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Dream Cuisine Vanilla Slice

Regular readers of Yummy Lummy know of my deep seated love of vanilla slice. Last year I took a driving holiday to Geelong and back and much of that trip focussed on my favourite pastry.This is a photograph of Dream Cuisine Vanilla Slice

Last week twenty Canberra Food Bloggers took a trip to Fyshwick (better known for Australia’s pornography industry, brothels and sex shops) to visit Owen at Dream Cuisine and enjoy his pastries. At the time Owen mentioned that his vanilla slice isn’t a constant feature because they are a little labour intensive and he needs a full complement of staff if he’s going to make them available. He did hint though he may have some ready for this week.

While I was at work yesterday (Friday) I thought I’d give Dream Cuisine a call to see if I should plan a Saturday breakfast in Fyshwick. Owen answered the telephone and said he would get his chefs to prepare some for Saturday. I was stoked.

So this morning I head out to try Owen’s Dream Cuisine vanilla slice. Would it be good? Would it compare with my favourites? Who knows, either way, I knew that the Myrtleford Butter Owen uses and his amazing custard would make me happy. I was pretty confident I’d like Owen’s version because he mentioned caramelised pastry. In my mind that would at least put it into the Gumnut Patisserie league.

So when I arrived there they were in the display case. Four slices of happiness with “Dream” written in icing sugar on the top piece of pastry.

I asked for a flat white coffee and a single slice.

This is a photograph of Dream Cuisine Vanilla Slice

When I checked in using the swarm app I become Mayor of Dream Cuisine 

 

This is a photograph of Dream Cuisine Vanilla Slice, coffee and Bundaberg raw sugar

 

I always like to see Bundaberg sugar at a cafe or restaurant. In my mind it’s the best sugar in Australia and helps me think of my maternal grandparents.

So what did I think of Owen’s Dream Cuisine vanilla slice? As I mentioned on Instagram, it was sensationally dreamy. This is a show piece vanilla slice. There’s no way a Victorian could call this a snot block and if a Victorian did call it a snot block and I was Owen I’d be insulted. Does it meet my expectations for a good vanilla slice? Yes and no. Yes, this is delicious. The caramelised pastry was crisp and sweet and full bodied in flavour. The custard was delicate. It was sweet but not too sweet and it had the right amount of vanilla. All together it was fabulous. But no it’s not my perfect vanilla slice because this is a fancy pastry that tastes really good. For me, my perfect vanilla slice has all this flavour but it also has the right texture and consistency. I want that caramelised pastry to be firm but not soggy and not crisp. I want to be able to bite through it without it fracturing, it needs to break apart. A fork needs to be able to do the same thing. In my perfect vanilla slice the custard won’t squeeze out when pressure is applied to the top and bottom pastry layers either by my teeth or a fork.

I’d highly recommend Dream Cuisine’s vanilla slice to pastry lovers. If you live in Canberra, there’s no excuse, you need to visit Dream Cuisine. It’s not only in Fyshwick. If you’re visiting Canberra, put some time in your diary to make a visit, stay for a coffee and enjoy a treat. The service is great. It’s friendly and you’re served with a smile. They also have good quality containers for takeaway too.

Lake Ginninderra
Lake Ginninderra

I bought my afternoon tea while I was there.

 

This is a photograph of Dream Cuisine Vanilla Slice, lavendar macaron and salted caramel macaron

The lavender and salted caramel macarons are to die for.

Fellow Canberra Food Blogger Tales of a Confectionist also reviewed the vanilla slice

Best Chicken Maryland recipe ever

This is a photograph of my Cheesy Chicken Maryland on toast
Cheesy Chicken Maryland on toast | Check out my Chicken Maryland recipe

Chicken Maryland posts are reasonably popular on Yummy Lummy. I don’t know why, but I get most visitors who want a Chicken Maryland recipe. This recipe isn’t healthy. This recipe isn’t low fat. This recipe has no vegetables. This recipe is tasty. This recipe is comforting. This recipe means you use your hands to eat the chicken. This recipe has no leftover juices that get wasted.

