tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66344195371529765302024-03-13T11:10:08.534+11:00Abundant Appetitesfashionadjacenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12696414144526427261noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634419537152976530.post-23103959152691803682014-06-27T23:01:00.000+10:002014-06-27T23:01:12.219+10:00Mad Millies Beginners Italian cheese making kit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For Giftmas I was lucky enough to receive this very spiffy DIY cheese kit, good for over 10 batches of cheese (approx 6kg in total), as produced by "Mad Millie". This is the <a href="http://www.madmillie.com/shop/Cheese/Cheese+Making+Kits/Mad+Millie+Beginners+Italian+Kit.html">Mad Millie Beginners Italian Kit</a>
With recipes and all the ingredients you need (apart from the milk) to make some of the following:
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-So0uGqY94Po/U6vG2UYeM1I/AAAAAAAAGe8/j5dcFTnWbbU/s640/blogger-image--262232527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-So0uGqY94Po/U6vG2UYeM1I/AAAAAAAAGe8/j5dcFTnWbbU/s400/blogger-image--262232527.jpg" width="400" /></a>Fresh Italian Mozzarella and Bocconcini (approx 600g/batch),
Ricotta (approx 400g/batch),
Ricotta Salata (approx 100g/batch),
Burrata Mascarpone (approx 700g/batch).
I recently rediscovered the kit on top of the refrigerator and I had wanted to make mozzarella as my first attempt. We sourced some UN-homoginized milk (as some reading indicated that would work better) I got ready to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheesemaking">make some delicious cheeze</a>!
<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-XivAB0FYb0c/U6vGxGCeASI/AAAAAAAAGes/wb7lENebzfc/s1600/blogger-image--378715121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-XivAB0FYb0c/U6vGxGCeASI/AAAAAAAAGes/wb7lENebzfc/s400/blogger-image--378715121.jpg" width="400" /></a>Included in the kit are the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rennet">vegetarian rennet tablets</a> (the enzymatic agent that causes the milk to coagulate), cheese salt (which is iodine-free, so as <a href="http://curd-nerd.com/cheese-salt-kind-of-salt/">not to inhibit bacterial maturation</a>), citric acid (to acidify the mixture, allowing the rennet to act more effectively), <a href="http://curd-nerd.com/calcium-chloride/">calcium chloride</a> (to re-introduce calcium often lost in milk-processing) as well as the cheese cloth measuring pipette, and thermometer needed.
With my 2L of fancy un-homoginized milk, and the added backup of my fancy new <a href="http://supermechanical.com/range/">digital Range iPhone thermometer</a> I made my attempt, and ended up with ... ricotta.
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After the process, which may have been less delicate than it should have been, I balled my finished product, and let it hang to drain off the last of the whey.
I ended up with a mass of cheese that yielded 450g, and I let it sit for a few days to settle, before breaking open my ball, and seeing what I had wrought.
It had been obvious in my preparation that the <a href="http://curd-nerd.com/flocculation-method/">coagulation step didn't ever really happen</a>. I had curds, but never the solid custard-like phase that needed cutting.
My mozzarella failed, but I ended up with a pretty decent, if crumbly, fetta type of cheese.
At this stage I am putting it down to poor technique on my part, and not the kit. Whist I am fairly confident that the temperatures and times were right, as I had the digitally controlled and timed Range to fall back on, I have a feeling that the initial combination of ingredients, and stirring may have been heavy handed on my part.
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So whilst this first attempt certainly didn't result in the delicious creamy and plain ball of mozzarella that I had anticipate, I did manage to turn a volume of milk into a storable bulk of cheese.
I felt that it had sufficiently dehydrated to retard bacterial spoilage in the short term, and over the space of a few days, I broke it apart and sprinkled the product over a variety of dishes, like these patties.
I have successfully made cheese with this kit. Now to work out how to make the cheese I want to make.
