Posts tagged ‘Family’
A break in transmission between travel posts… and a sensational garlic prawn pasta
So we’re back and though I haven’t yet uploaded more blogs from our trip, I promise I’m going to. This week I’m in Brissie and away from my Mac (which is the custodian of all my food photography), but I was itching to say hello and share this garlic prawn pasta recipe with you because it surprised both Mr L and me with its brilliance! So forgive the break in transmission between travel posts, but for now, I’d urge you to give this recipe a go and then let me know what you think of it!
Continue Reading September 6, 2010 at 11:40 am Leave a comment
Back in action! Dreaming of Greece and a long, lazy brunch at Xenos..
Bet you thought I’d fallen off the face of the Earth! Never fear – here I am again with tail between legs… Why such a quiet period? Well, frankly, it’s been a hard day’s night and I’ve been working like a dog. Oh yeah – like a big dog – a Great Dane perhaps. In any event, I’m back now and look forward to some more regularity in my life. What’s more – Mr L and I are heading overseas in less than two weeks, so I’ll be able to share some magical food experiences with you. Bring that on really. In the mean time though, dreaming of Greece, I thought I’d tell you about a great Sunday brunch we had recently with BF, Commando and TB at Xenos Cafe Restaurant in Crows Nest.
The big dog here is a representation of how hard I've been working.. (pic from http://www.breederretriever.com)
A long, lazy brunch at Xenos
You know how people talk about long lazy brunches? On this particular Sunday, that’s exactly what we had. We met up at 10 am and had such a good time eating, chatting, laughing and playing with TB (BF and Commando’s gorgeous tiny wee man), that the time seemed to zoom by. Before we knew it, the hands on the clock were pointing at 12:30 pm! Time really does fly when you’re having fun.
Corn fritters of a different kind
I’m a sucker for a corn fritter. Like my love for pork, I am somewhat renowned for this affiliation and of course Mr L knew what I was having as soon as he looked at the menu. BF had the same idea and after a small amount of deliberating over Xenos’ extensive breakie menu, we ordered the corn fritters. They were served with bacon, avocado and a tomato relish. Unexpectedly, they also arrived with two poached eggs and a cheeky piece of roast tomato on the side. A decent breakfast by any account!
The corn fritters were deep fried – a take on the corn fritter we’d not previously encountered. With the relish and the bacon and avocado, they’re pretty good, but I’d probably prefer them less fried. Everything else was delicious though – particularly the poached eggs and tangy relish.
Corn fritters
The Cure
Mr L made his way through a number of glasses of red the night before, so when he found a menu item named “The Cure”, he wasn’t going to argue. The Cure was comprised of bacon, steak, eggs (any way), a hash brown, five chipolatas (yes, five!) and a token piece of tomato. The only thing that could have improved this breakfast was for it to be delivered by Robert Smith of the meal’s name sake band. I’m not sure whether it’s due to rehydration, or the breakfast itself, but Mr L certainly has more of a spring in his step after breakie. It’s quite possible that in this case, The Cure was better than prevention!
Mr L's Cure!
Tomatoey eggs
I didn’t note down the name of the breakie that Commando chose from the specials menu, but it was a special Greek breakfast, made up of poached eggs in a rich tomato sauce with loads of dippy toast. When we’re in Kefalonia, Santorini or Mykonos in the next month or so, I’ll see if I can determine what Commando’s breakie was called and will let you know! 
Commando's tomatoey eggs
The tomatoey eggs went down a treat, and BF and Commando shared a cheeky fruit plate for a breakie vitamin boost.
Fruit platter with honeyed yoghurt
Good hosts
The people at Xenos were happy to accommodate us during our long, lazy lunch stay. They brought us loads of drinks, lots of water and the cafe was warm on an otherwise cold day. I’ve gotta say – in Crows Nest, Xenos is one of my faves and there’s little doubt that we’ll be back.
The low down
I’ve just been reading that Xenos Cafe Restaurant is now celebrating it’s 40th year of service. It is located in a sunny spot at 7 Burlington Street, Crows Nest and trades over the following hours:
Breakfast: 7 days from 7:00 am
Lunch: 7 days from 12:00 pm
Dinner: 5 Days from 6 pm
Closed for Dinner Sunday and Monday nights
To contact Xenos:
Phone: (02) 9439 1748
Fax: (02) 9436 2477
Or visit the Xenos website at http://www.xenosrestaurant.com.au
What to expect from me…
It’s fair to say that the busy times at work are set to continue until Mr L and I embark on our holiday in two weeks, but I’d like to think I can blog at least a few times a week from now on. Thanks for your patience during my unexpected hiatus!
