Swiss Roll - Biskuitrolle

A Swiss roll is one of those odd cakes that are simple, but can incite the most irrational fear in home bakers. I know this, because I felt that fear. Yes, it's just a sponge cake with jam on the inside, but there are just so many places you can stuff it up. The batter itself is easily deflated - being a bit too rough while mixing, or banging the oven door can knock all the air out of it. And let's not get started with the rolling! I have vague memories of attempting one in year 9 Home Ec class, only for it to crack and break as I tried to roll it. That was 12 years ago, and I hadn't considered trying again.

However, it is my parents' favourite cake, and I really wanted to try making it for my mum's birthday last week. Store-bought ones just don't cut it.

I used this recipe, from the Australian Women's Weekly, on advice from Thanh. And I was pleased to discover it was really, really easy! If I can do it, you can too.

Top: Folding the flour, baking powder and salt into the beaten egg-and-sugar mixture
Bottom: In a lined baking tray

It only takes 12 minutes to bake, and smells fantastic.

From here it is important to work quickly. You turn the sponge out onto a sugar-dusted clean tea towel, and gently peel off the baking paper...


... and roll it up! This helps the cake keep its shape and prevents it from cracking after you've filled it later.

Some recipes say to let the sponge cool completely whilst rolled up, others say to unroll it straight away, and others say to let it cool, covered with a teatowel, before rolling it. Surely that would result in it cracking! And I was in a hurry, so I unrolled it straight away.


I microwaved the jam to make it easier to spread - I didn't want to tear the delicate cake! Because I was only using jam as a filling I did it while the cake was still warm. If you're using fresh cream or anything like that, obviously wait until the cake cools completely.


Then just roll it up again! Thankfully it didn't crack - the cake was super soft and pliable.


You have to slice off the ends to make it neat. These crunchy bits are the best! Cook's treat!

I put it on a long plate, covered it loosely with glad wrap, and took it over to my folks' place.


They loved it! Success! Dad finished his slice before I even started on mine, hehe.


The Swiss-roll fear is gone. I was surprised how easy it was! Now I want to try making chocolate ones, matcha, raspberry cream-filled.... Do you have any flavour combo ideas to add to my list?

A Swiss roll is one of those odd cakes that are simple, but can incite the most irrational fear in home bakers. I know this, because I felt that fear. Yes, it's just a sponge cake with jam on the inside, but there are just so many places you can stuff it up. The batter itself is easily deflated - being a bit too rough while mixing, or banging the oven door can knock all the air out of it. And let's not get started with the rolling! I have vague memories of attempting one in year 9 Home Ec class, only for it to crack and break as I tried to roll it. That was 12 years ago, and I hadn't considered trying again.

However, it is my parents' favourite cake, and I really wanted to try making it for my mum's birthday last week. Store-bought ones just don't cut it.

I used this recipe, from the Australian Women's Weekly, on advice from Thanh. And I was pleased to discover it was really, really easy! If I can do it, you can too.

Top: Folding the flour, baking powder and salt into the beaten egg-and-sugar mixture
Bottom: In a lined baking tray

It only takes 12 minutes to bake, and smells fantastic.

From here it is important to work quickly. You turn the sponge out onto a sugar-dusted clean tea towel, and gently peel off the baking paper...


... and roll it up! This helps the cake keep its shape and prevents it from cracking after you've filled it later.

Some recipes say to let the sponge cool completely whilst rolled up, others say to unroll it straight away, and others say to let it cool, covered with a teatowel, before rolling it. Surely that would result in it cracking! And I was in a hurry, so I unrolled it straight away.


I microwaved the jam to make it easier to spread - I didn't want to tear the delicate cake! Because I was only using jam as a filling I did it while the cake was still warm. If you're using fresh cream or anything like that, obviously wait until the cake cools completely.


Then just roll it up again! Thankfully it didn't crack - the cake was super soft and pliable.


You have to slice off the ends to make it neat. These crunchy bits are the best! Cook's treat!

I put it on a long plate, covered it loosely with glad wrap, and took it over to my folks' place.


They loved it! Success! Dad finished his slice before I even started on mine, hehe.


