Marrickville Organic Farmer's Market

Marrickville Farmer's Market

This was definitely one of those unexpected trips for me. Me and my friends headed to Marrickville to visit Reverse Garbage. It's basically a huge warehouse where you could find all sorts of weird and neat stuff! Some of the things are defective and some are second hand. We went there so that we could gather materials for the next spiffy project in design studio.

As we entered the complex of Reverse Garbage, apparently there was a market going on. Markets get me so excited- MORE THAN ANYTHING! So anyway, to make the story short, after we bought materials for the project, we wandered around the farmer's market. There was Gozleme, Mexican Wraps, fruit and veg vendors, a Chai Tent, a coffee stall, an olive stall, and plenty others! And then we bought food and beverages then spent the remainder of the afternoon sitting on the curb talking and munching away.

Mexican Wraps for the late lunch!

My lunch- Mexican Veg Wrap with a Chili Cola

I reckon this could possibly be the best mex food I've had in Sydney! There just aren't any epic authentic places- SADLY. The wrap really packed a punch. It was refreshing cause of the fresh veggies, mainly tomato and lettuce. The veggie sort of stew I would call it was packed with flavor, the whole thing was oozing out the wrap, I'm not kidding! TWO THUMBS UP!:) The chlli cola on the other hand was outrageously different! I never liked chili in the past, but these days, I'm just becoming more and more of a chili freak. The cola had that hint and tang of caramel- it's lovely! The chili factor comes in after you've gulped the drink, the heat races down your throat. After a whole bottle, the chili was racing up my nose- not a good thing, sniff.

Cute cupcakes that my friend baked

As for desert, my friend baked some cupcakes and she was generous enough to share them! It's a chocolate chunk cupcake with strawberry icing!:)

Lemon Pepper Macadamia Nuts

I have come to like my nuts- don't take that the wrong way. Walking through more of the stalls in the market, I came across one that was selling nuts and dried fruit! There was heaps and heaps to choose from, probably around 5 varieties for macadamia alone! I'm too much of a sucker to let it pass, I just had to have some! I really liked these. They were acidic and peppery which cut the butteriness of the macadamia really well! I wish I bought more, I really do.

And that pretty much sums up my Sunday afternoon!:) Oh, pardon the bad photography, I used my phone to take the pictures!:)

Mother Chu's Taiwanese Gourmet and What Not.

It's the kind of morning that lasts all afternoon. Yes, that's one of the lines to Why Georgia by John Mayer. I've been listening to John Mayer too much lately, his voice is just wonderful. I'm in love with him. So anyway, that's what I'm making out of today.

For lunch, my friend and I went over to Mamak at Haymarket to hopefully be blessed by their scrumptious roti. But we got there a few minutes too late and lunch service was over. Argh. We then headed to Mother Chu's Taiwanese Gourmet. I've dined at there before, I remember liking it because it's very rustic and homy. So in we went, we hurriedly ordered because our stomachs were rumbling because of all the walking and shopping. 

So this picture is obviously not mine! I forgot to take one! So for the sake of having a rough idea what the place looks like, I googled an image. And I reckon the name is just so cute and welcoming isn't it?:)

Pan-fried dumplings


The dumplings were really really porky! I enjoyed them very much! If the dumpling skin was slightly crunchier it would have made a HUGE difference! 

Spring Onion Pancake

The spring onion pancake wasn't my favorite thing. It was really doughy and lacked spring onions! I like my pancakes loaded with them sweet spring onions!

Pork ribs with Black Bean Sauce

It's no secret that I absolutely adore black bean, I especially love the combo with fish. But in this case, it tasted divine with the pork ribs. The pork ribs were chewy and at times it got quite slippery to handle but it that didn't hamper me at all with my eating!

Stir-fry Beef Noodles 

May I just say that I ordered this by mistake? I had some noodles that were just mind-blowing the last time that I've been there and I thought this was it! OH SNAP! But it was nevertheless good! The beef was well-seasoned. And the noodles was just cooked right.

Roasted Brown Rice Milk Tea with Grass Jelly and Pearls

What Asian meal would be complete without Chatime? This is absolutely one of those things that I love! They use real tea, unlike the other poser places that use powders and things alike!

Some random pictures that I took and thought they were definitely worth sharing. The ones of the flowers were taken in Darling Harbour. The color of the flowers were so striking and they really caught my eye. I just couldn't resist taking a photo of these pretty little beauties. The last photo was taken when we were crossing the street, and the sun was just shining brilliantly on the buildings. It was gorgeous.

