My Mum’s Almond Cookies

15 May

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I have fond memories as a five year old coming home from school to the smell of freshly baked almond cookies. Recently, I asked my mum to show me how she makes these bite-size cookies that is crunchy at first bite then slowly crumbles in your mouth. This is a Chinese almond cookie recipe that I think could easily compete with the ones bought from Chinese bakeries.

My Mum’s Chinese Almond Cookies (makes 48 small cookies)

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups Plain flour
  • 1 cup Self Raising flour
  • 1 cup Castor sugar
  • 1 cup Almond meal
  • ½ cup Almond flake (chopped)
  • 1 cup Cooking oil (My mum uses Rice Bran oil)
  • 2 Eggs, beaten (set aside a small portion for brushing)

Method:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180*C and prepare 2 trays lined with baking paper
  2. Combine all of the ingredients into a large bowl, mix well and set aside a small portion of the beaten egg for brushing later
  3. Shape and roll the mixture into 1 inch balls (you will need to firmly press it so that it doesn’t fall apart).
  4. Brush the remaining egg mixture onto the top of each of the cookies
  5. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden
  6. Let the cookies cool down on a cooling rack to give it a good crunch ;)

I hope you’ll enjoy one of my childhood treats that my mum still makes these days!

*Foodsaurus

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PappaRich – Chatswood

15 May

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I headed to Chatswood for dinner on Saturday after hearing news that they’ve opened a new Malaysian restaurant- PappaRich. As expected, we were met with long queues and we waited for a good 45 minutes for a table for two.

Once seated in the upmarket dai-pai-dong style restaurant, we looked through their extensive menu and wrote the following items down onto our order pad before pressing the buzzer:

  • Pappa Char Koay Teow – wok fried flat noodles with prawns, egg and bean sprouts. ($12.50)
  • Roti Canai ($5.90)
  • Pappa Asam Laksa – Thick rice noodles served in aromatic fish-based tamarind broth with shredded pineapple, lettuce, red chilli, cucumber, onion and lemon grass ($12.50)
  • White Coffee Jelly Drink ($4.90)
  • Milo Dinosaur ($4.90)

The food was delicious, I’ve never had a Asam Laksa before but I loved the aromatic thick soup with all its ingredients. The roti was crispy and personally preferred this over Mamak’s. The char koay teow proved that the restaurant has good ‘wok hei’, the Chinese saying which literally means the breath of a wok, the term describes the taste imparted by a hot wok during stir frying.

The White Coffee Jelly wasn’t the best white coffee I’ve had but satisfied my crave for an Asian drink. Peter ordered the Milo Dinosaur which I had a few sips of – loved it. For those who don’t know what it is, it’s basically a cold Milo drink with a few extra scoops of Milo to top it off.

PappaRich is most definitely on my list for any future Malaysian food cravings.

PappaRich
63A Archer St, Chatswood
(02) 9411 3207
http://www.papparich.net.au

*Foodsaurus

Papparich on Urbanspoon

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Lil Cilantro – Cherrybrook

3 May

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Lil Cilantro is located at Cherrybrook Village, they describe themselves as authentic Vietnamese with a bit of French flair. Unlike most Vietnamese diners you walk into in Sydney, Lil Cilantro has a classy feel to it with mood-lighting and stylish décor.

This was my second time at Lil Cilantro, I came here with a bunch of friends for Sunday lunch. Here’s what I ordered:

  • Lil Cilantro Combination with rice or vermicelli noodles Grilled marinated beef, pork, fried spring roll, sugarcane prawn stick served with steam rice, vermicelli noodles or salad. ($15.50)
  • Special Beef Noodle Soup (Pho Dac Biet) Thin rice noodles in a master broth with sliced rump steak, beef brisket, meatballs, beef tendon and tripe – ($14.50)
  • Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Cafe Sua Da) Dark roasted coffee with sweetened condensed milk ($4.50)

Lil Cilantro Combination vermicelli was like a tasting platter as I was able to try a number of my favourites on one plate- grilled beef, grilled pork,  sugarcane prawn stick and a spring roll with fish sauce dip (Nuoc Cham). I loved the grilled beef & grilled pork, but the spring roll was a bit of a let down as it wasn’t crispy and the stuffing inside wasn’t to my taste.

