Night Noodle Markets

 

Photo and information courtesy of Crave International Food Festival

October 10-14 and 17-21, 2011

5 - 9pm weeknights (free entry)

The Night Noodle Markets is a major highlight of the Food Festival with more than 125,000 guests dropping by Hyde Park North over 10 nights to enjoy an authentic Asian hawker market atmosphere

Hyde Park North will be transformed for two fabulous weeks, Monday to Friday only.  With up to 40 food stalls, 3 bars and nightly entertainment, this is the must-see event of the Festival.

Some of your favourite Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Asian eateries will be there selling everything from authentic Thai desserts to Peking duck pancakes and Shanghai-style dumpling soup.

Whether you're meeting friends after work, or entertaining the family, the Night Noodle Markets has something for everyone this October.

For more information click here

Enjoy

Mel x

Newtown Thai

This is the never fail place I always take family and friends, some days I start off at Eveleigh Markets and walk down to Newtown Thai and browsing the many shops on King Street.

I headed to Newtown for a girls night out, we ordered the following dishes (and a few more that I deleted due to blurriness, I need to start working on smart phone photography!)

Mixed Entree fish cake, chicken satay, spring roll and kar nom pang nar kai $6.90

 Masamun Curry tasty mild beef curry with coconut milk, bay leaves, onion and potatoes $10.90

 Chicken Peanut Sauce stir fried variety of vegetables topped with peanut sauce $9.90

 Pad Thai popular stir fried thin rice noodle with eggs, tofu, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts $9.90

 Pad See Ew stir fried thick flat rice noodle with eggs and Chinese broccoli

$9.90

Oyster stir fried in oyster sauce, and vegetables $9.90

I can highly recommend this restaurant, great food, good service and generous servings.

Other Details

177 King street Newtown, Sydney NSW 2042

(02) 9557 2425

Lunch

Mon to Sat 11:30am - 3pm

Dinner

Mon to Sun 5:30pm - 11pm

BYO - Wine only

Click to view menu

Mr Pickled Cumquat and I go to this place quite often, even before we started

dating. We are married now and still enjoy going to Newtown Thai.

Enjoy

Mel x

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Mel x

C Coconut Water and Lemon Cake

I created this recipe on Wednesday night using the C Coconut Water I was sent.

Ingredients

• 20g melted butter, to grease loaf tin 
• 200g butter melted
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 2 table spoons finely grated lemon rind
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup desiccated coconut
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup C Coconut Water
• 2 table spoons Greek yoghurt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a loaf pan with melted butter. Line the base with non-stick baking paper.

Use a mixer to beat the butter, sugar and lemon rind until pale and creamy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Stir the desiccated coconut and flour into the egg mixture.

Next add the C coconut water, lemon juice, vanilla and Greek yoghurt, in alternating batches, until just combined.

Spoon mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.

Bake cake in oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Set aside in pan for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Best served the next day when it has cooled completely.

Enjoy!

Mel x

Fig Tree Update!

A little over 3 weeks on and my fig tree is doing so well!

It must have been the big down pour of rain followed by the great spring sun!

Here are the progress photos of the fig tree. If you look closely at photos two and four you can see a fig itself!

Mel x

HOLY BASIL!

WOW. Holy Basil!

Let's just say Holy Basil could have been transported straight from Laos/Thailand and placed in suburban Sydney. Amazing, modern Asian decor consisting of gold Buddha statues, water fountain urn, a wall of mortar and pestles and dashes of pink colour splashed around. A bar area, open kitchen, outdoor seating with heating and a vibrant atmosphere will make any diner happy!

Our group consisted of 7 people, we arrived at 6.30pm and put our names on the list, and we sat outside and waited. This little Laotian and Thai restaurant is a happening place on a Sunday night. As we waited we were always informed of what was happening, as Holy Basil takes no bookings it was good to be kept in the loop. An hour passed (well worth the wait, as we were a big group we understood, much smaller groups waited about 10 minutes or less) and we are seated, we all order our drinks, I opted for the lychee juice which had the consistency of a delicious smoothie, whilst other guests had the custard apple juice and the fresh coconut juice.

The staff were very friendly, on the ball and always available to assist.

