High Tea at home – a great idea for a large group

If you have a cupboard of inherited, mixed not matched, china and perhaps some interesting table cloths, ( or even if you don’t) then hosting a high tea can be a great way to bring people together.

It’s relatively easy, because everything can be made ahead (much even frozen) and set out on tables before guests arrive. You can choose to serve savoury options as canapés first with a glass of bubbles, before everyone sits down for tea and sweets delicacies.

By creating a high tea at home you have lots of flexibility with the food, drinks and seating arrangements. You can cater easily for dietary preferences and plan the event so that everyone can chat and get to know more people. Also more people can afford to join in than when you book a $50 per person set menu, and where you only get to talk to those directly next to you.

Good ideas for savoury canapés in include cheese chorizo and corn muffins…..

….smoked salmon on cucumber or 1/2 scones…

Asian style frittata….

pinwheel sandwiches with smoked oyster, cumin, lemon juice and cream cheese dip ( ask the bakery to slice the bread length wise)

Pikelets with blue cheese/cream cheese dip and caramelised pear with date and walnuts.

It’s also easy to make these options gluten free is required.

Sweet options that can be made ahead include chocolate dipped strawberries….

….scones with jam and cream ( less preparation if served halved with whipped cream and jam separately)..

…mini cup cakes decorated (e.g. Lemon curd centred muffins, with lemon icing and candied lemon…

…pancake swirls with cinnamon and brown sugar and cream cheese and walnuts..

…chocolate rum balls..

…meringues with chocolate…

…chocolate caramel slice…

Mini trifles in shot glasses ( available from Home Base, Woden Westfield).

You can also accept offers of help with food preparation if you choose as things are easy to add to the table as they arrive.

Cups and saucers can be matching or miss matching. It works well with mugs and small plates too. Look out for inexpensive three tier stands at Aldi or use cardboard versions available from Home Base or Reject shops.

Trestle tables are about $34 and folding chairs about $8 each from Bunnings.

Space, Woden- amazing breakfast dishes all day!

One of the great things about Space, the newest restaurant in Woden CBD, that opened last week, is that it serves it’s lovely breakfast menu all day.

Inspired by Her Canberra’s post, to try the Space Benedict $17.90 – the pulled pork croquette is just so delicious, goes well with the poached egg and the beetroot hollandaise is wonderful. The pork cracking brioche crumble is lovely flavour and texture contrast.

This must be the best dish yet, closely followed by the Felafel and Salmon Salad.

The Breakfast Fritters are also excellent – $17.90. The corn, zucchini and halos I fritters are especially good, also nice with the poached eggs, a tasty feta and harissa yogurt, beetroot hummus and a lovely contrasting texture in the corn cous cous.

The Polenta Waffles $17.90, next door looked excellent as well and were served with a ‘theatrical’ touch from Ricardo which made it worth ordering just for the show.

The Muesli $15.90 also looks gorgeous and no-one seems shy about ordering it for lunch either.

And there’s even more amazing creations in the cake cabinet in the way out that you must not miss! A work of art – everything!

Cream, Canberra City – breakfast!

Cream, on the lower ground corner of the Canberra Centre near Gus’ is a great all-rounder at any time.

With stylish decor and excellent service, it’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. It has a good range of interesting dishes on the menu and easy parking in the Canberra Centre nearby (great for the middle of winter).

The options for breakfast are varied and include:

Spanish Omelette $18 with chorizo, peas, roasted red peppers, manchego cheese and sourdough

Big Breakfast $19 free range eggs with bacon, chorizo, mushrooms, oven roasted tomato and chat potato

Pancakes $17 with caramelised toffee apple, butterscotch sauce and vanilla icecream

Poached eggs with feta, smoked salmon, avocado smash on sourdough (very good!)

Cream also offer Canberra Entertainment Book holders two mains for the price of one.

Indian Cooking lesson 3- Dal with Zucchini and Cauliflower Stuffed Paratha

Another differently textured and flavoured curry to add to a vegetarian feast repertoire is a classic dal.

At her Sunday afternoon Aroma and Spice Indian cuisine cooking lessons, Vinnys shows how to prepare a very good channa dal with zucchini ( or long melon) …..

….with cauliflower stuffed parathas to accompany it.

Like the other parathas Vinnys has taught, the parathas can be made ahead even frozen and are quick and easy to create.

The dishes planned for the next two lessons are:

Sunday 18 October

Raita, Lentil Parantha stuffed with Spinach and chick pea salad

Sunday 25 October

Butter Paneer and a Naan bread

Email Vinnys if you’re interested in joining in: vinnystanve@yahoo.com.au

Space, Woden – the desserts have arrived!

As promised – those magnificent desserts and pastries are now at Space! And gorgeous!

The salted caramel (gold ) macarons are especially delicious.

There’s many more flavours including an excellent Turkish Delight (purple) and Redskin (red). $3 each.

The coffee is also excellent!

Space, Woden – opening today! and very wow!

Space opens today on the ground level of the Sky Carpark on the corner of Furzer Street and Worgan Street. It’s the brand new venture of Richardo who is legendary for his desserts and pastries at Ricardo’s Cafe in Jamieson.

It’s a real win for Woden CBD. An upmarket restaurant with a creative and interesting menu that has Ricardo’s touch everywhere.

