CC upcakes *

Black and gold exudes the rich darkness,
white camellia reflects a delicate innocence,
and to top it off, hints of pearlescent femininity 
for a timeless classic
to CC apture beauty.

Get lucky *

"Like the legend of the phoenix
All ends with beginnings
What keeps the planets spinning
The force from the beginning

We've come too far to give up who we are
So let's raise the bar and our hearts to the stars

The present has no living
Your gift keeps on giving
What is this I'm feeling?"

Utterly delectable see-creation 

giving rise to a new obsession

Trieste & Napoli *

"Inspiration drawn from two coffees emblematic 

of the cities of Trieste and Naples 

in homage to Italy's diverse coffee culture."

Like true artists, the experts at Nespresso have developed 16 Grand Crus with distinctly different aromatic profiles. And recently, there are 2 new limited editions: Trieste and Napoli. What I like about these little gems is that each capsule is completely protected from air to ensure the ground coffee remains fresh over time.

Every once in a while I miss J... and his Nespresso machine. My preference is Arpeggio, the purple capsule with a strong character and intense body enhanced by cocoa notes. The fruity malted profile is characteristic of South/Central American Arabicas. However this time I was invited to try Napoli which has a more subtle aroma. What's more - J's brother, KS, kindly offered me a green tea Kitkat to accompany my coffee! 

El Celler de Can Roca *

"R you ready?

Evoking the family name with three legs,

each represents one of the three Roca brothers.

It displays the warmth of the Catalan family dynamic 
all-pervasive through and through."

World's Best Restaurant rankings were unveiled a few hours ago with El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain, taking the coveted title for 2013. What constitutes "best" is left to the judgment of 900 trusted and well-travelled gourmets. Providing an annual snapshot of their culinary opinions and experiences, these international restaurant industry experts vote on the best places to eat around the globe. Though it can never be definitive, it is widely accepted as a credible indicator of palatable tastes.

This milestone is equivalent to the Oscars for movie buffs, or MTV Awards for music fanatics, in the culinary world. For me, I am still patiently awaiting the day when Osteria Francescana takes the crown. In the meantime, chef Massimo Bottura continues to be my inspiration...

Joan Roca as head chef - Jordi Roca as pastry chef

Josep Roca the sommelier

The Westin - Mad Hatter's Tea Party *

"The Mad Hatter is having afternoon tea.

We welcome you to share in his glee.

A curious menu, under our clock chime

From noon to 6 daily, so do be on time."

One of the most memorable parts of Alice's adventure in wonderland. Perhaps the expression "Mad as a Hatter" stems from the tendency of professional Hatters in the 18th and 19th centuries who develop dementia from exposure to mercury during the production of felt. These unfortunate workers were perceived at the time as insane. And if you're wondering what the 10/6 on the Mad Hatter's Hat means, it is thought to be a price tag for ten shillings sixpence. If only high tea cost the same amount in modern times!

To celebrate my mother's birthday, we indulged in her favourite past time - scones! Of course, the lovely surrounds in The Westin and slightly mad theme made our tea party that much more memorable.

Happy birthday mum!

chocolate mudcake and blueberry macaroon

Freshly baked scones, homemade strawberry/raspberry conserves & cream

The Westin

No. 1 Martin Place

Sydney NSW 2000

+61 2 8223 1111

Sticky Toffee Pudding *

Rarely does food photography take my breathe away.
This morning I discovered a New York food blog by Kathy YL Chan,
who writes for the Sugar Rush column in Serious Eats.

She captured a dessert that looked utterly spectacular and 
literally made me gasp "oh my goodness..."

Sticky Toffee Pudding at John Dory

Massimo Bottura *

"Innovation is the tradition of the future.

The dishes don't only feed your stomach.

They feed your soul, your brain, your ideas and yourself.

They are stories about my territory.

Massimo Bottura is my culinary icon.
Living your dreams is the hardest thing for one to achieve.
Going against social expectations, family pressures
to pursue a career you love.

Born in Modena his father wanted him to become a lawyer.
Everyone laughed at what he was doing and labelled him as crazy. 
His cooking was once met with derision, yet in recent years 
an avant-garde approach has propelled 
Osteria Francescana to be one of the world's best restaurants
and Massimo Bottura being named Best Chef in the World 2011.

Melomakarona *

With an ever inquisitive mind, I was curious about the platter of oval-shaped biscuits on the counter. Staff vaguely explained these were traditional Greek biscuits and kindly offered N & I one to try, complementary with our coffees. 

First thing on the agenda when I returned home was to identify what this mysterious biscuit was and the name turns out to be a tongue-twister indeed!

Melomakarona

(Coarse-grained cookie soaked in honey syrup popular throughout Greece during the Christmas season. Traditionally made from honey and spice, the one I sampled today was a modern variation using honey & almonds. I was convinced there were hints of ginger but it must have been the spices.)

from google:

the platter was displayed in a similar fashion

The Coffee Emporium

159-175 Church Street

Parramatta NSW 2150

+61 2 9633 9113

Happy lab *

If your mood needs a lift,
find a lab closest to you.

The way to your heart is through your mouth
since it is a scienterrifically proven fact that chocolate is therapeutic.
Let's be honest, 
there's nothing like the sweet sensation 
of creamy rich chocolate melting in your mouth.

