Here's another 2 things I've never done before. Made shortbreads and roasted figs. In fact, I've never cooked with figs before ever. How did this come about then you ask, figs were on special in the supermarket. I bought some thinking I'd find something to make, and on the day of the Spiced breakfast bread, I made these for a delicious dessert. Dinner that night is a whole other matter. It will become part of a 3-part saga in the hopes I try and test the best pastry for quiche.
The shortbread recipe was surprisingly easy and they were delicious. Another of Gordon Ramsay's but a different book completely - Chef for All Seasons. Marty thought they were perfectly cooked, but I could have had them cooked a little longer so that they were a little drier and crispier. This recipe is also designed to be kept in a tube-shape in the freezer so you can have shortbreads whenever you like, and that's what we did. We only needed a couple each for the recipe, and I have frozen the rest. I cut off a couple the other night and baked them a little longer and they were incredible.
Now when it comes to shortbreads, I may not be a connoisseur, but I have grown up on the best shortbreads I think there are - in my opinion. Christmas-time was the time that my gran, and too my mother and aunt would slave over the oven to make homemade mince-pies, Christmas cake and shortbreads. And those shortbreads were melt-in-your-mouth. Hopefully one day that recipe will be passed on to me so that my kids can enjoy them as much as we all did - unless my mother wants to make them and send them down from Queensland. An arrangement I am more than happy with. Could it be that we only had them once a year that made these shortbreads so irresistible or are they just that good? Nothing store-bought has ever compared and I can safely say that as nice as my shortbreads were, they were a distance second to the ones I love with all my heart! It's probably a very good thing for the waistline that we only have them once a year.
The figs were interesting, and tasty, but following the recipe I would have added more liquid, be it butter or whatever was appropriate, to make more syrup so I could have cooked them longer and they would have got softer. I will also listen to Gordon when he says use a pan that's big enough, the pot I used was too little and was a little bit awkward to work with. Nevertheless this was interesting and when figs are roaming about again I will put in a brave second attempt, potentially enlisting the chef's help with the figs.
Stay tuned for the delicious risotto we had on Saturday, and the quiche pastry debate is set to begin.
xoxo
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
Spiced Breakfast bread - an update and the recipe!
Well that took longer than expected. Here's a link to the recipe for this bread:
https://plus.google.com/107346167256278601901/posts/DhUBqH8EkzQ#107346167256278601901/posts/DhUBqH8EkzQ
And here's the recipe:
Spiced Breakfast Bread - From Gordon Ramsay’s “Gordon Ramsay Makes it Easy”
Ingredients (Makes 10-12 slices)
• Butter to grease
• 3 free-range eggs
• 50g light brown sugar
• 250g thin honey
• 125ml milk
• 125g plain flour
• 125g buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp five-spice powder
• 1 tbsp ground mixed spice
• 2tbsp baking powder
• Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
Steps
Heat the oven to 320f/160c, and lightly butter a 25x10cm (9x5 inch) loaf tin.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl over a pan of hot water on the stove, using an electric whisk, until the mixture is pale and thickened (enough to leave a ribbon when the beaters are lifted). Remove the pan from the heat, but leave the bowl set over it.
Warm the honey and milk together in a small pan and gradually beat into the egg mixture until evenly mixed.
Sift the flour, spices and baking powder together into a large mixing bowl and carefully fold in the egg mixture, followed by the orange zest.
Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for 35-40 minutes until well risen, firm to the touch and golden brown on top. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes then turn out and cool on a wire rack.
Author’s Note
Serve warm, cut into slices. Best eaten on the day it is made, though any leftovers can be frozen. Delicious with a compote of cherries.
Ciao xx
https://plus.google.com/107346167256278601901/posts/DhUBqH8EkzQ#107346167256278601901/posts/DhUBqH8EkzQ
And here's the recipe:
Spiced Breakfast Bread - From Gordon Ramsay’s “Gordon Ramsay Makes it Easy”
Ingredients (Makes 10-12 slices)
• Butter to grease
• 3 free-range eggs
• 50g light brown sugar
• 250g thin honey
• 125ml milk
• 125g plain flour
• 125g buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp five-spice powder
• 1 tbsp ground mixed spice
• 2tbsp baking powder
• Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
Steps
Heat the oven to 320f/160c, and lightly butter a 25x10cm (9x5 inch) loaf tin.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl over a pan of hot water on the stove, using an electric whisk, until the mixture is pale and thickened (enough to leave a ribbon when the beaters are lifted). Remove the pan from the heat, but leave the bowl set over it.