Moving on, I think it’s unlikely I’ll be blogging daily - a few times a week is probably more realistic and if I can manage more frequency, that’ll be a bonus! 
What I’d love from you…
Soon we’re heading to London, several parts of Greece, Paris, Iceland and a few cities in the USA. Do you have ideas about terrific little eateries, or fancy, flash restaurants that we should visit? I’d love to hear them! To provide a suggestion, add a comment using the form at the bottom of any of these posts.
Cheers!
Bet you thought I’d fallen off the face of the Earth! Never fear – here I am again with tail between legs… Why such a quiet period? Well, frankly, it’s been a hard day’s night and I’ve been working like a dog. Oh yeah – like a big dog – a Great Dane perhaps. In any event, I’m back now and look forward to some more regularity in my life. What’s more – Mr L and I are heading overseas in less than two weeks, so I’ll be able to share some magical food experiences with you. Bring that on really. In the mean time though, dreaming of Greece, I thought I’d tell you about a great Sunday brunch we had recently with BF, Commando and TB at Xenos Cafe Restaurant in Crows Nest.
A long, lazy brunch
You know how people talk about long lazy brunches? On this particular Sunday, the brunch lived up to its name. We met up at 10 am and had such a good time eating, chatting and playing with TB – BF and Commando’s tiny wee man, that the time seemed to zoom by. Before we knew it, the hands on the clock were pointing at 12:30 pm! I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun.
Corn fritters of a different kind
I’m a sucker for a corn fritter. Like my love for pork, I am somewhat renowned for this affiliation and of course Mr L knew what it was to be for me when he looked at the menu. BF had the same idea and we ordered said corn fritters: served with bacon, avocado and a tomato relish. Unexpectedly, they also arrived with two poached eggs and a cheeky piece of roast tomato on the side. A decent breakfast by any account!
The corn fritters arrived looking deep fried – a take on the corn fritter we’d not previously encountered. With the relish and the bacon and avocado, they’re pretty good, but I’d probably prefer them less fried.
The Cure
Mr L made his way through a number of glasses of red the night before, so when he saw a breakfast option named “The Cure”, he made the apt decision to receive help in that form. The Cure was comprised of bacon, steak, eggs (any way), a hash brown, five chipolatas (yes, five!) and a token piece of tomato. The only thing that would have improved this breakfast would have been delivery by Robert Smith of the meal’s name sake band. I’m not sure whether it’s due to rehydration, or the breakfast, but Mr L certainly has more of a spring in his step after breakie – so it’s quite possible that The Cure worked!
Tomatoey eggs
I didn’t note down the name of the breakie that Commando chose from the specials menu, but it was a special Greek breakfast meal, made up of poached eggs in a tomato sauce with loads of dippy toast.
The tomatoey eggs went down a treat, and BF and Commando had a cheeky fruit plate to wash it all down with.
Good hosts
The people at Xenos were happy to accommodate us during our long, lazy lunch stay. They brought us loads of drinks, lots of water and the cafe was warm on an otherwise cold day. I’ve gotta say – in Crows Nest, Xenos is one of my faves and there’s little doubt that we’ll be back.
The low down
I’ve just been reading that the unpretentious Xenos Cafe Restaurant is now celebrating it’s 40th year of service. It is located in a sunny spot at 7 Burlington Street, Crows Nest and trades over the following hours:
Breakfast: 7 days from 7:00 am
Lunch: 7 days from 12:00 pm
Dinner: 5 Days from 6 pm
Closed for Dinner Sunday and Monday nights
To contact Xenos:
Phone: (02) 9439 1748
Fax: (02) 9436 2477
Or visit the Xenos website at www.xenosrestaurant.com.au
What to expect from me…
It’s fair to say that the busy times at work are set to continue until Mr L and I embark on our holiday in two weeks, but I’d like to think I can blog at least a few times a week from now on. Thanks for your patience during my unexpected hiatus!
What I’d love from you
Soon we’re heading to London, several parts of Greece, Paris, Iceland and a few cities in the USA. Do you have ideas about terrific little eateries, or fancy, flash restaurants that we should visit? I’d love to hear them! To provide a suggestion, add a comment using the form at the bottom of any of these posts.
Cheers!
Random observations (Melbourne part 3)
A quick one – in honour of the pussycat’s (PC’s) birthday yesterday – more random observations from our recent Melbourne trip. Fluffy deer, Kindness House, cow parties (if you don’t mind!), a flock of egg separators and the best hand made pita bread. All this and we still hadn’t made it out of Fitzroy!