To top off our visit, five of us ordered the Campos Vietnamese Iced Coffee, it was fun watching my friends pour the tiny but strong shot of caffeine into their iced glasses. Some thought the coffee was too strong but personally I liked the shot with condensed milk.

Lil Cilantro’s prices are on the more expensive side for Vietnamese food but it’s a relaxing place to dine in if you’re in the area.

Lil Cilantro

Shop 25, 41-47 Shepherds Drive, Cherrybrook
02 9481 9003
http://www.lilcilantro.com.au/

*Foodsaurus

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Homemade Snow Egg

5 Apr

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I hosted a small dinner party at home for my birthday this year. I cooked two courses and asked my dessert king friends Jason & Sammy to make the dessert. Jason & Sammy decided to attempt the famous Snow Egg created by Peter Gilmore from the 3 Hatted restaurant, Quay.

If you’re a MasterChef Australia fan, you’d be aware that the Snow Egg was the final challenge between Callum Hann and Adam Liaw in the 2010 series. This recipe consists of approximately 20 ingredients with some crazy elements and techniques involved.

Jason & Sammy started preparing the custard apple ice cream & maltose tuiles three days in advance and assembled the 12 Snow Eggs on the night – we got to blow-torch the tuiles onto the poached meringues.

Without further ado, I present you Jason & Sammy’s Guava and Custard Apple Snow Egg!

To give the Homemade Snow Egg a go, check out the recipe on http://www.masterchef.com.au/recipes/guava-and-custard-apple-snow-egg.htm.

*Foodsaurus

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Jamie’s Italian – Sydney

3 Apr
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After waiting 90 minutes for a table, the five of us were finally seated in a semi-private dining table downstairs with a corner view of the kitchen. Whilst this wasn’t my first time at Jamie’s Italian, it was the first time I had to queue (last time I came for lunch and arrived on the dot when they opened at noon).

Here’s what the five of us ordered to share:

  • Jool’s Favourite Sicilian Tuna Fusilli Albacore tuna slow-cooked with tomatoes, garlic, herbs & cinnamon with crunchy, herby breadcrumbs ($12 Entree/$18.50 Main)
  • Sausage Pappardelle Slow-braised fennel sausage ragù with red wine, Parmesan & crunchy, herby breadcrumbs ($12 Entree/$18 Main)
  • Wild Truffle Risotto Finely minced black truffle with butter & Parmesan. ($13.50 Entree/$22 Main)
  • Wild Mushroom Ravioli Filled with garlic, wild mushrooms & artisanal ricotta, served with a rich mushroom & tomato sauce ($12.50 Entree/$19 Main)
  • Seafood Bucatini tubular spaghetti steamed in a bag with crab, mussels, clams, squid, scallops, capers, chilli, garlic, white wine & juicy sweet tomatoes ($29.50)
  • New Zealand King Salmon slow cooked with asparagus, courgette & mascarpone sauce with house-made gigli pasta ($? Main/$13 Entree – Blackboard Special)
  • Apple Slaw with Radishes, walnuts, candied beets, mint & lemon with yoghurt ($7.50)
An on the house selection of bread with olive oil & balsamic vinegar was served after we placed our order. Our food arrived promptly and as soon as we started slurpping down the pasta, the thought of waiting 1.5 hours for a table was quite worthwhile.

It’s hard to pinpoint a favourite dish, however I enjoyed - Jool’s Favourite Sicilian Tuna Fusilli (I loved the breadcrumbs that we got to sprinkle ourselves) Wild Truffle Risotto (simple dish with lovely flavours!) I also really enjoyed the Sausage Pappardelle with its herbs and slow-braised meat tossed through a pasta with amazing textures.