Warm the honey and milk together in a small pan and gradually beat into the egg mixture until evenly mixed.
Sift the flour, spices and baking powder together into a large mixing bowl and carefully fold in the egg mixture, followed by the orange zest.
Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for 35-40 minutes until well risen, firm to the touch and golden brown on top. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes then turn out and cool on a wire rack.
Author’s Note
Serve warm, cut into slices. Best eaten on the day it is made, though any leftovers can be frozen. Delicious with a compote of cherries.
Ciao xx
Friday, March 09, 2012
Spiced Breakfast Bread...experiment
Well, I have been industrious in the kitchen - at times, and industrious at work, but writing...hmmmm. I suppose I could say the computer deleted my post, but that's as likely as the dog eating my homework! No, I have just been procrastinating, and what makes it worse is that the finer details of my 'industriousness' are slowly fading. Could this be old-age?!?
The sooner I share with you the better! One Monday I decided to stop mucking about and get into the kitchen. I had actually been missing just getting in there, donning my red apron and mixing up something different. I decided to start with something I had never made before, with some methods I have never used before. Recipe to follow in the next post!
This is a Spiced Breakfast Bread recipe from Gordon Ramsay's Gordon makes it easy.. book. It is very clearly set out, and seemed relatively simple to make, but when the moment of truth arrived, the result wasn't as desired as I would hope.
Don't get me wrong, it was edible and I have certainly managed to eat it, but it was not soft and delectable as I had hoped. I will say that I made one change to the recipe, which I hadn't thought a problem, maybe it was, maybe it wasn't, if any one's a breadmaker some guidance would be appreciated. The recipe called for 125g of plain flour (check) and 125g buckwheat flour (couldn't find) so I substituted it for plain flour. Could this have been the mistake? I followed the method of cooking to a tee, and when it came to checking the bread the clean knife I had used to test it came out clean. So I pulled the loaf out and left it to cool for 5 minutes in the loaf tin as instructed. When I can to remove it, it had sunk in the middle, and it seemed uncooked through the centre. Now, I've made 100 banana breads before with no hassle and never had a cake sink in the middle so I'm not sure whether it was the ingredient switch or a case of over- or underbeating in the recipe. If anyone has an answer, it would be appreciated as I'd really like to do this again, but I'm not in the mood for multiple flops! It's not good for my ego ;)
I ended up toasting a piece very generously and drowning it in butter, and then freezing the rest. The flavour was delicious. A really wintery, gingerbready smell and flavour enveloped the house for the afternoon and I was quite ready for a fire crackling in a fire place and a cup of mulled wine, but I can't keep baking a bread just for the smell of it!
I will post the recipe in a following post, and hopefully someone else will take a crack at it and pass on their comments. If yours is superb, pass on your hints and tips, or if any of you seasoned bakers can help let me know because...I want to get it RIGHT!!
See you soon,
xoxo
The sooner I share with you the better! One Monday I decided to stop mucking about and get into the kitchen. I had actually been missing just getting in there, donning my red apron and mixing up something different. I decided to start with something I had never made before, with some methods I have never used before. Recipe to follow in the next post!
This is a Spiced Breakfast Bread recipe from Gordon Ramsay's Gordon makes it easy.. book. It is very clearly set out, and seemed relatively simple to make, but when the moment of truth arrived, the result wasn't as desired as I would hope.
