tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205713742024-03-19T22:18:54.950+11:00the eATEryMore waffle than you can poke a fork at.amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.comBlogger230125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-62872298481760809952011-06-24T20:33:00.000+10:002011-06-24T20:33:36.700+10:00Alicia's 30thHappy Birthday to my buddy ole pal Alicia!<br />
I had the pleasure of making her birthday cake for about 80 people. I wanted to make it sure it was a good one and so tried out 3 recipes for chocolate cake and called on my family for their opinions. The final verdict was the Boiled Chocolate Cake in of the Women's Weekly cookbook for its moistness. This one also had plenty of sugar which I'm sure added to the appeal.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFdPxNXPghSmJvOkOltJx94oVkFwmY0FbupznQsuXjebou2Ve7QMdQ43vH6TLm7W-MhZeKhuh9AsseGv1m7ABte94ml8vjebsan7DRyBhV96BtumxT3j8tXQ28IgEHU8abLYNMyw/s1600/cake-Bday+Alicia30th+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFdPxNXPghSmJvOkOltJx94oVkFwmY0FbupznQsuXjebou2Ve7QMdQ43vH6TLm7W-MhZeKhuh9AsseGv1m7ABte94ml8vjebsan7DRyBhV96BtumxT3j8tXQ28IgEHU8abLYNMyw/s320/cake-Bday+Alicia30th+a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I made 3 batches of the recipe for the 3 fat layers which equated to over 2kg of sugar! Though it was pretty big cake I guess. Unfortunately I didn't use an appropriate icing and so you can see the big crack in the middle when I had joined the 2 cake tin pieces together. But I am glad I used the sponge fingers to cover up the ugly sides. The green ribbon was to match the theme of 'a touch of green', Alicia's favourite colour.<br />
From the feedback, I'm glad it was enjoyed by many in the end.amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-53998458412029691142011-06-24T20:11:00.000+10:002011-06-24T20:11:30.567+10:00Unpleasant reminders of previous eatingsI had lunch at Pannarotti's at Blacktown a few weeks back and being in the mood for pizza but being indecisive I ended up ordering the mixed pizza. This had quarter combinations of seafood, vegetarian, beef and chicken.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEG730dK-mBWSoNGNh5r98O8m2aGugvka9ZvtnUPqaMMYEEJRT4y7FEhqs5Dna7l2bLBMgC7omp0GGC0H8DZCEqL0r3BJpm331VmLwySDDo48r7W7UG2QEhGypVeG5Qor5iY_Vig/s1600/Panarotti+Btown+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEG730dK-mBWSoNGNh5r98O8m2aGugvka9ZvtnUPqaMMYEEJRT4y7FEhqs5Dna7l2bLBMgC7omp0GGC0H8DZCEqL0r3BJpm331VmLwySDDo48r7W7UG2QEhGypVeG5Qor5iY_Vig/s320/Panarotti+Btown+a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was all fine and tasty enough for your average pizza EXCEPT unfortunately for me I started off with the beef flavoured one and unfortunately the flavour reminded me of the unpleasant kangaroo experience. It made it a bit of struggle to get through. Alas I am scarred!</div>amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-76203704035882577132011-06-24T19:39:00.000+10:002011-06-24T19:39:14.265+10:00Baking (Week 15-17) Choux, Stru & ReviewAnother late post on previous classes:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIXwJVqq4ZowKqjFCXLw9y2VdpskM2b1JO-Eq1IdaOpmt9Ohz3h_2Su1yKD7Su3Dk8O9eqsBfL7O8Qtaq59sEtEJUNkKLzPLvox0GTIzAeWyVrEKQ1-VyLUa7oXcwM1lR-JrgC5A/s1600/20110601+Choux+Swans+a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIXwJVqq4ZowKqjFCXLw9y2VdpskM2b1JO-Eq1IdaOpmt9Ohz3h_2Su1yKD7Su3Dk8O9eqsBfL7O8Qtaq59sEtEJUNkKLzPLvox0GTIzAeWyVrEKQ1-VyLUa7oXcwM1lR-JrgC5A/s320/20110601+Choux+Swans+a.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Choux swans. Pretty. They would have been more pretty if I hadn't run out of time to add berries on the top. We also made religiuese (look it up) These didnt look particularly pretty when we made them.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGCUleQak-Dv1lvdsV2dYxz-EgMIhpVY2jnMIXvl9HvmjsSFRFXvJXCKhRQAC4UBFM31y9WYD_EfQFwiDKxBKvtkNzHmm8gT8EtZhj3BeD1f2yAKXtMwgFvcjR5PwYqvt4pnMz0Q/s1600/20110608+Strudel+002a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGCUleQak-Dv1lvdsV2dYxz-EgMIhpVY2jnMIXvl9HvmjsSFRFXvJXCKhRQAC4UBFM31y9WYD_EfQFwiDKxBKvtkNzHmm8gT8EtZhj3BeD1f2yAKXtMwgFvcjR5PwYqvt4pnMz0Q/s320/20110608+Strudel+002a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I think strudel dough is the most fun dough for me to make. It's amazing, you start off with a lump as you typically do with dough and then you start swinging it round and using your fists to stretch it out to a massive thin elastic sheet. It's like in alien movies where you can see the baby whatever pushing through the elasticy membrane! It's not really as gross as that but was very very cool. Contrary to many recipes, strudels traditionally are not made with filo pastry.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnsg8-iYPJ6TxE77YMrU9nmkdkrTFJF5r9vItb2QVDCEvMmtSYr6Y8LWONMyvzo1JV7SQBqQlMn62cC-QPU0h-Gpy6NzVnM9aJ1UC0d8qoQPLmsTlBUwH3HfL13eEqrSbqUFnOQ/s1600/20110615+Review+001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglnsg8-iYPJ6TxE77YMrU9nmkdkrTFJF5r9vItb2QVDCEvMmtSYr6Y8LWONMyvzo1JV7SQBqQlMn62cC-QPU0h-Gpy6NzVnM9aJ1UC0d8qoQPLmsTlBUwH3HfL13eEqrSbqUFnOQ/s320/20110615+Review+001a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>For review lesson prior to our practical exam we made fruit flans and lemon meringue pies to help jog our memories which I'm so glad we did. In the actual test we made the lemon meringue pies again and pithivers. Oh the pithiviers. I think my was actually ok, it's just that I didn't cook it long enough. I was a bit pushed for time. Oh well, the teacher was otherwise generally happy with the process I had followed though. Marks will be available in 2 weeks, I'll see how I go!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjReuyrIP2avfthjMxHiSgIVp3eg1YGtbf8rfFIsZF1U4P1_0uHlI3QDX6rWTriPdHGHpq-utB_zVB9ntQG70_xeZs2Z_XYRXFEnVyrY-gd2-w2Ix1DZiiwvGsrSrx8cRZIZwWx4A/s1600/20110615+Review+002a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjReuyrIP2avfthjMxHiSgIVp3eg1YGtbf8rfFIsZF1U4P1_0uHlI3QDX6rWTriPdHGHpq-utB_zVB9ntQG70_xeZs2Z_XYRXFEnVyrY-gd2-w2Ix1DZiiwvGsrSrx8cRZIZwWx4A/s320/20110615+Review+002a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-88938767317021643002011-05-27T09:49:00.000+10:002011-05-27T09:49:39.840+10:00Baking (Week 13, 14) Fruit Bandes, Eclairs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJknxf-TY0GOnQIPBXNGhbcSl2Kcb3Fg4FJEBMOjzMFdovwulj8uiqe2NmTdV4o3RbD3XSJ4zzOQrjGkdNDr9j1n-R4t2jP9Qf5guzSZtWCet8CeVbu9TrnNtxDYugTlsxsntmQ/s1600/20110525+Eclair+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJknxf-TY0GOnQIPBXNGhbcSl2Kcb3Fg4FJEBMOjzMFdovwulj8uiqe2NmTdV4o3RbD3XSJ4zzOQrjGkdNDr9j1n-R4t2jP9Qf5guzSZtWCet8CeVbu9TrnNtxDYugTlsxsntmQ/s320/20110525+Eclair+a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is not mine. Least I'm pretty sure it is not.<br />
