| Monday, February 26, 2007 |
| Easter, Part 1 - Hot Cross Buns |
I've decided to run a series of blog entries on Easter food, which being a celebration of rebirth is much better celebrated at the time of the spring equinox, making some Easter traditions such as eggs, baby chickens and any spring decorations a little odd down here in the Southern Hemisphere, but it's tradition, what can you do? To fit in with New Zealand seasons, I'm gonna do a fall recipes series to celebrate the autumnal equinox and the dawning of the cooler months. If I were pagan, it would be to celebrate Mabon, which is the opposite holiday to what American Wiccans would celebrate at Easter, the sabbat of Ostara. I really like the ideas of the Wiccan Sabbats because I like honouring the changing of the seasons and I love a good excuse to celebrate with different foods. We need more holidays. I've even decided to create my own Thanksgiving this year but not on the date that the Americans or the Canadians celebrate it. I think New Zealand is in need of a good mid-winter holiday, something different from a mid-winter Christmas. I haven't decided on an exact date but it will be sometime in June or July.
I know I complain a lot about holiday celebrations beginning too early and Easter is not until April, but when I was at the bakery this weekend, I spotted chocolate chip hot cross buns and my belly cried out for their little doughy goodness. I don't like regular hot cross buns so I guess I got overly excited because I temporarily forgot about the existence of the chocolate chip variety. Anyways, if I'm gonna do a series on Easter-ish food, I should start early. There might be lots to cover.
Hot cross buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday, but they go on sale well before then and people eat them whenever they want. The cross as you all know is a symbol of Christ, whose death and rebirth is the reason for the season.  Chocolate chip hot cross bun Hot cross buns also became a part of popular culture when the street cry of English bakers was developed into a simple song to teach the basic notes of various instruments. You all know the song:
- Hot cross buns,
- Hot cross buns,
- one a penny,
- two a penny,
- hot cross buns.
- If you have no daughters,
- give them to your sons,
- one a penny,
- two a penny,
- Hot Cross Buns
I ate a hot cross bun for breakfast. Soft on the inside, slightly chewy skin on the outside and filled with a supposed "100 chocolate chips per bun", it was a pretty satisfying breakfast. I ate it plain but would very much like to try it with nutella; peanut butter; cream; more chocolate; or mascarpone cream.
I also tried a new type of hot chocolate. Chocolate is a very Easter-ish food and a wonderful breakfast beverage. Linda gifted me with a bag of spiced hot chocolate and I thought it would go well with a hot cross bun because they are slightly spiced. I added a bit of Cadbury Drinking Chocolate to make it richer. It was pretty good. The spices were subtle and of the sweeter variety like in chai tea, not of the chili variety. I really need to start frothing my milk for my hot chocolates because it would have been way better with thicker frothier milk.
 Labels: autumn, beverage, breakfast, Easter |
posted by Lauren @ 7:19 PM  |
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| Thai, Japanese and Mexican, Oh My! |
In addition to doing a lot of sightseeing this weekend, I also did a lot of eating! We didn't exactly take Chris on a culinary tour of Auckland because a)we didn't have reservations and b)we aren't that rich, but food was consumed and it was tasty, so we didn't fail on the gastronomy front.
On Friday night, Chris and I decided to eat Thai and since there is only one Thai place at the mall and I had just mentioned my love of the peanut curry there, SaNook Thai Express Bistro was our culinary port of call. For once in my life, I didn't order anything with peanut! Shock horror! Check out the flying pig! Can you believe it? Something must be seriously wrong with me. Not only did I turn down peanut but earlier in the week, I turned down an excuse to eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday! My gluttony compass must be broken. I wanted something a little less heavy so I ordered fried rice with shrimp, squid, mussels and shimp paste. I received a huge mound of rice which I could have finished but did not. Temperance must have finally befriended me. It was good but fairly bland tasting. I added some sweet chili sauce near the end and that was much better. You can't go wrong with sweet chili sauce.
 Seafood fried rice in shrimp paste
 Nam Prik Gai
On Saturday we visited what Justina proclaimed to be "the best food court in Auckland". I was not disappointed. Hidden away in the ground floor of an office building lies a small fast food heaven with establishments selling many Asian cuisines. I promised myself I would return to lunch with Justina at a later date in order to feast on more goods. I wasn't feeling very adventurous so I ordered my default Japanese dish of teriyaki chicken and was handed a number on a red block stand. While waiting for my dish, I wandered over to another stand to purchase a passionfruit soda that caught my eye.
