Chez Dre, South Melbourne

Chocolate tart: chocolate ganache, peanut-cocoa nib tuile, 
chocolate mousse. Make sure you do not leave here without 
one of these babies!

I first came to this hidden gem while browsing for a new cafe for delicious cake and coffee.  After reading some online reviews I was hooked.  It is conveniently located near the South Melbourne Market and easily accessible by trams.  I love the decor, sort of revamp of an old industrial building with an open kitchen located in the heart of the restaurant.  There is a small outdoor area which is heated in the cold Melbourne winter - bonus!

One you passed through by the busy diners and hectic kitchen you will arrive at the cake display - oh wow what a selection!  There is a vast range of delightful cakes, petite macaroons and to die-for croissants available.  The first time I came here we shared cakes and quiche and later returned for brunch the second time.  To be honest that the cakes and the quiche were FANTASTIC, BUT...I was disappointed with the brunch food and their specialty hot chocolate (Ganache Chocolate is still the best in my personal opinion).  I suppose I was expecting more from their food with such good cakes available, this is why it is always dangerous to have high expectations...  If you're a fussy brunch eater like me this probably isn't the place for you.  However, I will definitely return for more cake and coffee once in a blue moon. The cakes are delicious but expensive, $8.50 per cake according to their menu online which I believe is an older version and think it was $9.00 when I went last week.  I will just have to add this place to the collection of my "treat list" for special occasions, since it is always so hard to resist delicious Gateaux!

Hazelnut-Praline Crunch: hazelnut dacquoise, gianduja mousse, hazelnut and chocolate crumble.  10/10 for desert.  Crunchy base, smooth creamy 
mouse and was definitely nutty from the hazelnut.
 YUMMY!

Quiche of the day: ham and cheese with salad. 

The pastry was so amazing my mouth waters just 

thinking about it.

Braised Mushroom Ragu: Swiss field and button mushrooms, soft polenta, poached egg & truffle oil.
This dish was delicious but lacked seasoning. I wish there was slightly more acidity to balance out the dish.  Towards the end of the meal it I found it was too rich to finish.

Brioche French Toast: caramelized pecan, vanilla mascarpone & berry compote.  The brioche was excellent and pecan nut were very delicious.  Individually they are fantastic but when you combined them it was sugar overload.  Maybe slightly more salt in the brioche, more acidic berry or more sauce could have helped.

OVERALL

FOOD: Coffee and cakes are delicious, not so convinced by their breakfast menu items.

PRICE: Cakes are expensive and brunch food price is on the high end or pricey.

SERVICE: Services have always been good with tentative and friendly staff members.
ATMOSPHERE: This is definitely a hip brunch place and it is also family friendly and a great place to catch up with friends on a lazy Sunday morning.

Summary:  Coffee and cake is all I need to say!

Takapuna Beach Cafe

Needing to go somewhere hip and with good coffee while the summer lasts in Auckland, New Zealand?  Why not venture to the Takapuna Beach Cafe located at the end of the Promenade Parade, literally right next to the Takapuna beach - perfect location on a sunny day.  They have a great selection of breakfast/brunch food (including many gluten free options), fantastic coffee and what is more important is their big selection of Gelato including the classics as well as the exotic flavours like coconut, which is amazing by the way!

Coffee lovers, you cannot leave this place without a proper ice coffee - two generous scoops of vanilla ice cream, a shot of espresso and a small pint of milk to go with it (otherwise you just have an affogato which is also fine by me).  It comes in 3 separate vessels so you can choose to eat your ice cream first or have it as an affogato and then wash it down with milk or you can combine them all! - the choice if yours, you have the power :)

For many years now, one dish has drawn me to Takapuna Cafe - their pan fried sole with garlic butter served with grilled sourdough.  Unfortunately 2 years ago it seems to have disappeared from the menu which is a HUGH disappointment to me as it was delicious, reasonably priced and you get a whole sole to your self!  Since the disappointment I had to find replacement, so here it is below, Crispy Agria rosti with baby spinach, feta, free range poached eggs and hollandaise sauce, served with crispy organic bacon and greens - delicious! The bacon is cripy, the rosti is crunchy and you have the egg yolk slowly oozing out that get mixed up with the hollandaise sauce, this is my kind of heaven :) 

