A Cupcake or Two: August 2009

Ghermez Cupcakes Bondi Junction

I had to go to Bondi Junction to run some errands on Friday. As we took a rest stop I saw Ghermez Cupcakes. I love all sorts of Cupcakes. I love to bake them, eat them and buy them. I went for the Red Velvet, Strawberry, Chocolate Marshmallow, White Chocolate and Vanilla Milk Chocolate. I went back to work took a few shots and cut the cupcakes into quarters for the Be Crew and I to share.

The first one I went for was the White Chocolate. It was unbelievable. I've had plenty of White Chocolate Cupcakes, but this was so divine. It was moist and the White Chocolate icing was just the right sweetness.

The Red Velvet was very dry. Although the girls loved it. I just thought the coconut on top overpowered the cream cheese frosting. Maybe I'm a little biased after tasting New York's Magnolia Bakery Red Velvet Cupcakes.

The Strawberry was up there with the White Chocolate. It was so soft and you can taste bits of Strawberry puree through the icing and the cake.

I'm not a fan of Milk Chocolate frosting. I just think if you are going to have frosting you may as well go for strong Dark Chocolate. This was soft but the icing just didn't cut it for me.

The Chocolate Marshmallow was so god. The marshmallow on top of the cupcake was soft and fluffy. The ganache was gorgeous and the cake was light.

Make sure to drop by and try the Cupcakes at Ghermez. They have a shop at Westfield Bondi Junction and Alexandria. Cupcakes are $3.80 each or 40.00 for a dozen.

Ghermez Cupcakes Bondi Junction
Level 5, 500 Oxford Street

Ghermez Cupcakes Alexandria
112 McEvoy Street

http://www.ghermez.com.au/

Don't forget to enter the Cupcake Courier Competition... Entries close on Thursday so if you don't want to miss out, please enter. All you need to do is leave a comment with your favourite cupcake recipe and why. Please make sure you put your email address so I can contact you. Click on the banner on the right to enter.

Food Bloggers Meet-Up at Pony

I have always been a food blogger fan. Every time I search for cool places to eat I go into their sites to get ideas on where to go. I also love their food shots. My friends have always encouraged me to start my very own food blog. But to tell you the truth I just didn't know where to start. Then there was my birthday. My friends decided to set it all up for me. Helena, Anna, Christine and Eileen put their heads together and came up with the design of my current blog. All I did was think of a cool name for it. A Cupcake Or Two was born. I finally had a way to share my passion for food.

I started putting up post and really enjoyed it. It was a fun way of getting out there and checking out what Sydney has to offer. Then I thought to myself, how cool would it be to meet fellow food bloggers? So I got in touch with Betty from Betty's Bites and she helped me organise a Food Blogger Meet Up. In the group there was Lorraine from Not Quite Nigella, Trisha from Sugarlaced, Trissa from Trissalicious, and ofcourse Betty & Richard from Betty's Bites.

We all met at Pony to have their Sunset Feast. 2 courses for $35.00 or 3 courses for $45.00 with wine. I must admit I was a little starstruck at first but we laughed and had really good time. I felt comfortable after the first 5 minutes.

The food came out and so did the cameras. Digital SLR's with the works. It was so cool to watch them all takes shots of food and their surroundings. I showed Trisha my little Canon Powershot G10 and she showed me a few tricks. Hopefully I get better at taking shots. I may even get myself a Digital SLR in the future.

For the entree I had the tasting plate of wood fire grilled vegetables, chorizo and skordalia. The vegetables were well grilled and the chorizo had a really nice flavour.

Tasting plate of wood grilled vegetables, chorizo and skordalia

Lettuce wraps with barbecue chicken skewers, Cajun salsa and creme fraiche

Spaghetti, asparagus, hand pounded pesto, pecorino

The mains came out shortly after. I ordered the Tasmanian salmon, salad of pickled beetroot, orange, mint and fetta. My fish was a little overcooked but the beetroot was delicious.

