FWP

It seems to me that these days, perhaps because of the fast pace of technological and medical advances in our developed countries, people are becoming more and more demanding of society, and a lot of conveniences that they have at their disposal are taken for granted, such that when their every whim has not been met, the world seems to collapse around them. Just like how this has led to the medicalisation of almost every single 'symptom' that could possibly be encountered in a lifetime (e.g. tossing and turning around at night? Restless legs. Problems sleeping? Chronic insomnia. Your child can't concentrate in class? Must be ADHD.), a name has been coined for this particular condition that these people have: First World Problems a.k.a. FWP.  

 

I particularly like Ryan Higa's take on this issue (and the treatments he prescribes!), and although grossly exaggerated for entertainment purposes, I think most of us, though shamefully, can identify with it in some way or another. Here's his YouTube video on it, so that you, too, can enjoy it :) -

 

 

This is obviously not aimed at people diagnosed with clinical depression, but I do believe that sometimes if we stop looking at our problems through a microscope and take a step back to look at the bigger picture, against which they will most likely pale in comparison, we will be able to take on a new, happier perspective of things.

I think of this video now, whenever I am feeling sorry for myself, and, you know what? It makes me feel a whole lot better.

Eat alfresco with Al'FreshCo

I love eating and cooking with local, seasonal produce; I am all for supporting our local growers; and I am a bit of a fan of the funny and cheeky Alastair McLeod (chef/TV personality; you may recall his name from one of my previous posts). So when I read about his new business venture, Al'FreshCo, that focuses on promoting exactly these things, I knew I had to check it out.

 

The Al'FreshCo market stall at the Jan Powers Farmers Market in the Brisbane CBD
 http://alfreshco.com.au/

As its banner suggests, this company offers a private catering service; sells pantry staples created using local produce; and has market stalls which offer various lunchtime goodies, again made with fresh ingredients sourced from local producers. At the moment, its market stalls are only at the Jan Powers Farmers Markets in New Farm (the fortnightly Saturday Powerhouse markets) and on Queen Street, in the Brisbane CBD (markets are there every Wednesday, but Al'FreshCo will only be there every fortnight). I went to the City markets two weeks ago to see what was on offer that day, and ended up spending almost $30 at that one stall!

The day's menu
 

After much deliberation, I ended up choosing the Sausage Turnover and the Croque 'Madman'. Just for the record, I'm not a greedy glut; I bought the food to share with my sister :P

 

The sausage turnover was made with free-range Leyburn pork, flavoured with fennel, and served with a little salad side of rocket, pickles and zucchini, along with some lovely (presumably) homemade BBQ-esque sauce. I think it's fair to say that it's the best sausage roll I've ever tasted: the pastry was nice and flaky, the meat actually looked and tasted like real minced pork (unlike the heavily processed meat we typically see in commercially available sausage rolls), and it was, on the the whole, quite flavoursome. Fennel and pork go so well together; I wonder why I've never tried this combo before? I love incorporating various herbs and spices into dishes, so I think I'll pinch this flavour idea of Alastair's :) 

 

I wasn't sure if the sauce was for drizzling over the salad or to dip the sausage turnover in, so I ended up doing a bit of both. The sauce didn't taste, or look, like store-bought BBQ sauce - indeed, it was by far superior - and it had a bit of zing to it. I wonder if it's one of the bottled home-made sauces that he sells at his market stall? If not, I'd love to have his recipe for it!

 



 

The Croque 'Madman' was a made-to-order item, and was composed of shaved ham, gruyère cheese, dijon mustard and an organic egg (you can choose runny or cooked) sandwiched between two slices of sourdough, the whole of which is then lightly toasted between a sandwich press. Just so that you're aware, while its title suggests it would be somewhat similar to a croque monsieur or madame, it's actually more like just a nice toasted ham, cheese and egg sandwich, since the egg is inside as opposed to on top of the sandwich, and it is in want of that cheesey béchamel sauce, which is characteristic of the French classic.

