ITS OUT WITH THE BORING AND IN WITH THE BOLD, THE BIG AND THE BEAUTIFUL!...ANOTHER HAPPY CUSTOMER SENDS IN PHOTOS...BEEF SATAYS WITH A KICK!...PLUS! AUDREY AND THE APPLETINI!

BORING, BLAND AND BASIC ARE OUT....LET'S GET BEAUTIFUL!

Being the benefactors of all things beautiful, bold and brazen we would like to finish January off by reminding you about our design service here at Charcoal Interiors.

New curtains...done!

Splash of colour with wallpaper...done!

Property styling...done!

Complete home revamp....done!

Project Management...done!

Colour consultations...done!

Investment Property Fitouts....done!

Supreme cocktail making......done..done and done!....well on a Friday anyway..

But seriously, we are the place to come for all your Interior Design needs.  Sick of that boring, tired space that you just have no idea what to do with?  Call us for an appointment where we can either come to you, or sit back in our new Interior Design section....the perfect place to piece together a home space that will welcome you every single day of the year.

We are no fly-by-nighters with over 42 combined experience under our belts, so we know what works and we know what wont.  Our many satisfied clients are testament to our integrity, service and design processes.

www.charcoalinteriors.com.au

Have you seen our latest Youtube instalment?  Do you love to be inspired??...who doesnt?!  Click on the link below and be sure to leave us a comment...we love hearing from you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDn4V_Hc75k

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HAPPY CLIENTS!

Thank you to our just lovely regular customer Susan who was so delighted with her recent acquisition of our gorgeous French Style Iron Based table, that she sent us in pics!

Susan, we think the table suits the space perfectly....and we just love your little friend...

Thank you for taking the time to send in these photos...we wish you many fun family times around your gorgeous new table...and many fond memories along with it.

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BEEF SATAY WITH PEANUT SAUCE

Since its been so humid here in Brisbane (but hey its Summer!) we have been doing a lot of barbecuing over the past few weeks.  Its nice to cook outside and saves the kitchen area from heating....ours is like a sauna at the best of times.  Our back deck is in line with our neighbours...about 4 of them...and we all seem to have the same idea at dinner time...cooking the barby with a glass of red or white in hand.  You just have to love Summer!  So, of an evening theres this big long line of back decks and people barbecuing and imbibing and lots of yelled greetings...cheers!  So much fun and of course another reason why we just love Summer so much...even President Obama enjoys the outdoor delights of the barbecue!

Image via White House Domain

This weeks recipe is all about Barbecuing and simple, satisfying and tasty food.  I first discovered the beef satay in Indonesia years ago and had to get my hands on the best authentic (yet easy...who wants to be standing over a mortar and pestle forever....?) beef /chicken satay recipe.  This one has been my favourite to date because it pretty much replicates the flavours from afar, yet its still quite easy to prepare.  We are having this dish tonight and I just prepared the day before and popped in the fridge ready for cooking.

Image via  pdphoto.org

Serves 4

Beef Satay
2 cloves garlic
1 onion finely, chopped
1 stalk of lemongrass (soft part only), finely sliced
2 teaspoons brown sugar
3 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons tamarind juices (take a walnut-sized piece of tamarind and soak for 20 minutes in boiling water. Squeeze the pulp to get all flavour)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
500g rump steak – cut into 2-3cm dice

Skewers - soaked overnight

Peanut sauce 
1 tablespoons tamarind pulp
2 tablespoons boiling water
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped
250g raw peanuts
Peanut oil
75g brown sugar
1 cup coconut milk
Salt - We used our Port Willunga Fine Foods Desert Lime Salt

Method

Beef Satay

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and marinate covered in the fridge for 1 hour.

Peanut sauce

To make the sauce, soak the tamarind pulp in boiling water for 30 minutes, then squeeze and press through a food mill or coarse strainer and reserve liquid. 