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Apocalypse Equippedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10428624210703216087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634419537152976530.post-20585921030120812202013-04-10T10:00:00.000+10:002013-04-10T10:00:02.259+10:00Family Feats: Meat Cupcake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I wouldn't suggest this for dinner guests with any sort of finesse, but if you're looking to impress a younger group of diners, this one is a winner. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_1D5T0qCVnA/ULE6FdKv30I/AAAAAAAAHyY/GuE9Gav_i-Q/s1600/2012-09-03+19.10.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_1D5T0qCVnA/ULE6FdKv30I/AAAAAAAAHyY/GuE9Gav_i-Q/s320/2012-09-03+19.10.04.jpg" width="240" /></a>By using a muffin tray and a bit of imagination, I make "Meat Cupcakes" - or, if you like, individual Shepard's pies. All I do is line the muffin case with foil (I use bits of alfoil rather than muffin cases, as I find it's better at holding in the mince mix). Then using your favourite "Savoury Mince" mix, just spoon some in each case, add your mashed potato (I like to sprinkle some cheese on the top) and pop in the oven, just like you would a regular Shepard's pie. </div>
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It's up to you whether you pre-cook the savory mince and then just use the oven to brown up the mash topping and melt the cheese, or whether you bake this in the oven - I've found either method works just fine, but baking the meat in the oven makes for a more "meatloaf" consistency to the mince, it binds together better, and is less likely to spill when the "cupcake" is removed from the tray. The oven method also takes longer, so it also depends on how much time you've got. </div>
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I usually garnish with whatever's at hand - this time I had carrots, sweet potato and pumpkin so it was an all-orange extravaganza, I sliced a wedge of carrot to perch on top of each cupcake.</div>
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<br />fashionadjacenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12696414144526427261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634419537152976530.post-20981076375823404792013-04-08T10:42:00.000+10:002013-04-08T17:13:32.873+10:00High Tea with Mr Twinings at JJ's Bar and Grill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some time ago I was lucky enough to be invited along to a High Tea at "JJ's Bar and Grill" (in the Crown Casino complex).<br />
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Mr Twinings was just as charming and twee and entertaining as you would expect, he utterly charmed the crowd with his informative and cheeky banter.<br />
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At one point he asked everyone who put sugar in their tea to raise their hands and then declared every one of us who had confessed to the deed "A Bunch of Barbarians!!". For a bunch of barbarians they certainly fed us like royalty!<br />
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The High Tea spread was really lovely, with a mix of traditional offerings done very well (scones with jam and cream, lovely little sandwiches) and some innovative additions in both the savory and sweet categories.<br />
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This venue doesn't usually offer high tea as far as I can ascertain but if this was indicative of the usual standard of their food it bodes very well indeed - it certainly made me want to come back another time and see what they usually offer.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/760962/restaurant/Melbourne/JJs-Bar-and-Grill-Southbank"><img alt="JJ's Bar and Grill on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/760962/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
fashionadjacenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12696414144526427261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634419537152976530.post-30077029189460871152012-12-17T06:00:00.000+11:002012-12-17T06:00:02.617+11:00Review: Utaste Sample Box December 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The december uTaste box arrived, chock full of goodies to enjoy as the silly season begins! What's inside?<br />
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<li>Bruce Cost Fresh Ginger, Ginger Ale - we cracked this open (you know, to sustain us while we looked at the rest of the box). We are big ginger ale fans here, and this one.. honestly, it's one of the most delicious drinks I have ever had. It's spicy and sweet and tastes very strongly of ginger, it's got a bit of a bite and tastes amazing. I loved this so much I immediately looked up where the stockists were. </li>
<li>Caramelicious Salted Butter Caramel - a little jar of salted caramel.. tempting to just eat it straight out of the jar but the tasting notes suggest spreading it on bread, pancakes or heating it as a fondue.. mmm.</li>
<li>Ricci's Bikkies Cinnamon Sugar Turkish Bread - another thing we cracked open pretty much straight away - these are crisp and crunchy and sweet, very nice. They'd be amazing served stuck into a scoop of good vanilla icecream I think.</li>
<li>Farmer Jo Burnt Fig adn Cinnamon Almond Toasted Muesli - looks good, smells good, this would turn breakfast into a gourmet experience! Better crack out the nice brekkie bowls for this.</li>
<li>The Unexpected Guest Maple Roasted Almonds - Almonds and Maple Syrup is not a combination that's going to end badly, I'm quite sure these are going to be very tasty indeed. </li>
<li>Rhu Bru Rubarb Juice - interesting, and intriguing! I'm looking forward to trying this.</li>
<li>Brown Brothers Sparking Moscato - I love sweet wines and this cute little bottle would be just perfect to take to a picnic.</li>
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Another awesome collection from Utaste, there's a couple of discoveries here I would have been happy to pay the cost of the box to get! We're going to enjoy working our way through these very much.<br />
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fashionadjacenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12696414144526427261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634419537152976530.post-31381626157510471122012-12-12T10:00:00.000+11:002012-12-12T10:00:05.149+11:00Hotspots: Narai Thai Northcote (Restaurant Review)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We were out for dinner with one of my partners, for an early "Xmas function for the families", and the venue of choice was the Narai Thai Northcote, being somewhat central for all three households. We've been here once before, for combined birthday dinner, and this time remembered to bring along the folding high-chair for the baby! This is a cheerful, relaxed suburban Thai restaurant, if perhaps priced higher than I'd have expected for the meals.<br />
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Pud bai gapoa: chicken stir fried with garlic, chilli and sweet basil. I really liked this dish, the chicken and egg mix was delightfully blended with the sprouts. The basil was a lighter flavour than I'd hoped but the flavours blended sufficiently that I wasn't disappointed at all.<br />
