Hope everyone’s Australia Day was as enjoyable as mine!  Although I did spend most of it under the air conditioning unit.  It was 40 degrees!!  I hope not many people took a sickie on Friday

We celebrated Australia Day up in the hill’s at a friend’s place.  They had just moved up there and the view is spectacular!!  Their house is pretty amazing as well.  It reminds me of a country home that I would see in the UK countryside.

Sunset and the City

Beautiful Sunset

Although at first it was hot and humid, it started drizzling, then from a drizzle it was pouring down like cats and dogs with thunder and lightning!  Talk about an unforgettable  Australia Day

Australia Day is on the 4th day of Chinese New Year celebrations and as celebrations go, we had yee sang … again … I think this is my 4th yee sang.  Four yee sangs in four days!  That must be a record for me.  For the record, the past 4 days I haven’t felt hungry at all!  Just full…24 hours, every single day…this is what Chinese New Year does to me >.<  Anyhow, as I was saying, we had yee sang and accompanying that yee sang is the many dishes of food that I got to sample.

Tossing the Yee Sang

By 8pm, it was still raining and the city was covered in rain and fog from where I was looking.  I soon discovered that down there it hadn’t really rained at all =_= and here we were thinking the fireworks might’ve been cancelled haha

Although I couldn’t see the fireworks well, I still had a pretty awesome lightning show.  Some of the lightning was pretty close and spectacular.  Standing out in the rain with an umbrella not only attracted lightning but mosquitoes as well.  I have at least 15 mosquito bites on my legs.  Not fun at all =_=

Lightning over the City

All in all, it was a pretty fun day, despite the weather, it was an unforgettable Australia day

xoxo

♥ cupcakerist

The decor isn’t too bad, the down side is it’s a dimly lit restaurant. I don’t mind dimly restaurants if it’s not too dark. But this restaurant was dimly lit and the lighting was red as well, so most of my photos were taken with flash. If it was without flash, everything would look red >_<. The lighting reminded me of a restaurant I went to a couple weeks ago. It was so dimly lit that you relied of the candle that was in front of you to see your menu! The table next to me was worse, they actually asked the waitress for a torch, which she did provide, in order to read their menus!!

So we ordered our drinks and I ordered a Berrioska ($16) which was ultimately a caprioska with a berry twist. Let’s just say by the end of the night I was drinking more vodka than berry. Maybe I should have stuck to my safe mojito, but then again I might have been drinking more rum than mint! It was a nice drink, but maybe a bit too heavy on the vodka.

Berrioska ($16)

We ordered some warm New Norcia French sticks ($10.50) to start off with. This was accompanied with the classic olive oil and balsamic vinegar, marinated olives, homemade cognac pâté and onion confit ($5.50). I like my pâté in small doses. This pâté was creamy and smooth and just downright wonderful. I could have finished the whole bowl, but I had to share with 2 other people. The onion confit was like an onion jam, sweet and soft and full of flavor. The bread was Delish. It felt like it was just out of the oven. The outside was crusty but the inside was warm ands soft, just the way I like my bread.

New Norcia French sticks ($10.50) with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, marinated olives, homemade cognac pâté and onion confit ($5.50)

Homemade Cognac Pâté

If you haven’t noticed, the pâté has a layer of butter on top. This is to keep the pâté from oxidizing and discoloring when it is kept in the fridge.

