winosandfoodies

Gunshop Cafe Brisbane

Here are a  few photos of the Brisbane food bloggers dinner held at Gunshop Cafe, Brisbane's West End earlier this week.

Stradbroke Island rock oysters, tomato and 50 year old sherry vinegar. The oysters were supplied by Michael Dalton at Fino Food. For someone who never eats oysters, I actually ate 6 of these and enjoyed every one.

Seared Hervey Bay scallops, salmon pearls, persimmon and squid ink. The most beautifuly presented meal of the night.

West Queensland wild boar, Morton Bay bug, ham and pineapple.  Personally, I didn't enjoy this combination of flavours.

Goondiwindi lamb rack, salsify puree, Toowoomba olives and fresh peas. When everyone at the table starts using their fingers to get the last of the jus on the plate into their mouths, you know this is a winner.

 

Selection of Queensland cheeses - The Kingaroy Bunya Black Brie was incredible and something I'll be sourcing out for home.

New season peach souffle, raspberry icecream and Queensland vanilla creme anglaise

Ambar Hills wines from the Queensland Granite Belt were served during the evening. I especially enjoyed the 2007 Cabernet Merlot.

FULL DISCLOSURE The dinner was organised on behalf of Brisbane food bloggers by Mel at Chocolate Cheese and Chips and Jason of The Gunshop Cafe. We contributed to the cost of the meal.

Lemon Matcha Cookies Recipe

I've been a fan of @missesdelicious'  blog Delicious Days since...... forever.  Her banana nutella cupcakes are an all time favourite in our house.

A little late night reading in bed last week, I happened upon Nicky's lime matcha cookie recipe. Perfect for converting to a Thermomix recipe. Nicky's cookies are a variation of the matcha cookie recipe by   Kelli at Lovescool .

I replaced the limes with lemons. My cookies are not as green as Nicky's - the fault of slightly past the 'use by' date of my packet of matcha.

LEMON MATCHA COOKIES (adapted from Delicious Days)

INGREDIENTS

• 80g (3 oz) icing sugar
• 2 teaspoon matcha tea powder
• 2 lemons (Nicky used 3 organic limes)
• 150 g (5.25 oz) cold butter
• 1 pinch salt
• 200 g (7 oz) flour (plus a little more for rolling out dough)
• 25 g (1  oz) cornstarch
• 3 medium egg yolks
• 75 g (2.75 oz) sugar

METHOD

• Place icing sugar and matcha powder into Thermomix. Pulse a couple of times to mix.
• Wash 1 lemon and finely grate the zest.
• Cut butter into cubes and add to the matcha/sugar mix, along with the salt and lemon zest. Pulse a couple of seconds until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Add the flour, pulse to mix in.
• Set dial to closed lid position. Add egg yolks. Knead about 10 seconds on Interval speed.
• Divide dough into two pieces, shape into a finger thick slab, wrap in Gladwrap and place in fridge for an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 170C (340F) or if using a convection oven 150C (300F).
• Line baking sheet with baking paper.
• Wash remaining lemon and grate zest finely, mix with sugar and place in a bowl.
• Dust work service with flour and roll out the dough to desired thickness. (Mine were about 0.5cm). Cut cookies out of dough.
• Roll edges in lemon/sugar mixture. Place on baking tray.
• Bake in oven until cooked through without browning. (10 - 15 minutes)

Here is an alternate Matcha Cookie recipe I have made in the past.

 

LiveSTRONG With A Taste of Yellow 2010 - Heart Series

October 2nd has been announced as  LiveSTRONG Day 2010.

LiveSTRONG With A Taste of Yellow is happening again...but with a new theme.

Throughout 2010 I have been posting a heart each Saturday. I thought it might be fun to incorporate the hearts in this years LiveSTRONG Day event.

So here is how it will work. On Saturday 2nd October I'd like everyone to create and post their own heart photo to their blog.  If you don't have a blog you can post to a Flickr or Project 365 page.

There are a couple of rules.

1. The photo must include a yellow food.

2. It must feature a heart in the photo - this could be food baked in a heart shape or food decorated with hearts.

3. Your heart photo must be created specifically for this LiveSTRONG With A Taste Of Yellow - Heart Series.  It may also be submitted to events such as DMBLGIT, Tastespotting, FoodGawker, Flickr groups, Project 365 .

4. Please include a link  to this post. It helps raise awareness of LiveSTRONG Day.

As this is more of a creative excercise a recipe isn't necessary, but if you want to include a recipe, please do.

Perhaps you have a cancer story to share. Or you might like to honour a family member or friend touched by cancer by dedicating your  heart to them.

After you have posted your heart (on 2nd October),  send me the link with your name,  and I will post a list and link on winos and foodies to all the hearts the following week.

Email you heart photo link to  atasteofyellowATgmailDOTcom

Previous A Taste of Yellow LiveSTRONG events

• 2007
• 2008 - 1
• 2008 - 2
• 2009

LiveSTRONG Links

• Donate
• Volunteer

LiveSTRONG With A Taste of Yellow is an official LivesSTRONG Day event.

I Heart You - Week 34.

Project 365 Week 34

View all original photos at winosandfoodies project 365

 

Chocolate and Pear Clafouti Recipe

Like I said last week, clafouti is my comfort food.  Usually I stick to the original  Julia Child recipe

My most recent clafouti was from a recipe by Jules at Stonesoup.  Her chocolate clafouti was delicious but I wanted a little more texture.

Chocolate and pear are a recognised food match. Who hasn't enjoyed the fabulous  Poire belle Helene created by Escoffier and named after Offenbach's opera, La belle Helene.   Jamie and Nigella have both been down the  the chocolate pear path.

Here's my chocolate pear marriage.

CHOCOLATE AND PEAR CLAFOUTI

INGREDIENTS

• 4 small pears
• 80 grams flour
• 80 grams sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup cream
• 1 cup milk
• 50 grams dark chocolate (I used Lindt 70%)

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 200C
• Grease baking dish with a little butter
• Cut tops off pears to use as decoration
• Peel and dice pears and place into greased dish
• Break chocolate into squares and add to pears
• Mix sugar and flour together
• Add eggs, cream and milk and whisk until blended
• Pour mixture over fruit and chocolate
• Bake in oven until cooked, about 35 - 40 minutes

Remove tops of pears

Peel and dice pears

Decorate clafouti with tops of pears

Delicious when sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with cream or ice cream

FULL DISCLOSURE -  The chocolate used in this recipe was sent to me by Lindt Chocolate.

I Heart You - #33

....so I missed 31 and 32....and I'm jumping straight to week 33.

SILVER heART

A silver charm by Amanda Jo Charms, a gift from my friend Sara.

Project 365 - Week 33

View original photos at winosandfoodies project 365 blog.

I hope to be back cooking and posting next week.

Project 365 - Week 32

View all original photos at winosandfoodies project 365 blog

Project 365 Week 31

View original photos at winosandfoodies project 365 blog

Chocolate Clafouti

Clafouti is my comfort food.  Here is a chocolate version I made this weekend after seeing the recipe over on Stonesoup.

I Heart You #30

WRAPPING AND PACKING heART

project 365 Week 30

Project 365 week 30 complete. View original photos at winosandfoodies project 365