"if food be the music of love, eat on"

ca·fé also ca·fe  

n.

A coffeehouse, restaurant, or bar.

n

If you're looking for an unpretentious spot for a casual lunch then you can't beat Little St Kilda in Palm Beach. It's right near the beach so its a relaxed atmosphere filled with beach goers after a swim or a surf, or locals just lazing on a chair reading the newspaper in the sun. You can sit outside and people watch on the bench like seats, under striped colourful umbrellas, or sit inside at the bar. It's a tiny, retro quaint little cafe filled with 80's memorabilias and posters, even using jam jars for cocktails and water. It's very reminiscent of something you'd find at Bondi Beach or Coogee, or even ironically, St Kilda.
The food is finger-lickin good, satisfying all those naughty cravings. There's your wraps and salads, burgers and souvlaki, all day breakfast options and apparently they make a good coffee. Thus it scores on the popularity card with the locals.


Today, after my 10km Gold Coast marathon run, I felt like carbs. So I wasn't going to go past the BLT on Turkish bread with fries option. Crisp bacon with lashings of aioli on a bed of rocket accompanied with crunchy shoe string fries for no extra cost? And just $ 12? Yes please. 

BLT and Chicken Burger

Thumbs up for this new eclectic establishment. Cannot wait to eat at their other new restaurant- The office! The Gold Coast has always needed some trendy cafes to counter the fast food franchise industry with wholesome tasty food, and this little cafe fills its little niche quite snuggly. 


Watch this space for more food taste tests as I will definitely be eating here again! Till next time.....

                                                                                                            GC food authority signing out

Shakespeare's Soup Kitchen

Another night for a soup with this cold, wet and miserable weather! Something that one can eat while lazing on the lounge with Ugg boots and a "blanky." Decided to attempt (for the first time) the classic French Onion soup. And I'm amazed I never cooked this before because it practically uses only 4 ingredients.
Gary made this soup on Masterclass last week, so I loaded up the segment and cooked it as I watched. I halved the recipe however- 2 kg of onions eeek! Bit of butter, some herbs, beef stock, cheese, a splash of sherry instead of cider and some crusty bread. Pretty much stock standard ingredients you have in the pantry! Also a good recipe for walking away from as you're pretty much just cooking the onions and sweating them for long periods of time. It's minimal fuss and prep.

Caramelise. Simmer. Add. Pour. Ladle. Grate. Grill.

I pull the soup out from under the grill and dip my spoon into gooey bubbling melted cheese- a little too hot on the tongue, but I keep eating!  Then I move the crusty bread around so it soaks up the sweet onion stock and pop that into my mouth.

 It's just what I felt like. Now for a good book.

Tis an ill cook that cannot lick his own fingers- Romeo and Juliet

Pitter Patter. The rain has finally hit today and the clouds all rolled up and gathered into one. A perfect night to sit on the lounge and rug up and watch "Masterchef." Or maybe, I could attempt a collossal feat in baking to celebrate the end of the Term and the upcoming school holidays? This way I can surprise some of the staff tomorrow with a bunch of calories instead of eating them all myself. This could save the hips.  So here I am, currently in the kitchen constructing a Mojito genoise, as made in Masterclass by Lorraine Pascall! Mojito cake? You had me at Mojito. What a great idea for a birthday cake for an 18th? This is no easy feat though. It requires a lot of ingredients, steps, time and love - all worth it though don't you think! The cake looks fluffy and similar to hers, and the butter cream......well let's just say I've licked the bowl a few times. The sugar syrup was a bit thick but will let you know how it goes when we eat it tomorrow. Presentation looks awesome and the praline.....lucky there is left over!

And the smells wafting through the house are delicious; the oven warming the living area on this cold wintry evening. Perfect baking weather methinks!


Great excuse to pull out the Bacardi and maybe reward myself with a Mojito cocktail too. Bottoms up!

