3108 Day
August 31st, 2005
The 31st of August is Blog Day. On Blog Day bloggers get to know fellow bloggers by creating a post which links to five other blogs. They may be new blogs on the block, or a new found blog by the author. Confused?
These are some blogs which I have come across in my blog travels, which I like for all kind of reasons. Usually because the photographs of their food make me hungry, or their writing is super!
Happy Blog Day People!
Jam Faced
A new boy blogger! I hope ‘monkey gland’ doesn’t mind me calling him a boy blogger. His photographs are about the food. Go see him now.
Not Martha
A kind of food blog, because she makes cupcakes and other pretty things. But the thing I like best is that she is dedicated. Check out her blog to keep up to date with her test cupcake runs. Those who are crafty foodies will like this one.
Oslo Foodie
One of the first food blogs I read. Lisa has a section just for open faced sandwiches. And she loves Indian cuisine, two attributes which make her a very nice food blogger in my eyes.
80 Breakfasts
Joey won me over with the breakfast theme. Her writing is to the point and well thought out. She makes self frosting nutella cakes as well.
101 Cookbooks
Most food blogs link to 101 Cookbooks, and I’ve only just discovered it a few months ago. Heidi makes food look stylish and beautiful. Two different things in my books, which makes her blog extra special.
Cranberry & Oatmeal Cookies
August 30th, 2005
Make oatmeal cookies of course! The cookies I’ve made here, are a play on the more traditional oatmeal cookies made with raisins. Adapted from The Joy of Cooking, for Classic Oatmeal biscuits, these are simple to make as most ingredients are in the pantry and the recipe allows for variations. Great with a cuppa or cold glass of milk.
Oatmeal & Cranberry Cookies
- 245 g of plain flour
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 225g unsalted butter (softened)
- 300 g of light brown sugar
- 45 g of caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 180g of fresh cranberries (or 200g of dried)
- 350g of rolled oats
Preheat oven to 180°C. Prepare a baking tray with a baking or cookie sheet, greased.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamon.
In a medium bowl, using an electric beater on medium speed, beat the butter until completely softened. Add sugar and eggs and continue beating until well formed. Follow with vanilla extract, until blended.
Using a wooden spoon, stir the flour into the butter mixture until well blended and smooth.
Stir in cranberries and rolled oats until well combined. The dough will be thick and pliable.
Take a tablespoon worth of dough, and quickly work into a rounded shape with your hands. Drop onto baking sheet and flatten to 1cm thickness using a greased spatula or your fingers. Allow between 6cm - 8cm space between cookies, as they will spread slightly.
Bake one sheet at a time, usually with 3 - 5 cookies on a regular sized baking sheet. Bake for 6 - 9 minutes. Repeat until cookie dough is finished*.
Once golden brown, remove from stove and allow to cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet. Transfer to cooling racks, the cookie will still be soft, however after 5 - 10 minutes you can dunk it into a glass of milk for complete cookie satisfaction.
* NB: These quantities make a good amount of cookie dough, so I placed half in the freezer for later use.
Some Things:
The Chewy Cookie Spectrum and other interesting items.
Flickr Biscuits & Cookies Group.
Could you be the next World Porridge Making Champion?
Yahoo! Picks The Food Palate
August 27th, 2005
It is probably worthwhile to check who your blog referrers are, now and then. It has been a while since I last checked, and was surprised to see one was Yahoo!
The Food Palate was picked as August 24th’s ‘Pick of the Day’ for Yahoo! Australia & NZ
“There are some serious food lovers out there dear Picks Readers. So it is not surprising that they should flock to blogs to share their gastromic adventures with the world. Looking at pictures of food, reading about the yumminess of food, and sharing foody fun seems almost tailor made for blogs. This Australian contribution to the world of food blogs is fantastic for those that like to eat out, or on occasion eat in and sample their own handmade fare. Warning: contents will make you hungry!”
A weeks worth of Picks here
Lindt Concept Store
August 25th, 2005
At 10:30am on a Tuesday, the Lindt Concept Store does not look like a fine chocolate store, nor does it look like a trendy city cafe. It resembles more of a business hub, where people in dark suits and gelled back hair discuss bizz’nis and the dollar over hot beverages.
Enter two gals, one wearing a bright pink skirt and matching cherry-red top, the other wearing jeans and sequined red Chinese-style slippers. Highlighted by a waitress that the mahogany tables and caramel chairs were taken by the pinstripes and power talk, the two gals were politely ushered to the ‘espresso bar’, because “the others were having meetings”.
Anyway.
Seated on the high backed chairs at the espresso bar, say with me again, esssspresso bar the breakfast menu neatly folded in liquorice coloured card paper offered many delightful treats. A breakfast panini, with mustard, prosciutto and some delicate greenery was ordered, along with a dark hot chocolate. My breakfast companion had the criossant and two preserves, as well as the dark hot chocolate. All lovely choices, for they were tasty and fresh.
The real reason however, for scribbling about breakfast at the Lindt Concept Store is to tell you about the dark hot chocolate. It comes in a deconstructed fashion - a smallish carafe of melted dark chocolate, a slightly bigger jug of steamed milk and a cup and saucer. This allows you to make your own dark hot chocolate, thus allowing for personal choice for chocolate intensity. I decided to start low and increase the chocolate-y thickness of my beverage. And after my second pouring, I was content as much as a girl who prefers dark chocolate over any other type can be.
53 Martin Place, Sydney
T: 02 8257 1600
Black & Blue Slice
August 23rd, 2005
The name of this slice will not give you a black eye, or swollen lips, unless of course you decide to smash your head into the baking pan with earnest (greed) to get to the dark chocolate and blueberries hidden inside.
With the balance of all important chocolate and all virtuous fruit, this little morning tea treat is probably the easiest thing you could put together for impromptu arrival of guests or cake-like cravings. All the dry ingredients measure to one cup each, and the flavour additions are flexible according to fridge and pantry availability. Exchange the chocolate for butterscotch pieces, or white chocolate. Exchange the blueberries for other dried fruit such as apricots and flame raisins. Add macadamia or almonds for a nutty version, or go the deadly route with a spoonful or two of cocoa powder. The recipe if forgiving, if not welcome variation like a lemonade is to a sunny summer day.
Is it rude of me to show you a half eaten piece of the slice? If, so I apologise. It’s just that I wanted to show you, dear reader the gooey dark chocolate which melts within. And do you see the blueberry sitting quietly in the corner of the wedge. It was juicy and sweet.
Black & Blue Slice
- 1 cup of self raising flour
- 1 cup of brown sugar
- 1 cup of desiccated coconut
- 125 g of unsalted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 cup of dark chocolate (chopped)
- 1 cup of blueberries (whole)
- a dash of milk
Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Melt butter until slightly liquidy, and then add to dry ingredients. Follow with an egg. Mix dry and wet ingredients until a thick batter forms.
Add chopped dark chocolate and whole blueberries. Mix well, taking care not to break the blueberries (please!). Add a dash of milk if the batter is thick, dry or just to be safe. Pour into any type of baking pan(I used a tart pan, and cut the slice into wedges to serve).
Bake at 160ºC, or until golden-caramel in colour for 30 minutes. Serve warm or cold, with cream or icecream. Also good in a paper bag, and later unwrapped while on the bus, going somewhere special.
