Hi there from the NSW North Coast!

The Fig & Cherry family are taking a well-deserved break, so posts will be sporadic over the next week as we swim, nap, relax and eat our way around the Northern Rivers area.

As you can see, Poppy likes to chill out on the lounge and watch music videos via the ABC for Kids app (it’s a lifesaver!).

I’ll also be enjoying some leisurely gluten-free baking with my MIL and reviewing a few new restaurants too, so stay tuned for those stories coming up.

Have a great week and see you back here shortly.

Christie x

I have been reminiscing this week because in August 2009 we were living it up in Istanbul during Ramadan.

It was such an amazing experience to see the massive food parties, picnics and street festivals that started once the sun went down. Those Turks certainly know how to eat with gusto and it was pure joy to join in the fun (although we did eat during the day as well!).

One of our favourite lunch meals was Gozleme, or Turkish pancake, filled with cheese or spinach and cheese. This particular restaurant had the cooking hot plates in the centre of the seating area so you could watch them being made.

They are so popular in Sydney at the moment, that I’m sure you have tried Gozleme at a market or festival. They are a moreish savoury snack, although I have also tried a filling of banana and honey at Marrickville Markets that is also very good.

It was so hot, fresh and irresistible that hubby completely forgot about the Fig & Cherry code of conduct!

As soon as it arrived he swooped in and got the first delectable bite, much to my shrieks of ‘No, what about the photo?!’. Hence my shot of him sheepishly putting it back and reassuring me that my readers ‘love action shots’. Is he right?

Have a great weekend. I hope you are doing something delicious.

Christie x

Cennet
Binbirdirek Mah, Divanyolu Cad. No. 31/A
Cemberlitas, Istanbul

Patatas bravas! The definitive Spanish tapas dish.

Fried chunks or slices of potato with a spicy tomato sauce, sometimes creamy, sometimes mayo on top, as seen here. Always delicious.

We tried literally dozens of versions in various tapas bars in Barcelona, Roses, Madrid and Bilbao during our two trips to Spain in 2009.

This one, from Albert Adria’s tapas bar Inopia, was high up on the list, but the best version was in a tiny place in the suburbs near where we were staying. However we never took a photo – we were too busy tucking in and slurping down cold beer or sangria!

Back in the here and now though, I’m wishing you and your families a safe and happy Easter. We are breaking our family tradition of lamb for Sunday lunch and cooking up rolled pork roasts with thick crackling. What are you making?

Have a great Easter weekend, Christie x

Foreign Food Fridays is back! My mind has been invaded by the travel bug lately, so I’ve been going through the pics from our 2009 adventures and re-living our trip of a lifetime all over again.

Here are some super fresh mussels we devoured at Cal Pinxo restaurant in Barcelona. Yes, that is also a luscious jug of Sangria in the background.

I was reminded of this spectacular meal as a very good friend of mine has just been to Barcelona. I’ll go back there someday.

Have a great weekend! Christie x

This is the most delicious chocolate baklava I have ever tasted.

I ate it at Hafiz Mustafa Sekerlemeleri in Istanbul with my hubby and two of my dearest friends, Shell and Huw.

I expected the chocolate to be too sweet and cloying, but it was incredibly moreish; the perfect mix of crunchy, sticky and sweet.

We also got served some complimentary little chunks of turkish delight with our coffee, click the pink button below to check out a pic.

Isn’t that a gorgeous serving dish?

I loved the way most of the turkish delight was rolled in shredded coconut and had chopped nuts (hazelnuts, almonds) inside – such a wonderful mix of textures in a small morsel!

That’s all for this week. Click here if you want to browse through previous Foreign Food Fridays posts.

Have  a great weekend, Christie x

This post is continued from last Friday where I showed you the huge smorgasbord first course of salads and bread. If you missed it, click here.

This week is the two tagines that followed plus some shots of the incredible view of Fez from the restaurant balcony.

Above is lamb and preserved lemon tagine – please note the gorgeous big chunks of bone marrow! Delish. I’m also a big fan of the lightly toasted peeled almonds, they add so much texture.

