Orange Almond Cake

Herr Moutarde rarely makes baking requests, but recently, he asked if I could make him this almond cake. The recipe is from Jane Lawson’s Cocina Nueva, The New Spanish Kitchen, which darling H gave me as a birthday present a couple of years back.

I still haven’t cooked my way through the entire book yet, but this cake is really yummy. When I first got the book I would make it quite regularly, but haven’t done so in a while….

The cake is deliciously moist, sweet with the orange permeating through. In the book, it also gives the recipe for a citrus ice cream to serve, which looks great in the photo, but I’ve never bothered to make lol.

Butter mixture

The butter (yes, I used Real Butter), was beaten with the orange and lemon zest with quite a lot of icing sugar and touch of vanilla. Using icing sugar made this step soo much quicker than with normal sugar!

Adding egg yolks

Finely ground almonds

I toasted the almonds lightly and finely ground them. I’ve recently gotten a new food processor so any reason to use it is fine by me! These almonds were added to the butter mixture along with a touch of milk.

Egg whites at firm peak

I really appreciate all recipes which manage to incorporate the egg yolks AND whites:) There’s no waste and I don’t have to think about what I’m going to do with the unused part lol.

Combining egg whites with almond mixture

After everything was combined, I put the mixture into a rectangular cake tin and baked it in the oven for about an hour.

This cake can be served warm – which I love, and I recommend serving it in smallish portions as it’s quite dense lol.

Dusted with more of that icing sugar!

Like I said, I haven’t managed to get through most of the recipes in this book, but if this anything to go by – I’m definitely looking forward to it!

Flying Fajita Sisters, Glebe

I’ve been looking forward to a weeknight dinner with my girls, and this time we decided to head to Flying Fajita Sisters in Glebe for a night of Mexican themed fun.

We went on a Tuesday night, which is $3 taco and tequila night, and it was quite full, so I do recommend you make a booking if Tuesday is your preferred night.

Sindel, H and I decided to kick start the night with a tequila shot – why not?! Madam Saucy passed on the booze; reason given - tiredness..

Lemon and salt served with our tequila

Since none of us had been here before, we were all eager to try the Mixed Platter to start.

Mixed Platter

(clockwise from top left) – Salsa, Queso Fundido, Pepian, Frijoles, Guacamole, Crema.

The salsa was lovely, sweet with a hint of spice. The Queso Fundido, full of hot melted cheese was a dream for the cheese lovers around the table. My favourite was the green Pepian, which is a Mexican pesto made with green chilli and pumpkin seeds. Frijoles is another way of saying ‘refried beans’ and as a dip, it was served covered with melted cheese. The guacamole and sour cream rounded off the platter which was served with a large mound of tortilla chips – totopas!

Mixed Totopas

Here they serve yellow and blue tortilla chips. I think the blue is more of a purple, and they really don’t taste any different to the regular yellow ones, but still it looks pretty on the plate:)

Frijole Enchiladas

Sindel ordered the Frijole Enchiladas, which were served with rice, and black beans with salad. We all had a taste of the beans after she had finished with the rest – yum!

$3 Tacos

H and Madam Saucy took advantage of the taco deal which provides your choice of taco, served with cheese. Madam Saucy ordered some extra guacamole for a side – reliably eager for condiments :D

Burrito

I chose the Achiote Pulled Pork burrito, which was fantastic! The tender pork was reddish in colour and was teamed up with sour cream, a tomato salsa type thing some cheese. It was all served with guacamole and a corn salad. The corn was really good, it had a tangy dressing and little bits of capsicum in it :)

Hot sauce anyone?

Sindel and I chose a few offerings from the massive wall of hot sauces. We managed to squeeze in a few drops of each before our mouths went on fire…

After the bill was settled, we pondered a trip down the road for a post dinner chocolate hit at Chocolateria San Churro, but our full stomachs yelled NO! Meanwhile, I was eyeing off the 7-eleven for Monaco Bars…

Flying Fajita Sisters
Flavours of Mexico
65 Glebe Point Rd
Glebe,NSW, 2037
Phone: (02) 9552 6522
Fax: (02) 9552 6855
http://www.flyingfajitasistas.com.au/

Cafe in the House, Canberra

I admit I was long overdue for a Canberra visit – it’s been too long since I’ve seen K. My itinerary from Cairns to Canberra saw me waking at 3am, jumping onto 2 (poorly timed) connecting flights and entering Canberra at 11. Needless to say, by the time I arrived at the airport, I was a mess… K and Sindel greeted me at the airport and we promptly headed for some breakfast/brunch – I knew I turned down the airplane food for a reason!!

