Food Archives | Page 28 of 68

Vogue Fashion’s Night Out (VFNO): A One Night Only Affair

7 September 2012 Ibyang Sanchez 1 Comments Category: Aussie Life, Charmed Life of a Mrs, Food

I received an invite to the Vogue Fashion’s Night Out (VFNO) but I thought that happened last week so I was surprised to arrive at Westfield Sydney’s party ambience last night. Silly me for not getting my head around my social calendar.

In celebration of this one night only affair, almost all the stores in Queen Victoria Building (QVB) and Westfield Sydney ran sales and some special kind of entertainment for Thursday shoppers. At first, I was overwhelmed by so many people but it turned out to be a fun night.

The reason why we dropped by Westfield was to buy our first ever Nespresso machine. A party was in full swing at the Nespresso Boutique with people enjoying cocktails and Nespresso coffee. I was a bit worried that we wouldn’t be accommodated well by the staff due to many people inside the store but buying last night proved to be a blessing in disguise.

Look at the wall behind the bartenders. It’s Aboriginal art made of Nespresso capsules. How very Aussie and very Nespresso! It looks beautiful.

There was a long queue at the counters as lots of Nespresso members were purchasing Nespresso products but it didn’t take long for us to be serviced. When we got to the counter, our Nespresso purchases where all ready and in a few minutes we were signed up for the Nespresso Club membership.

We got treated to a Nespresso cocktails and chocolate truffles after that. It was a great way to be welcomed to the Nespresso Club. I was so kilig! 🙂 After so many years of waiting for the right machine and the right time to finally buy one, I felt that it was fate that brought us to this one night when Nespresso’s having a party at their boutique.

Will share more about our Nespresso machine in a separate entry next week. In the meantime, here are a few more photos from last night.

Legally Blonde (The Musical) which is set to stage in October had a little concert at the QVB. The cast led by Lucy Durack and Rob Mills sang a few songs to the delight of the audience.

Lingerie stores had live mannequins and shoppers were free to take their photos.

While some stores had music DJs, this one fashion store had Brazilian dancers. It was very entertaining.

Here’s a short video of their performance:

What we had for dinner: Pad Thai and Vegetable Spring Rolls to share from Thairiffic.

The much-awaited Ladurée is opening at Westfield Sydney SOON. Can’t wait!

Fabulous window displays. This one at Mulberry was my favourite–Mulberry bags made of gold balloons.

All photos taken using an iPhone and uploaded via Instagram (@ibyang)

What a great and fun VFNO! Hope Westfield Sydney organises something this again.

The Imperial Russian Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty

6 September 2012 Ibyang Sanchez 4 Comments Category: Charmed Life of a Mrs, Entertainment, Food

It was my first time to watch a ballet performance and I was so excited at the thought of being inside the theatre and watch a show I’ve never seen before. I went with tweethearts Jo and Pen on Friday night who were all first timers as well. Since the show was at 8pm, we orchestrated an early dinner meet-up with the whole Tweethearts gang at Westfield Sydney.

Arrived at Westfield Sydney at 5pm, dropped by the Nespresso Boutique then went up to Level 5 to meet with everyone. While everyone started with dinner, I was the only who made a quick run to Via del Corso for some Salted Caramel and Peanut Butter macarons and a cup of long black. On night outs such as these, I can’t skip my afternoon tea as I need it to stay awake til at least 12 midnight. I rarely need coffee in the mornings because I’m a morning person but it’s in the afternoon that I need a little caffeine kick to sustain whatever energy I may have during the day til evening.

While I was savouring my macarons and coffee, the Husband started bringing dinner to our table. He had his favourite American Hautedog and Chips from Snag Stand and then a little later, He brought me my Breaded Chicken and Fried Egg Rice from Din Tai Fung.

We had an hour and a half to catch up but it felt like minutes. Ang dami talagang kwento!!! Kulang ang oras. And to think that we all talk fast! LOL. But we’re grateful nonetheless. At least sa maliit na paraan, naisingit ang pagkikita kahit sandali lang.

We marveled at the exquisite beauty of State Theatre when we arrived at a few minutes to 8. It was overwhelming to see exquisite details of their ceilings, walls, chandeliers and statues adorned in every corner. The theatre was old but well-maintained.