Best Chicken Maryland recipe ever
Recipe Type: Dinner
Cuisine: Australian dude food
Author: [url href=”http://about.me/garydlum” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”]Gary Lum[/url]
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Best Chicken Maryland recipe ever
Ingredients
  • 2 pieces of Chicken Maryland
  • 1 hamburger bread roll
  • 1 handful grated tasty cheese
  • 1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs
  • 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon chicken salt
Instructions
  1. Heat a benchtop oven to 150 °C
  2. Line a tray with baking paper
  3. Cut a hamburger roll in half and lay out on the tray
  4. Butter the bread if you like or spread some olive oil
  5. Place a piece of chicken on each piece of bread
  6. Sprinkle on the cheese, salt, chicken salt, pepper and mixed dried herbs
  7. Put into the oven for 1 hour
  8. Rest for 20 minutes
  9. Shoot a photograph
  10. Eat with your hands being careful not to be so enthusiastic you eat the bones too
  11. Don’t eat the bones
  12. Wash the dishes
  13. Write the recipe
  14. Blog (verb)

If you make this be aware that you’ll want to do it again. It’s quite moreish, that’s why I did two pieces of Chicken Maryland. It fits nicely too with just one bread roll. The best part is that the bread toasts and becomes crispy with the chicken fat and cheesy goodness in the oven.

This is a perfect meal for when you come home and need to do other things while a quick and easy meal is cooking.

Earlier today, being pay day, I had a raspberry hazelnut meringue torte from Urban Bean Espresso Bar for my lunch.

This is a photograph of my Raspberry and Hazelnut Meringue Torte from Urban Bean Espresso Bar
Raspberry and Hazelnut Meringue Torte

Please try the recipe and let me know what you think.

What do you cook when you want something quick easy and comforting that you can eat with your hands?

The #Ekka 2015

I love The Ekka (aka the exhibition or the Royal Queensland Show). Every year I try to go. This year I’d booked tickets and had been chatting about it with my daughters for months. There was a new nights show we all wanted to see.

I flew up on Friday evening on Qantas Flight (QF) 1554 and when I arrived Dad was watching the Brisbane Broncos defeat the team from Illawarra.

After a restless sleep the girls and I went to Westfield Chermside to get some groceries for Mum and grab a bite to eat for breakfast.

I went with a nice slice of coconut loaf and a tall white chocolate mocha.

Coconut loaf from Starbucks Westfield Chermside
Coconut loaf from Starbucks Westfield Chermside

After taking Miss14 and Miss18 to gymnastics training Miss20 and I did a few things to help with her university study.

If you want to see the photographs as a gallery check out Google Photos. Click on one image to see it full size. To see the EXIF data (including a map if the photograph was geotagged) click on the information (i) icon in the top right corner. You can navigate through the gallery using the arrow keys or by swiping if you’re using a tablet or smartphone. Here’s another gallery that I created with Adobe Lightroom web gallery module.

We picked up Miss14 and Miss18 at 2 pm and proceeded to Wooloowin Train Station to catch a train to Fortitude Valley Station and then the Loop ride.

 

Wooloowin Train Station
Wooloowin Train Station
Wooloowin Train Station
Wooloowin Train Station
Wooloowin Train Station
Wooloowin Train Station
Wooloowin Train Station
Wooloowin Train Station
The new communications equipment at Fortitude Valley Train Station
The new communications equipment at Fortitude Valley Train Station

When we arrived we went straight to the racing pigs to check out how these little porkers run around a ring and dive into a pool of water.

Pig racing at The Ekka. Diving pigs too.
Pig racing at The Ekka. Diving pigs too.
Pig racing at The Ekka. Diving pigs too.
Pig racing. Diving pigs too.

We then went to the food pavilion and checked out the free tasting treats. We had caramelised onion dip, doughnuts, bread, meatballs and other samples. We then went through and bought some dumplings and samosas. They were delicious.

Next on the list of things to do was the cake decoration display.

Cake decorating at The Ekka
Cake decorating
Cake decorating at The Ekka
Cake decorating
Cake decorating at The Ekka
Cake decorating

We’d agreed that at around 4.45 pm we’d wander over to the main arena to settle in for the evening’s entertainment. But before that we had one very important thing to do.

The best ice cream in the whole world is the strawberry sundae made by volunteers for The Prince Charles Hospital. If you’ve never had one you need to go to The Ekka and try one. They are so good when I worked at The Royal Brisbane Hospital in 1995 we used to go over everyday and get someone on the inside to buy a tray for us and bring them back to the laboratory.

Gary Lum eating a strawberry sundae at The Ekka.
Gary Lum eating a strawberry sundae at The Ekka.
Strawberry sundae at The Ekka
Strawberry sundae at The Ekka

After inhaling the ice cream we went to the main arena and sat on Machinery Hill.

We watched the horse whisperers and then the wood chop and then the rest of the light entertainment waiting for the monster trucks, motorcycles and drift cars.

