Crust Dinner Party - Cowabunga, Ninja Turtles!

Recently I was approached by Crust Gourmet Pizzas with a very exciting opportunity to host a  themed dinner party serving food from Crust Gourmet Pizzas. Thinking of a theme turned out to be the most challenging part because here was a chance to do something different, something that I'd probably never go all out to do for a dinner with friends. This also became a personal challenge to be creative. So there we were going through ideas, first the seasons - spring, summer, autumn, winter, then Christmas in May??? (didn't make sense), then Super Mario because pizza = Italian = Mario except Mario eats pasta. I wanted something to do with pizza so then we went down the track of Italy, Chicago and New York.  Lo and behold, who lives in the sewers of New York? Come on 80's kids! These guys are making a comeback now but the 80's version is way better. I mean, the original! None other than the heroes in a half shell - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! 

We got excited about the nostalgic idea for about 10 minutes then it dawned on us how the heck are we supposed to pull this off without looking like a complete kid's party. It got worse when we realized it wasn't easy to find Ninja Turtles stuff. But, we did it anyway because sometimes, the best stuff doesn't have to be bought. So here is my Ninja Turtle Themed Crust Dinner Party! 

Turtle colours? Green. Turtles live in sewers. Need sewer lid and pipes. Turtles have shells. Mr. Foodie likes spray painting. Put them all together, we had a fun afternoon keeping the dog away from the spray painting area. 

First we got the lid off an old bathroom exhaust fan (dusty donation thanks to my elecitrician Mr. Foodie). With the grids we could make it look like a sewer lid. What was white then got spray painted black followed by a light mist of silver paint to create a gun metal like look. All I had to do now was write NYC in the middle.

We did the same with tins! Suddenly I had to eat baked beans and diced tomatoes, luckily there are only four turtles so we kept the lids and peels the paper of the tin and sprayed it the same way to make them look like sewer pipes. 

I managed to pick up a couple of BBQ aluminium foil trays of which the back of it kind of looked like a turtle shell. We got some dark green spray paint and tube of light green acrylic paint and went to work. First, the back of the tray was sprayed with two coats of dark green. 

After it has dried, you can use a brush if you like, Mr. Foodie finger painted the raised bumps with the light green acrylic paint and blended a few light streaks in around the sides. We have two swords in a sword plaque which we hung on the wall and stuck a "turtle shell" on it for the ninja and turtle theme. 

Being in New York, I managed to get some New York canvases to bring the theme together. We also hunted around for second hand figurines because it ain't Ninja Turtles without the turtles. We found this guy who was selling all his figurines with the baddies and side characters as well - perfect! I decided to set a mini scene in the corner just to add to the theme. 

For some reason it was hard to get green lanterns so I only managed to get one which was hidden at the bottom of the pile and unwanted because the light was broken on it. Oh well, one will do. I haven't got a big dining room anyway. Got the green lantern and purple streamers (you can also use crepe paper in any of the ninja turtle colours) to make Donatello! Just wrap a strip of coloured crepe paper around the lantern and cut out two pieces of paper in the shape of eyes and stick them on. We got trigger happy and made a mouth too. Wonders of paper, scissors and texta!

Shopping is always fun for a girl. I bought green napkins, green plates, a green pizza cutter, green table cover, black table cover, ceramic mugs with silicone green holders, traffic cones and then list  goes on. I decided on a black and green theme because I thought the green would stand out more plus, sewers, grungy dark, so black. I used a black table cover and the green one as a runner down the middle for strategic placement of my decorative items. At the end of the day, it was a pizza party so we went for a bit more casual but fun and not too kiddy. 

I managed to get some bright orange traffic cones to place with the sprayed tins to make it look like the roads of New York with turtles coming out of the sewers with Master Splinter, April O'Neil, Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady placed near the cones. 

I also got some green sashes for the chairs and when I set the cutlery down I decided to place them in an X position to look like ninja weapons. It was quite fun once all the work was finished. I even bought Mountain Dew and Appletiser because they were green!