 

 

The last thing I bought from the stall was a jar of their Green Manzanillo Olivada, which is essentially like an olive tapenade. It is made with a combination of chopped green manzanillo olives, garlic, capers, currants, the ever-so-popular verjuice, lemon juice, and olive oil. I'm not overly crazy about olives, but I love chutneys, pickles, and relishes, and an olivada sounded like it would fit in nicely. Alastair offered me a taster of it, and it was indeed sufficiently tasty to encourage its subsequent purchase. The man himself suggested adjectives of "delicious" and "amazeballs". Readers, why not visit the stall and try it out for yourself to see if you agree with this description? ;)

 

I love it simply spread on toast - yum! Just remember to sit the fridge-cold olivada out at room temperature for a few minutes before using, so that the olive oil reverts back to its liquid form. According to Alastair, the olivada can keep for more than a year in the fridge after opening, since the contents are submerged in oil; but hopefully it won't sit undisturbed for too long that I'll have to think about its longevity past a few months!

 



Oh, and just make sure you go early to beat the busy lunch hour crowd!

It was great to see Alastair McLeod helping out there at his stall too. His presence in itself serves as effective advertisement for his market stall. He kindly agreed to pose for a photo for this food blog of mine (sorry, Alastair; I decided to cut myself out of the picture afterall!).

I'm so excited that Alastair has taken on this direction and that Al'FreshCo will be here to stay in the farmers markets. The food is a bit different to the usual ready-to-eat fare that is available in the markets, and more importantly, it is a business with an aim of supporting local producers, which is something that should be in our collective interest as a community. Afterall, local produce + less distance travelled + less storage time between farm and markets = fresher food for consumers, right? I, for one, am certainly looking forward to the changing menu every fortnight.

The next market appearance of Al'FreshCo is this Wednesday in the city, so come along and check it out!

Dandelion and Driftwood: A review

Dandelion and Driftwood
 Tea and coffee crafters
Shop 1, 45 Gerler Rd, Hendra Qld 4011
(07) 3868 4559

I went to Dandelion and Driftwood last December for a weekend morning tea with a few friends. I've been meaning to try it out for a while, but the travel distance from the CBD was always a deterrent. This little place is located on a quiet street in a northern Brisbane suburb, where there are only 1 or 2 adjacent shops. It was quite busy when we got there, which is always a good sign. We were shown to the bench along the front shop window. I would find out later that there is also an outdoor dining space behind the shop.

The interior decor is modern with a rustic feel, incorporating elements of nature to, I suppose, reflect the natural connotations of the shop name. The first thing I noticed was the huge dandelion ceiling feature - how funky is that? - and panning my eyes across the room, I saw the countertop with a full spread of various coffee apparatus. Uh huh, this is definitely a cafe serious about its coffee. The waitstaff wore cute bow-ties and a smile, which is always nice to see. 

≈

The drinks menu offers the usual coffee suspects, as well as a list of brew bar options, which utilises the various drips on the counter. We were told that the coffee brewed via these methods are to be consumed black, which makes sense, in order to better taste the difference that the unique brewing methods produce. However, being relatively new to coffee and preferring my coffee with milk, I opted simply for a cappuccino.    

The coffee used was the 'Dandelion Blend'. The information card that was presented with the cups describes the coffee blend thus:

'First up on the dry fragrance you'll experience some toasty caramels and dark cocoa. On the wet aroma, this cup is very clean with sugar browning sweetness. In tasting, the cup displays [the] delicate stone fruit flavour of mariposa plums and cherries that mellow and temper, with a residual sweetness. It showcases a medium body base and has refined yet nippy acidity. It is beautifully balanced and memorable.'

I'm not sure about the stone fruit flavour, but from a consumer point-of-view, I would describe it as being a medium-bodied concoction with an interesting, complex flavour that dances on the palate. I don't normally add sugar to my coffee, but I had to add one cube of sugar to this one to sweeten it, as it was quite strong, but not unpleasantly so. It was definitely a memorable cup and by far one of the most unique blends I've tried thus far. I was also impressed by the coffee art, featuring a swan. What a creative barista!

The various coffee drip apparatus

The food menu was not as exciting or extensive as their coffee counterpart, but the vegetarian frittata that I chose was still lovely. Nothing spectacular, but still nice to eat.

If you're still feeling a bit peckish after your menu order, or if you prefer something sweet, you will find some delectable-looking sweet delights, like cupcakes, slices and cookies, sitting enticingly on cake tiers, behind the glass cabinet at the counter. A word of warning, though: they are not cheap, and you'll be looking at paying around $6 for a cupcake and $4 for a single macaron. There are also little jars of condiments on the shelves below this, which you can purchase to take home with you. Regrettably, I forgot to ask if they sell their blend of coffee beans, but I daresay they probably do. 

