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<rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" version="2.0"><channel><atom:link rel="hub" href="http://tumblr.superfeedr.com/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"/><description>Lost somewhere between eating to live and living to eat.</description><title>A Culinary Affair</title><generator>Tumblr (3.0; @aculinaryaffair)</generator><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/</link><item><title> 
J, I know we don’t usually reblog.  But God. It’s...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/41f6d7dbc0714fbed0a3fcc23321f37e/tumblr_ml5obkDPBa1rcx983o1_250.gif"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;br/&gt;&lt;img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/1f2126ea8e09604ead4c90efaeaf9eb3/tumblr_ml5obkDPBa1rcx983o2_250.gif"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;br/&gt;&lt;img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/bb306cb81582d70b036171099c4c04db/tumblr_ml5obkDPBa1rcx983o3_250.gif"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;br/&gt;&lt;img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/d17f9afc7b6c6ec872dd631bdb9da121/tumblr_ml5obkDPBa1rcx983o4_250.gif"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;br/&gt;&lt;img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/53e02234682ea65496b781a753081a53/tumblr_ml5obkDPBa1rcx983o6_250.gif"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;br/&gt;&lt;img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/0fe04a80a47a631d8c5e2876b051e715/tumblr_ml5obkDPBa1rcx983o7_250.gif"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;br/&gt;&lt;img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/c7c6fecfdf33bfaf31ff832ddc17181a/tumblr_ml5obkDPBa1rcx983o8_250.gif"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;br/&gt;&lt;img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/6cff9e88f20e76d3b9ff76fd088e7e8e/tumblr_ml5obkDPBa1rcx983o5_250.gif"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a class="tumblr_blog" href="http://gifs.1000notes.com/post/50708155330/this-post-has-been-featured-on-a-1000notes-com"&gt; &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;J, I know we don’t usually reblog.  But God. It’s a moment we both share.  I couldn’t help myself.  It’s sooo pretty.  I’ll take it down soon.&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/50818137366</link><guid>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/50818137366</guid><pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2013 23:38:00 +1000</pubDate><category>ratatouille</category><category>fireworks</category><category>cheese</category><category>strawberry</category></item><item><title>Seafood Paella
One of my favourite easy to do meals.  Goes all...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/ee9fa1acb0be218af7004d86dd1226a5/tumblr_mn1pskmGmM1r84i4co1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;Seafood Paella&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;One of my favourite easy to do meals.  Goes all year round.  Honestly, less then 30 mins away from eating.  Fantastic for dinner parties, especially when people eat with their eyes.  Easy to make, easy to serve.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Recipe adapted from &lt;a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipe/86/Paella" title="sbs food" target="_blank"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.  &lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/50815302422</link><guid>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/50815302422</guid><pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2013 22:38:44 +1000</pubDate><category>paella</category><category>spain</category><category>espanol</category><category>food</category><category>A Culinary Affair</category><category>seafood</category><category>dinner</category><category>seafood paella</category><category>squid</category><category>prawn</category><category>mussels</category><category>rice</category></item><item><title>Raspberry and vanilla bavarois sponge cake. My sister was...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/8ab3aa69e10595a68d0dcb1456fbfad2/tumblr_mmoqpdKf5v1r84i4co1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;Raspberry and vanilla bavarois sponge cake. My sister was responsible for this complicated cake (it looks deceptively simple) but I did promise to take a picture of the finished product, so here it is! Tada!&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/50252791509</link><guid>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/50252791509</guid><pubDate>Sun, 12 May 2013 22:29:37 +1000</pubDate><category>food</category><category>Bavarois</category><category>Happy Mother's Day</category><category>mother's day</category><category>cake</category><category>A Culinary Affair</category></item><item><title>Homemade lasagne! yes! I am so full right now! But happily so! </title><description>&lt;img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/bfb64d72e69e03f10636cabc74f4dc72/tumblr_mmojg10c881r84i4co1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;Homemade lasagne! yes! I am so full right now! But happily so! &lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/50242368040</link><guid>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/50242368040</guid><pubDate>Sun, 12 May 2013 19:52:49 +1000</pubDate><category>Food</category><category>Lasagne</category><category>Homemade</category><category>Recipes</category><category>Italian food</category><category>A Culinary Affair</category><category>Food Photography</category><category>Food blog</category><category>Comfort food</category><category>Mother's Day</category></item><item><title>Some fruit fun.</title><description>&lt;img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/1e76c31cd58a5bfe86de75088520456b/tumblr_mmoa04zth31r84i4co1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;br/&gt;&lt;img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/b5ebf230e53943122390508e80b67220/tumblr_mmoa04zth31r84i4co2_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;Some fruit fun.