A “Spoilt for choice” menu includes an extensive range of all-day breakfast options…

…like Hotcakes $17.90 – boysenberry hotcakes with blood orange curd, freeze dried raspberry and white chocolate crumble and coconut mascarpone….

…..some gorgeous salads promising some amazing flavour and texture combinations…..

…..Like the excellent Felafel and Salmon Salad $18.90 with Tasmanian Smoked Salmon, beetroot and chickpea felafels, red pepper hummus, mandarin, baked ricotta, baby kale and lemon crème fraiche..

… gourmet sandwiches like the Pork Roll $12.90 – with leomongrass pulled pork, coriander, carrot, chicken pate, lime aioli and chilli..

… burgers like the Wagyu Cheese Burger $16.90 wiith wagyu beef, grilled bacon, American cheese,, onions, pickles, ketchup and American mustard…

… sliders like Pulled Pork Sliders $16.90 with pulled pork, salsa verde, cabbage slaw, chipotle aioli..

… fish and chips $19.90 with pea puree and tartare sauce and calamari.

Licensed, but not BYO, wine by the glass has been carefully chosen and sells for $8 a glass.

The large, open, stylish spaces are inviting and the open kitchen engaging.

Service is exceptional!

The plans are to open for breakfast and lunch, from around 7am – 5:30pm six days a week (closed Sundays) with the possibility of staying open late on Friday evenings.

And other exciting plans include moving the patisserie kitchen to Space so that those gorgeous desserts will also be coming to Woden.

Sounds dangerous!

02 62816668

Furzer Street, Phillip

Space-Kitchen.com.au

Soul Origin, Westfield – a quick look at lunch

Soul Origin is a fresh new presence to the lunch scene in Westfield Woden.

Offering a wide range of delicious looking gourmet salads and sandwiches/wraps/baguettes/tortillas/ paninis at take-away prices, there is also a small among of pleasant seating available.

Soul Origin also very helpfully displays the kilojoules in the different options and sizes both at the counter and on-line, so you can make an informed decision.
Serve sizes are generous and easily shared between two modest appetites.

Schnitzel BLT Baguette (delicious, but heavy on the kilojoules at 4660kJ per roll).

The salads and sandwiches are sold at reduced rates after mid-afternoon so that’s a great time to grab something easy for dinner of you’e on your way out.

Urban Corner Cafe, Fyshwick – a convenient spot for lunch if shopping.

The Urban Corner Café, located opposite Harvey Norman in Fyshwick, offers Canberra Entertainment Book holders
two meals for the price of one.

This means you can choose something like Fish and Chips with salad as well as Grilled Barramundi with salad and chips and just pay $17 for both.

Other options include a range of burgers or breakfast dishes as well as risottos and schnitzel.

A fairly plain setting and a bit of a wait if it’s busy, it is still a light and open space in a convenient location if shopping.

Phone: 0474963158 / 0451321861

Urban bean Expresso Bar, Woden – some good salad options for lunch

Urban Bean Expresso Bar in the heart of office worker buildings Woden, has always offered a range of great lunch options.
The gourmet wraps and burgers are always good, but it may be the salads that are the very best options on offer.
The Thai Chicken Salad ($14.90) has a great sesame and chilli dressing.

However, it’s worth checking the menu and the daily specials.
The French Green Bean and Chicken Salad had a very generous serve of chicken and was great value at $9.90.

There’s also a range of ready to go wrap/ gourmet sandwich options for about $9….

….such as the marinated vegetable wrap (lacks flavour and very oily)….

or a roast vegetable filled Turkish bread.

It gets busy so go early to grab a table.

Thai Chiang Rai Restaurant, Phillip – a budget friendly, tasty meal for three

Thai Chiang Rai in the Woden Southern Cross Club certainly has the nicest setting for lunch in the Woden CBD.

Serve sizes are generous and if you usually only need to order one main per two modest appetites to try some good dishes but not end up with more food than you want.

But an odd number (e.g. three people sharing) can be tricky.

One solution is to order one main and one smaller express lunch.

But then it can be tricky to order the rice in the right amounts.

Another solution is to order one curry and one of the special fried rice (and skip the plain rice).

The chicken and prawn fried rice $16.90 is a good option.

The Jungle Curry with Pork $17.90, is very good (possibly the best dish so far). It is very light, no having any cream or coconut milk added, with fresh flavours. It is very spicy though, if chilli bothers you.

The pork and chicken meats are tender at Thai Chiang Rai and good options to order for the curries and stir fries. (The beef is not so tender).

If you are wanting a light meal (also light on price) then the $9.90 serve of plain rice would also be good with the Jungle Curry with pork or chicken (one serve of each for three).

Canberra Southern Cross Club members are offered a 10% discount.

At lunchtime a glass of wine is $2.90 (although this may be increasing to $3.90 soon).

Fine Eating

Hints Hacks and Highlights

Space, Woden- amazing breakfast dishes all day!

Cream, Canberra City – breakfast!

Indian Cooking lesson 3- Dal with Zucchini and Cauliflower Stuffed Paratha

Space, Woden – the desserts have arrived!

Space, Woden – opening today! and very wow!

Soul Origin, Westfield – a quick look at lunch

Urban Corner Cafe, Fyshwick – a convenient spot for lunch if shopping.

Urban bean Expresso Bar, Woden – some good salad options for lunch

Thai Chiang Rai Restaurant, Phillip – a budget friendly, tasty meal for three

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