Weekend Cooking: What I Baked in April and a few other things

The first Saturday each month is generally share all the things I made in the month. Most months that would mean that I have three or maybe four things to share photos and commentary about. This month though, there is only one! I am not sure why I haven't made much. We did go away for Easter and had a few busy weekends and I did work one weekend. Maybe that's why!

The one thing I did make this month was Milk Tart, which I have shared the recipe for previously. I have posted about making milk tart before which was a big hit. My reason for making it this month was because it is my stepson's favourite dessert, and we were having a surprise belated 18th birthday celebration for him, so I decided to make it.

The only flaw in my plan was that I forgot that I, as one of two people there who doesn't come from South Africa, was making the tart for a room full of people of South African origins so I was a little anxious. Luckily, it was a hit!

When I posted about my What I Baked in March and making Milk Tart, I mentioned that my pastry was somewhat rustic and Tandy from Lavender and Lime gave a couple of tips which I attempted to follow this time. I have to say, this was best attempt at a tart case yet. I was very happy with how it turned out. so thanks Tandy!

I thought I would mention a foodie weekend last weekend. I was invited to go to a long lunch on Friday at one of the most famous restaurants in Melbourne called Vue du Monde.  This is a restaurant on the upper end of the dining scale. If you go for dinner there, then it will cost about $320 so it would have to be a very special occasion. Luckily, the food we had was delicious. 

The menu was absolutely delicious bread and butter, sprinkled with salt. I could have been happy just to eat the bread, although that changed once I tasted the first dish, which was spanner crab, served in the shell.

The second course was wagyu beef with delicious onions.

Dessert was a caramel slice with a difference. I think that the base had macadamia nuts in it whereas it is normally just a biscuit base. The green thing on the plate was interesting. This is called pigface, a native ingredient, which I had never tried before. It was served very cold and it had been dipped in some kind of flavouring and then dipped in sugar. Texture wise, it was not disimilar to eating a raw green bean. 

I won't mention how many glasses of wine were consumed between lunch and dinner. Yes, I was also going out for dinner. This was already planned before I knew I was going for lunch. I ended up having chicken with paris mash (the mash was amazing), and then a classic lemon tart for dinner.

You would think that would be enough, but we also went to dinner on Sunday night before heading off to see Robbie Williams in concert. This time we went to a restaurant called Chocolate Buddha, a Japanese restaurant.

We had Terriyaki chicken and then for dessert I had a fun dessert of chocolate spring rolls, which I have never heard of before. They are spring roll wrappers wrapped around white or dark chocolate filling and then came with a miso caramel sauce.

I feel like I should say and then....but no that was enough for one weekend! It isn't all good news. Somewhere along the way I picked up a lurgy and have been feeling dreadful all week.

I did pick up a new cookbook and some new tea towels this week. These were purchased from one of the auxillary organisations which support the work in our hospitals. I am looking forward to see if there is anything I want to make from it!

And finally, Here is a picture from what will end up being my new kitchen.

Weekly meals

Saturday - 

Sunday - Out for dinner

Monday - French chicken

Tuesday - Burgers

Wednesday - Takeaway

Thursday - Risoni and vegetable soup with meatballs

Friday - Out for dinner

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page