KU DE TA bar and restaurant

Heading off to Bali for the first time, slightly naive with visions of drinking dirt cheap cocktails from kitschy westernised establishments overlooking the beach and wearing a fluorescent hibiscus sun dress... But my dream was quickly squished with the realisation of the ultra uber chic; bar, cafe and restaurant culture that is on the rise in this famous Aussie getaway.

Steering clear of the Bintang singlet and Billabong short wearing strip shopping that screams Kuta. We perused another side of Bali where the cocktails flow freely and people dress like super stars. We found class and a nice credit debt to boot! The cheap and nasty cocktails in my dreams seemed like a distant memory and rather quickly I was jolted back to reality when the first cocktail cost $20 a pop! Pinching myself, was I still in Australia or had I bypassed the cheap cocktails of my Bali dreams and given them up cowardly to taste the familiarity of home and drink in a new hip bar and of course pay for it.


Ku De Ta is this fresh and delicious establishment on Seminyak's beachfront, a larger than life style bar that bubbles with pretentious ego's. It is a fantastic place to people watch and if you enjoy good food and wine, the menu is divine. New Zealand, Australian (Hugo's) trained chef has yanked Bali's dining scene to even higher heights. In the humid heat opt for a salad or two and the truffle and champagne linguine for main. There is a healthy wine list so make sure you have a bank balance to match as you won't be leaving this fine establishment for less than $100 per head for a main with a shared salad and a bottle of vino.

Most foodies will agree that you visit a place like this for the dining experience and that is what you receive; good enough service, fabulous food, worthy wine and an atmosphere to match.

For something slightly less pretentious the view from the front cushioned lined wooden bench seats is breathtaking and this is a cheaper way to experience the bar scene. Our second food visit was a choice from the bar menu; delicious gourmet pizzas, crispy calamari and yummy sharing plates all served atop wooden chopping boards. The gentle hub bub of foreigners chit chat is meditating as you watch the sun set slowly changing into a million different hues of yellow orange and pink.
The irony of sipping $20 cocktails whilst Balinese beggars in front are negotiating prices for their 'hand made' ware with the patrons who give them the time of day is uncanny. My tummy started to squirm and not just from the slight excess of alcohol being consumed. Perhaps I am more like my mother than I thought, a slight push over when it comes to beggars and especially when they are children. They chatted to us in hope of a quick and satisfying sale and one guy purchased a carved wooden box for 10,000 rupiah.

That is the Bali my folks talk of and the Bali I see today, they thrive on people like us, tourists to sell their ornate wooden boxes or whatever their expertise, its for their livelihood so we tell ourselves.
love amie x

www.kudeta.net/

Gertrude & Alice

My favourite book shop in Bondi...

If you're feeling the need for a soul warmer than this comfortable second hand book store is you're perfect choice. They have all types of books from old poetry, philosophy, fiction & non-fiction and my absolute favourite the cooking section... Many hours have been lost immersed in book looking in this overcrowded but cosy book store.

A warm drink of coffee, tea, chai or chocolate is a must, perhaps try this little hot spot alone as you're company may become slightly bored of your constant wandering eye (over the books that is!).

Wholesome and hearty meals are divinely dishy; vegetarian Mexican burritos are Moorish laden with buttery guac and creamy sour cream, vegetable soups for the spirit and sweets galore adorn the glass cabinet. For the early bird the breakfast crumble is oh so sweet.

I cannot remember a day I have visited this delightful little spot without a new book in hand.

You can find Gertrude and Alice on Hall St. Bondi :-)

amie x

Friand frenzy - Chocolatey Orange Friands

Gooey pieces of velvety melt in your mouth dark chocolate couples magically with punchy orange in these 'to die for' Choc Orange Friands. It is truly a match made in heaven.

preparation: 10 minutes
cooking: 20 minutes
makes: 12 friands

the ingredients
200g icing sugar
110g plain flour
140g almond meal
3 oranges, zested
100g dark chocolate, finely chopped
200g butter, melted and cooled
6 egg whites, lightly beaten

lets have some fun
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan forced for fifteen minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine sugar, flour, almond meal, orange zest, half the chocolate, butter and egg whites. Mix well until all ingredients are combined.Spoon the mixture evenly between the 12 cups and sprinkle with remaining chocolate.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Remove from oven and allow cool in the muffin pan before inverting.
Dust with icing sugar and serve.

love amie x

Cinnamon Friands

Try these friendly 'friands' for your girly pals this spring, they are a lovely lunchbox addition or an extra sweet treat for mothers group!