Sugar Syrup

• 150 g (5.3oz) Soft light brown sugar
• 40 ml (1.4fl oz) Water
• 2 Finely grated zest and juice of limes
• 80 ml (2.8fl oz) White rum
• 1 Bunch of fresh mint, leaves only

Praline

• 400 g (7.1oz)Granulated sugar – Pecan coating
• 200 g (7.1oz) Pecans – Pecan coating                           
• 1 Dash of vegetable oil, for oiling – Pecan coating

Genoise Sponge

• 260 g (9.2oz) Caster sugar
• 115 g (4.1oz) Butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for greasing
• 260 g (9.2oz) Plain flour
• 6 Eggs, lightly beaten

Buttercream Icing

• 300 g (10.6oz) Butter, softened
• 600 g (21oz) Icing sugar
• 2 Vanilla pods or 4 drops of vanilla extract
• 1 large or 23 small Lime – Finely grated zest and juice

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C; grease a 20cm cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Feel free to mix yourself a real mojito for consumption later – (although for this you’ll need more mint and sugar).
2. Make the sugar syrup first to give the mint and lime plenty of time to infuse. Zest 2 limes and put zest aside.
3. Place soft light brown sugar, water, the juice of the limes and 80 ml white rum in a medium pan over a low heat.
4. Cook until the sugar dissolves, then boil for 2-3 minutes until the syrup thickens.
5. Remove from heat and add the leaves from a bunch of fresh chopped mint (leaves only) and the lime zest .
6. Set aside to infuse.
7. Line a baking sheet with paper.
8.  Put sugar in a medium-size pan over a medium-high heat and leave to melt.  Don’t stir it, just swirl the pan to move the sugar round.
9. Once the sugar is melted, bring the mixture to the boil and cook until caramel colour is reached. Be careful not to burn it!
10. Add 200 g pecan nuts, swirl the pan to coat them a bit in the sugar and pour on the lined baking tray. Leave to cool.
11. Once this has cooled right down, blitz the praline in a food processor (or alternative place in a plastic bag and smash with a rolling pin). Put aside.
12. Place a large pot around a third full of water and bring to the boil while you lightly beat 6 eggs in a heatproof bowl. You’ll want this bowl to fit snugly over the pot of water, which is the next step. Now’s also a good time to melt the butter gently, and measure out the flour so you have them to hand.
13. Remove the pot from the heat from heat and place the bowl over the top, containing the eggs and caster sugar. Make sure the base isn’t touching the water
14. Beat like crazy with an electric handheld mixer – trust me; you do NOT want to do this by hand. You should beat for about 10 minutes over the pan of hot water – this might be a good time to throw back another mojito, because you won’t be going anywhere for a while!
15. Remove the bowl from the pot and continue beating for 5 mins or so. You need to get to a ribbon stage – when if you take a spoonful and trail it back in, the resulting ribbon should hold itself for at least 3-4 seconds before blending  back into the mixture.
16. Pour the melted butter around the sides of the bowl, so as not to knock out the air (which is what happens if you pour it in the middle.
17. Fold the melted butter into the egg mix, moving the bowl around and scooping down to the bottom to fold the mixture over itself, using as few movements as possible to retain maximum air.
18. Repeat the process with the flour, again using as few movements as possible. Be aware though that those rotten flour lumps lurk at the bottom of the bowl, and you don’t want to be pouring it into the tin and finding a dry pocket at the bottom of the bowl!
19. Pour the mixture gently into the prepared tin, and bake in the centre of the oven for 30 mins. Keep an eye on it, as it’s easy to burn.
20. Leave to cool for 10 minutes or so, then remove from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
21. Once cool, divide the cake horizontally into two. I use a cake separator, but on Masterchef Lorraine used kitchen string stretched around the cake and then pulled tight to slice the cake evenly in half.
22. Prepare the buttercream by adding 300g softened butter, 600g icing sugar and the seeds of 2 vanilla pods (or the vanilla extract) into a bowl and whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the jest and juice from the lime.
23. Assembly time! Place the bottom of the sponge on the plate and brush with the reserved sugar syrup. Be quite liberal to make the cake really moist.
24. Put a big dollop of buttercream on top of the sponge bottom and, using a palette knife, spread the buttercream over the cake until it is level.
25. Take the top half of the cake, turn cut side up and brush with the sugar syrup. Turn it back over and put it on top of the buttercreamed sponge.
26. Next, cover the whole cake with the buttercream, including the top and sides, making sure it is a smooth as possible with straight sides and top. Put the cake in the fridge for 10 minutes or so to firm up a little.
27. Use the praline crumbs to coat the sides of the cake, picking up the fallen crumbs and gently patting onto the cake.
28. Gently indent the cake top into sections, to work out where you will place whole pecans and lime slices.
29. Top with one pecan and one lime eighth per slice, and serve.

 It was demolished! 