I apologise these photographs are pretty crap. They’re mostly unprocessed and RAW out of the camera. I used a long lens with an aperture that was too small. The shutter speed was too long for sharp shots. I hope the ‘vibe’ of the photographs are okay.

Wood chop competition at The Ekka
Wood chop competition at The Ekka

After the wood chop Miss20 went and bought some popcorn which we devoured.

Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.
Saturday night fun at The Ekka. Monster trucks, motorcycles, and burn outs.

The entertainment ended with fireworks. I love fireworks. I’m so grateful I have eyes and ears to see and hear them. They are so beautiful. The Ekka fireworks are awesome.

I apologise these photographs are pretty crap. They’re unprocessed and RAW out of the camera.

Fireworks at The Ekka
Fireworks at The Ekka
Fireworks at The Ekka
Fireworks at The Ekka
Fireworks at The Ekka
Fireworks at The Ekka
Fireworks at The Ekka
Fireworks at The Ekka

After the fireworks we walked through sideshow alley and settled down to share a foot (12 inches) long Dagwood super dog.

Gary Lum eating a Dagwood dog at The Ekka
Gary Lum eating a Dagwood dog at The Ekka
Foot long Dagwood dog at The Ekka
Foot long Dagwood dog at The Ekka

We left on the train, got off at Central Train Station and proceeded to have a late night Maccas run. I had a cheeseburger, small chips and vanilla thick shake.

Post Ekka late night snack at Central Train Station. McDonalds cheeseburger, small fries and a vanilla thick shake.
Post Ekka late night snack at Central Train Station. McDonalds cheeseburger, small fries and a vanilla thick shake.

After a much better sleep Mum and Dad made us all waffles with eggs, bacon and sausage.

Sunday breakfast in Brisbane. Bacon, sausage and egg with waffle and strawberries and tomato.
Sunday breakfast in Brisbane. Bacon, sausage and egg with waffle and strawberries and tomato.

Have you ever been to The Ekka? How did you spend your weekend?

The Australian Government sent me a birthday gift

This year I turned 50. In Australia we’re blessed to have a national bowel carcinoma screening program which is administered by the Australian Government Department of Health. Now I should declare I work in the Office of Health Protection in the Australian Government Department of Health. I’m not in the Population Health Division but I do have friends who work in the Bowel Screening Section. Anyway I got a birthday gift from the Australian Government.

I don’t believe my employment has any bearing on how I feel about screening for neoplastic disease. Like screening and testing for infectious (including communicable) diseases, trying to prevent people from developing a malignancy is a good thing.

In terms of bowel carcinoma I remember way back to medical school and working as an intern/house officer assisting in abdominal surgery with general and gastrointestinal surgeons. Often an operation would start as a laparotomy after some diagnostic imaging in conjunction with presenting signs and symptoms pointed to a possible neoplastic ætiology. During a laparotomy the large bowel would be inspected by gently feeling its entire length. The preoperative diagnostic imaging hopefully assisted with a general idea of where the lesion may exist. Laparotomies may be converted to a hemicolectomy if something was felt/found. Depending on the site, an abdominoperineal resection may be necessary. As you can imagine this is pretty full on. Recovering from this sort of surgery often results in catabolism with a lot of wasting. Handling the bowel also requires at least a few days before the bowel will work normally. These operations were major and had potentially poor outcomes. Generally the postoperative outcomes involve a colostomy and diet changes for the rest of the patient’s life. The major flexible light fibre scoping done at the time was performed by surgeons and was generally limited to sigmoidoscopy either rigid or flexible.

During my time as a student and postgraduate training, colonoscopy by gastroenterologists was rapidly developing. With a colonoscope the physician (gastroenterologists are physicians and not surgeons) can visualise lesions and collect a biopsy specimen. For polyps and small lesions, an anatomical pathologist is then required to determine whether the neoplastic lesion is malignant or not. Always remember, a pathologist is necessary for the final truth!

As much as colonoscopy is a great diagnostic tool, it’s relatively expensive as a screening technique. The nation cannot afford to pay for a colonoscopy for everyone when they reach 50 years and then repeat it every couple of years. A relatively cheap and accurate screening testing is needed. An ideal screening test can have false positive results but not false negative results. In Australia, the government has decided on a faecal occult blood test. This test looks for blood which isn’t readily visible in stool specimens (if you see blood in your stools you should see your medical practitioner immediately). It’s a two specimen screening test and very easy to use and understand. The government has worked with a private pathology practice to undertake the testing.

