Tag: Melbourne

Prawn Aglio Olio & A Wine Giveaway {Winners Announced}

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Prawn aglio olio with Taylors Estate Pinot Gris

Good evening my dear readers! (: I hope that all of you had a wonderful weekend especially if you had a long one because of the Anzac Day holiday. I’ve got some exciting news to share with all of you! (: A week back, I received an email from  Taylors Wines who wanted me to do a wine giveaway on my blog. Of course, I said yes! hehe I was also so lucky to received not one, but two bottles of Pinot Gris to taste! How generous are they? Couldn’t be happier!

Pinot Gris came in the mail

Before I go into more details of the wine and the giveaway, I would like to tell me my thoughts about the Pinot Gris! Pinot Gris has always been one of my favourite type of wine. hehe I had a glass before bed one night, and really love how clean and crisp it tasted with tones of pear and apple. I knew instantly what would pair with it perfectly – seafood. My dearest husband read my mind, and made an amazing prawn aglio olio with pan seared scallops for dinner the following night!

Prawn aglio olio with seared scallops paired with a glass of pinot gris

He even used some of the wine in the sauce and it was so good! I wanted more (: The prawn and scallops were so sweet & succulent, it just complimented the wine perfectly.

Prawn aglio olio with seared scallops

Prawn Aglio Olio with Pan Seared Scallops (The mr’s original recipe, serves 2)

5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

3 small chillies, de-seeded and finely chopped (you can increase or reduce the amount of chilli depending on how spicy you like your dish to be!)

2 tbs fresh basil, finely chopped

1/2 cup white wine (I used Taylors Estate Pinot Gris)

2 tbs olive oil (plus an extra tbs for the scallops)

Salt & pepper, to season

12 prawns, peeled and cut into chunks

6 scallops, left whole

Pasta of your choice

Freshly grated parmesan cheese, to garnish

Steps :

1) Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Strain and run under cold water so that the pasta will not stick together. Set aside while cooking the sauce.

2) In a heavy based pot, heat the olive oil on medium fire and fry the garlic and chilli till fragrant.

3) Add the prawns, and fry till it’s coloured and no longer translucent. Add the chopped basil and white wine. Allow this to simmer for about 5 minutes.

4) Pour the pasta into the sauce and mix it well. Set aside, and keep it warm.

5) Pat dry the scallops and season with sea salt. Heat a non-stick pan on low-medium fire and add 1 tbs of olive oil. Place the scallops into the pan and flip every 30 seconds. Repeat each side for about 3 times, or until the scallops have a nice golden brown sear.

6) Place the pasta on a plate and top with 3 scallops per person. Garnish with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve with a glass of Pinot Gris. ENJOY!

Prawn aglio olio with seared scallops

And now, the part that you’ve been waiting for so patiently…. the giveaway! (:

Taylors Wines is a family-owned wine company, in South Australia’s stunning Clare Valley, that was born from a passion of producing exceptional,  hand crafted wines. They are “Bringing great wines to life” and would love to give two lucky readers two bottles of their beautiful Taylors Wine –  Taylors Estate Pinot Gris 2011 and Taylors Estate Shiraz 2010.

Taylors Estate wines

How do you win these amazing wines?

To enter this giveaway:

  • All you have to do is to leave a comment at the end of the post to let me know : What is your favourite wine and what do you like to pair it with? 
  • Open to Australian residents only! (So sorry!)
  • Please make sure you’re of a legal drinking age and be able to provide a proof of age (it is needed to be sent to the company before they can send you the wine)
  • The winners will be drawn on the 5th of May 2013, Sunday at 10pm (Melbourne time).
  • You may reenter daily, one entry a day (YAY!)
  • Winner will be picked via random.org and announced on this blog and notified via email

Good luck and have a great week ahead! (:

Remember to always cook and bake with love!

This is a sponsored post by Taylors Wines. I tasted the Pinot Gris with compliments of Taylors Wines, however, the review, opinions are honest and based on my personal taste and preference. The recipe is a Food Made With Love original.

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And the winners are….. Diana and Coco!! (: Congratulations!

