winnecke eats

Everyday Calls For Afternoon Tea And Every Afternoon Tea Calls For A Bikkie

2011-12-15T18:32:00.001-08:00

Petersham Nurseries Grow All The Right Stuff

2011-12-15T18:01:00.000-08:00

Rochelle's Canteen - Making Jamie Oliver Proud

2011-12-15T17:48:00.000-08:00

OBV.

2011-12-15T17:40:00.001-08:00

Nordic Bakery Replay

2011-12-15T17:35:00.000-08:00

St Ali

2011-12-15T16:54:00.001-08:00

Brick Beef Bagel

2011-12-15T16:15:00.000-08:00

Oh-Ottolenghi we meet again !

2011-12-15T15:59:00.000-08:00

my little bun moment

2011-12-08T21:43:00.000-08:00

menu & fresh mint leaf tea.

tiered tower of YUM.

goats curd, barley, carrot, watercress and onion salad

two anchovy buns clasp each other for dear life, understandably petrified of their fate.

as do their prune cousins.

and their chocolate friends know better than to hope we will be full before we reach their tier.

my only criticism is that there is way way way too much anchovy filling in the anchovy bun, it was totally overwhelming and I had to scoop out most of the contents and leave it in a sad puddle on the side of my plate.

and finally we arrived at the chocolate bun.

nuff said.

Violet Cakes

2011-12-01T18:57:00.000-08:00

Peppermint Tea at the Victoria & Albert Restaurant

Greengage plum cupcake, topped with a generous spread of greengage plum jam, cream cheese icing and a fresh raspberry.

These cupcakes are the most beautiful mini polenta cakes, not the usual butter cake cupcake batter which means that they are really moist and flavoursome. I found that the texture is much more intersting also.

quiches & cream

2011-11-27T23:24:00.000-08:00

asparagus & zucchini quiche from a lovely little cafe at the Columbia Road Sunday flower market.

It was such a beautiful hot Summers day in London (no seriously) that the only flavour they had left by the time I made it to the stall was absinthe + choc mint ... it kinda just tasted like choc mint - no complaints here.

bun in the sun

2011-11-27T22:07:00.000-08:00

awwwww is that a love heart ??

Currants, these buns are bursting with beautiful currants ... and maybe some sugar, I think that there might be a little sugar, but only on top.

Maybe it's just me but I always find my tummy needs fruit at breakfast time

.... until my next pilgrimage.

Coffee?

Join the queue.

No seriously ... join the queue it's really good !

Mc Muffin Eat Your Heart Out !

2011-11-26T21:57:00.000-08:00

English MUFFIN (!) from the Flour Station stall at the Borough Market

I like bread ... and I like toast.

To me there is an aesthetic difference, as well as a difference in taste and texture.

I wouldn't call this burnt but hey, that's just me.

A little friendly diplomacy of a morning: vegemite on an English muffin

OH-TTOLENGHI !

2011-11-26T21:28:00.000-08:00

My main: poached salmon with pinEapple salsa

salads: butternut pumpkin sweetcorn and feta

& something amazing with zucchini radicchio fennel, chervil and parsley

My exclusive reporter on the ground in London's main: lightly seared beef with yoghurt

& her salad selection: green beans and roasted eggplant with almond pesto and chili

And to our left we have half a slice of carrot cake.

Over on the right you'll see an apricot and raspberry tea cake adorned with toasted almonds and crisp meringue.

Just between you and me ... I almost put the plates in my hand bag, they look so happy. Is it any wonder when they are holding such beautiful food ?!

2011-11-26T21:18:00.000-08:00

Light rye loaf, beautifully shaped, easy to share or just portion.

Black Americano with milk on the side

The Nordic Bakery Soho

14a Golden Square London

Trippin'

2011-11-26T21:02:00.000-08:00

A little *cough cough*, long while ago now I went trippin' over to London and Paris.

Since I touched back down on home soil I've been trippin' in a much less leisurely fashion at my inability to post more than a bite sized portion of the food I was lucky enough to enjoy whilst away.

In a bid to avoid medication or God forbid, institutionalisation Sarah Connor style (that didn't turn out so well for her hair-do not to mention everything else) what follows is a selection of tasty morsels and where you too can get your paws on them.

Nothing more, nothing less, let the come down commence.

Eat.

2011-11-24T22:15:00.000-08:00

These days we are constantly bombarded with advice on what to eat (organic, gluten free, low-carb, no carb, low GI, low fat, protein enriched, vitamin enriched, superfoods) , when to eat (6 small meals a day, no snacks, not later than 6pm) & how to eat (sitting at a dinner table, with a knife and fork, chew slowly, consciously). We are delivered these messages on the radio, on television, on the internet, on billboards, on bus stops, at train stations, in supermarkets, on food packets, in magazines, in cookbooks and regurgitated by our family, friends and co-workers.

It has been proven that faced with more choice we are less capable of making a decision. No where is this more apparent than up and down the aisles of any supermarket possibly the world over.

Perhaps surprisingly, one British food franchise has emerged like a gorgeous grain of wheat amongst the chaff. The answer to what, when & how ??

E.A.T

oh the thames, they are a-changin'

2011-10-20T22:53:00.000-07:00

Cross my heart and hope to die stick a needle in my eye, this was without a doubt the nicest coffee that I have ever had the joy to drink.

Roasted in the UK by Square Mile.

Blended with British milk.

Square Mile provides their beans wholesale to a selection of lucky cafes across London town but as of yet they don't have their own retail outlet .... except for a little coffee cart that they set up at the beautiful blossoming Columbia Road flower markets. The markets spring up out of the asphalt and promptly burst to full bloom every Sunday in the East End from around 8am-3pmish.

http://columbiaroad.info/

The people at Square Mile brew their coffee the way they think it tastes best, the way they made it to be drunk. They give you the choice between milk or no milk but that's about it. You can get a flat white, a long black, an americano, a short black or a macchiato. I can't remember if they offered soy milk for those with allergies.

I really like the way they roll their cart. They do what they do very very well and they want the end product to taste a certain way so if you are looking for something else then elsewhere you are free to go. But you'd be crazy (unless allergic). If you don't like the bread at one bakery you look for another one that bakes the goods you like, you don't ask them to bake a particular loaf daily especially for you. In Sydney we are spoilt by baristas adjusting to our unique orders but in this instance I think that there is a strong argument against the supposedly golden rule that the customer is always right, the person behind the machine has the 'know-how', trust them...

& TRUST ME...

there is delicious coffee to be found in London!

Retail regret.

Why oh why didn't I try and sneak one of these into Mum's suitcase !?

save the best til last

2011-10-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

The French are known for their beautiful slow, seasonal and sensual approach to living. Fellow non-Frenchies and I might refer to their daily practice as 'mindful when in fact it is effortless, it is 2nd nature. This is precisely the reason why it is so darn difficult for the rest of us to emmulate. Just by giving it a go we are already tring too hard.

One of the most striking examples of the French approach to life is visible on a visit to Paris at the height of Summer. The city is a-buzz with tourists as the major cities of the world are prone to be and the sun is shining gloriously as Paris is lucky enough not to be at the same latitude as London ...

BUT

The locals are nowhere to be seen.

Thousands have voyaged to Paris for a holiday so thousands of Parisians have taken themselves elsewhere.

Some might say that this is a terrible business decision when the city is teeming with bum-bag, money-belt toting tourists, I on the other hand would call it 'genius nonchalance' ... or French.

If you have already seen the Tour Eiffel, the Louvre, Notre Dame, strolled the Champs and eaten at Laduree it is important to time your Summer trip to Paris before or after the Parisian Exodus or suffer braving the queues once more as the locals that you wanted to mingle with won't be there. It is hard to blend in with the locals when the locals aren't there.

Luckily our last day in Paris coincided with the last day of opening for theRose Bakery in Le Marais before they closed for the Summer Holiday. My biggest fears were allayed when I spotted the plates of plump, freshly baked scones on the counter and I promptly sat down.

It was lovely to see that the Bakery now produces and sells it's own preserves. I chose the blackcurrant one to accompany my blackberry scone and Mum bought a nice big jar to take home. That woman has no fear of airline baggage allowance limits. I've discovered that it is wise to check your baggage before flying home with her to see what she has palmed off into your suitcase. In case you are taken aside by customs, it is always best to know the contents of your bags and as an adult it's not cool to admit that your mum has packed your bags.