According to our friend Pen, Sleeping Beauty is one of the most watched ballets in history. The music was written by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, the original scenario was conceived by Ivan Vsevolozhsky and the choreographer of the original production was Marius Petipa {source}. The show had three acts and lasted almost three hours.

While some parts were a bit dragging and may have induced a few yawns (hello, classical music! nakakahele kaya! and I think that is still a compliment haha), over-all it was entertaining. The production was simple but the costumes and tutus of the ballerinas were very colourful. We were a bit disappointed that there wasn’t a real orchestra especially that the sound system of State Theatre seemed ancient (and at one point it stopped! que horror!). The dancers moved gracefully and I swear I looked closely if they’d missed a beat or make a mistake, especially in unified acts, and they didn’t (if they did, I was probably busy yawning). The Prima Ballerina who played Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) was an enchanting presence on stage. She illuminates! Another character that I fancied was the man who played Blue Bird (he was dressed in blue and according to the program he was a bird). He was really fantastic.

I have such high respect for ballet dancers and every time I see them dance perfectly, I know that for every step and position, it took them hours of practice and huge amounts of discipline to get it right. Sleeping Beauty may not be a perfect production but I commend them for giving us a good show on Friday night.

To watch a ballet production such as Sleeping Beauty is quite an honour because the show has been running since 1890. I’m glad I had a chance to watch it with friends and appreciate the art of ballet even more.

The Sleeping Beauty production ran in Sydney for only four days from 30 August to 2 September and it was directed by Evgeny Amosov.

The Rice Coffee Experience

5 September 2012 Ibyang Sanchez 3 Comments Category: Food

Thanks to family and friends from Manila we now have a couple of coffees from the Philippines. I was sent a bag of Figaro coffee beans in Autumn thru my Mom. My thoughtful friend, Joyce, also learned of my mom’s vaycay so she sent us two kinds of coffee, one of which was the Rice Coffee from Banna, Ilocos Norte.

I’ve drank this Rice Coffee a couple of times but last Saturday was the first day of Spring so I brought out our Spring-looking cups and do a bit of photography. Can you see the colour pattern in this photo below? Blue kung blue! I love it! 🙂 With matching smoke coming out of the cups too!

Now more about Rice Coffee.

Rice coffee is not coffee. Rice coffee is made from roasted rice. When my Husband saw this, he immediately thought of his loving grandmother who used to roast rice grains, afterwhich when poured with hot water results into an aromatic and sweet beverage.

The aroma and taste of my (deceased) grandmother-in-law’s rice coffee was very similar to the Rice Coffee that was sent to us. In preparing a mug of rice coffee, half teaspoon of granules is enough. Then add half a teaspoon of sugar to make it sweet. Adding milk or creamer is optional. I prepare our rice coffee using the french press to lessen the granuels making the blend smoother.

Rice Coffee is a good alternative to coffee as it is caffeine-free and has detoxifying properties. During night time this can be your “calming beverage”. Since it came from rice, it also has the benefits of uncooked rice such as B vitamins and fibre.

The Original 100% Rice Coffee is manufactured by SCUFYND Food Products, Brgy. Sinamar, Banna, Ilocos Norte. Available in grocery stores in Ilocos Norte.

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Recipe: Baechu Doenjang Guk (Cabbage in Soybean Stew)

30 August 2012 Ibyang Sanchez 2 Comments Category: Food, Recipes

Here’s another Korean dish I learned to prepare this week.

Recipe: Baechu Doenjang Guk (Cabbage in Soybean Stew)

What you need to prepare:
2 tbsp Canola Oil (or whatever cooking oil you use at home)
3 cloves Garlic, minced
200 grams Beef Strips
4 cups Beef Broth
4 tbsp Soybean Paste (Doenjang/Korean Soybean Paste)
1 head Napa Cabbage, chopped
100 grams Mushrooms, sliced
Black Pepper (to taste)
2 spring onions, chopped

Optional:
Chili Flakes/Green Pepper/Red Pepper: to make the dish spicy
Zucchini (sliced): for added nutrition, flavour and colour
A few drops of Sesame Oil: makes it more tasty and fragrant

What you need to do:
Long way:
1. Saute garlic in oil.
2. Add the beef strips and stir for 5-7 minutes.
3. When beef strips turn light brown, add the beef broth.
4. Add soybean paste and dissolve it with the broth.
5. Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Throw in the cabbage and mushrooms. Cook for another 10-15 minutes.
7. Add pepper to taste.
8. Turn off the stove, serve in a bowl and add the spring onions on top.

