Southbank Grill

For some reason, the dinners I’ve consumed in the Townsville eateries of late have not left me entirely satisfied.  I’ve suffered singed lips from a seafood pasta dish crammed with chillies at one venue and was almost punched in the face by the owner when I politely complained.  Another popular restaurant served me lard instead of pâté and I’m sure used dish water to flavour their soggy risotto.

I was beginning to lose hope in eating out and had opted for nights in with my trusty stove instead, inventing my own attempted restaurant style dishes in an effort to avoid further disappointment.  At least if I screw up a béarnaise sauce I can blame it on my amateur cooking.
After a few tiresome weeks of gnocchi making, steak frying and pastry baking, I decided enough was enough and we needed a treat so my boyfriend Chris and I decided to try out a haunt my mum had detected when she was out visiting.
Southbank Grill is located down Townsville’s main restaurant strip (Palmer Street) and is the in-house eatery for Rydges Hotel.  We often trotted past the protuberant, green and gold building but found it looked like the sort of venue where plump, rich gents with monocles and cravats would meet for a late night cigar and a brandy.  The menu advertised out front however had me dribbling like a dribbly thing and I saw why my dear mum had suggested we pay it a visit.
Upon entering the establishment we were greeted by friendly, young staff who led us quickly to our table where we took in the intimate surroundings of sandy brick interior, plush carpeting, chocolate leather seats and crisp white tablecloths.  It felt cosy and modern with a nice buzz of merry chatter and the meaty aromas flowing from the kitchen made my empty stomach grumble.
We didn’t have to wait long before our refreshing Sauvignon arrived and it was a delight to sit back and enjoy our wine whilst looking out on the busy strip outside.
We decided on our menu choices pretty quickly (since we’d already been perving away over the menu outside) and the service was speedy and professional.  We opted for the Tiger Shrimp and Crab Cake with Panko Crust and Remoulade sauce to share for our entrée and this arrived looking immaculate.  The textures and flavours made my mouth water as I rolled sweet, moist seafood enveloped in crispy crust around my tongue united with the occasional twang of capers and anchovy from the creamy remoulade sauce.  I wish Chris and I hadn’t shared however as the portion was rather teeny tiny and we bashed forks aggressively a few times over the last couple of mouthfuls.
Our order of award winning eye fillet steaks arrived shortly after the starter, which was a relief since I was so tempted to finish off the delicious looking chips left on the empty table next to ours!  I went for a side order of rosemary chat potatoes and a creamy blue cheese sauce to compliment my steak and we also shared a portion of asparagus and broccoli with onion and garlic confit since we do love our greens! 

Cutting the perfectly medium rare fillet with my knife felt like cutting soft butter and I excitedly crammed forkfuls of succulent beef dripping with rich, blue cheese sauce into my mouth and groaned with pleasure a bit too loudly.  A few of the rosemary potatoes were slightly undercooked but most were crisp on the outside and fluffy in the middle as anticipated. 
My plate looked licked clean much to Chris’ disappointment since he had sat patiently with his cutlery still in hand waiting for my leftovers as usual- not tonight though mister, not tonight!
I couldn’t resist when our smiley waitress popped the dessert menu in my greedy hands and Chris and I agreed to share the unique sounding baked Lavender and Honeycomb Cheesecake with Red Bean Ice Cream.  I had tasted red bean ice cream before at a memorable Chinese restaurant in America and was hoping this place would do it justice!

I yelped when our perfect round lilac cheesecake arrived brimming with real honeycomb and glistening ice cream.  The tastes were like no other- the rich, fragrant cheesecake crumbled in my mouth and the crunchy, sticky honeycomb along with the aromatic, flavour packed ice cream worked together beautifully. The ice cream was reassuringly a winner! Chris can often take or leave a dessert but unfortunately for me, he was certainly taking this one!  We both hurriedly spooned the creamy dessert into our pie holes leaving the plate spotless and our bellies busting. 
After our wine bottle contained no more than a lonely drip, we paid up and went on our merry way both agreeing it was the best meal we’d enjoyed in Townsville so far.
It wasn’t long before we were back again and every time we dine at this little treasure, it never disappoints on the service, atmosphere or the food and to all my local friends, I fully recommend a voyage there.  You will be relieved to hear you can leave your cigars and monocles at home.