To see more photos click the pink button below.

Lamb and prune tagine. Perhaps a few too many prunes? At least you can’t fault the Moroccan generosity.

This was the first and last instance I saw of toasted sesame seeds as a garnish for a tagine in Morocco. Shame, it was really nice.

The incredible view. Do you think they like-slash-need cable TV in Morocco?

The beautiful mountainside – I think some of those trees are olive. Yum.

That’s all folks!

Have a great weekend, Christie x

Hmmm, that’s quite a bit of food isn’t it?

And guess what? That was the first course. Seriously.

The variety of salads in Morocco is astounding. They really jazz up vegetables with loads of spices, sweet and sour condiments and different cooking techniques – it’s truly inspirational.

My favourites were the unexpected combinations of beans and tomatoes with dates, apricots or prunes. As well as greens flecked with salty preserved lemon.

More pictures of the food and the restaurant after the jump. Click the pink button below.

I absolutely love Moroccan style crockery, it’s so ornate and makes it even more pleasurable to eat a meal.

Above is my plate piled up with my first selections.

This abundant first course of salads was followed by two tagines and seasonal fruit – which I’ll show you next Friday.

This is the traditional riad (hotel) from the outside, the Palais de Fez Dar Tazi restaurant is located on the top level.

We ate on the balcony which had the most amazing sprinkler system on the ceiling that sprayed a super-fine soft mist of water at regular intervals to cool us down. It was so refreshing and very much needed at the height of summer in August – even at night!

The view from up there was spectacular too. Tune in to Foreign Food Fridays next week to check it out.

Have a great weekend, Christie x

I can’t believe it’s Friday again so soon! Where did this week go?

Last week’s edition of Foreign Food Fridays was the best panna cotta of my life. But I got a bit ahead of myself.

As promised, here’s the meal we ate before the panna cotta. As you’ll see, we could have really done without dessert, but I’m glad I went for it. No regrets.

Above is my entree of mozarella burrata with fresh truffles. Served just like that and hoovered up by me in less than 3.2 seconds. Well, not really, but that’s what I wanted to do…

Dillon ordered the fried zucchini flowers. I love the way they were served on the brown paper to soak up excess oil. The Italians really know how to pare back presentation to the bare necessities and really make a dish thoroughly enjoyable.

The flowers had been perfectly fried and drained so they were crisp and not overly oily at all. The liberal sprinkling of salt really heightened the flavour and was refreshing as I find people are so scared to salt things properly these days.

Again, Dillon’s awesome choice of boar ragu with pappardelle. I never got sick of ordering pasta in Italy and then being served fresh handmade pasta. No packet stuff, ever! It was heavenly.

I expected the ragu to be braised and shredded meat but it turned out to be mince and more like a bolognese. No complaints though, absolutely divine (of the small amount I tasted).

My choice of wild boar with polenta was fantastic. The polenta was smooth, creamy and buttery and the boar practically collapsed upon being set eyes on. Although it was great, I still wanted my own plate of the ragu.

Yes, and after all that we shared a panna cotta draped in chocolate sauce. Click here to take a look.

If you’re ever in Florence, Italy, I urge you to seek out Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco (Tavern of the White Boar). I’d love to be back there right now and eat this entire meal again (and more!).

Have a great weekend, Christie x

The best panna cotta of my life.

It’s amazing how something so unassuming can assault your senses with one tiny mouthful.

I actually groaned when I first tasted this.

Rich and creamy. Perfect wobble. Warm, very dark chocolate sauce. Heaven.

It was devoured at a gorgeous little restaurant we found in the back streets of Florence called Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco which I think translates to Tavern of the White Boar. Correct me if I’m wrong, native Italian speakers!

Before this dessert we ate fried zucchini flowers, buffalo mozarella with fresh truffles (yes, that was as incredible as it sounds!), boar ragu with fresh parpadelle and braised boar with polenta.

It was definitely one of the best meals we ate in Italy.