Mother Chu's Taiwanese Gourmet

Shop 1, 8688 Dixon St 

Haymarket NSW

This has been stressing me for ages

Let's skip food for a bit.

Today I had a major project due in Industrial Design.

I designed a multi-functional decorating tool. From the concept to the final product. Yes, I slaved over it in the workshop cutting, filing, painting, and what not.

I had to submit 4 posters, technical drawings, and a rationale. Oh, don't forget the presentation- I dolled up for it. 

This has been stressing me for the longest time and yet I managed to get a hefty 6 hour sleep last night.

So, here it is, and maybe you'd find it interesting and worthwhile the same way I did. 

Cheers!

Hero Shots

Context of Use

It's the LITTLE THINGS

After hitting the gym I went home in search of a nice, warm, filling and TASTY meal! :) Unfortunately I haven't had the time (or driver) to go to the grocery lately so there's not much food at home. Luckily, my resourcefulness allowed me to scrape something delish together, in a jiffy! I call it my Tasty 10 Minute Meal!!!

OH Yum. Deep inside my ruffled exterior I am a trucker!

Scavenged around the kitchen and the freezer and found ONIONS and TENDERLOIN (from a month ago! HAHAHA! But that's not bad at all because I'm sure restos do that too! :|) Now, anyone who claims to truly know me must know that I am a huge freak for onions and garlic!!! Yummmm. So I asked our helper to cook the steak, fry me onion rings, and make me scrambled eggs (which are my fave quick meal!). I, on the other hand, took a quick shower and turned on my computer, ready to watch the latest episode of GG. YAY! 

Of course, our helper pan-fried me the onion rings. When I meant deep-fry! But I gobbled all the pan-fried ones with gusto, too! CARAMELY :D

Our helper, Ate Beth, is the best deep-frier ever. She makes the best (albeit oiliest) fried eggs, french fries, fried fish, fried tofu, and fried onion rings!!! :D So good. Crunchy on the outside and sweet and juicy on the inside! I whipped up my fave FAST dip-- real mayonnaise (i HATE fake mayo), garlic, kalamansi juice!!! 

Soulmate of Mr Onion Rings

and of course I had to have my OJ too! Freshly squeezed, healthy and PULPY! 

OJ + Onion ring s+ Tartar dip= Menage a trois made in heaven!

So THERE! This is what happiness looks like. It is orange juice, steak, eggs with lots of Tabasco, onions galore, a quiet, peaceful house all to yourself for a few hours, and your favorite TV show.

Happiness is also (here I begin to wax dramatic, hahaha) :

A little sister who fixes up your bed for you every night

A mom who loves you and buys you books and encourages you to read

A dog that adores you and follows you around everywhere

A beautiful grandmother who thinks you're beautiful

The promise of better days

:)

Bourke Street Bakery, Surry Hills

As of the moment, I'm in love with bakeries. In comparison to the Philippines, there's so much more variety in bakeries here- they have so much more to offer. They're uncomplicated, inviting, and rustic. Each time I step into a bakery, it feels like I've stepped into a whole different realm. It's peaceful and I could just stay there, reading a book, eating some delectable bread and sipping a hot cuppa.

My friend and I headed to Bourke Street Bakery at the end of an overwhelming day. We decided to trek instead of catching a bus since we've eaten so much that day. It was nearing 5pm which means the stores are on the verge of closing. We brisk walked all the way to Surry Hills just in time to buy some of their treats. I, for one was excited like no other because I've been dying to try this bakery for the longest time! I've just been to chicken to go alone since I might get lost!

I LOVE THIS PLACE, NO QUESTIONS ASKED

The front of the bakery was plastered with the word BOULANGERIE, a French word that translates to bakery. The place was quite small really, and there weren't many people since they were closing in a couple of minutes. Usually, there is quite a queue! The staff that attended to us was quite cheery and nice. I asked him about the bestsellers of the bakery, he said quite a couple of things, I was staring too intently at the bread and pastries that I just caught brulee tart and lamb sausage roll. And so I ordered a Strawberry Vanilla Brulee Tart, Raspberry Chocolate Mousse, Lemon Curd Tart, Pork & Fennel Sausage Roll, and a Lamb & Harissa Sausage Roll.

Best Brulee Tart Ever

We ate the Strawberry Vanilla BruleeTart right then and there because we couldn't resist. It was love at first bite. It's definitely my favorite among all the tarts that I had. The creme was so silky and smooth, but not runny. There were flecks of vanilla bean in it too. The top shell of glimmering caramelized sugar just gives the tart that extra crunch. My friend commented, he said it was HEAVEN.