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Pud khing: beef stir fried with ginger, onion and black bean sauce. This was a tender dish, with a light chilli heat, the beans were crisp, the onions sweet and the sauce rich.<br />
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Gang Dang; traditional Thai curry made from red curry paste, cooked in coconut milk and vegetables, with duck. We almost didn't get a shot of this one, as it was so delicious but we did manage this quick shot. tender duck, fragrant curry and a nice selection of vegetables. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1451145/restaurant/Melbourne/Narai-Thai-Northcote" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Narai Thai on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1451145/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>Apocalypse Equippedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10428624210703216087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634419537152976530.post-74056235404358269492012-12-10T11:56:00.001+11:002012-12-10T11:56:20.754+11:00Family Feasts: Beans, Bangers & Cornbread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some nights the pressures of a day at work make the prospects of a involved and intricate dinner rather unappealing, and something quick, easy and tasty is the order of the evening. I'm loathe to eat most things "right out of the box, and even when recovering from a crushing day, I still need to do "something" to my meals to save me from "meat and three veg" boiled pap.<br />
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I put the oven on, as there was still a chill in the air, and looked in the shelves. cans of baked and "four bean mix" beans stared up at me. Taking one of each, and grabbing the brown sugar, Keens curry powder, and some smoked paprika from the Oasis Bakery, I quickly tossed these together, in a casserole dish, and popped them into the oven.<br />
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With Thanksgiving coming up fast, I wanted to try out a variation of corn bread I had thought up whilst <a href="http://apocalypseequipped.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/review-dgp-pathopak.html">relabeling our dry-goods jars</a> and stumbling upon our<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masa"> Spanish corn-flour</a> (made with actual corn, rather than <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_starch">wheeten corn-flour. I quickly whipped up a batch of batter, substituting half the regular flour for corn-flour and plopped it into these cupcake moulds. Throwing this into the oven as well, I looked at the meat portion of the meal, and whilst this was cooking, set to defrosting something from </a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoth">Hoth</a>, our chest freezer.<br />
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The addition of the corn-flour added a very new flavour to the muffins, much more reminiscent of tortilla taco-shells than the more familiar, sweet gritty cornbreads I've made with just <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polenta">polenta</a>.<br />
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So, thin supermarket sausages. Not the most appealing of gourmet options, but entirely salvageable with just a few easy additions. I first heated the pan, and ducked out to the veggie patch, and harvested a handful of rosemary sprigs. After a quick rinse, and a dollop of beef-lard in the pan, I sprinkled on the stripped rosemary leaves, and laid the sausages on top. A substantial sloshing of balsamic vinegar, and throwing the lid back on, I reduced the heat and left them to sit, shaking them about from time to time to avoid sticking and to cook them evenly.<br />
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When the beans and cornbread were ready, I gave the sausages a burst of heat, and a second slosh of balsamic vinegar, and deglazed the pan to get all the sticky reduction onto them.<br />
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All in all a tasty meal, from humble ingredients. Apocalypse Equippedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10428624210703216087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634419537152976530.post-29545952579095816672012-11-28T10:00:00.000+11:002012-11-28T10:00:02.666+11:00HotSpots: Ghin Khao Thai Food (Restaurant Review)<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xltVQnaAoEA/UKsGCa8FjbI/AAAAAAAAHlc/swv_pFqCM2Y/s1600/ghin+khao.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xltVQnaAoEA/UKsGCa8FjbI/AAAAAAAAHlc/swv_pFqCM2Y/s1600/ghin+khao.jpg" /></a>
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We get out and about to lunch in the city at least once a week,
usually on a Wednesday, and have the chance to sample many of the tasty
treats and quick eats that Melbourne has to offer.<br />
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One such spot is Ghin Khao Thai Food, on Swanston St.<br />
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One of the things that I really appreciate in my tragically short lunch-breaks are house specials and combinations. <br />
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At Ghin Khao, these consist of the four "Flying Lunch Sets" which are universally set at $11.90<br />
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I order the "Set D" and following a short wait, my food arrived in this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triskelion">triskelion</a> (I know, its not, but close) of dishes and a side of rice.<br />
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I ordered the mango drink to go alongside my tropical meal. Alas, it was just mango juice with ice, I had hoped for fresh, with pulp, and maybe something else. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OFB-LD7c6TQ/UKoYe6aYfhI/AAAAAAAACx0/YsC6ydVT0Q8/s1600/IMG_3231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OFB-LD7c6TQ/UKoYe6aYfhI/AAAAAAAACx0/YsC6ydVT0Q8/s400/IMG_3231.JPG" width="300" /></a><br />
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The satay chicken skewers were juicy and well crisped, and had a delightful crust of marinade, as well as a generous dollop of peanut sauce, which was likewise tasty, and well textured.<br />
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The clear soup was delicious. Salty, crisp and flavorsome, with fresh bean sprouts and coriander to garnish, along with some fried tofu for added substance.<br />
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The "main" was chilli basil chicken, which was unfortunately disappointing. this may have been because I specifically ordered mine "without capsicum". I'm allergic to capsicum (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsicum">bell peppers</a>) which I can assure you, is extremely annoying when dining out. Conversely, I LOVE chillies. <br />
