Cold and hungry?

So now that the weather has turned on us and we take out our winter blankets, it's time for warm winter dinners. Tuesday night was the night I tried a new potato bake recipe. It was a cold rainy night and it went down like a treat! The recipe is from the Australian Women's Weekly's Cooking on a Shoestring.

Here is what you need;
1kg sebago potatoes, cut into 5mm slices
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium brown onion (150g) sliced thinly
3 thin rindless bacon rashers (90g), chopped coarsely
1 cup (250mL) cream- I use Devondale's thickening cream just because the bf is a little dairy sensitive so it's the only cream he can consume safely
Half a cup (120g) sour cream
2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh chives
1 cup (120 g) coarsely grated cheddar cheese

Here is what you need to do;
1. Preheat oven to 200/180 degrees celsius fan-forced. Grease 2 litre (8 cup) ovenproof dish.
2. Boil/Steam/Microwave potato slices until tender
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in medium frying pan' cook onion and bacon, stirring until onion softens and bacon is crisp.
4. Combine cream, sour cream and chives in medium jug.
5. Layer a third of the potato slices over base of dish; sprinkle with half the bacon mixture. Pour a third of the cream mixture over bacon mixture; sprinkle with a third of the cheese. Repeat layering and finish with cheese.
6. Bake uncovered, in oven, about 30 mins or until browned. Stand for 10 mins before serving. Goes well with any grilled meat of your choice and steamed green vegetables.

TIP: Prepare the ingredients before you start cooking, it makes the whole process a lot easier and it also allows you to focus on one thing at a time, cooking can be overwhelming sometimes!

Want to get fresh?

Fresh fruit and vegetables that is! I am very anti-supermarket when it comes to my fruit and veg, especially after a friend revealed to me that supermarket produce is often frozen for up to 2 years, before it is on display. Talk about outrageous and not-so-fresh! So I have been committed to finding fresh produce at a reasonable price.

Marrickville Organic Food market is the answer! Held every Sunday from 8:30-3pm, it is very vegan and vegetarian friendly. This place also has great market food. My vegetarian friends bought a vegie stack which looked delicious (I am a proud meat-eater so that says something). I had a spinach and beef gozleme which was perfect on a sunny day.

We also bought a massive bag full of organic fruit and veg for just $40! Which is how much I spend at the grocery store anyways. The markets also ended up being an educational experience as I learned that supermarket apples are covered in wax which helps keep the moisture within the apples. Although this wax is safe for consumption, I just don't like the idea of eating wax covered fruit... So I bought a bought a bag of un-waxed apples and boy were they crunchy!

So if you're in the area and have a hankering for fresh fruit and vegies, hit Marrickville's Organic Food Market.

When? Every Sunday from 8:30-3pm
Where? Addison Road Community Centre, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville

Cold Wednesday= Bamboo Dumpling Bar= Warm Kat

As it was freezing on Wednesday, so BF and I decided to try out the Bamboo Dumpling Bar in Surry Hills (there is also one at Potts Point). It was just the perfect weather for steamed food.

As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by the very friendly chef and the most adorable buddha statue wearing a fedora (don't blame him, his head must have been freezing). The dumpling bar itself is decorated with a bike on the wall, a pop art print with Chairman Mao and my favourite; a blowfish in a bird cage (about time someone put a blowfish in a cage). I love places such as this, where you can spot the little touches of care and thought.

So what about the food? Well, here is what we ordered and what we told about it...

Duck pancakes- They were served hot and were delicious, with just the right amount of sauce and duck.

Pork and chive dumplings- These were my favourite because they tasted exactly like my dad's. It was really creepy. I actually tried to see if my dad was cooking in the kitchen... suspicious if you ask me.

My main was the special for Wednesday night, braised beef with noodles- The beef had soaked up a lot of flavour and the noodles were great, but I did feel like the bowl needed a little more soup.

BF's main was the beef pho- They were ok, it was a great comfort dish.

Beef and lemongrass skewers- Usually I find the lemongrass over powers the beef, but this was not the case. There was a delicious balance of spices and beef.

Overall it was a good Wednesday night, the dinner for 2 cost us less than $50 (inc. tip), the service was good and the placed looked great. What more can a hungry person want on a cold night! I mean a hug would've been nice, but it wasn't on the menu....

Address: 140 Commonwealth Street Surry Hills

Phone:02 9281 1372

Hours: Mon-Sun, 12-10pm

Best coffee in Newtown!

