insta update #1

 

delectable sweets @ bacchus launch brisbane / a little bit of selfy shot love

 

outfit post for bacchus launch brisbane / celebrity hangs with alex dimitriades @ bacchus launch brisbane

A few little snaps from my instagram feed; insta update #1. Enjoy!

follow me on instagram @caterinafrancesca.x

bacchus launch, brisbane

Outfit: zomp flatforms, lady petrova tutu, soot headband, louis vuitton patent clutch

Currently obsessed with flatforms at the moment, especially the ones from zomp! They have a great selection of high and low flatforms and in all different colours and styles. I thought these went really well with my dress from Lady Petrova at the Bacchus Launch, Brisbane - simple, but with that quirky edge that I love. One brand in particular that I am loving is 2 baia vista. And, how awesome is this, you are able to purchase zomp shoes online now! (not so sure if they ship internationally, but I find this incredible and also terrible for me - as a lover of all things online and a lover of all shoes, this is not so good for my wallet).

Maybe this could be a sneaky pre-christmas gift to yourself or one of your friends (if they are lucky)? Who knows, enjoy x

Image source: Bacchus, The Urban List

foxy bean & foxy drop; The Urban List

Image source: The Urban List

Breakfast by day, canapés and tapas by night is a sly little fox behind the antique centre of the Woolloongabba that definitely has not gone unnoticed. I bring to you, the Foxy Bean & Foxy Drop.

Read more on The Urban List...

white and bright

Outting: navy suede sandals lottusse, tan satchel, ecru white heart shaped dress rules by mary, ysl arty rose gold ovale ring jean brown, folli follie bracelet

Just a lil sneak peak of some of the fun filled atmosphere at The Golden Pig Food and Wine School opening in Newstead as well as a white and bright inspired outfit for the launch night. I know that some of the items listed may not be found on the online stores, however this will give you an indication of the style of the designers mentioned.

lady lamington, brisbane

Nothing better than an early morning sunday breakfast catch up at Lady Lamington in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley.



Poached eggs, sardines and tomato drizzled with olive oil and sea salt



French toast with poached pear







Our sweet ride on James St, New Farm.x

round 2; top 5 ways to dine + things to do in spain

A few things that I definitely miss about our recent trip to Spain in July 2012. And a few things that I definitely forgot to let you all know about. Round 2; top 5 ways to dine + things to do in Spain!



1. Le Mariage, Bayonne

This day would probably have to be the highlight of our trip (for me anyway!). Just a little shot of myself getting ready before my best friends big day.



2. Patatas bravas - Taberna la Piedra, Zaragoza

Although there was not much to see in Zaragoza, this quaint bar and grill, Taberna la Piedra, was hands down, one of the best grills that I have ever eaten at! For one that is not very big on meat, I quite enjoyed the meat that was on offer, which was served on a hot plate with chunky bits of sea salt (I am an avid lover of salt) and smothered in olive oil, yellow and rich in flavour. Not only was the meat ridiculously good, but their patatas braves was to die for. It was served with a gorgonzola wasabi aioli, argh - delicious. And, as you would expect the potatoes were cooked to perfection with a hectic crust on the outside and with crushed sea salt that stuck to the potatoes like glue...Mouth watering!



3. Crêperie Harmonika, Bayonne

Having frequented Bayonne last year for my friends engagement, this year, my boyfriend and I swore that we would make it to this little restaurant at least once on our visit to Bayonne (in actual fact we made it their twice!). Denika, my bestie that got married, mentioned to us last year "you have to make it to this place for breakfast, hands down best crepe ever!". Well indeed, she was right. Undeniably the best crepe I have ever eaten in my life as well as indescribable - if that is even a word. Words cannot describe the love we have for this place. A must visit if you are heading to the Basque region.



4. Petit Bayonne

For the second time on our visit to Bayonne we missed out on the Fete de Bayonne; which is a fete quite similar to the festival they have in Pamplona. Maybe next year?



5. Suckling Pig, Madrid

I am not 100% sure where this was exactly but it was near Puerto del Sol in Madrid. We happened to stumble across this restaurant on a night of hunting the streets for some authentic spanish food. And oh boy did we find a goodie! Suckling pig is a unique dish that is popular in some of the Spanish regions and to have found a little gem in Madrid was a surprise. I am sure there was not too much meat on the bones but my oh my was it tasty. Melt in your mouth crackling with just enough salt to get you going back for more is just how you want the pork to be. Ridiculously good.

top 5 ways to dine in spain

There are many different ways that you can dine when you are travelling; on a budget, on the go or wining and dining. That said, you don't have to eat at the nicest looking places to really get a grasp of what a country has to offer (if you’re walking down La Rambla in Barcelona and happen to pass the incongruously named Café Vienna, it’s a good bet your impulse will be to keep walking. Don’t!).

