Fenix - Richmond Victoria

On a recent trip to Melbourne, I had the pleasure of dining at Fenix.  Fenix is MasterChef judge Gary Mehigan’s restaurant, which re opened it’s doors in July this year. The restaurant was everything I imagined it to be, comfortable, homely and relaxed.

We decided to start of by ordering some delicious cocktails. I ordered the Silk Harmony, which was a Lychee cocktail, combined with Cuban rum and lime juice.  This was served in an extra tall glass with plump lychees on top. So incredibly refreshing.

Cathrine ordered the Parched as Bro. As soon as I saw this on the menu I asked her to order it. What a classic name for a deliciously fruity cocktail. The name still makes me laugh.

For the entrée, I ordered the seared Tasmanian Scallops with Pickled Cauliflower, Tahini Yoghurt and Israeli Cous Cous $9.50. This was beautifully presented and the scallops were cooked perfectly. The Israeli cous cous added a bit of texture to this dish.

Cathrine had the Piperade Basquaise $9.50. This was a large serving for an entrée accompanied by some delicious sour dough bread. It was sweet and full of flavour.

Braised Pork Belly, Crisp Crackling, Pickled Cabbage, Ragout of Pork Cheeks, Potato and Baby Carrot $38.00, was my choice for the main. Succulent pork belly with a perfectly crispy crackling, not to mention the pork cheek, which was so soft with the creamy sauce.

36 Hour Braised Lamb Shoulder, Sweet & Sour Shallots & Parsnip Puree $39.00. I was tossing up between the pork belly and the lamb for the main. I was so glad Cathrine was kind enough to let me taste this.  The lamb shoulder was so soft and silky and the parsnip puree was smooth.

Roasted Artichoke & Kipflers Garlic and Rosemary $9.00. This was actually the first time I have tasted Jerusalem Artichokes. The artichokes along with the kipfler potatoes were roasted to perfection with a touch of sea salt and rosemary.

When I dine out, I always make sure to leave room for dessert. We ordered the Chocolate Soup with Hazelnut Praline & Mascarpone Sorbet $17.00 and the “This is It” Lemon Tart $15.00. When the chocolate soup came out, the smell was so intense. It was rich and velvety with the crunch of hazelnut praline and light mascarpone ice cream.

The lemon tart was light, with a delicious pastry and tart filling. It looked like a small slice but it was very filling. This is certainly a dessert that I will try to replicate at our next big family gathering.

Fenix has a relaxed feel with a comforting menu. The staff are friendly and the view is fantastic. I will definitely be coming back on my next trip to Melbourne.

Fenix Restaurant

680-682 Victoria Street

Richmond Victoria 3121

For Bookings call 03 9427 8500

Chocolate Macarons, a recipe from Trissalicious

Wow how time flies. I can't believe we are already in August. A few weeks ago I had the opportunity of learning all about the secrets to making the perfect macaron. Trissa from Trissalicious was kind enough to have a few of us over for a practice run at a macaron class that she will be doing at Essential Ingredient.

As a passionate baker, making macarons was something I really wanted to Master. Although I don't always make the perfect batch, I certainly learnt a few handy tips and tricks from Trissa.

The recipe below is Trissa's delicious Chocolate Macarons. I added a little bit of texture by adding roughly chopped pistachios to the chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Macarons

125 grams almond meal
125 grams icing sugar (not icing mixture)
30 grams Dutch processed cocoa powder
100 grams caster sugar
100 grams egg whites (from around 3 eggs)

1. In a food processor, grind the almond meal, cocoa and icing sugar for about 5 minutes and set aside

2. Place the egg whites in a clean bowl and beat until soft peaks.

3. Add the caster sugar, 50 grams at a time while beating the egg whites.

4. Beat the whites until stiff peaks5. Fold the almond meal mixture into the egg whites in three additions until well combined. 

