Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts

Tuesday, 27 December 2011

This Christmas

Traditionally my friends host a Christmas Eve party, and with it falling on a Saturday there was a lot less rushing about from work (I work right up to and through the Xmas period).


It is generally a day of over indulgence, and this year was no exception.  I found this recipe on Pinterest and just had to try it out.  I think it was devoured in about 10 minutes....!


Pizza Dip
Pizza Dip!!
Ingredients
Base
  • 150 grams of Philly cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise (nice rich creamy variety like "real" or "hellmans" brands)
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella, grated
  • 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
  • 1 cup pizza sauce
  • Topping
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded/grated
  • 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
  • 100 grams chopped pepperoni
  • 2 tablespoons capsicum sliced thin 
  • 2 tablespoons mushrooms sliced thin
  • 2 tablespoons black olives, sliced 
Directions
  1. Mix the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano and spread it across the bottom of a pie plate.
  2. Spread the pizza sauce on top and sprinkle on the cheese, pepperoni, green pepper, mushrooms and olives.
  3. Bake in a preheated 180 C oven until the cheese has melted, bubbling and golden brown, about 15 minutes.

You can substitute in and out your other favourite pizza ingredients.  Serve with some crusty sourdough bread.  Here is my version below, not as photogenic as the file pic, but you get the gist!



Christmas day was yet another day of over indulgence.  My uncle is Austrian and his mother was in Australia to visit so we were lucky enough to have apple strudel for dessert, a highlight for sure!

With custard, yum!
Being summer in Australia, lunch was a mix of cold meats, sushi and salads, and of course pork crackling :). (notice I blogged about dessert first. I know where my priorities lie)

The heavens opened in the early afternoon, and we were pelted with hailstones the size of golf balls.  The damage was pretty bad across Melbourne, we were lucky to only sustain one dent in our car...

A great Christmas nonetheless!  Got a good haul of presents too :)




Friday, 9 December 2011

Bali's Finest

When in Bali, I was lucky to visit a couple of amazing places worth blogging about.
Firstly, Potato Head Beach Club in Seminyak..


We went here twice, both times for dinner and it is nothing short of amazing.  Designed by architect Andra Martin, it is a modern take on the Coliseum.  18th century teak shutters decorate the exterior facade, a lush green lawn sweeps down to a beach front pool in the interior.


We enjoyed modern cocktails that were very reasonably priced (around $10AUD) and meals around $20.  We also ate at the tapas and seafood restaurant "Lilin" which has 4 plate tapas menus at around $20AUD as well as an array of fresh seafood.


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Stunning teak shutter exterior
Beach side pool and swim up bar

Ampitheatre design is breathtaking at night
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Modern interior bar
Great view!

The second notable mention is the venue we stayed at for the wedding.  


Villa Beji in Canngu (about 20 minutes drive from Seminyak) has private detached villas with a large shared area, movie room and we even had a private Chef.  He was mostly really really good at ensuring that there were enough cold beers by the pool :)


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Villa Beji Pool.  Many hours spent lounging here!


Putting up lanterns for the wedding
The ceremony at Umah Di Beji, just next door
Party!
I was actually really really surprised by Bali.  There were a number of boutiques in Seminyak where you could buy some beautiful dresses and accessories.  I also found a Topshop in Kuta which was a pleasantly surprising find!  

The food was also very enjoyable, with a number of fine dining options dotted around Seminyak, such as Gado Gado and Ultimo.  I was very disappointed to miss out on a trip to Rock Bar, but maybe next time ;).

I think the best thing about Bali though, was the people.  They are lovely, friendly and laid back and really make your stay more enjoyable.

All photos are my own, or from the Potato Head and Villa Beji websites and Facebook pages



Sunday, 6 November 2011

Sunday Images

Images that caught my eye this week :)

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Chanel'o'lantern via theyallhateus.com

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Miranda via fashiionlove.tumblr.com

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Lea via Dailymail.co.uk
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Cosy space from Tumblr
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Millie, Hugo and Spencer - Made in Chelsea (love this show) via Google

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Dirty Dancing via Theyallhateus.com - perfect Sunday arvo movie I think!
Some personal shots of dinner at St Katherines restaurant in Melbourne.  Fans of Aussie Masterchef will know this as George Calombaris' restaurant.  (Shout out to my cousin Nick who took me there as a Uni graduation present!)



Fab Bulgari Pellegrino, assorted sharing dishes followed by a jam donut and choc mousse.  Roll me outta there.
Now back to my favourite Sunday activity - Pop Asia music videos on SBS.