Tasmanian salmon, salad of pickled beetroot,orange, mint and fetta

Minute steak of Angus eye fillet, shoestring fries, red wine sauce

Salad of twice cooked duck, spinach, pear and hazelnuts

When I go out to dinner I always tend to share my food, hoping my friends would want to share theirs with me. I always get food envy. I was so glad when everyone started sharing. I didn't try anyones entree but I did have a little of their mains and desserts. My 2 favourites from the menu were the salad of twice cooked duck, spinach, pear, hazelnuts and the macadamia tart, salted caramel and vanilla mascarpone.

Individual pavlova, double cream, pistachio crunch and strawberry

Macadamia tart, salted caramel. vanilla mascarpone

Overall it was a fantastic night out with some of the nicest people I've ever met. I cant wait till the next meet up. Thanks for a great night out everyone. Lets do it again soon. Betty thanks for the Dulce De Leche brownies. It was so delicious.

Earl Grey Tea Cookies

The first time I tasted these biscuits was about a year ago. My cousin Lia made them and I couldn't believe that they were made from Earl Grey Tea. These cookies have a fresh and zesty flavour. Even though you use a lot of butter it is actually very light.

Earl Grey Cookies

Ingredients
2 Cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons of Earl Grey Tea (approx 4 tea bags)
1/2 teaspoon of coarse salt
250 grams of unsalted butter
1/2 cup of confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon of orange or lemon zest

Method
1. With a wooden spoon mix flour, tea and salt in a bowl
2. Put butter, sugar and orange or lemon zest in another bowl. Mix until pale.
3. Reduce mixer speed and gradually add dry ingredients.
4. Divide mixture in half. Shape into logs and wrap in parchment paper.
5. Put logs in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
6. Pre Heat oven at 180c.
7. Take the logs out of the freezer and slice into thin 1/3 inch thick pieces.
8. Bake until the edges are just starting to go brown.

You can make melting moments from these biscuits too. I just made some butter cream frosting and sandwiched two biscuits with a teaspoon full of icing.

Dont Forget to Enter The Cupcake Courier Giveaway. Just click the banner on the right and leave a comment with your favourite Cupcake Recipe.....

Cupcake Courier and Cup-a-Cake Giveaway

When I was doing my preparation for the RSPCA Cupcake Day, I was thinking about how I was going to transport all the Cupcakes. I came across the Cupcake Courier.

The Cupcake Courier was invented by Jennifer Gunn. She is a mother of two who needed a product to transport all the lovely Cupcakes that she would make for functions and children's parties. It comes in 4 colours. Petal Pink, Blue Sky, Saffron Yellow and Lemongrass. My favourite colour is Blue Sky. Did I mention that Oprah and Rachael Ray own one. It's a must have..

Keren from The Cupcake Courier has kindly offered to giveaway a Cupcake Courier and 2 Cup -a-Cakes. Cup-a-Cakes are containers that hold individual Cupcakes. It comes in all sorts of colours. They are so cute and really handy.

To be in the running for Cupcake Courier or 2 Cup-a-Cakes all you need to do is leave a comment with your favourite Cupcake recipe and why. You can leave the link to your favourite recipe too. Please include your email address with your entry. You can enter once a day. The winners will be chosen based on the best Cupcake recipe.

The competition is opened for Australian residents only. This competition ends midnight on the the 3rd of September 2009 (AEST).

1st Prize - Cupcake Courier

2nd Prize - 2 x Cup-a-Cake containers

Winners will be notified by email on the 5th of September 2009.

If you would like to purchase your very own Cupcake Courier go to http://www.thecupcakecourier.com.au/. Make sure to check out the cute Cupcake Toppers and Jessie Steel Designer Aprons too.

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED...

Cupcake Day for the RSPCA

I'm a big animal lover. When I heard about The Cupcake Day for the RSPCA, I went into their website and signed up to be a Cupcake Cook. I made 24 Cupcakes, Ricotta Brownies and some Mars Bar cookies. A few girls at work helped me out and made some tasty treats. Monique made some Jam Drops, Cathrine made some smaller Vanilla Cupcakes and her sister Sam made some Choc Chip cookies. I know its suppose to be a Cupcake Day but a variety is good.