The final reveal

Guests were arriving soon so I got some popcorn out in a green pail I found at the op shop for them to snack on before we got the lovely pizzas. 

My nearest store was on Brighton Road, Brighton. Off we went to collect our dinner. I had been to Crust in Norwood before and loved it so I was excited to try new flavours this time. The lovely staff at the Brighton store were friendly and promptly prepared my order.

Hard at work

Our dinner

Our order was four large pizzas, one pasta, one salad and dessert. We decided to try one of each meat group because we are such carnivours. Crust Gourmet Pizza prides themselves in using healthy and fresh ingredients, not leaving your feeling greasy and guilty. They produce restaurant quality gourmet pizzas with a fast food service. Their ingredients are of quality and the flavour combinations are interesting, gourmet and delicious. 

The Turtles would have gone crazy for this!

Tandoori Chicken - Chicken breast fillets marinated in Tandoori spices, shallots and crushed cashews on a tomato base, topped with mint yoghurt. 

Seafood Pizza - Marinated tiger prawns, scallops, mussels, sundried tomatoes and bocconcini on a tomato base, garnished with fresh herbs and lemon

A lot of seafood pizzas end up being dry with shriveled seafood but this particular one was fresh and still succulent. Their ingredients are definitely of a certain quality.

Mediterranean Lamb Pizza - Slow cooked marinated lamb, tomatoes, green capsicum, Spanish onions, feta and oregano on a garlic infused base, garnished with mint yoghurt and lemon. 

Philly Steak - 4+ Marble score Wagyu beef, roasted and fresh capsicum, caramelised onions and mushrooms on a tomato base, garnished with Dijon mustard and wild rocket.

The meat pizzas were a lovely balance of flavour with juicy lamb and steak and well complimented toppings. It definitely wasn't too much or too rich. Just the right amount of gourmet ingredients. 

Spicy Spanish Seafood Pasta - Marinated garlic tiger prawns, scallops, shallots, caramelised onions and thinly sliced spicy chorizo served with Chilli infused extra virgin olive oil.

I love anything spicy so the pasta was a nice spice and biting into the chorizo gave me a bit of a kick! The chilli infused extra virgin olive oil was a nice touch.

Vietnamese Salad with Wagyu - 4+ Marble score Wagyu beef, roasted red capsicum, mixed leaf, Spanish onions, fresh herbs, snow pea sprouts tossed in sweet chilli servied with chilli infused extra virgin olive oil

My awesome friends who came to play with us! It's pizza time!

Everyone really enjoyed the pizzas and we had a good time reminiscing about Ninja Turtles and childhood cartoons and weekend TV time. Mr. Foodie even managed to get some episodes of the original Ninja Turtles cartoons to play on TV in the background - just to set the scene, because there's no stone left un-turned in this house!

Pizzas, popcorn, crisps and Appletisers later, it was time for dessert! Yes, a dessert pizza is always a gamble but this one was good. 

Black Forest Crumble - Dessert pizza layered with custard, mud cake, black cherries, topped with baked crumble, drizzled with berry coulis and dusted with icing sugar.

Seriously, how can you get this stuff at a takeaway joint! It's madness. The dessert pizza was everybody's favourite. Delicious, not overpowering, well balanced with all the favourite elements in a dessert. It was a fantastic end to our dinner party. Easily the best dessert pizza I've had.

The Aftermath

Everyone had a really good time and we all enjoyed a delicious dinner. It was a fun experience for all with the theme and definitely fun for me to decorate. Thank you to Crust Gourmet Pizza for this great opportunity to bring out the inner kid in me. 

For more information on Crust, check out their website here.

Check out my previous post on Crust Pizza Bar Norwood

50 Shades of Chocolate Giveaway

Foodie Ling is having a giveaway with 50 Shades of Chocolate

Do you love chocolate? Everybody loves chocolate right? We have an exciting giveaway!