We made eclairs this week and as usual there was a bit of a rush at the end and I hadn't grab one of mine to try so got a random one. Mine would have looked a little more messy on top where the fondant was quickly applied on with pastry gaps where a crack had formed. Not to worry. It was good to move on from puff pastry for a change and we even had time to make profiteroles too. Though there wasn't enough custard to fill the innards. Mmm custardy goodness.<br />
<br />
Last week we made fruit bandes. Basically this is a long wide strip of pastry with a raised edge lengthwise, filled with custard and fruit "prettily" layered on. Again not my best work due to time limitations. The pastry produced due to the German method didn't help, with my edges falling all over place. Moving on...amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-46441052489671556862011-05-20T10:47:00.000+10:002011-05-20T10:47:31.226+10:00Sydney adventuresMy cousin has come over from overseas so I've been taking her out and about to take in the sights and tastes. At the same time I've been using the opportunity to give some foods a go too.<br />
Like...<br />
Saltwater crocodile pizza (bottom) and kangaroo pizza (top) from The Australian Hotel in the Rocks<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBg665qtwHlKuuVPZKzRN3daAXmnvfoWpsEiSEF1Kft8GJE9PtXVDLtd_SpHtuVVto60jysK9RQ6sfGyHL7YNus0ASm8iipkX7UnxVBRyU4cHQTgki2a-e2rhJj3YUphOctBRAfA/s1600/SydCity+017a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBg665qtwHlKuuVPZKzRN3daAXmnvfoWpsEiSEF1Kft8GJE9PtXVDLtd_SpHtuVVto60jysK9RQ6sfGyHL7YNus0ASm8iipkX7UnxVBRyU4cHQTgki2a-e2rhJj3YUphOctBRAfA/s320/SydCity+017a.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>My brain could not get over the thought of the crocodile and so the flavours did not present themselves to be too pleasing. It had a texture which was slightly rubbery like squid and also kinda fibrous like chicken fillet, with a slightly sea taste. The kangaroo had a marinade on it which helped with the flavour however like lamb it's distinct meaty flavour came through. This half half pizza surely was hard work to get through! I'll just add it to my 'just for an experience' list and never have it again. *shudder*<br />
<br />
It's been years since I've had chicken feet so I thought I'd physically remind myself of why I hadn't whilst at yum cha at Blacktown (on Level 4) . Mentally I had no trouble not eating considering it was just skin and bones, with the only appeal being the sauce.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4v0_-HhI8Rp3VbnTg8eEvU3ypOfDUpqzT0uoD7aAi79SlIQcgOZcBnyeVOAcIm3zb1y6Xbc2GKAN2dc4KNQuBzxVAXzsb8N_67thxpI64U8VGUjdAhuE16vPIUWii7-kYsc9WoA/s1600/Btown+002a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4v0_-HhI8Rp3VbnTg8eEvU3ypOfDUpqzT0uoD7aAi79SlIQcgOZcBnyeVOAcIm3zb1y6Xbc2GKAN2dc4KNQuBzxVAXzsb8N_67thxpI64U8VGUjdAhuE16vPIUWii7-kYsc9WoA/s320/Btown+002a.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>My memory was sufficiently reminded. This wasn't as off putting as the previous pizzas, probably because I was already familiar with it. Even John gave it a go, with chopsticks nonetheless.<br />
<br />
Onto much more pleasant eatings, we did the walk from Bondi to Bronte and enjoyed lunch at Bronte Lounge<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-me8dSGNvaci8zgb4UJwwWVEuccts8ojgfkoPYXwcpz8pdRE5SKuwgUZWy-tsW5U07G4_rrqoP-gjvmVtbF_nN_vMOA2MIakr-byCib33YP6M-at2gqGinkwsRfTNZV0GygmCQ/s1600/Bondi+to+Bronte+009a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-me8dSGNvaci8zgb4UJwwWVEuccts8ojgfkoPYXwcpz8pdRE5SKuwgUZWy-tsW5U07G4_rrqoP-gjvmVtbF_nN_vMOA2MIakr-byCib33YP6M-at2gqGinkwsRfTNZV0GygmCQ/s320/Bondi+to+Bronte+009a.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wagu burger with fries</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5RXxC_YhtRh3nVwec4Aufr7HODleETROphvSjlLwBJy6OagyPT0UdcZ3uXqc8-XnTkM_jt7qv99_Pt5etTwKiFWoLnBngIMaFQWJ-3-ZdGgS4eIQcbfhC8NEvOlHTe5_KWb9pg/s1600/Bondi+to+Bronte+010a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5RXxC_YhtRh3nVwec4Aufr7HODleETROphvSjlLwBJy6OagyPT0UdcZ3uXqc8-XnTkM_jt7qv99_Pt5etTwKiFWoLnBngIMaFQWJ-3-ZdGgS4eIQcbfhC8NEvOlHTe5_KWb9pg/s320/Bondi+to+Bronte+010a.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fish & chips (hand cut)</div><br />
Mm such deliciousness. The word of this meal was crisp. Crisp light bun, crisp light batter. Perfect. The burger was huge. We shared these two dishes between us and were soo full afterwards even though we hardly even touched the fries.<br />
On our way back to the car we stopped by for in-store freshly made gelato (next door to Mcdonalds on Campbell Parade). I got burnt caramel and my cousin got cherry plus ferrero rocher These were oh so good. She thought this was the best gelato ever and comparable to the ones in Italy. The man behind the counter also had the Italian charming way with words :P<br />
<br />
Another day of enjoying burgers was had at Katoomba, can't remember the place.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDFHDqbSu8knQqFkDpb9ahFk4qHvHnM_VcBWUVcWfZeP24NDVBc17HWB_ykW83Hy11_m7by5IUFW73-u1iJKofw4XbzwozKrv4SxJBIdEaw_kZSf_dWZX2ag_DSjShDiWUBRYOA/s1600/Blue+Mtns+024a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDFHDqbSu8knQqFkDpb9ahFk4qHvHnM_VcBWUVcWfZeP24NDVBc17HWB_ykW83Hy11_m7by5IUFW73-u1iJKofw4XbzwozKrv4SxJBIdEaw_kZSf_dWZX2ag_DSjShDiWUBRYOA/s320/Blue+Mtns+024a.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Again a huge size of tastiness. It was a little difficult for my cousin to eat though as the meat was in short strips which was a little odd and so fell out everywhere. I got a simple pizzette with spinach and chicken. I'm glad this didnt fill us up too much because that then enable us to make space for the flowerpot scones at Wayzgoose Cafe at Leura. YUM.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDpy_g_1NTB8Yn9ALC0uZNdZqhtIPnB802VLX8NVAsCMUteJv-Yhs_VNNpDQJJe9rCdr-cfnIZSeSX8PIZ6drTgvtBNTenv2OM8jiJCT0v51Qm_Un8GRpAjSlfg-3-V3yAP9f-Q/s1600/Blue+Mtns+035+Leura+a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDpy_g_1NTB8Yn9ALC0uZNdZqhtIPnB802VLX8NVAsCMUteJv-Yhs_VNNpDQJJe9rCdr-cfnIZSeSX8PIZ6drTgvtBNTenv2OM8jiJCT0v51Qm_Un8GRpAjSlfg-3-V3yAP9f-Q/s320/Blue+Mtns+035+Leura+a.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>One scone arrived between the 3 of us and we thought "that's nothing we can finish one each" and so ordered another 2. It turns out that our eyes were bigger than our stomach and we all only managed to get through the upper crisp crust along with our hot chocolate/coffee/chai. But yu-uh-um!<br />
<br />