When making fruit salad at the Rose Bakery they always make sure to squeeze in a nice amount of juice in the process which gives the most beautiful full flavour to every mouthful.

I will forever be seduced by the little glass pots of yoghurt in France. I lose track of time strolling up and down the dairy aisles of French supermarkets. I'm not embarrassed to admit that this little jar now sits prettily in my kitchen back home as the keeper of my teaspoons.

Nothing makes me want ice-cream more than the site of a Rose Bakery red berry crumble.

hot crumble ... cold vanilla ice-cream ... trackies .... couch ... movie.

die happy.

The famous little carrot cakes.

We're talking legit, Beyonce, famous because I've got talent famous.

Not fake, Ke$ha, famous because I've got auto-tune famous.

Where are we ? Mid-October, I'm sure most of the staff are back by now, you should go blend in.

Rose Bakery Le Marais:

30 Rue Debelleyme

Paris

tajines & treats at the Paris Mosque

2011-09-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

my sister had been given the brilliant insider tip that you can dine at the central Paris Mosque. located opposite the gorgeous Jadin des Plantes, the Mosque offers a fabulous selection of tajines, traditional mint tea and sweets in the bright, colourful and relaxed surrounds of an open air dining room, an indoor dining room and front courtyard.

the aroma of the mint tea was beautiful, so clean and fresh but I'm not one to put sugar or honey in my tea or cofee and this brew was incredibly sweet so I had to content myself with the perfume it gave to our lunch table.

chicken tajine with prunes and almonds

buttered beans & diced carrotts

(cous cous not pictured ... probably because it didn't alst long!)

when you order dessert this beautiful tray covered with pastries of all shapes and flavours arrives at your table. you can sample to your hearts content then simply let the waiter know how many you devoured ... and wrapped up and popped in your purse for later.

mum lashed out and selected a beautiful cube of turkish delight (that did not form part of the dessert tray). she assured us that it was definitely worth the technical langauge difficulties we encountered in locating it and was indeed a delight, perhaps the most delightful turkish delight in memory.

I chose the boules of ice-cream to take the edge off what was an extremely hot Parisian Summer day. I can't remember the three different flavours now but I do remember that I didn't like the green one and that the pine nuts would have been much more palatable toasted.

matin miam moment

2011-09-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

the family breakfast table

my selection

salade des fruits

pain nature
(not as sweet as brioche but just as light, perfect for dipping in your coffee)

yaourt et miel

baguette jambon fromage

(with a beautiful spread of butter)

where's winnecke?

2011-09-06T21:42:00.001-07:00

Recently I was lucky enough to take a break over in London town and even luckier still to take a mini-break in Paris.

Paris!

Where I got my paws on a little pillow of parisian miam*, a macaron from Monsieur Pierre Herme, a Parisian macaron that is, see earlier lesson:

http://winneckeeats.blogspot.com/2009/02/macaron-its-french-for-mmmmm-yum.html

This two-tone frenchie was dressed in a very sophisticated flavour twin set of licorice and violet. If looks could kill ... well I wouldn't be typing this right now, sadly the flavour didn't pack quite the same punch. The texture was faultless but for someone who just loves licorice (that's me ... I just LOVE licorice) I couldn't taste it enough, it tasted as though someone had accidentally popped two violet biscuits together.

Tant pis pour moi.

Probably the perfect balance for everybody else who has a normal, healthy like of licorice. I might have tried another one or two to make sure he hasn't lost his touch.

He hasn't.

*apparently it's French for 'mmmmmm yum'

feeling blue? it's cookie o'clock!

2011-08-01T23:58:00.000-07:00

There is absolutely no way that the Cookie Monster would not be blue if he ate THESE cookies. I think that it's about time somebody had a word with the owners of the Sesame Street Supermarket.

Instead of stocking whatever drab, dry, crumbly, depressed, blue exterior inducing cookies they currently do, those people need to talk to my friend's squeeze for life, Wayne, about getting something real, something homemade and heartfelt, heaped with chocolate and happy on the shelves.

It would appear that the lovely girl at my favourite neighourhood coffee shop is a little hard of hearing and thinks my name is 'bunny' ...

Either that or I've already got a pet name and I'm in with a chance!

SO prime for the dunking.

I don't know why I bothered cutting the cookie in half, when is a homemade chocolate chip cookie ever going to be saved for later?

sustenance for studiousness

2011-06-27T02:24:00.000-07:00

day one: jurisdiction + commencing proceedings

poached egg on seeded rye sourdough with lots! of salt n' pepper - oh and butter, do not forget the butter.

black coffee (an entire plungers worth)

strawberries, beurre bosc pear, mandarin

knife, fork and highlighters at the ready

day two: drafting a pleading + drafting a defence

poached egg and goats cheese with dill on seeded rye sourdough with lots! of pepper

black coffee (another plungers worth)

strawberries, beurre bosc pear, mandarin

day three: evidence + costs

sheeps milk yoghurt

pistachio nuts, walnuts red quinoa flakes and rolled oats

red grapes, strawberries, beurre bosc pear, kiwi fruit

I'm SO sure that there was coffee ... maybe not .... really ? oh my goodness me ... there must have been something ... tea, maybe there was tea. there MUST have been tea.

day four: interlocutories + briefing counsel

quinoa and oat porride with peanut butter, that's CRUNCHY peanut butter (OBV.OMG), fresh banana (I've now got a mortgage) and honey

would you believe me if I told you that the original recipe from the French Women Don't Get Fat cookbook involved milk and butter (no honey) ?

NON !

MAIS SI !

with the addition of honey this was a warm & cosy, grown-up & wholesome re-incarnation of the kellogs crunchy nut of my childhood

delicious long black from my local cafe Room 10

(this was so satisfying that I ate my side of red grapes and strawberries at lunch time)

day five: alternative dispute resolution + appeals

fruit spelt sourdough; 1 slice with crunchy peanut butter & 1 slice with Norwegian brown cheese

red grapes, strawberries and mandarin

long black from Room 10

day six: EXAM DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

blueberry bagel with ricotta, honey and fresh banana (my car is for sale; manual VW polo, dark forest green, fuel efficient, zippy and compact for easy inner city driving and parking, contact me vi a the comments)

long black

morning maple miam

2011-06-09T23:47:00.000-07:00

Madeleine Mikhail bakes LOVE, pure and simple.

You may have lovingly devoured one of Maddie's delicious cookies with your cup of coffee or taken one of her luscious chocolate button-topped brownies to a loved one. You might even have been lucky enough in love to slice into one of her beautiful wedding cakes with your partner.

Now, I can't speak for anyone else, but personally .... I LOVE surprises and I LOVE presents and I LOVE homemade and I LOVE baking and I LOVE maple syrup and

I absolutely LOVE BREAKFAST! I LOVE BREAKFAST!

I am definitely a morning person but starting work early means that I rarely get to bask in the delicious stillness of morning, the gentle crescendo of hustle and bustle, the crip fresh air, the dappled sunlight and the refreshing sense of anticipation for what the day will bring for much time at all.

Last week I was house bound on my day off, bound to my computer to be exact, with an assignment for university due the following day. Ordinarily I couldn't think of anything worse. But this week, on my last at work Maddie surprsied me with a bag ... a brown paper bag ... with a name tag attached with string ... full to the brim with her maple roasted granola.

Maddie had given me a bag of LOVE ... BREAKFAST LOVE

1/2 luke avenue roasted maple muesli

Where is the LOVE?

It's in the coconut flakes, the toasted cashews, the dried cranberries, the plump little figs, the buttery flakes of toasted almonds, the crunchy pepitas, the moorish maple syrup and my personal crush on the sweet and tangy cubes of dried apricot

1/2 organic coarse rolled oats

red seedless grapes and banana

sheeps milk yoghurt

mix it all together now, hug it out!

miam miam

... Maddie. You bake LOVE. I LOVE what you bake.

Mourning Buns

2011-06-01T18:28:00.000-07:00

It is purely coincidence that I am required to wear black clothes to work - the real reason I wear black to the bakery each day is that I am in mourning, mourning for the life of the hot-cross bun. A life cut short by the hands of the cold, cruel conformists to culinary tradition.