Battle of the Bulge

Stepping on the scales the other day was up there with the times when I bashed my face up from running into a pole and had my bum groped by an old drunk on the street.  It really wasn’t a pleasant event.  Not that I was surprised after a few lazy weeks pretending there was no such thing as a gym and gorging on takeaways, chocolates and three course dinners! 
Like most twenty-five year old girlies, I have come to realise that gone like the wind is my fast metabolism and here to stay is wonderful cellulite. 
As the family glutton, I have always been the butt (excuse the pun) of good natured jokes for my constant munching but no more can I stuff my gob with burgers, nachos, pizza and cheesecake without feeling any waves of guilt…or the layers of flab a’ building.   
I did think I’d be swapping English comfort food for healthy fruit smoothies when I relocated to Oz but it seems my original plan of being a tanned and toned local was overly optimistic.
So how do you shift the pounds if you’re foodies like us and can’t be bothered to hit the gym every single day?
We love our food flavours too much to live on a diet of bland protein and veg.
I have come to the realisation that the only way I can get the best of both worlds is to commit to regular training sessions and healthy eating during the week.  Then, when I no longer feel my bum cheeks smacking against my legs when I run up the stairs, I can go back to my chocolate and chic flic treat sessions, obviously ensuring I still visit the gym at least once in a while to avoid reverting to a state of getting harpooned whilst sunbathing on the beach.
Last time I attempted a health kick, I said to my boyfriend Chris to hide a little pack of chocolates from me and give me one every day just to rid of my nagging cocoa cravings but as soon as he left the house I went on a big quest, found where he’d hidden the pack and scoffed all the choccies.  Epic fail!
I’ve also had my moments of weakness where I’d impulsively buy a giant chocolate bar, take a few bites and then think “What am I doing?” and guiltily bury it deep in the trash.  But then a couple of hours later, I’d sneakily head back to the bin, fish out my now mangy chocolate bar, give it a quick wipe and scoff the rest of it, bin juice and all!!
Because of this I’ve even had to copy Miranda’s genius idea in Sex And The City by pouring detergent over treats I’ve thrown away to deter me from running back to it like some crazy addict!
This is not a very sane, practical or cost effective way to live therefore the only way I can control this sick behaviour is to go “cold turkey” on chocolate during healthy time and ensure I am with someone at all times when passing a supermarket hungry!
I have been eating healthily for five days now and although I welled up over watching the mouth-watering dishes being prepared on Jamie’s 30 minute meals and fear I would rugby tackle anyone with a cream cake, I actually feel pretty darn good already!
I am giving my sweet tooth a detox, pumping and attacking my body down the gym and am only allowing myself the Spiced Lamb Cutlets with rich potato gratin on weekends.
I always try to cook with fresh produce but my meals are generally never shy of carbs so it’s been a challenge inventing healthy, satisfying cuisine which tastes delicious and exciting.  I wanted to still enjoy my mealtimes rather than gnawing sadly on a carrot in the corner.
Along with homemade thick soups and succulent fish I have been enjoying my fresh salads recently so I have added a couple of my own favourite recipes below for those fellow culinary weight watchers wanting to take a leaf out of my book and lose a few pounds.  Even if you’re not on a diet these meals can at least help you enjoy that future Sticky Toffee Pudding without a side helping of guilt!

Tropical Seafood Salad

Cold Cooked Prawns

Smoked Salmon
Avocado
Mango
Salad Leaves
Red Onion
Cherry Tomatoes
Red Pepper
Dash of Sweet Chilli sauce for dressing
Cracked Black Pepper to season

Slice the Mango, Avocado, Onion, Tomatoes and Pepper and arrange in a large bowl with the salad leaves and fish.