We shared the following desserts at the end of our meal:

  • Tiramisu Coffee-flavoured trifle with orange mascarpone & chocolate ($9.50)
  • Chocolate & Vin Santo Pot with hazelnut biscotti & zabaglione ice cream ($9)

We loved orange tang to the Tiramisu and the fact that it wasn’t too rich. The Chocolate & Vin Santo Pot was a delight and a great treat to finish the night.

Jamie’s Italian is worth visiting even with the queues as the prices are very reasonable for good food. I can’t think of somewhere else in Sydney where you can dine at a celebrity chef restaurant and pay $150 for five people.

Jamie’s Italian

107 Pitt St, Sydney
(02) 8240 9000
http://www.jamieoliver.com/italian/australia/

*Foodsaurus

Jamie's Italian on Urbanspoon

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Jackson’s @ Landmark Hotel – Eastwood

15 Jan

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[Note: This restaurant has since closed down]

It was a busy Saturday night when Peter & I decided to visit Jackson’s Restaurant at Landmark Hotel in Eastwood.

I’ve been wanting to dine at Jackson’s since it first opened in September last year as recommended by my friend Diana whose husband is the head chef there. In December, Mitchell Davis won the title ‘Best Pub Chef’ in Sydney Morning Herald’s 2013 Pub Food Guide.

The menu has clearly been designed with Eastwood in mind, not only does it have the usual pub grub of ribs and rumps, the menu also consists of Eastern flavours such as Duck Spring Rolls and Green Tea Crème Brûlée to reflect the Asian population in the area.

On Saturday night, we ordered the following dishes:

  • Three Mushroom Ravioli (replaced with penne pasta)- w/ Sage Butter, Walnut Crumbs, Truffle Oil & Shaved Pecorino ($18)
  • 400g Grasslands Pasture Fed Rump – MSA 3, Pasture Fed, Marble Score 2+, SA ($19)
  • Green Tea Crème Brûlée – w/ Lychee Coulis & Chocolate Dipped Fortune Cookie ($10)

Our food came relatively quickly, the staff were friendly and we had the option of dining inside the bistro or out on the balcony.

The Three Mushroom Penne had great flavours with just the right amount of ingredients. I took a few bites out of the massive medium-rare 400g Grasslands Fed Rump with delicious mushroom sauce and smokey flavoured fries which were included in the $19. The lychee coulis and white chocolate covered fortune cookie were a good accompaniment for the crème brûlée. However, it was a shame that we were unable to taste any green tea in our dessert!

Whilst I was slightly disappointed with the missing green tea factor in my crème brûlée, I thoroughly enjoyed the food and I’m already planning my next visit.

Jackson’s Restaurant

Landmark Hotel
20 West Pde, Eastwood
(02) 9858 4497

*Foodsaurus

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Kobe Jones Sydney

13 Jan

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At the end of 2012, two girlfriends and I enjoyed the sunset overlooking the Sydney Harbour as we slowly ate our way through an eleven dish “Unkai” menu at Kobe Jones with vouchers from Spreets.

The Unkai menu included the following dishes:

  • Number One Special- Crab salad with avocado wrapped in Hiramasa kingfish and nori, baked in a secret sauce then topped with bitter-sweet soy glaze and smelt roe
  • Wafu Oysters- Freshly shucked oysters in the shell, served with ponzu dressing
  • Crunchy Roll- Tempura prawn with crab salad and cucumber, layered with tempura flakes and smelt roe, then drizzled with house made saffron aioli and bitter-sweet soy glaze
  • Tuna Tataki – Black pepper and furikake coated fresh tuna, topped with wafu citrus dressing and alfalfa sprouts
  • Calamari Salad – Garden greens topped with crispy calamari fritto, smelt roe, seaweed, shallot and drizzled with Kobe’s mayo dressing
  • Jalapeno Scallop- Hokkaido scallop marinated in KJ citrus ponzu, topped with fresh jalapeños
  • Lava Roll- Crab salad and avocado roll with steamed Western Australian lobster meat and a special cream sauce, then sprinkled with smelt roe, shallot, roasted sesame seed and bitter soy glaze
  • Vegetable Tempura
  • Tenderloin Amiyaki- Grilled and sliced, served with wasabi mash, stir fried capsicum and Amiyaki sauce
  • Green Tea Salmon- Warmed six-hour cold smoked salmon, seared and marinated in green tea, served with sesame nori cream
  • Okashi

My favourite dish was the Number One Special that kicked off the night, it was unlike any sushi/roll I’ve had in the past. I was intrigued to find the slice of kingfish glued to the nori (seaweed), the smelt roe was delicious and the ingredients of this dish worked really well especially as a starter. It was truly mouthwatering!

Kobe Jones provided excellent service and as you can tell by the photos, the portions were huge! We barely made it through to our last course.

Kobe Jones

29 Lime St, Sydney
(02) 9299 5290
http://www.kobejones.com.au/sydney

*Foodsaurus

Kobe Jones on Urbanspoon

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MoVida bar de Tapas – Melbourne

7 Jan

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MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Sorry for the lack of updates… I’ve been busy away from Foodsaurus and have now returned with a post :)

I recently went to Melbourne for a holiday where I enjoyed the city life, visited Frankston to see their annual sand sculptures and of course ate lots of food!

MoVida was initially not on my t0-do list, but as I have heard great reviews and had a bit of time left in Melbourne, I called MoVida to see whether I could make a last minute reservation. Whilst they were fully booked for dinner for another week, they were available for lunch so I made a lunch booking for two at the original MoVida bar de Tapas at Hosier Lane.

We arrived before the doors were open so we took the opportunity to enjoy & take snaps of the art on the alleyway.

Once the doors were open, we were served complimentary bread (we were charged an optional $1 for the ‘Bread for Change’ campaign). We asked the waitress for her menu recommendations and decided to go for a ‘chef selection’ for about $50-60 per head as we were hungry & wanted to try a bit of everything…

Here’s what we ended up eating for $119 all up (including two coffees at the end of our meal):

  • ANCHOA Hand-filleted Cantabrian Artisan Anchovy on 
Crouton with Smoked Tomato Sorbet ($4.50 each)
  • CROQUETAS DE CHOCO EN SU TINTA Squid Ink Croquette with Cuttlefish ($4 each)
  • CABALLA AHUMADO House Cold Smoked Spanish Mackerel 
with Pine Nut Gazpacho Sorbet ($5.50 each)
  • POLLO ESCABACHE AL MIGUEL Spiced Chicken Escabache Tapa on Crisp Crouton ($4.50 each)
  • CECINA Air-dried Wagyu with Poached Organic Egg and Truffle Foam ($21)
  • PULPO A LA GALLEGA Galician Octopus with Kipfler Potatoes and Spanish Sweet Paprika ($?)
  • SETAS ASADAS CON JEREZ Oven-roasted Portobello Mushrooms Finished with Sherry Vinegar ($13)
  • CARRILLERA DE BUEY Slowly Braised Beef Cheek in Pedro Ximenez on Cauliflower Puree ($23.50)

The Tapa dishes I absolutely LOVED were Anchoa (MoVida’s signature dish) which had an anchovy on crouton with smoked tomato sorbet, Caballa Ahumado cold smoked mackerel 
with pine nut gazpacho sorbet which was our waitress’ personal favourite tapa dish. You’ve got to try these two dishes!

