tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75489965595982713942024-03-14T03:24:02.063+13:00Lucy eatsLittle girl. Big appetite.Lucy @ Lucyeatshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08070636965360573274noreply@blogger.comBlogger163125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-8474501726571662032017-11-02T10:57:00.000+13:002017-11-02T12:31:12.926+13:00Brunch at Feriza's<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Now that I am on maternity leave, trips into Auckland's CBD are rare and far between. So, whenever I am catching up with friends, I grasp the opportunity to pick one of the new and interesting restaurants that are popping up faster than I can visit them!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I had seen many pictures of the beautiful dishes at Feriza's come across my instagram feed so I knew I had to visit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Feriza's has a very welcoming interior with a high ceiling and a big open space. The floor is lined with beautiful Mediterranean patterned tiles, while the deep blue and green walls have quite a calming effect. We chose a seat by the window so we could enjoy the sunny day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Perhaps it was because we had sat in the corner, but it took a while for our waitress to bring over water and menus. Our orders also had to be taken twice as she had neglected to write them down the first time. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Salep - $7.50</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I ordered a Salep, which was under the "something special" portion of the menu. The drink is a traditional Turkish milk drink that is thickened with starch, giving it a smooth, silky texture similar to watery porridge. It tasted like rice milk and was spiced with cinnamon. I enjoyed the flavour of the Salep but I didn't feel refreshed due to its thick texture.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Flat White - $4.50</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The flat white was well made and had a robust flavour - as good as any great cafe on Auckland.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Feriza's Benedict with Bacon - $18.00 + $6.50</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Feriza's Benedict was served atop pieces of spinach and feta g</span><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">ö</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">zlemes. The eggs were perfectly poached and the acidity from the grilled tomatoes cut through the creaminess of the dish. The highlight of the dish was the </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">g</span><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">ö</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">zleme which was chewy yet delicate - I could have eaten dozens on their own! Feriza's Benedict is interesting enough without the addition of bacon and, at $6.50, I probably wouldn't do it again!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Feriza's Crepes - $18.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The sweet </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">g</span><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">ö</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">zlemes came filled with orange zest ricotta and decorated with maple syrup and pistachios. They had a wonderfully elastic texture and were quite delicate. I thought it was a nice, light alternative to the usual french toast or waffle dishes that can be quite heavy.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Menemen - $19.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My favourite dish was the Menemen, which involved scrambled eggs with slow roasted capsicum, tomato, and onion. The warm savoury mixture had a delicate fluffy texture and very robust, inviting flavours that just danced on the palate. The soft turkish pide was the perfect vessel for scooping up the eggs - I would happily have this for breakfast every day!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Despite the average service, I would definitely return to Feriza's - after all, I <i>am</i> all about the quality of the food. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://ferizas.co.nz/">Feriza's</a> can be found at 7/12 Jellicoe Street, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland, New Zealand.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-3633285743136100412017-10-04T20:54:00.000+13:002017-10-04T20:54:06.784+13:00Taro Paste<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In China, dinners usually finished with a sweet soup, small sweet pastry or a fresh fruit platter. The meal is mostly focused on the savory dishes and it is very rare for my family to even order dessert after the main course.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Enter the Taro.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Taro Paste, or <i>Yu Ni</i>, is one of the most popular foods from my home town of Fuzhou.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Ranking up there with Fuzhou fish balls and lychee pork, <i>Yu Ni</i> is a dish that is wheeled out any time someone visits Fuzhou for the first time. It is different to many desserts you are probably familiar with - it is very dense, sticky, and, as you can see, not the prettiest thing to look at. </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Yu Ni is usually served warm in a big bowl and diners can scoop spoonfuls from the middle. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When cooled, <i>Yu Ni</i> can also be used as fillings for pastries such as mooncake and buns.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As my current schedule is filled with baby Charlie, I haven't had time to make mooncakes for mid-autumn festival this year so I have opted to remind my family of home with this dish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Judging from the ingredients, I hope it is obvious that this isn't the healthiest dish in the world. This is why </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yu Ni</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> is a food reserved only for celebrations or when there are visitors to your hometown. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What is a specialty dessert in your hometown? Do you always finish a meal with a sweet dish?</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Taro Paste</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1kg taro (frozen or fresh)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">400g white sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">180ml vegetable oil</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Method:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1. If using fresh taro, remove the skin and any hard bits. Cut into small pieces (around 2cm x 2cm x 5cm). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2. Steam the taro pieces until soft. The taro should break easily when poked with a chopstick.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3. Mash the taro while it is still hot. The taro should have a smooth texture with small lumps. If you want a smoother, paste-like texture, place the taro into a blender until your desired texture. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4. Place taro paste, oil, and sugar into a pot. Cook and stir over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until the mixture turns becomes thick and glossy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">5. Serve warm as a dessert, or set aside to cool if you are using as a mooncake filling.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Note: If you are making taro paste for dessert, I would recommend making a half batch. Otherwise, it gets a bit much. Trust me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is best to find a taro that is floury in texture. They are the best. </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-45617402456437278522017-09-19T07:57:00.000+12:002017-09-19T07:57:01.380+12:00Inti<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Prior to last Wednesday, my knowledge of South American cuisine was limited to tacos, quesadillas and salsas. So, when I was sent a preview of the menu at Inti, I inadvertently received a lesson in exciting new ingredients and flavour profiles. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I was impressed by the sleek modern interior. The warm lighting, dark floors and modern South American music made for a trendy and inviting atmosphere. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I felt super hip.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We were greeted at the door and were immediately offered drinks when we arrived at our table. The wait staff were very friendly and eager to share their own dining experiences with us. With unique ingredients such as cactus and black ants, I had a hard time deciding which dish excited me the most.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Venezuelan - $21.00, The Brazilian - $20.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We started our evening with some cocktails from a list of interesting sounding mixes. Jason had the Venezuelan which included Diplomatico 'Exclusiva' rum and flavours of coconut, vanilla, and a raw egg. The drink reminded me of a classy eggnog with a hint of spice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I ordered the Brazillian, which was a refreshing blend of </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Cacha</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">ç</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a, guava, and passion fruit. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Cacha</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">ç</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a, I have since learned, is a spirit made from distilled sugarcane and is mostly used in tropical drinks. The drink was very refreshing and well balanced from the get go (unlike most cocktails which are too sweet).</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/m1GI5F9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://i.imgur.com/m1GI5F9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Salsa Tarasca - $14.00</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mexican breads (top to bottom): nixtamal corn tortilla, cricket panucho, concha</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Salsa Tarasca, made from pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, was accompanied by a selection of Mexican breads. The salsa was nutty and had a warm tangy flavour from the roasted tomato and onions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The soft corn tortilla had a very mild flavour and made for a great vessel for the salsa. The panucho, a puffed fried tortilla, had a nice crispy outer a slightly gritty texture from the cricket flour. Like the tortilla, it was mild, with a little saltiness provided from the sprinkling of cheese.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My favourite of the bunch was the concha - a sweet bun topped with a cookie crust topping. The bun was incredibly fluffy and its sweetness was perfect for balancing the savoury salsa and its crunchy topping was a welcomed texture change.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/KuwRIMo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://i.imgur.com/KuwRIMo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Cactus "Guacamole" - $16.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The guacamole had a light saltiness from the rehydrated seaweed and wakame powder and its creaminess was cut through with a touch of citrus. The addition of epazote gave it a fresh "green" flavour. Texture-wise, this dish was a treat - </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the crunchy almonds </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">little bites of cactus (which tasted similar to aloe vera) dispersed throughout, and the chewy seaweed all worked to give the smooth avocado a bit more interest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The warm crunchy tostada was a great base for dipping into the cool guacamole. We were impressed with the deep fried avocado leaf - lightly salted, it tasted very similar to a crispy nori sheet.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/VQ1BnIB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="800" height="530" src="https://i.imgur.com/VQ1BnIB.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Green Chorizo - $19.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">I was excited by this modern interpretation of the classic chorizo and egg pairing. The chorizo was reinvented as a pork mince mixture, with pumpkin seeds and very fragrant spices. The 65 degree egg had a custard-like texture which was perfect for mixing through and mellowing out the heat of the mince, while the wood sorrel and spinach puree provide a little freshness to the dish.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tostada - $16.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The hero of this dish was the morcilla, the Spanish version of black pudding. Served atop a thin crunchy tostada, the morcilla was intensely flavoured with many spices that danced on the palate. Chef Carmona orders the morcilla in liquid form from the Grey Lynn Butcher in order to get this layer so thin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To accompany the strong spices, the morcilla was layered with creamy peanut butter, sweet dragonfruit, refreshing watermelon radish and topped with a sprinkling of black ants and wild flower. All these different textures and flavours enhanced the sausage and were in perfect harmony with each other.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/jiYbmiw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://i.imgur.com/jiYbmiw.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lamb Pibil - $32.00 (photo provided by Inti)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In my haste to devour the lamb pibil, I neglected to take a photo. Each succulent piece of slow roasted lamb was beautifully paired with hints of beeswax and pomegranate. A topping of fushia flowers provided a refreshing crunch to the hearty dish. The highlight for me were the purple carrots which had spent hours cooking in a jus. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/NZC91tW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://i.imgur.com/NZC91tW.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Cebiche - $24.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I felt that it was a bit odd to finish on a cold main, but it worked well after the heartier lamb dish. The generous slices of trevally were cured in a citrusy red cabbage marinade and accompanied with dehydrated sweet potato strips, salted tamarillo, and pickled onion. There was a good amount of heat from fresh and dried chillis and I was happy to learn that they do not skimp on the heat!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/CQjUN2F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="800" height="522" src="https://i.imgur.com/CQjUN2F.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Vanilla Queso - $15.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was a real delight to dig into our dessert to discover its contents. Beneath the vibrant cucumber ice was a layer of thinly sliced roast pineapple and a vanilla cream cheese base. The fresh cucumber balanced out the rich cream cheese, while the slow roasted pineapple provided the gentle sweetness in the dessert. The sunflower seeds added a welcome crunch and the lemon verbena provided little bites of acidity.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/L0BWaSA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="620" height="640" src="https://i.imgur.com/L0BWaSA.jpg" width="496" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Executive Chef Javier Carmona</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">With each dish, we were lucky enough to have the executive chef, Javier Carmona, explain the ingredients and flavours in each dish. His passion for Hispanic cuisine was very obvious and I was blown away by how much thought went into the menu. Each </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ingredient is in harmony with its accompaniments and his care is reflected through each meticulously presented dish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Everything about Inti impressed me. From its modern interior to its dishes that are too pretty to eat (almost), it is truly a great dining experience. I can't wait to come back and try the rest of their menu.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lucy and Jason dined as guests of Inti.