Tag Archives: food

Macaroons

Posted on September 2, 2012 | 15 comments

A macaroon is a type of light, baked confection, described as either small cakes or meringue-like cookies depending on their consistency.  But the macaroon I am talking about today is the ones from Adriano Zumbo.

Adriano Zumbo is a patissier who is now a celebrity chef who has his own show on SBS and appears occasionally as a guest judge in Master Chef and he is the macaroon master.

The first time I tasted his macaroons, I was in food heaven and now I will never eat any other macaroons. They come in vibrant colours and just melt in the mouth. They comes in a variety of flavours like almond, almond butternut crunch, coconut caramel,  coconut jelly, coffee coconut meringue, apple, cream cheese mousse, summer pudding, peach bellini, strawberry and balsamic , pineapple coconut, chupachup, toasted marshmallow, burnt toast & butter flavour, vegemite sourdough, blue cheese & pear flavour and many more.

What could possibly be better than yummy Zumbaron? A chocolate covered one, which they called ‘Chocarons’. I know they are full of a lot of sugar and fat but I can’t resist one when I see it  🙂

 Look at some of his amazing creations and you will fall in love with his sweets as well 🙂

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Jamie Oliver Paneer, potato and pea curry

Posted on August 6, 2012 | 2 comments

Here is another of Jamie’s recipe I tried. This serves 4 people.

Ingredients

  • 250g Paneer cheese
  • 2 Medium potatoes
  • 150g Frozen peas
  • 300 g Basmati rice
  • 8 Green cardamom pods
  • 1 Small bunch fresh coriander
  • 2 Medium red onion
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 5cm fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp Korma curry paste
  • 1 tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp Ground tumeric
  • 1 tsp Garam masala
  • 1 tsp Tomato paste
  • 100 ml Creme fraiche (sour cream if you can’t find it)
  • 1 knob butter
  • Vegetable oil
  • Sea salt

Steps

  • Preheat oven to 170 (low) and place 3 bowls (large soup size) in the oven to warm.
  • Cook rice according to package directions but add cardamom pods to the boiling water. Meanwhile…
  • Roughly chop the coriander leaves and put to one side, reserve the stalks.
  • Peel and halve the onion, then peel garlic and ginger. Whiz the garlic and ginger with the coriander stalks and half of the onion in a food processor until you have a paste.

  • Place a wok on a medium heat. Cut the paneer into cubes. Finely slice the remaining onion in half.
  • Add a splash of vegetable oil to the hot wok then stir-fry the paneer with a pinch of salt until golden brown. Tip into one of your warmed bowls then pop back in the oven to keep warm.

  • Carefully wipe the wok clean with paper towel and place it back on the heat.
  • Add a splash of vegetable oil to the wok and when it’s hot, add the paste from the processor, the korma sauce, cumin seeds, tumeric, garam masala and sliced onion.
  • Fry and stire the mixture until the onions are soft and the mixture is golden and smells fantastic. This is your curry base. Meanwhile…
  • When the rice is done, drain it in a strainer, then place the strainer back over the warm saucepan. Add the knob of butter to the rice and cover with a lid or aluminum foil.
  • Peel the potatoe and cut it into little chunks. You want them smaller than your paneer cubes.
  • Once the curry base is golden, add the potato chunks and the tomato paste. Pour in 300ml hot water and stir well.
  • Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until the potato chunks are cooked through and tender.

  • Once the potatoes are cooked, tip the peas and paneer into the wok and stir through. Turn the heat off and cover with a lid.
  • Make your table look respectable. Get the cutlery, salt and pepper and drinks laid out nicely and lay out poppadoms and naan breads if you have them.
  • Get your warmed bowls out of the oven and divide the buttery cardamom rice between them.
  • Taste the curry season with a little salt if you need to then gently stir in the creme fraiche so it ripples through the curry. Spoon this over the rice, scatter with cilantro and tuck in!