The Swiss-roll fear is gone. I was surprised how easy it was! Now I want to try making chocolate ones, matcha, raspberry cream-filled.... Do you have any flavour combo ideas to add to my list?

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Scenes From A Commute

I spend A LOT of time in my car commuting back and forth to work.  Luckily, I really like my car - and have fun driving.  :-)

I have seen some WEIRD stuff lately though!  In the few weeks I have been witness to the following:

• A week and a half ago - A driver with his left leg hanging out the window.  Yes, sir - I understand that your tall.  However, that's one party trick I don't need to see again!  I was afraid you were going to lose your leg when another car passed you.  (He wasn't really in danger of losing his leg...I just get nervous about that kind of stuff!)
• Last Saturday - A black lab in the back of a pick-up truck.  Not tethered, not leashed, not buckled in - STANDING UP as his/her owner went barrelling down the highway.  Maybe I'm a bitch - but I view this as animal cruelty.  No one EVER intends for their beloved pet to get injured - but putting that pet in a position that increases the odds is COMPLETELY unacceptable to me.  Plus...I kinda think it's illegal in Massachusetts.  I'll have to research that.
• Yesterday - Someone eating soup while driving home.  Not horrible...just weird!  And how do you not wear half your soup?  Do you steer with your knees so you can keep the bowl in one hand and the spoon in the other?
• Last Tuesday - A car coming from the opposite direction weaving in and out of traffic by the mall.  This driver was weaving and speeding so much that he/she lost control of the car and flipped over.  There is nothing at the mall that's worth almost killing yourself!
• Today - Three motorcycles popping wheelies in the middle of rush hour traffic.  Dumb asses happened to do this for the third or fourth time after a large bend in the road - and right into the sight line of a state cop.  I laughed for a good five minutes as they got pulled over. (Yes, I'm mean!)
• And the piece de resistance - last Thursday. Whilst sitting in traffic as I headed towards the Cape, I had the distinct pleasure *gag* of seeing a couple being intimate.  Sure, kiss and hug in the car.  That's your run of the mill PDA.  However, when my SUV looks down into your little red sports car and sees a bobbing head, you've crossed the line of acceptable behavior.  Um, hi!  It's light out!  You're engaging in a sexual activity in PUBLIC!  My lane of traffic moved faster than yours... at least 4 more cars had to pass you!  And finally - EWWWW!  Bring that car for a wash (inside and out) now-ish please!

So...see anything weird while driving lately?

I spend A LOT of time in my car commuting back and forth to work.  Luckily, I really like my car - and have fun driving.  :-)

I have seen some WEIRD stuff lately though!  In the few weeks I have been witness to the following:

• A week and a half ago - A driver with his left leg hanging out the window.  Yes, sir - I understand that your tall.  However, that's one party trick I don't need to see again!  I was afraid you were going to lose your leg when another car passed you.  (He wasn't really in danger of losing his leg...I just get nervous about that kind of stuff!)
• Last Saturday - A black lab in the back of a pick-up truck.  Not tethered, not leashed, not buckled in - STANDING UP as his/her owner went barrelling down the highway.  Maybe I'm a bitch - but I view this as animal cruelty.  No one EVER intends for their beloved pet to get injured - but putting that pet in a position that increases the odds is COMPLETELY unacceptable to me.  Plus...I kinda think it's illegal in Massachusetts.  I'll have to research that.
• Yesterday - Someone eating soup while driving home.  Not horrible...just weird!  And how do you not wear half your soup?  Do you steer with your knees so you can keep the bowl in one hand and the spoon in the other?
• Last Tuesday - A car coming from the opposite direction weaving in and out of traffic by the mall.  This driver was weaving and speeding so much that he/she lost control of the car and flipped over.  There is nothing at the mall that's worth almost killing yourself!
• Today - Three motorcycles popping wheelies in the middle of rush hour traffic.  Dumb asses happened to do this for the third or fourth time after a large bend in the road - and right into the sight line of a state cop.  I laughed for a good five minutes as they got pulled over. (Yes, I'm mean!)
• And the piece de resistance - last Thursday. Whilst sitting in traffic as I headed towards the Cape, I had the distinct pleasure *gag* of seeing a couple being intimate.  Sure, kiss and hug in the car.  That's your run of the mill PDA.  However, when my SUV looks down into your little red sports car and sees a bobbing head, you've crossed the line of acceptable behavior.  Um, hi!  It's light out!  You're engaging in a sexual activity in PUBLIC!  My lane of traffic moved faster than yours... at least 4 more cars had to pass you!  And finally - EWWWW!  Bring that car for a wash (inside and out) now-ish please!