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://inti.nz/">Inti</a> can be found at 2 Chancery Street, Auckland.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m14!1m8!1m3!1d3192.822243516551!2d174.76688919187683!3d-36.84673300988663!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x0%3A0x8dd58d9012a43ef9!2sInti!5e0!3m2!1sen!2snz!4v1505550981795" style="border: 0;" width="600"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-48891587486686417762017-09-15T08:08:00.000+12:002017-09-15T08:08:11.085+12:00Peking Duck Noodle Soup<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One of our favourite dishes to order at a Chinese restaurant is the Peking Duck. This dish is frequently ordered in two courses to make the most out of the bird - the crispy skin is wrapped up in a thin flour pancake and eaten with a sweet bean sauce, while the fragrant meat is stir fried with crunchy vegetables and wrapped up in a fresh lettuce leaf. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Less frequently ordered is the third course - a soup made from the duck bones. The roasted bones impart a smoky flavour to the soup and is sometimes served with tofu and Chinese cabbage. At Quanjude (<i><u>the</u></i> Peking Duck restaurant in Beijing), the bones from all of their ducks are cooked for a long time to create a flavoursome soup. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Chop the duck bones so they fit in your pot</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you don't order this third course, most restaurants will let you take the roast duck carcass home. I usually go for this option as it leaves room for a different menu item, and it provides the base for an easy meal later on in the week. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Creating the broth is as simple as cooking the duck bones in boiling water for an hour and enjoying the lovely aroma that wafts through the house. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Peking Duck Noodle Soup Ingredients: <br />bok choy, duck meat (from the carcass), noodles, and bone broth</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Instead of making a soup to accompany a meal, I like to add noodles to the broth to create a hearty one pot meal. There is usually a lot of meat left on the carcass which, too, can be used as part of the dish. What I like about this dish is that there are no limits to what you can add - the ingredients I have listed are merely what I had on hand at the time.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/Z4GP1zP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://i.imgur.com/Z4GP1zP.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You can use any noodles, but these are my fave</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You can also use any kind of noodles, although I think the firmer types like egg noodles are the most suitable. My favourite are these Taiwanese style noodles which have a chewy texture and hold up well in the broth. A thin pasta, such as spaghettini, would also work well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Do you like Peking Duck? Have you ever had the third course?</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Peking Duck Noodle Soup (Serves 2)</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 Peking Duck carcass</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">10 cups cold water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">salt to taste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1/2 packet Taiwan style noodles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2 bok choy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">marinated eggs and other noodle toppings to serve (optional)</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Method:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1. Break down the duck carcass in to smaller pieces and place into a large pot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2. Add cold water to the pot and bring to the boil. Once the pot starts boiling, reduce the heat and let the stock simmer for one hour.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3. Remove the duck bones and set aside to cool. Add noodles to the boiling stock and cook according to packet instructions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4. While the noodles are cooking, carefully remove any duck meat from the bones and set aside as a noodle topping.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">5. When the noodles are almost cooked through, add in bok choy leaves to cook for the last minute or two. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">6. Add salt to taste.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">7. Place noodles, bok choy, and duck meat in a large bowl, along with any other toppings you have chosen.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">8. Ladle the hot broth over the other ingredients and serve.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-26676926146034925992017-09-07T10:00:00.000+12:002017-09-08T07:35:11.475+12:00Kushi<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">During my pregnancy, the one thing I really craved was sashimi. Unfortunately, raw food was something I had to avoid so I spent a year watching longingly as others consumed bite after bite of delicious salmon and tuna. So large was my craving that, as soon as I brought Charlie home, I was on the hunt for the perfect place to have sashimi. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I had heard about the excellent food at Kushi so I decided that this would be the place. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Expectations were high.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Inside, Kushi was dimly lit, with high ceilings and a spacious interior. The dining area was cleverly sectioned to form a few different spaces - large private areas, smaller intimate areas for small groups, and booths for an even more private feel.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Suntory - $11.00, Plum Wine - $9.50</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We started with some drinks while we perused the menu. Jason had a Suntory, a malt beer which was smooth and easy to drink.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I ordered a plum wine which was syrupy but not overly sweet. It reminded of a childhood cough medicine, but in a nice kind of way. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Edemame - $6.95</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We ordered edemame to have while we waited for our food although we didn't make much of a dent before our first dish arrived.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/OEdpofO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://i.imgur.com/OEdpofO.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Takowasabi - $8.95</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Takowasabi involved little pieces of raw octopus marinated in a wasabi dressing. There was a sweetness to the octopus flesh which was complimented by the light dressing. I enjoyed each bite of the slippery yet chewy octopus that was accented by delightful pops of caviar.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Small Sashimi - $20.95</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our order of small sashimi came nestled within a Paua shell. We were treated to thick slices of salmon, tuna and kingfish. I closed my eyes and made sure to savour each bite - the fish was so fresh that it had a sweetness to it.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/tkQTc0u.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://i.imgur.com/tkQTc0u.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Beef Tataki - $14.90</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The beef in this dish was very nicely marbled and sliced delicately. I felt that it was a little light on dressing so the beef tasted a bit bland. The flavour of the beef was lifted when eaten in conjunction with the salad but I thought the dish would have been nice with some sort of dipping sauce specifically for the beef.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/YC9HnFO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://i.imgur.com/YC9HnFO.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Kani Tempura - $20.95</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The tempura batter for the soft shell crab was incredibly thin and crunchy. The crab itself was quite meaty and well seasoned. The mild wasabi mayo made for a great dipping sauce. The fresh radish slices were a bit bland compared to the rest of the dish and may have been a nicer addition if they were pickled (this, of course, is a very minor issue in an excellent dish). </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/lZeFrxQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://i.imgur.com/lZeFrxQ.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Buta Ko Kakuni - $16.90</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The pork belly was our favourite dish of the night. Kushi's special soy marinade fully penetrated through the pork. Each piece</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> was impossibly soft and melted as soon as it reached my mouth - it was actually made it a little difficult to pick up with chopsticks! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">By the end of our meal, we were in a near food coma. Each dish was impeccable in both presentation and taste that, at times, we couldn't decide what to have for the next bite!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My very high expectations were certainly met.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.kushi.co.nz/">Kushi</a> can be found at 22 Durham Street West, Auckland.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d3192.7686504799585!2d174.76241321514462!3d-36.8480163871709!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x6d0d47faeb812423%3A0x9f8c0d3b8e9bebf!2s22+Durham+St+W%2C+Auckland%2C+1010!5e0!3m2!1sen!2snz!4v1504423287430" style="border: 0;" width="600"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-21796903261068904132017-08-22T15:33:00.001+12:002017-08-22T15:33:58.733+12:00Cafe Hanoi<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This was to be my last outing before having Charlie but, because he came two weeks early, we had to wait over a month before making a visit to Cafe Hanoi. Despite having visited before, we walked straight past the bright red front doors of Cafe Hanoi. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I hadn't taken an infant to a restaurant before so I called ahead to make sure it was OK. The staff on the phone were very accommodating and made a</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> booking for five people and a pram.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The staff helped us with getting the stroller up the stairs and led us into a spacious room that was filled with natural light. Despite bring right next to a busy road, we felt miles away from the big city.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Virgins: The Herbalist - $9.00, Sweet Spiced Mule - $9.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We started with a few mocktails while we perused the menu. I ordered The Herbalist because I love Chi (the drink). It came infused with thai basil, coriander, lime, and passion fruit which gave it a very Asian feel. I wish it came with more Chi as the passion fruit syrup was too sweet for me - it tasted better once the ice had melted a bit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ashley ordered the sweet spiced mule, a variation of the Moscow Mule with the addition of cinnamon and other sweet spies. The drink was refreshing yet warming. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/g4Optu8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="800" height="434" src="https://i.imgur.com/g4Optu8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Pho bo- $6.00 per individual serve</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We started with individual servings of pho. Although the menu item is "pho bo", we got pieces of chicken instead of beef. Nevertheless, the chicken was juicy and the noodles had a great bite. Tying it all together is the light, yet flavoursome broth. The addition of lime and pickled chili made the whole dish sing. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/JlQh3Su.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="800" height="434" src="https://i.imgur.com/JlQh3Su.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Master stock chicken with green papaya - $10.50</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The fresh papaya salad was wonderfully light while packing a big flavour punch. I thought there was a great ratio of tender master stock poached chicken to papaya, and crushed peanuts added a great nuttiness to the dish.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/nx04ndv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="800" height="434" src="https://i.imgur.com/nx04ndv.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hanoi Style Grilled Pork - $27.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I thought that th</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">e </span><span style="text-align: center;">Bún Chà was a very harmonious dish. The fatty pork had a delicious char on the outside and was balanced by the pickled vegetables and fresh herbs. The nuoc cham sauce had a lovely flavour which tied all the ingredients together into the rice noodles (the left over sauce was also nice mixed into our rice).</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/tzFzIK3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="800" height="434" src="https://i.imgur.com/tzFzIK3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Caramelised Pork Belly Hotpot - $27.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We could smell the fragrant dish before it even arrived at our table. Each piece of pork belly was incredibly tender and beautifully caramalised. The sweet sticky sauce had a hint of coconut and was also a great sauce for spooning on our rice.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/CxR0DWW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="800" height="434" src="https://i.imgur.com/CxR0DWW.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Soft Shell Crab with Spicy Tamarind Sauce - $28.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My eyes gravitated toward this dish as soon as I opened the menu and I was not disappointed. Each piece of crab was coated in a light crunchy batter and came with a delicious tangy sauce that made my salivate. This was my favourite dish.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/JUDgMnX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="800" height="434" src="https://i.imgur.com/JUDgMnX.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lime Curd with Soft Meringue - $12.50</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Lime Curd and Meringue sounded nice on the menu but I felt that the dessert was overall quite sickly sweet. There was simply not enough tangy lime curd to balance out the sweet sticky meringue and the meringue ice cream. The delicate tuille provided a nice texture change but, again, there was not enough of it to counter the meringue.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/oXxeD41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="800" height="434" src="https://i.imgur.com/oXxeD41.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sage Pudding with Mango Sorbet - $12.50</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This dessert was a nice modernisation of the traditional sago pudding, with a mango sorbet and fresh pieces of mango and coconut. The warm and cool elements of the dish balanced each other out nicely and the palm sugar drizzle was delicious.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Báhn trôi Tàu - $12.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: center;">Báhn trôi Tàu</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: center;"> is the Vietnamese equivalent of the Japanese Mochi or the Chinese Tang Yuan. The giant glutinous rice flour dumplings were filled with a sweet black sesame paste and sat in a coconut scented broth. The sandy sesame contrasted well with the soft chewy pastry and I thoroughly enjoyed having a warm dessert to follow our mains.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/r70n9lZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://i.imgur.com/r70n9lZ.