 Passionfruit soda
 Teriyaki chicken
 Side salad with sesame paste (?)
Chris ordered the katsu curry. I'm unsure whether it was pork or chicken. He was supplied with a huge pool of curry, which was rather yellow compared to more orange Japanese curries I have seen. It appeared more soup-like than the last katsu curry I had as well. Occupied by my teriyaki, I didn't try any so I can't inform you of its taste.
 Katsu cury
 Awesome pot Justina also got dessert. I'm not sure what you call it but it was condensed milk, red bean and ice covered in red and green flavouring. It was tasty but I just had a few spoonfuls.
 Chicken burrito
Justina ordered the vegetable burrito because she was feeling herbivorous and wasn't that hungry. However, for a not-so-hungry person she ironically received a lot of food. Her bean burrito also came with rice, salsa and sour cream, which was in addition to the side salad she ordered. She did a good job putting most of it away, but ended up creating a works of art with the remaining bean paste.
 Vegetable burrito
 Steaming beef buritto innards
 Make your own burrito kit
It was good but no drool inducing. It's hard to tell where it was lacking. It was filled with dates and raisins, covered in rum sauce and served with vanilla icecream and cream, dusted with cinnamon. I think it could have been sweeter and perhaps the bread could have been softer, more liquid soaked. At least, that is how I would prefer it. I also felt like the sauce needed something. Either more sugar or even better, caramel! It wasn't bad but then I am comparing it to the fabulous bread pudding I had at Bubba Gump's in San Francisco which was amazingly rich, decadent and so huge I couldn't finish it.
 Bread pudding
Chris ordered the bananas foster. This would have been my third choice because it has been recommended to me before. I didn't try any of Chris' but I would like to go back to Giggle's and I'll try it then. Banana is flambeed in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and rum, then served with vanilla icecream. The thick sauce looked delicious and seemed like a good way to eat my favourite fruit.
 Bananas foster On Sunday, we had a lunch at the beach consisting of bakery foods I did not photograph. This concludes the eating adventures of Princess Buttercup and two of the delicate flowers.
SaNook Thai Express Bistro - 1 Sunset Terrace, Botany Town Centre, Auckland
Giggles Cafe and Grill - 124 Picton St, Howick
Labels: beverage, Cajun, Chinese, Creole, dessert, fast food, Japanese, Mexican, Thai |
| posted by Lauren @ 5:38 PM |
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| Tuesday, February 20, 2007 |
| The Coffee Club Part 2 |
I'm supposed to be eating healthy to compensate for the "garbage"* I piled into my system over the weekend, but I'm having a bit of a crappy day and this is how we roll. My body can stand to gain a few pounds, at least that is what the rational part of me tells myself.
Ma and I took a walk to get some fresh air but after a short walk, I was rather tired so we had to stop for a rest and a cool drink. I promised I would get a picture of the banana split frappe, so here it is.
 The girl in the back appears to be enraptured by it. She can't take her eyes of it. But why stop at a drink, when you can eat. The caramel creme brulee cheesecake looked both appetising and intriguing, so Ma and I shared it. I've yet to eat creme brulee so I can't tell you how authentic it tasted. It wasn't overly sweet or rich, nor was the caramel really strong. I would have preferred it richer. It did have a touch of that creme brulee-ish flavour, as if someone might have taken a torch to it. The biscuit base was a little bit like brownie with a slightly bitter taste like coffee. This cheesecake had a texture I've never had before in a cheesecake. It was much thicker than the silky ones I eat. I think I prefer slightly softer ones. I suppose it was a cross between the consistency of silky cheesecake and a baked cheesecake. Overall, not bad but I probably wouldn't eat it again. It didn't knock my socks off.
*Why, oh why does "garbage" taste so good?Labels: beverage, dessert |
| posted by Lauren @ 4:55 PM |
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| More Silken Rose |
The lovely Linda sent me her pictures from the Silken Rose.
So behold the Tower of Cupcakes...
And the wonderful array of cafe food...
 Labels: dessert, party, snacks |
| posted by Lauren @ 4:05 PM |
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| Monday, February 19, 2007 |
| The Joy Of Baking |
If I had to pick a fragrance for my weekend, it would be a scent so sweet and saccharine you would just want to melt into it. This was the aroma that filled my kitchen as I spent hours baking for the 4th non-annual Silken Rose (aka Crystal's birthday party).