I have a new obsession with lemon curd, because a work colleague had introduced me to his take on a French lemon curd recipe last year, which actually produces a result that I like. So, naturally, I decided to try the lemon curd tartlet at the cafe for comparison's sake. It was quite nice; better than those I've had elsewhere, though no tastier than my colleague's. The colour has gotten me quite intrigued though, for the lemon curd that I make is a pale yellow colour that is nowhere near as pigmented as the one I had on my plate. More egg yolks, perhaps? 

It's probably worth mentioning that there is also a coffee cart at the front of the cafe for takeaway coffees, which is a great idea for locals who want to grab a coffee on the go. 

Overall, I think it's a lovely little coffee house, perfect for times when we want to please the coffee connoisseur inside us, or simply for catching up with a friend over coffee and cake. Because of its out-of-the-way location, I can't see myself frequenting this place, but I will definitely return whenever I have the whim to treat my taste-buds to a delicious cup of interesting coffee; and maybe, when I do, and if I'm feeling adventurous, I'll order something from their lab-worthy brew bar. 

 

 

 

 

'Casamia Paris': your local dessert house in the suburbs

Dessert, like for many others, I'm sure, is my favourite course. In fact, the dessert menu is the first thing I look at, before even deciding on the entrée and main. Now, there are times when we might fancy a nice plated dessert with restaurant flair, without having to dine out at a restaurant for the evening meal as well (at least I would feel a bit funny about walking into a proper restaurant and taking up a table, just to order from their dessert menu). There are some shops around that just serve up dessert; however, nice ones are few and far in between. Naturally, then, I would not pass up the opportunity to try out dessert houses that are brought to my attention. The other week, I decided I would try out Casamia Paris, a shop which some people I know seem to like going to.



Shop 4, 581 Beenleigh Rd
Sunnybank Hills, QLD 4109
Open every day (except for Wednesdays) from 1pm to 10pm (Sat: 10.30pm)

Unlike a lot of dessert and ice-cream bars that seem to congregate in parts of town with popular restaurant strips, such as Southbank and Milton, Casamia Paris is found in one of those small open-plan shopping centres (imagine a large outdoor carpark with random shops encircling it) that are pretty quiet at night time. It's odd location might account for why it's not as popular and well-known by locals as places like Freestyle and Milany.

The unusual location of the dessert shop

Although it was my first time eating at this place in Sunnybank Hills, I had actually been to it maybe twice before, a few years ago, for takeaway slices of cakes, when it was located at Sunnybank Plaza, under the different trade name of Le Casamia Patisserie. The cakes were/are obviously French-inspired, but, perhaps because the pastry chef is from Hong Kong, they also have the airy lightness in the cake layers, the frosting and the fillings, that are characteristic of Chinese-made cakes. I remember every morsel being delicious and light, but also very expensive for the size of each serve. The full-sized cakes, accordingly, were, and remain to be to this day, also very expensive. To give you an idea, the price of a tiramisu cakes ranges from $76 (22cm) to $152 (30cm), as at January 2013. Definitely not very economical if you are feeding a large party of grown men with big appetites, that's for sure. As a comparison, my favourite cake at Le Bon Choix, the Lucie, retails at $37 and $78 for the 22cm and 30cm sizes, respectively.

But back to the present shop.

As mentioned, it is a small shop in a suburban shopping complex, but they make good use of the space: There is a glass cabinet facing the entrance, displaying all their lovely little slices of cakes, and there are a few tables inside to accommodate dine-in customers (though space would probably be an issue if they get a busy service). The interior is clean, fixtures quite contemporary, and the seating along the wall is comfortably cushioned. I only wish the singular chairs on the other side of the table were the same height as this, so that my companions wouldn't seem so awkwardly taller than me, when seated.

