Lincolns 102 (allyt)

I love cake. I love it so much I've convinced my boss at sherbet to teach me how to make it. PROPERLY! So, until I get my own cafe and I can bake it for you, I'm reduced to eating it (damn).


So naturally, I love a good cake cafe. One of the things I dislike about perth is that if you go out for dinner, and you want to eat cake and coffee afterwards, there is almost nowhere to go (except the moon, but we're boycotting that. and king street, we're boycotting that too) and if it is open, its in the CBD and not really useful. 


Lincolns 102 is NOT a late night cake cafe. BUT it is a NEW place for me to go eat cake (apart from sherbet...) and I really suggest you all head down there too!


FOOD
ok so as you may have guessed, lincolns is pretty much all about the coffee and the cake. there is a selection of sandwiches/lunch and breakfast items (such as chocolate porridge...totally going back to try that) but cake is the main drawcard. 
I spent about 5 minutes deliberating over which cake to get (the flourless chocolate ganache? the orange cake? the BLUE VELVET???) but in the end I settled for the chocolate raspberry layer cake. I just couldn't go past all the layers...

Looks good hey??? and it was better than good. it was amazing. an orgasmic cake moment. its was spectacular. I'm drooling just thinking about it.


The cake was a FOUR tiered light but moist and flavoursome chocolate cake with layers of raspberry buttercream between each cake part. Now, for those of you who have not been introduced to buttercream SHAME ON YOU and GET YOU'RE BUTT DOWN TO LINCOLNS!!! Buttercream....REAL buttercream is the most amazing thing in the whole entire world. Let me describe it for you...imagine eating a spoonful of butter, you know that amazing fatty mouthfeel. Now imagine that butter is lighter (yes...like you super whipped the butter) and slightly sweet, with a hint of raspberry.


Kat, my cake eating partner in crime, had the raspberry cake...which was a pretty simple plain vanilla sponge cake with raspberries baked into it. I personally thought it was a little bit dry, and unflavoursome.


We decided not to have coffee...but apparently its awesome.


PRICE
At $7.50 (including cream) for a MASSIVE slice (I think Kats piece of cake was about a 1/5th of the cake) of cake, I was pretty happy.
Coffee is around $4...a little exy, but thats perth for you. The sandwiches and breakfast items were all around $10-15, pretty damn good.

SERVICE
I changed tables twice (to move to the sunny spots) and every time the staff were great at clearing up straight away. The chef/owner had a good chat to me about her cakes, and suggested that I choose the chocolate raspberry over the blue velvet or any other cake. Nothing to complain about really!!!


OVERALL

I WILL go back to lincolns. I will go back for more cake, and chocolate porridge. Its a good 35min ride from my house, so the cake is totally justified. Also, they have the newspaper, so I could do the crossword. The inside of lincolns is a little bit cluttered and ramshackle - lots of THINGS everywhere, but with super comfy armchairs. I thought it was much nicer outside on the street corner just watching the world (and the aboriginals who hang out down at the birdwood square park) go by. So yes, get down there sometime. Get some cake, and enjoy :)

new directions (allyt)

I'm trying something new today. Since moving out of home I've kinda (shock) STOPPED BAKING/cooking. number one, because I don't have anyone to bake for...number two because I have an evening job and so my dinner usually consists of leftover food from home, spaghetti on toast or noodles with vegetables. super delish, but not really that exciting.


SO this is my new thing...before I moved to europe I used to write a review about EVERY restaurant I went to. LITERALLY EVERY ONE. and then, I got back from europe, and I stopped. No idea why, just stopped. I think mostly coz i was living at home and had no money, so my eating money was curbed. Now, I am living out of home, and I think I eat out almost every day...i mean, today I had lunch out, yesterday I had a drink, the day before I had breakfast AND lunch, friday I went out for cake, thurs...I had breakfast, wed I had dinner, tues I worked all day and monday...I went out for lunch. see???!!!!! so its time to tell you about all these places.


