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Nuffnang and Yoplait Blogger Day Out

Food For Thought May 8, 2012

Oh I love blogger events, especially the ones that include friends and family.

Which is why when the nice people at Nuffnang and Yoplait emailed me with the chance to attend this Blogger Day Out, I jumped on the chance! And of course my family came along too.

Heaps of fun activities were planned:

We could make beaded necklaces and bracelets

Get our faces painted

Do some plaster painting

And eat some awesome made to order crepes!

And of course, what else would you have at a Yoplait event?

As much yoghurt as you can possibly stomach!!!

They even have yoghurt tubs as balloon weights!!

How cute is that?

As an avid yoghurt eater, I LOVE these new fruity flavours. Citrus tastes a bit like a lemon cheesecake, and mango is an awesome reminder of summer. But my FAV has to be the Apple and Cinnamon!! It totally tastes like an awesome healthy version of apple pie with ice cream. LOVE IT.

By the end of the day we were stuffed, painted and beaded. The weather was just perfect, and it was great to relax with family. Things have been a little bit tough lately, and this picnic just gave me the break that I needed. Picnic blankets and all the picnic peripherals were provided too! Don’t they just think of everything?

Special thanks once again to the lovely people at Nuffnang and Yoplait for organizing this great day out for my family and me.

Olive Oil Brunch

Review April 10, 2012 4 Comments

Sorry for taking so long!! I feel like my poor blog has been neglected because of other things, but never fear, I’m back and hungrier than ever!

Which is why when I got invited to this Olive Oil Brunch (in my head it’s a feast) by Simon who had passed on the invitation from Fouad, I was uber excited. I’ve always loved the celebration of the harvest, and this definitely did not disappoint!

The brunch was held at Efendy, located in Balmain.

The olive oil was served in various ways:

Labna

Hummus

Dukkah

Baba Ghanouj

And all the dips were served with Turkish bread

Seriously, the food was DELICIOUS. Maybe it was because I was really hungry, but I actually think it was just because there was an abundance of deliciousness going around.

The olive oil is from Fouad‘s father’s land, and is organic, hand-picked and cold pressed. The olive oil is quite mild and light, and it made me feel healthy just eating it. I had envisioned women wrapped in finely woven scarves dancing to a primal beat, luring you into the symphony of gorgeous flavours. This oil, for me, is a great carrier of flavours, and seemed to complement and augment the flavours of everything that I ate it with.

As the brunch was winding down, a gorgeous crate of ripe figs came out to play.

I decided to try the figs with the olive oil, and MAN WAS IT TASTY!

The oil carried the sweetness of the figs so well, and gave me a certain kind of creaminess that added luxury to the fresh fruitiness of the figs.

It makes me want to try all my fruit with olive oil.

Many thanks to Simon and Fouad for the invite and the event!! I so need the recipe for that Baba Ghanouj…

Unleashing the Quiche!

Recipe March 22, 2012 3 Comments

Quiche was first introduced to me in more or less the following words:

Leftover pie

And I can understand where it’s coming from – it’s a very economical way to use up leftover ingredients…provided you have spare pastry and spare dairy (read: cream) lying around. After making my favourite pastry recipe at the moment, I’ve been on a quiche bend, meaning that Sean and I have plenty of quick breakfasts that we can grab on the way to work! Happiness all around.

I guess the idea is that you can fill a quiche with pretty much anything you like – I always feel like if you like the combination, who’s to judge? (I do have a rant about that, but more about it later) There are also many different quiche mixes on the net, but I’ll just share what I use and just feel free to mix and match!

Quiche Mix
4 eggs
400g pure cream
50g milk
pinch of salt

Preheat 165C.

Line 12 muffin tins with pastry.

For this lot, I filled the quiche with leftover spinach, cream cheese, bacon, and then thoroughly mixed up the eggs, cream and salt and pour it over the filling till 1/2 mm from the top of the pastry.

