I was catching up with Suz and Al this weekend before heading off to the UK (thanks for the awesome BBQ!) and I had offered to bring dessert. Last time they came around for dinner, my attempts at dessert literally crumbled and I ended up making trifle out of it. This time, Saturday’s attempt in the form of a Pandan Chiffon cake went much better and was well received all around. Pandan flavour is used moreso in southern pacific and asian countries where the leaves sourced from the fragrant screwpine tree are much more readily available. Its subtle fragrance and flavour is then traditionally used to impart flavour when used to wrap various fillings or extracted when soaked in various liquids. Although Pandan leaves are available in Australia, it is typically easier and much more affordable to use the extract or essence sourced from stores in a Chinatown.

It is hard to describe the delicate flavour of Pandan, but is an unmistakable delight when joined with the delicate texture of a chiffon cake, combining both that is light and moreish in nature.

The food scene is coming along pretty well in Brisbane, with Jan’s Power’s farmer’s markets (at the Powerhouse and St Joseph’s school) supplying a veritable supply of quality ingredients almost every week. Even if you don’t have the immediate need to buy fresh fruit and vegetables, the markets still provide a great atmosphere for simply walking around and taking in all the other sorts of produce and food. The offerings are wide including freshly made food like crepes, omelletes, cakes and breads to the more traditional offerings of seafood, organic meats, fruits and vegetables. This morning I was surprised to stumble across something I have yet to see (at least at a decent price) anywhere else in Brisbane’s typical grocers. Zucchini flowers!

Zucchinis (also known as courgettes) are readily accessible at any supermarket and the zucchini flowers are just another part of the plant. Their delicate nature and tendency to quickly wilt make it a difficult product to handle in bulk so they are normally more expensive than the zucchini you see in stores. It is also this delicate nature and rarity that make this an enjoyable food to eat. Zucchini flowers are most commonly served stuffed and then fried in a light batter, although they can be used in any other way. Inspired by my lunch at the Teppanyaki Cafe, I decided that it might be nice to make a light tempura batter and introduce the family to this small but exquisite ingredient.

When I visit my family down on the coast, we try to have a late breakfast with the entire family. We tend to take turn cooking so the rest of us can read the paper and have a break. Lately it’s been my duty to prepare the morning mean, and today I turned out some fluffy blueberry pancakes, served complete with a raspberry coulis and some maple syrup. It was a wicked way to enjoy today’s family meal on such a crisp Sunday morning!

Tuesday evening is always a pleasant want to spend with the FOBORG (Friends Of Ben OR Gerrod) gang. Stacey and I organised for this early dinner to be held at the new Punjabi Palace premises, and was rewarded with their delicious curries, Punjabi Naan and this time no (really) salty lassi! Thanks to Jason, Karl, Caroline, Suhail, Sarah and Stacey for providing the excellent company.

Last time Marie and I had finally managed to sync up our schedules for another dinner, I had to unfortunately postpone the event due to the travelling that I was supposed to be doing at the start of this month. With a big promise to Sarah that we’d have her along at our next get together, and armed with the recently acquired knowledge that she would be heading to Sydney (pretty much permanently) over Easter, it looked like tonight was our only night to have one last feast together (at least at my place).

The pressure was on (yet again), with each dinner getting more difficult to prepare something different and memorable, so another three-course meal was planned, conjured, consumed and enjoyed by all. The menu for tonight consisted of:

• Entree: Bruschetta
• Main: Peri-Peri Roast Chicken served with Tex-Mex Potatoes, Roast Sweet Potatoes and Garlic, and a refreshing Salad (with cucumber, capsicum, corn, carrot, spanish onions, roasted pine nuts and dressed with a coriander, mint and lime yogurt dressing)
• Dessert:A White Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse served a top a Chocolate Meringue Base and accompanied by fresh sponge soaked in a Hazelnut Syrup and fresh berries.

Despite a little bit of last minute panicking and preparation, I think the night went well, especially considering it was a school night with not much time for real preparation. It was definitely fun having Michael, Marie and Sarah around for one last feast before Sarah heads off down south. We even tried out the game my sister had brought back from London. I was convinced that its literally “shocking” value would scare off any guests, but we all had a good laugh and managed get through a few rounds (at least on low power).

Tonight we had Ben and Michelle around for another dinner before they head off the UK. I’m very excited for them both as not only are they heading to somewhere different to live, but they’re having an awesome holiday before hand. I found it pretty difficult to put something together this time, wanting to do something that would be memorable and appropriately themed for the current weather (a ridiculous heatwave we’ve been having). Everything turned out better than expected, and with the rain that came down today, the evening was enjoyed by all. Tonight’s menu consisted of:

• Lychee Iced Tea
• Citrus Salad served with Chilli Garlic Prawns
• Beef Bourgeois served with Crusty Bread and Stuffed Mushrooms and Greens
• An Especially Evil Double Chocolate Tart (Chocolate Tart shell filled with a rich White Chocolate Filling) served with a mix of summer berries

We had Gerrod and Kristy over for dinner late last year, who had just returned from their big honeymoon in Thailand. Amongst the many memories, photos and gifts that they brought home, they somehow managed to find something I would never have thought possible… a “Kua Curry Paste”, which they presented to me over dinner. After deciding to make a little bit of a special dinner last night with it, I of course, just had to blog about it.

You could be easily deceived by first impressions into thinking that this little packet contained yet another red curry paste, but the smell and taste produced by its special little mix of chillies and spices would convince you otherwise. The heat contained by the paste was the perfect amount, enough to start a bit of a sweat, but not the crazy tongue-numbing sensation that some curries carry. The trio of chicken, beef and prawns accompanied by the multitude of vegetables certainly made for one of my best home-made curries yet! Thanks again Gerrod and Kristy.