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The result is often that I get "no seasoning" when I make my request, and this seems to have been the case on this occasion. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Oeq3UXxLmcU/UKsEqGaTgSI/AAAAAAAAHlU/H5CF41aiWLs/s1600/2012-11-08+12.37.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Oeq3UXxLmcU/UKsEqGaTgSI/AAAAAAAAHlU/H5CF41aiWLs/s320/2012-11-08+12.37.42.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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We also ordered the Chiang Mai Noodle soup, (Khao Soi), which is a spicy, creamy soup base with crispy fried curried noodles to dip in it.<br />
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All in all, a quick, tasty bite to eat, close to shops and the hustle and bustle of Melbourne's CBD.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R3x_qsjQ76Q/UKsEcarpvhI/AAAAAAAAHlM/nGYsXh2IbgU/s1600/2012-11-08+12.35.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R3x_qsjQ76Q/UKsEcarpvhI/AAAAAAAAHlM/nGYsXh2IbgU/s320/2012-11-08+12.35.54.jpg" width="320" /></a>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fUqaqPZFFx8/UKsEIqmkpOI/AAAAAAAAHk4/Bzjck-FJlI4/s1600/2012-11-08+12.26.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fUqaqPZFFx8/UKsEIqmkpOI/AAAAAAAAHk4/Bzjck-FJlI4/s320/2012-11-08+12.26.49.jpg" width="240" /></a>
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1413368/restaurant/CBD/Ghin-Khao-Melbourne"><img alt="Ghin Khao on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1413368/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>
Apocalypse Equippedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10428624210703216087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634419537152976530.post-39689648491666767932012-11-23T11:06:00.003+11:002012-11-23T12:41:26.037+11:00Hotspots: Sushi Express Belgrave (Restaurant Review)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oDLs-NAOdFA/UKsLgNieJ9I/AAAAAAAAHmE/HDD7_5SUjM4/s1600/sushi+express+belgrave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oDLs-NAOdFA/UKsLgNieJ9I/AAAAAAAAHmE/HDD7_5SUjM4/s1600/sushi+express+belgrave.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4al5jSwMAH4/UKoRuWoXf_I/AAAAAAAACv4/8yjtyZy2Khs/s1600/IMG_3188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4al5jSwMAH4/UKoRuWoXf_I/AAAAAAAACv4/8yjtyZy2Khs/s400/IMG_3188.JPG" width="400" /></a>Every other Wednesday (or there-abouts), I take my 4 year old daughter out to play in the playground, followed by a trip to dinner, and her choice is invariably "SUSHI TRAIN!!!"<br />
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As four year olds go, she is pretty good about eating "funny-looking" things, once she knows they are good or fun to eat, she is hard to convince to try anything else.<br />
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Our regular dinner hasn't changed in the last year, which fortunately, is also something that I enjoy as well, and once a fortnight, isn't too frequent to become monotonous. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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Probably the most exotic looking thing that we have is the bright orange squid salad. This is a cold, marinated and tasty treat. We occasionally swap this order out for <a href="http://www.vegetarianrecipesandcooking.com/vegetarian-seaweed-salad-recipe.php">the seaweed salad</a> but recently, this has been the favourite. The occasional flake of chili raises my daughters alarm, but only on principle, this is a very mild dish, and cooling in its own right. In fact, even my baby-girl loves this.<br />
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Our second staple is the "crispy chicken hand-rolls" or <i>temaki</i> .Depending on her mood, the roll tends to either be eaten as intended, held in the hand and munched from one end, or in less-pleasing fashion, unraveled to expose the crispy fried chicken strips, cucumber, lettuce and tangy mayonase filling, before gobbling the rice and <i>nori</i> seaweed outer layer. I really enjoy these as well, and am pleased that we can share a nutritious and fun dinner that arrives ON RAILS!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UECnsFY5dAk/UKoRhJRK2SI/AAAAAAAACvo/wPSdbXDFbpQ/s1600/IMG_3186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UECnsFY5dAk/UKoRhJRK2SI/AAAAAAAACvo/wPSdbXDFbpQ/s320/IMG_3186.JPG" width="240" /></a> <br />
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Lastly, no trip to any sushi bar is complete without a serve of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gari_(ginger)">gari</a> the sweet pickled Japanese ginger, which my daughter refers to a "the spicy ginger". As a palate cleanser or just a delicious snack, it just can't be beaten, and on the sushi train, it comes in the coal-car!<br />
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I really enjoying eating here, the cheerful, friendly staff are always very understanding of me, my daughters, and the inevitable carnage on the floor around us. One day I may even try some of their other fare, but until then, this fast favourite is my go-to place for Japanese food "in the hills" of the Dandenong Ranges.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1622878/restaurant/Melbourne/Sushi-Express-Belgrave"><img alt="Sushi Express on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1622878/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>Apocalypse Equippedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10428624210703216087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634419537152976530.post-82608415346677205602012-11-21T10:00:00.000+11:002012-11-21T10:00:02.031+11:00Breakfast mashups: Frittata <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Taking a collection of ingredients from the fridge and pantry and turning them into tasty breakfasts for the variety of people we need to feed come weekend mornings leads us to some interesting mashups.<br />
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This frittata took <a href="http://apocalypseequipped.blogspot.com.au/2011/12/home-front-micro-farm.html">eggs from our chickens</a>, milk, oregano and rosemary from the herb garden, rehydrated dried mushrooms and herby soft-cheese. A serving of middle rasher bacon on the side finishes the picture. The first step was to rehydrate the dried mushrooms in a mug with hot water. The liquor was then reserved to add to the mixture.<br />
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I then fried the bacon, and put it aside, the rich grease adding to the strong flavour of the mushrooms and herbs which I sauteed in it. I then put them all aside and built this up from the egg and milk base, and fried it in that same pan. When mostly cooked, I returned the mushroom and herb mix to the top, and spooned the soft cheese onto top, and placed the lot under the grill to cook from the top. This is when I applied the reserved mushroom liquor as a sauce.<br />
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Served on some lightly toasted buttered bread, we had a very civilized, 20 minute breakfast. Apocalypse Equippedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10428624210703216087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634419537152976530.post-23657515061775520072012-11-19T06:00:00.000+11:002012-11-19T06:00:05.333+11:00Review: uTaste Sample Box November 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A lovely surprise for a Sunday, the uTaste sample box arrived.<br />
