Dilmah High Tea

Monday at the Hilton Sydney with Dilmah High Tea was a wonderful way to start the week. I have been priveileged enough to have been selected as a

finalist for the Dilmah High Tea Challenge. Like most people, I wasn't expecting to be selected to do a live presentation of my item and the brewing of the tea. I showcased my berry tea-infused jelly with rosewater cream and the brewing of my chosen tea, Dilmah's Berry Sensation Tea. I found it daunting enough given that I have never won anything like this or been asked to showcase my dish in front of three judges with more than 20 years experience in tea, which included Peter Kuruvita from Flying Fish and the head of Dilmah Tea.

As I stepped into the room to set up my presentation, I was amazed at the amount of effort some of the other contestants went to setting up their table. Just looking at the number of flowers and silverware they used for

their table, my jaw dropped and that made me dash out for a moment to grab some tulips. I initially thought that we were only going to be judged on the tea and item itself and I was right. On the other side of the room, the professionals had elaborate plates of bite-sized portions of sweet and savoury tarts and cakes. One contestant in the consumer's category did a high tea cocktail and mocktail.

To finish off the day nicely, all the contestants were invited to a Charitea, a charity high tea held at the Hilton Sydney hosted by Dilmah.

Given that I adore high tea, I couldn't resist the opportunity to taste those beautiful treats which the hotel has to offer, including the tuna pies with sour cream, chopped strawberries and passionfruit, mini meringue tarts and the classic scones and jam topped with cream. And who could forget the beautifully brewed Dilmah teas which should form part of any high tea. It would be a disgrace or doing a disservice to anyone enjoying a perfect high tea if it weren't for the tea itself.

Even better, I ended up finishing off with a bronze medallist with a beautiful wooden Dilmah tea chest and showbag filled with of course, a huge selection of their tea range.

More pics can be seen here.

Coffee Aroma!

I have been longing for this iconic Sydney festival which brings people from

different cultures and backgrounds. This is a festival where there is something for everyone. Even though you are not an avid coffee drinker like myself, there is everything which one can enjoy all of the winter's delights ranging from chocolate to tea. This is a festival which combines culture and food together given the different sections highlighting the cultural differences including the Orient, Oasis and Continental. I reckon this is how the crowds have increased from last year to this year. A Sydney festival that can't be missed.

My fav part of the day was the entertainment. I couldn't help marvelling at the European-style cabaret performances and dances at the Continental section.
I loved how they danced with the tray of alcohol glasses together with the

playing of the violin and horn which gave a gypsy-like feel. I was amazed at how one of the female dancers tried to insert a flame into her mouth which is what I have seen circus acrobatics do.



I couldn't lay my eyes off the sweets galore at the festival. As soon I laid

eyes on the gorgeous cupcakes and macaroons, I knew I was eating with my eyes with the beautiful presentation.


In the Oasis section, I couldn't help enjoying the Turkish apple tea. Unlike the tea sold at T2, it gave a more fruity and sweeter sensation. If I hadn't known that it was apple tea, I would have mistaken it for being a hot apple juice. A refreshing drink in both the winter and summer. With the warmer months coming ahead, I regretted not purchasing a whole box.

More shots from the festival can be seen here.

Manly Food, Wine and Sustainabiliy Festival

What a relief that it wasn't raining on that day! Thankfully it wasn't cold either. I couldn't resist the opportunity to turn up to this festival

since I've become a local of the northern beaches. Food wise, I love checking out what goes on around the northern beaches of Sydney. I loved the local and laid back vibe and atmosphere of the festival with the

aussie rock playing on stage and jazz performances. Also I couldn't help smelling the beautiful barbeque and thai food. Plus the beautiful sweets.


As a sweet tooth, I always loved sampling the cakes and slices that the

festival has to offer. To begin with, I couldn't help not trying the humble looking apple cake from the Manly Food Corp which sells organic produce. As soon it entered my mouth, I could taste the granny smith apples and cinnamon unlike those sugary store-board apple cakes. I also liked the fact that it tasted like a real apple cake which is not too sweet and has a more fruity taste.


Then there was China Beach's irresistable food demo of thai-flavoured lamb chops. Luckily, I got a chance to eat it cos I out at the front taking

pics. I could smell the aroma of the lemongrass, garlic, chilli, fish and soy sauce. My other highlight was having the Rosemount Ruby Sparkling Wine which went beautifully with the dish. I also loved having the musos including Jack Vidgen from Australia's Got Talent which gave a musical vibe to the festival.


Then there was the desserts lane to finish off. Me and my friends couldn't

resist our temptation to try the cake platter which included banana, chocolate and the classic lemon tart.

Shoot from Masterchef Live

Hey guys!

