Breakfast with my Puppy

I know he's not a puppy any more - in fact he's 2 in April! But I think he'll always be my puppy no matter what :)

And yes, I do spoil him - he had croissants with me :)

This tea smells AMAZING

Breakfast is served :)

Sydney

I haven't been overseas in over a year. Since purchasing the business, finances are being extremely stretched at the moment. I'm actually living on my university diet again (mainly consisting of 2 minute noodles and toast). I am praying that things get better :\

Last week I took a day off work as Paul had a management training course in North Sydney to attend (if his boss is giving him a free hotel room, I ain't staying home alone!) I organised lunch with my mother and walked around Sydney CBD alone while I waited for her.

I haven't had a long, lonely stroll like that since my university days! I have to say it was quite pleasant. Made me realise that hey, I might not be able to go overseas now but my hometown Sydney is quite a fine city.

Hyde Park Ibis

St Mary's Cathedral

Sydney Tower
View from Hyde Park

A small treat I got for my mummy :)

QVB Clock

Happy Valentine's Day

So my husband doesn't believe in Valentine's Day. Never has and probably never will at this rate. I can see his point - why should we celebrate a holiday that is purely commercial and is only for generating useless gift sales? Shouldn't we be able to express our love on any day we want?

I will admit, he utterly spoils me for my birthday and Christmas... but it's not the gifts or the getaways, it's the sentiment that I cherish most! Before Paul came to Australia we used to hand write letters to each other. Even though we talked online (and on the phone!) pretty much every day. We'd send each other silly little things. He sent me 4 or 5 maple candies because he wanted me to try them. I sent him a lock of my hair and a small cushion I'd received as a gift and didn't want!

Since we've been together, Valentine's Day has never been observed. I decided this year however, that I would try to break (our) tradition and do something on Valentine's Day. Something small. But sentimental. Home-made.

I made a chocolate cake that in the past got me a simple, wordless kiss on the cheek after Paul tried one bite. That small gesture spoke volumes to me! Like the time he took a bite of a sugar pie I'd made and said he felt like he was back in his childhood Summer town, Tadoussac (where we got married in Quebec, Canada). I'd only worked with fondant once before so decided to attempt it again. Something simple. Something I could work on mid-week after work so that it could be ready for Valentine's Thursday.

It took me much shorter than I expected - one evening for baking, next morning for crumb coating then 25-ish minutes for fondant decorating! It went more smoothly than I had anticipated!

Paul's response was:
"But you made me a girly cake"

Roxanne "Nigella" Fry

...at least that's what a friend called me in a comment on one of my Facebook pictures!

My love of food - my real love, a love beyond a Big Mac and fries, truly began when I was a teenager. It all began when I discovered the beautiful Nigella Lawson. She simply embodied everything I wanted to be - intelligent, beautiful, a fantastic cook and, using the phrase that she herself coined - a domestic goddess. If you don't know what I mean, just watch one of her cooking shows and listen to how she describes her ingredients. One of my favourite quotes from her whilst incorporating chocolate into a dessert: "Sooner or later everything gives way to chocolate, which is after all the natural order of things."

So here are some pictures of my recent kitchen creations:

Brioche French Toast
(with maple syrup and powdered sugar)

Sablé Breton (Breton Biscuits)

Mini-meat Croissants
I cheated and used ready made puff pastry

For the mini-meat croissants, stir fry mince meat (I think I used veal mince I had in the freezer) with one chopped onion and a couple of cloves of garlic, any herbs of your choice (I used fresh parsley) and salt and pepper. Cut a puff pastry square into small triangles - if I remember correctly I cut the square into 16 first then halved each 1/16. Place a blob of meat in the centre of each triangle then roll into a croissant shape, tucking the "feet" around to form crescents. I simply used water to seal the edges. Bake at about 200C until golden brown (using a beaten egg wash before baking helps the browning)

Smashed Meringue for Making Eton Mess

Eton Mess with Meringue, Raspberry Jam,
Chantilly Cream and Home-made Custard

Cheap and simple food here! Salmon
with mi goreng instant noodles
and salad with a red wine vinaigrette

Always fry salmon or other fish skin-side down first to avoid curling of the skin.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Paul made some suggestions - I added rolled oats and
sesame seeds!