This place could be overwhelming for those not used to the crowds. They do try to squeeze as many people in as possible, so you will be very cosy to your friends and families as well as your new found neighbours.  They had approximately 15 waiters on deck on a busy sunny Sunday afternoon, and it took all 15 waiters approximately 20 mins of walking pass a group of us to realise that we existed and needing service.  But after the first encounter, their service was great, tentative and the food came out fast.  So if you find it hard to get their first attention, don't feel it's personal.  What I love is on a sunny day, the waiter goes around and offer people hats to wear - though from a hygiene point of view I wouldn't accept the hat, but it is good to know that the option is there.  Lastly, if you do want a more personalised service, avoid rush hours and you would be fine, or just come for the coffee and gelato and enjoy what Takapuna Beach has to offer.

So why not try something different and try the Takapuna Beach Cafe, and what is great is you get to walk along the white sandy beach and enjoy the gorgeous view of Rangitoto Island and maybe some sailing to aid your digestion :)

OVERALL

FOOD: Great cafe food.

PRICE: Moderate to high  for cafe food price.

SERVICE: On a busy days (sunny Sat and Sun afternoon) you can be ignored but other days they are very good with their service.

ATMOSPHERE: Noisy but lively inside and great outdoor area.

Summary: Sunny day spent in Takapuna Beach Cafe is just great over a cup of delicious coffee and finishing it with even more delicious gelato.

Cute Find - Nor'Wester Cafe Amberley, New Zealand

Nor'Wester Cafe is a little gem in Amberley that is not to be missed if you are in Christchurch and do not mind a relaxing, flat 30min drive north.  On a sunny day this cafe offers large outdoor sitting area, and what is more exciting here is their food!  Year after year, I have returned here several times since 2008.  I found this gorgeous cafe by accident while wine tasting in Wairapa, and it is very exciting to see that this cafe sells many of the local wine (sometimes at a cheaper price than at the cellar).  I have been here for lunch and dinner previously and have never been disappointed.  Their menu is short and concise, and offers many gluten free options.  Wonderful friendly staff here and it is very child friendly.  Without babbling on too much further, here I like to share with you the three dishes we had for alight lunch for two, enjoy!

Natural Clevedon Coast Oysters - with balsamic vinaigrette

Caesar Salad - cos lettuce, bacon, egg, anchovy, croutons & Parmesan

Salt & Pepper Soft Shell Crab (Malaysian) - cucumber & pickled ginger salad, sweet chilli, aioli

The oysters was super fresh and very tasty and I wished I had got some more, yum!  Unfortunately the Caesar salad took me by surprise by their interpretation of "crouton", for me it wasn't crouton but large slices of toasted bread - hope they will change that as texture wise it wasn't quite there.  The soft shell crab was done beautifully, kudos to the chef!  Soft crunchy crab with the zingy cucumber & pickled ginger salad, this was a winner for me!  Wish I was back there right now, but if you're down at the South Island of New Zealand and new Christchurch, go there this weekend!

OVERALL

FOOD: Great cafe food.

PRICE: Reasonable.

SERVICE: Friendly.

ATMOSPHERE: Great outdoor dining area and it is also cosy indoor.

Summary: Summer here in Amberely for me means food at Nor'Wester Cafe, I enjoy nothing more than enjoying good food on a sunny afternoon :)

Affogato

Now that summer has finally arrived in NZ (sorry for those in the Northern Hemisphere), it is time for my all time favourite Italian desert: Affogato.  It is so simple that it'll be a crime not to go and make it right now! Affogato in Italian means "drowned", basically you just drown the ice cream or gelato with a shot of hot espresso. Some people like to make this with a shot of liqueur like Amaretto or my personal favourite Baileys, and obviously this is the"big kids version". Yes I know what you're thinking, what can go wrong with the combination of ice cream, coffee and liqueur :D

To be honest, I love eating Affogato even on a cold wintery night...while sitting very close to the heater or a fire place of course! I know not everyone has a fire place at home or have the luxury to crank up the heater in the middle of winter to enjoy a tasty late-night treat, but oh boy, this is so worth it!

