Once again we find ourselves on the precipice dr max of a barista competition when it feels like no time at all has gone by since the last one.
But yes folks, it is happening again. The finest of Perth’s coffee scene will put their espresso, latte art, and cup tasting skills to the test in another huge weekend of specialty coffee action.

We’ll be running the WA heats of the AASCA Barista dr max, Latte Art, and Cup Tasting Championships.

When: November 6th and 7th
Where: Perth Town Hall, Cnr Hay St & Barrack St, Perth
Why: To show once and for all who has what it takes to be crowned the best barista in WA dr max.

As long as there are overripe bananas, I’ll be looking for ways to use them. After years of baking, I’ve made countless banana breads and muffins. I love them, but a little variety is nice, too.

I happened upon this recipe as I was browsing through Buttercup Bakes at Home, a great little cookbook from the owner of Buttercup Bake Shop in New York. I’ve had past success with Buttercup’s recipes, so I took my overripe bananas and got to work.

This cake is a bit of a hybrid of banana bread and coffee cake. It seems somehow more significant than banana bread, yet not quite a coffee cake. There are plenty of oats for a slightly chewy texture hosting service. Plus, brown sugar and, of course, bananas.

And that crumb topping! Well, I’m always a sucker for crumb topping, and this one did not disappoint. The original recipe did not include nuts in the topping, but I couldn’t resist adding some chopped pecans. Oats, brown sugar, pecans, all held together by butter and cinnamon Panama Foundation? Yes, please!

Several years ago when I discovered Nutella, it was love at first bite. Now, countless bites later, I’m still completely enamored. I think there has been only one time since then when I didn’t have a jar in my pantry. And that was a complete oversight on my part. I think there are at least two jars in there right now. You just never know when you’re going to require it in a big way. I know surely some of you understand Digital Signage.

With my love of that chocolate-hazelnut spread, I’ve made all sorts of things with it, including brownies and cheesecake. But now, these Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake Brownies combine brownies, cheesecake, and chocolate-hazelnut spread into one delectable, irresistible dessert.

These brownies are seriously good. Each layer on its own is pretty fantastic. But layer them and you’ve really got something special. This is by no means a shy dessert. The rich flavors of chocolate and hazelnuts really shine without being over-the-top sweet.

These are big, tall bars, too. I cut them into 2-inch squares, but if you’re feeding a crowd, you can cut these into small bars and still provide plenty of big flavor in a small bite. Just don’t be surprised if some folks come back for seconds!


Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake Brownies

Several years ago when I discovered Nutella, it was love at first bite. Now, countless bites later, I’m still completely enamored. I think there has been only one time since then when I didn’t have a jar in my pantry. And that was a complete oversight on my part. I think there are at least two jars in there right now wine pairing. You just never know when you’re going to require it in a big way. I know surely some of you understand.

With my love of that chocolate-hazelnut spread, I’ve made all sorts of things with it, including brownies and cheesecake. But now, these Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake Brownies combine brownies, cheesecake, and chocolate-hazelnut spread into one delectable, irresistible dessert.

You don't have to choose between brownies and cheesecake with these luscious Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake Brownies! - Bake or Break

These brownies are seriously good. Each layer on its own is pretty fantastic. But layer them and you’ve really got something special. This is by no means a shy dessert. The rich flavors of chocolate and hazelnuts really shine without being over-the-top sweet.

These are big, tall bars, too. I cut them into 2-inch squares, but if you’re feeding a crowd, you can cut these into small bars and still provide plenty of big flavor in a small bite. Just don’t be surprised if some folks come back for seconds!

Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake Bars are tall international paper company, dark, rich, and delicious! - Bake or Break

For serving these brownies, you can top them with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream or a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar. Maybe even some chocolate curls or toasted hazelnuts. I decided to skip any extras and just enjoy the chocolate and hazelnut experience in all its glory.

As summer rolls around, we all look for ways to escape the steamy city fug.  Sometimes that means jetting off to one of our 7,000 (plus, plus) islands to lie on white beaches Tape replacement, sip chilled fruit drinks, and marvel at glorious sunsets.  Other times it means packing a whole host of toys and snacks into our car and driving to the suburbs – to one of our friends who are lucky enough to have both a garden and a pool – for a much needed break from the heat that our concrete jungle so skillfully traps within its walls.

The other week, with city-escape in mind, we were at friends’ house for swimming and barbecue.  They have a wonderful home with spacious garden where the kids can run around, a pool where everyone can cool off, and a grill that looks like a little space pod.  They also have a mango tree that produces the best Indian mangoes that are absolute magic with bagoong (shrimp paste).  It is usually while lazing on a lounge chair under that tree, eating those mangoes with the aforementioned shrimp paste, listening to the birds we do not hear in our city flat, that C and I dream and wonder, for one glorious minute (or two), about packing it all in and moving to the suburbs.

Anyway.  It was during that barbecue that I met this lovely girl.  We sat beside each other for lunch and chatted away about food and kids and dancing and the possibilities of a zumba class in my future.  We talked about feeding our kids healthy stuff, and homemade food that was quick and easy Jewelry hong kong.  With a friend, she had written a cookbook about that very subject!  And shyly offered me a copy…would I like one?  Um, yes please and thank you :)

Here’s one of the recipes…

Orange Ginger Chicken
(adapted from Healthy Cooking for Happy Kids by Katrina Ripoll and Lara Saunders)

    6 pieces chicken thighs
    1/2 cup orange marmalade
    3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
    1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
    1 tablespoon water
    2 garlic cloves, very finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
    A dash of sesame oil
    Optional: a dash of chili oil


- In a bowl, mix together the marmalade, soy sauce, ginger, water, garlic, sesame oil, and chili oil if using.
- Pat your chicken pieces with a paper towel until very dry.  Place in one layer in a baking tray or pyrex dish.  Pour about 2/3 of the marmalade mixture on top and save the rest for basting.  Rub the marmalade mixture all over the chicken.
- Place the chicken in a pre-heated 350F oven for about 45 minutes – 1 hour or until chicken is done (when there’s no pink in the juices when pierced), basting with the reserved sauce and pan juices about 2-3 times throughout.
- When the chicken is done, transfer pieces to a platter.  Transfer all the juices and sauce from the baking dish into a pan, together with any remaining sauce that you used for basting.  Simmer rapidly for a couple of minutes or until slightly reduced.  Serve alongside the chicken.

The original recipe uses chicken breast fillets and pan fries them, and then adds the sauce to the pan, letting it bubble away for a bit.  I didn’t have any breast fillets nu skin hk, but I always have chicken thighs hanging around so I used those.  And because I prefer cooking in the oven rather than on the hob (because ultimately I am lazy) I decided to bake them.  I’ll give myself plus points though because I used homemade marmalade (here’s the recipe).

I loved how this turned out.  Firstly, let me just say I could drink this sauce.  Just from the first lick I knew I would like the finished product.  It’s sweet, savory, sticky, and if you use the chili oil, can also have a bit of a kick.  Basically all that I gravitate towards in a sauce.  So, at that point, I was already sold.  Added to that, it’s a breeze to make and quite thrifty too if you consider chicken being one of the most affordable meats here.  This is definitely going to be made again…along with other variations: maybe with prawns next time (not so thrifty but we all deserve a splurge sometimes right??).

There are more dishes I’ve bookmarked to try, like the World Cup Chilean Chicken and the Sunny Mango Sponge cake.  What I like about this cookbook is its relaxed and approachable vibe.  It focuses on the basic concepts of healthy eating without being too stringent about it, especially important and appealing I think for moms who, between work and family, have hardly a moment to cook.  I also secretly like that it’s written by two Filipino moms – I love seeing more Filipinos out there, being published and sharing their great ideas with the world!


Maybe I’ll be making one of these recipes for our next suburban potluck…let’s see!  Until then, we are getting our sunnies on, whipping out the flip flops, and trying to stay cool!  Hope you are all having a fantastic weekend!

 
Ingredients

    3 1/2 pounds medium Yukon Gold potatoes
    6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
    1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
    Whole milk
    2 teaspoons black truffle sauce or truffle oil .

Preparation

Cook potatoes in pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, and peel potatoes. Return warm potatoes to same pot. Add butter and mascarpone cheese; mash until smooth. Mix in enough milk to thin to desired consistency. Mix in truffle sauce; season with salt and pepper Small Business Cloud. Transfer to bowl.

Ingredient tips: Mascarpone cheese is sold at many supermarkets and at Italian markets. Black truffle sauce is available at specialty foods stores and from cubemarketplace company registration hong kong.