Beef and Potato Madras Curry

Beef and Potato Madras Curry
Home Cooking



Sometimes, I really dread coming up with material to yak on about in these posts. This is particularly the case for throw-together recipes where the true backstory is nothing more elaborate than "I decided to cook something using what little ingredients I had available". The same applies for most cafe posts because the usual story is that I was wandering around the city thinking "where haven't I tried?" and I'll stop at a new location with the intent of blogging it.

Happy Hours Tea Bar

Happy Hours Tea Bar
Shop 91, Sunnybank Plaza, Sunnybank



My parents and I did a hectic dash around Sunnybank last week. We had a list of chores to get through including picking up my contacts. This was an urgent matter because my slackness and lack of organization meant that I was up to my last pair of fortnightlys and literally needed new boxes ASAP.

Parking around Sunnybank can be stressful (*cough* Market Square, I'm thinking of you) so we tend to grab lunch near wherever it is we need to be. In this case, it was Sunnybank Plaza.


Dad was in the mood for beef rolls which to me, is a blast from the past. Back many years a go, my family used to grocery shop in Welcome and lunch on beef rolls from the adjacent Half Time Cafe. That cafe has now changed its name but they still serve similar food so I'm not sure of the conclusion to draw there...

Hummingbird Cake

Hummingbird Cake
Home Cooking



For no reason besides slackness in updating, this post is actually outdated by about 3 weeks. I baked a hummingbird cake for my parent's Chinese New Years family feast. For me, an excuse for baking a full-sized cake is always appreciated and half the fun is choosing what I want to make.



To cater for my then-urgent banana bread cravings, I pushed aside all thought of creating anything chocolate, coffee or cream cheese-based in favor of a fruity cake. To avoid baking an actual banana cake/bread (which would provide no sense of accomplishment whatsoever since banana bread, after scones, are my most-baked items), I searched around for something a bit more 'dressed up'.

Charis Seafood for a Prawn Feast

Charis Seafood
http://www.charisseafood.com.au/



Alright... so, I do like uni. That aside, my classmates and I were all in for a treat last week when a power failure meant we had 2 days off. To say we were pleased with this outcome is just about the greatest understatement of the year. When we heard the news, my girlfriends and I milled about for a while debating the most appropriate way to celebrate.

We decided to go to the coast. A bit of an adventure was had along the way... long story short, I was locked out of my house and ended up climbing in through the kitchen window. After a very brief moment of absolute joy, I realized I was locked out of my actual room too (I live in a sharehouse by the way). We ended up fishing my keys out of my bag by means of perching on the outside stair railing.

My friend immortalized this achievement and even digitally framed it

After finally getting to the coast we lost all sight of what to do there. It was raining and gloomy so the beach seemed inappropriate. But once you've taken the pains of driving down to the water, it's a bit of a waste to say, go see a movie, check out generic chain stores or eat at KFC.

Biscotti Regina (Queen's Biscuits)

Biscotti Regina
Home Cooking



It was one of those days where I just HAD to bake something. Actually, I was ALREADY baking something but that's not the point; once you catch the bug, it's quite persistent. The more accurate description of my mood at the time was that I just HAD to continue baking despite not knowing what I wanted to make or what I wanted to eat.

Settled down to research

My normal mode of action in these types of situations is to flip through my countless supply of cookbooks and find something that can be done with whatever ingredients I have in the pantry. On this day, I happened to be in my parents house. The act of looking through cookbooks with a goal in mind is so enjoyable to me that I even took the time to make myself comfortable with a bowl of noodles and set up in front of the couch. I had short-listed a few of my most fundamental baking cookbooks to use as reference.

Vapiano

Vapiano Italian Restaurant
http://www.vapiano.com.au/



We're always really excited about new things cropping up in Brisbane. A few months back there was a period that I didn't really step into Brisbane City. When I finally go the chance to, I noticed a LOT of change. Brisbane is great for a lot of things but it's hardly famed for being fast-paced. The new shops along Albert St (near Queen St Mall) were a pleasant surprise to me.

The little arcade is called Albert Mall and contains a few trendy developments including a branch of Little Singapore, a specialist loose leaf tea shop and of course, Vapiano.