We head to the café inside Old Parliament House, originally named Café in the House.

Sweet Corn Cakes

K starts her morning with the Corn Cakes, being enticed by the prospect of spiced guacamole. If guacamole doesn’t tickle your fancy you can also have them with bacon, tomato and rocket salad.

Eggs Benedict

Sindel and I both had the Eggs Benedict. I was originally back at my usual Sweet vs Savoury breakfast dilemma, because I couldn’t decide between the Lemon Soufflé Pancakes and the above Corn Cakes, but at the very last minute (like always), I diverted to having the reliable eggs – runny yolks get me every time:)

I was really impressed with the meal I got that morning. The eggs were perfectly cooked, the salmon was delicious, the toast underneath was crisp and the sauce itself was rich but not sickeningly thick. I raved that they were the best Eggs Benedict I’d had in a while :D

So if you’re ever in Canberra, Café in the House do a lovely breakfast. The service was impeccable and coffee wasn’t bad either:)

Café in the House
Old Parliament House
King George Terrace
Parkes, Canberra, ACT
Phone: (02) 6270 8156
http://www.gingercatering.com.au/area.asp?aID=24

Waterbar and Grill, Cairns

I escaped the awful weather in Sydney with a short trip to tropical, sunny Cairns! Great weather also means…outdoor dining, so taking advantage of this situation, we headed to Waterbar and Grill, on the decks of the local wharf.

The atmosphere is relaxed, with one side of our table allocated a couch, and service is warm and friendly.

We started small, with a plate of dips to share.

Mixed dip plate

The plate consisted of roasted beetroot dip, hommous and a semi-sundried tomato pesto dips, toasted sourdough bread and slices of flat bread. The dips were rather small and the semi-sundried tomato tasted alarmingly similar to a bottled tomato salsa. Not that we minded too much, we were there for the next course – Meat!!!

The choices for our next course are dominated by Prime Rib Eye Steak :) At Waterbar and Grill, this a 250g piece of meat served cooked to your liking, with either chips or mash and a choice of sauces. All steaks come with a side salad – how health conscious lol.

Prime Rib Eye 1

Queen Bee accompanied her steak with the buttery mashed potatoes and Red wine and chilli sauce. She was very pleased with her choice, and rather impressed with her sauce, which was a yummy combination of sweet and hot.

Prime Rib Eye 2

I chose my to have Blue cheese and caper butter on top of my steak. It was divine, the capers cutting beautifully through the creamy blue cheese. I loved the mash too:)

Prime Rib Eye 3

Daisy Moo opted for the Porcini and Tarragon butter sauce with a baked potato. The baked potatoes are served with a large portion of sour cream, large enough for me to sneak some too! While the steak was cooked to perfection (medium rare), the sauce tasted nothing like expected. Despite many tiny pieces of what appeared to be porcini mushrooms, the overwhelming taste coming from the sauce was simply…sweet. Puzzled, I had a taste and I couldn’t taste any mushroom or tarragon either... Whatever the flavour was, Daisy Moo still enjoyed her meal and finished her steak the fastest!

Lamb Ribs

Chocolate Queen ventured out of cow territory to sample the lamb offerings with a rack of ribs. She thoroughly enjoyed the sticky ribs, which were generously basted with a sweet, smoky sauce.

T-bone

Mr D had the 500g T-Bone steak with pepper sauce and chips. After devouring the massive steak, he shared his chips – yum!

There were many scrumptious dessert offerings on the menu, but none of us felt like we could fit in anything more!!

I love outdoor dining, and eating by the water is a pleasure I will never tire of. I have no doubt I’ll be back here next time I’m in Cairns:)

Waterbar & Grill Steakhouse
Pier Point
Cairns, Queensland, 4870
Phone: (07) 4031 1199

Strawberry Custard Tart

It’s strawberry season, and no doubt, you too, have noticed the abundance in the supermarkets/grocers. In our household we have been devouring punnets continuously and strawberries never usually last long enough to be cooked.

I wouldn’t really call myself a baker, but the sight of our flan tin the other day followed quickly by a fridgeful of strawberries quickly inspired me to bake a tart!

Making the pastry – Go Foodprocessor!

Made from flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and lemon zest combined with egg and cream, this pastry had to sit in the fridge for 4 hours before it was hard enough to roll out.

