Happy Halloween... BOO

It’s Halloween Eve… Booooo

Here is my second Halloween treat. I was originally going to make some red velvet cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting but I completely forgot and I didn’t have the correct ingredients at home. I wanted to make something quick and easy. Cookie dough is pretty simple so I made some double chocolate chip fudge cookies.

I wanted to make Jack O Lantern faces but my creative juices ran out after an incredibly busy day at work. I stuck to spider webs. Everyone at work loved them.

Psssssssstttt look behind you…

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Halloween Treats

What do you do when your macarons go horribly wrong? You make them into Halloween treats that what.. Ever since my macaron post I have been making them and they have been perfect. Pretty feet, different colours and so many flavours. Up until Saturday. I made them with exactly the same recipe, measured everything twice and let them dry.

When I was piping them I knew there was something wrong. It was sticky and the mixture was extremely hard to pipe. I put them in the oven and that's when the freaky stuff started happening. The tops of the macarons were perfect but the feet got bigger and bigger.

I took them out and sandwiched them in a passion fruit and white chocolate ganache. The first thing that my mum said was "they look like roadkill".

Great my macarons looked like road kill. Then I thought of Halloween. I can pretend that I meant for them to look like that and I can serve them to the family as a Halloween treat. Just a teaser of whats to come.. They fell for it and within 10 minutes all the Road Kill Macs were eaten...

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Junior MasterChef Australia

As a little girl all I wanted to do was cook with my mum. She would often give me a bowl or a pan with some food so I can pretend to cook with her. This was always a great bonding experience between my mum and I.

I think getting kids in the kitchen at a young age not only teaches them about nutrition but it also teaches them how to use their taste buds. Although I don't have kids of my own I do have a nephew. He loves to watch his mum and dad cook and even tries to help with the washing up at the tender age of 2.

With the success of Masterchef Australia, a range of products have been created for the little ones. Masterchef was not only popular with the adults, it was extremely popular with the kids too. These products will be available at Myer, Target, Big W and K-Mart in Mid November, just in time for Christmas.




Apron and Chef’s Hat RRP: $19.99. Available at Target, Kmart, Myer and Big W from Mid-November. (Recommended for kids aged 3-15 years)





Junior MasterChef Rice Kit RRP: $29.99. Also comes with 4 recipe cards. Available at Target, Kmart, Myer and Big W from Mid-November. (Recommended for kids aged 3-15 years)

Junior MasterChef Pizza Kit RRP: $34.99. Also comes with 4 recipe cards. Available at Target, Kmart, Myer and Big W from Mid-November. (Recommended for kids aged 3-15 years)

Junior MasterChef Egg Kit RRP: $29.99. Also comes with 4 recipe cards. Available at Target, Kmart, Myer and Big W from Mid-November. (Recommended for kids aged 3-15 years)

Junior MasterChef Cupcake Kit RRP: $39.99. Also comes with 4 recipe cards. Available at Target, Kmart, Myer and Big W from Mid-November. Recommended for kids aged 3-15 years

Junior MasterChef Cookie Kit RRP: $29.99. Also comes with 4 recipe cards. Available at Target, Kmart, Myer and Big W from Mid-November. (Recommended for kids aged 3-15 years)

Junior MasterChef Cake Kit RRP: $39.99. Also comes with 4 recipe cards. Available at Target, Kmart, Myer and Big W from Mid-November. (Recommended for kids aged 3-15 years)

My personal favourite is the Cupcake and the Rice Kit. Its just so darn cute. I want it for myself. If you have any questions regarding the Junior MasterChef range of products, feel free to email me at keugenio@optusnet.com.au

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Miracle Frooties

A few months ago I did a post on the Miracle Fruit. What is a Miracle Fruit? A miracle fruit is otherwise known as the Miracle Berry. It basically changes how your taste buds react to sour and bitter foods. So lemons are suddenly sweet and beer ends up tasting like chocolate.

I planned a Flavour Tripping Party with my friends at work. It has been impossible to do so since we are all so busy. I had the Miracle Frooties sitting on my desk for weeks and every time I go to plan a Tripping Party I forget.