Truly, thou art damned like an ill roasted egg, all on one saide- (As you like it)

Red bull (1 to get me through last week of school) Weight (+10 having one of those days) Exercise (gym class) Anticipation for Masterchef episode (+100)


Eggs. A necessity in most cooking, but hardly ever the hero of the dish. But the other day on MasterChef they had a quiche test taste which got me in the mood to make a Quiche Lorraine, which is purely about eggs...eggs and more eggs. 
When I say "got me in the mood" I mean I wanted. I wanted. I WANTED! I thought it would be great to make it on the Sunday night, warming the house with the heat from the oven and creating pleasant baking pastry aromas. Also it would be good to pack it up for our lunches for the next couple of days, teamed with some salad from our vegetable garden. 
This is perfect for families and the kids for those school box lunches, as it is a cheap option and can be prepared earlier too.


This simple quiche recipe works all the time, even the pastry. This pastry is light, golden and crisp against the softness of the rich egg mixture, so I recommend you make it instead of buying it. It's cheap and inexpensive to do so. The mix of egg, pancetta (or bacon for budget friendly) and leeks has a hint of saltiness with creaminess. Make sure you bake it so it is golden on top.


A quick fix for lunch. Eggsitement!

Short crust pastry

• 125g butter
• 240gplain flour
• Pinch salt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Filling

• 60g butter
• 1 small white onion, finely diced
• 2 texter leeks, washed and thinly sliced white and green
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 150gflat pancetta, cut into fine lardons
• 300mlpure cream
• 3 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ cup grated good quality gruyere cheese

• 1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a 21cm loose-bottomed fluted tart tin.
  
  2. For pastry, place butter, flour and salt in a food processor and pulse until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add egg and lemon juice and process until mixture forms a ball. Turn onto a floured bench and gently knead to bring dough together. Do not over work. Wrap in plastic wrap and rest in refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
  
  3. For filling, melt half the butter in a large frying pan over a medium high heat. Add onion and leeks cook for 3-4 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Transfer onion mixture to a bowl and return pan to heat.
  
  4. Melt remaining butter in the pan, add pancetta and cook until golden, stirring occasionally. Add to the onions and stir to combine. Spread over a double thick sheet of paper towel to drain.
  
  5. Roll pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper to a 24-26cm circle 2-3mm thick. Gently ease into prepared tart tin, pressing pastry into the edges of the tin. Trim with a small knife and prick the base. Lay a sheet of baking paper over the base and fill with baking beans or rice and blind bake pastry for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven, take out paper and baking beans and return to the oven for 5 minutes to crisp.
  
  5. Whisk cream, eggs and yolks in a bowl until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
  
  6. Fill the base of the cooked pastry shell with onion mixture and scatter over half the cheese. Pour over egg mixture and sprinkle with tasty cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, reduce temperature to 160°C and bake until set. Allow to cool before cutting.

* Eggs are a good source of choline, a nutrient that helps to maintain the integrity of cell membranes and is particularly crucial to brain health and function.

I've created a monster....

No I'm not quoting Eminem but alluding to the classic novel "Frankenstein" as I just went and watched the National Live Theatre stage play and it was an "out of this world experience" and got me thinking.......about my monster creation- my husband. I've turned his savoury taste buds to delectable sweetness, and there is no going back! My kitchen's cogs cannot seem to produce enough sweet treats to satisfy these late night cravings. Cakes, ice -creams, tarts, puddings, cheesecakes, slices cannot come out fast enough before being consumed of the fox's produce line.


As a result we spent the majority of yesterday in search for figs to make Debra's cake from MasterChef, "Sticky Fig and  Caramel Cake with Vanilla Custard. We went everywhere to find the seasonal product that is out of course out of season. Of course once the thought of eating this cake had blossomed within our minds nothing would do, so the search continued to Ferry Rd Markets, which have everything.....and of course the elusive fig. 


My husband was literally jumping up and down screaming "We found figs....We found figs." Might as well have been "It's alive...It's alive." It was a Kodak moment.


So was it worth it? I'm going to let you be the judge!

Cake

• 150g butter, softened
• 150g caster sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (bean reserved for custard)
• 2 eggs
• 150g self-raising flour
• 1/3 cup full cream milk

Caramel sauce

• ¼ cupcaster sugar
• 50g butter
• 1/3 cup pure cream
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped



Pouring on the home made custard! Definitely making this again.

