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Saturday, October 26, 2013

It's my ishtyle: Autumn Basics

Autumn is my favorite season. Not only is it the season I was born in but the early morning frost and bounty of warm colored leaves make it a truly beautiful season. Another thing I love about Autumn is the transitional weather. It is warm with a bite which allows for tons of outfit options. I can still wear my summer things with a mix of my winter things. 

Jeans: American Eagle, Peplum top: Express, Striped blazer:
Macys, Shoes: Victoria's Secret

Hat: Obey, Jacket: Barbour, Scarf: Calvin Klein, Sweater: H&M,
 Jeans: Guess,Boots: Aldo, Purse: Micheal Kors

Thursday, October 24, 2013

In my neck of the woods we have Australasia

Today we have a special treat for all of you, our very first guest post. My husband and I are very big foodies; about a year ago he started a blog writing reviews for restaurants we've dined at. Here is his review about Australasia, a well known restaurant here in Manchester.
-M

Wagwan Nurbites!

Website: http://www.australasia.uk.com/

Apologies for being away for so long! Been very, very busy. From getting married in Chicago (via an incredible stag in Vegas) to hanging in Miami, and honey-mooning in Jamaica, I have for sure been well fed! The food on my trips has been incredible! But nothing is better than being back home to Mad-chester, the home of the Rolls Royce, the center of the universe. Manchester is the greatest place this earth has seen. Well not quite, but it is home!


Having dined at several great restaurants in Manchester recently, I thought I'd come back with a bang with a place many have heard about in Manchester. Australasia oozes class from their Louvre style stairway entry to the high tech DJ playing with what it seems a 40 inch iPad! We were sat in a booth which was excellent for privacy, giving the place the slight edge if you prefer the more intimate vibe.

The menu had 3-4 sections, sushi, smaller plates and bigger plates. The waiter liked to talk about waves, bringing the meal in 2 or 3 parts but we wanted it all to come together. We treated the restaurant like an Asian tapas bar and so we all ordered 3 dishes each planning to share everything. This was nice as it gave us like ten different small dishes to try. The drinks menu actually came on an iPad which was cool to browse through.

Before the food came, the waiter came over with a fresh piece of wasabi and grated a portion of it on our table. Never seen this from a restaurant so was a nice touch (although seemed like a lot of effort from his part!). When the food came out, just about fitting on our table, the first thing we noticed was presentation. It was impeccable! Everything looking delicious. I would show you pictures but I don't like to give away too much spoilers for you and ruin the experience.

From what I tried, the sushi was great, but for the price not spectacular. The beef skewers stuck out to me as a gem, very flavoursome. The squid tempura, and the prawn and wasabi mix were pretty average. The dish I had heard about most was the expensive black cod. We ordered two of them as it was something everyone wanted to try. It was great, but I'm not sure if it warrants the fame it gets. Sure it is quite different, something you would not have tried elsewhere, but for me it was not the 'melts in your mouth' experience.

Now onto dessert. Fans have probably realised I don't really have a sweet tooth, and due to my lack of passion for the sweet dishes I tend to shy away from talking too much about them. It was due to the also hyped Mango soufflé with coconut ice-cream and mango soup, that I left a little space for this. When the soufflé smothered in the 'mango soup' and the ice cream touched my lips, this was the highlight of my meal...possibly my week. It was just delightful. The explosion of flavours in my mouth, the textures complementing each other ever so perfectly. This was the elite of desserts.

The restaurant decor is very impressive, and is a must if you just want to hang out, or impress someone. I was a tad disappointed with the food, however I did give it incredibly high expectations. The dessert though made me leave the place on a high, and may be the thing that forces me to return again.

8 out of 10 rating.

-Adam Nurbhai

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Cooking Countesses: Butter Chicken Remix


Throw it in to the pot! 

 It's been a very busy past few months, with finishing up wedding details, the actual wedding, honeymooning, and of course settling back in to Manchester in to my new apartment. Like every good new daughter in law I wanted to have my new parents and brother over for dinner. I decided to make butter chicken, but it didn't exactly taste like it. The reason being is because when I began cooking I realized butter chicken really uses too much butter; not a very nutritious dinner I'd say. Unfortunately I did not get a chance to take a picture of the finished product so above I have all the ingredients I used. Luckily the dinner turned out great and it was a success having the family over for dinner. I can definitely see some more dinners happening in the near future.

~M

Butter Chicken (serves about 5 adults)

Ingredients:
4 fairly large chicken breasts (chicken pieces on the bone can be used as well)
1/2 an onion, chopped
3 tsp garlic ginger paste (or freshly chopped)
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
3 tsp laal mirch/red chilli powder (put as much or little as you like, depends on how spicy you like it)
3 tbsp tomato puree
5 tbsp butter
3 tbsp plain yogurt
lemon juice to taste

1. brown the onions in a bit of oil then add the chopped chicken
2. add the garlic ginger paste, turmeric, garam masala, laal mirch and let cook for a few minutes
3. mix in tomato puree and butter, allow chicken to simmer and cook until cooked (if you would like more sauce add a little water)
4. once the chicken is fully cooked, lower the heat and add the yogurt and allow it to cook for another 20 minutes

Usually this dish is served with rice or naan. Add as much or as little spice, it all depends on how you enjoy it. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Remember, I'm no chef; so this recipe isn't perfect. I don't have an exact system of measuring, I just put in however much I think is needed or want. Enjoy!




Thursday, October 17, 2013

Break me off a piece of that

IMG_0334


Please forgive us for the long silence. Things have been rather hectic for Maria and I with her wedding and family visiting. I was working on various projects and sadly had to abandon a few and Maria went off on her honeymoon and then moved into her new place and settled in for the new school year. But, now that we are getting back to our routines we are eager to start working on sharing here again. We will pow-wow this weekend and get back to writing and creating soon. In the meantime I know Maria and I both have a couple things cooking (pun intended)!