We progressed our way from Newtown to Leichhardt on another day, and enjoyed pizza and pasta at Gioia on Norton St. Delicious but probably not worth me showing you pictures. Naturally as we were in Italian central we had to have some gelato! We went to the little gelato bar next to the entrance of the shopping centre on Norton St.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Co5OV24ZUyG8rOSHYaZ2IF-Rm5G7pk00Pi7ZSbK9iPtWMBRLw05DrZgFVfG5C0RV47RUkcv3-S4pO8RGjxywSKu9P8wO_UV0Rm0QF9uXQIgwo2xxVq4mTBFT7f0AnZoJB_4bcQ/s1600/Leichhardt+014a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Co5OV24ZUyG8rOSHYaZ2IF-Rm5G7pk00Pi7ZSbK9iPtWMBRLw05DrZgFVfG5C0RV47RUkcv3-S4pO8RGjxywSKu9P8wO_UV0Rm0QF9uXQIgwo2xxVq4mTBFT7f0AnZoJB_4bcQ/s320/Leichhardt+014a.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">3 mega scoops: Rose water, apple, blood orange </div><br />
When you can't decide what flavour to have, try them all! As my cousin did. It certainly was difficult to decide. We also tried the coconut, trifle and mojito between us. These were not considered anywhere as good as the Bondi ones. Enjoyable enough but not one to rush back for.amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-68963007017469450932011-05-12T16:28:00.000+10:002011-05-14T06:41:00.129+10:00Irene & Ryan's WeddingA big congratulations to my little sister and her now husband!<br />
What a wonderful celebration it was and such a happy time for all.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6nslkkq7HGfPReYnQljJ_R1idOnfQfIK6nkZxp6zeeicDz0iByLEQzSVeCQtdd0NwdFOY-zW1WSx80CNTbPRKNQcNqhCDzfaqML_CkD9gbZO9e2pWlKZmBUn0i0O7TqVGlSImA/s1600/cake-Wed+Ryrene+005a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6nslkkq7HGfPReYnQljJ_R1idOnfQfIK6nkZxp6zeeicDz0iByLEQzSVeCQtdd0NwdFOY-zW1WSx80CNTbPRKNQcNqhCDzfaqML_CkD9gbZO9e2pWlKZmBUn0i0O7TqVGlSImA/s320/cake-Wed+Ryrene+005a.jpg" width="249" /></a></div><br />
I had the pleasure of making their wedding cake which was yet again another chocolate mud cake.<br />
<br />
To personalise the cake a bit more I added 2 hearts dangling off the tree with their names on it. I liked it.Irene had seen a wire tree sculpture after browsing through some photos and after a little bit of a search online I could see that this wasn't too difficult and am stoked to add another skill to my learning bank.<br />
<br />
Another skill that I learnt was cutting a wedding cake into appropriate portions. I had drawn out a guide but it totally cut into more than I expected. The bottom tier which was about 9 inches served about 50 people, amazing!<br />
<br />
Irene had the most perfect cake stand too, it was a tree stump from their yard and made the perfect centerpiece in the backyard amongst the whole natural theme. Beautiful, just as she was :)amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-76197799717989226622011-05-12T16:14:00.000+10:002011-05-14T06:41:00.010+10:00Baking (Week 11, 12) Millefeuille & PithiviersIn these past 2 weeks of learning we have made the oh so delicious Millefeuille<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6f1q3UPNSbAj5Y0C6mDNkUGXKLzrsQWM26zNVQ8Yc4ti_obZeAJbbyaDUIossPPDjQ5IJnuQVwW6V8Ik_a4k1g8-AAZDuvAOwlhmpBdeM_oUeVPMTZolJZ5_2-WJbAtC77iQqg/s1600/20110504+Millefeuille+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6f1q3UPNSbAj5Y0C6mDNkUGXKLzrsQWM26zNVQ8Yc4ti_obZeAJbbyaDUIossPPDjQ5IJnuQVwW6V8Ik_a4k1g8-AAZDuvAOwlhmpBdeM_oUeVPMTZolJZ5_2-WJbAtC77iQqg/s320/20110504+Millefeuille+a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
And Pithiviers<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxMZklL7PrlxTdJh1YfIhMyG0KSrnVMXach_nCvYkZ0lyLvwmLP6mpD4Uf5sJ7CS8adnWVTru3W0iRjVWeIkYm4z0A9fIqgkmBClazTOOweVW4Y_z2Zrg8kBiOIyk7IGYfDTILQ/s1600/20110511+Pithivier+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxMZklL7PrlxTdJh1YfIhMyG0KSrnVMXach_nCvYkZ0lyLvwmLP6mpD4Uf5sJ7CS8adnWVTru3W0iRjVWeIkYm4z0A9fIqgkmBClazTOOweVW4Y_z2Zrg8kBiOIyk7IGYfDTILQ/s320/20110511+Pithivier+a.jpg" width="257" /></a></div><br />
I'm quite a fan of custard which is probably why I liked the millefeuille. We were in a hurry whilst working with fondant and so I forgot to add some sugar syrup to soften the icing. Hence why it looks a little thick and messy on the top.<br />
The almond cream inside my pithiviers went lopsided unfortunately causing a huge air pocket, I'm going to have to work on this, but it does otherwise taste good without being too sweet for a pastry. Serve it with a scoop of ice-cream mmm.amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-85075478012358972752011-05-12T08:26:00.000+10:002011-05-14T06:41:00.178+10:00Mad Cow (city)The combined birthday celebration for Ronald and Brett was held at <a href="http://www.merivale.com/#/ivy/madcow">Mad Cow</a> in the city. Ronald had been very much looking forward to the souffle as he gave his advanced notice to the waiter upon ordering his main.<br />
It was a cosy fancy pants place (for me), I loved the communal dining lounges which we shared, decorated with a simple vase of fresh flowers, under low lit light. How romantic :P The service was very friendly too.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWEyd6Tch6KX8o7h4SS3GM_zsW7vx7pHnMuSYg5yDCmjmZC7sEWlwGASSytaJUof7TxeTK3Tp9LVJm5aOQFRBEeB2k_vFbIRWa-WQ5LjsiKFyAJsEm2GB-byhgW5mL-qTksSJzQ/s1600/Mad+Cow+%2528Ivy%2529-city+001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWEyd6Tch6KX8o7h4SS3GM_zsW7vx7pHnMuSYg5yDCmjmZC7sEWlwGASSytaJUof7TxeTK3Tp9LVJm5aOQFRBEeB2k_vFbIRWa-WQ5LjsiKFyAJsEm2GB-byhgW5mL-qTksSJzQ/s320/Mad+Cow+%2528Ivy%2529-city+001a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I thought I would try something a bit different and ordered the Roasted saddle of rabbit, with king brown mushrooms, baby heirloom carrots and carrot oil.<br />
I didnt like it that much.... I can appreciate it for the artisticness of the presentation on the plate but not quite the flavours. I think the rabbit had something rolled into it which tasted a little like goats cheese (which I'm not a great fan of). Otherwise the rest of it was good. I don't know what the yellow smear was, but it was tasty and helped the meat.<br />
Fancy food is a bit wasted on me I think. I'll still stick to my homecooked style simple dishes :) Especially after seeing Saby's Minute steak which on first reaction was that it was indeed minute in size. But I suppose its about the quality of the ingredients, rah rah rah...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrSyIXrIcrzfjpGY7ga7NcvUN4fpYYrZhMZCtbuAkJRD2GMWD376iJhTmAiSM2SkwP-nOw8HZGMhs1CeBWF92KowFPVyjrSLHY0Nx1ry6IOohwIJpGZBVhwzbuGQJlARi5LkUxw/s1600/Mad+Cow+%2528Ivy%2529-city+005a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrSyIXrIcrzfjpGY7ga7NcvUN4fpYYrZhMZCtbuAkJRD2GMWD376iJhTmAiSM2SkwP-nOw8HZGMhs1CeBWF92KowFPVyjrSLHY0Nx1ry6IOohwIJpGZBVhwzbuGQJlARi5LkUxw/s320/Mad+Cow+%2528Ivy%2529-city+005a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Except, when it comes to dessert I can be bowled over. Again the presentation appearance is certainly there. This was Saby and Karina's 'Chocolate Decadence' and certainly was. The little pearl like things were like mini mini malteasers. Cute and crunchy, all in one.amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-61384154352857656312011-04-29T11:14:00.000+10:002011-04-29T11:14:01.262+10:00Baking (Week 10) Sausage RollsMore puff pastry this week but using the rough puff method.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDRV86p8d6-xLQbe4nH99P99Gvav6Fiphcn3t4uyfS2iUfhAK2AEFPVEGEYV8mofDcyaWoMz0w5-lTaYl6VSwxd2aRPbD10CoePgXk98J9ZemGIlY5NtVdFAyILlXNIHXBM3hyphenhyphenXQ/s1600/20110427+Sausage+Roll+a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDRV86p8d6-xLQbe4nH99P99Gvav6Fiphcn3t4uyfS2iUfhAK2AEFPVEGEYV8mofDcyaWoMz0w5-lTaYl6VSwxd2aRPbD10CoePgXk98J9ZemGIlY5NtVdFAyILlXNIHXBM3hyphenhyphenXQ/s320/20110427+Sausage+Roll+a.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br />