Crush nuts in a food processor or just roughly chop. Heat a wok or a frying pan with a little oil and fry garlic until pale gold. Immediately add chilli, peanuts and sugar. Stir in 3 tablespoons tamarind water and coconut milk. Mix well and add salt to taste. Cook stirring until oil separates and floats to the top. 

To assemble

Remove meat from marinade and thread onto skewers. Brush with a little peanut sauce and drop onto a hot skillet. Continue to baste with the sauce as you cook, turning to brown on all sides. 

Serve with the peanut sauce.

Note: Be sure to soak those skewers beforehand, especially if cooking on the barbecue.  It saves them flaming up and ruining your flavours...

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ITS TIME TO RELAX, UNWIND AND REFLECT...WITH AN APPLETINI!

Appletini cocktail by Jon Sullivan

Two and a Half Mens Alan Harper isnt the only one who loves Appletinis.  They're our new fave!

Refreshing and just a little bit addictive, this fruity twist on the Martini is a nice change.

Here's how to make the Appletini:

2 oz. Vodka

1/2 oz. Apple Pucker Schnapps or, 

1/2 oz. Apple Juice or Cider

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish with an Apple Slice

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QUOTES WE LOVE

 “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!”...Audrey Hepburn

Sorry the blog was a bit late for the week, as we have been working on some new and exciting projects....'The Dog Ate My Blogspot' just didnt cut it with the girls though  :-)  

Until this coming Friday.....laugh, love and enjoy!

The Charcoal Team

www.charcoalinteriors.com.au

LETTER OF THANKS...AS SEEN..OUT AND ABOUT AT IL POSTO...WE LOVE GNARLY DUDES...AUSTRALIA DAY FARE TO THAI FOR...THE BEER BREEZER AND MORE!

IT'S NICE TO GET A PAT ON THE BACK...

We were busy leading up to Christmas with Custom Made Table orders.  It seemed that everyone wanted a new table for Christmas Dinner!

Hey...no complaints from us!  We were happy to accommodate.

It's always really nice when a client takes the time out of their busy day to send us a 'Thank you'.

I wanted to share this email we received.  Cath had responded firstly to the email by thanking the client for her  email expressing delight in the table we crafted for her....and below is the response.  It always makes us feel very special when we get these types of responses to our work and designs.  It truly does, indeed make our day :-)

"I'm pleased to have made your day, as the arrival of the beautiful table made my day as well. I'd appreciate if you would let the craftsman who made this gorgeous table know that we really value his care and skillfulness. We also really appreciate that Charcoal is part of Brisbane, giving us ready access to such beautiful furniture."

Gloria

www.charcoalinteriors.com.au

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AS SEEN.....OUT AND ABOUT WITH STYLE IN THE CITY....

New year and new ideas.  We get out and about during our working week, and of course visit special places, eat at restaurants, meet interesting people and so on.  So, this year we have started up a new section to the Style in the City blog, called 'Out and About'.  We look forward to sharing with you some snippets of our week every Friday.

http://www.ilposto.com.au/

This week, I wanted to share with you a great new restaurant here in Brisbane called Il Posto.  

Il Posto is very easy to find as its right next to Spoon cafe on Latrobe Terrace Paddington.

We loved the relaxed atmosphere and I can honestly say that I havent felt so well attended to by wait staff for quite some time.  Pete the Greek had the pepperoni pizza and I had the Ravioli in truffle oil and butter with Sage leaves.  All washed down with a bottle of Gnarly Dudes Shiraz from the Barossa Valley region in South Australia. 

Gnarly Dudes Shiraz....Cool Name..Cool Label....Cool Drink....

Link to Gnarly Dudes and Two Hands Wines

 We do love our Shiraz and found the Gnarly Dudes ticked all the boxes...will definitely be back to Il Posto.  Such a warm family environment with the staff and they seemed to know everyone?!...I want to be a part of that....

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WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR AUSTRALIA DAY?

