Foodie things I LOVED in October!

Ahhh..here we are, another month gone, and another four weeks of foodie joy! Here is a list of the things I have enjoyed in October......ONE : MOONCAKES at Ya Ya's house. Tiramisu, Mango and other flavours..all yum, and loved by the kids and adults alike. When I used to travel to Asia pre-kids, we always had to plan our business trips around double ten. The Chinese factories would just close down as all of their workers travelled home for the moon festival. Very important, and I can see why..they were all rushing home for the Moon cakes! TWO : Beerenberg African Spice Taka Tala Chutney. Mmmmmmm. Great with all meats, nice with fried eggs as well! A new fave in our household. Easily found in Thomas Dux, or good butcheries, I've also tried the Coopers Ale BBQ sauce, but this remains our fave so far. THREE : Pettersons Piccolo Blush Champagne. Brought home for me by one of my dearest friends from a Hunter Valley jaunt with the girls. Pity I couldn't have convinced her to also bring back some hand made choccies from the chocolateria next door as well!! I love Pettersons, their sparkling range of wines are beautiful and a real treat so whenever you find yourself passing through the Hunter Valley, make sure you allocate some time for tasting and buying. The location is stunning, the tasting room has a beautiful ambience. Cute, pink, and in its own little jacket...delicious indeed! FOUR : Sweet Soy Ribs from our favourite local Korean Grocer. Yum Yum Yum...perfect for the bbq, and loved by all family members. Chewing the meat from those bones is great fun. FIVE : Pure Natural HONEY. On a recent jaunt to Seaworld on the Gold Coast, we arrived at breakfast pre-conference. I was delighted to find amongst the usual hash browns, crispy bacon and soggy eggs....a perspex box, with a honeycomb inside, tilted so that as it melted, the pure honey dripped down the stainless steel spout into a waiting bowl, to be used on your breakfast, or toast as you pleased. An absolute pleasure to look at and to eat! Damn it tasted good. SIX : Crab and XO Dumplings from the New Shanghai Kitchen at Chatswood. Hand made, you can watch them doing them, they are light, tasty and just right for a quick work lunch. SEVEN : Not food, but a very natty parfait spoon. Perfect for mixed milk drinks, it can be used to mix the powder, and then as a straw! Great design..these ones have great retro appeal and were picked up by my friend (the lovely one who feeds me champagne from the Hunter!) at a white elephant stall. Apparently they are just like the ones she had as a kid. I WANT THEM badly and my kids love them! EIGHT : Again, not exactly a food item, but it smells so delicious, you want to eat it...my beautiful Vanilla and Caramel scented candle by Tahaa is simply divine! A thank you gift for photographing a friends party..I've burnt it every night and the smell permeates the house in fabulous fashion. It makes me hungry just thinking of it. NINE : ANYTHING from La Rennaissance Patisserie at the Rocks. Sweet or savoury, it is a pleasure just going in for a look. Beautiful pasteries, pies, friands and macaroons, not to mention a great courtyard with great Parisienne charm out the back. TEN : my quirky and fab, Earthquake mints from Los Angeles. Brought back as a gift from a work colleague, they are small, strong and look like little pills. Great packaging and fun to eat, a perfect lifesaver for those business meetings where you need fresh breath! I have been lucky enough to have so many things to enjoy this month...bring on NOVEMBER I say! Happi Eating!

Support Your Local - Thyme Square Cafe & Restaurant

It's easy when it's as good as you hope it will be!

You couldn't blame us for being sceptical when a cafe that has been known only for serving coffee and breakfast suddenly morphs into a wine bar which serves food and liquor. The chalkboard menu on the sidewalk certainly looked promising but then anyone can write a menu that tempts your tastebuds so, on the occasion of Yaya's birthday, we decided to try it out!

The fit-out is certainly luxurious. The restaurant is long and narrow with a service counter taking up most of one half and a single row of tables with a studded soft leather-look banquette forming the seating next to the wall while the wooden chairs opposite were comfortable while not taking up a lot of space. A lot of thought has gone into the use of space.The restaurant is obviously confident of doing well because they're in the process of expanding into the shop next door.