We ordered the following dishes:

Marinated Dried Beef Caramelized beef jerky $10.90

Laos Sausages Traditional and tasty grilled pork sausages combined with fresh herbs and spices served with Holy Basil’s special dipping sauce $10.90

Som Tam (Papaya Salad Thai Style) Similar to Laos papaya salad but is sweeter, less spicy, and fish sauce is used as a substitute for crab paste and anchovies $10.90

Gang Ped Yang (Red Curry Roast Duck) Often served during traditional family feasting, this specialty dish has an abundant of flavours from lychees, pineapple, cherry tomato, sweet basil, fresh chillies, green bananas and kaffir lime leaves cooked with cuts of roast duck $17.90

Holy Basil Fried Rice (Fried Rice with Chilli and Basil) Stir fried rice with chilli, basil, Chinese broccoli, onions, bamboo, mushroom and carrot. With pork $12.90

Khao Pad Sapparot (Thai Fried Rice with Fresh Pineapple) Stir fried rice with fresh pineapple, tomatoes, onion. $13.90

Salt ‘N’ Pepper Calamari Deep fried squid which has been lightly coated in a special batter, tossed in a salt and pepper mixture, and served with sweet chilli sauce. $15.90

Soft Shell Crab Deep fried soft-shell crab which has been lightly coated in a special batter, tossed in a salt and pepper mixture, and served with sweet chilli sauce $15.90

Crispy Fish (With Green Mango Salad) Deep fried fresh whole fish served on a bed of green mango salad (or green apples when not in season) dressed in mint leaves, coriander, shallots, Spanish onions, chilli and lime juice.

Market Price

Lychee Juice $5.50

Holy Basil Fried Ice Cream wrapped in filo pastry and served with fresh strawberries, caramel sauce and roast coconut muesli $13.90

Sticky Coconut Rice Pudding + Mango  $13.90

Black Harbour  $13.90

Holy Basil Menu

Other Details

Address:

233 Canley Vale Road
Canley Heights, 2166

Phone: 02 9727 7585

Website: http://www.holybasil.com.au/
Email: info@holybasil.com.au 
Cuisine:

Price Guide:

Entrees:   $3-$10.90

Mains:      $10.90-$16.90

Desserts: $13.90

Hours:

Lunch  12pm - 3pm
Dinner 5pm - 10pm Sunday - Wednesday
            5pm - 11pm Thursday - Saturday

Parking: Off-street parking

I can highly recommend this restaurant, I will certainly be returning!

Mel x

Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book!

You either went to a party with one of these cakes, had one yourself, or you have the cook book at you or your parents place.

I still remember my brothers 8^th birthday he had the Train Cake, when the sparklers were lit, some of the popcorn caught alight!

As a child growing up in the 80’s birthday time only meant one thing to me – picking which cake I wanted out of the Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book!

I was doing the groceries this week, as I loaded up my groceries ready to be scanned, I looked up and where the chocolates normally stocked was a cook book that looked very familiar. I picked it up looked at the front and thought this couldn’t be right, as I flicked through the pages, I could recall which cake I had and which ones my siblings had. I am talking about the Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book! I of course bought this and quickly called mum to let her know that there was a reprint. I saw my mum the next day and compare the book. I was so excited!

Buying this book certainly made my week!       

  

Above 1980's Edition owned by my mother and the 2011 reprint

Enjoy!

Mel x

Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce

This is a never fail family favourite!



Pudding Ingredients

• 500g chopped dried dates
• 5 cups water
• 1 teaspoon bi-carb soda
• 60g butter
• 2 eggs 
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 ¼ cup self raising flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 

Butter Scotch Sauce Ingredients

• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 150 mls cream
• 125g butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Sticky Date Pudding Method

Place dates and the water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, and then reduce the heat.

Cover and simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until the dates are quite mushy and have absorbed the water. The mixture should have the consistency of jam (thick and shiny).

Place date mixture aside to cool.

Beat in remaining pudding ingredients and mix well. Pour the mixture into a greased and lined 20cm cake tin. Cook for 35 minutes at 150°C

Butter Scotch Sauce Method

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

Simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Mel x

The Icing On The Cake!

