Cabbage flowers

1) I'm procrastinating. My LWE project was to clean up my desk and tidy up the smattering of watercolor tubes, tax receipts, half-packed gift hampers and Registration study notes. Epic fail.

2) I don't know what they're really called, but I bought them for their texture and structure. I love living near Beaufort Street...Highgate has such a wonderful selection of florists, and come to think of it, other shops too!

Ok, last post for the day. Really. Yesterday, we walked down to Northbridge for lunch. We walked from about the Inglewood Hotel all the way down to Tra Vinh, 149a Brisbane Street. My feet hurt. But, on our way home, I bought said flowers, which made me happy!

At Tra Vinh, owner had a Sunday Times "Perth top 20 eats" list stuck to the cash register, and everyone aready knows how good the food is there, so I won't go into it. As he goes to pay, my Dad says to the owner "what number are you" and the self-depracating response is a wave of the hand and "somewhere top 20 is good enough". Dad goes "but you know you are Perth's No 1 for Viethamese food", which pleased the owner no end.

I just have to say: in addition to the usual beefball / tripe pho, you have to try their special, the oxtail soup with the special egg noodles (flat, not round like Hokkien mee), and the minced pork and crabmeat one too. Bit spicy, very prawney base, add lots of mint and taugeh / beansprouts (usually this is an 'eww' food for me). Comes with two types of extra chilli (tipped all in) and black pudding, not for the faint hearted.

Also, while we were there, we nipped into Rochelle Adonis to pick up her signature chocolate thingy. Soon leaving for their other home, my Mum packed half a suitcase full of Adonis nougat; I hope it travels well! The rose petal one is particularly good. However, you MUST eat the chocolate delight (I don't know what it's really called) on the day of purchase though, it doesn't seem to keep very well.

Now, our other stop was the newly-noticed (forgot to ask if it was newly-opened?) Casa del Dolce, and what a pleasant surprise! In a previous life, we lived in Haberfield, which is Inner West Sydney. If you've been to Sydney, you know Leichhardt to be "Little Italy". I think: not true. Leichhardt is where Italians own restaurants and feed the rest of Sydney; Haberfield is where they shop. Ramsey Street is a haven of pizzerias, fresh pasta shops, continental cheese shops, delis piled high with baccala and cured meats (don't even think of just asking for 'prosciutto'...they have at least six types on any given day!), antique shops, a brilliant fruit and veg shop, and of course, Italian pastry shops. And seriously, every third shop owner was really named Mario, and if you come across a group of grandfathers on the sidewalk, watch out for the passionately flung hands and vigorous political debate! Now, Casa del Dolce was sweetly (aha sorry) reminiscent of our time living in Little Italy. We picked out what I think were ciarduna, pignoli, zeppoli and bocconcini con crema. I'm sure I routinely amused Haberfield pastry shop owners by asking to be taught how to pronounce each name. Then again, two suburbs away in Ashfield, 90% of shop signs were in Chinese, Korean or Tagalog, and hubby probably amused grocers by purchasing in a smattering of pigeon Mandarin!

I'm self-distracting! What I meant to say was, I have nothing more to add about food, but I had to share the cabbage flowers with you. Even when I buy flowers, I think of food!

Happy Foundation Day!

Special occasion experimenting

Our friends Jacqueline and Mark recently got engaged, and to celebrate, we baked them a Queen of Sheba cake.

The cake was very French, and was given a warm reception; it doesn't get better than when guests timidly ask if takeaways are allowed! Of course they are! This household encourages it, we love to share our food!



My photography doesn't do it justice. If you look closely, I've piped their initials and lots of little hearts on, in chocolate ganache. I also helped stick on the crushed almonds, but that's it, full credit to my clever man.

Congratulations to Mark and Jacqueline, I'm so thrilled for you both, I hope you don't mind my posting your photo here :)

Thinking about it, hubby is much better at baking than I am. If there's a special occasion, he's quite confident about whipping up a cake...I say confident because 99% of the time it'll be a 'first time' recipe. Meep! Thankfully again, the group agreed that they'd happily guinea pig for all future 'first cakes'. Success!

