Kettle and Tin

If you're a regular at Anouk or Eurovida, you couldn't help but notice the haphazard colours of the former Pandemonium Cafe dissolve and give up to an elegant gunmetal gray shopfront. But what is? So when I heard along the grapevine that this site has been acquired by the owners of the New Farm establishment, Ponycat I started actively counting down and was even more excited when I heard it was open. So I grabbed Spensley and we made our way through the bracing cold to Paddington. Perhaps I had built up Kettle and Tin too much in my head because we entered the gate, we were stopped by a gentleman who automatically intoned, "we not ready for another 15 minutes." Maybe it was the lack of greeting, the hunger, the cold, the lack of coffee or a combination but I was annoyed as their Facebook page advises a 6.30am start. So after killing some time in the newsagency, we made our way back to the cafe and we greeted with a rustic but modern decor. The metal chairs are a tad cold on ones' backside in the morning, but I can assure you the coffee is taste, warm and the menu hearty.  

The photo doesn't do it justice but Spensley ordered the Parmesan and Spinach Egg White Omelet. This dish will keep the health conscious pleased with three parts egg white to one part whole egg. My partner is fond of sides, so disregard the mushrooms as they are just one of the optional extras you can add to your plate to fortify your stomach before you start your day.

I on the other hand was keen to try out the Eggs Benedict which was perfect. Crisp english muffins, a layer of caramelised leeks, house cured gravlax, running eggs and home made hollandise made for perfection. I would be delighted to have this dish as my last meal and despite my little service grumble, the food has me worshipping their feet. So visit!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Address: 215 Given Terrace, Paddington, QLD 4064.
Open: Tuesday - Saturday 6.30am-4pm. Sunday 6.30am-2pm.
Phone: (07) 3369 3778

Ten Foods Toxic To Your Dog

Thanks to a long running Oreo campaign, we all know that chocolate is bad for dogs. But have you ever wondered what else is bad for your faithful companion? Some of these will surprise you.

• Alcohol
• Chocolate
• Garlic
• Green Potatoes
• Sugar
• Peach/Apricot Pits
• Onion
• Grapes/Raisins
• Mushroom
• Yeast Dough

Attachment: Ruby Cafe June 2012 Menu

Please note this article was last updated Tuesday, June 5 and is an attachment to my January 2012 review of Ruby Cafe. 

Ruby Cafe has a new menu for June and Spensley and I, are eager to work our way through all the delicious combinations which capture the best of the season. I must say I had breakfast envy when Spensley's choice of salmon, baked eggs, caramelised leaks arrived. The gorgeous were generous and they were served with crusty sourdough. 

My dish also came with crusty sourdough but I admit the gamble of Breakfast Peas did not pay off. I love peas but admit I was tad disappointed to find the dish was a bowl of frozen peas with mint and batons of speck, topped with an egg. Perhaps Gourmet Traveller has spoilt me, but I had visions of pureed peas and mint, spread over crusty bread, with a poached egg and generous waves of crispy bacon of crumbled speck. The flavour combination has potential but you shouldn't have to chase your breakfast with a fork at 6.30am!

Formatting

One of the greatest challenges of food blogging is the fact that restaurants are an ever changing entity from the mood of the staff to the release of a new menu to capture the best of the seasonal produce. In my attempt to be accurate, I will now be adding additional entries and attaching them should I return to an establishment after I've reviewed it. Pip pip carry on!

What's for School Lunch?

I've been bumbling around this planet for almost three decades so I'm bound to meet amazing people. One of them is Amy who is witty, well written and if I was a quarter the improviser she is ... well that would be amazing! Anyhow she recently posted on Facebook a blog named 'What's for School Lunch?' Though school lunches will never represent the best food a country has to offer, it is certainly is interesting what parents pack their children off with. Check it out.

A-MAIZE-ing

Anyone who has travelled with me will know just how jazzed I get when I find a corn vendor at a market. There are few things nicer than a stick of sweet corn with a generous dab of butter and seasoning on a brisk winter market morning. But did you know how a-MAIZE-ing (see what I did there? I'm so punny) corn actually be? Check out these amazing heirloom corn images.

Paella

Yesterday I received a beautiful paella pan and as today is Mother's Day, I could find no better excuse than to break it with this Taste.com.au Paella recipe. To begin I prepared the following sets of ingredients (1) finely dice one brown onion, one red capsicum and one green capsicum, (2) two cups of medium grain rice, finely dice one ripe tomato and two tablespoons smoked paprika, (3) peel ten green prawns leaving heads and tails, (4) thickly diagonally slice two chorizo sausages, (5) cut two chicken thighs into 3cm pieces, (6) bring to a boil five cups of chicken stock and 1/2 teaspoon of saffron threads and (7) one cup of frozen peas.

 I then popped the paella pan on a medium heat and separately cooked the chorizo, chicken and prawns until they were golden and returned them back to their bowls. I then cooked the onion, red and green capsicum mixture until soft, combined the rice, tomato and paprika mixture added the one third of the stock and continued to add stock as it was absorbed. After all the stock has been absorbed, add the peas and prawns and set aside for ten minutes for the dish to form a crust.   

Then serve to your eager guests. This batch serves at least six and if you can't finish it, I strongly suspect that it will freeze well. But I'll let you know in a few days.