Regardless of how you may feel about a certain 'ranga' running the country...we really do live in the best part of the world.

From our beaches to the beautiful mountains, we have a lot to be grateful for and to celebrate.
So what are you doing for Australia Day on Thursday?  There will be plenty of BBQ's and sausage sizzles.  We are celebrating by the pool (weather permitting) and listening to the Hottest 100...which is a bit of a tradition now in the family.  I do find though that after a few bevvies we never really end up getting to the final number one!  Cath's heading to the beach and Colette is spending the day out on the deck with a good book and perhaps a beer cocktail or two!



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BEST THAI BROTH RECIPE EVER!

Being a fan of Thai food, but not Thai Cooking, I decided to give Thai broth a go this week. This weeks recipe is in celebration and recognition of our diverse Multi-Cultural country and all the wonderful food that has been brought here from around the world...from spaghetti, to sweet and sour.  My all time fave though is Thai food.  My most loved Thai restaurant always serves up this very involved looking broth, but I found that it wasnt half as hard as anticipated once I got stuck in.  I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make, and delicious.  You can basically add to it whatever you like to your taste once its made up.

I ended up poaching some fish in the sauce and adding to it snow peas, bean sprouts, bok choy, spring onions and coriander....then served on a bed of rice to soak up all the juices....yummo!

Here's the recipe for the broth....

Heat 1 and a half tbsp of Green Curry Paste (get a good quality one) with 1tbsp of oil in pan and stir for about a minute.  Mix in 400ml of coconut milk and bring to the boil.  Add a cup of chopped coriander and let it sit for about half an hour to soak up all the flavours.

Then, whilst waiting for the broth, chop up your snow peas, bok choy etc...as above.

Cook your diced chicken and cook separately, or you can cut fish into chunks and just poach it in the broth.  Add your fresh ingredients to the broth along with the meat, cover and simmer until cooked through and serve on a bed of rice.

Deeeelish!...easy and the kids liked this one too.

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BEER COCKTAIL ANYONE??

Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Celebrated annually on 26 January, the day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788, the hoisting of the British flag there, and the proclamation of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of New Holland. Australia Day is an official public holiday in every state and territory of Australia, and is marked by the Order of Australia and Australian of the Year awards, along with an address from the Prime Minister.
We have found a great cocktail recipe to help you Celebrate Australia Day!

THE BEER BREEZER....SO AUSSIE...SO DANGEROUSLY TEMPTING...

Not being a huge fan of beer, for the sake of the blog and country, we road tested the Beer Breezer and were surprisingly drawn into its spell.  The flavours are pretty special and its now going to be the standard drop on Australia Day.  Girls...serve it up in a pretty glass...

Beer Breezer Ingredients

• 2 oz Vodka
• 12 oz Beer (XXXX of course!)
• 2 dashes Tabasco sauce
• 1 pinch Celery salt

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QUOTE:

IF OPPORTUNITY DOESNT KNOCK....BUILD A DOOR...  

MILTON BERLE

Wishing everyone a happy and safe week full of laughs and love...as always....

The Charcoal Team

www.charcoalinteriors.com.au

THE GENIUS THAT IS 'ANDREW MARTIN'...MORE OF THE LOOKS WE JUST LOVE!...SAMANTHA WILLS...BOHEMIAN GLAMOUR...PEA AND SMOKED TROUT TART AND THE ESPRESSO COCKTAIL WITH GEORGE CLOONEY NO LESS!

 THE DESIGN GENIUS THAT IS....ANDREW MARTIN

We are huge fans of Design Company Andrew Martin here at Charcoal Interiors.

They continue to crash through the boundaries of design limitations and create new and exciting products every year.  This year is no exception with an astounding new collection of Fabrics, Wallpaper, Lighting, Furniture, Accessories and more!

Today we are focussing on the new Wallpaper range brought out by Andrew Martin.  We hope you agree that it is completely stunning.  Especially loving the Love Letter Wallpapering....how indulgent.