This year I discovered the delicious pairing of hot-cross buns with ginger jam and Norwegian brown cheese.

But alas, it was too little, too late. Before my little cube of cheese was finished and well before I heard my knife knock on the bottom of my jam jar the supermarket shelves that had been plump with buns only a few days before were bare.

This second bun was a gift from the delightful Alex who works next-door.

Alex baked this bun herself !

Gasp ! Just look at the symmetry of that cross. Perfection !

I was so relieved that I managed to maintain it's perfect bun form amongst the hustle and bustle of the cafe and the pile of handbags, upon jumpers, upon handbags upon jumpers in our tiny corner of hooks designated for staff belongings.

Not for the faint hearted, dainty, chocolate hot-cross bun eater, shunner of Christmas cake, fruit mince tarts and like - but definitely tailored to the likes of myself - Alex was generous with her addition of spices to these buns.

They too recieved the ginger jam / ski queen treatmeant,

knock knock

2011-04-30T00:43:00.000-07:00

Because I live on the 5th floor in a block of flats I was very curious when I heard a little 'knock knock' at my front door the other weekend ... very curious ... and then very pleasantly surprised by my Mother (who has a spare key just in cases) holding a little paper bag of pastry. More specifically and all the more importantly that little parcel held two gorgeous brioche rolls, each with a dusting of sugar on top and a sliver of dark chocolate inside ... like a pain au chocolat ... only better ... because it was BRIOCHE !

I don't understand why brioche is so scarce when there are so many wonderful bakeries and bakers in this city. A little boule of brioche is the perfect accompaniment to a nice hot cup of coffee or tea. Because brioche is sturdier than it's flaky counterparts le croissant or le pain au chocolat it relishes taking a morning dip in your coffee cup and soaking up the glorious warming brew and is extremely courteous, being sure not to drip onto your ensemble before your day has begun.

It is the perfect compromise between bread and pastry when you want something a little sweeter, a little doughier that you can still toast up and embellish with condiments.

OH MY GOCHE ... BRIOCHE.

High Time for High Tea at the Art Gallery of New South Wales?

2011-04-12T03:09:00.000-07:00

mmmmm ... I thought so

summer salad days gone by

2011-03-19T03:51:00.000-07:00

alfalfa sprouts, peas, asparagus, mint, semi-sundried tomatoes, spanish onion, roasted almonds, nigella seeds

cucumber, egge, tomato, anchovies, basil / swiss brown mushrooms, cauliflower, spinach, mayonnaise (adapted from 'salades' by Damien Pignolet)

medium mixed salad from iku. red cabbage and carrot, chickpeas and beetroot, blanched mixed vegies, tahini salad dressing and kombu

peas, green beans, lemon zest, spanish onion, nigella seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds (from 'Plenty' by Yotam Ottolenghi)

cauliflower, carrot, flat leaf parsley, onion, raisins, anchovies

parsnip, parmesan, red cabbage, spanish onion, rocket, zucchini

pancetta, peas, zucchini, red cabbage, cherry tomatoes, mint

red cabbage, savoy cabbage, poppy seeds, flat leaf parsley, dill, parmesan, poached egg

goats cheese, peas, mint, asparagus, cherry tomatoes

a worthwhile investment

2011-01-26T18:52:00.000-08:00

there are all sorts of whizz-bang, fandangled, do it all modern appliances you can purchase these days. They appear to procreate like rabbits and before you know it, Jamie Oliver for Tefal has burrowed in to each and every corner of your cupboards and adapted to high-rise apartment living, saucepans stacked one on top of the other on your bench tops. The high density lifestyle was just all too much for the Nigella lawson crockery ensemble, she finally opted for a sea change and moved into the bathroom cupboards with the towels.

Some items on the other hand will surprise you with their simplicity and utility and are definitely worth finding the space for - the humble colander is one such worthwhile investment.

Christmas Crustaceans

2011-01-26T00:15:00.000-08:00

My father being 'preppy' (not sure he's 'in' on tht joke)

'twas a family affair

grape, cucumber, date and dill salad - winnecke

iceberg lettuce, curly parsley, feta and roast pumpkin salad - winnecke's mum

deftly prepped crayfish - winnecke's dad

fluffy white lucious cloud of crayfish tail

bubbles in chilled flutes - winnecke's aunty

When I was much smaller I remember often spending Christmas in Perth, Western Australia with my mother's side of the family. Each year you could be sure of certain things:

- the 'popcorn' record would get it's annual spin on the record player

- I would get sunburnt at the beach house

- there would be Peter's heart shaped ice creams in Nan and Pop's freezer

- every weeknight at 17:30 Pop would tune in to 'wheel of fortune'

- we would burn ourselves on the black leather seats of the Datsun

- it was never time for lunch unless the pickled onions, Christmas ham and tinned beetroot were on the table

- there would always be a feast of crayfish, fresh from my uncle's crayfish pots.

A while ago now my uncle did away with his pots and, sadly, just as the supply of fish Poppa caught fresh off the beach came to a halt so too did the annual Christmas crustacean dinner. Poppa's early mornings and late nights wrestling the waves are behind him but his days of eating fresh crayfish definitely are not and that's my Christmas miracle right there.

(winnecke) bakers dozen

2011-01-20T02:48:00.000-08:00

one batch of the 4 dozen fruit mince pies that I baked this festive season.

homemade fruit mince consisting of fresh plums, apples, raisins, currants, orange juice, zest, spices,demerarra sugar, brandy and ginger wine.

something old holding something new that you totes can't borrow but is speckled with blue

2011-01-20T02:13:00.000-08:00

the gift of a musk macaron from black star perched atop the gift of a vintage scalloped saucer.

there is definitely decadence to be found in generosity.

pita pocket

2011-01-07T02:29:00.000-08:00

Q: If Peter Piper picked a pita pocket full of pickles where is the pita pocket full of pickles that Peter Piper picked ?

A: served seven days a week at Sabbaba - lucky for Peter!

Lucky for me - in 2011 they are opening right around the corner from my house *GASP*

Someone at head office obvioulsy saw the potential ferrari, chalet, chateau, island, speed boat, spacecraft, lifesized gold sculpture of themselves which they would be able to purchase in quick succession after opening in the same neighbourhood that I live in.

light luncheon

2011-01-05T13:43:00.000-08:00

My high school French teacher was always aghast at our habit of eating 'un sandwich' for lunch. Perhaps it was because she could not come at the idea of having one's main meal in the evening or perhaps it was because 'un sandwich' as it appeared in our lunch boxes did not come in the form of 'une baguette'. Whatever the reason happened to be I would challenge her to turn down this little cutey next time her tummy rumbles.

little cutey: avocado, lotsa salt&pepper, spinach, tomato, cheddar cheese and a dollop of mango chutney nestled between 2 slices of kamut sourdough.

Breakfast for the Bedridden Blogger - day five

2010-11-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

Topical / Tropical

Meredith's Dairy sheeps milk yoghurt / Barambah organic blueberry yoghurt

chopped natural walnuts / chopped natural pistachios

grapes (red&white), blueberries, mango, passionfruit

Breakfast for the Bedridden Blogger - day four

2010-11-25T23:46:00.000-08:00

Monday revisited.

gooey poached egg on rye toast

fruit salad colour theme alteration: more thanksgiving ... less christmas

Breakfast for the Bedridden Blogger - day three

2010-11-25T02:42:00.000-08:00

Meredith Dairy sheeps milk yoghurt with chopped almonds & walnuts.

Today's addition of nuts possibly a manifestation of the direction my mind is turning from still being sickly, cooped up indoors and apparently thought of as a snack by my local mosquitoes.

grapes, strawberries, papaya, apricot and passionfruit

Breakfast for the Bedridden Blogger - day two

2010-11-24T23:15:00.000-08:00

Meredith's Dairy sheeps milk yoghurt

papaya, passionfruit, apricot, grapes

Day two and already stocks were running low.

My fruit salad was sitting pretty on the bench but as I lifted my tub of yoghurt my heart sank at its lightness. I would have to make an emergency trip to the only local supplier of my preferred yoghurt that I knew of. Sick ... and perhaps more dangerously ... hungry ... I laced up some sneakers and headed out. On arrival I was starting to feel like a regular mother hubbard.

