I had the pleasure recently of sampling the amazing Authentic French Macarons.  For those who are not familiar with French Macarons they are delicate morsels sandwiched together with a creamy filling.  Now some of you may think that these a merely a fancy type of biscuit but they are far from a biscuit, I would describe them as slightly crunchy on the outside but so delicate and softly chewy on the inside and it is getting this balance right which has been the undoing of many a fine chef.

Rafael Silva the chef/owner of Authentic French Macarons, explained to me how important it is that you know the secret to creating a great macaron and that many recipes (if not all) do not give away the secret.  He learnt how to make his macarons by working with an expert who shared his knowledge with him in France and of course he is now keeping the secret of perfecting the french macaron under wraps.

Rafael is not French himself however, he is Brazilian but he has spent some time living in France and it was whilst he was there that he discovered the art of the French Macaron.

These little morsels are becoming very popular around Brisbane with many finer establishments now offering them on their menus as well as them being  the star of many a celebration, this of course is keeping Rafael very busy indeed.  He has many delectable flavours on his repertoire including chocolate, strawberry, kiwifruit, pistachio, mango, cherry and banana to name but a few and also some specialty flavours such as a recently released fig and also rosewater.

So lets get back to the taste, I myself have tasted a few macarons recently and I have to say that Rafael’s are superior not just for the taste but also for the size.  He has managed to get the balance of the crunch on the outside and the ‘melt in your mouth’ inside just perfect, the outside is flawless also with no bubbles or the dreaded crumbly consistency and the sweet filling is perfectly balanced and full of flavour. They all taste amazing but the Rosewater and Chocolate were my favourites.

So if you are a convert like I am or you are yet to try your first macaron, be warned as you will find it difficult to just stop at one. I for one am happy that Rafael has decided to make Brisbane his home.

So where can you find Authentic French Macarons?

Several cafes and eateries around Brisbane

Portside Boutique Markets

The Mummy Tree Markets – chic inspired unique

The Handmade Expo

A word of advice however, get there early as Rafael has been known to sell out very quickly on Market day.

See Authentic French Macarons for more information.

Several weeks ago I visited The Boutique Markets at Portside Wharf in Hamilton with my family.  As a male I find little to enjoy at typical markets but if there is food on offer to taste and/or buy I am normally keen to visit and especially if the offerings are ‘gourmet’ in nature.

The Boutique Markets whilst not essentially about ‘gourmet food’ do have what they classify as ‘gourmet alley’, which is a small collection of food not typically found at your local supermarket, and they are all produced locally.

I spent most of my market time sampling what was on offer and was impressed.

Firstly (and because they were near the start) I came across Rumbletums Organics, Rumbletums is the work of Tina Waters, a Brisbane mum and this is what she has to say about her range of baby food-

“Our puree and tot meal ranges are prepared by hand using simple home style cooking methods to produce the best taste possible.  Meals are snap frozen to retain all their nutrients, natural colour and flavour, before being delivered to your home, work or holiday destination.”

I have heard good things about their range especially their Organic Hush Hush Sauce, but at the Markets I had my 15month old son and we opted for the yoghurt coated sultanas which we thought would be a good snack for him.  He ate one and did not spit it out which we thought was a good sign but as he was a bit unwell on the day he was not keen to have anymore.  I also tasted them and thought they tasted quite good, especially beneficial was the fact that there was no added sugar.  My wife struggles to find healthy snacks so this definitely ticks all the boxes and so handy to have on you whenever you go out.

If you are looking for organic freshly made baby and toddler food you should check out Rumbletums Organics, I know we will be trying the Hush Hush Sauce next.

Next I sampled and bought some Thai Chutney from Noosa Chilli, Noosa Chilli have a range of chutneys and sauces and all tasted good however it was their ‘Thai Chutney’ which stood out to me, whilst having a typical chutney base it was the balance between the sweet, sour and salty elements which made it a winner.

Noosa Chilli can also be found at the Eumundi Markets every Saturday so do check them out if you have not already.

The Peanut Brittle Co. really appealed to my sweet tooth and also that of my boys, typically I find peanut brittle to be too hard and I am forever picking it out of my teeth well after i have finished eating it, the beauty of the brittle from The Peanut Brittle Co. is that it is so silky in its texture that it seems to dissolve in your mouth without leaving any of that awful hard sticky residue you may be used to with other brittles.

They have a mixed group of 4 bags available of their different nuts and even though they are all good my favourite would have to be the standard Peanut variety due to its sweet/salty flavour.  I would make a trip back to the Markets just for this brittle alone.

Last on my taste/buy expedition was Harvestbreads.  Now I have heard good things about Harvestbreads and they did not disappoint. We tried all of their condiments on offer and could not choose between them so ended up purchasing a sampler of 3 of our favourites that were still available.  John Sommerville (the owner) is passionate about showcasing his artisan breads and condiments.

We purchased the Chilli Pepper Jam, Caramelised Balsamic Dressing and Tomato Relish.  They were all devoured on the day of purchase with some bread, very enjoyable.  A stand out was the Caramelised Balasmic Dressing as it coated the bread beautifully and had a wonderful flavour.

Harvestbreads can also be found at The Eumundi Markets on a Saturday.

If you are looking to try something different and tasty do check out all of these businesses by contacting them directly or visiting them at The Boutique Markets.

Now in it’s third year of operation Foodie Parties is a party plan business that conducts food tasting parties and now has consultants in Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and even Western Australia.

They have a range of food products which have all been produced in Australia and I was recently asked to sample a few of them to review.