5.Fold the almond meal mixture into the egg whites in three additions until well combined.6. Pipe on to baking trays, lined with baking paper. (I used a Wilton 1A piping tip to pipe the macarons).

6. Pipe on to baking trays, lined with baking paper. (I used a Wilton 1A piping tip to pipe the macarons).

7. Let the macarons dry for about 30 minutes. To check if the macarons are ready to bake, gently press down on the macaron. If no mixture sticks to your fingers, it’s ready for the oven. 

8. Bake the macaron shells at 150C for around 13 to 15 minutes depending on your oven.

Chocolate Ganache 

200 grams dark chocolate, evenly chopped 
200 grams cream  


1. Microwave the dark chocolate in 20 second intervals until melted.  
2. In a saucepan, bring the cream to a boil on a medium heat.
3. Pour the cream into the chocolate and stir until well combined.
4. Set the ganache aside to cool.


Preparing the Macarons
Sandwich 2 macarons of equal size with about 1 teaspoon of ganache. Make sure to be careful when pressing down.

Trissa has teamed up with Essential Ingredients for a Macaron Making class on the 21st of August (Saturday) from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.  In this three hour class you will learn the secrets to making the perfect macaron. You will also get to take your delicious treats with you. The class is $125 per head and spaces are filling fast. 
Essential Ingredients is located in 731 Darling Street, Rozelle.  For bookings, please call 9555 8300.

Kulinarya - Filipino Barbeque

I'm finally back. I’ve been away from the blogging world for a few weeks. It’s been so busy and I actually got sick and lost my taste buds. It’s not a very good feeling, that’s for sure.  

I thought I would kick of my first post for June with Kulinarya Cooking Club's June Theme which is Filipino Barbeque.  Thanks to Peachy and Ninette for picking this exciting theme.

The recipe below is just my own version of a quick and simple marinade. It’s sweet and delicious, especially when cooked the traditional Filipino way which is normally on top of coals.

 

Filipino Chicken Skewers

Ingredients

4 chicken thigh fillets (cut into small cubes)
1 teaspoons brown sugar
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup tomato sauce or banana ketchup
1 clove of garlic (crushed)
juice from 2 calamansi (calamondin)
a pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
soaked bamboo sticks

1. In a bowl combine the sugar, soy, tomato sauce or ketchup, garlic, calamansi juice and chilli flakes. Stir until the mixture is well incorporated.

2. Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and put it in the fridge for a few hours.

3. Take the marinated chicken out of the fridge and put 4 chicken pieces onto each bamboo skewers.

4. Put the chicken skewers on the barbeque and cook for 4 to 5 minutes each side. The small chicken pieces cook really quickly. I normally cook it until it is a little charred for extra flavour.

Serve with hot rice.

 

Kulinarya was started by a group of Filipino foodies living in Sydney, who are passionate about the Filipino culture and its colourful cuisine. Each month we will showcase a new dish along with their family recipes.

By sharing these recipes, we hope you find the same passion and love for Filipino Food as we do.

If you’re interested in joining our Kulinarya Cooking Club, please feel free to drop by our foodblogs and leave a comment – we would love to hear from you!

Make sure to say hello to all our members...