Drizzle a little Sweet Chilli sauce over the top and add some cracked black pepper.  Easy!

Lamb and Pumpkin Salad

2 Small Lamb Steaks

Quarter Small Pumpkin
Salad Leaves
Cucumber
Red Onion
Red Pepper
Coriander
Cherry Tomatoes
Natural Yoghurt
Garlic
Fresh Mint
Lemon Juice
Olive Oil
Cracked Black Pepper for seasoning

Chop and de-skin the pumpkin and bake in the oven on a greased baking tray for about 25 mins until golden and soft.

Marinate the lamb steaks with some mint and garlic then BBQ (better) or Fry them in a dash of Olive Oil until slightly crispy on the outside and pink in the middle and slice into strips.

Slice the Onion, Tomatoes, Pepper and cucumber and arrange in a large bowl with the Salad leaves, some coriander leaves, the cooked lamb and pumpkin.

Mix the natural yoghurt in a small bowl with some crushed garlic, a dash of olive oil, lemon juice and chopped mint and then spoon a tablespoon of the mixture onto the salad.

Season with cracked black pepper and serve.

Ravioli Fun

Someone please tell me why I decided to attempt to make pasta without a machine!  “It is very easy to make your own fresh pasta at home, even without a pasta machine”, states one disobedient website “You can make it without a machine!  It’s very simple!” says another…erm simple my arse!  I found it about as simple as it is trying to get up for my gym classes at 5am!

Apparently all the Italian Momma’s use only their trusty rolling pins to obtain their perfect pasta so I had thought I would give it a shot, regardless of my weedy arms.

I found a Jamie Oliver recipe for fresh pasta and sieved 600g “00” type flour onto my work top, made a well in the centre and then cracked 6 eggs into the middle of it.  I then used a fork to mix up the flour and eggs with a dash of Olive Oil into breadcrumbs and began to knead together with my hands.   I wouldn’t call myself a physically strong woman- I get achy arms from carrying the bins out and have to admit I am a bit of a wimp (I will literally wail if you pinch me!) so this kneading process was a bit of a challenge for me!

Nether-the-less, I punched, smacked, pushed and pulled that dough about to develop the gluten in the flour and obtain the desired elasticity…it helped to imagine the dough was the hairdresser I recently used who told me I had crap hair and that I looked aged for twenty five!

I wrapped the dough in cling film once I was satisfied with the consistency, popped it in the fridge and then plonked myself in front of the film “Love Actually” so I could rest my throbbing limbs for an hour or so!

Pasta is one of my favourite foods in the world and I would give my right arm to be able to make it easily from scratch.  I am so desperate to visit stunning Italy and dine at all the secret little eateries in the authentic villages where they have families cooking up traditional, inherited recipes in the rustic kitchens! 

I adore ravioli and had come across too many delicious looking recipes recently encouraging me to give it a whirl.  I don’t think anything can top homemade silky, soft fresh pasta!

After refrigerating my dough for an hour, I removed it from the cling film and was really pleased with the consistency so spilt it into quarters and began to roll out one onto a floured surface with my giant rolling pin.

This procedure seemed to take forever!  I rolled and rolled but the mischievous dough seemed to keep springing back to its original state- it’s no wonder a lot of the Italian women are built like brick houses as this certainly was a trial for my little muscle-less limbs.

Once I felt I had an even thinness and could almost see through it when holding it to the light, I set it aside and began to roll out another quarter of the dough to match the first.

I had pre-made my filling earlier in the day and was extremely happy with the taste.  I had roasted some peeled pumpkin wedges in Olive Oil, Nutmeg and seasoning in the oven and once cooked had mashed them in a large bowl with a fork.  I then added some crushed, toasted pine nuts, fresh breadcrumbs, ground sage, more nutmeg, salt and pepper, 1 egg yolk, ricotta cheese and grated parmesan and mixed it all together until combined.