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This is a monthly box priced at $29 that sends a selection of gourmet treats.<br />
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What's in this month's box?<br />
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<li>eff Effervescent Fruit Juice - Lemon Lime - a can of fizzy fruit juice, came with an explanatory pamphlet (as you may imagine there's not a huge lot of explaining to do with this, the makers seem keen to distinguish their product from soft drinks)</li>
<li>Unforgettable Petite Meringues - teeny tiny meringues, that I had to fight to keep for the photograph, as my daughter was keen to snap them up immediately.</li>
<li>1806 Beer - Very strange to have a venue famous for its delicious cocktails send out a bottle of beer! Don't dob us in to the Australian Embassy, but we don't actually drink beer. This will be used in cooking, no doubt, or be foisted on to a guest.</li>
<li>Pana Chocolate - Coconut & Goji - Melbourne made raw organic chocolate, has to be good!</li>
<li>Currong Comestibles - Riberry Shrub - A cordial made from apple cider vinegar and </li>
<li>Baylies Double Choc & Belguim Chocolate Biscuits - it's a chocolate cookie. What could possibly go wrong?</li>
<li>The Wondersnack Co Bar Snacks - roasted nuts, look delicious!</li>
<li>Also in the box - a guide to "Beautiful Accommodation" in Tasmania & Victoria, along with pamphlets for 1806. </li>
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There's a lot of goodies here, there's definitely $29 worth of value here. I think this would make a lovely gift for a foodie friend, they'd remember you all year round if this kept arriving on the doorstep. You can have a look yourself at http://utaste.com.au/ if the idea is appealing. </div>
fashionadjacenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12696414144526427261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634419537152976530.post-59025219911297655902012-11-07T10:00:00.000+11:002012-11-07T10:00:08.490+11:00Family Feasts: Market Day Feast<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wu40XCtsbJo/UIfD-HnoBUI/AAAAAAAAGcI/tLVTNWpF5nE/s1600/market+day+dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wu40XCtsbJo/UIfD-HnoBUI/AAAAAAAAGcI/tLVTNWpF5nE/s640/market+day+dinner.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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A fortnight ago, we stopped in at the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.mulgravefarmersmarket.com.au/">Mulgrave Farmers Market</a> )Wellington Rd (Jacksons Rd), Mulgrave) and picked up some gorgeous local and fresh produce.<br />
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These, combined with more veggies from our <a href="http://apocalypseequipped.blogspot.com/2012/10/home-front-vegie-garden-update.html">front-yard garden </a>came together to make a delicious and wholesome dinner for the family.
We love getting to markets, not just for the produce, and social aspects, but also as a chance to find new things to taste and try. We had Tactical Baby along (having been on our way back from dropping Triceratops Girl to her mother's place) and she was likewise delighted to see it all, taste everything we did (apart from the wines) and generally going ballistic over all the dogs being walked. <br />
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MbOcWbU4Vi8/UISHGdwARSI/AAAAAAAACXE/O72CYasUTjM/s640/blogger-image--1255240620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MbOcWbU4Vi8/UISHGdwARSI/AAAAAAAACXE/O72CYasUTjM/s640/blogger-image--1255240620.jpg" /></a>First up on the menu was <a href="http://www.brasseriebread.com.au/">Brasserie Bakery Caramelized Galric Pullapart loaf</a> which was a no-brainer when we tried it at their stall. At first we balked at the price. $9 for a loaf of galic bread, but upon tasting it, even cold in the taster-plate, it was stupendous. They also had on offer some delights such as a sour-cherry loaf and a variety of "plain" sourdoughs, rye. We reheated this loaf by just popping it in the oven for a touch, it crisped up and the inside was still delicious and moist. As each other element of dinner was cooked, i popped it into the still warm oven to be ready for table.</div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-3Di3rieuV8g/UISHE6ulp9I/AAAAAAAACW8/wKtYMB4K3GU/s640/blogger-image--808752829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-3Di3rieuV8g/UISHE6ulp9I/AAAAAAAACW8/wKtYMB4K3GU/s640/blogger-image--808752829.jpg" /></a> We also collected some tasty thin, lean beef sausages. These were sourced from <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.otwayprime.com.au">Otway Prime Premium Grass Fed Beef</a> who had a variety of happy looking beef on hand, but we had to limit ourselves somewhat (this time). These were very tasty, no-gristle, all-flavour sausages, with a just-right fat content to keep it succulent.</div>
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We rounded off our luxury purchases (or at least what I'm showing you here) with this fine vino, from a very encouraging fellow from <a href="http://www.folinoestatewines.com.au/">Folino Estate Wines</a> who plied us with the sweet reds that we delight in. We settled on this light and effervescent Moscato Rosso for dinner, but also tried their Muscat, several other sweet reds and even a taste of their <a href="http://www.blogger.com/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grappa">hair-curling but smooth grapp<span id="goog_518802646"></span><span id="goog_518802647"></span>a! </a></div>
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This complemented the meal terrifically. <a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sOLjJPWzzJs/UISHB3_bmKI/AAAAAAAACWs/X5MNodvM7RQ/s640/blogger-image--1683430495.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sOLjJPWzzJs/UISHB3_bmKI/AAAAAAAACWs/X5MNodvM7RQ/s640/blogger-image--1683430495.jpg" /></a>
From the garden, I parboiled these <a href="http://www.blogger.com/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A9sir%C3%A9e_potato">Désirée potatos</a>. Unfortunately you can see that some of them were a bit too close to the surface, and were a touch green and had to be fed to the chookens. The rest were quite tasty, tossed with dried thyme and olive oil. The simple addition of herbs like this can really accent a plain dish, without overwhelming the flavours of home grown produce. <a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_VUf_DGKmIg/UISHH8puC6I/AAAAAAAACXI/X0WXvRfr7xc/s640/blogger-image--762905807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_VUf_DGKmIg/UISHH8puC6I/AAAAAAAACXI/X0WXvRfr7xc/s640/blogger-image--762905807.jpg" /></a>
Last up is another iteration of my "garlic and greens" This time the top of leek (yes, even the green leaves are edible) was sauteed in butter until soft and sweet, then removed from heat, and the bottom was again sauteed with roughly chopped garlic to form something like a <a href="http://www.blogger.com/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofrito">tomato-free sofrito</a>. Once golden, the greens were stirred back through, and the meal was ready!
