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Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Thai Food





Thai food is internationally famous. Whether chilli-hot or comparatively blands, harmony is the guiding principle behind each dish. Thai cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai.


















  • Eating Thai Food



Thai food is eaten with a fork and spoon. Even single dish meals such as fried rice with pork, or steamed rice topped with roasted duck, are served in bite-sized slices or chunks obviating the need for a knife. The spoon is used to convey food to the mouth. Ideally, eating Thai food is a communal affair involving two or more people, principally because the greater the number of diners the greater the number of dishes ordered. Generally speaking, two diners order three dishes in addition to their own individual plates of steamed rice,


three diners four dishes, and so on. Diners choose whatever they require from shared dishes and generally add it to their own rice. Soups are enjoyed concurrently with rice. Soups are enjoyed concurrently with other dishes, not independently. Spicy dishes, not independently. Spicy dishes are "balanced" by bland dishes to avoid discomfort.


The ideal Thai meal is a harmonious blend of the spicy, the subtle, the sweet and sour, and is meant to be equally satisfying to eye, nose and palate. A typical meal might include a clear soup (perhaps bitter melons stuffed with minced pork), a steamed dish (mussels in curry sauce), a fried dish (fish with ginger), a hot salad (beef slices on a bed of lettuce, onions, chillies, mint and lemon juice) and a variety of sauces into which food is dipped. This would be followed by sweet desserts and/or fresh fruits such as mangoes, durian, jackfruit, papaya, grapes or melon.







  • Thai Meal






Titbits
These can be hors d'oeuvres, accompaniments, side dishes, and/or snacks. They include spring rolls, satay, puffed rice cakes with herbed topping. They represent the playful and creative nature of the Thais



Salads
A harmony of tastes and herbal flavours are essential. Major tastes are sour, sweet and salty. Spiciness comes in different degrees according to meat textures and occasions.




General Fare
A sweet and sour dish, a fluffy omelets, and a stir-fried dish help make a meal more complete.



Dips
Dips entail some complexity. They can be the major dish of a meal with accompaniments of vegetables and some meats. When dips are made thinly, they can be used as salad designs. A particular and simple dip is made from chilies, garlic, dried shrimps, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and shrimp paste.




Soups
A good meal for an average person may consist simply of a soup and rice. Traditional Thai soups are unique because they embody more flavours and textures than can be found in other types of food.



Curries
Most non-Thai curries consist of powdered or ground dried spices, whereas the major ingredients of Thai curry are fresh herbs. A simple Thai curry paste consists of dried chilies, shallots and shrimp paste. More complex curries include garlic, galangal, coriander roots, lemon grass, kefir lime peel and peppercorns.



Single Dishes
Complete meals in themselves , they include rice and noodle dishes such as Khao Phat and Phat Thai.


Desserts
No good meal is complete without a Thai dessert. Uniformly sweet, they are particularly welcome after a strongly spiced and herbed meal.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Sushi
















After talking about the Japaness Restuarant, do you feel like making some Sushi by yourselves?



It is easy to make!



Let's start!~






















Ingredients
1 cup short-grain rice
1 tbs caster sugar
5 tbs rice vinegar
100g fresh fish fillet (such as salmon, tuna, ocean trout or kingfish)
1 small Lebanese cucumber, peeled
1/2 avocado
4 nori sheets
Wasabi*, to taste
Pickled ginger, to serve
Japanese soy, to serve




Method


  • Rinse rice under cold water and drain well. Place rice and 500ml (2 cups) of water in a saucepan and bring to boil. Decrease heat to low and simmer uncovered for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand with lid on for a further 10 minutes.



  • Place rice in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, 2 tablespoons vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt, and pour over rice. Stir to combine. Cover a flat tray with aluminium foil and spread rice on it to cool.The rice should be completely cool before using.



  • Choose from a variety of fillings. We used fresh salmon and tuna, cucumber and avocado. Prepare the fish and vegetables by slicing into batons about 5cm long. Set aside. Meanwhile, combine remaining vinegar and 300ml cold water in a bowl.



  • Place 1 nori sheet, shiny-side down, on a bamboo mat (or non-stick baking paper). Make sure longest edge of nori is at top of mat. Dip hands in water mixture (to prevent rice from sticking) and spread a quarter of rice over bottom two-thirds of nori, leaving a small border around edge.



  • Spread a thin line of wasabi along the middle of the rice and arrange a little of the fish and vegetables alongside the wasabi. Gently lift the end of the mat closest to you, and roll it over the ingredients to enclose.



  • Continue rolling the mat forward to make a complete roll. With one hand on top, gently roll mat back and forth a few times to make a nice round shape. Use a sharp knife to slice the rolls at 2cm intervals. Serve with pickled ginger, soy sauce and extra wasabi.

<http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/6387/sushi>


=] hope you all like this!~

Greatest Junk Food Joints in Australia

To all our following fans, here is a little review on the greatest junk food joints that Australia has to offer. Lets hope i can shed some light on the brilliant junk food industry :)


1. McDonalds:


McDonalds is the corporate empire that first comes to mind when someone says junk food, and with good reason. With a wide selection of burgers in both the chicken and beef variety, combined with those thin sliced, super addictive fries and unnaturally cheap soft drink, McDonalds provides the perfect meal for a late night, last minute feast. And with an abundance of restaurants, there is a good chance there is a store near you. I'm lovin it!