How I usually work is: Food, Price, Service, Overall. And if you're lucky I get a few sneaky photos in. So, thats my plan over the next few days, catch up! So have fun, hope I tell you about some new and exciting places to go!!!!


:D

I would like to introduce (allyt)

Everyone.


I would like to introduce you to something. Something that I have only just discovered....

Those, are coles brand chocolate chip cookies.

THEY ARE THE MOST AMAZING COOKIES IN THE WORLD

I just had to share that with you. Now, I instruct you to get on your feet and walk/bike/drive to your local coles and buy a packet ($4.27). Take said packet home, make a cup of tea/coffee/hot chocolate, dunk biscuit into said drink and have a special little moment.


no need to thank me.

A trip to margaret river (allyt)

It was miss K's birthday last weekend. For her birthday, she organised that she, sas, dina, graysh and I of us girls head down south to stay at peppermint grove beach for 2 nights.

watch out boys!!

The plan was to eat loooots of food, sample loooooots of wine, make our own pizzas and watch movies and just chill out.


So...as a tribute to Miss K's adventure (and birthday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISS K!!!!)....heres a sample of the FOOOOOOD (and other exciting activities, ok, mostly just the food) for you all. ENJOOOOOOY!

excess consumption of tim tams (two of 5 packets)

sweet potato and spices soup at samudra

spicy hot chocolate at samudra (mmmmm)

hot chocolate and macaroons at choco-latte

down...down....prices are going down

birthday dinner at samovar

sas and seafood pasta, dina and paella

kris and fish, (haha) graysh and steak (mmmmm)

bacon and eggs for breakfassst!!

wine tasting at woody nook

more wine tasting!

evans and tate....very posh, and best most helpful wine lady ever!

liqueurs at the grove - def worth the $5 tasting fee!!!

burger and wedges at settlers taven in margs...mmmmm

time to feed someone else...the (wild) alpacas!!!

birds feeding at the berry farm

scones and boysenberry pie...at the berry farm. deliiiish!

up for a spot of cheese grommit?!

mmmmmmm pistachio cranberry nougat at MR choc company

sas. feta. mess.

our amazing pizza creations. pre cooking!

brie on jam on toast. I ate half a wheel of brie.

mums strawberry jam. yuuummmmm

the girls :)

icecream at simmos!!

peppermint grove beach

my first attempt at sherbet pistachio baby cakes. turned out pretty well! happy birthday kristy!!!!

double choc chunk macadamia cookies (a)

There is only one way to describe my mums double choc chunk macadamia cookies:

MORE-ISH

Just like the humble cashew nut, it is impossible to stop at just ONE of the DCCMC. They are so chewy and chocolate chunky and kinda healthy coz they have oats in them and nutty and the cookie dough is like eating chunks of heaven.

Mum made them last weekend when I was home, and so that you and I could have our own little cookie heaven I took photos and then commandeered mums recipe book...

Double Choc Chunk Macadamia Cookies

2 1/2 c oats

125g dark cooking chocolate

1 1/2 c macadamia (or walnuts)

250g butter softened

3/4 c brown sugar

3/4 c sugar

2 eggs 

1 tspn vanilla

2 c flour

pinch salt

1 tspn baking powder

1 tspn baking soda

65 g chocolate chips (white and dark mix is best)

Preheat oven to 180 celcius and prepare a couple of baking trays.

In the food processor, blend the oats until they make a fine powder. 

Add the dark chocolate and blend until small chunks. 

Add the macadamias and chop - but not too fine.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition.

Add the vanilla essence and mix.

Into the large bowl, add the processed oats, chocolate and nuts, along with the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and the chocolate chips.

Mix well.

The dough should be slightly sticky.

Roll into walnut sized balls and place on the baking tray, with about 2 cm between each biscuit as they will flatten and spread on baking.

Bake for 10 - 15 minutes, depending on how chewy you like your biscuits. They should be slightly brown on the bottom. 

Leave to cool on wire rack and store in air tight container.

Tips:

DO NOT EAT DOUGH because you will end up eating most of it.

Use dark, white and milk chocolate to make them more interesting.