Don't get me wrong, it was edible and I have certainly managed to eat it, but it was not soft and delectable as I had hoped. I will say that I made one change to the recipe, which I hadn't thought a problem, maybe it was, maybe it wasn't, if any one's a breadmaker some guidance would be appreciated. The recipe called for 125g of plain flour (check) and 125g buckwheat flour (couldn't find) so I substituted it for plain flour. Could this have been the mistake? I followed the method of cooking to a tee, and when it came to checking the bread the clean knife I had used to test it came out clean. So I pulled the loaf out and left it to cool for 5 minutes in the loaf tin as instructed. When I can to remove it, it had sunk in the middle, and it seemed uncooked through the centre. Now, I've made 100 banana breads before with no hassle and never had a cake sink in the middle so I'm not sure whether it was the ingredient switch or a case of over- or underbeating in the recipe. If anyone has an answer, it would be appreciated as I'd really like to do this again, but I'm not in the mood for multiple flops! It's not good for my ego ;)
I ended up toasting a piece very generously and drowning it in butter, and then freezing the rest. The flavour was delicious. A really wintery, gingerbready smell and flavour enveloped the house for the afternoon and I was quite ready for a fire crackling in a fire place and a cup of mulled wine, but I can't keep baking a bread just for the smell of it!
I will post the recipe in a following post, and hopefully someone else will take a crack at it and pass on their comments. If yours is superb, pass on your hints and tips, or if any of you seasoned bakers can help let me know because...I want to get it RIGHT!!
See you soon,
xoxo
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Happy New Year!
Happy 2012 everyone! I for one am hoping this year is bigger and better than the last and am looking forward to all types of successes this year. For myself, my friends and family. And yes I do realise it's the 1st of Feb, but I've always felt like the new year really only starts in February. Traditionally, I seem to take holidays in January, or at least everyone else does so it doesn't feel like we're getting into the real world till now!
And to start that off I have realised that I need to be updating this blog of ours MUCH more regularly! We started it to be able to document and share our own culinary experiences. And we started that by delving into the world of Jamie Does... and how that progressed! As fun as it's been to do this ourselves, it would be so much more fun to do it with others. There are lots of you that have been party to the delicious dishes, well at least at the party and some have featured in pictures, or with notable mentions, but we want to keep discovering! There's only so much 2 people can do, and I know each and everyone one of my friends have dishes that they 'own', that they can bring out when they want to impress. You also all have interesting things that we can share! And so came the idea of 'Something New in 2012'. Each week we'd like to challenge ourselves with a new discovery! Be it a new cuisine, meal, cake or something old that's new for us (or me!). It's time to expand the horizons and get the taste buds rocking in all manner of ways, and here's where we need some crowd participation...
We'd love to have everyone join us and be part of that 'Something New'. Each week we'll set out what it is we're delving into, or someone can suggest it, and then we can all try it. Find a recipe on the Internet, in your Nana's old cookbook, or at your favourite bookshop, cook up the storm and share those pictures, comments and experiences on Facebook and with us so we can upload them to this blog. How does that sound? Are you with me? Are you? Let's think of it as a 40 week challenge. We've already missed 5 weeks of the year, and there are always weeks that it is too much - or we're on holiday, and to top it off, if you don't want to make the week's thingy, well you don't have to! It's not school and it certainly shouldn't be a chore.
And the most exciting part, it doesn't matter where any of us are in the world! Actually that's what makes it more fun, all those different culinary delights that could be shared. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!
I'm excited to get this rock'n'rolling and I hope someone you will be too! It's time to take this blog to the next level!!
Have a fabulous week everyone!
Ciao
xoxo
And to start that off I have realised that I need to be updating this blog of ours MUCH more regularly! We started it to be able to document and share our own culinary experiences. And we started that by delving into the world of Jamie Does... and how that progressed! As fun as it's been to do this ourselves, it would be so much more fun to do it with others. There are lots of you that have been party to the delicious dishes, well at least at the party and some have featured in pictures, or with notable mentions, but we want to keep discovering! There's only so much 2 people can do, and I know each and everyone one of my friends have dishes that they 'own', that they can bring out when they want to impress. You also all have interesting things that we can share! And so came the idea of 'Something New in 2012'. Each week we'd like to challenge ourselves with a new discovery! Be it a new cuisine, meal, cake or something old that's new for us (or me!). It's time to expand the horizons and get the taste buds rocking in all manner of ways, and here's where we need some crowd participation...
