Coffee Habits

Sydney Food Festival 2010

2010-10-02T00:23:00.003+10:00

October is the month in which I attempt to make up for my three-year food blogging hiatus. I'm still eating! I just haven't been blogging about it.

But it's that time of year again. Yes, it's Good Food Month!

Or as the Sydney Morning Herald now likes to call it, the Crave Sydney Food Festival. (And SMH, if you're reading this, the website is seriously sucky -- from the horribly unintuitive URLs to the labour-intensive navigation. Javascript -- Just say no. But I digress.)

This year I'm aiming to knock off at least six Sugar Hits. My record was four in 2007, but that was before the whole thing became a bit of a sport and reservations became the norm.

But this month I'm resolved to beat my previous effort. If I can squeeze in a brunch and a lunch somewhere in there ... and still manage to lose two kilos (long story) ... I'll consider the month a roaring success in the food department.

Watch this space.

Are you ready for Good Food Month?

2008-09-24T20:50:00.004+10:00

If anything would get me out of my unscheduled food blogging hiatus, it's Good Food Month! Sugar Hits and Let's Do Lunch menus are up on the website. I'm a bit underwhelmed by the desserts on offer~~--and last year's favourite, the Shangri-la isn't on the list--~~but lunch is looking very promising indeed.

I'm so excited, I've created a worksheet. Yes. I know.

Update: The Shangri-la was listed under "Lobby Lounge". (The site has been updated since.) But I'm not sure about the licorice infused strawberries.

In which I admit to a heinous crime

2008-03-09T21:41:00.002+11:00

Did anyone else see Paul Cookson on Today Tonight last week? Because the segment was so appalling, I'm wondering if I just imagined it.

A little election motivation

2007-11-15T13:23:00.000+11:00

Krispy Kreme (Australia) has an election sweetener for all registered voters. Register on the site, pick your favourite election sweetener--Original John, Sprinkles KEV07, The Greenies, or Lemoncrats--and sign up for the Krispy Kreme newsletter, and you'll get a voucher that can be redeemed for up to 6 Original Glazed doughnuts on Sunday. Even though I've kicked my Krispy Kreme addiction, I'm not averse to a little nibble now and again!

Free slurpees tomorrow

2007-11-06T21:11:00.000+11:00

According to the Slurpee website, Nov. 7 is 7-Eleven Day:

Come and visit us at your local 7-Eleven store [from 7am to 11pm on Nov. 7], and say "Happy 7-Eleven Day" to the person behind the counter for your free small Slurpee.

Yum!

Sugar Hit @ Shangri-la Hotel

2007-10-31T10:11:00.000+11:00

This Sugar Hit had been three weeks in the planning. A couple of friends and I finally managed to find a night when all of us were free for some chocolatey goodness.

It's not difficult to see why the Shangri-la's Sugar Hit appealed to us:

Chocolate Lovers Plate - Trio of Rhubarb & White Chocolate gelato, 70% Excellence macaron with raspberry ganache and Roast Banana gianduja mousse on a coconut crisp.

Pretty much an menu item that purports to cater to the chocolate lover will get my attention.

The Lobby Lounge at the Shangri-la was by far the most comfortable Sugar Hit venue I've been to. The couches were huge and soft--perfect for, well, lounging about. When we walked in, someone was playing the grand piano. Definitely a great start to the night.

For the first time this month, I was offered a choice between the cognac and the dessert wine. One of my dinner companions--having been to numerous Sugar Hits already--asked what tyoe of Brown Brothers wine they had. It turns out that they had the Sienna, which was a red dessert wine. My friends were sold, while I chose the cognac for variety.

The drinks arrived first, and the cognac was strong. Over the course of the night, I don't think I even got halfway through the glass. My friends said the dessert wine was good.

Henessy Cognac VC (front)
Brown Brothers Sienna (back)

Of course, the main event of the night was the tasting plate. When it came out, there were looks of awe and grins of anticipation. The waiter named each dessert on the plate, but all I heard was "Blah, blah, blah," as we smiled politely and waited for him to leave so we could dig in. After he did leave, we contemplated the best order in which to tackle the plate.

Sugar Hit - $20

It was obvious we had to start with the strawberry (because it was sitting on the spoon). The fruit was firm, not sour but not too sweet either. I would have liked more chocolate, but it could have been swimming in melted Valrhona and I'd still want more, so maybe that's not saying much.

Then we tasted the mousse. It was sooooooo good. I had my doubts about banana and mousse together, but it wasn't banana-flavoured chocolate as I'd feared. A piece of sweet banana sat above the base and covered with the mousse. My friend, who ate the mousse from the top down, exclaimed, "Oh, so there's the banana!" Which was nothing compared to my dumb moment of the night:

Friend: The pear is nice.
Me: What pear? Isn't it a coconut crisp?
(Confusion all around as everyone stares suspiciously at their plates.I grab the menu.)
Me: It says "coconut crisp" on the menu!
(Silence, which I assume might have been my friends wondering what kind of airhead I am.)
Me: Um, or maybe it is a pear.
Other friend (managing to almost hide his sarcasm by not rolling his eyes): I think the mousse is on top of the coconut crisp.
Me (sheepish): Ahhhh...I was wondering! 'Cos didn't think it looked like coconut--coconut is white!

*sigh*

Anyway, I dug into the gelato after a few bites of the mousse, and the effect was almost like having a banana split. *g* The gelato was underwhelming after the mousse. We agreed it wasn't bad for something that was masquerading as chocolate even though it had no cocoa, but it tasted pretty much like vanilla gelato. There were swirls of rhubarb flavour, but mine didn't have enough for me to appreciate it (although I think my friend got an actual rhubarb bit).

We finished the plate off by savouring the macaron, which was airy and just delightful. The filling was surprisingly rich. While I would have liked more, more, more (it was a very small macaron), it was probably just the right size for the plate. Any more and the sweetness would have overpowered everything.

We sat around for another couple of hours chatting away. Did I mention how comfy the couches were? I wanted to take them home. The service was excellent. We pretty much overstayed our welcome, but we never felt like the staff were trying to bundle us out.

I had such a great experience that I'm planning to come back soon with my husband. I also hear their buffet upstairs is good, so it's on my list to try.

By far, this was the best Sugar Hit of the month for me. I hope they're back next year!

Lobby Lounge - Shangri-la Hotel
176 Cumberland St, The Rocks
02 9250 6198

Sugar Hit @ One on 1 Brasserie

2007-10-18T13:55:00.000+10:00

Miz M and I were planning to go the Sheraton to attack the dessert buffet ($29 during GFM), but when I made a booking for 10pm, I was told that the kitchen closes at 10pm--including the dessert buffet. Bummer.

So Miz M and I perused the GFM Sugar Hit offerings and decided to try the Radisson:

Heavenly Morsels - triple the tastesation with Roasted macadamia nut and Quandong Crème Brûlée, Mixed Berry Crêpe Stack & 5 Spice Panacotta with Palm Glaze.

The night started off as a kind of comedy of errors. Just as I was about to sneak out of the house, the toddler woke up. "I want to play!" *sigh* Luckily, Rob was able to shuffle him back to bed while I made my escape, crossing my fingers that the twins won't wake up.

Then, we went to the wrong Radisson. The Sugar Hit is not at O'Connell Street, but at Liverpool Street. Luckily, the parking gods were with us, and it wasn't a big hassle.

When we arrived at the brasserie, it was packed. We had to wait a minute while the waiter prepared us a table. The service declined further during the night, improving only when we managed to flag a waiter--more than 15 minutes after we arrived--and asked about our Sugar Hits. Miz M is a little more assertive than I am and mentioned our 9:30 reservation *hint, hint* and our desserts came out within 5 minutes (meanwhile, four girls at the table next to us were still waiting even though they were already seated when we came in).

As usual, we weren't given a choice between the wine and the cognac--we got the wine. It was lovely and fruity and sweet, but we made the mistake of digging straight into the panacotta. After that, the wine tasted pretty horrible. I suggest drinking the wine before tackling the sweet options on the plate, or after the entire dessert has been consumed and your tongue has had a chance to reset.

Sugar Hit $20

I'm not a huge fan of panacotta and didn't have very high expectations, so I was pleasantly surprised by the spicy flavour. Miz M declared it to be her favourite dessert so far (she's been to the Sheraton and the Swissotel). I liked it a lot, but I thought there was too much of it. The palm glaze was yummy and sticky, reminding me of those slightly runny toffees you sometimes get at a cake stall.

The crepe looked lovely, although it seemed bland after the panacotta. Perhaps I should have tasted this first before I delved into the sweeter offerings. The berries were encased in red jelly, and the strawberries at the bottom were deliciously sweet. The crepe was a little meh and would have been nicer if it had been warm and slightly sweeter.

I saved the creme brulee for last. Alas, no crunch. For a dessert that took more than 15 minutes to arrive, this was a disappointment. The taste, however, was excellent. The texture was thicker than I'm used to in a creme brulee, but perfect for my preference because it came very close to tasting like leche flan (Filipino creme caramel). The roasted macadamia nuts inside the creme brulee added a contrast that made the custard taste less eggy. I could have eaten it all night.

In fact, when we finally scraped off the last bit of custard, jelly and glaze from our plates, I looked morosely at our empty plates, sighed and admitted, "I want another one."

One on 1 Brasserie
Radisson Hotel & Suites
72 Liverpool St, Sydney
02 8268 8888

See the sidebar for a round-up of Good Food Month in blogland.

Let's Do lunch @ Zilver

2007-10-17T22:33:00.000+10:00

I have a certain fondness for Zilver Restaurant, which used to offer all you can eat yum cha for $15 back when it was called Silver Spring. Ah, those were the days.

So when I spotted it on the GFM list, I was intrigued, and even more so when I read the offering:

Signature Entree: Peking duck.
Main: Choose from Stir fried king prawns in Singapore style or Wok seared diced beef fillet with wasabi sauce or Red braised melting pork belly or Braised seasonal vegetables wrapped in lotus leaf or Zilver’s BBQ tasting platter with barbecued pork, roast duck, soy-sauce chicken, jelly fish salad and Japanese seaweed.

To be honest, it seems bizarre to spend $35 for a two-course meal when you can have a decent yum cha for less. So when I met up with a couple of friends, we ended up getting one Let's do lunch meal and then picking out some yum cha favourites, such as whitebait, siopao (vegetarian in this case--they didn't have any meat-filled ones for some reason) and egg tarts.

The yum cha dishes complemented the tasting platter, which was substantial. I'm told the Peking duck was tasty. The roast pork (not mentioned in the menu) was gratifyingly crackly without being burnt, although I would have preferred less fat. The duck tasted slightly over-seasoned and the chicken was ... well, chicken, but the barbecue pork was excellent.

Let's do lunch tasting platter $35

The service at Zilver is much improved from the last time I visited. Although they stuffed up my reservation again (I booked for noon, but they put me down for 11am), we still got a table and they didn't mind that we were at least half an hour late. It wasn't too difficult to hail a waiter whenever we needed service, and the lady pushing the watermelon juice (???) trolley was kind enough to go back to the kitchen to bring us some Chinese taho (soybean curd).

I should also mention that the restaurant has pram access, and I was able to park my double pram comfortably even though our table wasn't along the aisle.

Which left my friends and me to enjoy an unhurried weekday lunch, catching up on news, talking about books, and having fun with the babies.

Zilver
Level 1, 477 Pitt Street, Sydney
02 9211 2232

See the sidebar for a round-up of Good Food Month in blogland.