Next week I’ll feature all of those dishes in the Foreign Food Fridays post, so make sure you drop by then.

Enjoy the weekend, Christie x

Traditional British fish and chips. You can’t beat them.

This particular plate was eaten at Bankers Fish Restaurant in Brighton on a windy October day last year.

You might think that’s a very small amount of mushy peas, but rest assured it’s a small dollop that came from a much larger bowl.

I really loved the greasy ‘chippies’ (fish and chip shops) in England. At first, it was a strange novelty to eat them with mushy peas, pickled eggs and drowned in malt vinegar. But soon I couldn’t have them any other way!

Saying that, a good home-made Aussie tartare sauce and a big wedge of lemon truly is a great way to enjoy fish and chips. Especially if you’ve got your shoes off and your feet in the sand on an Aussie beach (sorry, pebble beaches in England just don’t cut it!).

Have a great weekend, Christie x

This week it’s a photo that’s not actually mine. I got sent this from my hubby’s Aunty and Uncle who recently visited Beirut (thanks guys!).

Can you believe it’s a street stall selling figs and cherries! Very cool.

Even though my Dad was born in Lebanon, I’ve never been there, so I love seeing the grid-locked traffic he’s always talking about.

Plus, those big plump green figs and shiny cherries look sooo yummy!

Hopefully I’ll get to Lebanon one day, for now I’ll just drool over the lovely Joumana’s blog, Taste Of Beirut. Check it out, it’s totally delicious.

Have a great weekend, Christie x

The French sure know how to cook a great steak.

Here is a very good example of a perfect rare steak eaten at La Braisiere.

Us Aussies might think we know how to do it best on the BBQ, but nothing I’ve ever tasted even comes close to comparing to this one.

Way back in 2005 our very good friends Celine and Bi took us to La Braisiere for dinner where we ate the best steak of our lives.

In those days, it will still OK to smoke inside restaurants and being in France, naturally everyone was smoking between courses.

It was a very different story when Dillon and I returned there last year in October to re-live that magical first taste.

There was not even the slightest whiff of smoke in the air, but the steak still tasted as good as ever. Served with the crunchiest goose fat potatoes and a large well-dressed green salad it was the perfect meal for a cool Autumn evening.

Of course we accompanied it with a delicious local red wine and smiled ear-to-ear all the way back to our rented apartment (even though it was a good 20 minute walk!).

If you have missed previous Foreign Food Fridays posts then click here to view them.

Have a great weekend, Christie x

I’ve got tears in my eyes as I look at this photo.

It’s for two reasons:

1) I heart Barcelona! Out of the 26 cities we visited last year it was my favourite (tied 1st with Tokyo).

2) Now that I’m pregnant I can’t eat cured meats. Besides, nothing will taste as good as eating pure Iberico ham in the country the lucky (black-hoofed) pig was raised in.

And, I feel guilty guzzling it here in Oz due to the food miles it has racked up, just to enter my hungry belly. Sigh.

This shot was taken at the famous La Boqueria fresh produce market in Barcelona.

I’ve got plenty of other great shots of olives, pineapples, mushrooms, seafood and more – but you’ll have to wait for future Foreign Food Fridays posts for those. (Note: Click those blue words to view all the previous posts!).

Have a great weekend guys, Christie x

I was completely obsessed with eating these aubergine kebabs in Istanbul when we were there last year. The charred aubergine combined with the spiced lamb mince is a really addictive mix.

When the aubergine is properly done and becomes a super silky texture, that equals pure heaven, for me. I had a perfect version in the first few days we arrived and I went around chasing that first experience the whole time.

A big chunk of aubergine stuffed into a hot piece of pide and topped with a slice of raw onion tastes sooo good! The tomato rice, although nice, is totally redundant.

There were so many other amazing dishes in Istanbul, but you’ll have to wait for future exciting episodes of Foreign Food Fridays for those!

Have a great weekend, Christie x

This bowl of perfectly fresh raw seafood and other yummy ingredients was transformed into a delicious Japanese pancake called Okonomiyaki.