So...see anything weird while driving lately?

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Easy Peanut Butter-Banana Scones and a Giveaway . . . Works for Me Wednesday

Giveaways work for for me. Baking from pantry items works for me, too.  So today, we have both!  Yay!

First, let's start with the scones.  I love these because I typically have all of the ingredients on hand.  I think they're best at room temperature, so they are perfect to pop in a lunch box or for an afternoon snack. Or, for breaking off a piece as you walk by them in the kitchen. ;)

Peanut Butter-Banana Scones
{adapted from Maureen Cole and Family Fun Magazine}

3 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp coarse salt
3/4 c. peanut butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. evaporated milk, plus more for brushing the tops
1 c. (about 2 ) chopped bananas

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 375.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until thoroughly combined.

In a large bowl, beat together peanut butter, eggs, vanilla, and evaporated milk until evenly blended.

Add the flour mixture and stir just until combined.  Stir in the bananas.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it twice.  Pat it into a 1-inch thick disc.

Using a 2 and 1/2 inch cutter, cut into rounds.  Pat scraps together and re-roll.  (Makes about 12.)  Transfer to prepared baking sheet.

Brush the tops with evaporated milk.  Bake 20 minutes.  Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

 

{Sometimes the mess looks pretty to me...that's weird, right?}

Serve with strawberry jelly for a peanut butter and jelly scone OR marshmallow creme (fluff) for a fluffer nutter scone. (Oh, it's so good!)

{It occurred to me AFTER we ate all of them that these would be really good with a peanut butter glaze. Someone want to try it?}

Now to the giveaway....

You may have noticed Sweet Cuppin Cakes over in the sidebar.  They are a sweet little sweet shop that ships WORLDWIDE!  Worldwide, people!  This is so exciting! They've also been featured in Parent & Kraft magazines.

One thing love about this shop is that the owner has a real heart and heads up Bake up Awareness for Autism.  As a matter of fact, you can help by hosting a bake sale on October 15 2010....all proceeds will go to Bake Up Awareness Autism Foundation to be donated for research in the immune testing of those with Autism.
{If anyone is hosting one in Houston, please let me know.}

Sweet Cuppin Cakes is giving away one of these adorable Cakewich cake pans!!!  How FUN are these?!?  I'm thinking a peanut butter pound cake filled with peanut butter buttercream and strawberry filling.  What about you?

To enter...

• visit Sweet Cuppin Cakes and leave a comment here with what else from the shop you'd love to try,
• for an extra entry, tweet about the giveaway using @bakeat350tweets and leave a separate comment.

Giveaway open until 8pm CST, Sunday (July 25th).  Good luck!

Giveaways work for for me. Baking from pantry items works for me, too.  So today, we have both!  Yay!

First, let's start with the scones.  I love these because I typically have all of the ingredients on hand.  I think they're best at room temperature, so they are perfect to pop in a lunch box or for an afternoon snack. Or, for breaking off a piece as you walk by them in the kitchen. ;)

Peanut Butter-Banana Scones
{adapted from Maureen Cole and Family Fun Magazine}

3 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp coarse salt
3/4 c. peanut butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. evaporated milk, plus more for brushing the tops
1 c. (about 2 ) chopped bananas

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 375.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until thoroughly combined.

In a large bowl, beat together peanut butter, eggs, vanilla, and evaporated milk until evenly blended.

Add the flour mixture and stir just until combined.  Stir in the bananas.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it twice.  Pat it into a 1-inch thick disc.

Using a 2 and 1/2 inch cutter, cut into rounds.  Pat scraps together and re-roll.  (Makes about 12.)  Transfer to prepared baking sheet.

Brush the tops with evaporated milk.  Bake 20 minutes.  Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

 

{Sometimes the mess looks pretty to me...that's weird, right?}

Serve with strawberry jelly for a peanut butter and jelly scone OR marshmallow creme (fluff) for a fluffer nutter scone. (Oh, it's so good!)