You may also like :

*Jamie Oliver Szechuan stir fry with chicken and brown rice *Jamie Oliver’s Chicken Tikka Masala *Jamie Oliver’s Dan Dan Noodles

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Jamie’s Italian : Restaurant Review

Posted on August 2, 2012 | 5 comments

As you already know that Jamie Oliver is my favourite chef, I meant to go to Jamie’s Italian for a while but didn’t quite seem to manage. Finally last night I and my hubby decide to give it a go and we are so happy that we did…

As my friends had told me there could be a wait during dinner time as the restaurant doesn’t take bookings, we decided to go a bit early to avoid the queue. We were there at 6pm and were delighted to get a table straight away.

As we walked into the restaurant, there is pasta-making area in the front window and there is an area where you can have a drink while you wait for a table. The whole place has this big warehouse, rustic/industrial vibe. We were seated in the ground floor and we could see the frantic open kitchen where chefs were busy preparing food. There was an upper floor above us as well. The tables upstairs and down were all metal with graffiti walls, wire mesh and copper pendant lights.

Also when I went to the ladies, the bathroom looked like it was from the 1930’s with a dim light and old style basin and tap.

When we were seated, we were given menus, water glass and a jug of water. As it was a restaurant by an international celebrity chef, I was expecting the place to be pose and high-end with menu price at top of the range but I was really happy to see that he has catered for the mid range rather than high-end. The prices seem so reasonable and comparable with a normal café.

The staffs seemed busy but were polite and filled up your water as required.

Crispy Squid

Sweet Mini Chilli peppers

For entrée we ordered Sweet Mini Chilli peppers, stuffed with whipped ricotta, mint & lemon and Crispy Squid, fried squid served with really garlicky mayo & lemon. The size of the squid was not that big but for the price and as an entrée, they were fine. The most important part is that they were delicious.

As we finished the entrée and the table was cleared and while we were waiting for our main we got homemade Rosemary Focaccia Artisan Sourdough, Ciabatta & Tortano from their bakery Crispy Carta Di Musica. It was on the house and the timing was perfect. They were nice with olive oil and herbs on them.

For the main I ordered Osso Bucco Milanese which is an Aussie lamb cooked overnight with tomatoes, saffron, wine & herbs, served on oozy polenta Bianca.  AS ordered Tuscan Wild Boar Sausages which isjuicy red wine & fennel sausages served with a warm, minty lentil salad & salsa rossa piccante.

Osso Bucco Milanese

Tuscan Wild Boar Sausages

I was really happy with my lamb as they were so soft and they came off easily from the bone. The sauce was so yummy as well that I didn’t leave anything on my plate. I tried sausages as well but I didn’t like it that much as I found the flavour a bit strong for my likening but AS loved it. The food did taste fresh and  the portion size was generous.

Tiramisu

After the main, we ordered their famous Tiramisu which is a coffee-flavoured trifle with orange mascarpone & chocolate. As a non coffee and alcohol drinker, I found that it had more coffee and alcohol than most tiramisu I have had. The mascarpone layers were set and unripened and the cakey layers were a bit wet but overall the dish tasted nice.

I know as a fan of Jamie Oliver, I was meant to like his restaurant but my review is honest to my taste buds and I have to say the food actually speaks for itself. From the dishes I have tried, I can honestly say I loved them all. The service was always prompt and friendly and the atmosphere casual and welcoming. Jamie’s Italian is good honest food for the body and soul.

You may also like :

*Jamie’s Crackin’ Crab Briks, Couscous Salad & Salsa *Jamie Oliver’s Chicken Tikka Masala *Jamie Oliver’s Dan Dan Noodles

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Celebrating our Bollywood themed first wedding anniversary

Posted on June 25, 2012 | 7 comments

As I had mentioned in my last post, it was our first wedding anniversary yesterday and we celebrated it with our friends and family.

To make things a bit more interesting, we decided to make it a Bollywood theme so I was wearing my Lengha and AS was in his Kurta.

Me and AS in our Bollywood dress

It took ages to do the Bollywood themed decorations but at the end it was all worth it. Everyone complimented us on the décor. We used my shawls and sari for decoration and used some lights to enhance the theme.

Decoration in the room

We got a few gifts from my friends and family but the best one was from my hubby. He bought me a watch while we were Switzerland and I love it.

my gift

For entrée we served bara, boiled egg, chiura, aloo ko achar, grilled chicken wings and saag. For main it was rice, daal, cauil ko tarkari, aloo ko achar and chicken curry. The dessert was rasbari with yogurt followed by the cake. We cooked lots of food yesterday and we have so much left over. I am partly to blame for it as I am always terrified that we will run out of the food for the guests and so cook too much and always have heaps left over.

