So, obviously I haven't been around for a while. I just feel that I can't give this blog the attention it deserves while also working, studying, and planning a wedding. So I'm giving it a rest for now, and hopefully after June I'll be able to pick it up again, because I love blogging and I love interacting with all you awesome people. Thanks to everyone who continues to post comments after all this time; I'm still on Instagram, so come around to @jasmynetea and say hi! <3 Continue reading

This cake is a thing of beauty. Disillusioned by years of average banana cake, I didn't think I could get excited over it again until I tried this recipe. The cake itself is fluffy and gorgeous, the bananas turn out golden and beautifully caramelised on top, and the caramel topping slowly permeates through the whole cake if you leave it long enough. Served warm with a dollop of ice-cream, you might find your faith in banana cake restored as well. Upside-Down Sticky Banana Cake Recipe received from my SIL Melissa INGREDIENTS Cake 180g self raising flour 1/4 tsp salt 1/2... Continue reading

I both love party season and hate it. Of course, going out and seeing my friends, eating good food and drinking good wine are all wins in my book, but it all comes with the hassles of trying to find a way home when the designated driver has had one too many, and it leaves a big dent in my bank account after a while. So when yet another birthday rolled around, I suggested a bar a little less expensive than usual, yet still vibrant and interesting - and with awesome food: El Loco, in Surry Hills. El Loco is... Continue reading

Ok, I have to admit that there have been some disgusting things in my mouth. (I'll just wait for you to pick your mind back up out of the gutter before I continue.) I've eaten dirt; I've almost swallowed an insect; I've even had a shot of soy sauce straight from Green Valley's Golden King 2000, which most locals will know is an impressive feat considering it has been sitting on the tables there for at least 20 years, and has the consistency of tar. But this is by far the worst thing I've ever tasted: It's called Uncle Chin's... Continue reading

"Wow, it's so easy to find parking in Canley Heights!" said no one ever. It's seriously abysmal. 8 o'clock on a Tuesday night, and we had to park a massive distance from the restaurant in a residential area. However, if you bring your walking shoes you can enjoy an amazing dinner at Holy Basil. You really have to be lucky to turn up without a booking and not have to line up, and lucky we were; we got in with no fuss and sat inside to avoid the smoking area outside. We were furnished with menus and left to order.... Continue reading

I find that as I get older, I learn to fully appreciate the more luxurious, sensual things in life; long gone are the days when I'd buy the cheapest things because it meant I could have more of them. However, as someone on a modest wage, I usually can't afford the $945 Alexander McQueen dress that I've had my eye on. So in keeping with my budget, I tend to splurge on more affordable beauty products in an effort to feel pampered - this is particularly important when one has a stressful job. Now, over the last couple of years... Continue reading

So last Friday I hurt my back. I've been off work ever since, and just as I felt able to go back, I got the flu. I've LITERALLY been bed-ridden for a week, which is f-ing horrible. So, what does one do when one is stuck in bed, with no window to the outside world except my laptop? I'll give you a clue: it starts with 's' and ends with 'hopping'. Kimchi Blue Canvas Print Pumps - US$49.00 MinkPink Confused & Dazed Mini Dress - $76.30 Deena & Ozzy Spike-Stud Platform Wedge - US$69.00 Deer Antler Ring in Solid White... Continue reading

Yes sirree bob, you read that right: Caramel. Chicken. This dish is the bomb.com. The bees knees. The cat's meow. It's awesome, it's radical, groovy, neat and hip. It's simply splendid. But don't take my word for it. Try it out yourself! It's quick and easy, the ingredients are cheap, and the recipe results in choice morsels of chicken smothered in a thick, syrupy sauce that's balanced perfectly between sweet and savoury. Caramel Chicken *Adapted from Bill Granger's Best of Bill INGREDIENTS 8 chicken thigh fillets, skinless, quartered 1 tablespoon peanut oil 1 brown onion, sliced 3 garlic cloves, crushed... Continue reading

So in this dream, my friend Ahlam and I were bored and so we decided to try acid (which is definitely something we'd NEVER do. Ahem.). And we didn't know how to "prepare it", as it were, so we put it in a casserole dish and shoved it in an oven at 180 degrees Celsius (fan-forced). Anyway, it magically turned into some sort of stew, and we spent the rest of the dream fighting over who was going to eat it first. I'm pretty sure I screamed "you can't eat it, it's not halal!" out loud whilst asleep. Now, I... Continue reading

So I've been watching what I eat. Partly for health reasons, partly for vanity's sake. And while I'm definitely enjoying feeling and looking healthier, I do occasionally miss "unhealthy" food like burgers, chips and pizza. Obviously, this visit to Charlie & Co. occurred before I made this life-altering decision. Nestled in a deceptively small corner of the Sydney CBD Westfield's food court, this little burger joint-slash-restaurant is all class. Founded by Justin North, it addresses the issue plaguing office workers throughout the CBD - where can you get a fantastic burger, close to the office and for a fair price?... Continue reading

So I'm picking music for my wedding. Sounds simple, right? WRONG. Google gives me nothing but "At Last" and "Truly, Madly, Deeply", my friends have horrible taste and tell me to pick Boyz II Men or Backstreet Boys, and Stephen wants "Don't Want To Miss A Thing" by Aerosmith, which IS a good song, but is horrible to dance to unless we want to rock awkwardly from side to side. Luckily, I've managed to amass a tentative list of decent love songs that aren't terribly cliche. You won't find any Righteous Brothers here, but hopefully there'll be a song or... Continue reading