It was hard work but really enjoyable. I find baking really soothing. I was really in the moment and would have avoided the clock entirely if I didn't have a deadline. There is a great pleasure in taking raw ingredients and building them up to something deliciously edible.
 Chocolate cupcakes fresh out of the oven, pre-frosting.
 Vanilla cupcakes fresh from the oven, pre-frosting
 Vanilla cupcake with pink vanilla frosting and marshmallow flower with M&M centre.
 Chocolate cupcak with chocolate frosting, after-dinner mint sticks and chocolate chips
I licked a lot of bowls and did a lot of dishes in the course of this weekend. How my stomach has coped with this assault, I do not know. I did have a bit of a belly ache last night. There is only so much sugar and dairy a person's body should ingest in the space of two days and I am quite sure I surpassed it.
I also made plain scones (served with plum jam and peach vanilla preserve) and sandwiches with various combinations of chicken, beef, cheddar cheese, aioli, tomato and bbq sauce. I brought home a few leftovers of these, which Ma toasted in the oven for dinner and damn are they good toasted. They are like twice as tasty! It is the magic of toasting!
I don't have pictures of the sandwiches yet or the rest of the scrumptious Silken Rose spread, but I'm pretty sure Linda took pictures of it so I'll get her to forward them to me.
The Silken Rose Cafe also served mince savories, beef sausage rolls, feta and spinach pastries, bread with dips, mini bacon and egg quiches and chocolate birthday cake. A wide assortment of teas, coffees, hot chocolates and cold drinks were also on offer for our patrons.
The night before the Silken Rose was Linda's farewell get together because she is leaving us and running off to Deering, New Hampshire! :( Satiated with baked good batter, I devoured corn chips with salsa and a plate of cheese and crackers. My body was craving savory food, so I was helplessly bound to stuff as much of it in as I could. Remember what I said about moderation? I also ate a few eclairs - some of the large home-made variety filled with fresh cream and freshly melted chocolate. Others of the miniature store bought variety filled with a delectable bavarian cream. It doesn't take long for my body to revert back to sugar consumption mode.
Linda also prepared one of our favourite desserts - ambrosia! Oh yes, another big bowl. A lush, creamy dessert made from yoghurt and whipped cream, marshmallows, chocolate buttons and blueberries. Not a dessert for the faint hearted. There is a reason it's name means "food of the gods", because you have to be super-human to consume large quantities of it.
 Labels: dessert, snacks |
| posted by Lauren @ 3:14 PM |
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| Friday, February 16, 2007 |
| Moroccan Tomato and Garbanzo Fish Stew |
While perusing the supermarket the other day, I noticed a can of Moroccan style tomatoes with onion, coriander, cumin and cinnamon. I thought this would go really well with some chickpeas so into the basket it went.
Tonight, I decided to make my Moroccan tomato stew with garbanzo beans and fish. No recipe. It is simple. I made it up. I used tarakihi (also called ocean or silver bream) fish and I'm saying garbanzo beans because that is what it said on the can. It is Spanish for chickpeas, which I guess goes with the Moroccan influence in this dish. Random historic trivia about chickpeas: the Roman emperor Cicero's name is derived from a chickpea. His name means "Big Chickpea" or "Big Head" because he had an abnormally shaped head.
But I digress... it was a good, healthy meal, though rather basic tasting. I was unsure about what sort of spices to add to the sauce so I just left it as it was, but next time I'm going to be adventurous and add some stuff from the pantry to give it a kick. A thicker tomato sauce would also be great. I wanted to add spinach but alas, we were out. I also steamed some broccoli to get some greens into me. I have to say this was a pretty balanced meal - legumes, protein, omega-3, vegetables etc.Labels: Moroccan |
| posted by Lauren @ 6:01 PM |
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| Thursday, February 15, 2007 |
| Peach + Vanilla = Yum |
Not much epicurean delights to post today unless of course you are interested in seeing pictures of my potato pumpkin gnocchi and spinach in bbq tomato sauce, or the Caesar salad I ate for dinner. Even if you wanted to see those things, you can't. I didn't take pictures of them. All I can tell you is that they were good. I'm rediscovering my love for spinach lately. I know love is a strong word, especially when it concerns a substance that is green and turns rather slimy when you cook it, but I like it, for whatever weird reason. I haven't had Caesar dressing in the longest time either. I knew I would feel too guilty if I smothered my salad in it, so I resisted the urge to do so and used it sparingly. I'm sure my body will thank me later.
