layer is so crispy and there is a “crunch” with every bite/chew! The middle had the texture of fried carrot cake and there was a generous number of juicy mussels! With a similar sauce to the crispy chicken ribs, it was a match-made in heaven and we couldn’t stop singing praises about it!

It was a pity that we were too full to try the desserts they had to offer. But I’m sure we will be back again and the next time, we will! (: If you love thai food as much as I do, do visit Middle Fish and let me know what you think! Do note that they are only open 8-5pm (Monday-Friday) and 10-4pm (Saturday & Sunday), and they have breakfast too!

Happy mid week everyone, and remember to always cook and bake with love! (:

Middle Fish on Urbanspoon

Weekend Baking : Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Fresh Raspberries

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chocolate olive oil cake with fresh raspberries

It’s been a while since I’ve baked something and I was really craving for some olive oil cake. Since it’s the weekend, and it’s been pouring, I decided to stay in and bake! (: Which was a perfect idea, if I can’t say so myself. hehe I was searching around for a recipe, and thankfully, Miss D  shared with me Nigella Lawson’s chocolate olive oil cake. The best of my two worlds : olive oil & chocolate. Who wouldn’t like chocolate yes? Plus, it is actually good for you!

chocolate olive oil cake with fresh raspberries

I was a little worried about making it as I haven’t really made any cake with completely no flour. But it came out beautifully and was rich but surprisingly not too dense! It was still crumbly and actually pretty light. Was a hit with the mr from the first bite! (I sounded like I was rhyming there haha) Love the intensely deep colour of the cake in contrast with the white icing sugar. For some reason, icing sugar reminds me of snow. And it’s really magical, it makes every cake prettier! (:

Chocolate olive oil cake sliced and topped with freshly whipped vanilla bean cream

The original recipe of the cake is really quite healthy; no flour, no butter and not quite as much sugar as well. Just olive oil which is good for you and the chocolate component only consist of cocoa powder and water! How good is that? To make it a little healthier, I added fresh raspberries which added a little zing to the cake! And not to mention how pretty it looks with the specks on red when cut! (: Plus it’s gluten free! Wheeee!

chocolate olive oil cake with raspberries

Do note though that if you do put fresh raspberries in, you might have to finish it in a day or two if you leave it out. Probably can only be kept for up to a week in the fridge. But it probably won’t last longer than that anyways! hehe

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Fresh Raspberries (adapted from Nigella Lawson)

150 ml regular olive oil (plus more for greasing)

50 grams cocoa powder (good quality, sifted)

125 ml boiling water

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

150 grams ground almond

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

170 grams caster sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

1 small punnet of fresh raspberries

freshly whipped vanilla bean cream, to garnish (or ice cream)

Steps :

1. Preheat your oven to 170°C/gas mark 3. Grease your springform tin with a little oil and line the base with baking parchment. Measure and sift the cocoa powder into a bowl or jug and whisk in the boiling water until you have a smooth, chocolatey, still runny (but only just) paste. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then set aside to cool a little.

2. In another smallish bowl, combine the ground almonds with the bicarbonate of soda and pinch of salt.

3. Put the sugar, olive oil and eggs into the bowl of a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment and beat together vigorously for about 3 minutes until you have a pale-primrose, aerated and thickened cream. Turn the speed down a little and pour in the cocoa mixture, beating as you go, and when all is scraped in you can slowly tip in the ground almond mixture.

4. Scrape down, and stir a little with a spatula,and add the fresh raspberries. Give it a gentle stir until the raspberries are well mixed in. Pour this dark, liquid batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the sides are set and the very centre, on top, still looks slightly damp. A cake tester should come up mainly clean but with a few sticky chocolate crumbs clinging to it.

5. Let it cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, still in its tin, and then ease the sides of the cake with a small metal spatula and spring it out of the tin. Leave to cool completely or eat while still warm with some freshly whipped vanilla bean cream or some ice cream.

pacman

Couldn’t help myself but had to take a shot of the cake when it looks like pacman! hehe (: Have a good week ahead everyone!

Remember to always cook and bake with love!

Top Paddock

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Top Paddock

TGIF dear readers! I hope that you had a good week and if you are like me, I’m sure you can’t wait till the weekend! It’s not far away from now! hehe In fact, it has already started for me. Time really flies and it’s already been close to 2 months since I got back from my summer vacation. One thing I truly miss is the number of brunch spots available here in Melbourne. Although the brunch scene is increasing in Singapore, it is nothing close to what there is to offer here! So when my favourite girls asked me out for Saturday brunch, I couldn’t say yes any quicker! hehe

We decided to try somewhere new : Top Poddock. It’s opened by the same fabulous people who opened Three Bags Full (but now sold) and more recently, Two Birds One Stone. So I knew we were in for a treat! We were lucky enough to get an outdoor table straight away without any wait, and lucky thing the weather was perfect that afternoon! But do let me apologise, as I think some of my pictures are over exposed due to the super strong sunlight!