Milo Eugenio

Gizmo Eugenio

After a few hours I counted the money and we ended up with $214.00. I think that's pretty good. If you would like to donate to the RSPCA you can go to their website http://www.rspca.com.au/. Its a great cause and its really worth donating.

Baroque Bistro Patisserie Showcase

Working at The Rocks means that I have access to all the fancy pants restaurants. La Renaissance Cafe Patisserie is where we all go to get our morning coffee. The gang went to get their morning coffee and found a sign regarding the new restaurant opening in late October called Baroque. They were offering a 3 course meal showcasing the style of food they envisage for their new bistro. The best part about this was the price. For $25.00 you get 3 courses. I made a booking for 5 and headed down on a beautiful Friday night.

Michelle and Chris

Grant and Nasreen being silly..

We started off with the Amuse Bouche. It was Egg Foam with Smoked Salmon and Microcress. It was very light with a really strong egg taste. I felt that the egg foam took over the salmon on the bottom of the shot glass.

We had a choice of 3 Entrees. Most of us chose the Terrine of Goats Cheese and Roasted Vegetables with an Olive Vinaigrette. I could have eaten the whole terrine. It was so creamy and the vegetables were so well roasted.

Terrine of Goats Cheese and Roasted Vegetables with an Olive Vinaigrette

With the Plats or Mains we also had a choice of 3. Michelle, Chris and I chose the 300g Scotch Fillet with Home Made Fries and Bearnaise Sauce. Grant and Nasreen choice the Crepinette of Mince Pork Cheek and Trotter with Snails served with Jerusalem Artichoke Puree and Herb Butter.

The steak was served medium rare but looked like it was blue. I enjoy meat like this but I don't know about the girls. The Bearnaise sauce was creamy and the fries were salty and crunchy.

300g Scotch Fillet with Home Made Fries and Bearnaise Sauce

Crepinette of Mince Pork Cheek and Trotter with Snails served with Jerusalem Artichoke Puree and Herb Butter

Nasreen gave me a snail from her meal. I haven't had snails since I was a little girl. My grandfather used to sit outside watching all the kids play while eating his plate of snails. He used to call us randomly to come and try some. The snail was soft and really tasty.

The best part about any french meal is the Dessert. Our Petit Fours came out and we all just looked at each other and smiled. I was so hypnotized by the Petite Fours that I didn't listen to what they were ehehhee. But I recognise the Creme Brulee and the Macarons which is Blackcurrant with a chocolate ganache.

Petite Fours

If you are ever in The Rocks area make sure to visit the La Renaissance Cafe Patisserie and Baroque Bistro Patisserie which will opens its doors in late October.

For more information go to www.larenaissance.com.au or www.baroquebistro.com.au

Ramen Condor

After a long hard day in the office, the girls and I decided that we would go and grab a quick dinner before going home. I looked through fellow food blogger sites and found a review that Lorraine from http://www.notquitenigella.com/ did on Ramen Condor. It was a 5 minute walk from work so we decided to go and check it out. It's right next door to Goshu Ramen on York street.

The lovely Nasreen showing us the menu

We started off with some Karaage and Gyoza. We were then told that they had run out of Gyoza so we ordered the spring rolls instead. The Karaage was nice and crispy. It wasn't as oily which is a plus. The Spring Rolls were a bit sweet for me.

Spring Rolls $6.50

Karaage Chicken $8.00

The Ramen came out a little after the Karaage and Spring Rolls. I ordered the Chasu Men with egg and corn. You can't have Ramen without the egg. Its the best part. I really likes the miso base. It wasn't too strong. Monique and Michelle ordered the Vegetarian Ramen. It was such a big serving full of silken tofu and Asian greens in a miso base.

