Edible Christmas Gifts!

Great gift ideas for friends and family- foodlove's Edible Christmas Gifts on sale today!

Cinnamon and Pecan Cigars!

There is something about cinnamon- it must be it's barky spicy-ness and the fact that it is so versatile, it can be used both in sweet and savoury dishes. It imparts a lovely aroma to curries and casseroles as well as pretty much anything sweet! It is native to southern India and Sri Lanka and has been widely used for medicinal purposes (ie. tummy pain) throughout the centuries!

Here is a recipe that exudes this beautiful spice- it is easy as well as delicious. You can make it an absolute treat by using Careme Puff Pastry and then serving it with King Island Dairy's Vanilla bean yoghurt! You can also substitute the pecans for walnuts, almonds or brazil nuts (all very very good for you!), you can use castor or demerara or brown or raw sugar. Be inspired by this cinnamon treat!

Ingredients:

Puff Pastry sheets (thawed)

Cinnamon

Sugar

Nuts

Yoghurt to serve

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Mix cinnamon and sugar of choice to taste (some people like to use 1:1 while others prefer it sweeter).

Toast the nuts and roughly chop them- set them aside.

Cut the puff pastry sheets into squares (5cm x 5cm is a good guide), sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar.

Scatter some nuts over the surface of the square.

Roll tightly to form cigars.

Place your knobbly cigars on the baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with tea or for a light dessert with plain or vanilla yoghurt! Enjoy!

Photography by Stefanie Thoms

Christmas Classes!

At last here are the dates in which we will be holding our Christmas Classes both at Nosh Espresso Bar Meadowbank and at our new venue PABLO&RUSTY'S Gordon! We are so excited to be expanding over to the North Shore!

To enquire and enrol please email info@foodlove.com.au

or ring: 0404 166 070

We look forward to cooking with you!

New Class!

foodlove presents:

"Covering a whole cake with fondant"

Classes are running at Nosh Espresso Bar in Meadowbank

For more details email us: info@foodlove.com.au

And stay tuned for our Christmas classes running in Sydney's North Shore

A little treat!

treat |trēt|

do or have something that gives one great pleasure

To have it or not to have it?!! It is almost essential to treat yourself on a weekly basis. Not daily otherwise it's not a treat but weekly is acceptable in our books! We thought we'd shared our favourite treat spot is Sydney town!

1. Blackstar Pastry in Newtown- don't let the shop front turn you off, instead be bold and treat yourself to a delicious seasonal danish (mango in summer-yes!) or a rectangular pumpkin muffin, pair it with a Little Marionette coffee! Divine...

www.blackstarpastry.com.au

2. Paticceria Papa in Haberfield- when a shop is buzzing and full you know there's something going on. No different at this lovely Italian Patisserie. They are world famous for their Ricotta cheesecake. It is everything you've ever dreamed of in a cheesecake- the pastry is buttery and soft, the filling is light yet rich, it's creamy yet fresh, and to finish it of it's topped with lots of icing sugar and a lattice sprinkle of cinnamon- in a word unforgettable!

www.pasticceriapapa.com.au

3. Patissons Patisserie in St. Ives, Chatswood, Mosman etc- with five shops around Sydney there is no excuse not to visit them. Everything on display shouts "eat me!!" but our personal favourite are the vanilla and pistachio cupcakes (yes we can hear you say "cupcake??") The cake is light and fluffy, the icing is luscious and generously flavoured with real vanilla beans and the pistachios are toasted and moreish. It becomes the perfect treat when you try it with their signature blend coffee.

www.patissonspatisserie.com.au

4. Dolcini in Putney- a breezy cafe loved by locals. Try their Italian style coffee blend with one of their freshly baked muffins, Nutella or mixed berries are very popular. Also if you feel like indulging ask for the ricotta doughnut- almost heavenly.