Winner - Number 4

Diana

Winner - Number 13Coco

Congratulations you two! (: Will be dropping you an email or a reply soon! Hope you enjoy the wines! hehe Have a great week ahead! xx

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Update : Unfortunately, I can’t get hold of Diana and Ross (who was picked after not hearing from Diana) so I had to pick another winner! Congrats Zoe!! (: Hope you will enjoy this wine with Jeff!

New winner

comment number 20

Fig Maple & Thyme Scones

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Fig Maple & Thyme Scones

Figs. I just can’t get enough of them. Whether it’s the fresh or dried version, I love them all! I could have them everyday to be honest! Sometimes, I wish they weren’t seasonal. Thankfully, I’ve got two fig trees in my backyard that gives are beautiful juicy figs in Summer! Hooray! But since it’s Autumn now, I have to say, the dried figs are just as satisfying (:

Herb garden bed

I’ve always considered myself blessed. Even more so when I look at our bark yard, in particular our herb garden bed! The Mr has a green thumb! Wheeee! (: Everytime I look at how much it has grown and flourished, I will be filled with joy! hehe Basil, mint, coriander, rosemary and lemon thyme are some of the herbs we’ve grown. And since this recipe calls for some fresh thyme, I just went to the garden bed to pick some! Easy peasy! (:

fig, maple & thyme scones - before baking

Okie, back to the scones! (: My love for scones come from my mum, we would make scones whenever we have time on our hands and have it immediately for tea. Instant gratification! haha One of our favourite places to have scones is at Ms Marples Tea Room up at Mount Dandenong! Although some might say theirs is more like a dense cake, mum must have it every time she comes to Melbourne! hehe I was going through Tastespotting and chanced upon a recipe that instantly caught my attention. I made a variation of the recipe with the things I have in my pantry. These were SO GOOD. They were light and fluffy in the middle and just went so well with butter. I could have it for breakfast, tea and dessert! Definitely something I would make frequently now, plus it didn’t take much time at all!

scones with butter and homemade fig jam

I know there are many different ways to enjoy a scone, but my favourite way is with butter and jam. As I made fig jam a while back (recipe in the next post, so stay tuned cause it’s addictive!), I had my warm scone with some unsalted butter and homemade fig jam! YUMMO! As a dessert, I topped the scones with a quenel of macadamia ice cream and it was delicious too!

Scones- baked

Fig, Maple & Thyme Scones (adapted from Le Pirate Life)

3 cups self-raising flour, sifted

80g unsalted butter, cold & cubed

1 cup of milk (might need a couple of tsp if dough looks too dry)

2 heap tbs of pure maple syrup

250g dried figs, chopped into quarters

A handful of thyme (leaves removed from stalks, a few sprigs for garnishing)

Ingredients for the scones

Ingredients

Steps :

1) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celcius and lined a baking tray with baking paper.

2) In a large bowl, place the self-raising flour and butter. Using your fingers, gently rub the butter into the flour till it resembles breadcrumbs. Create a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour the milk and maple syrup into the well. Gently mix the dough till it all comes together. Add more milk (a tsp at a time) if the dough feels and looks a bit too dry. The dough should feel soft and a little sticky.

Flour, butter, milk & maple syrup

3) Fold in the figs and thyme leaves into the dough. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface and knead it slightly, careful not to overwork the dough. Using a rolling pin (or just your palms), flatten it out till it is about 3 cm thick.

the dough

4) Using a scone cutter, cut out the scones and place them on the baking tray. Garnish the scones with more thyme leaves or sprigs of thyme if you’ve some.

All ready to be baked

5) Bake the scones for 20-25 minutes. You can either leave it to cool and store in a air-tight container, or enjoy it hot with some butter, cream and jam.

Scone with butter and homemade fig jam

ENJOY! (:

So dear readers, what is your favourite way of having your scones? Please share as I would love to hear from you! (: Have a great weekend and remember to always cook and bake with love! 