{It occurred to me AFTER we ate all of them that these would be really good with a peanut butter glaze. Someone want to try it?}

Now to the giveaway....

You may have noticed Sweet Cuppin Cakes over in the sidebar.  They are a sweet little sweet shop that ships WORLDWIDE!  Worldwide, people!  This is so exciting! They've also been featured in Parent & Kraft magazines.

One thing love about this shop is that the owner has a real heart and heads up Bake up Awareness for Autism.  As a matter of fact, you can help by hosting a bake sale on October 15 2010....all proceeds will go to Bake Up Awareness Autism Foundation to be donated for research in the immune testing of those with Autism.
{If anyone is hosting one in Houston, please let me know.}

Sweet Cuppin Cakes is giving away one of these adorable Cakewich cake pans!!!  How FUN are these?!?  I'm thinking a peanut butter pound cake filled with peanut butter buttercream and strawberry filling.  What about you?

To enter...

• visit Sweet Cuppin Cakes and leave a comment here with what else from the shop you'd love to try,
• for an extra entry, tweet about the giveaway using @bakeat350tweets and leave a separate comment.

Giveaway open until 8pm CST, Sunday (July 25th).  Good luck!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

"Christmas in July" - A Pudding Making Class at The Langham

Let's all take a look at that magnificent pile of Christmas pudding dough!

You all know I love Christmas, yes? I love the presents, I love the turkey lunch, I love the Weihnachtsgebäck, I love the mince pies, I love the Christmas cake, I love the post-Christmas barbecues, I love it all! I especially love Christmas pudding, so I was very excited to be invited along to The Langham's "Christmas in July" pudding making class tonight.

Even though we did end up elbow-deep in pudding mixture, the night started off quite a bit more sedately, so let's begin there. We arrived to a very warmly decorated function room upstairs, enjoying champagne and some beautiful canapés. There were quite a few more on offer than the 6 I photographed below - did you know it's really, really hard to eat and photograph at the same time? Traybound food is especially hard because it keeps moving! (I must have gotten out of practice ever since Sandra took over the bulk of the photography for my blog. Oops. Must practise more!) Sandra didn't attend tonight's event, so these photos were all me!

Top row: Prosciuto & parmesan canapé, cucumber with tomato and mozzarella, seared scallop on pea pureé
Bottom row: Lamb (I think!) wrapped in zucchini, crab cakes, fried zucchini flowers

We were then taken down to the pastry kitchen, to have a look at some chocolate work. The canapés and champagne kept on flowing, which was lovely. (I must admit it was a bit of a change for me to see waitstaff working back of house, hehe.)

Beautiful chocolate display - it was fantastic to have a closer look at the chocolates they use in their Afternoon Tea.

I love the presentation... mmm... a river of chocolate callets.

There were also a few treats on offer, and you may remember the granola clusters (left) and the florentines (right) as 2 of my favourites from the afternoon tea. Fab!

Down here, Pastry Chef Zara showed us how to temper chocolate and dip truffles.



The first truffles were white chocolate filled with elderflower liquer and raspberry ganache, and Chez Zara got some very funky patterns on the white truffles by rolling them along the rack with a fork! So simple and effective.

These ones below were rum truffles dipped in Lindt milk chocolate and topped with cocoa nibs.
Can you see how the truffles become more matt as the chocolate cools down?

Wait a minute... did someone say Lindt milk chocolate? Lindt milk is my favourite chocolate of all time! I love how smooth and caramelly it is. I used to buy the piccoli (i.e. the little hexagonal pieces of couverture) in the 2.5 kilo bags. I've stopped doing that now, probably for the best.


Anyone for a dip?

After the chocolate, it was time for the serious business of making pudding. The way it worked is that head Chef Anthony Ross dumped the ingredients on a huge marble bench, and we all stuck our (well-sanitised) hands in to mix! (And if you're wondering, it was left-hand-in-the-dough, right-hand-on-the-camera. Awkward, but effective!)