The service is fantastic. Besides the two women at the counter - one is presumably the owner - they also had a waiter, who was actually dressed in wait staff attire, and conducted himself like one who was working at a proper, respectable restaurant, posture and all. He addressed customers as 'Sir' and 'Madam' when placing the cutlery on table, and explained the elements of the dishes he presented, like one would at a fine-dining restaurant. Most importantly, the service was accompanied by a friendly smile. That might be commonplace in fine-dining restaurants (or not, if you're unlucky and happen to be served by someone who thinks you don't look wealthy enough to deserve their due service and attention), but, like I said, this is in a quiet complex in the middle of the suburbs; I didn't expect any wait service, let alone good service. Even as we left, we received a smile and a 'good night'. If I had to say anything negative about the service, it would be that we weren't offered any water; but I'm sure they would've complied if we had requested some.

The dessert menu

Besides the ready-made cakes that I mentioned, they also have your average beverage menu with a selection of coffee, organic teas and iced drinks, and, of course, a dessert menu, as shown above. I'm sure you'd agree that they all sound spectacular. I shared a Baked Alaska with my sister and my dad had the Tiramisu. There was a bit of a wait for the dishes to come out, but if one was going with a friend and had plenty to catch up on, the order-to-table time probably wouldn't seem too bad. The tiramisu came out beautifully presented in a glass, adorned with an impressive shard of multi-coloured toffee. However, while dad seemed to enjoy the peripheral elements of the dish, he did not like the tiramisu itself. Having said that, he's not big on 'heavy' desserts, or coffee for that matter, and I didn't taste it, so it's probably not fair for me to draw any conclusions about the dessert here.

 

Tiramisu in a glass, with vanilla ice-cream in tuille and strawberries

My dessert took longer to come out, and just before it did, the lights were unexpectedly switched off, which made me concerned that there was a power outage or something. I was to find out very soon after, however, that they had done this purposely to illuminate the blue flames which engulfed my Alaska, as they brought it out to the table. It was magnificent, but some parts of the meringue coat were too scorched to be consumed. That was my fault though, because I paused to take photos of it, as the staff looked anxiously on, before blowing out the flames (it took the combined effort of my sister and I to extinguish it!). I would have probably been able to enjoy the sight of it alight for longer, had they lit it at the table, but I guess there is the safety issue to consider.



 

Baked Alaska in all its glory

 

The meringue was nice and fluffy on the inside, and the sponge cake was not bad. The ice-cream - neapolitan - tasted and looked like it was probably store-bought (I'm sorry if I'm mistaken), which was a bit disappointing, and it was quite hard, like it was just taken out of the freezer. I would have let it sit for a little bit at room temperature before coating in meringue to serve up, so that the spoon could cut through all the layers with less resistance, and without the danger of producing loud clanging noises on the plate. I really hope I'm wrong about the ice-cream being store bought. While it doesn't say on its menu description that homemade ice-cream is used, I would generally expect this to be the case in a place that exclusively sells desserts. Of course, if I was to make this at home myself, I would most likely use a store-bought ice-cream, if I didn't have time or was making it for many - but it would be of the good quality, creamy variety. I also would 'bake' it the less-dramatic, domestic way; that is, on the top shelf of a very hot oven. That will also eliminate the need to add alcohol around the base of the cake.

 

Having said all that, it wasn't a bad dessert, and I loved its spectacular presentation, which made my night feel just that little bit more special.

 

 

Prices for all the desserts at Casamia Paris average about $17, which isn't too bad. As I have mentioned many times before, dining out, for me at least, is really about the whole experience. So, even though my opinion of the dessert was not A+, I quite enjoyed my time there, because of the professional service. I would not hesistate to visit this place again to try out the other menu offerings, or even just to have cake and coffee.

 

 

 



Cinderella hour tea

It's almost midnight again, and here I am, still sitting on my bed, waiting for the timer to go off, so that I can remove my Shu Uemura White Recovery Ex+ facial mask (which, by the way, smells awfully alcohol-ey). It's my first time trying this particular brand out, so fingers crossed it won't cause a bad skin reaction.

At this same late hour, last night, I was enjoying what I've fittingly named 'Cinderella hour tea'. One of my sisters bought me a set of cute Robert Gordon teaspoons for Christmas and really wanted to use them, so of course I made it my business to prepare some sweet edibles to serve with the tea. It's not conventional to have tea this late at night, but when the mood strikes, I tend to go with the flow. Besides, it's a bit hard sometimes to squeeze time in for it during the day, with work and all the other daily kerfuffles. Don't make a habit of it though, because you know as well as I do that this is far from being healthy practice!



