Brasserie Bread @ South Melbourne

Back in Brisbane, there were two spots where we would buy our bread for the week; either at a French bakery that we walk past after our Sunday morning walk or at (surprise, surprise) another French bakery that was a 5 minute drive away. There were also one or two bakeries that I would occasionally visit too.


Coming to Melbourne, one of the first few things we wanted to do is find a bakery that sells some good bread that we like and was convenient to visit. First on the list to try was Brasserie Bread, a brand coming from Sydney. The place is not exactly in the most obvious of places, hidden in a row of big warehouses on a quiet street of South Melbourne.


It is also a pity they don't open on Sundays, the day we usually buy our bread.


So one Saturday while waiting for my car to be serviced which was just around the corner, I decided to drop by for a bite and a loaf to go.

Since I was going to sit for a while, I might as well start off with a latte. Decent but not the best in town.

Looking around the menu, I couldn't go pass a croque monsieur. A simple toasted ham and cheese sandwich which had no cheese on the top. Not as heart clogging as some versions, it allowed me to have a proper taste of the sourdough they used. Like how they plated it on a wooden board.

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Delicious Banana Nut Muffin Recipe

Banana Nut Muffin makes a perfect snack. It is also great for breakfast especially when you have a cup of coffee by the side. Have you tried having this lately?

Most amateur cooks stay away from baking because they think that it is complicated. Like all other things, baking might not be that easy the first time, but it will surely be easier when you get used to it. This recipe can be your starting project to the wonderful world of baking. If needed, you can always refer to our cupcake and muffin videos for guidance. Talking about videos, I know that we did not have much lately because of my schedule. The good news is that I am starting to process new cooking videos that will be published soon.

I know that life is tough at this time. Many of our readers are trying to get recipe ideas for a food business that they are planning to put up, or already started. In fact, I am getting a handful of emails telling me how our recipes helped them start their food business. I feel blessed and thankful to know that our recipes are going a long way to help our loyal readers. You can start your own Banana Nut Muffin or Banana Bread retail business by using our recipes. Coupled with hard work, determination, and a little prayer, your business will make it big one day.

Try this Banana Nut Muffin Recipe and let me know what you think.

Banana Nut Muffin Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 pieces medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 pieces eggs (whites only)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• a pinch of salt

Cooking Procedure

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Mix well. Set aside.

Beat-in egg whites in a separate bowl. Gradually add the bananas, vegetable oil, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Continue beating until all the ingredients are well distributed.

Gradually fold-in the flour mixture, and then the walnuts. Mix well.

Arrange muffin cups on a muffin tray. Scoop the mixture and arrange in each muffin cup. Make sure that you only fill about less than 3/4 of the cups volume.

Place in the oven and bake for 23 to 27 minutes, or until it passes the toothpick test.

Remove from the oven and let cool by placing on a wire rack.

Serve. Share and enjoy!

Number of servings (yield): 8

Related posts:

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin

Banana Bread Recipe

Banana Chips Recipe

Salted Chicken

The Pool @ Ampang

Now that the haze of whiskey & beer has faded after a week's worth of free-flow parties at The Pool, it's time to see what this Ampang freshman has to offer for regular customers on an ordinary evening.

The Pool might seem more of a watering hole than a restaurant, especially since most of its tables are a little too low & some of its seats are slightly too high. But it has heat right now, enough to entice everyone here.

If the menu feels familiar, it's because The Pool is the sister outlet of The Hill at Damansara Heights. Expect crowd-pleasing snacks like calamari coated with salted egg.

Gnocchi with chicken sausage in cream sauce. It's not haute cuisine, but it's not horrible cuisine.

Asahi be! er batte red fish & chips. We wouldn't be able to discern the difference between Hoegaarden-battered fish with something Carlsberg-battered, but rest assured that this is enjoyable.

Smoked duck wrap with nachos, something tastier than what many Tex-Mex restaurants in KL serve. The meat's pretty juicy & flavorsome _ fowl that's far from foul..

Cocktails here are essentially the same as The Hill's. Our fave: Marmalade Pie (Smirnoff Citrus Vodka, Muddled Orange & Vanilla Milk, topped with caramelized Cointreau meringue _ yum!).

Nutella Martini _ vodka, white curacao, frangelico, nutella, milk.

Malacca-Loda: Angustura 1919 Rum, Malibu, Orange Bitters, Kaya & Coconut Water.

The Pool is adjacent to Nihonkan Club on Jalan Ampang, be! side the former Spasso Milano. Expect to hear more about this location soon: a Japanese restaurant called Kyoto Lab may open here by May.

The Pool,

Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

Earth Hour Foldies Ride @ Golden Triangle of Malaysia

In the name of Earth Hour, we ride tohonourthis global event in Kuala Lumpur.

We started the ride at Titiwangsa Monorail Station with my son Xiang Yi and his friend Chee Meng.

It was past 7pm the group started to gather. Me & his boys were new in such cycling activity and we were excited. All the bicycles are folding bikes and that was something unique about this group.One lovely bike that attracted me.The Organiser Yong Sin gave a briefing to 16 of us before! to hit the road.Hehighlightedthe importance of road safety and some basic rules to follow.Everyone getting ready with their bikes and ready to go.A brave daddy and his son seen in another group at KLCC.These two school boys were under my supervision that night and they were alright and it was a good exposure for them including me...Met a new friend named Aaron and he is from Kuantan.The group we met at KLCC was campaigning for "Share Our Roads". They came from Ampang and they were a bi! g group. One of the organisers from the "Share Our Roads" group.We fully support such cause and sincerely hope the public can be educated by such campaign but it will take a long while toachieve ittherefore we must be always observe our own road safety whenever we are on the road.It was time to light the candles and honour the Earth Hour.

It was a wonderful and meaningful night here at KLCC.

This is one thing I do not understand, we were chased away from KLCC even though we were atth! efringe of thepremise. We are not political animals why chase us away....why lah...Well Done fellow cyclists and keep it up for the good cause.I like this biker's candle light on his bike.Off they went to roam the city of Kuala Lumpur.And moment later, the foldies continued the ride with the leader in front leading the way.We had the time to snap a picture or two while at the red light.

The boys did well on the road and so were the adults.

We stopped at Hard Rock Cafe for a group photo.Another stop over at Pavillion shopping mall.At last we reached a destination where we can have food for the evening. Restoran Mee Kai Kee is popular for their blanchedchicken with bean sprouts, Hor Fun and Curry Laksa. It is located at Jalan Maharajalela (gps :3.136646,101.702591).I enjoyed this bowl of Curry Noodle. Truly yummy after a long time.A time to rest, share, eat and meet new friends.Our next destination was Chinatown of Kuala Lumpur @ Petaling Street.One for thealbumat Chinatown.Always at the back of the line is Lim Hui Min, the wife of the leader and she is making sure the entire line is in order.Thanks to Ng Yong Sin and Lim Hui Min fororganising this wonderful ride, we are looking forward for future rides. Ribuan Terima Kasih and jumpa lagi.