We were lucky enough to score the end of the banquette with the plush cushions. The lighting, while moody, was not so dark that we couldn't see our food and as you will see from the photos, it's perfect for blogging!

Mirrors help to make the space feel larger and the maroon feature wall made me feel like we were sitting in a gallery and the simple sprays of "greenery" were a lovely touch.

Not a single detail has been overlooked, from the delicate water carafes to the sweet (Ikea sourced!) glasses.

But what about the food?!! Well, as this is the early days of the restaurant, they are offering on alternating nights either half price main courses or a free entree, normally worth an average of $12.00. We dined on an evening when the latter was offered. If you think that this means that the meals are going to be "delicate" then think again! Of the 5 or 6 options, we chose the Smoked Cod Croquettes, the Chicken Liver Pate and the Salt & Pepper Calamari.

The croquettes were crispy outside and flavourful and flaky inside - evidence of real fish! This was served with a mustardy mayonnaise, lemon & bitter greens with a light dressing. The chicken liver pate was herbed and garlicky and served with three very crispy herb toasts and a sweet tomato relish which had mustard seeds which satisfyingly burst in your mouth!

The calamari was honestly no better or worse than any other we'd tasted before, it was certainly tender enough, but what made it special was the caramelised onion relish which accompanied it. If, as we did, you decide to try all three dishes, one after the other, be sure to take a sip of water after each dish. The pate tasted bland after eating the calamari but my opinion changed after a second tasting.

For a light supper, the three entrees would probably have been sufficient but we were there for dinner so again, out of 5-6 choices, we chose Fish of the Day (a pan fried John Dory served on mashed potato with a generous swathe of the tomato relish from the croquette entree), the Linguini with Roasted Baby Tomatoes, Garlic Chilli & Lemon (with optional prawns) and the Rib Eye. We were offered sides of two different salads but we chose the Bean Cassoulet. Chips weren't offered but having seen them on the sidewalk menu many times, we asked if they were available and they were!

The fish was delicately cooked and well flavoured, the mash was buttery and smooth, the linguini was al dente and the hint of lemon was superb. I've never been a fan of huge king prawns as they never stay crisp when cooked all the way through so I would probably not request those again.

Rib Eye is not an easy cut to get right. It was a slender cut and cooked medium rare. Even so, there were definitely chewy parts but not because it was overcooked. The big drawcard here was the herbed butter that melted over the top of the meat and permeated every mouthful.

On the side dishes, I made the mistake of thinking that the beans were going to be green (mixed up my foodie terminology!) so when these came out I was looking at a very beige meal, something I always try to avoid! Still, they were tasty, studded with bacon bits and various herbs and pepper. I couldn't say that I love this dish as I find beans done this way a little gluggy but the flavour was certainly there and, eaten in moderation (and on an empty stomach) quite more-ish.

And so to the chips! Those of you who know us well know that we are forever on the look-out for the perfect chip. These were close to perfection. Very crispy with a sprinkling of rock salt, neither too little nor too much. They were as good as some of the best! Unfortunately, our very full stomachs wouldn't allow us to eat all of them otherwise we would have!

If it hadn't been Yaya's birthday, we probably would have skipped dessert altogether but this Coffee Panacotta sounded really nice so the three of us shared one. It was everything we hoped it would be, firm but creamy and coffee scented without a hint of bitterness. The pannacotta sat on a cream anglaise sauce with dark chocolate coated coffee beans. Yum!

The food was beautifully presented and we felt quite special, almost as if we were sitting in someone's home rather than a restaurant. The service was friendly and attentive without being intrusive. I urge you to go before it gets too busy!

