The Kardashians

Yes i admit it.

I love the Kardashians.

Their glam, their family values, their arguments and their clothes.

Love it love it love it.

One thing i don't love is the emptiness i have when i face my closet after an episode with them. Suddenly my Blazers look so dull, my shoes just don't have their sharpness and my hair is just a tad bit erk.

I must say out of all of them i'm most like Khloe. Tall, always not thin enough and bratty. I like her confidence, her flair and of course the love of food.

There's nothing more enjoyable then reading her tweets about all the time she spends in the kitchen to cook her husband the dishes he loves. What's more sexier then a confident women cooking in her heels?

When my 30 mins is spent with Khloe i feel more classy, more powerful and enjoying my figure more. I guess now i'm not so shy about my height nor my chubby cheeks.

Now - to make the Hub into a high profile basket ball player.

I think Lamar eats deep fried chicken.

F.Truffles.

Its The Most Craziest Time Of the Year!

Hi everyone

I was glancing though Alice Bradley's amazing blog www.finslipper.com and i enjoyed it so much i thought lets keep going with this blog.

Even though i know there are maybe 5 subscribers- 3 of whom we forced to follow us! i am determined to keep going.

I suppose Blogging was never meant to be a chore but rather an form of expression, almost an art really.

So here i am refreshed and hopefully revived.

Lets begin with a short update.

Sister in Law - whom is driving me nuts but i love dearly is getting married in February.

Now you must understand that when big events come up i empty the fridge. That's right! Goodbye lovely chocolate, hot creamy drinks and even sliced ham. Gone ! (The Hub was groaning every time a new item was placed in the bin).

And in comes the muesli, fruit and vegetables (more groaning).

Now in Sydney the weather has changed drastically, from hot summer nights to cold and wet days. This has really caused alot dilemmas whilst grocery shopping.

Juicy ripe mangoes and watermelon are overlooked and I'm opting for the more dearer wintry food.
Things like lamb, soups and tea are on the tips of my tongue and even though the chill is very enjoyable I'm grieving a little bit.

Was looking forward to my new found favourite crunchy noodle salads, cranberry and chicken mix and also fruit with yogurt.

One thing that is definite is plus - no need to be worried about my body not being ready for my bathing suit! Its too Damn cold =)

Wells that's it for now

Enjoy =)

Francine Truffles

Quirky much?

It seems when we are sick and our battered bodies are summing up all its energy to fight the flu, we tend to seek comfort food.

Comfort food has many connotations. It could be a warm stew, warm chocolate mud cake or even a sloppy joe.

Its a complex matter - A comfort food for one, could be detestable to another.

It's quite humourous when i stop and remember what foods brings certain people comfort.

A close friend's ideal breakfast is rice with bacon and sunny side up eggs with bbq sauce. She loves to crack the  yoke, spread it on her rice, cuts the bacon with her a soup spoon and a fork, and adds the bbq.

My brother enjoys buying a fresh hot cheese pizza and placing it in the freezer for 10 mins, he is convinced the cheese tastes even better. He loves to sandwhich the pizza together and doesn't seem bothered by the oil that has set ontop of the cheese.

The hubs loves a slimy spinach stew. Its watery, has a slight texture of runny muscus and enjoys slurping it.


As for me. Throw me a bowl of salt laden instant noodles with a side of msg and canned tuna anyday.

The instant noodles need to be extra hot and a spoon of hot satay sauce added to the mix. The slurping, the msg high and the bloated stomach is the bonus that comes with my fetish.

I know its quirky, and quite embarrassing when i'm sharing it with others. But i'm a instant noodle closet fan and i hope one day to be able to start a noodle revolution. I'm thinking gourmet fresh hand made noodles with thicky satay sauces, prawns and sprigs of corianders all in one sealed container. Or maybe a fresh laksa soup pack with chicken breast and bean sprouts.

But alas, one battle at a time.

I'm still trying to convince myself that even though it tastes good- its not making me any better.

Quirky Truffles.

Are we there yet?!