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hot Soy Milk Doughnut - $2.50</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We ordered a number of the Hot Soy Milk Doughnuts for the table. Dusted with cinnamon sugar, the doughnuts were very generous in size and came with an equally generous bowl of caramel sauce (the sauce was so good that each bowl was licked clean!). I was not able to taste any soy milk flavours from the doughnut, but that didn't detract from the deliciousness at all. At a mere $2.50 each, we all agreed that this would make an inexpensive treat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our first outing turned out to be very successful - little Charlie slept through the whole meal and we were able to enjoy every dish to the fullest. The staff were super attentive and every dish was delicious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://cafehanoi.co.nz/">Cafe Hanoi</a> can be found </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">at the <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Excelsior Building, corner of Galway Street & Commerce Street, Britomart, Auckland 1010</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></span><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d3192.9057937342736!2d174.7661026152911!3d-36.84473217993937!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x6d0d47fbff3130e9%3A0x2d136aa41b194396!2sCafe+Hanoi!5e0!3m2!1sen!2snz!4v1501013643838" style="border: 0;" width="600"></iframe>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-27482848558557081922017-07-21T10:30:00.000+12:002017-07-21T10:30:20.927+12:00Ampersand Eatery<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One of my last </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">outings prior to having baby Charlie was to the newest, and hippest addition to Orakei Village. Ampersand Eatery had been showing up all over my social media pages and I was dying to know what the fuss was all about.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Although the space is large, Ampersand is filled to the brim with brunchers and lunchers. The restaurant </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">doesn't take reservations for lunch so I put our names down on the 30 minute wait list. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was the first time I had been to the newly constructed Orakei Village so I was happy to have a wander around the boutique stores that fill up the little complex. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/0aa0j8e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="450" height="640" src="https://i.imgur.com/0aa0j8e.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Iced Chocolate - $5.50, Spicy Chai Latte - $5.00, Hot Chocolate - $5.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We started off with some warm drinks to combat the windy weather outside. The chai latte was lightly spiced and not too sweet while the hot chocolate was rich but a little watery. Not pictured is a ginger latte which I enjoyed the most.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/tUmh3gd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="800" height="467" src="https://i.imgur.com/tUmh3gd.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sourdough and burnt butter - $3.90</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The littlest bruncher in our group was being fussy that day and only wanted to eat bread. Luckily, there was some soft pieces of sourdough accompanied by some beautiful burnt butter. We loved the butter so much that we spread it on anything bread-like on our other dishes!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/nLUyErr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="800" height="409" src="https://i.imgur.com/nLUyErr.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Smoked Trevally and Potato Omelette - $19.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I was quite impressed with the serving size of the omelette when it arrived on the table. The smokiness of the fish gave off a lovely aroma and paired well with the saltiness of the pesto. I felt that the egg could have been seasoned a little more as the dish as a whole tasted a bit bland, even with its salty components. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/zYsAbbH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://i.imgur.com/zYsAbbH.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Benedict with Bacon - $19.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The eggs benedict came with a generous amount of bacon and lashing of spiced hollandaise. The eggs were poached perfectly and the bread was nicely toasted without being difficult to cut through. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/AlSBhoR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="800" height="369" src="https://i.imgur.com/AlSBhoR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Colombian Corn Cake - $19.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Colombian Corn Cake was soft and creamy. The mushrooms imparted a great earthy flavour while the feta provided some much needed saltiness. The best part was the perfectly poached egg which tied the whole dish together.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/uYZDPej.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="800" height="393" src="https://i.imgur.com/uYZDPej.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Fresh Pasta Stuffed with Sweet Potato - $22.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My favourite dish that day was the stuffed pasta. Everything about this dish was just perfect. Texture wise, the light pillows of pasta, creamy apple sauce, and yoghurt were offset with crispy bacon pieces and pinenuts. The sweet components were balanced with bacon, parmesan, and dots of pesto. The little pops of chili were also a welcome surprise. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/kEr2c5t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://i.imgur.com/kEr2c5t.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Caramel Slice - $4.90</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">By the time we were ready for dessert, one of the only sweet items in the cabinet was a caramel slice. The buttery base and gooey caramel made for a deliciously rich dessert. It would go perfectly with a bitter cup of coffee but, as we all ordered sweet drinks, splitting the slice into quarters turned out to be the perfect portion size.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/iq4iYP1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="800" height="382" src="https://i.imgur.com/iq4iYP1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ampersand 'Snickers' Bar - $15.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm a sucker for house specialties and t</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">he Ampersand 'Snickers' bar jumped out at me as soon as I opened the dessert menu. The peanut parfait was as good as any I've had before and the chocolate mousse was incredibly smooth. As with the caramel slice, I'm glad we split this between four as there wasn't quite enough of the bitter mousse to counter the sweet parfait.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ampersand is a nice space to catch up with friends. Based on my visit, some of the dishes could use a tad more seasoning but the stuffed pasta is just perfect. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://ampersandeatery.nz/">Ampersand Eatery</a> can be found at Orakei Village, 228 Orakei Road, Auckland.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2684.2546734008965!2d174.80822870450442!3d-36.86319316795838!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x6d0d4849f9e6c479%3A0xe2b0946dc6bb26b1!2s228+Orakei+Rd%2C+Remuera%2C+Auckland+1071!5e0!3m2!1sen!2snz!4v1499308187664" style="border: 0;" width="600"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-70440174889512870392017-07-17T19:09:00.001+12:002017-07-17T19:09:04.979+12:00Pig Stomach Soup - A Confinement Meal<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dearest readers,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It has been a while. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Over a year, in fact.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Other than the usual excuses such as work and life in general, the main reason for my year long hiatus is that I have been busy checking off an important life milestone... </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Baby Charlie</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Around seven weeks ago, Jason and I welcomed a beautiful baby boy into the world. In the months leading up to this, I battled immense tiredness and thus spent most of my free time sleeping. Now, I spend most of my day hanging out with baby Charlie, snatching little bits of free time when he sleeps.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">During the first month of Charlie's life, I was incredibly lucky to have my parents nearby to cook meals and help out around the house so I could rest up. During this time, I observed the Chinese tradition of confinement.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/OBbg6eQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="800" height="434" src="https://i.imgur.com/OBbg6eQ.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Traditionally, the Chinese mother observes a month of confinement following labour to concentrate on her own recovery and bonding with her baby. Confinement, or "<i>zuo yue zi</i>", involves an extensive set of rules mostly focused on preventing "dampness" from entering the body and restoring "heat" and "qi". Staying inside a completely closed up house, avoiding showers and cold water helps to keep the damp away while recovery is helped along by consuming a variety of heat restoring foods. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/hwkZ2dU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="710" height="640" src="https://i.imgur.com/hwkZ2dU.jpg" width="566" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of my favourite meals during this month was pig stomach soup. Traditional Chinese Medicine believes this soup warms the stomach, invigorates qi and fortifies the body. The addition of red dates, lotus seeds, and pepper help to replenish blood loss and warm the body.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The soup is also delicious so I have made it a couple times after the end of my confinement. After all, what is better than a hot bowl of soup on a cold day? </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/GfNPHEI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://i.imgur.com/GfNPHEI.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Trimming fat from the inside of the pig stomach</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For those who haven't cooked with it before, raw pig stomach is quite smelly. A bit of preparation is required to remove the mucous membrane and extra fat to get rid of the slime and smell. This sounds gross but, once cooked, the taste is very mild.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My local butcher sells pre-cleaned pig stomachs which speeds up the process for me but, for those of you who don't have that luxury, <a href="http://annieliciousfood.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/how-to-wash-and-prepare-pig-stomach.html">Annielicious Food blog</a> has a great how-to which explains the process.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stir frying mushrooms, red dates, spring onion, and peppers</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Texture-wise, pig stomach has a firm, chewy texture so it requires a long cooking time to soften. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, pig offal should be boiled at least twice to properly fortify our bodies and organs and, because I am impatient, I use a pressure cooker to speed up the process.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/v8S1l74.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="800" height="456" src="https://i.imgur.com/v8S1l74.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My dad stuffing pig stomach</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The other ingredients are fried briefly to release their aroma. Stuffing the pig stomach with the other ingredients helps to infuse the soup while protecting their integrity during the double cooking process. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Use scissors to cut open </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the last cook, the pig stomach is cut into bite sized pieces and the other ingredients are released into the soup. Using a pair of food scissors removes the need to wait for the soup to cool down and means that all the flavours are kept within the soup!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you are looking to try offal, this is a great introduction. The soup is light and peppery and the soft, chewy pieces pig stomach offer a nice bite.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pig Stomach Soup (serves 4)</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/idnQynn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="800" height="404" src="https://i.imgur.com/idnQynn.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: orange; font-size: 13.2px;">Ingredients:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">50g dried white lotus seeds</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">5 red dates, seeds removed</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">5 dried black Chinese mushrooms</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">1 pig stomach, cleaned and trimmed</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">2 teaspoon sesame oil</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">1 teaspoon peppercorns, crushed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">5cm of spring onion (white part)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Soy sauce for serving</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Shaoxing wine for serving</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="color: orange;">Method:</span></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">1. Soak lotus seeds, red dates, and Chinese mushrooms for at least three hours to hydrate</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">2. Stuff lotus seeds into the cleaned pig stomach and seal off the cavity with a bamboo skewer. Place into a pressure cooker and fill the pot with enough water to cover. Lock the lid and cook on high until pressure is reached. </span></span><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">Turn the heat to low and cook for a further 10 minutes</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">3. While the pressure cooker is going, roughly chop the dates, mushrooms and spring onion. </span></span><span style="font-size: 13.2px;">Heat up sesame oil in shallow pan and quickly stir fry these ingredients along with the peppercorns until fragrant. Turn off heat and set aside until the pressure cooker </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">4. When the pressure in the pressure cooker has been released, add the stir fried ingredients to the cavity and seal it off again</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">5. Return the pressure cooker to high heat. When pressure is reached, turn the heat to low and cook for a further 5 minutes</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">6. When the pressure has released, use a pair of clean food scissors to cut open the pig stomach into bite size pieces. Alternatively, you can transfer the pig stomach onto a chopping board and cut open with a knife (make sure it is cool enough to handle first)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">7. Return all ingredients to the pressure cooker and cook on high for 5 minutes or until the pig stomach is soft</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">8. Serve hot. Season individual bowls with soy sauce and Shaoxing wine to taste</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-31888930835241057132016-06-19T21:14:00.000+12:002016-06-19T21:14:00.054+12:00Dinner By Heston Blumenthal, Melbourne <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A visit to Dinner by Heston Blumenthal was the very first thing Sheena and I booked when we were planning our trip to Melbourne. Food was going to be the highlight of our trip, and this dinner was going to be the very pinnacle of of our culinary experience.</span><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/0lONlz2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://i.imgur.com/0lONlz2.jpg" width="422" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Like its two Michelin starred sister restaurant in London, the menu features dishes that are inspired by the gastronomic history of British Royalty, going as far back as the 13th century. The Melbourne restaurant incorporates bits of Aussie flair and showcases the great produce the country has to offer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">We arrived a little early and had some drinks at the bar. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Peter Piper's Pickled Lemon Lemonade (c.1830), Sarsaparilla Soda (c.1750) - $14 each</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I was quite thankful that the drinks menu was not overly complicated and settled quickly on Peter Piper's Pickled Lemon Lemonade (try saying that five times fast!). The pickling process meant that the lemonade was not overly sour and there was a good balance of sweetness in the drink without being overpowering.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I had warned Sheena against the Sarsaparilla Soda as previous experience told me that it would have an overpowering licorice taste. Fortunately, this was not the case. The drink had a faint hint of sweetness and light medicinal quality to it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 15.6px;">While we waited for our food to arrive, our very obliging waitstaff let us wander around the restaurant with our cameras. We were, of course, immediately drawn to the automated spit roast mechanism with slowly roasting golden pineapples. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Roast Marrowbone (c.1720) - $36</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; line-height: 15.6px;">The Roast Marrowbone, combined with herbs and panko crumb, came topped with snails and served with pickled vegetables on the side. The snails provided a bit of bite to the otherwise smooth dish while the vegetables helped to cut through the buttery taste of the bone marrow. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hay smoked Ocean Trout (c.1730) - $36</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The smoked trout was served underneath a bed of pickled lemon salad, smoked roe, and gentleman's relish (a sauce of anchovies, butter, herbs and spices). Each slice was incredibly delicate but packed a real punch - the gentleman's relish provided a great savoury base for the trout while the blobs of citrus gel made each bite dance on the tongue.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Powdered Duck Breast (c.1670) - $58</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Powdered Duck Breast arrived with smoked beetroot, grilled red cabbage, umbles and pickled cherries. The five hour salting process the duck went through resulted in a very succulent piece of breast meat while the additional touches provided the sweetness to balance out the dish. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Slow cooked Pork Belly (c.1820) - $58</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My favourite main was the Slow cooked Pork Belly which came with grains wrapped in a thin spelt blanket, lardo, roast onions, baby turnip, and Robert Sauce. I was surprised that I wasn't offered a bigger knife with my dish, and was even more surprised that my regular table knife was able to slice through the pork with ease! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Everything about this dish was delightful - the crunchy turnip was a great contrast to the tender pork, while the Robert Sauce tied everything together in its earthy flavour. The only thing that would make this dish more enjoyable for me would be to have a proper crispy pork crackling.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/lOG2i4R.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/lOG2i4R.jpg" height="408" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tipsy Cake (c.1810) - $32</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Tipsy Cake had to be ordered along with our entrees and mains to allow time for the gradual basting process. Traditionally made using old bread soaked in brandy, the modern version involves light pillowy brioche filled with cream, and soaked in rum. The roast pineapple, with its golden sweet outer, was the perfect accompaniment. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As one of Dinner's signature dishes, this cannot be missed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/r2adGl6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://i.imgur.com/r2adGl6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Post Dessert of Nitro Ice Cream - $15 each</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Post dessert involved an ice cream trolley and a fantastic display involving liquid nitrogen. Need I say more?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/RWxc04N.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="502" src="https://i.imgur.com/RWxc04N.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Nitro Ice Cream Toppings </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our ice-creams were served in a very thin cone with our choice of inspired toppings - popping candy, fennel and chocolate, white chocolate and raspberry, something I can't quite recall. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/kTlOK5R.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://i.imgur.com/kTlOK5R.jpg" width="490" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Post Post Dessert Chocolate Pot</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And when we thought we couldn't possibly eat any more food, a post <i>post</i> desert was brought to our table. The little chocolate pot was very rich and crispy fennel biscuit was a lovely and light.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.dinnerbyheston.com.au/"><br /></a>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.dinnerbyheston.com.au/">Dinner by Heston Blumenthal</a> is located at <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.999px;">Crown Melbourne, Level 3, 8 Whiteman Street, </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 19.999px;">Southbank</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.999px;">, Melbourne. Be sure to book quite early as spots fill up super fast!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.999px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d3151.5510638365436!2d144.95658681546493!3d-37.823983192401535!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x6ad65d52d5a34589%3A0xedd795a14e4e9758!2sCrown+Melbourne!5e0!3m2!1sen!2snz!4v1466322225649" style="border: 0;" width="600"></iframe>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-34809790203932903092016-04-13T21:29:00.000+12:002016-04-13T21:29:10.955+12:00Lucy's Tomato Passata<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">One thing I have really enjoyed over the past few months is having a vegetable garden of my very own. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Our own little patch of
land meant that I went a little overboard at the garden store and ended
up with more tomato plants than our household could handle.</span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/oavONAT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/oavONAT.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Tomato harvest from the garden</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The abundance of tomatoes provided the perfect opportunity to make some delicious passata for my Italian dishes. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/GKcAVU1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/GKcAVU1.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Ready for the oven</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Passata is traditionally made of uncooked tomatoes, pureed and strained of seed and skins. I usually buy these in big glass bottles from the supermarket but making my very own is so much better, wouldn't you agree?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">My version of passata involves adding some capsicums and chilies for spice, herbs for flavour and some garlic for.. well.. some garlicky goodness! I also like to put it in the oven to mellow out the sharp tomato flavour. Cooking the tomatoes also means you can go ahead and puree the skins. The cooking fills the house with a fantastic aroma too!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Take advantage of the waning tomato season and make your very own passata. What kind of extras will you put in yours?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Lucy's Tomato Passata (makes 800mL)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">A Lucyeats Original</span></i> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2kg ripe tomatoes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2 capsicums</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1 bulb garlic</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2 green chili peppers </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1/4 cup olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2 teaspoons white sugar </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and basil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Salt and pepper </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Method</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1. Preheat oven to 180°C.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2. Cut tomatoes and capsicums into large pieces and place onto an oven tray. Break up the garlic bulb into unpeeled cloves and add to the tray.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">3. Add remaining ingredients and toss gently.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">4. Place the tray into the oven and bake for 1 hour or until tomatoes have become soft.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">5. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for about 10-15 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">6. Squeeze the flesh out of each garlic clove and discard the skins.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">7. Place the tomatoes and garlic in a food processor and process to a puree.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">8. Season with salt and pepper to taste if required.</span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-20355950607283265882016-03-28T21:17:00.001+13:002016-04-07T23:34:01.007+12:00Fig and Frangipane Tart<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One of my favourite things in my back yard is<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> the fig tree my family planted when <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">my parents first <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">bought the house. <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">remember being amazed that <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">one could grow a tree by just breaking a branch off another one and sticking it <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">in the ground! </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/GhKmwYt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/GhKmwYt.jpg" height="640" width="454" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">First of the many figs this year</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Thanks to the heavy rain over the past couple of weeks, we have had a bountiful harvest. We had so many that we couldn't eat them fast enough and gave many away. I used the ones that were almost too ripe for a fig and frangipane tart that I had been wanting to try for a while.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Made from a mixture of ground almonds, frangipane is a beautifully rich and nutty filling which goes so well in tarts - especially when roasted fruit is also involved. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This fig and frangipane tart is a fairly easy dessert if you use store-bought pastry. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you can't get figs where you are, stone fruit make an equally tasty substitute.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://i.imgur.com/Fn51EMl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fig and Frangipane Tart</span><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://i.imgur.com/Fn51EMl.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/Fn51EMl.jpg" height="382" width="640" /></a><span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">300g sweet short crust pastry </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">8 ripe figs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1/2 cup orange juice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2 Tablespoons runny honey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">200g butter, softened</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">200g caster sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">200g ground almonds</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2 medium sized egg yolks</span><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Method:</span><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1. Roll out pastry to 0.5cm thick and line a 25cm shallow, loose bottomed tart tin. Make sure the pastry reaches above the sides as the pastry will shrink during baking. Place the lined tin in the fridge for 30 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2. While the pastry is chilling, preheat the oven to 180C.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3. Mix together the orange juice and honey until combined in a <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">wide shallow dish. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4. Cut the </span>figs in half (lengthways) and place them <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">cut side down</span> in<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to the orange and honey mixture<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> and leave them to marinate until the <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">tart shell is ready. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">5</span>. Prick holes in the base of the pastry with a fork, line with baking paper and fill with baking beads. Blind bake for 15 minutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">6</span>. Remove the paper and beans and bake for another 10 minutes until the pastry is a light golden brown. Remove the pastry from the oven and reduce the temperature to 150C. Leave the tart shell on the bench to cool.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">7</span>. Cream butter and sugar in a mixer until smooth. Mix in ground almonds, egg yolks and <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 Tablespoon of the orange and honey <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">mixture.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">8</span>. Once the tart shell is cooled, fill with the almond mixture and spread evenly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">9</span>. Press the figs, cut side up, into the filling and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until the filling becomes lightly golden. Leave the tart in the tin for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">10</span>. Serve with a nice cup of tea and a small dollop of cream.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-76795613007711557172016-02-14T19:45:00.000+13:002016-02-14T20:42:31.970+13:00Fika With Me<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tucked in the heart of Birkenhead is the most delightful little place. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What was once one half of <a href="http://dutchdelight.co.nz/">Dutch Delight</a>
has now become one of my favourite cafes. Judging by the amount of regulars that visit, it is obvious that it has become the new favourite in the area.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The interior is simple and welcoming. The wooden tables and white stools are inviting. The big chalkboard explains their dining philosophy:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"<span class="text_exposed_show">'Fika' to us. It is a social phenomenon, a
legitimate reason to set aside a moment for quality time. It is a