• 4 large fresh figs

Vanilla custard

• 1 cupfull cream milk, plus 1 tablespoon extra
• ¼ cup pure cream
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped, plus reserved bean
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon plain flour
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 300ml pure cream, whipped to soft peaks, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 20cm round spring form cake tin with foil then with baking paper.

2. For cake, beat butter, sugar and vanilla seeds together until pale, add eggs one at a time until combined. Add flour alternately with milk.

3. For caramel sauce, place all ingredients except figs into a medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar has melted. Bring to the boil and cook until mixture turns golden brown. Remove vanilla bean.

4. Pour caramel into prepared tin. Cut figs in half and arrange in the pan cut-side down with tops pointing towards the centre. Cover gently with cake batter, spreading until even. Place cake on a baking tray and bake for 45-50 minutes until cooked through.

5. For custard, pour milk and cream into a medium saucepan with vanilla and heat until scalding but not quite boiling. Meanwhile whisk egg with sugar until pale, slowly add warm mixture, whisking continuously. Mix flour with one tablespoon milk to a runny paste, add to mixture and stir to combine. Pour mixture into a clean saucepan, place over low heat and stir until mixture starts to thicken, 5-10 minutes. Once custard coats the back of a spoon, stir in honey. Cover custard closely with cling film.

6. Serve cake warm with vanilla custard and whipped cream.

I'll give this ark a miss

Redbull consumption = 0  Food blog= 1   Weight= the same  Marking= 0  Exercise= none :(

This girl can eat. This girl loves to eat. So the food journey once again led us to the doorstep of Nobby's Arc beach bar cafe, which just popped up two weeks ago at Nobby's beach.

 It's name is exactly what you will receive. Think  pizzas (we had the pork belly), chicken souvlaki skewers, meatballs with yoghurt dressing, pork belly and haloumi- it's DUDE food! You're not going to get fancy schmancy meals here, just unpretentious home cooking. No surprise that there were so many groups of men sharing a meal together and a few drinks (great spot if you're single). Coming in two by two perhaps?
The wide variety of beers may have had something to do with this as the range is quite broad (Coopers range, Burleigh local beers, Boutiques such as Stone n Wood), as well as their wines, as they even having matching Pizza wines.
It was a food mecca for those wanting simple flavoured, easy comfort food with some acoustic music playing in the background, without the hefty price tag. A funky casual spot that would be good for a Sunday session to relax with friends and share some food and beverages!

Staff were extremely friendly and prompt. No shortage of waitresses around or smiles. We were surrounded by candles, though the lighting was so low it was hard to read the menu at times and I'm not sure I like sitting my curves on a small metallic stool. It's a "pubby" feel so it is quite loud at times with people at the bar and large groups seated. Yet, it's close to home and flexible with its options, though I still feel it's trying to grasp its identity and figure out where it is heading. It's a little mis matched for me. Yet it seems to be quite popular already with the boys, the young and the baby boomers.

Sitting in the dark at the back of the restaurant!

Not my cup of tea! This girl likes lots of flavour and pretty dishes in a nice romantic surrounding. I mean if I'm going to go out I don't want to eat what I can make at home!

Go check it out and let me know what you think!

GC food authority signing out!

Don't keep calm he just called you carrots!

During the week we used all of our left overs to make Roast Chicken Thighs Wrapped in Pancetta served with Baby Carrots, courtesy of Billy Law from MasterChef season 3.
Really tasty and easy to make- we rolled the chicken up and wrapped it in the pancetta and made a bit of an apple/carrot slaw, using some of the purple carrots we had bought and used during the week, plus carrots we have been growing in our garden....Nom NOM.
Would you believe we even saw purple and yellow cauliflower at Coles when purchasing purple carrots!!! Even used the carrot peel by throwing it in the deep fryer and making crisps- not sure how good for you that is but it added a crunchy texture atop the chicken......and we felt quite "gourmet" making it. Might look like there's lots of ingredients in this recipe but its mainly spices and herbs! Way to spice up your chicken!!