Olive - http://www.latestrecipes.net/

Caroline - http://whenadobometfeijoada.blogspot.com/

Ninette - http://bigboldbeautifulfood.blogspot.com/

Peach- http://www.thepeachkitchen.com/

Althea- http://www.busogsarap.com/

Asha - http://forkspoonnknife.blogspot.com/

Malou - http://www.impromptudiva.com/

Cherrie - http://sweetcherriepie.blogspot.com/

Acdee - http://acdee.blogspot.com/

Valerie - http://www.acanadianfoodie.com/

Sheryl - http://crispywaffle.com/

Divina - http://www.sense-serendipity.com/

Anna - http://www.anniesfoodjournal.blogspot.com/

Dahlia - http://www.energychef.blogspot.com/

Joy - http://joyjoycreativeoutlet.blogspot.com/

Maribel - http://www.foodgeek.webs.com/

Tressa 

Jen - http://www.jen-at-work.blogspot.com/

Pia - http://bisayajudkaayo.blogspot.com/

Malaka - http://thegrandinternational.com

Mimi - http://lapinchecocinera.blogspot.com

Erika - http://ivoryhut.com/

Kat - http://www.caterersearch.com/tabletalk/default.aspx

And of course… Trissa of Trissalicious and Trisha from Sugarlace

Chocolate, Banana and Honeycomb Roll from the MasterChef Magazine

Yiheee the MasterChef Magazine is finally here. I was so excited and got myself a copy as soon as it hit shelves. I saw a preview of the magazine from a lift out and the first thing I said to myself was that I would make a dessert from it. As I sat on the train reading the mag, the photo of the Chocolate, Banana and Honeycomb Roll instantly caught my eye. I’ve never attempted to make a Swiss Roll before.

The dessert was surprisingly easy to make. So long as you roll the cake while its still warm you shouldn’t have any problems making the roll with the filling once its cooled. Mine only cracked when I dropped it on the kitchen bench as I was about to take some photos.

Chocolate, Banana and Honeycomb Roll from the MasterChef Magazine

Ingredients (serves 8)

6 eggs, separated
110g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
25g (1/4 cup) Dutch cocoa (see note), plus extra, to dust
2 tbs potato starch (flour) (see note) or plain flour
125g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), melted
250g (1 cup) mascarpone
160g dulce de leche or Nestle Caramel Top 'n' Fill (see note)
3 x 50g Crunchie chocolate bars, roughly chopped
1 small, just-ripe banana, diced

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 28cm x 32cm Swiss roll pan and line with baking paper.

2. Using an electric mixer, whisk egg yolks and sugar on high speed until thick and pale. Sift over cocoa and potato starch, and fold in gently. Add chocolate and 2 tbs boiling water and stir gently to combine.

3. Using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites to soft peaks, then fold into the chocolate mixture.

4. Spoon batter into prepared pan and level with the back of a spoon. Bake for 12 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed.

5. Dust generously with cocoa, then cover with a sheet of baking paper. Invert cake with baking paper onto a work surface, then gently peel paper from the bottom of the cake.

6. While the cake is still hot, use the baking paper to gently roll up the cake from its long side, rolling paper with the cake. Cool for 20 minutes only.

7. Place mascarpone, dulce de leche, 100g Crunchie and banana in a bowl and stir until partially combined.

8. Gently unroll the cake, then spread with filling, leaving a 2cm border. Re-roll the cake (it may crack a little, but don't worry). Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until filling is firm. Dust with extra cocoa and scatter with remaining chopped Crunchie to serve.

It's a delicious and rich dessert that I will definitely be making again. The MasterChef Magazine is in News Agencies for $4.95. I got a copy and subscribed for 11 months for $38.00.

Homemade Tahô - It's Comfort in Every Bowl

Have you ever had an off week? The kind of week where you just want to turn back the hands of time and do it all again. Well the past few weeks have been off weeks for me. The only thing that saves me during an off week is comfort food. Food that brings me back to my child hood.

Tahô with sago is one of those foods. It brings me back to those mornings in the Philippines where I would hear the Magtatahô (Tahô vendor) shouting for people to come and buy a bowl.



Tahô is a snack that is common in the Philippines. Most people eat this for breakfast but I can eat it at anytime of the day. It’s made with silken tofu topped with tapioca pearls and brown sugar syrup. It’s simple, but screams comfort to me

Here is a simple way of making homemade Tahô.