Jeff de Bruges

2007-10-08T16:19:00.000+10:00

I knew there was a chocolate shop next to the Theatre Royal, but every time I've passed by, I've been too busy to stop. Last week, I had some spare time, and I finally set food inside the Jeff de Bruges store, described on its website thus:

Our delicious chocolates are the result of the knowledge and creativity of a great Belgian chocolatier. Jeff de Bruges chocolates are made from exclusive and elaborate French recipes; smooth and delicate pralines, intense ganaches, light and sophisticated mousses, subtle fillings that make each chocolate an invitation to travel.

There's something about chocolate shops that makes me feel giddy and light-headed. This store was no exception, especially since everything looked so ... pretty!

Beauty (and, I assume, taste) comes with a price, however, and if you're after something quick and disposable, you won't find it here. The Origine Tall Box (pictured above) will set you back $32.30 for 200g.

Since I'd just splurged on lunch, I had to decline, but I window shopped to my heart's content, looking longingly at the spring boxes (pictured right). In the end, I couldn't resist, and I picked up a tin of Chocolat en Poudre--powered vanilla-flavoured chocolate ($20.50 for 215g).

It's looking a bit overcast today. Perfect weather for a quick hot chocolate!

Caraque pyramid - 20pcs for $15.75 or 40pcs for $31.50)

Assorted chocolates

Alas, no chocolate pots. Perhaps they are now extinct.

Jeff de Bruges
106 King St, Sydney
02 9232 3875
info@jeff-de-bruges.com.au

Let's Do Lunch @ Quadrant Restaurant

2007-10-08T14:29:00.000+10:00

The Quadrant was an easy pick for my first GFM foray last week. I love choices, and the ones on offer at the Quadrant seemed equally tempting:

Choice of Crispy skin duck breast with duck parfait, sauteed witlof and pink lady apples or Grainfed beef tenderloin with jerusalem artichoke and truffle ravioli, sauteed spinach, red wine sauce or Steamed mulloway, shao xing braised squid, snow pea leaves, xo chilli or Grilled field mushroom topped with persian fetta, spiced eggplant and tomato salsa.

I went to this restaurant last year during GFM, and I was happy with my meal, so this also seemed a safe(ish) bet. Plus, it has stroller access!

It was a beautiful day to go out for lunch, and although Wandergurl and I were seated inside, large windows allowed the sunshine to stream through. We were seated in the middle of the dining area, with plenty of room to park my double stroller.

We were given an appetiser, which was a kind of cheesy, spinachy thing. (I wasn't paying attention--sorry!) It was delicious, and Wandergurl liked the tomato sauce a lot.

Wandergurl ordered the duck with some red wine, while I opted for the tenderloin and a Coke. (I briefly warred with my conscience on consuming alcohol, but to be honest, I just wasn't in the mood.) The waiter warned us that there might be a long wait for my order, and she wasn't kidding. By the time our order came out, the babies were hungry, too, and we had to perform some acrobatics as I finished breastfeeding a baby while trying to enjoy my lunch.

Let's Do Lunch $35

Is it me or does the duck not look particularly crispy? At any rate, Wandergurl seemed to like it, but I was glad I didn't get the same dish as I prefer my duck skin to crackle.

Let's Do Lunch $35

The tenderloin was delicious. It was done just the way I like it (medium), and so soft and tender. The ravioli was okay and complemented the meat well, although at times it seemed overpowering. The spinach was good, with just a hint of bitterness, which means not all of the vitamins had been leeched out of it. That's good for a breastfeeding mum!

The only quibble I have with the set lunches for GFM is that they're usually not enough to fully satisfy. So Wandergurl and I asked for the dessert menu, and when our eyes caught sight of the chocolate pudding (pictured at the top of this post), we were sold.

Chocolate pudding $16

At $16, it was cheaper than this year's Sugar Hits, yet I daresay it could compete with the best of them. The pudding was rich but not overwhelming, and the strawberry sauce was yummy. The ice cream was a little too aromatic, but it was okay in small doses. I also ordered a latte, which didn't make it to our bill. Just as well, though, because it tasted so burnt that I couldn't even finish half a glass.

Nevertheless, it was a lovely lunch.

Let's do lunch at Quadrant Restaurant
Quay Grand Sydney
Level 2, 61 Macquarie St, Sydney
02 9256 4044

See the sidebar for a round-up of Good Food Month in blogland.

Something to spruce up the recipe folder

2007-10-01T23:45:00.000+10:00

With all the recipes available online, I have bits of paper stuck in my recipe folder, between the pages of cookbooks and magazines, and in random places all over the house (I know this because I always find one or two when I decide to declutter). I think part of my problem--aside from general untidiness--is that printing off a recipe from a website seems so ... disposable. After all, I can always print out another copy, right?

Well, no. First of all, finding the exact recipe again is a feat in itself unless I remember where I got it from. Second, I make annotations on my recipes, and by the time I have the entire thing just right, there are scribbles everywhere. And chocolate skid marks. And oil stains. And god knows what else...

So I stumbled onto Smilebox, which helps create good looking recipe sheets that I won't be (quite so) tempted to toss about willy-nilly. Go try it. It's fun.

High Tea @ Swissôtel

2007-09-25T17:57:00.000+10:00

I had my not-a-baby-shower shower at the Swissotel's Crossroads Bar. The high tea buffet had been taunting my brain for a few months--cravings, anyone?--and it was the perfect opportunity to sample what I'd heretofore only read about and salivated on Grab Your Fork.

I wasn't disappointed, although I had baby brain at the time (at 36-and-a-half weeks) and didn't even think to take down notes on what I had. So I think I'll leave this as a kind of photoessay instead.

Caramel slices topped with pecans

Maccaroons

Fresh fruit for the chocolate fountain

Creme brulee and chocolate mousse

Lemon meringue tarts

Pistacchio, pecan and caramel tarts

Chocolate eclairs, strawberry shots, and a chocolate tart

I should mention that service was great at the start and miserable at the end. Considering we booked a table for 20 people, we expected some extra special lovin'. We settled for the chocolate fountain instead.

Chocolate fountain

Swissôtel High Tea at Crossroads Bar
68 Market Street (cnr George St), Sydney
02 9238 8888
$29 per head, 2pm-4pm

Sydney Food and Wine Fair - Volunteers

2007-09-13T09:26:00.000+10:00

The Food & Wine Fair will be held on Saturday, October 27 this year. If you've never been, the Food Fair showcases wares from Sydney restaurants and Aussie wineries. Stalls are set up in Hyde Park, and you can choose from a wide assortment of food and wine. It's a great way to sample what some of Sydney's top restaurants have to offer, for a fraction of the cost of a regular meal. The AIDS Trust is looking for volunteers to help out with this event, so if you're so inclined, click here for more details.

Chocolateria San Churro opening in Glebe

2007-08-03T15:30:00.000+10:00

Walking along Glebe Point Road near the corner where you turn to go to Broadway, I spotted a sign saying the Chocolateria San Churro is opening soon. (I would have taken a picture, but I was walking with someone from my mother's group, and I didn't want her to think I'm weird.) I've tasted their wares in Melbourne, and even though I wasn't particularly impressed with their overfried churros, the hot chocolate was to die for. (I'm easy that way.) So bring it on. I just hope they hire people who actually know something about chocolate, because the folks in Melbourne just gave me a blank look when I asked them if they sold chocolate pots.

Good Living Growers' Market

2007-07-09T10:06:00.000+10:00

Due to the enormous bump in my belly, I missed the Pyrmont markets last month, so I was determined to make the trek last Saturday, weather permitting. And it permitted. In truth, it was a glorious sunny day, and sure enough, the markets were packed. So packed, in fact, that I couldn't whizz around with my stroller--now of the tandem variety--and was reduced to a slow stroll.

I had planned to get to the markets by 8am at the latest. Unfortunately, I fell asleep after the babies' morning feed and sprang up in alarm when Rob informed me that an hour had gone by. I had planned to meet up with BottlaRed, W and Wandergurl, and I cringed everytime I heard the sound of messages arriving in my phone.

I finally arrived, brood in tow, at 9pm. By this time, the markets was teeming with people. I think this was the most crowded I've ever seen it, although there also seemed to be more stalls. We were immediately spotted by BottlaRed and W, who had met each other through a mutual friend. Yes, right there are the markets. And by coincidence, they were meeting up with me to meet their goddaughters-to-be. Talk about a small world!

If there's one thing I learned last Saturday, it's that it's almost impossible to shop quickly with three young children in tow. No, not because of the kids--but because people love to come over and chat, particularly when they spot the twins. After almost half an hour, all I'd managed to pick up was a stick of caramel-macadamia fudge from Fine Taste Bowral. I was ever so thankful when BottlaRed offered to scoot around with the stroller while I purchased some lime butter from Blue M and a second tub of creme fraiche from the Gympie Farms stall (BottlaRed had already bought me one, thinking that it might be sold out by the time I got there).

After more stopping and chatting, the toddler and I looked for gingerbread men but there were none to be found. So we went to The Chocolate Source instead, had us a few samples, and bought a Belgian truffle and a coffee-flavoured chocolate. They didn't last very long.

We went hunting around for Rowan Farm's fig jam. I must have gone around at least twice before I finally spotted their stall, and I ended up buying 3 and pimping it to W. It's great for breakfast with a hot croissant and a dollop of creme fraiche.

The guys at Rowan Farm were also selling large punnets of delicious looking strawberries and I was so very tempted--so very, very tempted--but I'm nowhere near organised enough at home to make any grand plans for them. Maybe next month I'll be ready to experiment with new recipes. And I really want to try the mushrooms and create something special(ish) for Rob.

Finally, it was time to go, but we couldn't leave without picking up some ice cream cookies from Stick and Angela. They had a new mint flavour out, which I've just tried. I'm not a big mint fan myself--and for some reason I expected the ice cream to be green, not white--but it wasn't too bad. The initial mint taste was a little strong, but after a bite or two it was quite refreshing. It's not my favourite, but if you like minty flavours in general then it's worth a try.

It was a beautiful day out and the markets were just bustling with people and pets. I had a camera with me to take pictures, but the battery was flat! Rob parked at Coles this time (free for the first half hour), so we didn't get slugged by parking at the casino. Next month, I'm going to try and walk to the markets so I can savour the sunshine and food just a little more.

The Pyrmont markets are on every first Saturday of the month at Pyrmont Bay Park (Pirrama Road, across from Star City) from 7am until 11am.

Fine Taste Bowral
02 4877 1991 or 02 4861 1367

Gympie Farm
23 Windred Lane, Conondale QLD 4552
07 5435 0487

Blue M
1 Kanimbla Street, Katoomba NSW 2780
02 4782 2650

The Chocolate Source (Jenny)
78 Livingston Street, Marrickville NSW 2204
02 9558 9931

Rowan Farm
Nowra Road, Fitzroy Falls
02 4887 7307

Pat and Stick's Homemade Ice Cream
PO Box 158, Leichhardt nsw 2040
02 9572 8041
icecreamman@patandstick.com.au

Easter egg extermination #2: Champorado

2007-07-04T13:24:00.000+10:00

Use up uneaten Easter eggs in your pantry by breaking them up and using the pieces instead of (or as well as) chocolate squares when making champorado. You may need to use larger quantities, particularly if you're using milk chocolate eggs.

Champorado

2007-07-03T12:52:00.000+10:00

One of my favourite home-made Filipino desserts is champorado. I'm not sure how this dish got its name, but in English I call it "chocolate rice". Which is pretty much what it is. (I suppose you can call it chocolate rice pudding.)

