Salmon is rich in Omega-3.  Everyone heard about Omega-3 and we see all types of fish oil available at the pharmacy.  But what is Omega-3?  When I did my undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences 13 years ago, there was a particular subject that interested me the most – Nutritional Biochemistry.  Omega-3 fatty acids (also known as n-3 or ω−3) are a family of unsaturated fatty acids include α-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).  The health benefits of Omega-3 were discovered in the 1970s: virtually no one from the Greenland Inuit Tribe have any cardiovascular disease. Why? It is because they eat large amount of seafood!  There is now strong evidence showing that Omega-3 reduce levels of blood triglyceride (fatty material circulating in blood) and VLDL (aka “bad cholesterol”) as well as reduce the risk of heart attacks.  Preliminary studies also show that Omega-3 might be helpful in treating depression and anxiety.  There are also debates going on about the anti-cancer effects (particularly breast, colon and prostate cancer).  So eat more salmon now!

Ingredients: (serves 4)
4 pieces of Salmon Fillets (around 200g each)
250g Fettuccine (or any pasta you like)
4 tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 cup of Butter, softened
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
Juice of half a Lemon
1 teaspoon of Lemon Rind
Fresh Herbs (you can use oregano, thyme, basil, dill or parsley), chopped
Salt and Pepper for seasoning

Preparation Methods:
1. Gently wash the salmon fillets in tap water for a few seconds. Dry on kitchen paper and season lightly with salt and pepper.
2. Prepare the pasta: boil a big pot of water in a deep saucepan. Add a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the water is boiled, cook pasta according to packet directions or until al dente (usually 4-6 minutes). Drain well with cold water and leave aside.
3. Prepare the lemon herb butter: heat 1/2 cup of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and add 1 clove of crushed garlic, gently stir it until the garlic turns light-brown in colour. Add fresh herbs, lemon rind and lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Leave the sauce aside.
4. Prepare the salmon: heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat and cook the salmon for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium and cook for another 1-2 minutes, then gently turn the salmon to the other side and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer the cooked fish on a serving plate.
5. Reheat the pasta: In the same saucepan from Step 4 add 1 tablespoon of olive oil over high heat. Add the remaining crushed garlic and fresh herbs, and then add pasta from Step 2. Cook for 1 minute and divide the pasta among the serving plates.
6. Quickly reheat the lemon herb butter sauce from Step 3 over high heat for 30 seconds and pour the sauce on top of the salmon. Ready to eat now!

Tips:
* Steps 2, 3, 4 can be done simultaneously.
* Remember to use the same saucepan from Step 4 in Step 5 (reheating the pasta) because you want to get the leftover salmon flavours over your pasta.

Last dessert I made was a Strawberry Sponge from Junior MasterChef’s Dessert Queen Lucy’s recipe, this time for my dearest friend TT’s birthday I made another winning recipe – Lemon Meringue Cupcakes from Isabella.  I wasn’t a big cupcake fan until last month I bought my first ever cupcakes for Jennifer’s birthday at Poppy Cakes, I am so ADDICTED to these soft fluffy creatures now!

By the way the plain cupcakes are also really nice if you concern about your waistline… (I like the plain ones but Mr F said: without the lemon curd the cupcakes become so dull and boring… true true…)

Do you feel excited watching Junior Masterchef?  How adorable when 11 years old Lucy (considers herself as a Cake Queen) making a delectable heart shaped Sponge with Strawberries and Cream!  My heart was pounding when I saw these little cutties marching inside the MasterChef Kitchen with big cheery smiles and those petite Rossi boots on their tiny little feet.  I was so nervous they may burn their hands, cut their fingers, crying in the middle of a challenge etc… but these little courageous young men and women just show off their talents and prepare their perfect dish within 45 MINUTES!

Anna Gare joining Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston as a host and judge for Junior MasterChef 2010, and she said Lucy’s dessert was “the best sponge” she’s ever eaten and she wants to know the recipe!  Here is my modified version of Lucy’s recipe.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
6 eggs, separated
2/3 cup Caster Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup Corn Flour
6 teaspoons Plain Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 cup Thickened Cream
4 tablespoons Icing Sugar
1 punnet Fresh Strawberries
Cooking spray

