Homemade preserved lemons

We really love Moroccan cuisine in the Holden household. Trouble is, every time I pull out the recipe books and set my heart upon a lovely recipe, it always calls for preserved lemons (which I don't usually - well until now - keep a stock of in the kitchen).

After seeing this post on Sunday Suppers, and being inspired by their chicken tagine with preserved lemons, green olives and golden raisins, I decided that I wouldn't be caught out again.

Yesterday I set to it and jarred up two jars brimming to the top with lovely fragrant preserved lemons. Not sure how long I have to wait until they are technically "preserved" but I will be waiting with baited breath!

Image 1 - taken by mwah yesterday in our kitchen

Image 2 - Sunday Suppers

Cheese heaven

Isn't this cheese table adorable!

For those of you that love cheese (and that includes me!), I was so inspired by these pics and the story over at Sunday Suppers. The gals at SS were asked to guest post over at Martha Stewart's wedding blog: The Bride's Guide with Darcy Miller, and this is what they came up with.

Whilst their table was designed as a wedding dessert table, I think it would be just as befitting at a cocktail party. In fact, I am trying to think of reasons to host one soon, just so that I can prepare one of these gorgeous tables!

In terms of weddings though, the best thing about this idea (aside from the fact that it looks so darn good), is that it is attainable for every bride (and budget). I have a few friends getting married this year, and I am definitely going to recommend this idea to them!

Speaking of cheeses, on Friday night we celebrated a friends 40th birthday with a few drinkies at a new bar/restaurant that's just opened in Hong Kong - Posto Pubblico. Whilst I was still recovering from a bout of food poisoning and was off the wagon - both in terms of food and drink - we sat near the open kitchen (a rarity in HK I must say) and I watched the chefs prepare the most awesome looking food. The dish that particularly caught my eye was a pasta made with fresh Parmesan. Basically (from what I could see anyway), the chef just threw the hot pasta into a huge wheel of parmesan (that had a whole carved out the middle), and swished it around until it was all creamy and gooey. It looked so darn good I wanted to take the plate right out of her hands and gooble the whole thing.

It got me thinking though, what a fabulous idea for a dinner party. Whilst the purchase of a whole wheel of parmesan is a little OTT, I wonder if I could source a not so big wheel that would have the same effect... Then I got thinking, you could serve the pasta in a big bowl on the table, alongside the parmesan and a platter of all kinds of yummy accompaniments. Your guests could then make their own pasta however they fancied. YUMMO!

All this will have to wait however, as the diet continues... I was helped along last week by the food poisoning, but I am resolute that this week I am going to continue to be good! Wish me luck.

Hope you had a fabulous weekend! The weather in HK was divine - a little chilly, but nice and warm in the sun with gorgeous blue skies. I was even lucky enough to get to spend the whole weekend with Will (who had Saturday off)! I feel almost ready to face a new week...almost!

xox

Image via Sunday Suppers

Foodie inspiration!

Following our visit with Dee & Laz, I have come home full of enthusiasm on the foodie front. Trouble is, it is in complete contradiction to the diet I have just started...

The books above are on the top of my book list, but I may just have to hold off on purchasing them until I have progressed a little further on the diet front, seeing as though it is only day 2 and all...

Perhaps I can use this as inspiration to keep me on track, the sooner I shift the weight, the sooner I can purchase these books and cook up a storm!

Wish me luck :)

xox

Yummy Pizza!

I thought I would share with you some pics of the yummy pizzas we made on Sunday night (bases and all!). The first is spicy salami, olive, and cherry tomato, the second is garlic cheese, and the third is mushroom, gorgonzola, walnut and pecorino.

They were incredibly yummy, although I must admit we still have a little work to do on the bases. Any tips?

I'm funny when it comes to pizzas - as you can see by the toppings above I do like a gourmet pizza (I spent many years during uni working in a gourmet pizza shop), although on the other hand, nothing beats a good Hawaiian or BBQ meatlovers pizza does it! Unfortunately we don't get Hawaiian pizzas in Hong Kong (boo), unless you want it complete with corn kernels and cocktail sauce, a la Pizza Hut - no thanks!

Next time I might try my hand at the old classics and try to perfect those bases while I'm at it.

Oh, and in case you are wondering what happened to our afternoon spent mastering the art of french cooking (and wondering whether my lack of promised reporting was because it didn't go so well!), it didn't happen - friends called over and instead we cooked a BBQ! C'est la vie

Lets eat cake!

I couldn't resist sharing this absolutely beautiful pic with you! I am going to have to insist on having this cake for my next birthday (which incidentally, will be the big three zero), and with a whole year to go, I think Will might just about have enough time to arrange it:)

Alternatively, I could put my KitchenAid to work and try to recreate this masterpiece myself... any tips on how to get the icing looking like this? Isn't it divine!

We are off to a wine dinner tonight - and not just any wine dinner I might add. We will be drinking none other than Chateau Haut Brion from the famous Domaine Clarence Dillon. Why, aren't we fancy!

Image via Mary Ruffle

i LOVE icecream

It has been so hot in Hong Kong recently. Its not so much the temperature - which has been up around 35 degrees most days, but the humidity that is the killer. Cause we have had a lot of visitors recently, and have consequently been spending time in the great outdoors, I have noticed it more than normal (what am I saying - the truth is I have taken a few days off work to spend with visitors and have had to venture outdoors instead of staying in the comfort of my air conditioned office)! Pathetic hey!!

One small comfort, loads of yummy icecream - my fav!!!

What's your favourite flavour?

Mine you ask - hmmmm, well I would have to say liquorice if I can get it (rarely), otherwise, Ben & Jerry's caramel cup - yummmmoooo! But the best of the best would have to be Massimo's on Hastings Street in Noosa (if you have been there, then you know what I am talking about!). They make THE best icecream eva!!

So, here's to the hot weather and the perfect excuse to indulge in some frozen delights:)

Image - l&coolj

Hutong

Last Friday night a group of us went to Aqua for pre-dinner cocktails and then on to Hutong for dinner.


The food was amazing (as always), the view spectacular, and the company - lovely...




Saf daring to take a bite (he chickened out)



Stuart with his ducks beak :)

Zoe's dessert - mmmm ????