Brulee, Mousse, and Lemon Curd

The Raspberry Chocolate Mousse was very dark and full-bodied. I love the fact that they sprinkled chocolate cake crumbs over the top of the tart. The Lemon Curd Tart on the other hand was very sharp and tangy. I was feeling a bit of a pig when I had this. I paired with vanilla ice cream and strawberries- PERFECT HARMONY.

SAUSAGE ROLLS!!

The sausage rolls were fantastic! I adore the Lamb & Harissa Sausage Roll cause it was so fragrant and aromatic! There were heaps of spices plus raisins! It fully exhibited the Moroccan vibe as well! If you ask me, flavor-wise, it resemble the Tunisian Fish Fillet with Rice Pilaf of Cafe Mediterranean Cafe in the Philippines. EPIC. The Pork & Fennel Sausage roll I liked less. The fennel was just too overpowering for me.

The lovely neighborhood, I shall live here on day!

This is my favorite bakery of the moment. It's been named one of the Best in Sydney, and no, it's no overrated. It's really fantastic. I love the location of the bakery as well, it's on a humble street, and the houses are so cute and quaint. I will live there someday. And I'll be going to the organic groceries around the neighborhood and visit the art galleries as well. Oh, too much daydreaming!:)

I can't wait to find time to head to this bakery once again! Probably next week?:)

Bourke Streeet Bakery
633 Bourke Street
Surry Hills
Sydney 2000

Happy Chef at Sussex Centre

My homework is pilled way over my head at the moment, but there's so much I want to say, so many things I want to blog about. So, I'll try to make this as brief as I can? TRY.

Nothing compares to THIS.

My grandfather just absolutely adores this small noodle soup place in the city. He's well over 70 and yet, each and every time he comes to Australia, he makes it to a point to have at least a meal at this place. Each and every time after he has his Satay Noodle Soup with Seafood, he is as happy as a man can be. And seeing him that happy, just makes my day!:)

I used to just tag along for the sake of it, but time after time, I have came to enjoy it as much as my grandfather. I just can't deny it, they have good noodle soup.  First few times that I've been there, I would just go for the obvious choice- wonton noodle soup with a clear beef broth. It's a safe choice and it rarely goes wrong. Last year however, I tried their Laksa cause my mum had a bowl and I just went in and slurped a couple of spoonfuls. It was nevertheless, brilliant. In the past, I've never attempted to order the Laksa because I'm just a coward when it comes to spicy things, not that it was overwhelmingly spicy.

Thas love, RIGHT THERE

Anyway, it was soooooo good, and I've been ordering it from then on. I always have the Wonton Laksa with Egg Noodles. They have fantastic noodles that are just cooked, chinese al dente style, weird, I know. The broth is the highlight of the whole dish, the appearance is slightly oily but it has a dark yellowy- orange color that is just brilliant. The blend of spices that they incorporate into the soup is impeccable. I've never had anything that was balanced as well as this. It's a beauty. Each and every time I have it, it's like I already know what to expect since I have it quite often, but it just tends to surprise me every single time, it's like better than I was anticipating. It's that good. The wontons aren't fantastic, fantastic but they're some sort of match made in heaven with the soup.

Of all the places I've had Laksa at, this is my favorite, no questions asked. NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

This dish is just perfect for those cold winter days wherein you just want to fill your belly and hop in bed with your ultra warm quilt. I repeat, PERFECT.

Happy Chef Seafood Noodle House
Shop F3 401 
Sussex Center
Sussex St
Haymarket

Okay, now on with my homework. Measure, draw, line, sketch, visualize, where was I? HAHAHA.

Counter Burger, Crow's Nest

I LOVE BURGERS. There's nothing much like it. Sandwiches don't count because they are incredibly lame compared to juicy dripping burgers.

Lately, I've been hearing so much about this place called Counter Burger. People have been raving on about it because you could customize your owns burgers. And their burgers are incredibly good, or so I've heard. I've been wanting to try this place for the longest time, and this was finally it!:)

epic interior, really.

The appearance of the restaurant is much like a diner with a surf shack vibe. It's awesome. I personally adore it, plus the color combo of blue and brown. It was much bigger than I expected and there were quite a few people dining there as well.

build your own burger!

Upon arriving, we were give a menu which is basically a clipboard with a sheet of paper and a pen. There, you could choose the kind of meat you want with your burger, whether it be beef, turkey, veggie, or grilled chicken. Then you could pick how big the patty would be- 150g, 300g, or 450g. Believe me, a 150g burger is more than enough. After that, you pick the cheese, fillings, and condiments.