I wandered up to it when they first opened and felt mildly curious but not enough to eat there. I had also heard from a mate of mine that there was a new restaurant in Brisbane that had potted herbs on the table for you to tear directly into your meal. Though this is obviously a novelty factor more than anything else, I admit that it appeals to me.

Sour Cream Beef Casserole aka Oven-baked Stroganoff

Sour Cream Beef Casserole
Home Cooking



My neighbor recently acquired a Le Crueset round French Oven from his grandmother. After the initial euphoria at receiving this coveted piece, he grew wary at the notion that perhaps the said grandmother would be disappointed by his use. Determined to prove himself wrong, he set about making a beef creation that turned out so amazing that it was labeled 'the tastiest thing I ever made'. I didn't want to sound too skeptical since I benefit from his cooking all the time and the last thing a sensible person does is bites the hand that feeds them... so my reply was simply 'best is a big call'.

The prompt response to that was 'I'll prove it to you'.

So there it happened.

Bleeding Heart Cafe

Bleeding Heart Cafe
http://www.bleedingheart.com.au/



90% of the time, I'll wander out of clinic at lunch time with no idea where I want to go. Often, we'll then walk into our familiar hangouts like Coolbeans out of habit. The clincher is that afterward, I'll start spotting food that I realized I had wanted all along. But obviously, by then it'll be too late because I would have already eaten.

I assigned a job to one of my lunch buddies: "Take note of this place. And this place. Next time I am wondering where to eat, remind me."

Only the next day, that exact scenario cropped up and she rose to the occasion spectacularly. Bleeding Heart Cafe was one of those places I wanted to try so we stepped in to check it out.

Almond Croissants

Almond Croissants
Home Cooking



I had forgotten how obsessed I was with cooking shows in the absence of Masterchef Australia. Perhaps it was withdrawal interspersed with denial? I couldn't face the truth?

Whatever it may be, I rediscovered the excitement with the airing of Poh's Kitchen on ABC last Wednesday. Ok, that's not entirely accurate. Actually, it's quite inaccurate. I didn't follow it on TV at all. Rather, I watched it online the next day (which you may also do by clicking here). Poh was not a favorite of mine when Masterchef was on but I have to admit, I enjoyed her solo performance.

The show has a cute format where Poh and a guest chef (in episode 1, this was pastry chef Emmanuel Mollois ) and they share recipes with the audience.



I thought Emmanuel was endearing to watch but more than anything else, his almond croissants looked to-die-for. I've never attempted making my own puff pastry before, least of all in something as demanding as croissants where the success is based on how flaky and crispy the pastry is.

The Brunch Post

The Brunch Post



I will sooner sound like a broken tape recorder than stop reminding you all of how much I love breakfast food. Yes, yes, I harp on about it every time I go to a cafe that offers all day breakfast. Yes, you all know that my idea of food heaven is Canadian-style french toast (puffed, eggy bread, crisp bacon and perhaps even a grilled banana, drenched in top grade maple-syrup. KILL ME NOW).



It's a fact of life that proper, sit-down breakfasts are a thing of luxury. Over the previous holidays, I treated myself to some good ones and this post is a dedication to that.

The Little Larder

The Little Larder
76 Moray St, New Farm



For a long time, I haven't been able to cross anything off my 'to-go' list of restaurants, cafes and eateries. The Little Larder made it onto my list a long time ago, when I first read a review on The Courier Mail online food guide. All the same, I haven't had a chance to go until this past weekend.



Together with a few friends, I organized a sort of spontaneous mish-mash gathering that had no real purpose. The intention was to check out the cafe but in actual fact, we were happy just to be doing 'something' as opposed to sitting home and wasting away. In fact, we were pretty close to not finding Little Larder at all and walking into the next cafe we came across (it so happened that this 'next cafe' WAS The Little Larder).

Cafe Portofino

Cafe Portofino
650 Brunswick St, New Farm



It's been a while since uni has started now. Since we've all settled into the work routine, my uni girlfriends and I decided to spruce up the weekend with a meal out in town. It makes a world of difference to your weekday when there is something to look forward to. For me, it's also the first time I've been to a proper restaurant with friends in what feels like a lifetime.



