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Mi Piace

Posted on Friday, June 29, 2012

29 June

 Once again, the Shtein Family is out on the town to score some dinner (well, that's just me). We went to go see Rock of Ages (I recommend it - Tom Cruise was amazing) but not before having dinner at a relatively new restaurant to the Entertainment Quarter called Mi Piace. It's an Italian restaurant with everything from antipasto to pizza to steak to seafood. The menu is quite extensive.

Antipasto Platter for two
parma prosciutto, sopressa salami , artichokes hearts, mixed italian olives, chargrilled eggplant, rosted red peppers pecorino and toasted in house made ciabatta 

My iPhone really wrecked the presentation and colour but this was delicious. We fought over this one.


Filletto Piemontese

medium rare cooked beef eye fillet with grilled and arborio rice filled tomato, asparagus, served with red wine glaze

This was great. The fillet was cooked really well, it just melted in my mouth and the tomato had arborio rice in it which i thought was a nice touch. Asparagus was also nicely cooked - all in all a great dish.

Wood-fired Scampi

garlic, lemon, parsley marinated scampi served on a bed of wild rocket leave

Mum got this one. The scampi was cooked really well and the presentation was great. Also, what a generous serving. 
We also had pizza. The thing for me, which makes a pizza delicious is the base and the crust. Mi Piace really do have this DOWN. It was so doughy in the crust and the base was quite thin. I wish the tomatoes had been more spread out (I love my tomatoes) and the fish was a bit salty but seriously, this crust was great. I should have just got a plain pizza and just enjoyed the dough because it was great.

I really recommend this place - go for the Pizza.

Ella xx

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Simple Favourites

Posted on Friday, June 15, 2012

15 June

 After going to my local Japanese (sashimi, agedashi tofu, tempura veges, miso), I walked down to my local service station and discovered a convenient Ben & Jerry's fridge right at the door.




This stuff is amazing. Heaven in a tub. . And I can't describe the taste. The brownie and cookie dough just randomly appear through out the ice cream.

I can't. This was the perfect Friday night for me - watching TV and eating Ben and Jerry's. Mum wouldnt let me eat it out of the tub however, that was probably a good thing.

 Ella xx

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Homecooked Heroes: Poached Pears

Posted on Wednesday, June 13, 2012

13 June

 I came home today after a rainy and windy day at school to this sight -

Clearly, dessert is going to amazing. My mum is a very spontaneous cook. I think she woke up this morning and said... "I bought pears yesterday... I MUST DO SOMETHING WITH THEM" - and do something with them she did.

Just look at this beautiful pear placement.




The colour is just amazing. Can't wait to chow down on these.
Usually, I would have my pears with Connoisseur Vanilla Bean Ice-cream but I think tonight I might try them with Harris Farm Yoghurt so it's not as messy. The berry sauce which these pears are cooked in taste like heaven mixed in with the yoghurt. I manage to scrounge a tablespoon of yoghurt and pour some sauce on it. Yummy!

Part of me wishes that the weather would stop and I would be able to enjoy the sunshine but I have to say... The best part about winter is the food. Stews, soups, hot noodles; bring on the cold!

Ella xx


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Pasha's Lounge: Turkish Restaurant

Posted on Sunday, June 10, 2012

10 May

 I know I've been a bit lapse with the posts but it's only because I've had a lot due! But I'm back and ready to food. Today's post is about the most AMAZING Turkish restaurant on Bondi Road. I had never had proper turkish food in a restaurant before. Usually it's a pide from the restaurant up the road or a kebab after a night out.

Pasha's is a bit $X-y but, you'll see... it was worth it! My brother asked them, "Do you have any turkish bread?" - they do.


Meatball Plate - the flavour was great however the layout of the plate was confusing.




Cream Mushrooms - these were great but a bit creamy




Calamari - perfect




Lamb Cutlets - so many cutlets!



Manti - this one was mine, it wasn't disappointing however there was just so much liquid so I wasn't expecting it.



The most amazing salad! It had walnuts, apple and figs too.



Homemade Baklava & Turkish Delight

Needless to say, I had to loosen my belt for that one. It was delectable - to say the least. The decor in the restaurant was really authentic Turkish as well. Plus, they are licensed - they had a great Sav-Blanc which went really well with the meal.

Ella xx

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D'Vine: Wine Bar

Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2012

15 May
On Mother's Day, my family and I went up the road to D'vine which is a grill, wine and tapas bar. Bondi is such a great location to live. If you go just a few hundred metres up the road you have some extraordinary bars and restaurants which never fail to deliver. D'vine is just another solid example.



Vegetable Dips Platter beetroot, carrot, hummus, tzatsiki dips with Turkish bread $13


Garlic Prawns sauteed in chilli, tomato & basil $14

Raspberry Caproiska
Vodka, lime cordial, sugar, fresh lime, raspberry juice and raspberries $12




BBQ Mixed Meat Platter w lamb koftas, wagyu skewer, chicken thigh fillet skewer & chorizo sausage $29

 My photos really do not do this justice I have to say!



Cheeseboard w Maffra cheddar, Jindi triple cream, Gippsland blue, dried & fresh fruits & fig jam $22


Trio of Sorbets green apple, raspberry, lemon & lime $11
D'vine has dark lighting clearly and on the night there was live brazillian music. Make sure you get in early for happy hour.