Jean-louis, their belgian guru chocolatier, has blended 
an exotic array of praline flavours & fine belgian chocolate
to create these mystic pandora's. 
Journey down the path to enlightenment one drawer at a time

silk road pandora's

marco polo did it first, but happy lab does it better

let your tastebuds travel the silk road

(chilli, lychee, coconut, mango, cinnamon, jasmine, coffee, green tea)

Happy lab

Westfield Sydney, Pitt Street

Sydney NSW 2000

+ 61 2 9223 6880

Pineapple Pastry *

Iconic Taiwanese treats all the way from Taiwan!
With compliments from my brother's good friend,
I was once again a lucky bystander who enjoyed the fruits of friendship.
Remember to consume within one month from the date of production
to savour optimum results.

As stars are shining bright into the night,
I hope everyone celebrated a Happy Moon Festival 
albeit my wish is somewhat belated.
Although it is Chinese tradition to exchange moon cakes during this time,
the culture in Taiwan is to gift pineapple pastry.
Think of this as a fusion of bread cake and pineapple tart, 
bringing together the best of both worlds!

Pineapple Pastry

(Pineapple Pie filled with candied Pineapple. 

Scrumptiously dense shortcake exterior with gooey fruity centre)

Eccles cake *

Prior to the renaissance in Thatcher times, some classic British food were created. Eccles cakes are traditionally known to be two discs filled with a fruit mince centre and sealed around the edge. Three lines cutting the surface of the pastry allude to religious overtones of the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. In any event, these bundles of currants are cooked in spice & caramel and encased in a thin flakey puff pastry. 

Being my first encounter with this intriguing dessert, I was definitely tempted to give it a try. From the very first bite, currants were flowing out from all directions. Dusted with icing sugar with a sticky caramel base, it was quite a mission to eat in a clean manner if I may say. Will satisfy the sweetest tooth and expect to be on a sugar high for the next hour!

NGA Cafe

The National Gallery

Parkes Place

Parkes ACT 2600

+61 2 6240 6411

TK Bookshelf *

If I were Thomas Keller,

this would be my bookshelf.

Casually on display are a few of NYC's finest eateries...

Waku Ghin *

Due to the uneventful state of Tetsuya's in Sydney, 
the name has escaped my mind for some time. 
The restaurant was awarded two chefs hats yet again for 2012, 
which I suspect is primarily due to rare changes in their menu of late. 

However, there appears to be some innovation stirring 
across the seas at Waku Ghin in Singapore. 
Shall this hail something exciting for Sydney? 
Let's hope so!

marinated botan shrimp with sea urchin and caviar

Golden Phoenix Cupcake*

Redefining edible extravagance to another dimension,

the World's Most Expensive Cupcake was unveiled in Dubai.

A creation by Bloomsbury, priced at 815 euros.

So why is it so expensive?

Made from organic flour and butter imported from the UK, 
vanilla pods imported from Uganda, 
the finest Italian chocolate, 
and is topped with 23K edible gold sheets. 

This dessert may also be served on a 24K golden stand along with a golden spoon topped with chocolate icing and strawberries, dipped in gold.

A lesson from Eric Rupert *

Women in Suits*

"Being a foodie doesn't mean only liking fancy food. 

It means having the courage to try it 

and then you can discern whether you like it."

Guess it is not so bad

to be a lawyer by day... 

and sometimes working into the night.

Foodie for all the other times in life.

Wise words from Rachel Zane in Suits, a television drama about NYC lawyers-

(thank you to currentlyonhold for this photograph)

Rachel: I don't get it. How do you have no appreciation for fine food?
Mike: I guess I'm just comfortable with what I am comfortable with.
Rachel: That's the exact opposite to me. I have always loved new experiences. 

El Bulli*

"From French Bulldogs of Shillings to the world's greatest restaurant.

Miracles can happen in the hands of Ferran Adrià:

Avant-garde cooking is his preference,

meaningless molecular gastronomy at his disposal.

While magic in the kitchen is conjured!"

After reading The Gastronomist Gets Real in the New York Times, it got me thinking. Oh the irony of being taught home cooking by arguably one of the best chefs in the world- Ferran Adria. And more importantly, the reality of El Bulli closing FOREVER finally sunk in! No I am not referring to the restaurant of the same name in Surry Hills. This is the El Bulli, the first haute cuisine restaurant in Spain, whom most food critics will concur is the world's greatest restaurant. 

On 30 July 2011, El Bulli will complete its fifty year journey as a restaurant and transform into a think-tank for creative cuisine and gastronomy. Demand has always exceeded scarce availability for reservations. I made a feeble attempt to secure one of these coveted reservations by making an application last July, but to no avail. Even postponed planning my Europe trip in the rare event that I may be granted a dinner reservation, which would mean a detour to Spain for a few days!

My five favourite terms as defined in the Synthesis of El Bulli cuisine:

1. Cooking is a language through which all the following properties may be expressed: harmony, creativity, happiness, beauty, poetry, complexity, magic, humour, provocation and culture.
2. All products have the same gastronomic value, regardless of their price.
3. The information given off by a dish is enjoyed through the senses and interpreted by reflection.
4. A culinary language is being created which is becoming more and more ordered, that on some occasions establishes a relationship with the world and language of art.
5. Decontextualisation, irony, spectacle, performance are completely legitimate, as long as they are not superficial but respond to, or are closely bound up with, a process of gastronomic reflection.

Food for thought, thought for food.
I am sure the culinary legacy of El Bulli will remain on our taste buds forever*

~ ~ ~

El Bulli

Av. de Rhode, 101

17480 - Roses, Spain

+ 34 902 103 636

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