I went to Planet Cake and loved it!

My sister gave me the book as a gift some months back. Since then I have flipped through the pages as many times as I read Mr Darcy’s love letter to Elizabeth. Similarly, in vain, I struggled and my cakes just did not do.

So New Year’s Resolution – enrol for Planet Cake Basic 101 decorating class….

Beginners 101 introduces our eager minds to the basics – cutting, layering, icing and finishing. The class, on appearances looks expensive, but let’s not be prejudice.  At $375 for the day you get approximately: Take Home cake – Planet Cake RRP $300, 2 cake boards $70,  Intellectual capital – Priceless!

Kicking off at 10am on the dot the instructor, Linda, warns us that the day will be intense. In fact, it is very intense. Another fact, there is nothing I can tell you here about cake decorating techniques that Paris Cutler has not already done so in her book. This is why the class was such an incredible experience. Seeing the professionals work their magic – I am lost for words on how to illustrate this. Cake decorating is an artform!

First we remove those hard crusty bits off the top of the cake. Then we cut the cake into 3 equal layers and paint syrup on each layer to keep the sponge moist.

Layering the ganache was quite tricky. The cake needed to be completely covered with the edges nice and smooth.

Once this is done we start with the fondant. Knead the icing until soft then roll out the icing until it is nice and thin (and covers the cake). This step requires muscle work and pressure. Being 155cm I was given a stool to stand on to roll out the icing. This really helped, despite the humiliation!

Final touches were to decorate the cake by adding the explosion in the centre of cake. I choose exploding love hearts & silver balls.

By the end of the class we get to take home our impressive ‘exploding stars’ cake. I have to admit, I was quite proud of the results.

Looking forward to 102!

Where: Planet Cake
Location:  106 Beattie Street. Balmain NSW 2041
Dress: Casual
Price: $375 + GST (Basic 101)

Written by Thi

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a professionally designed webpage banner for a dinner at Omerta. This is the story of how our website logo came to be.

Ellie, our gorgeous and talented friend, offered to give our website a nip tuck job – turning our feeble attempts of graphic design into something worthy of welcoming readers to our site. In return we treated Ellie out to a dinner at Omerta (thanks to @Carmr, @Reemski & @felixexplody for the recommendation)

Something  about Ellie

Who is Eliana Mendes?

E lli e is fun, dramatic, passionate and extreme – all at the same time. Her favourite number … you can probably guess. She is best described as a buzzing ball of creative energy or She-Ra leading the Great R ebellion against Hor dak…I’m not sure which one does her more justice.

Professionally, she has been in the design industry for over 8 years. With an impressive portfolio of print and web design under her belt, she specializes in typography and visual communication. Her extensive client list includes 42 Below Vodka, Coca Cola. L’Oreal, RSPCA (and the list goes on). For more about Ellie… check out her website for a full range of her portfolio.

Something about Omerta

What better restaurant to return the favor than Omerta – its’ literal meaning a code of honor amongst the Italian Mafia.

Omerta, located in Darlinghurst, has life bursting out of its front doors - literally. We had a sampling of 8 tapas dishes which included Salt Cod Fritters, 24 month aged Prosciutto, Swordfish with capsicum salsa, Grilled eggplant, buttered Mushroom and lamb cutlets with pesto dressing.

Highlights for the night included the lamb cutlets (the meat was tender and the pesto topping was refreshing) and the mushrooms (delightful buttery little mushrooms, crunchy at the bite but soft and juicy in the inside).

Overall, this was a satisfying night out and always great fun to catch up with old friends. The food was authentic, the variety on the menu vast and the service was friendly (if you can get hold of a waiter).

Where: Omerta
Location:  235 Victoria St, Darlinghurst, Sydney 2010
Opened: Mon-Fri 6-11pm, Sat-Sun 5-10pm
Dress: Casual
Price: $12-$22 per dish (recommend min 2 dish per person)

Rediscovering Danks St Depot

Before the festivals, the fresh markets and antique hubs, there was an unknown cafe called Danks St Depot that opened up in the middle of a suburb best known for its warehouses and factories.

I went here years ago back when I was a uni student undertaking a temp assignment, not long after the train station was built. In search for food, I stumbled across a cafe which I would have missed if not for the awakening smell of fresh coffee and sizzling butter. The café was (at the time) very new – the ambience was fresh and vibrant. The décor strangely resembled a storehouse.

My first taste of the menu was the organic chicken sandwich. I remember feeling like Alice discovering the rabbit hole: Bursting with curiosity as I took my first bite. Staring at the “Eat Me” words labelled across my lunch. Not sure what to expect but full of anticipation.

My experience – the freshly baked artisan bread was met with a delightful combination of organic chicken, whole egg creamy mayonaise, sweet tender corn kernals and the fresh crisp bite of rocket. The flavours dance on my taste buds in faultless unity – all the ingredients a compliment to each other.

For years afterwards the thought of that chicken sandwich made my mouth water but I couldn’t remember the café name or address. When I eventually found it again it had become a celebrated restaurant accompanied with a cookbook and a reputable chef. I was thrilled to see the chicken sandwich was still on the menu.

Having returned several times now, I have added a few other favourites to the list including the awesome garlic bread (and yes! I’ve tried replicating it using Brasserie Bread but it is just not the same). The prices are quite reasonable and service is always friendly. The chicken sandwich, by the way, is still as great as I remembered.

When was the last time you discovered ‘Wonderland’?

Where: Danks St Depot
Location:  1/2 Danks Street (Cnr Young St), Waterloo, NSW 2017
Opened: Mon-Wed 7am-4pm, Thurs-Sat 7am-10pm, Sun 9am-3pm
Dress: Casual
Price: Breakfast/lunch $6-20, Dinner $45 (3 Courses)

Written by Thi