tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23497952160924369242024-03-06T03:07:12.774+11:00The Hungry ExcavatorWinstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.comBlogger238125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-21446483487829847182016-12-04T01:13:00.002+11:002016-12-05T20:29:55.097+11:00Mee Siam Recipe (Malaysian Spicy & Sour Noodles)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbplnlWPppyYwXz3swnLsT1y9LnpsLMvIJYyDwqQtWFGIGvWOWBJbIYIwsUB0x3cB45yld6eSdejQSVlzW0P8jDwmlxHotCZM2XW2jOSVDRjsZE07GqxoulNYWzvV3wQOmRahi2lRY9js/s1600/Mee+Siam-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbplnlWPppyYwXz3swnLsT1y9LnpsLMvIJYyDwqQtWFGIGvWOWBJbIYIwsUB0x3cB45yld6eSdejQSVlzW0P8jDwmlxHotCZM2XW2jOSVDRjsZE07GqxoulNYWzvV3wQOmRahi2lRY9js/s1600/Mee+Siam-1.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And in a blink of an eye, we're approaching the end of 2016............. If I had a dollar for everytime someone asked why I haven't updated my blog the past year, I wouldn't be a millionaire but probably a hundred bucks richer. I am humbled whenever people tell me how much they've missed seeing my posts. Trust me, I've missed blogging a lot myself.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Truth is, I've started a new role in my job and trying to balance that and find rest in between family time, social life, exercise, travels and everything else has proved to be really challenging. I literally just make dinner and go to bed on weeknights and weekends are spent catching up with friends/family. So hard to find the time to blog, as much as I'd like to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That said, I told myself that I HAD to share this <span style="font-size: large;">Mee Siam recipe</span> if I were to only blog one recipe this year. This spicy and sour noodle dish is very popular in Malaysia/Singapore and has always been one of my favourite noodles to eat. I made it from scratch for the first time earlier this year when I had a bunch of my friends over and it was a huge hit. I was really happy with the flavours. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Normally, I am quite critical of my own thinking but I thought this was really delicious to eat, if I do say so myself. The nostalgia may of eating this again after so many years may have played a part in the enjoyment of it too.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Anyway, I sincerely apologise for the lack of updates but hopefully this recipe makes up for it. It's definitely a winner for me so I hope you try and enjoy it too.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Mee Siam Recipe</u></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #444444;">(adapted from </span><a href="http://fong-kitchen-journal.blogspot.com.au/2011/06/nyonya-fried-mee-siam.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">this recipe</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> by Fong's Kitchen Journal)</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thehungryexcavator/mee-siam-recipe?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Click here to print the recipe</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">400g thin rice vermicelli</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">300g prawns </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 pieces fried bean curd </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4 eggs</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4 handfuls of beansprouts </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 handfuls of chives </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4 tbsp tamarind paste </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4 cloves garlic</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3 tbsp oil</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 - 3 cups of water</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3 tbsp sugar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fish sauce to taste</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><u>Spice paste:</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">7 small dried chillies</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5 large fresh red chillies </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3 tbsp dried shrimps</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/2 tbsp belachan </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">15 small or 5 large purple shallots</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5 cloves garlic</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 tbsp soy bean paste</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/3 cup fried shallots</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Handful of coriander (chopped)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>1. To prepare the ingredients: </i>Soak the vermicelli in water until soft. Drain and set aside. De-shell and de-vein the prawns. C</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ut to 1 inch long and 1/2 cm thick strips. Fry the eggs in 2 batches into a thin omelette and cut to thin strips. Cut the chives to 1 inch strips. Mix the tamarind paste in 1 cup of water. Sieve the liquid and discard the seeds. Mince the garlic.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>2. To make the spice paste: </i>Soak the dried chillies in hot water, squeeze out the water and remove the seeds. Halve the red chillies and remove the seeds. Soak the dried shrimps in 1/3 hot water for 5 minutes and retain the liquid. Toast the belachan in an oven for a few minutes until fragrant. Place all the ingredients for the paste in a blender or food processor and blend until it forms a smooth paste.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>3. To cook the noodles: </i>Heat up the oil in a wok over high heat. Add the garlic and fry until fragrant. Add in the spice paste and fry the mixture on low - medium heat until it turns dark brown (approx 25 - 30 minutes), stirring occasionally. Stir in the </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">tamarind juice, 2 cups of water, rice vermicelli. Cover the wok and allow to simmer until the vermicelli has soaked up most of the liquid in the wok. Toss the vermicelli with the wok spatula and large chopsticks until the noodles are well combined. Add the sugar and season the vermicelli with fish sauce to taste.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4. Add in the prawns, fried bean curd, bean sprouts, chives and stir fry for a couple of minutes until the prawns are cooked and mixture is well combined. Add a bit more water if the mixture is too dry. Stir in the omelette strips. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5. To serve, garnish with fried shallots, coriander and wedges of lime on the side. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpv0JzGHwDZrDE3qLv7aMVDSaB1TOQGcWKmVctRKX2L8EIj8GTtxm545ADHrSEB8TMI-Nm0ysWkXL5JYlacvIkTzOiQai87asE6iVLOFfAESK-l_GnECiTiPKoHuvPilwgBz_5Kf1Ua0M/s1600/Mee+Siam-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpv0JzGHwDZrDE3qLv7aMVDSaB1TOQGcWKmVctRKX2L8EIj8GTtxm545ADHrSEB8TMI-Nm0ysWkXL5JYlacvIkTzOiQai87asE6iVLOFfAESK-l_GnECiTiPKoHuvPilwgBz_5Kf1Ua0M/s1600/Mee+Siam-4.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwV58KcpSrXLcBwf3Qu0euTw0dtYsUmFsrCSUTfDr1o90_EWVae2cEJUy0ax6JoRxaLrR_sUwCKNSg8fbjtsmiTDJjIIfI4VHarkVJPLuowI2JZjjXldabwfY6PL_pltMXw0qSiAnGpA/s1600/Mee+Siam-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwV58KcpSrXLcBwf3Qu0euTw0dtYsUmFsrCSUTfDr1o90_EWVae2cEJUy0ax6JoRxaLrR_sUwCKNSg8fbjtsmiTDJjIIfI4VHarkVJPLuowI2JZjjXldabwfY6PL_pltMXw0qSiAnGpA/s1600/Mee+Siam-5.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
<br />Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-10649542378577387662016-03-27T19:42:00.002+11:002016-05-10T08:56:53.406+10:00London, 2015/2016<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Aubaine, Hyde Park</u></b></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A really pleasant cafe to have our morning breakfast before a day of exploration as it is located right across the road from Kensington Gardens. I loved the ambience of the place and yes, food was simple but delightful. Located</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Google map location: </span><a href="https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Aubaine/@51.510337,-0.187523,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x3d9d7a47382b1d37" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">here</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/aubaine-hilton-london-hyde-park-bayswater" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Aubaine - Hilton London Hyde Park, Bayswater and other Restaurants in London"><img alt="Aubaine - Hilton London Hyde Park Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/17981155/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a> </div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Kensington Gardens</u></span></h2>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Google map location: <a href="https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Kensington+Gardens/@51.506987,-0.179165,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x62eea98228b6b77c">here</a></span><br />
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<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>The Orangery, Kensington Gardens</u></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One of the things that I really, really wanted to do when I was in London (especially since it was my first time there) was to go to a traditional high tea. We only had time that week for one high tea so I was doing a lot of research online for high tea recommendations.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At first, I was quite keen on having our one high tea at The Ritz (for novelty's sake) but because they had a strict dress code there, it made it quite inconvenient for us. Then, a friend of Mum, who has always had an appreciation of the finer things, recommended The Orangery to us. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was perfect. Everything we were hoping for and more. For me, the setting and ambience was just as important as the food/tea selection. It was nestled in the middle of Kensington Gardens and I really enjoyed the historic grandeur of the building itself. We felt like we were having tea from a page in history.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oh and yes, the nibbles were really delicious. They had a Christmas special selection and I loved the roast turkey with stuffing and cranberry sandwich. Teas were really fantastic too. All in all, it ticked all our boxes and would definitely recommend this place to others too for a very typically English experience in London.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Google map location: <a href="https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/The+Orangery+Restaurant/@51.506545,-0.187755,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xd4b768cb30fdcc31">here</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/the-orangery-kensington" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about The Orangery, Kensington and other Restaurants in London"><img alt="The Orangery Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/6114283/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a> </div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Borough Market</u></span></h2>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We also met up with my really good friend Jeff from Melbourne who moved to the UK about a year ago. Knowing that we are quite the family of foodies, he decided to take us for a tour around Borough Market. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Great place to visit to have a taste of the local produce and delicacies. Enjoyed my time here.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Having a salted beef sandwich while you're here is essential for the experience. I instantly regretted my choice when I saw that there was one particular stall outside that sold incredible looking salted beef sandwich with melted cheese on top. I'd definitely go for that instead of the ordinary one.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Google map location: <a href="https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Borough+Market/@51.5054913,-0.0909134,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x74544967e223bc2">here</a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Eat this one!</span></div>
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<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Roast, Borough Market</u></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Look, I wasn't a fan of this place at all but I thought I'd share it anyway. The only reason why we came here was because I really wanted to have a traditional Sunday roast with yorkshire puddings. This was the only place I found that served it outside of a Sunday night. It was quite an uppity restaurant and recommended by another friend. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Overall, the only thing I enjoyed was the yorkshire puddings. The beef was quite honestly one of the worst I've had in my life. There was a ring of overcooked layer on the outside and the meat inside had a smell and was very unpleasant. Quite awful, really. Plus, this restaurant was so expensive too so I was surprised by the poor quality. I think living in Australia, you tend to become quite spoilt when it comes to the quality of beef. Was not impressed but at least I satisfied my craving of having a "traditional Sunday roast"? Next time, I'll plan my trip a little better and have it a proper Sunday roast on a Sunday at a proper pub.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Google map location: <a href="https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Roast/@51.505578,-0.091125,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x1874db9f5e710991">here</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/roast-london-bridge" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Roast, London Bridge and other Restaurants in London"><img alt="Roast Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/6114071/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a> </div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Camden Market</u></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Another local food market that my friend Jeff brought us to. Unlike Borough market which was more focused on local produce, Camden is all about the street eats from cuisines around the world. Also a fun place to explore because of the vibrant energy of the place but we were too full to eat by the time we got there. The market is located in the Camden, which I found to be quite an eclectic part of London. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Google map location: <a href="https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Camden+Market/@51.5400815,-0.1430446,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xb22477c8afb1df2d?sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwit1ovno-DLAhUHnJQKHf-TDQ0Q_BIIggEwDg">here</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Gold Mine, Bayswater</u></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After a few days of being in London, we couldn't help but crave some Asian food (sorry, really couldn't help it). Nothing like a simple, Chinese roast to save the day. Lobsters are seriously, incredibly, unbelievably overpriced in Australia so we wanted to have our lobster fix here in London too.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Most people would recommend the famous Four Seasons restaurant for Chinese roast but when we got to the restaurant, the meat looked very dry and unappetising from the outside. Gold Mine, however, was a few doors down and really caught our attention. The skin was glistening and meat looked really juicy so we walked straight in.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Food here was seriously delicious. The roast duck and crispy roast pork was executed well. Both had the crispy skin and juicy meats. I scoffed them both down with my fluffy white rice with a smile on my face. Next, we had the golden sands lobster. Very generous portions for the price and again, executed well. Overall, we really enjoyed our Chinese meal here. The restaurant was clean and service was good too. So glad that we didn't end up at Four Seasons like other people recommended because it seemed more like a uni student takeaway joint than a proper restaurant. Judging by the look of their meats, I doubt it would've been better than Gold Mine anyway.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Google map location: <a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/gold-mine-bayswater/menu#tabtop">here</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/gold-mine-bayswater" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Gold Mine, Bayswater and other Restaurants in London"><img alt="Gold Mine Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/6109073/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a> </div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Craving completely satisfied!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Olley's Traditional Fish & Chips</u></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">By now, we've had High Tea, we've had Sunday Roast, the next crucial item on our agenda was a traditional Fish & Chips. Even though, the <i>real </i>traditional way to eat fish & chips is out of a paper bag, but it was pouring one evening and we wanted to go somewhere toasty and indoors. There are a lot of local fish & chip restaurants around London which, to me, is the next best thing. No complaints from my end.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mum's friend took us to Olley's for dinner and it was yum yum yum. Definitely better than any fish & chip I've had in Australia. The reason I say this is because of the fish they use in London. I love a good cod and would have it over any flake, barramundi or snapper in Australia any day. I love the soft, white, delicate texture of cod and think it goes perfectly well with the light, crunchy batter.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I really enjoyed our fish and chip meal here and definitely recommend it too.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Google map location: <a href="https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Olley's/@51.4936291,-0.0952942,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x5141685252fcdc86">here</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/olleys-herne-hill" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Olley's, Herne Hill and other Restaurants in London"><img alt="Olley's Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/6113382/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a> </div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Harrods Food Hall</u></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ever since I was young, I've always been so fascinated by the clips of Harrods Food Hall that I've seen on TV. It looked like a glorious food haven and I couldn't wait to experience it for myself. Coming here was a bit of a dream come true, really. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The entire food hall exudes luxury, class and prestige. It was very interesting to see all the foods of utmost quality from around the world. Great experience. Oh and the best part was all the food souvenirs we bought. Most of the Harrods brand confectionary products were on sale and everything that we bought tasted fantastic. Friends and family definitely enjoyed the food gifts we got them too.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Only regret is not taking more photos! But not always to constantly whip out your heavy ass camera when you're indoors at a crowded space. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Google map location: <a href="http://if%20only%20i%20took%20more%20photos%21%20but%20not%20always%20to%20constantly%20whip%20out%20your%20heavy%20ass%20camera%20when%20you%27re%20indoors%20at%20a%20crowded%20space./">here</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPJ5esN_h7W10ma0rxHqjfYgoTzksR5TpH-HOiHF9z5hBw9G4EUQ1e-eaEb1XOA_R2VoT3pkX0SunRG-cBiIlNLRzVGnhD0HlgogSiIpZSS4SAWuVNh3hJdzaS_yw96iq_KDMXhaNQKU/s1600/London+2015-2016-40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPJ5esN_h7W10ma0rxHqjfYgoTzksR5TpH-HOiHF9z5hBw9G4EUQ1e-eaEb1XOA_R2VoT3pkX0SunRG-cBiIlNLRzVGnhD0HlgogSiIpZSS4SAWuVNh3hJdzaS_yw96iq_KDMXhaNQKU/s1600/London+2015-2016-40.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Dinner by Heston, Mandarin Oriental</u></span></h2>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Even though we now have Dinner by Heston here in Melbourne, I still really wanted to experience the one in London instead. Firstly, because it was the original. Secondly, because I am more generous with my spendings when I'm on holiday so this would definitely not have been a meal I would've paid for in Melbourne.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At first, the restaurant seemed to be fully booked when I tried to make a reservation online (as I had left it to quite late). I was becoming quite desperate so asked if my friend in London could call up the restaurant and try our luck. By sheer luck, they managed to squeeze us in for a lunch on New Year's Eve. Perfect!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They had a 3 course set lunch special for <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 37.2px;">£35, which I thought was fantastic value so Mum and sis opted for that. As for myself, I simply ordered from the normal menu only because I wanted to have the famous meat fruit. The mains alone was around </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 37.2px;">£35 so, again, their 3 course set lunch for that price was great value.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Overall, the food really blew us away. The meat fruit was hands down the best liver pate I've ever had we couldn't get enough of it. All the dishes were executed perfectly and I could not find a thing to fault. The food was not too complex for fine dining (which I find makes it hard to enjoy) and well thought out. We were very happy with our meal and Mum said that this was one of the best fine dining meals she's had. I concurred. Service as well was impeccable.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Do try and book a table here if you're in town. Well worth the visit</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Google map location: <a href="https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Dinner+by+Heston+Blumenthal/@51.5022447,-0.1620993,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x4876053998f43547:0x60f3fd42f231a0fa">here</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/dinner-heston-blumenthal-mandarin-oriental-hyde-park-knightsbridge" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Dinner By Heston Blumenthal - Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, Knightsbridge and other Restaurants in London"><img alt="Dinner By Heston Blumenthal - Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/6113835/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>The Serpentine Lake</u></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Another place we strolled nearby after a really beautiful meal at Dinner by Heston. Perfect way to enjoy a winter's day in London</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Google map location: <a href="https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/The+Serpentine/@51.5052383,-0.1707953,16z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x487605486f1f5995:0x487605494a1ba2a6">here</a></span></div>
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Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-82408595780641251282016-03-21T19:31:00.001+11:002016-03-21T19:31:10.976+11:00Poon Choi (盆菜) Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWurKaVD5uqMwhVCBCXmwVa3qM8CQ4S5lkr2ppj-zWwhrohKLqpyn9CQqBmTIdXmKOEXcF_MOz7qnIBbLrqUcEya_SRdCP-IATv54whIvj3uzgUyNvqgigTixVU3sQ3N1iy0zm3opoFr8/s1600/Poon+Choi-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWurKaVD5uqMwhVCBCXmwVa3qM8CQ4S5lkr2ppj-zWwhrohKLqpyn9CQqBmTIdXmKOEXcF_MOz7qnIBbLrqUcEya_SRdCP-IATv54whIvj3uzgUyNvqgigTixVU3sQ3N1iy0zm3opoFr8/s1600/Poon+Choi-8.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><i>This dish makes the perfect centrepiece at a festive dinner table... Fun to eat!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Each year, my cousins and I take turns hosting Chinese New Year dinners here in Melbourne -- it's so much fun. Even though we've grown up with having so much amazing food prepared for us during this festive season, it's also fun now that we can cook these meals for ourselves here in Australia because our parents are overseas. Luckily for us, my Mum as well as my aunt and uncle actually flew in from Malaysia to celebrate it with us this year. Amazing!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">Aside from our Christmas lunches, these Chinese New Year dinners are the most important meals for me every year. Each year, I try to learn and recreate a childhood favourite dish to share on this blog. I absolutely love learning these dishes that I've had growing up because of the amazing memories I've had with them. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;">Some of these special CNY dishes I've made and shared include:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;"><span style="color: #274e13;">- </span><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2012/07/8-treasure-duck-recipe.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Chinese 8 Treasure Duck </span></a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.4em;"><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2012/07/8-treasure-duck-recipe.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">(八宝鸭)</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;"><span style="color: #3d963d;">- <span id="goog_963724788"></span></span><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2013/02/sour-plum-duck-recipe-and-chinese-new.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Mum's Sour Plum Duck (</span></a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.5938px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2013/02/sour-plum-duck-recipe-and-chinese-new.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">酸梅鸭)</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">- </span><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2015/03/mums-ham-abalone-kailan-jade-chicken.html" style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Ham, Abalone & Kailan Jade Chicken (火腿鲍鱼玉兰鸡)</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #274e13; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">- </span><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2014/02/ah-pos-chinese-new-year-vegetarian-stew.html" style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Grandma's Chinese New Year Vegetarian Stew ("Jye")</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Do click on the links above to check out the recipes. You can also check out other Chinese New Year dinners I've blogged about in the link: </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/search/label/Chinese%20New%20Year">here</a></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXi8i5JSocxi7rN3ASlAuf1DEt9A2tfb45pm_DiVrrezaU5YerIbLNhlGB_eZXq9rFRQwdMpXSwY421kLbbB1cRC76LvGumTNE17etBkqwROrzsnhjq7B077Wis700neJfTHoL-RC4B38/s1600/Poon+Choi-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXi8i5JSocxi7rN3ASlAuf1DEt9A2tfb45pm_DiVrrezaU5YerIbLNhlGB_eZXq9rFRQwdMpXSwY421kLbbB1cRC76LvGumTNE17etBkqwROrzsnhjq7B077Wis700neJfTHoL-RC4B38/s1600/Poon+Choi-6.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>P</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>oon Choi</b></span></span><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large; line-height: 18.2px;">(</span></b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><b style="font-size: xx-large;">盆菜)</b>,</span> is a dish that has become increasingly popular in recent years around Malaysia and Singapore. It's definitely a celebratory dish that's made for special or festive occasions. Excitement ensues as soon as you place the dish in front of the table for everyone to gather around. It is almost overflowing with ingredients to signify abundance for the new year and made with lots of expensive, premium ingredients that you'd only eat on special occasions. It really is a treat for anyone to have. Made with lots of love, specially for the people you care about. I also like it for the fact that instead of preparing a big banquet with numerous dishes, I can just put all the effort into one dish and serve that instead. It's great.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Restaurants around Asia are starting to serve this dish too but we've never had them outside of home because they all charge RIDICULOUS amounts of money. It really is a lot of work to make so I understand why some people would have this at a restaurant. But my family's not like that at all. We have always preferred eating at home rather than eating out. Just like most things, it always tastes better and also a hell lot cheaper to make at home. Plus, it's more personal as you get to make it exactly how you and your family like to enjoy it. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There really is no right or wrong way to prepare this dish because Poon Choi actually translates to "big bowl dish" or "big bowl cuisine". There's just as many variations to this dish as there are the number of people making it. It really is how your family enjoys it. If you look online, no 2 poon choi recipes would look identical or have the same ingredients. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">The presentation of this dish is just as important, if not more, than the taste of it. It is key that it is presented in the best way possible so that it has that "WOW" factor. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Anyway, I was very happy to have made this dish because it turned out really well and we all enjoyed it. Definitely a great first attempt. It was a lot of effort but I wouldn't say it's more effort than preparing multiple separate dishes like I normally would as each element was actually quite easy to make. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My family and I really enjoyed eating the Poon Choi and I hope you think of this dish for your next special occasion. Even though I've shared our version of it, I highly encourage you to put your own twist on it to make it your own too. It's fun! It really is such a treat to make and share with loved ones. Seeing the faces of everyone enjoying it really makes it all very, very worth it.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxUi0urpWUZQtNoiuwUw8nRv8YTbqx0NBTB5gKwDMrrRHSrnFzsPNm2altOZwFKHLcmOd_HcVOzcpLzfOcQ311I4vAOgfugALRoBiNjKHxxJ2xgSyNq1gNoG1QPkXz-tVgkbUHrGlu19M/s1600/Poon+Choi-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxUi0urpWUZQtNoiuwUw8nRv8YTbqx0NBTB5gKwDMrrRHSrnFzsPNm2altOZwFKHLcmOd_HcVOzcpLzfOcQ311I4vAOgfugALRoBiNjKHxxJ2xgSyNq1gNoG1QPkXz-tVgkbUHrGlu19M/s1600/Poon+Choi-1.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We also had some <span style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.2px;">Nian Gao</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"> (年糕) or Sticky Rice Cakes as snacks before dinner</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5sxVs5dY6K_PG2kykVbgwDa_gymToJggvqRk2ArbODJHFfq-1hMsegil1V9R2mzADqd83YVUFpBSUMaEcCWroF7Ju-7cyLHDs1wCdBlVO2SvWp1e9dJeTUEfgG0iLTRQBxpbapEjydc/s1600/Poon+Choi-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5sxVs5dY6K_PG2kykVbgwDa_gymToJggvqRk2ArbODJHFfq-1hMsegil1V9R2mzADqd83YVUFpBSUMaEcCWroF7Ju-7cyLHDs1wCdBlVO2SvWp1e9dJeTUEfgG0iLTRQBxpbapEjydc/s1600/Poon+Choi-3.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Of course, we couldn't have a Chinese New Year meal without "Lou Sang". A raw fish salad with abundance of colourful ingredients typically eaten on CNY</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTIE8G5-nszPo3DCGp4uDNXxZkUYqKYRrGcuPX3BjnrXS9lhWXFnOD55OUpOS3XLK4HhE80tc4KrQN99jvHkwTmjmMR72XzvDoLezBRxA7CKdWO09CxTtI8q8IcsmHF2yM-UaPhVpGLmw/s1600/Poon+Choi-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTIE8G5-nszPo3DCGp4uDNXxZkUYqKYRrGcuPX3BjnrXS9lhWXFnOD55OUpOS3XLK4HhE80tc4KrQN99jvHkwTmjmMR72XzvDoLezBRxA7CKdWO09CxTtI8q8IcsmHF2yM-UaPhVpGLmw/s1600/Poon+Choi-4.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Perhaps I need to share a recipe for this dish too. Maybe next year!</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqulEuVBOeO-Fj39PVYhmoSbMg5trL04EsAY9ORXpBWXvJRS0FIRMo2TLbss-sD2jYKpJycLGzYRCltICGMFxKOo9LilRihPrJRYCT_1DOD2Xzj84gBSZqNiKIFJlB3qlz-bWl-Tq9SXE/s1600/Poon+Choi-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqulEuVBOeO-Fj39PVYhmoSbMg5trL04EsAY9ORXpBWXvJRS0FIRMo2TLbss-sD2jYKpJycLGzYRCltICGMFxKOo9LilRihPrJRYCT_1DOD2Xzj84gBSZqNiKIFJlB3qlz-bWl-Tq9SXE/s1600/Poon+Choi-7.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;">Poon Choi (</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;">盆菜)</span></u></b></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>(an original recipe, feeds 12 - 15 people)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thehungryexcavator/poon-choi?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Click here to print the recipe</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Ingredients:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><u>For the braised pork:</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 pork trotter</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 slices of ginger</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/2 tsp salt</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 tbsp dark soy sauce</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3 tbsp oil</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked for 24 hours then sliced)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5 pieces dried oysters</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 inch piece rock sugar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 spring onions (tied in a knot)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3 slices of ginger</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/2 bulb garlic</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 tbsp oyster sauce</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 tbsp dark soy sauce</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 tbsp light soy sauce</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 handfuls black moss fungus (soaked in water for 30 minutes)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><u>For the seafood:</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 spring onions (tied in a knot)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3 slices of ginger</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 tsp Shao Xin wine</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">8 - 12 large tiger prawns </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">8 - 12 large fresh scallops</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><u>For the chicken stock:</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 whole soup or boiling chicken </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5 slices of ginger</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/4 head large chinese cabbage (or 1/2 head if small)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 large daikon or white radish</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Liquid from canned abalone (see below)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><u>Other:</u></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/2 roast duck <b>*</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/2 soy sauce chicken <b>*</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">200g crispy roast pork <b>*</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 can abalone <b>**</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 small head broccoli (chopped to florets)</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="color: #444444;">* </b><i><span style="color: #444444;">Just buy them from your favourite Chinese roast shops. Mine's </span><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2014/03/clearing-out-my-backlog-part-2.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Pacific House in Richmond</span></a></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>** </b><i>Don't use fresh abalone (it doesn't have the flavour and texture we want). And get the ones with 8 - 9 smaller pieces (so that each person gets one) instead of the ones with 1 or 2 large pieces</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Method:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><u>For the braised pork:</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. Heat up a pot of water. Add the pig trotter and 2 slices of ginger and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the pork. Pat dry with a paper towel.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. Rub the pork with the 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tbsp dark soy sauce. Heat up a large pan with the oil and sear on all sides until browned evenly. Remove the pork from the pan and place in a pressure cooker.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. In the same pan, fry the shiitake mushrooms and dried oysters for about 2 minutes or until fragrant. Remove from mushrooms and oysters from pan and add to the pressure cooker.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4. Place all the remaining ingredients in the pressure cooker and fill the pressure cooker with water until it just covers the pork trotter. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5. Seal the lid on the pressure cooker and cook on high for 35 minutes. Remove the lid. If the sauce is still a bit runny, set aside the pork and boil on high until sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in the black moss fungus.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">6. Taste the sauce. Adjust the flavour if necessary with more sugar or soy sauce. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><u>For the seafood:</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. Fill a small pot with water and add the spring onions, ginger, Shao Xin wine and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. While the pot of water is boiling, remove the veins and sandbag from the head of the prawns (but keeping the shell and head of the prawns).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. Poach the prawns in the pot for 3 minutes or until just cooked. Remove and set aside.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4. Poach the scallops in the pot for 3 minutes or until just cooked. Remove and set aside. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><u>For the chicken stock:</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add in the chicken and ginger slices and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. While simmering, cut the cabbage to approx 1 inch squares. Peel the daikon and cut to 1 cm thick slices.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. Discard the chicken and ginger slices. Add the white cabbage and daikon and simmer for another 30 minutes or until daikon is tender.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. Stir in all the liquid from the canned abalone (used later) and turn off heat. No need to season with salt as stock will be flavourful enough once served with all other ingredients.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><u>For the other ingredients:</u></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. Poach the abalone in the chicken stock for 1 minute. Remove from pot and set aside.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. Poach the broccoli in the chicken stock until just tender (about 2 minutes). Remove from pot and set aside.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><u><i>TO ASSEMBLE:</i></u></b></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. You will require a large dish or pot of minimum 30cm and several inches deep. Use whatever you can find. I used my hotpot or steamboat machine.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. Place all chinese cabbage at the bottom of the pot, reserving a few tablespoons for decoration later.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. Place all the daikon on top of the chinese cabbage, </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">reserving a few pieces for decoration later.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4. Place the pork trotter in the middle of the pot. I used a few of the daikon pieces underneath to keep it upright. The pork serves as the centrepiece of the dish.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5. Next, carefully arrange all the remaining ingredients around the pork. You can do this in whichever sequence you like but I did the following (in clockwise from the top):</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Soy sauce chicken</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Daikon </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Crispy roast pork</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Roast duck</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Scallops</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Prawns</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Abalone</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Chinese cabbage</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mushrooms </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Broccoli</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">6. Finally, arrange the black moss fungus in a ring around the pork trotter. Enjoy!!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkil3JA2SlIJsAVNffUYpAtJ4Zn1MbBAQ61eSaiz7DvDnAUS85qZ9V9wfE0szK__6sA5MfCh5ah6ZPCLZyj90MGJeIJg-1l-Ga2LHnxfMBcU94B7YswwZ60z-WoMASKQx882uHy933KHc/s1600/Poon+Choi-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkil3JA2SlIJsAVNffUYpAtJ4Zn1MbBAQ61eSaiz7DvDnAUS85qZ9V9wfE0szK__6sA5MfCh5ah6ZPCLZyj90MGJeIJg-1l-Ga2LHnxfMBcU94B7YswwZ60z-WoMASKQx882uHy933KHc/s1600/Poon+Choi-5.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div>
Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-76545227459211889032016-03-13T23:13:00.001+11:002016-03-14T14:36:20.312+11:00Ying Thai 2, Carlton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZ_vRfa4LFdR6u51LHHcHewLYNrCHkGzZRXQf2LLRTeFfzf5GO6uUiY3o-m6TQCqRD5vGaydK8D2DSbM05HyTzddKvhYXD95bJ4XQWMpff161iNE0agHp9RdKfM0oQ64vKRe-a1ClRyY/s1600/Ying+Thai+2-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZ_vRfa4LFdR6u51LHHcHewLYNrCHkGzZRXQf2LLRTeFfzf5GO6uUiY3o-m6TQCqRD5vGaydK8D2DSbM05HyTzddKvhYXD95bJ4XQWMpff161iNE0agHp9RdKfM0oQ64vKRe-a1ClRyY/s1600/Ying+Thai+2-1.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Yellow Curry with Crab Meat</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6J9SxoXMm7aLqyDPh1MNrBWkz-Wf1qN883vfvRNdIyoHneqwvvGmaKEVt5ep-1aJP4ge9xlj3NGN8IihbCAp4DWQyddIUEwhENFTcoD1DB-eSYBASn0uV0CWDHeFj6MvGUaXgTofS1c/s1600/Ying+Thai+2-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6J9SxoXMm7aLqyDPh1MNrBWkz-Wf1qN883vfvRNdIyoHneqwvvGmaKEVt5ep-1aJP4ge9xlj3NGN8IihbCAp4DWQyddIUEwhENFTcoD1DB-eSYBASn0uV0CWDHeFj6MvGUaXgTofS1c/s1600/Ying+Thai+2-3.jpg" width="470" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Pad Grapow with Fried Egg</i> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtaFkn5ZbYbMfkdL8OJCgaIWTw6rvsp22_pDFkS27H9ZMYmPDpxbx7xKLWX8_SVujn8KvGNaodJSIMdPOgVRuLMO4RzikaKHgu6kEUgdB7bMPUppaHHW7_IrRNbj-6p5cqAyS0Ba3tUI/s1600/Ying+Thai+2-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtaFkn5ZbYbMfkdL8OJCgaIWTw6rvsp22_pDFkS27H9ZMYmPDpxbx7xKLWX8_SVujn8KvGNaodJSIMdPOgVRuLMO4RzikaKHgu6kEUgdB7bMPUppaHHW7_IrRNbj-6p5cqAyS0Ba3tUI/s1600/Ying+Thai+2-2.jpg" width="460" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Goay Teaw Moo</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>(Special pork noodle soup with minced pork, pork ball, fish ball, pork liver, bean sprouts)</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKiPOKQJn8lT8Uj8SK-kTcZnV66sFjrH_xQyyiRTIg0ZaAi6GmKFcpcvTqCczcYy8NyUEAT58AEr8DGvuYerpFjDC8QuSNvinJhfUpODQE_h-y6chxSkjTWMmHH7XrrJ1lhXGTPpjg8Tw/s1600/Ying+Thai+2-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKiPOKQJn8lT8Uj8SK-kTcZnV66sFjrH_xQyyiRTIg0ZaAi6GmKFcpcvTqCczcYy8NyUEAT58AEr8DGvuYerpFjDC8QuSNvinJhfUpODQE_h-y6chxSkjTWMmHH7XrrJ1lhXGTPpjg8Tw/s1600/Ying+Thai+2-4.jpg" width="454" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Can't get enough of it</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A couple of weeks ago, I was looking to have something that's cheap, fuss free but ultra tasty for lunch so I decided to head over to Ying Thai 2 on Lygon Street. This is a place that I haven't been for the longest time. I used to come here heaps when I was a student in uni for those very same reasons and man, did it hit the spot or what.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I noticed that they had undergone a renovation since uni days but am very relieved to say that the food was just as good as I remembered... <i>Ahhh, the golden days of youth.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ying Thai now have a new dish on their menu that wasn't there when I was at uni, which is the Yellow Curry with Crab Meat and it is DELICIOUS. Sweet, generous crab meat cooked in a seriously addictive yellow curry sauce. This dish is different but perfectly encapsulates what I like about the food here -- packed full of flavour. Plus, I just love crab meat that I don't have to shell myself (and there was heaps of it on the plate). Ying Thai makes the best coconut rice and it went down a treat with this dish. Highly recommend this dish.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Besides that, the Pad Grapow (stir fried mince with Thai basil) was as tasty as always. To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of stir fries (so boring) but this was an exception for me. The seasoning was subtly but lingering, delicious to eat. And this dish is just not complete without a serve of fried egg on the side, tis awesome.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Finally, most people are surprised when I tell them that one of my favourite dishes here is the mixed pork noodle soup. Even though Ying Thai is quite famous, this doesn't seem to be a dish that people would normally know of, let alone would order but I do enjoy it a lot. I've always been a fan of noodle soups (find it very comforting) when it's light, tasty and refreshing. That's why I would always take pho over a heavy laksa or ramen any day. This is the only place in Melbourne that serves pork noodle soup and it really does it for me. I absolutely love the variety of ingredients that's in there too, which makes each mouthful exciting and satisfying. This dish really does it for me and something I always order without fail. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Anyway, I was very happy to revisit this place again. Ying Thai, to me, is like an old friend that you can always count on no matter what. There for you when you need them. Even if you go for years without seeing each other, feels like nothing's changed every time you catch up. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ok, am I talking about a Thai restaurant or an old flame? May or may not be sensationalising this too much. Time for me to stop.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy eating. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.zomato.com/melbourne/ying-thai-2-carlton" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Ying Thai 2, Carlton and other Restaurants in Melbourne"><img alt="Ying Thai 2 Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16573930/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a> </span></div>
Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-15572359912775571502016-03-07T21:55:00.002+11:002016-03-07T21:55:32.444+11:00Sezar, CBD<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px; text-align: left;">
<i style="line-height: 25.6px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #45818e;">Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post</span><span style="color: #45818e;">. Winston received a voucher to dine at </span><a href="http://sezar.com.au/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>Sezar</b></span></a><span style="color: #45818e;"> courtesy of </span><a href="http://www.free-wines.com/"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Free Wines</span></b></a><span style="color: #45818e;"> app</span></span></i></div>
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<i style="line-height: 25.6px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #45818e;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn5wFodaKLUJ_YEr2J4A26nlC5T4M3XUYylIp6DE615h_kuC_ZEbfONtUae3vynFdTZdK4ZnZLsB0xAGkony-cOD81J9cSkdah5YULQ7c3Ku4QO4OwkePdCDXTvsvx4ORQCcWu4uekZ1Q/s1600/Sezar-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn5wFodaKLUJ_YEr2J4A26nlC5T4M3XUYylIp6DE615h_kuC_ZEbfONtUae3vynFdTZdK4ZnZLsB0xAGkony-cOD81J9cSkdah5YULQ7c3Ku4QO4OwkePdCDXTvsvx4ORQCcWu4uekZ1Q/s1600/Sezar-5.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #444444;">A seriously gorgeous bottle of wine to kickstart the evening, which you can get for FREE</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #444444;">All you need to do is download the </span><a href="http://www.free-wines.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Free-Wines app</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> on your phone (download also available for free!)</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYAfBHQOKf-juajvVV_mcmNwHDPMaoAdPemc9ERQxkpusK052H9290HJxn6OkHItPILALLrVjIWokfv65fNqQiFttMsorbuyOZj6fZceI9tFlsjlbnwv9PZKdyQgeWy7zSeUBm8GG-ek/s1600/Sezar-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYAfBHQOKf-juajvVV_mcmNwHDPMaoAdPemc9ERQxkpusK052H9290HJxn6OkHItPILALLrVjIWokfv65fNqQiFttMsorbuyOZj6fZceI9tFlsjlbnwv9PZKdyQgeWy7zSeUBm8GG-ek/s1600/Sezar-1.jpg" width="426" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Kataifi Wrapped Lamb Neck with Sesame Mayo -- $12</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bastourma & Egg -- $15</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Armenian air dried beef, quail egg, toasted brioche & garlic jam</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Spanner Crab Manti -- $16</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Armenian dumplings, yoghurt soup & paprika butter</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Molasses Glazed Pork -- $22</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>with roasted celeriac puree, grapes, walnut & purslane</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Spiced Baby Chicken -- $32</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>with wheat berries, corn & lemon buttermilk</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">BBQ Wagyu Tenderloin -- $22</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>with garlic yoghurt & lavash</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mujadarra -- $9</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>braised lentils, rice & fried onions</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">First of all, let me just start by saying that this is not a hack. It does come as a real surprise </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">(to myself at least) </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif;">to be posting a restaurant review again because it has been so long since I've done one. To be honest, I must say that I have missed it a little bit. I did become more passionate than ever last year about homecooking and food styling so I that's why I decided to pursue that more on this space. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That said, there were so many times instances last year when I tried a new place that I really liked, wanted to talk about it here but I decided not to blog about it because I seldom brought my camera with me so I had no photos to go with the post. Instead, I just talked about it with people around me IRL. I really hope to start getting back into restaurant reviews again though because I've always enjoyed giving people suggestions for where they could go to have a good meal with their friends and family. Most people know that I don't like the term "review" as it really is me merely sharing my personal experience at the time instead of "rating" a place, but you get what I mean.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Back to Sezar. Free-Wines first got in contact with me a few months ago to introduce themselves and what they did. <span style="font-size: large;">They basically have an app (which is available to download on iPhone or Android for free) that allows people to enjoy a bottle of wine at any of their participating restaurants <b>free of charge </b>when they spend over $100.</span> So easy. They had asked me if I would be keen on dining at any of their partnering restaurants and sharing my experience on the blog. I'll be honest, I had the slightest apprehension at the start because I have not heard of them before and wasn't sure if they would have any restaurants that I'd be keen to try. As soon as I scrolled down the list and saw Sezar, I immediately took up their offer to dine there and used the app.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now, I don't have a lot of places that I am actually keen to try out as I do prefer eating at home (so boring, I know) but Sezar was definitely a rare exception. I first heard about this Armenian restaurant from a few good friends who has been there on numerous occasions and couldn't stop raving about it. Not only did the food that they showed me look absolutely spectacular, I've never had Armenian food before so I really wanted to experience it for myself!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The ambience of the place as soon as you walked in felt very typical of Melbourne CBD restaurant. Very dim, young, hip, chic, and everyone there seemed very well dressed (whereas I rocked up shamelessly in my hoody and Adidas trainers lol). At the start of our meal, I showed the waitress the app on my iPhone to order my complimentary bottle of wine and decided to go for the Melbac from Argentina. A truly stunning red wine that I honestly don't have enough of. Great notes of fruit and spices without being too heavy. Very easy to have with our entire meal. Again, I had my doubts about whether or not the wine we could get was going to be any good (since it was free) but must say that it was very, very good stuff. Imported too.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Foodwise, I was quite blown away to be honest. Often times, I'd read the description of the food on the menu and sort of know what to expect when it comes out. My meal at Sezar, however, was nothing like that at all. Every dish that came out looked and tasted completely different from what I had expected, in an extremely delicious kind of way. The Armenian flavour profile was very unique and distinct to those that I've experienced at other Middle Eastern restaurants as well. It is so nice to experience that sense of genuine surprise, delight and appreciation from eating a dish at a restaurant once again so I do sincerely thank them for that. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">First, the Armenian dried beef with quail egg entree was sensational. Tender and flavourful mouthful of meat coated in that rich, unctuous yolk. Amazing. Next, we felt like it would be an act of sacrilege if we went to an Armenian restaurant and not order a lamb. Our decision for this was justified. Dumplings had a strong seafood flavour, which I enjoyed. The glazed pork tasted as good as it sounded but to me, one of the highlights of that evening was the chicken. Maybe it was the use of baby chicken; maybe it was just their impeccable skills in the kitchen; but the dark meat of the chook had a very delicate, silky texture whereas the white meat was so soft to the bite. Paired with creamy, tasty flavour of the berries underneath it was honestly HEAVEN. I am salivating just thinking about it. Finally, the other notable dish (which happens to be a side dish) that you absolutely must have when you're here is the Mujadarra, a Middle Eastern lentil and rice dish. Wow wow wow every mouthful of the stuff was packed full of flavour. It was incredible to eat and went so well with the other mains or proteins we were having that evening. I could have a bucket full of the stuff on its own. So damn good.</span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Overall, I was very impressed with my meal here at Sezar and it's definitely high up in the ranks for me. Besides that, I was also very happy to have experienced the Free Wines app too and I can't stop telling people about it. It's so easy for us to spend over $100 when I dine with a group of friends. Now, I know that we can also get a free bottle of good quality wine as well to enjoy with our meal. Fan-friggin-tastic.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.zomato.com/melbourne/sezar-cbd" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Sezar, CBD and other Restaurants in Melbourne"><img alt="Sezar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16582991/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a> </span>Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-37556356144839383782015-12-22T16:44:00.002+11:002015-12-22T16:46:24.402+11:00Hong Kong Mango Pudding Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuJzo6oqqXDSm8yJa5hU3SN9X9XIYuJHamkMkJcrW9ytyl3Fa9qchar_PL9qYBiz8ETxmaJaCK8AZq5PloGWfgzas-nOZWR366Ogu8xmZsI8lc1BO9xy05jT41h4l_-GOp3S2a86ZAU4/s1600/HK+Mango+Pudding+Recipe-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuJzo6oqqXDSm8yJa5hU3SN9X9XIYuJHamkMkJcrW9ytyl3Fa9qchar_PL9qYBiz8ETxmaJaCK8AZq5PloGWfgzas-nOZWR366Ogu8xmZsI8lc1BO9xy05jT41h4l_-GOp3S2a86ZAU4/s1600/HK+Mango+Pudding+Recipe-2.jpg" width="800" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Yes, that spelling is not a typo and was intentional. Too many letters, not enough pudding</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Greetings from Malaysia!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Back in my hometown of Kota Kinabalu in Borneo for a week before traveling to Europe for 2 weeks -- can't wait.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Being back is great. I get to catchup on much needed rest as well as family time, which I've missed. People who are living overseas away from their immediate family would know how it feels. Obviously, I've been eating so much since the time I've touched down it's not even funny. Thank God I anticipated this happening in advance and went on that 8 week diet before this.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />Anyway, I thought I'd share this recipe because mangoes are in season at the moment which is great. Plus, this is actually a dessert I've been making for years as it is extremely easy to make and great to make in massive portions to share with friends/family. I've made it for birthdays, farewells, or just simple dinner parties and can vouch that it is perfect for every occasion. Inspired by the mango puddings you get at Chinese dim sum or yum cha restaurants, I really wanted to recreate it at home too. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Although you can get sachets of instant mango pudding from certain Asian grocery stores, I cannot begin to tell you how turned off I get by artificial fruit flavours. It's the worst. This is why I was glad to have come across this recipe many years ago and have made it countless times since then. Because we get really good quality mango ice cream all year here in Australia (I like the Weis brand), you basically take that and mix it with a homemade syrup/gelatine mixture so you can help it set. Mixing it with the evaporated milk just gives it the milky, creamy flavour that is so prominent in the famous HK dessert. It's great.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Like I said, too easy to make. Delicious to eat. So please, don't ever use that powdered stuff anymore and just do this recipe instead.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijk7YaiklwECTdhqc4pCsTUS1go8fQH7-u9ftweifT7NI5f2iUYSpC0hAEo6F5iMtHS-yFNmghyphenhyphenIkk1kHxp9PCeS1WCjToSHfGKCInRmWZPw28RjgTKvmYjURo_darw2PEeFT5qocxzvc/s1600/HK+Mango+Pudding+Recipe-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijk7YaiklwECTdhqc4pCsTUS1go8fQH7-u9ftweifT7NI5f2iUYSpC0hAEo6F5iMtHS-yFNmghyphenhyphenIkk1kHxp9PCeS1WCjToSHfGKCInRmWZPw28RjgTKvmYjURo_darw2PEeFT5qocxzvc/s1600/HK+Mango+Pudding+Recipe-1.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Hong Kong Mango Pudding Recipe</span></b><br />
<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">(adapted from </span><a href="http://www.raspberricupcakes.com/2010/10/mango-pudding.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #835ea5; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">this recipe</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> by Raspberri Cupcakes)</span></i><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thehungryexcavator/hong-kong-milk-pudding-recipe?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Click here to print the recipe</a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 litres good quality mango ice cream (softened) <b>*</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 cups water</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5 tbsp gelatine powder</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3/4 cup caster sugar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 cup evaporated milk</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Flesh of 1 large mango (cubed)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To serve:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fresh mangoes or fruits of choice</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Evaporated milk</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>* </b><i>I like to use Weis Mango Ice Cream (available at most supermarkets around Australia)</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Method</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Remove the ice cream from the freezer 1 - 2 hours before to allow it to soften and place it in a heat proof bowl.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Place the water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Stir in the gelatine powder and caster sugar and allow to continue to boil until thick and syrupy. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Stir in the syrup into the softened ice cream until well combined. Stir in the evaporated milk and mango flesh into the mixture until well combined.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Pour mixture into a large serving tray or individual cups/moulds and allow to cool. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for minimum two hours or until completely set. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5. To serve, decorate with mangoes or fruits of choice. Pour over with some more evaporated milk as desired.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefxfaxHILJ2qnlrGoT1QEwAJ4be5M_LcIiYtSAGkRZUeYz5wTok-oBkLmyCqhloq9DBCaItKwC2et8BquolAyJfngL4QPHHU-6duD7r_PnI5uDmycqSEdTMR3BfOv-ZcocjhpBu-s_so/s1600/HK+Mango+Pudding+Recipe-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefxfaxHILJ2qnlrGoT1QEwAJ4be5M_LcIiYtSAGkRZUeYz5wTok-oBkLmyCqhloq9DBCaItKwC2et8BquolAyJfngL4QPHHU-6duD7r_PnI5uDmycqSEdTMR3BfOv-ZcocjhpBu-s_so/s1600/HK+Mango+Pudding+Recipe-3.jpg" width="800" /></a></span></div>
Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-58096505623609301672015-11-16T23:28:00.001+11:002015-11-18T10:07:33.838+11:00Coconut Flour Pancakes with Coconut, Maple & Chocolate Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #45818e;">Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post</span><span style="color: #45818e;">. Winston received the "Colour Basics Coupe Dinner Set" as a gift from </span><a href="http://www.maxwellandwilliams.com.au/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>Maxwell & Williams</b></span></a><span style="color: #45818e;">.</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGGRc3OBCxPqrKmGnBngyVYIe-m56wtc2Vx-Qy1vfMf7nAKNm3d6GFrYSSuKOZhtHa7SsGgZdx3gMeXnyzCDtTl6Z9V-JHZx5YWMKBYSKePUDYtQOMAUhaYX3qJ2_oRxOiypx89FVeqQ/s1600/Coconut+Flour+Pancakes+with+Coconut+%2526+Maple+Chocolate+Sauce-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGGRc3OBCxPqrKmGnBngyVYIe-m56wtc2Vx-Qy1vfMf7nAKNm3d6GFrYSSuKOZhtHa7SsGgZdx3gMeXnyzCDtTl6Z9V-JHZx5YWMKBYSKePUDYtQOMAUhaYX3qJ2_oRxOiypx89FVeqQ/s1600/Coconut+Flour+Pancakes+with+Coconut+%2526+Maple+Chocolate+Sauce-4.jpg" width="550" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Recently, I was approached by </span><a href="http://www.maxwellandwilliams.com.au/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Maxwell & Williams</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> and asked whether or not I'd be interested in doing some food styling for them to promote their range for the Spring season. If you have been following my blog the past few months, you would've noticed that this blog has taken a slight change in direction. The food review aspect has taken quite a backseat and this blog has become more focused on home cooking and food styling. I get asked quite often as to why this is so. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">To be honest, the real reason is that I'm just too lazy to take my camera out to restaurants anymore. And even if I do, the photos might not be up to scratch for me and I am really hesitant about posting photos from my iPhone like I used to. That said, I do intend on making a comeback to food reviewing one day because there's always so many places that I've experienced, truly enjoyed and really wish I could share about. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">After doing this for over 4 years now, I can surely say that the experience of blogging is honestly nothing short of a journey for me now as it has since the day I started. Constantly evolving, hopefully growing; and the landscape of this blog really is a reflection of who I am as a blogger. There are changes in my subject, focus, photography and even writing. I like trying new things and challenging myself creatively along the way. </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To me, this is what makes blogging so exciting. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIKmXsOxi46uzqy1XeO96WpCKAxTOpg8rQC0YCMknJ945MOFhf7nQxJgae5zVu53S-7hbPTd7_LiQAqlbyfos2FVKOTcThEbkZEx29JP_87LU1wO25DmOVUDAWoMcG4qBLIx8M50Q1eM/s1600/Coconut+Flour+Pancakes+with+Coconut+%2526+Maple+Chocolate+Sauce-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIKmXsOxi46uzqy1XeO96WpCKAxTOpg8rQC0YCMknJ945MOFhf7nQxJgae5zVu53S-7hbPTd7_LiQAqlbyfos2FVKOTcThEbkZEx29JP_87LU1wO25DmOVUDAWoMcG4qBLIx8M50Q1eM/s1600/Coconut+Flour+Pancakes+with+Coconut+%2526+Maple+Chocolate+Sauce-2.jpg" width="550" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Right now, I am really passionate about food styling ever since my </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="http://ewenbell.com/itinerary-food.php"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">food photography workshop</span></a> </span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="color: #444444;">in April. I love looking at interesting food photos and I am constantly in awe by the creativity behind each of those photos. I feel so inspired to push myself to step out of my comfort zone and be more adventurous in food photography too. It is for that reason why I was actually really looking forward on taking up this opportunity and collaborating with Maxwell & Williams.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Speaking of stepping outside your comfort zone, I was initially quite worried as soon as I opened the package (if I'm being honest). I mean, it was really blue. Something I'm not used to. I wasn't sure how I'd get to showcase and highlight food on a plate as striking as this. What colour tones do I want in the food or overall picture? What colour or texture do I want for the surface or the backdrop? What do I even make? After much thought, I decided to just embrace the colour and all its vibrance head on. I wanted to make something with lots of colours on the plate it so that the blue wouldn't stand out as much. Also, I wanted to highlight the colour yellow and make it a big component of the dish as I thought that yellow looks pretty good against blue. Pancakes it was. I decided to go with a neutral surface to help accentuate the colours on the plate too. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Finally, I wanted to get some soft shadows in the shot to soothe the overall picture as I was worried that all the colours might be too loud and confronting. After many, many attempts, I think I finally got what I was trying to achieve out of these pictures. I must say that I really enjoy this dinner set now. The size, shape and colours actually work really well and I enjoy using them very much. Am thankful for this gift set from Maxwell & Williams.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHMoYevhcua5Qyt_xKLD3HYoTILJ7bV2Bb4knoIdzZg3wi84mM3bQNqjIDtE4OQu8QfJwIIa9l-_JbOt8f6yE3S_1hpQ2J0lZjwfF_9a2ck4xowyyYmJ4sRi1BH0cUwvn19CQFWP9Rvg/s1600/Coconut+Flour+Pancakes+with+Coconut+%2526+Maple+Chocolate+Sauce-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHMoYevhcua5Qyt_xKLD3HYoTILJ7bV2Bb4knoIdzZg3wi84mM3bQNqjIDtE4OQu8QfJwIIa9l-_JbOt8f6yE3S_1hpQ2J0lZjwfF_9a2ck4xowyyYmJ4sRi1BH0cUwvn19CQFWP9Rvg/s1600/Coconut+Flour+Pancakes+with+Coconut+%2526+Maple+Chocolate+Sauce-3.jpg" width="550" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Okay and as for this recipe, I really wanted to make something healthy-ish because I'm still on my diet. The result was an accidental vegetarian and gluten free recipe (gasp). This coming from Mr Carnivore over here. Anyway, the pancakes were actually really light and fluffy and the dessert was very well received overall when I made it for some friends on the weekend. They definitely dug this healthier alternative and so did I. Little positive steps go a long way, I say. Plus, this recipe is so easy to make.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I highly recommend you give these pancakes a go. Definitely a keeper of a recipe, if you ask me.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49e2kb1SuLvvMUlLB9VJRNTEh2Wu6W0WIM3e-Hm2tqpycFoqF-h2c6-UXYUWeHN7sLWVFWwsLIB-6P-ooDsmrg74dU-peDbhJX3DnSq35vv4MVflwQjkSsCYFdtkkCurJQGkYKdxgfEI/s1600/Coconut+Flour+Pancakes+with+Coconut+%2526+Maple+Chocolate+Sauce-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49e2kb1SuLvvMUlLB9VJRNTEh2Wu6W0WIM3e-Hm2tqpycFoqF-h2c6-UXYUWeHN7sLWVFWwsLIB-6P-ooDsmrg74dU-peDbhJX3DnSq35vv4MVflwQjkSsCYFdtkkCurJQGkYKdxgfEI/s1600/Coconut+Flour+Pancakes+with+Coconut+%2526+Maple+Chocolate+Sauce-5.jpg" width="550" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Coconut Flour Pancakes with Coconut, Maple & Chocolate Sauce</u></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #444444;">(pancakes adapted from </span><a href="http://www.nourishingdays.com/2010/07/fluffy-coconut-flour-pancakes///"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">this recipe</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> by Nourishing Days)</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thehungryexcavator/coconut-flour-pancakes-with-coconut-maple-chocolate-sauce?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Click here to print the recipe</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><u>Coconut pancakes:</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4 eggs</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 cup light coconut milk</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 tsp vanilla extract</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 tbsp honey or real maple syrup</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/2 cup coconut flour</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 tsp baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 tsp cream of tartar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/2 tsp salt</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Coconut oil <b>*</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>* </b><i>I use coconut oil spray as I find it more convenient to cook with</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><u>Chocolate sauce:</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4 tbsp coconut oil</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">50g dark chocolate</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 tbsp real maple syrup</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 tsp vanilla essence</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><u>To serve:</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fresh berries (I used raspberries and blackberries)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fresh figs (sliced to quarters)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Slivered almonds</span></div>
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<b style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Method</u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. Heat a non stick pan on low-medium heat. In a small bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Mix in the coconut milk, vanilla and honey or maple syrup.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the coconut flour, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt until well combined. Form a well in the middle of the bowl. Slowly pour in the wet mixture while mixing slowly until well combined. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. Spray the pan with coconut oil spray or add a small knob of coconut oil. Ladle a few tablespoons of batter into the pan. Spread out into a circle (of approx. 4 inches in diameter) with the back of the spoon. Once the pancake forms bubbles on the surface (approx 1 - 2 minutes), flip to cook for a further minute or so. Cooking times may vary and practice makes perfect. I didn't get the hang of it until my 3rd or 4th pancake. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4. Remove pancake and set aside on a plate. Repeat process with remaining batter until all pancakes are cooked. Give the pan a quick spray or small knob of coconut oil each time before adding the batter. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5. For the chocolate sauce, combine all ingredients in a glass bowl and place in microwave in 30 second bursts until chocolate is all melted. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">6. To serve, pour chocolate sauce over pancakes and garnish with berries, figs and almonds.</span></div>
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<br />Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-39108997664184780962015-11-09T19:06:00.000+11:002015-11-11T09:40:23.591+11:00Beetroot & Gin Cured Salmon Gravlax<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfUvq9l4EtiMPQq8_5rcNFmiYZ1oQVrBMxcjqSqJfqSGY3Z7eI98nnQuooD2m-2zMfHj7sOSp83Qj7kkIcN8ig-cM15gJ0orpqbw95Rwuz-tIeF7FxaKtRHfgbe3NVkiHhD_xXEApPwY/s1600/Beetroot+%2526+Gin+Cured+Salmon+Gravlax-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfUvq9l4EtiMPQq8_5rcNFmiYZ1oQVrBMxcjqSqJfqSGY3Z7eI98nnQuooD2m-2zMfHj7sOSp83Qj7kkIcN8ig-cM15gJ0orpqbw95Rwuz-tIeF7FxaKtRHfgbe3NVkiHhD_xXEApPwY/s1600/Beetroot+%2526+Gin+Cured+Salmon+Gravlax-1.jpg" width="550" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;"> <i>Don't you just love the colour of that beetroot?</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25.6px;"><span style="color: #444444;">Following on from my previous post where </span><a href="http://ironchefshellie.com/" style="font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Shellie</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> made the incredible </span><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2015/11/goats-cheese-roasted-grapes-tart-with.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Goats Cheese & Roasted Grapes Tart with Parmesan Crust Pastry</b></span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> at the food photography workshop back in April, she also made this seriously amazing </span><b style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-size: large;">Beetroot & Gin Cured Gravlax</span></b><span style="color: #444444;">.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25.6px;">I kid you not, these two dishes really were one of my highlights from the trip (and trust me, there were many). This gravlax was just delicious to eat and because it's such a big piece of fish, it made for the most amazing leftover to eat. I was snacking on it for breakfast the next morning or even after we got back from dinner because I just couldn't resist. Paired with some lovely toasted bagels spread with cream cheese, sliced red onions, dill and capsicum, it really was perfection in a bite. Plus, I just couldn't get over the sheer vibrance of the beetroot stain on the fish. Just stunning.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I guess that because I grew up in a small town in Borneo, my love for seafood really is undoubtedly inherent in me. So much so that whenever I go out for brunch, I am quite predictable as I almost ALWAYS get the cured fish dish and not even bother reading the rest of the menu. If not, I would at the very least get a side of the cured trout or salmon to go with whatever I'm having.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is why I was so inspired by what Shellie made for us that day. It wasn't just delicious (even better than a lot of the ones I've had and paid for in cafes), it looked rather simple to do too. Plus, it was a hell of a lot cheaper when you made it yourself because you've got heaps to share. Oh, </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I made this as well a few months ago to share with my cousins when we all went away to Lake Entrance for a weekend getaway. Again, it made for a great breakfast dish.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A recipe that I would definitely make again!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>This was the one we ate at the workshop made by Shellie. Again, too good!! And isn't her styling just gorgeous?</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Beetroot & Gin Cured Salmon Gravlax</u></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #444444;">(adapted from </span><a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fish-recipes/home-cured-beetroot-gravadlax/#phHRb19El9OmpH0Z.97"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">this recipe</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> by Jamie Oliver)</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thehungryexcavator/beetroot-gin-cured-salmon-gravlax?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Click here to print the recipe</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><u>Beetroot cure:</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 large fresh beetroots (peeled and quartered)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 orange (zested)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 lemons (zested)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 juniper berries (bashed)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5 tbsp rock salt</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 tbsp demarara or brown sugar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">50ml gin</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">800g side of salmon (from sustainable sources, ask your fishmonger)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><u>Herb cure:</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 small bunch fresh dill (finely chopped)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 small bunch fresh tarragon (leaves picked, finely chopped)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5 tbsp freshly grated horseradish (optional but recommended)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">50ml gin</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><u>To serve:</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Brown bread or bagels</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fresh dill</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Red onions (finely sliced)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yellow capsicum (sliced)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Cream cheese dip of choice</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. For the first cure, blitz the beetroots, orange and lemon zest, bashed juniper berries (if using) in a food processor until you get a fairly smooth paste. Transfer into a bowl and stir in the rock salt and sugar. Pour in the gin and give it a good mix.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. On a large baking tray, place a layer of aluminium foil at the bottom and another layer of cling wrap on top. Lay the side of salmon skin-side down on the cling wrap and slowly pour over the beetroot cure. Use a spatula to spread it all over the salmon flesh. Once it is well covered, wrap the salmon tightly in the cling wrap. You may need a second layer of cling wrap for this if it is not big enough. Place it in the fridge for 24 hours.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. The next day, take the salmon out of the fridge and carefully unwrap the cling wrap. Using a spatula, push the cure to the sides. Remove the salmon and discard the cling wrap and the beetroot cure. Hold the salmon over another large tray or dish and slowly rinse off the cure with 100ml water or gin. By now, it should have shared its wonderful flavours with the fish and turned it a really vibrant colour.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4. For the second cure, mix together the chopped herbs, grated horseradish and gin in a bowl. Place another layer of cling wrap on top of the aluminium foil on the baking tray. Put the salmon on the cling wrap, skin side down, and pack the herb cure onto the salmon using your hands. Make sure you cover all the flesh, you don't want any air getting to it. Wrap it again in the cling wrap. Use a second layer of cling wrap if required to tighten it. Pop the salmon back in the fridge for another 24 hours.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5. The next day, your salmon will be perfectly cured and ready to eat. You don't need to rinse off that second cure, simply push most of it to the side to discard (leaving some on top for presentation). Remove the skin with a sharp knife and slice the salmon as finely as you can. To finish, pile the sliced gravlax on a plate and serve together with toasted bagels or brown bread, fresh dill, capsicum, red onions and cream cheese dip (I used spring onion from my local deli). Enjoy!</span></div>
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Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-9112775900039446482015-11-02T18:16:00.002+11:002016-05-18T10:57:33.103+10:00Goats Cheese & Roasted Grapes Tart with Parmesan Crust Pastry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8mke4XxbgKjjpkaapS5NvpbUEBPtoC7R2I_Rq32tUusQO0byh8qfT_lE3CkAkCl9fyxxHMPojcJCE3JrxNze6Wu6je9dkha8VOo57rLV4FseDkVbDCSj1i7FROk8FvYvz-wdhqMfvhE/s1600/Roasted+Grape+and+Goats+Cheese+Tart-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8mke4XxbgKjjpkaapS5NvpbUEBPtoC7R2I_Rq32tUusQO0byh8qfT_lE3CkAkCl9fyxxHMPojcJCE3JrxNze6Wu6je9dkha8VOo57rLV4FseDkVbDCSj1i7FROk8FvYvz-wdhqMfvhE/s1600/Roasted+Grape+and+Goats+Cheese+Tart-3.jpg" width="550" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Hello!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How's everyone enjoying their weekend? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As for myself, I spent it catching with uni friends for dinner on Friday, going for coffee with a friend on Saturday and then another family dinner (baby shower and cousin's belated birthday) on Sunday night. Spending lots of quality time with close friends and family really is the ideal weekend for me. Once upon a time, I used to be one for going out late every night but not anymore, no thanks. Nothing crazy, nothing too hectic. Gives me time to run my errands on the weekends too. Geez, how old do I sound? </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgly53DiUYopdqYSH6n-PGpqI5ZjU3RQRn_Wc6sOGFh6-AE9IcPbOqrW6swKG_7G-Ra2OTRz5s7j276tOs_HLZijTNH6u7b5psuX_RkwbcKCEVHB3hiSa9OgmI6PRzmx4B-gsSW2Q2Mpx4/s1600/Roasted+Grape+and+Goats+Cheese+Tart-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgly53DiUYopdqYSH6n-PGpqI5ZjU3RQRn_Wc6sOGFh6-AE9IcPbOqrW6swKG_7G-Ra2OTRz5s7j276tOs_HLZijTNH6u7b5psuX_RkwbcKCEVHB3hiSa9OgmI6PRzmx4B-gsSW2Q2Mpx4/s1600/Roasted+Grape+and+Goats+Cheese+Tart-5.jpg" width="550" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Anyway, I first tasted this tart that m</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">y friend </span><a href="http://ironchefshellie.com/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Shellie</span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"> made when I was at Daylesford earlier in the year attending a food photography workshop that she and </span><a href="http://ewenbell.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Ewen</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> was running. Fantastic weekend. First of all, it looked absolutely drop dead gorgeous as soon as she laid it on the table. Once we took our first bite, our eyes completely lit up and almost felt like the world had stopped for a quick second. It was sensational in every sense of the word.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I knew then and there that I HAD to recreate this tart at home too. I loved the sharp and garlicky flavour of the creamy cheese which was balanced absolutely perfectly with the sweet, caramelised, roasted grapes. This combination was unreal. To finish off, that parmesan crust pastry was seriously the best thing ever. So crumbly and flavourful it complemented the flavours of the filling so damn well. I've definitely found a favourite savoury pastry crust with this one and will be making it a lot in the future too.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Right, I'm getting hungry just describing the tart. Trust me when I say this is good. Hope you get a chance to make it too.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhgemFEMVeiucnq4XzlMKF_DJuUf5FvVItLcCYvj5vgPnqYd4t4XD7MNCEqejhDlZ7T1-_NJ-bJcjJ8iVy3-Ys4hX5MCj3pujoVJuNqQ7EkyEBjOONiGSH2PoDoJYyXW-2wkPVGt4KJc/s1600/Roasted+Grape+and+Goats+Cheese+Tart-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhgemFEMVeiucnq4XzlMKF_DJuUf5FvVItLcCYvj5vgPnqYd4t4XD7MNCEqejhDlZ7T1-_NJ-bJcjJ8iVy3-Ys4hX5MCj3pujoVJuNqQ7EkyEBjOONiGSH2PoDoJYyXW-2wkPVGt4KJc/s1600/Roasted+Grape+and+Goats+Cheese+Tart-6.jpg" width="550" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>This was the one that Shellie made at the workshop... Life changing ;p</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYHMEV9Lts8Hc1gh8DHPodGduFEhl-0RV2z1tb1bEp5ADxpvMrtNIWYv1h05dkhJe8h-Ra0kCYNEgQKZ40GWfygD3hcgNpQxTkNM7bGexlGvMhWuhaYIohMc_UKE3K61G-bJwee5ITX8/s1600/Daylesford+Lunch-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYHMEV9Lts8Hc1gh8DHPodGduFEhl-0RV2z1tb1bEp5ADxpvMrtNIWYv1h05dkhJe8h-Ra0kCYNEgQKZ40GWfygD3hcgNpQxTkNM7bGexlGvMhWuhaYIohMc_UKE3K61G-bJwee5ITX8/s1600/Daylesford+Lunch-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Goats Cheese & Roasted Grapes Tart with Parmesan Crust Pastry </u></b></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #444444;">(adapted from </span><a href="http://ironchefshellie.com/2015/02/17/savoury-cheese-tartlets-with-roasted-grapes/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">this recipe</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> by Iron Chef Shellie)</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thehungryexcavator/goats-cheese-roasted-grapes-tart-with-parmesan-crust-pastry?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Click here to print the recipe</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Ingredients:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>Parmesan Pastry</u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">125g butter, unsalted </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4 1/2 tbsp water </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 pinches of salt </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 1/2 cup plain </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/3 cup parmesan cheese, shredded </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/3 tsp black pepper </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>Roasted Grapes</u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Few bunches of seedless red grapes </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 tbsp olive oil </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Salt and pepper </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>Goat Cheese Filling</u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3/4 clove garlic </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">320g goat cheese </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/4 cup thickened cream</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 1/2 tbsp olive oil </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3 tsp fresh lemon juice </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A few tablespoons of water </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Salt and pepper to taste </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Method:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>Parmesan Pastry</u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. Preheat the oven to 210ºC.
In a medium size oven-proof bowl or dish, add the
butter, oil, water, and salt. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. Place the bowl into the oven
for 15 minutes.
Wear oven mitts, possibly a long sleeve shirt, and
hold the bowl away from your face, when removing
from the oven, as the butter may splatter. Place the
bowl onto the counter, with a pot holder or towel
underneath. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, shredded parmesan
cheese, and black pepper.
Slowly stir the flour mixture into the hot butter. It
is important to still be cautious of the hot butter, it
may still pop when you add the first bit of flour. Also,
remember that the bowl is very hot, so wearing oven
mitts while stirring is ideal. Stir the mixture until
combined. Let it sit and cool for 5 minutes. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4. Once the dough is cool enough to handle, press the dough flat with your fingers and up the sides of a tart pan/mould. Prick the shell with a fork 10 or so times. Once
you have finished forming the tart shell, place the tart shells onto a baking sheet and place
in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>Roasted Grapes</u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. After baking the tart, turn the oven to 200°C. Arrange the bunches of grapes in a single layer on a baking tray lined with baking paper. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. Toss with the olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until the grapes begin to burst and the juice around them starts to thicken. Remove and set aside for later.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>Goat Cheese Filling</u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. While the tart shells are cooling and grapes are in the oven, make the filling. In
a food processor, add the garlic and the rosemary.
Pulse several times to chop/mince finely. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. Then, add the goat
cheese, cream, olive oil and lemon juice. Blend until smooth
and creamy, adding as much water as necessary to
keep it moving and to make it creamy, but make sure
not to add more than 1/4 cup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. Once the tart shell has cooled and grapes are roasted, pour the goat cheese filling into the tart shell. Smooth the surface
with a spatula, if necessary. Finally, add the roasted grapes from earlier. Enjoy.</span></div>
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Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-63170252892745343572015-10-27T23:20:00.002+11:002015-10-27T23:20:55.557+11:00Sesame Crusted Tuna Tataki with Sesame & Ginger Dressing <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-zzaM40ISN5113GP815-qgbi_LdoULtLAodslxegHwhxU25V86F0iWtqSmVQpEWagX8icPqQzmJMWLV-bPt4HcvACDF3-uXvjwP1by1WC4HsMG1FlDVTmWGs7OX8EgXI0fBZeEoz4Jc/s1600/Sesame+Crusted+Tuna+Tataki-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-zzaM40ISN5113GP815-qgbi_LdoULtLAodslxegHwhxU25V86F0iWtqSmVQpEWagX8icPqQzmJMWLV-bPt4HcvACDF3-uXvjwP1by1WC4HsMG1FlDVTmWGs7OX8EgXI0fBZeEoz4Jc/s1600/Sesame+Crusted+Tuna+Tataki-6.jpg" width="550" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hello!</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, NOBODY believed me when I told them that I've decided to go on a diet. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>"Why the hell are you going on a diet, WINSTON?" </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>"You don't need to go on a diet!"</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">See, the main reason why I'm doing this is because I've got a big trip to Malaysia, London and Paris in December/January and I know for a fact that it's going to be one hell of an eating trip. I've sort of started to look after my health and fitness the past year so I don't want to go too out of control. Plus, I really wanted to challenge myself to do something like this seeing as I've never actually been on a diet before.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimE_ErtqasL71ycmy_f3c2xxVFB2QN6oS6PjzH-jk9ieiDlOg8zIAnVEsXQucWnvnHkAZoZ-bnHOfZBctp7GzxJqijXH4lREQ4AWMfNe2sOgfhZA-ttXL9JdIyf32AJKFUBJXDBniehVU/s1600/Sesame+Crusted+Tuna+Tataki-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimE_ErtqasL71ycmy_f3c2xxVFB2QN6oS6PjzH-jk9ieiDlOg8zIAnVEsXQucWnvnHkAZoZ-bnHOfZBctp7GzxJqijXH4lREQ4AWMfNe2sOgfhZA-ttXL9JdIyf32AJKFUBJXDBniehVU/s1600/Sesame+Crusted+Tuna+Tataki-5.jpg" width="800" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The thing is, my diet isn't the type where I'm starving myself to lose weight. I'm still eating a fair amount but I'm just substituting everything to clean, healthy, wholesome foods. And because I've got a certain amount of calories and macros (i.e. composition protein, fats and carbs) to take in each day, that just means I pretty much have to eliminate eating out altogether and just stick to my homecooked meal plans each day. As much as I can, anyway. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvi36YX6VMEMtt51VgOVWDuIV-v_BL9XgBME9Qpj6K29v07vvhWrQmbivZSkg5CNpCAUJgflqLIYerV2tTfjTHsUIP3rM_l-ijJn5b3VBUE5HJUXVOqcv_CNcvJ50qEU9CT8gsKYruuE/s1600/Sesame+Crusted+Tuna+Tataki-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvi36YX6VMEMtt51VgOVWDuIV-v_BL9XgBME9Qpj6K29v07vvhWrQmbivZSkg5CNpCAUJgflqLIYerV2tTfjTHsUIP3rM_l-ijJn5b3VBUE5HJUXVOqcv_CNcvJ50qEU9CT8gsKYruuE/s1600/Sesame+Crusted+Tuna+Tataki-1.jpg" width="550" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's been 3 weeks out of my 8 week challenge and I'm already starting to feel healthier by the day. Sure, the occasional hunger pangs and cravings are inevitable but I do what I can. It's especially hard on weekends because there's social obligations involving food that I can't get out but I just do what I can. If I'm being honest. I'm really curious about what the effects would be to me physically and mentally after 8 whole weeks of this.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Anyway, my good friends </span><a href="http://imsohungree.blogspot.com.au/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Ashley</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">, </span><a href="http://foodrehab.com.au/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Adrian</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> and I had plans to catchup the other night. We do this from time to time where we'd do a potluck and just watch loads of TV at someone's house. I wasn't sure what to do because normally we have the most epic of feasts when we do but I had already started this diet. Being the great friends that they are, they suggested we have a Japanese themed dinner instead because it's healthier and they wanted to accommodate as best as they could -- so nice of them. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QWauclvOsPgXz4-UGj9Zp00Tv2mtBaf5rIGaYNuAKPFGJiwQXNh77mpLhZ4Z3eeIkcSlWhK1Wq8MSMB3YaZh7fLXlqdEUOI_YzUoxlFaCOHwHsT0OJFZwSM16xcPbGAgUvJbRkXm48E/s1600/Sesame+Crusted+Tuna+Tataki-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QWauclvOsPgXz4-UGj9Zp00Tv2mtBaf5rIGaYNuAKPFGJiwQXNh77mpLhZ4Z3eeIkcSlWhK1Wq8MSMB3YaZh7fLXlqdEUOI_YzUoxlFaCOHwHsT0OJFZwSM16xcPbGAgUvJbRkXm48E/s1600/Sesame+Crusted+Tuna+Tataki-3.jpg" width="550" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I wanted to make something clean, fresh and healthy so decided to cook up this <b>Sesame Crusted Tuna Tataki </b>(or seared tuna). It was delicious. The dressing was especially addictive really and love the smell of toasted sesame seeds. Unreal.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Anyway, this dish is really quick and easy to make. And yeh, if you, like me are looking for something healthy to eat too then this one's for you. Tick, tick, tick. Oh, and if you are as lazy as me you could also make a quick salad out of it. Just shred it all up and toss it with some sliced zucchini, Japanese seaweed, pickled ginger and edamame beans. YUM-MO.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9vkb0aj6PvDKvv3ndYYEaWIJ6d8LtB4N91B5fyyZe6WXIQ1JPYG7Gv2OM7L_ZD8W7GOiwQ8uY32-SnblJXPHWCs0b5gbqGt2cwNBjiMxEk_jHWSTBQTgVycYTlY0KVVcsL0F26FRxkA/s1600/Sesame+Crusted+Tuna+Tataki-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_9vkb0aj6PvDKvv3ndYYEaWIJ6d8LtB4N91B5fyyZe6WXIQ1JPYG7Gv2OM7L_ZD8W7GOiwQ8uY32-SnblJXPHWCs0b5gbqGt2cwNBjiMxEk_jHWSTBQTgVycYTlY0KVVcsL0F26FRxkA/s1600/Sesame+Crusted+Tuna+Tataki-8.jpg" width="550" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Fun Japanese salad made with them tuna tataki</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7zvwWRVfuAu7W7vEwQeld4sW8Cq0WtM7gJq6eNxV74yMX6kqlbvPpVJv4_-0tUFERVRSPbd3lZlxv-QMjnKjs3OAtxsI7fZVey8FEKuwytRmSldA-PsicYD11fScRWLrbNFNrjCpHuU/s1600/Sesame+Crusted+Tuna+Tataki-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7zvwWRVfuAu7W7vEwQeld4sW8Cq0WtM7gJq6eNxV74yMX6kqlbvPpVJv4_-0tUFERVRSPbd3lZlxv-QMjnKjs3OAtxsI7fZVey8FEKuwytRmSldA-PsicYD11fScRWLrbNFNrjCpHuU/s1600/Sesame+Crusted+Tuna+Tataki-4.jpg" width="800" /></a></span></div>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Sesame Crusted Tuna Tataki</u></span></h2>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">(adapted from </span><a href="http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/40079/tuna+tataki+with+sesame+and+ginger+dressing"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">this recipe</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> by taste.com.au)</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thehungryexcavator/sesame-crusted-tuna-tataki?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Click here to print the recipe</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>For the tuna:</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">200g sashimi grade tuna loin</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 cup sesame seeds</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 cup black sesame seeds</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tbsp olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>For the dressing:</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 tbsp soy sauce</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tbsp sunflower or olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tbsp water</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tbsp rice wine vinegar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 1/2 tsp caster sugar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp fresh ginger or horseradish (finely grated)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp sesame oil</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>To garnish (optional):</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Finely sliced spring onions</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Finely sliced chillies</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Edible flowers </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Method</u></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Mix the sesame seeds together in a plate. Pat the tuna dry and roll it around in the plate of sesame seeds so it is evenly coated.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Heat up a pan and add the olive oil. Sear the tuna for 30 seconds each side on all 4 sides. The tuna is meant to be rare in the middle. Remove onto a chopping board and slice to 1/2cm thick.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl until well combined.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. To serve, place the tuna on a plate and drizzle generously with the dressing. Garnish with spring onions, chillies and edible flowers, if using.</span><br />
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Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-79629298626654494942015-10-18T17:27:00.003+11:002015-11-02T18:29:04.757+11:00Candied Orange Segments with Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And before you know it... It's October already and we are well into the Spring season. The year has gone by so quickly, it's almost unbelievable.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I may seem a little inactive on this space but have definitely still been experimenting in the kitchen a lot and taking photos regularly. Finding the time to share them has always been a struggle what with trying to balance work, exercise, family and family. I now have a bit of a backlog of great recipes that I've tried that I can't wait to share.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I made these candied orange segments because I had ingredients leftover from when I made my </span><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2015/08/salted-chocolate-tart-with-spiced.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">Salted Chocolate Tart with Spiced, Candied Orange</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I brought a container full of these babies to a dinner party and it wasn't long before they were gone. I've always been a fan of the combination of salty and sweet. These candied orange segments are a fun and easy snack to make and I definitely recommend people to try!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hope to be back soon with another post. Until then, happy eating! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Candied Orange Segments with Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>(an original recipe)</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thehungryexcavator/candied-orange-segments-with-dark-chocolate-sea-salt?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Click here to print the recipe</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 oranges </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 1/2 cup water</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3 cups sugar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 cinnamon sticks</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5 star anise</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">80g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sea salt flakes</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Method</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. Slice the oranges in half before slicing it again to 1/2 cm thick to form segments.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. Bring the water, sugar, cinnamon sticks and star anise to a boil in a pot. Once boiling, add in the orange segments and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until oranges become soft. Drain and set aside.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. Place the dark chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave in 30second bursts or until chocolate completely melted. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4. Spread a small dollop of chocolate on each orange segment. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes.</span></div>
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<br />Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-88146391239488262912015-09-13T00:35:00.003+10:002015-09-14T09:03:51.667+10:00Travel Guide to Seminyak, Bali<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfIwiN1Opkda0KG5Obcp_uO34EB79Q5xvAJlZIZ5PEhj_aPgTbsJ1ZNE1uP_ivlI88Tf1kqmV58tQ01gCMfoiWQCal1xSsC-jqly6WU3dJbrL6E8zGqL7luJMwqU4zSG6TBz3lx5AtA-dC/s1600/Bali+2015-53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfIwiN1Opkda0KG5Obcp_uO34EB79Q5xvAJlZIZ5PEhj_aPgTbsJ1ZNE1uP_ivlI88Tf1kqmV58tQ01gCMfoiWQCal1xSsC-jqly6WU3dJbrL6E8zGqL7luJMwqU4zSG6TBz3lx5AtA-dC/s640/Bali+2015-53.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Last week, I went on a trip to Bali with some of my closest friends and it was without a doubt one of the most incredible trips of my life. I'll be honest, I had slight reservations about the place because of the reputation Bali tends to have for being too <i>"tourist-ey" </i>or <i>"a party town"</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That said, my experience was truly amazing. The places we went were beautifully put together and everyone we met made us feel so welcomed and comfortable. Besides that, the quality and selection of bars and restaurants we experienced really is second to none and complemented with stunning views and breeze of the ocean everywhere we went.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Because a lot of my foodie friends I know had been to Bali before, I got to put together a really great itinerary based on their recommendations and some research that I've done on my own. I loved sharing the photos from my trip on Instagram (</span><a href="http://instagram.com/winceeee"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">@winceeee</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">) and thought it's best I shared our itinerary here on the blog as well in case there's people who's traveling to Bali too and want to know <b>where we stayed, what we did and where we ate</b> as a guide.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><u><b>Accommodation</b></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">We found our villa</span><span style="color: #444444;"> on Flipkey and must say we were extremely happy with our choice. For us, this one stood out from the crowd as we were looking in the price range of AU$250 or under per night for 4 people. It ticked all our boxes, including:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">- New condition (only built last year)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">- Convenient location (10min away from city centre)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">- Great pool (love the lighting at night and lush greenery)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">- Nice toilets (lots of stone with skylight you feel like you're showering outdoors)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">- Rooms facing the pool (something nice to wake up to)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Besides that, they were so accommodating to our requests while we were there and really went out of their way to help us out in any way that they could. It was very much appreciated. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">---> Link to villa: </span><a href="https://www.flipkey.com/seminyak-villa-rentals/p1279534/?m=24873"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HERE</span></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98uO7nFXWU5djGwW4pMLo0mO7DKABE-LsfLvm05rjfvkuJB7MLC3x2gj3HxcdQII1JEcDAejGVN_kOVWwjMM0orMT-Zb_a9HYSWO60FTW7ntzzqUj6dxE2d3Lca7MSXK3x4sRXVJIeZaJ/s1600/Bali+2015-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98uO7nFXWU5djGwW4pMLo0mO7DKABE-LsfLvm05rjfvkuJB7MLC3x2gj3HxcdQII1JEcDAejGVN_kOVWwjMM0orMT-Zb_a9HYSWO60FTW7ntzzqUj6dxE2d3Lca7MSXK3x4sRXVJIeZaJ/s640/Bali+2015-3.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">We seriously fell in love with our villa and loved everything about the place. We couldn't get enough of the pool as well and was used it as much as we could whether it's first thing in the morning after we woke up, just before we need to head out anywhere, after we got back in the afternoon or even at night after we got back from dinner. Too good.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">And I highly, highly recommend you guys get one of these inflatable pool toy/lounge things because it's the best thing ever if you've got your own private villa!! I was searching high and low for it and finally found this one online from Toys R Us for AU$30 and it was INCREDIBLE. Didn't even matter that I had to bring it all the way from Australia and back. It was so big and fun to use and even came with a cup holder loved loved loved it. Please get one too, you won't regret it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">---> Link to pool lounge: </span><a href="http://www.toysrus.com.au/intex-river-run-1/1001127/i5163191"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HERE</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Day 1:</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>1. Check in to our villa</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Quick dip at our hotel pool before heading out! Looked too good and we couldn't wait!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>2. Late lunch at Santan Restaurant @ The Seminyak Resort & Spa</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Modern Indonesian meal. Delicious food with great presentation. We had the Nasi Goreng (fried rice) and Mie Goreng (fried noodle) and it was great. Sure, we could've gone to somewhere really cheap and local to have the same dish but no way would it have been as beautiful as this. Plus, it was really tasty and we had to be at the resort anyway for our massage later. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">---> Link to restaurant: </span><a href="http://theseminyak.com/santan-restaurant"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HERE</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>3. Massage treatment at The Kahyangan @ The Seminyak Resort & Spa</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Stunning facility. A little pricey but I wanted to experience the spa at a 5 Star resort specifically with a view of the ocean. The whole spa area was great I enjoyed our time here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">---> Link to spa: </span><a href="http://theseminyak.com/spa"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HERE</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b> 4. Dinner at Moonlite Kitcheen & Bar</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Modern Asian meal. Was actually one of my favourite meals from the trip. Food was absolutely stunning and still remained quite true to the traditional Asian flavours but executed in a rather refined way. Beautiful place to eat if you want to have some local flavours during your trip. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After a great meal here, we headed straight back to our villa for a night dip in the pool and some champagne. Great way to cap off our first night in Bali, I must say.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">---> Link to restaurant: </span><a href="http://www.moonlitebali.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HERE</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Day 2:</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>1. Exploring Seminyak Square</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is the main town centre in Seminyak with lots of shops and cafes to check out too. Just a place to stroll after we woke up and took a morning dip just before our lunch reservation.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>2. Sunday brunch at The W</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've heard so much about the sunday brunch buffet at The W from numerous people who's visited Bali and it seems like one of those meals that you really need to experience when you're here. Our meal was sensational. The seafood was delicious and I loved the selection of food that you got here. Great spread of East and West options. And so glad I got to have my Babi Guling here too! I made a special request for a table with a clear view of the ocean and definitely recommend you do too! Such a great experience. Definitely recommend it. Sooooo crazy full after this meal. Perfect time to head straight back to the villa for another quick dip and some drinks as the weather was too hot to do anything else.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">---> Link to restaurant: </span><a href="http://www.wretreatbali.com/en/star"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HERE</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>3. Massage at our villa</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After a quick dip following that massive lunch, we booked an appointment for a massage at our villa and it was FANTASTIC. You got to enjoy a great session right at the comfort of your own villa and what I liked was that it was so breezy because it was outdoors and you get to listen to your own music to relax too. I had Spotify going. Plus, it was only AU$15 for a whole hour and hands down the cheapest massage we've ever gotten. So damn good too.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>4. Sunset at Jimbaran Beach</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is such a beautiful place to visit when you're in Bali. Great view of the sunset and also love walking along the strip past all the great restaurants where they've got tables and chairs placed on the beach itself for people to enjoy their meal as they watch the sun go down. I'd eat here too if we didn't have a dinner reservation already.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>5. Drinks at Rock Bar @ Ayana Resort & Spa</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Rock Bar was a place that we really, really, really wanted to come to to watch the sunset after seeing all the photos of the place online. Unfortunately, the place was a little far and we couldn't make it in time. That said, we still got to head to the Rock Bar for drinks before our dinner. Had no idea that this bar and resort was that famous and I can see why. The resort itself was incredibly beautiful and the bar was se all along the edge of the cliff. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">---> Link to bar: </span><a href="http://ayanaresort.com/rockbarbali/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HERE</span></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMReu_xYGJyoHnf_jbqK_ul3KV75Ss_O376FzhBwIeAN6Mypt0WnoNP4H-1rs6G4ptYMYuP4cjRQkYoey_2VWkH1GATBWONNQ4vb3AnqiEFhtdNtwWVB6rQF0tFFp3qVeweTFcTbemp1T7/s1600/Bali+2015-89.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMReu_xYGJyoHnf_jbqK_ul3KV75Ss_O376FzhBwIeAN6Mypt0WnoNP4H-1rs6G4ptYMYuP4cjRQkYoey_2VWkH1GATBWONNQ4vb3AnqiEFhtdNtwWVB6rQF0tFFp3qVeweTFcTbemp1T7/s640/Bali+2015-89.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjIKj3JPvhxwVshpRxcEreb7Expkg63AOUmTVua-lJC0WA3BXPWo4_XpDVSpvJxolptdRx0DusANWV9a-EQxuMEqu3OILPO8KEOM4q5jxIB18wDJZmSnhHMeA1OL1A40PUPRBZnNAa-gQ/s1600/Bali+2015-90.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjIKj3JPvhxwVshpRxcEreb7Expkg63AOUmTVua-lJC0WA3BXPWo4_XpDVSpvJxolptdRx0DusANWV9a-EQxuMEqu3OILPO8KEOM4q5jxIB18wDJZmSnhHMeA1OL1A40PUPRBZnNAa-gQ/s640/Bali+2015-90.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When we got to the bar, there was a woman singing on a small stage on a raised island set back from the cliffside where she's facing the people enjoying their drinks and atmosphere of the bar. On top of that, we could feel the gentle breeze from the ocean as well as hear the waves crashing in the background. Sensational feeling. Oh, and my cocktail was damn good too. It had beetroot in it.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiskUnxiTTBxtGXbpmzwUxzwMN4mvrT8USMRiacyS7hcmiSaFLuiP6HZ2O3VsH6O-KN94BdJnVxBHdxGPiPEurP2MBtUm9K98gr-Q4F3Sivwbqohx2Q87h6DIwdgpxwCbr2TUj9M5LSjOfM/s1600/Bali+2015-92.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiskUnxiTTBxtGXbpmzwUxzwMN4mvrT8USMRiacyS7hcmiSaFLuiP6HZ2O3VsH6O-KN94BdJnVxBHdxGPiPEurP2MBtUm9K98gr-Q4F3Sivwbqohx2Q87h6DIwdgpxwCbr2TUj9M5LSjOfM/s640/Bali+2015-92.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>6. Seafood dinner at Kisik Restaurant @ Ayana Resort & Spa</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was researching on the Internet for a place to have great seafood. I really wanted to have lobster that night as it's something I almost never have and wanted to treat myself this trip. I rang around asking each seafood restaurant if they had lobster and this was one of the very few that actually said yes.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Food here was seriously AMAZING. If you are looking for a place to have seafood, this really is the place to come to. And boy, that lobster was really incredible! So glad we came all the way here for the Rock Bar and this gorgeous seafood dinner. Please come.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">---> Link to restaurant: </span><a href="http://ayanaresort.com/en/home"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HERE</span></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQdCzOZEpiQSWZgQpc_FJAkYISs4cBa9dlnqsXkR9d_br6YshbMrjr1HKvWA14q9kmQ2E2zOqvQ2tAQRiCAS4f3vcxi2zvoSJfFltGlmEBwQcXQHfxeMWQoY0ISE3WQUs1nBiWxmk_Wtu/s1600/Bali+2015-96.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQdCzOZEpiQSWZgQpc_FJAkYISs4cBa9dlnqsXkR9d_br6YshbMrjr1HKvWA14q9kmQ2E2zOqvQ2tAQRiCAS4f3vcxi2zvoSJfFltGlmEBwQcXQHfxeMWQoY0ISE3WQUs1nBiWxmk_Wtu/s640/Bali+2015-96.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Day 3:</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>1. Waterbom!!!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Trip Advisor voted Waterbom as the top activity to do in Bali and it was something that we've been looking forward to all trip. I absolutely love water theme parks even though I get scared shitless so damn easy. They had some seriously mother effing scary rides and also other really relaxed ones. It was so great to have overcome the really challenging ones with your best mates. The whole place was so much fun and I really recommend people check this place out and challenge themselves to trying out every single ride, no matter how scared you are. It was an experience we will never forget.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">---> Link to Waterbom: </span><a href="http://waterbom-bali.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HERE</span></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14gPG-ZQt3GNoI_IBFAPPQzJSlqPyW2JDJwq_t2GCoIPYSfzUzbFSJDYLN9_NahhMiP8VhWew5Tg1dipslMxY3CV_sD50pmH4uehsZ10j068G9olzY375wdOCcLC9Rm0CdwMXNcf6CeZR/s1600/BALI-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14gPG-ZQt3GNoI_IBFAPPQzJSlqPyW2JDJwq_t2GCoIPYSfzUzbFSJDYLN9_NahhMiP8VhWew5Tg1dipslMxY3CV_sD50pmH4uehsZ10j068G9olzY375wdOCcLC9Rm0CdwMXNcf6CeZR/s640/BALI-5.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA2PIt3iwS5eS1_smXZvyWxkKcOGlyqvrinwGKXAmFZSYfkK0zovdKGBuIj_2S-qYkIyPFNCDegHWmfdd0XCryNFxTddY6D8SRinjM4Uhzjs3DGuCuaRrTRsg6FkwP2abVEMlLYFwvfT1L/s1600/BALI-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA2PIt3iwS5eS1_smXZvyWxkKcOGlyqvrinwGKXAmFZSYfkK0zovdKGBuIj_2S-qYkIyPFNCDegHWmfdd0XCryNFxTddY6D8SRinjM4Uhzjs3DGuCuaRrTRsg6FkwP2abVEMlLYFwvfT1L/s640/BALI-6.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Feels so good to have conquered Waterbom!!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>2. Lunch @ Restoran Sederhana</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Besides Babi Guling, I think that Nasi Padang really is the other thing that you must eat when you're in Bali. Basically, it's a very traditional Indonesian type of food where you get to eat a large array of local delicacies. The staff basically brings a large number of dishes to your table and you just eat whatever you want from it. You don't have to eat all of it (but we did) and they will just charge you for the dishes you've eaten. Make sure you check out what else they've got at the shopfront too. So delicious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">---> Link to restaurant: </span><a href="http://www.sederhana.co.id/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HERE</span></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi38MgmQtKiunXy5MiVljrYirtWnVcBugYjZZEKLjn3iKc7bAwMzZWOP9Mv2E61DNXDpUrG1jGMF4Ke-NzAgtjHmHdO3V5WsmH1ddyZlvNZ0E1iVi1GFMVAOjgHRSTAcZfJVTY16FZiMxe/s1600/BALI-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi38MgmQtKiunXy5MiVljrYirtWnVcBugYjZZEKLjn3iKc7bAwMzZWOP9Mv2E61DNXDpUrG1jGMF4Ke-NzAgtjHmHdO3V5WsmH1ddyZlvNZ0E1iVi1GFMVAOjgHRSTAcZfJVTY16FZiMxe/s640/BALI-3.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>3. Massage @ Jari Menari</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">We definitely felt like we needed to relax a</span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">fter that intense session at Waterbom.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My good mate </span><a href="http://fatboo.com/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Bryan</span></a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> recommended this place to us and after doing a bit of research, turns out it was one of the most popular massage places in Bali too. We really enjoyed our session here although if I'm being honest, I still preferred the one back at our villa. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">---> Link to spa: </span><a href="http://www.jarimenari.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HERE</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>4. Dinner @ Sardine Restaurant</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've heard so much about this restaurant and thought it was the perfect place to come to on our last night in Bali. The setting was really beautiful and what's special was that it was set against a paddy field. It sounds weird but was actually very breathtaking and hard to describe in words. All I will say is that you absolutely have to be here.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The food was Modern Asian and although if I'm being honest the food wasn't as memorable as I thought it would be but I still got to have my lobster (again) and like I said, you really have to come here for the dining experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">---> Link to restaurant: </span><a href="http://www.sardinebali.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HERE</span></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlzPcDnVE3xE_O9f70HyAI9u9VYhpJxai8Wa1ik8PiAKgT-A01fFz00BKTA7YPDxUZzu7mGZdzZEa6sbRHrkHaVpNpYUQ3tUxNWwN5_9s71SDI_RghFmFMGR37f5Y_UmSX-Vg0RnDnE7S/s1600/Bali+2015-119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlzPcDnVE3xE_O9f70HyAI9u9VYhpJxai8Wa1ik8PiAKgT-A01fFz00BKTA7YPDxUZzu7mGZdzZEa6sbRHrkHaVpNpYUQ3tUxNWwN5_9s71SDI_RghFmFMGR37f5Y_UmSX-Vg0RnDnE7S/s640/Bali+2015-119.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RqrEKkyOdZ2LybYo5kkbwO545fkOU5I8rLZvUTUTmGYp_TiClhH0FYnM69KtohbHupGiMXmq1AC2wyhvO7Z-BtiLcbGAvvSeQRF2_88-Rvok3FXMrMVLI0sCCJuEqO1VBB9MMJxScFOG/s1600/Bali+2015-120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RqrEKkyOdZ2LybYo5kkbwO545fkOU5I8rLZvUTUTmGYp_TiClhH0FYnM69KtohbHupGiMXmq1AC2wyhvO7Z-BtiLcbGAvvSeQRF2_88-Rvok3FXMrMVLI0sCCJuEqO1VBB9MMJxScFOG/s640/Bali+2015-120.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>5. Drinks @ Motel Mexicola</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One place that you really must visit when you're in town as it's known for making you feel like you're in downtown Mexico. The vibe was buzzing and has a great DJ that kept pumping out awesome tunes to get us in the mood and on our feet. It's obvious that everyone there seems to be having a great time. Great place for a night out!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">---> Link to bar: </span><a href="http://www.motelmexicolabali.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HERE</span></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQ7jiLsPsL458TNiP8NI7EM6WKmAGtGlajuQJ9t48TL5KbYthffTAsILp8kqHBeTpsNXSw6ykOp7V_AMVHlGV0qshJKQuu-L0eI5IR6LxnnqnEsbdAUUMMgiBEBYzyLUATyGs-U68VueK/s1600/Bali+2015-122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQ7jiLsPsL458TNiP8NI7EM6WKmAGtGlajuQJ9t48TL5KbYthffTAsILp8kqHBeTpsNXSw6ykOp7V_AMVHlGV0qshJKQuu-L0eI5IR6LxnnqnEsbdAUUMMgiBEBYzyLUATyGs-U68VueK/s640/Bali+2015-122.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Day 4:</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>1. Lunch at Seminyak Italian Food @ Double-Six Luxury Hotel </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Okay I must be honest by saying that I really couldn't stand the name of this restaurant but believe you me when I say that the quality of food here was quite outstanding. Every dish that came out of the kitchen really hit the spot and was delivered to near perfection. I especially loved my clam pasta with zucchini flowers and also the beef parmigiana. It was crumbed to perfection and used real authentic Italian tomato sauce and mozzarella. Fantastic food here. Aga</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">in, it was great to be able to sit outdoors and enjoy the view of the ocean and its breeze. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">---> Link to restaurant: </span><a href="http://seminyak-italian.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HERE</span></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidOImIZF6eT-z9NuIoKJQqy7Gt_3U9zcK6DLmsECjt7v0XDL_i62YtuESG9X8lHnHSccDokHIjqxULjcIPa0e2D8gEkS2kCyclINEQox44ebgMMpy_qMKiyERzGoPuXpuRB-cqlCbqhlNu/s1600/Bali+2015-127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidOImIZF6eT-z9NuIoKJQqy7Gt_3U9zcK6DLmsECjt7v0XDL_i62YtuESG9X8lHnHSccDokHIjqxULjcIPa0e2D8gEkS2kCyclINEQox44ebgMMpy_qMKiyERzGoPuXpuRB-cqlCbqhlNu/s640/Bali+2015-127.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1f2fW4-HQbeesyEvZwuzC3IbALQdLzz5-x1vRfQW4fZYo2rLssKuy9ocWywMFHlNPo7xoILiytqC1YVZqLY7P6ocTsqvTgxEgD9D3w8Y0ccOLrLRrUkNnCgeHeLiHaVEtl4_qgUIvlFQ/s1600/Bali+2015-128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj1f2fW4-HQbeesyEvZwuzC3IbALQdLzz5-x1vRfQW4fZYo2rLssKuy9ocWywMFHlNPo7xoILiytqC1YVZqLY7P6ocTsqvTgxEgD9D3w8Y0ccOLrLRrUkNnCgeHeLiHaVEtl4_qgUIvlFQ/s640/Bali+2015-128.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>2. Massage at our villa (again)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was our last day in Bali and we really enjoyed our massage at the villa so much that wanted to squeeze in another session before we left! Soooo good.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>3. Sunset and drinks @ Potato Head Beach Club</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This place is so packed and I now understand why. It's buzzing but not sloppy and has incredible views of the ocean for you to catch the sunset. There's also a lawn for people to go sun bathing as well as a pool for people to take a dip if they want. Plus, great drinks are a plenty. I loved the whole vibe of the area and spent at least 2 hours here. So stunning. Was honestly the perfect place to visit on our last day just before we had to head straight to the airport to catch our flight home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">---> Link to beach club: </span><a href="http://www.ptthead.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HERE</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Final thoughts</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I must say that I really enjoyed Bali a lot more than I thought I would. The place really exceeded all my expectations and we had the best time there. I hope people find this post helpful and please feel free to contact if you have any questions about my trip or Bali. Happy to help.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was a jam packed 4 full days in Bali and I'm glad I got to share the experience with some of my closest friends that I actually haven't seen in years. Missing all those good times together already!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">#villalife</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This was the inflatable pool lounge I was telling you about... BEST!!!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ending the trip with the most perfect sunset. Bali, I'll be back...</span></div>
Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-25228038885011779702015-08-23T21:45:00.005+10:002015-08-23T21:45:37.035+10:00Salted Chocolate Tart with Spiced, Candied Orange<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvti4HY9n9nuF-BBoU_guwAZDfu6T8l9Ad32DqFbR5z3gXE5-1GeyAkIQv2vm-_wpLQnAQeJbidfX8vgGqdcmDu-Naq_XZjZ85lx0p63d4t3CggIr3x5KIoW_rWucXwYSkFCzuFn7q-cO/s1600/Salted+Chocolate+Tart+with+Spiced+Candied+Orange-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvti4HY9n9nuF-BBoU_guwAZDfu6T8l9Ad32DqFbR5z3gXE5-1GeyAkIQv2vm-_wpLQnAQeJbidfX8vgGqdcmDu-Naq_XZjZ85lx0p63d4t3CggIr3x5KIoW_rWucXwYSkFCzuFn7q-cO/s640/Salted+Chocolate+Tart+with+Spiced+Candied+Orange-4.jpg" width="460" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh man, the weather in Melbourne the past week has been absolutely BEAUTIFUL!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I shouldn't speak too soon but we've been getting so much sunshine, blue skies and I loved how it's not actually cold when you wake up, especially on the weekends. Not bad, Winter. Now, just stay that way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Anyway, I made this tart because I had a dinner party the other week and dinner parties for me are always an excuse for me to try something new. Plus, I always enjoy using my </span><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2015/03/tefal-cuisine-companion-lemon-lime-curd.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Tefal Cuisine Companion</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">. It really does make my life a lot simpler. But even if you don't have one, you could always use your hand or a standard food processor.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvBW_9Fxm1AWHMR6q2HYyCm0CI1BaDzEoVSrEwY-OuRpO9aXBz9QpR-1HHmzVFvfaHUOyyenf0W7S0eg53V2vws0zIX8NrNf6Qvp1zssB4elGgdL19zyLbT6XXJ4okQjRorRAxBzOrfa8/s1600/Salted+Chocolate+Tart+with+Spiced+Candied+Orange-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvBW_9Fxm1AWHMR6q2HYyCm0CI1BaDzEoVSrEwY-OuRpO9aXBz9QpR-1HHmzVFvfaHUOyyenf0W7S0eg53V2vws0zIX8NrNf6Qvp1zssB4elGgdL19zyLbT6XXJ4okQjRorRAxBzOrfa8/s640/Salted+Chocolate+Tart+with+Spiced+Candied+Orange-1.jpg" width="460" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I thought it'd be good to make a chocolate tart, but wanted to spice things up a bit (literally) to give it more character. I don't have a sweet tooth so wanted to make sure it was a chocolate tart I'd enjoy too. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I did this by making sure that the filling wasn't too sweet and also baked it till it was slightly wobbly in the middle when taking it out of the oven as I wanted the filling to be creamy and not too firm. Plus, I don't add sugar in my pastry and made sure it was extra short and crumbly. It is a known fact that salt brings out the flavour of the chocolate and that's why I wanted to add sea salt not just for the taste but also like seeing the specks of salt sprinkled over the tart. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You'll find that this both the tart and filling isn't sweet at all and so needed another element to provide that sweetness it was lacking. Hence, the idea to put candied oranges on the tart to balance it all out. But, it was kind of a waste (and also very boring) to only boil the orange segments in a sugar syrup when you could add so many more interesting ingredients to make it more exciting! I really liked the addition of cinnamon and star anise because, again, it just gives a simple idea a lot more character.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Finally, I know that the chocolate glaze was another step and probably slightly unnecessary but thought that the tart would look so much sexier if it had that glossy shine to it. Loved it!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooMw4bvpPZo-nkP0yrIVm1NTkoaSTcAh2vd_-DF_1la_FqjAML-OlC-nrSQwACpsDYtS8bKoIv6jV0p7CgEitnU-9BeBzDUuqG6yhkCQlRlotc8Y7XEcyh3T9pv01sBvOwSELMXbHLhjp/s1600/Salted+Chocolate+Tart+with+Spiced+Candied+Orange-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooMw4bvpPZo-nkP0yrIVm1NTkoaSTcAh2vd_-DF_1la_FqjAML-OlC-nrSQwACpsDYtS8bKoIv6jV0p7CgEitnU-9BeBzDUuqG6yhkCQlRlotc8Y7XEcyh3T9pv01sBvOwSELMXbHLhjp/s640/Salted+Chocolate+Tart+with+Spiced+Candied+Orange-2.jpg" width="460" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Overall, I really liked how the tart turned out. It's been a while since I got to experiment and create something in the kitchen. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Best thing about cooking really is the fact that it's so personal and as you can see, I got to make so many changes or try new ideas so that I ended up with something that suited my palate. Something I always encourage people to do even when they're using one of my recipes. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was another fun day in the kitchen and glad I could make something for others to enjoy at the dinner party. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh oh and I will share another recipe for what to do with the leftover syrup from the candied orange so stay tuned!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHkpIKo7NyxM2nC-ysxL3F-FtbyJ2thU5JZUDSvwGIruQBiGytRX98gaRuKUgrqi2RipmXMBUbkn86YXpFZZH8eU6cvR7lUzp0FWX7N2Ro6Rb0GseGGlHkT505aLiNmxjDyggDEKJiXh6/s1600/Salted+Chocolate+Tart+with+Spiced+Candied+Orange-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHkpIKo7NyxM2nC-ysxL3F-FtbyJ2thU5JZUDSvwGIruQBiGytRX98gaRuKUgrqi2RipmXMBUbkn86YXpFZZH8eU6cvR7lUzp0FWX7N2Ro6Rb0GseGGlHkT505aLiNmxjDyggDEKJiXh6/s640/Salted+Chocolate+Tart+with+Spiced+Candied+Orange-3.jpg" width="460" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Salted Chocolate Tart with Spiced, Candied Orange</u></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="color: #444444;">(adapted from </span><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chocolate-glazed-chocolate-tart-243610"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">this tart recipe</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> by Epicurious)</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thehungryexcavator/salted-chocolate-tart-with-spiced-candied-orange?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Click here to print the recipe</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><u>For the pastry:</u></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">200g butter (chilled and cubed)</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">250g plain flour<br />Pinch of salt</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">125ml sour cream</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><u>For the candied orange:</u></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 1/2 cup water</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3 cups sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 oranges (sliced)</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 cinnamon sticks</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5 star anise</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><u>For the chocolate filling:</u></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">250g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 1/2 cup heavy cream</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 large eggs</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 tbsp caster sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Pinch of salt</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><u>For the chocolate glaze:</u></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 tbsp heavy cream</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">50g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp syrup (from candied orange)</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tbsp water</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><u>To finish:</u></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sea salt flakes</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Method</u></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><u>For the pastry:</u></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Preheat the oven to 180</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;">°C</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. Pulse the butter, flour and salt in a food processor until it resembles fine crumbs. Add the sour cream and pulse until it combines together. Remove from food processor and wrap in cling film. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2. Remove from fridge and roll out dough until 3mm thick. Line </span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">dough carefully into a tart pan and remove excess from the edges. Poke holes all around the base of the tart with a fork.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">3. Line with baking paper and fill with rice or baking weights. </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, before removing paper and rice/weights. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">4. Bake for another 10 minutes or until pastry is golden. Remove from oven and set aside to chill at room temperature until needed.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;"><i><u>For the candied orange:</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">1. Place the water and sugar in a medium pot and bring to boil. Once boiling, add in the remaining ingredients and allow to boil for 20 minutes or until the orange becomes soft.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">2. Remove oranges from pot and allow to cool on a plate. Reserve 1 tsp of the syrup for the glaze later or make more candied oranges (if you have extra) as a snack.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><i><u>For the chocolate filling:</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">1. Place the chocolate in a bowl and bring the cream to a boil. Once boiling, pour over the chocolate. Gently stir until smooth.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">2. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt in a separate bowl. Tap the bowl on the counter/table to release the air bubbles. Stir mixture into the melted chocolate. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">3. Pour mixture into cooled tart and bake in preheated oven at </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">180</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">°C for 15 - 20 minutes or until the filling is set 2 inches from the edge and still wobbly in the middle. Allow to cool.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;"><i><u>For the chocolate glaze:</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">1. Place the chocolate in a bowl and bring the cream to a boil. Pour cream over chocolate. Stir in the syrup (made from candied orange) and water.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><i><u>To finish:</u></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">1. Once the filling is cooled, pour the glaze over the tart. Arrange with candied orange slices and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><b>Cook's Note: Tart can be made several hours in advance before serving. No need to reheat.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYr4_sl8scZZeD9WeiV2LOt8d7WLBKCpVEEaAVAjceB-iNixaQnCZY3ZfBxtAJNWY9P6MoakyRtnJUMSOWHmOBJqKIlbSEPy2m3Ivtn2NOfNhPenxKf3FEzz8KicDeF79kyHXdwqKcdXi9/s1600/Salted+Chocolate+Tart+with+Spiced+Candied+Orange-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYr4_sl8scZZeD9WeiV2LOt8d7WLBKCpVEEaAVAjceB-iNixaQnCZY3ZfBxtAJNWY9P6MoakyRtnJUMSOWHmOBJqKIlbSEPy2m3Ivtn2NOfNhPenxKf3FEzz8KicDeF79kyHXdwqKcdXi9/s640/Salted+Chocolate+Tart+with+Spiced+Candied+Orange-5.jpg" width="460" /></a></span></div>
Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-55901514905215834842015-08-16T22:48:00.003+10:002015-08-16T22:48:36.602+10:00Chirashi Sushi Recipe (Simplified)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcavjHSgXdPtO9-CheFjXG1FQJ0XyfnVfdjcGnzB1YWnaa2NXxhuS8kvp3E907hVFuFSv2KhrH6iQgy5cvBbfYZqkoqAYPhC6xRUfZMYPJ9Bc1CF4uLeJjItAbXdtezAV567rr_zcZJHhn/s1600/Chirashi+Sushi-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcavjHSgXdPtO9-CheFjXG1FQJ0XyfnVfdjcGnzB1YWnaa2NXxhuS8kvp3E907hVFuFSv2KhrH6iQgy5cvBbfYZqkoqAYPhC6xRUfZMYPJ9Bc1CF4uLeJjItAbXdtezAV567rr_zcZJHhn/s640/Chirashi+Sushi-3.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Without sounding like too much of a downer, I must say that these days I am just constantly tired. Even if I look fine on the surface, I've always got so many thoughts running through my mind in the background. Physically, I feel quite worn out a lot of the time. Each day I wake up still tired from the day before and go through the motions a million miles an hour with a low tank. Even if I try to limit what I do after hours and rest early, there's been a number of instances the past couple of weeks I found myself waking up in the middle of the night with work in my mind and struggle to go back to sleep after. The good thing is that I get home so brain dead that it stops me from thinking about work for the few hours before I go to bed. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm sure that a lot of you share the same sentiments with what you experience throughout the week as well. And I'm also sure that you too just need to find your centre and muster as much strength and energy to keep pushing through </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">someway, somehow</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I need a holiday. Thank goodness I've got one coming up in just a couple of weeks. It's a very short one but it's better than nothing. Cannot, freaking, wait.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">RIGHT. Rant over. For me, when it comes to blogging, I normally start off with a blank screen and immediately type exactly what's on my mind. Unfortunately, as you can tell, it's been a lot about work and other stuff I guess so I do apologise.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anyway, back to this recipe. A few weeks ago on a Saturday when Dad was still in Melbourne, we weren't sure what we wanted to eat for lunch. Sis suggested that all she wanted was just sashimi on rice so off they went to Victoria Market in a jiffy to pick up some beautiful pieces of sashimi grade salmon for lunch. The whole lunch happened in no time. Basically, Dad put some rice in the rice cooked before he left for the market. As soon as he got back, all we did was slice up the fish and grabbed a bunch of stuff we already had from our fridge and pantry and VOILA. Lunch was served. It was quick but boy was it darn tasty, healthy and satisfying to say the least.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There's probably a million ways you could make this Japanese chirashi sushi (aka "scattered sushi") dish but this was what we whipped up in our kitchen that day. As you can see, we kept it very simple but it was still very delicious. There's so many other ingredients you could add to your chirashi sushi if you like such as shredded egg, avocado, variety of sashimi, salmon roe, etc etc. In fact, you could even omit the sashimi pieces all together and just add an assortment of vegetables to make it vegetarian. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">The beauty of this dish is that you can really do anything and everything you want with it. The reason why I wanted to share this recipe, even though it technically isn't a recipe, is that I wanted to show everyone that chirashi sushi really is a great dish to make at home if you're looking for something effortless and delicious. I hope you make this one sometime and if you are on social media, make sure you tag me in your photo </span><i><span style="color: #444444;">(</span><a href="http://instagram.com/winceeee"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">@winceeee</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">)</span></i><span style="color: #444444;"> as I'd love to see what ingredients YOU put in your chirashi sushi too! </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Chirashi Sushi Recipe (Simplified)</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(an original recipe)</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thehungryexcavator/chirashi-sushi-simplified?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Click here to print the recipe</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Ingredients:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sashimi grade salmon <i>(sliced)</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cooked white rice</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Japanese rice seasoning <i>(aka "Furikake)</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dried seaweed</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Japanese pickled ginger <i>(optional)</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Japanese Kewpie mayo</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wasabi</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Toasted sesame seeds </span><i style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(optional)</i></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Soy sauce</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Squeeze of lemon</span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b>Note: </b>You can find all these ingredients (apart from the sashimi) at most Asian grocery stores.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Place the rice in a bowl and top with Japanese rice seasoning, dried seaweed and pickled ginger (if using).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Place a dollop of Japanese kewpie mayo and wasabi on the side.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Top with generous amount of sliced sashimi grade salmon. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (if using).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. In a separate sauce dish, mix some soy sauce with wasabi and a squeeze of lemon. Enjoy with chirashi sushi.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0HA3MU1kTKrY5wQz6dZijO47xf-z1jkexOfbSm7Xk7NUmSL3ZmD_ZYQKgRnjI_x930Fy9mZ4-bFQW12pLP0ilT3EZEfMf66NA0gsTmeIkVj8xazNCWcG0P9h26lapj6NmWNY87pCgfwV/s1600/Chirashi+Sushi-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0HA3MU1kTKrY5wQz6dZijO47xf-z1jkexOfbSm7Xk7NUmSL3ZmD_ZYQKgRnjI_x930Fy9mZ4-bFQW12pLP0ilT3EZEfMf66NA0gsTmeIkVj8xazNCWcG0P9h26lapj6NmWNY87pCgfwV/s640/Chirashi+Sushi-1.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-70792372011797309202015-08-09T23:18:00.002+10:002015-08-10T14:40:31.757+10:00The Grand Richmond<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i style="background-color: white; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #45818e;">Disclaimer: Winston dined as a guest of </span><a href="http://www.grandrichmond.com.au/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The Grand Richmond</span></a><span style="color: #45818e;"> and </span><a href="https://www.zomato.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Zomato Australia</span></a><span style="color: #45818e;">. All opinions are honest and based on my own experience at the time.</span></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIGINClFz2YmIuw46SU6NhSZmEnSpF4Bt_rYFdEDuYDElD1ANnmNnFR1VmddUuzwNzPzsKYbfOawkXTUkxW8wro9Q-6_OWCq953DYEHNZ7kvBnY30ZrZI0U3lOPQSOIa1YnDL2Bo_V30lV/s1600/The+Grand+Hotel+Richmond-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIGINClFz2YmIuw46SU6NhSZmEnSpF4Bt_rYFdEDuYDElD1ANnmNnFR1VmddUuzwNzPzsKYbfOawkXTUkxW8wro9Q-6_OWCq953DYEHNZ7kvBnY30ZrZI0U3lOPQSOIa1YnDL2Bo_V30lV/s640/The+Grand+Hotel+Richmond-4.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>An incredible evening celebrating the 130th Birthday for The Grand Richmond</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYJMmEe_aw1wOKVYS7PkZ_uQEQ74rRSVUsUyHjf3EatAUxK8KXlfZJgPVXc4sMNoYlTbciBJo_XCM5yb-z48G627_29r5UWOp7tqA7WLiDfS6IzFCQ7iTmmJVa_JRkxlub-hr61XzGOIR/s1600/The+Grand+Hotel+Richmond-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYJMmEe_aw1wOKVYS7PkZ_uQEQ74rRSVUsUyHjf3EatAUxK8KXlfZJgPVXc4sMNoYlTbciBJo_XCM5yb-z48G627_29r5UWOp7tqA7WLiDfS6IzFCQ7iTmmJVa_JRkxlub-hr61XzGOIR/s640/The+Grand+Hotel+Richmond-1.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Following drinks and canapes, we were each given a rolling pin and asked to enter one of the dining rooms where they had this set up waiting for us...</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJiyVz_AgU9a8JyXqKvzr7vNKwQkhvIOUSADS_YLsvcyCSfKcficfRplq5vkdgouyqio2Rev9tHCdDvSTU0tx97LCA8vWazbJYwqpm36irQmLrU8XfAlbAJd9eSHhh2tFieNK7utb6AuEc/s1600/The+Grand+Hotel+Richmond-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJiyVz_AgU9a8JyXqKvzr7vNKwQkhvIOUSADS_YLsvcyCSfKcficfRplq5vkdgouyqio2Rev9tHCdDvSTU0tx97LCA8vWazbJYwqpm36irQmLrU8XfAlbAJd9eSHhh2tFieNK7utb6AuEc/s640/The+Grand+Hotel+Richmond-2.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Turns out we were going to each make our own fish baked in terracotta as one of the dishes we'd be eating later that night -- fun!</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4h1y5wrGONNFfx54ny7lqEs2QzABXhk_ZawTBWXbrOroUt-uax1D57weEb0ub6csv1w24pV0HErhBAFEFDuIwlKcuiPQgE4HLWxYOFQ7fRZUQ356rbCNPfZ_yhjKGV7_1Kk3oah9ti8m/s1600/The+Grand+Hotel+Richmond-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4h1y5wrGONNFfx54ny7lqEs2QzABXhk_ZawTBWXbrOroUt-uax1D57weEb0ub6csv1w24pV0HErhBAFEFDuIwlKcuiPQgE4HLWxYOFQ7fRZUQ356rbCNPfZ_yhjKGV7_1Kk3oah9ti8m/s640/The+Grand+Hotel+Richmond-3.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>For mine, I put spring onions, olives, garlic, potatoes, rosemary, chillies, carrots, lemon slices and lemon zest</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjkeDueauLKCkq58CgcwrCDej46iAocDjUeO122yFfxaYDcGZWEHVqv-V6zQdlVAfj0AqhUqeGG60a2DdylgQK4ZP6eo7a5k-Vkze3_1rdMzK9oKfBPgPr3CAbcBZPnlJKv557Rhtv-XF/s1600/The+Grand+Hotel+Richmond-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAjkeDueauLKCkq58CgcwrCDej46iAocDjUeO122yFfxaYDcGZWEHVqv-V6zQdlVAfj0AqhUqeGG60a2DdylgQK4ZP6eo7a5k-Vkze3_1rdMzK9oKfBPgPr3CAbcBZPnlJKv557Rhtv-XF/s640/The+Grand+Hotel+Richmond-5.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="color: #444444;">Next, we moved onto the other dining room where we were greeted by the most stunning display of cakes and lollies made my event planners </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheThreePieceSuit"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The Three Piece Suit</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">... WOW!</span></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOTqOTO0Fzd7iD9AQiympUMNr0fr1n72PwOElJ8o74_8f0Q5NGQoKi3f2o_3olvq64bVAIop-URkLHulJKA4J0UKt5A7LuFWvwG_9wR03Jwq1ZJhTFuEYQSwQD5oXUnXkVQi1lPh6nhNan/s1600/The+Grand+Hotel+Richmond-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOTqOTO0Fzd7iD9AQiympUMNr0fr1n72PwOElJ8o74_8f0Q5NGQoKi3f2o_3olvq64bVAIop-URkLHulJKA4J0UKt5A7LuFWvwG_9wR03Jwq1ZJhTFuEYQSwQD5oXUnXkVQi1lPh6nhNan/s640/The+Grand+Hotel+Richmond-6.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVVloH0erFvLrtF-i-5ahP-FK3RHyyPyCO8I2Poh4MEUIO76hRl_AiBJnDiasQucSOOs6vuAt6xuNK9wGmjSnY2Aw76bMuxML1nuHQNXXKO6j46pc4KgioXe-NgHUWdqR_0VAF1KCMiL1/s1600/The+Grand+Hotel+Richmond-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVVloH0erFvLrtF-i-5ahP-FK3RHyyPyCO8I2Poh4MEUIO76hRl_AiBJnDiasQucSOOs6vuAt6xuNK9wGmjSnY2Aw76bMuxML1nuHQNXXKO6j46pc4KgioXe-NgHUWdqR_0VAF1KCMiL1/s640/The+Grand+Hotel+Richmond-7.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkm0gB1_4ejEa4hyd6R3G-tuBUvcC2XnH7HBKbKcgZa4WhbeszrdQRmcKSjW0EHJ5TRc24y63_64yvGanEBZnYUxiPVY-VoKNbc4DIKUtEE1jHW93BLLKvZNypmTPSkvq-L59u2jUT-Y8w/s1600/The+Grand+Hotel+Richmond-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkm0gB1_4ejEa4hyd6R3G-tuBUvcC2XnH7HBKbKcgZa4WhbeszrdQRmcKSjW0EHJ5TRc24y63_64yvGanEBZnYUxiPVY-VoKNbc4DIKUtEE1jHW93BLLKvZNypmTPSkvq-L59u2jUT-Y8w/s640/The+Grand+Hotel+Richmond-8.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Pepper Crusted Venison Carpaccio, Goat Cheese Mousse and Beetroot</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Agrodolce Quail with Porcini Mushroom Puree, Brussel Sprouts, Quail Egg and Black Truffles</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Broad Bean, Pecorino & Mint Risotto</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSEr4rsDS3rakUm7KkKdijC9iBTWAC8mUFrMrp93kSdsetcjvHrG6Y7dJfcwFBVW51bYSdDXyZmM-_x_FMKZqQKtqOfpg7tIqT0s5-vxGkaBDmuqnYXvH4lK7ymIPRfdPVUBjpgKDU3b6/s1600/The+Grand+Hotel+Richmond-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSEr4rsDS3rakUm7KkKdijC9iBTWAC8mUFrMrp93kSdsetcjvHrG6Y7dJfcwFBVW51bYSdDXyZmM-_x_FMKZqQKtqOfpg7tIqT0s5-vxGkaBDmuqnYXvH4lK7ymIPRfdPVUBjpgKDU3b6/s640/The+Grand+Hotel+Richmond-16.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Mortadella Cappelletti In Brodo</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>My fish is ready!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>The big reveal (so cool)...</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Cone Bay Barramundi cooked in Terracotta</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Ooooh yeahh....</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRbV6A7yM36THZsZS96JsXkoMWwaFJlyiPc9KHPzoAR8KD17KN3haaJYfpgWOkqyB6hWepy-uTDqRQHPiSxkSFLdIakkQeZlR2MCKBCurEfZlUxdJZz1rVzb3sTeAj0aA2RVUurVwJBWy/s1600/The+Grand+Hotel+Richmond-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRbV6A7yM36THZsZS96JsXkoMWwaFJlyiPc9KHPzoAR8KD17KN3haaJYfpgWOkqyB6hWepy-uTDqRQHPiSxkSFLdIakkQeZlR2MCKBCurEfZlUxdJZz1rVzb3sTeAj0aA2RVUurVwJBWy/s640/The+Grand+Hotel+Richmond-20.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lemon Delizia -- Lemon Parfait with Soft Sponge Centre, Almond Crumble, Limoncello Gelee, Candied Lemons</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, it's been a while since I've been to a blogging event. Mainly because it's just been so insanely hectic at work so I've just been quite mentally exhausted from that. Most days, I prefer to just de-stress by exercising after work instead. That said, I saw the invite for this event about The Grand Richmond celebrating its 130th Birthday, was intrigued when I checked out the menu so decided to come join the party! And let's just say that I was very glad I did.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The event was a rather intimate dinner with the owners David, Katie, Barnie and Tiur were there to entertain and keep us company throughout the evening. It was great chatting with them that evening -- such lovely people. Now, on to the food...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We started off with the venison carpaccio, which I thought was prepared very well. Nice pepper crust against the tender, paper thin meat. Delicious. Then, we had the most succulent quail on a bed a velvety smooth and utterly unctuous mushroom puree. WOW. I thought they knocked it out of the park with this dish and I absolutely loved the Italian sweet and sour sauce (agrodolce) that it was cooked with. It had a very savoury, umami base with a sweet aftertaste. Plus, I did not mind that there was black truffles on there at all too. Was very happy with this dish.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Then, we moved onto what seemed like a very simple risotto but tasted nothing short of outstanding. You could hear a lot of <i>"mmmmm" </i>sounds being made from the table by this dish. Then, we had the mortadella cappalletti dish. I've never had this type of pasta before but really enjoyed the bite sized morsels. Filling was a little too salty for me but I did enjoy the light, clear broth that it came with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Next, we had our terracotta fish and honestly, it was a lot more delicious than I thought. I used to make fish en papillotte </span><i style="color: #444444;">(or in parchment)</i><span style="color: #444444;"> which was a similar concept to this one baked in clay but man, the fish that evening was SENSATIONAL. First of all, the fish was cooked to absolute perfection. The flavours and ingredients that it was paired with worked really well together too, if I do say so myself. But, the best part about this dish really was the fish itself. I've had Barramundi many a times but none of them tasted like this. It was very clean, fresh and you could actually taste a slight hint of natural saltiness. Most Barramundis can be quite bad and stinky but this wasn't the case at all. I later realised after talking to David and Katie that they only get their Barramunis from the </span><a href="http://www.marineproduce.com/our-fish"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Cone Bay</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> fish mongers. Their Barramundis are caught straight from the ocean and not farmed or imported like how most ones are. <i>No wonder........</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Finally, we had a really sublime lemon dessert to cap off the evening. Most people know that I haven't got a sweet tooth myself but if I had to pick, I'd always go with a citrus dessert. This one was delicious and quite interactive to eat because there were so many different elements on the plate to taste so you constantly find yourself trying one after the other. It's fun.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Overall, I was very impressed by the food at The Grand. What sets them apart is that they are so good at p</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">resenting classic Italian food but with a very modern take. Lots of interesting ingredients (like the agrodolce) and ways of showcasing them in way that was very new and exciting for me to experience. It was a delicious meal from start to finish. The setting is so casual and relaxing too, which I like.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Other things I learned about The Grand is that they are the only pub in Victoria with a Chef's Hat accolade... <i>Cool! </i> Plus, David and Katie were also telling us about some of the dinner party events that they throw at the restaurant from time to time. The themes that they have sound like so much fun and the tickets for them normally sell out pretty quickly too. Just based on this evening alone, I can tell that they are very good at hosting dinner events, which would be a fun thing to do instead of just going to a restaurant for an ordinary dinner. Oh and did you know that if you subscribe to their mailing list on the website you actually get to enjoy a 6 course degustation dinner (normally costs $85 per head) <b>free of charge</b>. Too cool! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Again, had a great experience here at The Grand and I can't wait to take my Mum here when she visits from Malaysia next month. When was the last time you got to enjoy a beautiful 6 course dinner for $85! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.zomato.com/melbourne/grand-hotel-richmond" target="_blank"><img alt="Click to add a blog post for Grand Hotel on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16571439/ibiglink" style="border: none; height: 146px; padding: 0px; width: 200px;" /></a> </span></div>
Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-87924153886291040992015-08-02T23:03:00.000+10:002015-08-02T23:03:24.391+10:00XO Marinated Salt & Pepper Chicken Ribs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfXc-rhdOLtjyaRyf-X3uRQWj-aiKqqUbGLIqkkfbuI3MbPuJQCOmZxXd620JjRD85zFa1cAIIc3Wh6ZPoNTXTk3IP4VRVtBvvegHLVXy8JmIOtBZsmXDJIXgMApsByvqFboO2fnEcUcq/s1600/XO+Marinated+Salt+%2526+Pepper+Chicken+Ribs-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfXc-rhdOLtjyaRyf-X3uRQWj-aiKqqUbGLIqkkfbuI3MbPuJQCOmZxXd620JjRD85zFa1cAIIc3Wh6ZPoNTXTk3IP4VRVtBvvegHLVXy8JmIOtBZsmXDJIXgMApsByvqFboO2fnEcUcq/s640/XO+Marinated+Salt+%2526+Pepper+Chicken+Ribs-1.jpg" width="440" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Chicken Ribs... FRIED CHICKEN RIBS... In all it's crunch and crispiness... Juicy and tender flesh... </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I don't think I'd be the first one to say this but I have never heard of chicken ribs until I moved to Melbourne. It's odd. Though to be fair, it's not <i>technically </i>the ribs of the chicken. More like the wish bone to be exact. But, what's delicious about it is that it's got the texture of the thigh meat and easy to eat off of because it only has a single bone in the middle. Even more excellent when fried with salt and pepper or the duck egg yolk.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's a dish that I've always been a fan of at low key, fuss free Chinese restaurants (especially the one at Rose Garden, ZOMG). Even though I see them sell chicken ribs and markets all the time, I actually never attempted cooking it at home until recently. No real reason in particular, just never got around to it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I whipped up this recipe with whatever I had in the fridge and pantry. I think what really enhances a good salt and pepper dish is the fried toppings of onions, garlic and chillies. Oh, and the right amount of salt and white pepper, of course. Note: always use <b>white pepper </b>in Chinese cooking. I never paid much attention to the toppings previously and if I'm honest, I normally scrape it off to the side of my plate when having it at restaurants. But I realised that it actually adds so much more flavour and texture in each bite when having it together. It's so good, yum...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anyway, this dish is</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> seriously easy, tasty and cheap to make too. Such a winner as my sister and I couldn't have enough of it! Not messy to make because you're only frying it in a shallow pan and no splatter experienced. Hope you give this one a go.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWIvHCNa6cErCRQ2D5jB0G8FQUBAF06mzQ-Jxm4EXKfuRxWwK8g0fYO1FXdcqpQTwM6D_6UpKaLV8HN3xJXIirEh_qI_tjJmPFH_ExjXJ3Io88SIKFlJgTuqN-pZ7mv8wGSg_OnJt95eG/s1600/XO+Marinated+Salt+%2526+Pepper+Chicken+Ribs-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWIvHCNa6cErCRQ2D5jB0G8FQUBAF06mzQ-Jxm4EXKfuRxWwK8g0fYO1FXdcqpQTwM6D_6UpKaLV8HN3xJXIirEh_qI_tjJmPFH_ExjXJ3Io88SIKFlJgTuqN-pZ7mv8wGSg_OnJt95eG/s640/XO+Marinated+Salt+%2526+Pepper+Chicken+Ribs-2.jpg" width="440" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDUpJBPBsuMo45iuqwrkMNedCFY7TNgUjlAgOIqycel1CTOe1Ba-jQ3Cd47ZEqASYD4WkDVxuXO3pyXKr1OVz322jMWL7Budkl676HKg-kshsBy4D3P4wAGWR1DOxFi9AgBDk2k-rC8bJ/s1600/XO+Marinated+Salt+%2526+Pepper+Chicken+Ribs-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDUpJBPBsuMo45iuqwrkMNedCFY7TNgUjlAgOIqycel1CTOe1Ba-jQ3Cd47ZEqASYD4WkDVxuXO3pyXKr1OVz322jMWL7Budkl676HKg-kshsBy4D3P4wAGWR1DOxFi9AgBDk2k-rC8bJ/s640/XO+Marinated+Salt+%2526+Pepper+Chicken+Ribs-3.jpg" width="440" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>XO Marinated Salt & Pepper Chicken Ribs</u></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(an original recipe)</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thehungryexcavator/xo-marinated-salt-pepper-chicken-ribs?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Click here to print the recipe</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Ingredients:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>For the chicken:</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">500g chicken ribs</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 tbsp XO sauce</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 cloves garlic (minced)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 1/2 cup corn flour</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Oil for frying</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>For the topping:</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4 tbsp diced onions</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 clove garlic (minced)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 - 2 birds eye chillies (sliced thinly) <b>*</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">White pepper</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Other:</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Salt and white pepper</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sliced spring onions (to garnish)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>* </b><i><b>Note:</b> May be substituted with diced capsicum</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Method:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1) Marinate the chicken ribs with the XO sauce and minced garlic for at least 3 hours or overnight in the fridge.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2) Just before cooking, coat the chicken in corn flour and set aside. Heat up the oil in a shallow pan filled to about 1 cm high. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3) Once the oil is hot, fry the chicken in batches for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Remove and allow to cool for about 5 minutes on a wire rack.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4) While the chicken is cooling, drain the pan leaving about 1 tbsp of oil. Fry the onions, garlic and chillies for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add several dashes of white pepper and mix well. Set aside.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5) Place the chicken on a plate and top with fried onions, garlic and chillies. Season with salt and white pepper. Garnish with sliced spring onions. Serve immediately.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZUaNL9DwIbR_mbyW65Nsrlwv1ID3xGWFDNCVDM8bjuHEtqHusSNNdF2yFcUB02gSlPqH-JjX9rvkl5D0ByCtThQEwDjfKI8N5YjwDYDMxiJypKIqfGiqxrQrIzOEQS7O2tBBmdAfvR41/s1600/XO+Marinated+Salt+%2526+Pepper+Chicken+Ribs-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZUaNL9DwIbR_mbyW65Nsrlwv1ID3xGWFDNCVDM8bjuHEtqHusSNNdF2yFcUB02gSlPqH-JjX9rvkl5D0ByCtThQEwDjfKI8N5YjwDYDMxiJypKIqfGiqxrQrIzOEQS7O2tBBmdAfvR41/s640/XO+Marinated+Salt+%2526+Pepper+Chicken+Ribs-4.jpg" width="440" /></a></span></div>
Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-54520264341730287252015-07-06T22:28:00.005+10:002015-07-06T22:28:50.512+10:00Roasted Grape Sauce Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFVBJlzG3izzNEKwWbymSrPN_zcfrtncbXa3wCT2lv_UTpCcb3eKMyWwkn4kMH1lbi-0gWBgUH1QL1gB_Mc6iXkm6acw3CVERkeDGGNFcEoU1iRoSclGBuSwr3t7nTXcZd502vTGrqxl7/s1600/Roasted+Grapes+Recipe-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFVBJlzG3izzNEKwWbymSrPN_zcfrtncbXa3wCT2lv_UTpCcb3eKMyWwkn4kMH1lbi-0gWBgUH1QL1gB_Mc6iXkm6acw3CVERkeDGGNFcEoU1iRoSclGBuSwr3t7nTXcZd502vTGrqxl7/s640/Roasted+Grapes+Recipe-2.jpg" width="550" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">So a few months ago, I had the most AMAZING weekend away in Daylesford when I attended a food photography workshop hosted by the ever amazing </span><a href="http://ewenbell.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Ewen Bell</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> and </span><a href="http://ironchefshellie.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Iron Chef Shellie</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">. I have long been a fan of Ewen's photos on Instagram and Shellie is without a doubt the most talented food blogger I know. Could not help but feel absolutely inspired the whole weekend. Best time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3gh5UJa5gAgXgPBQL2geZeYapL3s1c29cN7hbEmWhgBOij01g30HQNwdcTUAxb_O4lWnhNQgmvT9XDF5jI7pyB3Oxk25-iP3qHCakAz2dGCvbSq5y9OoixENprTVK0F_L5dMEVB9JbB2/s1600/Daylesford+Lunch-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3gh5UJa5gAgXgPBQL2geZeYapL3s1c29cN7hbEmWhgBOij01g30HQNwdcTUAxb_O4lWnhNQgmvT9XDF5jI7pyB3Oxk25-iP3qHCakAz2dGCvbSq5y9OoixENprTVK0F_L5dMEVB9JbB2/s640/Daylesford+Lunch-5.jpg" width="550" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: start;"><i>#dattart </i>!!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh and suffice to say, a LOT of good food was had that weekend including this ABSO-FRICKIN-LUTELY DELICIOUS Roasted Grape, Goat's Cheese & Parmesan Crust Tart. Wow... Just WOW. Such an incredible creation by Shellie and I cannot wait to bake it myself soon because I miss it so much. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIu1jQNpOF8Jb4F66kQv6g4Xc5E8QttCXL5AZ7FjhrhwASBCp8lPcCi6QibBdSA2J9VC8b5vAKaFydL3nb7b2fps6ZkgfLWz8BAS6H8AwxYrNk-3GC7O240jR6hHSDXbjhwm4P8NTSA9_0/s1600/Roasted+Grapes+Recipe-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIu1jQNpOF8Jb4F66kQv6g4Xc5E8QttCXL5AZ7FjhrhwASBCp8lPcCi6QibBdSA2J9VC8b5vAKaFydL3nb7b2fps6ZkgfLWz8BAS6H8AwxYrNk-3GC7O240jR6hHSDXbjhwm4P8NTSA9_0/s640/Roasted+Grapes+Recipe-1.jpg" width="550" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Anyway, I learned from Ewen and Shellie that roasting grapes is one of the most clever cooking idea I've come across in a long time. Having grapes on their own can be one dimensional because all you can taste is sweetness. But once roasted, it sort of reduces and replaces some of the sweetness with a much deeper, earthy flavour. And suddenly, these grapes actually go really well with savoury dishes. Too good. The flesh also has a soft, mushy centre which I enjoy. Plus, I just think that the blistered look of the grape skin is just so stunning.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ewen was the one that suggesting roasting the grapes because it goes really well with roast pork and he was so right. Similar to having apple sauce with pork but roasted grapes are so much more interesting. It was seriously delicious and I highly recommend it too so please give this one a go. Trust me, you won't regret it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I also highly recommend my </span><b style="color: #444444; font-size: x-large;">Easy Roast Pork with Crackling </b><span style="color: #444444;">recipe: </span><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2013/11/easy-roast-pork-with-crackling-recipe.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HERE</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">. Total crowd pleaser and 100% success rate by me and anyone who's tried it!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr18wXsCQ6au6fb8eAn4YcDySMNvqtqILTj9ivvV38J7e7wfjMgG_jiP1aQUqDeDztlXi0cYDOUcFamwBXeZd_UHhfitUUw15fAs0-vn1xyPK_n3uhAY9gYqydIM6cgjJ1-f-7uaoxkJR5/s1600/Roasted+Grapes+Recipe-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr18wXsCQ6au6fb8eAn4YcDySMNvqtqILTj9ivvV38J7e7wfjMgG_jiP1aQUqDeDztlXi0cYDOUcFamwBXeZd_UHhfitUUw15fAs0-vn1xyPK_n3uhAY9gYqydIM6cgjJ1-f-7uaoxkJR5/s640/Roasted+Grapes+Recipe-4.jpg" width="550" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Have I mentioned how much I love brussel sprouts too?</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Roasted Grape Sauce Recipe</u></b></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="color: #444444;">(inspired by </span><a href="http://ironchefshellie.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Iron Chef Shellie</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> and </span><a href="http://ewenbell.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Ewen Bell</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">)</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thehungryexcavator/roasted-grape-sauce?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Click here to print the recipe</a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 vine of red grapes (seedless)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Method</u></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Preheat the oven to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">200</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;">°C. Place the grapes on a single layer on a metal plate/tray and roast for 15 - 20 minutes or until the grapes look blistered.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;">2. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Crush all the grapes with a fork and knife to squeeze out the juices. Mix together and set aside until ready for use. Best served warm with roast pork!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuboN2_4RrWux8jHWJXA7hdnpwnIBTF6qw1IFo_3XKatI2rlDClLhQ5sinBQQwFj2GnTjqbXgH28NGUplxBiM7pbfNDO_BJmkQyyQTBAyKYVmd7W5A3Z0J7wejxlKmSuZ4P7ThJO9WqZlO/s1600/Roasted+Grapes+Recipe-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuboN2_4RrWux8jHWJXA7hdnpwnIBTF6qw1IFo_3XKatI2rlDClLhQ5sinBQQwFj2GnTjqbXgH28NGUplxBiM7pbfNDO_BJmkQyyQTBAyKYVmd7W5A3Z0J7wejxlKmSuZ4P7ThJO9WqZlO/s640/Roasted+Grapes+Recipe-3.jpg" width="550" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>The most incredible Sunday roast dinner! There was:</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="color: #444444;">- </span><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2013/11/easy-roast-pork-with-crackling-recipe.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Roast pork in milk with best crackling</span></a></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>- Roasted grape sauce</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>- Crispy brussel sprouts in coconut oil and chilli</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>- Roasted garlic and mushroom mashed potato</i></span></div>
Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-58605956036341969242015-06-21T20:22:00.003+10:002015-06-21T20:22:49.678+10:00Seared Venison with Braised Red Cabbage, Pancetta Crisps & Red Wine Jus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixiHQov7yeArk08vIGwceAx-rj6bu9K9bMo4N3D5v6Lv_g1ZFnvcsOxlHu6-pdM9Cw_4GdTCs_9a7vfVSID93lQ9aRuBb_QagirD7RGaEH0WUt02bTVKUn-6_VM3TjgpKqMR1XVGLiWJLJ/s1600/Seared+Venison+with+Braised+Red+Cabbage%252C+Pancetta+Crisps+and+Red+Wine+Jus-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixiHQov7yeArk08vIGwceAx-rj6bu9K9bMo4N3D5v6Lv_g1ZFnvcsOxlHu6-pdM9Cw_4GdTCs_9a7vfVSID93lQ9aRuBb_QagirD7RGaEH0WUt02bTVKUn-6_VM3TjgpKqMR1XVGLiWJLJ/s640/Seared+Venison+with+Braised+Red+Cabbage%252C+Pancetta+Crisps+and+Red+Wine+Jus-4.jpg" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hello!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I can't help but feel compelled to begin each blog post these days with an apology for the lack of updates. Most nights I'd try to sit in front of the laptop to write up new post but often just end up giving in because of how tired I felt at the time. I'm quite the social media fanatic so would be great if you got connected with me on my Instagram (</span><a href="https://instagram.com/winceeee"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">@winceeee</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">) and Facebook page (</span><a href="http://facebook.com/thehungryexcavator"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The Hungry Excavator</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">) too!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's such a lame and overused excuse but work really has been quite busy for me. I guess in many ways I feel like I've reached a milestone in my career sooner than I expected and it's definitely kept my plate full but at the same time, fuelled me to want to keep going even further/harder. It's because of the pressing nature of my work that makes me so grateful to have a blog or blogging related activities to look forward to after I clock off to unwind. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Anyway, I've got lots of recipes lined up in my backlog that I can't wait to share with you guys so please stay tuned.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Righto, back to the recipe. A friend of mine went hunting one weekend and managed to shoot two deers that time. I haven't been hunting myself but I do know that deers are not easy to hunt at all. Most of the time, people would come back empty handed so for him to have shot not one, but two deers was very impressive.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was definitely happy for my friend because it was his first time successfully hunting one down but if I'm being honest, I was even happier about the fact that he shared them with me too! I feel very grateful when people think of me and specifically share their food with me (maybe because I think people know that I always appreciate it). I heart people!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As soon as I got these beautiful venison backstraps, I flipped through an old cookbook I got from a good friend a few years ago for my 21st in search of some inspiration. Came across a couple in there that looked really good so decided to combine and modify them a bit to suit my liking. The final result was very delicious. I don't normally cook many recipes like these but it's actually quite simple and at the end of the day, it's always great to try something different in the kitchen. Every element actually worked and enhanced the other so I am definitely a fan of this combination. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This plate of food was definitely delicious to eat and actually very simple to make. There's lots of things you could substitute the venison backstrap for if you haven't got it available. I think veal or lamb backstraps would work beautifully too or even liver instead of meat too! Something that's lean or quick to sear.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hope you give this a go and that you have a fantastic week ahead!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>So difficult to not sneak a piece... Or five as soon as they came out of the oven (!!)</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Seared Venison with Braised Red Cabbage, Pancetta Crisps & Red Wine Jus</u></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(recipe adapted from the cookbook "Must Eat" by Russell Blaikie)</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thehungryexcavator/seared-venison-with-braised-red-cabbage-pancetta-crisps-red-wine-jus?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Click here to print the recipe</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><u>For the braised cabbage:</u></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 red cabbage</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4 tbsp olive oil</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3 cloves garlic <i>(minced)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 brown onion <i>(chopped finely)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">150ml red wine vinegar</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">150g sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cracked salt and pepper</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><u>For the red wine jus:</u></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">125ml red wine</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">50ml port wine</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 litre beef stock</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">50g unsalted butter</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cracked salt and pepper</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><u>Other:</u></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">200g venison backstrap <i>(cut to thin strips)</i> <b>*</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">12 slices pancetta</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Olive oil</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fresh sage leaves</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cracked salt and pepper</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">60g unsalted butter</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>* </b><i>may be substituted with veal, lamb or even liver instead of backstrap</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Method</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><u>For the braised cabbage:</u></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Remove the core of the cabbage and slice it finely. Heat up the oil in a pot. Add the garlic and onions and cook until soft and fragrant. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Add the vinegar and sugar, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add in the cabbage and place the lid on to simmer on low heat for 25 - 30 minutes (or until cabbage is tender), stirring occasionally.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Season with cracked salt and pepper and cook with the lid off </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">for a further 15 minutes</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> or </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">until most of the liquid has evaporated. Set aside until ready for use. Can be stored in refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><u>For the red wine jus:</u></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. Pour the red wine and port into a saucepan and reduce on high heat until about 60ml or quarter of a cup liquid left.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2. Add the beef stock and boil on high heat (and skimming regularly) until the sauce has reduced to about three quarters of the volume left. Stock should be a little thick, viscous and glossy.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until well combined. Season with cracked salt and pepper to taste.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><u>For the remainder of the dish:</u></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. Preheat the oven to 200</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;">°C. Line the pancetta slices on a wire rack and bake in the oven for 8 - 10 minutes or until the pancetta is golden brown and crisp. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature on the wire rack. Refrain with every ounce of your being from nibbling away on these lip smackingly good pancetta crisps. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;">2. Heat a little olive oil in a pan until hot and add in the fresh sage leaves to cook for about 10 - 15 seconds or until crisp. Remove and drain excess oil on kitchen towel.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;">3. Season the venison/veal/lamb backstrap on both sides with cracked salt and pepper. Heat the pan with a little more olive oil until hot. Place the backstrap into the pan and sear or cook for about 30 seconds per side (depending on thickness of cut). The meat should still have a little blood still when slicing into it (you don't want it overcooked).</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;">4. Add the butter into the pan and allow it to foam and brown slightly. Coat the backstraps in the butter and remove from heat.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;">5. To serve, place the braised red cabbage on a plate and the seared meat on top. Scatter with crisp sage leaves and top with pancetta crisps. Drizzle some red wine jus around the plate. Enjoy.</span><br />
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Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-68413190661794906422015-05-24T23:10:00.001+10:002015-05-26T14:57:56.097+10:00Almond & Cashew Nut Butter Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPPMaQp7zgAAxSEQDVbow9Zh5mgyKIfEswGUKQH5sM1Ai6t1ELfXN24CMTCk6y4Hn61XqNtBZk2vm7vykX7zJx1skZlJWSJwU9gUs6hLkPeSSF4Gyd8Mc8HyP27lg0mhxS1h7fZg6EP5e/s1600/Almond+%2526+Cashew+Nut+Butter-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPPMaQp7zgAAxSEQDVbow9Zh5mgyKIfEswGUKQH5sM1Ai6t1ELfXN24CMTCk6y4Hn61XqNtBZk2vm7vykX7zJx1skZlJWSJwU9gUs6hLkPeSSF4Gyd8Mc8HyP27lg0mhxS1h7fZg6EP5e/s640/Almond+%2526+Cashew+Nut+Butter-3.jpg" width="440" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hey guys!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So sorry for the lack of updates recently. Work has been extremely busy the past few weeks and weekends have been filled with lots of catch up. I try my best to update as often as I can here but sometimes it's just easier said than done, I guess.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Although, if you are on Instagram, don't forget to follow me (</span><a href="https://instagram.com/winceeee"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">@winceeee</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">) because I am quite active on there and post something almost every day =)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Anyway, I've got another big week ahead so I thought I'd share a quick recipe with you guys before bed. This recipe is seriously easy to make and delicious to eat. I have become quite addicted to this homemade nut butter that I've started having it every day. Too bad, I didn't make enough and went through the whole jar in no time =(</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This homemade version is definitely much healthier as it doesn't have the preservatives or as much oil and sugar as what you get from the store bought stuff. Plus, I actually enjoy the taste of homemade ones better. It's a little more subtle and has a lingering aftertaste, which I enjoy.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />I've shared 2 versions of this recipe: one using a normal food processor and another using a <b><span style="font-size: large;">Tefal Cuisine Companion</span></b> if you have one. I think it's nice to actually cook it a little bit in the Cuisine Companion after it's made as it helps bring out the flavour a little bit but no biggie if you don't have one. Still tastes good.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Orites, think it's past my bedtime. Will try and upload another blog post sometime soon. Have a good one everyone!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Almond & Cashew Nut Butter Recipe</u></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(an original recipe)</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thehungryexcavator/almond-cashew-nut-butter?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Click here to print the recipe</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Ingredients</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 1/2 cups raw almonds</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 1/2 cups raw cashews </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Salt</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 - 2 tbsp olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Method (Normal version)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Place all the nuts in a food processor and add a few dashes/pinches of salt. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Start the food processor and pulse until all the nuts are pulverised. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. While the machine is running, slowly drip in the oil into the bowl until the mixture starts to bind together.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Turn off the food processor and transfer into a jar and allow to cool. Keep refrigerated.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Method (Tefal Cuisine Companion version)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Place all the nuts in the bowl with the ultra blade fitting. Add a few dashes/pinches of salt. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Start the Cuisine Companion on speed 12 for 3 minutes until the nuts are all pulverised.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. After 1 1/2 minute while the machine is still running, </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">slowly drip in the oil into the bowl until the mixture starts to bind together</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Run the Cuisine Companion on speed 3, 100</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;">°C for 8 minutes. Once done, transfer into a jar and allow to cool. Keep refrigerated.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGru602lqjSoh3ZduaBaY3X3N2N89zQHOmSD3f7rw0UQ97faajuT5O6hyphenhyphenHutjYGn3PpMipjn8-aMj0zS_Cl-Miv2TC4zjjoLhn1F5mPEzQn6Vf88_6MulPy0minCurCYF9imSFFGQ51JH/s1600/Almond+%2526+Cashew+Nut+Butter-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGru602lqjSoh3ZduaBaY3X3N2N89zQHOmSD3f7rw0UQ97faajuT5O6hyphenhyphenHutjYGn3PpMipjn8-aMj0zS_Cl-Miv2TC4zjjoLhn1F5mPEzQn6Vf88_6MulPy0minCurCYF9imSFFGQ51JH/s640/Almond+%2526+Cashew+Nut+Butter-4.jpg" width="440" /></a></span></div>
Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-67228331521084540402015-05-06T22:37:00.001+10:002015-05-06T22:38:38.823+10:00Mama's Buoi, Melbourne CBD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="color: #45818e;">Disclaimer: Winston dined as a guest of </span><a href="http://mamasbuoi.com.au/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Mama's Buoi</span></a><span style="color: #45818e;">. All opinions are honest and based on my own experience at the time.</span></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3Dmqfk_p4HcCH_Fe_nVak0U7OENeOkI0P8Gdq6_LMDDFj5BesLZATuqyO0rwVLGs1ThLHnmbmTCLD7A80R7cEJB_MuFvz1s3tkcfZzfLlUOPcjQRoyBOsxa_nebIUUk-yKeb-q3uDgPL/s1600/Mama's%2BBuoi-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3Dmqfk_p4HcCH_Fe_nVak0U7OENeOkI0P8Gdq6_LMDDFj5BesLZATuqyO0rwVLGs1ThLHnmbmTCLD7A80R7cEJB_MuFvz1s3tkcfZzfLlUOPcjQRoyBOsxa_nebIUUk-yKeb-q3uDgPL/s1600/Mama's%2BBuoi-1.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A.K. Sour</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Freshly bruleed passionfruit, frangelico, vodka, lime, sugar & passionfruit</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">First of many cocktails consumed that evening *hic*</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Chicken and Pork Liver Pate with Sesame Crackers</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Reconstructed Can Chua (sour soup) with Fried Noodles, Mussels, Calamari & Prwan</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Reconstructed Three Colour Drink with Black Jelly, Pandan Jelly, Rum & Mung Bean Puree, Basil Seeds, Jackfruit and Coconut Milk</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I first came to Mama's Buoi a couple of months ago on a random night and my friends and I found ourselves unanimously enjoying our meal there that time. Every dish that we had was exciting, delicious and we found that it to be quite good value for money too. I liked it so much that I started recommending this place to friends when they would ask me to suggest a place to eat in the city (but never got around to posting a photo of it or blogging about my meal that time).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, I was quite excited when I got the invite to come to Mama's Buoi as I was keen to come back and try more stuff from the menu. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We started off our evening with cocktails in hand whilst the owner introduced himself and his restaurant at the start. As the night progressed, I found myself having quite a number of their cocktails (can you blame me?), which I absolutely loved. One particular cocktail stuck out to me from the rest, which was the Pho Cocktail (not pictured). I know what you're thinking... Chicken/beef noodle soups in the form of a cold drink? I had my reservations too but to be honest, it turned out to be pretty damn good. The flavour and fragrance of the makings of a pho was really unmistakeable in the drink it was quite peculiar, in a good way. Actually tastes exactly like a pho... But it wasn't! It was a cocktail. I liked this. I love it even more when my tastebuds are challenged like that. It was delicious, exciting and definitely memorable. I still think about that cocktail till today.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Back to the food... And let's just say, there was a lot of it. Highlights for the entree for me was the liver pate, which was smooth and delectable. So delicious to have with the crispy sesame crackers. Besides that, I really enjoyed the school prawns too. The dipping sauce was simple and straight forward: freshly squeezed lime with a bit of salt and pepper. Utterly delicious. There were a number of other entrees which was served too but I didn't get a chance to photograph. All I can say is they each had its own unique flavour but what was consistent throughout each of them was how much liveliness there was in terms of flavour and texture as each of them had an abundance of fresh, raw, crunchy herbs/vegetables... Something that I feel is so synonymous to Vietnamese cuisine.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The mains were definitely cooked well and had a strong homecooked feel. It was a little less inventive and modern than the entrees, but more straight forward and felt like from the heart. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was incredibly tasty and comforting. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The dishes made me feel like I was eating at a home cooked by a loved one, rather than a restaurant. Truthfully, there hasn't been a lot of restaurants that's made me feel this way. I like it. I appreciated it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If I had to pick the dish of the night, for me, it would have to be the Can Chua (sour soup) with crispy noodles and seafood. It looked really simple but was FANTASTIC. The soup base had a complexity to it, which I did not expect. At first, your senses are awakened by the (not overly sharp) sourness. But soon after, you get a wave of savoury, umami that just rounds up the taste in your mouth. It was really, really good. The bonus was the salty crunch from the noodles and the sweetness from the seafood. It was a very good dish and I loved every drop of it. Funnily enough, this dish was done for us as a trial but not actually from the menu! I kept telling the owner that evening how good of a job they've done with that dish and truly hope that they will put in on their menu permanently. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Overall, it was another great meal at Mama's Buoi -- I'm so glad I came again. If I had to pin point to the dishes that I thought could've been improved, it would probably be the steak roll (quite tough), crispy pork belly (bit on the dry side) and the dessert (too much going on). That said, there were so many other parts of the evening that I could praise and commend them for their efforts. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This place really proves to be a great restaurant option in the city, especially if you're in the mood for Modern Asian (which, for me is most days). It almost doesn't matter what you order because food is consistent and delicious. Location is extremely convenient (right next to the H&M building on Bourke St!) which I really like too. Price point is fair and and and they do great cocktails too -- which is always a plus in my books! Coming here again (even though my second visit was paid for) didn't change my opinion of this place. It is for all these reasons that I was recommending people to come here to try back then, and why I am recommending people to try now.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1883950/restaurant/CBD/Mamas-Buoi-Melbourne"><img alt="Mama's Buoi on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1883950/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a></span></div>
Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-84007612159172916042015-04-15T22:46:00.000+10:002015-04-15T22:48:56.515+10:00Roasted Banana Bread Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBo5P0XZfDr6GXI55jmcO0DU_rv5EZLC5sobCVMuJxx_tdhmD_kyGVW-opJwBJTt8zYouhaQ5CdW_i263mEBgY6JCqBUpLdq6Un44eYqxAVtH6bqUaaKo_fvjYzxHXco8_ncOlQzul9qeH/s1600/Roasted+Banana+Bread+Recipe-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBo5P0XZfDr6GXI55jmcO0DU_rv5EZLC5sobCVMuJxx_tdhmD_kyGVW-opJwBJTt8zYouhaQ5CdW_i263mEBgY6JCqBUpLdq6Un44eYqxAVtH6bqUaaKo_fvjYzxHXco8_ncOlQzul9qeH/s1600/Roasted+Banana+Bread+Recipe-1.jpg" height="800" width="550" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>The glorious roasted banana bread....</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Oh, how I could have a thick slice of it everyday</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Food photography to me can be quite stressful sometimes. I don't mind the editing process at the end but the plating, styling and snapping process at the start really it mentally consuming. I'd spend quite a lot of time to think about how I want the food to look. To me, it's more about presenting the food in a way that really whets my appetite whilst preserving the essence of how it's meant to be made and consumed. For instance, I won't put a garnish on the dish (even if it may make it prettier) unless it actually is an ingredient of the dish, meant to be eaten with the dish or say something about what we're eating. Slightly part of the reason why I have never put edible flowers or microherbs as a garnish in my cooking because that's not how I would eat a dish at home or serve it to my family. Plus, I don't think it actually has a flavour that complements what I cooked anyway. That said, I do admire it when other people do it because it does look incredible. I'm just saying that when <i>I </i>do it, it just doesn't feel like me.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Based on my short amount of experience, I must say that the end result is always better when I style it the way I want it to look rather than trying to imitate a magazine or website. Even though I do admire those professional images from magazines/websites, I know that my skill is completely not on par so every time I do attempt to recreate a certain style, it always ends up looking worse.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To me, the biggest gripe I have about food photos that I see is when they come across too "try hard", which is something I am very often guilty of myself. At least, I think so anyway. Sure, most of them look <i>"okay" </i>in general, but it is very rare for me to be truly and completely happy with a photo that I've taken. It's very rare. They're not horrible, but I always feel like there's so many things about the photos that can be improved but not sure how. I guess it's absolutely true when they say that you are your harshest critic.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZh4NvM2awuI_YhpcoX013uzB4planU-olfoiscapYAYr8VHstKETKolL2crJ7m-OpJatwO_dSXHoFCiO4lJJs2-xeqPOtbSPii4SXNaZ-FCORGpcnm16XrnfdWgVq1A0Zsu1iUYQJNb7O/s1600/Roasted+Banana+Bread+Recipe-1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZh4NvM2awuI_YhpcoX013uzB4planU-olfoiscapYAYr8VHstKETKolL2crJ7m-OpJatwO_dSXHoFCiO4lJJs2-xeqPOtbSPii4SXNaZ-FCORGpcnm16XrnfdWgVq1A0Zsu1iUYQJNb7O/s1600/Roasted+Banana+Bread+Recipe-1-2.jpg" height="780" width="570" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As much as it sounds like I am struggling with food photography, it's exactly why I love it. I love being challenged and I love learning from my mistakes and growing from them. It's a great passion that I have and a craft that I really hope to improve on each day. I am definitely a firm believer that you never stop learning. Applies to any area of my life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Why am I going on about food photography so much? Well, it's because I'm actually going to a food photography workshop organised by the seriously talented </span><a href="http://ewenbell.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Ewen Bell</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> and </span><a href="http://ironchefshellie.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Iron Chef Shellie</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">! The two of them have been a huge inspiration to me for the longest time so I am so excited about going away this weekend to just learn and be inspired. I tossed and turned about whether or not I should go (because of the cost and also annual leave I'll have to use) but you know what? I am so glad I bit the bullet and signed up! I have no doubt in my mind that it's going to be an incredible weekend and will love every minute of it. EXCITEEEEEEE. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">OKOKOK back to this recipe. Sharing my second recipe made with my trusty Tefal Cuisine Companion. Wanted to share this roasted banana recipe because 1) it's damn tasty and 2) it shows how much quicker and easier it is to make with the Cuisine Companion. I really love this machine and honestly cannot stop using it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I know I know that almost everyone has got their favourite banana recipe already but what I personally like to do is roast the bananas first (because it actually helps intensify the flavour and fragrance even if you're using a super ripe banana) and also find that adding a hint of maple syrup in the batter doesn't just add sweetness but also a different dimension of flavour the bread. It gives a deep, dark, rich undertone which complements the roasted banana extremely well. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, yes. This is how I like to make my banana bread. It's not exactly conventional but that's why I love cooking. You can always experiment and change it up so that you make food the way YOU like to eat it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I really, really like this recipe and I do hope you give it a try too! If you do, don't forget to share a photo and tag me on </span><a href="http://twitter.com/winceeee"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Twitter</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">/</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/thehungryexcavator?_rdr"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Facebook</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">/</span><a href="http://instagram.com/winceeee"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Instagram</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> because nothing makes me happier than seeing others try out a recipe I've shared.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hope you're all having a great (early) start to the weekend!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYJOMVNLD5lK5ZnbUW1YR4iJzZEKZizpun0r50NPvOEQ8iqPp9yP0OhaEIpLDaT2gQGwDwVeE8QwY52HWzqZhjBLsIq7qKjC59jj6ZtBGU-2grYo_2cfpGNnlspIGFapq4uUQaoSyC4Y4/s1600/Roasted+Banana+Bread+Recipe-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYJOMVNLD5lK5ZnbUW1YR4iJzZEKZizpun0r50NPvOEQ8iqPp9yP0OhaEIpLDaT2gQGwDwVeE8QwY52HWzqZhjBLsIq7qKjC59jj6ZtBGU-2grYo_2cfpGNnlspIGFapq4uUQaoSyC4Y4/s1600/Roasted+Banana+Bread+Recipe-5.jpg" height="520" width="750" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="color: #444444;">Because I have now </span><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2015/03/tefal-cuisine-companion-lemon-lime-curd.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">partnered with Tefal Australia</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">, they are also giving a bunch of seasonal ingredients to cook with so I can continue to enjoy and experiment with my Cuisine Companion... Yay!</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Can't wait to dig in!