50 Shades of Chocolate contains 63 amazing chocolate recipes and discusses the aphrodisiac powers of chocolate! Author Claire Preen is an award winning chocolatier who believes chocolate is a true sensory experience that should never be rushed. Claire has a unique take and intimate knowledge of all things chocolate, allowing her to provide sensual and exquisite recipes. I was fortunate with a chance to ask Claire a few questions. 

What do you enjoy most about working with chocolate?

The possibilities are endless! In my book 50 Shades Of Chocolate, there are sexy, sweet, savoury and snack recipes. You can make almost anything a little bit better with chocolate. Plus, chocolate is enjoyed by almost everybody and nothing rivals that sensual feeling of slipping a piece of chocolate into your mouth and letting it melt. Yum!

What gave you the idea or made you want to write this book, combining chocolate and sex?

Both sex and chocolate should be enjoyed guilt-free, so why not join them together? Sex sells and these recipes are beautiful and fun ways to spice up your life and add a bit of difference to the everyday, whether that be in the sheets or while entertaining friends. I just love chocolate and wanted to share this love with everyone.

What is your favourite recipe out of the book and why?

I have many favourite recipes, but the one that gets the most interest is probably the OMG Edible Massage Oil, because it smells divine and can be used by yourself or with a special someone.

Milk, dark or white chocolate?

Different ones for different occasions! White chocolate is great with fish, milk is a popular favourite for most recipes and people, and dark is just that little bit more expensive and exquisite – best for special occasion dishes.

How to win? Simple!

• Must like 50 Shades of Chocolate on Facebook here
• Must like Foodie Ling on Facebook here
• Leave a comment below with your full name and that you have liked both pages

Terms and conditions

• This giveaway is open to Australian residents only
• This giveaway ends on 9th June 2013 at 11:59PM AEST
• Winner will be announced on Facebook and Foodie Ling blog. Please check back to see if you have won. If there is no response from winner within 72 hours, it will be redrawn
• Entry is limited to one per person
• Contestant must like both pages for a valid entry in the draw
• Winner will be drawn by random.org

Jack Ruby @ Adelaide

On a cold weeknight I had the pleasure of discovering this amazing new destination right on King William Street in the heart of the city. Taking those steps down to the basement was like walking through a time warp and portal to an American soul and blues bar. I'm talking about Jack Ruby, the new underground bar, diner and live music venue in town. I absolutely loved the vibe. There was no doubt about it, the music, the interior, the bar. It was relaxed, chilled and welcoming. I can't find the words to describe how I felt but I was smiling.

The menus were on the table and on the board behind the bar, you could sit at the bar if you wanted to or have your own private corner. We picked a high table in front of the bar. As we sat down we got a glass of popcorn to nibble on while we look at the menu. Introducing some boutique and imported beers from USA, it has a decent beer list and wine list that is something different but what got me was their Spiked Shakes and Cocktails. I'm not a drinker and yet, it was calling to me with the most delicious sounding description. 

We ordered the Pie Lover spiked shake - Applejack + rhubarb + cinnamon ice cream $12. It was a dessert bomb! Delicious and a very smooth easy drink. Dangerous! We also got a Jack Rose Cocktail - Applejack + lemon + grenadine $17. Refreshing and too delicious for my own good.

The menu was very interesting and I wanted nearly everything on it but alas, we are only two stomachs and two stomachs can only be stretched so far. We ordered mainly appetizers to sample as many things as possible. It eventually ended up as a tactical strike operation as we found ourselves selecting what we would order next time because we can order this today and then try that next time which would go with that and that and this is.....unbelievable. But that's truly what happened. So here goes our dining experience at Jack Ruby. 

Wisconsin MAC 'N' CHEESE Balls $9 - Served with truffle aioli. Take one bite into this delicious crowd pleaser and old time favourite and savour the crispy crunch and creamy cheesy mac inside all with a touch of delicious truffle aioli. It's heaven in a bite. Absolutely delicious. 