In my cooking experience, I've mangled many a recipe. Often it's from not having the right ingredient and trying to substitute; sometimes it's because Stephen has snuck up behind me and added an extra pinch of salt or sprinkling of raisins because he doesn't think I'm doing it right. And sometimes, I have no idea why it hasn't worked out. Take this birthday cake for example. The chocolate cake recipe is a favourite of mine, and has become a staple - no problems there, it turned out dense and moist the way I like it. The chocolate ganache, however, was... Continue reading

Let me set the scene for you: it's 8 am, I'm on my way to work via a CityRail train, and I'm not in the greatest of moods after finding that my uniform didn't dry properly and the EFTPOS on the ticket machines stopped working. After being waylaid by an old lady who couldn't read the digital displays and a horde of young school children who I'd like to smack but probably shouldn't, I've missed my train and am running late. By the time I actually manage to get on the train, I'm pretty pissed off. Then two stops later... Continue reading

For my 22nd birthday I wanted adventure. I'm pretty sure I got it too; after a magnificent day in which I dragged Stephen all around Sydney (more on that later), I asked him to take me to Morena, a modern South American restaurant that I had heard served alpaca. I wanted to top off my day with gastronomic feats of bravery! Well, unfortunately they didn't have alpaca on the menu that night, but there was still plenty to satisfy my adventurous leanings at this stylish little eatery in Surry Hills. We were greeted with a beautiful display of lights in... Continue reading

It's that awkward moment when you spot someone you haven't seen in ages. You quickly scan your immediate surroundings for an escape route, but before you can execute any exit strategies they've already caught your eye. Shit. You've no choice now but to acknowledge their existence. You smile hesitantly, trying to remember if you fixed your hair this morning, wondering if you've put on weight since you last saw them. Damn it, if only you hadn't worn the jeans with the hole in the thigh. What was their name again? They ask you what's new. "Same old," you reply, and... Continue reading

Lately I've found myself spending less time in front of the computer. I've been ignoring the Twittersphere in favour of socialising with actual, real-life humans, putting off blogging for reading 50 Shades of Grey (lol yeah right), and skipping the Facebook news feed for days at a time to avoid seeing the same memes all the time. Alas, it seems I'm losing inspiration when it comes to my blog. After much careful consideration (for which I had a lot of time as my hard-drive crashed), I decided a change was needed. You see, I am interested in much more than... Continue reading

Hi Everyone, Stephen here. It has been a few months since I've posted anything here. Balancing two jobs and a full time PhD only leaves me spare time to spend with Jas. Now that the uni semester has ended I've got a bit of time on my hands and started catching up on the latest Masterchef season. About two weeks ago in their masterclass Gary Mehigan had cooked an apple strudel with a vanilla custard and I knew I had to give this recipe a shot. It reminds me of a few great memories: apple strudel in Poland and Germany... Continue reading

Indian food was not something I was interested in as a child. I think my Mum may have killed that particular cuisine for me - she used to make this dish that consisted of el cheapo sausages, chunks of overcooked potato and carrot, and curry powder all combined as one in a stew-like creation. We didn't want to hurt her feelings, so we ate some of it while hiding pieces of sausage under our napkins (and if you're reading this Mum - sorry. Truth hurts. I think you're old enough to handle it now). Luckily Stephen and I took the... Continue reading

"Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, ate a pasty five feet long, Bit it once, Bit it twice, Oh my Lord, it's full of mice!" - West Country schoolyard rhyme This recipe is a winter favourite for us, a traditional Cornish Pasty - although, it's not traditional AT ALL according to the Cornish Pasty Association (seriously, don't these people have anything better to do?). The Cornish Pasty was awarded Protected Geographical Indication last year, meaning that a pasty has to comply with a whole list of rules to be considered Cornish. Rules include: A Cornish Pasty should be shaped like a... Continue reading

If Circa Espresso and my old school canteen had made sweet, sweet love and had a baby, they would have named him Three Ropes and situated him in a tiny alley-way in Parramatta. It doesn't look like much - the cafe is about 5 metres wide, and the side opens up in a sort of canteen situation, with cookies, cakes and biscuits in jars. People literally take a second look on the street because they can't believe there's a window in the alley that looks so inviting. The interior is decorated with mint condition (I assume) action figures, old army... Continue reading

I've been eating these for years, but I never knew what they were called until a month ago. Every year we used to drive the 8 hours (then 5 hours when they fixed the highway) to Albury to visit my grandparents, and the hours of boredom and fighting with my brother on the way were compensated by a batch of freshly fried Dutch doughnuts at the Sunday Trash & Treasure Markets. The taste, smell and texture of those doughnuts are implanted in my memory forever - they have a beautifully crisp outer, and fluffy, soft innards. Studded with raisins and... Continue reading

"Anyway, like I was sayin', shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that's about it." - Bubba, Forrest Gump (1994) So there Stephen and I were: sore from a long flight from California to Louisiana, deaf from the pressure of landing, freezing our extremities off because it was SO much colder here than... Continue reading