Going through my hard drive, I've found a few other special occasion experiments.

Pashka, for a Russian flavor on our Easter celebrations, tested out on his parents. Don't worry if you don't have terracota moulds, muslin in picnic cups (with mini holes drilled out of the bottoms) also work.

And here's another one, from the Anzac Day Long Weekend - our dinner catchup with the Douthies and the Caleys. Chocolate pavlova, dark chocolate curls and wild hibiscus flowers. I'm terrified of meringues but they looked like a stroll in the park. The rest of the meal was a flurry of rosemary and a pair of soft roast chooks, and a toast to fallen soldiers. Hubby's grandpa served in the war; a dashing portrait, in uniform, graced the sideboard. Oh yes, rum. Our meal was slightly Anzac themed, so of course the ration rum had to feature somewhere. Try baking layers of sweet pototo in a mixture of brown sugar, rum, allspice and nutmeg.

I digress; my point was to blog about hubby's brilliant special occasion baking. Meep, I really should get the hang of t

his food photography thing, if I'm going to insist on doing it so often!

And speaking of long weekends, hooray for Foundation Day, and hooray for Pyjama Days...unfortunately, we don't have a Foundation Day Cake, but I'm off to persuade hubby that we should...ciao, bunnies!

The Championships continue...Part 3

The Beaufort Street Merchant
488-492 Beaufort Street, Highgate

Well, my faith in bistro food is restored by the memory of a recent great night out.

My god-daughter came to visit (oh yes, seeing as she's only 16 months old, her lovely parental units came too) from Kuala Lumpur, and we thought that the BSM would be a good venue for a casual night of fairy-god-mothering.

Our four mains included: the tasting platter (brilliant mix of flavours), two serves of the meatball dish (alas, they had run out of "The Pie") and the chicken tagine. OK, playing devil's advocate after the last post: yes it's predictable cafe fare. But done oh so well, and at cafe prices! The meatball sauce was balanced and robust, the tagine was a charming blend of spices, and the tasting platter comes with a Merchant twist...cream of balsamic dipping! Ahah! Our waiter was helpful, friendly and knew the menu very well. He pointed us towards the shelves for the cream of balsamic product, and we girls got lost wandering amongst the gourmet goodies. Mr Helpful came over to announce that dinner was served, that our menfolk had not only tucked in, but were furthermore already eyeing off our dishes. As we rushed back to the table, fellow shoppers remarked on such attentive service.

Recently licensed, the wine list is the bottleshop selection. Each time I returned to the shelves for another bottle of red, Mr Helpful was hovering discretely to whisk the bottle away to cork and pour at the table. Unless you have shifty friends, leave your wallet in their care at the table, as the Merchant staff simply add the bottles to your cafe tab.

We'd lingered too long over dinner, so, to my utmost disappointment, some lucky punters had scored the last brambleberry pie! Mr Helpful suggested we try the lemon tart instead...and it almost didn't warrant taking second place. It just oozed happiness and twinkly stars! I have photos, but they've gone to KL on someones iPhone...Princess Bossy, hint hint!! xo

Be warned - it's table service at night but counter service during the day, so if you expect to get in for weekend brunch, go early or wear comfy shoes, as the queue often snakes around the cafe and into the shop, but at least you can browse while you wait! Thankfully, they take table reservations for dinner, and the cafe layout is cozy but roomy enough for all-terrain pram manoeuvrability.

Verdict: magical! If only I could wave my wand and conjure up sparkly dining experiences all the time! Yes we'd go back, again and again!
I'm on the shop's mailing list for Scott Taylor's enthusiastic email updates, and it's obvious his passion extends to all aspects of the cafe and shop!

By the way Sarvelicious, a magical bottle of said cream of balsamic was in your cake-day hamper, let me know if the happiness carries over when we take it home, or if it only works on premises!