Turning 27 (Part 3) : Merchants Guild

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Brunch at Merchants Guild

Yes, my birthday celebration continues! (: This time with my favourite mother and daughter team : Peggy & Paige! hehe While researching for where to dine at, we decided to head to somewhere close to both our homes, so I went through my list and decided on Merchants Guild! The weather was beautiful, so we took a nice stroll there to have brunch.

Merchants Guild

Address : 680 Centre Road, Bentleigh East

Website : http://themerchantsguild.com/

my lunch date

If you follow me on instagram (@lianneelow) you would see alot of photos of Paige just cause she is so gorgeous! (: Doesn’t she just melt your heart? I was so so lucky to be able to have brunch with her and her beautiful mum on my actual day. As the Mr had work that day, Peggy was so sweet to spend the day with me. Thank you again!

Chai latte

We started our brunch with chai lattes. I love it when cafes serve their chai lattes in a pot! It was richly spiced and something just so comforting about it. I’m not sure how many times I’ve said it, but I do love my chai lattes! hehe Especially if there it is served with a side of honey. Mmmm (: I could drink it all day I reckon!

Eggs benedict

There were many attractive things on the menu, but I decided to stick to the all-time favourite of mine – eggs benedict! At Merchants Guild, they actually change the flavour of their hollandaise and that day, it was a herb hollandaise that was thick and delicious, but not overly rich.

Roasted potato bubble & squeak

Peggy ordered the roast potato bubble & squeak with smoked trout with a side of horseradish cream, cornichons and poached eggs. It was so delicious and when I tried it, I knew that the Mr would definitely love this! He’s a huge bubble & squeak fan, so much so that he requested I made it for him for brunch. The smoked trout pieces were mixed into the bubble & squeak and the horseradish cream had a subtle spiciness! Yummilicious!

Buckwheat pancakes

Both of us were drawn to the buckwheat pancakes on the menu, so we had to order a serve to share. They were so good! Thin pancakes topped with grilled pears that were so soft. The chocolate fudge was so rich and decadent, tasted like nutella! So so good! It was drizzled with a whiskey maple sauce that really had a kick to it. We couldn’t stop saying “so good!” haha The roasted hazelnuts added a crunch that gave the dish more textures. Absolutely loved this!

Cutie pie

Thank you again for the company and for the treat (: Definitely had a great time and you both made my day! Great food, awesome company, happy bellies and endless smiles! 27 is gonna be a great year I’m sure! hehe Definitely gonna bring the mr here to try the food, and no prizes on guessing what he will have! hehe

Remember to always cook and bake with love! (:

Merchants Guild on Urbanspoon

Turning 27 (Part 2) : Little Hunter

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Little Hunter

When I was planning where to head for dinner with the Ho Clan for my birthday a few weeks back, I happened to read a post by Miss D’s post on Little Hunter and I knew instantly where I wanted to go! (: I have to say, Melbourne is full of surprises! Ever so often, you would hear about a gorgeous new cafe or restaurant and thus my ever growing list of places to try! hehe Little Hunter was no doubt one of them! Especially when Gavin Baker (was a sous chef at Fat Duck, London) and Pete Evans are the talents behind this grill house. I definitely couldn’t wait! (:

Little Hunter

Because we were celebrating, the Mr ordered a bottle of Goaty Hill Riesling 2012. Riesling has always been one of my choices of wines when dining out, as it has sweet fruity tones and this had flavours of citrus and green apple. Really smooth and crisp! hehe How cute is the print on their wine glass? I couldn’t stop snapping photos of it. haha There were a few communal tables and also booth seats! I wish I knew, cause I would have definitely requested for one. hehe I’m not sure about you, but our table is always a tad bit small for the amount of food we order. haha Oops! That’s definitely not a bad thing though hehe

Garlic pull apart bread with chicken skin butter

Our meal begun with a complimentary serve of pull apart bread and chicken skin butter. Yes, dear readers, you’re not seeing things! I did say chicken skin butter! This is a delicious little pot of gold! I know it sounds like something that might be heavy and overly rich, but it tasted nothing like that! It was smooth with little bits of golden crispy chicken skin pieces and just melts the moment you spread on the warm bread. It was some tasty, tasty (and did I say tasty?) butter! We definitely wanted more! The bread was soft and just full of flavour. Just a great way to start the night!

