Mercadanté

Mercadanté on Lygon Street, famous for their owners playing pranks on customers. We had a try for a friend's birthday and I must say, she got startled quite a bit. But it was all in good fun. Besides their food is pretty good. And it's great for sharing if you're in a group. Sharing is caring right? And besides, you get to try more things!

Bellagio - a pesto base with king prawns and rocket

Bbq Grilled

Capasante - Rissoto with scallops, basil and spring onion (MUST TRY)

Sinfonia di Mare - Seafood in Marinara Sauce

Romper from Supré

H&M Blazer

Diva Necklace

Vincci Flats

Charles & Keith Bag

Beatrix

Beatrix, a quaint cafe in North Melbourne that was so inviting. Like going over to your grandma's house for tea or lunch. Filled with baked goods on the counters to tempt your sweet tooth. It's a very cosy cafe that makes you feel right at home. 

Old school beaters hanging from the ceiling. 

We had a Shak-In-A-Roll, Bea-L-T and the Rachael which was one of the specials of the day. The Shak-In-A-Roll is a vegetarian number but don't be fooled, its packed with as much flavour as the others.

The Rachael - Corned beef with swiss cheese and parsley and mustard slaw.

All the cakes and pies tempting us for a try.

When we finished out food, suddenly a fresh chiffon cake came flying out of the kitchen. It looked so heavenly with the passionfruit glaze dripping over the edges. We were tempted to have a try but we were a little too full for dessert. Maybe next time? But if you're there and they have the Coconut Cake, do have a try! It's soooo delicious!

Green Refectory

Green Refectory has been on my radar for quite some time now. And yesterday, I finally made a trip to Brunswick to try it out. After taking the wrong tram ending up on the opposite side, walking for an hour AND having a snack of fish and chips. We finally made it! And I must say it's worth your money and good for your taste buds too. They have an array of pastries, cakes, pies, almost anything you want! Definitely recommend Green Refectory to anyone who's in Melbourne.

Big Breakfast $15.50

Make sure you bring your appetite if you're planning to have this. Eggs, toast, baked beans, tomatoes, avocado, caramelised onions, spinach, mushrooms, bacon and haloumi (my new favourite cheese). You could choose between poached eggs or scrambled.

Vanilla Slice $3

I liked this a lot. Thick vanilla custard with puff pastry on the top and bottom with a passionfruit glaze. The passionfruit glaze just gave it that kick it needed. I'll definitely go back there to try more of their pastries. Really eager to try their Black Forest cake.

Don't you just love this door knocker? In love with the vintage and rustic feel of the cafe. 

Tummy Thrills: Pomelo Salad

The healthier version of Yee Sang, inspired by Oriental Cravings. I know Chinese New Year is long gone, but it doesn't mean we can forget about the food! I had Yee Sang almost 15 times! And I never get sick of it. I just love all the flavours. Sweet, sour, salty. Not forgetting the textures. Crisp from the vege and fruits, and the fried things in the packets, the seafood. How about the nuts and pickles! Okay.. this is getting a little out of hand. My love for Yee Sang will never die! I just love it. LOVE!

Well, if you share my undying love for Yee Sang, this pomelo salad has all the great things about Yee Sang with a twist and plus, it's much healthier! Trust me, you won't regret it! Check out Tummy Thrills for the recipe of the pomelo salad and try to make it! It's so delicious, I'm already salivating thinking about it..

Catch Up

Since I have been missing in action, here's a little update! Been real busy with uni and all that comes with it, like running errands to make sure I don't run out of food or necessities during the week. And spending some time with my boyfriend. Feels like we've been doing long distance for so long and I'm just so glad that I get to see him more often now :)

The new accessory that I've been sporting that I got for a steal about $3? I got 3 necklaces for $10, so I think I hit the jackpot on that! Haha. 

How about an update on the Melbourne weather? It has been crazy the past few weeks. A loooooong heat wave with the scorching sun. Sun burnt a little here and there. And this week temperatures dropped with some rain here and there. And just as you think it's time to break out the sweaters, it slowly climbs back up again. Well, that's Melbourne's weather for you.

