The Fat Dog Cafe

An e-mail from my brother-in-law's wife arrived today, announcing their imminent departure from their home in New Zealand on a round-the-world tour before settling in Australia.
It got me to reminiscing about our visit to NZ last year, and a wonderful cafe they recommended to us while in Rotorua.

The Fat Dog Cafe and Bar sits off one of the main streets in Rotorua, a stinky little town due to all it's sulphurous hot springs with a wonderful forest, lake and Polynesian spa that makes up for the smell!

The place is wildly popular with the locals, which is always a very good sign. But while the lines are long, the service is quick and friendly, and there is always more than enough to be looking at. 


I mean, just take a look at the menu, scribbled delightfully on the wall in a multi-coloured profusion of options!

Table numbers aren't used there. Instead, it's a mish-mash of kitsch paraphernalia like turning flowers and plastic red duck tea-pots which take the place of drab old numbers! 

The array of dishes on offer is truly astounding, and yet labelling and knowledge is excellent in terms of what dishes contain/don't contain on the allergy front.
We treated ourselves to the Butter Chicken Curry served with a very unusual side salad (yay for people using root vegetables like beets raw and spiralised!)
We also tried the Kumara Wedges (like roast sweet potatoes), served sprinkled with spring onions (unusual) and with a sour cream dipping sauce (no tomato sauce/ketchup here!)

There is no part of this cafe that is boring....the wall, tables, chairs, roof....they're ALL fodder for artistic inclinations. And the end result is just one of sheer and utter fun!

For more photos, please visit my Flickr Set for the Fat Dog Cafe! Their cool water branding is truly something to behold. :)


P.S. If you're feeling shoppish, or giftish, please mosey on down to my new Etsy shop for some good deals...I'd sure appreciate it y'all!


P.P.S. I'll be back later this week for a giveaway, so keep your eyes peeled (which if you take it literally, could be terribly uncomfortable!)

Gluten-free, Egg-free Chocolate Cake

This recipe from my Mom is just wonderful. 

It never flops. 

It gives you the most moist and tender crumb around, and it stays soft for days. It's chocolatey and delicious without being too sweet either. 

You can whip it up from start to finish in under 35 minutes.

And best yet: when served to people who don't know it's gluten-free, and are expecting some sort of "different" taste.....all resistance crumbles!

Mom's Choccie Cake

Prep Time: 10 - 15 minutes

Baking Time: 20 minutes

Yields: 1 bundt cake (serves 8 generously)

Ingredients:

• 2 large bananas
• 250ml gluten-free cake flour (e.g. in SA, Nature's Choice GF Cake Flour)
• 125ml lukewarm water
• 60ml vegetable oil (something neutral, like sunflower, works best)
• 60ml cocoa powder
• 200ml sugar
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 178 degrees Celsius.
2. Mash bananas with a fork in the bottom of a mixing bowl.
3. Use an electric mixer to mix in the sugar.
4. Add in the remaining ingredients, and mix until just lump free.
5. Grease a bundt cake tin, or a rectangular baking dish (approx. 28cm x 17cm).
6. Add batter and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 20 minutes, or until a cake skewer inserted comes out clean and the cake has pulled away from the sides ever so slightly.
7. Remember, ovens vary in their hotitutdes, so err on the side of caution and check with a cake skewer/toothpick rather than relying only on time.

Frosting/Icing:

• 80 grams of 70% dark chocolate
• approx. 2 Tbsp milk

Method:

• Heat on a low stove, stirring occasionaly, or use the microwave on a low setting to melt it slooowly (don't burn the chocolate...it'll make you want to cry!)

Born-up-a-gluten-free-tree (or bon appetit!)

And the winner is...

Thank you to the eight of you that entered my first giveaway (1 in 8...those are pretty good odds!)

Thanks to RANDOM.ORG and their "True Random Number Generator", the winner of Bed Rest by Sarah Bilston is:

COMMENTER # 1

Congratulations oomph! Your book will soon be on its way to Hawaii :-)

BOOK GIVEAWAY: Bed Rest by Sarah Bilston

The lead character, Quinn, is a successful young English lawyer, married and living in New York. Her life so far has been relatively painless, until she gets knocked-up and subsequently has to spend the last three months of her pregnancy lying in bed. As her career and personal life changes, she begins re-examining her whole life - her marriage, relationships with family and friends, and her job.

It's a fun and neurotic little read, perfect for a Summer vacation for those in warm climes, or a night on the couch under a blankie for those of us in the grips of Winter.

To stand a chance of winning, leave a comment below (even if it's just: "Pick me!"). Please make sure I have a way of contacting you (either via your profile or an e-mail address).