Bake till the tops are brown.

Let cool on a cooling rack, and then upend the tray onto a cookie sheet.

I find that if you tip it out while it’s too warm, there is some warping in the shape of the mini-quiches. But it’s still cute! And your tummy won’t know what shape it’s in. 😉

Meanwhile, I’ve got some leftover pastry that I’m not sure what to do with. Any ideas?

The butter and flour gets rubbed into the flour

Best Savoury Pastry Ever

Recipe March 13, 2012 2 Comments

I have always been afraid of pastry. There was just something about it – can’t overwork it, must rest it, it has to be as chilled as possible, don’t add too much flour…

Over the years I’ve been given plenty of advice when it came to making pastry, and so my mind just freaks out whenever I even start researching making my own. Store-bought had always been enough.

Well, after working at Victor Churchill, I started tasting amazing pastries, and so now I can’t go back to store-bought.

I had to bite the bullet and start making my own pastry. I knew a really good recipe that I wanted to make at home, and it seemed simple enough. There was a slight problem, though.

Victor Churchill, Woollahra

Food For Thought March 8, 2012 9 Comments

Have I gotten your attention? Yes indeed, that is the Anthony Bourdain! Some of you might know that I’ve been all atwitter about meeting him, and it definitely has been the highlight of my week.

But before I tell you about that, let me first share with you why I’ve been so quiet; why I’ve been neglecting my poor blog.

Korean Style Tofu

Recipe February 27, 2012 2 Comments

I feel like I haven’t posted a recipe in AGES! Kinda shows you how much cooking that I’ve been proud of lately, lol.

Anyway, I had some tofu left over from a fried noodle attempt – I simply cannot fry noodles properly, I don’t know why – and I decided to have it over rice for lunch today!

Feeling thoroughly inspired by the Korean cooking class that I attended – thank you Korean Cultural Office! – I thought that I could probably do something similar with tofu that I can do with the chicken. So I present to you:

Korean Style Tofu on Rice
Preparation: 5-10 min
Cooking: 10 min

For the sauce:
2 cloves Garlic
2-3 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
2-3 tbsp Glucose
2 tbsp Rice Vinegar
1-2 tsp Kochukaru (Korean Chilli Flakes)
1-2 tsp sesame seed oil

Hard tofu
Rice
Thinly sliced spring onion

Cut up the tofu into bite sized pieces. I happen to have mine cut on the small side because it was originally for fried noodles, but feel free to have it in as large or as little a piece as you’d like. Then set it in a single layer on some paper towel to drain.

Next, lightly oil a pan and give the tofu a light fry, just till it’s golden brown.

To make the sauce:

Heat the sesame seed oil in a pan over medium heat. Lightly fry off the garlic. It’s to get rid of the rawness, but the garlic should not be browned! Add the rest of the ingredients, in no particular order, and reduce the sauce till slightly thickened. The sauce will thicken slightly upon standing, so the way I look at it is to cook the sauce down till you can “draw lines” on the pan with a wooden chopstick.

And you’re all ready! Just cook some rice and pile on the tofu, and drizzle with the sauce. Top with finely sliced spring onion and serve.

This is an extremely quick and easy recipe using pantry ingredients, assuming that you have a relatively Asian pantry. Great for a quick, light lunch and a fantastic vegetarian option. If you prefer slightly crispier tofu, skip the draining process and coat in sweet potato flour before frying.

Definitely one of my comfort foods. How about you? What are your favourite comfort foods?

I want…

Food For Thought February 25, 2012 1 Comment

OMGGGG!!!! How cute are these novelty shot glasses from oo.com.au?? I kind of want some to serve my clear bloody mary in!

Toast Food, Cockatoo Island

Review February 20, 2012 1 Comment

Late last year, Sean and I bought a $99 picnic hamper for two off Cudo. I’ve always said that I was a “simulated outdoors” kind of person – I like the idea of the outdoors, like dining al fresco, but I don’t actually like being outdoors.