Sunday sunrise @ Freshie and a trip to The Little Hand Stirred Jam shop, Berrima
The alarm went off at 5:39 this morning – between then and now, we’ve been back over to Freshie for a beautiful sunrise and photography mission, before heading down to stock up on chutney, jam, honey, mustards, and more at The Little Hand Stirred Jam Shop in Berrima. We’re exhausted, but excited – Mr L is excited because he’s got some fresh photos to review, and I’m excited because I finally made it to The Little Hand Stirred Jam Shop – after all these years of their products coming to me!
No cook chocolate-orange tart – Mother’s Day special
It’s been a busy weekend, filled with celebrations – a few for Mother’s Day and a big one for our best mate Commando, who had a great birthday yesterday. We’ve just got home and there’s been no time to blog in the mean time, but hopefully the wait was worth it, for tonight’s post is a creamy, fudgey, decadent, no cook chocolate-orange tart. The filling in this tart is so gooey and rich, you could consider making the filling, chilling it and serving it as a chocolate jaffa mousse. Sound good? Check the pictures!
Almonds from Aldi – alright!
A quick post tonight – mostly made of pictures – I just wanted to tell you about a little spoil I picked up yesterday at Aldi, North Sydney. Of course, you might already be aware of these little gems, but if not, I’d thoroughly recommend picking some up for your lunch box. Aldi’s “Oh so natural” almonds come in a pack of six x 30 g boxes, and make such a tremendous, healthy treat for you and yours. (And no, I’m not on commission!)
Official working dinner @ the Summit
Wow – it’s been a whirlwind week. I’ve been notably quiet. And feeling very slack about it really. I’ve got loads to catch you up on (ricotta pancakes, dinner @ Gambaro’s in Brisbane, this last weekend in Melbourne with loads of good eating, drinking, laughing and shopping moments and more with great company, and lunch with BF today at The Cove), but for the momentI think it’s important you hear about the room with a view from where we had dinner last Saturday night. Well – it was a big room – it was the Summit Restaurant, on the 47th floor of Australia Square (Sydney) with Nanna G, Pa, Mr L et moi. And the occasion was an official business dinner.
Anzac Day two-up @ Dicks, Balmain
PC invited Mr L and me to join her, the two Ts and a few others for a spot of Anzac Day Two-Up @ Dicks Hotel, Balmain. We could hardly believe the crowds as we approached Dick’s. Outside Dick’s and the adjacent Exchange Hotel, the lines were massive (see pics) as people from far and wide came together to remember the Anzacs, while drinking beers and playing Two-Up.
Remembering our soldiers on ANZAC Day eve
Mr L and I met my friend Cassie in the Rocks today. While there, I took the following picture of a sandstone soldier carving. Though it’s of a soldier from Australia’s settlement period, it seemed fitting since ANZAC Day is tomorrow. I’ve been remembering my two grandfathers who both served their countries in world war two – as did many other men and women. I’ve also been thinking of the cab driver in Brisbane this week who told me that he’d been left for dead with two bullets in his chest in the Vietnam War. He was so glad to be alive – there was a spring in his voice seldom heard while people rush about their days, barely stopping to remember their manners in the street, or acknowledge others. This post has one purpose – to remember those who have gone to wars – whether by choice or not.
Karen Martini’s Persian Roasted Chicken with Hazelnuts and Saffron
This post follows on from Monday and last night’s blogs. The hazelnuts in this recipe bring an amazing dimension to it – roasty nutty flavour and serious crunch. And the Persian flavours remind me fondly of friends B + B! If you’re looking for a variation on your favourite chicken recipe or want to serve something a bit different to guests, consider this dish. If you’re nuts for nuts – this, you should try this dish!
Thai red duck curry – thanks to magical MIL, fantastic FIL and Karen Martini
Well – how lucky am I? And you too, really? Why? Thanks to my magical MIL and fantastic FIL I now have both the first Thai red duck curry and the Persian chicken recipes from last night’s blog in my hot little hand. Tonight, I’ll share the red duck curry recipe with you. Originally – it comes from Australian chef, Karen Martini. If you like to cook – make it. It’s one of the best Thai red duck curries I’ve had!
A duck’n'great time!
A super quick post tonight from the back of a cab in Brisbane! It’s not a review, nor a recipe, but the promise of at least one, if not three recipes. I know it’s a tease, but pics of two duck curries and Persian chicken are below to whet your appetite. This post also remembers two terrific friends, B+B.
Nanna G’s lunchtime fave: Myer Cafe
My Mum (Nanna G) is a big fan of the salad sandwich. All salad sandwiches are good, but there’s one that she particularly enjoys from the Myer Cafe @ Macquarie Centre, North Ryde. My Dad (Pa) likes any excuse to have lunch out and about. So having lunch @ Myer Cafe is an excellent way to have lunch with them both!