Victorian teaspoon set by Robert Gordon



 

In preparation for the tea, I made a batch of cranberry, pecan and chocolate cookies during the day, and some flaked almond-topped sponge cakelets right after dinner last night. I whipped up some chantilly cream and put some fresh blueberries and passionfruit pulp on the table so that the tea-takers could somewhat customise their own cupcake. Another benefit of keeping the ingredients separate is, of course, the ease of storing leftovers afterwards.

 



Midnight sweet cravings? Time for Cinderella hour tea!

 

 

For the tea, I brewed a pot of the 'Thé Jardin Bleu Royal' that I bought from Ladurée on my latest Sydney trip (about which I think I have yet to write). This lovely floral, fruity tea is a blend of non-smoked China and Indian black teas (loose-leaf) with cornflower and helianthus petals and the aromas of wild strawberry and rhubarb (taken from www.laduree.fr; the label at the bottom of the tea canister incorrectly lists the petals as being of the marigold flower). I decided to buy this after having it with macarons at Ladurée. To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of artificially-flavoured teas (when served hot), and the only reason I chose this particular one was because it seemed like the most natural one on the tea list, based on the given descriptions. My sister tried the 'Thé Marie-Antoinette', which is a blend of 'China teas mixed with essential oils of subtle citrus fruit, rose and jasmine flowers flavour, scattered with small pieces of dried fruits and honey'. It sounds delicious, but my sister described it as tasting like toilet cleaning products. Lovely. And she wondered why I didn't want to taste any of her tea, after thus describing it to me.

 



Almond sponge cakelet topped with whipped chantilly cream, fresh blueberries and passionfruit pulp

 

When you're next feeling peckish in the late hours of the night, why don't you, too, consider having some Cinderella hour tea?

 

 

 

High tea at the Sofitel

Sofitel Brisbane Central
249 Turbot St, Brisbane City
(07) 3835 3535
www.sofitelbrisbane.com.au

High tea is not the most straight forward, casual way of having afternoon tea, but there's just something so relaxing and luxurious about it. It allows us to take some time out in this fast-paced world to graze daintily over food, sip on tea, and catch up with friends or, indeed, have some quiet time to absorb ourselves in our thoughts, which have hitherto been pushed to the back of our minds by other matters, which we had deemed to take precedence. The other thing I love about high tea is that you can take advantage of the elegant, lady-like affair to whip out that girly, frilly dress that you've been dying to wear out but have been too hesitant to do so normally.

 

Of course, it has not always been that way for high tea. This tea-taking practice was initiated back in the 1800s by the Duchess of Bedford, Anna Maria Russell. Back in those days, lunch was usually light, as it was simply introduced to keep hunger pangs at bay, during the long stretch of time between breakfast and dinner. However, as dinner started to be taken later and later in the night, this meal no longer provided sufficient sustenance. It was at this time that the Duchess decided to call for light refreshments to take between the last two meals of the day. Her enjoyment of this tea-taking session, which became known as 'afternoon tea', led to invitations for friends to join her, and it thus became popular with members of the wealthy middle- and upper-classes, who had the leisure time to partake in it.

So where does the name 'high tea' come from, you ask? Well, traditionally, high tea was the middle and working classes' equivalent of this slotted-in meal. Work hours were typically long, so high tea was taken later in the day than afternoon tea, and was more substantial, often including meat dishes. I suspect, then, that the 'high' part is related to the quantity of food one took. Needless to say, back in those days, whether you took afternoon tea or high tea was a fair indication of your socioeconomic status. As for why the elegant three-tier stands we are presented with at hotel restaurants and cafés nowadays bear the name of 'high tea', I know not. I can only guess that is has something to do with the fact that the traditional afternoon tea has been phased out for so long that many people have quite forgotten how it came about, and the incorrectly given name of 'high tea' used on its revival in recent years has just been unknowingly accepted and seen as a fancy afternoon tea by the majority of us, who are none the wiser. While it's interesting to know the historical relevance of high tea in society, however, let's not get too caught up with the specifics and forget to enjoy modern high tea for what it really is about at the end of the day: the food, the tea, the overall dining experience. Well, at least it is for a foodie, anyway.    