 I spooned generous sized balls of the filling onto one of my pasta sheets leaving a big enough gap between them and then topped with the second pasta sheet.   I pressed around the filling to seal and to ensure all the air was pressed out and then used a glass to cut out my ravioli- I would not recommend using such an object but I could not find a nice cutter to use anywhere.

I confess I cracked up on looking at my plump, dense ravioli- NOT the result I was hoping for after working up such a sweat on it- it seemed that even though both my pasta sheets were thin, once sealed together, they absolutely weren’t!  

This meant I had to attempt to roll out the last two quarters of pasta dough even thinner so I roped my poor boyfriend into the practice since he had the bigger guns of us both and I was beginning to get weepy!  I did have to order him back into the lounge when he proceeded to “throw” my filling onto the pasta sheets though!  You don’t mess with me when I’m cooking or you will feel my wrath! 

Even though his arms would of no doubt endured more pain than mine, the second lot of ravioli still came out looking chubby so I guess all that was left was to cook it and hope for the best!

I cooked about six ravioli at a time in a large saucepan of salted boiling water to ensure they would cook well and not stick together.  I watched them like a hawk and found that the usual 2-3 minute cooking time for fresh pasta did not apply for my beastly creations…they needed 10 minutes to be cooked Aldente which was slightly worrying!  After a chomp, I decided to cut around the edges of the ravioli to serve since the rim seemed to be the thickest part meaning they didn’t look as beautiful as I had hoped but would hopefully taste a bit lighter.

I arranged the ravioli on large white plates with more of the spare filling in the middle (since I was so impressed with it!) and made a herb butter sauce by melting butter in a frying pan over a medium heat and adding crushed garlic, chopped fresh parsley, ground sage, dried mint and seasoning which I then poured around the pasta to serve.

I really enjoyed the flavours of the dish and think that if the pasta was a lot thinner and softer, then the dish would be a real winner!

Overall I have learnt a valuable lesson, don’t ever attempt ravioli without a pasta machine again unless you have arms like Frank Bruno!  Next time, I’ll use a pasta machine!

Dinner Is Served

I hadn’t organised a dinner party since last October when I made the bad decision to give my eight guests a menu with choices of what to order and ended up barely catching up with them due to frantically dashing around the kitchen with scallops and bruschetta coming out of my ears!

This time there were just four of us and I decided on a set menu to save myself the stress and perspiring I would of no doubt endured over the evening (does anyone else end up with a nice face full of pimples from this??)

The main challenge for the Dinner Party was ensuring that the menu was wheat free due to an intolerance our friend’s teacher girlfriend suffered with.  This was a particular challenge given that I’m so used to feeding my garbage bin boyfriend who will eat absolutely anything I serve to him!

Dinner Parties have been around for centuries and you only have to watch one of my favourite television series “Heston’s Feasts” to discover what foods were considered to be lavish delicacies back in the day!

I have learnt that one particular Roman Emperor by the name of Heliogabalus, who clearly thought himself quite the funny man, threw a dinner party at his house in 220 AD where he served up a main course of Ostrich Brains and a side of Eel which had been raised on the flesh of his slaves!  Quite grotesque even for that era!  As his guests then retired to the lounge for drinks, he decided it would be rather hilarious (as you do) to lock the doors and let loose lions, bears and leopards into the room…only after the cumulative panic did he then reveal that they were actually his pets and were completely tame!  Plus if you made it all the way through to the end of Heliogabalus’ parties, you were given a Eunuch slave to take home with you which kind of puts our modern “party bag”, with cake wrapped up in a napkin, to shame!

Now if I were Mr Blumenthal I would be travelling to countries in the search for the perfect bird brains to serve up to my unsuspecting diners but without liquid nitrogen and a large science lab, I thought I would have to pass!

Instead I sat and thought about exciting new flavours that I could incorporate in my feast that would give new appreciation to some overlooked, wheat free ingredients.