Having travelled around Europe for 7 months last year in 2011, our favourite friend was of course the smart phone as well as trip advisor, serious eats and NY Times. Although some of these sites may not always have the best restaurants that everyone is going to love and enjoy, from a personal experience though, these sites definitely set the bar for wining and dining in Spain!

From Madrid to Bayonne to Barcelona, I give to you my top 5 ways to dine in each of these amazing cities!

1. Madrid; Chocolateria San Gines



If you are after traditional churros to make your mouth water Chocolateria San Gines, if you are in Madrid, is where you need to head to to get your sweet tooth fix! Crunchy on the outside and light and fluffy (not soft dough) in the centre, with a light dark chocolate hot chocolate to accompany, is how churros should be served. And, this little cafe, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of inner city Madrid, serves the best churros in town!

2. Madrid; Paella



Another little prime find in the heart of a city but in the back streets; a street where only the locals go and are seen, a street that if not found on trip advisor, we would never have found. The thing that I love about this place is that you know when a restaurant is going to be good when all you can hear and see are local Spaniards - no tourists (just us!) and no maitre d'hotel to convince you to eat at their restaurant. Another thing that I loved about this prime find was that there was not an extensive menu (not like the menu's you find in Rome with a menu consisting of 50 pizza's, 50 pastas and 50 desserts) meaning almost everything is made fresh and what is available is available and what is not will be made again the next day. Quite the same with the paella, there was not an extensive selection of paella's... there was only 1. Much to my boyfriends demise, it was seafood only; served on my plate not in one of those cliche dishes, but just simply on a flat dinner plate - the taste was delectable and deliciously creamy with a crust that was to die for!

3. Madrid; Metro Bistro



If there is one thing that the Spanish know how to do well is meat; from beef to pork (jamon). Our meal at Metro Bistro was our last night that we spent in Madrid and it was a night well spent! The dish that really had us talking was the tomato soup with olive oil ice-cream... Ridiculously good.

4. Basque region, Bayonne; La Maison Cazenave



If you ever plan to visit the little town Bayonne, in the Basque region, known for their infamous chocolate, Chocolat Cazenave is one little gem that is to not be missed. Chocolat Cazenave in Bayonne, is an invitation to an imaginary journey in the footsteps of Caribbean and African tropical origins, places where the best cocoa beans originate. I took my mum and dad to this place and they were in awe of it; the surroundings, the stained glass windowed roof and of course a large selection of home made chocolates just waiting for you to delve into. The most popular dish is their notre chocolate mousseux, which is served looking like a soufflé with a side of cream and extra hot chocolate on the side. On this particular day we decided to get their homemade brioche as well and dip it into the hot chocolate (sicilian italians do something similar with brioche where they dip it into granita - which is an extremely soft and light sorbet!). Magnifique!

5. Barcelona; Gilda by Belgious



There is much to be said about this restaurant. We stumbled across this place on our second last day in Barcelona. If it wasn't for another restaurant being closed then we would have never experienced the amazing dishes that this place plates up. The food was the best we had had all week, with the prawns and curry ice cream being one meal in particular that I will never forget (featured in image above). The patatas bravas (crispy fried potatoes with aioli and dried tomato chutney) was to die for and the Flemish stew was gorgeous. Having dined very late that night, we did however, get the chance to chat to the owner. With a mixture of Spanish and Belgium cuisines, this guy has truly found a niche that will be hard to be replicated elsewhere. Nb. Make sure if you plan to visit this restaurant that you make sure that you get in early; staple dishes that seem to run out quick fast are the jamon, mussels and the chocolate mousse (however, I did get to taste the chocolate mousse on the next night that we ate there... yes, we ate there twice!)

Although I have mentioned 5, I do also want to make mention this little bar that is located in St. Josep Mercado, La Rambla; Bar Pinotxo. Recommended by serious eats, this is one tapas bar not to be missed. Cooking up local dishes but also live seafood in front of your very eyes is a MUST to do in Barcelona.



I know these tasty little morsels are not seafood, but pimentos is a staple starter for any tapas you are ordering in Spain. A must have and try, delicious!



There you have it, a few ways on how to spend your days or nights eating the very best Spanish cuisine!

brewbakers, albion

There is something about artisan bread that makes your mouth water. I am not sure whether it is the inspiration of what the French have given us or whether it is a case of the gift of the magic baker hands, but mouth watering artisan bread always gets me. Outsourcing to some of Brisbane's finest restaurants, Brewbakers has become not only a household name, but well renowned in the bakers realm. Bread is one of the most iconic and important products in western history. The importance of serving bread with every meal has been around for centuries and has become a staple piece in many households around the globe. Although bread is much of a very simple product in terms of ingredients, it can be quite the task to find "real" bread.