Without any further adieu, we take you through the range.

 The 'Library' by Andrew Martin...yep..thats wallpaper!...just amazing isnt it!!?

'Autographs' by Andrew Martin

'Love Letters' by Andrew Martin...yes, thats right...beautiful hand written love letters all over the wall...what a way to be inspired on a daily basis....

'Inventor, Navigator' by Andrew Martin

'Penny Post' by Andrew Martin

  Stay tuned for more treasures from Andrew Martin in coming weeks.

All available through us!....Charcoal Interiors

 

LOOKS WE LOVE!

Love the wall, love the cabinet, love the pillars, love the chair, love the Chandelier!!...and LOVE that you can find all of these similar pieces at Charcoal Interiors!

www.charcoalinteriors.com.au

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LOVING....SAMANTHA WILLS

Image credit to Samantha Wills Website.

Ever since we discovered Samantha Wills and her brilliant jewellery, we have been completely hooked.  This Aussie made good in NYC is an example of how a combination of creative talent and raw enthusiasm can get you places!  We just love her work....our goal is to one day be able to purchase a commissioned piece, such as the one above.  But until then...we can dream and also purchase from her online store.

SAMANTHA WILLS ACCESSORIES ARE DESIGNED WITH AN HONESTY OF STYLE. A MIX OF BOHEMIAN GLAMOUR, ROCK CHICK EDGE & NYC STYLE..

http://www.samanthawills.com.au/

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COOKING UP A STORM......

I found this recipe the other day and it was the pic that got me in....and my first thoughts were that it looked so amazingly impressive, but probably too hard to make.  But on closer look at the recipe, I realised that it was a modus operandi that even I could navigate through.  The peas are just blended up with the ricotta and the Smoked Trout is in a can!  How easy is that?  And believe me, the taste is dreamy...plus you can really impress with this dish.  So, lets get cracking!

PEA AND SMOKED TROUT TART

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 375g block frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups (180g) frozen peas
• 2 cups fresh ricotta
• Grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 1 tbs juice
• 2 x 100g pkt lemon pepper smoked trout (see note)
• 1 cup snow pea sprouts, ends trimmed
• 2 tbs olive oil

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a tray with baking paper. Roll pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 16cm x 30cm rectangle. Place on tray, then bake for 10 minutes until pastry is puffed. Top with more paper and another tray, then bake pastry for a further 10 minutes until golden and crisp. Cool.
2. Meanwhile, cook peas for 2-3 minutes in boiling salted water. Refresh in cold water, drain, then blend to a chunky puree in a processor with ricotta and zest. Season the mixture.
3. Whisk the oil with the lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl.
4. When ready to serve, spread the ricotta mixture over the pastry, flake over the trout and scatter with sprouts. Drizzle with the dressing and serve immediately.

Notes

• We used Tommy Finns Smoked Lemon Pepper Trout Fillet from supermarkets.
  
  
  
  
  COCKTAIL FRIDAY!....LET'S GET STUCK INTO....
  
  
  .....The Espresso Martini....
  
  We had it on good authority that this little treasure of a drink was like taking a trip into heaven and back...and they were right!...Wow!...what a gorgeous drink and most definitely up with with the top 10 cocktail faves for us.
  
  
  

1 ozcold espresso
1 1/2 oz Absolut® vodka
1 1/2 oz Kahlua® coffee liqueur
1 oz white creme de cacao

Pour ingredients into shaker filled with ice, shake vigorously, and strain into chilled martini glass. It should be somewhat frothy.

This is quite a sexy little concoction, so our recommendation this week is to pop on your favourite George Clooney movie...except dont choose Perfect Storm, because that movie was just plain silly!!...no, choose something with George where he is wearing nice clothes and he's romancing some lucky lady...ok, pop that in the DVD player, kick the shoes off, sip away and enjoy...relax...its Friday after all!