Chasu Men $11.00

Vegetarian Ramen $11.00

Chris and Shirley ordered the Tan Tan Men. It was a spicy broth full of mince, corn and shallots. I'm not a fan of spicy food but it looked delicious.

Tan Tan Men $11.50

Ramen Condor is a great little place to have a late dinner and a chat with friends. The food is reasonably priced and the serving size is big. If you dont feel like Ramen there are other menu items such as the Katsu Curry and Terriyaki Bento boxes.

The address for Ramen Condor is 5 York St Sydney NSW 2000 and to contact them (02) 9299 8686.

Cibo E Vino Cafe & Restaurant

My friend Christine has been telling me about this restaurant that her friend runs in Castle Hill called Cibo E Vino. "Kath you have to go, the food is delicious" or "They change their menu according to what's in season you have to try it". So off I went with Chris and her husband Ronald. The restaurant is situated in a quiet part of Castle Hill a few doors down from the towers. As soon as you walk in you are greeted by the friendly staff with smiles on their faces. First impressions always count for me. I knew this was going to be a great night.

We ordered the 2 share plates to start with. The first one as the jamon, salamis, marinated olives, pickles and garlic bruschetta. The jamon was delicious with portions of pork fat through the cured meat. The pickles tangy and oh so yummy. The second share plate was deep fried cod balls with aioli and lemon. The aioli and lemon cut through the salty cod. The best part was the crunchy exterior.

jamon, salamis, marinated olives, pickles and garlic bruschetta $24.50

deep fried cod balls with aioli and lemon $13.00

Ronald ordered the fennel, pear and watercress salad. This was almost refreshing The pear was like a sweet surprise and it suited the aniseed flavour of the fennel. He also ordered the house made ravioli with beet leaves, ricotta and parmesan. I only had a little taste. The pasta was well made and the parmesan was sharp. Can you tell that Ronald loves to eat?? He just wanted to order everything on the menu ehehe.

house made ravioli with beet leaves, ricotta and parmesan $14.00

For the main Chris ordered the steamed jewfish with cima di rapa, clams and herbed breadcrumbs. Ronald and I ordered the char grilled riverina beef scotch fillet with beetroot and horseradish butter. Christine's main was nice but I'm not a big fan of sultanas. Our beef was succulent.. We both requested medium rare. The meat came out perfectly cooked although I think there was a bit too much horseradish butter.

steamed jewfish with cima di rapa, clams and herbed breadcrumbs $32.50

char grilled riverina beef scotch fillet with beetroot and horseradish butter $35.00

I was determined to leave room for dessert. Chris and I shared the hot chocolate pudding with peanut brittle and house made banana ice cream. What can I say. This dessert had me at HELLO.. The pudding was so chocolaty. Every girls dream. The peanut brittle was chewy and tasted a bit like salt water taffy. The ice cream was the very best part. It was like I was eating a frozen ripe banana. It was one of the best banana ice creams I have ever tasted. Ronald ordered the classic tiramisu with mascarpone, brandy and coffee soaked biscuits. I was too full to try it.

hot chocolate pudding with peanut brittle and house made banana ice cream $12.50

classic tiramisu with mascarpone, brandy and coffee soaked biscuits $9.00

Chef Paul in action

Cibo E Vino did not disappoint. I will definitely be back. They are open Lunch: Wednesday-Saturday 12-3pm and Dinner: Tuesday-Saturday from 6pm. You can check out their menu and get more information at http://www.ciboevino.com.au/

The Rocks Markets

I love Fridays. I work pretty much next door to The Rocks Markets. I went to get lunch with some of the girls and found the Pony stall. I ordered the grilled salmon with couscous and spinach. The salmon was perfectly cooked and the couscous was delicious with small bits of feta mixed through. It looked like such a small portion but looks are deceiving.

I love the markets. You are always guaranteed to get the best quality produce. My favourite stall is Chocolate Bliss. They sell all sorts of sweet treats such as rocky road, gluten free chocolate frogs and freckles.