This was straight forward enough to make, producing a product similar to what you would expect in a local bakery. We also made vege & meat pasties (the half eaten thing on the left ie bottom - sorry, I don't understand how the image got automatically rotated). The filling recipe could have been improved as it was a bit bland but it was the pastry we were focusing on.<br />
It's amazing how much people love their sausage rolls. I distributed my trayload amongst various family members and goodness me, they certainly got excited.amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-18563097153892816772011-04-29T11:00:00.000+10:002011-04-29T11:00:46.018+10:00Bomboniere biscuitsMy little sis is getting married! Hoorah!<br />
Preparations are progressing well and I got cracking into making her bomboniere biscuits.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdU4V6TlLwuwm2jn8vxeFWgZKAZXn4rZnLaAuxUk1j1o6yFXxiVRyqXFe-jB9j2Pjtv_wPI_oKBOdIlepEqK6FVkbbJpDKhyphenhyphenPxBA-FU6CmGi0OMGyzEDFX2TAdtj0gGky22zHXaA/s1600/biscuit-Wed+Ryrene+002a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdU4V6TlLwuwm2jn8vxeFWgZKAZXn4rZnLaAuxUk1j1o6yFXxiVRyqXFe-jB9j2Pjtv_wPI_oKBOdIlepEqK6FVkbbJpDKhyphenhyphenPxBA-FU6CmGi0OMGyzEDFX2TAdtj0gGky22zHXaA/s320/biscuit-Wed+Ryrene+002a.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1L7Ne9OVtyy7hWEscHvKC8gSL7zTmk5yucsNE2icKAJmwnAuxYSB4gUxaawr2WL20Y_wxkm0SW6kHH2Lvq48bUHQTNqdBWWlQasrCQLMhA5uYfEP7oTlzklLVtBohsiJ6ZtnDQ/s1600/biscuit-Wed+Ryrene+005a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1L7Ne9OVtyy7hWEscHvKC8gSL7zTmk5yucsNE2icKAJmwnAuxYSB4gUxaawr2WL20Y_wxkm0SW6kHH2Lvq48bUHQTNqdBWWlQasrCQLMhA5uYfEP7oTlzklLVtBohsiJ6ZtnDQ/s320/biscuit-Wed+Ryrene+005a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
My goodness me these take so mighty long to make!!! But they are well worth it for the presentation. I can see why companies might charge a bit for this sort of product. Easy to make but labour intensive. Especially if you are icing 156 chocolate ones and 260 round ones (ie 130 people get 3 biscuits each).<br />
<br />
I took over the kitchen bench for a few days. The pattern became hypnotic after a while. Ideally I would have filled the hearts with brown icing in the middle but after completing the vanilla ones I was going to go a little insane. I actually did fill one up to see what it looked like and it does complete it. Well I figured they looked good as they are so I think I can get away without doing them all. It will be a lucky dip as to who picks up the fully iced one in their bag.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVf-PwYf2HSihumer5NOk6rcOVnABATnFPPjvXh0HHWOe0USK6I4LBba9LU8Aaa_kjJEQS1obOpl-rXFuLESDpskLvG28j7cH1gcapd_s9V2tZ1srRoTsbvCplCBYiCW5f7VI7RQ/s1600/biscuit-Wed+Ryrene+007a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVf-PwYf2HSihumer5NOk6rcOVnABATnFPPjvXh0HHWOe0USK6I4LBba9LU8Aaa_kjJEQS1obOpl-rXFuLESDpskLvG28j7cH1gcapd_s9V2tZ1srRoTsbvCplCBYiCW5f7VI7RQ/s320/biscuit-Wed+Ryrene+007a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-41482075534129312662011-04-26T17:32:00.000+10:002011-04-26T17:32:42.003+10:00Bulldogs birthday cakeI got a request for a simple cake with a NRL Bulldogs theme. My first thought was "gosh, how am I going to shape a bulldog?"<br />
But after a quick search about I was delighted to come across the idea of an edible icing image. I had never used it before but it seemed straight forward. Peel off the backing, whack it on the cake and presto done!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxBWzCIimzsQYnGk1NFs_ukirGh5omU2GVtZxXIC8CaXc6m2G7gt7TDfrB1cJP2bEhOoiOFklL1s9Tgl9-mQGmajmpzEiFWeBfuFBo4Vn74JBvhoEVznvETs004w0KEEhox2DZw/s1600/cake-Bday+RonFamily+002a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxBWzCIimzsQYnGk1NFs_ukirGh5omU2GVtZxXIC8CaXc6m2G7gt7TDfrB1cJP2bEhOoiOFklL1s9Tgl9-mQGmajmpzEiFWeBfuFBo4Vn74JBvhoEVznvETs004w0KEEhox2DZw/s320/cake-Bday+RonFamily+002a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The cake is 3 layers of chocolate sponge (Women's Weekly recipe) with chocolate ganache sandwiched between and coated in a butter cream icing.<br />
<br />
I was going to pipe wording on the cake but after failing with leftover royal icing which was too runny, I had to cover up the ugliness with more piped stars. Butter cream is not my friend. I still haven't figured out how to get the best texture for piping with so that it isn't all curdly-like. Sadness. But it did the job.<br />
<br />
Thanks for letting me try a new method with the edible image Ronald :)amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-62693534231202651202011-04-26T17:22:00.000+10:002011-04-26T17:22:48.425+10:00Dinner friendsAs my friend Liz would say "It's nice being a grown up" Or something to that effect.<br />
I do enjoy having friends over to hosting a tasty meal for them or going to their place and such. Good times, very grown up.<br />
In the recent weeks I decided to practise my piping skills and make a lemon meringue pie. This was the second time that I had made it before, the first being at TAFE. I used the Women's Weekly recipe but used a different method for cooking the meringue.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiku3NYrMd_OOer03wbYSCMvRC6kU3vno6czC33uD1Ly3mGDjXagW2rlLXZ21VMIEAD9bWkHMl5f94vp8_qGw0ic-AAE3qqOTJMXnXktxULYjLezHV_0czsTXO5QAeznezlWqzQYQ/s1600/LemonMeringue+002a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiku3NYrMd_OOer03wbYSCMvRC6kU3vno6czC33uD1Ly3mGDjXagW2rlLXZ21VMIEAD9bWkHMl5f94vp8_qGw0ic-AAE3qqOTJMXnXktxULYjLezHV_0czsTXO5QAeznezlWqzQYQ/s320/LemonMeringue+002a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Well I didnt end up piping the meringue as I couldn't be bothered after a whole day of baking (other goods as well) and having a cold. As I was sick I couldn't taste it but I was told that it tasted good (don't worry I was as hygienic as possible). I was told that it was even better than John's mum's! Woah big call there. Well I'm glad it was enjoyed, and I got to practice other skills.<br />
<br />