I usually use 1/2 a c of both the sugars, otherwise it can be too sweet.

ENJOOOYYYY!!!!

sherbet cupcakes: attempt number ONE (a)

1) I AM SO SORRY. for not posting for over a month. FAIL BLOGGER. but I do have at least 6 recipes to put up, so watch out!


2) I work at sherbet cafe, in maylands. My boss (most amazing boss ever) is teaching me to bake. Everything I thought I knew about baking is being THROWN OUT THE WINDOW! I am learning so much and I am loving it, even if I have to get up at 5 in the morning.


3) I am determined to perfect the sherbet cupcake recipe. So, I plan on blogging each recipe, and letting you know how it goes.

Sherbet Cupcakes - attempt 1


110g unsalted butter softened 
1 cup sugar
2 eggs (mine were a little cold, but should be room temp)

3/4 c self raising flour (I used my housemates SR flour which had cream of tarta in it as well)

3/4 c plan flour
1/2 c milk (i used skinny)
1 tspn vanilla essence


Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line cupcake pan with papers.
In a large bowl, cream butter until smooth.
Add sugar slowly and beat until fluffy (it goes a white colour).
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.
Measure the flour into a seperate bowl.
Add the milk and flour to the butter mix, alternating and in about 3 lots (so, milk (mix), flour (mix), milk (mix), flour (mix) etc)
Spoon the batter into prepared tin, filling to about 3/4 full.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until inserted skewer comes out clean.
Remove cupcakes from tin and cool on wire rack.


Icing:
110 g unsalted butter, softened.
6-8 cups icing sugar
1/2 tspn vanilla essence
1/2 c milk
food colouring if desired.


Place butter in a mixing bowl. Add half the icing sugar, all the milk and vanilla.
Beat for around 5 minutes, or until icing is pale.
Add the remaining icing sugar, until you have the right spreading consistency.
Add a few drops of colouring.
Store the icing at room temperature.


The easiest way to decorate the cupcakes is with the icing in a piping bag. I didnt have one (or time to make one) so I just spread it on with a knife.


Reflection:
Ok, so with this recipe, the cupcakes didnt rise very high. Due to not enough air being incorporated in the beating stage, or too heavy folding knocking all the air out.
There was also WAY TOO MUCH SUGAR!!!!
I had no cupcake papers, so they came out of the tin funny.
My icing wasnt very smooth, so I probably added too much icing sugar.
AANNNDDD I didnt sift my flour (or use plain SR flour).
Attempt number two coming up soon :D

the alex (a)

Have you ever heard of the Reuben sandwich? It a sandwich with 1000 island (or russian) dressing, pastrami, sauerkraut and swiss cheese.

In the sandwich world, there is much debate about who invented the reuben. Was it Reuben Kulakofsky from Omaha nebraska, who invented it in the 1920s as a late night snack for him and his poker buddies or

Arnold from NY, who sold the reuben at his deli (reubens deli) in 1928?

The mystery has never been solved.

The more important issue at hand is that I would like to claim copyright on 'the alex' (watch out guys this is gonna be big). Invented in my mothers kitchen in 2011, my brothers and I have been eating a version of this sandwich for the past few years (paul is probably gonna say he invented it but he didnt...i did) but I have finally perfected it.

Once I have my cafe, the alex will be a staple menu item. As that future is a while away, I will share the recipe with you :) because thats how nice I am. And because you will never get it perfectly right because you wont have exactly the same ingredients that I use - and my special secret ;) MUAHAHAHHAHAHA!!!

The alex

1 piece fillet steak

3 pieces grill haloumi

1 pickled cucumber

1/4 avocado

1 turkish pocket

tomato sauce

Cook the fillet steak and haloumi.

Layer the ingredients in the sandwich, starting with tomato sauce on the bottom, steak, haloumi, cucumber and avocado.