'Sorry Barambah Dairy delivery happens tomorrow'

'Oh its ok I'll just get ... dairy farmers ? ... wait no, where is all the natural, normal, yoghurt yoghurt ? Sheeps milk yoghurt ? My Mum buys that, by Meredith Dairy, I like their cheese. blerrrrrrrrr ... SICK ... HUNGRY ... sheeps milk yoghurt it is'

A spur of the moment decision well made. Perhaps partly the excitment of a new flavour for my tastebuds, definitely the quality of the culture in the tub. Like Mother like daughter where dairy's concerned.

Breakfast for the Bedridden Blogger - day one

2010-11-24T22:51:00.000-08:00

poached egg on a slice of seeded rye toast

marks & spencer earl grey tea, black

grapes, strawberries and an orange

moving day munchies

2010-11-08T01:53:00.001-08:00

With everything in boxes ready to be taken away breakky was take away too.

Told to expect the removalists between 11am & 2pm coffee was double strength, double trouble.

post 'n toast

2010-11-08T01:18:00.000-08:00

This blog has probably made it very obvious that breakfast time is my favourite time of day. I'm definitely a morning person, force of habit really, although it could be genetic, I have what is perhaps a dangerously close relationship with coffee (I refer to my coffee plunger by his name) and am lucky enough to have a regular supply of sourdough bread of all shapes and sizes - my freezer is a regular party mix of loaves.

I also love post. Proper, tangible letters, cards, postcards and parcels. Sending & Receiving.

Most days I have a nice peaceful breakfast sitting in my car, listening to the radio before starting work ...

but somedays ... some wonderful days I get to sit down with a delivery and share my breakfast with a friend from afar. On this particular day delivery and decor originated in fabulous Finland.

rye spelt sourdough.

1 slice banana & ginger marmalade

1 slice avocado and vegemite

black coffee

AustraliA - AustraliaaaA - This is you - This is YOU

2010-10-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

Is anyone still watching Australia's funniest home videos now that we have YouTube.

I'm not sure what would have to come along to make Vegemite obsolete ... peanut butter hasn't done it, not even crunchy, nor has nutella and dare I mention marmite or i-snack 2.0 ?

I think we just upgrade from a smaller jar to a bigger jar every couple of years, kinda like you go up a shoe size. My feet have definitely stopped growing but my appetite for this black gold definitely hasn't - I think I'm almost ready for the Vegemite keg.

french women don't get fat ?

2010-10-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

carrot & orange soup

saute of peas and prosciutto with fresh mint

generous chunk of polenta sourdough

'aving thus far only attempted these two recipes from the French Women Don't Get Fat cookbook I cannot confirm or deny the assertion. I will say that given 'ow nummy these dishes taste I am a wee bit sceptical - you should be fine and french so long as you can be 'appy with just the one 'elping.

bonne chance.

salt n' sacrifices

2010-08-30T03:09:00.000-07:00

vegemite and poached egg on polenta & sunflower seed sourdough toast

obligatory breakky fruit: sliced strawberries & murcott mandarin

Recently on this blog I have documented my rediscovery of eggs on toast at breakfast time, especially during the colder Winter mornings. The winning combination consisting of good toast, a hard boiled or poached egg and lots of salt and pepper. A few weeks ago an extremely wise individual advised me to try spreading my toast with vegemite and topping it off with an egg. Just as I now know to pair vegemite with avocado, spreading your toast with vegemite and topping it off with an egg achieves the requisite salty seasoning and then some!

This is an awesome way to start your day. NOM. NOM. NOM. Epic breakfast success. Breakfast of champions. It has 'WIN' written all over it ....

... except for that part where it clashes so rudely with pepper.

summer lovin' ?

2010-08-15T02:20:00.000-07:00

natural yoghurt, strawberries, banana and . . .

fresh! coconut!

during my recent trip further north to sunny ,tropical, beautiful one day perfect the next Queensland it rained ... it rained A LOT. this was A-OK by me, after all, I was born much further south in Melbourne aaaaaaaaand I was born in winter, I love winter! I happily spent most of the time tucked indoors with hot tea, woollen socks, trackies and a good book. except for that one day when I ventured to the spirit house - a thai restaurant set amongst lush tropical gardens - for a cooking class to master the art of thai bbq. instead of hibernating in the cooler months effectively shutting down in denial until I can again feel the sand in my hair, between my toes and the burn of the sun drenched car seat on my thighs ... as a winter feind I have to spend at least some of my precious winter time in training to survive the longer daylight hours.

I am now qualified to smoke chicken, slice and dice pomelo, bbq prawns, pork and wrap then grill an entire fish in banana leaves.

but perhaps the best part of my training was my successful ninja of the fresh coconut. maybe it's because from the outside it looks like a big hazelnut and on the inside it's the colour of snow, maybe it's because it manages to taste both creamy and fresh all at once or maybe it's because it plays an essential roll in my two favourite chocolate bars (cherry ripe & bounty) that I harbour such a deep love of coconut. whichever it may be - wintery me will never completely understand my infatuation with this tropical icon - but then that's true love isn't it?

soul food

2010-07-17T01:44:00.000-07:00

I recently stumbled upon an absolutely RAD pubilcation from Melbourne called

'Condiment'

adventures in food and form

there is a gorgeous article about a little vegetarian restaurant in Tokyo that sources its produce from local small scale community gardens, a look at the business behind winning the hearts and minds of American consumers at home by supplying care packages of chips to American soldiers abroad, reflections on the humble onion, some inspiring recipes and some sweet musings (of which food related publications are for the most completely and so sadly void) so I thought I would share these ones with you.

cappuccino

It is nice to spend some time each day with a litle cloud in a cup.

pistachios

A certain percentage of pistachios in every pack, will never open up to you.

and now for something completely different

2010-07-15T20:29:00.001-07:00

egg: hard boiled, sliced then squished onto polenta sourdough with sea salt and lots of pepper

egg: poached then smeared over polenta and sunflower seed sourdough, again with sea salt and lots of pepper

this post is the result of a recent expansion of my breakfast horizons, bought on by my accidental purchase of a dozen eggs having completely forgotten about the half dozen still sittin' pretty in the refrigerator.

I don't plan on making this mistake again any time soon, it's a lot of eggs to deal with even for an avid baker, besides, aren't you only supposed to eat about 3 a week ? I do however, plan on making this a more regular feature at breakfast time - it's sooooo good !

... the book might be too ... I'll have to get back to you once I've finished ... I'm much faster at consuming meals than I am Murakami.

... at first sight, at first sip, at first bite

2010-07-08T23:51:00.000-07:00

large long black

we had ordered coffee 'to go' so that we could do exactly that, 'go' ... and sit in the park. we figured up-sizing, although a pretty foreign concept, worked best in this scenario, saving us packing up our little picnic for a second coffee run. genius. if only I could apply such impressive foresight to every aspect of my life, not just the caffeinated ones.

blueberry, banana, ricotta bran muffin.

ladies and gentlemen we have a winner, this is officially the best muffin I have eaten. I think that the delicious wholesome bran must be what does it. not too sweet, with a gorgeous rustic texture that manages to remain fluffy on the inside and simultaneously create a chewy top with a little bonus crunch. it's clear that the ingredients are of very good quality; apparently the flavour changes every few weeks, dictated by which fruits are in their prime and that bran is the perfect support for whichever flavour sensation conbination is the pick of the bunch.

clash of the cameras

2010-07-06T22:47:00.000-07:00

sausage and egg burger

moroccan spiced chicken salad with eggplant, beetroot and walnuts

A few weeks ago I went to lunch with my 'sorta, kinda, maybe namesake friend' (we share an initial W) and we both showed up with our cameras. I had remembered mine for obvious reasons (although I am extremely good at leaving the house without it - the proof being the haphazard nature of this blog). My 'sorta, kinda, maybe namesake friend' had his with him because he is the proud owner (and deservedly so) of a delightful film camera and wanted to use up a few snaps so that he could then have the roll developed.

I don't think that there was a clear culinary winner on the day, both of our selections were absolutely delicious; things just seem to roll that way at Moose General Store. I must however admit defeat on the photographic front - I can feel the warmth radiating from the golden hue of the bun and the table just looking at that picture.