So this was perfect for us! With the ability to pick where we choose to picnic – the simulated outdoors of course – and getting “gourmet” choices, it’s a win-win situation!

Sean very nicely organized all the transport for the day. I have an idea of where I’d like the day to go, and Sean gets me there! Great partnership model.

A drive and a ferry ride later, Sean’s very considerately checking out the map so that we hit all the interesting bits and don’t get lost.

Meanwhile, I collect our very cute looking picnic basket from Toast Food!

Although I was chomping at the bit to get at the food, Sean insisted that we take the audio tour (also included with the package) before we settle down for lunch. The outdoor bit of my simulated outdoors I guess!

I’m really glad that we did go, though. As a person who likes crafty things, I couldn’t resist taking a photo of this:

A sort-of mural made out of coloured cups!!! So cute. I feel like it’s a great take on the different kind of murals that you can create.

There was also a lot of history learning that day, but since you’re reading a food blog, I know you’d much prefer to hear about the food!

The picnic basket didn’t have anything particularly unusual, but was definitely an integral part of the whole experience. Somehow, cold sandwiches and bottles of water just doesn’t seem to fit in with the whole landscape and atmosphere. Was it yummy? Definitely. Sean really went at the cheese platter and the prosciutto was greatly (and sincerely) complimented by the soft, fragrant bread.

But the big question is: Was it worth the $99? Well, considering that the whole package included the audio tour and the food, it was a relatively good deal. It isn’t quite like some of the other vouchers in terms of its “SCORE factor” – the feeling of “Score! Win!” – but it was still a great day out.

We ate at:

The Canteen
Cockatoo Island
Port Jackson NSW 2090

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Pepe Saya, Tempe

Review February 16, 2012 3 Comments

Most people who know me know that I have a thing for butter, or any diary product. Which is why I was especially excited when – after the Master the Mousse Class with Homemade Fine Foods – Pepe from Pepe Saya offered to show me and the French Wench the making of truffle butter!!!

First, you start with really nice butter…

This is a cultured butter, and besides the usual richness that you get from this epitome of rich dairy goodness, there is a slight sourness that I feel adds a lot of character and attitude. It’s like the luxurious meets funk. I like.

Pepe was telling us that he first matures the cream, then adds the culture, before churning the butter. And here I thought that all you had to do was over-whip cream!

Side tangent – besides butter, Pepe Saya also has a range of other foodstuffs, my favourite of which is the Taramasalata!

I can’t say definitively that it’s amazing Taramasalata because I didn’t grow up with it, but I can say that it’s definitely something I really like! The acid/garlic/saltiness is just so addictive to me that I finished half the jar pretty much upon arriving home. LOVE IT!.

Anyway, back to the truffle butter.

Pepe got sent truffles from Perigord Truffles of Tasmania.

And man this is the biggest pile of truffles that I’ve ever seen in person.

The smell was just absolutely intoxicating.

Pepe simply shaves off the truffles into the butter and then mixes it. Apparently truffles have an ‘expiry date’ of 10 days, and so you really have to work quickly. Butter does help preserve the flavour though – the oil prevents air from coming into contact with it, and so prevents oxidation.

And truffles are not just amazingly delicious, they are also really pretty on the inside!

Isn’t that marbling simply gorgeous?! It gets me excited like a good piece of steak. Okay, that came out wrong, but you know what I mean.

Oh here’s another sight to behold!

TEN KILOS OF BUTTER SPECKLED WITH TRUFFLE!!!!!

*wipes drool*

Maybe it’s just me, but the combination of the two is just so simple yet so mind blowing!!!

And we actually got to take little pats home!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just in case there are any doubters out there, it is DELICIOUS. Although the suggestion was to let it melt slowly onto a good steak, I had mine spread onto sourdough toast, and it was one of the most satisfying lunches I’ve ever had. Light and yet luxurious at the same time, I just kept breathing in the intoxicating scent of the truffles mingling seductively with the cultured butter.