Enjoy with a cold beer :)

rhubarb crumble cake (a)

I am the eggman, they are the eggmen.
I am the walrus, coo coo catchoo coo coo catchoo...


i think that across the universe has to be one of my favourite movies of all time. bono singing 'i am the walrus' is pretty epic. i just looked up the lyrics to this song and realised there is alot of food references in it...


anyways, made something delish this morning, and a little bit out of this world, so you may feel like a walrus when you eat it (no it has nothing to do with fish). its rhubarb crumble cake. smelt so good in the oven and OH EM GEE when you taste it...its like...buttery and spongy on the bottom and a little bit lemony then the rhubarb is moist and oh so tart then the crumble ontop is sweet and crunchy. the perfect mix of sweet and sour with textures to boot. 



so i suggest you cook it up for dessert, or lunch...in fact, im going to eat some more while i write this, gah it is soooo good.


Rhubarb crumble cake

sorry the measures are all in g, but it doesnt translate to cups very well...
185g SR flour
1/2 tspn baking powder
185 butter diced and room temperature
185g castor sugar
zest of 1 orange
3 eggs beaten
juice 1/2 lemon
3 stalks rhubarb, cut into 2cm pieces
1 tablespoon raw sugar


crumble topping
50g butter cubed and chilled
40g plain flour
40g demerara sugar (i used brown sugar)
40g flaked almonds


Preheat oven to 180 celcius and grease 22cm spring form cake tin.
Sift flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a large bowl.
Add softened butter, sugar, zest, eggs and lemon juice. Beat well until just combined (may be easier with a mixer but i cbf)
Spoon mixture into cake tin.
Mix rhubarb pieces with raw sugar and then spread evenly over the top of the cake mixture, pushing it into the batter slightly.
To make topping, rub butter into flour and sugar until crumbly (like bread crumbs) then mix in almonds.
Spread the crumb mixture over the rhubarb ontop of the cake and press down lightly.
Bake for 65-75 minutes or until golden, risen and firm to the touch.
Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes before removing from tin.
Keep in an airtight container.
Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar and a dollop of thick cream.


Tips
DO NOT EAT THE CRUMBLE or you will eat it all and get sick. trust me.

toasted coconut bread with ricotta, honey and cinnamon fried bananas (a)

This...is just because everyone should eat something yummy on saturday mornings. i want to inspire you to eat delish foods on the weekend - its the weekend. time to relax, read the morning paper, and indulge in some good tasting healthy foods.
And its a good way to use up the coconut bread 
(see: http://cafe-couture.blogspot.com/2011/04/coconut-bread.html)


Toasted coconut bread with ricotta, honey and cinnamon fried bananas (for 2)

4 slices of coconut bread
2 bananas
1 tspn cinnamon
2 tbspns ricotta
honey


Heat frypan.
Toast coconut bread.
Slice banana in 3rds and each 3rd in half.
Lightly oil frypan and place bananas in pan (flat side down). 
Cook for about 4-5 minutes on low heat, or until lightly browned.
Flip bananas over. Sprinkle cinnamon evenly oven the bananas and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Place coconut bread on plate. Spoon ricotta overtop and drizzle honey ontop of that (prob only need about 1 tbspn).
Place bananas ontop.
Serve with OJ and ice.


Best saturday morning breakfast EVER.


Tips
Coconut bread is pretty filling, so you might only need 1 slice each.
Use peaches, nectarines or berries instead of bananas.
Make honey ricotta (add 2 tbspn honey to a tub of ricotta) if you really feel up to it.

coconut bread (a)

I dont really have an introduction to this. basically, mum made coconut bread on wednesday.

Ok ok so its not really my recipe because MUM made the bead, but I think it is worth a mention as it was actually really really good. Its quite a heavy loaf, and one slice will be sufficient as a good snack. It keeps well in the freezer, or in the pantry for up to a week (just toast it if it gets a bit dry haha). 

Would probably work as muffins as well...

mmm steaming hot from the oven :) :)

Coconut bread

2 eggs

300ml milk

1 tspn vanilla essence

3 cups plain four

2 tspn baking powder

2 tspn cinnamon
150g coconut shredded

110g castor sugar

75g brown sugar

80g unsalted butter melted

Preheat oven to 180 celcius and line baking tin (loaf tin) with paper.

