moniqca

Macro Red Onions

moniqca — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 23:21:02 +0000

Sometimes you just get the urge to take pictures of those juicy red onions. The striking purple lines stand out against sharp sweet onion smell. Take a walk through some macro red onion photographs, taken on a whim making sweet potato soup.

Sushi Experiment

moniqca — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 22:57:30 +0000

So I finally got round to rolling some sushi. It was relatively easy. How easy? Probably easier than getting a poached egg right the first time round. But not as easy as attempting something like this after a few rolls.

The first few attempts were very rice-heavy. I don’t think you get a sense from watching Youtube videos or thinking about sushi how little rice you really need to have a nice rice to filling ratio.

Finally, from a different mass noodle making session where we had sashimi we bought from Leeds Market for starters, I managed to snap some salmon we used for sashimi before they were eaten up.

Aunty Julie’s Pie-Tee

moniqca — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:37:41 +0000

Some days, I get really lucky and a tinful of Aunty Julie’s Pie-T shells and fillings is delivered to my doorstep. On a recent trip back, this happened on my second last day in Malaysia. In editing the photos and getting round to finding out exactly what bangkuang was, I can finally, (kind of) confidently present to you – the enigmatic food that is Pie-Tee! (Or Pie-T as I like to spell it).

Pie-T consists of a crispy upside down “top hat” shell, garnishes and a filling made primarily of shredded carrots and shredded bangkuang (no it’s not a turnip, or a radish, or a swede), it’s in fact a Jicama - Mexican Yam or Turnip, Yam Bean, Pachyrhizus erosus, etc. Apparently these came to Indonesia via the Spaniards and is also the base ingredient in another popular Malaysian dish — Popiah. Use Wiki to satisfy your knowledge of bangkuang.

Pie-T filling - Shredded Bangkuang (Jicama), Carrots & Green Beans

There are quite a few variations on making Pie-T fillings. In this eating session, we fried off the shredded bangkuang, carrots and green beans with prawns, though I can vouch that eating the fillings fresh work equally as well.

Pie Tee Shells

Pie-Tee Filling & Garnish

So in the background you have the Pie-T filling now slightly browned. Though it looks like it, it’s not in fact a giant heap of Pie-T filling. My mum swears by this method of making the filling less “wet” after its just been fried and you can’t wait to eat it (in order to keep the Pie-T shell crisp as you eat it). You get a small bowl and place it upside down. Then pile the filling around and the moisture is absorbed into the upside down bowl. I’m not sure of the science behind this, but if it means I can eat Pie-T immediately, I’m all for it!

From left to right, we have the Pie-T garnishes -chopped coriander, fried shallots (bawang goreng), fried chopped garlic and sweet chilli sauce (Linghams).

The anatomy of a Pie-T is straightforward. Grab a shell, I like to layer the bottom with some chilli sauce, add some filling, garnish with coriander, fried shallots, fried garlic and sweet chilli sauce then munch it down!

Three Pie-T's

Thanks Aunty Julie!

Unfortunately not everyone knows Aunty Julie, so if you’re looking to make some Pie-T yourself, have a look at the recipes on these blogs here.

Lunch at Brasserie Blanc, Leeds

moniqca — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:50:30 +0000

One impromptu lunchtime, we decided to check out Brasserie Blanc, a place I’ve had my eye on for quite a while. They have a decent lunch time menu if you have the time to sit around for two courses. There’s a choice of a salad, haddock, beef or cod for the mains, plus either a starter or dessert for £11.50 per person. I went for the beautifully green ham and pea soup as a starter and slow cooked beef with onions & horseradish mash for a main course, he went for grilled cod fillet, poached clams & mussels. They both tasted as good as they look and both dishes were cooked to perfection.

Brasserie Blanc Leeds
Victoria Mill
Sovereign Street, Leeds
0113 220 6060

Two Excellent Sunday Roasts

moniqca — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 16:01:57 +0000

1) A little tricky to find, but well worth the drive – The Grouse Inn, Oakworth, Keighley, BD22 0RX

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2) Pin, Leeds

Cupcakes at Piazza by Anthony Corn Exchange Leeds

moniqca — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 15:32:40 +0000

A lovely little gem of a restaurant and accompanying pattiserie, fromagerie, bakery, chocolaterie and cafe, don’t forget to check out the poky little cellars on the ground floor of the corn exchange.

We were tempted by the cupcakes – I chose the Mississippi Mudpie Cupcake and it was a real chocolate treat with foam chocolate mousse with a caramel centre and soft chocolate sponge cake base.

Here’s a dissected view,

Piazza by Anthony – Corn Exchange Leeds

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Stroopwafel & Speculaas

moniqca — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:10:55 +0000

Fresh back from Amsterdam on what must have been the best-timed long weekend break ever, I brought two of my fave snacks from Holland. First up is the Stroopwafel, a thin, caramel filled pancake biscuit – sweet, slightly gooey but not at all messy.

And some Speculaas – a spiced biscuit made from nutmeg, ginger, cloves & cinnamon, this one also flaked with Almond.

Char Siew and Duck Rice in Tong Palace, Leeds

moniqca — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:39:21 +0000

You might have seen my previous post on the rather satisfying Lobster Noodles in Tong Palace. This was just another Saturday/Sunday with close friends and family – enjoying another dish that’s never really dissapointing.

Tong Palace – 120-122 Vicar Lane

City Centre, Leeds LS2 7NL

0113 246 8088

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For all the meat lovers: Cattle Grid, Leeds

moniqca — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 14:38:19 +0000

The menu greets you with two main choices: Cow or Pig. Last week, I decided to go for Pig – half a rack of peri peri ribs with chips. Sticky, spicy and served with nice chips, this made for a meat-alicious and filling lunch.

Leeds Cattle Grid is literally just round the back of the Corn Exchange.
Cattle Grid Website

Seafood at English’s of Brighton

moniqca — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 19:43:54 +0000

Following my nose, we wandered into English’s of Brighton from a day trip from London, which turned out to suit our desire for a good seafood meal quite nicely. We had some fresh oysters – West Mersea with a red wine and shallot vinegar sauce, tabasco and black pepper. Then we went for a seafood platter with lobster and 2 claws, 3 types of fish fillets, grilled scallops, prawn and freshly squeezed lemon. All the food seemed quite fresh and it was quite unusual to sit in their tiny indoor area tucked away in a corner on the ground floor.

Englishs

29-31 East St
Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1HL