Preparation Methods:
1. Preheat oven to 190 degree Celsius.
2. Put 6 Egg Whites into a dry clean mixing bowl and use an electric beater to whisk at high speed until fluffy.
3. Add in 2/3 cup Caster Sugar slowly and continue to whisk into a stiff peak meringue.
4. Put 6 Egg Yolks and 1 tsp Vanilla Extract in another bowl and gently whisk.
5. Gently fold the Egg Yolk mixture from Step 4 into the Meringue from Step 3.
6. Sift 1 cup Corn Flour, 6 teaspoons Plain Flour and 1 tsp Baking Powder and gently fold into the mixture from Step 5.
7. Lightly spray two 20cm round cake tins with Cooking Spray.
8. Divide cake batter between the two cake tins and bake for 18 minutes (or until mixture bounces back when touched).
9. Put 1 cup Thickened Cream and 2 tbsp Icing Sugar in a clean mixing bowl and whisk with an electric beater at high speed until the cream is thick enough for spreading. Leave the whipped cream in fridge.
10. To assemble the cake: cover the base of one sponge with Cream Mixture from Step 9 and Sliced Strawberries. Arrange the second sponge on top and dust with icing sugar.

I love Mango!  It’s my favourite fruit since I was a kid, in Hong Kong we get this yummy fruit imported from Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia all year round.  But in Australia the mango season usually starts in November and lasts for three to four months only.  My favourite mango would be Bowen Mango but it’s harder and harder to find them in the market nowadays.  Lately we found some good Kensington and Calypso and the price is quite reasonable.  Sweet and Juicy!  Today I made a Mangomisu for Foonie’s Birthday!  Yum Yum!  This is an incredibly easy recipe: look fantastic and taste great!  Why it’s called Mango-misu?  Simple enough: Mango and Tiramisu!

Ingredients: (adopted from Delicious Magazine Issue 89)
250g Mascarpone Cheese
300mL Light Thickened Cream
25g Icing Sugar
2 Egg Yolks
1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste
1/2 cup Apple and Mango Juice (or Orange Juice)
100mL Grand Marnier
1 pack Savoiardi Sponge Finger Biscuits
3-5 Mangoes, freshly sliced

Preparation Method:
1. Line the base of a 20cm springform cake tin with baking paper.
2. Place 250g Mascarpone Cream, 300mL Light Thickened Cream, 25g Icing Sugar, 2 Egg yolks and 1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste in a large mixing bowl.  Use an electric mixer to combine all ingredients into a thick mixture.
3. Dip the Sponge Fingers into the juice mixture and lay in the base of the cake tin.
4. Spread Mascarpone Cream Mixture from Step 2 on top of the Sponge Fingers.
5. Lay Mango slices on top of the Mascarpone Cream Mixture.
6. Repeat Steps 3, 4 and 5.
7. Chill the cake in the fridge for at least 2 hours.  Enjoy!

Australia’s MasterChef 2010 has come to an end last night, the finale cooked up massive ratings as expected, making this show the most-watched event on Australian television history.  The winner, Adam Liaw, cooked a fantastic Pork Belly dish – “Three Little Pigs“: the first dish is a loo roll which is a minced pork topped with Japanese egg custard Chawanmushi, next to it is the confit pork and scallops, then comes the red rum belly bun.  The runner-up, Callum Hann, the youngest contestant of 20 years old, is the dessert king.  At his age he got nothing to lose, in fact a bright culinary future is waiting for him!  One of the judges George Calombaris (Owner/Chef of 2 Hat restaurant The Press Club) has offered Callum a 3 month culinary scholarship to work at his restaurant.  And earlier Shannon Bennett from Vue de Monde has also offered him a job.  Callum’s signature dish is his Chocolate Fondant which defeated Jimmy’s curry at the Cook Book Challenge on Episode 81 (the final three), his Chocolate Fondant triumph on the next day at the Governor-General Challenge even made him through to the Grand Finale. 


Tonight there’s no more MasterChef showing on telly… to cheer myself up I decided to make a ooey gooey Chocolate Fondant!  I followed Gary Mehigan’s MasterClass recipe and made it within half an hour, it’s easy and chocolatey!  Rich with decadent liquid centre!

Ingredients (serve 4):
100g Unsalted Butter
100g Dark Chocolate, broken into pieces (I used 70% Lindt Chocolate and it’s just perfect!)
2 Eggs
2 Egg Yolks
100g Caster Sugar
100g Plain Flour


Preparation Methods:
1. Preheat oven to 160 degree Celsius.
2. Lightly grease 4 ramekins and cover the bottom with baking paper.
3. Boil some water in a deep saucepan.
4. Melt 100g Dark Chocolate and 100g Unsalted Butter in a heatproof bowl over the hot water from Step 3.  Stir with a spatula until smooth.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
5. Whisk 2 Eggs and 2 Egg Yolks and 100g Caster Sugar in a clean mixing bowl for 2-3 minutes until pale.  
6. Add the chocolate mixture from Step 4 into the egg mixture from Step 5.  Gently fold in 100g Plain Flour. 
7. Divide evenly between prepared ramekins and place on an oven tray. 
8. Bake for 15 minutes or until the surface is cooked (but still soft in the centre).