The restaurant we ate it in was in the Shibuya district of Tokyo and it was a very cool experience because the restaurant was set up with little booths that had large flat hot plates built into the tables.

Diners then get to choose from a large menu of options and cook the food themselves. It’s a great, interactive way to eat out!

We were really lucky to have some lovely Japanese ladies in the booth next us. I imagine we looked a bit bewildered when the bowl of raw ingredients was set down in front of us so they gave us a little demo.

For more pictures of the cooking process and a peek inside the restaurant click the ‘Read the rest of this article’ button below.

The booths inside the restaurant. There were lots of young people, I guess it’s a cool thing to do for dinner after work?

Cooking. It only took about 5 minutes.

Cooked. Then topped with that oh-so-sweet Japanese BBQ sauce and moreish Japanese mayo. Heaven.

Served with this. Mushrooms in Japan are amazing! There’s so many varieties and they are super-duper flavoursome.

I loved ducking into supermarkets and checking out the fresh produce aisles while I was there. In fact, that was my favourite thing to do in all the countries we travelled to. Do you do that?

Unfortunately I don’t know the exact name and location of the restaurant, but from my crappy entry-level Japanese I know the Hiragana characters on the sign were O and Ra, so I think the name is Ora. If you know the address of this restaurant in Shibuya, please leave a comment and let me know!

If you’ve missed the previous Foreign Food Fridays posts. Simply click the link under the post headline to view them all.

Have a great weekend, Christie x

A very naughty breakfast! Or if you’re European, a very normal breakfast :)

These lovely pastries were devoured at Gerbeaud Budapest alongside a generous bread basket with jam, honey, butter, orange juice and good strong coffee.

The coffee was accompanied by a sugar coated biscuit – as if we needed it!

The choux pastries were far too sweet for my liking but Dillon gobbled them up in no time. I was sad to find that there was no custard inside, just plain pastry that was super buttery, light and flaky.

It was a warm Summer day last year in August and we sat outside at a table with an umbrella and soaked up the sunshine.

The next day we visited by Hungarian grandma (Nagy Mama) and she cooked up a massive feast. I’ll feature that in a future Foreign Food Fridays post.

Have a great weekend, Christie x

Apologies to my American readers as this food is not very ‘foreign’ for you!

For everyone else, please behold the mega baskets of food you can get at the American chain restaurant Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar.

Above is the Ribs & Popcorn Shrimp Combo and below is the Ribs & Traditional Wings Combo, both of which are size-able meals.

I was absolutely fascinated with the love of dipping sauces in America, you can get them for everything; even burgers and sandwiches!  Kinda weird, but very tasty.

We got to choose two different ones for this meal and I think I got Mango Habanero and Classic Wing Sauce Medium (there’s 14 to choose from!).

I also loved the way drinks were bottomless for no extra cost. If you’re even 3/4 of the way through a glass of coke the waitress will ask you if you want another, then whisk it away and bring back a fresh one.

It’s quite wasteful really, but the service is impressive.

We thought we were eating quite a lot of food with these meals but we saw a big group of school kids and another couple at nearby tables polish off more than three times what we did. Plus guzzle down at least 3 drink refills each! Crazy times.

There’s loads more Foreign Food Fridays posts coming up from New York City and other parts of America in the future, but next week we’re heading over to Europe.

I hope you have been enjoying the series so far. If you missed last week, click here: Foreign Food Fridays: Fez, Morocco.

Until next time, Christie x

Foreign Food Fridays is a new regular series I’m starting.

It’s a way to share all the amazing food experiences I had while travelling last year. (Quick update for new readers: I spent the last six months of 2009 travelling to 10 countries and 26 cities with my hubby).

I took around 5000 photos during the six months and a large majority of them were food related – not very surprising really!

This year I’ve decided to take a reality check and admit that I’ll probably never get around to writing the reviews that go with the photos so I’m going to post them here every Friday instead.