1/90 Charles St, Putney NSW 2112 Phone: (02) 9808 4111 ‎
5. Pablo&Rustys (Gordon or Epping)- everyone knows their coffee is to die for but for a quick brekky treat try their raisin turkish toast. You will want to have it everyday!- it has all the qualities of turkish bread (airy and soft when fresh and gooey and crisp when toasted) but don't be put off by its purpleness- this should reassure you this loaf has been deliciously studded with lots of juicy raisins!www.pabloandrustys.com.au
6. Bitton in Alexandria- they are famous for all their gourmet deli products such as the strawberry and vanilla jam (which you should buy anyway since you've paid them a visit!) and delicious marinades. But we love them for their lemon meringue tart. Now- we know you have heard all about stale, stodgy, thick sable and inedible lemon tarts. Bitton's lemon tart will convert you. Their shortcrust is thinly rolled and perfectly cooked, the curd is lemony sweet and the meringue is gooey and lip licking! www.bittongourmet.com.au
7. Pie in the Sky 1296 Pacific Hwy -it overlooks the Hawesbury River and they are obviously famous for their pies- the bikies can testify! But do try their rhubarb pie or indulge in a blueberry one. Nothing beats tucking into something delicious whilst enjoying a sweet view!
8. Seasweet in Parramatta- no one does sweets like the middle Eastern/Mediterranean so please be bold and take the trip to this Aladdin's cave. It is full of delicious baclava, our mouths waterat the thought! From cashew wheels to the lovely small rolls they vary from country to country but they are all highly addictive! We don't really know if it's the crispy filo, or may be the honey, rosewater and the many nuts- whatever the choice this is a favourite!www.seasweet.com.au
9. Max Brenner in Manly, St. Ives etc- for the ultimate chocolate treat try the Belgian waffles dribbled with the best Venezuelan chocolate and accompanied by ruby red strawberries. A true chocolaty treat!www.maxbrenner.com.au
10. Chocolateria San Churro in Chatswood- try the popular Spanish churro. It's a deep fried doughnut-like-pastry which is extruded into finger shapes and generously sprinkled with castor sugar. And because its delicious crispiness is not enough try dipping it into rich molten chocolate. Decadent!www.sanchurro.com.au
So why not treat yourself today?

What we are cooking up for Christmas!

Here is a little sneak peak of what we are cooking up for Christmas!

Watch this space for dates on which our Christmas classes will be running or email us at info@foodlove.com.au for more information!

Royal Icing Cookies!

Crispy, buttery soft, vanilla goodness! These cookies are to die for! Decorated with piped Royal Icing they are sure to impress family and friends!

Classes are running at Nosh Espresso Bar in Meadowbank to enquire email us: info@foodlove.com.au

Take a look at these gorgeous pictures!

Come and join us and learn how to pipe Royal Icing onto these sweet treats!

Fondant Cupcake Class!

Here is another snapshot of some of the classes we are running at Nosh Espresso Bar in Meadowbank.

During this class the girls got to colour their fondant, ice their cupcakes and then decorate them with their own fondant creations. 2 1/2 hours of fun!

I will let the pictures speak for themselves!

Colouring the fondant

Very de-stressing. It's a bit like play dough for adults!

Fun fun!

Busy Creating

Some of the girls creations

Our Fondant Cupcakes created to inspire!

The next class we are running is Biscuit Decorating. To enquire or for more information send us an email to info@foodlove.com.au

We look forward to hearing from you!

Spanish Goodness!

We love Spanish Food- the richness of flavours and the simplicity of the food is something else! We thought we'd share a favourite recipe that uses two pantry staples: Chorizo and Chickpeas.

Chorizo and Chickpea Hotpot ~ Chorizo (pronounced with a 'ch' like cherry) is a paprika and garlic infused Spanish pork sausage. You can buy them fresh or cured.

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

2 chorizo sausages roughly chopped

1 x 400g can chickpeas drained

1 small brown onion finely sliced

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 celery stalks roughly chopped

1 red capsicum roughly chopped

2 handfuls of baby spinach washed

1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

1 cup chicken stock

2 small potatoes peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp chili flakes

Crusty bread to serve

Method:

Saute the chorizo in a medium saucepan with a little oil until brown. Once the chorizo is brown saute the onion, garlic, capsicum, celery and potatoes for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the tomatoes and the stock. Bring to the boil, add the paprika, chili, and spinach. Simmer for about 20 minutes with the lid ajar. Season with salt and pepper.

*Alternatively pre-heat the oven to 200 C, spoon the stew over individual ramekins and crack and egg on top. Bake until the white is set for about 10-12 minutes.

Enjoy our take on Spanish food and indulge in tasty comfort food!

It's not only delish but also very good for you!

Nutritional Facts:

• Capsicums are very high in anti-oxidants (prevent premature aging due to the environment, smoke etc) and an excellent source of vitamin C, they also provide Vitamin B6, folate and betacarotene.
• Eggs are ans excellent and inexpensive source of high quality protein, they provide many vitamins and minerals.
• Chickpeas are one of the most nutritious plant foods- high in protein, B vitamins, iron, potassium and fibre.
• Onions might make you cry but rejoice- they are very good for you. They are a super food that should be included in every savoury meal. They contain sulphur compounds and have anti-inflamatory properties.
• Spinach is rich in potassium and magnesium which are good for keeping your blood pressure in check. Rich in anti-oxidants that may have anticancer activity, good source of vitamin C, good source of lutein which is great for your eye health and vitamin K for bone health.