Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Gadgets Mania!

A lot more gadgets would have found their places in my kitchen if not for the fact that my kitchen and pantry are real tiny; not to mention already crammed and bursting XD..........

Cuisinart-BC-50A-L Supreme Commercial Quality Ice Cream Maker
Commercial grade ice-cream maker

Plus point: no pre-freezing of pan (my freezer is absolutely filled to the max!), end result is firm.


Minus point: super noisy! Not ideal if you live in apartment with thin walls. The outside of pan gets freezed up rather quickly. the unit will stop automatically when paddle is struggling to churn while the middle is still runny. But a little mixing and it's good to go again.


I got mine from Everten. This is hard to find in shop let alone getting it cheap online. But Everten's price was reasonable at AUD448.

Everten
Other goodies from Everten, from top left clockwise: Dreamfarm potato masher, Mundial take-apart kitchen shears, chicago metallic swiss-roll pan and kyocera ceramic peeler.

A brief shop at Peter's of Kensington once a year's massive sale is inevitable......
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Peter's of Kensington

From top left clockwise: Salter aquatronic scale, V&B espreso new-wave spoon, ice-cream scoop, madeleine pan and in the middle Cuisinart waffle maker AUD63.


Every kitchen should have an aquatronic scale (measures both solid weight and liquid ml in both metric and imperial measurement) if you are serious about baking. Chuck out the measuring cup/jug/bowl!


The Cuisinart waffle maker retails for AUD99.95 in shop, even if there is a sale (which is normaly 15%), ordering it online is wayyyy cheaper, even with the shipping thrown in.

Dyson DC22 Motorhead
Myer's offer of 15% discount and double points on Dyson range, if you have a Myer one card, is simply irrestible.


The above picture showed the result of first vacuuming. Holy moly the dust and what not collected was WAY over maximum capacity!


This only happens nowadays if I don't empty my unit in a month!!!


I can't imagine what we were living with before we got the Dyson, SUPER SCARY!!


If you can afford one, go for it, don't even hesitate! Especially if you are asthmatic and have little ones at home.


Princess got her first asthma attack last year and we quickly bought a Dyson after that. She haven't had any serious attack since. Touchwood!



Korean non-stick marble pan
OK, I know this is lame, what?? a pan??


The Calpalon non-stick pans (I have 2 different sizes) really had seen their better days. this time round instead of shopping and looking up reviews for expensive, heavy duty non-stick pan, I got myself what seem to be the craze among Taiwanese and Korean housewives.


Korean made marble non-stick pan coated with gold and silver specks.


I got mine from Hanaro Mart at Times Square in Sunnybank. They are only AUD24. The brand I got was heavier than others and has got the extra gold coating.


Now I know silver has anti-bacterial function but gold? Hmm, I don't know what it does really.

Korean marble pan sticker
Korean writing from the non-stick pan, someone please enlighten?


After 4 months of intensive use, it still looks spanking new without a single scratch (I use wooden spatula) and the coating has not gone-off like those Tefal/Calphalon/Scanpan. Fingers crossed, I have found myself a gem. Let's see how it does after a year.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Neighbourhood Thai Restaurant

Mixed entree@Thai Country
Mixed entree

Sweet&sour chick@Thai Country
Sweet and sour chicken rice

Sat down, need to flag down waitress several times before she actually acknowledged me.

Entree came in 10 minutes after ordering. Good. But other tables who ordered after me ALREADY got their first dish.

The waitress did not come and clear the plate after we were done. I waved and said 'excuse me' to no avail. She ignored me. After about 10 minutes, she came to clear the plate. No words exchanged, she did not even make eye contact.

Then it was THE LONGEST wait for a plate of stir fry tomatoes and chicken pieces with PRECOOKED rice.

The rice arrived friggin FORTY FIVE minutes after our entree plate was cleared.

Other tables came and went. We were the first patrons and last to leave the restaurant. Sat down at around 12.15pm and left at 1.50pm!! We only came in for a quick lunch! Hah, a joke.

Obviously anyone other than black haired were treated like VIP and we were left forgotten. The cook actually brought out our plate of miserable rice. The waitress hovering over blonds and brown hairs' table chatting away animatedly.

It was the first time I did not finish my food in a restaurant and left without a doggy bag even and vowed not to step foot in anymore neighbourhood Thai establishments.

Suffice to say I did not leave a tip.

[Gold Coast] Chocolicious

Chocolicious
Pacific Fair Shopping Centre
Broadbeach

Choclicious@Pacific Fair GC
A reader recommended this place for their signature iced chocolate drink.

So off I went in search of the said drink when we went Pacific Fair.

Iced chocolate@Choclicious
Tada! Iced chocolate!

To be honest the pale colour of the concoction did not scream 'Yummy!' when it arrived at the table.

But one sip me and Princess started 'fighting' over who get the next sip after Big King's turn.

So it's me turn, Princess turn, Big King turn, Princess turn, me turn, Princess turn, me turn, Princess turn then Princess turn................

Awwww, it really was a delicious drink. But I woudn't call it refreshing because of the cream and all.

Assorted choclates from Choclicious
Brought home an assortment of chocolates. I must say the flavours were quite subtle, I can't tell one flavour from another, orz........

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Maxim's Frozen Snowskin Mooncakes 2009

Maxim's mooncakes 2009

Black one is sesame flavour with some kind of nut, our family favourite.

The chocolate skin is mango with chocolate rice crispies.

The green coloured one is most probably plain with just mung beans.

This year's version (2009) was tastier than last year's (2008). I suppose it's an improved recipe.

Looking forward to this year's mooncakes. I hope Big Gun makes a custard baked skin version (fingers crossed).

Speaking of Big Gun, it is currently my favourite place for yum cha!! They make the most kick-arse custard bun ever!

[Gold Coast] Yuuga

Yuuga
Modern Sushi Dining
38 Cavill Ave
Surfers Paradise
QLD 4217

Yuuga@Gold Coast

First visit 19/09/2009 for dinner

Uzaku@Yuuga GC
Uzaku AUD5.80

Barbequed eel with cucumber salad in vinegar dressing.

Kid's meal(dinner)@Yuuga GC
Kid's meal (dinner) AUD13.80

Superb value!

Thee were omelette, prawn fritters, potato salad, fried chicken and chicken minced patty.

Kid's meal icecream@Yuuga GC
Ice-cream which comes with the kid's meal.

Newstyle sushi set@Yuuga GC
Newstyle sushi set AUD28

Superb technique in rice pressing. Fish/topping did not separate from vinegared rice and rice did not crumble and fell apart after a bite or even 2 bites.

Impressive.

Fish was aburi-ed nicely, raw calamari and scallop were sweet and melt in the mouth. The beef was sweet and tender. The roe fresh and crunchy.

Yakisoba@Yuuga GC
Yakisoba AUD16

Fried noodles covered in omelette and drizzle with mayo and worchestershire tasting brown sauce.

Revisited 09/01/2010 for lunch
Unagi set lunch@Yuuga GC
Unagi set lunch (I think it was AUD19)

Ladies set lunch@Yuuga GC
Ladies set lunch AUD15

Now this was ordered out of curiosity as to how savoury adzuki sticky rice (only cooked on special occassion) taste like.

Mmmmm, I like the er, green tea panna cotta.....XD

Children's meal@Yuuga GC
Kid's meal (lunch) AD12

Presentation and taste wise a far cry from the dinner version.

The ice-cream came san the chocolate drizzle and cornflake.