So the one thing I can show you is the date scone I ate for breakfast. This, in itself, is not fascinating despite how wonderful and simple date scones are. It was the peach vanilla preserve that I lightly smeared onto the scone that is the crux of my post. I spied this intriguing condiment in the supermarket yesterday and decided I must try it as I plucked it from the shelf. It is a peach jam with a subtle but definitely discernible (I say subtle because it wasn't overpowering) vanilla flavour. I liked it. It was a nice change from my strawberry jam. Next time I'm gonna slather it on thicker.Labels: breakfast |
| posted by Lauren @ 6:13 PM |
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| Wednesday, February 14, 2007 |
| Flap Me A Jack On St V Day |
Aah, Valentine's Day. The day you feast with your lover. I don't have one so my mother will have to do. I do love her and I tend to view Valentine's Day as a day of love for all. It certainly takes the pinch out of it.
Ma and I went to The Coffee Club for brunch. We were both in the mood for pancakes. Okay, yeah, when am I not in the mood for pancakes? hehe.
They came out simply but beautifully served. A stack of 3 pancakes topped with vanilla icecream and cream, a small baked pikelet, a tiny silver jug of maple syrup (which I miraculously only used half of when I normally smother my pancakes in it...), fresh ripe strawberries and sifted icing sugar around the edges of the plate. The pancakes were light and fluffy. Not amazing in the way that the best Canadian pancakes are amazing but I'd say they beat Denny's because I've kinda gone off Denny's. The serving is about right if you're looking for a satisfying but not food coma inducing breakfast. The mini baked pancake/pikelet thing was a cool surprise. I'm guessing they cooked it in the pan, then placed it in the oven for a bit because it was soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Kinda like a pancake waffle (a panoffle, a paffle, but not in the way you wish for Justina). You get the best of both worlds when it comes to icecream and cream. No need to decide. I find icecream goes the best with pancakes though. The icecream is probably why I didn't need as much syrup since I had some other kind of liquid to soak my flapjacks in. I would eat this again.
I was in a coffee mood so I decided to try a Mellochino. I was mistaken in believing it would have a more distinct marshmallow flavour or a more obvious inclusion of marshmallow but I was wrong. It was pretty much a cappachino with less froth. There was a little bit of marshmallow in the foam, but not much. Overall, I don't really see the point of this drink. Personally, I think they should somehow melt marshmallows into the coffee.
 Isn't the little choc marshmallow heart a delightful Valentine's touch. A server also came around the tables and gave us an extra one during our meal. I never say no to chocolate.
I promise I will order the Banana Split Frappe next time to show y'all. Ma and I were thinking about getting some cake for dessert but we figured we would do it next time just as a snack. We were practicing a bit of restraint. Their cappuchino cheesecake, maple chocolate fudge tart and tiramisu all looked delicious. Oh, the choices....Labels: beverage, breakfast |
| posted by Lauren @ 4:08 PM |
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| Tuesday, February 13, 2007 |
| Bow To Chai |
Yes, I'm on a roll - for eating! I'm going okay with the eating healthy thing. But everything in moderation, including moderation. hehe. What? I couldn't resist a Starbucks fix - it is the Disneyworld of coffee shops after all... You know, I secretly work in their marketing department right.... Oh, if only I got paid to praise....
Behold, my beloved maple walnut scone. I haven't featured a picture of it for awhile. For once, I didn't consume it. Ma did.
I decided to try something new. I got the blueberry muffin.
It was good but rather average. I wasn't falling all over myself for it. Dude, imagine how good a muffin would have to be for you to be falling over yourself with giddiness upon ingestion? Positively ambrosial, I'll bet. And where can I find one? I want to fall over myself with eating glee. Normally, I just get that experience pre-eating. Methinks, I need to cultivate the post-eating delight. I could have a happy dance. I will call it the Gastronomic Jig or the Buddha Belly Breakdance. Or I will just roll around the floor with intense satisfaction and perfect disregard to the norms of etiquette.