While we were waiting for our mains to arrive there was a dinner party happening in front of us. It was quite fascinating to watch as it was hosted by one person for his many friends and they looked like they were having such a jolly time. One funny thing I noticed that after each course the person that had originally sat on a chair with a yellow post it note had to move 2 spaces to their left. I think it was to keep conversation flowing and to let everyone mingle with each other, which was quite ingenious of the host. I must remember that when I host a dinner party haha

So our mains had arrived. My mum ordered the Slow Roasted Breast of Free Range Chicken​, Pan Fried Mushroom Risotto & Truffle Jus ($36.50). It was nice, nothing overly special. The chicken was tender and the risotto was just nice, not on the gluggy side which you can sometimes get. What I was left wondering was if there was any truffle jus. There was definitely some jus there but I couldn’t taste any truffles. It was an ok dish, although rather bland in presentation. Everything was a shade of white or brown :S

Slow Roasted Breast of Free Range Chicken , Pan Fried Mushroom Risotto & Truffle Jus ($36.50)

My dad’s dish was the Barbecued Cutlets of Arabic Spiced Lamb, Roast Vegetable Couscous, Crispy Eggplant & Wild Fig Jus ($38.50). I managed to try a slice and the lamb was quite succulent. Being a fan of lamb I think my dad quite enjoyed his dish.

Barbecued Cutlets of Arabic Spiced Lamb, Roast Vegetable Couscous, Crispy Eggplant & Wild Fig Jus ($38.50)

My dish was Crispy Roasted Lean Pork Belly, Strudel of Pan Caramelised Apple, Leek & Goat’s Feta, & Green Apple Balsamic ($37.50). I was surprised with my dish. My pork came out as a triangle! The skin looked crispy, but when I did tuck into it, was I utterly devastated. It was the opposite of crispy, and it was chewy as well . The pork was cooked nicely, but the skin let it down. I was also left wondering where the leek and goat’s feta was. I could taste the balsamic vinegar, but to say that it was a green apple balsamic may be a bit of an overstatement.

Crispy Roasted Lean Pork Belly, Strudel of Pan Caramelised Apple, Leek & Goat’s Feta, & Green Apple Balsamic ($37.50)

The strudel of pan caramelized apples was ok. It tasted like a strudel without the sugar and cream. The apples were a bit tad on the sour side but it was ok. The skin though…sigh…if only it was crispy.

Inside the apple strudel

So far, the evening was like a roller coaster. The high was the New Norcia bread and pâté, the low was the not-so-crispy pork skin. We decided to stay for dessert as if was heavily raining outside so we thought we would wait it out. We ordered a Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch sauce and Vanilla Chantilly cream ($16.50) to share. The sticky date was moist and warm with the not too sweet butterscotch sauce to accompany it. I have unsuccessfully tried to make vanilla Chantilly cream before. But this was just right. It wasn’t too heavy on the mascapone cream and it was light. It suited well to the dish. Some light to balance out the heaviness of the dessert.

Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch sauce and Vanilla Chantilly cream ($16.50)

I must say that at the end of the night it was a mixed bag of emotion. Unfortunately for me, by the time we were to leave the vodka was not reacting nicely with my food and causing all sorts of distress. I will be visiting Cream again, but maybe not for another year or so.

Highs: New Norcia bread, the homemade cognac pâté and the sticky date pudding dessert
Lows: not so crispy pork skin, the too much vodka berrioska
Decor: 3/5, it could use a bit of updating and lighting
Service: 4/5, prompt and efficient despite having to serve the dinner party as well. There was only one waitress on that night and she was pretty good considering the circumstances
Food: 3/5 the highs gave it an extra point
Price: $$$$$, it’s not a place you would go every week, it’s like a “special occasions” kind of restaurant
Overall experience: 3/5, it wasn’t terribly good, but it was terribly bad either, just average

xoxo

♥ cupcakerist

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Anyways, we went to our family friend’s place for an open house. Which kinda means that they open their house whole day for their friends to come and celebrate. I think last year we went I made chocolate cupcakes with coffee buttercream shaped as roses. This year, because I have mastered my macarons, I made macarons for them instead ^_^ I think I have a borderline obsession with macarons. This week for instance if my blood count is high ie I’m not too tired from work, I will try to make macarons for the Mooncake festival which is next week, according to my mum I can tell you another interesting story about the Mooncake festival. It is actually my favorite story of all time but I’ll leave that for another post

So I decided this time to make pink macarons to differentiate the difference between the 4 flavors I was making. I had coffee buttercream, salted caramel, chocolate and strawberry. The coffee buttercream and salted caramel were in white macarons with the salted caramel having salted on the shells. And the chocolate and strawberry had pink shells with the chocolate one having chocolate drizzles on the shells does that make sense?