Thyme Square Cafe, Bar & Restaurant
Shop 5

43A Florence St Hornsby

FIORENZONI MODERN ITALIAN CUISINE - Chatswood

Well, I guess I might have to eat my words about the lack of good quality eateries in Chatswood. Today I had the pleasure of dining at Fiorenzoni Modern Italian Cuisine with my workmates in honour of our workmate Caro. She is leaving the fold and we were giving her a send off the best way we knew how, good food and good company! Fiorenzoni is a small restaurant on the corner of Victoria Avenue and the Pacific Highway. It is a subtle eatery, with neutral colour scheme and huge historcal Italian sepia prints on the walls. Last time we were here, the orders took an incredibly long time to arrive, but this time, our food was delivered to the table in very good time. Fiorenzoni is a member of the Council of Italian Restaurants Australia and all of their pasta and bread is made daily on the premises. This isn't a cheap eat by any means, the meals are priced according to their quality and content. As such, it is a popular choice for business lunches (Carl Scully and associate were at the next table, and strangely he was in the restaurant when we all went to to Rocket last month, so obviously another fan of local fine dining), it is usually quite full. In our group we started with the Antipasto di Terra $18.90, a variety of cured meats, grilled capsicum, grilled eggplant, olives and Italian cheeses accompanied by the Pane Fatto in Casa (homemade bread with extra virgin olive oil). We didn't have the entrees, and went straight to the Main menu. My choice was the Smoked Eggplant Gnocchi with butter, sage and tomato $26.90. I have never attempted to make Gnocchi, and don't really like the store-bought variety so if it is ever on the menu, I usually pick it. I love a good gnocchi and the subtle flavour of this was nice, but on seeing the other choices at the table, I think I could have been tempted with the Ravioli over the Gnocchi this time. The Ravioli was spectacular! The one large pocket was filled with Ricotta Spinach and Pine nuts and was presented on a bowl of steamed Duck Breast $27.90. I think this was my pick of the day. I was waivering at order stage, and reverted to the Gnocchi, but in hindsight, I wish I had gone with the duck. Never mind, there is always NEXT TIME. Others in the party had the Fettuccini with baby Calamari, braised Zucchini and sweet Basil which looked beautiful in its presentation $26.90. Minni enjoyed the Risotto with Cream, Basil, Cherry Tomatoes and Goat Cheese $26.90 while at the far end of the table, Julie was presented with the Risotto of mixed Shellfish, Calamari and King Prawn with Saffron and Tomatoes $28.90. Both are made from scratch and both took 20 minutes, which went in a jot while we were all catching up and chatting. Our guest of honour Caro, had the hugest meal of the day, the Veal Tenderloin with Procioutto Sage and crispy Potatoes $31.90. This was presented on a huge glass plate and the potatoes were so thinly sliced, they looked delicious. Sally had the Fish of the Day which was an Ocean Trout on a bed of steamed asparagus. I had a little taste of this and the skin was crispy, flesh was moist and succulent, great flavour! All was accompanied with some delicious mixed salad and san pellegrino. After mains, we were a bit too full to have a dessert each, but decided to all share a mixed plate of desserts for $26.90. This included some impeccable flavours and included the Coconut Creme Brulee served with Pineapple Sorbet and Rum Mousse (my favourite), Sponge Cake with Pastry Cream, Wild Strawberries and Chocolate Gelato (a big heavy but fabulous flavour), Lime Semifreddo with Orange and Saffron coulis and Almond croccantino (SPECTACULAR zingyness) and a Watermelon Sorbet all persented on a long narrow white plate. With a few coffees, this was the perfect ending to the fantastic meal. Fiorenzoni can be found at Shop 1, 809 Pacific Highay (Cnr Victoria Avenue) Chatswood 9419 6411. http://www.fiorenzoni.com.au/. Let chef Mario treat you to fine Italian food, you won't be sorry. Happi Eating!