Since I was trying new things, I also ordered the Chai Tea Latte for the first time. Why have I not tried that before? So good. Chai tea is such a comforting, satisfying beverage. This one was creamy with just the right blend of warm spices, usually cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, star anise, peppercorn and cloves. Mmmm.... much better than I make at home. Chai tea is so delicate to the senses, unlike coffee which can be a bitter affront to them. Those aspects of coffee are great if you are looking for a pick-me-up but otherwise it's gentler sister, tea, is wonderful. |
| posted by Lauren @ 1:16 PM |
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| Monday, February 12, 2007 |
| Revive! |
Ma and I went out to the city today and I'd been looking to try Revive for a while now. It's a cafe just off Queen St that has a completely vegetarian menu. Taking a look at their menu online (which is revolving and changes every week), I decided the food looked quite tasty and healthy, which is a bonus because I'm starting my new eating regime this week ie. 3 meals a day, lotsa fruit and vegies, less sweet, sugar saturated stuff. This sounded like the perfect option for lunch out.
I was not disappointed. I ordered the North African Chickpea and Aubergine Stew with Harissa and Brown Rice ($9.80). It was delicious. Not spicy at all like I worried it might be from descriptions I read of harissa online. I'm not sure how much it resembles stew because it looked nothing like I imagined it would. I was thinking more soupy, but I prefer it this way. The tomato herb sauce was rich, but not too rich. I'm really getting to like chickpeas lately. It's not that they have a distinctly strong flavour or anything, but for some reason I find them to be rather satisfying and the awareness that you are ingesting something good for you makes it extra rewarding. The aubergine was rather sparse. I would have liked more because aubergine is one of my fave vegetables. You can't see it in the picture but there is brown rice underneath the stew. If I could make any recommendation to Revive it would be: serve more rice. I was still a bit hungry afterwards. Next time I come here, I will probably get a full side salad. If they still have the Energizing Aztec Salad with Roasted Buttercup Squash, Organic Quinoa and Corn with Chive Dressing, I will try that because it sounds great. There is also my favourite, the Caesar salad with Organic Free Range Eggs, Croutons, Tomato and Homemade Dressing. I'd also quite like to try one of their smoothies or juices. But warning folks, they don't do coffee here. You're supposed to get energy from the food, not the caffeine.
Ma ordered the Spanish Omelette with Potatoes and Apricot Chutney ($9.80). I did not taste but she informs me that it was good. It looked very appetizing and the chutney looked mighty appealing. Me thinks, I would have wanted more than a little pot of it though.
I rate Revive quite highly. There aren't many places that do healthy, balanced, semi-organic (not all organic due to an attempt to keep prices down) vegetarian meals around. Cooking classes are even offered. Definitely worth a try if you are in the area and want something low-fat. But not good for you carnivorous readers.
Revive - 16 Fort St, Auckland Central (Mon-Thurs 8am-9pm, Fri8am-2.30pm, closed weekends and holidays)Labels: vegetarian |
| posted by Lauren @ 3:32 PM |
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| Friday, February 09, 2007 |
| Tiramisu Thickshake and The Coffee Club |
This is not the most exciting review in the world because it is a beverage review and beverage shots never come out particularly fascinating but I thought I would update nevertheless.
I ate sushi for lunch but didn't bother taking a picture of that because I've eaten sushi from Oishii's Kitchen a million times and y'all know what takeaway sesame teriyaki chicken sushi would look like. Not a big stretch of the imagination.
I did however try something fairly new. I had a craving for something sweet and milky. Something in the form of a thickshake so I brought a small tiramisu thickshake from New Zealand Natural. It was good but not amazing. Firstly, it could have been thicker. I like my thickshakes thick. It did almost fooled me into thinking it was thick but I realised that it was just chunks of cake/biscuit clogging up my straw. I also would have preferred a stronger coffee and chocolate taste. The liqueur flavour was tasty but in order to have a more authentic tiramisu thickshake, I feel as though it needed more coffee and more chocolate. This is the fault of the icecream it was made with not the shake itself. It was still a satisfying beverage, however.
 This is a sucky shot, I know. I was lazy and just snapped a picture of it sitting on a shelf at the store. I actually consumed another drink (and sandwich) that is worth mentioning. I think it was about a week ago. Ma and I went went to the new coffee shop that recently opened at Botany Town Centre - The Coffee Club. Of this place, I am quite impressed. I hadn't eaten all day and was rather famished so I ordered a turkey cranberry sandwich (may or may not be it's real name, I'll check later) and a banana split frappe. The sandwich was light and delicious, served on a thick turkish bread with turkey, cranberry sauce, salad and avocado (it might have added brie as well, poor memory, this was a week ago). I would definitely recommend this as a healthy lunch. I think they toast things as well. Next time I'm gonna get it toasted. The banana split frappe was fabulous and authentic. It really did taste like a liquified banana split sundae. Definitely banana-ry, with a hint of chocolate, strawberry and caramel. I would drink this again.