The Raciones (sharing) dishes I really enjoyed were Carrillera De Buey slow braised beef cheek in pedro ximenez on cauliflower puree – the beef cheek melted in your mouth, the puree & accompany sauce was memorable. The special of the day was also a highlight, Galician Octopus with potatoes and paprika – loved the crispy seasoned potatoes!

Whilst the meal did come with a price tag, the food was creative & delicious and we were given excellent service.

This dining experience was a highlight of my Melbourne trip. Two Good Food Hats well deserved.

MoVida bar de Tapas

1 Hosier Ln, Melbourne
(03) 9663 3038
http://movida.com.au

*Foodsaurus

MoVida Bar de Tapas on Urbanspoon

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Basil’s Seafood Restaurant – Marsfield

12 Nov

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Basil’s Seafood Restaurant is a hidden gem in Marsfield. I first discovered this with my family a couple of years ago when my dad received a gift voucher for Basil’s as a Christmas gift for being on a school board.

I recently visited Basil’s again, this time for lunch to celebrate a friend’s birthday and to catch up. The three of us decided to have their $39 lunch special which was a 2-course menu with a glass of NZ wine.

As there were three of us and three selections for both Entree & Main, we ordered everything…

  • (Entree) Salt & Pepper Squid – Lightly fried with dry roast spices and served with chilli, lime and garlic sauce
  • (Entree) Prawns & Scallop Risotto – Fresh green prawns and scallops with saffron and a touch of garlic
  • (Entree) Char grilled Vegetable Stack – Seasonal vegetables layered with haloumi and drizzled with aioli
  • (Main) Atlantic Salmon Fillet- Lightly grilled salmon fillet served with a light Meuniere sauce
  • (Main) Empire King Fish
  • (Main) Chicken Gamberie – Chicken breast fillet sauteed and flambeed with Pernod, dried tomatoes, asparagus and cream sauce

As you can see, the servings were large and generous (even the Entree looked like a Main!!) My favourite dish was the Salt & Pepper Squid which was seasoned well and not deep-fried. I also enjoyed the Prawns & Scallop Risotto which can be ordered as a Main dish from the menu. We slowly ate our way through the two courses, and whilst our eyes desired the beautiful desserts that were brought to us on a display plate, we passed it.

Basil’s offer fresh seafood, a comfortable environment to dine at with friends & family and the waitstaff are generally hospitable.

Basil’s Seafood Restaurant

Shop 3, 4 Trafalgar Pl, Marsfield
(02) 9876 6617
http://www.basils.com.au/

*Foodsaurus

Basil's Seafood Restaurant on Urbanspoon

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Ginger & Shallots Chinese Cuisine – Eastwood

6 Nov

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Ginger & Shallots Chinese Cuisine is located opposite the double storey car park at Eastwood. I haven’t dined at Ginger & Shallots due to the reputation the location holds from previous owners. But Wendy who also loves her food, recommended Ginger & Shallots and wanted me to try their Emperor Chicken with Chilli and Salt & Pepper Deep Fried Bean Curd.

So that’s what we did before our Sugar Hit at Sofitel. There were four of us and we ordered the following with rice:

  • Salt & Pepper Deep Fried Bean Curd ($12.80)
  • Emperor Chicken with Chilli ($16.80)
  • Stir Fried Gai Lan ($?)

Like a number of Chinese/Cantonese restaurants, a complimentary soup was served before our meal.

I loved the two dishes that Wendy recommended and would recommend it to you too!

The Salt & Pepper Deep Fried Bean Curd was crispy on the outside with a soft tofu centre and was accompanied by crispy garlic, shallots, coriander and chilli which really gave it the ‘kick’. The Emperor Chicken with Chilli was delicious- the meat was tender and skin was crispy. I especially enjoyed the addictive tangy sauce.

Ginger & Shallots Chinese Cuisine

25/1 Lakeside Rd Eastwood
(02) 9874 8066
http://www.gingerandshallots.com.au/

*Foodsaurus
Ginger&Shallots Chinese Cuisine on Urbanspoon

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