WELCOME TO STYLE IN THE CITY!
WE'RE JUST WILD ABOUT......
Well, hellllloo pussycat! This week, we bring out the animal in you with the latest from Carlucci and their wild 'Exposure' range.
Printed velvet designs with amazing depth (sooo luxe) and black/white jacquard weaves that bring a sophisticated take on the traditional animal print.
Their fabulous animal prints and weaves, from zebras to leopards, pony hides to crocodile skin (prints of course...faux, faux, faux...just saying...) are set to pack a statement, whether it be big or small. Perfect for a character piece. We custom make any chair, sofa etc...in ANY choice of fabric from our bigger than big range. The options....well, they're endless....and exciting!
Courtesy Unique Fabrics
To see all the options available to you, please visit the Unique Fabrics website where you will find access to their International listings and Exclusive Unique range of fabrics, wallpapers and more.
If you're looking for luxurious faux-fur, then check out Carlucci's comprehensive range of furs; from shaggy to smooth, all extremely soft and tactile...hmmmmmmm....makes me just want to snuggle in and have a little siesta....back in 15....
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AUSTRALIAN HOUSE AND GARDEN
...our ad in the latest House and Garden
Well, its not quite the cover of the Rolling Stone, but we have our ad appearing again, this time in the May edition of Australian House and Garden magazine.
We have had a huge response to the creative ingenuity that went into this ad. We thank Damien Bredberg, from Damien Bredberg photography (and the team) for his genius.
You can find more of Damiens work at:
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Mmmmmmmm......the other day Pete the Greek took me to a restaurant by the water for lunch. It was a lovely day and I had an entree of Crab Cakes. I'm not going to plug this particular restaurant (and we girls LOVE to plug quality Australian Business....) because the meal was overpriced for the standard received...BUT the crab cakes were delicious.
Here's my serve of crab cakes
So, of course I went straight home to google away the most enticing crab cake recipe I could find. I usually find googling 'Best Ever' Crab Cakes etc...takes me to something special.
And so, we bring to you this week our Best Ever Crab Cake recipe...from my kitchen to yours.
Perfect with a light salad or accompany with asparagus spears and a drizzling of quality olive oil..(we like to use Bon Haye Olive Oil from our Gourmet Provisions Pantry). Another suggestion is to serve up with a home made salsa..they are easy to make. Combine diced tomatoes, red onion, spring onion, herbs of your choice (fresh coriander ties in nicely), avocado and then just add a splash of quality balsamic (we use 'Bad Sally' from our Matchetts range once again in the Provisions pantry here at Charcoal...its so sticky and flavoursome..). Mix all the ingredients together lightly and voila!...the perfect accompaniment to the crab cakes...also goes well with chicken, steak and fish.
Before I start digressing again...heres the crab cake recipe!
BEST EVER CRAB CAKES
Ingredients (serves 8)
- 1 x 200g carton Stewart's fresh crab meat
- 2 green shallots, ends trimmed, finely chopped
- 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tbs chopped fresh dill
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 70g (1 cup) fresh breadcrumbs (made from day-old bread)
- 1 tbs vegetable oil
Method
- Combine the crab, shallot, celery, egg whites, dill, Worcestershire sauce and breadcrumbs in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Spoon six 1-tablespoonful portions of crab mixture into the pan. Use an egg lifter or small palette knife to gently flatten. Cook for 1-2 minutes each side or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat, in 3 more batches, with remaining crab mixture, reheating the pan between batches.
- Place the crab cakes on a serving platter.
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Hello and welcome to Cocktail Friday...although in this instance its Cocktail Thursday because Jen's off to Melbourne for a few days starting tomorrow.
For the uninitiated, our weekly Cocktail section of the blog serves no other purpose than to get you all warm, fuzzy and relaxed, because its Friday and you certainly deserve to be spoilt.
This week, we have the impressive and yet super easy Cocktail Recipe, the Flaming Sidecar for you.
Can a cocktail named after an unfortunate and possibly tragic motorcycle misadventure be any good you ask?...and the answer is yes indeed!
THE FLAMING SIDECAR COCKTAIL
HOW TO MAKE THE FLAMING SIDECAR COCKTAIL
INGREDIENTS
1. 1 x ounce of brandy
2. 3/4 ounces of Cointreau
3. 3/4 ounces of Fresh Lemon Juice
4. Ice
5. Orange peel for garnish.
METHOD
Combine all the ingredients but the orange peel into a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with a flaming orange peel and below is the instructions on how you can do this!
Be sure to pop your feet up with a James Dean movie and just sip away!
Cheers!
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THIS IS WHERE WE WANT TO BE....
On the 'What Will They Think Of Next' list of things that astound and truly make us want to just head home, grab the visa, stock up on frozen foods for the family and just head to the airport is this latest gem.....
Archipelago Floating Cinema set in the middle of the quiet waters of Nai Pi Lae Lagoon on Kudu Island in Thailand.
Now, this is going on the bucket list!
Stunning location
I wonder if they have choc tops??
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And so, we wish you a very happy weekend. Cook up some crab cakes and perhaps Anzac Biscuits to mark the occasion on Wednesday.
...Lest We Forget....
....Until next week.
xxx
