Dumpling Delight

Squid and green beans with cumin




pork and fennel dumplings



So on Sunday evening I got taken to Barilla Dumpling, an extremely popular Asian Restuarant. Fluro lighting and plastic tableclothes do little to dim its appeal, and the que for a table was out the door.

An impressive menu with even more impressive prices -  $10 for 20 pork and fennel dumplings, its hard to not be taken with the place. The busy surroundings adds to the atmosphere of the place, and with the asian written board menu its not hard to picture myself back in Vietnam. The food (as in Vietnam) comes out when its good and ready, so don't expect your dishes all at once.

After an extensive debate we settled on three options - pork and fennel dumplings, squid and cumin with green beans, and the fried french beans with spicy salt - something which my dining companion raved about. And once I had tried it I could see why. Covered in almost a tempura batter, they were light and crispy, and oh so delicious.



fried french beans with spicy salt



Condiments ahoy each table have their own pots of soy, asian vinegar, and mild-chilli oil...something which pleases myself as I like to drown each chopstick held bite. Tea also comes complimentary to your table. And something to make the purse strings even happier...Barilla is a BYO so you can have your own cheap bottle of plonk without having to worry about shelling out the average $50 charge for one in a restaurant.

Don't expect great service, or lush surroundings, but do expect delicious food that is great value for money. A must visit for any Aucklander with tastebuds!

Emily x

Hold the press : ive found the best invention ever!

 Okay. Steady yourselves people. As after 25 years I've just found a simple kitchen appliance that makes everything tasty, and practically gourmet (in my eyes!). Enter the 'immersion blender'.

I cant believe it. All I did was chop up some nearly-off veg, cook it then blend it in the pan with some chicken stock and I feel like Gordon Ramsey right about now. Its so tasty! And SO smooth. And I thought making your own soup was quite a hassle. How wrong I was! Oh gosh I want to eat/drink this all day.

I'm about to become the soup woman. Right now I would happily forgo packing the hair-straightener's to make room for my immersion blender. And its oh so easy to clean! Believe me, coming from the girl who finds two minute noodles a right faff to make, this soup could not have been easier! 

Immersion blender, I applaud you.

Emily x

nah nah my friends sweetcorn pattys are better than yours...Three Bags Full review.

Sunday morning/afternoon and brunch is on the menu at Three Bags Full in Abbotsford. We pull up and it looks popular...people lining the sidewalk for a seat. But we catch a glimpse of the food coming out and make the decision to wait on the street with the rest. And wait we do...

But finally we are seated, and after much deliberation myself and my sister decide to share the Beetroot cured salmon, with corn, pea and feta fritter, avocado, rocket and dill sour cream, and the Roasted pumpkin and sage fritters with grilled haloumi and a parsley, pinenut, Parmesan and pomegranate salad. We added eggs, as what is a breakfast without eggs?! and had a fresh juice of apple, pear and mint - (cannot recommend this enough!)

The food came out - literally a picture of perfection, an artists dream on a plate....yet unfortunately the taste did not quite live up to the delightful presentation. Both the corn, pea and feta fritter and the pumpkin and sage fritters needed a little extra zing, and were only helped out by their toppings, leaving me wishing I was eating my friends home cooked sweetcorn cakes instead. The long wait and huge crowds had just made my expectations rather too high, and unfortunately Three Bags Full did not quite deliver on the palate. 7/10.

Visit Three Bags Full at http://www.threebagsfullcafe.com.au  

                                                               Emily x

a TINY surprise...

Meeting Michael Pham at a Art Opening he invited myself and my friend Robyn to visit his cafe in Fitzroy.

'Tiny' is a little establishment under the stairs of a designers serving coffee, breakfast, sandwiches, lunch and cakes.

Thanks to Robyn's Aubergine enthusiasm Michael had added an aubergine dish to his menu for us that day. 'Eggplant and Pomegranate salad' with chilli, soba noodles, coriander and basil was delicious...prompting Robyn to take the recipe home.

I had the baked eggs with bacon and tomato on sourdough bread which too was delicious.

We left with a big smiles and a bag full of of complimentary pastries to take home - the almond croissant is to DIE for.

So thank you Michael for your tasty food!

Emily x

A breakfast to blog about...

So Saturday my amazing friend Robyn cooked breakfast for us. Instead of the expected egg on toast combo she came up with this absolutely droolicious sweetcorn cake stack. Mmmmmm. Undeniably it goes in my all-time top 5 breakfasts.

In case anyone is wanting to make this (DO DO DO!) here is the basics:

Base - sweetcorn fritters - egg, sweetcorn and flour - mixed together, shaped and then fried in a pan for a few minutes

Layer on top of that

- mushed avocado
- steamed spinach
- cooked tomato
- smoked salmon
- a perfectly poached egg

- place cooked mushroom all around the plate  (cook in butter and garlic)
- taste with basil and cashew pesto.

Too good, and a definite showstopper in case your wanting too impress! Definitely puts my chocolate porridge to shame.

Emily x

Christmas is coming...

REINDEER CUPCAKES

INGREDIENTS
125g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup caster sugar
3 eggs

4 spoons of cocoa powder
1 ½ cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup (185mL) milk

Put remaining Jaffa's in mixture 

ICING 

50g butter
 2 cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1pkt Jaffas for nose

  Smarties for eyes

Chocolate as eye dot
1 pkt pretzels

HOW TO…
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place cupcake papers in tray. Cream butter and sugar together before adding all the other ingredients.
2. Fill cupcake papers ¾ full. Bake cupcakes for 15-25 minutes and small cupcakes (until a skewer inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean).
3. Allow to cool before icing
4. Cream butter until pale and smooth. Add the milk and half the sifted icing sugar. Beat until well combined. Add the remaining icing sugar and beat until mixture is light and fluffy. The mixture should be a spreadable paste; if it is too dry add some more milk, if too wet add more icing sugar.
5. Decorate
6. EAT AND ENJOY!!!

The sunshine and hot weather makes it easy to forget that its actually the run-up to Christmas. So nothing like a bit of baking to get you in the Christmassy spirit!
 
Slaved away over these last night...don't want to blow my own trumpet, but they are bladdy delicious! Feeling rather sick this morning however as half of the batter didn't make it into the oven, somehow ending up in my stomach instead!

Hope everyone is starting to feel festive! 

Emily x