For the very first edition I’m starting in Morocco which was the most incredible mouth-watering flavour experience ever. Truly inspirational.

Can you guess what this dish is?

It’s Pigeon Bastilla. The famous sweet and savoury Moroccan pie that’s the specialty of the city of Fez, where I ate it.

It’s a special occasion dish often served during Ramadan and to royalty throughout history. I was a bit hesitant about eating pigeon at first, but it was absolutely delicious.

The pie is made up of pigeon, saffron, cinnamon, sugar, almonds, ground spices and egg all wrapped up in various layers of pastry (similar to phyllo) that’s sprinkled with a sugar-nut mixture in between each sheet.

I love the way Moroccan food combines sweet and savoury ingredients in such a complimentary way – like harira soup served with sweet pastries. It sounds crazy but it really works.

One day I’m going to try making a Bastilla… but I’m not giving myself a dead line – these days they just come and go with the wind!

If you’re still hungry for more Morrocan food then check out my post about the Moroccan Cooking Course I attended or the amazing Moroccan Rotisserie Chicken I ate.

Just so you know, I’m going to post this series on Twitter each week with the hashtag #fff. If you’ve got a foreign food pic to share, feel free to use the tag also!

Have a great weekend, Christie x

My 2nd wedding anniversary degustation dinner at Satiate in Bangalow, NSW Australia

This review is a million years overdue. 4 months to be exact.

My 2nd wedding anniversary was in early January this year and we celebrated it at the gorgeous Satiate Restaurant in Bangalow on the NSW north coast (which is near the more famous, Byron Bay).

The degustation with matching wines was absolutely amazing and the perfect way reflect on two great years of marriage.

I’m being a bit lazy with this review and letting the pictures say a thousand words for me… hopefully you’ll give me a break because I’m pregnant! Enjoy…

Above: Complimentary amuse bouche of savoury custard and crispy proscuitto. I love savoury custard and this one was soooo good! Silky, nicely set and still a little warm.

Cured Salmon & Prawn: Horseradish emulsion, gooseberry cream, cucumber, trout roe.

I loved the presentation on a piece of black slate – very striking. All the interesting textures made it very fun to eat!

Queensland Spanner Crab: buckwheat, shellfish stock.

Very generous amount of crab and the shellfish stock is rich and intense.

Braised Bangalow Sweet Pork Belly: prawn tortellini, jus.

You cannot must not visit Bangalow without eating a generous portion of the beautiful locally reared pork. Whether it’s as bacon or gorgeous belly like this, it must be tasted to be believed!

Brined Bangalow Duck: King brown mushroom, baby heirloom tomato, soil.

There are few things better to eat than a perfectly cooked duck breast, yum, plus I love any opportunity to eat heirloom veggies. I’m going to try and grow some this year, fingers crossed.

Bangalow Cheese.

I felt this needed a cracker or some grissini to eat with it, but I’m old fashioned like that and fussy with cheese (which I love!).

Hot Chocolate Bubble: hazelnut croquette, onion crumbs.

The perfect sweet ending. I love a chocolate course that is paired with a savoury ingredient like chilli, or in this case, onion crumbs.

We waddled out of there full and happy. Rest assured we got a lift home after all the wine.

Christie and Dillon dined as guests of Satiate.

Until next time! Christie x

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Freshly shucked oysters on ice with cucumber, lime and Campari dipping sauce

From the minute we’re seated at The Byron at Byron Restaurant, to the moment we leave, we’re relaxed and at ease. We certainly understand what it means to ‘discover natural luxury’, which is what the famous resort and spa aims to achieve.

We’re immediately introduced to our waiter Rob who’s a chatty and like-able bloke that’s very knowledgeable about both the resort and the menu.

I especially enjoy him telling us about the rare species of snail called Mitchell’s rainforest snail that’s native to the area and living in the forest surrounding the resort. Apparently a team of conservationists arrive every fortnight to check on and count how many are left so as to make sure they are thriving.