As a child, I loved the ritual of adding sugar to my bowl of champorado, followed by swirls of milk. My dad used to form our initials when he poured milk ... kind of like coffee art, but low-tech. *lol* I used to make swirls and curls and sometimes I'd try to fit more than one milky initial into my bowl, usually with disastrous effects. I used to love my champorado drenched in milk, but as I grew up, my taste buds adjusted themselves and now I very rarely add milk anymore--yes, even when we used top-notch cocoa and ended up with a very dark result (see below).

In the past few weeks, Mum has been coming over to help out with the new babies--yes, I had twins!--and what better time to absorb all her cooking shortcuts and tips? Yesterday she talked me through how to make this delicious concoction that even Rob, who usually declines chocolate fare--much to my delight since it means I won't have to share my dessert--has at least two helpings whenever champorado is being served.

The timing couldn't be better. Cupping a steaming bowl of champorado, inhaling its delicious aroma, and taking that first spoonful of chocolatey goodness ... what a delightful way to beat the winter chill.

Champorado
1 cup glutinous rice
5 cups water
2 tbsp (heaped) cocoa
2-3 squares cooking chocolate or tablea (optional)
3-4 tbsp (heaped) sugar
milk

Put rice and water in a medium sized saucepan. Cover and place on high heat.
Mix cocoa and sugar in a small bowl. Add hot water to dissolve, and remove lumps. Stir mixture into the saucepan using a wooden spoon.
Add chocolate squares into the saucepan and stir.
When the water boils, reduce the heat to simmer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is plump.
Add milk and extra sugar to taste just before serving.

Cooking tips
- The darker the cocoa, the more sugar and milk you'll need. You don't need to use high-quality cocoa. My mum uses the no-name brand and no one has ever complained about the quality of her champorado.
- Don't skip step 2 or the chocolate will be lumpy.
- The cocoa can be substituted entirely with chocolate squares or tablea (or vice versa), but it may affect the texture of the champorado. You may need to experiment a bit to get the quantities right.

This recipe is usually good enough for about 4 people, but if you love this dessert and haven't had it in a while then 2 people can probably go through the entire recipe within 24 hours. Rob and I fairly inhaled it in one sitting. The picture above shows what was left after we were done. Yes, after one sitting.

Fudge & kisses - Sugar Fix

2007-06-13T19:45:00.000+10:00

Rob hasn't organised anything for my birthday, and he was sneaky enough to let me know this in advance. To manage my expectations.

But I've been expecting this, what with newborn twins in the nursery, and I was smart enough to let him know where he can get me some temporary love while he sorts himself out.

Thank goodness for Sugar Fix. When I discovered their store at Sydney Central Plaza, I nearly squealed with glee. I may have squeaked and quivered. I found a huge box of Toffifee and that clinched the deal--I was in lust. Unfortunately, they didn't have them anymore when I came back, but they do sell Hershey's Kisses and Reese's cups. Mmm...

But how to purchase these treats without feeling guilty? Easy. I told Rob to check out their marzipan, and now he goes there willingly...and buys me chocolate every time he gets his marzipan. :-)

And if you're reading this, thinking about what a selfless husband I have, you should know that he will probably eat at least half the fudge in that box. I may have to hide it.

Sugar Fix
Sydney Central Plaza, Pitt Street Mall
(in the food court, across from Mrs Fields and New Zealand ice cream)
02 9222 1491

Blackbird Cafe

2007-05-10T11:09:00.000+10:00

Let me get this out of the way first: I'm never coming back to this restaurant again. Ever.

The night started out with much promise. We opted to have dinner at Blackbird Cafe because it was somewhat cheaper than the other restaurants at Cockle Bay, and it seemed child-friendly. We were ushered to a table by a seemingly gracious waiter who offered to pull up a high chair for KB. We eventually declined it, as the toddler seemed content to sit on a normal chair, and I'm not one to fuss over something like that; my eating out philosophy with regards to the toddler is to be as unobtrusive as possible. Life tends to be calmer that way.

Blackbird's menu was passable, and I ordered the toddler a kids' meal. The grown-ups ordered nachos, burger and chips, and a pork dish. Our order arrived within about 15 minutes, which was impressive. The food itself was nothing spectacular--let's face it, I wasn't expecting gourmet fare anyway--but it was't bad and the servings were huge. The pork was bland, but the burgers were apparently decent, and the nachos...well, it's hard to go wrong with nachos.

Conversation flowed despite the restaurant's background music, which seemed a little loud. It was great to catch up with Wandergurl, who had just been to a job interview that day, and Andee, who I'd chatted with a few times but knew mostly through blogs. Obviously, we mostly talked about stuff on Blogland. Mostly it was about boys, which was fun. Poor Rob must have been befuddled for most of the night.

So you're probably wondering why I've blacklisted this restaurant.

You see, by the end of the evening KB was getting understandably cranky--it was past his bedtime, he'd had ice cream and was hyped up on the sugar, and frankly, he'd been on his best behaviour for long enough and had obviously had enough. So when he started getting restless, Rob and I knew it was time to go. We asked for the bill and I sent it back with my credit card.

During the time it took for the staff to process my payment--at least 10 minutes, for god's sake--KB upped the tantrum ante and I was forced to resort to drastic measures. Namely, telling him to sit down and behave himself. So he did what sleepy, sugar laden toddlers do--he cried. Not just a normal cry, but a pathetic wailing designed for maximum irritation to hapless listeners.

The waiter who had originally been gracious enough to offer us a high chair came up to our table and started joking around with KB. I wasn't really paying attention, because as any parent would know, ignoring a tantrum is usually the best way to stop it (or at least stop it from happening again...and again and again). I figured with all the ambient noise, it really wouldn't be noticeable. Plus, I was expecting go any moment, as soon as I got my credit card back.

When the waiter left, Wandergurl told me that he was asking me to keep the toddler quiet. I was like, WTF? Sure enough, the waiter came back a few minutes later and asked me to stop the toddler's crying. He tried to say it in a nice way, so I reassured him by saying that we were settling the bill and would be out of their hair in a sec.

Except we were still waiting for my card to come back, and the waiter was back asking me to stop the toddler's crying. What did he think I was doing? Pinching KB to make him cry? By this time, Rob looked ready to explode. When I told him we were just waiting for them to return my credit card so we can leave, the waiter had the gall to tell Rob that the restaurant was not a daycare.

Let me just say that I have never ever experienced such rudeness from wait staff. And we've taken the toddler to swankier places than the Blackbird Cafe. If the harbourkitchen & bar could cope with a cranky toddler, the Blackbird Cafe ought to be able to handle a few tearful moments. Especially since they offer a kids' meal, for goodness' sake.

So anyway, at that point we got really shirty--Rob was looking very grim--and told the waiter that if they can get their act together and give me back my credit card, we could leave. Magically, I had my credit card back within 30 seconds.

And I tipped exactly $0.

To be honest, if you want a cheap but decent meal, you're better off going across the bridge to Harbourside. And if you're bringing children under three, make sure they behave like adults at all times.

Good Living Growers' Market @ Pyrmont Bay Park

2007-05-05T17:35:00.000+10:00

This morning, the toddler, the hubby and I went down to the Pyrmont markets to stock up on some much-needed supplies. No photos today--I'm much too pregnant to be worrying about things like that. I had to save my energy for important things. Like walking, for example.

The weather was just gorgeous today, and people flocked to the markets in droves. After being waylaid at the Fine Taste Bowral stall, where I snapped up the last mixed bag of fudge, plus some extra macadamia and caramel fudge for Rob, I hurried over to the Gympie Farm stall to buy some much longed for creme fraiche. It's obviously popular since they've been sold out the last two markets I went to. They've also raised prices to $7, which I didn't even notice until a friend pointed it out to me.

While I was there, I was handed a sample of cheese biscuits by Crooked Creek. The lovely lady handing them out assured me that she made them herself, using cheese, pure butter and some pepper. The toddler and I thought it was fab, and I forked out another $7 for a 125g bag.

Having procured my most important purchases for the day--mushrooms and gingerbread men being nowhere to be found today--the toddler and I wandered around, grabbed the Saturday paper for a dollar, and went sticky-beaking to see what new goodies we could discover.

At the far end, next to the Pastabilities stall, was The Chocolate Source. I picked up a sample of the handmade Belgian truffles and gave the toddler a bite before finishing it off--sooo yum!--and then had a bit of a chat with the stall owner. I wasn't really planning to buy anything, but a few moments later, I turned around to see the toddler with his arm out, offering 50 cents for "more chocolate". Well...I couldn't very well resist after that, could I? So I bought us a small box of Belgian truffles. I think it cost me $10, but I can't remember now, because it was one of those moments when my brain was telling my mouth to ask for the cheapest, smallest product available but my mouth was having none of it and bought something else. At any rate, I'm sure my tummy won't be complaining! :-)

By this time, Rob had managed to find some parking and was lining up rather impatiently at Toby's Estate for a cappuccino. We left him there as, from past experience, I knew it would be a very long wait.

Our next stop was for a bacon and egg roll with chili jam and some fresh mango and peach juice to wash it down with. Rob, the toddler and I had breakfast along the pier, listening to the busker and enjoying the sun. When we'd finished, Rob was still hungry so he made his way over to the pancake stall, leaving me to shop in peace. (Rob's main concern was finding food to eat. Now.)

The toddler and I ambled along the grass, laughing at dogs and pointing at other babies. I picked up a pamphlet from the venison stall so I can pre-order my tapang usa the next time Mum is in the mood to humour me. We picked up some Blue M cranberry & apple chutney and lime butter for the in-laws and some ($15 for both), and after a convincing taste test, I also grabbed some Fig Jam from Rowan Farm.

Rob had had enough by now and the toddler was showing signs of being hungry and sleepy. I just had energy left over to stop by Pat and Stick's for some ice cream sandwiches ($25 for 6). I used to balk at the price of these goodies, but ever since I tried the stuff by Peter's that I picked up at Coles, I'm not skimping on quality anymore! Being the legend that he is, Stick--aided by the lovely Angela, with whom I went to high school--gave me an extra double chocolate sandwich for the twins. W00t! And can I just mention how much I love their new packaging? The individual plastic wrappers are such an improvement in terms of keeping the ice cream sandwiches intact and making them generally easy to eat. It's probably not quite as good for the environment, although I would have to assume that people are also using less tissue--so maybe it all evens out.

Our last stop was the bacon and pork stall, where I picked up some lovely streaky bacon (aka American-style bacon) for $5.60 (526g).

The most expensive purchase of the day? $17 for parking at Star City. *sigh* I can't wait until I can walk to the markets again!

Gympie Farm
23 Windred Lane, Conondale QLD 4552
07 5435 0487

Crooked Creek
Rmb 1900, Ourimbah Creek Road, Palm Grove NSW 2258
02 9901 4821

The Chocolate Source (Jenny)
78 Livingston Street, Marrickville NSW 2204
02 9558 9931

Toby's Estate
129 Cathedral Street, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011
02 9358 1196
(see the website for more locations)

Blue M
1 Kanimbla Street, Katoomba NSW 2780
02 4782 2650

Rowan Farm
Nowra Road, Fitzroy Falls
02 4887 7307

Pat and Stick's Homemade Ice Cream
PO Box 158, Leichhardt nsw 2040
02 9572 8041
icecreamman@patandstick.com.au

Quality Hams & Bacon
Shop 9, Kurim Shopping Centre, Kurim Ave, Orange NSW 2800
02 6369 1381 or 0419 438 147

Lindt warehouse sale

2007-05-01T15:23:00.000+10:00

Damper with spinach dip

2007-05-01T02:07:00.000+10:00

Last weekend, I went to a friend's housewarming party. I had originally planned on bringing a homemade pavlova, which I've never attempted before, but being pregnant, I decided to go with a tried-and-tested dish that wouldn't tax my brain. I decided to bring some oven-roasted tomatoes and damper with spinach dip.