Just thought I'd share a great publicity shot with you. Without my knowledge, I was extremely flattered to see my photo with Matt Preston. To be honest I don't know why they would want to have a shot of me with Matt. All I can remember was that I was showing my shots and he commented that I should show them to Sally Feldman, the editor of Masterchef Magazine. Heres the link. Whoever decided to post the pic, thank you :)

Skye's Sweet Success

Having heard that Skye Craig from Masterchef 2 was going to be present at

Thomas Dux in Sydney's Crows Nest, I rushed the opportunity to chat with her. Fortunately, she happened to be promoting her desserts range and performing cooking demos of how to do the chocolate ganache which allowed me to have a taste of her desserts.

So Skye, why are you so passionate about desserts?
I have such a sweet tooth and I live by the rule that 10% is for indulging in desserts.

Why did you decide to make the transition from a graphic designer to where you are now?Food has always been my passion. After I applied to Masterchef, I decided that I just wanted to give my best shot. I still do graphic design and I'm lucky that I do both now.

What's your advice for anyone who wants to enter Masterchef? Practice, practice, practice. Specialise in an area of food you love.

So what are some of the ingredients that you use in your desserts? I use the cardarnom which is a spice from Australia. It is used in chai tea and would go perfectly with green tea.

I couldn't help admiring how Skye combines various spices which makes her desserts divine. I loved how she combined the chopped oranges and brown sugar with her wattleseed and roasted hazelnut ice cream range plus the cardamom. It has this beautiful combination with citrus, spice and sweetness all in one.

Turkish delight

After a night off cooking, I was looking for something more exotic besides

the usual chicken and chips. I was craving for pizza but my friend said that she had gourmet pizza the previous night. As much as I was craving for pizza, I struggled to think about the next best option. My friend suggested that we head for some Turkish food. Mmmmmmm that sounds good, I thought.

As I stepped in, there was the wonderful Turkish aroma. I thought, this is it. I felt like sampling the different dishes like how the Lebanese do it in mezze style but I didn't want to end up overloading myself. I couldn't resist having the taboulleh since it was a classic middle-eastern salad. As soon as it entered into my mouth, I could taste the crunchiness of the parsley and mint which goes beautifully with the chopped tomato.

Next came the irresitible dips which I thought go hand-in-hand with the

salad. The pink one is the beetroot which had a fruity flavour. Then there was the orange one which was the most spicy as well as the classic hummus. I also loved having it with the Turkish pides which is a Turkish version of their pizza. The dough was crowned with flavoured sausages, herbs and cheese.

Not only was the food splendid but it was great value. The dips, pides and tabbouleh amounted to just over $20.00 which is equivalent to a whole pizza. Thirdly, it's a great place for anyone living around Sydney's upper north shore who is craving for middle-eastern food.

Sultan Turkish Pide & Kebabs
63 Pacific Hwy
Waitara
Ph: (02) 9489 1700

It's Heston!

"I'm Heston and I don't do food in a normal way" (Cheers and rounds of

applause). That pretty much sums up Heston Blumenthal's approach to food. Even though I wasn't familiar with Heston's approach to food, I was curious because he has a multisensory approach to food.

"True eating is a multisensory experience. In other words, it involves all the senses, depending on the surrounding weather and environment. For example, going to the French countryside and having a Mascadet". I could recall how tasting Malaysian dishes tasted better while I was holidaying in Malaysia with the humidity, spices, and of course, eating together as a family.

Interestingly, he comments on food back in his time when he was growing

up. "The 70s was the worst decade for food. Britain had the worst kind of food second to Finland...Olive oil was something to be purchased in the chemist, not in the supermarket". That made me feel grateful that we now have stuff that can be easily purchased from the supermarkets. I especially don't know where we would be without olive oil. We have come a long way in terms of food thanks to immigration.

Just thought I'd highlight some dishes which caught my eye and would love to try when I head to his Fat Duck restaurant.

Heston Blumenthal's mock turtle soup
I was impressed with how this dish reflects on Heston's fascination

with fairytales like Alice in Wonderland and historical receipes. Heston goes on about how the Mad Hatter in Alice dips his fob watch into his tea. At the Fat Duck, he made a fob watch from freeze-dried and concentrated stock and wrapped it in gold feck. When you pour hot water into the teapot, it dissolves into a beautiful brown liquid. This is served with mock turtle soup. So food can be quite theatrical.

Sounds of the sea
The idea of serving seafood with an ipod recording of the crashing waves

just blew me away. I was even more amazed at the ingredients he uses for make it look like sand, like tapioca, fried breadcrumbs, shrimps, oysters, etc. A clear example of how food is multisensory and that sound and eating can be combined.