My Birthday - Day 4

All good things must come to an end. I always feel glum like a child on the last day of camping, when we come to our last morning in the Hunter Valley. Reluctantly, I would fold and play tetris with our clothes in the luggage. The rain was still quite steady and strong so again, we stayed in watching tennis until check-out time. Because of the hedonism over my birthday weekend we decided to skip breakfast and save our hunger for lunch. I took one last Pokolbin vineyard photo first.

We did some wine tasting (and purchasing!). Then, lunch was at Muse cafe (between the restaurant and Hungerford Hill cellar door is a smaller space of cafe tables). I don't know what it was, (the fact that I skipped breakfast? The knowledge that we were going back home? Or simply the amazing food?) but I absolutely, utterly savoured every last morsel, drop, flake and crumb... and washed down with a healthy glass of Shiraz of course.

I just had to have Muse's amazing gnocchi yet again!
This time with speck and Swiss brown 'shrooms

2010 Hungerford Hill Shiraz
I already have a bottle at home, but this
makes me feel all warm & fuzzy inside!

Pan-seared Canadian Scallops with an Asian Salad

Duck Tortellini - I melted.

See what I mean?

Braised Beef Parcel

The Pièce de résistance for me - a Strawberry Eton Mess
It was such a simple dessert, but it's one of life's indulgent little pleasures
Broken meringue, strawberries, strawberry jam,
Chantilly cream and baby basil leaves to set it all off

Petit fours before we hit the road home
L-R: lemon tart, raspberry macaron, caramel slice

Almond frangipane tart on the left

 We drove through Mt View again on our way back to Sydney. It was just too breathtaking for me not to see it a second time before leaving - even if it was raining. So tempted to look at real estate in the area!!

Low hanging rain clouds. It still did not stop raining!
Rain and dirt roads gave me a muddy car to wash later on.

Until we meet again, Hunter Valley...

My Birthday - Day 3

After that stinking hottest ever recorded in Sydney day, we woke up in the Hunter Valley to a beautiful overcast and 20 degree morning! Perfect for a walk through the beautiful vineyards :)

We had breakfast at Cafe Enzo - we originally wanted to try Peterson's Champagne House but didn't realise you'd need a booking (for breakfast? really??) - I suppose the hot air balloon people book out the place for breakfast upon their return. Anyhow, it was meant to be because not only do Cafe Enzo serve Campos coffee, I got to enjoy my breakfast to the smooth sound of Sia's voice followed by Thom Yorke in Atoms for Peace (he's the lead singer of Radiohead if you didn't know!!) I love a cafe with fantastic taste in music!

My coffee came with a Tiny Teddy! I thought
it was an adorable touch!

Delicious eggs benedict on ciabatta with wilted spinach

For lunch we went to the beautiful Muse Kitchen - the head chef Troy of Muse Restaurant at Hungerford Hill winery (our favourite place on the planet) recently opened this intimate restaurant on the picturesque grounds of Keith Tulloch winery. Their doors weren't open for long before he was awarded yet another chef's hat!

Sashimi with Ruby Red Grapefruit, Soy & Ginger Dressing

The homey decor of Maine meets Provencale

The gnocchi at both Muse and Muse Kitchen are
the most delicious I have ever eaten

QLD Banana Prawn with truss tomatoes grown by the chef

Salad of Young Leaves with Radishes and Roast Macadamias

Iced Milk with Gingerbread Crumble and Cherries

The Beautiful Estate of Keith Tulloch Winery

The weather went from one extreme (the day before being the hottest recorded day) to the other - it began to rain. And pour it did. Which was unfortunate because there wasn't much we could do except stay in and watch the Australian Open on TV!

Well for dinner we drove down to Mount View - named so for a reason! The place was so stunning I want to move there. There is a small B&B at Tallavera Grove called "Little Orchard" and we had dinner at Bistro Molines - chef hatted for 3 consecutive years. Like Muse Kitchen, their cuisine is rustic French food.

Carpaccio of Kingfish on a Bed of Daikon Radish

Battered White Bait

Clam Linguine - I really enjoyed this

Pomme Frites :)

Rack of lamb with Petit Ratatouille Provençal,
roasted tomatoes, rosemary & garlic jus

Pan-seared Jewfish with King Prawn, Snow Pea Medley
and Saffron Cream

Chocolate Mousse Mille Feuille - Divine!

Chocolate Fondant with Caramel Ice Cream

I can't complain ;)