The Coffee Club had quite an extensive menu. Sandwiches, pizza, other cooked meals, slices, cakes, muffins. I was quite attracted to the breakfast menu. I'm planning to go back and try their pancakes for sure. It looks like a great place to have a meal. It won't however replace my beloved Starbucks because they don't have many cozy couches for single people. It's more of a group place.
Labels: beverages, Italian, Japanese, lunch |
| posted by Lauren @ 3:32 PM |
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| Thursday, February 08, 2007 |
| Strawberry Lemon Muffin |
It is very rare that I review something I don't like because a)I tend to have a pretty good radar for what is good and b)I'm not that adventurous. But I have to to say the Weight Watchers muffin I tried from Muffin Break today was gross.
I almost tried one of their WW chocolate raspberry muffins on Wednesday but changed my mind because they didn't look anywhere near as appealing as the other muffins and therefore, in my opinion, didn't seem worth it. I turned around and went to Starbucks.
But Ma brought home a bunch of WW strawberry lemon muffins and I thought I may as well try one. They are definitely on the small side when you compare them to the normal full fat muffins, so firstly that is disappointing. But the taste is what brings it down. Now I'm probably not the best person to review something that has lemon in it because its not my favourite flavour, but I can like things with lemon for example lemon meringue pie. The muffin didn't start off too bad. I managed to consume 3/4 of it. The strawberry flavour was so weak, it was barely noticeable and most definitely overpowered by the very sour taste of lemon. I understand that lemons are naturally pretty sour but that is what sugar (or in a diet muffin what artificial sweetener) is for! Also, shouldn't the more popular fruit, the strawberry be the leading taste. Not a wise decision. I'm thinking no-one honestly taste tested these. These muffins give diet food a bad name. I was also surprised to read the ingredients listing and find emulsifiers and all that chemical crap listed. I understand seeing that on stuff you buy prepackaged at the supermarket but it's odd seeing it in baked goods. I've always been under the impression that baked stuff you buy from stores is always made the regular way, just like you'd make at home. I guess that doesn't happen when you have a chain.
The moral of the story is if you are going to Muffin Break, go for whatever looks like it tastes the best, regardless of its caloric damage. I recommend the banoffi muffin or the caramel slice. Eating should be a pleasure, not a regret. You can just burn off the extra calories of gluttony later.Labels: snacks |
| posted by Lauren @ 6:39 PM |
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| Tuesday, February 06, 2007 |
| Curry Ala Michael |
Tonight I dined on a rare delicacy - food cooked by my brother, Michael. And there isn't even a blue moon this month! To what do I owe this pleasure to? A miracle? His new healthy eating habits thanks to Weight Watchers? A desire to finally embrace the culinary arts? Who knows? But the result? Pretty good.
With my mother as his assistant and trainer, he prepared a curry from a mixture of curry powder gifted to us by Sheryl, other spices and curry powder from the pantry and some Rogan Josh mix. Adding substance to the curry sauce was chicken and kumara. It was served up on a bed of jasmine rice, with a papadum on the side. It was, lucky for me, just hot enough. Not hot on your tastebuds, but just a slight tingle down the back of your throat.
I wonder what other kind of gastronomical feats my bro will undertake? I'll keep you posted.Labels: home-cooking, Indian |
| posted by Lauren @ 7:53 PM |
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| Monday, February 05, 2007 |
| Burger Fuel |
I've been eating a lot of berries this summer. By themselves, with icing sugar, with icecream, with chocolate sauce. The other night I decided to eat fresh strawberries and frozen blueberries (normally I eat them fresh but Ma couldn't get any fresh this time) layered with custard.
My presentation ain't exactly award-winning but it was a good dessert. The custard was thicker than I would have liked. I think I prefer Meadow Fresh brand over Swiss Maid. I could have made my own custard but then it would have been uber-thick to the point of near-moldable gloop. I can't seem to make custard anymore. You'd think it would be too easy to screw up but I prove you wrong on that. It is mostly that I just don't pay enough attention to how long I heat it. For some reason the picture makes it look ginormous. I swear it didn't seem that big when I was eating it. I don't know which end is misleading the pictorial end or the eating end.
My wonderful friend Crystal gifted me with her V.I.B. Birthday Voucher for Burger Fuel so I decided to use it for my lunch today. I felt I was in need of some protein and iron, so what better way to get that than with a fat and grease-laden burger. Yup, you gotta sink all four birds with one stone.