window of opportunity to appreciate good things in life."</span></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Below are a few of our favourite dishes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/ATpxRBk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/ATpxRBk.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Spicy Chai Latte - $4.50, Orange Juice - $5.00</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The coffee here <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">is always <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">on point. <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">spicy chai here is<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> the best I've had in Auckland - creamy and not<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>too sweet. The juices and smoo<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">thies are al<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">so great picks - Green Power is my favourite.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/Y0VBQqX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/Y0VBQqX.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Chili Scrambled Eggs - $17.00</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Your usual scrambled eggs gets a makeover with the addition of chili peppers. The chili adds a touch of freshness to the creamy eggs but does not add an excessive amount of heat. The eggs are well complimented by the gourmet pork sausage and crunchy ciabatta. I must admit that I didn't touch the tomato relish very much as I thought the dish didn't need it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/OlhNqLs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/OlhNqLs.jpg" height="640" width="416" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Good 'V'agel - $14.00</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The second page of the menu has a great selection of toppings for Best Ugly Bagels. The option of halloumi, vine tomatoes, basil pesto and cream cheese is one of the better vegetarian options I've seen around Auckland. The pesto and tomatoes are full of flavour and the ciabatta is perfect to soak up the delicious juices.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/lnz9gLL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/lnz9gLL.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Fika Bene - $17.00</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Fika Bene is Jason's favourite dish. The eggs are perfectly poached and the creamy hollandaise goes well with the streaky bacon. Despite all of these wonderful tasting components, the homemade hash brown is the hero of the dish. The incredibly crunchy outer shell is thicker than normal and covers a roughly mashed potato with varied texture. Mmmm...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/g7MaMeP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/g7MaMeP.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hot Chicken Bagel - $15.00</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lastly, my favourite dish - the Hot Chicken Bagel. No matter how much I want to branch out, I mostly always end up ordering this dish. The seasoning on the crispy chicken is better than the Colonel's secret spices and is accompanied by a fresh mango salsa. This is what I would recommend to anyone who visits for the first time - whether you are there for breakfast or brunch.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.imgur.com/nTp1OcQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/nTp1OcQ.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Fika With Me is definitely worth a visit.<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> The <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">food is fantastic, the coffee is great and the <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">staff are super friendly. </span></span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/FkmkyuU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/FkmkyuU.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Come and say hi to the friendly owner and barista :)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <a href="https://www.zomato.com/auckland/fika-with-me-birkenhead/info#tabtop">Fika With Me</a> can be found at 5 Birkenhead Ave, Birkenhead, Auckland.</span><br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/auckland/fika-with-me-birkenhead" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about Fika With Me, Birkenhead and other Restaurants in Auckland" target="_blank"><img alt="Fika With Me Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/7006311/minilink" style="border:none;width:130px;height:36px;padding:0px;" /></a>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d3194.2820615552305!2d174.72300764702845!3d-36.81176039249161!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x6d0d38f3f4e13f39%3A0x3562590e119799ee!2s5+Birkenhead+Ave%2C+Birkenhead%2C+Auckland+0626!5e0!3m2!1sen!2snz!4v1455431379076" style="border: 0;" width="600"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-64742577110981346682016-02-08T15:56:00.000+13:002016-02-08T15:56:57.121+13:00One Hour Spicy Pickled Cucumber<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy Chinese New Year, my friends!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you have someone Chinese in your family, you will no doubt have been overfed at some sort of New Year celebration. This is our version of Christmas.</span><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/tVVhm6Q.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/tVVhm6Q.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For Chinese New Year meals, I usually play the part of mum's sous chef and get to contribute a few small dishes to the main meal. This year, my contribution was a spicy pickled cucumber. </span><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/vm8SoQo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/vm8SoQo.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I learned this recipe from a new friend last year and it has been part of my menu whenever we have <a href="http://lucyeats.blogspot.co.nz/2014/12/chinese-braised-pork-ribs-and-pickled.html">braised pork</a>, <a href="http://lucyeats.blogspot.co.nz/2011/03/whats-in-my-lunchbox-week-2.html">dumplings</a>, BBQs and any dish that requires a nice fresh component. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.imgur.com/Cgfn4J5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/Cgfn4J5.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What I love about this recipe is that it is so quick to make and impressive to look at. In fact, I love this recipe so much that it has replaced my very own.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/y3PZom5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/y3PZom5.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Laoganma Spicy Chili Sauce and Chinkiang Vinegar</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The secret to this great tasting pickle is some Laoganma Spicy Chili Sauce and Chinkian Vinegar. The Vinegar is a type of black rice vinegar from Jiangsu Province in China and tastes like a more earthy version of balsamic vinegar. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Laoganma is probably one of the most well known spicy chili sauces in China and is my favourite addition to dumpling sauces, noodles and stirfry dishes. It is a fragrant blend of chilis, soy beans and other goodies ready made for your meals (note: I am not being sponsored by them or anything, I am just a major fan girl).</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/l6eWGsq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/l6eWGsq.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Step 3: adding all the ingredients</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">If you're having a meal involving many rich dishes, why not give this recipe a go? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"></span><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana"; font-size: large;">One Hour Spicy Pickled Cucumber</span><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana"; font-size: medium;"><i>(Adapted from a family recipe)</i></span><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana"; font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/DSjEdlk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/DSjEdlk.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">1 telegraph cucumber</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">2 Tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">3 Tablespoons light soy sauce (I prefer Pearl River Bridge brand)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">2 teaspoons white sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">1 Tablespoon Laoganma spicy chili sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Method:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">1. Thinly slice the cucumber on the diagonal, 2/3 way through.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">2. Turn the cucumber over and thinly slice 1/2 way through.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">3. Place the cucumber into a seal-able tupperware container and add the remaining ingredients.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">4. Close the lid and shake vigorously.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">5. Place container in the fridge for 1 hour, removing halfway through to shake again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">6. Prior to serving, cut the cucumber right through with a pair of food scissors to separate it into bite size pieces.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-952417535886535652016-01-30T20:46:00.001+13:002016-01-30T20:46:48.732+13:00Grateful for Sundays 14<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The start back at work has been brutal. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">At least I have been making the most of my Sundays...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/fHsN5wV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/fHsN5wV.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Long Bay Regional Park</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The beautiful sunshine has made it too hard to resist the outdoors. Along with two other friends, Jason and I have been slowly exploring some of the regional parks around Auckland each fortnight. Long Bay Regional Park has bookable camp sites, walking sites and a beautiful beach for a quick dip after your walk. Word of warning - nudists frequent certain areas of the park, so don't wander too far from the main track if you're not into that...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/KvrCXlO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/KvrCXlO.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anawhata </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">One of our other trips brought us to Anawhata, a quiet beach on the West Coast of Auckland. The beach can only be reached by foot (about a 20 minute walk) and, as such, is relatively quiet. We only saw 3 other people.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/GXEUoqF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/GXEUoqF.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pizza Toppings</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My in-laws have recently bought a pizza oven so our visits have mostly involved pizza nights. This has been a great activity and a good way of feeding a large number of people. The endless topping combinations means that this will never get old!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/G3ywC2A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/G3ywC2A.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our garden</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lastly, our garden has flourished since Christmas. What was once a big pile of weeds behind the garage has now become a constant source of zucchini, tomatoes and beans. The chilies and the eggplant are still growing, and we are very excited.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/RAaEvS6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/RAaEvS6.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tomatoes</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are still finding our feet when it comes to gardening, but being able to harvest vegetables everyday has been super rewarding.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/XvfxGjx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/XvfxGjx.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Figs</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a bonus, our fig tree has also started fruiting. This is a tree my Grandparents planted when we first moved into this house as a family and now, 18 years later, we are still enjoying their efforts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">What are you grateful for this Sunday?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-91390910948262541662016-01-05T11:50:00.000+13:002016-01-05T11:50:48.809+13:00Cocoro<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've always thought that the trick to a great meal is to drag others along so you can try more dishes. I have found that 4 is the magic number for a meal - this gives a nice variety without having to wait an age for your food to arrive. This is also the best number for great conversation without having to shout across to the other end of the table.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.imgur.com/jjnzLvX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/jjnzLvX.jpg" height="640" width="416" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My recent outing confirmed this when I, along with three others, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">tried the set lunch menu at Cocoro. For $49, we could order an entree, main and a dessert from 4 options - so of course, we opted to order every single thing on the menu to share. Not only did this rule out any potential food envy, it vastly sped up ordering time!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/eqLVEoX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/eqLVEoX.jpg" height="640" width="560" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Amuse Bouche - Tempura Fish</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We started with an amuse bouche consisting of a soft fish (I didn't catch the name) in a very light tempura batter -a great way to start the meal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/sL8p7Mn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/sL8p7Mn.jpg" height="640" width="596" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Amuse Bouche - Teriyaki Tuna</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The second amuse bouche was a grilled teriyaki tuna which was cooked just right. There was just enough teriyaki to give it flavour, but not overpower the tuna.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/3PRIpZI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/3PRIpZI.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Entree - Chicken Nanban</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Chicken Nanban was crunchy on the outside while still being moist and tender on the inside. I found the tangy Nanban sauce was a great addition to the usual karaage dishes I love so much. The fresh salad was a nice side, adding a bit of colour to the plate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/dhVryo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/dhVryo1.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Entree -</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tempura Salad</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The tempura salad at Cocoro has one of the lightest batters I've ever had. Each piece was super delicate, with a crunch that could be heard from many tables over. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/aOTUmWQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/aOTUmWQ.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Entree -</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Traditional Sashimi</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The traditional sashimi was very fresh, with generous slices of salmon, blue fin tuna and john dory. The highlight for me was the fresh wasabi on the side.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/xv0RmKs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/xv0RmKs.jpg" height="640" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Entree -</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">New Style Sashimi</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The new style sashimi was sliced thinner than the previous dish and cured in a vinaigrette. The partially cooked flesh had an interesting texture while the radish and cucumber added a freshness to the dish. The small balls of light tempura batter provided a nice crunch to the soft fish, like having popping candy in your mouth.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/oeNls8D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/oeNls8D.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Main - Tofu with Vegetables</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Agedashi Tofu was served under a pile of sauteed mushrooms so the batter had fully absorbed its earthy flavours. I loved how saucy and hearty this dish was - I could have had it all to myself!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/MkTVlcH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/MkTVlcH.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Main -</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Angus Teriyaki</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Angus Teriyaki was flavoursome and tender. Although the serving size looked to be slightly smaller than the other mains, I assure you it was quite filling. The mushrooms and the bean sprouts also tasted amazing after they had soaked in the sauce.