fancy a tart?

im not really in2 desserts. never have bean. probably never will. dont know what it is about sugar. id way prefer another entree 2dessert. maybe im sweet enough? *anyone who knows me will be reading this shaking their head vigourously right about now* ;)

i thought the colours of dark chocolate against the brightness of raspberries would be nice 2work with..... so here it is:

photography: nicole schuch
styling: natasha cuenca
shot: 12/1/12

seared scallops with cauliflower puree & crispy pancetta

ohhhh how i love LOVE love seafood...!! any seafood...
my earliest memory of eating seafood was at one my parent's annual new years eve parties. we used 2have this amazing 10' underground swimming pool growing up & my parents used 2have these hedonistic parties... i always wish i could go back & suss out what exactly everyone was getting up to & what made the same man strip naked & jump off the pear tree in2 the pool EVERY year! aaaanyways, mum bought 3 dozen oysters & left them in the fridge one year but alas! she apparently only had 1dozen 2serve by the time everyone had come over.....
why? how? u may ask...

well....

i (vaguely) remember opening the fridge & slurping one down being extra careful to leave the shell in the exact same spot. i honestly thought no one would notice & that if i left the shell in its place a new oyster would magically grow back?? haha... i suppose i (may have) slurped my way through about 24 oysters over the course of the day....
i was only 4 years old.... ;p


seared scallops with cauliflower puree & crispy pancetta

ingredients:

for the cauliflower purée

1 head cauliflower broken into florets
55ml of double cream
sea salt flakes (i use maldon)
white pepper
truffle oil (optional)

for the scallops

200g of pancetta
20 scallops, trimmed, without the roe
1 lime, juice only
sea salt flakes
black cracked pepper

method

1. for the cauliflower purée, cook the cauliflower florets in a pan of boiling water for about 10 minutes, or until tender but with a bit of bite. drain, then place the florets on a plate lined with kitchen paper to dry completely.

2. place the florets in a food processor with the cream and blend to a smooth purée. transfer to a pan and place over a medium heat. stir in the cheese until melted, then season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. spoon into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle and set aside until ready to serve.

3. for the scallops, grill the pancetta until the fat has been rendered out and the pancetta is crisp and golden-brown. remove and cut, then set aside.

4. grab a frying pan & sear the scallops for about 1 minute on both sides on high heat, or until golden-brown all over and just cooked. Squeeze over the lime juice and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

5. smear the cauliflower puree on2 a plate and sit the scallops on top. then sprinkle over the pancetta & drizzle with your truffle oil.

now eat ! eat! eat! :)

broccoli (from our garden), stilton and roasted walnut soup

so my partner, wally, has spent almost every non-rainy weekend for the past 6months out in our little yard sowing and cultivating our very 1st veggie garden! its so lovely to have fresh, organic veggies to cook up... he's so proud of his little garden & so am i  :)

here's a soup recipe i decided to whip up on one of those rainy days wally was kept indoors! ;p

broccoli (from our garden), stilton and roasted walnut soup

you will need:

3   large broccoli heads
3 or 4 brown shallots (roughly chopped)
60   grams of stilton blue cheese
20   grams of roasted walnuts
700 grams of homemade chicken stock (you could use veggie stock if you like!)
olive oil
1 x bay leaf
salt & pepper to season

method:

1. heat a pot with some olive oil and saute your shallots till they are soft & mushy.

2. cut up your broccoli heads into chunky bits and throw in2the saucepan & add your stock. add some salt & pepper 2taste & the bay leaf. reduce heat & let simmer until mushy.

3. while the soup is cooking, turn your oven on & roast the walnuts.

4. grab a hand blender (they are usually easier 2use for soup!) & blitz.

5. ladle into soup bowls and add your stilton & roasted walnuts.

6. eat with a crunchy french stick!


too easy!! :)

happiest of new years....

so another year has flown by & its now time for a mini-rest...

wishing you all the most wonderful new year ever!! xx

merry xmas!!

purple haze....

Design Files 'Pop Up' House (fitzroy)

Ever dreamed about living in the perfectly designed pad? In the perfect inner city location? Well, interior stylist, writer, blogger and founder of The Design Files, Lucy Feagins teamed up with fellow lady of the design world, Esther Navarro-Orejon (of The Project Agency) to showcase a house that we all dream of owning; an amazing open plan kitchen overlooking a deck that then overlooks the city, a space kitted out with designer furniture, contemporary art and a sunken bathtub..... yes!! yes!! yes!! a sunken bathtub!!!

 It’s a pop-up space that synthesises all the things that Feagins writes about on The Design Files into one space – a house that makes all the pieces feel just right in their place, from the bedroom to the bathroom, the kitchen and the outdoor deck. Set up in a residential home in Fitzroy, Feagins and Navarro-Orejon have the house on loan from a friend for a month and during the past two weeks have been stockpiling designer products from over 71 suppliers, all designed and made in Melbourne.

 

I would have killed for this divine picture to put up in my little house.... 

but alas i couldnt afford it :(

It's nice to dream every now & again though...  

:)