I normally order the Combustion Vege burger (sunflower seed, chickpea, cumin and corriander pattie, avocado, peanut sauce, salad, relish, aioli) but I decided to go for something carnivorous in order to get that quick shot of protein and iron. I chose the Peanut Piston (1/3lb ground beef, peanut sauce, salad, relish, aioli) to fulfill my nutritional needs. I got the burger for free because y'know I was Crystal and it was my birthday. Yes. I also decided to give the kumara fries another chance. I usually go with the safer option of spud fries which are always cooked deliciously. Kumara fries are good depending on who cooks them. You can't really screw up potato but you can screw up kumara. If the edges get too burnt, they taste so terrible you will not be able to remove the bad taste no matter how hard you try. But if they are cooked right they are delicious and much tastier than the spud fries. I guess it's like eating fugu. It just has to be done right but when it is, it is wonderfully rewarding. I got a good pretty good fryer this time but I was careful not to eat any brown crispy bits. As you can see I had plenty of aioli to dip it into. Burger Fuel make the best aioli. Definitely an A+ condiment. Perfect accompaniment to kumara fries.
 I can't remember the last time I ate a beef burger so I don't have a lot to compare it to, but the Peanut Piston was just what the doctor ordered - a mouthful of scrumptiousness. Anything with peanut sauce by nature has to be good though. You all know about my love affair with peanut sauce.
 An innard shot. Not particularly flattering. A good innard shot is hard to get. I don't know how Robyn does it. After my massive lunch I was a)satisfied and b)definitely not hungry anymore. Although, I actually might be the least full out of all the times I've eaten at BF. Probably because I generally eat there at night, after I've already bombarded my stomach with other foodstuffs during the day causing maximum overload. I still doubt that I will need dinner. I don't think my stomach has even begun to digest yet.
I've also tried some of the other burgers at BF. Combustion Tofu (organic teriyaki tofu, avocado, peanut sauce, salad, relish, aioli) is good but I prefer the Vege pattie. I used to order this before I tried the Vege and have since not gone back. I've also tried the Carbon Seaside (cajun spiced fillet, sliced capscium, plum sauce, salad, relish, aioli) which I thought was very good. The plum sauce is delish and I don't think I'd ever eaten a fish burger before. Last time I was there I tried something off the specials board whose name I can't remember but it contained chicken, pesto and brie. It was okay but the least good burger I've had there. The specials change all the time though and they no longer serve it anyway.
I love Burger Fuel. One of my fave fast food restaurants and great if you are vegetarian or vegan since they have 3 vegetarian burgers and 1 vegan burger. They also serve malt shakes, which is also available in soy. I should try that sometime. I've never had a malt shake. Perhaps next time.
Labels: American, fast food |
| posted by Lauren @ 2:32 PM |
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| Friday, February 02, 2007 |
| Nishiki and the Art of Robatayaki |
Today I spent some time out with Linda. First there was pain (Linda's eyebrow piercing), then beauty (visiting the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple in Botany) and then there was feeding. For the feeding portion of the day, we went to my favourite Japanese restaurant, Nishiki.
I did however, spy a few more Japanese restaurants in close vicinity that I might check out at later dates - there's a couple of teppanyaki restaurants and a shabu-shabu place a few doors down. Torrens Rd is a bit like a mini-Japantown.
I wasn't out for a big feast especially since I'm not used to having such a full belly in the middle of the day anymore. I'm not living up to my name all that much. I'm more like the (Occassional) Buddha Belly, which I feel is important unless one wishes to have a permanent Buddha Belly. I'm not like these other food bloggers that can pile insane amounts of fat and carbs without looking like Jabba the Hutt. Some of us must practice restraint to maintain our figures.
I'm always aware that I should try something new when I go to a restaurant but it had just been so long since I had eaten katsu that I couldn't resist ordering the chicken katsu don with sweet miso sauce. I love me some miso sauce. As I proclaimed to Linda "I could marry miso sauce". It's like the Japanese version of BBQ sauce. I'm not sure exactly what it's made of but I suspect it is miso, soy sauce and sugar. How can that not be a party in your mouth? The menu appears to have had a bit of revision since last time I visited. The lunch sets are still there but my usual old faithful here no longer comes with the sides of octopus, squid, crab and tofu. Never fear though, you still get your fill. The meal comes with a deep fried chicken cutlet topped with miso sauce on a bed of rice with salad and mayonaisse, accompanied by a bowl of miso soup. Apart from the deep fried chicken, it's pretty healthy. The portion of chicken appears to have been reduced as well but I didn't really mind since I wasn't out for a stomach stretching session. It's nice to not feeling like you have to be rolled out of the building for once.