In a small bowl, lightly whisk eggs, milk and vanilla. set aside.

In a larger bowl, sift flour, baking powder and cinnamon.

Add sugars and coconut and mix until combined.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the milk/egg mix, stirring until just combined.

Add melted butter, folding into the mix until smooth - do not over mix.

Pour into loaf pan and bake for 1 hour (or until skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean).

Serve hot from the oven with butter.


Tips:
USE WHOLEMEAL FLOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Would taste just as good AND its healthier!!!

Macadamia choc chunk muffins (a)

My boyfriend just left me.


I've crashed my car and have dented all down the right side - and taken out another cars door as well.


My dad is 'FURIOUS' at me.


I made a batch of chocolate muffins. Because thats the only thing i can think of to make myself feel better.


Macadamia choc chunk muffins

mmmmmm soo good warm :)

2 cups SR flour
1 1/2 tbspn cocoa
1/3 c castor sugar
1/2 c macadamias chopped
60g dark cooking chocolate chopped
60 g butter
1 egg
1 c milk


Preheat oven to 180 celcius and prepare muffin tray
Place flour, sifted cocoa and sugar into bowl.
Add macadamias and chocolate, stir.
In a small bowl, melt butter and stir in egg, add to dry mix.
Add milk and stir roughly until just combined.
Bake for 17 minutes.
Eat warm (with icecream if you have it).


Actually made me feel lots better :)


Oh and the boy hasnt 'left left' me, just left to go home...

C restaurant

I have a special treat for you today. Not a recipe, but A REVIEW.
An extra SPECIAL review, as it was written by my well chiseled, witty and handsome (his words not mine) brother.


Last week we went to C restaurant, mainly to take steve up high to see the city on his last weekend in perth. 11 of us were there, my family, and my aunt/uncle and cousins. For those of you who dont know, C restaurant is the revolving restaurant 33 stories high in the centre of perth.

the other well chiseled handsome man in my life, and his dinner (which paul describes below)

I think paul (the well chiseled handsome one) does an excellent job...


This, is my amazing review of C.

I had high expectations for C (pun intended. Its 33 floors up. Side note- IT REVOLVES!). However, these expectations were somewhat surprised, namely by the service. In what scientists are calling "quite slow" it took about 1/2 an hour for wine to get to the table. Now I was aware that the room CIRCULATED, but I doubt the waiters really found it so disorientating it took 1/2 an hour to find a table of 11. And like any teenage girl, middle aged customers (namely my parents) are much easier to please once they have had a glass or two. Or in the case of a teenage girl, 1/3 cask. So that may have lead to the disappointment they felt, which ended with me writing this review.

At $70 a head, I am not going to lie, a broader menu could be expected. The selection was either steak, chicken, fish or gnocchi, which I am pretty sure did not cater for any vegetarian needs. Though I didn't actually check, as I originally had no intention of writing this review, or eating the gnocchi, which may have been vegetarian.

Due to my continuously starved, upper middle-class upbringing I picked the menu item which one would assume would be the largest portion size. This was the sirloin steak, served with mushroom deluxe, and "Parsley Mash". Feeling like I had nothing but pure testosterone and boredom pulsing through my veins, I ordered the steak medium rare, so as to really bring out my blood thirst, without actually have copious amounts of blood dribbling down my chin, onto my new shirt and tie. 


However, it would appear that both the waiter and chef over indulged my thirst for semi-cooked cow blood, as the steak was cool in the middle. Which is what rare is (Official studies indicate that "Medium Rare" and "Rare" are not the same thing). Also my drink order was originally not what I asked for. (Whiskey and Soda. Get whiskey, and ice and soda. You get money, I get drink, everyone gets what they want.)

However, the Ethiopian like state of my hunger forgave the bleeding mass of steak. It did not however forgive the portion size. Though the steak appeared to be made of three whole cows, sowed together with raw blood, the distinctly small amount of potato made me feel like I was in Ireland during 1845 (The Great Potato Blight in Ireland for those uneducated in tumor based affairs).