Beef on toast

We decided on three entrees and one of them were ‘beef on toast‘. It was a layer of beef carpaccio, over a layer of smooth and rich chicken liver parfait and when you reach the bottom, there was a crispy layer of crusty crouton. The dish is dressed with a mixture of gherkins and chives and the acidic mixture cuts through the richness of the dish. It was so good and I just wanted more!

Pork crackling

The mr would never miss the chance of ordering a serve of pork crackling if it’s on the menu! This was so crispy and crunchy and addictive! We just kept popping them into our mouths! They were beautifully seasoned with paprika and cheddar, and served with a smooth apple sauce. I just love the combination of pork and apple sauce, a match-made in heaven (:

Cured kingfish

Our last entree was the cured kingfish.The fish was so fresh and had a subtle sweetness. Every mouthful had the popping of fish roe and a slight spiciness of the roast peppers. Not only was the flavours beautiful, the plating was impeccable. Like art on a plate! Edible art of course. hehe

Ribeye steak with bone marrow

As Little Hunter was a grill house, we had to try the steaks on the menu. Each of us ordered a different cut of steak and I have to say, they cooked every cut to perfection! The Mr ordered the Robbin’s Island waygu ribeye with bone marrow (he loves marrow!) and beef fat butter. The meat was melt in your mouth and just full of flavour! And how sexy are the grill marks? Just love the criss-crosses that gives a nice char flavour to the steak as well! NOMS!

Blackmore waygu flank

Melissa ordered the Blackmore wagyu flank with cajun flavours and avocado. I would never have thought that avocado goes well with steak, but it did! The flank, though not the usual cut you would order, was cooked to medium rare and bursting with flavour! Definitely a happy belly there (:

Cape grim fillet mignon

I couldn’t go pass the Cape Grim fillet mignon! This melt in your mouth cut was coffee and wood smoked and really didn’t need anything at all. Every mouthful just melted in my mouth. I was definitely the happiest girl that night!

Our sides for the night

With all the meat we were having, we had to order some sides to balance it out. We had the Little Hunter fries which was chunky and crispy. And grilled cabbage! This was no ordinary grilled cabbage, it was one that packed a punch! The sweetness of the cabbage was counter balance by the saltiness of the anchovies and blue cheese and the tanginess of the hazelnut vinegar. I’m not a huge fan of blue cheese, but this was YUMMILICIOUS! Love the crunch of the toasted hazelnuts too! This is one side you don’t want to miss!

Short Mach

After indulging on all the delicious and rich food, the Mr needed a digestive ; a short macchiato. It’s a new ritual of his after being introduced to him by his Italian weightlifting buddy! hehe and He’s loving it (:

Frangipane

Of course, desserts are a must to have a complete meal. haha Well, at least it is for us it won’t be complete without something sweet! hehe I knew exactly what I wanted, and I took charge of ordering the desserts to share. haha As we were already quite full, we ordered two for the three of us! First up : the Frangipane ! I loved how it looked! Just looks like a fried egg on the plate! hehe Instead, it’s meringue with a delicious and tangy passionfruit curd and a refreshing peach sorbet! So so good! The frangipane cake was slightly dense (though still light) but I personally love dense cakes so I was one happy girl!

Double chocolate mousse

The double chocolate mousse was one so rich and decadent! Absolutely loved it! It has an airy layer of white chocolate at the bottom and dark chocolate on top. The coffee cream went so well with the chocolate (almost similar to a tiramisu, but richer), with the bite of the cocoa nib brittle! Loved every single bite!

Ho Clan

So that concludes our beautiful meal! (: Just want to thank the Ho Clan with all my heart for making the night a fab one – filled with good food, good wine and lots of laughter! (: Love you both!

The mr and I

Happy weekend everyone! (:

Remember to always cook and bake with love! 