Apple pie shake, I fell in love. 

I went for the famous apple pie shake which was basically a milkshake that actually had real pie crust and filling. When I tell people about it, they're grossed out. But I must tell you, it's good, it's DAMN GOOD. Don't criticize it before you try. You'll regret not having it. I love the way there were still tiny chunks of cinnamon apple and pie crust.

The 50-50 served with garlic aioli, bbq sauce, and thousand island dressing 

Then we also ordered the 50-50 which is a plate of your deep fried sides with a choice of french fries, sweet potato fries, and onion rings. I opted to get sweet potato fries and onion rings. It was definitely a 50-50 balance as well, flavor-wise that is! The onion rings were thin and crunchy! And the sweet potato fries were sweet (OH DUH) and a tad soggy. I cannot express how much I love onion rings, I just couldn't get enough of them.

stunning beef burger

The first burger came, it was a medium rare beef burger with American cheddar, beetroot, dill pickle, caramelized onions, dill pickle, and tomato on a hamburger bun. It was the typical burger, agree? Well, more like the typical Australian burger since it had beetroot. It was good, nothing really stood out though. Oh wait, the meat was gooooood, I think it was Angus.

turkey turkey

The second arrived and it was a turkey burger with blue cheese, grilled onions, olives, tomato, and garlic aioli on an English muffin. This one I loved. First of all, I love my turkey. I always have it on my sandwiches with a little bit on cranberry jelly, lettuce, and tomato. It's such a great protein and it has a little fat content as well. Second, the pairing of turkey with blue cheese was KEY. I never liked blue cheese as a kid, but I always tried it because I'm just really an adventurous eater like that. As time passed, I got used to it and boy, it's such a complex overwhelming flavor that I love. And what's even better is that they made sort of a patty out of the blue cheese so that it won't just crumble once you dig into the burger.

The only thing I wasn't too keen about would be the fact that the burger patties were sooooo thick. I wish that they made it a lot more thinner and wider- more surface area! It would cook faster too!

These burgers were such a mess to eat but nevertheless fun. A burger that is not messy is a DISGRACE.

Back to Cookies

The plan of cooking 3 different cookies this week is such a fail.

It's Saturday, and I've only made 2. 

And it's not like I'll make any tomorrow just because I'm lazy.

So here's the second cookie for the week, White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies.

White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies

makes 3 dozen mini cookies

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp milk

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup all purpose/plain flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1/2 coarsely chopped macadamia nuts (better if it's slightly roasted)

1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 175C.

Melt butter in a small saucepan until it is golden and slightly brown, this will take around 5 minutes.

In a mixer, beat brown sugar and cooled melted butter on a medium setting for 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat for another minute then proceed with the milk and vanilla until it is just incorporated.

Turn off the mixer, add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat with a spatula until just incorporated. Fold in the nuts and white chocolate chips.

I used a tablespoon as the size for each cookie that I made. Cook in the oven for 7 minutes. 

Let it chill for a few minutes in the baking tray before moving it to the cooling rack. 

I'm such a big fan of cookies, but they're really mean to my thighs and butt. That's probably the only reason that's stopping me from eating them every single day. And the combination of the white chocolate and macadamia is such a classic, and I just couldn't resist making them. SCRUMPTIOUS. Oh, and you could also add in some dried cranberries which would make it a tad tangy!:)

Nothing Short of Fantastic

It's one of those days that's just ordinary and yet packed with happiness in the simplest ways.

The highlight of my breakfast.
It's never to early for curried potatoes.

It started off with breakfast, I was quite indecisive today, I didn't know what to eat. I finally decided on toast and jam cause I was being lazy. Which jam? Would it be the Orange Marmalade with Lime? Or the Fig & Chocolate? I went for the Fig & Chocolate, 1 slice of wholemeal bread or two? Anyway, YOU get the picture. It took me around 10 minutes just to figure out what I wanted to eat. I had a slice of toast with Fig & Chocolate Jam plus some leftover potato samosas. 

WORK TIME. Everybody was especially cheery at work today and the customers weren't much of a pain. Even though it's a Thursday, the cafe wasn't as packed as it usually is! But of course, there's my croc-face (crocodile face) boss that makes everything absolutely BAD. She likes to lecture and yell at people because she thinks she's just BRILLIANT.  She never listens to people's explanations and she just keeps repeating what she already said. BORING, I just nod my head but deep inside, oh, you have no idea how much I would want to punch her. On top of that, she has red highlights and a fobby (fresh-off-the-boat/ che kwa)accent, how much more annoying could she get? But at the end of the day, I get my pay and tips, and THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS.