</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivr0sX7ze5Ztzilkbjy7ftwTFW_Hoj86cMTIkT5h9DVZoKBIWgsqripnk72qkr0sClPH1qRlllGzPKnA-hy4mqNrwz2EV7O3yUyOiRvWqfdvJkU6Mx2LHefWhGEJfc3vvmCLG27hFQmrKZ/s1600/Roasted+Banana+Bread+Recipe-4-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivr0sX7ze5Ztzilkbjy7ftwTFW_Hoj86cMTIkT5h9DVZoKBIWgsqripnk72qkr0sClPH1qRlllGzPKnA-hy4mqNrwz2EV7O3yUyOiRvWqfdvJkU6Mx2LHefWhGEJfc3vvmCLG27hFQmrKZ/s1600/Roasted+Banana+Bread+Recipe-4-2.jpg" height="520" width="750" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Love freezing leftover slices of banana bread so I can just toast myself a piece whenever I feel like one down the track. Freezes/reheats really well!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2c23k1aEmfich-pFmjfDkMQrYTuQxJm6GFfHmB_pO4P5H_GT7L1Huz5frZ7ELH7uiSMkeWds3EGOIMO7TJT4DlGJukXm-r4cXWLtWQ_5KyoGnKmOpFJT3ebXKspFqSOSDAzcAIeAA8qG/s1600/Roasted+Banana+Bread+Recipe-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2c23k1aEmfich-pFmjfDkMQrYTuQxJm6GFfHmB_pO4P5H_GT7L1Huz5frZ7ELH7uiSMkeWds3EGOIMO7TJT4DlGJukXm-r4cXWLtWQ_5KyoGnKmOpFJT3ebXKspFqSOSDAzcAIeAA8qG/s1600/Roasted+Banana+Bread+Recipe-3.jpg" height="800" width="540" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Want me my roasted banana bread</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Roasted Banana Bread Recipe</u></span></h2>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(a recipe adapted from the former Almost Bourdain)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thehungryexcavator/roasted-banana-bread-recipe?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Click here to print the recipe</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><b>Ingredients</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444;">1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (approx. 2 large ones)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 cups plain flour</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3 tsp baking powder</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3/4 cup caster or brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">125g unsalted butter (softened)</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 eggs</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 tbsp maple syrup</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 cup milk</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 cup or 100g walnuts (chopped)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To finish: 1 banana (sliced in half)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><b>Method (Normal version)</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;">1. Preheat the oven to 180</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;">°C. Grease a loaf pan with butter. Line the bottom with a sheet of baking paper and lightly dust the sides with flour.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;">2. Place the banana in a metal plate and roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;">3. Mix the flour with the baking powder. Set aside.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;">4. Cream the sugar, butter and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and pale.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">5. Add 1 egg at a time. Beat with low speed until well mixed.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">6. Stir in the roasted mashed banana, maple syrup and chopped nuts. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">7. Alternately beat in the flour mixture and the milk in 2 batches (flour, milk, flour, milk) into the egg mixture, mixing until just blended.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">8. Pour the mixture into the grease pan and place the sliced bananas on top of the batter. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Increase the temperature to 20</span></span><span style="color: #444444;">0</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;">°C and bake for a further 5 - 10 minutes to make it extra crusty.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">9. Let it cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Turn the banana bread out and let cool on a wire rack.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">10. Slice the banana bread into thick slices and serve warm. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><b>Method (Tefal Cuisine Companion version)</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Preheat the oven to 180</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;">°C. Grease a loaf pan with butter. Line the bottom with a sheet of baking paper and lightly dust the sides with flour.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;">2. Place the banana in a metal plate and roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">3. Place all the ingredients except the roasted mashed banana, chopped nuts and sliced banana into the bowl fitted with the kneading/crushing blade. Launch the P3 pastry program.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">4. At the end of the program, add the roasted mashed banana and chopped nuts, then mix at speed 6 for 40seconds.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">5. </span></span><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">Pour the mixture into the grease pan and place the sliced bananas on top of the batter. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Increase the temperature to 20</span></span><span style="color: #444444;">0</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;">°C and bake for a further 5 - 10 minutes to make it extra crusty.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">6. Let it cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Turn the banana bread out and let cool on a wire rack.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">7. Slice the banana bread into thick slices and serve warm. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPRhq86D0RhRWXzb_7gHJsMLjSnYooN4hRN16fP8VybONrpvUA5EFW4eAsz8CLZCEADVtPPHjLC52hw4VWIEcPAWzqnPPa9fDaF-uhCT1LU6j0zodd3Wy56szeCcvBw4iUkb-hQvAKzw4O/s1600/Roasted+Banana+Bread+Recipe-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPRhq86D0RhRWXzb_7gHJsMLjSnYooN4hRN16fP8VybONrpvUA5EFW4eAsz8CLZCEADVtPPHjLC52hw4VWIEcPAWzqnPPa9fDaF-uhCT1LU6j0zodd3Wy56szeCcvBw4iUkb-hQvAKzw4O/s1600/Roasted+Banana+Bread+Recipe-4.jpg" height="800" width="550" /></span></a></div>
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Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-77992827327455938972015-04-13T22:40:00.002+10:002015-04-13T22:40:56.523+10:00Mabrown (CBD), New Shanghai & Providence Cafe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Disclaimer: Winston dined as a guest of Mabrown, New Shanghai and Providence Cafe. All opinions are honest and based on my own experience at the time.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">1) Mabrown (CBD)</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Owner's Granddad's Pork and Yam Dish</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">XO Prawns on Egg Noodles</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Turmeric Fish</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Durian Ice Cream</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A while ago, I got an email from the owner of Mabrown that really cracked me up. It was quite lovely and really caught my attention as it was a nice refreshing change from the usual, generic and less personal emails I tend to get (not that I have anything against those, they are what they are). He started off his email by saying, "Hello there Mr. Young Man Wince....." (LOL!!) before going on to say that he's read my review of his Balwyn store etc etc and would like to invite me and some friends over to try out the food at their CBD store in the most friendly and lovely tone. To end, he signed off his email by calling himself "Si Fu Peter" (which means "Master Peter"). Cute. We had a few email exchanges back and forth and of course I was more than happy to come in.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The location was just off Bourke Street, which was actually very easy to get to. We sat down and was met with Peter's son, Melvin, who was in his mid 20s and pretty much my age too. It was very nice speaking with him as he was telling me all about how he's grown up around the kitchen his whole life as both his Dad and Granddad were chefs too. It was because of this strong love of food that he's decided to leave Engineering and finally become a chef himself. Amazing. I'm sure Si Fu Peter (or any parent for that matter) would be chuffed to have their kids follow in their footsteps. I respected this very much. Not a lot of people would take on their family business like that, especially in the food industry because it's a lot of hard work. Good on you, Melvin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Anyway, I sat down with my friends and we were ready to eat. I've been to the Balwyn store before numerous times in the past (which you can read about: </span><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2013/01/winces-faves-mabrown-balwyn.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">here</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">) and was excited to have my two favourite dishes: the signature Mabrown quail and also the XO prawns on egg noodles, which did not disappoint. Feels just like being back at the Balwyn store -- lip smackingly delicious. The chicken salad we had was sweet yet tangy and crunchy chicken on anything is always a good idea. The drunken chicken was actually my favourite dish of the night. The chicken was smooth and silky and the broth was absolutely divine. I really liked adding the broth to my rice topped with a small amount of chillies from the quails. Highly recommend this combination! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">The pork and taro dish was very interesting and wasn't actually on the menu but it was a family recipe from his granddad that Melvin really wanted to share with us. The sauce was so addictive I could have it for days. As for the beef, I did find it to be slightly overcooked. The fish had a great crunchy batter but sauce was a little too sour for my liking. I went back the other night and had the fish but with black bean sauce and it was great. I do like the fact that you've got quite a selection of sauces for your fish to choose from. To top it off, we got to have the Durian ice cream too -- so Malaysian!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Overall, we definitely enjoyed our meal here at Mabrown and I am personally very happy to hear that they've now got a branch in the city because it's more convenient for me to get to. The menu here was quite different to their Balwyn store, which gives you something to enjoy at both stores. This place really is a good option if you're looking for a place for some good Malaysian food in the city at night (I know I definitely have those days myself and this place definitely hits the spot). Plus, it's not too crowded, which makes it easy to get a table and at a convenient location too! In fact, I just came here again over the weekend with a group of 10 and we all enjoyed our food here very much. Just can't go wrong with those quails...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Anyway, thanks again for hosting us the other evening, Melvin. So nice to see an enthusiastic young chef like yourself cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Keep up the good work, mate!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1701574/restaurant/CBD/Mabrown-Bourke-St-Melbourne"><img alt="Mabrown Bourke St on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1701574/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">2) New Shanghai, Emporium</span></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Absolutely love the fit out</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">New Shanghai Xiao Long Bao (8pcs) - $7.80</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Steamed Vegetarian Dumpling (8pcs) - $9.00</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Pork Belly Braised Overnight in Sweet Soy Sauce - $17.50</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fried Garlic American Pork Ribs - $20.80</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Shallot Pancake - $6.50</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Salt & Pepper Soft Shell Crab - $29.80</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">New Shanghai Pan Fried Pork Bun - $10.50</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sahhhh juicy...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Steamed Pork Belly Buns (2 pcs) - $6.00</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There's a lot of this happening when you're food blogging:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Table filled with food but no one's eating them until it gets cold, hah </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">New Shanghai is a place that's been on everyone's radar since it's opened. To me, there are 2 main reasons for this: 1) It's at the new Emporium building. 2) Rumour has it that it sells good dumplings, specifically, Xiao Long Baos (XLB). Have heard a lot of good things about this place so did not mind it at all when I was asked if I wanted to come and enjoy a menu tasting that they were hosting. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Firstly, I thought that it was quite cool that even though New Shanghai is a full-fledged restaurant on its own yet located at the food court of Emporium. As soon as I walked in, I was quite taken aback and impressed by the decor they had going on. A harmonious balance between new and old; simple and sophisticated. I like it very much. Goes to show that a good dumpling restaurant doesn't have to be at a dingy alleyway next to a dumpster at Chinatown. Sure, people say that is part of the charm but to me, it gets old pretty damn quick. I would choose a much cleaner and comfortable setting like this over the former any day. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We were escorted to a private dining room at the back of the restaurant where the tasting was held. And boy, were there a lot of bloggers in one room. We were all given free reign to order whatever we wanted from the menu so we decided to order a variety of dumplings and also some main dishes to share.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now, let's get straight to business: the Xiao Long Bao's. They were delish. Definitely one of the best ones in Melbourne (there are a couple of other places that do good ones too). To me, a place that does good XLB is what sets itself apart from all the bazillion dumpling restaurants around. Most places do decent steamed pork dumplings because it hits the spot and is quite standard. But, with XLBs, it takes a little bit more care and finesse. Skin must be delicate but still has a slight bite. And more importantly, filling must be soft, flavourful and incredibly soupy. Not juicy, SOUPY. And soupy, it was. In fact, last time my friends and I were here, she literally squirted soup all over herself when she bit into the XLB too quickly. So, yes. Bravo to New Shanghai for ticking all the boxes for what makes a good XLB.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The other dumplings were very consistent that night. In fact, they've been quite consistently good every other time that I've been here since too. Conclusion: dumplings at New Shanghao = good. Unfortunately, it can't really be said about the main dishes here. The soy sauce braised pork is a dish that I've had at so many other restaurants and also make it a lot at home that it is quite rare for me to find an exceptional one, including the one here. Too fatty. Nothing special. Still prefer the one I make at home. Besides that, ribs were quite tough and the soft shell crab had barely any crab and batter was chewy. I know a lot of people were raving about the steamed pork belly bun here too but, again, this to me was quite common and nothing too extraordinary to me. It was just okay. Normal.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Despite the above, I must say that I really like coming to New Shanghai and it has slowly become a regular favourite amongst my friends and I. Although, I recommend just sticking to the entrees, noodles and dumplings because they do them really well here. The mains, you can skip because to be honest, they're not as good and frankly, quite boring. Oh oh and I also highly recommend the Shepherd's Purse dumplings (not pictured) as it's my second favourite after the XLBs. The skin is slightly different. Extremely silky yet has a slight bite and resistance to it -- it's amazing. Sauce is a mix of peanut and chillies which is such a good combination too. Make sure you order it!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1829552/restaurant/CBD/New-Shanghai-Melbourne"><img alt="New Shanghai on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1829552/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">3) Providence Cafe, Carlton</span></span></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love this glazed curtain wall feature in the cafe... Stunning</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Smoked Trout, Bubble & Squeak Potatoes, Hot Smoked Trout & Herbs with Poached Eggs</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Pumpkin & Burrum Biodynamics Lentil Fritters with Cate's Chilli Tomato Pickle, Coconut Yoghurt & Lovely Leaves</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Berry Clafoutis with Gundowring Rhubarb Ice Cream</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was quite keen to come for the tasting at Providence Cafe as I knew it was a new venture by the same people behind the super successful Grain Store in the CBD. Located towards towards the northern end of Rathdowne Street, Providence Cafe is actually set in the building of a pretty modern apartment. The concept of this cafe is actually quite unique with a focus on "farm to table" dining. To me, this is quite different (and frankly a little difficult) for a cafe in the CBD which tends to go for a more edgier approach. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Even though almost every new cafe in Melbourne these days choose to use a lot of edible flowers and microherbs to enhance the "Instagrammibility" of their food, I appreciated the fact that Providence went against all of that and stuck to a more rustic approach. You see it everywhere from Kettle Black, Top Paddock, Hammer & Tong, etc etc etc. Again, quite unusual for a new cafe to against all of that, especially in the inner city. Oh, the owner also explained how every single plate was handcrafted, which again, contributed more towards the overall rustic feel of the cafe (but in an understated way).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As for the food, I really liked the smoked trout with potatoes and eggs as well as the egg and bacon pie the most. Besides being utterly delicious, these two dishes almost exemplifies what the entire cafe is about. Food that is not necessarily fancy but downright rustic, delicious and highlights the amazing locally sourced ingredients from passionate farmers around Victoria. It was incredible. Every mouthful of these two dishes really made me feel like I was at a country farm restaurant. Loved it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Although, must say I wasn't too big of a fan of the breakfast salad and lentil fritters. It's not that it wasn't cooked well, it's just that I don't normally like to have salads or anything with too much spice for brunch dishes. It's just a preference thing. That said, coffee here really is fantastic. From the way the barista spoke so passionately and enthusiastically about the flavours and craft of making good coffee, I knew my coffee beverage was in good hands. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Overall, I quite like Providence Cafe for the location, salmon with potatoes and eggs dish, egg and bacon pie and also the coffee. Plus, it is quite different to many other cafes around as this is the only cafe that I've been to that really made me feel like I was at some farm restaurant in the country. They've really executed the "farm to table" concept well because of all the connections they have with local farmers AND the fact that they're located next to a farmers market on weekends definitely helped too! It was nice of the owners to give us all a voucher to use at the farmers market next door after our brunch so that we could show support to the local farmers. I bought myself a beautiful slab of pork belly from </span><a href="http://www.mcivorfarmfoods.com.au/" style="color: #3d85c6;">McIvor Farms</a><span style="color: #444444;"> and some amazing vegetables, which made for a great </span><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2013/11/easy-roast-pork-with-crackling-recipe.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">roast pork with crackling</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> dinner the following night.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/1889319/restaurant/Melbourne/Providence-Carlton"><img alt="Providence on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1889319/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a></span></span>Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-46066505103084960762015-03-22T03:30:00.001+11:002015-03-22T16:04:19.669+11:00Tefal Cuisine Companion Product Review: Lemon & Lime Curd Tart Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>Disclaimer:</b> This is a sponsored post. Winston received a </span><a href="https://www.cuisinecompanion.com.au/"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Tefal Cuisine Companion</b></span></a><span style="color: #45818e;"> and was also flown to Sydney to attend the launch event courtesy of </span><a href="http://www.tefal.com.au/"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Tefal Australia</b></span></a><span style="color: #45818e;"> and </span><a href="http://www.hausmann.com.au/"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Hausmann Communications</b></span></a></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="color: #444444;">The new Tefal Cuisine Companion has now arrived here in Australia and now available exclusively at </span><a href="http://www.harveynorman.com.au/tefal-cuisine-companion"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Harvey Norman</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> stores nationwide!!</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, last month I received a very intriguing email from Hausmann Communications telling me about this new product that Tefal was launching. It's already being sold in Europe and about to hit the stores in Australia soon. I must admit, I wasn't reading the email too carefully and at first and didn't think much of it because it was on my phone and I was a bit pre-occupied at the time but it mentioned something about a product called Cuisine Companion... Something about a food processor with functions....... But then when I scrolled down further they said that they wanted to give me one for free??? And that it costs about AU$1,699????????</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Wait... What? </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hold the phone. What is this product that they are talking about and why is it costing so much? I did a quick Google search and later realised what this Tefal Cuisine Companion was all about. In short, this is Tefal's version of the Thermomix. Wow.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">First of all, I had no idea that Tefal was launching its own version of the Thermomix. This is big news to me. I have always been a fan of Tefal and was actually thinking for a while now about getting a Thermomix myself. Now, you've got my attention...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What it is, it's basically an all-in-one kitchen appliance. It chops, stirs, cooks a bucket load of stuff all in the same bowl. To paint you a better picture, it's that kitchen appliance that you hear people talk about that costs a bomb to buy but cannot stop raving about how they can just dump a bunch of ingredients in the bowl, walk away, and come back to see that your food is all cooked and ready to eat. <i>That </i>thing.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I want that. In fact, I kinda need that. Me, being someone who is extremely used to eating homecooked food for breakfast, lunch and dinner every weekday, my biggest struggle has always been to have freshly cooked meals on a weeknight after work because I do get home quite late especially if I go to the gym after work. This is why my Sunday afternoon routine is always to spend hours to cook several dishes in bulk for me to eat for lunch and dinner for the week. So, what are my options for a weeknight dinner? Either I eat at 8:30pm (or sometimes later) after I get back or defrost yet another packed meal from my freezer. It's not great, but at least it's better than eating takeaway. I really struggle when it comes to eating out or doing takeaway on a weekday.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In fact, after deliberating about it for months, I was actually *this close* to getting one late last year as a Christmas present from Mum (because she knew how busy my sister and I were with work and knew this would help) but decided to put it off in the end. Basically, I attended a few Thermomix demos when I was in Malaysia and so we spoke about it at length about whether or not this was a good investment because it was really, really expensive. In the end, we thought it was but literally just as Mum was taking out her credit card to pay, we asked if what we were about to buy was the latest model and the lady told us "NO, there's actually a newer model than this that just came out in Australia". <i>Why didn't you say this before?!?! </i>NEVER MIND. We felt a little bit cheated, if I'm being honest. After all that dog and pony show of demonstrating the product and telling us how good it is but knowing fully well how expensive it was to us and that we're living in Australia, yet still trying to do this and hoping to get away with it didn't sit right with us. What if we got back to Australia and realised that after we had spent all this money, it was actually for a DATED model???? So, we walked... Actually, she came to our house so we politely said thanks no thanks and we weren't interested anymore, so she left...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqU5ThO2BW265aIV1OW0Gejbvqn0T-jnnFgcuc7pVW0TFhWoyNmEPA7-9opG7buREcJamq4oEAp-EslDItJDa5o1ootwLo-695ZG5MxdKDI1O5HweQAzOnPVXC739oQ3VONo7-eaRlNL6/s1600/Tefal+Cuisine+Companion+2015-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqU5ThO2BW265aIV1OW0Gejbvqn0T-jnnFgcuc7pVW0TFhWoyNmEPA7-9opG7buREcJamq4oEAp-EslDItJDa5o1ootwLo-695ZG5MxdKDI1O5HweQAzOnPVXC739oQ3VONo7-eaRlNL6/s1600/Tefal+Cuisine+Companion+2015-4.jpg" height="564" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Sexy little thing...</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">RIGHT. I apologise. I am going off on a tangent a little bit here but I thought I'd share a bit of my history with this whole thing so you understand my perspective a little bit more as I'm blogging about this.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anyway, back to the email. Have I mentioned how darn excited I was after knowing what it is now?! </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It also included an invitation to a cooking demo they were holding in Sydney for the Tefal Cuisine Companion, which I respectfully declined because, well, it was in Sydney. Later, I got a reply saying that they were willing to fly me there for the event... WOW!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In my years of blogging, this was the first time I was ever flown anywhere for an event. Everything else was completely paid for too like my flights, accommodation, all my taxi fares. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In fact, I was told that I was 1 of only 6 people who was actually flown in from around Australia just for this event. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I felt really humbled to have been given such a rare opportunity like this, to be honest. Just humbled. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So off I flew to Sydney for a whirlwind tour as I was only going to be there for 12 hours in total because I had to take the 6am flight the next morning to go straight back to work...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3cIInZwl8D8n98w9f8iV0brTeaMCqkA9MjyeU9oriSDVCbuCfRVAdOBJP8V7vdrdnPhYFPJgFsEEtoYKMTtcdpCU0YNYBazCtZzZHVm1ZBMtEbfaycel4caUB3TIBLPIDhWk9GRWD3im/s1600/Tefal+Cuisine+Companion+2015-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3cIInZwl8D8n98w9f8iV0brTeaMCqkA9MjyeU9oriSDVCbuCfRVAdOBJP8V7vdrdnPhYFPJgFsEEtoYKMTtcdpCU0YNYBazCtZzZHVm1ZBMtEbfaycel4caUB3TIBLPIDhWk9GRWD3im/s1600/Tefal+Cuisine+Companion+2015-1.jpg" height="640" width="378" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I got to the event at the Seafood School in Pyrmont, we started off the evening with champagne (not pictured) and a demo of the Tefal Cuisine Companion, which made me feel like I was part of a studio audience of a live cooking show...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This was followed by a quick Q&A session</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplzQzGRbV-ycUOQq-9CbWFkVWZmXauguypemxlxChH3-xSGO1Z85ai9HQyb9GMiKT9vIGJ9bBF_-B_RCo3ebNv5RZb9XmW38gub71gBvutZf3lcURf0HtTUPnLhise7j-WM0rqWo72sTw/s1600/Tefal+Cuisine+Companion+2015-1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplzQzGRbV-ycUOQq-9CbWFkVWZmXauguypemxlxChH3-xSGO1Z85ai9HQyb9GMiKT9vIGJ9bBF_-B_RCo3ebNv5RZb9XmW38gub71gBvutZf3lcURf0HtTUPnLhise7j-WM0rqWo72sTw/s1600/Tefal+Cuisine+Companion+2015-1-2.jpg" height="448" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Next, we went next door to a massive kitchen where we each had a Tefal Cuisine Companion to play with. They gave us each a recipe to cook with, with all the ingredients measured out in tiny bowls (like you see in old school cooking shows). NOT TO MENTION, we were told before we started that we didn't need to do any washing at all during our cook (we had to wash our bowls in between) because they had people on standby to do all of that for us. <i>Whoaaaa??</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Wowsers, I must say that this was a luxury that I couldn't help but feel slightly guilty about, standing back and letting someone do the washing whenever I needed. I was wondering if the Tefal Cuisine Companion came with a full time kitchen hand to do my dishes at home too?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFY2cy5Fv9MBZXW91SvZAiSU4nuE5_flztQwrX3JCZhjSviguH8U_Do-wRTn8rA_KYHeNYeqN9tbRGj3dilOaOOV-AzWgSprG9IlLUVzh23mJqD-5t1NCVT54asiwA4aBPQfJ7yefh-D2P/s1600/Tefal+Cuisine+Companion+2015-2-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFY2cy5Fv9MBZXW91SvZAiSU4nuE5_flztQwrX3JCZhjSviguH8U_Do-wRTn8rA_KYHeNYeqN9tbRGj3dilOaOOV-AzWgSprG9IlLUVzh23mJqD-5t1NCVT54asiwA4aBPQfJ7yefh-D2P/s1600/Tefal+Cuisine+Companion+2015-2-2.jpg" height="640" width="446" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After we all finished our cooks, we then proceeded to the dining hall where they had this beautiful table set up ready and waiting for us... </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLXrzKB4KgSNFpNyfkzYJr8mGo0sMzTsRDYgYgw_fFxGBULUFMyLM6TcTXUE5L6HWQUhveDyWZQvKvyqtwQwMSJdCM30KOu_FRxhm7bjFCs6HD7LCQA_qSxhrFVPL2LH27GpdUiG9NgUV/s1600/Tefal+Cuisine+Companion+2015-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLXrzKB4KgSNFpNyfkzYJr8mGo0sMzTsRDYgYgw_fFxGBULUFMyLM6TcTXUE5L6HWQUhveDyWZQvKvyqtwQwMSJdCM30KOu_FRxhm7bjFCs6HD7LCQA_qSxhrFVPL2LH27GpdUiG9NgUV/s1600/Tefal+Cuisine+Companion+2015-2.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We were given 2 recipes that evening. The first, was this stunning Summer Risotto with lots of sun-dried tomatoes and basil... Deeelish. And so easy to make.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTSsWdMojuiA7b7xARi3LsZcpKU4p5HSMHLhTEoiTjcJIYcqgTAcMlfw6rMysg5xCVOz5nFC9IR5KzGlyYf7x_eWNtKvA6_p02XjtGcYqGjZ2u593EgU6DKS7I0feQOJWjBXfp7oqKaBx/s1600/Tefal+Cuisine+Companion-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTSsWdMojuiA7b7xARi3LsZcpKU4p5HSMHLhTEoiTjcJIYcqgTAcMlfw6rMysg5xCVOz5nFC9IR5KzGlyYf7x_eWNtKvA6_p02XjtGcYqGjZ2u593EgU6DKS7I0feQOJWjBXfp7oqKaBx/s1600/Tefal+Cuisine+Companion-1.jpg" height="640" width="442" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Then, we also made a simple cheesecake, which again was tasty and easy to make with the Cuisine Companion.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The whole event was really pleasant from start to finish and I'm so glad to be able to see some familiar faces from the blogging community and also get to meet new ones that night too. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After we wrapped up the evening, we were each given our Tefal Cuisine Companion to take home. Again, it felt kinda cool in some ways because that night, we got to use and was also given something that was not available to the public yet.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">SO... I've had the Tefal Cuisine Companion a few weeks now and must say that I am honestly in LOVE with it. It really is just as easy to use as I had hoped or imagined. Cooking for me have honestly been made so much easier (as I have shared the predicament that I face above) and I know everyone keeps saying this, but I really, really, really like the fact that I can just dump a bunch of ingredients in the bowl, press a few buttons and just WAIT for it to be cooked without having to lift a finger. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's just something that you've really got to experience for yourself.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This really eliminates the need to stand over a stove, watch the pan and stir constantly.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's just time I get to use to clean other parts of my kitchen or simply rest in front of the TV after a long day's work. It's great. And all I need to do later is just enjoy my food and clean the plate I ate it with and also the bowl itself. Too damn easy. And clean. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The other thing I liked about using the Tefal Cuisine Companion is that cooking with it is such a CLEAN process compared to cooking over a stove where I often get splatter and need to wipe down the wall, the grills for the stove and also the stove itself when I'm done. Again, this is another convenient and time saving benefit which I appreciate.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This product really has solved a big problem I had in my life (as I've outlined above) and I am just so grateful that I can have some freshly homecooked meals at the end of a work day because of it. And even if it isn't necessarily quicker to make the same dishes over a stove, it sure as hell is easier (because you just dump it all in a bowl) and cleaner (yay for not having to clean the kitchen after you cook!). LOVE IT. I've used it so many times since I've got it and in fact, I just realised that I've actually used my Cuisine Companion 7 times in the past week alone. I swear, as long as you have it permanently sitting on your benchtop, you will find yourself using it a lot like I do. Each machine comes with a cookbook which contains SO many recipes, which you will find very handy to use too.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Prior to this, there's a few kitchen appliances which I own already like a food processor ($350), slow cooker ($80), blender ($180), stick blender ($50) and a cake mixer ($700). I can tell you now, none of these gets used as much as I thought I would and now that I own the Cuisine Companion, it PAINS me so much to say that after having spent all that money, I am very certain that all of these appliances will continue to gather a lot of dust. The other annoying thing is that my kitchen is small enough as it is and these appliances are now just taking up space. The cuisine companion really is one of those appliances that you will find yourself using quite often, which makes it quite a good investment, if you ask me. Especially if you are moving into a new home and haven't bought any appliances yet, this single machine really is all you need. Think of how much room you'll be saving too.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Product Review: Tefal Cuisine Companion versus Thermomix</u></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I guess the next million dollar question which most people immediately asks after hearing about this product: <span style="font-size: large;">"How does the Tefal Cuisine Companion compared to the Thermomix?". </span>Now that I own the Cuisine Companion and having used the Thermomix several times at cooking demos and also borrowing my friends' ones to use in the past, there is definitely some noticeable differences. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">First, I must say that the final product or foods made with both appliances taste the same. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">BUT, it is for the following reasons that make me like the Cuisine Companion more than the Thermomix (and I am being <b>very honest </b>when I say this):</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">- I find the interface for the Cuisine Companion more clear, intuitive and easy to use (my sister thought so too when she used it for the first time even without watching demos or reading articles etc)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">- The lid is transparent (which means you can see your food getting cooked)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">- Bowl is bigger (which is very good for me because I like to cook in bulk and I do find the Thermomix's bowl to be too small)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">- Price is CHEAPER (quite significantly too, as it retails for AU$1,699 compared to the Thermomix's price of AU$2,000)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">- Quieter than the Thermomix</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">- Available through retail distrubution (at Harvey Norman) or overnight shipping (compared to having to place an order for it online or hosting a demo at your place before waiting a few weeks to arrive)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Like I said, the final food that you put on the plate from both machine tastes the same but it's the little things like that above that makes a difference... Plus, the other reason why I was really excited about the fact that Tefal was coming out with their own version of the Thermomix is because I have always been a fan of Tefal. And all my friends know it, they really do. They've heard me talk about how happy I've been with the Tefal stuff that I bought over the years and how I like it more than many other brands in the market. Their products are all made in France and are always very reliable and durable compared to the other brands I own. In fact, my friends came over for dinner a few weeks ago, took a look around my kitchen and noticed all the Tefal products I had scattered around and even they went "Wow, Winston, you really do like Tefal don't you?". Why yes, I do... </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That's why if I had to go with another competitive Thermomix product by a different brand, I sure as hell would go with Tefal. They've been good to me for so many years and I trust the brand a lot. This is me talking from my past experience with them and not from the fact that I was "just given" a Tefal product and have only "just become a fan" of them. Nope.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Anyway, as you can see I am quite happy with the Tefal Cuisine Companion. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To be honest, I would've personally gone and bought this product myself if someone told me about it as we were just about to spend even more money on a Thermomix anyway (glad we didn't). And, again, because this is Tefal and not some random brand which I've never heard of. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am even happier and grateful that they chose me to collaborate with them because I couldn't have hoped for a better brand or product to work with. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Oh, and you've gotta make this Lemon & Lime Curd if you do get one. It's so damn easy and tasty. I've gotten so many compliments for it that I've made another batch and even that is almost gone now.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMSytVHbyJnsd0089580ZSM1YJxJ9LQGrHswARg0BQkYlF9McJiKo8TW5FV0jRKFMDuxc76BguKvTj4jPTM9l7h5Mz0XHKGV_94RZ9aEs6ju0QLpg6a2ULPQaGSQlF_f0_qD0wxo2Ly15/s1600/Lemon+&+Lime+Curd+Tart-1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMSytVHbyJnsd0089580ZSM1YJxJ9LQGrHswARg0BQkYlF9McJiKo8TW5FV0jRKFMDuxc76BguKvTj4jPTM9l7h5Mz0XHKGV_94RZ9aEs6ju0QLpg6a2ULPQaGSQlF_f0_qD0wxo2Ly15/s1600/Lemon+&+Lime+Curd+Tart-1-2.jpg" height="640" width="472" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Simply delicious</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddTocuGYz61KGRaJWpyLpTmTpsrnb6jnptT6Uw2BSnMtxS6KNr9hMXFCOgaIoEC8ntLkdPY3-CUiLomXuf0gk4y82CgY4_U1FqFstKGxaQNwSkT9-cJW0MeRcjc-HE28yGGf0VU1cWX1g/s1600/Lemon+&+Lime+Curd+Tart-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddTocuGYz61KGRaJWpyLpTmTpsrnb6jnptT6Uw2BSnMtxS6KNr9hMXFCOgaIoEC8ntLkdPY3-CUiLomXuf0gk4y82CgY4_U1FqFstKGxaQNwSkT9-cJW0MeRcjc-HE28yGGf0VU1cWX1g/s1600/Lemon+&+Lime+Curd+Tart-2.jpg" height="640" width="474" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This curd is so addictive I highly recommend you try!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxSpHE1QKwDe-7uCAgZO5WHIXdqhNhY5k-kENo-qHL8Yb2ZcYDbRoOCwilmYsCTXUyxxaDld4j4p2HQWbPoIU2necM-NU-1ldMSWaIKxOmP2juZJt1oVRKjLXFo7m6dguM9t0aeS79f77/s1600/Lemon+&+Lime+Curd+Tart-1-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxSpHE1QKwDe-7uCAgZO5WHIXdqhNhY5k-kENo-qHL8Yb2ZcYDbRoOCwilmYsCTXUyxxaDld4j4p2HQWbPoIU2necM-NU-1ldMSWaIKxOmP2juZJt1oVRKjLXFo7m6dguM9t0aeS79f77/s1600/Lemon+&+Lime+Curd+Tart-1-3.jpg" height="333" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Friend snapped this sneaky photo of me and I didn't even know hah</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_XDDfgV_yukNKcRQDpVca1jjeh2VLStm_GHLpm9ot4up7dCeINTL34TKkAH9RYk3uXNx6njYh9zrs0bhfp6dsx220jYfEgfLbooF34xFm9DVfLkSigBIfgBjVZA0V2gz8WTMGSPSrP0u/s1600/Lemon+&+Lime+Curd+Tart-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_XDDfgV_yukNKcRQDpVca1jjeh2VLStm_GHLpm9ot4up7dCeINTL34TKkAH9RYk3uXNx6njYh9zrs0bhfp6dsx220jYfEgfLbooF34xFm9DVfLkSigBIfgBjVZA0V2gz8WTMGSPSrP0u/s1600/Lemon+&+Lime+Curd+Tart-1.jpg" height="640" width="432" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Love the look of it too</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8rRfFJQfAVTEc3HOymyVV-ynMqm-mWuDgGL7-Bk4scG-Zyv2dFn53u4FGEAwhoHz1XRONe8Jw3qpjobhfSDe7sBNn2VqzhhiU-V5CQ3n_SB1mqudXQRuWOrTOb8Pi1NJ_87DwX1QgPXs/s1600/Lemon+&+Lime+Curd+Tart-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8rRfFJQfAVTEc3HOymyVV-ynMqm-mWuDgGL7-Bk4scG-Zyv2dFn53u4FGEAwhoHz1XRONe8Jw3qpjobhfSDe7sBNn2VqzhhiU-V5CQ3n_SB1mqudXQRuWOrTOb8Pi1NJ_87DwX1QgPXs/s1600/Lemon+&+Lime+Curd+Tart-3.jpg" height="640" width="468" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Lemon & Lime Curd Tart Recipe</u></span></h2>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(Adapted from a recipe from the Tefal Cuisine Companion menu book)</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thehungryexcavator/lemon-lime-curd-tart?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Click here to print the recipe</a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Ingredients</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>For the pastry:</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">200g butter (chilled and cubed)</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">250g plain flour</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">125ml sour cream</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Pinch of salt</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>For the lemon & lime curd:</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3 eggs</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">150g sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">20g corn starch</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">500ml milk</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">90ml lemon juice</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">90ml lime juice</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Method</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. To make the pastry, fit the bowl with the kneading/crushing blade. Add in all the ingredients into the bowl and press the pastry program. When finished, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;">°C.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out to about 3mm thick. Place at the bottom of a tart pan (or muffin tin). Trim off the edges. Place a piece of baking paper over the pastry and place some dried beans/uncooked rice/baking beads on top. Blind bake the pastry for 10 minutes before removing the baking paper with beans/rice/baking beads and continue to bake for a further 10 minutes. Remove to cool on a wire rack until ready for use.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. To make the curd, place the eggs and sugar in the bowl fitted with the mixer. Mix at speed 6 for 1 minute.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Add the cornstarch, milk, lemon juice and lime juice and launch the dessert program at 90</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;">°C at speed 5 for 12 minutes, without the stopper.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px;">5. Transfer the curd into jars or ramekins. Cover it with cling film and put it in the fridge for at least 3 - 4 hours. Place some curd in the tart and enjoy.</span><br />
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Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-80275256536384650472015-03-11T22:31:00.001+11:002015-03-11T22:31:49.078+11:00Chinese Scrambled Egg White with Crab Meat & Dried Scallops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitU8q476tcdVIqoyQTKTnZBF0obSoq3w1OmC0YiRYlTgQDBBflUlmpyJeUenwvG9jWm8g17NH7L4qht-VKbb__tf32ZPTmU2XW_CaIiLmXnk77OH912b5gkiezPeMNI31mH1lf7jhAZC11/s1600/Chinese+Scrambed+Egg+White+with+Crab+Meat+&+Dried+Scallops-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitU8q476tcdVIqoyQTKTnZBF0obSoq3w1OmC0YiRYlTgQDBBflUlmpyJeUenwvG9jWm8g17NH7L4qht-VKbb__tf32ZPTmU2XW_CaIiLmXnk77OH912b5gkiezPeMNI31mH1lf7jhAZC11/s1600/Chinese+Scrambed+Egg+White+with+Crab+Meat+&+Dried+Scallops-2.jpg" height="780" width="540" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>One of the most simple but beautiful Chinese dishes to make. Delicious to eat too!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If I could, I'd spend more time on this blog than I currently do. As you may already know, I am extremely passionate about homecooking and enjoy sharing recipes that I personally love to cook/eat and hope to inspire people to start cooking more often in the kitchen too. Besides that, there's always so many restaurants that I come across that I'm just yearning to tell people about. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Too much to blog, too little time... #bloggerwoes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Anyhoo, this </span><b style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-size: large;">Chinese Scrambled Egg White with Crab Meat & Dried Scallops </span></b><span style="color: #444444;">is actually a dish that I always enjoy eating but don't often see at restaurants. A few weeks ago, my dear friend Ivy invited me over dinner and made this dish for me and I was reminded once again by how delicious it was to eat. Love this! After that, I really wanted to make this dish at home too and what better opportunity to do that than when my family came over for Chinese New Year dinner (which you can read about: </span><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2015/03/mums-ham-abalone-kailan-jade-chicken.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">here</span></a><span style="color: #444444;">).</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If I'm not mistaken, this dish is of Shanghainese origin and there's a number of variations to it. Some people stir fry it with fish or prawns or what have you. Personally, I like to make it with fresh crab meat (if you can get your hands on some) and dried scallops to make it extra special. Not the cheapest ingredients to buy but as I said, it's good to cook for special occasions because it's definitely something that your friends and family will appreciate. To be honest, you could substitute with whatever you want, really. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Besides being a fan of the taste, the other reason why I chose to make it for CNY dinner was because I wanted to cook a large number of dishes and so needed ideas for dishes that are really quick and easy to make. This was definitely that. The whole dish took about <span style="font-size: large;">10 to 15 minutes to cook</span> and looked absolutely stunning on the plate, if I do say so myself. To me, this is one of those dishes that I find to be not as common for some reason so I do hope people try this one out and share with others. Seriously, too easy and delicious to make.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hope you enjoy the recipe as much as I did. Also feel so happy to be sharing more homecooked Chinese recipes like these because it does seem like it's been awhile (apart from my last post). Feels like I'm reconnecting with my Chinese roots again -- hooray!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />Happy cooking!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGuBQbL-mmES4L1IGQXyIZOku-QqCvqtR_zcPcLudybvE9nASgmic3gwacqKBPcrt2vCRkgbUGG52OUz0PG-03WdHY-5Bno4V3iHG6PNL2PMV9lHZpD3CzgjmmUpZ-FxGi4MiJ3pBLY89/s1600/Chinese+Scrambed+Egg+White+with+Crab+Meat+&+Dried+Scallops-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGuBQbL-mmES4L1IGQXyIZOku-QqCvqtR_zcPcLudybvE9nASgmic3gwacqKBPcrt2vCRkgbUGG52OUz0PG-03WdHY-5Bno4V3iHG6PNL2PMV9lHZpD3CzgjmmUpZ-FxGi4MiJ3pBLY89/s1600/Chinese+Scrambed+Egg+White+with+Crab+Meat+&+Dried+Scallops-1.jpg" height="520" width="710" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Chinese Scrambled Egg White with Crab Meat & Dried Scallops</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(an original recipe)</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thehungryexcavator/chinese-scrambled-egg-white-with-crab-meat-dried-scallops?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Click here to print the recipe</a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Ingredients:</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">25g dried scallops </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="color: #45818e;">*</span></b></i><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 - 3 tbsp oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">3/4 cup fresh crab meat </span><i><span style="color: #444444;">(optional) </span><b><span style="color: #45818e;">**</span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">7 egg whites</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">125ml water</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp fish sauce</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Dashes of white pepper</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To serve:</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Blanched broccoli</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sesame oil</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Black vinegar <i>(optional)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 egg yolk</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #45818e;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">* </i><i>Available at Asian grocery stores</i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b>** </b>I bought mine from Victoria Market. It was in the freezer section and about AU$35 for 500g. Expensive but delicious to use for special occasions.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Soak the dried scallops for 2 hours in water or until soft. After that, drain the water and dry with paper towel. Break the scallops apart with fingers.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Heat up a pan with 1 tbsp of oil. Once hot, add the scallops in and fry until golden and fragrant. Set aside.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. If using crab meat, heat up the same pan with 1 tbsp of oil. Once hot, add in the crab meat and fry until cooked through. Set aside.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Whisk the egg whites, water, fish sauce, white pepper together. Heat up the same pan and once hot, add 1 tbsp of oil. Add in the egg white mixture and using a wooden spoon, mix the egg white around continuously until scrambled and cooked through. Stir in the cooked crab meat, if using.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5. To serve, place the blanched broccoli around the plate. Add the scrambled egg white at the centre and drizzle with sesame oil and black vinegar (if using). Scatter the dried scallops around and top with an egg yolk at the centre. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHqdXR2_osjtCTzLgnNMVlqrCDZ2cLeVZ4ETQ84ZJc83OYEhs5y4KyOnzufXLMInAwlB-_REfWs-In1-8BknpjSPrwg8JlrqVMWbDXZerAuCaXvpEkLak7TnoaG_6tXfM90azru-KWWFC/s1600/Chinese+Scrambed+Egg+White+with+Crab+Meat+&+Dried+Scallops-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHqdXR2_osjtCTzLgnNMVlqrCDZ2cLeVZ4ETQ84ZJc83OYEhs5y4KyOnzufXLMInAwlB-_REfWs-In1-8BknpjSPrwg8JlrqVMWbDXZerAuCaXvpEkLak7TnoaG_6tXfM90azru-KWWFC/s1600/Chinese+Scrambed+Egg+White+with+Crab+Meat+&+Dried+Scallops-3.jpg" height="790" width="550" /></a></span></div>
Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2349795216092436924.post-72127327950235869082015-03-05T19:37:00.000+11:002015-03-05T19:37:10.082+11:00Mum's Ham, Abalone & Kailan Jade Chicken Recipe (火腿鲍鱼玉兰鸡)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVH__R1Cqxiv3uB-CUO4qdsXksuiZTPOv8Anyks4fw-9DR0u1unYdDVqSHpDb2Ma_QvOU6XgfNwFHLCsibkz8R95IxmuTtMtLhn2byqKi2bw5d0MzlUqibe7yiLpVd_IUnYkcuilIxfFEM/s1600/Ham,+Abalone+&+Kailan+Crystal+Jade+Chicken-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVH__R1Cqxiv3uB-CUO4qdsXksuiZTPOv8Anyks4fw-9DR0u1unYdDVqSHpDb2Ma_QvOU6XgfNwFHLCsibkz8R95IxmuTtMtLhn2byqKi2bw5d0MzlUqibe7yiLpVd_IUnYkcuilIxfFEM/s1600/Ham,+Abalone+&+Kailan+Crystal+Jade+Chicken-6.jpg" height="550" width="800" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>A childhood favourite dish that Mum makes every special occasion till this day ever since I was young. Something I look forward to everytime I'm in Malaysia!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Very glad to have learned to make this dish from Mum</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Happy Chap Goh Meh (aka last Day of Chinese New Year) to everyone!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Just in case you don't know, CNY actually last for 15 days in total... 15! How fun is that, right?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Suffice to say, there was lots of overeating involved the past 2 weeks. What else are you meant to do during this festive season anyway? Whether it's going over to my relatives' house for dinner, them coming over, friends coming over, or having meals at restaurants... It's great. Not just the food, but the catchups, really.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Anyway, very happy to be sharing a dish that is very close to my heart. This <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ham, Abalone & Kailan Jade Chicken (火腿鲍鱼玉兰鸡) </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">is featured in our home in Malaysia almost every Chinese New Year or Winter Solstice Festival without fail (the 2 major feasting festive occasions). Most Jade Chickens only have the ham sandwiched with chicken. But what Mum does to make this dish extra special is to make it with abalone too, which can be quite expensive (AU$70-100 per can), and also why we only have it on special occasions. It's quite expensive but it's for that fact that we appreciate this dish even more, because it's such a treat. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For instance, I bought my chicken for AU$20, and canned abalone for AU$88, so this dish actually costed me more than AU$100 to make. That's my family tradition anyway, but you can totally make this without the abalone and make the sauce with the chicken stock -- just as yummy! The other thing why Mum's version is so delicious is that she <b>insists </b>on using the best possible quality chicken she can find. For instance, the chickens she buy are corn fed, free range and of a certain breed that is known for its silky meat texture and bright yellow skin. The cost of these chickens in Malaysia can be 4 or 5 times more than the normal chicken and can even go up to 3kg each. It's sensational. I bought my chicken from South Melbourne Market. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The thing that makes this dish quite unique as well is the method used to poached the chicken. Mum's method of heating/cooling the chicken in short bursts helps tighten the skin, which retains its shape and texture very well. Besides that, I love Mum's method of leaving the whole chicken in the pot for an hour with the stove turned off to let it cook slowly in the residual meat. Let me tell you, this really did WONDERS to the moisture and texture of the meat. My cousin ate this in disbelief at how moist the chicken was that day, especially the chicken breast! I highly recommend this whole poached chicken method.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Anyway, I am very, very happy to have finally learned this dish from Mum that I have loved for so many years. This was actually my first attempt of making it and so happy by how well it turned out! Everyone really enjoyed it that day. Traditional Chinese home cooked recipes like these (or the </span><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2012/07/8-treasure-duck-recipe.html"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Chinese 8 Treasure Duck</span></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">, </span><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2013/02/sour-plum-duck-recipe-and-chinese-new.html"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Sour Plum Duck</span></b></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">, etc) really are my favourite recipes to share, because of how close they are to my heart. It's so personal to me and I think people enjoy reading about them too because they tend to be the more popular visited pages on the site.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, yay for another Chinese New Year specialty dish to share! Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. It's so special and means a lot to me.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cheers! Or shall I say, Gong Xi Fa Cai!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here are some of the other dishes I prepared for my relatives when they all came over for CNY dinner:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-wAN8RB0F5lfu4YL77nJ1Cwg11_AnX_dHcOgRgcpD6b76LtlFWtJ30IR7f2uH34yvwlsurtIbIS0v1R5UthqBQSOHf2wRH9ueRM2FTHcBv2iLjh7zD9J-hptJ6PFgKHn4MnXSLeBcgD-/s1600/Ham,+Abalone+&+Kailan+Crystal+Jade+Chicken-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-wAN8RB0F5lfu4YL77nJ1Cwg11_AnX_dHcOgRgcpD6b76LtlFWtJ30IR7f2uH34yvwlsurtIbIS0v1R5UthqBQSOHf2wRH9ueRM2FTHcBv2iLjh7zD9J-hptJ6PFgKHn4MnXSLeBcgD-/s1600/Ham,+Abalone+&+Kailan+Crystal+Jade+Chicken-1.jpg" height="444" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My late Grandma's Dried Oysters, Red Dates & White Carrot Soup</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">Recipe: </span><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2014/02/ah-pos-chinese-new-year-vegetarian-stew.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">here</span></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYNdenfGR_-dVbqFt6rsDIhocivmvx9gNOZhWMK8AWLY7iOA0DazWS6CxpkKTH4lVThb5fiH1cU6YHV7kHIPHflcBSkUb8QP_9DUQLUZoMpYp73A5Jlcv8z5srm4a02blBvWbcwhJY0q3/s1600/Ham,+Abalone+&+Kailan+Crystal+Jade+Chicken-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYNdenfGR_-dVbqFt6rsDIhocivmvx9gNOZhWMK8AWLY7iOA0DazWS6CxpkKTH4lVThb5fiH1cU6YHV7kHIPHflcBSkUb8QP_9DUQLUZoMpYp73A5Jlcv8z5srm4a02blBvWbcwhJY0q3/s1600/Ham,+Abalone+&+Kailan+Crystal+Jade+Chicken-2.jpg" height="448" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mum's Deep Fried Prawns</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">This recipe is the BEST! Recipe: </span><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2014/02/mums-deep-fried-prawn-fritters.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">here</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Chinese Scrambled Egg White with Crab Meat & Dried Scallops</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Recipe to follow!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrli_vvXQDoaLMD3jRVZuF2XwvN0ToyLtC9Zwt24BjpsFCuzNwZmlIFqzmZak_Kll4HytSR8lNHniNGphIH8cd1C_s3Vs8QQZh2bHN3WWaTtuZYoR1mMyXJ2cRKpp3RlfLvvSAQl2t3Mks/s1600/Ham,+Abalone+&+Kailan+Crystal+Jade+Chicken-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrli_vvXQDoaLMD3jRVZuF2XwvN0ToyLtC9Zwt24BjpsFCuzNwZmlIFqzmZak_Kll4HytSR8lNHniNGphIH8cd1C_s3Vs8QQZh2bHN3WWaTtuZYoR1mMyXJ2cRKpp3RlfLvvSAQl2t3Mks/s1600/Ham,+Abalone+&+Kailan+Crystal+Jade+Chicken-4.jpg" height="420" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fried Garlic Chives with Chinese Sausage and Tofu</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ham, Abalone & Kailan Jade Chicken (火腿鲍鱼玉兰鸡)</span></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdg9GwKxren9W_tkSpLNHeR2xk5kPGGyeF6EV5f5y-XvQgvbn1y_ro3Hhx9nHF3Shb16fczuGuKgfr6cq5UAtPqc0uGs8Fml297agV-dJOVfUWChDrLUSXT2_SwtHfTp5UnGmtpbk3a03/s1600/Ham,+Abalone+&+Kailan+Crystal+Jade+Chicken-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihdg9GwKxren9W_tkSpLNHeR2xk5kPGGyeF6EV5f5y-XvQgvbn1y_ro3Hhx9nHF3Shb16fczuGuKgfr6cq5UAtPqc0uGs8Fml297agV-dJOVfUWChDrLUSXT2_SwtHfTp5UnGmtpbk3a03/s1600/Ham,+Abalone+&+Kailan+Crystal+Jade+Chicken-8.jpg" height="462" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Easy Roast Pork with Crackling</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(served with spicy Hoisin sauce)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444;">This recipe is a WINNER too. Recipe: </span><a href="http://www.thehungryexcavator.com/2013/11/easy-roast-pork-with-crackling-recipe.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">here</span></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-ClJy8lAS4OIPMTUxrKg4ezUS6_YpZBjbO_bqen3torRf32cdn5OvBpHzWdZirOTJziRNL0PlJ00RF913yItQ8DyZstqmLBIu-FSe7Ce-bYuvXvb5Sbnu3F8vfsmv8n19MSIkcnP4La_/s1600/Ham,+Abalone+&+Kailan+Crystal+Jade+Chicken-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-ClJy8lAS4OIPMTUxrKg4ezUS6_YpZBjbO_bqen3torRf32cdn5OvBpHzWdZirOTJziRNL0PlJ00RF913yItQ8DyZstqmLBIu-FSe7Ce-bYuvXvb5Sbnu3F8vfsmv8n19MSIkcnP4La_/s1600/Ham,+Abalone+&+Kailan+Crystal+Jade+Chicken-10.jpg" height="640" width="484" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To end the night, my cousin made me this Dark Chocolate & Orange Entremet Cake as well as an early celebration for my birthday. So, so sweet of her...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Mum's Ham, Abalone & Kailan Jade Chicken</b></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(an original recipe by Mum)</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thehungryexcavator/mum-s-ham-abalone-kailan-jade-chicken?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1">Click here to print the recipe</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Ingredients:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Poached chicken:</u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 large chicken (best quality you can find)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Pot of water</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 large knob ginger (sliced)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">8 cloves of garlic (crushed)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 tbsp salt</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Oil rub:</u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4 tbsp sesame oil</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 tsp salt</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Other:</u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 can abalone</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 tsp grated ginger</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 tsp sugar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp corn flour + 1/4 cup water</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5 large slices ham</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 large bunch kailan (poached, to serve)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Coriander (to garnish)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>*Note: You can omit the abalone altogether if you wish and just make the sauce out of the chicken stock</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Method:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Using a kitchen string, tie the chicken around the wing and through the cavity with a loop at the end so you can lift the chicken easily.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. For the poached chicken, fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add in the ginger, garlic and salt and allow to boil for 10 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Lifting the chicken with the string, dip the whole chicken in the pot and allow to boil for 3 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside on a plate. Bring the pot of water to a boil again before placing the chicken back in the pot for another 3 minutes. Repeat this step one more time. You should have boiled the chicken in water for 3 minutes a total of 3 times.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5. Turn off the heat immediately and leave the chicken in the pot for an hour, covered. Note: If you find later on that the chicken is still undercooked (mine wasn't) when cutting it up, just place it back in the pot for a little while to boil.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">6. Mix the oil rub in a bowl. Remove the chicken from the pot after an hour and rub the oil rub all over the chicken. You can reserve the chicken stock for other use.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">7. Bring all the contents of the canned abalone in a pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove the abalone pieces for use later. Add in the grated ginger, sugar, corn flour and water and bring to a boil. Once the sauce is thickened, switch off the stove and set aside for later.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">8. Slice the thigh and breast meat off the chicken into 1cm thick pieces. Slice the abalone thinly as well as the ham to match the sizes of the sliced chicken meat. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">9. To serve, arrange the sliced chicken, abalone and ham meat on a plate. Arrange the poached kailan around the plate and pour the abalone sauce over the entire plate. Garnish with coriander. Serve immediately with rice.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMpVARhLAYy8Bl9AFv5jJr_T_RDE1L1Fg1oKLlYuhPx1MRCEpSBVd0mmDEHHUWD_kTmOd4Y7cnfuc2TETRP2xHc4lPsaj3_pyuDLQaJaVxM1AYxqjMRbV4W8Wxe46Z_At_ssqLG2UGijH/s1600/Ham,+Abalone+&+Kailan+Crystal+Jade+Chicken-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMpVARhLAYy8Bl9AFv5jJr_T_RDE1L1Fg1oKLlYuhPx1MRCEpSBVd0mmDEHHUWD_kTmOd4Y7cnfuc2TETRP2xHc4lPsaj3_pyuDLQaJaVxM1AYxqjMRbV4W8Wxe46Z_At_ssqLG2UGijH/s1600/Ham,+Abalone+&+Kailan+Crystal+Jade+Chicken-7.jpg" height="550" width="800" /></span></a></div>
<br />Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07536704297054335614noreply@blogger.com0