Something else I made recently was a cappuccino brownie, very rich and tasty. Very basic concept, add coffee to the brownie recipe and serve with a scoop of ice-cream on top. Delish!amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-86758006713941411612011-04-11T17:48:00.000+10:002011-04-11T17:48:57.012+10:00John's 32nd birthdayHappily, I had an idea easily pop into my head for yet another year for John's birthday cake. Well it wasn't hard since it related to his present of a car racing experience.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQaAPzw60u59r49vXp_-0R7HSWOlUrDeBQJ0v2IB9kuT6vvdsO5GQ3WrtoS3TOoPUDJYBPP7rit3XAwoxi5wUMlvlU7Qt4asfguLyfiYu7QSSoqD1CxeykL0njGqprfx37hKy-g/s1600/cake-Bday+John32nd+001a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQaAPzw60u59r49vXp_-0R7HSWOlUrDeBQJ0v2IB9kuT6vvdsO5GQ3WrtoS3TOoPUDJYBPP7rit3XAwoxi5wUMlvlU7Qt4asfguLyfiYu7QSSoqD1CxeykL0njGqprfx37hKy-g/s320/cake-Bday+John32nd+001a.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I was originally going to make the whole cake to be a car (after advice from his brother it was to be a Holden) but due to time and health considerations went with this simple design.<br />
I chose to make this yoghurt and mixed berry cake (recipe from the Women's Weekly low fat cookbook) as some of his family are quite health conscious. The sides do look bare, I know, but I figured at least this way the icing could be peeled off to maintain it's slightly wholesome status. And sure it doesn't look like a racing car but it does resemble a car and the racing grid should help! Ah cuteness.<br />
The cake itself I was happy with and would make it again - berry moistness and light texture, nice...amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-36677198657399588282011-04-11T17:23:00.001+10:002011-04-29T11:14:27.798+10:00Baking (Week 8,9) More puff pastryThe past two weeks have still been on puff pastry with vol-au-vents, bouchees, quiche and meat pies being made.<br />
Funny, as I was over the stove top, cooking the filling for the meat pie it felt slightly odd. And I then remembered that baking was definitely more natural to me than cooking :)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-TaXKfn3nOQP31gUmQqXZmzGJmwwUkJV7UD0SJHj05N039r7dml7VpXHDkCwAr0uJAsyndo42_3sgXNxlTQzcEKxBg0dK-z3ig_pFsyugOAlYY25TpdWSIPbddrkyEMH6GRLlg/s1600/20110406+Meat+Pies+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-TaXKfn3nOQP31gUmQqXZmzGJmwwUkJV7UD0SJHj05N039r7dml7VpXHDkCwAr0uJAsyndo42_3sgXNxlTQzcEKxBg0dK-z3ig_pFsyugOAlYY25TpdWSIPbddrkyEMH6GRLlg/s320/20110406+Meat+Pies+a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I'm happy to say that the meat pie had premium mince and actually contained meat!amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-40661884806360786772011-03-27T12:43:00.001+11:002011-04-29T11:15:14.197+10:00Baking (Week 7) Puff PastryWe're now heading into Puff Pastry in class and will be practising for a few weeks.<br />
<br />
I don't quite seem to have mastered the skill of forming corners in my pastry and I was a little doubtful of how the puff would turn out, it's such a time consuming process! But to my surprise, although I was not quite friends with the pastry, the pastry decided to be friends with me :) The teacher was quite happy with how mine turned out, with good puff and goldenness. Hoorah.<br />
So just for starters we made Victorias using the English method and pastry shortening.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxcXNgORzdPRALtPRQRfvVvKwtXwgSf8lr1wuLqnFew5fMYJn5oaMkXGrXF3EPj3l6YBCM1JDnNeGGDqGx-2yrU2QjqgXOUQwp8UZV5fR3wImZj6r6S4VKoZr9OY2ktIFUwlshQ/s1600/20110323+Victorias+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxcXNgORzdPRALtPRQRfvVvKwtXwgSf8lr1wuLqnFew5fMYJn5oaMkXGrXF3EPj3l6YBCM1JDnNeGGDqGx-2yrU2QjqgXOUQwp8UZV5fR3wImZj6r6S4VKoZr9OY2ktIFUwlshQ/s320/20110323+Victorias+a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Pretty. These can be filled with sweet or savoury fillings.<br />
The shortening was quite gross. It was solid at room temperature which made it easy to handle and we had to roll it out like a dough. Mmm solid sheet of pure FAT. The grease really stuck to your fingers too. Another reminder of what people are eating kilos of.... Imagine their fat coated hearts. I tried some of the pastry, I suppose the mouth is happy aye...amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-83101211000766286202011-03-21T16:43:00.000+11:002011-03-21T16:43:52.139+11:00Vincy & Jose Wedding cakeCongrats to Vincy and Jose on their wedding.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZObObp0pR2s3DUUKYGd93wRbti_FPIaMKvy_GHMV0SUaHScuLCYBFLJgHj5HTucSZUPnM-hs0FXviNMB45UZ__1-pTwbISqISiVK22iSLZJLwmJ7VVXioPyTUm5WGYsLQ9S9Jg/s1600/cake-Wed+VincyJose+001a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZObObp0pR2s3DUUKYGd93wRbti_FPIaMKvy_GHMV0SUaHScuLCYBFLJgHj5HTucSZUPnM-hs0FXviNMB45UZ__1-pTwbISqISiVK22iSLZJLwmJ7VVXioPyTUm5WGYsLQ9S9Jg/s320/cake-Wed+VincyJose+001a.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Vincy really likes cats and requested 2 affectionate cats as cake topppers. You can't see it but the cats tails also sweetly touch together.<br />
I've enjoyed learn (and guessing) new techniques as I progress with cakes. The vines were new for me and overall I'm quite happy with how the cherry blossoms turned out. Also new for me was the progressive toning of the tiers, which I had only thought up as I was colouring the icing much to my delight.<br />
The top two tiers are actually foam and golly that makes things so much faster, with not having to bake, level, ganache and line boards! Unfortunately my brain was being slow so I took a lot longer to do the icing than was necessary - don't ask how long -_-'<br />
The bottom was a chocolate butter cake so that the cake cutting would look more natural. Happy days!amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-34429514595680806412011-03-21T16:30:00.000+11:002011-03-21T16:30:53.191+11:00Fruit based cakesI was feeling creative and liked it when the idea of a fruit platter cake came to mind.<br />
You get to enjoy the fruit and then you get to eat the plate too! Hehe force fed fruit :P<br />
Presentation-wise the idea was better than how it looked because I used ganache rather than fondant but it was fun anyway. I was going to do the same by making a petite four platter and made mini lemon meringue tarts and cupcakes but these didnt end up being needed.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ45DgNm14XJIZG3hh54K45ST3g6b9gHMqxfufsY1cCagfZaK414MkO2JcEFfOpalCW4YMaxdL2kmwFOu73CrQwAXGDTiQ5rlLFq-ylutRlXBL3HY5mKhiv0mHlEHYqJeElxhvOQ/s1600/Fruit+Platter+Cake+002a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ45DgNm14XJIZG3hh54K45ST3g6b9gHMqxfufsY1cCagfZaK414MkO2JcEFfOpalCW4YMaxdL2kmwFOu73CrQwAXGDTiQ5rlLFq-ylutRlXBL3HY5mKhiv0mHlEHYqJeElxhvOQ/s320/Fruit+Platter+Cake+002a.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Dinner with school friends and I brought along a peach and berry tart for dessert. This recipe was from a Donna Hay cook book which I had been meaning to try for a while. It was ok but I'm not sure whether I'd make it again. It took quite a while to bake and appeared quite oily and chewy.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-azHHszAbr89PWAmxt6EWPclbKbdAvlWZylSM9Ldoro7qR7TG-CtUFkIvKyuXxoRW4ZYCi2BTlAg28M2oiuxdPY7DgGzQuweBRpN1s52EDKfH9S2jC2DqBJX4hDkcwDP5NBrLQ/s1600/PeachBerry+Tart+003a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-azHHszAbr89PWAmxt6EWPclbKbdAvlWZylSM9Ldoro7qR7TG-CtUFkIvKyuXxoRW4ZYCi2BTlAg28M2oiuxdPY7DgGzQuweBRpN1s52EDKfH9S2jC2DqBJX4hDkcwDP5NBrLQ/s320/PeachBerry+Tart+003a.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-9687355810624813432011-03-21T16:16:00.001+11:002011-04-29T11:15:42.096+10:00Baking (Week 4,5,6) More shortcrust pastryIn the past weeks we've learnt to make:<br />
