double rainbow and popping candy ice cream
double rainbow and popping candy ice cream
So in case you don’t already follow my rantings on twitter or facebook lookit double rainbow! So bright! So vivid! Double rainbow, double rainbow! Not quite all the way across the sky but still, so intense!
I missed my usual bus the other day and had to catch the bus that drops me off a whole football field away from my house. If you know me at all you would know I absolutely hate walking anywhere. Long distance running I love, but walking ugh. And oh boy was I hungry after work! I wandered into the Domino’s and a sign caught my eye- Popping candy ice cream!
For $2.95 it was ok, a relatively creamy chocolate ice cream with chocolate covered popping candy. I was kinda hopping there was gonna be a layer of pop rocks on top of the ice cream instead of them being buried in the ice cream. But eh a cheap snack for the loooong walk home haha
And here let’s end with a pic of some egg tarts from Ho’s Dim Sim Kitchen (451 Pitt Street, Haymarket) which were only one freaking dollar each woohoo!
Farewell Lex, China Doll, Woolloomooloo
Farewell Lex, China Doll Woolloomooloo (6 Cowper Wharf Rd, Woolloomooloo) where the drinks are so pretty the boys cannot resist heh heh there was waaay to much food as usual especially as the staff went out of their way to thank Lex and showered us with some extra treats.
This is Lex.
You may remember him in photos like this
Or this
Or this. When I first met Lex it was at a Tupperware party way back in June ’09 and it’s just so awesome to meet someone and know instantly you’ll be friends. And it doesn’t hurt that he can cook awesome food like bakuteh, super crispy pork crackling, buttery crab and ocean trout mmm but alas Lex is leaving the land of down under to try his luck in vegas and snowboard his way around the globe.
A farewell dinner at China Doll (6 Cowper Wharf Rd, Woolloomooloo) where the drinks are so pretty the boys cannot resist heh heh there was waaay too much food as usual especially as the staff went out of their way to thank Lex and showered us with some extra treats. Highlights for me are as follows-
Sashimi of Hiramasa Kingfish & Ocean Trout w Blackened Chilli Dressing ($26) was just absolutely delicious, the chili dressing wasn’t too spicy and the julienned apple underneath provided a refreshing crunch to the smooth as butter fish. (I can’t believe it’s not butter Fabio!)
Written on the far wall of the restaurant are the specials of the day and the crispy school prawns are instantly added to our list of must haves. The prawns were lightly battered and deep fried to crispy perfection. The sound of crunching fills the air as we battle each other for the remaining prawns and I swipe the remaining mayo to smother everything in sight. That mayo was awesome.
But the star of the night and with complements from the restaurant: ALASKAN CRAB!!! So freaking delicious that there are no sounds from the whole table as we dive in; the shell thoughtfully pre cracked for us for easy access to the sweet sweet flesh. Bliss. Definitely in the category of what I would eat as my last supper.
There was also duck with uber crispy skin, juicy pork, san choy bau, and a giant freaking fish that could have fed an army. But I was looking forward to one thing…
Condensed milk tart with peanut brittle and white sesame ice cream! A cloud of pashmak fluff adorns this fabulously gooey creation with innards that aren’t tooth achingly sweet.
A steamed banana pudding arrives and first to disappear are the caramelized banana slices as we swipe spoonfuls of the light cake and the rich chocolate ice cream
Woohoo one massive giant dessert platter! There was a bowl of glutinous black rice with ginger and drizzled with coconut milk; strawberry, apricot and white chocolate gelato; and sago with passionfruit
Too full to move we are the last to leave the previously uber packed restaurant. Farewell Lex, thanks for all the memories. Be safe, have an awesome time and ahem continue blogging!
Kinda easy salted caramels
Kinda easy salted caramels so creamy and sweet and oh so delicious and addictive!
How’s everyone holding up after the silly season? Liver still nice and healthy? I’ve been enjoying sleeping in till noon, catching up on lots of teevee (firefly, fringe, bsg) and eating pretty much non stop 😀
The fabulous Billy gave me a jar of bacon fleur de sel salted caramels which I managed to demolish in less than an hour and not too soon after I couldn’t stop thinking about them so here we go! I had to leave out the bacon cos the boy has issues with the sweet/salty combo but I still snuck in the salt lols adapted from Billy’s recipe found here and it falls in the ‘kinda easy’ category cos it’s totes not something you want to make with a kid cos of the burning sugar factor. Also it would help heaps if you had a sugar thermometer. Which I do have but um couldn’t be bothered digging it out from the drawer lols
1 1/2 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup glucose (or 3 heaped dinner spoons)
1/2 cup water
1 cup heavy cream (I only had thickened cream)
5 tbsp salted butter (70g)
First line a baking dish with baking paper, making sure the paper overhangs so it’s easy to lift out when the caramel has set. Or you can use foil and spray oil the surface but I find foil tears easily. Add the 1 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup glucose and 1/2 cup water in a heavy based saucepan and heat on medium high. Don’t stir but you can occasionally swirl the contents but be careful it’ll be freaking hot yo. Cook until the mixture turns a golden amber colour, approx 10-12mins.
While the sugar mixture is boiling, in a separate saucepan heat the 1 cup heavy cream and 70g butter over medium heat until it simmers then take off the heat.
Bubbles! Yeah my sugar mixture ain’t quite brown yet and by the time it got brown I forgot to take a pic lols don’t worry the bubbles don’t splode
When the sugar mixture has turned a lovely golden colour, slowly add the cream and butter mixture. Obviously don’t pour the cream/butter mixture from a great height or the inevitable splash back will cause much pain! Once you’ve poured it all in the whole mixture will double in volume. Cook, stirring continuously for approx 6-8mins, until the caramel reaches 248F on a candy thermometer or test using the firm ball method (Drop a little of the caramel mixture in cold water and it will form a firm ball, one that won’t flatten when you take it out of the water, but remains malleable and will flatten when squeezed.)
Carefully pour the mixture into your prepared pan. Leave to set to room temperature before sprinkling the salt and or bacon and then refrigerating for min 2 hours before attempting to cut. Don’t even think about licking the pot.
2+ hours later and it’s time to cut and wrap!
Mah precioussss! Yeah that’s only about half the amount I got as I uh taste tested quite a few samples 😀
Once caramels are wrapped place in a air tight container and give to a really good friend or… save for yourself heh heh