Furthermore, the lack of moisture in the potato made seemed to top off the already Ethiopian like hungry. The mushroom deluxe was de-wait-for-it-licious, though, relative to the amount of bovine, was a paltry sum. 

As for the sauce that accompanied the steak, it was reminiscent of Vegemite. Which is disappointing on bread, let alone sirloin steak. Though the chef did manage to water it down to a less paste-like substance, without losing any of its huge levels of salt. So kudos to him. Or her. I'm not workplace prejudiced.

The dessert (Chocolate Mousse) was not particularly special. At all. No flamboyant additives like the sap from an endangered vanilla plant that only "cries" once a millenia IF the moon is both directly overhead, and bleeding moon tears of joy. I am almost certain that it was supermarket chocolate and cream. Maybe some vanilla essence. Maybe. 

Overall, at $70 dollars, not including drinks, I wouldn't say it is not worth it, as it is marketed as something special. Which besides the ROTATION of the room, it isn't. The only reason you would come here is to mildly disappoint someone. And if you did want to do that, I would just take them to KFC and make them try the new "Double Down" Burger. If they do somehow manage to survive the massive amounts of cholesterol, you can be happy knowing that instead they will be spending the next three days running back and forth between the toilet.


note: apparently the best way to enjoy this restaurant is to forgo dinner, buy a drink and make i last a LONG time.

Host a picnic in 10 easy steps (a)

Hello lovely people

I feel a bit bad for ignoring you for a while...i have been SUPER busy. Actually, truth is...i haven't been busy at all. Just, my boy is visiting from swiss-land for a month, so i'm spending all my time with him...and none of it cooking. Although, i am living VERY close to leederville and its bounty of resturants - so i promise to tell you about that as i work my way through them.

under the pines with my boy

However, I do have something food related to talk about...

PIC - NICS!!!

i loooooooooooooooooooooooooooove picnics. possibly more than I love going out to dinner (SHOCK)

They are possibly the best thing in the whole wide world. All you do is spend $10 bringing some sort of food and you get to try ALL DIFFERENT FOODS!!! So here, i am going to tell you how to host a picnic...

1) Choose a date

- March is the best time for picnics in perth. The sun sets around 7, so you have light till around 7:30 - 8. Its after the Christmas rush, so most people have time. its also around the time when friends start to slack off, so its important to make them remember. ALSO the sculptures at cott are on, and so are the outdoor movies - perfect picnic venues.

2) Choose a time

- I find 6 is the best time for an evening picnic - enough time to get home, and  get organised and down to the spot.

3) Choose friends

- This sounds funny, but choose people who you are happy to sit and chill with, and you know have good taste in food and wont stinge out (ie: bring boring food). The more gourmet your friends tastes, the better the picnic food.

4) Sort out what needs to be brought (coz people will ask)

- I generally go: one bring deli meats/antipasto, one bring bread/crackers, one bring veges, one bring cheese/dip, one bring dessert (fruit n choc is always good). You can opt for by drinks or delegate one to bring non alco drinks.

5) Make a facebook event (or mass msg)

- Garunteed you wont be able to suit everyone for a picnic (two people is still a picnic) but make an event stating the date and place and invite your friends.

6) Ask everyone to POST on the EVENT WALL what they are bringing

- Write the list of stuff in the event details. To keep track...also, write in the event details when something is being taken. OR tell people what to bring.

7) Arrive a little bit early (as the host you should be there on time)

- Bring a blanket (or if at the beach) some towels, and secure your picnic spot

8) Wait for everyone to arrive

9) Arrange food in the middle of the circle

10) EAT, DRINK, TALK, LAUGH, ENJOYYYY!!!

remember to bring spare plastic bags for rubbish and to leave the area as you found it :)

here are some pictures from the annual collective random picnic at cott beach:

one of my fav sculptures: th lovers :)

sun setting over the jetty

our picnic food!!!! lovely and colourful

the 3rd annual collective picnic :)

cott after the sun goes down