After designing my menu, decorating the table, stealing some pretty teacups from work and searching every supermarket for some ruddy fennel, I was ready to begin cooking my butt off. 

Starter

Cauliflower, Gruyere and Caramelised Onion Ravioli

with crushed Hazelnuts, roasted Fennel and Sweet Plum Dressing

Palate Cleanser

Basil and Lime Sorbet

Main Course

Cod wrapped in Prosciutto and Chilli Butter Poached Prawns

with Sweet Potato crisps, roasted warm Tomato coulis, Pea puree and seasonal vegetables

Dessert

Rosemary Infused Crème Brulee

with Honey shortbread

For starters I decided to take inspiration from a delicious entrée I had recently inhaled at one of my favourite Townsville restaurants, Salt Cellar. 

Due to leaving our trusty pasta maker back in Blighty, I decided on fiddling about with fresh pasta sheets for the ravioli which worked quite well even though it took me ages and I was ready to throw it at the wall after ten minutes!  I then boiled up some Gluten free lasagne sheets for our wheat free diner!  The latter was a mistake as I found the gluten free product was as rubbery as a rubbery thing and the pasta repelled like magnets when I tried to stick it together!  Gluten-free ravioli = epic fail!  Solution?  Getting my guests to bring over some Gluten-free spiral pasta so that I could just mix it with the Ravioli filling instead!  Not my ideal result but as long as the taste was smashing I’d be happy!

The pasta filling I had prepared worried me slightly since I struggled to obtain the desired consistency.  I was unsure of the ingredients they had used in the filling over at Salt Cellar but bought some Gruyere from the supermarkets thinking it would complement the cauliflower and onion perfectly.  Unfortunately, I felt rather nauseous from the robust fungal stench of this particular variety of cheese and couldn’t bring myself to use much of it!  It smelt like a cross between wet dog, a rotting skin infection (I could only imagine it would smell like that!) and when you leave a wet jay cloth on the sink and it goes off!  Horrid!

I served up the pasta parcels (and gluten-free spirals) with roasted fennel, warm crushed hazelnuts and a sweet plum dressing made from white wine, bought plum paste and Balsamic.  In the restaurant they had used Muscat for the sauce but I had no idea what that was let alone where I could find that in Townsville so thought if I experimented with white wine and plum I might make a similar tasting dressing…don’t worry I now know Muscat is a variety of grapes so you learn something new every day!

Even though there were empty plates left in minutes and I enjoyed the combination of textures from the soft cheesy ravioli with the crunchy nuts and sweet trickle of sauce, I felt it didn’t compare to the original dish I had consumed due to the flavours not pulling together as well.  The roasted fennel added another consistency and taste to the plate but seemed to be slightly chewy and I wasn’t entirely happy with the ravioli filling.  I think if I’d made the pasta from scratch and gave the gruyere a wide berth I would have been happier with the starter.  I was happier with the presentation though which I had based on ideas taken out of my new Masterchef recipe book! (Thanks Hazel!)

I wanted to imitate a Michelin star establishment and refresh our palates before the main course so had prepared a basil and lime sorbet to invigorate our tastebuds which is one of my favourite combinations of flavours-if you haven’t tried it- oh please do it!

For Mains, I pan fried some prosciutto wrapped cod, poached some juicy prawns in garlic infused chilli butter and served it alongside my sweet potato crisps sprinkled with smoked paprika, a warm tomato coulis and with a splash of pea puree to accompany the fish and add colour to the dish.  I also accompanied the meal with a side of Broccoli and Sugar Snap Peas.

I made the sauces from scratch and had slight trouble with the warm tomato coulis.  I blended some roma tomatoes, garlic, basil and balsamic but the mixture looked really pink for some reason- I made the error of adding a drop of red food colouring to it which any chefs reading will probably want to slap me on the head for!  The mixture then looked like bright war paint and totally abnormal so I had to ditch it and start again.  Second time lucky- I used the same ingredients as before but added sundried tomatoes and some cooked roma tomatoes which gave it a much richer flavour and natural red colour!