My foodie buddy chose Cafe Portofino based on a photo of their dessert cabinet she saw on Facebook. I was shown that photo and become promptly convinced that it was somewhere I wanted to check out. There is something about shelves full of sweet pastry that makes me weak at the knees. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Our Family's Wontons

Our Family's Wontons
Home Cooking



When I go out to a Chinese eatery, I almost never order wontons. It's not because I don't like them - much the contrary. In my opinion, wontons are, like spring rolls and other hand-made items, something that is very 'personal to the family'. I'm not sure if that even makes sense and you gotta excuse any lack of coherence because I haven't slept well for 'n' days.

Wonton soldiers ready for the boil

What I'm trying to say is that my family has always made wontons a certain way, combining traditional Shanghai flavors with our own taste preferences developed over the generations. These are Shanghai wontons. If I travel further North or South, the filling, size, soup and even serving style will start to vary.

Not only that but as I said, even with different families there is variation in how wontons are made.

Solo sugar high at Gallery Cafe Carindale

Gallery Cafe Carindale
Shop 1042, Carindale Shopping Center, Carindale



Back when I had spare cash and time to burn, I was one for spoiling myself with the occasional cafe treats. I don't care that some people have reservations about eating on their own. I'm not one of those people. Granted I'm hesitant to try a fine dining restaurant minus company but when it comes to cafes, it can be a nice change to have a moment to yourself to unwind.



A while ago, I was facing afternoon sugar cravings and it so happened that I was wandering around Westfield Carindale where is food a-plenty. I wasn't in the mood for a food court fix so I thought I'd try a cafe that I don't normally go to.

Baked Marbled Cheesecake

Baked Marbled Cheesecake
Home Cooking



I haven't posted any elaborate baked goods in a long, long time. The reason for this is simply because I haven't baked anything properly in a while. The days of flipping through dessert cookbooks and picking out a new recipe at a thrice-weekly rate are all in the past.

Nowadays, I rely on special occasions to give me an excuse to make something for family and friends to share.


I've been harping on about my lunch party for a while. This is the dessert I made for it. Because it was an event I had to cater for (as well as take care of social responsibilities such as making sure everyone got along reasonably well), I unfortunately forgot/didn't get a chance to snap a shot of the cake all sliced up into wedges.

I am kicking myself about it because it was a beautiful cake. Now, you have no choice but to take my word for it.

Cafe Mi

Cafe Mi
358 Mains Rd, Sunnybank



I was with my parents ordering contact lens in Sunnybank Plaza and we all got peckish and wanted a bite. Our usual field of exploration is Market Square so picking a food place elsewhere is deemed high risk. Mum and I had eaten at Cafe Mi before, a long, long time ago and recall it wasn't too bad so we decided to give it another go.

Nutella, Banana and Pecan Toasted Sandwich

Nutella, Banana and Pecan Toasted Sandwich
Home Cooking



Another blast from the past... I thought I'd revisit all things bread-related since I'm relying on 2 loaves of Abbott's Village Bakery bread to sustain me for 2 weeks. This was something I smashed together near Christmas last year when I was killing the daylight hours with inventive ways to fill my stomach.

Just looking at the pictures makes me want to dip my face in Nutella.

Mmm... Nutella.

Sunday Breakfast at Fasta Pasta

Sunday Breakfast at Fasta Pasta
16 Old Cleveland Rd, Stones Corner



With my weeks being as hectic as they are, sleeping in has distinct rarity value. I snuck one late morning in last Sunday and it was fabulous. The only thing that got me out of bed was hunger.

These mornings, I've been having toast and instant coffee for breakfast and toast again for dinner. This has been continuing on regularly for about 2 weeks now. Economical as it may be, toast ceases to be exciting when ingested at this pace.



We decided to go out and search the streets for a better alternative.

Somewhere along the aimless walk, the topic of pasta came up. There was no real intention in having pasta for breakfast but when we walked past Fasta Pasta, a huge banner proclaiming 'Breakfast from $5.90' caught my eyes.

Bread and Butter Pudding

Bread and Butter Pudding
Home Cooking



I hesitate before publishing this post. You are about to be exposed to (if not, already have been forced to see) some ugly, ugly pudding pics. There wasn't a lot to work with because aesthetics was of no concern in the process of construction. Coupled with that was poor lighting and just all round lack of effort with presentation.

Result? Ugliness. I'm sorry!