Bells at Killcare, Killcare

A belated happy new year to everyone out there and I hope you all had a relaxing Christmas and new year break! I wouldn't say that my holiday season was particularly relaxing as such but thankfully Sir D and I took a little break before Christmas and we headed up to Bells at Killcare on the Central Coast.

 Killcare Beach (left); The fireplace in the cottage (right)

We stayed in one of the cottages on the Bells property which were cosy and well-stocked. There was a huge bed, a spa bath and a real fireplace! Yes I was quite excited by the fire - Sir D got it working every night and it did a good job of warming up the place which got quite chilly once the sun set. There was a breakfast hamper provided every morning which we cooked ourselves on the bbq on the deck, and the rest of the days were spent exploring the nearby beaches.

Seashell light on the table (left); Olives and parmesan crisps (right)

On the last night we headed to the restaurant to indulge in a three course dinner. The dining room is spacious and decked out in nautical blue and white tones and seashells. The waitstaff are smiling and pleasant and very attentive to our every need, and after we place our order a small plate of mixed olives and parmesan crisps arrives on our table.

Veal crudo with extra virgin olive oil, lemon and Reggiano - $24

Best of 2009 @ Penguin says Feed Me!

It's hard to believe that it's already been 6 months since I started my blog and the year 2009 has already come to an end! Not only has food blogging made me expand my waistline but it's also encouraged me to expand my baking and cooking skills as well as meeting other amazing bloggers from around Sydney. Thanks to all the readers - those who comment and also those who lurk around unnnoticed ;) - for your support for the first 6 months of this blog. It's really you guys who motivate me to keep posting about my culinary adventures!

So here are some of my favourite posts from 2009:

The First Post - Assiette, Surry Hills: I had been toying around with starting up a food blog for a while but this was the meal that really kicked me into it! It was an amazing 3 course meal shared with some of my closest friends and it was without a doubt great value at only $30!

Best value aburi scallop sushi - Sushi Sagunja, Chatswood: This may just have been my greatest find in 2009. Since my post about it I've been back several times and they have never failed to impress with their sweet, smokey perfectly-seared scallops on top of sushi rice... yum!

Merry Christmas!

Just a quick post to say a Merry Christmas to everyone out there reading this! Hope you've all enjoyed a fantastic Christmas meal with loved ones - I certainly did :) Today the family congregated upon our place to have Christmas dinner, and here are some snaps of the food on offer:

Smoked salmon, garlic aioli and chives on crackers

Orange glazed ham studded with cloves (made by Mum)