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/GPa3U7J.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/GPa3U7J.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Main -</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nigiri</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As expected, the nigiri was fresh and it was great to see such a variety of fish. I'm told that nigiri is supposed to be served at room temprature (to fully appreciate all the fishy flavours) but I have to say that I would have preferred it on a bed of ice like the sashimi. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/HwUfRZ9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/HwUfRZ9.jpg" height="640" width="570" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dessert - Miso and Yuzu Brulee</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was incredibly excited when I saw the brulee on the menu. The miso flavours stopped the brulee from being overly sweet while the yuzu gave it a hint of freshness. The sesame s</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16.12px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ablé</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> was the perfect pairing -light, crumbly and melt in the mouth.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/BHY8jan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/BHY8jan.jpg" height="492" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Dessert -</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ume Granita</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The granita was a very refreshing end to the meal. There was a good balance of sweet and sour and no flavour overpowered the others. The stewed plum and rhubarb were nice additions. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We found that each dish was meticulously prepared and the serving sizes were generous. The wait staff were attentive and super polite. Cocoro has a very extensive menu and I felt that the set menu was a good introduction to their offerings. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://cocoro.co.nz/">Cocoro</a> can be found at <span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; line-height: 20px;">56A Brown Street, </span><span itemprop="addressLocality" style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; line-height: 20px;">Ponsonby</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2d2d2d; line-height: 20px;">, Auckland</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-44305598425582281142015-11-15T16:05:00.000+13:002015-11-15T16:05:55.737+13:00Homemade Chicken Stock<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">One thing my family taught me was to never waste food. While other children were eating broccoli florets, I can remember eating thinly sliced broccoli stalk sauteed in garlic or chicken dumplings using the meat we pulled off chicken carcasses. Nothing ever went to waste in our kitchen if my mother had anything to do with it! Minimising what gets thrown in the trash just made good sense.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is certainly one of the lessons I have tried to carry into my adult life - most of our vegetable scraps go to our guinea pigs or into the compost and our left over chicken bones go towards next few months' worth of stock.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The best thing about homemade chicken stock is that there is no exact quantity you have to follow. All you need are 4 basics - chicken carcasses, celery, carrot and onion. I don't even add that much salt because that depends highly on the type of dish in which you will add your stock. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The ingredients I use for my chicken stock are slowly amassed over a a month or two, as a product of all the lunches and dinners in the Abraham household. Every time we have a roast chicken, the chicken carcass gets wrapped up in a plastic bag in the freezer. Every time an onion is diced, about one fifth of it goes into a freezer bag, along with carrot tops and raggedy celery bases (note: a lot of onion goes into the bag because I'm scared I'll cut my fingers off if I get too close to the end). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">My special trick is to pour all the finished stock into <a href="http://www.glad.com.au/glad-products/food-management/glad-ice-cube-bags/">Glad Ice Cube Bags</a> for storage. The flexibility means that I can fit them in any part of the freezer, around whatever else is already there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">I tend to use a lot of chicken stock in my cooking - as a base for soups and hotpots, extra flavour when making stir fries or even when cooking rice in lieu of water. Making your own stock is a great way to use up the left over veggies that aren't pretty enough for your other recipes, not to mention the feel good factor in knowing that you have minimised waste - my mother would approve.</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Homemade Chicken Stock (Makes 3L)</span><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Left over bones from 2 cooked chicken carcass</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Celery tops and bottoms</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Carrot skins, tops and bottoms</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Onions, with the brown skins removed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">3 small bay leaves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">1 tsp black peppercorns</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">2 tsp salt </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Method:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">1. Place all the ingredients into a deep stock pot. Mine is about 5 litres. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">2. Add enough cold water to just cover all of the ingredients and bring the pot to a boil. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">3. Once the water has boiled, turn the heat down to keep it at a low simmer. Continue to simmer for at least 1 hour, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">4. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and vegetables and discard.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">5. Pass the stock through a sieve to remove any remaining solids.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">6. Allow the stock to cool for at least 30 minutes before storing. I like to pour the stock into Glad Ice Cube Bags for easier storage. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Homemade chicken stock will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days or 2-3 months in the freezer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-36647727189382783052015-11-08T17:16:00.002+13:002015-11-08T17:16:50.882+13:00Grateful for Sundays 13<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jason and I have been back from our China trip for about a month and haven't really had a chance to catch our breath until today. The thing about being on holiday is that life back home doesn't really stop so we've had a lot of work to catch up on and friends to catch up with.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So now that I've caught my breath, here are some things I'm grateful for this Sunday...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/0M2GAAe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/0M2GAAe.jpg" height="412" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">City to Sea Bridge, Wellington</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We traveled</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> down to Wellington on our first weekend back for a conference and took the opportunity to explore the town. The city always puts on good weather when we visit and I managed to take this picture of the City to Sea Bridge on our way to dinner.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/NKjpsId.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/NKjpsId.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Demented Architecture, City Gallery Wellington</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We also partook in the Demented Architecture exhibit at the City Gallery Wellington. Jason and I aren't the most knowledgeable</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> about "art stuff" and often walk away confused, but Lego is something we know and love. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The exhibit let visitors build their own version of a city skyline, filled with funky towers and even scary monsters! We easily spent an hour here.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/uBYYIQt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/uBYYIQt.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Summit, Mt Maunganui</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were in Tauranga last weekend to celebrate my mother's 50th birthday. This was where my family visited on our first ever road trip so it was nice to come back again so many years later as a family. This photo was taken at the top of Mt Maunganui after being so ill-dressed for the occasion (see: jeans and jandals). </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/INrf1bt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/INrf1bt.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Al's Deli, Upper Queen Street, Auckland</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One good thing about being back at work is all the lovely Friday lunch venues in town. We chose to visit Al's Deli this week to sample their delicious donuts. Do I even need to say how great the food was?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What are you grateful for this Sunday?</span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-76095028795865280432015-10-26T16:57:00.000+13:002015-10-26T16:57:51.844+13:00Ramen Auckland<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ramen is the ultimate comfort food. You may remember a<a href="http://lucyeats.blogspot.co.nz/2015/02/maruten-ramen.html"> previous post</a> I made, where I shamelessly gushed about how I could happily eat it for the rest of my life. Since then, I have taken it upon myself to sample lots of ramen to find the top 5 ramen/soy egg/broth/charsiu ratio in Auckland. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Below is the result of months of "research" undertaken by myself, along with friends, work colleagues and family whom I dragged along so I could sample more food. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Welcome to my Ramen Safari.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/i8vrHQy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/i8vrHQy.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Shoya Japanese Cuisine</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our first stop was Shoya Japanese Cuisine on Upper Queen Street. We arrived at lunch time to a quiet shop with a few small tables lined up in a row. The smell of ramen broth radiated from the kitchen and made my mouth water. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The broth is rich, leaving a light film on your lips. Shoya Ramen had the best noodles out of all the eateries - chewy, with a good thickness to them. The noodles were also the perfect length to fit into the spoon and prevent any awkward slurping. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/nkDlfG6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/nkDlfG6.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clockwise from top left: Negi Hell Ramen - $13.90, Miso Tonkotsu Ramen - $12.90, Shoyu Ramen - $11.90</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Shoyu Ramen broth had a clear taste, while the Miso Ramen had a deeper flavour. The charsiu was melt in the mouth and I really enjoyed the marinated bamboo shoots. The soy egg had a deliciously runny centre but unfortunately the marinade did not penetrate to the middle of any of our eggs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The restaurant special is a Spicy Hell Ramen which is essentially a ramen broth drizzled in copious amounts of chili oil. There are three levels, each with a little hotter than the last. We were only brave enough to try level one which had a heat that creeps up on you and leaves your tongue a little tingly after each mouthful.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/DS6jAQX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/DS6jAQX.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clockwise from top left: Tonkotsu Ramen with Egg - $12.00, Tantanmen - $12.00, New Tonkotsu Ramen (without egg) - $10.80, Red Dragon - $14.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Being so close to my workplace, Maruten Ramen was my usual lunch haunt for a long time. You may remember my <a href="http://lucyeats.blogspot.co.nz/2015/02/maruten-ramen.html">previous post </a>about some of their offerings. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maruten Ramen has the best soy egg out of all the places we visited and being able to choose your noodle thickness is a nice touch. The portion sizes are generous and there are an ample amount of toppings. The broth, however, sometimes has a tendency to be too salty, but the staff are happy to provide extra soup base to dilute the soup.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/UwKKRSW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/UwKKRSW.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kitchen at Ramen Daikoku</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We step into Ramen Daikoku Noodle Bar on a particularly cold winter's night. Although it opens out on the street, the restaurant has a very exclusive, intimate feel to it - low roof, close seating and upbeat Japanese pop playing in the background made it seem as if we had been let into some great secret. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br /></span><a href="http://i.imgur.com/nuETDG8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/nuETDG8.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clockwise from top right: Tonkotsu Ramen - $10.00, Gyoza - $6.50, Spicy Miso Tonkotsu - $14.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The thin noodles at Ramen Daikoku reminded me a little of an instant noodle packet but the flavoursome broth made up for this. The tonkotsu broth is a bit runny, without the fatty film you would expect, but the kick from the spicy broth is exactly what you need on a cold night. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I found the egg quite disappointing (plain boiled eggs aren't really my thing), but I was very pleased with the amount of charsiu we received - tender and cut into thick slices -yum!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The sides at Ramen Daikoku are worth ordering. There are a number of ramen + side deals that are offered on their menu. Our favourite is the gyoza, with a crunchy base and yummy pork filling. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/hXSPda1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/hXSPda1.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From Left: Tanpopo Ramen - $14.00, Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen - $11.00, Gyoza - $6.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tanpopo is an institution among the resident Japanese crowd in Auckland. It is always busy at meal times, often serving more than 2 or 3 rounds of guests per table at each sitting. The owners seem to know most of the people who come through the doors and greet them by name.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The broth at Tanpopo is my favourite - very rich, thick and full of finely chopped garlic and sesame. The charsiu is tender and almost melts into the soup. I enjoyed the marinated seaweed which provided a nice crunch to the dish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The portion sizes here are quite generous so sides are probably not necessary, but the gyoza is quite light if you want something to go with your ramen.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/awTsLjL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/awTsLjL.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clockwise from top left: Tonkotsu Ramen - $13.00, Tan-tan Ramen - $15.50, Lotus Root Chips - $6.