Little Hunter on Urbanspoon

Lord Of The Fries Feast

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LOTF Feast

A couple of weeks back I was invited by Kathryn of Keep Left PR and Lord Of The Fries to try their limited edition Eco City burger and the other things on their menu, and I could never turn down burger and chips, if you ask me! Thanks to Kathryn I was able to bring the mr and the sister-in-law along and we were so excited! hehe I’ve always loved the chips at LOTF and their endless choices of sauces to go with! What I love most about LOTF is that it is 100% vegetarian!!! How brilliant is that? From their burgers, hotdogs, chips to their sides! Plus they have vegan options and gluten free options too! It’s really nice to have an option for vegetarians and I know for sure that my cousins, who are vegetarians living in New Zealand, absolutely love this place!

LOTF Chadstone

There are currently 7 stores around Melbourne and most of them are around the city. Fortunately, there is one near us at Chadstone and we were greeted by the friendly manager, Gary. He explained to us the concept of the menu and told us the specials they had on as well. After discussing with the Ho clan, and taking Kat’s recommendation of mini burgers, we decided to try one of every flavour on the menu! hehe I know, we are such gluttons! But we couldn’t really decide on what not to order.

Lord of The Fries

Add : Chadstone Shopping Centre, near cinema complex

Chadstone 3148

Website : http://www.lordofthefries.com.au/

Our full table

As the dishes arrive, we realised how much we actually ordered! Though we were really thankful that the burgers were mini! hehe How cute do they look? Love them! Their buns were soft and everything was fresh! This was a full table, but we had more burgers coming our way! hehe

LOTF mini burgers

My favourite of the lot was the parma burger with the LOTF chick’n patty, bacon rashers, napoli sauce, cheese and onion. It was delicious and honestly tasted close to a real burger! The Mr loved it so much he ordered a big one for that and was totally stuffed after! haha

Parma big and mini

Big Mark was really good too! It had the LOTF beef patty, cheese, pickles, onion, lettuce and the Lord’s sauce! So good! NOMS!

Big Mark

We were so giggly about this cause Lester’s dad is called Mark. haha So we were saying to each other “Have you tried pa yet?” haha Oops! Such fun we have hehe

Eco City burger

Of course, I had to order the Eco City burger. That’s the whole reason why we were there in the first place! hehe It had a LOTF potato patty, beetroot dip, crunchy lettuce, pickles, aioli and mozzarella cheese! I’m not a big fan of beetroot, but this dip was delish! I do prefer the “meat” patties as compared to the potato patties, as it’s a little too soft for a burger. But it was fried till crispy and soft in the middle so was still delicious! hehe A pity it was only till the end of March, so it’s no longer available. But do try the parma or the Big Mark!

sides and chips

This ladies and gentlemen, is a table filled with the chips and sides we ordered! The past few times I had their chips, the only sauce I would order is the french canadian and is the one and only sauce I recommend to my friends when they try LOTF! But I decided to venture out and try the other sauces they had to offer. We had a new favourite! The parisan – aioli garlic mayo. OH-EM-GEE!!! It was SO GOOD! hehe And a hot favourite with other customers as well!

Tuscan - Sauce of the month

The sauce of the month was Tuscan, and we decided to give that a go too! It was a yummy combination of sundried tomatoes and basil!

Gary making the Egyptian

Gary even offered to make one that wasn’t on the menu – the Egyptian! It was his own creation and boy was it good! He said that is was something he came up with when customers was asking him for something not too spicy but still had a kick! It was delish! The jalapenos definitely gave the sauce a kick and it was one of our favourite sauce of the afternoon! hehe I even told him that he should include that in the menu!

Our favourite side was the nuggets! hehe Melissa couldn’t tell it wasn’t real chicken to be honest! hehe We couldn’t stop popping the nuggets into our mouths even though we were all super duper full! hehe The onion rings were crunchy and was made with real onion, none of the mushy stuff you get elsewhere. YUMM!

LOTF

So do head down to LOTF and try their burgers, chips and sides! They have hotdogs too, though we didn’t get to try them I am pretty sure they are yummy! hehe Coincidentally, the sauce of the month of April is Singapore : Sweet chilli and sour cream ! So head down and try it soon! hehe

100% Aussie Owned

100% Aussie Potatoes

100% Vegetarian

100% Hala + Kosher

100% DELICIOUS!