Fear you may not sleep afterwards, then why not use decaffeinated coffee? It is fun to try out different flavours of ice cream, you may be very surprised by how some weird combinations works like a charm, for example: mint chocolate chips ice cream with espresso - weird huh! But I assure you, if you love mint like I do, this combination is the great union of strong flavours! With this recipe, you never have to slave hours in the kitchen to make a WOW ending for your dinner parties!

Affogato

2 generous scoops of ice cream 1 shot of espresso 1 shot of liqueur (optional)

Place the ice cream in a cup. Add espresso (and liqueur if you choose to). Done! Now eat it before the ice cream melts!

Enjoy :)

Wintry Soup - Creamy Tomato

As winter approaching fast, it daunt on me the other day that it is soup time!  There are so many variety of soups, my favourite has to be the more creamy soup like chowders or creamy chicken corn soup.  Although with noodles a clear hearty beef/pork soup goes very well with a dash of seasame oil and touch of coriander.  These days with the advancement of technology, soup comes in ready to eat cans or instant powder to fit into the busy working lifestyles of the people in this modern era.  However, I never found them to be the same as the one you make at home.  Nevertheless, this recipe calls for canned tomato soup and chunky tomatoes.  Even though the canned soup isn't the same as the one you make, with this version, you can turn the canned soup into something deliciously divine!  It is fast and easy to make, perfect if you have a busy lifestyle like myself.  I usually serve this dish with some toasted bread, or with something more flavourful like garlic croutons/bread. 

Here I will show you the ratio of cream and coriander that is to my taste, if you prefer something creamier, then add more cream.  If you like Asian flavour like myself, then add a lot of coriander!  It is a very flexible recipe.  Enjoy :D

Creamy Tomato Soup

1 can condensed tomato soup (~420g) 1 can diced tomatoes (~420g) 2 bunches of coriander 1 cup cream Salt

1.       Place the condensed tomato soup in a medium pot, warm with low heat until just boiled.  Stir regularly. 2.       Meanwhile, finely dice the coriander stem and roughly chop the coriander leafs, but leaves a handful of leafs aside un-chopped for decoration later. 3.       Drain the diced tomatoes and add to the tomato soup, bring to boil.  Add the cream and coriander, stir regularly.  Add salt to taste (depending how the canned soup/tomatoes are salted). 4.       Divide soup among bowls.  Garnish with coriander leaves and top with garlic croutons, if desired.

Hint: be careful not to warm the soup up too quickly and burn the bottom.  This recipe calls for a lot of coriander because I just heart this delicious herb.  However, it may be too strong for many people, so just add a handful in at a time, taste it as you incorporate the coriander into the soup until it is to your liking.  Same apply to the salt since every canned soup and tomato is different.

Near finished product, incorporating the chopped coriander into the soup - delicious!

Omega 3 - Smoked Salmon Terrine

Sweet and sour style salmon, pan-fried, then added with soy sauce, lemon,
ginger slices and spring onions!  Serve well with rice.

Oh the glorious salmon!  I haven't heard from many whom aren't a vegetarian, vegan, fruitarian or allergic to seafood that they do not like salmon.  What is the attraction of this delicious creature?  It is such a versatile protein, you can make it into sashimi, sushi, salad, terrine and many other delicious dishes through smoking, curing, pan frying, poaching or just leaving it raw.  Salmon is rich in "omega-3" (that is supposedly good for reducing the likely-hood of cardiovascular diseases) as well as protein and vitamin D.  In saying so, if looking at the studies conducted carefully, if you do not have any potential in developing cardiovascular diseases, or have any forms of cardiovascular diseases, then eating Omega-3 really wouldn't do you any "benefits"...  Also studies have suggested that the farmed salmon may contain lesser omega-3 than the wild-type, so something to watch out for!  Nevertheless, these days, living in food heaven with readily available produce, most of us will eat salmon just because it tastes so good!  Growing up, one of my favourite salmon dish is the one made by mum.  Sweet and sour pan-fried salmon steak!  Sweet and sour from the lemon juice used and usually there are a lot of yummy sauces made from this dish which I love to drizzle lots over my steamed rice while I eat it - nom nom...

So far having shared my more rustic and simple dishes, I thought I would throw you guys into the deep end and challenge you to try and make this following recipe.  It is taken out of one of my favourite cookbook: Gary Rhodes: New British Classics.  I have to admit, I normally do not buy celebrity chef's cookbook, however, Chef Gary Rhodes and Masaharu Morimoto are my only exceptions :D  This recipe is fabulous; you can make it days in advance and will eally wow your families and friends.  Only a few ingredients are needed and other than that is some patients and artistic skills.  I first made this two Christmas ago and it was an absolute hit.  It helped having fresh dill in my mother's garden and being Christmas, the smoked salmon was on special.  I found there isn't many "long" slices of smoked salmon in New Zealand, so instead of using one large loaf tin/terrine dish, I used two smaller ones instead.  Having two smaller ones is great as I find it easier to slice the terrine afterwards.  One thing to watch out for when buying smoked salmon is the "cuts" where it is taken from.  Be sure to get the "belly" portions of the smoked salmon so each slice is more uniform in size, whereas the portion near the tail tends to be "thinner and longer" so you'll need more slices to cover the terrine.  When most people think of Christmas, they think of hearty dishes like roast turkey, hot chocolate and English pudding.  However, being in good old New Zealand, our Christmas is in the middle of summer, so I hope this dish offers a refreshing take on appertizer for hot summery Christmas meals, enjoy!

Smoked Salmon Terrine

175g butter 50g marinated anchovies Finely grated zest of 1 lemon Juice of ½ lemon 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill 1-1.5kg sliced smoked salmon Salt and fresh ground black pepper

1.           Line a 1.4L terrine dish or a 900g loaf tin with cling film.  Soften the butter.  Cut the anchovy fillets into small 2-3mm dice and stir into the butter, along with the finely grated lemon zest.  Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.  To finish, simply fold in the chopped dill.  This will now need to be used at room temperature, making it easy to spread. 2.           Place 3-4 slices of the salmon widthways in the terrine, creating a lining for the filling.  It is important to make sure large slices are used, leaving a 3-4cm overhang on each side. 3.           Spread a very thin layer of butter over the base and cover with slices of salmon.  Now repeat until the terrine is absolutely full. 4.           This will have used the majority, if not all, of the butter.  Once full, fold over the original slices to cover the top.  Cover with cling film and refrigerate, using another terrine, or something similar as a weight.  This will help press the layers of the terrine together.  This needs to be left for several hours. 5.           The butter when cold will set, making the terrine a lot easier to slice. 6.           Once set, simply turn out and, while still wrapped in cling film, the terrine can be portioned.  This guarantees that the slices keep their shape.  To eat this dish at its best, the terrine can be put on a plate, cling film removed, and allowed to become just lightly chilled, giving the butter spread a softer texture.

I know the ingredients calls for "anchovies", but fear not, it is only there to enhance the subtle flavour and you won't taste it with the rich smoked salmon (as long as you've mixed in the anchovies well).  If you do not have fresh dill, then dried dill is also adequate, but you may need to use a bit more though.  Always taste the butter mixture at the end before commencing the layering.  I find that I like my butter more acidic so added extra 1 lemon of zest and juice of 1/2 lemon, but that is more of a personal thing.  I have a miniature offset spatula that is triangular rather than the traditional straight one, this helps spread the butter well in the corner of the container.  It is important to spread the butter evenly, otherwise one side may collapse after you put the weight on.  I served this with thin and plain wafers, cornichons and lemon wedges -t'was DELICIOUS (if you don't mind me saying so myself!) ^.^

A slice of  smoked salmon terrine, left at room temperature for 5-10 min and
garnished with more  freshly chopped dills.

Acidophilus Me With - Yoghurt

I LOVE yoghurt!  But...to tell you the truth, I never use to like yoghurt.  Thinking back I believe it wasn't until my varsity years that I started eating yoghurt, but it did took a while to convince my brain to like it (frequent circuit shortage problem I believe :p).  Nevertheless, now I eat so much yoghurt that I do wonder whether such large quantity, is still good for me?  Yoghurt has been advertised to be more beneficial (healthy-wise) than milk (which makes yoghurt) and  is recommended for those who are lactose intolerant.  

Yoghurt apparently is derived from Turkish "yoğurt", which translates into "to be curdled or coagulated; to thicken".  It is not only nutritious and versatile.  People from all corners of the world eat it or use it in their cuisine.  The Indians use it in Lassi, Greeks use it in Tzatziki, many use it in salad dressings and it is also a healthy alternative condiment to deserts such as the Pavlova.

Having sampled a varieties of yoghurt, from make your own, supermarket brands to yak milk yoghurt in the high lands of Tibet.  If you normally do not consume or enjoy goat milk based products then the yak milk yoghurt may not be your cup of tea.  It is very pungent, but some people absolutely love it!  I prefer plain yoghurt, since you can add fruits and other condiments to it and you are not stuck to a particular "flavour".  More and more "up-market" or "fancy" yoghurt are produced these days and have been targeted as "desert".  Now I have to say, this deviates the "healthy vision" that so many advertisers and nutritionists paints the picture of yoghurt for us.  The desert like yoghurt products tend to be higher in fat content which is the idea of being a desert - creamy!  So if you eat a delightful yoghurt like the one from Puhoi Valley "Divine Berries" like I just did, then I tend not to have another desert or consume lesser quantities.

One of my favourite recipes using yoghurt has to be the Tzatziki and Guacamole.  Although I tend to use yoghurt with different viscosity with these two sauces.  A thicker and creamer one for Tzatziki and a lighter and thinner one for Guacamole - but this is after all just personal preference.  It is best to do some experiments yourself to find out what you prefer.

Tzatziki

The Greek Tzatziki is very versatile, and I love making this in the summer.  The cucumber brings a light and freshness to the dish as an appetiser, meat condiment or dressing for salads.  I love serving it with kebabs, or any grilled red-meat, even patties in burgers.  As an appetiser, this is commonly served with pita breads, I like my pita bread with drizzle of olive oil and garlic, before warming it up on the BBQ or in the oven.  This one is based on the recipe from The Cook's Companion: The Complete Book of Ingredients and Recipes for the Australian Kitchen, a book that I adore and will write a review of once I have tested out more delightful dishes.

1 long cucumber, peeled and finely diced 2 cloves finely chopped garlic 2 cups plain (thick) yoghurt 2 tbsp dried mint or chopped up fresh mint Extra-virgin olive oil Freshly ground black pepper

1.           Mix the cucumber and salt in a bowl, leave for 30 minutes. 2.           Drain the cucumber and squeeze excess water out without completely crushing the cucumber. 3.           Whisk the black pepper, garlic and yoghurt in another bowl.  Add the cucumber and mint, stir in well. 4.           Serve with drizzle of olive oil.

I find the creamier and thicker the yoghurt is, the tastier the tzatziki (i.e. Greek Yoghurt).  Sometimes if I find it too heavy, I know it may not be conventional, but I lighten it with freshly squeezed lemon/lime juice and it becomes more like the Turkish Cacık (without dill).  Alternatively you can use a more diluted yoghurt and make it more saucy.  I do not find it absolutely necessary to drizzle the olive oil, I tend to leave a bottle out on the table and people can add if they need it.  Some recipes suggest you should mix the olive oil in Step 3, once again, personal preference, I like it without.  As for mint - I have to confess I am not a HUGE mint fan and tend to add lesser, once again, it's UP TO YOU!

Tip: It is vital to leave the cucumber and salt for a while to ensure your tzatziki is not too watery.  The salt helps draw the water out of the cucumber through osmosis.  Always taste and adjust before serving, since the size of the cucumber and thickness of the yoghurt varies.

Variation

If you cannot acquire thick and creamy yoghurt and/or finding your Tzatziki needing more "body", try adding some sour cream in Step 3 and make sure it is well mixed with the yoghurt.

Breakfast for Champions - Scrambled Eggs

In a large iron cast pot, the eggs and butter are gently
and continuously stirred to get that great scrambled effect.

You may wonder what is breakfast fit for a champion?  I would have to say EGGS!  Here I share with you one of my favourite egg recipe - THE SCRAMBLE EGGS!  If you like to learn more of the nutritional side of eggs read on, otherwise jump below for the AWESOME scramble eggs recipe.

Imagine an egg has the essential nutrients to create a life - "it has all the essential amino acids (which are building blocks for proteins) for human, with several essential vitamin and mineral and high choline".  Most of people are familiar with protein, vitamins and minerals, but you may wonder what is choline? and why is so important that I mentioned it here.  "Egg yolks are the most concentrated source of choline in the American diet..." Choline has been identified to be a vital nutrient that most of us these days are not eating enough of.  Studies have shown an elevated demand of choline during pregnancy and lactation and in elderly study found below Adequate Intake of choline intake has be associated with "Fatty Liver/Liver Dysfunction".  So it is important to ingest sufficient levels of choline, although through eggs would be the easiest but this is by no means to start eating lots of eggs.  Liver is another concentrated source of Choline, however if you don't like either eggs or liver check out USDA Database for the Choline Content of Common Foods for other sources of food with choline.

There is only 4 eggs here but 5 yolks!  I do like double
yolked eggs - this was a pleasant surprise ^.^

Life is about balance, you cannot eat too much of one thing.  Yes, there are potential risks to watch out for as well with eggs.  There are ongoing debates regarding the potential adverse effects of cholesterol and fat from egg yolks.  Conflicting studies have suggested both beneficial and detrimental effect of eggs with Cholesterol and Type II Diabetes.  Basic rule of thumb - if you start including eggs in your diet and finding that your cholesterol and sugar levels tend to elevate then watch out and eat in moderation.

Rachel's Scramble Eggs

As a fencer, I use to travel a lot especially within New Zealand.  I use to stay with a foilist name Rachel Rowlands down in Christchurch, New Zealand, like myself, she is an absolutely foodie.  This is the recipe for scramble eggs she cooked for me for breakfast once, and served with grilled honey streaky bacon, toasted bread and grilled tomatoes - YUM!

6 eggs 100 g butter Salt and pepper Chives for garnish

1.       Start off by cracking all the eggs into a medium cold pan.  Roughly cut up the butter and put it in with the eggs. 2.       With a low to medium heat gently cook the eggs while stirring with a wooden spoon until glossy and lumpy.  It is vital to constantly stirring the eggs to accomplish the lumpy finish.  Always undercook the scramble eggs as it’ll continue to cook even after you’ve removed it from the pan. 3.       Serve with garnish of chives.  Can be serve on toasted (and buttered) bread or crumpets and with grilled bacon, sausages or salmon.

The garnish is not essential, do not add it if you do not need it or have it.  Some people may find chopped up spring onions a preferred garnish.  I sometimes find that a few tear-up fresh basil leafs is a good garnish if I am also having grilled tomato with it.

Tip:  I tend not to salt/pepper my scramble eggs when serving to others as everyone has like their salt and pepper to different degrees.  It is easier to add more salt and pepper and extremely difficult to remove it.  Also I usually leave my scramble eggs a little bit under done, though not everyone's cup of tea, you can leave it in the pan a bit longer for those who likes it well done.