On the way to work one day, I suddenly remembered the Miracle Frooties. I picked up some golden kiwi fruit, oranges, strawberries, lemons and limes. I was a bit nervous about the whole experience so I wanted to make sure that what we were about to taste wasn’t too drastic.

I started handing out the Miracle Frootie (only half per person). We all put it in our mouth and it pretty much tasted like cardboard. There was a stage where I just wanted to throw it out. It was a weird texture and I was glad when it was all dissolved.

Everyone grabbed some fruit and started tasting. The lemons were so sweet. It was like I was eating lemon flavoured lollies. The limes were the same. I just couldn’t believe that a small tablet can suddenly play tricks with my taste buds. The strawberries were amazing. It was like I was eating strawberry flavoured sugar. The only thing that didn’t impress me was the golden kiwi fruit. I thought the flavour would intensify. It was basically the same.

When I was getting feedback from the gang they all told me that they thought it was a little odd. Some were excited and some were not. The photos I took basically show their reactions.

Thanks to Nasreen, Michelle, Alina, Cathrine, Tahlia, Grant, Saliha, Karyn and Stacie for joining me on the flavour trip. It was lots of fun.

I will definitely do it again. Maybe next time I will try things like chilli sauce or even brussels sprouts. I hate brussels sprouts. I’ve tried it in so many ways and I still can’t stand them.

If you are interested in having your own Flavour Tripping Party you can purchase Miracle Frooties from http://www.miraclefrooties.com.au/

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Doo Ri Barbeque Restaurant

Going to new restaurants and trying new cuisine is always such an exciting adventure. On this particular Saturday we decided that Korean was the pick for dinner. We went to a little restaurant called Doo Ri. This was a recommendation from my cousin’s friend who says that it is one of the best Korean restaurants.



The restaurant is located right across Strathfield station which is very convenient on weekdays if you are coming after work to meet some friends for dinner. The owner of the restaurant was so helpful. She came up to us and asked if it was our first time to her restaurant and suggested what we should order.

We ended up ordering the Combination BBQ set (52.00) and the Combination Seafood Casserole with Vegetables ($40.00). Along with the 2 orders they gave us some sides to go with the BBQ meat. The sides were potatoes with sweet chilli sauce, deep fried vegetable balls, kimchi and potato noodles with vegetables.

I tried the lychee ice tea which was fantastic. I recommend a glass of this. Its really good.

The Combination BBQ set came out with thin slices beef and pork. There was also chicken and some beef bulgogi. The meat cooked in no time. The beef bulgogi was so soft. The thin slices of pork were crispy and the chicken had a bit of spice which was a great match with the crispy lettuce leaves that we got with the meal.

The casserole was delicious. It was full of soft baby octopus, fish pieces, mussels, crab and prawns. The soup was full of flavour.

I will definitely go to Doo Ri again. It is one of the best Korean Restaurants that I have been to.

For more information on their menu go to http://www.doori.com.au/

Doo Ri Korean BBQ Restaurant
Shop 136 - 137

20 - 34 Albert Road

Strathfield

Telephone: 97467111

Fax: 97461811

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I Did It, I Made Macarons

Ok so I know to some people I may sound a little odd. I have been a big fan of macarons since I first had one at Lindt which they actually call Delice. I have always wanted to make my own but it just seemed so difficult. Letting the egg whites age, making sure you let the macarons sit to form a skin. Yadda yadda yadda. I just didnt have the time to do all that. However there was a day where I had all the ingredients in front of me and I tried it out only to fail miserably. From that day I gave up my dreams of making the perfect macaron.

Then I started to see post from fellow blogger's about their macaron experience. It ignited that flame and I suddenly got my baking mojo back. It was so interesting what people did with their macarons, the flavours that they use and also the recipe. Some of my favourite post are

- Raspberry and Rosewater Macarons by Shez from One Bite More
- Honey and Vanilla Chai Macarons by Ellie from Almost Bourdain

- Paintbrush Macarons by Lorraine from Not Quite Nigella

After reading Trissa's post, I decided that her recipe was perfect to use. After a few minutes in the oven, it happened. They started to rise and I saw feet forming, I got so excited. I did it , yes that's right... I finally made them.