Just want to thank Kathryn of Keep Left PR for organising our visit to Lord of the Fries (Chadstone)! We had an amazing and yummy time! (:

PS : I was invited by Keep Left PR as a guest to visit Lord of The Fries. Thank you once again for this opportunity!

Turning 27 (Part 1) : Brunch at Code Black Coffee

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Turning 27

“Everyday is a birthday; every moment of it is new to us; we are born again, renewed for fresh work and endeavor”
~Issac watts

Good evening dear readers! (: I hope you’ve had a good weekend and your Monday is going smoothly! Cause I had an absolutely beautiful weekend celebrating my hatchday! hehe (: And it couldn’t have been any better! It started with a birthday brunch with my favourite girls (Daisy, Julie, Peachie & Melissa) at Code Black Coffee in Brunswick!

Code Black Coffee

Code Black Coffee

Add : 15-17 Weston Street, Brunswick Vic 3056

Website : http://www.codeblackcoffee.com.au

Code Black Coffee is located just behind Barkly Square in Brunswick and it’s a nicely converted warehouse. The interior design is beautiful and gives a really warm feeling! Unfortunately, they didn’t have a table big enough for the 5 of us at the time we arrived, so we had to sit outside. Thank goodness the weather was bright and and sunny that morning and there were no bees around! hehe (:

our drinks

We started our day with hot cuppas! I was craving for some coffee so decided to go for a cappuccino instead of my usual chai. The coffee was nice and strong, and definitely perked me up! hehe Melissa had her usual hot chocolate, Peachie ordered her new love – chai latte, Daisy had her skinny mocha and dearest Julie (fellow April baby) had a soy mocha! I love how no two cups are the same! hehe Barristers honestly have my upmost respect with the amazing skills they have!

My cappuccino

Had to post another picture of my cappuccino. Love the contrast between my coffee, the cup and the table! (:

Smoked ham hock coquettes with cauliflower puree, baby spinach and a poached egg

When browsing the menu, there were so many things I wanted to try! But one thing that called out to me was the smoked ham hock coquettes! My hats off to the chef, as all our food were so beautifully plated and you just didn’t wanna destroy it! It was a work of art! hehe My coquettes were laid on the creamiest and smoothest cauliflower puree with sautéed baby spinach and pine nuts. In the middle was the perfectly poached egg that burst with the slightest touch of the knife!

Runny yolk

The coquettes were crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy in the middle! And the cauliflower puree, omgness. It was the best bit ever! I could eat it all day! So creamy but light at the same time! Seriously amazing! Needless to say, my plate was close to being licked clean! haha (: I am totally addicted to cauliflower puree. Who isn’t? heh

Open bacon steak sandwich

Melissa had the open bacon steak sandwich and it came with like a whipped avocado. It was delicious and so so smooth! With the tangy-ness of lemon, just cut through the saltiness and richness of the bacon steak! hehe Melissa loved the dish and couldn’t get enough of the bacon steak! hehe She mentioned that it’s even better than ham steaks which we usually have at home on Sundays! hehe Guess I have to hunt for some bacon steaks soon! hehe

Baked Eggs

Miss Peach knew instantly what she wanted – baked eggs. It had a smooth leek puree (I have to say they do amazing purees here!), baby spinach and goats cheese! A pity that the baked eggs were a little over done but she said the flavours were lovely! The best thing on the plate for her is definitely the polenta fingers! hehe Nice and crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. She loved it! hehe Of course, she couldn’t resist ordering a side of mushrooms! hehe

Huon smoked salmon

Julie ordered the Huon smoked salmon served with a smooth and rich potato aioli with fried capers. The dish looked so so pretty with the heirloom tomatoes placed so artistically! heh But sadly, the smoked salmon was a tad bit too salty! But I would definitely be able to finish a huge bowl of the potato aioli! (:

Australia's best toasted sandwich 2012

Miss Daisy surprising didn’t order anything sweet, but that’s because she (the awesome baker that she is) baked us April babies a beautiful birthday cake! hehe So she was reserving her sugar for later. (: She decided to order the Australia’s best toasted sandwich 2012 because she got drawn in by the polenta cake! I can’t blame her, it was one of the dishes I was close to ordering too! The dish was yum but Miss D said that it could be better if the polenta was a little more seasoned. Once again, her dish looked so so pretty! hehe Love it!