Yes that's right... I said it. The best coffee in Newtown is Sole Espresso. Bf and I decided to try some new places for breakfast and so we stumbled upon Sole Espresso. For a Sonoma Organic Toast with Vegemite and butter it'll cost you $4.00 and it was so what my tummy needed for breakfast. On another occasion I had scrambled eggs served on organic toast with roasted roma tomato & rocket for $8.50. Yes yummy and affordable!

The service was ok, the staff are friendly, but the quality is really in the food. You can also take your dog down and sit outside. Also important to note, Sole Espresso is eco-conscious.

Sole stands for Sustainable Organic Local Ethical, the coffee beans are sourced from sustainable farms and roasted locally by Single Origin in Alexandria. The bf could not get enough of this coffee, when we left he wasn't on the usual caffeine high, we was relaxed and alert.

They also serve lunch and tapas, I'm talking about soft shell crab & rocket salad with herbed Aioli and Spanish paella with seafood and chorizo. So it's droola-licious! Photo credit: www.soleespresso.com.au

When are they open? Mon- Fro 6:30 to 5, Thurs-Fri 6:30-10, Sat 7:30-10, Sun 8-5.
Where are they? 13/330 King St Newtown
What if I want to call them? (02) 9516 0007

'Pho' I'm hungry!

While watching Masterchef the other night, Luke Nguyen was featured cooking in Freedom Square at Cabramatta, I remembered all the Saturdays I spent there shopping with the parentals. Going into the Asian bakeries and grocery stores, seeing the exotic ingredients that surrounded me.

So while house sitting in the area, we wanted to go to Cabramatta for some Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup). We had heard that there was a great place next to the Commonwealth Bank on John St and we were not disappointed!

We ordered some prawn and pork fresh rolls and 2 bowls of beef pho (with 2 cokes it cost us $33.50) The rolls were fresh and had a great balance of noodles, salad and meat. The beef noodle soup was just as awesome, it had heaps of noodles (just the way I like it) and the restaurant gives you the whole bottle of chilli and hoi sin sauce (both crucial condiments for Pho), you also get plenty of chilli sauce.

We almost had to be rolled out of the restaurant!

This is what we had:


What's it called? Bau Truong Vietnamese Restaurant
Address? 42 John Street Cabramatta
Phone? 9727 7099

Like your scambled eggs fluffy and delicious?

Scrambled, is the place you NEED to be, all day any day. This place is perfect for Sunday mornings, when your maybe not feeling so 'Carol Brady' (just a touch hung over) because chances are neither is anyone else at Scrambled. The atmosphere is pretty relaxed with many locals bring their dogs and babies with them.

I have taken many people to Scrambled with me and no one is ever disappointed, many in fact walk out with food babies (tummies so full of food it looks like you're 4 months preggo). The juice is also made fresh, so fresh that it tastes like the fruit had just been picked from the tree.

Now as someone who takes ordering a meal very seriously (I treat every meal like an important life decision), the specials board really makes you something to think about! So check out the special board yourself at Scrambled.

Address:205 Enmore Rd Enmore NSW (02 9519 5181)

Photo credit: www.bestrestaurants.com.au

Yummy and good for your tummy?

I am always on the hunt for good health and nutritional advice, whether it be from a magazine or book. Recently, I came across nutritionist Dr. Joanna McMillian Price's book, "Inner health, outer beauty", the title intrigued me because for some reason I never thought that looking good, could be attained by just eating right... could it be this simple?

McMillan Price says YES! Unlike other nutrition books, this one doesn't just tell you what you should be eating, but why and what's wrong with the crazy fad diets out there. I learnt that cutting out all carbs isn't necessarily the best for my body, it's choosing the right type of carbs to have. Yea for good carbs!

The information is also presented in big font and bright colours, which is a big help fause you don't feel like you're studying, you are indeed reading funsies! What also makes this book so darn enjoyable and realistic, are the recipes which consume half of the book. I'm talking about recipes like chicken with lemon and garlic and rosemary lamb backstrap with char-grilled sweet poatato with feta salad. Yum! There are also 15 minute meals, perfect for those of us who have had a really long day at work as well as lunches you won't get sick of. The ingredients involved are also realistic, they don't involve spices which was handpicked my monks from a country which sounds made up. s

The only minor annoyance with the book is that there are no pictures of the recipes. There are photos of Joanna with her dog, who is adorable! I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a great general overview of nutrition and also prove to many that food can be yummy and good for your tummy.