Until next week, when we will be checking out some more of the Andrew Martin new releases for 2011, plus so much more!  Hopefully Jen will tell us a bit about her honeymoon to Kangaroo Island.  She is having a great time apparently....we dont want all the details though thanks Jen!

www.charcoalinteriors.com.au

BUNNY POWER!...GOING TO THE CHAPEL...OUR LATEST ARRIVALS...CHAMPAGNE AND NOT A STRAWBERRY IN SIGHT!...VALENTINES DAY TREATS AND MORE....

THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT

Click here to getImages  &
Rabbit Pictures - Pictures

We are only a bunny hop, skip and a jump from Chinatown, and the area has been all abuzz with the Chinese New Year Celebrations.  They know how to party, with celebrations lasting traditionally for fifteen days.

This year, is the year of the Rabbit.  Last year, was the year of the Tiger.  This year, the sweet bunny rabbit is a symbol of A placid year, very much welcomed and needed after the ferocious year of the Tiger.

Good taste and refinement will shine on everything and people will acknowledge that persuasion is better than force. A congenial time in which diplomacy, international relations and politics will be given a front seat again. We will act with discretion and make reasonable concessions without too much difficulty.

A time to watch out that we do not become too indulgent. The influence of the Rabbit tends to spoil those who like too much comfort and thus impair their effectiveness and sense of duty.

Law and order will be lax; rules and regulations will not be rigidly enforced. No one seems very inclined to bother with these unpleasant realities. They are busy enjoying themselves, entertaining others or simply taking it easy. The scene is quiet and calm, even deteriorating to the point of somnolence. We will all have a tendency to put off disagreeable tasks as long as possible

Money can be made without too much labor. Our life style will be languid and leisurely as we allow ourselves the luxuries we have always craved for. A temperate year with unhurried pace. For once, it may seem possible for us to be carefree and happy without too many annoyances.....we are liking this forecast for 2011, it ticks all the boxes! We should go off to some quiet spot to lick our wounds and get some rest after all the battles of the previous year.

NEW ARRIVALS

We have had some more beautiful new arrivals this week.  Each unique in its own way and just may be what you have been looking for!

Black Chinese Cabinet – originated Shanxi Province, simple clean lines indicative of the Ming Dynasty influence through the Qing era.

Elmwood timbers with black stained finish. Circa 1890’s.

Side  Cabinet in natural Elm Timbers, drawers with carved detailed inlay and hinged cabinet doors, Chinoiserie influence, Qing Dynasty.

Shanxi Province.

www.charcoalinteriors.com.au

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LOVE IS IN THE AIR.....in more ways than one this week...

Well, as well as being Valentines Day (aka Singles Awareness Day) on Monday, its also a very big weekend coming up for us all here at Charcoal Interiors.  We have a wedding to attend!  Jen and Pete the Greek are getting hitched on Sunday the 13th of February in beautiful Sth Australia.  Its going to be a 'Wedding Weekend' in actual fact, with VIP tickets to Kate Ceberano including dinner amongst the vines at Bird In The Hand Winery on Saturday and then Sunday is the big day with the ceremony at Jens brother and sister-in-laws property 'Bon-Haye' vineyards.  And so, the showroom will be closed this Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th February, with trading back as usual on the Tuesday 15th (we are closed on Mondays).

We will have all the pics of the special day in upcoming posts...so stay tuned...

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COCKTAIL FRIDAY

Click here to getImages  &
Champagne Glasses Pictures - Pictures

Well, Champagne really is the nectar of lovers and what better way to celebrate Valentines, Wedding Day or any other special occasion than with a glass of bubbles.  Champagne was invented by French Monk Dom Perignon...true story.  A few years back, the laws were changed as to naming Champagne..Champagne, due to the fact that the French had the copyright to the name and usage of it.  So, we now have to call ours 'sparkling wine' which kind of takes the fun out of really...however, the good news is that our sparkling eines here in Australia are still made using the same traditional Champagne method...hence, you will see on the bottle of a true Champagne bottle 'Methode Champenoise'.  

