NEW ARRIVALS!
Hi everyone and welcome to the Friday blog. A very special welcome to our new readers! We aim to provide a little bit of sweetness to your Fridays with our 'goings-on' in the showroom (there is never a dull moment here I can tell you that...) plus all the latest in design, info on our retail outlet, new arrivals, recipes, lifestyle tips, recipes and of course our fabulous Cocktail Friday recipe...which is just a celebration of Friday and a way to sit back, pop the shoes off and reflect on a darned good job well done thank you very much!...pat yourself on the back and lets begin.....
Firstly, this week we present our new arrivals instore. There are just so many amazing pieces that we dont have room for everything on the blog, so for starters lets look through the front window at our new display and beautiful new 'drool-worthy' pieces.
Window Display
Our gorgeous French Style Wooden Bench Seat, in front of a backdrop of a pair of Francesco urns, exclusive custom made outdoor/indoor mirror and our gorgeous chandelier, which is a combo of antique and new. Surrounding the Bench Seat, we have our French style outdoor table and chairs, Vintage style urns and gorgeous French Jardinierre planter filled with tulips...so Spring and just so classic. Be one of the first to see our new arrivals this weekend. Pop in for a browse, a chat and a bargain. We are open Saturday and Sunday and would love to see you.
Damien Bredberg Photography Shoot
Last week we had so much going on in the showroom, and one such exciting piece of news is that respected young photographer and all-round nice guy Damien Bredberg chose Charcoal Interiors for a series of shots that will ultimately be used to create a very innovative set of photographs. We shall share the finished product with you as soon as possible, and also a lot of the backstage shenanigans, but until then, meet Damien and check out his website. With clients such as Nova and Absolut Vodka up his sleeve to name just a few, we are proud to support such a creative, upcoming star on the photography scene....and he is a Brisbane lad too!
LET'S EAT!
This week we have a great blend of my passion for pasta and the girls penchant for Thai...its our Thai Fusion Tuna Pasta. Only takes 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook, so its a great, easy and quick recipe, but so packed full of flavour and it looks soooooo pretty! Goes well with a nice glass of chilled New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, which happens to be a favourite of Colette and Cathie. Let us know what you think.
Recipe:
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 300g dried ribbon pasta
- 125ml (1/2 cup) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 lemons
- 2 x 350g pieces yellowfin tuna (see note)
- 3 eschalots, finely chopped
- 2 long red chillies, halved lengthwise, seeded, finely chopped
- 1 bunch Thai basil, leaves picked
Here's what to do.....
Method
- Cook pasta in a saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.
- Meanwhile, place oil in a large frying pan. Using a vegetable peeler, thinly peel rind from lemons over the pan. Place pan over low heat and wait for the mixture to sizzle. Cook for a further minute, then remove from the heat. Remove lemon rind from oil and chop finely. Reserve lemon oil.
- Preheat a chargrill pan over high heat. Lightly brush tuna with a little lemon oil. Cook tuna on chargrill for 45 seconds. To give it criss-cross marks, lift tuna, turn 90 degrees and cook for a further 45 seconds. Repeat on the other side for medium–rare. Season tuna with salt and pepper. Cool slightly and slice thinly.
- Heat the remaining lemon oil in a large pan over medium heat and cook eschalots for 5 minutes or until soft.
- Add the lemon rind, pasta, tuna, chillies, basil and the juice of 1 lemon to the pan. Toss gently to combine and warm through. Serve.
Notes
- You can substitute a drained 425g can of tuna in brine for the fresh tuna, and add it in step 5 to warm through.
SMILE. BREATHE. ITS COCKTAIL FRIDAY.......
HOT OFF THE PRESS....THE GUILT-FREE 'TONY CURTIS'is it possible to have a cocktail that leaves you feeling better the morning after? The shocking answer might just be yes! The key is in the ingredients.VeeV is a new spirit distilled from Idaho grains and infused with Açaí, a berry that some consider one of the healthiest foods on the planet. VeeV fuses this fruit with all-natural ingredients and a handcrafted, column distilled base wheat spirit. The result is a smooth 60 proof liqueur that balances the tangy Açaí , citrus flavors and alcohol in an infinitely mixable fashion.
The Tony Curtis....Yes, we have named this weeks Cocktail after one of the last of the old school suave and sophisticated movie stars to grace our screens...Tony Curtis. Yes, Tony died late last week. Boy was he one handsome, talented hunk-a-man who really did live life to the full and made a lot of people laugh with his cheeky comedy. They just dont make them like they used to, but we have Tony's wonderful legacy of movies to watch forever more....'Some Like It Hot' was voted the Worlds Funniest Movie ever....get it out this weekend on DVD, and pop your feet up...sipping on a Tony Curtis. I am sure he will be looking down on us with a wicked smile.....Remember people...a life fondly remembered by others is a life lived twice.....
Tony Curtis Cocktail....With every bottle of Veev that you purchase, $1 is donated to Brazilian Rainforest Preservation.....This truly is ground-breaking stuff...Guilt-free Vodka! We recommend mixing with the simple fave...tonic water. Add a slice of lemon or lime with some crushed ice and you are well on your way to relaxation, whilst also feeling good about your contribution to saving the Rainforests of Brazil, not to mention the health benefits of the Acai Berry....The Eagle my friends has well and truly landed here on this Cocktail Friday at Charcoal....
Wishing you all a very happy Friday. Thank you to everyone who has graced us with their presence this week in the showroom. Its been such a great week, made even better by the lovely cheery people that we have coming in to visit us daily. Here's to a great weekend and we look forward to next Fridays blog with more on our New Arrivals, plus much, much more.....until then!Cathie...Colette and Jen (The Charcoal Girls) xxxx