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lastly, we head into Ramen Takara in trendy Ponsonby. It is definitely the most well presented of all the eateries we visited and has a great selection of sharing plates. It feels like a place for friends to sit down and have a chat rather than somewhere to have a hasty meal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The noodles here are second only to Shoya Ramen and the cloudy pork broth is light without compromising on taste. The egg has been over cooked on most of my visits here but, fortunately, the marinade penetrates to the centre. The Tan-tan Ramen here is unique -the sour and spicy sesame base awakens the palate while the crunchy mince and stir fry is a nice alternative to your usual ramen toppings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A must order here is the Renkon chips - crunchy deep fried slices of lotus root. A great alternative to potato crisps, these lightly salted snacks are perfect with a cold beer while you wait for your meal.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ramen Takara Ponsonby</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whether you are a seasoned ramen enthusiast or wanting to try some great comfort food, I would recommend these great eateries around Auckland. If you know of any other great ramen eateries, please comment below - I would love to try them out!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.zomato.com/auckland/shoya-japanese-cuisine-queen-street">Shoya Japanese Cuisine</a> (best noodles)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">478 </span><span itemprop="addressLocality" style="line-height: 20px;">Queen Street</span><span style="line-height: 20px;">, Auckland CBD, Auckland</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><a href="https://www.zomato.com/auckland/japanese-kitchen-karangahape-road">Maruten Ramen</a> (also known as Japanese Kitchen, best soy egg)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #2d2d2d; line-height: 20px;">Mercury Plaza, 23-32 Mercury Lane, <span itemprop="addressLocality">Karangahape Road</span>, Auckland</span><span itemprop="postalCode" style="color: #2d2d2d; line-height: 20px;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><a href="https://www.zomato.com/auckland/ramen-daikoku-noodle-bar-britomart">Ramen Daikoku</a> (cool underground vibe)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span itemprop="addressLocality" style="color: #2d2d2d; line-height: 20px;">Britomart</span><span style="color: #2d2d2d; line-height: 20px;">, Corner of Britomart Station and Taylor Street, Auckland CBD, Auckland</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://www.tanpoporamen.co.nz/">Tanpopo Ramen</a> (best broth)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #2d2d2d; line-height: 20px;">13 </span><span itemprop="addressLocality" style="color: #2d2d2d; line-height: 20px;">Anzac Avenue</span><span style="color: #2d2d2d; line-height: 20px;">, Auckland CBD, Auckland</span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ramentakara.co.nz/ponsonby.php">Ramen Takara, Ponsonby</a> (best environment and sides)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 22.4px;">272 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, </span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 22.4px;">Auckland</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All meals were independently paid for by Lucy and her companions.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-4524678092645954942015-08-30T17:16:00.000+12:002015-08-30T17:16:23.226+12:00Grateful For Sundays 12<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Early Cheer gets me excited because it signals the beginning of spring. These flowers have a beautiful perfume and brings a freshness to the house. I'm already starting to forget what winter feels like...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The arrival of spring also means lighter evenings and, therefore, more time to spend outside. Below is a picture of some family friends we took to the epic local playground.</span><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/mJvg7Aq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/mJvg7Aq.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lastly, I have finally started getting my things together for a big trip to China! I am particularly excited about this trip because it will be the first time I've visited in the summer. </span><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/G8ARLxI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/G8ARLxI.jpg" height="542" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What are you grateful for this month?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Note: Quite a few websites are blocked in China so there probably won't be any blog updates while I'm gone. Follow my <a href="https://instagram.com/lucy__eats/">instagram</a> to see the amazing places we will visit. See you all mid-October!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-52194607677515636962015-08-15T15:42:00.000+12:002015-08-15T15:42:46.168+12:00Leftover Roast Frittata<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My biggest dislike in the kitchen is throwing out spoiled food. Thinking up easy ways of using up leftovers has therefore become a bit of a hobby of mine. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My only rule with repurposing leftovers is that it must not require many new ingredients or else you end up with MORE leftovers. </span><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/J79b9uo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/J79b9uo.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We almost always have flour, noodles and stock in the kitchen so many of our left over</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> dishes end up in fried noodles, mixed soups and pizza </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A lot of these dishes can be a bit heavy and I found myself wanting to repurpose the leftovers from the <a href="http://lucyeats.blogspot.co.nz/2015/08/thomas-kellers-roast-chicken-with-roast.html">previous nights' roast</a> into something light for brunch. We had just received a carton of eggs from our uncle's chickens so a frittata seemed like a natural choice.</span><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/Fj2tpNj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/Fj2tpNj.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Following the golden rule, the only extra ingredients this required was 4 eggs, some oil and some thyme. You can also use the time the frittata is baking in the oven to make some cool smoothies or a nice cup of tea.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What do you make with your leftovers?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy brunching!</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Leftover Roast Frittata (Serves 4)</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 tsp oil </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 cups roast vegetables, cut into 2cm-5cm chunks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4 eggs, beaten</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 sprig thyme</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Method:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Preheat oven to 200</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">°C (390</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">°F).</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">2. Heat oil in an ovenproof pan on medium heat.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">3. Spread roast vegetables evenly in the pan and stir around for 2 minutes until they have crisped up a little.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">4. Pour the beaten eggs into the pan and let it sit for about 2 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">5. Sprinkle thyme over the top and place the pan in the oven for 10 minutes or until the egg has puffed up and is no longer runny.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">6. Serve.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-88510199682039682162015-08-09T19:57:00.003+12:002015-08-09T19:57:47.559+12:00Hakka Hut<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There's something very familiar about going to a Chinese restaurant. No matter what city you might be in, there is always a couple of dishes that are sure to be on the menu. For my family, we will usually order a fish scent eggplant casserole for me, round beans for Jason, sizzling beef for mum and prawn balls for dad. If we have a large group, there will mostly always be Peking Duck.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This kind of ordering can get quite bland sometime so I always find it quite a treat when we dine out with other families and let them do the ordering. We were invited to Hakka Hut by my Uncle's family (it's one of their favourite restaurants) and got to sit back and enjoy someone else's favourite dishes.</span><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/fI8Hwky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/fI8Hwky.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We arrived quite early on a Saturday night and I'm told we booked quite a few days in advance. It turns out that it was quite a good move as the restaurant filled up incredibly quickly. The tables were very close to each other and there was barely enough room for the poor servers to squeeze between everyone's chairs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Inside was noisy - proper Chinese restaurant noisy - the kind of noisy where you don't have to embarrassingly tell your parents to tone their voice down because it might disrupt the other diners. This was especially good because my grandma and her sister haven't really mastered "inside voices" yet...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/bGuYQCo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/bGuYQCo.jpg" height="394" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Peking Duck, First Course - $55.00 for two courses</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We started off with the Peking Duck, of course, and it went down a treat. The pancakes were extremely fluffy but I thought that the serving size was a little stingy compared to other restaurants. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/sM0LsOm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/sM0LsOm.jpg" height="402" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Peking Duck, Second Course</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The filling for the second course was a more generous size. The filling included "xue cai" (a preserved vegetable, literally translated to "snow vegetable") which gave it an earthy flavour.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sweet and Sour Pork - $20.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sweet and Sour Pork is not something I usually order when going out because my parents dub it a "white people dish". This, however, was incredibly crunchy while the sweet and sour sauce was not too strong, as can be the case with other restaurants.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/Aylx9ez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/Aylx9ez.jpg" height="374" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Steamed Blue Cod - Seasonal Price</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was a little hard for me to take a photo of the blue cod as some hungry diners had already started spinning it away from me. The fish was perfectly cooked and the soy sauce had a slight sweetness to it.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/PuxEY22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/PuxEY22.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Round Beans with Minced Pork - $20.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The round beans flavoursome and tender. I liked the texture of the pork mince and that the beans weren't overpowered with black bean sauce. It was delicious but I was a bit disappointed with the portion size.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Steamed Prawns with Garlic - $28.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The garlic steamed prawns were incredibly fragrant and I appreciated that they were already peeled. The bed of vermicelli underneath was a great way of soaking up all the juices too.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Homemade Tofu - $20.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The homemade tofu is similar to the deep fried tofu we order at many other restaurants. The crispy outer, with the creamy eggy centre, provided the perfect texture contrast.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Taro and Pumpkin Casserole - $28.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Taro and Pumpkin Casserole is a recommended dish on the Hakka Hut menu. The floury texture of the taro and pumpkin complimented one another, but the savoury taro tasted strange against the sweet pumpkin. I must admit, my taste buds were confused. My mother enjoyed the contrasting flavours though.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Beef with Seasonal Vegetables - $20.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The stir fried beef was one of my favourites of the night. Each piece of beef was tender and covered in a light garlicky sauce. The gailan, although thick, was well cooked and crunchy. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fried Noodles with Soya Sauce - $12.00</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lastly, we ordered some noodles for my little cousin who likes plain food. For a dish that is flavoured only with soya sauce and some onions, I found the noodles to be quite tasty. The noodles were especially good at soaking up the yummy sauces from the other dishes.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Having other people order my meal is quite a treat. It was nice to try out others' favourite dishes and knowing that we share some favourites. The food at Hakka Hut was delicious, although I found the portion sizes small for the price.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hakka Hut is found at <span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; line-height: 20px;">Unit 21, 44 William Pickering Drive, </span><span itemprop="addressLocality" style="background-color: #f5f5f1; line-height: 20px;">Albany</span><span style="background-color: #f5f5f1; line-height: 20px;">, Auckland.</span></span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d3197.1124852387165!2d174.69630700000002!3d-36.743871!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x6d0d3bfb933688bd%3A0x1e172ed6842a8207!2s44+William+Pickering+Dr%2C+Rosedale%2C+Auckland+0632!5e0!3m2!1sen!2snz!4v1439097944501" style="border: 0;" width="600"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-13389282928711613612015-08-02T09:35:00.001+12:002015-08-02T09:35:41.140+12:00Thomas Keller's Roast Chicken With Roast Vegetables<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the home cook, the best recipes must not only be tasty -they must also be simple and repeatable. These kinds of recipes are the ones that make it onto my dinner repertoire time and time again. Of these, Thomas Keller's Roast Chicken is my favourite -it is perfect for a small group of friends or a simple dinner for two with leftovers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Contrary to many roast chicken recipes out there, a juicy chicken does not require butter, oil or running back and forth from the oven to baste. It also has the most delicious crispy skin! Thomas Keller's recipe calls for only 3 ingredients - salt, pepper, and a chicken. I also like to add a bit of lemon on the inside.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Salt, pepper, and a chicken. Optional extra: Lemon</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The only equipment you need is a roasting pan and some kitchen twine to truss the bird. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The chicken must also be dry before going into the oven.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After this, you can just walk away and come back when your kitchen starts smelling wonderful.. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Carrots, Potatoes, Parsnips, Beetroot, Garlic and Thyme</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or, to create a complete meal, you could chop up some vegetables to accompany the chicken. I put these in halfway through cooking the chicken so they are done at the same time. The veggies also help to create a little bit of moisture as I've found that the oven tends to smoke if the chicken is cooked by itself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After that, I reduce the juices that have formed in the bottom of the tray to make a simple jus for the dish. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This recipe is head and shoulders above any roast chicken recipe I have ever used. It is easy to make, easy to remember and oh so delicious! I dare you to find something simpler!