Simple, satisfying and tasty food, done in minutes. Farm or garden fresh ingredients can really add a subtle improvement in taste, especially if one doesn't mask them.
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Apocalypse Equippedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10428624210703216087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634419537152976530.post-48618501146196095382012-11-05T11:40:00.000+11:002012-11-05T11:40:20.141+11:00Delightful Desserts: Tapioca Pudding Recipe<br />
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A very old-fashioned dessert but new to me - I can't resist a bargain bin, so when a packet of tapioca wound up in there for twenty cents, I took it home, determined to learn how to cook the stuff.<br />
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It was easy, and tasty!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aGq5VY9gD-w/UI4ESWD6sfI/AAAAAAAAGsw/90FT6lICY24/s1600/McKenzies_Seed_Tapioca_Sago_main_1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aGq5VY9gD-w/UI4ESWD6sfI/AAAAAAAAGsw/90FT6lICY24/s1600/McKenzies_Seed_Tapioca_Sago_main_1.jpeg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UDI9DIuytEo/UI4ETelyL8I/AAAAAAAAGs4/TaL2jdh6Ebs/s1600/Tapioca_Seeds_Tapioca_Pearl_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UDI9DIuytEo/UI4ETelyL8I/AAAAAAAAGs4/TaL2jdh6Ebs/s320/Tapioca_Seeds_Tapioca_Pearl_.jpg" width="320" /></a>First, I combined 1 cup of tapioca and 3 cups of milk and bought that to the boil. I let it simmer for 5 minutes or so until the tapioca looked soft and swollen. Then, I slowly stirred in half a cup of sugar, and once that had mixed in nicely, I added two beaten eggs. (some of our chooks lay blue eggs, so I used two of these. They're the same on the inside - but like all home-grown stuff taste much nicer than the stuff from the supermarket).<br />
Finally I added a healthy dose of vanilla (I love vanilla so I'm always generous when adding it to things), and I stirred the mixture until it became thick and porridge like. To serve I added a light sprinkle of cinnamon on top, just because it goes so nicely with vanilla flavoured things.<br />
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The result pleased everyone who tried it - it tasted like vanilla custard, with a satisfying chewy texture. It was nice hot, and was enjoyed cold the next day, too.<br />
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A word of warning - just like porridge, this will set like concrete if you don't attend to your saucepan and bowls quickly once you're done with them. Pretty sure you could use this to repair your house if you needed to.<br />
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This is a really cheap dessert that is very easy to make - just the thing for the hungry hordes who hopefully ask, "Is there dessert?"<br />
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<br />fashionadjacenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12696414144526427261noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634419537152976530.post-83773505143726279452012-11-03T00:00:00.000+11:002012-11-03T00:00:08.476+11:00Family Feasts: Lamb with Mougrabieh (Big Couscous)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here's something I put together the other night that turned out very tasty - Lamb and Mougrabieh (Big Couscous). Couscous is a family favourite, I always pick it up at a bulk foods store in every size they sell it - I love how the texture changes as it gets bigger. The big stuff like this is almost gnocchi-like - a pleasantly chewy texture that makes any meal hearty. </div>
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I remembered to take photos while I was cooking! </div>
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I started by searing the lamb - these are lamb chump chops (one of the cheapest cuts of lamb you can get, I think!), these were pre-marinaded in garlic and lemon. The brand is Campbells - no idea where we got this from, I just fished it out of our chest freezer!</div>
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Then, I looked at what veggies we had on hand - broccoli, leek, carrots and potato as it turned out, so I coarsely chopped these (wanted them to be big chunky bites and not disintegrate, as I intended to let the lamb simmer).<br />
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In a second saucepan, I put the couscous on - following the instructions on the packet, I salted the water and let it come to the boil before putting the couscous in. We got this from the Oasis Bakery - so much more than a bakery, I'll talk more about this amazing place in a post soon.<br />
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Then, I added water, stock cubes (Oxo brand) and left it to simmer until the lamb was falling off the bones.<br />
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Just before serving, I strained and added the couscous to the dish, which soaked up all the delicious stock and changed it from a soup to a stew instantly.<br />
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This was well received by the hungry hordes, a tasty and filling meal for a cold night.<br />
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<br />fashionadjacenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12696414144526427261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634419537152976530.post-55480686357379300832012-10-29T14:12:00.000+11:002012-10-29T14:20:00.703+11:00Winglets, greens and pasta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a0FOcCPj4UI/UISGM5__quI/AAAAAAAACV8/rV3HdT8zSok/s640/blogger-image-231203519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a0FOcCPj4UI/UISGM5__quI/AAAAAAAACV8/rV3HdT8zSok/s640/blogger-image-231203519.jpg" /></a>One of the difficulties that many parents face is how to make a healthy, hearty meal, that will be accepted by picky toddlers and finicky teens. Thankfully, I at least don't have to face those two dreaded parenting cooking issues "I'm a vegetarian now" and "I don't eat carbs now". This is a quick meal I threw together, once I realized how many mouths I was expecting. I like to make my spaghetti <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_dente">Al dente</a>, both for its slightly lower-GI rating, and also because it copes with being played with by little hands better. I tend to toss mine in butter or olive oil after straining, to keep it from clumping and add a little richness.