This dish seemed to go down really well with the guests and empty plates were again collected so it was worth the painful scald I had attained on preparing it!  I did find that I probably didn’t require the pea puree though as the rich tomato coulis was enough to carry through the flavours and I found the puree went cold on the plate pretty quickly-it seemed not warming the plates was another naughty blunder of mine!  Oops!

My dessert, I believe was the heroine of the dinner party and I was almighty proud of my efforts since I had never made a crème brulee before and rarely order them at restaurants. 

I love to incorporate herbs in desserts so took this as my chance to infuse Rosemary into the cream overnight for the crème brulee to electrify the palette.   I also added chopped sprigs of rosemary and vanilla seeds to the cream mixture when cooking to further release the aroma into the dish.  If you would also be interested in using herbs in desserts then a tip from me is that coriander leaves add a delicious flavour to mango dishes!

Well who needs a blow torch for brulees when you can just spoon some sugar over the tops of them and pop them under the grill to achieve that delicious crisp caramel layer you have to crack into to get at the mixture within.

I also baked some gluten free Honey shortbread to escort the dessert as Honey and Rosemary are another great match and I found it very enjoyable dunking that biscuit into the sweet, warm custard.  Everyone really loved the rosemary flavour in the brulee and I was thrilled as I thought it had been cooked to perfection!

My poor boyfriend had been most disappointed when I revealed my pudding choice for the party saying that he couldn’t stand crème brulee’s.  Well!   He was ever so quick to change his mind after devouring my version of the dessert and was quite upset that I hadn’t made him two of them!

I will most definitely be going on a crème brulee spree soon and am looking forward to experimenting with fragrant Lavender, Bailey’s Irish cream, Ginger and Turkish delight…any other suggestions would be highly welcomed too!

Even though I didn’t set any animals on my guests or castrate my boyfriend and give him to them to take home as a slave, I felt that the meal had been a success and that all four courses were enjoyed by all which I think is the best you can ask for when experimenting with food.

Bex J

Aria, Sydney

I have to be honest; my first exciting thoughts about spending Christmas in Sydney were of the many restaurants, bistros, brassieres and cafes that would be there to call in on during our stay.  Thoughts of shopping and sights to see came a close second and third though!

My boyfriend Chris had surprised me with my Christmas present before we left- he had booked a table at The Quay- Peter Gilmore’s Sydney establishment, which was voted 2010’s “Australian restaurant of the year” but unfortunately, later on, he had to reveal his online booking had fallen through and that they were fully booked until after we were leaving Sydney.  (He reckons it’s the thought that counts but I’m not so sure!)

Of course, he already had another plan up his sleeve which was just as, if not more impressive!

“I’m taking you out for dinner tonight” he said one afternoon “We’re going to a Bar and Grill” I didn’t care where we were going I was just happy to get to dine together amongst stunning views, modern buildings and the cosmopolitan Sydnian’s.

After getting lost amongst the buzz of Circular Quay with all its didgeridoo style house music buskers and Chris keeping up his “I can’t find the Bar and Grill” performance splendidly, it was eventually revealed that he had booked us a table at Matt Moran’s Aria Restaurant!  I admit I shed a few tears of joy at this announcement before reeling in horror as I looked down at my rather breast revealing frock I had oddly chosen…not the best dress to wear to a two hatted restaurant that was for sure (Especially when you’ve put on a few pounds from the many mince pies and crisps over Christmas!)

Hiding my treasures under a jacket, we finally found the eatery and were greeted by overwhelmingly friendly and well-mannered staff on walking in.  Sat at the bar awaiting our table, we were given complementary nuts and a tasty anchovy pastry twirl with our drinks whilst we soaked up the ambiance.  The colour of the décor was modest but inviting with splashes of browns, creams, rich woods and glass.  We were led to our table in no time and I tried not to blush as I passed men in expensive suits and women dressed in demure, elegant splendour whilst I had rocked up in a $5 Primark Jacket with un-brushed hair.