This was a very dangerous exercise - I can't really afford a new camera + film & developing + scanner- and I definitely can't afford anything that would be even a little more time consuming if I want to maintain any hope of posting at least once a month. There's only one solution - 'W, wanna do lunch ?'

a classic on a classic

2010-07-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

Vegemite on toast needs no introduction ... only a nice spread of butter.

Kamut flour and the neat little loaf it makes might need a little more.

Pronounced 'ka-moot', it is an extremely old grain that originally grew wild in Mesopotamia. In her incredible cook book 'Good to the Grain- Baking with Whole-Grain Flours' Kim Boyce recounts the rather romantic history of the flour. As the story goes, an American airman (*wolfwhistle*) stationed in Portugal in the 1950s was given 36 kernels of the wheat from a friend, he then took them back with him to Montana. Unable to find a profitable market for the crop at the time, it wasn't until the wholefoods and organic movement took off in the 1980s that farmers began to grow the wheat commercially. The grain was given it's name by Mack and Bob Quinn, a father and son organic farming duo from Montana that knew the airman's family and got their hands on one of the last jars of the grain in existence. The savvy pair established the body 'Kamut international' that to this day oversees the research and production of the wheat which they have trademarked so that it can never be genetically modified by modern growers the world over.

This is exactly what someone should do with vegemite to avoid another embarrassment like Vegemite 2.0. Lets just forget I even mentioned that on this blog shall we. Thank you.

Apparently Mack and Bob got the name Kamut from an ancient Egyptian word for wheat that also meant 'soul of the earth'.

I would personally consider vegemite to be a big part of the soul of our lovely nation so it makes perfect sense that it goes splendidly well when spread on a loaf of wheat made from the flour that is the soul of the earth which our little nation sits on.

fruits d'hiver

2010-06-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

papaya & passionfruit.

in season, in store.

the 'must try' for those currently in the southern hemisphere is my friend Megan's melange:

papaya + passionfruit + orange (juice and flesh) + lime

blueberry apple muffin, toasted with ricotta. long black.

2010-06-14T23:03:00.000-07:00

a muffin at breakfast time from cafe Giulia (abercrombie st, sydney) is, in my opinion a muffin as it should be, freshly baked, full of fruit, with grains or nuts or both, crunchy on top and soft but still a little bit firm on the bottom. capable fo being dipped into coffee or spread with ricotta.

a muffin is not a cupcake.

a cupcake is not a muffin.

a muffin from cafe Giulia is a must.

preferably devoured in the company of the best of friends.

Korean Koffee in a Kan

2010-06-14T22:49:00.000-07:00

if you like your kaw-fee on the run, through a straw, warm-ish and sweeter than the icing on your cupcake then you will LOVE this ...

baby it's cold outside ...

2010-05-27T06:17:00.000-07:00

... so I'm going to sit tight indoors and make some soup.

And that is just what I did, last week when the rainy weather hit, that heavy, sodden, inescapable rain, like someone turned the shower on high then broke the tap, the reason that Sydney apparently has a higher annual rainfall than London.

It was the first time that I had made cream of cauliflower soup and the first time that I had used my cookbook 'Ripailles' which is an amazing encyclopedia of traditional French fare, complete with instructions for petanque, a guide to smelly cheeses and the odd drinking song. The result was pretty impressive on the scale of 'nom' ... probably a 'nom nom nom nom nom nom' or maybe even a 'nom ... nom nom nom nom nom nom ....nom'. What I liked most was the garnish that the recipe called for, being a sprinkling of diced raw cauliflower, much healthier than using croutons (especially since it is so nice to accompany soup with a good chunk of bread to clean your bowl when a spoon just wont cut it anymore) and it gave a delightfully subtle meatiness to an otherwise delicate dish.

The first time that I ate it it needed a good pinch each of sea salt and pepper to season but second time round (on the advice of my mother) instead of salt I shaved some good strong parmesan over the top which could definitely be a permanent recipe augmentation, especially if you plan to eat the soup as a main meal, which, given the recent spate of torrential rainy days and the weather forecast for the week ahead, I sure do!

pimp my bagel

2010-05-27T05:55:00.000-07:00

bagel from Ella + ricotta + banana + almonds + walnuts ...

possibly the only thing missing from this breakfast table was Xzibit.

... too matchy matchy ?

2010-05-21T01:09:00.000-07:00

... eating a colourful mix of vegetables is good for you ok .

nost n' tost

2010-05-17T04:30:00.000-07:00

I would like to make a small gesture to cement the diplomatic friendship between Norway and Australia by introducing the phrase 'nost n' tost' to our common vernacular. I hope that one day in the not so distant furture, it might attain the same level of recognition as our other cherished culinary 'besties'; 'fish n' chips', 'surf n' turf', 'bangers n' mash', 'pie n' sauce', 'chips n' sauce', 'steak n' sauce' ....

'nost n' tost n' sauce' .... too far?

Known as 'brunost' or 'gjetost' in Norwegian this delicious little cube is commonly known as the much easier to pronounce - Norwegian brown cheese and comes in 3 varieties:

1.Gudbrandsdalsost a combination of cows milk and goats milk

2.Flotemysost made entirely of cows milk

3.Ekte Gjetost made entirely of goats milk

The first and only time I was lucky enough to taste brunost (until now) was when staying with my gorgeous Norwegian friend Edle (who it so happens also kindly taught me how to bake cinnamon buns) in Oslo back in 2008. I can no longer recall how this nordic breakfast staple came up in conversation recently but someone present told me they thought they had seen what I described in a Harris Farm grocer. I do know that I left the conversation pretty soon afterwards and headed straight to the cheese section of my local ... and there it was ... only the one variety, but the real deal.

Now all I need is one of those nifty cheese slicers ... apparently also Norwegian ... if you think that this relationship is starting to seem a tad unilateral just wait until I break out the vegemite, to be continued ...

mid week miam miam

2010-05-17T04:18:00.000-07:00

salmon on caramelised red onion with edamame pecorino dip, olives and green salad

Q: if a dog goes 'woof', a cat goes 'miaow', a pig goes 'oink' and a bird goes 'tweet', what sound does a moose make?

2010-05-14T04:08:00.001-07:00

A: mmmmm nom nom nom nom nom

especially if that moose happens to munch chai tea, cranberry and pistachio loaf with ricotta and blue/goji berry jam and sips on coffee for breakky.

oh my gaufre !

2010-05-11T17:01:00.000-07:00

after a recent trip to Japan my lovely employers returned with these little parcels of delight.

created by japan's oldest biscuit company, although called a 'gaufre', which is french for waffle, their form couldn't be further removed from l'original.

le gaufre de tokyo comprises 2 crisp wafer biscuits that fit snuggly together with the aid of a thin but incredibly flavoursome caramel cream.

can you dig and tunnel to japan just like you can dig and tunnel to china ?

same same but different

2010-04-29T04:26:00.001-07:00

same old love of breakfast - brand new breakfast table

honey spice muesli muffin

white peach, ripe to perfection

single origin sumatran liquid heaven

muesli & banana

nom, nom, nom.

the time is now

2010-04-26T15:59:00.000-07:00

apparently they contain more fibre than bananas - who knew ?

leftover luncheon

2010-04-26T15:36:00.000-07:00

After my parents came over for a bbq one Sunday at my new house our fridge was brimming with a mix of leftovers that are always just the ticket for lunch or dinner during the week.