I know a few of my blogs in the past weeks have been fig related; I just wanted to share with you the top of Mr Pickled Cumquat and I’s recent wedding cake!

Again the cake decorations (flowers and figs) were completed by the ever so talented Aleksandra!

Mel x

Roasted Vegetable Tart

I love keeping old foodie magazines and this is why; I have been searching for the perfect vegetable tart recipe and I have found it, in the 2003 October edition of Delicious magazine, Page 78

Recipe by Michelle Noerianto & Kim Coverdale.

The short crust pastry recipe was found in Notebook: November 2005,

Page 123 Recipe by Sophia Young - This is a very easy recipe to make!

I have tested this out numerous times and it is truly delicious! I have put the recipe below.

Vegetable Tart Ingredients

• 1 small eggplant
• 1 red capsicum, halved, seeds removed
• 2 small zucchini  
• 1 red onion  
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 5 tbs (100ml) olive oil
• 300g low-fat ricotta
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup (50g) grated parmesan  
• 2 tsp chopped rosemary

Shortcrust Pastry Ingredients 

• 1 2/3 cups (250g) plain flour
• 125g unsalted butter, chilled, finely chopped
• 1 egg, chilled

Shortcrust Pastry Method

Process flour, butter and a pinch of salt in a food processor until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Whisk egg and 1 tbs chilled water in a bowl until combined, then with food processor motor running, add to flour mixture. Process until mixture begins to form large clumps, stopping machine before mixture forms a ball.

Turn pastry out on to a work surface and knead gently to bring together. Form into a disc for a round tart or into a log shape for a rectangular tart. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.

Vegetable Tart Method

Preheat oven to 190°C. Grease a 30 x 11cm loose-bottomed, rectangular tartpan.

Cut the eggplant, capsicum, zucchini, onion and sweet potato into 2cm chunks. Place in a bowl with the garlic and olive oil, and toss to coat in the oil.

Tip the vegetables onto a large baking tray and spread out evenly. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until cooked through and slightly charred, then set aside.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Line the prepared pan with pastry, then line with baking paper. Fill with pastry weights or rice and blind bake for 10minutes.

Meanwhile, beat together ricotta, eggs, parmesan and rosemary. Fill pre-baked tart shell with ricotta mixture and place in oven for 15 minutes or until set.

Top with roasted vegetables, then return to oven for 5 minutes to warm through. Garnish with extra rosemary, if desired.

Enjoy!

Mel x

Fresh Figs!

I wanted to share this fig picture with you today.

This was back in April at my Mum and Dad’s place; I can still taste the deliciousness in my mouth!

I am hoping that the fruit on my fig tree will be as good as this one!

Hurry up Summer!

Mel x

Hikaru - Newtown

This great little eatery can easily be missed, tucked away off Kings Street in Bucknell Street. It may not look like much, if you can get out of the hustle and bustle of Newtown and concentrate really hard on finding Hikaru, you will be pleasantly surprised.  

We arrived for an early dinner just after 6pm, we were greeted and seated, quite close to the table next to Mr Pickled Cumquat and I.

I noticed quite a few reserved signs and it is a wonder why people called ahead as the restaurant filled up quite quickly.

In a simple setting on King Street, Hikaru serves a vast array of sushi and sashimi, as well as other Japanese favourites

The meals we all full of flavour! My favourite was the Dragon Roll, the flavours were so delicious and the surprise crunch of the tempura prawn in the middle made it even nicer!

Mr Picked Cumquat and I ate the following:

Dragon roll with prawn, eel and avocado

Teriyaki chicken salad

Mixed entree tempura

Salmon and avocado roll

Green soya beans

Other Details

Hikaru

134- 140 King Street (Cnr Bucknell Street)
Newtown 2042 NSW
Phone: (02) 9516 5959

Lunch
Mon to Sun 11:30am - 4:30pm

Dinner
Sun to Thu 4:30pm - 10:30pm
Fri to Sat 4:30pm - 11pm

Entree: $5-$9.90

Mains: $12-$24

Dessert: $5

Licensed. BYO (wine only) $1.50 corkage per person.

This venue accepts bookings. It is advisable to make a reservation ahead of time.

Enjoy Mel x