I chose the damper and dip mainly because I knew that most of the guests would either be international students or immigrants, and probably wouldn't have come across it before. When I SMS-ed the friend who invited me to the party and told her I was bringing damper, she replied, "What's damper?"

Which brought me back to the first time Mum brought one home. (Of course, I'm not talking about authentic damper. I'm sure Mum bought her bread from the local bakery--hardly conducive to authentic outback cooking. Pedants need not protest!) She put it in the oven, and when it came out, we feasted on bread and butter with homemade hot chocolate (literally--my aunt made them from the fruit of her own cocoa tree in Manila and sent the chocolate tablets to us) while watching a footy match. Such a simple yet delicious way to laze about on a winter evening.

I remember the first time I was offered damper with dip at a dinner party--I didn't quite know what to do! Here was a round, hollowed out piece of bread filled with a soup-like concoction. I soon learned that it was meant for dipping...and I've loved the idea ever since. The recipe I used for the party was given to me by a friend, who served it as a starter when she had me and Rob over for dinner a few years ago. We found it highly addictive and ended up nibbling on leftovers even after dinner and dessert.

The dish was a success at the dinner party! I've had people asking me for the recipe, and word has it that the leftovers almost resulted in a good-natured duel for doggie bags. Can't really ask for a better compliment than that.

Damper with spinach dip
Note that I used a double recipe for the party.
1 damper (or cob loaf)
1 bunch fresh spinach (or frozen spinach)
1 packet of Spring Vegetable soup
600 ml (approx) sour cream
1 brown onion (or French onion dip)

Steam the spinach until dark and limp, then shred.
Saute the onion.
Cut off the top of the damper and rip out the inside of the loaf.
Put all the bread bits on a tray, and crisp in the oven (220°C) for about 5-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the sour cream. Add soup mix, onion and spinach.
Pour hot dip into the hollow damper.
Serve with bread pieces.

Cooking tips
- Lite or low-fat sour cream changes the consistency of the dip.
- If you use French onion dip, don't scrimp. Don't buy Kraft dip--yuck!
- The original recipe included 1 packet of bacon rashers or shaved ham, but I opted for a vegetarian version to ensure most people can eat it. If you use bacon, saute it with the onion.

Unfortunately, I left my camera at home. Since I didn't put the dip and damper together until we were at my friend's place (the dish is best served straight from the oven and stove), I have no pictures to show. You'll just have to make it yourself and see--and taste--for yourself. :-)

Coffee from down under

2007-04-16T11:27:00.000+10:00

I read on SMH Online that there's a cafe in Townsville selling coffee at $50 a cup.

The rare Kopi Luwak beans that make the expensive brew are retrieved from the droppings of the Luwak, a cat-like member of the civet family which is found in the jungles of Indonesia.

At $1250 per kilo, that's got to be one of the most expensive poos in the world!

Easter egg extermination #1: Cafe mocha

2007-04-11T11:34:00.000+10:00

So I'm now harbouring three jars and three boxed sets of Easter eggs. This is after I'd already discarded all the Easter eggs recovered from the traditional Easter egg hunt at my parents' yard, which had damaged foil and other exposed bits. Just in case they were, you know, taste-tested by insects and bugs. Ew!

But what to do with the remaining eggs? We could eat them all month, I suppose, but it's only been three days and I'm already gagging at the sight of Lindt bunnies. Yes, gagging. Over Lindt chocolate! There has to be a better way to consume these goodies without making me sick.

Today's experiment: Add a few Easter egg pieces to your morning coffee and stir vigorously until dissolved. Make sure you adjust your sugar and milk amounts accordingly or you might find your brew a little too sweet.

In the coming weeks, I'll be trying various creative ways to enjoy our Easter eggs and posting them here. If you have any suggestions, let me know!

Street food

2007-04-10T17:49:00.000+10:00

I nearly died of delight when I saw these series of pictures over at My Sari-sari Store by Belgian photograper, Sidney Snoeck. No matter how hard we try to recreate some of the best food in the Philippines, there's just no way to replicate the colour, aroma and taste of street food. These take me back to my childhood...

Taho
Hands down, my absolute favourite. On my last visit to Manila, my Tita (Aunt) bought half a dozen cups from the street vendor. I would have eaten them all except that I had to share with my much younger cousins. Fortunately, I can make a pretty close approximation of taho here at home. Still, there's nothing like running to the front door when you hear the magtataho calling out.

Dirty ice cream
I know the name sounds odd and, to be honest, I didn't have any the last time I was in Manila because I was paranoid about getting food poisoning. But dirty ice cream is basically no-name ice cream sold by through street carts. It's like a manual version of the Mr Whippy van!

Bananacue
I'm guessing that this name is a combination of "banana" and "barbeque" because it's basically fried sugar bananas skewered on wooden sticks and coated with caramelised brown sugar. A kind of tropical version of the toffee apple. The main problem with recreating this dessert is finding the right kind of banana to use. We usually go with frozen sugar bananas from the Asian grocery, but they're never really as sweet and juicy as the fresh kind.

Fishballs
This one isn't very difficult to recreate, either, and is one of the most popular wares in any Filipino fiesta (the most popular usually being the pork barbeque--Filipinos will go gaga over those). The sauce makes or breaks a fishballs vendor.

Click here for more street food goodness. Forget about hygiene--it's all about the taste.

Easter egg hijinks

2007-04-05T20:21:00.000+10:00

The Jellybean was supposed to bring a hard-boiled egg to daycare so they can decorate Easter eggs. On Last night, I had eggs boiling in water...AND FORGOT ALL ABOUT THEM. When Rob got up this morning, he walked out to the living area and was confronted by the lovely smell of eggs and melted Teflon.

Panic, panic, I could have burnt the house down! Oh, my gosh, never do that again!!!!! Set the timer next time!!!! Blah, blah, blah. And meanwhile, he didn't even turn the stove off!

It really wasn't *that* bad--the smoke alarm didn't even go off!--but the smell is gross. Luckily, we keep our bedroom doors closed so our rooms don't stink. Or course, Rob had the bright idea of opening the bedroom door and balcony door to "circulate the air". Gah!!!

I'm also down one more saucepan. Though now that I think about it, it's a great excuse to go and buy a really, really good one. :-)

Luckily, I had a spare hard-boiled egg in the fridge so Jellybean still had something to bring to daycare.

Happy Easter everyone!

Coffee gets the bum end of the stick

2007-03-28T11:08:00.000+10:00

John Scalzi's recent post on why he doesn't like the taste of coffee cracked me up. Don't get me wrong--I am in total disagreement. After all, Scalzi lives in a country where Starbuck's is the national standard for coffee. That, right there, should be a crime.

But Scalzi has a way with words and his sense of humour tickles. In essence, he writes, "Coffee tastes like ass."

Even more hilarious is the comment thread, particularly this one from Denise: "Just goes to show, one person's ass is another's pleasure!"

I have to admit that I was brought up on instant coffee. Back in Manila, Nescafe was gold (haha). And because as a child I wasn't allowed to have any, I naturally coveted it. I loved the smell of coffee. When I went to my first weekend retreat in year 6 here in Sydney, I couldn't believe we were allowed to have coffee. On our own. As much as we wanted!

At uni, I was introduced to the delights of "real" coffee. Instant coffee was swill, an abomination. The shock of real espresso hit me hard. I might have grimaced. But there was always a cappuccino to fall back on; some mild flirtation with the barrista guaranteed extra froth and chocolate sprinkles. For a long time, my standard order was a mocca with cream. But once I let go of sugar as a safety net, I began to detect the subtleties between different kinds of beans and brews. At the very least, I can tell when the barrista is crap.

I do think there's a place for Starbuck's and Gloria Jean's--social coffee is great if not everyone is a coffee lover or if you want to hang out for hours on end over one measly cup. I'm not a coffee snob and I don't begrudge other people their flavoured, caffeinated beverages. I just wish the chains had better barristas.

These days, one sugar is the most I'll have with any cup of coffee. I'm also less likely to order froth--I find it superfluous now. The last coffee I ordered form my local cafe was a skim, decaf latte with no sugar. Before you gasp in dismay, it's because I'm pregnant. My standard, pre-pregnancy order was a skim latte with one sugar. That's my coffee equivalent of a workhorse--no frills, does the job, tastes beautiful with my blueberry bagel.

On special occasions, I might order a mocca (for old times' sake) or a capuccino. I love to linger over froth when the conversation is flowing. Sometimes I'll order an affogato. It's even more important, I think, for the coffee to be good when you complicate it by dropping a scoop of ice cream into the glass.

So far, I haven't been brave enough to try a ristretto. The ritual, the skill involved, the fear that it won't measure up to its reputation--it's all too overwhelming!

Now it's your turn. Do you remember when you fell in love with coffee? Who's your favourite barrista? What's your standard order?

Or do you think coffee tastes like ass?

Veggie love

2007-02-23T11:40:00.000+11:00

Love Carrots and Other Vegetables: This will make you smile. I promise.

Man-catcher brownies

2007-02-14T09:57:00.000+11:00

A little Valentine's Day delight for brownie "purists". And if, perchance, you don't catch the man? Well, you get to keep the brownies for yourself!

Will attempt this very, very soon.

Desperately seeking churros

2007-02-09T18:33:00.000+11:00

Churros (based on Dean Derhak's recipe)
vegetable oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1/4 cup sugar

1. Heat water, margarine and salt to rolling boil in saucepan; stir in flour.
2. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat.
3. Beat eggs until smooth, then add to saucepan while stirring mixture.
4. Spoon mixture into cake decorators' tube with large star tip (like the kind use to decorate cakes).
5. Squeeze strips of dough into hot oil. Fry 3 or 4 strips at a time until golden brown, turning once.
6. Drain on wire rack.
7. Roll churros in sugar or dump the sugar on the pile of churros.

Right. So the end result didn't exactly match what I had in mind. You'll see from the picture above what churros should look like, more or less. And here's how mine turned out.

Homemade churros con chocolate

My main problem was not having the right equipment. I really needed a larger star tip. Much larger. Not just that, the decorator's tube kept collapsing. In the end, I gave up and used rolled up baking paper (Mum swears by it, but she's had heaps of practice) so my churros looked like soft little worms.

Taste-wise, I found this recipe quite bland. However, this might be partly due to my equipment problems. I read that using the right star tip is essential as it allows the churros to cook evenly all around (rather than being soft and soggy in the middle).

Some Valrhona drinking chocolate rounded off this little experiment and kept me reasonably happy despite the mixed results and massive clean-up afterwards.

Why I bought Ferrero Rocher as back-up

2006-12-22T12:44:00.000+11:00

So I had this bright idea of making sugar cookies for Christmas, to be shaped and decorated by KB. How cute! you say.

Well.

First, I don't know how to cream butter. So I doubled the recipe in order to incorporate the not-so-creamy stuff into the hopefully creamier stuff. Didn't work.