There are few things i get myself into without first considering the pros and cons. But i have to admit, this was trip was a "dive first, and, hope for water" type of scenarios.

I'm off to the snows today with four children, all in primary school, and none of them are mine! Gulp.

 It started with a booking for a romantic getaway and somehow the extended family's phones were dialing my number and i ended up with four others. The last few days I've stressed the hub out by murmuring food ideas and scribbling down dinner plans.

My poor grocery trolley had the shock of its life when we entered through the sliding doors. A young married working couple with no children, replaced their health oriented products with underage snacks. Individual tiny teddy cookies, jelly and fruit cups, cheese and dip snacks and the mixed chip packets. I was almost tempted to make individual lunch packs with the classic brown paper bag and names scribbled in front.

I can definitely understand a parent's dilemma of being active in their children's life and making sure you give them foods that they like. Add to the list - healthy fresh food, that is a full time job! I'm praying i can match up a packet of crisp with some strawberries to subsidise the fat content.

One thing to draw from this experience so far?

 I'm starting to get an itch to write to Parliament and request for Mother's day to be a public holiday.

 Did i forget to mention that one of the little ones likes to dribble?

Wish me luck!

Truffles

Fish and Chips

There's nothing like hot fish and chips burning your finger tips as you finish from a swim at the beach.

Today the hub n I find ourselves in Cronulla at the "South Beach Sea Foods". There's a browning old newspaper cut off in the front of the store, proudly displaying  the 5th ranking in Sydney's best fish and chips.

My order was the today's special of grilled John Dory with fries and garden salad and the Hub orders the salt and pepper soft-shell crab and a grilled fish burger.

I remember a lazy soak on the beach a few months earlier for my birthday with the girls and the hot grilled fish with lemon and pinches of salt in a fluffy bun with thick mayo and lettuce was divine. Comfort food rightly deserved after many hard hours of sitting in the waters gossiping!

This fish and chip store has invaded so many of my fond memories. Spontaneous beach trips, hot summer nights dips and lazy Saturdays.

I hope you'll discover a favorite beach side  eatery of your own. And don't skimp out on the fries... It's all part of the experience

F. Truffles.

GFWS

The Good Food and Wine Show has been one of my favourite events of the year, it also gives me that extra push to pursue great food. Winter is usually long and dreary so the timing is perfect to experiment and create some new dishes at home.

I must mention the lay out this year. It was much more friendlier and easier to navigate compared to last years set up. The middle section was not as congested due to the planners moving the main eatery from the center and replacing it with a food demonstration area. There was more sitting areas and access to bathrooms as well.

There is some thing i would have liked to see more of, Sydney is a big melting pot - full of different flavours and infusions and hopefully we can see more variety in the stalls. Recipes and produce from countries such as Vietnam, Germany, France, Britain, New Zealand and South America was absent. Even the one cheese stall last year was not on the floors at all, no, not even Coon, King Island Dairy or the everyday shredded cheeses.

None-the-less GFWS has opened up its doors and i was pleased to see Paddy the Irish Baker, Malaysian food, a Tunisian stand and also a Smoked Salmon stand representing Canadian Salmon.

All in all its exciting to see how the Australian palate is changing and people are flocking in to explore and learn more about foods.

I can't wait to see what's install for 2011.

Happy eating

F. Truffles

I'll try one thanks

It's still daylight outside and I'm tucked into bed.

My feet is sore, tummy full and had just a little bit too much to drink!

Yes another Good Food and Wine Show has arrived and left my bank accounts slightly under my liking.

I'm a big fan of new ideas and new flavors so I whizzed around fairly quickly concentrating on stalls that were new.

Smoke salmon from Canadia, warmed apple berry cider, premade shortcrusts dough and chocolate ravioli with raspberry fillings were tasted and fussed over.

The cheese appreciation class was deadly with combination of bubbly, triple cream Brie and some honey with infused truffle.

But I shall say no more and I can't wait to post the links and wonderful flavors we came across.