Brewbakers in Albion is one of my favourite bakery's serving up some of the most deliciously tasting loaves of bread, croissants, bagels and of course a great cup of coffee. As well as appealing to the avid bread lover, they also cater to the pets of Brewbakers lovers; serving up tasty morsels of dog bones jam packed with oats with the juices of pork, meat and chicken; the perfect healthy option for your pooch pal.

As well as offering your usual crossaint or bagel they also do tasty take away or dine in sandwiches. One that is a favourite of ours is the Pork and Apple sandwich on a Walnut roll.

If you are near Albion and are after a sweet treat, a loaf to accompany a winter stew or a take-away for lunch I would definitely recommend a pit stop on the corner of Sandgate Rd and Anstey St, Albion.

breakfast @ The Chelsea Bistro

If you are after a little treat to beat the morning winter blues, head to The Chelsea Bistro and check out what they have in store for their winter menu! If you are after a hint of sweetness the crumpets with raspberry butter is definitely one of my morning favourites. Or if savoury is more your option why not try the crab and chive omelette with horseradish crème fraiche and brioche soldiers; this one will leave you fuller for longer. And, an all time favourite, the French toast. This time sporting a more wintry affair the French toast is stacked with poached pears, honey mousse and sweet pistachio dukkah. It's light and fluffy with just the right amount of sweetness; cause you're sweet enough right?

design. craft. food. fashion; boutique markets feb 26th

This weekend was all about food. My inspiration this week came from my experience at the Boutique Markets. Boutique Markets is a national boutique shopping event showcasing high quality handmade and limited edition goods by some of the best local talent in art, craft, food and design. On the weekend I was helping some family friends in their preparation for the Boutique Markets.



The inspiration behind their stall was based around the French markets. After surfing the internet of different images of French markets I was able to understand the theme behind their stall. I found an image on the internet of a blog; Travel Avenue, that featured an image from a French food market in Ile d'Oleron; an island off the Atlantic coast of France.



Although the food that is being sold is completely different, the colour schemes and ideas are still there - the white and red colour scheme and the black board writing labels.





Basically the concept behind their product is you can have amazing traditional Italian recipes using the best ingredients and simplest techniques all in the comforts of your own home - your very own Kitchen Angel. Kitchen Angel has been designed to allow you to produce quality desserts of your own with limited effort, whilst using the best ingredients and following their family’s traditional recipes. What you can see in the images is the finished product of their pre mix ingredients.

All of Kitchen Angels pre-mix products are nut based and preservative, gluten and dairy free. That’s right – with the exception of whatever additional flavours or ingredients you may choose to add, this product is made only from natural ingredients.

The pre-mix range is provided to you as dough. Add wet ingredients and your own creativity to cut, shape, pipe or roll, bake fresh and finish off as desired. They give you the base product that has a long proven tradition and you make it uniquely yours. If inspiration or creativity is low, I’m sure you will enjoy the great taste and melt in your mouth quality of the biscuit from the basic pre-mixes themselves.

As you can see the products speak for themselves; from all ages across the board this pre mix recipe really has that melt in your mouth factor!

comfort at my table

Here’ is Comfort At My Table, a two-year-old cafe on Milton’s Cribb Street. And evidently, its soft rose-coloured walls, vases of flowers and crotcheted cushions definitely provides you with all the comforts you need. Not only are the surroundings welcoming but the food is to die for. Definitely Comfort At My Table.



Of course I order for breakfast, my all time favorite - avocado on toast. Attention to perfecting each element is clear: the avocado is extremely fresh and melts in your mouth (I can't stand when some cafe's give you avocado that is as hard as a rock), the tomato only just holding together its juices in its roasted skin, the eggs softly poached, the soft and fresh fetta - but what really made the dish was the lemon. To actually partially cook the lemon I think was pure genius on the chefs part. By doing this makes for more pungent flavour, which I feel the lemon in any avo on toast is the star of the dish.



What I particularly like about this cafe is the vintage feel - from the cakes to the ornaments to the artwork on the walls to the wallpaper.



The sweet, homestyle touches are everywhere - a shelf of recipe books, little pots of flowers on the tables, the basket offering shiny red apples to customers on their way out. Many cafes try to make people feel like they're in someone's home, and Comfort At My Table goes a lot further than most in actually succeeding.

the journey from here to beyond

So, last week was O Week (Orientation Week) for University. I had or should I say have quite a bit of time on my hands now. I have time to sit and enjoy the ambience and my surroundings. On my break from Uni, I decided to take a trip to West End. I stopped by The Music Kafe on Boundary St. I enjoyed a lovely serving of fruit toast which had the cutest little mint tree sprouting out from the toast. I couldn't help but take a picture of this as on that very same day I was sporting a pair of vintage jeans which reminded me so much of this little mint tree.



As I was on my way back to Uni I stumbled across this amazing graffiti on the walkway. Today was definitely filled with all things art and inspiration.