OK so they are not the best looking macs in town but they have feet. The best part about it all is that fact that I made them.

Thanks to Trissalicious for the recipe. If you want to try it yourself click here.

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Azuma Kushiyaki

Catching up with Elz and Chris is always fun. We decided that we were going to go to Chat Thai. I rang to make a booking but the first available was for 9pm. I remember a restaurant that Lorraine from Not Quite Nigella went to called Azuma Kushiyaki. I remember this post well because she saw Tetsuya there. So I rang them and asked if they had a booking available for 6pm that night. The girl on the phone was very helpful and I instantly got a good feeling about this place.

We walked in to a group of waitresses with smiles on their faces. They immediately showed us to our table. Chris, who normally does the ordering for us went straight for the menu.




Free range spatchcock platter (grilled thigh, breast fillet, mini drumsticks and karaage deep fried wings $16.80). The grilled thigh was my favourite. It was seasoned with soy and butter. Simple but delicious.




Wagyu Karamiso $15.00. This was described as spicy but it was just right for me. It was full of flavour. The beef pieces in the soup were soft and it also had a few quail eggs which are one of my favourites.


Soft shell crab tempura $15.00. We were very lucky, the crab was pretty big and it was so sweet.

Seared Tuna salad served with ponzu vinaigrette $15.00. This is one of Azuma's signature dished. It was featured on Food Safari.

Quail eggs served with kushiyaki sauce $3.00. I love quail eggs. The kushiyaki sauce was sweet and sticky. TASTY..

Grilled king fish head. This was full of meat. The good stuff that no one really cares for. The eyes are something that I can never get used to eating. I freaked myself out when I accidentally poked the fish in the eye and the eye came out. The girls giggled at me as I made faces while the eye was dangling of my chopsticks.

OK so if you are easily grosed out I would close my eyes and scroll down. This is Chrissy holding up the gruesome fish eye. Ehehehe.

Speaking of Chrissy check out her soy pouring skillz. What a natural. If you want to hire her for some advertising give me a call or leave a comment. LOL..

Assorted sashimi entree $20.00. Fresh sashimi, you just cant go wrong. The scallop was very sweet.

Beef carpaccio $25.00. I don't really like raw beef, but I tried it. It was ok. Chris and Elz liked it.

At this stage we were all pretty full. But I always have room for dessert. I ordered a scoop of green tea and caramel ice cream with red bean $11.00. The caramel ice cream was so creamy. It was not your average caramel ice cream. It was a little bitter which gave it character. The green tea was not at all strong but matched the sweetness of the red bean.

Azuma Kushiyaki is a gem. If you want to try food that you would normally find in Izakaya's in Japan this is the place to go. They have small dishes as well as the traditional Japanese fair. The prices are reasonable and the service is excellent.

Kushiyaki Azuma

T: (02) 9267 7775

F: (02) 9267 7776

E:mailto:regentplace@azuma.com.au

Ground Floor Regent Place Shopping

501 George Street

Sydney NSW 2000

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Blu Gourmet Pearl Couscous

Liz from Haystac sent me some Blu Gourmet Pearl Couscous to try. Gourmet Pearl Couscous is made out of 100% hard wheat and then toasted to give it a nutty flavour. It’s a great source of protein and has a low GI (Glycemic Index). One of the best things about Pearl Couscous is that you can eat it hot or cold. It’s a side dish as well as a main meal and cooks in 10 minutes.

I decided to make something incredibly simple. I wanted to prepare and cook everything in 30 minutes flat. Rachael Ray style ehehe.

I made Gourmet Pearl Couscous with Garlic and Herb Prawns. I also made some salsa to go with this. The pearl couscous was just delicious. It absorbed the vegetable stock and cooked in no time at all. The texture was that of al dente pasta and it was perfect with the prawns.

