Tag Archives: creme brûlée

Taze Mediterranean Cuisine Canberra City


Taze in Civic boasts exquisite tastes from around the Mediterranean.

It’s located at Shop 4 in the ATO Building at 21 Genge Street, Canberra City ACT 2601. Google map http://goo.gl/maps/K0a1G


Last night (ACT election night) we went there with friends for a meal. All in all it was an okay night. The place is packed with tables and it was a little like being in a sardine can. The table we had had a chair combo with two seats being a lounge cushion thing and the other four seats stand alone units. It wasn’t great and our friends who ended up with the lounge cushion thing weren’t that happy. The place has two levels with the mezzanine being largely out of sight. Because of my deafness and tinnitus I like to sit with my good ear in the best position. That doesn’t always help if the place is noisy. This place is pretty noisy. Not their fault I know, but some sound baffling can help people with a hearing disability.

While I enjoyed my meal, one of our friends asked for the seafood risotto and it came with whole crab pieces rather than crab meat incorporated into the risotto. This made it pretty messy and unappetising. In addition, it didn’t taste too good. Bron and I both noticed the snapper a couple of friends asked for smelt pretty fishy which is something that would put us off asking for it.

Onto the good things. I had an entrée of lamb sausages which were delightfully spicy. I could eat much more of these sausages. The serving size was pretty good for an entrée. I also had a fillet steak cooked rare on a bed of mash. For $36 I expected some greens too. Oh well, not a big deal. The steak was well cooked and very enjoyable. If I compared it to Tommy’s Bistro from last week though, I’d go for Tommy’s. I finished off with the Crème brûlée which contained white chocolate and raspberries. It was pretty good.

Taze lamb sausages

Taze fillet steak [rare]

Taze white chocolate and raspberry Crème brûlée

We had a good night out. Civic is the place to be on a Saturday night if you’re young and want a good time. With Spring developing everyone seemed to be wearing suitable bright coloured clothes and revealing a heap of pale skin.

On paying the bill, the manager removed the price of the risotto which was very nice of him and for me would be a positive to come back and try some different dishes from the menu.

I’d say Taze is worth a go. Their website has all their menus. I’ve listed the two main ones here. Ala carte menu http://taze.com.au/assets/alacartemenu.pdf  | Dessert menu http://taze.com.au/assets/dessertmenu.pdf

 

After a good night’s sleep we went to Ricardo’s Café for breakfast.

I enjoyed my poached eggs with a side of Hollandaise sauce.

Ricardo’s Cafe Poached eggs

Ricardo’s Cafe Poached eggs

I feel fat but I’m full of goodness from today


I had two meals today. I know that’s not ideal but each was quite filling. Not as filling as yesterday’s but filling just the same. I woke up this morning without much of an appetite and then I remembered Bron was going to make Crème Brûlée French toast this morning and my appetite came back with a vengeance.

This recipe also calls for drunken strawberries which were really nice. we also elected to add some whipped cream from a can.

Crème Brûlée French toast naked

Adding whipped cream is fun

Crème Brûlée French toast with whipped cream from a can

Crème Brûlée French toast with cream and drunken strawberries

My second helping of Crème Brûlée French toast

I went for a decent walk this afternoon but I don’t know that I burned enough emergy :-)

Check out the walk at http://runkeeper.com/user/garydlum/activity/74679324

This afternoon after a little ironing I started preparing dinner. I still had a piece of New York strip steak left and I thought it would make a nice Beef Wellington.

Beef Wellington is one of my favourite meals. It is so rich and unctuous especially when made with Pâté and mushroom Duxelles.

New york strip steak, butter, onion, prunes, mushrooms, and parsley

Laid out I have almost everything ready. New york strip steak, butter, onion, prunes, mushrooms, and parsley.

Browned steak resting and cooling

Browned steak resting and cooling until room temperature.

Duxelles being prepared. Onions sautéed with prunes, and mushrooms (The secret ingredient is anchovies)

Duxelles being prepared. Onions sautéed with prunes, and mushrooms (The secret ingredient is anchovies) You can’t taste them in the finished product but they add a richness to the dish.

Duxelles being prepared. Onions sautéed with prunes, mushrooms and parsley

Lots of parsley is required :-)

Nearly ready to prepare. Puff pastry laid out.

A sheet of Pampas puff pastry.

Steak coated with Pâté

The steak needs to be coated with Pâté.

Duxelles on the puff pastry

Cooled Duxelles in the puff pastry.

Beef on the pastry

Everything ready to be wrapped.

Wrapped and egg washed

The beef is wrapped and the pastry egg washed.

Plated up sans sauce

Plated up with carrots, asparagus and beans. Sauce to come.

With a pepper sauce

I love making pepper sauce with green pepper corns in brine.

On my dining table with a bottle of ginger beer

Plated up on my dining table with a bottle of ginger beer and my MacBook Air ready to eat.

After yesterday’s meal and with the steak and Pâté today I hope I don’t have a gout attack this week.

I really enjoyed making this meal and eating it.

Crème brûlée French toast for breakfast


Have you heard of anything more extravagant? Bron mentioned a few weeks ago she’d read a blog of someone whose bucket list involved eating Crème brûlée French toast from a well known place in New York. It was on her bucket list. Bron found a recipe from http://www.smittenkitchen.com for crème brûlée french toasts. This morning I visited to enjoy a Saturday breakfast. For the first time in a very long time I felt full after breakfast.

Bron chose to use brioche which I think was a fantastic choice.

Brioche soaked in custard

Brioche soaked in custard with orange zest

The orange zest was a great touch. Citrus is amazing.

Bananas and berries and mint

Cherry and orange sauce, it tasted awesome.

Brioche soaked in custard after emerging crispy from the oven

I just love that this was bread soaked in custard, yet it remained absorbent enough for the cherry and orange sauce and maple syrup.

The breakfast table

Brioche centrepiece

Brioche before the sweet goodness arrives

Crème brûlée French toast with cherry and orange sauce accompanied with maple syrup

A two meal day


This morning we met friends at Pizzazz Café for brunch. I had sausages, an egg, spinach and mushrooms.
For dinner we had roast lamb, Aubergine, pumpkin, parsnip and broccoli.
Dessert was a wonderful creme brûlée and mango.

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