We'd love to have everyone join us and be part of that 'Something New'. Each week we'll set out what it is we're delving into, or someone can suggest it, and then we can all try it. Find a recipe on the Internet, in your Nana's old cookbook, or at your favourite bookshop, cook up the storm and share those pictures, comments and experiences on Facebook and with us so we can upload them to this blog. How does that sound? Are you with me? Are you? Let's think of it as a 40 week challenge. We've already missed 5 weeks of the year, and there are always weeks that it is too much - or we're on holiday, and to top it off, if you don't want to make the week's thingy, well you don't have to! It's not school and it certainly shouldn't be a chore.
And the most exciting part, it doesn't matter where any of us are in the world! Actually that's what makes it more fun, all those different culinary delights that could be shared. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!
I'm excited to get this rock'n'rolling and I hope someone you will be too! It's time to take this blog to the next level!!
Have a fabulous week everyone!
Ciao
xoxo
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Sensational Summer Salads... Part 1
I've procrastinated enough! I have been the chief procrastinator at home for the past 2 months when it's come to this blog, and I have no reason or excuses as to why. There has been food cooked, there have been times when the computer and myself are free for this meaningful dialogue, but it just hasn't happened. Armed with a cup of tea (Rooibos to be exact), I am now making inroads to the various list of blog posts running through my head.
And what better way to start my first blog from absence with the superfood du jour, quinoa (pronounced keen-wa). Those of you that read this blog regularly will remember a post from the beginning of the year about this wonder grain. And it's popularity has just been growing! Move over couscous, brown rice and any other grain pretending, this bad boy is the shizz! At a recent dinner party, not hosted by us which was even better, we got onto the subject of this exceptional ingredient. And after ticking off a long list of goodies - it's incredibly low GI, gluten free, high in protein, has antioxidants, etc, etc - the only real problem we found is that it is tasteless. Although Marty pointed out that this is not really a problem because it makes it versatile and can be used in so many dishes because it adopts the flavours of that dish. Another pro!! Quite frankly, if quinoa was a superhero it'd be Superman, without the Kryptonite.
So we know this is superfood, and now we know there's not much flavour, so what do you do with it? Marty's restaurant has it in their lamb salad, someone else was telling me about a Mexican restaurant that does a spicy salad with it, and I'm going to introduce you to my newest Summer Salad that has been added to the BBQ repertoire. A quick and easy Quinoa salad. And to make it even easier here's a link so you can enjoy it, and find some more tasty quinoa salads. http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/quinoa-salad.php You'll notice it's not only a vegetarian salad but vegan too, so is extremely helpful when guests arrive of that persuasion. For my followers in warmer climates, make the salad and chill it. Add the seeds and nuts and you don't even have to worry about a protein with it, so on those stinking hot summer nights or days when you want something fresh, healthy and filling this is the perfect choice.
The other thing I love about it, is that there's almost always enough left over for lunch the next day so you can feel very virtuous if you've over-indulged with BBQ food the day before, because let's face it, who hasn't!
Now, it's also really important to give the grain a good soak to get rid of the saponin which coats it because that will leave a bitter taste. I think cooking for as long as the recipe suggests overcooks it a little and it gets a bit mushy. Once the little white tail shows it's pretty much cooked and if you like your grains and pulses cooked al dente then taste after 5-7, then 10minutes to see how you feel about the texture. I would also add the toasted seeds and nuts as I serve to keep them crunchy, and not mixed through and then chilled.
I hope you enjoy it and if you have a BBQ failsafe salad that comes out each time I'd love to hear about it and get some recipes from you.
Ciao,
xoxo
P.S I'm pretty sure my camera has a picture of this and MANY other delights so I'll do an upload soon! I may even have a post devoted to pictures! Who knows!!
And what better way to start my first blog from absence with the superfood du jour, quinoa (pronounced keen-wa). Those of you that read this blog regularly will remember a post from the beginning of the year about this wonder grain. And it's popularity has just been growing! Move over couscous, brown rice and any other grain pretending, this bad boy is the shizz! At a recent dinner party, not hosted by us which was even better, we got onto the subject of this exceptional ingredient. And after ticking off a long list of goodies - it's incredibly low GI, gluten free, high in protein, has antioxidants, etc, etc - the only real problem we found is that it is tasteless. Although Marty pointed out that this is not really a problem because it makes it versatile and can be used in so many dishes because it adopts the flavours of that dish. Another pro!! Quite frankly, if quinoa was a superhero it'd be Superman, without the Kryptonite.