The REAL TURKISH DELIGHT CONFECTIONERY SHOP - Auburn

The day wasn't going well. I had an appointment at Auburn and had found myself with five minutes to spare, in Punchbowl with no idea how I'd managed to miss my turn off (not to mention, no idea how to to get back to Auburn from there). I wasn't sure my day was redeemable but was determined to stay cool, finish my appointment unflustered, and finish the week in a blaze of glory, it was Friday afternoon after all. The Friday traffic around Auburn station was very, very slow and I wasted many minutes in the gridlock. Things started looking up when I realised I was stuck in traffic in front of an interesting storefront with burgundy awnings and windows full of chocolate! Now I wasn't in my food persona at all, it was all work, so I filed the location in my mental diary and got on with the job at hand. A very fruitful meeting and a nice cup of tea completed, I was ready to battle the traffic for my return trip home. Unwittingly, I found that I had navigated myself back to the very same position in the trafffic facing the Real Turkish Delight Store. With a smile on my face, I decided then and there to find the closest parking spot and check it out. Was this serendipity? I only had to walk a block and as I stepped inside from the hot bustle of the urban street (and after the day I'd had) it was as if I had entered another world...an oasis of chocolate and sweet delights. Peaceful, cool and full of chocolate, I was immediately greeted by a friendly face. At this stage, I was still in awe of the surroundings so appreciated the patience of the lovely Megan while she explained to me each item, confirmed that "yes, all items are made on the premises" and patiently waited while I made decision after decision, then changed my mind, again and again! I never felt I was being hurried so really appreciated the time to absorb it all. In the meantime, another father and daughter came in and pretty well asked the same questions as me. Megan answering as if it was the first time that she had said "yes all items are made on the premises" once again, she was required to run through the range and explain it all. She did so with exemplary patience and good grace! The authentic turkish delight has been made since 1974 and the packaging is immediately familiar as it is supplied to many restaurants and stores around the country. I had enjoyed it many times and had no idea that it was made here at Auburn along with the original rose flavoured turkish delight, there are other flavours including pistachio and today I thought I would try the vanilla turkish delight with hazelnut and coconut. I do like the original and bought a packet of bite-size individually wrapped rose flavour dipped in chocolate (a hit with the husband) but when I picked up a slightly golden jelly-like piece of this new flavoured dusted lightly in coconut, I found myself really enjoying the subtle flavour. I love the texture and was pleased to find a little nutty crunch inside. It was delicious and even though I'm not a total fan of coconut I really thought it all married well and I would definitely buy this over the original rose flavour any day! So, husband and myself happy, what about the kids? I had been aching to buy the liquer chocolates but didn't think they were right. While looking at all the flavours of hand made chocolates one by one, I still couldn't make a decision so the best solution was to buy a mixed box of them all for $17.00 (600g). RIGHT DECISION. There was definitely something for everyone in this box. Ours had crunchy sugared almonds, chewy toffees of different flavours, flower shaped milk and dark chocolates, assorted creams and truffles, again in milk and dark chocolate varieties, chocolate nuts, the list goes on. At first I thought that it wouldn't go the distance (four very excited tasters at the ready) but even after our frenzied pre-dinner glut, we only managed to eat half the box and no-one was left unsatisfied. I was impressed. The boxing of the chocolates is both elegant and attractive which matches the decor of the store. Everything is beautifully presented instore from the window displays to the walls lined high with shelving of boxed and bowed items. Turkish urns for decoration, shiny scales and not to mention the groaning counters full of sweetness. The store itself is like a plush hotel foyer, high ceilinged, opulent, beautiful and expensive looking with well chosen decorations adding pleasure to the whole experience of buying the goods. Whilst I was instore completing my purchase, another customer came in with purpose and immediately started ordering in Turkish. With a calm smile, Megan simply apologised for not speaking Turkish and called Eddie who, without a moments hesitation, appeared from behind the scenes and began the negotiations in Turkish. Very impressive I had to say. There are many hand made chocolate shops around the city but my experience here was of quality and integrity and I enjoyed it immensely. Oh, I nearly forgot to mention the cakes. I didn't have time to run through the actual varieties (I only had half an ear out when another customer enquired)but they looked delicious and judging by the care that has been put into the flavours and quality of the other items in store I am sure they would be something to come back for! The real Turkish Delight Confectionary shop can be found at 3 - 5 Station Road, Auburn (cnr Rawson Street). Telephone 9649 9787. Make the effort to visit, it is well worth the experience. Hapi Eating! The website is http: http://www.realturkishdelight.com.au/