Nap time

F. Truffles

Can we get the garlic mayo too?

I can't forget the first time i stepped into the famous charcoal chicken restaurants in Granville.

The clutter, the noise and oddly the hair dryer.

The height of the experience came down to the addictive Lebanese garlic mayonnaise, it almost melts on your tongue and goes perfectly with the smokey chicken.

Winter is here and so is the dreadful flu and so i have found the perfect recipe that will not only taste great but also helps build your immunity system.  Pssst- perfect for kids too.

Just triple the ingredients if you want to make a decent amount for the family.

Enjoy

F Truffles...


http://thefoodblog.com.au/2010/04/fast-and-easy-toum-the-best-lebanese-garlic-sauce-recipe.html

Hint- for a lighter healthier option i used 2/3 of lite vegetable oil and 1/3 of olive oil.

Minestrone gone wrong

Welcome back.. lets get into it.

I like to make believe that i am a very positive person- the glass is half full and every day is another gift.

The birds sing due to the fullness of life and the fish swim for the glee of their fins.

...... You better not be laughing as you read this!

I know who you are........

(lets just say i enjoy having a dry sense of humour )

There's a little lunch time routine that the office takes part in religiously and that's the purchasing of lunch. You see there's never enough options and no matter what comes our way there is always room for improvement.(I like to ignore my conscience that its more to do with our employment conditions rather then food but none the less).

The office will groan and mutter "what should we eat?..."  (background noise )

" i don't know whatever you want".

Moments later a suggestion is offered and then..... " no way.. its really bad there.."   (silence)

 " really?! .. OK whatever you want.. i don't know".

And so it goes...

Wells on this blessed day i ordered a very healthy minestrone soup with crusty bread and the ladies ordered the steak sandwich with fries from an Italian restaurant. As as we raced back to the office a smell permeated the air, one that normally would make my mouth water but in this occasion it was very much inappropriate. My soup smelt like blue cheese that was left in a warm room for several days! I was very apologetic as my colleagues noticed me walk into our very small room.

Its was actually very comical as i lifted the spoon to my lips, i almost felt people around me cringe. The zucchini was bitter, the pasta was over done adding to the gravy likeness of the soup and the vegetables in the soup weren't able to give its own distinctive taste. It was like a mass suicide for the veggies as it was boiled for several hours and God forbid - days.

Minestrone is such a classic, herbie and warm soup that's meant to be an enjoyable experience. One thing to take note for myself next time- that little effort to salt the zucchini for 10 minutes won't be forgotten.

Do you have any cafe/lunchtime mishaps? I love laughing and reading your comments

F. Truffles

A New Beginning

Good afternoon,

I hope this cool winter day is treating you well.

As you know we have been a tad bit lazy with the blogs and i hope to be able to add bits and pieces when times permit.

I'm looking forward to the Sydney 2011 Good Food and Wine Show- the hub purchase me a cheese appreciation class and I'm looking forward to teasing the palate. One thing i do enjoy is the long lines and the dedicated food lovers that line up early to taste and savour the new foods that are available to customers.There's nothing more pleasant then seeing a family lined up with fresh sour dough offering samples of their freshly pressed olive oil or the young ones serving little pieces of rocky road on a silver platter.

Yesterday i have the strangest notions and at the end of the day i ended up a lamb and chick pea curry, Lebenese garlic mayo, minestrone with little chucks of smoked specks and a smoked salmon penne dish! I was fairly embarrassed and soacked in a hot tub for a full 30 minutes to recover.

I think its safe to say - this is going to be a new beginning.

F. Truffles

Downtime From New Years

Take the time to have a cuppa and reflect on 2010.

Truffle & Holly

The Mysterious Bro-Mance

One of the greatest man made invention was the car. 

Cars are no longer primarily used for transport. The modern car is now decked out with DVDs, GPS systems and sound systems. No one can doubt that mankind is progressing....

There is however something that is actually in reverse gear…the mysterious Bro-Mance. There is a new trend popping up amongst the traditional ” blokey relationship” things like burping, comparing beet gutts and eating 1 kg steaks are being threatened by the “Bro-Mance”.