Top Paddock

Add : 658 Church Street, Richmond

Opening Hours : Mon – Thurs: 7am-5pm. Friday: 7am-9pm. Sat – Sun: 8am-4pm 

I started the day with some much needed caffeine : cappuccino. I have to say, I’ve cut down on the amount of coffee I’m drinking, but this was one delicious cup of coffee! Strong and bold, it’s no surprise as they use Five Senses coffee beans. Boy was it good! Slurps!

Pulled pork on Rye

Miss D (Sweet Queen) ordered the pulled pork dish. The flavours were yummy, but she said that the pork could be a little more tender. Didn’t quite fall apart like she hoped for. But it was still yummy and a really generous portion of pork if you ask me! hehe

Crispy soft shell crab in brioche

Our dear Julie was attracted to one thing on the menu : Crispy soft-shell crab roll. The crabs were delicious and so so crispy but unfortunately, due to the outdoor setting, there were some bees buzzing around the table and landed on a portion of her crab! Poor dearie. She couldn’t enjoy it as much as she wanted to!

Gin & lime cured trout

The same was for Peachie! She had a bee land on one of her poached egg! But doesn’t her dish look just like an art piece? Vibrant colours and delicious flavours! Just beautiful!

eggs benedict

Melissa (my sis-in-law) ordered the eggs benedict and it was no ordinary eggs ben. It was one with a flare! hehe They served it with hamhock and instead of hollandaise sauce, they used béarnaise instead! A perfect combination and a variation that I would prefer anytime! Noms!

White anchovies on toast

My choice was easy when I saw that they had white anchovies on the menu. The first time I had it was during my Daylesford trip with the mr at Point Drop Cafe. I have been wanting to have more ever since, so you could just imagine my grin when I spotted it on the menu! hehe It was so so good! The saltiness of the white anchovies and the jamon serrano went so well with the richness of the yolk and freshness of the micro herbs! I just didn’t want it to end! Definitely heading back just to have it again hehe

Top view

It was definitely great catching up with my girls after so long and what could be better than catching up over good food and drinks? Nothing! (: Will definitely be back and will bring the Mr next! hehe Have a good weekend everyone!

Remember to always cook and bake with love! (:

Top Paddock on Urbanspoon

{SG} One Year On

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One year anniversary dinner

Time really flies, especially when you’re enjoying every second of every day. It’s already been 1 year since I married the love of my life! I can still remember the moment I said I do, and how he passed all the games set by my bridesmaids and opened my room door. I could still remember the smile on his face the moment he lifted my veil. Beautiful memories that I would always remember, and be thankful for. (: To mark our first year of marriage, the mr planned a romantic dinner at Salt Grill & Sky Bar. It’s located at the top of Ion (one of the newest shopping malls in Singapore) and has an amazing view! We went through a secret walkway to a pair of private lifts that lead us to the 55th level! The moment we exited the lifts till we were walked to our tables, I couldn’t stop saying wow in my head! haha

View from Salt

Just breath-taking! Couldn’t get enough of the skyline. Thankfully we had a window-seat, so I could take in the whole view, all night long (: Salt Grill & Sky Bar is opened by Luke Mangan, and not surprisingly, the mr chose a place that serves Modern Australian cuisine. We’ve never been to restaurants by Luke Mangan before (his first Salt is in Sydney), so we thought, why not? hehe I have to say, the mr was spot on with his choice! We were served by a very warm and personal staff, who looked after our every needs through the night. He made it a point to make sure we were enjoying our food and also made sure it was a night for us to remember.

pan seared scallops

One look at the menu, and I knew exactly what I wanted. I have a habit (a good one I would like to think) to order scallops as my entree whenever I’m at a fine-dining restaurant. For some reason, the scallop dish is always one of the stand outs of the night. And this was no different! The scallops were cooked to perfection, so so tender and mildly sweet. It was a perfect match with the chorizo sausages too! I slowly savoured each one, but I wanted more. hehe

tempura quail breast

The mr ordered the tempura quail breast with roasted legs. When it arrived, you could immediately tell it had some japanese influence to it. The quail was cooked to perfection and was very tender and succulent. The good thing was it was cooked different ways and the tempura version added a good crunch to the dish. YUM!

Veal with foie gras and mustard crust

Then came the main. I had the veal that is seared and poached to a perfect medium-rare that had a yummy foie gras and mustard crust, served with a pumpkin custard and red wine sauce. I don’t usually have veal, but this was really good! Though it was a little rare for my liking, the flavours were sensational! The foie gras just melted in my mouth and the sweetness of the pumpkin custard balances the dish out.