Birthday cake baked by Miss Daisy

The sweet queen baked us a beautiful Jamie Oliver’s pear and pistachio cake with a lemon & honey drizzle!  The cafe was really kind to allow us to cut and enjoy the cake in their premises! We were so thankful, cause there was no where else we could possibly cut the cake at! hehe Everyone that walked pass just kept staring at the cake, cause it looked like we bought the whole cake! haha Neither did they know it was homebaked by our dearest Daisy! hehe (: How beautiful does that look? Definitely worthy to be sold anywhere! hehe But please note this is not from the cafe itself.

Birthday cake by Daisy

The cake was slightly dense (and I love dense cakes haha) but was still crumbly! Love love love pistachios, so I was enjoying every single mouthful of it! hehe The lemon and honey drizzle added an extra tang to the cake which was so good! Thank you so much for your effort and time spent on baking us a delicious cake dearie! (: You’re the best! hehe I was greedy and took half of the cake home! haha Oops *hides*

Presents from the girls!

Not only did Peach and Daisy buy us birthday girls brunch, I was also lucky enough to receive presents from them! I was definitely pampered that day! hehe Ms Peach even baked us sugar cookies which were so yum! hehe Thank you all so much! Loved everything! Can’t wait to cook from the Nigella Lawson cookbook too! hehe

I really loved dining at Code Black Coffee and will definitely be back with the mr soon! (: Stay-tuned for the continuation of my birthday celebration! hehe Have a great week ahead everyone!

Remember to always cook and bake with love! (:

Code Black Coffee on Urbanspoon

My Mr The Chef : Polenta Chips

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Polenta chips

Good afternoon dear readers! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter break and had lots of and hot cross buns! Cause I sure did! hehe (: Not too long back, the sis-in-law and I requested the mr to cook steak for us and he came up with his version of steak & chips! I’ve always considered myself blessed as I married a man who sure knows how to cook and the way to my heart is definitely through my tummy hehe

The mr's version of steak & chips

He was inspired by the MKR episode we watched as well as a recipe he came across in the Delicious (April 2013 issue) magazine to make polenta chips and they were SO ADDICTIVE! Crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. We couldn’t stop eating it the moment it was out of the frying pan! hehe

So do give these a go! (: It’s shallowed fried so it’s not too sinful! You will absolutely love them as much as we did. hehe

Polenta Chips (by the Mr adapted from Delicious Magazine April 2013)

200g polenta

50g unsalted butter

100g finely grated parmesan

4 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley

salt & pepper, to taste and garnish

Steps :

1) Line a baking tray with grease-proof baking paper allowing 2cm to overhang. Boil 800ml of water in a small pot, then reduce the heat to low. Do note that the amount of water is different for different brands of polenta, so please do check how much water is needed for the amount of polenta.

2) Stir in the polenta in a slow, steady stream, then cook and stir continuously for 5 minutes or until it has thickened. Take it off the heat and stir in the butter, parmesan and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and spoon it into the tray and smooth the surface. Press it down and make sure the polenta is really compact. Allow it to chill for at least an hour.

3)  Tip the polenta onto a board and cut it half lengthways, then cut it into 1 1/2 cm thick chips.

The mr cutting the polenta up

4) Heat some vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. In batches, fry the polenta chips, turning, until golden and crisp.

Frying the polenta chips

5) Drain on the paper towel and keep warm in an oven or serve it immediately with a sprinkle of salt.

Polenta chips

ENJOY! (:

Perfectly cooked steak

On a separate note, how good does this look? The mr sure knows how to cook the perfect steak! AMAZING! hehe

Have a lovely day and a short week everyone! (: Remember to always cook and bake with love! 

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.

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! (:

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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! (:

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