Even if truffle butter isn’t quite your thing and isn’t enough to get you as excited as I am, Pepe also has butter master classes ($80) and cheese making classes ($220/class, 3 parts) as well! Just contact them for more information. With my history of loving cultured diary products, I know what I’m asking for as my birthday present!

Pepe Saya
Unit 4, 3 Wood Street
Tempe NSW 2044
+61 2 9519 2793
info@pepesaya.com.au

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Homemade Fine Foods, Tempe

Review February 13, 2012 5 Comments

Apparently it all started with Lemon Curd. Homemade Fine Foods was founded on a ‘real food’ philosophy – food that you can buy, that will taste like what you’ve made at home. The upside? Not having to spend hours making it yourself. And while I love cooking, that idea sounds fantastic to me – especially after a long day on my feet where I don’t even really feel like cooking dinner, much less dessert.

And they don’t only do desserts, they teach you how to make it too!

I was invited over the weekend by a very lovely Merna from Homemade Fine Foods to a Mousse Class!! This was an especially exciting piece of news for me since my only (failed) attempt at a chocolate mousse ended up with whipped cream in a glass and bits of chocolate that had hardened because of the coldness of the cream. Go figure. Lovely, aerated, velvety dessert just seems to elude me. After having to admit recently – with much embarrassment – that I had no idea how to create a proper mousse, I was thankful for the opportunity to be taught the proper techniques.

The class was at 11am, and because Sean was working the night shift, we had not had anything to eat and were starving. No worry though, they feed you!

I love events that feed you.

Great cheeses from Small Cow Farm and luscious, ripe fruit really started the day off well for me. Even Sean – who had worked all night – was happily relaxed and ready for some chocolate.

And boy was there chocolate.

We were taught the difference between using compound chocolate and coverture – compound can be heated to a higher temperature and so will pasteurize your eggs – and what temperatures to look for when melting your chocolate.

Interesting fact – while cocoa butter has a melting point of 35C, compound chocolate contains fats that allow you to heat it higher, hence allowing the pasteurization of the raw eggs!

The class also covered whipping and incorporating the meringue…

And the whipped cream, amongst other things.

Now, Sean isn’t the biggest cook around – in fact, he hardly ever gets to step into the kitchen because I’m always in there doing something or the other – but there’s at least one part of the class that he absolutely LOVES.

How can anyone say no to that finished product! Sweet, creamy, and comforting, we got to take home two massive tubs of mousse that had been decorated with swirls of dark chocolate. The mind-boggling thing was that such a simple technique looks so pretty and polished. Definitely something that I’ll try on my next dessert served in glass.

There were some moments that we had to wait – for example, the chocolate mixture had to cool down before mixing in the whipped cream – and guess what happened?

They feed you some more!

Did I mention that I love being fed?

And while I have a weakness for Bread and Butter pudding – it’s a comfort food that many members of my family have in common – and Sean devoured the Sticky Date Pudding, the Raspberry Panna Cotta was my favourite!

This story is too cute – you’ve gotta see it for yourself:

SO CUTE!

Apparently Cuttaway Creek Raspberry Farm also supplied raspberries to many well-known Sydney restaurants. I have to pay a visit to them some day.

But anyway, back to the class. I left with arms full of tubs of mousse and a belly full of delicious desserts. Both Sean and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and that was a feat for Sean after pulling an all-nighter.

It was a great way for us to cook together as a couple, and a great pre- (or post) Valentine’s day present!

The class costs $80 per person and is held at their factory store in Tempe.

Homemade Fine Foods
Unit 4, 3 Wood Street, TEMPE NSW 2044
(02) 9559 4449
info@homemadefinefoods.com.au

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Note: Insatiable Munchies was invited as a guest of Homemade Fine Foods