 Let’s explain this concept ” bro-mance”. The metaphor gives permission for men to give each other fashion advice, go to restaurants together for a meal, hug, slap each others butts and tell one another via SMS how much they appreciate one another.

The Husband is a fore runner of bro-Mance. Where he goes he leaves other blokes love struck. He constantly gets the hugs, the love SMS and the occasional male fashion admirer. The food trend is also changing although I would say its progressing. Goodbye to greasy chips and pies and big macs, the boys have a slight touch of sophistication. They tend to add new touches to the meals such as having a wagu beef burger or a grilled fish with beer battered fries.

The Bro-Mancer also enjoys the indulgent dessert such as a chocolate fondue or dark chocolate mousse and is not afraid to finish the meal with peppermint tea. An hour drive for good food is no longer a problem on the agenda. And the shirt is crisply ironed and hair is neat and presentable.

Well ladies I’ve come to a good conclusion as to where did all the good man go? Most likely the blokes aren’t hanging out in the pubs any longer, you”ll find them in the corner having gluten free cookies and sipping on lattes. Blame it on the mysterious Bro-Mance….

Signing Off- F. Truffles

The End Of Year Work Function

What’s sad to admit is that the food doesn’t seem to matter to one who has had one too many Midori and Lemonades. The crowd flocking to the waiters tend to be enough to draw me to the food before it runs out. So at the end of the night, when all decent cafes and eateries are closed i take off my heels and wonder how i can justify a trip to Maccas.

Truffles

Cherish Christmas

Let’s not let Christmas pass us by with memories of the heat and demands. Let’s create a Christmas where the fresh seafood and heavy desserts are admired by all. And the friendship and love is handed out generously!

The Home Cooked Meal

In the midst of glam and design its so nice to just be simple. Alas, there is so much comfort to the home cooked meal made with love.

Love F. Truffles

Got Pho?

In my group of close friends i tend to be the only one who can read and understand the Vietnamese menu......

Dishes such a the Bun Thi Nuong – Grilled Beef Vermicelli Salad with Basil and Mint, Banh Hoi Thit Cuon – Do It Yourself Rice Paper Rolls and Pho – Beef Noodle Soup brings fond memories of food from my travels in Vietnam. There is one thing that never fails to amuse my dear friends, they always tend to laugh on cue and that when they hear anyone speak Vietnamese.

Let me set the scene for you – Its 10pm at night and the group had finished meeting up and its time for a good meal. They all share the different places they would like to go which can range from KFC to a fancy restaurant in the city and then we end up usually going to Bau Truong. Bau Truong is on a main road in Canley Heights and is well known for its tasty char grilled meats and fresh herbs.

It’s busy, loud and noisy and these very sweet waiters wait patiently as everyone share menus and keeps juggling what they would like for our late dinners. As the Vietnamese dances across the table it is meet with giggles and smiles, soon there are people imitating the sounds and accents and they even try to order in Vietnamese!

Drinks that’s are ordered include a very unique Avocado Shake which is blended avocado, ice and very creamy condensed milk that resembles a thick shake. Other drinks that are popular is the sweet and sour Strawberry Shake and Jack Fruit Shake that tastes as though it belongs to the Mango family. Foods are next including Hot Deep Fried Quails served with a piping hot Tamarind Sauce, a Chicken Lemon and Lime Leaf Salad served with roasted Pepper and sliced red chili. The Hot and Sour Soup with bean sprouts and seafood are one of our favourites and also the Sugar Cane Prawns that has a peppery and sweet combinations served with fresh herbs and noodles.

When the deed has been done and the group has had their share of food there is a short walk to the car. The air in Canley heights must have magical properties, just as we enter in the car someone recalls another funny Vietnamese saying and teasing starts again!

Bau Truong Restaurant

250 Canley Vale Road
Canley Heights 2166
(02) 9755 7099

Open Daily 10am-12am

 Luv   F.Truffles