- Apple Pies: we got to be a bit creative with the decoration of this and I was quite happy with how my leaves turned out :)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnLmBkpgtDBY0ryYH1y-AVP-f_sHI03_k7QyGvEtYaWXNeCUhDY0VR4f8ONw0qG5KWVaGNRAf9fd8aAwrpM6q76oWgk3DnPL6fakNrWwt9wavIPS0dO9zzp35s4hvvO4Q5ul5KA/s1600/20110302+Apple+Pie+001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnLmBkpgtDBY0ryYH1y-AVP-f_sHI03_k7QyGvEtYaWXNeCUhDY0VR4f8ONw0qG5KWVaGNRAf9fd8aAwrpM6q76oWgk3DnPL6fakNrWwt9wavIPS0dO9zzp35s4hvvO4Q5ul5KA/s320/20110302+Apple+Pie+001a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>- Apricot Crumble<br />
- Coconut Tarts<br />
- Bakewell Tarts<br />
- Lemon Meringue Pie: There is more sugar than egg white in the meringue. And there was a mighty lot of sugar. It was pretty looking though<br />
- Fruit Flans<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5q1llfcufp3lyaPco-4K6jSNzSVUNOhv1lAkZ2WWwE_tDeptlNwpt6Vskjte_rh4Jnu1oMJn4glzKIPtfGDQ_exrxL3BQpWPMXgAx02MLCjgix1Ehhyphenhyphen9cmmB3dKB4pgNq_cC8w/s1600/20110316+Fruit+Flan+a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5q1llfcufp3lyaPco-4K6jSNzSVUNOhv1lAkZ2WWwE_tDeptlNwpt6Vskjte_rh4Jnu1oMJn4glzKIPtfGDQ_exrxL3BQpWPMXgAx02MLCjgix1Ehhyphenhyphen9cmmB3dKB4pgNq_cC8w/s320/20110316+Fruit+Flan+a.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
It all been jolly good and tasty good now that we have been working with butter. Next lesson: puff pastry.<br />
I saw on Better Homes and Gardens, Ed showed how to make a quick and easy pastry. Gosh if it's that easy what are we doing spending so much time learning how to make it! I guess we learn the technique and theory behind it all though. It just amused me.amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-41337408430295451282011-02-25T15:43:00.001+11:002011-04-29T11:16:01.215+10:00Baking (Week 3) - Custard TartsTAFE has commenced and the learning begins.<br />
As I progress through I realise how technical it all is, and quite a science.<br />
<br />
Let me explain, last week was our first week of baking in the kitchen and we made fruit scones and savoury scones. Scones... I think that most people would have made scones at some stage in their life, a common place being high school. There's not that many ingredients and not that many steps to follow.<br />
However as our teacher runs through the demonstration and we follow, we then see how much sadder looking our flatter scones with over-worked gluten are compared the hers! And so that's the difference between a cheap scone and pricier ones you get at high teas. Don't worry our second batch got better :)<br />
<br />
This week we made custard tarts, and I bought some of my handiwork to show the family.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXi65WKZiCXLXfA6W2VRVMA_fU-MaXe-hFMxO4g-ePPnx58IImpAz1b0kqGdYp30VdPOuKjLsXayhpX3o5FCm4KV8jNyTgd69dnyZJb2IQCM9NyvKLJA_7ph4I9VnkzKtpQD6Bg/s1600/20110223+Custard+Tart+a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXi65WKZiCXLXfA6W2VRVMA_fU-MaXe-hFMxO4g-ePPnx58IImpAz1b0kqGdYp30VdPOuKjLsXayhpX3o5FCm4KV8jNyTgd69dnyZJb2IQCM9NyvKLJA_7ph4I9VnkzKtpQD6Bg/s320/20110223+Custard+Tart+a.JPG" width="310" /></a></div><br />
We made 2 types, one with a real custard filling and one with pre-mix (real custard pictured). Most of what you buy in the shops will be pre-mix, the kind that looks so firmly set like (firm) jelly. Again there's quite a technique in mixing, rolling and lining the pastry to make sure that it doesn't shrink, is not lope sided and is thin/thick enough. Lots to learn!<br />
We made the pastry with commercial fats. Functionally they work well and makes the dough easy to work with, but I'm a bit of a naturalist and there's just something funky (in a negative way) about eating margarine that is stored at room temperature. Go the fresh butter I say, but as our teacher says they do have place in cooking. I tell you this so you know what you're eating people! I could have also been put off it by seeing the sink full of dirty water in the kitchen with the fat chunks bobbing about on the surface. None of my family minded the taste but I thought that the taste did come through the pastry and ended up just eating the custard. mm sweet custard.amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-45836306438737301012011-02-08T19:54:00.000+11:002011-02-08T19:54:23.233+11:00Ricotta PancakesI had a hankering for pancakes yesterday and remembered that I had leftover ricotta from the previous cheesecake baking. I had heard of ricotta pancakes before and after a brief browse through my cook books didn't find a recipe, and so progressed to make it up (as I do) based on a standard basic pancake recipe.<br />
Whilst making it I was unsure how it would turn out as the batter had a gooey consistency similar to raw egg white. But I was pleasantly surprised, it turned out great! The pancake was so soft and light! They amused me greatly when I flipped them over, they instantly rose up like pumped up air mattresses. I felt compelled to do the dance from the anime 'My Neighbour Totoro" when they stretch their arms up and down to make the plants instantly grow.<br />
Whilst observing how the batter held its shape, I realised this would work well if you wanted to do heart shaped pancakes (which is good timing if you're compelled to follow the heavily commercialised promotion of Valentines Day - which is next week). Otherwise you can give them to a loved one - just because you want to :o)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURvDL32vz4_R5GMjqeKP593fHMrh5rv5q6Ket1xHVJNxj8n_humTX_HxrcSHeToX9ETU9nc6NA5X56oPs5jyKSE4CwLYf-bF4oPCua6dIkwKORsdFveja73p9N8LcbSel82ec4w/s1600/pancake+ricotta+004a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURvDL32vz4_R5GMjqeKP593fHMrh5rv5q6Ket1xHVJNxj8n_humTX_HxrcSHeToX9ETU9nc6NA5X56oPs5jyKSE4CwLYf-bF4oPCua6dIkwKORsdFveja73p9N8LcbSel82ec4w/s320/pancake+ricotta+004a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
If you're interested, here's the recipe:<br />
2 1/2 cup self raising flour<br />
1/4 cup white sugar<br />
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)<br />
100g butter / table spread<br />
250g ricotta (I used reduced fat but you don't have to)<br />
4 eggs<br />
1 cup milk (I used reduced fat but you don't have to)<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
<br />
1. Mix together flour, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl<br />
2. In a seperate bowl, melt butter in microwave. Mix in ricotta and eggs. Then mix in milk and vanilla<br />
3. Add wet ingredients to the dry mixture. Stir.<br />
4. Place spoonfuls of batter into a heated greased frypan, lightly spread to form a thick even surface<br />
5. Depending on how hot your frypan is, after approximately 30 seconds flip the pancakes over. Note: there's no need to wait for air bubbles to surface on the other side; also the pancakes are quite soft so flip firmly.<br />
6. Serve with sliced fresh fruit and honey. Enjoy<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzycQpwOkhtyhAfnau2KukRQ1lnEHj7w-URvtXxqrRDx7BIqAHfQ0rIWIuVVbhDX4SeZgEOmcjqm_eovYE8-Z9Hx2dTt8RV1fgG_99rAsrnxtXVOqcKQBdts1UVFSdvCQS6wlGw/s1600/pancake+ricotta+001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzycQpwOkhtyhAfnau2KukRQ1lnEHj7w-URvtXxqrRDx7BIqAHfQ0rIWIuVVbhDX4SeZgEOmcjqm_eovYE8-Z9Hx2dTt8RV1fgG_99rAsrnxtXVOqcKQBdts1UVFSdvCQS6wlGw/s320/pancake+ricotta+001a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-38444340402559459242011-02-06T09:24:00.000+11:002011-02-06T09:24:41.948+11:00Pear & Ginger CheesecakeI always have trouble trying to decide what to make, luckily other people know what they like and gladly assist in this area. With two requests for cheesecake, cheesecake it was!<br />
Thought I'd try something different and went with a Pear and Ginger Cheesecake.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZUUMwoeD2r2joXiBNbDoU-8KtI5kSpQ8r11oRnwst29QdipJrtrFzPaU5y9DMcRfPk0xH5aj7J-RpRMUIFV1vA314d6L5W5keg132EzYn76jn_W0dT8qlNmxdJPAQuP_R7mEiA/s1600/Cheesecake-PearGinger+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZUUMwoeD2r2joXiBNbDoU-8KtI5kSpQ8r11oRnwst29QdipJrtrFzPaU5y9DMcRfPk0xH5aj7J-RpRMUIFV1vA314d6L5W5keg132EzYn76jn_W0dT8qlNmxdJPAQuP_R7mEiA/s320/Cheesecake-PearGinger+a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The pear slices are hiding underneath the filling. I forgot to bring extra pears to decorate the cheesecake with and so after a rummage Irene found some bananas, not that ideal but I had to pretty it up somehow.<br />
The ginger was quite strong with a lingering aftertaste as I used Gingernut biscuits as well as ground ginger for the base. Mm punchy.<br />
As usual I didn't follow the recipe and made a few adjustments of my own. As good and tasty as I had seen <a href="http://www.chocolatesuze.com/2011/01/21/super-easy-no-bake-nutella-cheesecake">Suze's cheesecake</a> to be, I just couldn't stomach the thought of ladening everyone's guts with too much fat. Hehe, so I replaced half the cream cheese with ricotta and used light rather than full fat sour cream. Not bad, the creamy texture was still there. The family seemed happy with the eating, I was happy with the knowledge :)amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-71475207556806006882011-01-31T10:33:00.002+11:002011-03-20T17:49:23.962+11:00The challenge is setI have set myself a challenge! At every opportunity that I can, I am aiming to make some form of food (usually dessert) and so far this has progressed ok.<br />
It began with a bit of a sponge theme, with Peach Swiss Roll for dessert with Lou, Daniel and Alicia<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2R8KwSi9DVGbieh-ZvaXEx7CyThXsofP8TLwWUrzSajBeBG2l2x16Vbh7WT0N8UpQo-GvFgpboK3xrplHAFzvOrdSRPpn522YlRZE76xFzGEmqllhKPkjV-yTdWKb_BVlzr7C1g/s1600/PeachRoll+002a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2R8KwSi9DVGbieh-ZvaXEx7CyThXsofP8TLwWUrzSajBeBG2l2x16Vbh7WT0N8UpQo-GvFgpboK3xrplHAFzvOrdSRPpn522YlRZE76xFzGEmqllhKPkjV-yTdWKb_BVlzr7C1g/s320/PeachRoll+002a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Followed by Trifle for Australia Day lunch<br />
It was my first time making trifle and people seemed to enjoy it. I think personally I'm not a fan of the moosh. Funny, people generally don;t like soggy Weetbix but they don't mind soggy cake... To practise sponge making I even made the cake from scratch and kinda cheated by using a swiss roll recipe. Worked ok.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLk2XeQqywFletmQNQAcb07yvoUWJ7fbQRSmb6xdXhmiPGe29ZrhPbGfPBlzY11tCtlmzm76yXc98738mkullegyd23yTdG3tkzzeAjUobNAq1PxOJbqMO0hpvYQ_Lxfji4zlGvQ/s1600/Trifle+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLk2XeQqywFletmQNQAcb07yvoUWJ7fbQRSmb6xdXhmiPGe29ZrhPbGfPBlzY11tCtlmzm76yXc98738mkullegyd23yTdG3tkzzeAjUobNAq1PxOJbqMO0hpvYQ_Lxfji4zlGvQ/s320/Trifle+a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We were going to head to Australia Day dinner as well so I made a simple sponge cake, I even brought round my icing sugar and sieve so I could decorate it at the last minute! But we didn't end up going so I didn't bother icing, hence no pic.<br />
<br />
Btw, I'm now officially enrolled into TAFE, so hoorah I'm really heading into things now. Excitement plus.amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-50866657870062320092010-12-28T22:20:00.000+11:002010-12-28T22:20:58.427+11:00Jess & Chris' wedding cakeNovember saw the wedding of my sister's friends: Jess & Chris.<br />
It's very handy when people like the style of cakes that I've already made before. And also it gave me an excuse to organise a day off work just to go buy square cake tins. Hoorah.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-KVlxKQPq8-mT3R6upBh5VOE2gzYlzW_0YJU0WXwo_MVP6xUkGoUo69dTICGdrwPr48Js25DRP4MglNMnylgNfp7ECm7Lq9qe6Spxhs3eZv1T9Yr4aOVNCxcVe3sx4DL3WcjSw/s1600/cake-WedJessChris+002a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-KVlxKQPq8-mT3R6upBh5VOE2gzYlzW_0YJU0WXwo_MVP6xUkGoUo69dTICGdrwPr48Js25DRP4MglNMnylgNfp7ECm7Lq9qe6Spxhs3eZv1T9Yr4aOVNCxcVe3sx4DL3WcjSw/s320/cake-WedJessChris+002a.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Chocolate cake with ivory icing.</div><br />
I heard about the ivory coloured icing from a friend but I personally don't think it adds too much more the overall appearance. The ivory was quite subtle, but the icing quality itself was good. I love my new 50cm rolling pin and non-stick mat that I bought in America, this combined with the icing helped reduce the stress level when covering the cake.amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-614664476649075542010-12-28T22:05:00.000+11:002010-12-28T22:05:39.205+11:00Baby shower cakeWhat eventually follows a wedding? A baby!<br />