I gasped as we sat at our perfectly positioned spot- the stunning, lit-up Opera House was right, smack, bang in front of us and looking around we had managed to score the best seat in the house which made me feel very special.  It well made up for the fact that the waiter then asked to take my jacket for me meaning I had to put Chris on “Boob-watch” for the rest of the evening!

As napkins were placed politely on our laps and menus positioned in our hands, we gazed out through the glass at the stunning scene and felt like royalty…at that point I could have eaten porridge and been happy!

I almost yelped with excitement as I read over the food options and in no time I had picked a starter and main which made my mouth water at the thought.

Once our orders were placed with the fantastic waiter (who prompted us to order a side order of Truffled Potato mash which we would not have to pay for if we didn’t agree it was the best mash we’d ever tasted!), we were brought a complimentary amuse bouche of Tomato and Basil Gazpacho with Black Olive Foam.   As I sipped at the flavoursome chilled soup from the shot glass I felt the bursts of tomato on my tongue and the olive foam meant it held a superb texture and combination of flavour.

The Gazpacho was followed by a choice of homemade rolls and creamed butter which meant we were able to nibble away joyously as we awaited our dishes.

Our starters were presented and I drooled as wafts from my perfectly cooked scallops hit my nose.  It looked unbelievably pretty but I didn’t waste time and tucked right in.  The dabs and splashes of raisin and pumpkin puree married the caper infused salad and meaty scallops delightfully and I was quite upset once I had consumed my last mouthful of sophisticated bliss.  Chris had chosen the Peking Duck Consommé with Duck Dumplings which tasted light, clean and held an enchanting Christmas aroma to it.

Knowing then that this would be the one of the finest meals I’d ever eaten in my 24 years I was yearning for our second course to arrive as I sipped at our Ice-cold Elderflower noted Tasmanian Sauvignon, Dalrymple a 2010 bottle from Pipers River.

When it did I was more than impressed looking down on my incredible Tarte Tatin.  The caramelised shallots were perfectly cooked and I groaned with pleasure as I rolled the creamy goat’s cheese, crispy battered nettles and sweet pumpkin drenched celeriac around my tongue with them.   A forkful of creamy, buttery truffled mash every now and again and it was the perfect meal- the waiter was right on the money with his mash recommendation!  Chris had opted for the Chargrilled Sirloin and he was more than happy with his choice as he shook his head in wonder at the perfect, juicy steak combined with roasted mushrooms, cauliflower and bacon croquette plus a rich grain mustard sauce.  A taste from his plate and I was also shaking my head along with him!

Our Main plates looked licked clean and we were beginning to hurt from all the delicious, rich food however there was no way we were passing up the best bit…dessert!

My eye wondered to the Pavlova and Chris was drawn to the Cheeseboard knowing it would be a cracker!  I have never ordered a Pavlova and normally wouldn’t due to only really tasting the dried out packet meringue mix efforts you get at family barbeques.   I knew there was no better time than to try it here and I am certainly glad I did!

My dessert arrived as a deconstructed Pavlova with a perfect parcel of light meringue filled with rich saffron cream lying on a bed of sliced mango with passionfruit, foam and sorbet flawlessly arranged across the plate.  It was tropical, sensory heaven as varied textures hit my tongue.  The Basil and Lime sorbet was sweet and refreshing and accompanied the other flavours deliciously- a hint of coriander leaf gave a glorious Modern-Thai kick to the dish too.

Chris’ cheese platter smelt and looked wonderful as he chomped the rare variations down with biscuits, grapes, raisins and walnuts.

It didn’t end there as along with coffees, six perfect looking petit fours were placed in front of us.  We squeezed room in our bloated bellies for the Rosewater Turkish delight, Mini Coffee Lamington and Caramel Truffle and both agreed it was the best dining experience we had ever encountered.