Pairing the good stuff :

roast pumpkin

onions caramelised on the bbq

toasted almond and herb salad

chipolata sausages

honey ginger soy marinated chicken skewers

baby radishes

With an assortment of fridge staples:

lettuce/rocket/sprouts

cherry tomatoes

corn/capsicum/cucumber/carrot/broccoli.

cheese

made for almost a whole week of super speedy, super saver, super scrummy meals

mmmmm bagel bagel ... b - bagel bagel

2010-04-05T22:19:00.000-07:00

recipe for culinary cloud 9:

caffeinated beverage of your choosing

(long black for winnie)

toasted blueberry bagel from cafe Ella

homemade raspberry jam

fresh ricotta

apply desired ratio of ricotta & jam to your bagel

.... and float up up and away ...

and whether your cloud looks like this

or like this

... the destination looks the same.

embellished buns

2010-04-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

hot cross bun. toasted. banana. shredded coconut. blueberries. morning sunlight.

a breakfast creation by my hosuemate. still not sure how I feel about such an outrageous and overt pimping to the falvour of what would otherwise be a simple, inoffensive, subtly spiced festive fruit bun.

taste and traditions aside ... mmmmmmmm it's so purrrrdy

aaaaaaaaand we're back

2010-04-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

university examinations, a trojan virus offensive , one very very dead hard drive, moving house, a long wait for internet connectivity, starting a new job and starting back at uni could only keep me away for so long ...

granted it has actually been a really long time - the time is now and 2010 is ripe for the bloggin'.

x

christmas breakfast

2010-01-17T20:00:00.000-08:00

the results of my first culinary foray into fruit mince pies

fruit mine pies / fruit mince tarts ?

spelt maple breakfast muesli toasted by sonoma

smoked salmon, caviar, crème fraìche, minced herbs on polenta sourdough

obligatory caviar - one of the many benefits of having a russian in the family

coffee!

& champagne.

chillin'

2010-01-17T19:34:00.000-08:00

sometimes ... well most times in fact it's the littlest things that make the biggest difference.

even on a sweltering summer day in sydney I still stopped off for a coffee.

the wonderful guys and girls at campos now how it is, that's why you get a frosty chilled glass with your bottled water.

cool.

read it... red it... read it... red it...

2009-12-04T02:17:00.000-08:00

midweek lunch.

fish cakes with red salad.

reading material - lula magazine, the red issue.

waking up on drury lane

2009-11-23T14:02:00.001-08:00

apple, carrot and walnut muffin.

red and white grapes.

a clockwork orange (devoured - figuratively speaking - over a few breakfasts)

do you remember the time ?

2009-11-18T14:11:00.000-08:00

perfect antidote to monday-itis ?

step back in time !

pizza with pineapple topping was without fail my order of choice when I was little. The parentals would leave for a night out on the town, the babysitter would time me to get her things from the kitchen and we were allowed to have pizza home delivered.

spicey chicken & pineapple

mushroon, rocket & parmesan

meatballs, capsicum & mozzarella

it also helps to pop on a period drama, something with an incredible wardrobe department production team behind it.

this particular night it was 'Easy Virtue', guess what ? Jessica Biel is a delight to watch when she's not dolled up in baskeball shorts and complaining about her latest crisis of faith and most recent fight with her boyfriend the fireman.

just be careful when gawking at her peplum hats, tailored blouses, evening gowns, perfect shades of lipstick, precision liner and draped trousers that your latest mouthful of pizza doesn't fall from your mouth and ruin your trackies !

you've been warned.

embracing middle age

2009-11-15T21:47:00.000-08:00

a beautiful yellow banana is perfect eaten fresh, just as is, easy, naturally delicious, full of fibre.

a rather ugly, neglected, blackened banana is prime for the baking, ugly duckling turned beatuiful swan in four flicks of the whisk.

in between both of these stages however is a banana lying in the fruit bowl, not yet so far gone that it will make a beautiful banana cake batter . . . but too far gone for you to contemplate peeling it for your afternoon snack.

you might think twice before letting a banana lie and discolour for a cake once you've embraced middle age and smashed it over toast, preferably fruit and ideally spread with honey.

53 across: delicious israeli brunch for a steal in sydney (6)

2009-11-15T20:56:00.000-08:00

I was first taken to _ _ _ _ _ _ by a friend earlier this year and recently returned with another friend because the yum that is _ _ _ _ _ _ seriosuly deserves to be shared. . . and because we were both a little bit poor at the time and this would have to be one of the best ways to enjoy a breakfast or brunch that is as delicious as it is affordable.

Behold the shakshuka! At only $18 for two people you can lazily devour the following whilst cathcing up on the goss, reading up on the latest in current affairs and looking up the next time you are both free to come back.

my friend and I were so frustrated, irritated and rather embarrassed that between the two of us we were incapable of deciphering the quick crossword clue 'wine barrel (4)' that we turned to the consolation that only a freshly baked _ _ _ _ _ _ cinnamon and apple babka can deliver.

this one's for you !

2009-11-11T06:18:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time there was a gorgeous little cottage, perched snuggly on the side of a hill.

And in that cottage lived three of the most beautiful, brainy, buxom and badass ladies in all the land.

These ladies were known far and wide for being so incredibly sweet. They even worked in a patisserie! The french patissier toiled tirelessly - day in - day out - making cakes and éclairs and tarts and macaroons and biscuits and pies in an effort to match their beauty and sweetness.

However the sweetest thing about these ladies was their care to share.

And share they did...bringing the joy and delight of sweet pastry treats to all that they met for ever and ever and always.

THE END.

perks of the job

2009-11-02T15:27:00.000-08:00

Monday: chicken, tarragon, celery and walnut with extra celery,

tomato, mixed salad leaves, coarse balck pepper and dijon.

fresh on miche.

Saturday: chicken, tarragon, celery and walnut

with an addition of cucumber and coarse black pepper.

fresh on miche.

Friday: mozzarella, eggplant, pesto, ricotta, tomato, rocket

fresh on miche

I love working where I work for a few reasons.

the people (both the staff and the regulars) are lovely.

my work environment smells of coffee, spiced fruit toast, pastry and bread baking.

there is a coffee ready and waiting almost the moment I arrive.

I love working where I work because even though i've dropped the odd $9.00 sandwich and broken one or two (or was it five?) cups and saucers ... at the end of the day they still send me home with a loaf of bread under my arm, a coffee for the road, a little something sweet and a sandwich.

now all I need to do is wrangle one of those company mini-coopers into the contract somehow ....

sunday night shanks

2009-10-26T00:02:00.000-07:00

After working on Thursday night, writing an essay all day Friday, working all day Saturday, partying all of Saturday night and into Sunday morning and then traipsing off to work (much the worse for wear) on Sunday, I almost wanted to hug my plate, abandon cutlery and weep with joy and relief at the sight of these shanks.

Cooked to perfection by my father following the family's preferred shank recipe by Jamie Oliver I finally had myself a good night's sleep.

A sweet sweet post shank supper slumber.

I higly recommend you try it sometime.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

move over snickers

2009-10-20T21:05:00.000-07:00

OH HENRY indeed.

my new bff episode IV

2009-10-12T04:14:00.000-07:00

Pear and Blueberry Muffins: A New Hope

This batch definitely gave me new hope that I'm not losing my mind. The first time I attemped this recipe for mixed berry muffins I forgot to add the sugar, luckily I had included some pears that were hanging out in the fruit basket and they managed to counter the slightly tart flavour of the berries. Like my gingerbread episode the other week, it was actually an insightful error and this time around, again using pear I remembered the sugar (hurrah!) but only used about 1/2 what the recipe specified. I've totally got the force (back).

winnecke baker: my new bff

2009-10-12T03:56:00.000-07:00

Now all I need is the tv series to go with. . . oh wait, but I've already found my bff. . .tv series is meant to come first. . . dang it! . . . don't panic, we'll just do it like Star Wars.

sooooo last season!

2009-10-08T23:52:00.000-07:00

Macadamia nut muesli & strawberries on the side

(macadamia nuts removed...I'm really not a fan of their flavour unless chocolate coated or better still, honey and chocolate coated, I find them bland and blerrrrrrr tasting, i.e not tasting at all)

+ extra cranberries

+ hot milk

It is officially Spring in Sydney, springtime month number 2 in fact but the Winter weather that we all thought we had missed has finally arrived. Obviously, being the uber cool month that it is, Winter couldn't possibly arrive anything but late to the seasonal party.

(I just made a Winter = Cool pun didn't I? yup, uh huh I went there. OK just checking...aaaaaaand moving right along then!)

I woke up on Thursday to super strong and seriously cold winds chopping up the harbour but there was still a little sunshine peaking through the clouds. I think the confused weather combination confused my hunger because I had a severe hankering for porridge... but I didn't want porridge because I really didn't feel like honey and even though I wanted something filling and wintery... it's definitely not Winter. Then it hit me - literally - the packet fell on my head when I opened the pantry - muesli, pop the muesli in the microwave, just like milo!

keeping the doctor at bay

2009-10-03T04:24:00.001-07:00

I don't think the variety is important. This particular day it happened to be pink lady.

gingerbread breakfast

2009-09-29T21:08:00.001-07:00

Homemade gingerbread adorned with fresh sliced banana and a side of blue&straw-berries.