So we know this is superfood, and now we know there's not much flavour, so what do you do with it? Marty's restaurant has it in their lamb salad, someone else was telling me about a Mexican restaurant that does a spicy salad with it, and I'm going to introduce you to my newest Summer Salad that has been added to the BBQ repertoire. A quick and easy Quinoa salad. And to make it even easier here's a link so you can enjoy it, and find some more tasty quinoa salads. http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/quinoa-salad.php You'll notice it's not only a vegetarian salad but vegan too, so is extremely helpful when guests arrive of that persuasion. For my followers in warmer climates, make the salad and chill it. Add the seeds and nuts and you don't even have to worry about a protein with it, so on those stinking hot summer nights or days when you want something fresh, healthy and filling this is the perfect choice.
The other thing I love about it, is that there's almost always enough left over for lunch the next day so you can feel very virtuous if you've over-indulged with BBQ food the day before, because let's face it, who hasn't!
Now, it's also really important to give the grain a good soak to get rid of the saponin which coats it because that will leave a bitter taste. I think cooking for as long as the recipe suggests overcooks it a little and it gets a bit mushy. Once the little white tail shows it's pretty much cooked and if you like your grains and pulses cooked al dente then taste after 5-7, then 10minutes to see how you feel about the texture. I would also add the toasted seeds and nuts as I serve to keep them crunchy, and not mixed through and then chilled.
I hope you enjoy it and if you have a BBQ failsafe salad that comes out each time I'd love to hear about it and get some recipes from you.
Ciao,
xoxo
P.S I'm pretty sure my camera has a picture of this and MANY other delights so I'll do an upload soon! I may even have a post devoted to pictures! Who knows!!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Move over Martha...
A very industrious bug bit me yesterday, and quite frankly I'd be very happy to be at home today still being bit that by that bug and churning out jams and chutneys and whatever 'homely' things I can get my hands onto.
It all started on Sunday when I did a quick once-over the fridge to see what was needed in the grocery shopping. There, stuck at the back of the fridge was the bag of kiwifruit that Marty had sworn black and blue he was going to eat and enjoy! They were on special, 8 for $2 - bargain, and although I'll eat the odd one here and there, I'm not the world's greatest fan. But a week on, there they sat taunting me with their 'uneatenness'. So, I reached up onto the shelf for the Edmond's Cookbook for a kiwifruit chutney or jam recipe. It seemed an obvious starting point, and they certainly didn't disappoint. AND, it was easy!
My 8 kiwifruit were peeled and chopped, I even had a couple of old apples in the fridge that got used up in the recipe. However, presumption is the mother of all f%#k ups, and I presumed there was malt vinegar in the pantry. There wasn't and chutney-making was halted until Marty got home. I did have red wine vinegar, but learning my previous lesson with presumptions, I didn't presume that it would be a perfectly apt substitute. I couldn't get hold of the expert at the time, so back to waiting. As a good housewife I used this time productively to hang out washing, wash dishes and prepare the meat for dinner. And then rewarded my good behaviour with a glass of red! On his arrival, he informed me that yes red or white wine vinegar would have been fine and that malt vinegar was just what was 'in' at the time of the recipe. Good to know.
Chutney making resumed. The base of ingredients - spices, onions, apples, vinegar - were set to a gentle boil until they thickened and soften and then the kiwifruit was added. After an hour of cooking, it was set aside to cool, and I must admit that it tasted pretty good when I sampled a little before it went into the jar. I will definitely give a teaspoon a go tonight with my dinner, and we have a jar of it that will be a nice accompaniment to cheeses, or even a curry.
All this industry has got my fingers itching and I'm looking forward to the next fruit or vegetable that comes in excess. I'm hoping for some peppers and chillies so I can give Jamie's Cheeky Chili Chutney a go, and I can't wait to get the tomato plants into the garden so that next year we can make some more sun dried tomatoes, but also some tomato chutneys and sauces.
Now I'm going to spend the afternoon looking up other interesting things to preserve and make, and maybe another visit to the supermarket to get some more kiwifruit if it tastes good. Would love to try it with the white wine vinegar so that the actual chutney can retain some of the green of the kiwifruit, as opposed to it all turning a darker shade of brown. I'll explore the options before I succumb to green food colouring!