(Top-bottom: Tomato soup, Pho from I ❤ Pho, Tomato Salad with Bocconcini and Balsamic Vinegar, Mushroom and Bacon Aglio Olio)

I've been getting back into my cooking groove but I find it SO hard to decide what to make for dinner. I actually prefer going out for a meal now. I just really don't like washing dishes. 

Beautiful fresh carnations from the market for my older sister's last day in Melbourne. We planned a surprise farewell/ early birthday get together for her last week with the flowers, balloons, candles and cupcakes. The whole she-bang. And boy was she surprised.

Anyway, back to what I was supposed to be doing an hour ago.. studying. I'll be back! 

Tummy Thrills: Quesadillas

Wanna know how to make quesadillas? Check Tummy Thrills for the recipe! It's so easy and SO yummy! 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I recently celebrated my 4th year anniversary with my boyfriend, and I decided to make him some cookies. Some chocolate chip cookies! Nothing beats the smell of cookies fresh from the oven, right? The recipe is super easy but since I only had one baking tray, the amount of time I took to bake the cookies was way longer than expected. But it was worth it! The cookies were delicious, if I say so myself.

Here's the recipe I used. I cut down about 75g of sugar but I still thought it was a tad too sweet. Oh, and I melted the butter first. Honestly I skimped a little on the chocolate chips and I totally regretted it. I put a 100g less and I didn't feel that it was chocolatey enough. But it wasn't that bad. 

If you prefer chewy cookies just pull them out a few minutes earlier. And to make them evenly sized, I used a 1/2 tbsp measuring spoon to scoop the cookie dough on to the tray. And make sure you leave plenty of space in between the dollops cause the cookies expand like crazy. The small dollop made about 3 inch sized cookies. Trust me, I learnt that the hard way. This recipe made about 60 3 inch cookies? 

Anyway, this is the recipe to try. I'm sure it won't disappoint! 

What I've Cooked in 2012

2012 has been a great year. Lived in a different country, explored new things AND I got to cook with many new ingredients. Things that I would only dream about cooking. I just fell in love with the Queen Victoria Market. I could just walk through the whole market all day long!

It was definitely exciting that I got to cook so many new things. With a few misses along the way of course. But these were some of the highlights of my cooking journey in Australia. As you can see I don't really cook much asian food, but I plan to change that when I get back to Melbourne. 

Oh and some of the recipes are on Tummy Thrills! Check it out. And we are trying our best to update Tummy Thrills more. Don't we all wish for more hours in a day!

12.12.12

Today is the 12th of December 2012! My older sister, Jasmine, just graduated! I'm so proud of her!!!!! (can you tell with the !'s?) And I love you! Sadly, we couldn't join her on this special day :( Skype will have to suffice for now.

Anyway, I spent the day doing what I love, cooking, even if it's extremely tiring. Don't you feel happy when you cook for the people you love? Especially, when they actually enjoy the food! It brings me such joy. What can I say? I love cooking!

Well, this is what I made today..

Mustard Crusted Beef Tenderloin with a Tomato Compote and Coleslaw with Carrots and Apple

Cream Puffs with Custard

Beef Lasagna

Tummy Thrills: Mushroom Soup

Mushroom soup is one of my comfort foods. I remember when I was younger (and now, even if I'm 20), when I fall sick, my mom used to heat up a can of Campbell's mushrooms soup, served with a few pieces of plain white bread. That was the best part of being sick! Mushroom soup! It was better than the tasteless porridge, which only reminded you that you were sick. The mushroom soup gave me a gentle reminder of all the tasty food that were to come once I got better. 

On Tummy Thrills you can check out how we made mushroom soup from scratch. Mushroom soup isn't only for the sick. Hope you guys will try it cause it's not too hard to make. Plus, you can impress a few people when you proudly say "I made the soup from scratch!". You know what I mean? Haha. The recipe is over here.