Short way:
1. Bring beef broth to boil.
2. Once broth is very hot, add soybean paste. Stir until paste is dissolved.
3. Add beef strips and leave for 10-15 minutes.
4. Throw in the cabbage and mushrooms. Cook for another 10-15 minutes.
5. Add pepper to taste.
6. Turn off the stove, serve in a bowl and add the spring onions on top.

Tips:

You can change your beef ingredient to tofu, chicken or pork.
Other options for broth is Anchovy Broth or Vegetable Broth.
The beef strips should be thinly sliced so it will cook easily and will be tender. You can ask the butcher to slice them for you or buy packed beef strips from Asian supermarkets.
If you don’t have any mushrooms or spring onions at hand, that is fine.

This dish is good for 4-6 people.

For other Korean dishes I’ve cooked, click below for the recipes:

Kimchi

Kimchi Stew

Beef Bulgogi

Wanderlust Wednesdays: Bathurst (NSW, Australia)

29 August 2012 Ibyang Sanchez 2 Comments Category: Food, Photography, Restaurants, Travel, Wanderlust Wednesdays

Went on a day trip to Bathurst while my Mom was here. We gathered up our other friends and rented a bus for the day so everyone won’t have to stress about driving to and from. Bathurst is lovely and quiet town with pretty houses, vast wineries and friendly people.

Something about Bathurst:

Bathurst is a regional city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. It is approximately 200 km west of Sydney and is the seat of the Bathurst Regional Council.

Bathurst is the oldest inland settlement in Australia^[2] and has an estimated population of 34,303 people.^[1]Bathurst City is the 29th largest population area of the 135 regional NSW population areas in 2009. Residents of Bathurst are known as “Bathurstians”.

Bathurst is often referred to as Gold Country as it was the site of the first gold discovery and where the first gold rush occurred in Australia.^[3] Today it is education, tourism and manufacturing that drive the economy. Internationally known racetrack Mount Panorama is also a landmark of the city. Bathurst has a historic city centre with many buildings remaining from the gold rush period of the mid to late 1800s. {source}

Wanderlust Wednesdays: Bathurst (NSW, Australia)

What we did in Bathurst:
Sightsee. We walked around the town when we arrived in Bathurst. Took a lot of photos of structures made of beautiful architecture.

_MG_087Wanderlust Wednesdays: Bathurst (NSW, Australia)2

We saw the Mount Panorama Circuit, a motor racing track where the Bathurst 12 Hour race is held every February. There were a fair bit of bikers that waved hello to us when they saw me taking their photos.

We had lunch at a park on top of Mount Panorama. Together with family and friends we had a feast of home cooked meals.

P1170Wanderlust Wednesdays: Bathurst (NSW, Australia)567

Taste their wine. Our bus driver was able to find a winery company which accommodated us on a Saturday. The owners of Mt Panorama Winery (117 Mountain Straight Mt Panorama, Bathurst) welcomed us with happy smiles and lots of wine bottles to taste.

Even their dog was friendly enough to join us during the wine tasting. She even stayed still so I can take a photo of her.

The Husband had to pat her goodbye before we left.

Have coffee, pie and ice cream. When in Bathurst, visit Annie’s Ice Cream Parlour right on the corner of George and Church Streets. The restaurant’s theme brought us back to the 60’s as Elvis and other popular icons’ photos from the 60’s era are found on the walls of the shop. They make good coffee and serve homemade ice cream (must try!). And this was where I got to taste the best apple pie ever!

Their apple pie’s filled with chunky and sweet apple slices, it was sooooo good. Served hot and perfect with a sprinkle of icing sugar and cream on the side.

On our way to Bathurst:
I always enjoy the scenic routes of any travel in Australia during road trips. With the bluest skies and vast landscapes, I’m always in awe of the beautiful sceneries outside of my window.

We had a quick stopover at Echo Point, Katoomba in Blue Mountains. This was where we had morning tea so we took this opportunity to marvel at the fog surrounding the Three Sisters Mountain.

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