Ciao
xoxo
It all started on Sunday when I did a quick once-over the fridge to see what was needed in the grocery shopping. There, stuck at the back of the fridge was the bag of kiwifruit that Marty had sworn black and blue he was going to eat and enjoy! They were on special, 8 for $2 - bargain, and although I'll eat the odd one here and there, I'm not the world's greatest fan. But a week on, there they sat taunting me with their 'uneatenness'. So, I reached up onto the shelf for the Edmond's Cookbook for a kiwifruit chutney or jam recipe. It seemed an obvious starting point, and they certainly didn't disappoint. AND, it was easy!
My 8 kiwifruit were peeled and chopped, I even had a couple of old apples in the fridge that got used up in the recipe. However, presumption is the mother of all f%#k ups, and I presumed there was malt vinegar in the pantry. There wasn't and chutney-making was halted until Marty got home. I did have red wine vinegar, but learning my previous lesson with presumptions, I didn't presume that it would be a perfectly apt substitute. I couldn't get hold of the expert at the time, so back to waiting. As a good housewife I used this time productively to hang out washing, wash dishes and prepare the meat for dinner. And then rewarded my good behaviour with a glass of red! On his arrival, he informed me that yes red or white wine vinegar would have been fine and that malt vinegar was just what was 'in' at the time of the recipe. Good to know.
Chutney making resumed. The base of ingredients - spices, onions, apples, vinegar - were set to a gentle boil until they thickened and soften and then the kiwifruit was added. After an hour of cooking, it was set aside to cool, and I must admit that it tasted pretty good when I sampled a little before it went into the jar. I will definitely give a teaspoon a go tonight with my dinner, and we have a jar of it that will be a nice accompaniment to cheeses, or even a curry.
All this industry has got my fingers itching and I'm looking forward to the next fruit or vegetable that comes in excess. I'm hoping for some peppers and chillies so I can give Jamie's Cheeky Chili Chutney a go, and I can't wait to get the tomato plants into the garden so that next year we can make some more sun dried tomatoes, but also some tomato chutneys and sauces.
Now I'm going to spend the afternoon looking up other interesting things to preserve and make, and maybe another visit to the supermarket to get some more kiwifruit if it tastes good. Would love to try it with the white wine vinegar so that the actual chutney can retain some of the green of the kiwifruit, as opposed to it all turning a darker shade of brown. I'll explore the options before I succumb to green food colouring!
Ciao
xoxo
Friday, September 02, 2011
Some dining out delights...
I don't often, if ever review a restaurant except in conversation but there were 2 a couple of weeks ago that warrant a mention. It was my birthday a couple of weeks ago, yippee! I was blessed to not only have my wonderful husband for the weekend as he took a day off, but a whole week's holiday and most importantly a visit from the parental unit!
We walked ourselves around Melbourne's Art Precinct and shopped a little but most importantly dined in a couple of fabulous spots. The first on the Saturday night was Bistro Thierry on Malvern road. A true French bistro and a fantastic meal! I was too consumed by my food to take photos of every one's dishes so you'll just have to let your imagination wander free! I had perused the menu beforehand, as you do, and had decided on dessert, but i was waiting to see what my dinner companions ordered and how I felt that evening. We all had something different as an entree which was great. We all went pretty traditional except the chef. Dad had lambs brains, which he enjoyed. Mom had the French onion soup, which was delicious but a little rich for her, Marty had the calamari and I had l'escargot. The little snails were drowning in a lake of garlic and parsley butter and they were fabulous. I did use some of the freshly cut baguette to soak up the garlic butter and I could have had double the portion, but I'm really glad it was the size it was, light and delicious, because my main was fantastic!
Again, I went a little more traditional and had the duck which was roasted with oranges and served with a plum sauce. Marty had Steak Frites - steak and chips essentially, Mom and Dad had the flounder special - a whole flounder cooked to perfection. All delicious, and mine was the perfect size!