Tips:
Step 4: make sure the bottom of the heatproof bowl does not touch the boiling water.
Step 5: If you prefer sweeter dessert you can add 120g Caster Sugar instead.


Chocolate Fondant is best served with Vanilla Ice-cream or Thickened Cream!  Remember to serve warm!

Semisweet Chocolate

Wooh!  Counting down to my birthday and I was scratching my head where to eat on this Sunday, Ortiga was my number one pick but I also want to try Euro, Urbane, Tartufo, Buffalo Club, Alchemy, Absynthe etc etc… Yesterday I finally picked up the phone and booked a table at Ortiga for my “own” birthday!  And today after seeing the winners of Courier Mail Food and Wine Guide 2011 I am really really looking forward to it!!!

San Pellegrino Restaurant of the Year: Ortiga ✩✩✩
Chef of the Year: Pablo Tordesillas of Ortiga
Pol Roger Wine List of the Year: Ortiga (also special recommendations to 1889 Enoteca & Aria Brisbane)
Courier Mail Best New Restaurant: Euro ✩✩
Best Casual Dining: South Bank Surf Club (Mr F still whinges about when we’ll be free to Surf Club again for the unforgettable fish & chips and steak sandwich!)

Cafe of the Year: Anouk
Bar of the Year: Canvas
Regional Restaurant of the Year: Nu Nu, Palm Cove ✩✩
Outstanding Service: Shawn Gomes, Il Centro
Young Chef of the Year: Ashley Hicks of Buffalo Club, Matt Osborne from 1889 Enoteca and Tartufo
Merlo Barista of the Year: John Russell of Cup Coffee
Service to the Industry: Gerry Pennisi

Brisbane Restaurants Star Rating:
Three Stars ✩✩✩: Ortiga
Two Stars ✩✩: 1889 Enoteca, Alchemy, Aria, Buffalo Club, Cinco, E’cco, Euro, Il Centro, Moda, Montrachet, Restaurant Two, Urbane
One Star ✩: Baguette, Bar Alto, Bar Barossa, Barolo, Beccofino, Brent’s, Cha Cha Char, Citron, Era Bistro, Harvey’s, Jellyfish, Liquorish, Mario at the Dining Room, Prive 249, Restaurant Lurleen’s, Restaurant Rapide, Seasalt at Armstrongs, Sono Portside, The Lab, Timmy’s Restaurant, Two Small Rooms

Queensland Regional Restaurants Star Rating:
Two Stars ✩✩: Absynthe, Berardo’s, Fins, Nu Nu, Spicer’s Peak Lodge, Vanitas, Wasabi
One Star ✩: Ba Vigo, Bamboo, Berardo’s on the Beach, Byron at Byron, Cafe China, Chill on Tedder, Dish Restaurant & Marvell Bar, Ebb, Embassy XO, Harrisons, Harvest, Humid, Moo Moo, Nautilus, Oskars on Burleigh, Reef House, Reserve Restaurant Cellar, Ricky’s, Ristorante Fellini, Sails, Sassi Cantina, Satiate, Season, Songbirds in the Forest, Spirit House, Vie, Vivo, Watermark

To read more about other fantastic food guide please go to here.  Bon Appétit!

Macarons or Macaroons?  A macaron is a dome-shaped biscuit made of egg white, almond meal and sugar, hard to the touch with a chewy interior (Adriano Zumbo).  A macaroon is a small meringue cake typically made of coconut.

What is a perfect macaron?  It should have a delicate, egg shell-like crust but moist and airy interior.  Nowadays you can find a variety of flavours ranging from the traditional Chocolate, Vanilla, Raspberry to the exotic Green Tea, Olive.  Bakeries in Paris notably make the best macarons in the world: Lauree, Pierre Hermé and Fauchon.

My first attempt on French Macarons and they had FEETS!  Though not a perfect piece of art but the shell is crispy and importantly it’s YUMMY!  I used this recipe from tastedbytwo.com and was very impressed with this easy recipe!