Being environmentally conscious is a way of life for locals in the Byron Bay area and it’s really nice to see businesses being equally as aware.

But I digress, let’s get onto the food, it’s probably why you’re reading this. First up it’s freshly shucked oysters and boy-oh-boy they’re great! Dillon keenly notices that the lemons are served as ‘cheeks only’ so no pips or pith will spoil the super-fresh oysters. I like lemons served this way, it makes squeezing easier and a less squirt-y experience.

The dipping sauce is a nice combination of cool and tangy and doesn’t overpower the fresh ocean taste of the oysters. Did I mention how super-fresh they were? Just perfect.

Market fish: Mahi Mahi, steamed potatoes and Summer vegetables with lemon emulsion

I decided to have the market fish of the day and I wasn’t surprised when it was mahi mahi as I’d eaten a daily special at nearby Lennox Head restaurant Fishy Fishy the day before. I guess there was a big fresh haul of them in the past few days.

The fish was absolutely expertly cooked; moist, fleshy and drowned in just the right amount of lemony butter. You really couldn’t ask for a better fish meal. Broccoli is expensive in the area at the moment, so it was very nice to have a generous serve of tender broccolini that was well seasoned and had a nice bite.

Deep fried snapper fillets and twice cooked chips with aioli and tomato chutsauce

Dillon ordered the snapper. He declared the dish ‘posh fish and chips’ and he means that in the most complimentary way possible. Fish and chips done really well is definitely a culinary jewel.

The batter was perfectly crisp and not in the slightest bit oily. The accompanying aioli was delightfully garlicky but the ‘chutsauce’ did taste just like ketchup. There was no explanation of the ‘chutsauce’ but I can only guess it’s chutney mixed with tomato sauce.

I have to quickly say how much I love my new camera as you can clearly see the delicious seas salt flakes on the fish.

Coconut pannacotta with pineapple, mango and kaffir lime salsa

I ordered this for two reasons. 1) I am in love with kaffir lime, it’s my favourite smell, and I love when it is used in desserts, and 2) I’m making a coconut pannacotta with mango salad for our Christmas Day dessert so I wanted to taste one that was expertly made close to the day for inspiration.

Admittedly, this will probably backfire as mine will no doubt not turn out as perfectly creamy and wobbly, but alas – a girl can try, right?

Mangoes are in season in Australia as it’s Summertime right now so the fruit was beautifully ripe and really is a great match for the creaminess of the pannacotta. Also, I loved the presentation in a martini glass, very festive.

Callebat chocolate and sour cherry mousse cake, hazelnut brittle and creme mascarpone

I practically forced Dillon to order this because of the cherries and mascarpone, which combined with chocolate and hazelnuts is a personal favourite of mine. Dillon’s a chocolate lover so he wasn’t too fussed about not being able to make a dessert choice (I’m usually a nice wife, honest!).

The mousse cake was extremely rich (in a good way) and the sour cherries helped to cut through that. The hazelnut brittle provided a nice crunchy contrast and the two types of cream is heaven in my book. Sweetened whipped cream and more savoury (but still sweet) mascarpone cream were really good additions. I’m going to try serving two types for my next dinner party.

Needless to say, the plate was licked clean.

Final thoughts

After such a fantastic lunch beside the gorgeous infinity pool and the enthusiasm and friendliness of the staff, it’s no wonder I’m dying to go back and stay at the resort.

With complimentary morning yoga classes and a long list of massages and spa treatments it’s the perfect escape any time of the year. I think it would be particularly wonderful during Winter when you can make full use of the deluxe spa suites!

Not to mention I’d love to try the degustation dinner and creative cocktails at the bar.

For more photos of The Byron at Byron property (including one of me posing in the rainforest) click here to go to my Flickr page.

Dillon and I dined as guests of The Byron at Byron and very much appreciated it! A big thank you to Caroline Desmond for organising it and Gavin Hughes for cooking us a delicious lunch.

Last thing! This is my 200th post. I’m glad it was for such a yummy meal!

Merry Christmas everyone! Christie x

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