Cheesy Variation

Add a handful of grated cheese at the very end while the egg is still in the pan and just before serving. 

NOTE:  A good choice of cheese would be a strong cheese with low melting point.  I’ve found Tasty cheese a good choice but often require finer grating to ensure sufficient melting finish.  Parmesan is always a classic.  For something different mix equal quantities of mozzarella cheese with parmesan for a stringy effect.  For a strong finish, a few small knobs of blue cheese. 

Kiwi's Favourite Pavlova

The first Pavalova I have made for 2012, topped with Crème Chantilly
and fresh Strawberries and blueberries.

I thought I would start my blog with my all-time favourite desert - the Pavlova.

Christmas is an occasion most people associate with white snow and freezing cold temperature.  However, here down-under in good old summery New Zealand, it is the occasion where people dust off their BBQ, drink beer and more importantly eat a Pavlova!

Most of you may wonder what is a Pavlova?  "It is a meringue-based desert named after the famous Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavlova_(food).  It is basically a meringue with corn flour and vinegar  added to it.

Many New Zealanders that I have met so far have spent their lives battling to make a Pavlova, however I have been fortunate enough to have acquire a "fool's-proof" recipe from a family friend and never knew of this battle.  The crunchy, caramelised centre is a decadent contrast to the soft sugary marshmallow like centre.  It is best accompanied with citrous fruit (here with strawberries and blueberries in summer) and Crème Chantilly.  In winter I like to top it off with mandarin or defrosted frozen berries.  You wouldn't want to top it off with fruits such as apple and pear because you don't want to take away the already crunchy texture of the Pavlova.  For weight conscious people, this desert is equally indulgent with a fruity yoghurt.

If you never made one before or are one of those amongst many New Zealanders who are still in the Pavlova battle, check out "Wynnie's Pavlova" for my fool-proof recipe.  Check out my recipe page for my collection of recipes with my tips to ensure a satisfying belly Recipes.

Wynnie's Pavlova

This is one of the first deserts I tried in New Zealand made by a family friend Jill Thomas.  Jill got this fool-proof recipe from her belated friend Wynnie and hence named after her.  For the enthusiastic people, I find Step 2 best done by hand whisking.  However if you don't have the time or arm-muscles or just don't like the hassle, electric whisk is perfectly adequate!

3 egg whites 1 1/4 cup of caster sugar (ideally vanilla sugar) 3 tablespoons of water Pinch of salt 3 teaspoon of corn flour 1 teaspoon of white vinegar (actually, any vinegar would do but just not balsamic if you want to make this vanilla Pavlova) 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence Topping 100 mL cream 1 tablespoon of sugar Grated/shaved dark chocolate (for decoration) Seasonal fruit (sliced up) – blueberry, strawberry, mandarins and kiwi fruits work very well.

Preheat oven to 160°C, oven bake.  Line oven tray with baking paper. Whisk egg whites until fine white bubble forms.  Add 3 tablespoon of cold water, 1 spoon at a time. Add sugar slowly from the outside in small amounts until mixed well. Add the remaining ingredients and mixed gently. Pour out onto wax paper to about 15cm in diameter and 5 cm height. Bake for 30-40 min.  Leave in oven to cool. Whip the cream with sugar while waiting baking.  Pour cream on top of the cooled pavlova, spread and decorate with grated/shaved chocolate and fruits.

For Dairy-Free option, leave out the cream.

Tips: use fresh and large eggs!  If you refrigerate your eggs, take your eggs out of the fridge and bring it to room temperature first before whisking, you tend to get a better meringue.  Regarding to cold water, not tap water temperature but chilled water, easiest to add ice cubes.  When I say "whisk until bubble forms", you must be very patient at this stage to ensure the "bubbles" formed are small and fine (you tend to find the egg whites have doubled in volume), but be careful not to over whisk!!!

This is what the final product should look like or similar ^.^