As always it was a good meal. I can't say it's my favourite meal. The chicken was tender on the inside but crisply crumbed on the outside. I even liked the mayo which is interesting because I'm not usually a fan of mayonaisse. This was a buttery, slightly sweet mayo served in a delightful little swirl. It's golden colour initially fooled me into thinking it was butter until I splodged my finger into it. Yes, sometimes when curiosity overcomes me I resort to the childlike method of poking a mysterious object. The biggest selling point for me on this meal is the miso sauce, which could come smothered on anything and I'd probably order it. I do prefer going to Nishiki at night though to order a bunch of small dishes. I checked out their menu online and the dessert and drink menus have changed vastly. The dessert menu now includes a super sundae for a whopping $16! I cannot surmise the size of this icecream bounty but for $16 it must be fairly huge. They also now have a banana sundae, banana crepe, green tea icecream crepe, plum wine jelly and a shiratama (Japanese dumpling) set. The drink menu also now includes thickshakes - green tea, coconut, kiwifruit, banana, kahlua and strawberry (the last 3 also available with alcohol).
The restaurant is now also referred to as a robata-yaki (robata for short), a name which comes from the Japanese words 'ro' meaning 'hearth' or 'fireplace'. Basically it is the Japanese way of grilling but has come to accompany the simplistic way the food is served and the decor of such restaurants which maintains a rustic feel. The name descends from simple beach restaurants where fisherman cooked over an open fire, apparently with an oar (now that's a big spatula!) In a traditional robatayaki, patrons sit around a bar in front of an open hearth and direct the chef which meats to cook, much like teppanyaki. Technically, you can see the kitchen of Nishiki and you probably could see the chefs grilling up your meal if you sat at the bar but I wouldn't say it's as traditionally as open plan. I have yet to visit the City site.
As for the name of the restaurant. I have always pondered what it meant. I assumed it would be food related like the sushi bar at Botany named Oishii, which I instantly recognized as meaning 'delicious', an important word to know if one plans on eating Japanese cuisine enthusiastically. But from my quick Wikipedia search, I discover that it refers to the art of multi-coloured Japanese woodblock printing, nishiki-e.
Robata-Yaki Bar Nishiki (Open Tues-Sunday)
3/298 Ti Rakau Drive, Botany Downs, Auckland (open lunch 11.30am-2pm, dinner 6pm-9.30pm)
100 Wellington Street, Freemans Bay, Auckland (open dinner 6pm-10pm, winter sunday 6pm-9.30pm)Labels: Japanese |
| posted by Lauren @ 3:21 PM |
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| Thursday, February 01, 2007 |
| Saturday Night Feastage |
It's been almost a week since I went to Sheryl's party on Saturday night so I thought I would post the pictures of the magnificent gastronomic experience. I love Indian food (granted it's not hot) and homemade Indian food is always wonderful. There was quite a large spread to enjoy. I had been nibbling all day but come dinner time I was starving.
 Roti to soak up that yummy curry
 Rice with chicken and cashew  Chickpea and potato curry - my favourite.  Lamb curry  Spinach dish. I don't know how this is made but I like it. I'm getting the recipe for this along with the chickpea curry.
 Tomato chutney
 Cucumber to cool and cleanse the palate. I was so overcome with excitement upon seeing the dessert that I forgot to take a picture of it.... that night. But Sheryl gifted us with a plate of the leftovers yesterday so I have a few shots of that.
 Passionfruit cheesecake made by Sheryl's sister-in-law Shalini. I loved this so much I just had to have a second helping.
 Front shot of chocolate cake. You can mostly see the thick ganache. I actually prefer a creamier, fluffier icing on a cake. I found this ganache had a slightly rubbery taste. Not sure why. I mean it was still tasty but just a little strange though it was stranger the second time around almost a week later so maybe the cake doesn't keep that well. The rest of the cake was wonderfully dense and not to sweet, though I'm definitely not opposed to a sickeningly rich chocolate cake. Despite the above analysis it was delicious. I guess I just have high standards for chocolate.
The End. Don't you wish you were there?
Labels: chocolate, dessert, Indian |
| posted by Lauren @ 8:27 PM |
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| She Who Eats |
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Name: Lauren
Home: Auckland, New Zealand
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