Luckily, I have Mum as a freelance consultant. Just go on with the recipe, she says. The flour should put everything back together.

Next, I discovered why I shouldn't attempt double recipes with a freaking hand mixer. Luckily, the dough looked relatively doughy so the effort was worth it.

Five phone calls and one broken plate later, I had everything mixed, bagged and tucked in the freezer. I forgot to double the salt content, but whatever.

Tonight, we will attempt to roll, cut, bake and decorate these suckers. Then, I'm going to recruit the hubby into bagging those babies, ready to be handed out tomorrow night.

Oh god, please let me survive Christmas.

There's something to be said...

2006-12-22T11:34:00.000+11:00

White roses

...for flowers in the kitchen, especially when they were given unexpectedly.

Have a lovely Christmas, everyone!

Oscars Bar & Lounge

2006-11-21T23:31:00.000+11:00

After much e-mailing and SMSing, Mum decided to celebrate my Dad's birthday at Oscars. Although our reservation was for 7:30pm, when Rob and I arrived at 7:40pm, we were the first ones there. We were clever enough to park at the new Coles carpark next door, which isn't quite finished yet and is therefore free. Free parking in Pyrmont? Well, it's virtually unheard of.

Mum arrived soon after, so we had a leisurely wait over drinks. Unfortunately, Oscars doesn't supply highchairs so there was no way to imprison the baby, whose attention span lasted long enough to pick up random pieces of cutlery and bang them about. Fortunately, we were seated at a long, corner position against the wall (cushioned seats) and next to large windows. This was great as we could then take KB out for a walk when he started feeling antsy and bring him to the window where he could prance around and amuse everyone.

The rest of the family trickled in and by about 8:15pm, we were ready to order.

I didn't even hesitate to place my usual order of baby back ribs. For $17, I really don't think you can get much better value. Some people argue that the sauce is too sweet, but I've never had any problems polishing those babies off. Most of my family agreed with me and ordered the same. The chips were superflous, much to KB's delight. He has a serious love of chips.

Oscars famous baby back pork ribs with tangy hickory sauce $17

Dad ordered the T-bone steak with mushroom sauce. Unfortunately, when you put the steak side-by-side with the ribs, you're bound to feel rather envious. He thought it was okay, but not the best he's ever had. I don't think heaping random greens on top really added much to the flavour, either. Actually, the salads accompanying our dishes looked decidely uncreative. Methinks a luscious tomato wouldn't have gone astray.

Chargrilled T-bone steak (400g) with mushroom sauce, creamy garlic mashed potato and roquette $18

Rob ordered the sirloin steak with mushroom sauce. He likes his steaks dead, which can be tricky as most restaurants either undercook or serve a charred mess, but Rob seemed happy with what he got. Again, the salad was uninspired.

Chargrilled sirloin steak (300g) with mushroom sauce $18

You'd think we'd be content after such big mains, but we persevered and ordered a sticky date pudding and a concorde to share ($10 each). They were average - neither bad nor noteworthy - but the babies went totally nuts. Duke (pictured) could not be pried away from the concorde.

I think Oscars has become my family's favourite dining venue for special occasions when Mum doesn't feel like cooking and cleaning up. It's not hard to see why. Prices are reasonable, servings are usually pretty generous, and while the service can be hit or miss, when it's good the staff is very attentive. I have noticed, though, that the ribs seem to undergo a price increase in the vicinity of $2-5 every time we visit. I dread the day it goes past my price threshold, because I really, really love those ribs!

Oscar's Bar & Restaurant
84 Union St, Pyrmont
02 9660 5933

The art of ordering wine

2006-11-06T21:09:00.000+11:00

Sleeping through the Pyrmont Markets and eating leftovers and/or take-away for about 10 days straight has left me no bloggable food experiences over the past week. But looking through some of my feed favourites, I was reminded of this post over at Waiter Rant, appropriately titled, How to order wine without looking like an asshole. Make sure you get to #26. :-)

November is the month for...

2006-11-01T16:21:00.000+11:00

My cousin sent me an e-mail today, celebrating Girlfriends and Sisters Day, and this accompanying picture just made me laugh.

So I had a quick Google of other interesting calendar days and here are some for November which I thought were particularly inventive (not to mention food blog-relevant):

Nov 1 - National Men Make Dinner Day
Nov 7 - National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day
Nov 8 - Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day
Nov 17 - Homemade Bread Day
Nov 21 - Pumpkin Pie Day
Nov 22 - Thanksgiving Day
Nov 23 - Turkey-Free Thanksgiving Day
Nov 23 - Flossing Day
Nov 24 - Sinkie Day (on which you eat Thanksgiving leftovers)

I also found a site called Candy USA!, which has a list of all US Candy Calendar Days. I love that it has a distinct chocolate bias. Yum!

If you could allocate your own food-themed calendar day, when and what would it be?

Good Food Month Round-up

2006-10-31T22:29:00.000+11:00

Reb over at CucinaRebecca has a great round-up of the Good Food Month ~~eating~~ blogging marathon. Go check it out and click through some of the posts.

I think I'm going into sugar withdrawal at midnight...

Let's do lunch - Wharf Restaurant

2006-10-30T19:36:00.000+11:00

I'd been to the The Wharf Restaurant before so when Wandergurl mentioned her beef lust, we agreed to - ahem - do lunch during StuVac.

There's something so utterly delightful about dining at the Wharf Restaurant. It manages to feel casual yet elegant and the view is just gorgeous. Wandergurl and I were given the best table on the balcony, right at the corner. So we had a view of the Bridge on one side, and a lush view of the water on the other. With the sun out, it was the perfect setting for a long lunch...until the breeze picked up. Still, a little shivering was a small price to pay for some fresh air and the chance to have a sticky beak at the Bridge climbers.

Since Wandergurl hadn't had breakfast, we ordered a starter:

Chicken liver paté with with caper berries and balsamic dressing

Although I can tolerate it, I'm not a big paté lover. So when the dish came out with a kick-ass piece, I knew most of it would be wasted on me. Good thing Wandergurl acquitted us well. The accompanying crispbread was very addictive. It took a while to get through the entire plate, though, which made lunch a very long affair indeed.

For some reason, when we read the GFM blurb on the dish:

Braised wagyu with potato-leek gratin

we imagined a lovely, warm steak above a bed of thin potato slices. So I have to admit to being slightly disappointed to find a kind of stew with potatoes and a large, luscious mushroom. I was really, really craving a steak!

Let's do lunch @ Wharf Restaurant - $35

As the dishes were placed in front of us, I turned to Wandergurl and said, "It kind of smells like adobo."

After a few bites, she said thoughfully, "I'm sure I've had this before. What is it?"

So after a few twists of the pepper mill, I took a bite and announced, "It's caldereta!"

And to be honest, my Mum makes better caldereta. Don't get me wrong, the meat was absolutely tender but I kind of find it a waste of good wagyu beef to put it in a stew. After all, a couple of hours in a pressure cooker and any cheap meat is going to come out pretty tender, too. Wagyu that isn't steak seems a waste, to me.

There was also a lot of meat and the vegetables didn't provide enough of a contrast. The potates were bland and the mushroom, although soft and tender, couldn't really add a kick to the dish. Some carrots and extra flavours would have helped a lot.

"Would it be crass," Wandergurl asked quietly, "if I asked for fish sauce?" Hehe. Patis, the Filipino ketchup. :-)

So while the dish was decent - and for volume, it was definitely worth it - I just ended up craving my Mum's caldereta.

We had petal tea to finish off the meal. If we hadn't had the entree, I would have ordered dessert but as it was, the meal totaled just under $90 for two, which is pretty indulgent.

Oh, well. I guess I'll just have to come back for dessert another day. :-)

Let's do lunch at Wharf Restaurant
Pier 4, Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay
02 9250 1761

For a round-up of Good Food Month in blogland, go and visit CucinaRebecca.
Technorati tag: gfm06

Sugar Hit - Park Hyatt

2006-10-28T22:53:00.000+10:00

After several failed attempts, I finally managed to snare a reservation at the Park Hyatt to sample their Sugar Hit. Yay, me! I had been looking forward to this Sugar Hit since Wednesday:

Chocolate and saffron infused poached pear, milk chocolate and caramel crème brulee, and white chocolate and coconut parfait

Saturday night parking at The Rocks is serious business and we considered ourselves lucky to nab a space near the Sydney Dance Theatre. It was a decent walk but the night breeze was refreshing and KB was quite happy to skip along the sidewalk so it wasn't a problem.

We arrived at the Park Hyatt a little after 9pm. I was expecting to be seated at the littlekitchen, but we were directed to a lovely table in the restaurant. KB was seated in a wooden high chair, which was great - I didn't have to act as a human shield between him and the cutlery...and the glassware...and the candle. Although he made quite a valiant attempt to blow out the candle from the other side of the table.

Sadly, the service was just downhill from there. KB kept me amused with his antics and so wasn't until Rob started grumbling that I realised we had been kept waiting. For a very long time. You know it's bad when your toddler looks around with a concerned expression and asks, "Where dessert?" No amount of polite head-straining could stop a waiter. We just couldn't make eye contact with any of them. Rob watched in annoyance as a table of four at the end of the room, who had been seated after us, enjoyed their cool drinks and what looked to be...dessert!

Finally, Rob had to pretty much raise his voice to get the waiter's attention and he told her in a very grave tone that we had been waiting for 20 minutes and watched other people being served, without so much as being offered any drinks. The waiter was suitable apologetic, service picked up considerably, and our Sugar Hits arrived within about 10 minutes.

Sugar Hit @ Park Hyatt - $15

Unfortunately, by this time we were both stressed - having argued over grumpy dining companions, slow service and general dissatisfaction with the world - and increasingly concerned that KB's good cheer would not last long once we passed the late bedtime threshold of 9:30pm. It did help that the waiters were very attentive now, and the maitre'd came over to apologise for keeping us waiting. Rob was quite easily appeased, although I still felt flustered. It's difficult being out so late with a toddler because you know that once you hit a certain time, you're facing all sorts of horrors that you'd rather not have to live through - tantrums, boredom, hyperactivity from sleep deprivation, dirty nappies - any of which are likely to cause an abrupt and probably noisy end to the night.

But back to dessert...

The parfait was delicious and I didn't really taste the coconut flavour at all. There was a lot of chocolate syrup so it ended up tasting a lot more chocolatey than it was probably meant to. KB loved it, though. He refused to eat anything else. Unfortunately, the parfait melted very quickly so I had to eat it first, by default. I would have preferred a much more solid construction because I think the flavour would have come out a bit better.

The wine was surprisingly yummy. I was expecting it to taste the same as all the dessert wines served at the other Sugar Hits I'd been to but for some reason, I found the wine not so sickeningly sweet this time around. It was really, really lovely - neither overpowering nor insipid.

The maitre'd approached us to apologise once again, then came back to ask us if there was anything she could do to make up for the initial stuff up. We were happy to accept her offer of flat whites. Hey, this is a coffee blog after all. :-)

The downside to all the attention was that our dessert was interrupted a few times. I felt quite rushed as the parfait melted and KB started showing signs of overtiredness. Stress before dessert is really not recommended.

The poached pear was suprisingly good. I say this because I am by no means a lover of pears. In fact, I usually find them bland and uninspiring. But this...this was lovely. I could kind of see the saffron but couldn't taste the chocolate at all. The pear sat on what I assume was either cream or mascarpone - if I hadn't been so focused on keeping KB amused, I probably could have taken some time to pay it a little bit more attention - and the amount on the plate was just right for the cute little pear.