The Championships continue...Part 2

Bradley's
22/60 Royal Street, East Perth (Claisebrook Cove)

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, blessed with great weather after a week of steady rain, so our weekly family lunch took itself to Bradleys, for some East Perth waterfront ambiance and a dose of Vitamin D.

The menu was strangely predictable - roast pork, lamb shoulder, salmon fillet, one pasta dish, a scallop dish...
So why was I prepared to accept Boucla's menu as "delightfully select" but not Bradley's? Let's eat on...

The beef fillet wrapped in pate and pastry sounded delicious but they had just run out, and the liver and bacon with onion rings was an interesting addition to the menu. Our friends Jen &Kryi* remarked that they thought that "Bradley's does it few but does it well". So far, I was unconvinced but willing to be converted.

Five diners sat down to:
1) SotD, cauliflower and Stilton (should always be a winner, and yes, marvellous flavors), which was ordered with another starter, the duck liver pate with brioche. I groaked alot, as it was a sure winner. The pate had a good texture, wasn't too rich, and the brioche was divine. Luckily, Dad shared it out very willingly!
2) Roast pork. Highlight: the crackling. Lowlight: where's the zing?
3 & 4) Lamb shoulders. Highlight: well-cooked. Lowlight: inconsistent. The meat poked apart with my fork but was disappointingly flat. As I voiced my disappointment, we came to agree that my lamb dishes are most enjoyed when accompanied by a soft medley of flavors, which is why we love Greek and Lebanese lamb dishes. The side of steamed veggies were boring and the roast potatoes were uninspiring.
5) Liver with trimmings: unusual, interesting, large serve, probably contained enough iron for the next few weeks!

The rest of our party hurried off as their parking had expired, but hubby and I lingered in the mottled sunlight for coffee, dessert and redemption. Hubby had the creme brulee (average) with walnut biscuits (amazing). Perhaps I'm being harsh and grumpy, as it is surprisingly difficult to make a good creme brulee. I ordered the banoffee pie, which, to my utter delight, came created as a single biscuit base round, spread thickly with toffee, topped with fresh bananas and a massive dollop of cream. The coffee was also a saving grace, with hints of tobacco and spice.

Bradley's had all the ingredients for a successful lunch story, so what went wrong? East Perth is a riot of fancy restaurants, but unfortunately a place on the waterfront doesn't guarantee a good meal. I should point out that the waitstaff were very attentive and our meals were prompt in spite of how busy they were. I wonder whether our Perth palettes have been spoilt for choice, and our expectations of an East Perth bistros are now unnaturally high! Perhaps the key word is 'bistro'; was I looking for haute cuisine and disappointed by the bistro food? Is it right for a venue to serve bistro quality food but charge haute cuisine prices?

Overall, in spite of my comments, I might return for a casual meal of pate, pie and coffee; everyone else enjoyed bits of their meals but the overall opinion was that it was average and disappointing, not warranting a second visit. Oh I feel like such a grump blogging this, but it's true, oh so true!

Nevermind, all the more reason to keep trawling through the vast offerings of Perth and greater WA...

The championship course continues: eating our way around Perth...Part 1

Well, we've been munching, brunching, lunching and crunching our way around the City. Occasionally, between bites, we remember to blog 'bout it! Some reviews follow from our most recent meals...

Boucla

439 Rokeby Road, Subiaco

April's Jameliche dinner! Chosen by blog contributor Hanini, Boucla was a cave of jewels and wonders. They don't take bookings, so Sarvelicious hurried down early to secure a table and a selection of mezze (highlight: robust meatballs with hints of cumin on a bed of rocket and tzaztiki) and some blood orange juice. Filigreed, beaten silver lanterns hung from a dark ceiling, and dining tables nestled cosily among shelves, artfully draped with jewellery and home wares. The main counter was stacked high with baklava and other tempting pastries, distracting us from our main meals. Aladdin's Cave? Indeed!

Our four mains: beef with eggplant, cinnamon and honey over rice, chicken tagine with olives over couscous, spanakopita with salad and SotD, lentils. The menu was very select, but every dish was beautifully flavored and balanced.