</div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-XkjLchMbbN0/UISGLUKDE-I/AAAAAAAACV0/2wyv9qkyNH8/s640/blogger-image--328237514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-XkjLchMbbN0/UISGLUKDE-I/AAAAAAAACV0/2wyv9qkyNH8/s640/blogger-image--328237514.jpg" /></a> For greens, I went out to <a href="http://apocalypseequipped.blogspot.com/2012/10/home-front-vegie-garden-update.html">our veggie patch</a> with Triceratops Girl, and picked a mess of spring onions and kale. I'm always glad when she takes an interest in where her food comes from, and hope this carries on in all we grow, make and eat. The kale and spring onions were washed and blanched, then chopped and sauteed in beef lard which had crushed and diced garlic cloves previously browned in it. I didn't want to over cook the kale, wanting to lock in its flavour and not letting it loose that emerald green colour or turn to mush. </div>
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-u3KSkEiHXWc/UISGOYFgMqI/AAAAAAAACWA/GC2YqOhMJE4/s640/blogger-image--1178782373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-u3KSkEiHXWc/UISGOYFgMqI/AAAAAAAACWA/GC2YqOhMJE4/s640/blogger-image--1178782373.jpg" /></a> The winglets were the easiest par by far. Pre-marinated honey-soy winglets and drummettes in a "family pack" from the <a href="http://aldi.com.au/">meat section of Aldi</a>. This is always a good option, and keeps our chest-freezer well stocked. To do these I greased the eathernware dish that would fir the chicken evenly, poured in the meat, and baked them in the oven until the raised winglets tips were crisped and the marinade was sizzling.
All in all this meal was both very quick, easy to prepare and pleasing to both the picky and finicky eaters of the house, whilst being flavoursome and hearty enough for the more mature palates as well.</div>
Apocalypse Equippedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10428624210703216087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634419537152976530.post-54237849353178272252012-10-27T00:00:00.000+11:002012-11-20T14:54:37.354+11:00Hotspots: Self Preservation (Restaurant Review)<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZlE06wMT1L8/UIi6lJLJeGI/AAAAAAAAGco/0riROp1uwlI/s1600/selfpreservationtitle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZlE06wMT1L8/UIi6lJLJeGI/AAAAAAAAGco/0riROp1uwlI/s1600/selfpreservationtitle.jpg" /></a>Up the top of Bourke St is an oh-so-hip cafe. They have all sorts of delicious looking things in the window, the smell of coffee wafting through the air and an eclectic range of art on the walls.. how could I resist?<br />
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Inside you also find jewellery along with the art for sale and lots of cosy little tables. It manages to give the impression of both airy open space and intimacy.<br />
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I had a cappuccino, which was just fine, and a slice of chocolate tart, which was really good - it came with a little jug of thick cream and fresh raspberries on the top, and a generous dusting of cocoa - perhaps a touch too much cocoa, I inhaled as I tried the first bite and spluttered a bit at all the powder.. but the tart itself was rich, simple and sublime.<br />
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They had a number of delicious looking savouries and sweets in the window and a cheese-board of the day as well, which looked very enticing.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1500988/restaurant/CBD/Self-Preservation-Melbourne" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Self Preservation on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1500988/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a>All in all a gorgeous little slice of Europe in the heart of Melbourne, well worth a visit.<br />
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<a href="http://www.selfpreservation.com.au/" target="_blank">Self Preservation</a> is at 70 Bourke St, Melbourne.<br />
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<i>I paid for my own meal and didn't identify myself as a blogger. </i><br />
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fashionadjacenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12696414144526427261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634419537152976530.post-91350510123434278002012-10-24T13:45:00.001+11:002012-10-24T17:46:38.029+11:00Family Feasts: Indian Style<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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For my first post here, I thought I would begin with a home-cooked meal I made for my family: my partners Omega, (my co-author here, and author of <a href="http://www.fashionadjacent.com/" target="_blank">Fashion Adjacent</a>) and Anastasia, Mz Anime (Omega's 15y/o daughter) and Tactical Baby (Omega and my 17m/o baby girl). Tactical Baby gets her name from my other blog, <a href="http://www.apocalypseequipped.com/">Apocalypse Equipped</a>, check it out of that takes your fancy. We have a large household, with two housemates, and one night a week my other daughter, Triceratops Girl (4y/o) so between them, and frequent other visitors (like Anastasia) I like to have a variety of ingredients I can put a meal together out of and tailor for taste and number of mouths, on the fly. This is one such meal:<br />
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This is a red lentil dahhl that I put together by simply simmering dry lentils in a pan with water, adding more as it cooked, with a dash of a mixed Indian spice packet a colleague gifted me (it's in Hindi, so I can;t really tell you much about it, but I added it "to-taste" and kept it at the mild end of flavorsome. Once it was mostly cooked, I added dollops of "Smashed Cheese" dip we had gotten from the <a href="http://www.oasisbakery.com.au/">Oasis Bakery</a>. I let it simmer further, till the cheese heated up, and served it sizzling in the pan. <br />