I left the crème brulee for last. I was surprised to find it somewhat...pedestrian after the more subtle flavours of the pear and even the parfait. It was very sweet - dare I say it, perhaps too sweet? - but it earned points for having a relatively crackly cap, which is my favourite part of the crème brulee.

In the midst of all this came our free coffees and what I'm going to guess were brandy snap-ish pieces. This will sound pretty shameful for a food blog but I don't know what the nuts were! Honestly, I was so distracted it was all I could do to pay enough attention to whether or not I liked what was going in my mouth. Actually, if I concentrate really hard...I think they were macadamias. Yes, macadamias. Lock it in, Eddie. *phew*

I ended up stuffing myself with the brandy snaps. There was something about them that made me want to pick another one up and stuff it in my mouth. Or maybe the Filipino in me just couldn't bear to waste all the freebies we were given. *grin*

When KB started devising ways to get out of his high chair - "Stuck, Mama, stuck!" - we knew it was time to leave before we traumatised the people at the next table (who, incidentally, had been waiting for about 20 minutes without so much as a follow-up from a waiter). But again, our turtle impersonations and subtle attempts at eye contact got us nowhere with the wait staff. Fortunately, KB found us a waiter, who stopped by to flirt with him. While she was telling KB how gorgeous he was, Rob quickly asked for the bill.

The bill arrived fairly quickly and the freebies were indeed free, which was great. But in what seemed to be the theme for the night, we couldn't snare a waiter long enough to hand them a credit card. After about 5 minutes, I just walked over and handed it to one of the wait staff.

Later, Rob and I would muse over the fact that they interrupted us at least 3 times over dessert to ask us if everything was OK, but every time we actually needed some service, they were nowhere to be found. His theory is that their service is so personalised that for people like us, who are only there for dessert, lack of dedicated wait staff means that you're likely to be overlooked. I'm not sure if this would have happened had we been seated at the littlekitchen.

I'd love to come back for dinner one day. I cast very longing looks at some of the meals being served to people around us - and with all the waiting we had to do, I saw a lot of plates pass by. The portions were very generous and Rob said they smelled wonderful.

I was really disappointed that I couldn't enjoy this Sugar Hit more due the poor start we had. I do think that in terms of taste, it might well have been the best so far. For a tasting plate, I think it's pretty hard to beat. The flavours were subtle and there was enough variety and volumen to make it worth the spend.

Because I couldn't relax properly enough to savour my experience at the Park Hyatt, the Sofitel still gets my vote for best Sugar Hit. Rob is also sticking by the Sebel, which is really interesting because I have a feeling he remembers that night fondly more because of the company and conversation than the dessert itself. Which just goes to show what a difference good service and great conversation can make.

Park Hyatt Sugar Hit
7 Hickson Rd, The Rocks
02 9256 1437

For a round-up of Good Food Month in blogland, go and visit CucinaRebecca.
Technorati tag: gfm06

Darling's Treat Patisserie

2006-10-28T14:55:00.000+10:00

I used to have a part-time job in Balmain while I was at uni and it was here that I discovered the profiterole stack and the Nutella pizza.

It's been a while since Darling's Treat Patisserie has sold profiterole stacks as a matter of course. Nowadays, they only make them to order. Which is a bit of problem for someone as organisationally-challenged as I am. After about two years of planning to order, I finally did it and picked up my stash this morning.

But before I knew it, Rob wanted morning tea so we all sat down for a little snack and I went home with my dessert box a little lighter. That's right - I ate one on the spot.

It was oh, so very good. But to be honest, not as wonderful as I remembered it. The old profiterole stacks were drenched in soft chocolate, whereas my ordered batch were drenched with cream. I did mention this to the lady at the counter but I was quick to add that it was still very yummy.

It probably just means that it will be some time before I risk buying another one again.

Profiterole stack - $4.50 (order the day before, minimum 2)

Darling's Treat Patisserie
355 Darling St, Balmain
02 981 2301

Sugar Hit - Swissôtel

2006-10-25T22:52:00.000+10:00

"Mum, are you still on a diet?" I e-mailed my Mum a couple of weeks ago. "Because there are Sugar Hits to be had this month!"

Sure enough, my mother decided she could break her diet long enough to indulge in some dessert. After finding out that the Park Hyatt was booked out for tonight, I managed to get a reservation at the Swissôtel. Mind you, the first time I was told that no reservation was required. But I'd heard this before so I rang back in the afternoon, spoke to a different person, and was marked down for a table of five.

I was a little apprehensive because I hadn't seen this Sugar Hit on any of the foodie blogs I normally check but I've been to the Swissôtel before and have never had cause to complain about their food. The GFM site described the Sugar Hit thus:

Warm Lindt Ecuador Chocolate Torte with Wattle Seed, Quark Mousse, and a Strawberry Shot

but this really wasn't all that descriptive to me so I asked the lady on the phone what the desserts were like. She told me there would be three items: a chocolate fondue...or rather, a pudding, a cheesecake, and a shot with vodka. Mmm...that sounded pretty damn good to me!

The Sugar Hits were served at the Crossroads Bar but they seemed so popular tonight that many patrons spilled over to the restaurant for seating. My poor Dad arrived ahead of us and felt so lonely sitting all by himself at the far end of the room. The rest of us finally trickled in between 9 and 9:30pm.

I'm not sure if it was because we had a toddler with us and kept moving about but the service seemed very slow. It might have been because we were seated so far away. Whatever the case, our order of four Sugar Hits and one chicken quesadilla with jalapenos took what seemed like ages to arrive.

The dessert wines, though, arrived within fifteen minutes. Although the GFM site stated that we had a choice of dessert wine or scotch, we weren't actually asked our preferences. We all got the Orange Muscat. Which was fine by me as this was what I would have asked for anyway, but I guess I like to be asked. It makes me feel empowered.

Orange Muscat

We watched as patrons who arrived after us tucked into their Sugar Hits. When we got ours at last, I was glad to see that the desserts were plated quite well and not lost in a ridiculously big plate. The chocolate pudding smelled wonderful.

Sugar Hit @ Swissôtel - $15

Unfortunately, my photos suck, partly due to the dim lighting, but mostly due to my brother who insisted on poking everything with a teaspoon. His theory was that I needed some kind of pictorial trademark so people would remember them. Theoretically, not a bad thought, but I'm afraid that random bits of cutlery poking out of my food is not how I want my food pics to be remembered.

The problem with this plate is that I love chocolate and will therefore endeavour to eat it last, if I possibly can. Which means I must go through the cheesecake first, thereby ruining my tastebuds for the less sweet flavour of the chocolate pudding.

Quark mousse, otherwise known as a cheesecake

The cheesecake was, in a word, bland. Even Rob found it unremarkable so that's pretty ordinary indeed. I think it suffered from being in storage all day. The kiwi slices and lone blueberry seemed a somewhat paltry attempt to liven things up.

A view from the top

Alas, the dark chocolate pudding tasted even less sweet after the cheesecake. I was slightly disappointed as I had expected to love it. The cake wasn't too dry but it also wasn't moist enough for my liking. The chocolate inside was also a lot thicker than I would have liked...but maybe that's the difference between a pudding and mud cake with hot chocolate in the middle? I was expecting a moist cake with a hot chocolate centre so that the texture balanced out the lack of sweetness. What I got was a slightly dry, somewhat bitter cupcake with a thick, gooey chocolate filling. It wasn't bad but it also didn't taste as good as it looked.

The strawberry shot was a delightful surprise. Perhaps it's nothing too out of the ordinary but it went down really well and tasted like a refreshing shot of daiquiri. I couldn't taste the vodka at all. It was really refreshing and I wish I had a glass instead of a shot. :-)

In the end, we were all left looking longingly at Dad's quesadillas, which were steaming hot and served with a generous dollop of sour cream. He was kind enough to leave a slice for us to taste. I'm sure that somewhere, there's a rule which says you're supposed to eat dessert last but in my family, this is the one rule we consistently break.

The verdict? Not bad for volume, but in taste it doesn't beat the Sofitel. Rob still likes the Sebel best but keep in mind that he has weird tastebuds.

Swissôtel Sugar Hit
68 Market St, Sydney
02 9238 7082

For a round-up of Good Food Month in blogland, go and visit CucinaRebecca.
Technorati tag: gfm06

Sugar Hit - Sofitel Wentworth

2006-10-23T23:05:00.000+10:00

My cousin and I had been trying for a couple of weeks now to hook up for a Sugar Hit. So when she told me she was free tonight, I was on the phone to the Sofitel to book us a table. I was no longer to content to leave my sugar cravings to the vagaries of fate. Which was just as well because when we turned up at 8:55pm, the hostess immediately asked if we had a reservation.

"Yes, we do," I smirked. I think we were first. Yay for us! We were seated at a table for two next to the well. Not very picturesque but I guess the better seats were reserved for bigger groups.

Dare I say it but the service at the Sofitel seemed a little...snooty. I'm not sure if the waiter was just very formal or if it's because I was wearing thongs (stylish thongs, mind you - with a long skirt). All the same, I didn't find the service warm and friendly. However, the desserts arrived relatively quickly and, from the way they were being brought out as the night progressed, the Sofitel either had a good assembly line of kitchen elves or they did a good job of preserving pre-prepared plates. And when it comes to dessert, I do value speed much more than friendly smiles.

I picked the Sofitel on purpose to try with my cousin because Rob is not a big chocolate fan and the dessert here was pretty much all chocolate:

Chocolate assiette - a delicious tasting plate consisting of white chocolate crème brulee, Valrhona bitter chocolate parfait and praline and a berry & milk chocolate terrine.

That description brings out all manners of drool in my mouth but does nothing for Rob. Luckily, my cousin is not a chocolate pleb so she was more than happy to try it out. And oh, what joy to have a dining companion who did not mind me taking pictures of the food AT ALL.

Even at first glance, we were not disappointed. No lonely white spaces on this plate.

Sugar Hit @ Sofitel Wentworth - $15

I was fully expecting to love the berry and milk chocolate terrine best but I found the berry just a little bit too sweet and overpowering. I would have preferred an all-chocolate terrine (which might actually just be a mousse, come to think of it).

Berry and milk chocolate terrine

The bitter chocolate parfait was divine but I made the mistake of eating it at the same time as the terrine. Again, the sweetness of the berry layer dulled the richness of the chocolate. In hindsight, I should probably have eated the parfait first.

Valhrona bitter chocolate parfait and praline (left)

And by the way, is it me or do parfaits normally come in a glass? I became very confused when what looked like a parfait tasted like berries and I was expecting bitter chocolate.

Anyway, my cousin and I agreed that we loved the crème brulee best. It was just so tasty and the sweetness was not overpowering. I would have preferred a cracklier crust but honestly, it didn't bother me too much. I could have eaten it all night.

White chocolate crème brulee

We tried to make this Sugar Hit last but alas, family gossip could only extend dessert so far before we found ourselves empty-plated. I gazed longingly at the other tables where people were just about to have their first taste of these yummy concoctions. Even after the last raspberry was consumed, our spoons continued to scrape our plates. At one point I seriously considered licking the decorative chocolate syrup clean. Discreetly, of course.

My cousin, who has been to three Sugar Hits thus far, pronounced the Sofitel's plate the best she's had so far. And I have to say, it's going to be pretty hard to beat.