I love their house, it’s very resort like and their kitchen is AMAZING and their fireplace is pretty awesome as well the food wasn’t too bad, I’m not a big fan of curry, after living in Australia for most of my life my spice tolerance is extremely low, but I do like my wasabi . Their curry were in massive pots, it could feed 100+!!! I wonder how many people visited them!

Unfortunately, I think my stomach did not like the curry and the next morning I was suffering from what I now call it a “hangover without alcohol” Not great at all and I was so dehydrated all I had for the whole day was lemonade with hot water and salt At least I was well enough by nightfall to be ready for work the next day…yippee??

Anyways, this week my puppy is having a friend staying over for a couple of weeks. His name is Toby and he’s a sheep puppy. Not a sheepdog like a collie, but a dog that’s looks like a sheep and when he was younger made noises like a lamb as well :s I’m sure Bailey will enjoy his company

xoxo
heart cupcakerist

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Louis Baxter

Louis (pronounced Lou-ee) Baxter is a small little cafe opened recently by Eamon Sullivan (the Australian Swimmer) and his business partner Laki Baker.  The food is simple and the coffee is to die for ^_^ And the interior of the cafe is welcoming and the painting on the wall is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G hehehe.  I went there with my parents to celebrate my birthday.  I wasn’t really planning on doing anything this year, but trying out a new cafe didn’t sound too bad

So we each ordered something different and had coffee as well.  Their coffee beans are Campos Coffee which is according to them a “coffee epiphany”.  To my dad, it was a coffee epiphany  He loves his long black strong and they gave it to him strong  On the other hand the coffee was a bit too strong for my liking.  Maybe I should have ordered a flat white, more milk might weaken the coffee strength  But all the same it wasn’t too bad after a couple of sugars

From top, clockwise: 12 hour Crispy pork belly slide with fennel and apple slaw; Slow roasted lamb sandwich with caramelised onion and chimichurri; Chocolate and Strawberry macarons; Poached chicken baguette with avocado, tomato, danish fetta and salad

The food on the other hand was quite nice.  Never got to try the pork slider as my mum didn’t leave me any to try  But my poached chicken was cooked to perfection.  Unfortunately they didn’t have a baguette so I had it as a sandwich and it was just as yummy.  I love how they come on wooden boards.  Quite nifty I think ^_^  The roasted lamb sandwich was just as nice.  I love toasted sandwich when you bite into them they have an instant crunch and the insides are soft and yummy ^_^

The macarons on the other hand are a different matter.  I think I’ve tried so many macarons that I’m quite finicky with the taste.  You don’t want macarons that when you bite into it all you taste is sweetness and unfortunately the strawberry macaron was like that.  I don’t think I tasted any strawberry flavor in there.  Whereas the chocolate macaron was extremely chocolatey.  It reminded me of leftover chocolate mixture I use to lick from the bowl after baking a chocolate cake

Overall I enjoyed the lunch.  It was quite yummy and I would definitely visit them again with friends ^_^  On a side note, check out my birthday present ^_^  Now I don’t have an excuse to be late anymore

Tissot Classic

xoxo

♥ cupcakerist

Macarons

For my birthday, instead of baking a cake a bringing it to work, I decided to make some macarons instead ^_^  Macarons and I have a good working relationship  I am patient in measuring out the ingredients to the tee and mixing it well and patiently waiting for it to “dry” and it will bake me yummy macarons without fail ^_^  Although, that night I decided to try which level of the oven worked best, whether to do 2 trays or a single one and for long long and at what temperature.  So my first few batches were, let’s say, disastrous.  But once I figured out a rhythm to it, there was a 100% success rate ^_^  No half risen macarons or bubbling macarons or macarons with funny lumps on the top :S