The winner will be drawn by a random comment picker thing. Entries close on Tuesday, 31 May 2011.

I will pay for postage regardless of where in the world you are, so don't hesitate to comment away! The winner will be announced on Wednesday, 1 June 2011. :-)

Happy Towel Day Everybody!

I asked him if he wanted a bigger towel. 

He said nah. 

He's keeping it chic and understated.
:-)

Some Curry for Comfort

The world is full of good curry. A marvelous idea if I ever saw one, perfectly welcoming to meat eaters and vegetarians alike. Most of the time, welcoming as well to those avoiding gluten, as cream is a fab thickener.

Cooking some version of curry at home is a labour of love (of sorts), where time and patience (and sometimes multiple pots) is necessary for a good end product.

Well, on a day with some time and some inclination, this recipe is what emerged. And it made me happy. For dishes that bring nourishment and contentment are always worth the effort.

What is your favourite comforting dish?

Ingredients for the curry:

• 1 cup brown rice
• 4 small onions
• 3 x-large potatoes
• 4 medium carrots
• 3 cups frozen peas
• 1 fresh chilli (medium-hot)
• 1 sprig each of thyme, lemon thyme, rosemary, mint
• 2 tsp of curry powder
• 1/4 tsp each of cumin and cinnamon
• 4 cardamom pods
• olive oil for frying
• salt
• 2 tsp coconut oil (optional)
• fresh chives (optional)

Method for brown rice:

• 3 cups of water added to the cup of rice with 1 teaspoon of salt, set on medium heat to simmer for 40 minutes usually does the trick!

Method for curry (use one big, flat-bottomed pot that is suitable for all the steps below = less washing up):

1. Chop the small onions finely, and fry in 1 tablespoon of olive oil till soft and translucent. Remove from the pot, and set aside in a bowl for the moment.
2. Chop the potatoes and carrots into even dice. Add 2 tsp of salt to the pot and enough water to cover the ingredients. Boil till soft (this will depend on how big the chunks of potato and carrot are...anywhere from 15 to 30 mins).
3. Drain about a half of the liquid away, and then put the pot back on the stove top. Add to the potatoes the cooked onions, 3 cups of frozen peas, a chopped chilli, the curry powder, herbs, cardamom pods, cumin and cinnamon. Boil until the peas are done (about 5 - 7 minutes).
4. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt. 
5. Stir through 2 tsp of coconut oil and sprinkle with freshly cut chives.
6. Serve with brown rice. 
7. Good eating! :-)

P.S. The inspiration for my curry recipe and post title came from drooling over this site, written by the truly inspired curry maker, Ramona.

Happiness in a frosty bowl

Have you ever noticed how ice-cream makes people happy?

The only time I have ever seen ice-cream make people sad is if it is:

1) bad ice-cream;

2) something they are allergic to.

It's a pity you can't solve the world's problems with ice-cream!

But I can solve yours in making a super simple version of it because for this recipe you do not need:

1) an ice-cream maker;

2) eggs;

3) more than two ingredients.

And thanks to blessed, anti-ice-crystal forming cream; there's also zero need for mixing once this hits the inside of your freezer.

Is there anything NOT easy about this recipe, you ask?

Well, yes...you have to try to get yourself to stop eating it!

Ingredients:

• 1 tin (360g) Nestlé Caramel Treat (or Dulce de Leche)
• 500ml Whipping Cream

Method:

1. Whisk the cream to stiff peak stage.
2. Fold in the caramel/dulce de leche.
3. Ladel into small ramekins.
4. Freeze for a few hours.
5. Take out of the freezer about 10 - 15 minutes before you serve it.
6. This recipe makes the equivalent of 8 scoops of ice-cream (8 small ramekins full).
7. You can also freeze it in an ice-cream tub, and scoop it liberally.
8. Serve with chocolate chips or something else yummy sprinkled on top.

P.S. If you're in the mood for something a little glitzier in the ice-cream department, check out my Apricot Semifreddo post.

The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee by Sarah Silverman (Kindle Edition)

I think I missed the point of this book.

Wait...was there a point to this book?

Where did the courage and redemption come into it?

Sure, there was a lot of pee (that part of the title was accurate).

Also, a lot of sex obsession, balls and bemoaning.

I don't think I liked this book.

But I didn't stop reading it till it was finished.

Because.

*Meep* for the day:

OMG, has anyone watched "Moonlight"? A vampire P.I. Seriously?!?!?

Impromptu Vegan Variety...Pull Up A Chair!