The cake was really awesome. It was a rich chocolate mud cake as it is AS’s favourite.

Yummy mud cake

The evening went well and the last guest left around 1 am so we didn’t do much after that. Just off to our warm bed.

Me and AS with all the guests

AS was such a great host looking after everyone that it made my job lot easier to coordinate everything and making sure the all the guests were eating and drinking well. Overall, a fun filled evening to celebrate our togetherness.

Here are some photos.

Bolly theme decoration

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Things are changing

Posted on May 16, 2012 | 10 comments

If a few years ago someone had suggested that we spend my day off cooking, I would have laughed my head off but to my surprise, last week I took my RDO (roaster day off) and that is exactly what I did.

As my husband was working that day, I had a friend come over. We didn’t have much planned so we thought it would be a great idea to try some new dishes. So we came up with a four course menu for the day.

It was

  • Aloo chop with golbheda achar 
  • Lentil soup
  • Chorizo and tomato couscous
  • Fresh green beans with pan fried mushrooms
  • Chocolate mud cake with ice-cream

Surprisingly the food turned out yummy even though we tried some of the recipes for the first time. They were all easy and quick to make so I am sharing the recipes here.

Aloo chop with golbhera achar (click here for recipe)

Lentil soup

Ingredients

  • 200gm brown lentils
  • 2 litres chicken or veggie stock
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 tomato diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tablespoon of ghee (can be replaced by butter or oil)
  • 1/ 2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • Thickening cream (optional)

Steps

  • In a large saucepan, heat oil and add turmeric powder and crushed garlic.
  • Once garlic is brown, add tomatoes and onion along with cumin powder and salt. Fry for few minutes.
  •  Now add lentils and stock and combine all ingredients. Bring to boil, then simmer until lentils are soft, 30 to 45 minutes.
  • If you have a pressure cooker, press it for 5 whistles instead.
  • Add thickening cream if you want to add flavor.

 

Chorizo and tomato couscous (from Coles website)

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp Moroccan Seasoning Mix
  • 400 g can Tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 cup Chicken Stock
  • 250 g  Broccoli Florets
  • 1 1/2 cups Couscous
  • 1 cup Flat Leaf Parsley
  • 2 Chorizo Sausages, sliced
  • 1 Onion, chopped

Steps

  • Heat oil in a large frying pan on medium. Cook chorizo for 1-2 mins each side, until golden. Remove from pan. Cook onion in the same pan for 3-5 mins, until soft. Add seasoning mix and stir until fragrant.
  • Add tomatoes, stock and broccoli. Bring to boil and sprinkle over couscous. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 5 mins, until liquid has been absorbed. Using a fork, stir through parsley and chorizo, fluffing up grains as you go.

Fresh green beans with pan fried mushrooms (from Coles website) 

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil, (from pantry)
  • small brown onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 300 g cup mushrooms, quartered
  • 500 g green beans, ends trimmed
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

Steps

  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the onion for 2-3 minutes to soften. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened and lightly browned.
  • Cook the green beans briefly in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, or until just tender and vibrant green.
  • Remove the beans with a slotted spoon and add to the mushrooms with the thyme. Season with salt and pepper and remove to a serving platter.

Chocolate mud cake with ice-cream

Ingredients

  • 1 cups hot water
  • 250 g butter
  • 200 g dark cooking chocolate
  • 1 cup cocoa
  • 2 cups caster sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten lightly
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
  • 1 cups self-raising flour
  • 2 teaspoon chocolate topping
  • Ice cream to serve

Steps

  • In a saucepan over low heat melt together, butter, cocoa, chocolate, sugar, vanilla and hot water.
  • When cooled add flour and eggs and mix well. The mixture will be very runny.
  • Pour into a lined 30 cm cake tin and bake at 150C for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
  • Allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning out.
  • When cool sprinkle with icing sugar.
  • Pour chocolate toppings on the slice of a cake in the plate and serve with ice cream.

You may also like :

*Momo *Bhogate Sadekoo *Chicken chili

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