Tart shell filled with strawberries

A great thing about this recipe was that the shell didn’t need to be blind baked :) Here it is, filled with 2 punnets of strawberries.

Just before getting into the oven

I used a 20cm tart tin which was the perfect size – the custard only just reached the top.

Ready to eat!

I think I may have left it a smidge longer in the oven than I was told to, but it didn’t matter, the tart was still delicious! I was very impressed by the pastry, which was rich but had a lovely lemony tang to it, simply divine. I’d definitely cook this again – if I don’t eat all the strawberries myself first!

Kuleto's Cocktail Bar, Newtown

I’m certain I’m not alone when I say I LOVE Happy Hour at Kuleto’s Cocktail bar. Happy hour is now between 6.00 – 7.30pm every night except Saturday, when it’s between 6.00 – 7.00pm.

The cocktail range is fabulous, the location especially convenient if you’re a student at Sydney Uni (guilty over here) and the concept of “sharing is caring” is never more poignant as when your dear friend trades you her fruity concoction for your creamy glass of goodness .. Oh the variety!!!

I’ve recently had a spate of Kuleto’s Happy Hour encounters, so thought a post would be appropriate.

Round 1 – Getting a feel for the ground floor

Red Corvette (red), Mango Daiquiri (yellow), Devil in Disguise (pink) and Japanese Slipper (green)

Devil in Disguise is my favourite. It's a satisfying mix of strawberries, coffee liqueur, coconut and chocolate! I traded one of mine for one of Daisy Moo's Japanese Slippers. I'm not exactly sure what was in this green concoction but with the Midori, it was fresh and not too sweet, perfect and summery! Goldilocks and Lady S shared the Mango Daiquiri and Red corvette:) With strawberry liqueur, Frangelico, Midori and a ton of strawberries and ice, the sweet Red Corvette is a lovely non creamy contrast to my Devil in Disguise - I had a few sneaky sips while they weren't looking :D

Round 2 – We hit upstairs!
Honeycomb Delight (light yellow), Lotus Chill (pink), Peach Passion (bright yellow)

The Honeycomb Delight was simply gorgeous, with mango and butterscotch schnapps among other things. It was sweet, creamy and considering it was the first time we'd ever ordered it, it became the star of our night. The Lotus Chill blends lychee with cranberry - YUM! While the Peach Passion had a lovely dash of passionfruit on the bottom.

And you get the idea.

I’ve noticed there’s been a few new cocktails added to the list, I’ve been eyeing off the one with cherry brandy and cranberry juice – maybe next time :)

Kuleto’s Cocktail Bar
157 King St
Newtown NSW 2042
Phone: (02) 9519 6369
http://www.kuletos.com.au

Cooper's Arms Hotel, Newtown

Although I am not a fan of the ground floor of the Cooper’s Arms Hotel, I do appreciate the recent renovation to its top floor. With H finally returning from her backpacking adventures, it was up to her to choose the venue for our latest rendezvous. She suggested the top floor of the Cooper’s Arms, for a night of bar food and girly white wine. Sindel, Madam Saucy and I were more than happy to oblige :)

Flat bread and condiments

To start we decided to share some bread and dips. Some crispy, toasted flat bread arrived, accompanied by hommous, babaganoush, tzaziki along with some olives and feta cheese. I felt we could have used more bread (or a smaller plate!).

Fish and Chips Cooper's Arms style

Sindel and I weren’t particularly hungry (unusual I must admit), so decided to share a meal. Our battered barramundi and chips were fresh from the fryer! The batter was light and crispy, albeit a tad greasy and our chips were thick, crunchy on the outside and dense on the inside (the way I like them!)

Sindel and I commented on the fish:chip ratio. There was a very generous serve of fish - 3 fat chunks, however we ran out of chips very soon after we started eating lol. Now, I’ll never complain about getting too much fish ;)

Lamb Salad

H ordered the Mediterranean Lamb Salad. It was a colourful plate, full of fresh lettuce leaves and cherry tomatoes (a significant contributor to the recommended 5 servings of vegetables!), however H did lament at the lack of any form of dressing.

Madam Saucy on the other hand, had no complaints about her meal. She ordered the calamari rings, which were served with a tasty, thick creamy sauce, bean shoots and salad. She dove straight into her meal before I could take a photo! Although I did have a bite of a calamari ring and I can vouch for its tender deliciousness :D

We had an unexpected black out during the night, which added a creepy, mysterious vibe but overall we had a great time – the seats were comfy, it was well ventilated, and the bar was very forthcoming with wine!