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The second dish was roughly chopped broccoli (stalks included, because I think they are quite tasty, and always try to use all available components of food). I braised this in a pan with rendered bacon fat, and once mostly cooked through, topped with the remains of the fabulous <a href="http://www.superkitchenmachine.com/2011/11687/bacon-jam-recipe-thermomix.html">bacon-jam</a> that friends of ours gifted us a while back, and we had been rationing. Tossing the broccoli through the jam coated it, and following deglazing the pan, I returned the brownings to the bowl for added crunchy flavours.<br />
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The purple rice comes in a mix which included regular long-grain rice, split peas and <a href="http://www.purple-sticky-rice.com/">"purple sticky rice"</a> which I treat like wild rice, and generally cook in the microwave, at a 1 cup rice-mix to 3 cups of water ratio. It is a delightful, hearty, sticky dish, slightly sweet, and subtly flavoured. Perfect accompaniment for this meal, I thought.<br />
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Lastly, was the pre-marinated Tandoori mix butterflied chicken, (from Safeway), which I grilled. Before grilling, I also re-spiced this with a dry Tandoor spice mix that my same colleague had gifted me, to add to the flavour, and vary it from simply a "store-bought" meal. Butterflying the chicken makes it much easier to cook, I find, especially when getting a bunch of components together at once, whilst not wanting to run the oven. I also like grilling, because of the slight charring you can get to the edges and skin, which harkens back to the authenticity of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandoor">cooking in a tandoor oven</a>.<br />
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We had a lovely meal, no complaints from fussy teenager, and Tactical Baby ate with gusto. <br />
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Apocalypse Equippedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10428624210703216087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6634419537152976530.post-52654193879355393852012-10-22T13:04:00.000+11:002012-11-20T14:56:01.109+11:00HotSpots: French Fantasies (Restaurant Review)<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zjCgDkbeBn8/UISZGESO6OI/AAAAAAAAGXQ/Dcl3BTHvm-8/s1600/frenchfantasies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zjCgDkbeBn8/UISZGESO6OI/AAAAAAAAGXQ/Dcl3BTHvm-8/s1600/frenchfantasies.jpg" /></a>I was introduced to this place years ago by a good friend, and it's simple perfection has stayed in my mind ever since. When mundane errands saw us within strolling distance, I simply had to visit again.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V1HHX2XP0xM/UISZp8f1ErI/AAAAAAAAGXw/2jEnhhZC8Mc/s1600/Photo+19-10-12+10+48+15+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V1HHX2XP0xM/UISZp8f1ErI/AAAAAAAAGXw/2jEnhhZC8Mc/s640/Photo+19-10-12+10+48+15+AM.jpg" width="480" /></a> The façade is really unassuming - in typical Melbourne fashion, this is the kind of place you discover by lucky accident or you get guided there by someone "in the know".<br />
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During past visits I have sampled their omelettes, baguettes, sausage rolls and flour-less orange cake - all delicious. The coffee is also very good.<br />
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There is one star of the show though, and that's their eclairs - I don't even like eclairs that much normally, but theirs are so light and fluffy and gorgeous they're simply impossible to resist.<br />
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I insisted that Josh, being on his first visit, sample these legendary eclairs.<br />
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With many different ones of offer it is always a difficult choice - there's cream, chocolate, coffee and caramel varieties available.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zZRCzqkVH_U/UISi9a9Xs8I/AAAAAAAAGYM/4rcF0G7mdxo/s1600/Photo+19-10-12+10+33+19+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zZRCzqkVH_U/UISi9a9Xs8I/AAAAAAAAGYM/4rcF0G7mdxo/s320/Photo+19-10-12+10+33+19+AM.jpg" width="320" /></a>He chose chocolate, I went with traditional cream.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J-AxKC8uIac/UISZX5GXHWI/AAAAAAAAGXY/FARS-P3Zj8w/s1600/Photo+19-10-12+10+41+53+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J-AxKC8uIac/UISZX5GXHWI/AAAAAAAAGXY/FARS-P3Zj8w/s320/Photo+19-10-12+10+41+53+AM.jpg" width="240" /></a>Josh also ordered one of his favourites - Pain au Chocolat (Chocolate Pastry). If his pleased smiles and enthusiastic murmurings are anything to go by, I think this was also a very good example of it's type.<br />
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The staff are friendly and helpful and were happy for me to take photos, which is always nice. The interior furnishings are very simple, the food is definitely the focus here, and that attention to detail really shows when you're enjoying their delicious delights!<br />
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Once you've stuffed yourself with decadence, there's also a provedore/deli section as well, where you can get fresh baked bread and all sorts of french goodies - if you're wanting to impress dinner guests, Julia Child style, and need special ingredients, this would be the place to go - they've got it all! The prices aren't budget, but neither are the ingredients. For special occasions I think it's well worth investing in your ingredients, they can make all the difference between an "okay" result and one that results in eye-rolling appreciation.<br />
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French Fantasies is located at 15 Toorak Road, South Yarra. </div>
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We paid for our own meals and didn't identify ourselves as bloggers. </div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1535774/restaurant/Melbourne/South-Yarra-Toorak/French-Fantasies-South-Yarra" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="French Fantasies on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1535774/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
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