Crispy skin salmon

Though I liked my dish, I loved the mr’s dish more! hehe Doesn’t that always happen? You tend to love the dish your partner orders, and secretly hope he would give you more. That was me that night! The salmon was cooked to perfection! Super crispy skin, and still pink in the middle. Definitely a very good choice made by the mr. Amazing! Definitely recommend this if you’re a fan of seafood.

our sides

And as if we didn’t have enough food on our table, we decided to order some sides to share : roast mushrooms in garlic butter and truffle oil & parmesan fries. We loved the mushrooms; they were just little explosion of flavours in our mouth! So so good (: The truffle fries were alright, didn’t have the wow factor, but having a side of fries just worked with what we had.

pear tarte tatin

Of course, we couldn’t not order sweets! A little digestive for the night. hehe One dessert that I cannot go pass is a tarte tatin. It would always be one of my first choice of desserts. The first one I had was at Mr Hive’s Kitchen & Bar and that blew my mind! This one was a little smaller, and was also really delicious! Puff pastry and soft poached pears all caramelised and topped with some creme anglaise and double cream. HEAVEN!

Creme brulee

As I ordered something I love, it’s only fair the mr did too. Without a doubt, he chose the creme brulee. Plus, they were serving it with his favourite salted caramel ice cream! So I knew he was gonna pick this! The pastry chef was so sweet to write Happy Anniversary on the edge of the bowl! Was a super touching surprise. hehe Love personal touches like that! (: Just makes the night even better than it already was.

My love

Just want to say Happy Anniversary to my dearest mr once again! (: This post is late, but just want to tell you that I had an awesome night, and I am so blessed and thankful to have you in my life. I love you! Thank you for being you.

Happy Mid Week everyone! (: Remember to always cook and bake with love!

Shrooms Delish

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Shrooms Delish

Happy Mid Week dearest readers! (: I hope your week has been going well and we’re not too far from the weekend (and a long one for those in Melbourne & Tassy! Woohoo!) I’ve got some exciting news to share with all of you! I was recently contacted by Keep Left and was asked to be part of this fun recipe campaign with Bakers Delight! Without much hesitation, I agreed to it! Fortunately the time line wasn’t too rush, so I had the weekend to try out what I wanted to create.

Ingredients

We were allowed to create a recipe for lunch with our choice of any Bakers Delight bread and I decided to head to their website to see what they had to offer and the choices were endless! There were SO MANY different kinds of bread and I haven’t really said this before, but my weakness is definitely freshly baked bread! Mmmmm (:

Pipe loaf (wholemeal)

After much consideration, I decided to go with the pipe loaf! It totally got my attention cause it was my first time seeing a loaf in a shape of a cylinder! How cute is that??? I tried to think of what I could do with it, but couldn’t really visualise until the bread loaves were delivered! The moment I saw it, I knew exactly what I wanted to make!

top view : shrooms delish

Many of you would know that brunch is no doubt my favourite meal of all time so of course, I decided to make something that could be enjoyed for both brunch or lunch. I walked along the aisles of the supermarket (and thankfully I was given a $20 Coles voucher to get ingredients! hehe) and I decided on something a little different from my usual choices, I decided to go meatless! Don’t get me wrong, I still love my smoked salmon and crispy bacon, but I decided to try something a little different, plus I was craving for some mushrooms!

top - fried egg and crispy enoki

Instead of just the usual white button mushrooms, I decided to buy a whole variety of them! I didn’t stop at just shiitake mushrooms, I wanted to have some asian influence in the dish as well. It’s amazing how many varieties there are in the mushroom area at all the supermarkets now, and even the asian ones! I couldn’t be happier! (:

middle - mushroom ragout and avocado salsa

To add a little freshness to the dish, I decided to top with some avocado salsa as well!

bottom - wholemeal pipe loaf

To top it all off, I added a fried egg (with a runny yolk) and some crispy enoki mushrooms for some crunch! I am one who loves dishes with different textures, so the crunchy enokis were a must! hehe And of course, all these sat on a nice thick slice of the wholemeal pipe loaf which was so soft in the middle, and had a good crust after being toasted for 5 minutes in the oven! Of course, you could easily do this on any other thick toast, but I thought the round dimensions made the presentation a little prettier. hehe and yes, the plate from Made In Japan helps too! I’m really lucky that the Mr bought me some during the recent sale.