Cooper’s Arms Hotel
221 King St,

Newtown, NSW, 2042
Phone: (02) 9550 3461

Mooncakes

Sensing Mid Autumn Festival’s arrival and hence the beginning of the end of mooncake season, Daisy Moo and I went on a frantic mooncake mission through Chinatown to secure our boxes of mooncake goodness.

Now you may think that getting mooncakes would be a simple transaction: enter shop, purchase goods, leave shop; but let me tell you otherwise. The numerous brands…the endless flavours….the swarms of people hoarding over the same box…it can be a hard day’s work lol.

This year, we managed to get a hold of a reasonable array of flavours, from a few different brands, some we’ve never even tried before.

For those who’ve never seen a traditional mooncake, it’s a square, or sometimes rectangular, or round ‘cake’ that’s actually a block of lotus seed paste covered in pastry. You can also get them with salted duck yolks inside. Yes, I understand that may sound weird, but believe me when I say they are delicious:) They’re usually served cut into little wedges and conveniently, there’s always a plastic knife inside the box when you buy them.

Long ago, the only flavour you could get was lotus seed paste, but now you can choose from a huge range of modern type flavours. We saw durian, black sesame, white lotus, pandan flavoured lotus and taro on our travels this year. Being in Australia, I’m sure this would only be a limited range of what’s actually produced in Asia – I’d love to see what flavours are on offer in Hong Kong/Malaysia/China during this time of year!

Mooncake Tin

Square mooncake with the usual pastry embellishments

Mooncake tin


Round mooncake

This particular mooncake had a green filling (Pandan flavoured), which shows through the pastry, fear not, it is not anything suspicious!!!

Inside the mooncake!

Pandan flavoured lotus seed paste, with 2 yolks, elegantly called ‘golden jade’.

Mooncake tin

A Wing Wah mooncake

Plain Lotus seed paste filling

There is a reason that these are the perennial favourite, the filling is sweet, smooth and mouthwatering:)

Sadly, mooncake season is now over – there’s always next year!

Lenôtre High Tea, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth

Being Lady S’s birthday, Chocolate Queen, Daisy Moo, Chocchip and Goldilocks and I decided to kick start the birthday weekend with a Friday afternoon Lenotre High Tea at Wentworth Sofitel :) I love a high tea and I really do like the French slant that the Sofitel delivers on theirs.

The previous times I’ve been to High Tea here, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and could not fault anything from either the food or service end, but I do feel obligated to tell you about our booking debaucle this time round. Despite booking very far in advance, we were relegated to the ‘Garden Room’ upstairs, which turned out to be a dingy corner of their café. Not only did we lose our High Tea surrounds, we were then deprived of…the tea. I was appalled at the lack of a proper tea menu – a choice of only English Breakfast or Chai and …coffee :S Luckily the birthday girl asked we be seated downstairs :) We returned to the lounge only to find that we were in fact the first ones seated and there was no reason why we couldn’t have been there in the first place!!

Hopefully this is a (very) rare occurrence.

Despite this initial slip-up, I’d still recommend you try it if you’ve never been - we still had a fabulous high tea :D

Tea menu – Ronnefeldt Teas

The tower arrives

Scones, Jam and Cream

Nothing to complain about here, the bottom layer also included some scrumptious finger sandwiches, my favourite being the smoked salmon.

Individual tea sets, complete with 3 minute timer

Lower tiers - Opéra, Tarte au Citron

Both these were delicious, Opéra was moist, rich and chocolatey and the lemon tarts were small yet bursting with flavour.

Middle – Tarte au Citron, Cheesecake

The cheesecake was creamy but light with fruit, white chocolate and cream on the top, and was easily my favourite of the day:)

Upper tiers – Cône au Chocolat, Chocolate Mousse Cake, Macaronades

We are unsure exactly what type of cake it was, but it seemed to be a decadent chocolate themed creation, with layers of biscuit, chocolate mousse, topped with a glazed apricot and almond.

Tea timers which flow upwards!

Macaronade

Blueberries and a sweet yellow paste are sandwiched between the pretty pink macaroons.

Cône au Chocolate

The cones themselves are made of an almost waxy type chocolate and are filled with syrup covered strawberry pieces and then topped with cream. Deciding to eat bottom to top, I only managed a small mouthful of strawberries at the end!

Lenôtre Afternoon Tea
Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
61-101 Phillip St
Sydney NSW, Australia 2000
Phone: (02) 9228 9157