 

It had been a while since I last went out for high tea (yes, I shall stick with that terminology for now), so I decided to try out the one offered by the Sofitel hotel in the CBD last week. Fitting in with the typical afternoon tea time, it is offered daily from 2pm to 4pm, but it is necessary to book 48 hours in advance or else it depends on booking availability on the day, and the selection of food provided will be at the pastry chef's discretion. Make sure you plan your outing well, too, because their policy requires that you pre-pay with a credit card over the phone first, and no-shows will automatically lead to payment deduction from it. On the website, it says that prepayment is only required for groups of 4 or more persons, but there were only the three of us, and the same rule was applied. Price point was a cut above the other high tea menus I have tried previously at $50 per person on weekdays and $60 per person on weekends.

Held in the Executive Club Lounge on level 30 of the Sofitel, the large windows offer great views of Brisbane City.  

 

The view from the floor-to-ceiling window next to the elevators on level 30

The funny part is that when I requested a table with a view, at the time of booking, the reception staff had said that it depends on availability and that she would try her best to arrange it. When we arrived there, we thought that the Club Lounge wasn't open yet, because it looked empty and quiet inside. Apparently we were wrong though, because after waiting outside for a few minutes, we were spotted by someone inside and shown in. Besides our group, there was literally only one other guest there that we could audibly detect. Needless to say, there were no issues at all getting a window-side table. The Club Lounge was quite spacious and clean, with comfortable lounge chairs and a window bench with cushions and soft, mood-setting lights. The many windows allowed an abundance of natural light to flow in, which helps to create the illusion of more open space.
 

 

We were given the option of a glass of chilled sparkling champagne or a non-alcoholic drink on arrival. Of course, we chose the bubblies. For my bottomless tea, I chose the Jungpana darjeeling tea from the selection of Ronnefeldt loose leaf teas offered.

 

 

The menu looked delicious, but I was initially a bit worried that the apparent lack of popularity (for it was the first time I had had high tea where there were no other diners) might reflect the taste and quality of the food. When the food came out, though, my fears were allayed.

 

The high tea menu and tea list

I liked the modern presentation of the food on black tiles, and the flower garnishes.

 

A contemporary twist on the three-tier cake stand

The scones were tasty, as were the honey madeleines.

 

Bottom tier: Plain and fruit scones with strawberry jam, marmalade and whipped cream; honey madeleines

I liked how the ribbon sandwiches were made with different types of bread - rye, olive and white - and I liked the fillings, especially the Spanish frittata with basil pesto. It was the first time I've seen it used as a sandwich filling, and I've decided I like it - it's different and delicious.  

Middle tier: Various finger sandwiches

Although we didn't get everything on the menu, we still had a nice selection of desserts. However, like with all the high teas I've had previously, not all of the sweets were to my liking. For example, the pistachio macarons were not well-made ones: the biscuit halves tasted like they had not been baked for a sufficient length of time, because their insides were still wet and soft.

 

Top tier: A selection of sweets

The chocolate dessert, which was not as heavy as it looked and had a nice, short chocolate shortcrust base, was quite nice, but my favourite of the lot would be the chilled soufflé mango mousse. It was nice and light in texture and had an unexpected raspberry in the centre.   

 

Chilled soufflé mango mousse with a raspberry heart

There was pretty much only one floor staff, the person who served us being the person at reception, but the service was still pretty good. Overall, I quite liked my high tea experience here. I still like the food at Tea and Niceties better, which is also slightly cheaper and offers a more extensive tea list, but I think for the Sofitel one, you're really paying more for the environment in which you're enjoying your tea. The atmosphere of these two high tea places are very different, but they're both fantastic in their own distinct ways. The one in the Sofitel's club lounge, due to its spaciousness and fewer guests (although, perhaps I just so happened to go on one of their quiet days), allows for more personal space and its quiet surroundings make it suitable for business meet-ups; whereas Tea and Niceties offers a more intimate environment, which is best for catching up with friends, as you could talk and laugh as loudly as you want, without feeling self-conscious.

Conveniently located in the central business district of Brisbane as well, the Sofitel Executive Club Lounge is definitely a gem, seemingly yet to be discovered by the mass of high-tea lovers. I can definitely see myself going on a repeat visit.

First post for 2013!