Friands are slightly more dense and moist with a lovely sweet flavour compared to their cousin, the muffin. Traditionally made with a combination of plain flour, almond meal and icing sugar blended with egg white's and butter.

I accidentally used cinnamon sugar instead of cinnamon, which gave the friands a slightly crisper top (due to the sugar), if you prefer cinnamon then this will also lend itself well in this recipe.

Cinnamon Friands

takes: 10 minutes

cooking: 20 minutes

makes: 12 aromatic friands

the ingredients

200g icing sugar

110g plain flour

140g ground almond meal

2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar

200g butter, melted and cooled

6 egg whites, lightly beaten

lets have some fun

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan forced for fifteen minutes.In a medium bowl, combine sugar, flour, almond meal, cinnamon, butter and egg whites. Mix well until all ingredients are combined.

Spoon the mixture evenly between the 12 cup friand tray.
Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from oven and allow cool in the muffin tray before inverting.
Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Omit cinnamon and add 1 cup of raspberries

love amie x

Whisk or a whip

Julia Child introduced whisks (or whips, as she called them) to American kitchens in the 1960s. A multi-tasking utensil that can aerate, emulsify, deglaze, and mix. Yet anyone who's shopped for a whisk recently, could be forgiven for their confusion of finding a good whisk, an overwhelming array of designs are available these days. Balloon, Flat, Twirl, French and Ball whisks all shaped specifically to suit a certain method of cooking.

A favourite recipe we like to cook at home especially when the funds run low is eggs, any which way; omelette's, frittata, scrambled, boiled, poached or baked. The humble egg is a versatile and highly nutritious ingredient and a minute meal maker to satiate your appetite. The trick to cooking fabulous eggs it to not overcook them as they become rubbery and start to secrete water (syneresis). Cook them until they are almost cooked then remove them instantly from the heat as they will continue to cook slightly for a further more. Looks like it's an Omelette for dinner tonight.

serves: 1 hungry & tired lady quickly

takes : 5 minutes from prep to cooking

the ingredients

1 knob of butter (1-2 teaspoons)

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

20 ml water or milk

Salt and pepper, to taste

lets have some fun

Pre-heat a small 22cm non-stick fry pan over a medium heat for 2 minutes. Add butter and stir until almost melted. Add combined eggs and water, allow to cook for 30 seconds. Using a silicone spatula stir the eggs gently or alternatively move the pan backwards and forwards to allow the uncooked egg space to start cooking. Cook for a further minute or until the omelette is almost cooked but still slightly soft on top. Fold one half of the omelette over onto the other half. Slide the omelette gently out of the pan and onto a plate, season to taste.

Serve with fresh slices of bread and chopped parsley

love amie x

Strawberry

Summery Strawberries are highly recognised for their unique triangular shaped red fruit. This sweet little parcel is at its best when picked fresh and in season. Nutritionally speaking strawberries add a tasty dose of Vitamin C, Folate, flavinoids and dietary fiber to your diet, with less than 200 kJ per cup, a healthy snack anytime of the day.
Strawberries are a true delight when summer roles around especially served alongside ice-cream, cream or yogurt they easily turn 'simple into special' with; cheesecakes, puddings, chocolate and sponge cake.
Strawberries when dried lend themselves lovely to a favourite recipe, the Florentine.
Home made jams and preserves make a lovely addition to a ladies brunch, afternoon tea or a special present that money simply cannot buy.
Strawberries are best when grown in well drained soil the most recognized variant possessing over-sized rounded green leaves and small white and yellow flowers.

love amie x

For more inspiring recipes, Rhubarb and strawberry marble pudding click here: http://amieherring.blogspot.com/2009/06/rhubarb-strawberry-marble-pudding-stove.html

Lumberjack 'love heart' cakes

I love turning a recipe into something slightly more fun and creative. In honour of my mums favourite cake, the Lumberjack, I have made individual little love heart cake's.
The perfect sweet accompaniment to an afternoon tea with friends.