Why am I sharing this on a food blog? Well food and bowel health go hand in hand. I also wanted to share my experience. I’m also chuffed that our government looks after its citizens so well. This program can save your life. If you’re reading this and you’re not Australian, you can probably access a faecal occult blood test by seeing your general practitioner or family physician and getting a referral to the pathologist. The test kit may vary but the principle is the same. If you’re 50 or older it’s worth doing.

Bowel Carcinoma Screening Kit. This is the package as it comes in the mail.
Bowel Carcinoma Screening Kit. This is the package as it comes in the mail.

So this is the birthday gift I received from the Australian Government.

Bowel Carcinoma Screening Kit
Bowel Carcinoma Screening Kit
Bowel Carcinoma Screening Kit. All the bits and pieces fit inside this box.
Bowel Carcinoma Screening Kit. All the bits and pieces fit inside this box.
Bowel Carcinoma Screening Kit
Bowel Carcinoma Screening Kit

So the blue stick is for the first specimen. You get a biodegradable sheet to lay in the toilet bowl. After emptying your bladder you flush the toilet and then lay the sheet in the bowl. You then sit on the toilet seat and strain to stool. Before you wipe your anus free of Klingons (sorry I always need to make a Star Trek reference) you need to insert the tip of the collection stick into your faeces and drag it backwards and forwards until you have a piece of faeces about the size of a grain of rice on the tip. You then put the stick into the collection tube which is labelled and then placed into a transport tube. This then gets sent to the private pathology practice.

Bowel Carcinoma Screening Kit
Bowel Carcinoma Screening Kit

The red stick is for the second specimen. I had a little mishap with this one. My faeces was so solid and heavy that it pushed the biodegradable sheet into the water. I had to improvise with a container and collect my specimen from that.

I bet you’re thinking that I’m going to post a photograph of my faeces. Well surprise surprise…I didn’t shoot a photograph of my faeces.

The good thing about this birthday gift is that I get to send part of the gift back 

So I’ll get back to you when I have a result. If it’s negative, I’ll get another test in a couple of years. If it’s positive I’ll need to arrange a colonoscopy. Fingers crossed.

Delicious spicy pumpkin soup with a twist

As they say in Game of Thrones, “Winter is coming”. It’s getting cold so that means warming comfort foods. In my mind for a comfort soup it has to be a spicy pumpkin soup, not a boring creamy bland soup but a soup with kick. 

Here's the kicker. Jalapeño peppers with some capsicum.
Here’s the kicker. Jalapeño peppers with some capsicum.

Now ordinarily I’d start my soup by frying off some streaky bacon but tonight I used some classic SPAM® because I still have some left over from last night’s meal SPAM® is my SECRET ingredient.

Hot and spicy pumpkin soup garnished with fried shallots and dried edible flowers
Hot and spicy pumpkin soup garnished with fried shallots and dried edible flowers
Delicious spicy pumpkin soup with a twist
 
Recipe Type: Dinner
Cuisine: Australian
Author: Gary Lum
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • Kent pumpkin diced
  • Capsicum diced
  • Jalapeño pepper sliced
  • Classic SPAM® diced
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Tabasco sauce
  • Pepper
  • White wine
  • Coconut cream
  • Fried shallots
  • Garlic
Instructions
  1. Fry off the SPAM® in a saucepan until it starts to change colour and stick to the bottom of the pan
  2. Add a splash of white wine to deglase the bottom of the pan
  3. Add the pumpkin, capsicum and jalapeño pepper
  4. Cover with some water and add the crushed garlic plus Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce
  5. Bring to a simmer and cook until the pumpkin is soft
  6. With a stick blender process the soup until it is smooth
  7. Add a splash of coconut and stir in
  8. Pour the soup into a bowl and garnish with fried shallots and dried edible flowers
  9. Shoot a photograph
  10. Enjoy the soup
  11. Washes the dishes
  12. Blog (verb)
 

Now for an added treat I wanted to share with some my other meals from today

Uncle Toby's Rolled Oats (Porridge) with brown sugar
Uncle Toby’s Rolled Oats (Porridge) with brown sugar

For morning tea my amazing work mates brought in a Flute bakery cake for my 50th birthday. They are totally awesome.

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For lunch I had an Irish lamb hot pie from Urban Bean Espresso Bar. It reminded me of today’s notquitenigella post.

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So how do you make a spicy pumpkin soup? Would you add spam?

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