I'm a big fan of natural ingredients tasting like themselves. No cream sauce slathered limp broccoli or butterey, sugary, wilted and lifeless carrots for me, thanks very much.

This meal reflected my wish for vegetables to taste like better versions of their raw selves, and was heartily enjoyed by three other ardent meat eaters as well!




The Day: A rainy Sunday afternoon

The Place: The bu and my's cottage

The Mission: Spontaneous lunch with my parental units

The Protocol: Vegan cuisine

The Ingredients: Whatever was on-hand in the pantry (butternuts, baby onions, potatoes, legumes, lettuce, tomato, avocado and herbs from the garden)

The Table:

The Meal:

The Method:

Herbed Butter Bean Hummus:

• Ingredients: 2 tins of butter beans, 1 large carrot, 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, virgin olive oil, cumin, salt.
• Method: (1) Strip the leaves off the rosemary and toss them in a food processor. (2) Zhoesh the rosemary, a pinch of salt, 1 Tbsp of olive oil and the carrot until fine. (3) Drain the butter beans, reserving some of the liquid. Add both to the food processor, with approximately 3 Tbsp olive oil, a pinch of cumin and salt. Zhoesh till required consistency is reached (you might want to add a little water or more olive oil if you'd like a smoother texture). (4) Season to taste with cumin and salt.
• Serve: Dollop the bean hummus into the cavity of the roasted butternut.

Roasted Baby Onions:

• Ingredients: 1kg of baby onions (deskinned and cut in half), sunflower oil, fresh thyme, fresh chives, salt, pepper.
• Method: (1) Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees Celsius. (2) Cover a roasting pan in tin foil (to make it SO much easier). (3) Add the onions, drizzling them with sunflower oil and sprinkling them with thyme leaves, salt and pepper. (4) Bake uncovered in the oven for approximately 40 minutes to an hour (till they're crispy on the outside, soft on the inside with a little bit of al-dente bite to them). 
• Serve: Sprinkle with freshly cut chives.

Roasted Butternut:

• Ingredients: 2 medium butternuts (one-half per person), coconut oil, salt.
• Method: (1) Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees Celsius. (2) Cut each butternut in half and de-seed them. (3) Cover a roasting pan in tin foil. (4) Lay the butternuts next to eachother in the pan. Rub the flesh with coconut oil and sprinkle with salt. (5) Bake uncovered in the oven for approximately an hour on the bottom rack, or until the flesh is soft and yielding when pressed with a fork.
• Serve: Fill each cavity with butter bean hummus.

 Roast Potatoes:

• Ingredients: 4 large roasting potatoes, coconut oil, salt.
• Method: (1) Scrub the potatoes. (2) Cut each potato into quarters. (3) Cover a roasting pan with tin foil, and rub the bottom with coconut oil, as well as a sprinkle of salt (this help to crisp the skins). (4) Lay the potato quarters in the pan skin side down, then rub the flesh on the upper sides with coconut oil before sprinkling liberally with salt. (5) Bake on the top rack of the oven for 40 - 50 minutes, until the flesh inside is tender but the outside is crispy.

Side Salad:

• Ingredients: 1 medium head of lettuce (one-quarter per person), 2 medium tomatoes (one-half per person), 2 avocados (one-half per person), fresh basil (torn, not chopped), olive oil, salt.
• Method: Self-explanatory, right?

The Greeting: Born-up-a-tree! ;-)

Smiling Potatoes & GF Blog Link Love

It's Monday. A brand new week just waiting to be filled with good things:

food, love, laughter and life lived to the fullest.

If anyone has been looking for Mr Potato Head, apparently he was hiding in our vegetable box sporting this silly smile.

He must have tried his best to endear himself to us with those funny googley eyes. But unfortunately for him, he met his demise in a roasting pan, smeared in coconut oil and sprinkled with salt. And boy, did he taste good!

If you're in need of something to cure a bad case of the Mondays, I urge you to rush your internet browser to Bernice's website, where she has created the most beautiful Lemon Zest Baked Cheese Cake, as well as Cherry and Coconut Truffles. If you, like me, are addicted to theobromine...you will not be sorry.

Find these gorgeous gluten-free recipes at:

Since it is Monday, and there's a whole five days before weekend starts again, you might need extra cheering up. That's where Nisrine's website comes in so handy, for she has also created the most divine gluten-free offering; namely chocolate pudding pie, with a very unique base (no pastry-making skills required on this one!)

Find this delicious gluten-free recipe at:

See you on Wednesday, when I'll share with you the valiant vegan comrades-in-arms that joined Mr Potato Head in his ever-so-tasty after-life. ;-)