Lumberjack Cake recipe
prep: 10 minutes
cooking: 1 hour
makes: 1 round cake or about 12 love hearts
the ingredients

2 granny smith apples, peeled, finely grated

1 cup (160g) dates, pitted

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 cup boiling water

125g butter, cubed

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour

topping

60g butter

1-2 tablespoons milk

1 cup (60g) shredded coconut

½ cup brown sugar

lets have some fun

Pre-heat oven to 160 C for 15 minutes.

Place apple, dates and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl, pour over boiling water ans stir. Cover and set aside to cool.

Beat butter and sugar until creamy, slowly add egg and vanilla, mix until combined.

Fold through flour and apple mixture, alternatively, until combined.

Pour into a 20cm cake pan lined with baking paper. Bake for 40 minutes.

Topping: Melt butter in a saucepan, add remaining ingredients, stir until combined, set aside.

Remove cake from oven and pour over topping. Bake for a further 15 minutes.

For 'love heart cakes: Cut out love heart's from cooled & cooked cake, using a love heart cookie cutter. Place on platter and dust with icing sugar.

Serve with cream or ice cream.

tiny tip

Replace dried dates with figs

love amie x

Zucchini WHO?

Is this another forgotten vegetable?

Named either Courgette or Zucchini depending on your code, this long green or gold vegetable may look slightly on the boring side but it offers an array of recipes and delicious surprises in the beginning of these warmer months filled with entertaining and fuss-free eating.
Grated, zucchini can be used in savoury slices, chocolate cakes and even muffins. Zucchini’s can be cooked in a variety of cooking methods including; steaming, fried, boiled, simmered, stuffed, grilled and even barbecued for a great vegetarian option. Zucchinis are a somewhat bland tasting food and so will capture the flavours from other foods they are cooked with.
The zucchini is an extremely low energy yielding food that has a substantial amount of dietary folate, magnesium and Vitamin A for good health so eat your greens next time your mum insists.

Store in the chiller section of your refrigerator for up to 3 days, zucchinis are prone to chill bruising, which you will see as inverted little welts on the skin.
TIP - If you are lucky enough to grow your own zucchini if you have the space make sure you keep the flowers, which grow from the end of the zucchini. Wash and pat dry each flower, make a quick batter of flour, soda and salt. Stuff each flower with a mixture of ricotta, Parmesan and mixed herbs, dip the stuffed flower into the batter and fry for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and place on absorbent paper. Serve immediately.
This recipe reminds me of my other sister, Joanna. Each time I visit without a doubt she will have this in her refrigerator or be making a fresh batch. We learnt this simple recipe from our mother and I suspect this is one of Joanna's favourite's.

Buy firm zucchini free from blemishes at your local supermarkets or if you are lucky like Joanna, use freshly picked zucchinis. Which she grows in her large apartment-sized vegetable patch. Pick zucchinis when the flowers are blooming or about to or when they are 20cm in length as this is when they are at their best.

This slice recipe makes a perfect lunchbox companion and easy picnic food.

For bub x

Zucchini slice

makes 1 slice tray

prep 10 minutes

cooking 35 minutes

the ingredients

2 teaspoons oil

1 onion, chopped

4 rashers, rind less bacon, chopped

5 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup plain flour

3-4 zucchinis, washed, grated

1 cup tasty cheese, grated

lets have some fun

Pre-heat oven to 180 C for fifteen minutes.

Heat oil in a non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Add onion and bacon, cook for 5 minutes or until softened and slightly brown. Remove onion mixture from the pan and set aside on absorbent paper.

In a medium bowl combine eggs, flour, zucchini and cheese, stir through onion mixture and pour into a slice pan lined with baking paper. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Slice and serve hot or cold.

love amie x

Traditions -Terrific tiramisu

My sister's love to cook just as much as I do or at times sometimes more. We grew up helping pick or some might say we were stealing our favourite; Pa's peas fresh from his beloved garden! Squatting in between the lengthy rows of voluptuous vegetables, giggling and laughing. Each eyeing the others tiny pea harvest, making sure one sister didn't have more than their fare share. Opening the sweet little pod in hope of finding lots of tiny green dot like peas, then straight to the cheeks. Looking back I think Pa had a cheeky suspicion of what was going on but he never said so... Our passion and love of cooking has stemmed from the healthy education we were surrounded by when growing up. Old fashioned country-style living, we knew no other way.
To this day we still share recipes weekly and one recipe I learnt whilst working in a biscuit factory with Italians was Tiramisu, which my sister recently requested.