The other night I was making gingerbread as part of the dessert for my father's birthday dinner (ginger poached pears with gingerbread and caramel sauce). I made one batch, popped it into the oven, turned to gather up the dirty dishes and discovered the dark brown sugar sitting pretty on the scales.

*omg, what! noooooooo, hold up ... did I measure that for the sauce or for the cake? don't panic, just think about it..... oh jeeeeez nope, totally forgot to add it omg, idiot, ugh quick quick, where's another cake tin??*

In hindsight I would actually do it all over again, my forgetfulness meant that we have a nice little ginger loaf (albeit minus the sugar) all to ourselves. There is not a great deal of difference
between the flavour of the gingerbread with sugar and that without, both are really really good, each perfectly suited to their respective rolls:

sweeter dessert gingerbread and breakfast (it's ok, I've got no sugar, you're not eating cake at 9am) gingerbread.

afternoon snack

2009-09-29T21:03:00.000-07:00

lady grey black tea, almonds & brazil nuts

market fare

2009-09-20T04:45:00.000-07:00

LEMON

ALMOND

RICOTTA

POLENTA

CAKE.

fu man chu chow wow

2009-09-20T03:49:00.000-07:00

Last week I popped over to a friends house for a chilled Monday night dinner. Said lovely friend ain't so loved by so many foods and has to be careful not to anger her allergies. So, our original brainstorm for a catch-up centered around the purchase and consumption of an allergy friendly cake from a particualrly considerate baker at her local weekend markets. Buuuuuuuuut a delicious afternoon tea complete with non-killer cake was devastatingly out of the quetion because I have to work on Saturday and Sunday...

(*awwwwwwww winnie poor you, do you need me to cover a shift?* it's ok guys, really, thank you, but we still have weekend loading)

We figured that to ensure optimum taste sensation we would have to catch up as soon as possible post cake purchase which meant Monday evening. As much as I love cake I'm also hoping to live a long and prosperous life which means eating with your head ... I hear it can help prolong your heart. So when possible: dinner before dessert mmmmmm-K ?

On this particular occasion our impromptu dinner order came seriously close to outshining the main event (explanatory cake post to come) . Not being experienced with the home-delivery providores of the area even when my friend recommended the 'house broth' as a good, filling choice I put faith in her local knowledge, prior experience and trusted that no matter what... there was a whole cake to fall back on so whatevs ...cough cough I mean trusted in our friendship cough cough.

I'm ashamed I would ever be so stupid as to doubt a friend.

For the bargain price of $10 I was delivered one container of steaming broth and one American sitcom style 'take-out' noodle box packed with bean sprouts, asian greens and the most delicious dumplings I have eaten in a long time...in fact, perhaps the most delicous dumplings I have eaten, period. All I had to do was place the vegies and dumplings in a bowl, pour over the broth, then ceremoniously snap my chopsticks in half and tuck in.

$10! $10 Australian dollars people. that's chow that makes you go 'WOW'

breakfast for lunch

2009-09-13T17:25:00.000-07:00

I can sense you looking quizically at the title of this post then moving to tap me on the shoulder and enlighten me sweetly ... 'ummmm winnie honey, I think nowadays it is widely agreed that breakfast for lunch is called B-R-U-N-C-H. It's quite clever really, just popping the 2 words together like that, economical and peppy... like fugly! genius.'

So I'm going to stop you before you look silly. I'm totally au fait with brunch, down with brunch, got my finger on the brunch pulse, I'm the #1 fan of brunch and this sweet little feast, brunch it was not.

Just as it's name suggests, brunch is when you combine your breakfast and your lunch into the one mid-morning meal. The menu selection generally features dishes appropriate to either mealtime or that straddle the divide between your morning and afternoon tastebud preferences; a frittata with orange juice and a coffee for example. The important point to remember is that it is a combination of meals, you don't have breakfast nor do you have lunch...you have brunch!

On this particularly lovely Tuesday I ate my breakfast in the morning, hopped on a train, sat through a 3 hour advanced criminal law class and then went to a friend's house for lunch. It just so happens that Jess makes a mean Bircher Muesli and had just enough left over from her latest batch for three. I'm not sure exactly what goes into her deeee-licious mix but I do know that the sultanas get soaked overnight which makes them nicely plump and their sweetness is perfectly paired with the tartness of the raspberries which are dotted throughout. This time Jess had also thrown a few prunes into her version and their naturally gooey texture made them a delightful addition for texture and flavour. (I will have to ask her permission re. a future peanut butter and prune sandwich post). Each bowl was topped with fresh banana and slivers of almond, guaranteed to replenish our brain power post mental class workout.

Listen up kids: go a little crazy, be rebellious, alternative and break those oppressive rules of meal times enforced by your parents!

Being the awesome hostess that she is, Jess also whipped up a loaf of coconut bread. When we arrived the entire house was filled with the gorgeous aroma of this little baby baking. Topped with butter and plum jam it was way nummy! Lucky me also got to go home with a nice big chunk to toast for another breakfast one the morrow.

This was the first time I had tried the Melbourne Breakfast blend of tea from T2. It had a beautiful scent of vanilla that to my pleasant surprise also translated into the flavour which, I have found to be a rare quality of many teas, expecially vanilla or caramel varieties.

I am such a big fan of breakfast foods and this meal made me wonder... why do we choose to share breakfast with another meal ? Is it because we much prefer breakfast food and want a legitimate reason to eat it at other times of day? Why not just have breakfast for breakfast and breakfast for lunch ? I did and it was ace!

makin' Dolly proud - workin' 9-5

2009-09-02T20:49:00.001-07:00

working indoors when it's sunny outside and on the weekend no less...when everyone else is sleeping in, finally getting up to make a lovely leisurely breakfast with a nice plunger of coffee, maybe even take it back to bed or going out to sit cosily in the corner or lounge pretty in the sunbeams at their favourite café and order 'the usual'...can get this girl down.

And the thought that 'hey, it's not so bad, just think of Dolly and how proud she would be if she knew ...' doesn't provide much consolation because even though she's incredible, and listening to her music brings you together and she's received the odd scientific enhancements... none of those include being able to hear from continent to continent, be in two places at once or read your mind and so sadly... she doesn't know.

But after working as many weekends in a row as I have this year I have actually developed a new little morning ritual that makes getting out of bed and going to work, well, ok I guess. Thanks, thanks and more thanks go to the lovely little coffee shop on the same level as my store and it's fabulously friendly staff. They must get up at some unfathomably early time of morning at which it should really be considered illegal to be out of bed but when I pop over just before opening for the days trade they are all smiles and warmth and waste no time in whisking me off happyily grasping my usual (!) double shot skim flat white & toasty warm fruit scone

I generally always try and have some fruit in the morning as well for a little natural sugar + vitamin pick me up. It's ridiculous how unappealing kiwi fruit looks wrapped up in it's furry brown coat compared with how luscious and fabulous it is when it gets it's kit off.

The second of the food habits which I have developed at work is that, like in the mornings, come lunch time I always go to the same place...the difference is I don't always get the same thing. There is the most fabulous little food outlet attached to the fresh fruit and vegetable grocer that just keeps getting better and better. At first there were about 3 salads to choose from, freshly squeezed juices, a few sandwiches, yoghurts and ice-cream but now they always have about 5 salads to choose from and all of the ingredients are so fresh and tastey! Perhaps the best thing is that they don't just fill everything out with rocket or salad greens so you don't ever have the need to go back and politely enquire "ummmmm sorry, umm excuse me, hi, ummmm sorry, ummmmm sorry hi, hi, I as just wondering if I could have some flavour with that?"

1/2 green beans, chickpeas cucumber, carrot, salad greens, black sesame seeds with a sesame dressing

1/2 haloumi, roasted almonds, cranberrries, roast pumpkin and rocket

routine also includes getting outside, getting away, preferably pretty far away (as far as a 30 min lunch break permits) from the shopping centre and into the real world, preferably sitting in the sun and breathing in some actual, proper, non stale fresh air.

z - ummm - b - ohhh - my - god - ! (part two)

2009-08-29T06:04:00.001-07:00

Would you believe that the mains:dessert ratio at my mother's lunch was just so wild that we let a guest get away with taking two of these (ok granted she was the sweetie who brought them in the first place...but two!) and another two are still sitting very pretty in the refrigerator !