The Process

As promised, I have two new flavors.  My current flavors that I always have are the coffee buttercream and the new salty caramel that has been out for a couple of weeks. I find that they are my addiction.  I could eat the caramel all day long!! It’s like a tequila shot.  Not that I can drink tequila all day long, unless I want to suffer from ascites or cirrhosis.  But the whole salt, shot then lemon/lime.  But for a caramel shot its caramel, salt and macaron.  I just usually go for the caramel and salt, no macaron ^_^

Flavors of Macarons

Anyways, my 2 new flavors are strawberry ganache, dark chocolate ganache and vanilla chantilly cream.  Ok, that’s 3 flavors.  I already have a chocolate buttercream filling, but the dark chocolate ganache is seriously dark.  Like 70% dark chocolate, and with a macaron it’s like eating chocolate but the macaron provides a bit of sweetness to the chocolate which is REALLY dark.  I like dark chocolate, but not THAT dark.  Although I think the doctors  liked it.  It fits into the whole “dark look” they go for.  Doctors eating dark chocolate macarons in a dark room hahahah.

The vanilla chantilly cream is still a work in progress.  It can get a bit watery or soft, so I think I need to experiment a bit with that one, although my colleagues did mention it was like vanilla custard.  To me, it was too soft.  I always find macarons need a thick filling.  Not too thick that it’s hard, but like “sludgy” hahahaha

The strawberry ganache is tangy.  I like the strawberry flavor.  It’s not too sweet, but has a lovely flavor of strawberry which I pureed and then sieved, because I don’t want seeds in my ganache.  The chocolate and strawberry ganache fillings were sandwiched in between chocolate macarons whereas the salty caramel and vanilla chantilly cream were with vanilla macarons.

All in all, I was pretty happy with my new flavors and discovering what works best for my oven and for me.  I think that night I made about 100 filled macarons.  I must admit, by the end of the night, I smelled like a macaron, which to me is a sweet sugar smell, so I’m not quite sure whether that was a good thing, because it was like sickly sweet smell :S

Rows and Rows of Macarons

xoxo

♥ cupcakerist

So my first page is still in progress, it’s my title page. I’m going to call it “imagine, create, draw, love”. Corny right???? Well, I was trying to create something profound, but at 1230 in the morning, my brain is turning into mush. My first entry is cute though. It is from dinosaur by kisschasey, and the Dino is inspired by one of my fav tumblrs. By the way, I’m no artist. I’m more of a “finding inspiration from others”. Hence why it’s in a book and I’m not investing heaps buying a tablet for my Mac, although if profoundness does hit me and my artist streak gradually grows, then I may consider doing it on my Mac. But at the moment I enjoy my pens, paper and pastels ^_^

If you’re wondering why this sudden urge to draw, I’ve been preoccupied lately with stuff that’s happening and so drawing seems to relax me and take my mind off things and work and study. It’s very therapeutic ^_^ let’s just hope it isn’t going to be one of those forgotten hobbies >_<

Anyways, I have 2 posts to upload tomorrow night. One is about a cake and another about a macaron hehehehehe. I will endeavor to type them up ^_^

Heart cupcakerist

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Theoretically speaking I could’ve finished my baking in a couple of hours but it took me 5 hours. I am not quite sure what I did do in those 5 hours, I think I was going between the kitchen and the tv :S

I think my almond meal needs to be a bit more finer, but at least they have cute little feet ^_^ more like high heels to me ehehehe

I used sea salt to put on top of some of the shells and to sandwich in-between the shells. At first bite all you taste is the caramel and the crunch of the shell. Then all of a sudden a hit of salt explodes in your mouth, like literally. It’s quite hard to explain. I thought all flavors would come at once, but it’s sweet then salty. Quite an interesting taste but yummy ^_^

