Monday, February 21, 2011

Cafe Vue Lunch-box - February 2011



Cafe Vue Lunch-box, February 2011, $15


Starter Brandade (with potato crisps)  
Salad Orecchiette, broccoli & Toulouse sausage 
Savoury Tuna, crispy capers & mayonnaise on olive ciabatta 
Sweet Yuzu meringue


This month's Lunch-box was a good one! I've never had Brandade before, but its similar to a fishy rillette and according to the source of all knowledge (Wikipedia) normally made with cod and served with bread. The Vue brandade was paired with their house-made potato crisps, which were salty, oily and very moreish. The salad of orecchiette pasta with teeny pieces of broccoli and cubes of french pork sausage was delicious, if a little pasta heavy. I would have preferred a greater ratio of broccoli and sausage pieces to pasta pieces, but on the whole good. The olive ciabatta was tasty and dense, but I was a bit ho-hum about the filling: tinned tuna, mayo and shredded iceberg lettuce. I know I shouldn't have been expecting fresh tuna, but a small part of me had hoped. I don't know about the pairing of the tuna with the olive bread - I think I would have preferred the veggo option, which was filled with goats cheese. The sweet was, as always, divine: fluffy sweet meringue and tangy yuzu curd made for a delicious yuzu meringue. 

Monday, February 14, 2011

Valentine's Day

While I, like many others, don't subscribe to the idea that you should wait for a specific day of the year to say "I love you", or that you have to buy a card or red roses or boxed chocolates to signify that love (although, if you're reading, babe, some choccies wouldn't go astray!) I'm also not going to pass up the opportunity to pause for a moment and remember that I'm so. very. lucky to have found someone I love, who loves me back. 

Photo credit: benedettarusconi.com.au


I love you, darling. I choose you today, tomorrow, every day for the rest of my life. Let's run away together... again. 

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Starry Night

Far out, is it really February already?! Ok, let's keep it short and sweet and make it snappy or the next thing you know half the year will be gone with no posting... 


My mum is one of those people who makes her own Christmas Bonbons (or crackers) with personalised gifts inside. This year my teeny tiny pressie was a super cute Special Edition polish from The Body Shop: 
Starry Night, The Body Shop
Kind of a rubbish application, I know, but I love the silver glitter in black polish. My one complaint is that layering to achieve depth of blackness seemed like kind of a waste as you essentially paint over the glitter, which is the best bit, right? But all in all, good holiday fun :o)