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed the festive season, and didn't stress out too much over the food prep for the special day. I was determined to stay on top of things this time round, so I had finished all my Christmas (present) shopping by early December. However, I was not as well prepared for the food shopping, and found myself joining many others in the last minute grocery shopping frenzy, at Woolies, on the night of Christmas Eve, after work. I can't say I didn't expect it, but so many items were sold out, including staple ingredients like caster sugar, which had been totally wiped out, with none in the storeroom either. Thank goodness I had been partially converted to CSR raw caster sugar, courtesy of the Eamon Sullivan magazine ad, which was still available on the shelves.

Christmas dinner for my family has never involved all the traditional fare, but I like to throw in some sort of traditional element every year to add an air of Christmassiness to the table. This time, I decided I was going to make a traditional bread sauce to serve with a roasted chicken. I absolutely adore the smell of the spice combination used in bread sauce - bay leaves, cloves, mace - so I was hopeful that this delicious aroma would somewhat camouflage the texture of milk-soaked bread pieces, which my non-British taste buds are unaccustomed to. I added quite a generous amount of freshly grated nutmeg to it, in an attempt to make it look less off-puttingly porridge-like in appearance. Speaking of which, how fantastic is whole nutmeg? I've known of it for ages and I have used the ready-ground form several times before, without liking the results. However, freshly grated, it's a whole different experience for me. I still find that it smells a bit earthy and unappealing when grated, but after it is mixed in with the savoury dish, it helps to bring out the flavour of the dish, making it taste more, I can only describe it as, three-dimensional, rather than add its own distinct taste. Whole nutmeg, freshly grated, I have decided, is my new culinary epiphany.

But alas, even my new favourite spice could not help me totally get over the psychological barrier of eating a sauce composed of mushy bread, nor could most of the people at the dinner table. There's absolutely nothing wrong with bread sauce itself, and I love the flavour; it's just a matter of taste preferences. Similarly, I don't think I could ever make myself eat bread-and-butter pudding or rice-based desserts. I'm glad I made and tried the bread sauce though, so that I've at least given myself the chance to decide, based on taste, whether or not I like it. A lot of fellow Australians, even the older ones, have not even heard of bread sauce before, so I don't feel so bad about omitting it from my Christmas dinners from now on. Given how things turned out with this sauce, it was probably a good thing I decided to forgo the cranberry sauce. Maybe I will try making it next Christmas anyway, to satisfy my curiosity.

I had planned to make a mushroom and bacon quiche for Christmas lunch, but due to a mixture of bad time management, the excitement of unwrapping presents, and a visit to my neighbour to bring her some gifts and Christmas cookies, I ran out of time and ended up serving it as part of dinner. The recipe I used was from Joanne Chang's cookbook, Flour. I think I've mentioned her in one of my previous posts, so you can flick back through them to read about her, if you're interested. This was my first time attempting to make a quiche, not because I think it's hard, but because I've always been a bit lazy when it comes to fiddly things like making pastry cases. After making it, I wondered why I ever bothered going to Le Bon Choix to have theirs. Easy, simple, delicious. Note to self: buy more pie weights and a tart tin with higher sides! Had I known the sides were going to shrink that much in the oven, I would have opted for the Baker's Secret tart pan, instead of the Anolon one, which was chosen based on its better quality. I also have to remember to smear the butter into the dough a bit better, so that holes and thin parts in the pastry case could be avoided, when the butter melts in the heat of the oven.  



 

 

We didn't end up putting up the Christmas tree, due to space limitations. When I woke up on Christmas morning, and my sister called out for me to put the presents under the tree, I was a bit confused. I laughed so hard when I saw what she meant:



The most effortless, space-saving way to put up and take down a Christmas tree?



 

It was a totally ridiculous notion, but I must admit I was impressed by her last-minute creativity, and frankly, I was just glad we had some sort of 'Christmas tree' to put the presents under.

 

Now that we've wrapped up 2012, let's start working on our New Year's resolutions. For me, that includes working more on this blog and setting up a new one. I have in excess of 10 restaurant reviews yet to post, but Blogger can take half the blame for that, because apparently I had run out of data quota, so I have been unable to provide any updates until now, after signing up to another free photo-uploading platform. Expect new reviews very soon! Wishing everyone a bright and prosperous 2013!