Gourmet Pearl Couscous with Garlic and Herb Prawns

Ingredients
1 cup gourmet pearl couscous
1 ¼ cups of vegetable stock
1 small onion
5 small prawns (marinated this in lemon juice, parsley, dill, thyme, olive oil and garlic)
1 small mango
1 Lebanese cucumber
1 tomato
Salt & Pepper
Splash to Tabasco

In a saucepan with olive oil, fry onions until soft. Add pearl couscous and cook until a light brown. Add vegetable stock and simmer for 8 minutes. Stir occasionally.

In a frying pan cook prawns. This should only take a couple of minutes.
Serve pearl couscous with prawns on top and a side of salsa.

To make the salsa dice mango, tomato and cucumber. Season with a pinch of salt & pepper and some Tabasco.

If you would like more information regarding Blu Gourmet Pearl Couscous go to http://www.blu.net.au/

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Waqu Modern Japanese Dining

My Aunt just recently came out of hospital. I decided that since she didn't get to properly celebrate her birthday that I would book a table at Waqu. A few friends have told me about it and they all said positive things about the service and the food.

The only booking available was for 6pm and out by 7:30pm. We got there and it was pouring with rain. It's not very pleasant being out when it's raining. Especially when the rain resembles that of being in a car wash.



We all had the Waqu five course spring menu. This is $55.00 per person and available from 01/09/09 to 30/11/09.

Course 1 was the Amuse which was spicy soft shell crab taco, sweet corn vichyssoise with a crystal bay prawn pincho, kabayaki roasted eel fillet on sushi rice and agedashi taro potato fritter with sweet sesame spinach.

The soft shell crab was gorgeous. It was melt in the mouth goodness. The sweet corn vichyssoise was light and the bay prawn pincho included a few tiny squares of melon which worked well. The roasted eel had a smokey flavour and it was sticky sweet. The taro potato fritter was crispy on the outside and super soft in the middle.





Course 2 was Sashimi. It was a cured ocean trout with 3 condiments. There was a soy balsamic jelly, ikura caviar and tropical fruits nouve. Along with this there was an ocean trout tartare with sour cream espuma.

The ocean trout tartare was lovely. I wish there was more on the plate. The cured ocean trout was salty, but the salty trout worked very well with all the condiments. It was almost a perfect match.

Course 3 was Entrée. I along with my cousin Lance chose the braised wagyu beef cheek, lightly fried eggplant with a creamy yaki-imo potato puree. The beef cheeks were soft and gelatinous. It was perfectly seasoned.

My Aunt and cousin Lia had the scallop gyoza ravioli. It had 2 large plump oysters that were so delicious. I had food envy and just wanted to devour into it.

Course 4 My Aunt and I chose lamb cooked two ways. It was a roasted rack of lamb with red wine sauce and braised lamb shoulder with a ginger foam. The braised lamb was great. It was soft and very moist. The rack of lamb piece that I got had a lot of fat. It was a very strong taste but the ginger foam took that strong taste away.

Lance had the hoji roasted duck. The duck came with a passion fruit and mango dip. It also had a beetroot puree and dengaku daikon rash. I had a little taste of the duck. It was soft and well infused. It was a little pink for me though.

Lia had the grilled miso marinated cod fillet with sakura sauce and five Japanese grain risotto. I didn’t taste this but Lia loved it.

The final course is the dessert. It was rich bitter sweet Belgium chocolate ice cream, white chocolate cheese cake and a strawberry panacotta. The ice cream was more like a gelato. It was very light. The panacotta had its signature wobble and was so delicious. The cheesecake was my favourite. It was a small portion but full of flavour. It had a soy powder on top which made it even better.

Waqu Modern Japanese dining is located at

308 Pacific Highway
Crows Nest NSW 2065
Phone Number 02 9906 7736
info@waqu.com.au

They are opened from Tuesday to Sunday

Lunch: Tuesday-Friday12.00pm-2.30pm

Dinner: Tuesday-Sunday 6.00pm-10.30pm

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