Sofitel Wentworth Sugar Hit
61-101 Phillip St, Sydney
02 9228 9157

For a round-up of Good Food Month in blogland, go and visit CucinaRebecca.
Technorati tag: gfm06

Sugar Hit - Sebel Pier One

2006-10-20T22:52:00.000+10:00

Actually, this was supposed to be a Park Hyatt Sugar Hit but when I rang to make a reservation, I was told that I didn't need one. "Are you positive?" I asked, not wanting to miss out. I was told that yes, I definitely did NOT need one. So of course, when my friends and I arrived at around 10pm for dessert, I was told they were sold out. And really, no amount of whingeing was going to create three more desserts, just for us.

So we dragged our sugar-deprived bodies across to the Sebel Pier One. They didn't need a reservation. Service was not quite with a smile but hey, they weren't sold out so already our night was improving.

We sat at the lounges as we waited for our sugar hits. In the middle of the floor, there's a large area made of see-through material which allows people to gaze into the running waters below. Rob and BottlaRed (yes, she chose her own pseudonym) pointed out the jellyfish to me and fancied they could see some fish swimming about.

"Hmm, imagine how horrifying it would be to suddenly find a dead body floating in the water," I mused. They looked at me, slightly horrified, but I do think that kind of set up is a bit of a risk. If you've read any decent detective novels lately, you'll know that serial killers like to tie their victims up to those pole things and wait for the high tide to swallow them up. That was the first picture in my head when I looked down.

It took a little while for our desserts to arrive but with BottlaRed getting married in a month, there was plenty of conversation to be had. The Sebel's Sugar Hit is described thus at the GFM site:

Dark chocolate pot with coconut ice cream and champagne strawberries

When I read "dark chocolate pot", I thought of a pot of hot chocolate and was looking forward to cupping this in my hands after the slightly chilly walk from the Park Hyatt. But I soon found out that the description was literally of a pot - well, a small cup - made out of chocolate in which the coconut ice cream sits.

Dark chocolate pot with coconut ice cream and champagne strawberries

I'm not sure why the plate was so big but the poor little pot of ice cream and mound of strawberries seemed dwarfed by big, empty white space.

Sugar Hit on lonely white plate

I'm not a big fan of coconut, so the fact that the coconut ice cream was the piece de resistance didn't do all that much for me. Rob, however, found it delicious. I found the strawberries slightly sour (although Rob claimed his strawberries were sweet) which balanced out the sweetness of the ice cream. The chocolate pot seemed a little pedestrian in the face of these other flavours and was totally overpowered by the ice cream. But maybe I placed too much importance on the chocolate. Maybe it was meant to be more decorative than tasty.

We all had the Orange Muscat Aperitif, which was sweet and delicious. It was a little too sweet for me but my dessert companions loved it.

All in all, it wasn't bad for a back-up hit but I'm definitely looking forward to bigger and better things in the next couple of weeks. Watch me cram sugar into my veins.

Sebel Pier One Sugar Hit
11 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay
8298 9910

For a round-up of Good Food Month in blogland, go and visit CucinaRebecca.
Technorati tag: gfm06

Grand Philippine Fiesta 2006

2006-10-01T22:41:00.000+10:00

For the first time ever, I went along to the Grand Fiesta which was held this year at Rosehill Racecourse.

The first thing you notice coming into the event is...the smell of Filipino barbeque. Almost every food stall offered BBQ and a smoky haze permeated Rosehill form about 9am to well after 6pm. I went around the stalls twice to scope out the BBQ and fishballs on sticks, and I wasn't disappointed.

I have to say, though, that my Dad makes better fishball sauce. His home-made sauce has a slight kick of chilli, whereas most Filipino fishball sauces are invariably too sweet for my liking.

I was manning the Australian Filipina Magazine booth, so I didn't get much time to take food photos, but I did manage to snag me some BBQ and honest to goodness bibingka cooked in traditional charcoal ovens.

Charcoal ovens (check out the trashy romance novels nearby)

The stall was manned by these cute ladies, whose uniform reminded me of the Pink Ladies in Grease.Traditional bibingka is pretty rare in these parts and the line to get one was HUGE. When we arrived in the morning, I bypassed the stall because there were about 10 people in line. By lunchtime, the line was so long, I was told there would be at least a half hour wait.

Luckily, wandergurl volunteered to line up for me. She was there for about an hour and a half. Talk about dedication.

A family friend was also lined up at one stage, until he heard a woman order 28 bibingkas, whereupon he threw in the towel and headed off to find some BBQ instead.

The verdict? Meh. It was so-so. But since I hadn't had real bibingka since forever, I scoffed it down like a drowning woman. At $8 each, I reckon it was a bargain for labour alone. The charcoally flavour is something you just can't replicate using bibingka mix and a normal oven. I was disappointed to find that they didn't use salted egg as a garnish. Even though I normally pick these out, I like the lingering taste and contrast they contribute to the bibingka.

Sadly, I couldn't find any fresh kutsinta. That's definitely one Filipino dessert I have to learn to make from scratch.

Coffee Kat

2006-10-01T11:38:00.000+10:00

If you're wondering where you are, this blog is meant to be about coffee, dessert and friends. Because for me, coffee addiction isn't just about caffeine. It's also about gossip, chocolate sprinkles and listening in on the conversation at the other table. :-)

An "About Me" post seemed a good idea at the time. Watch this space. In the meantime, you can read tidbits about my life at my other blog.

The hidden wonders of Filipino cuisine

2006-08-29T16:23:00.000+10:00

Helen, over at Grab Your Fork, has a post on the Haldon Street Festival at Lakemba. She writes that on her way home, she grabbed a pack of kutsinta (spelled cuchinta for some reason - is that a marketing thing to make it easier to pronounce?) from an Asian store. As soon as I saw the picture, I thought, "Nooooo!"

I don't have anything against kutsinta makers but, let's face it, pre-packaged kutsinta tastes like rubber. There's nothing worse than anticipating the sweet, soft taste of kutsinta and then gagging on the rubbery texture of the store-bought version. Not to mention that they usually have a really weird aftertaste.

And I thought, If only I knew her, I could have told her that comparing store-bought kutsinta with those we used to get every Christmas from a close friend, or the ones I tasted at the magazine launch earlier this month - and which I intend to order for The Little Man's party - would be like comparing a Freddo with a piece of Valhrona.

What the heck, I'd invite her over to my cousin's birthday on Saturday because her mum makes the best leche flan, one of her family's closest friends makes polvoron, one of my titas is making puto and I'm sure my other tita will be ordering sapin-sapin. I'm hoping someone will order braso de mercedes but if not, I'll settle for halo-halo - even when it's freezing outside.

Oh yeah, and my mum is making the cake. She makes awesome cakes and I'm not just saying that because I like free leftovers. In fact, Mum made my wedding cake, which had three separate pieces, multiple layers, a staircase and a fountain. I kid you not. The cake was so damn tall, it was in the way of practically every attempt at getting a photo of the entire entourage at the table. Still, I was a bit miffed that she refused to make me some swans and latticed panels made of icing sugar whatsies. But she was the mother of the bride so I begrudgingly allowed her to have some sleep before the wedding.

Speaking of cakes, the non-Filipino fiance of one of our family friends has requested that their wedding cake be made of sans rival. OMG, can you imagine that? (Forget the logistics of melting butter for a moment and just imagine...) My brother likes to think he makes excellent sans rival, too. He does, but we don't like to encourage him because he makes a huge mess in the kitchen.

Even excluding dessert, Filipino food has so many delicious offerings - adobo, menudo, sinigang, palabok, kare-kare, our special barbeque sauce (you know what I mean, you can't find that taste anywhere else) and Filipino fried rice. I might slip in some dinuguan without disclosing the ingredients at least until after the first bite. For the ultimate test, I'd plonk down a bowl of burro. Eeew! Only a diehard gastronome (did I just make up that word?) would be able to cast aside the smell to sample the taste.

Or - the thought is making my mouth water - hito (catfish) with tomatoes and rice, eaten with bare hands.

But of course, I didn't say any of these things because I didn't want to come across as stalker girl. *sigh*

I don't know why we're so crappy at marketing our own food. I've seen so many Filipino restaurants come and go over the years. Many of them offer karaoke and are targeted towards other Filipinos. One day, I'd love to see a Filipino restaurant in Newtown or Balmain, rubbing shoulders with other cuisines that have been embraced by mainstream Australian culture.

So to the Filos out there: if you were hosting a dinner party for foodbloggers, what would you serve?

(BTW, I always thought kutsinta had pumpkin in it but none of the recipes online mention it. Am I crazy?)

Birthday extravaganza

2006-06-18T16:35:00.000+10:00

Birthdays are one of those events when my Filipino and Aussie natures clash. An average party, by Filo standards, has an invitation list of no les than 80 people, which is about the size of a wedding reception by Aussie standards. The only way we'd be able to afford a party for 80 people would be to have it at our little apartment and do the cooking ourselves.

For my birthday? Cooking and cleaning? Forget it! I decided to forgo the pain of cooking, cleaning and watching people trample all over the carpet and reserved a table at Oscar's for a family lunch. And by that I mean 20 of my extended relatives - that's our standard minimum for any family gathering.

We practically had the entire place to ourselves and the manager served out table personally. Twelve of us ordered baby back ribs and when they came out, everyone's eyes bulged at the size of those suckers. I think we must have eaten an entire family of pigs just in those two hours. I wish I'd remembered to take a picture. Actually, I did remember but by that time, my hands were drenched in sauce and there was no way I could get to the camera.

The following weekend, I organised dinner with friends, KKB (kanya-kanyang bayad, also known as Dutch treat). A dozen people turned up to Talentino Restaurant - I'd been wanting to try the food out for ages but especially since I tasted their creamy mushrooms. At first, I was afraid the restaurant would be much too intimate and, well, quiet for our particular group but as the evening wore on, alcohol flowed, people arrived (my friends were totally used to Filo time and weren't fazed at all) and general merriment all served to raise the conversation hum to a comfortable level.

The food was great! The Pão Ipanema, much like bruschetta but with fetta, was just delicious and the sangria was so sweet, it flowed rather quickly (and with this crowd, that's saying quite a bit). Rob had a Portuguese steak, which came with a fried egg on top, which he reckoned it tasted like a Filo steak. I thought it was much like a tapsilog without the sinangag. I had the Espetada, which as the name suggests comprised of meat on a sword-like skewer was suspended with a metal brace that was clamped onto our table. My dish was supposed to be good for two but I managed to eat all but two and a half pieces. It's my birthday and I'll gorge if I want to...

Mum made me a mocha cake, by request, so we had that for dessert. The cake was so tall, I had trouble serving it onto the dessert plates. Mum's pralines were excellent and people kept asking me how to make them. Ummm, well, you do...something.....spread it on non-stick paper and then break it apart. As far as I know, "Mum makes it" is the way it's made.

There are quite a few June babies in my extended family so the weekend was filled with FOOD. I've been having my fill of Filo food while I can. I scored some sapin-sapin, which ate for breakfast the next day, along with some of my leftover cake.

For breakfast? I hear you ask in horror. Because I had to get rid of all the leftover desserts in the fridge. Because there was a tub of Homer Hudson Beyond Fudge Brownies ice cream in the freezer with my name on it.

After all, it's my birthday and no party is complete without cake and ice cream.