We actually have some great Champagnes here in Australia and one of my faves is Grant Burge.  They make an excellent buttery style that is affordable and yet very rich and indulgent. Here's a little twist on the usual long stemmed flute with a piece of strawberry bunged in it (have never been a fan of that really....).

Champagne served with Wild Hibiscus flower.  I have tried this before and its absolutely gorgeous.  Wild Hibiscus flowers can be found in any gourmet food store.  I know they sell them at the James St Markets here in the Valley.  So easy to serve up too.  Just place one of the flowers into the glass and then top with bubbles.  They spring to life and look divine.  You can eat them too...yes and they taste amazing.  Pretty sure there would be some kind of vitamin content in them since they are a plant and all.....so there you go, nutritious and an indulgence.  Just dont quote me on that....

Being big fans of citrus flavours here...lets not get started on limes, and theres a glut at the moment so they are so affordable and available.  But I digress...  This is a very classic way to serve up champagne if you love citrus.  Simply add a dash of Limencello to your glass of bubbles and garnish with a swirl of rind.  The look is fresh and sophisticated and I find this drink to be really refreshing also...but pace yourselves and be sure to alternate with water otherwise you could end up anything BUT refreshed and sophisticated!

CHOCOLATE....'IS' LOVE....

VALENTINES DAY CHOCOLATE TARTS

You know I just couldnt believe how easy these little Valentines Day Chocolate tarts were to make, so I  had to share the recipe.  To me, love comes in many forms.  When I was single I would send a Valentines Day card to myself...I have had dear friends send me flowers and vice versa...I have sent my parents a card on Valentines Day to say how much I love them and what they mean to me...and same for my children...and then theres the flowers from Pete the Greek and beautiful card etc...  So...you dont have to be in a relationship to enjoy Valentines Day, which really is, to me, a celebration of love in all its forms.  So, to show yourself and others how much you care...make these...they are easy to make and taste deeeelish!

Image via Taste

You don't need heart-shaped pans to cook something which says I love you - dust a heart on this Snickers' laden tart and it will have the same effect! Happy Valentine's Day.

Makes 4

Ingredients

• 2 x 60g Snickers bars, finely chopped
• 100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup pure cream
• 1 egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• icing sugar mixture, to serve
• PASTRY
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 125g butter, chilled, chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Method

1. Make pastry: Place flour, sugar and butter in a food processor. Process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add egg. Process until dough just comes together. Turn pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until just smooth. Shape into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease four 3cm-deep, 10cm (base) loose-based fluted tart pans. Roll out pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick. Using a 13cm cutter, cut 4 rounds from pastry. Line pans with pastry. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
3. Place pans on a baking tray. Line pastry cases with baking paper. Fill with uncooked rice or ceramic pie weights. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are light golden. Remove baking paper and rice or pie weights. Bake for 5 minutes or until base is light golden. Set aside to cool.
4. Meanwhile, reduce oven to 160°C. Divide Snickers between pastry cases. Combine chocolate and cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until melted and smooth. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
5. Using an electric mixer, beat egg, egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Add chocolate mixture. Fold in until just combined. Pour mixture into pastry cases. Bake for 25 minutes or until just set. Allow tarts to cool in pans for 10 minutes. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until cold. Dust tarts with icing sugar to form a heart shape (see note). Serve.

Notes

• To make an icing sugar stencil, cut a 12cm circle from a piece of paper. Draw an 8cm heart shape on the circle and cut out, leaving circle intact. Place stencil on tart. Dust heavily with icing sugar to form heart shape.
• Tip: Dust icing sugar on cooled tarts, otherwise icing sugar will dissolve.
  
  
  
  
  Until next week.....
  
  

Cathie, Colette and Jen xxx

www.charcoalinteriors.com.au