Firstly I asked Amelia Francis (Foodie Party Director) for some background information as I feel it is important to have an understanding on how the concept works and also how you can go about ordering these products. This is what Amelia and Melinda Batley-Ole Keko (the other half of Foodie Parties) have to say about their concept-

A Foodie Consultant comes to your home or office (anywhere with a kitchen really !) and showcases delicious food products. “Our party hosts usually invite between 15 – 20 friends, who get to taste all our lovely foods” says Amelia Francis, co-founder of Foodie Parties “We have 19 products in the range, all Australian Made by small manufacturers, appealing to all different tastes. There is bound to be something for everyone. Who doesn’t love to eat ?” The party goers are also given recipes and entertaining ideas and are shown a select range of home ware and giftware.

At the end of the presentation, the guests are given the opportunity to purchase anything in the range and their order is delivered back to the party host within a couple of weeks.
“Everyone is so busy these days and these parties are so easy to host “ says Amelia. “You can get a few of your friends together catch up and shop at the same time ! Best of all, you only need to supply a tub of ice-cream and some drinks for your guests and we do the rest.”

“Don’t forget the host benefits !” says Melinda. “Foodie Parties’ hosts also receive generous rewards for having us over and any bookings made for future parties at their party. We love giving giving to our hosts. It’s our way of saying Thanks for introducing us to your friends.”

I was given the Hot Saucy Passion, The Foodies Onion Honey and The Carrot and Cardomon to try.

After giving them the ‘out of the jar/bottle’ taste test I started to think of ways to actually use these products in cooking. The Hot Saucy Passion was an interesting flavour, giving you all the sweetness of passionfruit with the unexpected heat of chilli right at the end. My initial thought was that it would be great mixed through cream cheese or marscapone and served with a warm vanilla or orange cake. It would also work well with ice cream and even mixed through some good greek yoghurt…

The Cardoman and Carrot was next and this was another interesting flavour combination, somewhat like a traditional marmalade with a burst of cardoman it would work well with cheese such as White Castella or even a good cheddar, with the sweetness of the carrot breaking through the strength of the cheese. For those looking for an interesting accompaniment to their antipasto platter, this could be what you are looking for.

My personal favourite was the Onion Honey. I enjoyed this immensely and quickly worked out that, whilst it would be perfect for a variety of dishes, it would work particularly well on gourmet pizza. So I set about making pizza dough and inviting a few people over so as to put it to the test. It did not disappoint.

I have cooked pizzas for many years and feel I know what makes a good combination as far as toppings are concerned and everybody thoroughly enjoyed my Pumpkin and Onion Honey Pizza. Whilst many of us have possibly enjoyed onion jam on a pizza, the onion honey really does take a pizza to the next level.

I use Defiance White Bakers Flour in my dough and I also use a Bread Machine and Pizza Maker to create a thin and tasty crust. I then topped the base with a tomato pizza sauce, oven roasted bacon and pumpkin, baby spinach and danish feta and finished it off with the Onion Honey. It turned out to be a great pizza and everybody commented on how much they loved the Onion Honey.

The Onion Honey could also be used in a bread mix, scones, muffins (try zucchini, onion honey and feta) and even casseroles.

Foodie Parties have a great range of gourmet food products including spices which can really take your ‘at home’ food experiences to the next level. If you would like more information, please contact them by visiting their website or phoning them on (07)33598566.

While The Good Food Guy – Food & Drink Reviews Australia was in Sydney I decided to head to one of my favorites, Mad Mex – Fresh Mexican Grill in Crown St, Darlinghurst.

I must have really wanted it as I had to walk a good 10 minutes through the wind and rain to get there and the huge serve of Nacho’s I was about to have did not disappoint.

Thin crispy tortilla chips piled high and I mean high with melted cheese, black beans, slow roasted pork a medium smokey salsa, fresh tomato salsa and Guacamole, exactly how I like my nachos, fresh and incredibly tasty. All I had had to eat that day was the Lindt lava cake and I still had trouble getting through it, at $10.90 + $2.00 for Guacamole it is great value. They also do great Burritos, Tacos and Quesadillas.

Mad Mex – Fresh Mexican Grill is a fantastic little place to get a quick Mexican feast, dine in or takeaway, the food is fresh and very tasty. When you are in Sydney next you must try it, I know I will be back.

Yesterday we headed into Fortitude Valley to try Tuckeria Fresh Mexican. We decided to start with some deliciously crunchy cornchips & salsa, the chips were not the commercial variety & the Pico de Gallo Salsa was fresh and tasty.

Next we had the Nacho’s with grilled Chicken & Guacamole which the kids devoured …in seconds.

We had a buritto each, one with the grilled pork and the other with the chicken, the meat was extremely tender and just melted in your mouth, they were filled with Mexican rice, Black beans and a good spicy salsa.

Don’t go expecting a restaurant however this is is a great place for a quick, inexpensive and tasty meal and I will definitely be a regular.

Dropped in to the Lindt Chocolat Cafe Australia in Cockle Bay Darling Harbour, Sydney Australia yesterday for my chocolate fix.

Being one of only (2) Lindt Cafes in the World I went expecting big things and I was not disappointed.

I ordered the Chocolate Lava Cake ($15) it was warm, dense and had that great slightly bitter chocolate taste, it came served with a warm chocolate Lindt sauce and Lindt white chocolate ice-cream. As soon as it entered my mouth I was in a little bit of chocolate heaven, the coffee was good too which was a bonus.

If you are a chocolate lover, you should put this is on your ‘must do’ list when in Sydney.