New Jersey POUTINE $15 - pulled pork + mozarella + veal jus. I have never had Canada's national treasure poutine in my life but Mr. Foodie has and absolutely loves it. Though not authentic, this dish is definitely very, very, very, very delicious. The veal jus is amazing and just makes it a class above. The pulled pork was absolutely delicious we demolished the poutine and were about ready to get in a fork fight.

Trio of Sliders $20 - Pork Belly Crab, Slaw and Mayo - Charred Lamb Tongue, Beet, Frisee and Horseradish - Sunset Strip Cheeseburger, Pickles, Onion, Mustard and Ketchup.

The charred lamb tongue was the one I was most apprehensive about but even that tasted good. The Sunset Strip Cheeseburger Slider is a flavour explosion with a beautiful juicy, quality beef patty topped with all the burger favourites. Pork Belly and Crab Slider? Amazing. Crispy pork belly and crab with lovely coleslaw and my favourite Kewpie Mayonnaise. Seriously, what could go wrong. I loved the buns, soft with a slightly crispy top and very much like Bread Top buns. 

Black Bean & Corn Taco $8 - Tomato, Chilli, Cheddar, Sour Cream, Iceberg Lettuce. We pretty much are so carnivourous we never order anything vegetarian but this was one of the staff's recommendations and I decided we should bite the bullet. It was beautiful. Lovely flavour combination and once again, another flavour explosion. Delicious soft taco, very delicious. 

Deep fried Apple Pie with Butterscotch, Honeycomb and Tonka bean ice cream $12

First, I imagined a McDonald's apple pie. Second, what is Tonka bean? Note to self to look it up when I get home. Then dessert arrived and any traits of McDonald's apple pie was no where to be seen. I loved the presentation! The fried apple pie didn't taste greasy and the lovely apples inside were still a bit tangy which was perfect when paired with the butterscotch and honeycomb crumbs. Now, the tonka bean ice cream. That was really something. It was superbly creamy with lovely flavour! I'm guessing it's house made but anyway, it was fantastic. I wanna buy tubs of this stuff now. When I got home I found out that tonka beans are the seeds of a Kumaru plant of the pea family. They are black and wrinkled and carry fragrance resembling vanilla, cinnamon and cloves, something sweet and spice like.

Cinnamon coated Churros wih Chipotle Caramel and Bourbon Spiked Shake $16

This was also a lovely twist from the usual Churros with Chocolate or Dulce de Leche. The caramel sauce served here is chipotle infused! Chipotle is basically a smoke-dried jalapeno used primarily in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisines. It provides a lovely spice. It sounded weird at first but I was intrigued. The caramel was delicious, sweet with a little hint of spicy and the churros were crispy to bite into, then soft on the inside. The Bourbon Spiked Shake was a lovely touch but the cocktail had given me quite a hit by now so Mr. Foodie, lover of all milkshakes, lapped it up.  

Time for dessert!

Jack Ruby is something I've been waiting for, for a long time and I think they've got the formula right. I also found the staff were attentive, friendly and service was excellent that night. I do genuinely hope this place will hang around for a long time and it adds good value to the culinary diversity we have in Adelaide. I guess I'm also excited because I now have another place I can eat and hang out after my late work shifts.

Lunch till late night bar and diner, great bartender and drinks list, great food and exciting menu. Their menu is well rounded with all the elements of Americana and I believe, modernized and creative. There was so much more I wanted to try like their Kingfish Ceviche, Scallop Tostadas, Popcorn Crocodile, Buffalo Wings, Cobb Salad, Snapper Burger, Beef Cheek Taco, Korean Chicken Burger, Soft Shell Crab Po'Boy, Chilli Fries and practically everything else on the menu that I haven't eaten yet. Gluten free options are also available as they have gluten free buns and tacos. We love good American style food. What a shame we can only eat so much at a time, we'll just have to come back very soon I suppose!