The Langham's pudding is both gluten and suet-free, to fit in with modern dining sensibilities. (I am definitely not in the anti-suet brigade though!) We started by rubbing both almond and hazelnut meals into the butter, then added a heady mix of spices, eggs, citrus juice and zest, Guinness and milk. Finally, he tipped in a mixture of dried fruits (including whole figs), that had been macerating in St Remy brandy. The smell was incredible!

As you can (just) see in the top picture of this post, we each got a little charm to put in our puddings, which was wrapped in foil, and covered in pudding mixture. The chefs at The Langham are going to cook and store our puddings, and we'll get them at Christmas.


The mixture was quite light in colour and the texture was quite fine compared to my usual Christmas pudding. I'll be interested to see how it turns out come December! If the taste of the raw dough is anything to go by, I'm sure they'll be fabulous.

Sarah attended Christmas in July as a guest of The Langham hotel.

Let's all take a look at that magnificent pile of Christmas pudding dough!

You all know I love Christmas, yes? I love the presents, I love the turkey lunch, I love the Weihnachtsgebäck, I love the mince pies, I love the Christmas cake, I love the post-Christmas barbecues, I love it all! I especially love Christmas pudding, so I was very excited to be invited along to The Langham's "Christmas in July" pudding making class tonight.

Even though we did end up elbow-deep in pudding mixture, the night started off quite a bit more sedately, so let's begin there. We arrived to a very warmly decorated function room upstairs, enjoying champagne and some beautiful canapés. There were quite a few more on offer than the 6 I photographed below - did you know it's really, really hard to eat and photograph at the same time? Traybound food is especially hard because it keeps moving! (I must have gotten out of practice ever since Sandra took over the bulk of the photography for my blog. Oops. Must practise more!) Sandra didn't attend tonight's event, so these photos were all me!

Top row: Prosciuto & parmesan canapé, cucumber with tomato and mozzarella, seared scallop on pea pureé
Bottom row: Lamb (I think!) wrapped in zucchini, crab cakes, fried zucchini flowers

We were then taken down to the pastry kitchen, to have a look at some chocolate work. The canapés and champagne kept on flowing, which was lovely. (I must admit it was a bit of a change for me to see waitstaff working back of house, hehe.)

Beautiful chocolate display - it was fantastic to have a closer look at the chocolates they use in their Afternoon Tea.

I love the presentation... mmm... a river of chocolate callets.

There were also a few treats on offer, and you may remember the granola clusters (left) and the florentines (right) as 2 of my favourites from the afternoon tea. Fab!

Down here, Pastry Chef Zara showed us how to temper chocolate and dip truffles.



The first truffles were white chocolate filled with elderflower liquer and raspberry ganache, and Chez Zara got some very funky patterns on the white truffles by rolling them along the rack with a fork! So simple and effective.

These ones below were rum truffles dipped in Lindt milk chocolate and topped with cocoa nibs.
Can you see how the truffles become more matt as the chocolate cools down?

Wait a minute... did someone say Lindt milk chocolate? Lindt milk is my favourite chocolate of all time! I love how smooth and caramelly it is. I used to buy the piccoli (i.e. the little hexagonal pieces of couverture) in the 2.5 kilo bags. I've stopped doing that now, probably for the best.


Anyone for a dip?

After the chocolate, it was time for the serious business of making pudding. The way it worked is that head Chef Anthony Ross dumped the ingredients on a huge marble bench, and we all stuck our (well-sanitised) hands in to mix! (And if you're wondering, it was left-hand-in-the-dough, right-hand-on-the-camera. Awkward, but effective!)

The Langham's pudding is both gluten and suet-free, to fit in with modern dining sensibilities. (I am definitely not in the anti-suet brigade though!) We started by rubbing both almond and hazelnut meals into the butter, then added a heady mix of spices, eggs, citrus juice and zest, Guinness and milk. Finally, he tipped in a mixture of dried fruits (including whole figs), that had been macerating in St Remy brandy. The smell was incredible!

As you can (just) see in the top picture of this post, we each got a little charm to put in our puddings, which was wrapped in foil, and covered in pudding mixture. The chefs at The Langham are going to cook and store our puddings, and we'll get them at Christmas.


The mixture was quite light in colour and the texture was quite fine compared to my usual Christmas pudding. I'll be interested to see how it turns out come December! If the taste of the raw dough is anything to go by, I'm sure they'll be fabulous.