 You can find D'vine on 206 Bondi Road
Ella xx

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Live Below The Line: Introduction

Posted on Thursday, April 26, 2012

From the 7-11th of May I will be participating in Live Below The Line.
"Live Below the Line seeks to combat extreme poverty in two distinct ways: raising funds for educational opportunities in the developing world, and creating widespread awareness of this important issue.
While extreme poverty can seem overwhelming, Live Below the Line is a straightforward way to make a clear impact. It will change your life, and by sharing your experience with others you can help raise awareness of the injustice faced by 1.4 billion people in the world." Live Below the Line Website

So essentially, what I'm going to do, is live off $2 each day for 5 days straight. This is going to be so difficult.

If you could (if anyone's out there) take some time to donate to me at 


https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/ellashtein

Here are some photos from my experience!







Ella xx

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Homecooked Heroes: Sweet Potato Loaf

Homecooked heroes is a series about everything home cooked. Not just myself but my family, friends and the food we all share together.

 In the Shtein household, spending ANZAC day (lest we forget) means BAKE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN AND EAT IT. And that's what we did.

 This week, I was lucky enough to have... sweet potato & thyme soda bread


 

 My dear mother made this the other day and it was amazing! We dipped it in leek, potato and mushroom soup... I would take a photo of the soup but everyone knows you can never make soup look good, unfortunately.




Love you mum!

 Ella xx

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The Bondi Cafes: Katipo Cafe & The Sparrow Cafe

Posted on Sunday, April 22, 2012

22 April


When people think Bondi, they think two things. Backpackers & Hipsters in Cafes. And really, they're not far from wrong. I think the cafes around Bondi are some of the best and this series is just about the different places I go to for breakfast and what they have to offer.

If I want to splurge on breakfast, I go to Katipo on Bondi Road. Katipo is all about the 50's. It's got a vintage coffee machine, the tables and chairs are all recycled, the vibe is good and the foods amazing.
I get the baked eggs with Chorizo and roast capsicum, spanish onion and charred bread for 14.9 with a delicious, freshly squeezed orange juice 4.5









If I'm down in Bondi Beach for the Markets, I'll head up to Sparrow Cafe & Bar on Gould St. This place is great for coffee, tea, snacks etc. As well as this, they usually have live music which sets a great atmosphere.


  
I'm a very big tea person and look at this lil jug o milk! 

I'm always at new places but if you have anywhere you think I should go, drop me a line!

Ella xx

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Melbourne Sweet Teeth

22 April

 Melbourne is by far my favourite city in Australia. The food, the bars, the people, the shopping is all quality.  I went to Melbourne on Boxing Day last year and my mum and I shopped from 11am until 1am in the morning. And it was worth the pain in my feet and arms.

 On our second night, we went to the Crown Casino and decided to try out Bistro Guillaume; the cousin of Guillaume at Bennelong at the Opera House in Sydney.

 Though I was not so impressed by the main (steak with special sauce and chips), the dessert was to die for.


We decided to have the profiteroles and cheese. As you can see, the presentation was poor however the taste was great - especially those profiteroles.



Cheese & Profiteroles

We took a day trip to St. Kilda and I don't regret it at all. Dessert shops lined the street, it was so hard to chose where to go.









Lemon Meringue Tart




Look at those babies!

 There are so many more places I went in Melbourne however when I'm on holiday with the family, I try not to use my phone as much because I think it takes away from the experience. I don't like feeling so attached to my phone when I'm trying to relax and spend time with the family... and also, I was too busy shopping.

 Ella xx

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Elysium

"Elysium Restaurant offers a modern Australian menu with French and Italian influences. This is a casual dining restaurant, located right next door to the Randwick Ritz Cinema on St Pauls St at the ‘Spot’ and is a great place to enjoy fresh, quality produce at very reasonable prices." 
- Elysium Website

 I recently visited Elysium with my family and wow. The quality of the food, the presentation, the taste was incredible - there could have been some improvements but overall it was great. What they excelled at, personally for me, was dessert. I think it would be well  worthwhile to take a visit.



roasted double lamb cutlet with shank meat croquettes, smoked eggplant puree, black pepper and potato gratin, balsamic braised onion and a madeira sauce  30

The Verdict: The shank meat croquettes were dry and there was some weird nut thing in the middle but the lamb was perfectly cooked. The mini gratin was a bit stiff and felt undercooked but the onions really popped. I love balsamic vinegar so onions and balsamic was great. The madeira sauce was lacking in taste but went well, not overpowering the delicious lamb. 


milk chocolate and honeycomb bombe alaska with caramel sauce and toffee ice cream 15

The Verdict: Faultless. A must. I had never actually had a bombe alaska before and my dad and I got into an argument to whether it was French or from Alaska. I won; it's French. Inside was milk chocolate and honeycomb ice-cream as promised and then on the side was another scoops of toffee ice-cream which was delicious. Needless to say, we fought over that bombe.


vanilla panacotta with plum jelly, plum and champagne granita, crushed amaretti biscuit and spiced grilled plums 15

The Verdict: I liked the bombe better but that's because I love anything chocolate honeycomb & chocolate & meringue. But this was still excellent - especially the granita. It just melted into your mouth. Panacotta is my brother's favorite dessert so I tried not to have too much - I was too busy defending my own dessert.

 I would really recommend going to Elysium, I know I'll definitely be back, this time with a bombe alaska for myself and no sharing!

 Ella xx