Tahô with Sago and Brown Sugar Syrup – recipe adapted from http://panlasangpinoy.com/

Sago (tapioca pearls)

¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup uncooked sago (tapioca pearls)
4½ cups water

Method

1. Bring 4½ cups of water to the boil. Put the tapioca pearls into the pot and cook for 40 minutes on a medium heat.

2. Add ¼ cup brown sugar and mix well.

3. Turn off the heat and let the sago cool for a few minutes.

Tahô

1 box tofu mix (85g)
5 cups water

Method

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, dissolve tofu mix in 5 cups of water.

2. Bring the mixture to the boil and simmer for a further 2 minutes.

3. Remove the mixture from the heat and add the coagulant which comes with the Tofu mix. Quickly stir and cover with foil.

4. Allow the tofu to set while you make the sugar syrup.

Brown Sugar Syrup (Arnibal)

½ cup water
1 cup brown sugar

Method

1. Heat ½ cup of water in a saucepan.

2. Once the water boils add 1 cup of brown sugar. Mix until all the sugar is dissolved.

How to assemble the Tahô

1. With a wide spoon scoop the soft tofu with a sliding motion and put it in a bowl. Make sure that you drain the excess water that goes into the bowl.

2. Add the sago and top with a few spoonfuls of sugar syrup.




Tahô is best served warm. Tofu mix is available at all Asian markets. If you can't find the tofu powder, pre packaged silken tofu will also work with this.

Express Apple Crumble using Be Natural Berry Trail Bars

Having a full time job means that I don’t always have the time to prepare a nice meal or a dessert. I have always been a big fan of all things simple. This express apple crumble is just that. It takes less than 5 minutes to prepare, and lower on calories than your average apple crumble.




Express Apple Crumble

2 Be Natural Berry Trail Bars
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar
385 grams canned apple slices

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven at 180C fan forced.

2. In a bowl mix canned apples, cinnamon and sugar until well combined.

3. Pour the apple mixture into 4 small ramekins

4. Crumble trail bars evenly over the top of each filled ramekin.

5. Baked for 7 minutes or until slightly golden.

Be Natural Trail Bars are full of nutritious ingredients. Its made of 5 natural wholegrains and comes in 3 different flavours. It's a great snack that doesn't contain any artificial flavours, preservatives or flavours.

A Cupcake Or Two received samples from Be Natural and Darcy from Zing PR.

Pineapple and Coconut Slice

Mel from work introduced me to this gorgeous cake, when it was her turn for bake day. Bake Day has become a bit a tradition at work. Every Wednesday, someone makes a sweet or savoury treat for everyone in bake club. This cake was a hit. It’s a moist and delicious cake that brings back those summer months. So here is the recipe for Pineapple and Coconut Slice.

Pineapple and Coconut Slice (recipe from the Women’s Weekly)

Ingredients

185 grams butter
¾ cup (185g) caster sugar
3 eggs
2/3 cup (50g) desiccated coconut
1¾ cups (260g) self-raising flour
270ml can coconut cream
440 grams crushed pineapple (well drained)
1/3 cup (25g) shredded coconut

Method

1. Preheat the over to 180C (160C fan-forced). Grease a 22cm x 32cm rectangular cake pan: line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 5cm over edges.

2. Beat butter and sugar in a small bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Transfer the mixture into a large bowl.

3. Stir in coconut, sifted flour, coconut cream and pineapple in two batches.

4. Spread the mixture into the pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

5. Stand in a cooling rack for 10 minutes before icing.

Lime Glace Icing

Ingredients

1½ cups (240g) icing sugar
20 grams butter (melted)
2 tablespoons lime juice (approximately)

Method

1. Sift icing sugar into a small heat proof bowl, stir in butter and enough lime juice to make a soft paste.

2. Stir over small saucepan of simmering water until the icing is spreadable.

3. Spread icing over the cake and sprinkle with coconut.

This is fantastic treat for coconut and pineapple lovers alike. This post is dedicated to my friend Hayley. She is a big fan of pineapples. She even had a pineapple plant named Pineapple Pete. Herms thanks for being such a wonderful and supportive friend. You always know how to cheer me up. You are truly one of a kind..