However, the dessert was by far the stand out of the meal and my mouth is watering just thinking about it! Mom and Dad shared the Crepe Suzette which I'm told was lovely! And Marty had the Profiterole, but I had the Souffle Chocolat. Unbelievable! When it arrived at the table the waiter - a surly Frenchman who eventually cracked a grin - broke open the top of it and poured thick dark chocolate sauce into the chocolaty goodness that as the heart of this dessert. It was served with vanilla bean ice cream which offset the rich goodness that this dish was. The ganache centre was melt-in-your-mouth, and the chocolate sauce dreamy. I kept filling up my cup of goodness until there was nothing left! Had it not been a classy establishment I would have been tempted to lick the bowl out.
On the Sunday, after taking in the sunshine at the Art Centre Market, we took a tram down to Lygon Street to show the folks 'Little Italy" and the various landmarks there - Brunetti's mainly. We purchased some cakes for dessert that night, but went across the road to D.O.C for a bite to eat. The food gods must have been smiling down on us because as we walked up a table in the sun opened up and there wasn't even a queue! We shared a baby spinach salad, a prosciutto pizza and a anchovy, olive, tomato pizza. I don't know if it was just the pizza or if the weather, the cold beer and the most wonderful company, contributed to that being one of the best Italian meals I've had here so far! The prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella pizza was by far my favourite and had a healthy amount of topping.
And then that night, Marty revisited the Beef Tagine and we had little bites of Brunetti's pastries to round it all off! All in all, a gastronomically pleasing weekend and one I had to work off the next week in the gym! I can't wait to do it all again!
Ciao
xoxo
We walked ourselves around Melbourne's Art Precinct and shopped a little but most importantly dined in a couple of fabulous spots. The first on the Saturday night was Bistro Thierry on Malvern road. A true French bistro and a fantastic meal! I was too consumed by my food to take photos of every one's dishes so you'll just have to let your imagination wander free! I had perused the menu beforehand, as you do, and had decided on dessert, but i was waiting to see what my dinner companions ordered and how I felt that evening. We all had something different as an entree which was great. We all went pretty traditional except the chef. Dad had lambs brains, which he enjoyed. Mom had the French onion soup, which was delicious but a little rich for her, Marty had the calamari and I had l'escargot. The little snails were drowning in a lake of garlic and parsley butter and they were fabulous. I did use some of the freshly cut baguette to soak up the garlic butter and I could have had double the portion, but I'm really glad it was the size it was, light and delicious, because my main was fantastic!
Again, I went a little more traditional and had the duck which was roasted with oranges and served with a plum sauce. Marty had Steak Frites - steak and chips essentially, Mom and Dad had the flounder special - a whole flounder cooked to perfection. All delicious, and mine was the perfect size!
However, the dessert was by far the stand out of the meal and my mouth is watering just thinking about it! Mom and Dad shared the Crepe Suzette which I'm told was lovely! And Marty had the Profiterole, but I had the Souffle Chocolat. Unbelievable! When it arrived at the table the waiter - a surly Frenchman who eventually cracked a grin - broke open the top of it and poured thick dark chocolate sauce into the chocolaty goodness that as the heart of this dessert. It was served with vanilla bean ice cream which offset the rich goodness that this dish was. The ganache centre was melt-in-your-mouth, and the chocolate sauce dreamy. I kept filling up my cup of goodness until there was nothing left! Had it not been a classy establishment I would have been tempted to lick the bowl out.
On the Sunday, after taking in the sunshine at the Art Centre Market, we took a tram down to Lygon Street to show the folks 'Little Italy" and the various landmarks there - Brunetti's mainly. We purchased some cakes for dessert that night, but went across the road to D.O.C for a bite to eat. The food gods must have been smiling down on us because as we walked up a table in the sun opened up and there wasn't even a queue! We shared a baby spinach salad, a prosciutto pizza and a anchovy, olive, tomato pizza. I don't know if it was just the pizza or if the weather, the cold beer and the most wonderful company, contributed to that being one of the best Italian meals I've had here so far! The prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella pizza was by far my favourite and had a healthy amount of topping.
And then that night, Marty revisited the Beef Tagine and we had little bites of Brunetti's pastries to round it all off! All in all, a gastronomically pleasing weekend and one I had to work off the next week in the gym! I can't wait to do it all again!
Ciao
xoxo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)