2. Kentucky Fried Chicken:


You can't go wrong with greasy bucket of KFC. Famous for it's secret 11 herbs and spices, KFC is the well respected international junk food venue that has Colonel Sanders walking on sunshine in the afterlife. Specialising in deep frying, KFC offers all varieties of chicken. Anything from soft and greasy to hot and spicey. Chicken burgers, grilled chicken, fried chicken, chicken strips, chicken wraps, chicken salt, you name it, they cook it to perfection. And best of all, It's finger lickin free!








3. Hungry Jacks:


It's fact, the burgers are better at Hungry Jacks. A personal favourite, Hungry Jacks specialises in beef burgers. One of the few junk food restaurants that still give you a good size meal for your money too, which in the market of today, is essential. Beef isn't the only think to sink your teeth into, Hungry Jacks also offers a wide range of chicken burgers to. Some of the bast junk food chicken burgers you'll ever try! So if you're keen fo a good feed at a low price, get to a Hungry Jacks near you.




4. Pizza Hut:


Pizza Hut is your one stop shop for all your cheesy needs. With a great base menu and the ability to customise your own pizza, this restaurant guarantees a great meal. Service can be a let down at these restaurants, but that is made up by the fact it is one of the few Australian main stream junk food resteraunts that allow you to get your delicious pizza delivered to your door (for a small surcharge). All in all, if you're feeling like a quick italian fix, Pizza Hut is place for you. Remember, hot pizza ALWAYS tastes better!









Hopefully this little post has opened your eyes to some of the finer foods in life ;) If you managed to read through, leave a comment about a junk food outlet I didn't mention and we'll chat!

Japanese Food



















Anyone Love Japanese food?





EVERY ONE LOVES IT!









there are many of Great Japanese food resturants in Sydney.



Let's find them out!~










Sushi Train is a sushi bar restaurant. It located in many surburbs in Sydney. You can find it easily. It's cheap and delicious, of course it is fresh too. Check out their website and you can find more information about Sushi Train.






























Wagaya is a very popular restaurant with their special "touch screen" menu. People love this place because of different reason:


Why is it that something as simple as an electronic ordering screen can make dining out so much fun!! Sure... the menu is riddled with spelling mistakes, and the food isn't anything too spectacular, but overall it is still a fun dining ...‎ By Chris Muir - 9 Jul 2010


The sashimi and sushi is fresh and all dishes come promptly. Unlike Mizuya (another similar jap restaurant on george st), the food is reasonably priced and the portions are decent. By slg21 - 30 May 2010



You can find more opinion and information on the websites linked abouve.

It is located at 1/78 Harbour St, Haymarket NSW 2000

(02) 9212 6068

Hope everyone will enjoy it=]

this blog is [ to be continued].. we will add more restarurants in the future =]

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Chocolate macaroons
























today, we are going to make Chocolate macaroons=]




Macaroons are very delicious baked cookies. It has variety of light.


Today, we are going to make Chocolate Macaroons buy ourselves.








Ingredients:




Macaroons
½ cup ground almonds, sifted
1 cup pure icing sugar, sifted
4 tbsp Dutch-style cocoa, sifted
2 eggwhites
¼ tsp cream of tartar



Ganache
75g dark couverture chocolate
1 tsp butter
4 tbsp cream






Method



For macaroons



Preheat oven to 200C.
Prepare 2 baking sheets lined with baking paper.
Mix the sifted ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
Beat the eggwhites with the cream of tartar to snowy peaks. Fold a spoonful of the eggwhites into the sifted mixture to blend and then fold in the rest of the eggwhites quickly but with a light hand.
Spoon teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the paper-lined trays, leaving 3cm between blobs. Do this as quickly as possible and place trays immediately into the preheated oven. Cook for 8 minutes or until the macaroons feel firm on the outside.
Wet a teatowel with cold water, wring out and place on the bench. Remove trays from oven and place on the damp cloth for a few minutes. With a spatula slide the macaroons onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before filling. If not needed immediately, store unfilled macaroons in an airtight container.
Makes 16 pairs.





Chocolate ganache filling



Break chocolate into small pieces and pulverise in the food processor to a powder.
Bring cream and butter to the boil in a pan.
With motor running pour the boiling cream mixture onto the chocolate in a steady stream. Process until smooth. Refrigerate until just cold and then beat in an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Use straight away.
Excess ganache will become too stiff to spread. Allow it to return to room temperature and then rebeat for a few minutes to regain spreadable consistency.
<http://www.cuisine.com.au/recipe/Chocolate-macaroons>



=]

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Love Food

We all need food.

Food is so important in our lifes.

Anyone can live without food??? -- NOOO

But we are different~

We Love FOOD.

there are so may website out there that is for "Food Lover"

here are some to share with others=]

http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/ilovefoodawards/

life style food is about the recipes, restaurants, chefs, and tvs etc.

its not only about the food but also the life style.

now, it has a "Australia's biggest people's choice food awards . Vote for your favourite places to eat-out and you could WIN $10,000!" ...

Another cool website is: http://fortheloveoffood.com.au/. For the Love of Food.

we can follow it on twitter. The food post there looks so delicious =]

maybe we can find one to try and then falling love with=]