So here’s my recipe for my creation : Shrooms Delish ! Hope you all will enjoy it as much as the family did! (:

Shrooms Delish (a Food Made With Love original creation, serves 4)

For the mushroom ragout :

6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

150g pearl mushrooms

8 white button mushrooms, quartered

1/2 leek, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

50g butter

2 tbs water

5 sprigs of fresh chives, finely chopped

2 tbs creme fraiche

salt & pepper, for seasoning

For the crispy enoki mushrooms :

100g enoki mushrooms

vegetable oil, for deep frying

For the avocado salsa :

1 ripe avocado, roughly chopped or mash

1/4 red onion

4 pieces of sundried tomatoes, finely chopped

1 tbs olive oil

4 eggs, fried sunny side up

Pipe loaf, sliced into 1-inch slices

1 clove of garlic, peeled and left whole

Truffle oil, for garnish (optional)

Steps :

1) For the mushroom ragout : In a heavy-based pan, melt half of the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and leeks, and allow them to sweat and soften, stirring continuously. Do be careful not to burn it, as it will turn bitter. Add the mushrooms and fry till they get soft and tender. Add the rest of the butter and water, allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes and until the flavours have developed, and the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper, then turn the heat off. Add in the chives and creme friache and stir it till well combined. Set it a side while preparing the other components.

2) For the crispy enoki : In small pot, add the vegetable oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the enoki mushrooms (in batches) and fry till they are golden and crispy. Remove from the oil, and place them on some paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

3) For the avocado salsa : In a large bowl, add the avocado, chopped red onions and sundried tomatoes with the olive oil and give it a good stir. Season with salt and pepper and set a side.

4) For the toast : In a preheated oven, toast the bread for 5 minutes, or until the bread is nice and crispy on the outside with a little golden brown on top. When you take it out of the oven, rub the clove of garlic on the bread, so that you have an instant garlic bread base!

5) To plate : Place the thick toast on a plate, then add the mushroom ragout, followed by the avocado salsa. Slowly place the fried egg on top of the stack, and top it off with some crispy fried enoki mushrooms. I garnished with a sprig of chive and season with salt & pepper. Just to be a little more indulgent, I drizzled a bit of truffle oil on top, but it’s totally optional.

Shrooms Delight

Hope you enjoy my creation! (: Have a great week and weekend ahead!

Remember to always cook and bake with love! 

PS : I want to thank Bakers Delight & Keep Left PR for this amazing opportunity! 

Duchess of Spotswood

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Duchess of Spotswood

Brunch is no doubt my favourite meal of the day. But due to work, it’s only something we can do during the weekends. Which is one of the reasons why I always look forward to the weekends! (: But as the Mr works half days on Saturdays now, our brunch date is moved to Sundays now! So two Saturdays back, I met my dearest Peach Water for brunch at Duchess of Spotswood.

I have to admit, it wasn’t my first time dining at Duchess, but it’s been quite a while since (when I use to live in Kensington). In fact, it’s been more than a year! So I was definitely looking forward to having brunch and more so with a good friend! (:

Our drinks

As it’s been quite a while since I’ve met my dearest Peachie, we couldn’t stop chatting from the moment we both sat down! haha Thankfully, the staff at Duchess were really patient and gave us ample time to make our choices. We started off our brunch with a mini tea party and each ordered one we love. I had chai latte and she ordered English Breakfast tea. When the teapots and cups arrived at our table, there were “oo’s and ahh’s” for a good couple of minutes! The colours were just so eye-catching! Love love love the seafoam green and of course, which girl doesn’t like a little bit of tiffany blue? hehe (:

And how thoughtful is the barista? We had little pots of honey (for the chai) and milk (for the english breakfast) sitting in the cups when it was served! Absolutely perfect! (:

Duchess of Pork

One look at the menu and I instantly knew what I wanted : the Duchess of Pork! The flavours just explode in your mouth and the pork jawl is so crispy on the outside and just falls apart on the inside! I could easily polish off plates of this any day! Everything just went so well with the richness of the egg yolk and the truffle sauce. Mmmm.. just talking about it is making me salivate and wanting more! hehe Of course nothing was wasted and I used my sourdough toast to soak up every last drop on the plate.

King's Woodcock

Peach Water decided to go for the King’s Woodcock. I kinda knew she would pick that as when we spoke the days prior to our meet up, she told me she was craving for some sausages! hehe I tried a little of each component and thought it was not too bad. I could taste the fennel in the sausages but there wasn’t much of a kick from the chilli. But that might just be because we both love our spicy food! hehe Having said that, the presentation of this dish was really eye catching though! Love the purple micro herbs against the deep yellow eggs. Too pretty!

I definitely enjoyed every single part of my dish and having chai after 2 months of the lack of it was definitely a plus! (: Of course, it was yet another lovely catch up with my dearest Peach Water and definitely looking forward to our next brunch date! Do head over to her blog to see her post as well as her other reviews! Her photos are amazing! heh Have a good week everyone!

Remember to always cook and bake with love (:

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