I wish I could say I dine at restaurants like Aria often but I’m afraid it would be untrue- although expensive, we think it was entirely worth the dollars when you are looking out on one of the most celebrated buildings in the world eating refined, elegant cuisine designed by one of the most popular chefs Down Under.

I am still salivating over the food flashbacks I keep experiencing from Aria and wish it was the sort of restaurant I could dine at every night, however it makes it all the more special when you do encounter such a luxury and I look forward to the next time in my life when I will hopefully get to dine at somewhere just as special.

Chocolate Lover

Relationship breakup, bad day at work, that time of the month or a girls night in….these are just a few excuses we ladies find for a good old Choco fix!

I have to admit, I’m hooked to the brown stuff bad!

So much so that my attentive boyfriend has hidden chocolate bars in my shoes knowing it would make my day!

I’ve eaten my entire advent calendar on the 1^st December, walked an hour in the rain to the shops for a Milky Bar and happily munched my way through a whole box of Celebrations…and I’m sure I’m not alone…well…none of you have probably been as mental as to ladle cocoa powder into your mouth when cravings strike but hey!  (I found that did help…marginally!)

Chocolate has generally been branded as fattening and unhealthy but try to bear in mind the reassuring  facts, like it contains calcium and has a positive effect on the brain chemistry therefore it improves your mood!  The Institute of Food Research once quoted that "Eating chocolate can have significant influences on mood, generally leading to an increase in pleasant feelings and a reduction in tension."  I’d also like to add that gulping grapes in front of the TV will NEVER top masticating on Malteasers!

I’ve watched family and friends pile up their shopping trollies with crisps, sausage rolls, dips and chips galore but when you go to grab a box of Choccies it’s “No I’m trying to be good thanks”  

Well I reckon one of those Lindt balls a day keeps the doctor away!  They may contain more calories than a stick of celery but life’s too short to miss out such delicious pleasures!

Obviously, I’m not saying its right to scoff a whole box of Celebrations- that is quite shameful! (Especially when they’re your mums…you go to replace them…then also devour the box you replaced!!) 

A similar occurrence happened when our old housemate Dan moved in back home- he should have been warned about my sweet tooth but the poor lad wasn’t to know as he put his Giant Dairy Milk Crunchie Bar in the fridge…alas, I go to grab milk for my boring cereal and spot the familiar looking wrapper and that was it…five minutes later, the whole bar had been consumed and there I sat, guilt ridden, disgusted with myself and with stolen chocolate melted over my ridiculously hot hands.

Down I rushed to the shops to replace the chocolate but no Giant Dairy Milk Crunchie Bar’s to be found- therefore I had to grab a box of Lindt Chocolates as an apology replacement and fess up to my culinary crime!  A great start to living with me I’m sure!

Megan Fox in Transformers or Brad Pitt in Troy may get a few hearts racing but try keeping a cool head when the incredible, chocolaty treats are exposed in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Chocolat!  Just Divine!  Those films wouldn’t of worked with pizza or sandwiches …you couldn’t imagine Augustus Gloop in “Charlie and the Meat Factory” not being able to resist a Gravy River! 

I was recently lucky enough to explore Choco heaven in Sydney at a Guylian Café where I stood dribbling over the stunning cakes, pastries, petit fours and famous shell truffles whilst my friends tried to hurry me along!  I managed to convince them all in a purchase and I picked out two gorgeous looking square truffles- one with a white chocolate filling and another with the renowned Guylian praline centre!  Wow they were delicious- as if I needed any more chocolate though after receiving a box full of UK Cadbury treats from my boyfriend’s mum for Christmas.  (Aussie Cadbury’s add an extra ingredient to stop the bars from melting which creates a less creamy taste)

I can’t imagine my life without the odd box of chocolates and even though we all have to watch our weight as our metabolism deteriorates, I will never be giving up my good friend Mr Cadbury!  As a wise woman once said “Chocolate is cheaper than therapy and…you don’t have to make an appointment!”