• Carrot and apple salad
• 60gbutter, diced
• 1 clovegarlic, minced
• 1sprig lemon thyme, leaves picked
• 1carrot, peeled and 1cm diced
• 1apple, peeled and 1cm diced
• Roast chicken roulade
• 4 slicespancetta
• 3chicken thighs, bone removed, fat trimmed
• 1 clovegarlic, minced
• 1 spriglemon thyme, leaves picked
• 20gbutter, long rectangular piece
• 20mlolive oil
• Carrot crisps
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 2baby carrots, peeled
• Roast carrots
• 1 tablespoonextra virgin olive oil
• 1 bunchbaby carrots, peeled and tops trimmed
• 10gbutter

• Preheat oven to 200°C.
• For carrot and apple salad, heat butter, garlic and thyme in a small frying pan. Add carrot and apple and sauté until golden. Set aside.
• For roast chicken roulade, lay pancetta, slightly overlapping, on a clean chopping board. Lay two chicken thighs next to each other on top of the pancetta. Sprinkle garlic and thyme and a lay long strip of butter on top. Lay the third piece of chicken thigh over the dressed pieces. Gently roll up pancetta around the chicken and truss firmly with kitchen string to hold roulade together.
• Add oil to a hot frying pan and sear parcel all over until evenly golden. Transfer to a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or until firm to the touch. Rest under loosely wrapped foil.
• For carrot crisps, heat oil in a small saucepan to 190°C. Peel carrot into thin strips using a vegetable peeler and fry until golden, drain on paper towel.
• For roasted carrots, heat a small roasting pan over medium heat, add oil and carrots and toss until just golden, add butter and toss until melted. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10 minutes or until cooked through.
• To serve, slice roast chicken roulade into 2cm slices. Place a bed of carrot and apple salad and serve alongside roast carrots and carrot crisps with a drizzle of the butter sauce from the carrot and apple salad.

Ode to dessert and quick thinking!

Yesterday I decided to whip up some of the desserts from the MasterChef love challenge. Kylie's was the winner so I thought I'd make her concoction and take into class for three Extension English girls as a surprise. Nothing better than eating when writing an essay!!!
Tried her " Spiced Poached Meringue with Chocolate Custard." 


This seemed easier than it looked. Meringues were a disaster. Poaching a meringue? Tried. Tasted. Failed. Ended up with a foam like substance. Discarded it. Drank the milky mixture used for the poaching- just like an egg nog. The other meringue didn't really seem to have crunch. Mind you the chocolate custard was amazing, except figs are out of season for the presentation. Plan 21.....strawberries! 


So in the end had small little ramekins with the custard, topped with strawberries, some softish meringue, pistachio crumble (I processed) and some toffee. Nothing like Kylie's dessert at all but the girls were impressed and thought it was "fancy" and the husband got some too. Result= everyone is happy and one extra notch on my masterchef belt for resilience and quick thinking!


Matt Preston would have been impressed!


Can't wait for tonights masterclass to try out next week!!!

(http://www.masterchef.com.au/recipes/spiced-poached-meringue-with-chocolate-custard-and-baked-meringues.htm)

TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT?: Just let them eat pizza!

TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT?: Just let them eat pizza!: Another restaurant review below....... tell me what you think and where should I go next? So on the hunt for Mr Darcy- yes Colin Firth is ...

They eat us up hungrily, and when they’re full, they vomit us up.

Men: "They’re like stomachs and we’re just the food. They eat us up hungrily, and when they’re full, they vomit us up."


Slightly disagree with the women in Shakespeare's Othello! I mean, my husband just whipped up an awesome mid-week meal based on masterclass last week. I know he watches MasterChef (tick) and cooks dinner (tick) and washes up (double tick).
Tonight he created George Colambaris's Greek ribs with a bean salad, mixed with fetta, caramelised onions, baby spinach, pine nuts and cherry tomatoes. MMMM and did I mention the yoghurt dressing drizzled on top with a mix of honey! Feeling slightly healthy too and no stomach bulge. BONUS! I had been salivating for them since last Friday, even though I'm not really a ribs girls. Close-ups on TV showed them juicy and tender and I'm a sucker for the contestants groaning over food!. Pretty easy to make, a crowd pleaser and tasty. Next week we might make Matt Moran's version and compare which was tastier!

Watch this space for more rib action next week!!

• 1kg lamb breast riblets, cut into single ribs
• Olive oil, for serving

Marinade

• 2cm ginger
• 5 eschalots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ¼ cup orange juice
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 star anise

Dipping sauce

• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• Zest and juice of one lemon
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup Greek yoghurt

Bean salad

• 100g blanched baby green beans, sliced into 4cm pieces
• 1 tablespoon toasted flaked almonds
• ¼ cup caramelised onions
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup fetta, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint

Black Coffee Lyrics

Another GC foodie review coming at you....