</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thomas Keller's Roast Chicken With Roast Vegetables</span><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Serves 4 - 6)</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Roast Chicken Ingredients:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 whole chicken (about 1 to 1.4 kg)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pepper</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Roast Vegetable Ingredients:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 kg assorted root vegetables (see third photo for what I used)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1.5 Tbs olive oil </span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Method:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">°</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">F).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pat the chicken dry with paper towels -inside and out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan and truss the bird, tying the legs close to the body so it cooks evenly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the chicken (top and bottom).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5. Place the chicken in the oven and leave it alone for about 1 hour. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6. Cut assorted vegetables into 2-3cm sized chunks and toss with olive oil (I like to oil beetroot separately so it doesn't stain the other veggies).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7. Place the vegetables in the oven when there is 30 minutes left to go.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8. Once 1 hour is up, test the temperature of the chicken with a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh. It should reach 75</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">°C (165</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">°</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">F).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">9. Remove the chicken and the vegetables from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes before carving. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">10. While you're waiting, pour all the pan juices into a small saucepan and simmer for about 7-10 minutes or until the juices have reduced a little.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">11. Serve.</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Notes:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. I don't rinse my chicken as it tends to splash raw chicken germs all over the sink area. Any dangerous germs will be killed if the meat reaches the correct temperature. Read more about it <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/08/27/213578553/julia-child-was-wrong-don-t-wash-your-raw-chicken-folks">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. A roasting rack isn't entirely necessary, but I find that the chicken cooks more evenly and there is no risk of the chicken sticking to the roasting pan.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-2405458225494901162015-07-26T00:00:00.000+12:002015-07-26T00:00:07.306+12:00Grateful for Sundays 11<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Due to the plethora of stand out eateries near the Britomart, I am always trying to schedule any meetings in that vicinity during meal times. </span><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/wrGLwna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/wrGLwna.jpg" height="640" width="564" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This week, I was able to enjoy a delicious porridge at <a href="http://britomart.org/restaurants-and-bars/the-store">The Store</a> before my 8:30am meeting at Auckland Transport. With rhubarb, stewed apple, puffed wheat and a generous piece of honeycomb, this was the perfect way to start off my Friday.</span><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/Ph3G9hY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/Ph3G9hY.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After stalking their Facebook page for over a year, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I finally plucked up the courage to go to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/131287700337934/">No Lights No Lycra</a>.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> NLNL is a great way to shake off any stresses and worries by dancing in the dark - there is no need to be good at dancing because no one can see you! I've been twice so far and find myself looking forward to practicing my new dance moves.</span><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/eWLrOAm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/eWLrOAm.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of my dearest friends got married this month, to the man of her dreams. I was absolutely honoured to be a part of their special day as a bridesmaid. Everything about the day, from their vows to the place settings, was perfect!</span><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/wzkunn4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/wzkunn4.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lastly, a picture I took from <a href="http://www.fiveknots.co.nz/">Five Knots</a>, where we had dinner. Auckland is quite beautiful when you take a moment to look.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What are you grateful for this Sunday?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-16239668805223329772015-07-19T21:49:00.003+12:002015-07-19T21:49:59.674+12:00The Sugar Club<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In my head is a long list of restaurants and eateries I want to visit. I can often convince my peers to try out new places with me but there are a few reserved for special occasions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Known for its spectacular views from the 53rd floor of the Sky Tower, The Sugar Club is one of the super special restaurants reserved for a romantic birthday dinner. Especially because I had to outdo Jason for picking <a href="http://lucyeats.blogspot.co.nz/2014/11/the-engine-room.html">my birthday dinner at The Engine Room</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had booked our table months before Jason's birthday because I was so excited.</span><br />
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<a href="http://i.imgur.com/HSS0vO8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/HSS0vO8.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />The Sugar Club in The Sky Tower is the fourth reincarnation of the restaurant since the Peter Gorden opened the first one in Wellington back in 1986. Since then, The Sugar Club has made appearances in London at Notting Hill and West Soho.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The menu here encourages sharing and is quite unique. All the dishes are entr</span><span style="background-color: #f2f9ed; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">é</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">e sized so you can try a wider variety. All dishes are the same price and diners pay for the number of dishes ordered - prices vary from $90 for 3 dishes to $128 for 6 dishes. This way, you don't have to let the price decide your order.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tokyo Caf</span><span style="background-color: #f2f9ed; color: #1b277d; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20.1599998474121px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">é</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"> - $20</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I sipped on a Tokyo Caf</span><span style="background-color: #f2f9ed; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">é</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> while we perused the menu. The bubbly champagne was flavoured with raspberry which gave it a deep rouge colour. It was fruity without being sickly sweet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jason had a Leigh Sawmill Pale Ale which had light citrusy notes.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bread Basket</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The complimentary bread basket was filled with a fig and fennel loaf, rye bread and fenugreek and celeriac bread. The fig and fennel was our favourite as large pieces of fig brought a welcome sweetness to the spiced bread.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Amuse Bouche</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Made up of a small slice of cured salmon topped with sunflower seeds, spinach relish, fish roe, cumin and a micro salad, this amuse bouche is one of the most complex I've ever had. The salmon was delicate and I enjoyed the pop of the fish roe. Although the toppings brought a variety of texture, I can't help that the dish was a little too busy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The name of this dish is "Mushrooms...". I love mushrooms and the ellipsis in the title managed to intrigue me enough to order it. The quenelle of mushroom parfait was light and flavour packed. The medley of wood ear fungus, sesame enoki mushroom, shiitake mushrooms, crunchy crumb and black garlic all added together to make an amazing dish jam packed with umami. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wild Paua</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The wild paua was served two ways. The first was braised and thinly sliced on a very smooth smoked mash. The second, my favourite, was little paua morsels packed into a small bread basket -the pieces were small enough to be delicate but big enough for us to appreciate the texture. The paua foam provided a light saltiness and popped delightfully in my mouth.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lamb</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The lamb was cooked to a perfect medium rare and had a distinct Middle Eastern flavour to it. The kalamata olives and goji berries gave little bursts of flavour while the pumpkin puree formed a nice base flavour. I liked the crunchy falafel but felt that there was not enough sauce to go around.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thrice-Cooked Pork Belly</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The pork belly was easy to cut into and melted in my mouth as I bit into it. The side of Kimchi and buckwheat was a welcome crunch to the dish (unfortunately there was no crispy skin). My favourite part, however, was the delicious smoked tofu pur</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1b277d; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">é</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">e everything was sitting on -incredibly smooth and flavoursome. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pekin Duck</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Like the pork belly, I missed the crispy skin in this dish. The duck was a tad over cooked but went well with the chili and mango jam. The stand out for me were the squid dumplings -chewy and fragrant with big chunks of squid and a light crispy coat. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Beef Pesto</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A classic dish of Peter Gordon's, the Beef Pesto dish has been on The Sugar Club menu circa 1987. The beef fillet was very tender and sitting on a bed of hearty vegetables including zucchini, beetroot and capsicum. The generous dollop of pesto married all the flavours together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were pleasantly surprised when our pre-dessert came to the table. The combination of pineapple and coconut tapioca is a classic and the toasted macadamia shavings on top was just brilliant. I would have happily eaten a full sized version of this light dessert.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cheesecake</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This plum cheesecake is now officially our favourite dessert. We were initially confused because we were expecting a traditional looking cheesecake but quickly forgot once we dug in. Sitting on top of stewed plum and plum </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">pur</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1b277d; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20.1599998474121px;">é</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">e is a shortbread biscuit topped with a scoop of creamy white chocolate ice cream. The stewed plum was not too tart and brought a freshness to the dessert while the meringue provided a nice texture change.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Peanut Butter Parfait and Blackberry Jelly</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Peanut butter and chocolate is another one of those classic flavour matches made in heaven. The parfait was very light and smothered in a caramel sauce and salty peanut crumb. The chocolate soil was a great contrast in texture while the macintosh sauce gave a the rich dessert some freshness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Needless to say, we were quite satisfied at the end of the evening. The service was very attentive and our waiters were very knowledgable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.skycityauckland.co.nz/restaurants/the-sugar-club/">The Sugar Club</a> can be found on the 53rd floor of The Sky Tower, at 72 Federal Street, Auckland.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548996559598271394.post-11119380433915168332015-07-05T11:01:00.000+12:002015-07-05T11:01:51.334+12:00Sage and Kumara Soup<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was about 12 or 13 when I had my first taste of pumpkin soup. Up until then, the only pumpkin flavoured food I had was in the form of dessert (pumpkin and red bean anyone?) and the idea of a savoury pumpkin sounded absolutely absurd. And herbs? My Chinese palate had yet to discover those!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I remember being quite excited about pumpkin soup, thinking how lucky my friends were to be able to have what is essentially a dessert for a meal. I can proudly tell you that I was ever so polite and finished my meal but I was thoroughly confused. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I went home and shared this revelation with my mother who, incidentally, had experienced the same thing just a few months prior -with Kumara soup. At home, our idea of kumara soup is to boil large chunks of kumara in hot water. That's it. It doesn't sound terribly exciting but I can assure you it is tasty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We bonded over crazy western foods that night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since then, my palate has developed considerably and there is not a lot I won't eat. While pureed soup is not my ultimate favourite food, it is up there on my list of winter warmers because it is so easy to make but packed full of goodness. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you have find yourself a little short of time after work this week, give this Sage and Kumara Soup a try. Everything cooks in one pot so clean up is also a breeze!</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sage and Kumara Soup</span><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>(Serves 4, adapted from Mindfood, June 2015 issue)</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 Tbs olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4 rashers streaky bacon, chopped into small pieces</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 onions, roughly sliced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1.2 kg golden kumara, peeled and chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 Tbs sage, roughly torn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1.5 L chicken or vegetable stock</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Method:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add bacon and fry until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Keep the oil and bacon fat in the pan.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Add onions and 1/3 cup of stock. Use a wooden spoon to uplift any bacon bits that have stuck to the pan. Cook until onion is soft and translucent and the stock is mostly evaporated.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Add garlic and stir until fragrant.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. Add kumara, sage and remaining stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until the kumara is soft.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5. Use a stick blender to puree the kumara until smooth and season with salt and pepper.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6. Sprinkle bacon bits on top and serve with warm bread.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04817066774196163860noreply@blogger.com3