I’m going to make them again in a couple of weeks, maybe discover another new flavor. Til then

Heart cupcakerist

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Bailey my Boy

A couple of weeks ago I went to Deevine Cafe with my parents for lunch.  From the outside it had a nice front.  We sat outside because Bailey my puppy came along for the ride.  I try to bring him everywhere if I can.  I don’t like to leave him at home by himself.  He’s not destructive at home, but I just don’t like the thought of him being lonely at home with nothing to do haha.  By the way, there was one time I left him a little longer than usual and he wasn’t happy and he chewed my FAVORITE PAIR OF STEVE MADDEN BOOTS!!!  Let’s just say I was not happy =_=

Anyways, back to the restaurant.  It was a nice day, so we sat outside with Bailey and the menu was nice.  Ranging from soup of the day to mussels to salads and burgers.  So we all ordered a dish each.  Mum ordered the  Thai Curry Mussels.  Dad had a beef burger and I had a big breakfast, just because I didn’t have breakfast that day ^_^

Big Breakfast

So this was my “BIG” breakfast.  Seriously speaking, the only thing “BIG” about it was the 2 slices of toast that I got.  The eggs were like minute!!  I love my eggs, and I love them poached ^_^  They were seriously like the size of quail eggs :S  And only half a tomato too and one mushroom and one sausage and a couple of slices of bacon and that was it :S  Ok I know I’m ranting, but it wasn’t really that great

Thai Curry Mussels

So you think that in this picture, the mussels look “amazing”.  But in all seriousness, they only had like 10 mussels in there at the most and most of the shells were either empty or closed  You think that with thai curry mussels, the curry would be nice and semi spicy and I was hoping for some shredded coconut and thickness in the sauce.  My mum unfortunately compared it to “drain water”.  It was very very very very watered down and did not look as impressive as the picture shows.

Beef Burger

I think out of all the meals, the beef burger was the only one that was ok.  Not that great.  I mean you can get fantastic burgers at all the latest burger joints, but it was ok.

Now, maybe we just caught them on an off day or maybe lunches aren’t their strong point.  We were suppose to have coffee but we were waiting and waiting and waiting for it and it never came

saddened

♥ cupcakerist

She wanted a chocolate cake. So I made a chocolate cake with chocolate mousse in-between the layers and chocolate ganache covering the whole cake. It was in other words, a chocolate overload to the extreme. Initially I wanted to cover the cake in fondant, but it was difficult to cover such a triangular cake. The cake initially was going to be 5 layers but it ended up being a 10 layered cake!! So much for my maths =_= but it still was quite a large cake. I decided that with this cake, I was going to avoid using fondant. I’m not a big fan of fondant although it does give you a smooth finish on a cake.

So as you can see, this is the cake, which was prettyyyyy heavy. I decided on impulse to make some palm trees. The trunk is made from meringue and the leaves are made from tempered chocolate. If you’re wondering why it looks so sandy, it represents the sand in an Arabian desert but don’t worry it isn’t real sand

From what I heard (I didn’t go to the party as I was too exhausted, had a wacky week) the party was a blast with belly dances and of course what does complete an 18th without …. … … … great friends

Heart cupcakerist

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

soooo i haven’t really been up to much. acutally i’ve been training at work so hence the lack of posts. although today as i went to get my coffee i couldn’t help but overhear two boys talking as they finished school. actually i find that i hear a lot of weird and crazy conversations in my line of work or when i’m just being a busy body ^_^

hope this puts a smile on your face it certainly did to mine

boy 1: man…my brain is 100% stuffed
boy 2: really?
boy 1: yeah
boy 2: then you’re screwed man…

hahahhaa…ok, if you didn’t find it funny, that’s ok ^_^ it’s just me and my lame humor. simple stuff like that can get my laughing ^_^