A week turns into a month.....

So I missed a week, and that was 4 weeks ago! It has been uber busy for me recently. I had my mums farewell, Lach's B'day, business set up, quit my job, and just general crazyness!!!! So grab your partner and dosey doe, cause here's the last months catch up:

Cooking: Mum's Farewell Cake, Lach's Party Food
Social: PWA Wresling, R&R
Project: Business set up; Finished Pantry

Food Du Jour: Chocolate Naan Bread
Restaurant: Avanti's

Cooking:

Well my mum is officially a grey nomad and off around Australia in her caravan. Last I heard she was just heading out of Broken Hill towards South Australia. I made her a farewell cake, which my soon to be father-in-law remarked "you didn't make that, it doesn't look real". Allegedly it tasted out of this world though. I took some photo's to share ---->



Also, last week my beloved turned 31. To celebrate, I organised for our friends to just "show up" at our house for a drinking session. It went incredibly well, and while this time I didn't get around to taking photo's (mainly cause I was too busy cooking and drinking) I do have a list of what we served:

...Menu...
Happy Birthday Lachlan

Smoked Chicken, Sherried Onions & Cheese Puffs
Goat Curry Triangles
Goat Casserole Pies
Cheese Stuffed Kangaroo Meatballs
Thai Chicken Crescents
Cheese balls & Crackers
Salmon Egg Rolls
Spinach & Cheese Filo Triangles
Fritto Misto
Prawn Cocktail Spoons
Spicy Salt & Pepper Calamari

Unfortunately, everyone got full and stopped eating, so we never got time to have:

Sausage Rolls
BBQ Pork Buns
Gowgees
Char Grilled Meat Balls
Mexican Platter
Chicken Noodle Balls
Corn Jacks
Popcorn Chicken
Bengal 7 spice Kumera Patties
Quessadills
Potato Bhondai
Chinese Omelette's
4 Pepper Mustard Skewers
Cheesy Crab Fondue Dip with Toasts
2 Tone Olive Palmiers
Suppli Alla Formagio
Vegetarian Spring Rolls

You think by now my friends would have learned to not eat 3 days ahead of one of my parties.


Social:

Were off to see the wrestling, the wonderful wrestling of Oz. That's right, another PWA event is on this Saturday night, this time in Cleveland.

Also this weekend, I'm heading off for a couple of days of R&R while helping a friend out. Were off to Kingscliffe to stay at Peppers Salt Resort for a couple of nights. http://www.peppers.com.au/Salt

Hooray for buffet breakfasts :)


Project:

Well NaiveSpice Hampers and Catering is now officially registered as a business entity.
Exciting Huh??? So Hopefully as of the end of next week I will have a commercial kitchen, then a health certificate, then I will be able to officially cater!!!!!! Then the website will be up by Mid August, launch party for "Hampers" end of August, and then Christmas will be here before you know it!!!!!!!!!

As for what else has been keeping me busy, well mainly the completion of my pantry/shelving for the kitchen...



And see all those little white dots in between the shelves and on every item? They're Labels...



Yes every single item is labeled and in there own special compartmentalized and categorized area. Now if only I could get the spare room that organised.

Food Du Jour:

I HAD to share this with the world.....



Yes it's chocolate Naan Bread, and while I hear most of you going "so what it's just chocolate bread, big deal?" Prepare to be astounded ... it's a base naan bread made with spring onions, spices etc that has had chocolate melted into it.... and surprisingly enough, spring onions and chocolate work well together :)

It can be found at the Indian take away food store in the Chermside food court.

Restaurant:

So as per previous weeks, Lach and I have been returning to our old culinary stomping ground, as it were, and this week we returned to a favourite of ours Avanti's. And boy was it god to be back!

Quick Link: http://www.avanticafe.com.au/

What makes them so great???? Good Quality Pasta at Sensible Prices. Seriously, there pasta's range from the cheapest option (Spaghetti Napolitana $15.50) through to the more "Upmarket" varieties (Linguine Marinara $22.95). an if your going out for just a meal for 2, it's well worth the trip to Bardon. The bowls/plates are huge, the service is great and they make a sand crab lasagna (made from REAL crab meat, not bloody seafood extender) that is to die for!!!!!

And don't like spaghetti, rather have gnocchi? They will put any pasta with any sauce (One of my partners favourite is Gnocchi Carbonara ... Not one for the faint hearted).

Yeah sure, they also do Mains, Pizza's, Entrees, Salads, Sides, Desserts and Cocktails, but seriously, you go for pasta here, you will never eat generic "Fast Food" Pasta Again (You know who I'm talking about).

Some of my favourite highlight are:

RAVIOLONI AL VODKA $19.95
A delicate cream and tomato sauce, sun dried tomatoes and a splash of Vodka!

Sounds simple, but oh so delectable

CANNELLONI AL BASILICO $18.95

Stuffed with ricotta, spinach, pine nuts and chicken mince in our fresh pesto sauce

This is the biggest Cannelloni I have ever seen in my life, seriously, it could crush someone.

LINGUINE PESCATORE $21.95

Diced scallops and succulent prawns in olive oil with fresh parsley and chilli flakes

This is my favourite dish. It superb in it's simplicity. Baby scallops & whole prawns are lifted to a gastronomic height with a simple toss of Olive oil, Parsley, Chili & Garlic. Oh and there's Linguine :P

SALMONE AFFUMICATO $16.95

Smoked salmon carpaccio with Spanish onions, capers and Avanti’s Gorgonzola mayonnaise

And as we know I'm a sucker for an entree, and while there not the cheapest in the world, they are worth the money (though be warned, if you order entrees you may need to get a take home container for the pasta you couldn't fit in).

Well that's it for this week again, I'd say I'll see you next week, but looking back over the archives earlier, I realised I tend to average a post every 2 weeks or so, so lets say sometime in the next month huh?

Cheers

T