Sarah attended Christmas in July as a guest of The Langham hotel.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Tuesdays At The Table - Heirloom Tomato Salad Dressing

Happy Tuesday, ladies!  We're still in the midst of a heatwave.  It stinks for me and my asthma...but my tomatoes - especially the heirloom ones - LOVE the heat!  Sorry I don't have a picture to share, but I didn't think to take one until about an hour ago and we're in the middle of some strong thunderstorms.  Hmm... maybe I'll do a post on my garden later this week.  :-)

Heirloom Tomato Salad Dressing

3 cups chopped  heirloom tomatoes (about 7-8 tomatoes)
1 generous sprig fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan

Put all ingredients into the blender, and blend a full minute until mixture is creamy. Pour into a narrow neck bottle and shake well before serving. Refrigerate leftovers. Keeps about a week and makes about 3 1/2 cups.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Happy Tuesday, ladies!  We're still in the midst of a heatwave.  It stinks for me and my asthma...but my tomatoes - especially the heirloom ones - LOVE the heat!  Sorry I don't have a picture to share, but I didn't think to take one until about an hour ago and we're in the middle of some strong thunderstorms.  Hmm... maybe I'll do a post on my garden later this week.  :-)

Heirloom Tomato Salad Dressing

3 cups chopped  heirloom tomatoes (about 7-8 tomatoes)
1 generous sprig fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan

Put all ingredients into the blender, and blend a full minute until mixture is creamy. Pour into a narrow neck bottle and shake well before serving. Refrigerate leftovers. Keeps about a week and makes about 3 1/2 cups.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Christmas in July

I love giving homemade gifts for the holidays.  Here's the problem...I typically think of it, oh, around December 15th. 

The gals at A Southern Fairytale, According to Kelly and Skip to my Lou are hosting a Holiday Bake Craft and Sew Along.  Starting today, click over to each blog for handmade and homemade Christmas and holiday ideas.

A Southern Fairytale will be hosting the baking section (you'll find me there today)!
According to Kelly has the crafting ideas,
and Skip to my Lou will have sewing gifts!

I can't and am so happy to be a part of this! I'm making my list of homemade gifts.  How about you?

I love giving homemade gifts for the holidays.  Here's the problem...I typically think of it, oh, around December 15th. 

The gals at A Southern Fairytale, According to Kelly and Skip to my Lou are hosting a Holiday Bake Craft and Sew Along.  Starting today, click over to each blog for handmade and homemade Christmas and holiday ideas.

A Southern Fairytale will be hosting the baking section (you'll find me there today)!
According to Kelly has the crafting ideas,
and Skip to my Lou will have sewing gifts!

I can't and am so happy to be a part of this! I'm making my list of homemade gifts.  How about you?

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Vitasoy Vs St Ali

That lovely foam coming out of the nitrous oxide cream whipper is not actually whipped cream, but a warm white chocolate and soymilk foam, created by the cocktail masters from Der Raum for the Vitasoy vs. St Ali event.

The warm foam was the topping for their amazingly delicious 'pina colada' - rum, pineapple juice and agave nectar. Like, WOW! Matt from Der Raum says he got the idea for the cocktail when he realised soymilk has a bit of a coconutty taste to it. It's not on their menu yet, but may make an appearance for their Spring menu. Fingers crossed!


Vitasoy vs. St Ali was held in a funkified warehouse on Yarra place, just down the street from St. Ali. In addition to the Der Raum cocktails and canapes, there were DJ's, live graffiti art and street performers.


Sandra got heaps of great photos of the firetwirlers, but I liked these the best, because they spell "S C". You can see more of Sandra's fabulous photos of the night here at her Flickr page.

Firetwirlers spelling "S C". "S C" for Sarah Cooks, geddit?

Canapes were prepared by chefs Ben Cooper (St. Ali) and Paul Jewson (Outpost). I've never been to St. Ali for dinner, but I've heard great things, and now I really think I should! I definitely want to try Outpost's food, if only to see how Paul cooks food in that tiny space!

Oysters with soy and mirin dressing

Asian-style Pulled pork with salsa verde

I enjoyed the fresh, light taste of the salsa verde, but immodestly, I like my own pulled pork better. I think that's because I appreciate the, well, vastness of the portion I inevitably roast. And the crackling, of course.

Chicken and mushroom pies with edamame

Miso-soup with silken tofu

No matter how much fried food I've eaten, or how much I've had to drink, (oops!) I find miso soup to be so cleansing and purifying. Perfect, and salving. (And much better for you than traditional hangover food!)

So, er... speaking of fried food...

Deep fried chicken wings with chilli and salt

These chicken wings were awesome! I don't think you can go wrong with deep-fried chicken, and these ones were juicily crispy, and vibrant with chilli.

Towards the end of the night, the air was getting cold, and feet were getting tired... but I'm glad we stuck around for dessert.


These donuts are a Phillipa Sibley creation - filled with passionfruit curd and topped with pineapple glaze. In its tiny size, it was a perfect little treat. Although I think most people I saw definitely ate more than one!

Here's a pic of the soymilk-wall graffiti-art in progress. As you can see, even hardworking artists need sustenance!

Apparently towards the end of the evening, they started to dismantle the wall, and people got to take decorated slabs of soymilk home. I'm gutted I missed out on that, because I drink heaps of soymilk! D'oh.

Big thanks to all involved for a great night! It was lovely to sample all the canapes and the great cocktails, and to catch up with heaps of Melbourne food bloggers.

Sarah Cooks attended Vitasoy Vs. St Ali as a guest.

That lovely foam coming out of the nitrous oxide cream whipper is not actually whipped cream, but a warm white chocolate and soymilk foam, created by the cocktail masters from Der Raum for the Vitasoy vs. St Ali event.

The warm foam was the topping for their amazingly delicious 'pina colada' - rum, pineapple juice and agave nectar. Like, WOW! Matt from Der Raum says he got the idea for the cocktail when he realised soymilk has a bit of a coconutty taste to it. It's not on their menu yet, but may make an appearance for their Spring menu. Fingers crossed!


Vitasoy vs. St Ali was held in a funkified warehouse on Yarra place, just down the street from St. Ali. In addition to the Der Raum cocktails and canapes, there were DJ's, live graffiti art and street performers.


Sandra got heaps of great photos of the firetwirlers, but I liked these the best, because they spell "S C". You can see more of Sandra's fabulous photos of the night here at her Flickr page.

Firetwirlers spelling "S C". "S C" for Sarah Cooks, geddit?

Canapes were prepared by chefs Ben Cooper (St. Ali) and Paul Jewson (Outpost). I've never been to St. Ali for dinner, but I've heard great things, and now I really think I should! I definitely want to try Outpost's food, if only to see how Paul cooks food in that tiny space!

Oysters with soy and mirin dressing

Asian-style Pulled pork with salsa verde

I enjoyed the fresh, light taste of the salsa verde, but immodestly, I like my own pulled pork better. I think that's because I appreciate the, well, vastness of the portion I inevitably roast. And the crackling, of course.

Chicken and mushroom pies with edamame

Miso-soup with silken tofu

No matter how much fried food I've eaten, or how much I've had to drink, (oops!) I find miso soup to be so cleansing and purifying. Perfect, and salving. (And much better for you than traditional hangover food!)

So, er... speaking of fried food...

Deep fried chicken wings with chilli and salt

These chicken wings were awesome! I don't think you can go wrong with deep-fried chicken, and these ones were juicily crispy, and vibrant with chilli.

Towards the end of the night, the air was getting cold, and feet were getting tired... but I'm glad we stuck around for dessert.


These donuts are a Phillipa Sibley creation - filled with passionfruit curd and topped with pineapple glaze. In its tiny size, it was a perfect little treat. Although I think most people I saw definitely ate more than one!

Here's a pic of the soymilk-wall graffiti-art in progress. As you can see, even hardworking artists need sustenance!

Apparently towards the end of the evening, they started to dismantle the wall, and people got to take decorated slabs of soymilk home. I'm gutted I missed out on that, because I drink heaps of soymilk! D'oh.

Big thanks to all involved for a great night! It was lovely to sample all the canapes and the great cocktails, and to catch up with heaps of Melbourne food bloggers.

Sarah Cooks attended Vitasoy Vs. St Ali as a guest.

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