'I''ll be seeing YOU later....' *;)*

z - ummm - b - ohhh - my - god - ! (part one)

2009-08-28T05:14:00.000-07:00

L - R : Vanilla, Raspberry, Mandarin, Blackberry

One of my mothers workmates was ridiculously generous arriving to lunch with a ginormous carry bag packed full of goodies from Balmain pastissier Adriano Zumbo.

ZUM-B-OH my god !

The only thing I can think of that might possibly have trumped this gesture would be if said guest had turned up with patisseries ... & couture from Balmain.

The only problem is, if you are lucky enough to have tasted les macarons de Pierre Hermé, anything else, even if it is deliciously and scrumptuously close, will forever make you pine for Pierre. *sigh*

However, this 2 dozen or so might just be enough to tide me over until I can afford the airfare.

lemon, rice, polenta cake

2009-08-27T05:27:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday my mother, always the forward planner, invited 10 of her workmates over for a mid-week lunch on the same day that she plays tennis all morning! classic ! Luckily it just so happens that Wednesday is the only day of the week when I don't have to go to university or to work. Oh and I kinda like to bake so secretly I was totes keen to get my oven mits on and whisk away. I tell you what that lady lacks in foresight she makes up for with flukes.

One of the ways I offered to help out was in the dessert department (*gasp* really?)

My contribution: lemon, rice, polenta cake (recipe from the Rose Bakery book.)

I was a little bit worried when I realised that I had mis-read the recipe, which asked for the zest of 4 lemons but the juice of only 1, and had already poured what must have been equivalent to the juice of 3 into the mixing bowl. At this point it must have been approaching midnight and the coffee I had comsumed before I started baking was wearing off so I gathered what little strength I had left and stirred my little heart out spurred on by the terrifying image of a curdled cake mix. When I removed them from the oven 45 minutes later all seemed well and after tasting them the next day it was decided... a little, or a lot more juice could very well become a permanent fixture (dare I be so brazen as to alter a recipe from my culinary hero.)

This cake is a great to add to your repertoire particularly if you or anyone you know is gluten intolerant because it consists primarily of ground almonds, polenta and rice flour.

signature dish

2009-08-24T14:37:00.000-07:00

I feel very lucky to have grown up in a household of 2 highly adept cooks. Both my mother and father know there way around the kitchen and love spending time there. Even though dad is the typical 'go to guy' when it comes to the barbeque, making the mash potato or carving the chicken/roast lamb/Christmas turkey or ham he is just as likely to responsible for a risotto, baked salmon, homemade pasta or roast quail. Over the years he has developed quite the repetoire!

I think that most people, no matter how many dishes they have tried their hand at or how au fait they are with a whisk or wooden spoon will have a developed a dish or two that has become their signature. It may be because it is the one they enjoy cooking or eating the most, perhaps it is the easiest thing to cook, the most delicious or the dish for which they receive the most requests ...(this is definitely the case with mine - but today we're not talking about me).

And so today I share with you one of my Dad's signature dishes, in our house when the weather is warm the Sunday night roast magically transforms into the Sunday night salad -

preferrably salad niçoise à la dad.

home delivery

2009-08-17T23:44:00.000-07:00

mmmmmmm CHOCKLAD.

Q: does anything even 1/2 bad come out of Sweden ?

A: is the sky blue ?

This Monday I had the most lovely surprise to start off my week - a birthday parcel all the way from the most stella honey... my friend Rebecka in Sweden. Tucked away amongst some awesome oversized postcards and the cutest little number from Monki (boy oh boy was I spoiled!) was this here bar of chocklad.

Not only did I get post ( post !) ... I got to enjoy a little bar of chocklad with my cup of tea while I read Rebecka's letter and caught up with all of her news.

Takk times a million.

if only a rose could smell as sweet as this here cup of coffee

2009-08-12T19:03:00.000-07:00

move over banana bread !

2009-08-10T00:52:00.000-07:00

MAKE THIS.

YOUR STOMACH NEEDS YOU.

JOIN THE GINGERBREAD REVOLUTION TODAY!

Marm - errrrr ? - lade

2009-08-10T00:18:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago now I lent a jacket to a lovely friend of mine who not only returned it in pristine condition after a rollicking Saturday night (hip flasks and sky-scraper high heels were involved) but also with a little container of homemade marmalade. Being a little bit the foodie (ahem), I was touched by this thoughtful little gesture and all previous encounters with said condiment were hastily forgotten...

perhaps a little too hastily.

As soon as I had spread it over my soy and lindseed sourdough I grew apprehensive about the fate of my Sonoma and the harmonious relationship between myself and my tastebuds.

My mind was ticking over ... Marm - errrrr do I actually like you - alade ??

To assuage my apprehension and reassure my tastebuds I had what I thought was a stroke of genius and decided to top the marmalade toast off with sliced banana. I love banana and honey on toast so surely this would be a deliciously à la mode sweet/sour variation ...

The saying goes that we learn something new everyday.

Today's lesson: leave the sweet and sour to pork and sauce.

The search for a recipe that requires maralade yet doesn't taste of marmalde continues ...

sugar sweet & strawberry scrap heap

2009-08-09T23:32:00.000-07:00

So ... you may not secretly whisper 'hey there good lookin'' when this dessert is set down in front of you but as you should all know by now, looks aínt everything and what is more, looks can be downright deceiving! Come to think of it ... how old is Cher now anyway?

This haphazard heap of meringue , strawberries and chantilly cream also known as Eton (or Eaton) Mess may not be the prettiest pud in the pond but the truth be in the tasting. Aesthetically speaking the eyes would say that the pond is shallow but ... if you let the tastebuds do the talking Eton Mess is more like a DAMN !

Apparently this dish originated (perhaps not surprisingly) at Eton College and is served at the annual cricket game between Eton College and Winchester College. It all sounds dreadfully civilised ... they say that the 'mess' refers to the dish being served on mass, in a sort of 'mess tent', on mass catering environment...

Or perhaps the lunch lady just happened to make a right mess one day when trying her hand at Pavlova ...

banoffee pie high

2009-07-01T03:40:00.000-07:00

Seriously... whoever thought of putting these 4 things together is a genius. G.E.N.I.U.S

buttery biscuit base, gooey toffee, fresh sliced banana, whipped cream.

oh.

my.

goodness.

This particular pie is from the culinary Gods at Fratelli Fresh in Potts Point. I say a little prayer for you.

the simple things in life are often the best

2009-07-01T03:00:00.000-07:00

Winter has definitely arrived in Sydney, even though the sun keeps shining there ain't a lot of heat to accompany it, blankets and doonas have replaced sheets on my bed, carefree bare feet have been put away in ugg boots and socks, dinner on the balcony is out and pot roast is in and it takes something pretty yummy and a lot cosy to get me out of bed in the morning.

I find that switching back to porridge in the winter time is like welcoming one of my best friends back from a long holiday. It is joyous, it's the culinary equivalent of a hug and it's so comforting and familiar that when I sit down with my bowl and a tea or coffee it's like catching up and reminiscing about previous happy Winter memories.

This season I've changed it up a bit, inspired by http://simplybreakfast.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-04-17T04%3A23%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=7 This would have to be my favourite food related blog by far, hope you enjoy.

my flavour mix of the moment is as follows:

1/4 cup uncle toby's oats + a little oat bran cooked with water

1 teaspoon honey (I feel extra indulgent that I get to stir through honey from the family farm)

1 banana, pumpkin seeds, cranberries

(also delicious with currants, chopped almonds, sunflower seeds, strawberries, pecans)

howdy neighbour !

2009-07-01T02:26:00.000-07:00

(little spiced fig pastries)

When we had the neighbours over recently for Sunday dinner our guests from upstairs brought these little treats to finish off the evening with coffee and tea. They were absolutely delicious, not crunchy but nice and crumbly with that real homemade pastry charm, Jo (the bearer of the delicious morsels) isn't an obsessed foodie or homecook but boy oh boy does she know where to shop.

Do you have a favourite store bought gourmet goodie or four ? these could easily be mine of the minute.