Maranello’s Veloce

I was excited when I moved to Croydon Park knowing that there was 3 pizza places within walking distance (note; dominos was not included for obvious reasons). Then reality struck! None were woodfire. How could this be? So after a few therapy sessions I began to accept that I would have to drive 10 mins down the road to Haberfield (Napoli in Bocca) to get my monthly fix of woodfired pizza. Then, as if the pizza gods were listening. Boom! Up popped Maranello’s Veloce. A woodfire pizza resturant that is a 3.45min walk! I’m sure the whole neighbourhood heard my scream when I found out about this J

ADDRESS: 127 Georges River Road, Croydon Park.

PHONE:  (02) 97995614

WEBSITE: Nil

OPENING:  Dinner: Every night

BOOKING REQUIRED:No, although there are only a few tables

LEVEL OF CASHOLA REQUIRED: $13-20 for Traditional. $20-25 Gourmet

CUISINE: Italian Wood fire Pizza

FLICKS VERDICT:

Delicious. Prices are slightly on the high side although these pizzas are worth those few extra measly dollars.

THE “PEOPLES VERDICT”

No reviews yet, as this baby is brand new. If Friday nights are to go by- its chockas!

IT’S REVIEW TIME!

The wait is finally over! Watching the store come together it seemed to take forever. Now open 7 nights a week I can get my pizza fix. So far Mr FYF and I are working through the menu to find our favorite. So far it is the Rucola: (rocket, prosciutto, parmesan and olive oil). The only problem is the extra $4 they want from you is just to add buffalo cheese – a bit steep for cheese I think. If you do get a pizza with prosciutto, ask them to add it at the end (otherwise it dries out and becomes quite tough).

 Tre- Salumi Wood Fired Pizza

I recommend you trying the cheese pizza as an entrée! It is cheesy-good! Best to share as it can be quite filling. I would skip the garlic bread (it’s just a bread roll thrown in the oven) and go for the cheesy pizza!

  Cheese Wood-Fired Pizza

I still haven’t managed to find space for dessert yet. I get so excited by the pizzas and forget to leave enough room to devour dessert. However the extra-large containers of Nutella that are displayed out the front do remind me to one day to attempt to pace myself so I can try their dessert menu.

 Oh La La- Nutella

THE LOCALE, DECOR AND VIBE:

Right in the middle of Croydon Park shops it attracts a lot of customers. On Friday nights there is a constant buzz with all the tables filling by 6:30pm.

LETS’ TALK PEOPLE POWER:

Staff are friendly and seem to remember customers faces. Surprising it is well staffed for a pizzeria- no complaints here!

NOM NOM NOM:

Fresh out of the oven wood fired pizza of course!

WOW FACTOR:

On a weeknight you can order your pizza with less than 10 mins wait!

FROWN FACTOR:

No licence or BYO, meaning soft drink for all.

MENU:

I love Easter time. Who wouldn’t? We get loads of chocolate and indulge in hot cross buns! I personally think Easter should be at least every month- including the 4 day weekend! In saying this, I am one who has work over the 4 days (apparently people still get sick on public holidays!). I figured I need to put my colleagues on a sugar high to make working the weekend a little more bearable. I came up with these little cupcakes by incorporating my favourite Easter egg- Cadbury Crème egg.

Occasionally the big supermarkets will stock Dulce de leche (caramelised condensed milk) however if you cant obtain, fear not nestle caramel filling can be substituted! But if you want to make your own dulce de leche by simmering a can of condensed milk over a stove top for 3 hours (remembering to put holes in the top to stop it exploding!) There is heaps of step by step guides throughout google.

These are easy to make and will please both the kids and grown ups!

WOODEN SPOON RATING:

NOW FOR THE RECIPE:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Chocolate Cupcake:

1. Beat sugar and butter until pale and fluffy (around 3-5mins)

2. Add the eggs one at the time, mixing well between

3. Add the milk and beat for a further 1 min

4. Add the sifted flour, bi-carb and cocoa and beat for a further 3-5 mins until well combined.

5. Spoon mixture into cupcake cases (filling 1/3 high)

6. Cook for 15 mins or until cooked through

7. Leave to cool on a wire rack

Dulce de Leche Frosting:

8. Beat the caramel, icing sugar, milk and butter until well combined (5 mins)

9. Pour mixture into a piping bag and leave in the fridge until it has reached piping consistency

10. Pipe onto the cupcakes (don’t be stingy!)

11. Top with an Easter egg

Voila:

Delicious Easter cupcakes that will have anyone drooling!

TIPS:

- Don’t worry about cupcake mixture after you add the eggs- it will look curdled. Once you have added the flour it will look like a perfect batter

- Never frost the cupcakes whilst their hot- impatience is hard to overcome- but it’s definitely a no no!

I had been anticipating with open arms the arrival of February. It marked the completion of university! The study seemed to take up too much diary space and therefore my social life took the brunt of it. (To all my friends out there, yes I am still alive and I promise I will see you all once again!)

One benefit of the graduation (apart from seeing 10 good friends graduate) were my parents who made the trip up from rural NSW (Cowra). For my post graduation achievement, I (plus Mr FYF- who apparently got treated as well, for putting up with me throughout the year) were treated to a fantastic dinner at the Sugarooms.

I actually had never heard of the Sugarooms before. It was chosen only because of my sister in law who brought an online coupon for her and Mr FYF and they both raved about how great the food and service was. It was great to see the coupon system actually working.

ADDRESS: 1 Harris St, Pyrmont

PHONE:  02 9571 5055

WEBSITE: www.sugaroom.com.au

OPENING:  Lunch: Tue to Sun, Dinner: Tue to Sat

BOOKING REQUIRED: Recommended, but not essential

LEVEL OF CASHOLA REQUIRED: $$$. Entrees: $20-25. Mains: $33-48

CUISINE: Modern Australian

FLICKS VERDICT:

THE “PEOPLES VERDICT”

Most people seem to love it- I don’t blame them!

IT’S REVIEW TIME!

The Sugaroom looks over the water at Pyrmont (Johnston’s Bay) making a beautiful and tranquil setting. It is within the old CSR sugar refinery, hence the name. It is a quiet end of town and thankfully there is plenty of on-street parking (especially as it is just down from Star City). Head Chef Nick Clarke leads a great kitchen ensuring that food leaves the kitchen at a consistently high standard.

Unfortunately for a Friday night the restaurant wasn’t busy (about 3 other tables) though this could have been due to the rain. It would be shame not too see them pull big crowds as they serve a damn good meal.

To start we decided on the Oysters, and 2 serves of scallops. (I was ensuring room dessert, mmm dessert). The oysters were plump and fresh and served with fresh lime.

The scallops were cooked to perfection (as Manu would say), with a light vinaigrette sauce. I would of liked a caramelised top/crust (personal taste only).

Now, for the juicy bit. The Mains. It did take us a little while to actually decide on what to order, but it was great to see we all ordered something different.

Mr FYF went for his usual- a 350gm Sirloin steak which was cooked flawlessly to medium rare. The garlic butter was a classic combo that complemented the steak well.

Dad choose the Barramundi with an Asian salad. The fish was fresh and flaky and tasted divine.

Mum went for the special of the day. Peppers, (capsicum) risotto with blue swimmer crab. We were all surprised how much crab meat there was, especially with the amount of work that is required to get the meat out of those babies.

I chose the confit pork belly. I was thankful of not having had an entree when I saw how large the portion was! I was hoping for a crispy skin (sad face) however the chick pea mash with the rich sauce was ‘oh my goodness.’

Thank heavens I had room for sweets (by not having had an entree). I devoured the pear and frangipani tart with salted caramel sauce. The salted caramel (the real reason why I ordered it) really complemented the tart.

The nougat with Persian fairy floss was fantastic, though quite filling (beware if you ordered the pork belly).

Dad finished off with a cheese plate and it was lovely to see large cheese portions, enough for it to be shared with us, though he wasn’t too keen on sharing it J

Sugaroom restaurant is a fantastic little spot that overlooks the water without having to venture through the city. The menu may be on the pricier side of things, but when taking into the account, fabulous service and portion sizes it can be justified.

THE LOCALE, DECOR AND VIBE:

Locale, decal and vibe- it was a shame not to see it busier, however having a table by the window made for an awesome view

LETS TALK PEOPLE POWER:

People power- amazing! Professional with their own sense of personality

NOM NOM NOM:

I would have to say the risotto- it was perfect consistency and the rice was not overcooked.

WOW FACTOR:

There was no let down it all worked flawlessly; the service, fantastic food and brilliant location

FROWN FACTOR:

Frown factor- umm I really can’t think of anything

WHAT WE ATE:

Entree

market oysters natural with fresh lime

seared scallops, pea fondant, crispy prosciutto, champagne vinaigrette

Mains:

Crispy skin barramundi, water chestnuts, thai basil, coriander, chilli & black bean

350g pasture fed sirloin, bundle of beans, cafe de paris

Confit of pork belly, chick pea and carrot cassoulet, cinnamon brandied dates

Special of the day: Capsicum risotto with blue swimmer crab and crispy sweet potato

Sides:

Steamed beans

Dessert:

Cheese Plate

Pistachio & turkish delight nougat glace, pistachio anglaise

Pear & frangipane tart, praline salted caramel sauce

1 year ago I married an amazing person. To celebrate this milestone we treated ourselves to a holiday in Bali. This is a brief encounter of our fantastic trip.

Photo Source: Bradley Merchant Photography

DATE: March 2012

(Sorry guys, this one of those delayed posts. This is from March 2012- Just shy of 1 year- whoops

VENUE: Seminyak, Bali

DEETS OF THE TRIP:

A short 6 hour flight saw us in a new country. I was warned about the extensive delays getting through customs in Bali, but within 30 mins we were outside and hit by the humidity!

Virgin Blue: It was a normal domestic plane and the seats wouldn’t even allow you to recline. We were constantly asked (and even woken) about purchasing food and even a reply of “no thank you, we will not be purchasing any food on this flight” the stewardess still asked us again 1 hr later!

Jetstar: We were not expecting much, seeing we paid very little for the flights, but Jetstar surprised us with a new plane which included seats that actually reclined properly (that is more than 2 degrees!)

Recommendations: Pay the extra money and get hotel transport if you have never been to Bali before.  It is so much easier than trying to find a taxi in heat, humidity and your luggage.

THE HOTEL

Silq Private Residences, Kerobokan: OMG! Pure luxury. There are only 17 villas, all have a private pool, outdoor shower (and indoors), Jacuzzi, butler and attention to all detail. Even the bed was massive- I was afraid I would lose Mr FYF in it! Another cool feature was the all included breakfast. We ordered it for 8am, and it was at our villa on the dot, not a minute past- incredible.  We ordered eggs and ended up with toast, croissants fruit, fresh juice, and coffee (as well as the eggs) with the staff setting it up in our room. I couldn’t imagine the price a Hotel in Sydney would charge for this!

NYEPI/ DAY OF SILENCE

Each year Bali literally shuts down, including the airport from 6am till 6am the next day. I found this a huge contrast to Australia, where we party and make plenty of noise welcoming the new year. Our hotel did warn us about this day and provided us with  an  ‘in-house movie system’. No one is allowed outside the hotel- even if you wanted too, there were police guarding the area to ensure this. Any lights that were not contained by curtains had to stay off. The Hotel did however keep the spa and restaurant open until 6pm for guests. It was nice to have a relaxing day by the pool, getting massages and hearing nothing.

SPA

Like many countries including Thailand  and Vietnam, Bali is well known for cheap massages. We didn’t venture outside the hotel, instead went for the lazy option (also not getting caught with a dodgy one, wink wink) of the hotels’ own spa service. I loved the idea of holidays that include relaxing, cocktails and massages!

TRANSPORT

Bali is ridiculously cheap! There  are plenty of taxis in the larger towns and cost 75 cents for a 5 min trip- CRAZY! Another option is hiring a scooter for the day for a handsome sum of $5 per day! Please note side mirrors, and proper brakes are not included LOL! The best part of hiring a motorbike is the excitement of buying petrol in the absolute vodka jars! The traffic in Bali is crazy, yet it somehow works. Both Mr FYF and I didn’t suffer any broken bones so side mirrors and proper brakes are over rated and are not required!

PLACES:

We were given some good advice from a friend to skip Kuta, and instead stick to Ubud and Seminyak.

Seminyak is the top end of Bali on the coast and yes, oh yes, full of boutique stores. Be warned, the beaches are not like any of the fabulous ones we have here is Australia. Instead of sand it is dirt, but is a great place to visit as the fresh sea air breaks up the humididty!

Ubud: is like stepping back in time. It is a historical town, without the hustle and bustle of Seminyak. We hired a driver ($40 for 12hrs) to take us there, around an hour from Seminyak and here we spent the day eating and shopping (Oh what bliss!).

SHOPPING:

Seminyak: Mostly made up of boutique stores with prices very similar to here in Australia (AUD $50-70) for a dress. Unfortunately the heat made it hard to spend an entire day shopping. There are a couple of main shopping strips- with a very cheap taxi trip between them. One main feature that stood out was the limited number of souvenir shops.

Ubud: Was quite different from Seminyak. The shopping was very tourist orientated and a lot cheaper than Seminyak.

FOOD

Crispy Pata, Kerobokan – This was the only option for the quiet day, as it was on site where we staying. It has both Balinese food and western. I was able to order a me-goreng which was tasty. The best place to sit is upstairs where you over look the rice paddies

(Price- $3-10 AUD, Balinese  and Western Dishes)

Cafe Jemme, Kerobokan, a very girly ( think French and pink) interior, but the once you are able to drag your husband in- it is well worth it. It’s a great little place for seafood, and it has wonderful little touches such as the reservation written on a leaf

(Price $8-30 AUD, European)

La Luciola, Kerobokan –  We found this place by accident, and thankfully we did! It was amazing. The view was spectacular- right on the beach, and in my opinion was the best place to have a late breakfast or lunch. The staff  were fantastic and very helpful. A gourmet cafe menu, slightly more expensive than others (by an Australian dollar or two)- a must eat place!

(Price – $5- 10 AUD, Western)

Biku FusionKerobokan. This was rated highly and recommended by others, so I had high hopes. Unfortunately we were let down by very overcooked fish. However my dish (Corn Fritters) were fine.. However it has a great tea selection – though can be off putting in the Bali humidity and lack of air conditioners. The desserts however were delicious, we went for the tiramisu.

(Tea Room,  AUD $5- 15)

SOS Supper Club- This was the best eating experience in Bali! I would also say this is the best place to watch a sunset.

The food is fantastic and service impeccable. This was quite pricey compared to everywhere else, but worth every cent. The meal sizes are huge! Ask for a table on the roof top and close to the edge for an un-disturbed view of the beach sunset!

(AUD $20- 30. Modern Western)

Trattoria, Seminyak- This place look great from the outside but the food disappoints. The service however made it from a drab to an enjoyable lunch.

(Price 5-15 AUD, Italian).

The Deck, Kerobokan – The deck became our local drinking hole. It was between the shops and our villa so it was in a perfect location for us. The 2 for 1 cocktail happy hour was a bigger bonus- in the end I think we nearly got through the cocktail menu! The restaurant behind the bar was great, Asian influenced food and got quite busy later in the night. The service however wasn’t up to other restaurant standards, just a little slow.

(Price 5-20 AUD, Asian and Seafood).

Three Monkeys, Ubud- A fantastic place with plenty of seating. Brilliant cocktails, food and service. I recommend sitting out the back for the un-disturbed views of the rice fields.

(Price 5-15 AUD, Mixed).

PLACES WE WANTED TO GO BUT WERE CLOSED (for the national holiday)

Mama San- we found an advertisement for Mama San in a magazine and were disappointed to find it had closed for a month to be refurb. Need to book for this one- it books out most nights.

Melting wok- Ubud. Rated number one on trip advisor, and serving Indonesian food (which was hard to find). Unfortunately it was closed when we were there (Bali New year)

IF WE WERE TO GO AGAIN:

I would definitely stay in the same Villas (Silq)!

I would also want to experience an infinity pool (a pool which looks like it finishes at en edge of either ocean or a cliff). Bali are renown for the infinity pools. 

Even though it was nice to see a country in complete silence, I wouldn’t go back at the same time due to shop closures for the week.

I would go back to Ubud and probably travel further north.

Places I would eat again would be the supper club and Cafe Jemme. I would ensure the melting wok and Mama San are open!

Originally Bali wasn’t a place I was keen to visit, it was the Villas that sold me (private pool and a great price) but after our trip I  am definitely going back. Everything is so cheap, and the people are lovely . The best thing is it is only a 6 hour plane trip!

I love the combination of coconut and lime whether it comes from wonderful curries or to devine desserts. For those of you who are not cake lovers you need to try this and you will be instantly converted.

WOODEN SPOON RATING:

NOW FOR THE RECIPE:

The Cake:

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.

1. Beat together the butter and sugar until it becomes pale in colour (and the sugar has dissolved). This normally takes around 5 mins

2. Beat one egg in well before adding the next one

3. Add the lime, coconut, coconut cream and rind and beat to combine

4. Add the flour in thirds, mixing well between

5. Once combined pour mixture in a deep 20cm round pan

6. Cook for 40-50mins

7. Once cool, slice the cake in half using a serrated knife

The Cream Cheese Icing:

8. Beat all ingredients together until light and fluffy (a good 5- 10 mins)

Putting it Together:

9. Spread the pulp of the passion fruit over one half of the cake.

10. Then place some of icing on top of the passion fruit

11. Place the other half of cake on top of this.

12. Spread the icing over the top and sides of the cake using a palate knife

13. Decorate the sides with shredded coconut

To Serve:

A large slice of course

Voila:

A tropical cake with a fabulous cream cheese icing!

This months Blog hop is hosted Dining with a Stud. Check out her lastest post- Coconut and Mango Sago