&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/50232409384</link><guid>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/50232409384</guid><pubDate>Sun, 12 May 2013 16:28:52 +1000</pubDate><category>food</category><category>Fruit fun</category><category>Oranges</category><category>Nashi</category><category>healthy</category><category>A Culinary Affair</category><category>Food Photography</category></item><item><title>There is no modesty here because I think I have pretty amazing...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/78728b6fff649b33ab66a7bd4dce40c7/tumblr_mmmg5zfsLg1r84i4co1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;There is no modesty here because I think I have pretty amazing cake cutting skills! Even dad momentarily stopped eating whilst I doing this stressful task. This is a preview of something for mummy’s day so please watch this space!! :) &lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/50149537752</link><guid>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/50149537752</guid><pubDate>Sat, 11 May 2013 16:46:00 +1000</pubDate><category>Cake</category><category>Food</category><category>Sponge cake</category><category>A Culinary Affair</category><category>food photography</category><category>food blog</category></item><item><title>Italian Country-Style Bread! No bread maker required! (but you...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/5246689dd32f64ddd319f56f574e671a/tumblr_mmkwp48cfU1r84i4co1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;Italian Country-Style Bread! No bread maker required! (but you will need an oven)&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I’m eating a slice right now! This recipe is from “&lt;a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Food-Italy/9781740454643" target="_blank"&gt;The Food of Italy: A Journey for Food Lovers&lt;/a&gt;” and I cannot recommend this book more for anyone who loves Italian food, or loves food in general. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This is the recipe exactly as it is in my book, so think of it was a very small sample of what the book has to offer.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;“Country Style Bread” &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Best eaten on baking day, but the day-old bread is excellent for making bruschetta and crostini.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Makes: 2 loaves&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ingredients&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Starter&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;-185 ml (3/4 cup) milk, warmed&lt;br/&gt;-2 teaspoons honey&lt;br/&gt;-1 teaspoon dried yeast or 7g (1/4 oz) fresh yeast&lt;br/&gt;-125g (1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dough&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;-1 teaspoon dried yeast or 7g (1/4 oz) fresh yeast&lt;br/&gt;-2 1/2 teaspoons salt&lt;br/&gt;-500g (4 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method:&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;To make the starter, mix the milk and honey in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and stir to dissolve. Leave in a draught-free place to activate. If the yeast does not bubble and foam in 5 minutes, throw it away and start again. Add the flour and whisk to form a thick paste. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature overnight.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;To make the dough, sprinkle the yeast over the starter. Using your fingertips, break up the starter by squeezing it between your fingers. Gradually add 250ml (1 cup) water, combining it with the starter. Mix in the salt and flour with your fingers until the mixture comes together to form a soft dough.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave to rise in a draught-free place for 1- 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. Knock back, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1-2 minutes until smooth.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Divide the dough into two and shape into round loaves, then flatten them slightly. Lightly grease a large baking tray (I used baking paper) with oil and dust with flour. Put the loaves on the tray and score a crisscross pattern about 5mm (1/4 inch) deep on top of each load. dust lightly with more flour.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a draught-free place for about 40 minutes, or until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 200C (400F/Gas 6). Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;And then, enjoy!!&lt;br/&gt;J&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/50081685530</link><guid>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/50081685530</guid><pubDate>Fri, 10 May 2013 20:48:00 +1000</pubDate><category>Food</category><category>Bread</category><category>A Culinary Affair</category><category>italian bread</category><category>Food Blog</category><category>Food Photography</category><category>country style bread</category></item><item><title>Chewy Nutella cookies!
—recipe after the jump—

Now,...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/72166854e7ba2097a50e25701a36fc48/tumblr_mm49oqRctK1r84i4co1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chewy Nutella cookies!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;—recipe after the jump—&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Now, the colour of the cookies in the picture is deceiving; they’re much more brown in real life!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I didn’t make any changes to the &lt;a href="http://www.laurainthekitchen.com/all/episode.php?episodenumber=390" target="_blank"&gt;recipe by the lovely Laura Vitale&lt;/a&gt; put up on her website, so i’m just gonna redirect you to her website, where you can watch her make the cookies too!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Enjoy! &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;J&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/49495704768</link><guid>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/49495704768</guid><pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2013 15:42:00 +1000</pubDate><category>food</category><category>Nutella cookies</category><category>Cookies</category><category>NOM NOM NOM</category><category>Food Photography</category><category>food blog</category><category>Recipes</category><category>A Culinary Affair</category></item><item><title>Eggplant &amp; Potato moussaka!