Oscar's Bar & Restaurant
84 Union St, Pyrmont
02 9660 5933

Talentino Restaurant
9 Union St, Pyrmont
02 9518 8000

Multiple gastrorgasms

2006-05-12T16:28:00.000+10:00

Yesterday, Rob whisked me off to a surprise dinner at the Galileo Restaurant, attached to the Observatory Hotel. I was so excited when I found out (guessed, actually, but not until we were almost there) because I've been wanting to dine there for aaages. Rob apparently chose the restaurant because the menu sounded similar to what the French Iron Chef makes.

Dinner was preceeded with an egg cocotte with foie gras, which was just exquisite. We had the 8-course degustation menu with an extended entree plate. I was soooo full at the end, I thought I'd be sick. I was grateful to be sitting at the corner of the lounge where I could just let it all hang out and put my head on the pillow. Thank goodness we didn't have the Surprise Degustation Menu because frankly, I don't know where I would have put the rest of it. Although... I wouldn't have minded having a go at the chocolate fondant.

The chef, Harunobu Inukai, is Japanese but trained in French cuisine so it really was like being on Iron Chef. He came out to talk to the patrons (he even looks like an iron chef) and it turns out he's good friends with Hiroyuki Sakai (Iron Chef French) and that Sakai is coming over at the end of November to cook for the restaurant. I'd love to go but I can't really see us forking out that much money for one dinner.

The verdict? It was the best degustation menu we've had. Ever. It surpassed the Gekko at the Sheraton on the Park, which had been Rob's top favourite for over six years. It was almost the best food we've had, except I still choose the little restaurant in the corner of nowhere in Paris as my favourite - you just can't top the dumb waiter (as in the mechanism, not a person), the French murmurings and the little poodle (so frightfully unhygienic).

Galileo Restaurant
Observatory Hotel
89-113 Kent St, Sydney
02 9256 2222

My husband's love affair

2006-01-11T23:36:00.000+11:00

I wake up late this morning so I tell The Boy to use up my free buffet breakfast. "Oh my god, it was SO good," he gushes, when I ask him if he enjoyed it. "I was there for over an hour!" Later this evening, he casually asks me if I'm having breakfast tomorrow. I tell him I'm not sure - it depends on what time I get up. Pause, then quietly he asks, "Can I have your breakfast?"

We have dinner with different people; the baby goes with me to Balzari. Lygon Street is not yet crowded but a stroller careening through the narrow walkways is treacherous to unprotected feet. I apologise many times, but not very sincerely. The restaurant is surprisingly warm and free of the oppressive boisterousness of maître d's clamouring for business. The waiter helps with the stroller - the baby is a guest, rather than an inconvenience. Actually, the baby is a star.

He is also a glutton. And so am I. Even though I immediately select the rissotto with duck confit and mushrooms, I take another glance at the menu and cannot resist the puff pastry tart with caramelised onion, roma tomato and pesto mascarpone. It's for the baby, of course. Sometimes you unexpectedly discover a dish that is just right on the palate and this is what happens to me. When it turns out the baby doesn't like it, I share a few slices before demolishing the rest. He likes the rissotto, however, and requires two glasses of water to balance the salt content. The baby is so full, he refuses dessert.

We walk to Brunetti and the baby is happy to partake of the affogato - he eats the ice cream, I sip the coffee. I manage less than ten bites of the creme caramel before surrendering it to one of my dinner companions. "I was just about to get another dessert," he grins, as his fork digs into the delectable custard.

Creme caramel and affogato @ Brunetti

Meanwhile, The Boy is in a group of five walking along Brunswick Street. They decide on a Thai restaurant and, upon entering, are asked to take their shoes off. The Boy's friends are very tall. They sit on the floor around a low table and must stoop to eat. Their legs brush against each other. "Stop playing footsies!" they accuse one another, feigning outrage. Talk turns to the tennis players staying at their hotel. "I'm getting together with Sharapova," boasts one. "I woke up and she was lying next to me," claims another. "She's cheating on me!" roars a third. The table explodes in mirth.

The baby is asleep and I'm surfing the Web when The Boy quietly slips into the room. As he goes through his night-time routine, he asks me what time I'm getting up tomorrow. I assume he's setting the alarm so I shrug, which in the condensed language of our marriage means I'm trusting him with the decision. He is distracted as he goes through the final motions of preparing for bed. Finally, he tells me, "I want to take the baby to daycare at eight o'clock in the morning." I'm puzzled for a moment, then laugh as he sheepishly admits, "I want to be back in time for breakfast!"

They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. It seems my husband is having a love affair with this city. As he falls asleep, with eyes closed and a small, contented smile, he whispers, "I love it here. Let's move to Melbourne."

Café La
Sofitel Melbourne
25 Collins St, Melbourne
03 9653 7744

Balzari
130 Lygon St, Carlton
03 9639 9383

Brunetti
194-204 Faraday St, Carlton
03 9347 2801

Just a lot of waffle

2006-01-11T18:20:00.000+11:00

The good news is that I visited Waffle On (formerly known as "the Belgian waffle stall") on Degraves.

The bad new is that they're closed. So I sent the owner a text message...and found out that they won't be open at all this week.

The good news is that I found more exciting waffle places.

The bad news is that I may not have time to go there.

I think I might cry...

Corn ice cream

2006-01-09T23:04:00.000+11:00

My very first favourite ice cream flavour was not, as people might suspect, chocolate. Not even close. It was, in fact, corn.

Yes, corn.

When I was a kid, my Lolo (grandfather) would take me to his country club and treat me to ice cream. I could pick any flavour I wanted and I'm sure I sampled them all: chocolate, vanilla, banana, strawberry, ube (taro), cheese and the ever-yummy corn. I loved feeling the corn kernels popping in my mouth amid a swirl of sweet ice cream.

But we moved to Sydney and I thought that corn ice cream would forever be lost to me.

So imagine my surprise when I was walking around Melbourne's Crown Casino and happened to look in on the Japanase takeaway counter at the food court.

Long lost tropical ice cream flavours at Crown Casino food court

Coconut. Taro. Sweet corn pumpkin. And even durian. There they were, those tropical ice cream delights. I could scarcely believe my eyes. I might have even squealed.

I tried some sweet corn pumpkin on a cone. After twenty years, it was even better than I remembered. For this alone, I could move to Melbourne.

Japanese takeaway
Crown Casino Food Court
8 Whiteman St, Southbank
(the food court is along the promenade overlooking the Yarra River)

Celebrating the new year

2006-01-03T10:02:00.000+11:00

I'm so stuffed, I can barely write. I've been eating ham and pan de sal for breakfast, three days in a row now. It's so addictive even Jellybean has a bite.

Eating. It's been the story of my week, starting Christmas Eve. I was hoping to lose weight over the holiday...there goes that idea! My Mum gave us an electronic weighing scale for Christmas (mainly for the baby but I'm sure there was a hint there for me) and I'm too scared to buy batteries! Haha...

Speaking of eating, I recently discovered a blog by a fellow Filipino-Australian living in Sydney. If nothing else, the pictures are mouth-watering. I love reading Sydneysiders' blogs so if you know of others (preferrably personal blogs rather than political ones), let me know.

Last week, we attended a cocktail party to celebrate BottlaRed's engagement. It was hosted by her mum and just lovely. BottlaRed wore a sparkly tiara and there were fairy lights shaped into love hearts adorning several bushes (we suspect one or more of her sisters). I had copious amounts of champagne and caught up with old friends. It was very civilised and made me wish I had the kind of family that could behave long enough - and stand up long enough! - to enjoy cocktails.

Instead, I have the kind that needs to have the karaoke machine running and who measures party success based on the amount of food and availability of good seating. Oh, well, at least we never have to splurge on champagne - Coke is de rigueur and that's about it. We're easy to please. :-)

Lindt Café, Martin Place

2005-06-17T22:33:00.000+10:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was introduced to the glory that is the Lindt café. Yes, kiddies, read it and weep: Sydney has the very first, one and only Lindt concept store.

Before I wax lyrical, it's at 53 Martin Place (corner of Phillip St, behind Hotel Chambers). A nondescript brown building into which people disappear quite frequently. Don't bother reading the end of this post - just GO!

For the rest of you ... allow me to gloat as there are very few luxuries we actually get in Sydney, let alone have first! OK, so we have Tim Tams, but that's because we made them up.

S,o back to Lindt ... so far, I've tried the hot dark chocolate and the iced milk chocolate. Both were equally delicious. I need to taste them again to decide which is better.

I also had half a slice of their hazelnut gateaux--soooo divine, I can't even begin to describe it. I almost had a gastrorgasm at work while devouring it. Next time, I will buy a slice to eat in the privacy of my dining table. But first, I have to try the other cakes on offer. Cos, you know, I wouldn't want to be accused of not having an open mind ... or mouth, as the case may be.

This afternoon, after dreaming about it the entire day, I braved the chill to buy an Excellence 70% Tart. It's a chocolate tart filled with Excellence chocolate (70% cocoa). The tart is stashed away and hidden in our room because I really, really don't want to share it so I have to eat it when everyone else in the house is asleep.

At $7 each, the cake slices aren't cheap but if the hazelnut gateaux was anything to go by, it's definitely worth it. Even sharing it with one other person, there was more than enough to keep me happy--and that's saying a lot for a chocolate slut like me who will eat any half-decent brand (yes, I'm talking Cadbury, Nestlé, and even Goya) in great quantities.

My problem now is that the café is only a 5-minute walk from work. I can't stop thinking about it and the lovely, yummy goodness within. It beckons me, every minute of my working day.

It's lovely.
It's excruciating.
It's going to make me fat.

It's great to live Sydney.

Lindt Café
53 Martin Place, Sydney

Memories of caffeine

2004-12-17T12:10:00.000+11:00

There's a guy at the Borders café who makes one of the best mochas I've had in a long time. It's not watery with the chocolate mixed in. When I dip my spoon into the coffee, it comes out with chocolate dripping at the tip. It's not the best I've ever had - that would be at The Coffee Roaster in Glebe when I was still at uni - but it was close. Coffees at Leichhardt are almost always great, too, but they must always be evaluated against a higher standard.

My fondest memory of The Roaster at Glebe was the guy in the band (which band, I don't recall) who gave us the HUGEST froth on top of a cappuccino I've ever had. Ever. I guess he could tell how much we enjoyed the froth. Or maybe we were there so often he figured we deserved a little extra for our patronage. Ah, The Roaster...those were the days. Coffee was great, conversation was better and the make-out sessions...had their moments. Heh.

The there was Café Crème and the day I had three coffees (not necessarily from the same place, but that was where I had my third cup) and stood up feeling dizzy. That was the first time I literally felt heart palpitations from too much caffeine. Coffee was great until they refurbished and then it became average. Make out sessions were so-so. :-)

Worst coffee I've had - and here I have to qualify this statement by saying that I'm excluding establishments where one would NOT expect a high standard from the barista (e.g. Maccas, Muffin Break, etc.) - was at Starbucks. Yes, Starbucks. I don't know what it is about their coffee but they just don't have that...kick. They're watery or something. Their mochas are terrible. If I knew my coffee better, I could describe the problem but alas, my taste is instinctive and not intellectual.

Of course, once I find the perfect coffee, the dilemma becomes what to have with it. At The Roaster, it's got to be the chocolate cheesecake muffin. Nothing beats it for morning tea. At Borders, I love the mushroom quiche with salad - great for brunch. Café Crème coffees came with free jelly babies - great for extended coffee breaks (especially when playing hooky at uni). Gloria Jean's isn't quite so connoisseur but nothing beats a Coco Loco for a zap of sugar and coffee...with a mortal sin on the side.

A dessert called mortal sin will always be an indulgence!