Jack Ruby
89 King William Street
Adelaide CBD SA 5000
08 8231 5795

Masha Potato Masher Product Review

I was contacted by the lovely people from WordStorm to review a new product - Masha

I love mashed potato and Mr. Foodie likes pumpkin soup so when the opportunity came up to review this product, I took it because I was curious. I mash manually when on the blue moon occasion I make something and have used forks and potato mashers but it's never as smooth as the restaurants really. 

Masha uses a patented Rotor Cone technology to gently squeeze the potato through an outer mesh to create restaurant quality mash with perfect consistency and no lumps. It is also easy to clean and safe for dishwashers. With no actual blade, it makes it safe for everyone to use and being plastic, there's no worry about using it in non stick pots.

It's time to test what it claims to be! First up quick and easy British India Mushy Peas. I threw in a knob of butter, some water and a bit of salt to cook off some frozen peas. After draining them I mixed some curry powder, cumin and pepper through then it was time to get the Masha out. 

It actually did live up to its name, pureed in seconds, smooth and consistent all the way through.

British India Mushy Peas

Since it mashes anything, we can make baby food, yes? Yes. Next job was to mash carrots and it was a success, smooth consistency. 

Mashed carrots

Final test in Ling's kitchen. Mashing my favourite - potato. My mashed potatoes can be a bit naughty and I've been known to take some short cuts in the kitchen. I boiled some low carb Bellita potatoes and drained the water ready for my final test. Before mashing I threw in a knob of butter, chopped spring onions from the garden and sprinkled chicken salt. 

Voila! Smooth creamy non lumpy mashed potato. I'm impressed. I didn't use any milk and just a small amount of butter and yet, it tasted creamier than the mash I used to make. 

Masha did actually deliver what it claims to and I'm glad I tried this product. It's quick and mashes in a matter of seconds to minutes. Washing up was pretty easy, the mashing bit can be detached and I just rinsed it in my sink of hot water, shook it around and it came off pretty clean. I like the fact that it's blade free and non stick pot safe because pretty much all my pots are non stick.

I think opportunities can be endless with this product in terms of making baby food, dips and soups as well. Looks like I found myself a new toy!

The Masha can be purchased online, at Big W, Harvey Norman or Myer from $59.95 to $68 so it pays to shop around.

This product was given to me to review and keep. All opinions are my own.

Thyme Cafe Restaurant @ Victoria Square

I've often walked past Thyme Cafe Restaurant when I'm wandering around the city and this time I walked in for brunch. But I wasn't just here for brunch, I was here to try something new to me that sounded very intriguing. Thyme Cafe Restaurant is located on Victoria Square right in the heart of the city with outdoor seating for Alfresco dining and a very cosy restaurant inside.  I had a chance to meet the owner, Anelle Bosch who is an established, multi award winning chef and a very lovely person. Her career started in New Zealand where she apprenticed and stayed on becoming an Executive Chef in just five years. Following that she opened a restaurant in Alice Springs before selling it eight and a half years later. The next two years were spent working on catering for a travel company but feeling more at home in a kitchen and restaurant, she knew it was time to move on and if I could say so myself, Adelaide should be glad she did because here she is with Thyme Cafe Restaurant.

Thyme Cafe Restaurant has a diverse and creative menu and the team's passion and enthusiasm shows through in the food. They pride themselves in using fresh local produce and making everything in house such as  pesto, sauces and baked beans. Apart from the regular menu there's a specials board keeping the chefs excited and creative with the chance to show off the best seasonal produce. 