The rainbow that was so enchanting, I just stared for ages and smiled up to my ears.

After work, my dad, grandfather and I headed to Reverse Garbage. Yes, I know it sounds gross, but they're just scrap pieces from industrial areas. I get to save heaps more going to places like those instead of buying fresh material from the store. And if I get to save money, boy, I'm in. I got to buy my materials for my next project, YES!:) On the way home, traffic was pretty bad since it was rush hour, it was drizzling outside but the sunset still proved to be impeccably beautiful. While stopped at the stoplight, I saw a RAINBOW. It was beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. It made my day. Whenever I see a rainbow, there's no way that I'd have a frowning face. It was the ultimate highlight of my day! 

Preshafruit Apple & Passionfruit, this might just be my new favorite one!
The passionfruit was so subtle and yet it gave such complexity!

Since it's Thursday, late night shopping it is. We headed to Ikea to buy some stuff for the ongoing construction here at home. I love Ikea and their Swedish Meatballs. My cousin and I didn't stay long though, we headed to the grocery and bought some junk. I spotted the new Preshafruit and instantly grabbed it!:)

My Lamb Shank Stew with Mash Potato, the perfect way
to bid the harsh winter goodbye and say hello to spring!:)

Dinner time, earlier this morning I put together my Lamb Shank Stew. It's the first time that I was going to attempt this recipe and I decided to wing it. :) I browned the meat, threw this and that into the pot and I let the LOOOOOOOONG cooking process begin. Turned out aisdufjaslkjbf GOOD. I made some mashed potato as well, because Braised Lamb Shanks just wouldn't be complete without mash!:) Recipe will be up soon!:)

And now, I'm skyping with my loves as I'm typing, is there a better way to end this day? I doubt it!:)

Erciyes Turkish Pide

I was supposed to make another batch of cookies today, but there was a whole day of enjoyment in store so it was bye bye cookies.

Today turned out FANTASTIC. Anyway, my dad and I headed to the city and we decided to try this Turkish Takeaway that is rumoured to have the BEST TURKISH PIDE in SYDNEY. He just couldn't resist since he's such a big fan of pides. We walked for I'd say 30 minutes to get to the Turkish Takeaway, Erciyes. It was hot today and I was sweating like a pig. Upon arriving, I felt so relieved to be out of the scorching sun. The place was quaint and inviting. Some Turkish men, I presume, were making kebabs and cooking around.

Okay, so pide is a Turkish dish which involves oval pieces of flatbread that wraps around some fillings. The common fillings are spinach, cheese, garlic, chicken, beef, and pork. They are cooked in an oven for around 10 minutes until brown. It is brushed with oil and served with lemon.

spinach, cheese, garlic & egg pide

Cured meat pide

We ordered a 2 pides, a spinach, cheese, egg & garlic one and a Turkish cured meat with cheese & onion. As soon as I ordered them, a man behind the counter started rolling out 2 pieces of dough and filling them up. The way the man made the pide was amazing, he moved with such precision and skill. After making them, he placed them in the oven and the dreadful wait began. My stomach was rumbling and I couldn't wait to have a taste of these scrumptious flatbreads.

Lovely wilted spinach pide

The pides came out of the oven and my mouth was watering like there was no tomorrow! The man brushed them with oil, chopped them up and packed them with a wedge of lemon! We hurriedly found a place to sit and started digging in. The smell of the pide with the cured meat was remarkable. It reminded me so much of beef jerky! Oh, beef jerky, how I love thou.

Heavily spiced cured meat pide

I tried the spinach one first, it was mind-blowing! The minute I sunk my teeth into the flatbread, it was soooo chewy! OH THAT'S LOVE RIGHT THERE!:) The spinach was insanely good! The cheese was so stretchy, there were long strands of it everywhere! The cured meat pide was tasty as hell but then it would get a bit salty when you've had quite a bit of it! The egg on both pides were moist like sunny side up eggs. And the lemon heightened everything!:) TWO THUMBS UP!

I now share the love of pide with my dad. And now, I shall devour my Green & Black's Ginger Chocolate. It's been staring at me since who knows when!:)

Erciyes Takeaway and Restaurant
409 Cleveland Street
Surry Hills, Sydney

Things i love! NOT FOR CHILDREN

Now I'm bent on taking more pictures! And learning how to edit them :D

True that!

So funny! Click on the image to see! :D

LOL! We miss you, Heath!

LOVE THIS

Must practice doing yoga again!

AWESOME

MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE :)