la lupita

Date nights are important. So is spontaneity. And Mexican food.

After reading this review in the SMH this week, I decided to surprise Chris with an unexpected date night. No details were revealed except for a text "taking you out tonight - be ready at 6.30pm." 

I had him stumped and it drove him nuts, but it was so worth it. As frustrated as he was, I could tell that he appreciated my spontaneity. It was fun - especially for a Tuesday night. Having moved to Marrickville recently, the look on his face when I started to drive in the direction of Canterbury, a place we hadn't really discovered yet, was priceless. When we got to 325 Canterbury Road, I pointed to the shop front with black windows and no signage and told him we were going there. 

When we walked through the door, the smell of charcoaled meats instantly made us smile, and from that point on, La Lupita blew us away. It felt like we had stepped into another world, and by the end of the night we didn't want to leave! A huge light box with a beautiful black and white photograph set the atmosphere perfectly, as did the industrial light fittings swept across the roof. There were candles in huge glass jars, long industrial tables, a street cart serving drinks and an open kitchen inviting all to see. 

The staff were extremely friendly and helpful in explaining the process of ordering (which is like yum cha - you want, they stamp) It was also great to meet the owner, and let him know how much we loved it.

The food - indescribably good. The best. The habanero chili sauce on our tacos ($6 each) was perfectly complimented by the sweet cinnamony sangria ($6 a glass). The charcoaled hot wings ($10) were insane. 

We had very happy bellies and we're craving more already. We'll be back and we're bringing our friends.

As much of a surprise as it was for Chris, I was just as excited and amazed to had discovered this little treasure. We had a fantastic date night in a truly awesome venue, and hopefully many  more to come! 

thailand, i miss you

humidity, lady boys, pedicures, elephants, iced coffees, massages, omelettes, thai time, pad thai, buffalo boys, monkeys, tuk tuks, temples, cocktails, jungle, street food, adventure. 

greek semolina cake

simple, sweet, sticky & delicious!

ingredients for the cake mix.
5 large eggs
225ml greek yoghurt
225g caster sugar
75g ground almonds
zest of 1 lemon
zest of 1 orange
150g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
200g semolina level teaspoons baking powder
200ml mild olive oil

ingredients for the sweet & sticky topping.
150g shelled pistachios, slightly toasted
150ml good quality runny honey
big dollops of greek yoghurt

method.
preheat the oven to 180 degrees . mix all of your sponge ingredients in a large bowl . EASY! grease a 22x29cm cake tin with a little olive oil, then dust over a sprinkling of flour, and shake the tin about . spoon in the sponge mixture, and use a spatula to spread it all evenly . put the cake into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden and cooked through . stick a skewer in the centre to check . put aside to cool for about half an hour . when you just about ready to serve, add the honey and pistashios to a saucepan and give everything a good stir . squeeze all the juice from the orange and lemon you zested earlier into the pan. boil for 1-2 minutes, or until nice and syrupy . stab the cake all over with a small knife to create holes for the syrup to sink into, then pour the syrup all over the top . spread it out . you want it to be fairly even so the honey gets sucked right into the cake . slice and serve with a dollop of the greek yoghurt .

this cake looks & tastes so homemade - & is even better the next day once all the lovely honey has soaked in further!

recipe from Jamie.

ALSO : check out Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Day - saturday 19 may 2012!

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paella

If you love a good risotto to warm up your tastebuds then this spanish paella is definitely worth a try! One pot, stacks of spanish flavour. Serves 6.

ingredients.

1.5 litres chicken stock
2 cups aborio rice
2 onions
3 cloves garlic
2 small red chillis
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 ripe tomatoes, diced
1 cup dry white wine
3 chorizos, sliced
15 raw green prawns
4 chicken tenderloins, chopped into bite size pieces
pinch of saffron threads (expensive but really makes a difference!)
bunch of roughly chopped parsley
squeeze of lemon juice
lemon wedges to serve

method.
heat stock in a saucepan over a low heat . add the chorizo into a hot paella pan or cast iron pot and cook until crispy . remove chorizo from pot but leave oil (this has amazing flavour). add onion, garlic, chilli and chicken and cook until brown . add chorizo back into pot and stir in tomatoes, white wine, tomato paste and saffron . cook for 3 minutes . add 1 cup of stock and reduce and repeat as per a risotto . stir continuously . once all stock has been added and rice is cooked through, the consistency should be more soupy than a risotto . add more stock if necessary . turn off heat . stir in prawns, parsley and a good squeeze of lemon juice . let sit for 2 minutes or until prawns are cooked through . serve with lemon wedges .

Will have to make this again with a big jug of sangria!

lamb tagine

this is my absolute favourite tagine recipe! i love the way the apricots and raisins add sweetness to the spice :) super easy, smells amazing and don't expect any leftovers!

ingredients.
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
grated rind and juice of 2 lemons
1.2kg diced lamb (i buy a leg and cut it up myself)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup raisins
4 carrots
4 potatoes
1 cup thick, Greek-style yoghurt
1/2 cup pistachio kernels, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cup couscous (soaked in 1 1/2 cups water for 5 mins)
bunch of corriander

method.
combine spices and salt in a large bowl . add oil, lemon rind and half the lemon juice and stir to form a paste . add lamb and stir until well-coated . cover and refrigerate for 3 hours . cut carrots and potatoes into chuncks and line bottom of tagine or casserole dish . place lamb mixture ontop of veges . add  1 cup stock and remaining lemon juice . stir until well-combined . cover and cook for 1 hour on stovetop over medium heat . stir in dried apricots and raisins. cook, covered for a further 40 minutes or until lamb is tender . serve immediately with couscous, a dollop of greek yoghurt, sprinkling of pistachio kernels and corriander.

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world food

Lonely Planet have just announced the winner of their World Food Photography Competition! This Indian master chef is making jalebis - orange coloured fried flour crisps dipped in sugar syrup. I love the colour and activity in the busy street behind him, yet he is so focussed on perfecting those little street treats. Check out the top 5 finalists here.

Here are some of my favourite food shots taken on my Sony Alpha DSLR-A300.

damnoen saduak floating market - bangkok, thailand

patara elephant farm - chang mai, thailand

khao san road night markets - bangkok, thailand

karen hill tribe - chang mai, thailand

khlong toey market - bangkok, thailand

fresh pide dough - istanbul, turkey

iskender kebap chef - istanbul, turkey

simit bread - istanbul, turkey

dried fruit from the spice bazaar - istanbul, turkey

traditional turkish breakfast - istanbul, turkey

prosciutto & rockmelon - rome, italy

3-wheeled vege truck - rome, italy

lunchbox lunch - trogir, croatia

fresh squid - korcula, croatia

churros - barcelona, spain

I can't wait to discover and capture more of the world's tasty delights!

feast magazine

It is impossible for me to cook from a recipe without a picture.

Food styling is ever so popular at the moment and it is no longer impressive to have food presented immaculately on a large white plate. Wooden chopping boards, mis-matched dinnerware, jars, tins or even straight onto the table! Jamie Oliver is the true mastermind behind imperfect food styling and his food always looks rustic, home cooked and real. Piled onto the plate and left to fall naturally out of place. Well, there might be a slight arrangement of a crumb or two!

SBS's Feast Magazine is my favourite foodie read; taking me on a worldwide journey each month through creative food styling, beautiful photography and captivating stories; not only about the food but the cutlure and traditionas behind it's creation. You'll find recipes for lebanese baklava, vietnamese pho, spanish paella, singapore chilli crab, japanese sukiyaki, italian tiramisu, american hot dogs, moroccan tagine, thai tom yum, chinese dumplings, indian dhal, mexican enchiladas and greek easter bread. A story about a traditional indian wedding next to an interview with a famous brittish chef. Photographs of families at dinner tables, ecclectic kitchens and exotic ingredients. A multicultural cocktail of flavours, colours and traditional delights; it's a feast for the eyes and I can't get enough of it.

Subscribe here and travel through food.   

chè (vietnamese fruit shake)

Since our trip to Thailand last year, my girls and I have been obsessed with Asia and in particular - Asian food. Last Sunday we had the afternoon free and decided to head to Cabramatta to check out what Asian delights we could get our hands on without having to jump on a plane.

As soon as we got out of the car we felt the familiar feeling of being a tourist. Street stalls with old ladies selling home grown weird shaped vegetables, sticky rice wrapped in bananna leaf parcels, BBQ ducks hanging in windows & huge pregnant bellies - everywhere! Plus it was an extremely humid, sticky day!

The fruit shake stalls caught our eye with their colourful selection of fruits, jellies and beans presented in their windows. Different to the Chinese Bubble Tea such as Easy Way (which I don't particularly like) you are allowed to choose 8 different fresh ingredients and they are topped with coconut cream and ice. I could identify the lychees, but that was about it! We had no idea what we were eating or even what it was called. There was a chunk of jelly, followed by a bit of mush and then a bit of crunch!

Googling the drink afterwards I discovered that the Vietnamese drink / dessert is called Chè and that ingredients can range from fresh fruit, tapioca, beans (black, red, mung), jellied sweets and even sweet corn.

We sat on a bench in the middle of the main street and people watched, sucking unknown objects through chuncky straws. It may not sound too appetising, but it really did taste amazing!

Will definitely have to pay another visit to Cabramatta soon for a big bowl of pho!

lamb, feta + lentil fattoush

Fattoush is one of my favourite salads & the lamb, feta + lentils in this variation = perfectness! 


1 cup french-style green lentils
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, + extra to drizzle
2 juiced lemons + extra to serve
2 teaspoons sumac
3 lamb backstraps
2 lebanese pita breads
2 lebanese cucumbers, seeds removed + sliced
handfull of grape tomatoes
bunch red radishes, cut into wedges
bunch torn flat leaf parsley
bunch torn mint leaves
bunch torn coriander leaves
3 spring onions
lots of crumbled greek feta


Cook lentils in boiling water for 30 minutes . To make dressing whisk oil, lemon juice, sumac, salt + pepper in a bowl . Pour half of dressing over lamb to marinade and the other half over the cooked lentils . Chargrill lam for 3 minutes each side for medium rare . Rest for 5 minutes before slicing . Drizzle lebanese bread with olive oil and season . Cook on grill until toasted . Add all ingredients together in a big bowl and toss with hands . Serve with lemon .

an arabian engagement

colour | kebabs | sheesha | dress ups | baklava | love. 

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