On this occasion I was ready for lunch but Mr. Foodie still wanted breakfast but we both agreed on one thing. We want to try the Red Espresso. This was the first time I heard of using a tea extract to make coffee drinks but South Africa has long known about this. Using the very healthy caffeine free Rooibos tea with five times more antioxidants than green tea and fusing it with coffee style drinks has created a whole new culture. You could get Red Cappuccino, Red Macchiato, Red Latte, Iced Teas and more. Anything that you have had with a coffee can now be made with this 100% Rooibos tea extract. It may be an acquired taste to some but coming from Asia, I am no stranger to milk tea. We had the Red Cappuccino and Red Latte. It was actually pretty tasty and smooth to drink. Being caffeine free, it's suitable for everyone including the health conscious. If you don't like hot drinks Thyme Cafe Restaurant also offers iced fruit red tea or iced red lattes for that refreshing sense especially on a hot summer's day.

Their menu is quite extensive and the breakfast menu isn't just your regular bacon and eggs on toast. With dishes like Pesto and Feta Eggs, Chakchouka Eggs (Spanish baked eggs), French Toast and Pancakes alongside the usual breakfast favourites, we had a hard time choosing. Mr. Foodie was pretty hungry by now so of course he typically went for The 'BIG' Thyme. 

The 'BIG' Thyme - bacon, 2 free range eggs, tomato, mushrooms, house made beans and hashbrowns on toasted Vienna bread.

It was a delicious breakfast without the heavy feeling afterwards. Everything was done perfectly, the poached eggs were runny and their house made hash browns were delicious. I love homemade beans (when I can be bothered getting the slow cooker out and making everyone eat beans for the next 5 meals) so this was a lovely break from the tinned stuff and it was definitely tasty.

I went for the lunch menu which was equally hard to decide on. It was a choice between their Pork Belly & Apple Salad, Thyme Steak Sandwich on Rye, Cajun Chicken & Couscous Salad or Linguini Carbonara. I love pork belly but caved in for pasta in the end.

Linguini Carbonara - smokey bacon, field mushroom, parmesan, garlic cream, truffle oil, toasted breadcrumbs topped with a soft poached egg.

A typical Carbonara would have the egg already mixed in the sauce but this one was different. The poached egg was perfect and runny so piercing it and mixing the runny egg through the pasta myself was pretty fun. It's not everyday Carbonara has truffle oil and field mushrooms either so that sold the dish to me. It was a lovely flavour, pasta cooked al dente, the sauce was smooth, creamy and yummy plus I love field mushrooms. We also noticed how both our dishes were garnished with sprigs of thyme. How fitting and what a lovely attention to detail. 

As we finished our meal Anelle sat down to have a chat with us and also introduced Tea Forte range of teas to us. It is a range of quality loose leaf tea blends in silken pyramid infusers. Thyme Cafe Restaurant offers the English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Green and Lemon and Peppermint Teas with the addition of special blends which changes from time to time. We were lucky enough to try the Raspberry Nectar  and Belgian Mint tea. 

The Belgian Mint was a beautiful herbal tea with hints of chocolate and mint using cacao beans and peppermint leaves, it had a rich aroma and lovely taste. I love fruity teas so the Raspberry Nectar was a slice of heaven for me. Yet another herbal tea range with handpicked raspberries, it was quite fun to watch the water turn bright red but most of all, the fruity aroma and sweet fruity taste was satisfying. I have since researched Tea Forte and their super extensive range of teas makes my heart explode! If I wanted them all I should think I will need to clear my whole pantry out not to mention my bank account.

The tea was a lovely way to end our brunch date and it just struck me that we didn't have any caffeine, not in the Red Cappuccino/Latte and not in our Tea Forte herbal teas. Thyme Cafe Restaurant delivered very delicious meals and drinks, I'm glad I came to try the Red Espresso and food. Think I'll be back soon, perhaps breakfast before doing my shopping at the Adelaide Central Market or even a takeaway Red Cappuccino, I love that stuff! Oh, and so does Anelle's dad, he said so himself! 

Thyme Cafe Restaurant opens for breakfast and lunch Monday to Saturday from 7.30am to 4pm but are open to functions if requested. 

Thyme Cafe Restaurant
191A Victoria Square
Adelaide SA 5000
08 8231 9093