Retail price: $34.99
Available from Dr. Joanna McMillian Price's website or from leading bookstore

Din Tai Fung, translation... DEE-LICIOUS dumplings!

Din Tai Fung, is a Taipei-based global chain of dumpling houses that sees scores of people line up during their lunch hours. The restaurant runs like a well oiled machine, with workers in white hats and hygiene masks furiously working away in steam filled rooms.

This legendary establishment also prides itself on customer service, they actually have a service philosophy which I loved as they "meet customers expectations before they have even voiced them". Sounds crazy I know, but this is exactly what happens! For example, if they notice that you have hung a handbag on your chair, they come around with a fold out laundry-like-bag and stow away your handbag for you. Great! And that's just the service.

The food is also insanely awesome! The dumplings are made with such skill - each dumpling is made to the exact same size and thickness. There is also an art to eating these yummy dumplings. The first step is to create your own sauce with the shredded ginger that they provide for you. You mix 3 parts vinegar to 1 part soy sauce. When you pick up a dumpling, dip it into the sauce, then into your ladle. Use your chopsticks to pierce the dumpling so the clear broth pours out (this will also give you a good indication if it is too hot to eat), then 'here comes the aeroplane', time to put to the dumpling in your mouth and savour the parcel of deliciousness!

I highly recommend Din Tai Fung to anyone who is a fan of dumplings and Chinese cuisine, it is Din Tai FUN!


Address: World Square Shopping Centre, 644 George St, Sydney
Phone: (02) 9264 6010

Feel like pineapple, but also wouldn’t mind some liquorice?

Darrell Lea have the answer! Pineapple Liquorice! Now don’t freak out just because it sounds like a crazy Willy Wonka concoction (it actually tastes like the Willy Wonka Fabulious Raspberry), but with the artificial sweetness of a freshly cut baby pineapple. It was exactly what I needed on a Friday afternoon at the office.

I also scored a double bonus soft eating liquorice hit because at Darrell Lea you could buy a bag of liquorice for an extra dollar with any Darrell Lea purchase. The store also looks like a chocolate Easter bomb exploded in it. So go nuts!  

I Miss Chu too!

My work colleague, Elise and I decided to treat ourselves to an awesome lunch feast. My namesake was the answer! Miss Chu at 1/150 Bourke Street Darlinghurst has the best dumplings in town (and that’s coming from an Asian with dumpling experience).

The store is presented as a canteen from primary school, complete with lunch bag style menus and old-school desks. It is these nostalgic little details that make Miss Chu's so appealing - and it definitely helps you forget about the noise from neighbouring Kings Cross and construction sites.

Then there's the food!

I highly recommend their entire menu, you honestly can’t go wrong! From the duck pancakes to the custard buns, prepare your taste buds for a delicious journey to flavour-town! With fresh ingredients and food prepared to order, Miss Chu's will have you wanting more.

The awesomeness continues because Miss Chu's doesn't just serve you lunch, they cater too! So if there's a baby shower or a work lunch, think of Miss Chu's! This once little 'hole-in-the-wall' has demonstrated the power of word-of-mouth, and flourished into a true food contender in the Sydney food scene.

P.S- This lunch (Shanghai dumplings, Asian veg. dumplings, custard buns and pork buns) was only $17.50 and it was enough for two people!

Note: Limited seating and a large lunchtime following (translate to mean - lunch rush or very busy).

Sexy Spanish can be made at home? Ole!

Upon my return from Hong Kong, my partner and I received a belated Christmas present – a Spanish cooking class voucher from Red Balloon. We were elated by this because learning to cook an exotic cuisine had placed high on our to-do lists of 2010.

Spanish has always been one of those cuisines that I assumed I could never make myself - a litre of sangria will do that to you. However, this course did show me that it is as easy as empanadas!

The Cheeky Chefs (from the Cheeky Food Group) Terry and Daniel, demonstrated everything from the basics of cutting an onion without getting emotional to the numero uno dish - seafood paella. Oh, and lets not forget the scrumptious chorizo dish that consisted of chorizo, sherry and flames (the eyebrow singeing kind). Simplicity never tasted so good.

During the three hour class your hunger for learning slowly develops into real hunger and the blood, sweat and non-tears that went into the cooking is rewarded with an earned (self-cooked) culinary feast and a few glasses of wine.

Muchos gracias Cheeky Food Group!