After dinner, we managed to fit in some kourabiedes* (crescent shaped Greek shortbread biscuits), date biscuits* and a chocolate friand. Our waiter wasn't sure which date biscuit we wanted, so he brought us both kinds, the second type was on the house! I ran back after we'd paid our bill to pick up a third date biscuit for hubby. It was buttery soft and lightly scented with orange blossom water. Even if you can't get a table, pick up a few of these biscuits with a take-away coffee.

The next weekend, I threw together a Boucla-inspired dish: beef and eggplant tagine, with honey, cinnamon and pomegranate molasses, cubes of Danish fetta and burghul. It was easier than trying to fight for a table on a Saturday night! If you're keen, it's worth the wait; Boucla has the Jameliche stamp of approval!

*P/s Jen if you're reading this and you've got a good recipe for Greek date biscuits from Mama Tombouloglou, please don't hold back...!!

Recipe: Thelma's Apple Cake

Prior to getting married, my bridesmaids (and aren’t girlfriends and old friends such a blessing!) threw me a champagne breakfast hen’s party, which incidentally started at breakfast but continued with tea, champagne and leftovers, well into the late afternoon. When the girls issued invitations, they also asked that each girlfriend who attended brought a copy of their favorite recipe(s), to add to a folder of newlywed favorites, presented to me during the breakfast.

This gem came from Milly, originally from Beverley, WA. I can’t remember if Thelma is a distant relative, as the other recipes from the family included recipes from three generations of Williamson-related women. The other potential source would be a CWA publication of Beverley / Dale / York region recipes. I’d recently watched an episode of The Cook and the Chef wherein Maggie and Simon explored the joys of hearty country cooking and baked goods, and a visit to the Williamson’s farm in Beverley always results in admiration for the Mrs Farmers out there who churn out hot breakfasts, fresh-baked goods for morning tea, a selection of sandwiches for lunch, more goodies for afternoon tea and then pudding on top of a full roast meal afterwards! I find that baking doesn’t come as naturally to me, as say, concocting elaborate dinner parties for a table of six, so I am particularly gleeful when I find such a simple cake that works a treat every time…well I expect it to now, as it worked beautifully the first time, last night, as an impulsive pre-dinner bake session!

Confession: I tried cupcakes for Sarvenator’s birthday party on Saturday, and I needed an excuse to finish off the excess of honey spiced icing.

Solution:

Thelma’s Apple Cake

Preheat oven to 180°C and prepare (grease and flour or line with g-p paper) a single deep tin (with hole in the middle…cakes baked for parties able to supply its technical name…) or two shallow pizza tins.

In a large bowl, mix:

1 cup flour

1 t baking soda

1 t allspice

1 t cinnamon

1 ½ cup sugar

Add:

½ cup walnuts

2 apples, peeled and cored and roughly cubed (I used my whiz bang apple thing again to produce lovely discs for me)

½ cup sultanas or raisins or currants (or cranberries? Goji berries? How about dried mangoes with macadamias instead? Or strawberries and pine nuts? Oo…)

Add:

215g melted butter

1 egg (No eggs at home! So I looked up substitutes online…didn’t have bananas or applesauce on hand, but the ¼ c measure (total) with 3t milk whisked in with olive oil (remainder) worked well)

Mix well (expect a thick mixture), pour into tin(s), bake for about 50 minutes (fan-forced), cool and ice.

The top is delightfully crispy because of the melted butter, and the base is quite soft. Bake longer if you want a firmer result, one tin turned out only good for pudding because I booched its removal from the tin, and the other got iced for sharing.

The icing was a variation on a butter cream, wherein you beat the butter, honey, sugar and spices for two minutes, swirl icy cold water over and tip it out, and then beat for another two minutes, repeating the process about four to five times. The icing just gets more white and fluffy and the honey aroma just wafts around the kitchen. Very weird, but the ice water doesn’t glug up the mix, it just whirls over and tips out, still clear, which makes sense when you think about it, but I don’t usually go round pouring water into the butter tub or honey pot…!