For Kate x

Tiramisu - the traditional way

makes:1 large tray of Tiramisu

chill:at least 6 hours

the ingredients
6 eggs, separated
100g caster sugar
1/4 cup rum
500g Marscapone, softened
1 pkt (500g) Sponge finger biscuits

1 cup coffee, peculated - may need a little more

100g dark chocolate, grated

lets have some fun
Beat egg yolks and sugar until smooth & creamy.
In a separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add rum to egg whites and gently fold through. Set aside.
Add marscapone to the egg yolk mixture and beat until smooth. Fold the egg white mixture into the marscapone mixture until combined.
Dip sponge fingers into coffee, lay sponge fingers in a single layer in the base of a pudding dish (5-cup capacity). Spoon half the marscapone mixture evenly onto the sponge fingers and smooth out. Repeat with another layer of biscuits and finish with marscapone. Add grated chocolate or sifted cocoa. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.

love amie x

Back to basics

Sometimes 'the simple things in life are often the best' or in this case the most basic things. I am often asked by friends, colleagues and family for a Basic muffin recipe.

In honour of the most versatile and understated baked goodi 'the muffin' I have put together a few of my favourites to share.

Basic muffin mix

the ingredients

2 cups (300g) self raising flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup (125g) sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
200g butter, melted
½ cup sour cream
½ cup (125ml) milk
lets have some fun
Pre-heat the oven to 180º C for fifteen minutes.
In medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder & sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, butter, sour cream and milk. Mix until just combined.
Spoon the mixture evenly between a 12-cup muffin tray.
Bake on the top shelf of your oven for 18 minutes or until golden brown.

Here are a few of my favorite muffin recipes on my blog:

Raspberry and white chocolate –Add 1 cup frozen or fresh raspberries and 1/2 cup white chocolate, chopped to the basic muffin mixture. Berry – Add 1 cup mixed berries; raspberries, blueberries & strawberries to the basic muffin mixture.Banana & double choc –Yum! If you don’t want to add chocolate you can either omit or substitute for plums or leave simply as Banana. Mum’s date & bran overnight muffins – A healthy breakfast treat or mid morning treat. Serve smothered in butter or a dollop of fresh ricotta and honey. mini spiced banana Sweet and delicious, the mini size means you can take two.

Muffins and mini muffins are great frozen in snap lock bags for up to 3 month, perfect for the kiddies lunch box. Simply pull out frozen muffins in the morning and pack into your kids lunchbox, doubling as a cooler to keep sandwiches fresh!

love amie x

An oval orange

If you haven't already noticed winter is over and spring has begun, this mornings clear blue sky and perfect sunrise told me it was so. Spring reminds me of oranges and with the few remaining in my fruit bowl at home I was determined to not let them spoil. Sweetly spiced orange and chocolate bread was my breakfast of choice. If you have a couple of lazy Orange's hanging around the house then take the following ingredients out of the kitchen cupboard and try this super easy recipe. Perfect for a throw together lazy Sunday brunch.
the ingredients
2 cups self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup almond meal
2 oranges, zested (coloured part only) and juiced.
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup (250ml) milk
1/4 cup oil
100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped, optional

lets have some fun
Pre-heat oven to 190C for fifteen minutes.
Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well.
Pour mixture into silicone loaf tray.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and skewer inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before inverting.
Serve warm pieces of sliced Orange and chocolate bread with fresh ricotta, sprinkled with warmly toasted flaked almonds

Oranges are known most commonly or perhaps optimistically some might say, the iconic dimple-skinned Orange holds the cure for the common cold...
Not as sour as its sister fruit the lemon, lime and grapefruit. The orange imparts a much sweeter flavour and has a slightly stringy texture. The hidden juice-filled bubbles of this sweet citrus fruit lay dormant just beneath the thick skinned rough exterior, ready to explode on impact.
Freshly squeezed, oranges make a perfect start to the day, crammed with flu fighting Vitamin C to help fight off any ailments, which may come your way. Oranges can be quartered for a quick snack or carefully segmented with a paring knife they add zing to a summery salad. For a quick flavour boost add a tablespoon of freshly grated Orange zest to your favourite berry dish to enhance the tangy flavour in pies, compotes, bircher-style muesli and decadent chocolate puddings, a union that is hard to resist.
Growing up I remember Oranges being a regular fixture at the local footy, served at quarter time breaks for a quick energy boost.
Do try an oval orange in your own style!

love amie x