There's this little spot I like in Surfers, tucked away down a little arcade, a flight of steps and hugging a corner you have Black Coffee Lyrics. It has an old red door and little windows with Victorian chaises inside and out, vintage decor and ecclectic paintings and posters and customers alike. Very quaint with card games while you are waiting and a licensed bar, with nooks and cranny's you can sit amongst. It's small and cosy and a local hot spot. I love the ambience! Apparently they do a pretty mean breakfast, though I've never had it and they have some great Vegetarian/Vegan  options. My husband swears by their coffee.


The last time we went we had this "pork belly" special pizza and shared some nachos. Savoured every mouthful and it was ridiculously great for a spot of lunch, washed down with some wine. Fairly decently priced in this economic crisis too! We went this weekend and the menu had changed (seasonal) and this time I was a little disappointed with the options on offer. There were some nice looking salads with duck, goat's cheese, figs and other yum yums...but after a night with friends I felt like something a little more wholesome. We had the panini's with rosemary fries- ordered two different ones and shared (best of both worlds). They were nice and had flavour but I couldn't help but feel disappointed that we had driven all that way to have something I could have made at home. I wanted something that excited me a little, something I didn't have all the time. Doh- just when I thought I had found a little niche cafe.....I hope they bring it back to what it was!


I still recommend you give it a go- even just to sit with the girls on a "Sex in the City" expedition or to read the paper and  have a winter warmer. I just hope that when the menu changes they 'spruce' it up a little and bring back some of those great weekend lunch ideas that they had. I'll be sure to re-post my experience the next time I go.
Leave feedback about what you think if you've been!

Alas poor piglet I knew it well...

HAMLET

Tonight's dinner, courtesy of Gary Mehigan's masterclass- Pork Cutlet with Braised Vegetables and Date Puree.

For the first time ever I cooked with purple carrots. I even found them at Coles. They were beautiful and sweet so I mixed them with normal carrots and fennel as I was not sure where to find fresh artichokes. The recipe was fairly easy and "the husband" loved it, especially the dates and date vinigeratte (which he thought were figs). Since he is allergic to nuts we skipped the hazelnut oil and used grapeseed oil as it is neutral. We followed the notes on caramelisation, oven time and resting to a tee and I think these are the best cutlets we have had! Definitely progressing in terms of "domestic cooking Goddess."

Even tried a few presentation techniques! Still needs work though!

Let me know what you think!

Masterchef site

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 point pork rack, trussed OR
• 1 pork cutlet
• Sea salt flakes
• Braised vegetables
• 2 bunches yellow and purple baby carrots, peeled and trimmed
• 2 eschalots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 fresh globe artichoke heart, quartered, choke removed
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 200ml water

Date puree

• 6-8 fresh medjool dates, torn and pips discarded (packet dates work)

Date vinaigrette

• 3-4 tablespoons hazelnut oil or grape seed
• 2-3 tablespoons date vinegar (italian red wine)
• 1 tablespoon date puree
• Boiled farro, to serve
• ¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds), roasted, to serve Or pine nuts
• Basil cress, to serve

Just let them eat pizza!

Another restaurant review below....... tell me what you think and where should I go next?

So on the hunt for Mr Darcy- yes Colin Firth is in town girls- we went to Justin Lane Pizzeria Bar (a sure likely spot for celeb spotting me thinks)!
It's this New York chic, warm trendy Sydneyesque bar that spills into the adjoining alley with its seating! Upon arrival (there's always a wait due to its high popularity) GRAB a seat at the bar and tuck into their cocktails- the bar tenders choice is a must or the blueberry cocktail. You can order some bite size snacks while waiting for a table and interact with an eclectic mix of young and old trendy, blazer wearing, high society fashion "Gold Coastarians." Try the Pork and fennel juice meatballs or a personal favourite, the king of sausage (chorizo) with caramelised onions and peppers.
Seating is in the alley way and a room at the back- expect candles, low lighting and lots of old school globes hanging from the ceiling.
We've tried a few pizzas- personal favourites being the pork belly, the mushroom and Parmesan and the margarita. The flavours and wood fired bases compliment each other perfectly. No wonder you have to line up for a spot 6pm onwards! Bookings only taken for 6 + people.


Great spot in Burleigh and great value for money. Support local businesses and maybe we can get more of these Soho style gourmet boutiques popping up!
 (Margarita pizza below)