For Belinda's afternoon tea at work to wish her well for the upcoming arrival of her little one, I contributed a chocolate cake.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBp50oBrElpV107trX4xrtnHbDotby2YTy9sPcTzFu3QNOzSZxHOhpfk0mBk3GyFHMM_a1NKceXOxJ2K_alLbaWwXi-H2Non9otEqDe9zDO2HDjC249yrOlv7kZqAsUCjEXTkRCQ/s1600/cake-BelUpcomingBaby+001a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBp50oBrElpV107trX4xrtnHbDotby2YTy9sPcTzFu3QNOzSZxHOhpfk0mBk3GyFHMM_a1NKceXOxJ2K_alLbaWwXi-H2Non9otEqDe9zDO2HDjC249yrOlv7kZqAsUCjEXTkRCQ/s320/cake-BelUpcomingBaby+001a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Another cake experimentation gone right. Hoorah.amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20571374.post-4739715867797398022010-12-28T21:57:00.000+11:002010-12-28T21:57:38.296+11:00Coming to AmericaJune saw the adventures in heading to America with mum to catch up with an auntie and meet 2 cousins for the first time.<br />
Oh my, they have so many shopping centres (malls) and copious choices of food stores. It was amusing getting familiar with the food chains I had never heard of, and those that had the same name but served different types of foods eg. Wendy's served burgers there, but they serve ice-cream here.<br />
<br />
Of course I checked out numerous supermarkets, with <a href="http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/HomepageView?storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&langId=-1&clear=true">Wegmans </a>being a favourite (one branch had particularly impressive toilets (restrooms)). Reading the product labels were amusing too, in a concerning way; like the breakfast cereal promoted as containing 35% Daily Value for fibre but yet was totally coated in sugar. Hmmm. And don't get me started on pack and portion sizes.<br />
<br />
Snapshots:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZukehVvaOIzAa6_Rm4XpgFoHdrRfUWZpzl8TaHZAfJSForGHx2DsH8YrQrj-Cw07xnmjjI13UQPEFRzQSuNm2aHnHpTKoK_8R33gxaOViwd1Jsj022GsIozNw83-N14vZXUkAA/s1600/IMG_6512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZukehVvaOIzAa6_Rm4XpgFoHdrRfUWZpzl8TaHZAfJSForGHx2DsH8YrQrj-Cw07xnmjjI13UQPEFRzQSuNm2aHnHpTKoK_8R33gxaOViwd1Jsj022GsIozNw83-N14vZXUkAA/s320/IMG_6512.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Bufflo wings, from Buffalo of course</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMk0ad6hBJgatyMLtsNdbDTjtaRKhkQ-I-jO3tT86MX-KAnJfrT5c0eg76zZdQ0hbLMah10TowGY2u9fl5d-RHMfJKM7Lj6bT2uK_LzEAwqDQoV6o-pt2D_9cliaeruf2HqB_gFw/s1600/IMG_6584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMk0ad6hBJgatyMLtsNdbDTjtaRKhkQ-I-jO3tT86MX-KAnJfrT5c0eg76zZdQ0hbLMah10TowGY2u9fl5d-RHMfJKM7Lj6bT2uK_LzEAwqDQoV6o-pt2D_9cliaeruf2HqB_gFw/s320/IMG_6584.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Long crab legs</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUVDjh9f6cTfZ4hxVrgN4lohIqXNaLdik1tLsCVdiTohmg-arLf-eBJ1p9Zd6Feko5zlnFkN9cSCKgzz0YPAI4717yInlxr2EmRdoiXkvXTx2oMXYd8Sz2zk7EEDXwPcaNVhUMA/s1600/IMG_6812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghUVDjh9f6cTfZ4hxVrgN4lohIqXNaLdik1tLsCVdiTohmg-arLf-eBJ1p9Zd6Feko5zlnFkN9cSCKgzz0YPAI4717yInlxr2EmRdoiXkvXTx2oMXYd8Sz2zk7EEDXwPcaNVhUMA/s320/IMG_6812.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Cream Pie</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBw6C1SbEHQoTP2RkdvGIWeQaB7I_tkWc2Xc3q8pbE1R_mmOkw7v-WWtQvRucnX9yp8E8XgnKxu8oGJSaDI8ct_btoXk_NcTOBO-m5jv2w35LKngLl5ZCGKUbCWetBhyslHRYiIQ/s1600/IMG_6846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBw6C1SbEHQoTP2RkdvGIWeQaB7I_tkWc2Xc3q8pbE1R_mmOkw7v-WWtQvRucnX9yp8E8XgnKxu8oGJSaDI8ct_btoXk_NcTOBO-m5jv2w35LKngLl5ZCGKUbCWetBhyslHRYiIQ/s320/IMG_6846.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Huge lobster</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCvgQRSQ7_PPfOnXpqDvMlhQtmcJO4fV70lxQgr_mIcOXDkLdp7pVtvnquvnu_hrx-50-tyIL0Bf2cnviLFS-jpy6E1rbyfsq3Rs32m3s1zRTwJFbeNgKXV18yQGRyd38L9Z7Dg/s1600/IMG_6968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCvgQRSQ7_PPfOnXpqDvMlhQtmcJO4fV70lxQgr_mIcOXDkLdp7pVtvnquvnu_hrx-50-tyIL0Bf2cnviLFS-jpy6E1rbyfsq3Rs32m3s1zRTwJFbeNgKXV18yQGRyd38L9Z7Dg/s320/IMG_6968.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Times Square</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvV2PaUc97kIJK2at4ys0Eaq5YFWt-jbHtI9DCheW82r5R3FSy9uIkm8pmpetweDLr1oQisijCb0pNwY0_iOfpeBq3P3TBXx0bG8N-Eg1XhLTjhIiL7m0vASvnE_Q89V5lWZq2ZA/s1600/IMG_7023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvV2PaUc97kIJK2at4ys0Eaq5YFWt-jbHtI9DCheW82r5R3FSy9uIkm8pmpetweDLr1oQisijCb0pNwY0_iOfpeBq3P3TBXx0bG8N-Eg1XhLTjhIiL7m0vASvnE_Q89V5lWZq2ZA/s320/IMG_7023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Rockafella Centre</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbN2htWe9MZ6DoCTJYrN_CSMyxex52dYqElNuaMgZBn9lImfWacpMQxLDqZIMIGu7wKlTy8CUXntF_QOUYUDQXxysUEsIEhGrW3Z-hw236cvYxCP0khzQQ0NSZweTsyRAh_IZGw/s1600/IMG_7046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbN2htWe9MZ6DoCTJYrN_CSMyxex52dYqElNuaMgZBn9lImfWacpMQxLDqZIMIGu7wKlTy8CUXntF_QOUYUDQXxysUEsIEhGrW3Z-hw236cvYxCP0khzQQ0NSZweTsyRAh_IZGw/s320/IMG_7046.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> M&M world</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhll39l-M3k9nNMD36nWng_MDn93q0nDOC7VTDGcLmzxxWgGa04v-XjFUafmpGoNmEMXYEVyJdeBgj28KTpCxcHGLDRcLECbN9PHAZ5LoclPeJAx7npIw5NwfMabBD8RFbtcGNyvA/s1600/IMG_7133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhll39l-M3k9nNMD36nWng_MDn93q0nDOC7VTDGcLmzxxWgGa04v-XjFUafmpGoNmEMXYEVyJdeBgj28KTpCxcHGLDRcLECbN9PHAZ5LoclPeJAx7npIw5NwfMabBD8RFbtcGNyvA/s320/IMG_7133.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Statue of Liberty</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71OnGjiVFVwUzWz3JV_f6icJgdT1F1OQRokV9g4q1cU7wEbquwqTjQenDBjLtQHaG5Wlk1iNoc-tzJNB1wQVDJsRVsqXXCpH1CFktjNrF2HXnRj61jZmB9CXhjRJyizQZ5ywuDg/s1600/IMG_7338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71OnGjiVFVwUzWz3JV_f6icJgdT1F1OQRokV9g4q1cU7wEbquwqTjQenDBjLtQHaG5Wlk1iNoc-tzJNB1wQVDJsRVsqXXCpH1CFktjNrF2HXnRj61jZmB9CXhjRJyizQZ5ywuDg/s320/IMG_7338.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> St Paul's Cathedral</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYYKPd2E0yh3zPBx4IizDQDfps_Hl33d4zg_RQD4vsTVidyxjeET7zUcZbfB5OZLyV_R9M9S2AIIN2FqnfJ2Qp1YisoPRsZArOjlsbm_K530A_MrxB0h7btdFyCg6vgYzAwogv8A/s1600/IMG_7438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYYKPd2E0yh3zPBx4IizDQDfps_Hl33d4zg_RQD4vsTVidyxjeET7zUcZbfB5OZLyV_R9M9S2AIIN2FqnfJ2Qp1YisoPRsZArOjlsbm_K530A_MrxB0h7btdFyCg6vgYzAwogv8A/s320/IMG_7438.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 pound burger</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEePdYrgODz0S4J5wMAaWiz0pJD0STk3lwGcHoRaWIibC_CW2ZH2CZDzMGv-bB27q5_bWybIy8_qqkrz8OkPPSNBDIdyZTf5V5p9p_JMlkMvTLa6QevE7cKc4pX8hip3YE_R4oA/s1600/IMG_7673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVEePdYrgODz0S4J5wMAaWiz0pJD0STk3lwGcHoRaWIibC_CW2ZH2CZDzMGv-bB27q5_bWybIy8_qqkrz8OkPPSNBDIdyZTf5V5p9p_JMlkMvTLa6QevE7cKc4pX8hip3YE_R4oA/s320/IMG_7673.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Niagara Falls (from Canadian side)</div>amiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13651172108428295847noreply@blogger.com0