Urbanspoon rocks!
Latest Entries »
Last night we had another catch up with Friends, we were looking for somewhere central for everyone and with the help of Urbanspoon we chose I Carusi in Brunswick.
A small restaurant with a nice vibe (with one exception which I will go into later). The menu is solely made up of Pizza, so it’s pretty much the perfect menu. I had a real hard time deciding on which one I wanted, as i really wanted 5 of them. After some debating, I chose 2, the Quattro Formaggi (Four Cheeses) as well as the Alla Moda Di Mario (Pancetta, Red Onion, Chilli). The pizzas were delivered in a pretty quick time, when they hit the table my mouth was watering from all the cheesy goodness! Melted cheese everywhere! Others in our group had varying pizzas: Genovese, Alla Moda di Giuseppe, Gambari Piccante, Romana.
All the pizzas looked amazing, and everyone really enjoyed them.
There was however one thing that bugged me, as it had been a while since we caught up with the group, we were talking for a fair while, and eventually got the bill, however the waiter thought it would be an awesome idea to stare at our group with the “pay your bill and leave” kind of look. Which was annoying seeing as it was a Sunday night, nobody was waiting for tables, and we spent a fair amount of money as there was 6 in the group.
They also do take away, which would be a perfect night when combined with Beer and Footy 
Definitely check it out!
We were told that this is probably the best Thai restaurant in Melbourne, so just had to check it out, however time wasn’t on our side due to other commitments, so had to opt for Take Away
Next time we will be eating in for sure! The food was amazing, so fresh, not oily and amazing flavours! There were so many things I wanted to eat, but opted for:
- Deep Fried Wonton (Pork and Veg)
- Roti w/Peanut Sauce
- Green Chicken Curry
- BBQ Pork
The Deep fried Wonton = deep fried perfection! Bubbly, and Crisp, not a trace of oil! These will be a auto buy next trip! The Roti was light and fluffy, and the peanut sauce was fresh, it tasted homemade and had a bit of crunch.
Onto the Green Chicken Curry and I had some reservations seeing as last week I had one that was terrible (from another restaurant).This one undid all the bad, with its light creamyness, tasty flavours and the inclusion of some decent veggies.
The BBQ Pork was AMAZING!!! It looked like it had been marinating for at least a day, as the flavour had gone right through it, the meat was tender, and I didn’t get a single bit of gristle!
I was a little dissapointed that we didn’t get to eat in, as the restaurant looked really nice, wasn’t loud and the service was excellent with Friendly Staff!
Last night I felt like something sweet for desert, we had some apples and puff pasty so made these, they turned out well and would be easy to make again when short of time!
Method:
-Pre heat oven to 180°
-Cut out your puff Pastry to the size you want
-cut smaller (2cm thick) strips of pasty and create a border around the large square
-slice your apple into thin wedges and lay it on the inside of your border (slightly overlapping)
-Brush the pastry with a lightly whisked egg
-Sprinkle brown sugar over the apple
-put into the oven for around 20 minutes
-Serve with Cream or Ice Cream
Last night I tried making some Phó, it turned out pretty tasty, the noodles could have been nicer as they didn’t seem to cook evenly.
I used a delicious scotch fillet and sliced it thinly, turned out very well!
My first attempt at Lemon Tart was a success! I was pretty worried about blind baking, but after the first four, I was a pro
Instead of using Baking Paper and Pie Weights (which I don’t have), I used Tin foil and Rice. The tin foil molded to the pastry well, and kept it nice and flat.
The only thing was, I don’t know if the recipe I used for the Lemon Curd was a bit different, or my eggs weren’t big enough, but it took a long time to set, compared to what the recipe said. Which was confusing as they are small tarts instead of a giant one!
Oh well, its all learning. They were a hit, taste delicious and I will definitely be using the base recipe again, as it turned out great, not too thick, with a good crunch.
Bacon & Egg Cups
So this mornings breakfast was a little different, I found this recipe on another blog (if I knew which one I would give credit). Very simple!
Lightly browned the bacon, added 2 pieces to the sides of a lightly greased Ramekin, followed by Baby Spinach, diced tomato, 2 Eggs, Cheese and a drop of milk.Then seasoned to taste with Salt and Pepper
Threw them on the top rack of a 180c oven with a tray of boiling water on the bottom rack.
Cooked them for around 18-20 minutes!
om nom nom nom
It was decided last minute that we head out to Houndstooth on Johnston St, to catch up with some friends. It was a bit harder to spot from Johnston that I would have liked, and after doing two laps, then walking from our park we stumbled across it.
As soon as I walked in from the cold, I was met with warmth, and a relaxed feeling which was complimented by the chalkboards, lighting and music (that was streaming from a Record player for that extra feel). The menu is written on the walls, food on one, and drinks on the opposing. I was amazed by the pricing – 2 Courses $20, 3 Courses $25, 4 Courses $30! Being greedy I had to have one of each, so opted for the 4 courses.The menu was simple, laid out in course, with each having around 4 or 5 options to choose from. There was a great variance with a common theme of simplicity. I mulled over my options and then head up to the bar to order the following:
-Starter: Bell Peppers Stuffed with Gorgonzola served on a bed of baby spinach
-Entree: Caramelized Onion, Thyme and Gorgonzola Tart
-Main: Hoisin Duck Crepe with Lettuce and Cucumber
-Desert: Lemon Tart
My Starters arrived and they looked good! 4 stuffed bell peppers, with a nice sheen, full to the brim with Gorgonzola on the bed of spinach. They were tasty, yet very rich, after 2 of them, I shared the rest around the table.
It turns out 3 of us had chosen the same entree, with one opting for the Osso Bucco soup (Which gave me food envy). The Entree was perfect, not too heavy, but being enough to start me off! Then the main arrived, I immediately knew I wouldn’t make it through. The Crepe was huge, folded layer upon layer of intertwined duck, lettuce and cucumber. I immediately pushed aside the Garnish (Cucumber) then started. The duck was cooked perfectly and rightly flavoured. After slamming as much in my gob as I could, I sat back spent and full (with room for desert).
They left just enough time for my crepe to settle and the Lemon tart arrived. I had hoped for individual tarts, however it turned out to be a single decent slice of a delicious lemon pie! nom nom nom.
Overall I was very happy with the meal, even more so with the price! The menu is supposedly changed regularly, so I think I will venture back again. If your up for a big night of drinking, then you may want to go easy as they seem to make their money off Drinks, with the cheapest beer coming in at 7.50 upwards. The service was friendly and simple, so don’t expect full table service
Give it a try, and hopefully you enjoy it!
After salivating over the amount of tarts and pies I have been seeing recipes for lately, I purchased these last week, and they arrived today.
I purchased the Small Fluted Tin ones with the removable base, if I end up using them fairly often I might purchase the non stick ones or a larger one. Thanks EBay!
I have been trawling for a good base recipe and ideas has been floating around my head! Think my first attempt will be a lemon tart!
Last night I was really craving some ribs. So I made these
Ingredients:
- 1kg rack pork ribs
- 1/3 cup Hoisin Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (or two crushed cloves) garlic
- 1 Tablespoon chilli paste (or to your liking)
- 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 Spice (I added a bit less as I am not a massive fan)
Method:
- To make, combine all ingredients in a bowl, then marinate the pork ribs. The longer you marinate the better it is. You want at least half an hour. Pre heat oven to 180° (170° Fan Forced) Place rack on a baking tray lined with Baking Paper, then put into the oven for 1 hour, basting them every 20 minutes with the left over marinade. Serve with Asian Greens or in My Case Mashed Potato! Very delicious, very satisfying!