—Recipe coming...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/827081fc1b2a598ec750d471339b7368/tumblr_mlyspc8VNl1r84i4co2_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;Eggplant &amp; Potato moussaka!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;—Recipe coming soon—&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/49245869622</link><guid>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/49245869622</guid><pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:19:20 +1000</pubDate><category>Food</category><category>comfort food</category><category>moussaka</category><category>Eggplant and potato moussaka</category><category>Food photography</category><category>Food Blog</category><category>A Culinary Affair</category><category>recipes</category></item><item><title>It was a really habberdashery day yesterday, so my sister and I...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/54a53b7b894513c026040ef38c37ca02/tumblr_mlyephqBMb1r84i4co1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;It was a really habberdashery day yesterday, so my sister and I decided we were going to make pizza. Tada! &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We always make the dough ourselves. The topping consisted of whatever we found in the fridge and in the pantry we thought our parents would enjoy eating. I know some people have a huge thing about not putting pineapple on your pizza but you what? Put whatever you like on your pizza. The main thing is that you enjoy eating it!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;J&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/49074614438</link><guid>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/49074614438</guid><pubDate>Sun, 28 Apr 2013 17:19:00 +1000</pubDate><category>food</category><category>food blog</category><category>Pizza</category><category>Homemade</category><category>A Culinary Affair</category><category>Food Photography</category></item><item><title>Pumpkin roll! (with cream cheese filling)
—recipe after...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/e421e096de0aef35e724b18edc12274f/tumblr_mlcm4iPjBq1r84i4co1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;Pumpkin roll! (with cream cheese filling)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;—recipe after the jump—&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Tada! I’m surprised that it has taken me this long to try making a roll! Well, I’ve done it now! I didn’t have the right nuts the recipe called for, but my parents really liked it all the same; in fact mum is asking me to make another tomorrow night when my parents’ friends come and stay with us. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I liked the way the roll turned out; it’s all cute, rolled up like that. And I think it tastes rather nice, too!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;———-&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pumpkin Roll&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Recipe from &lt;a href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/PumpkinRoll.html" target="_blank"&gt;joyofbaking.com&lt;/a&gt; (I barely altered the recipe, but I’m giving you the original recipe below)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ingredients:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span&gt;-3/4 cup (100 grams) all purpose flour&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;-1/2 teaspoon baking powder&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;-1/2 teaspoon baking soda&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;-1/4 teaspoon ground allspice&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;-1/4 teaspoon salt&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;-3 large eggs&lt;/span&gt;, room temperature&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;&lt;span&gt;-1 cup (200 grams) granulated white &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;&lt;span&gt;-1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;-2/3 cup (150 grams) pumpkin puree*&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;* To make the puree here, I cut up, cleaned the pumpkin of seeds and stringy bits before weighing the amount I needed. I then proceeded to chop the pumpkin up into large manageable sizes so then taking off the skin of the pumpkin would be easier. I find using the middle of a sharp knife gives you the greatest control of accuracy, pressure and speed when trying to cut off the pumpkin skin. After that I chopped the pumpin bits into smaller chunks, added a very small amount of water in with the chunks before giving it a whirl in a blender. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;For the filling:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;-8 ounces (226 grams) cream cheese&lt;/span&gt;, room temperature&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;-2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter&lt;/span&gt;, room temperature&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;-1 cup (115 grams) confectioners’ (powdered or icing) sugar&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;-1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;-1 cup (130 grams) Heath Bits ‘O Brickle&lt;/span&gt;or other nut brickle&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;or  1 cup (100 grams) chopped walnuts or pecans&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;For garnish (optional):&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;Confectioners’ (powdered or icing) Sugar&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;Method:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;Pumpkin Roll:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter, or spray with a non-stick vegetable spray, a 15 inch (38 cm) x 10 inch (25 cm) baking pan, line it with parchment paper, and then butter and flour the parchment paper (or spray with Baker’s Joy).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2. Sift, into a large bowl, the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;3. Place the eggs along with the sugar in your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (can also use a hand mixer). Beat on high speed for five minutes, or until thick, pale yellow, and fluffy. (When you slowly raise the beaters the batter will fall back into the bowl in slow ribbons.) Beat in the vanilla extract and pumpkin puree. Gently fold in the sifted flour mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, evenly spreading the cake batter with an offset spatula or knife.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;4. Bake for about 13 -15 minutesor until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake, when lightly pressed, springs back.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;5. Immediately upon removing the cake from the oven invert the pumpkin roll onto a clean dish towel that has been sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar. Carefully remove the parchment paper, sprinkle lightly with confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, and roll up the pumpkin roll, with the towel, while it is still hot and pliable. Place on a wire rack to cool.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;To Assemble:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Unroll the pumpkin roll, spread with the filling, and reroll. Transfer to your serving platter. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. (You can serve this cake immediately but chilling it for a few hours, or even overnight, sets the filling and makes it easier to slice.) Just before serving,dust with confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Enjoy!!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;J&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/48117052165</link><guid>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/48117052165</guid><pubDate>Tue, 16 Apr 2013 22:45:00 +1000</pubDate><category>Food</category><category>Swiss roll</category><category>Dessert</category><category>Nom nom nom</category><category>A Culinary Affair</category><category>Food Photography</category><category>Food Blog</category><category>food porn</category><category>Pumpkin Roll</category></item><item><title>Mission: eat the scone.
Please open your mouth, if you choose to...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/9a2984dd6d437a2cfb09d6f70e8df1ef/tumblr_ml51119Tss1r84i4co1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mission: eat the scone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Please open your mouth, if you choose to accept this mission.&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/47772458553</link><guid>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/47772458553</guid><pubDate>Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:27:00 +1000</pubDate><category>Food</category><category>Scones</category><category>Jam and Cream scones</category><category>food photography</category><category>A Culinary Affair</category></item><item><title>Strawberry &amp; vanilla cream sponge
—recipe after the...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/e8c8ef2a66983d21b46dd3f1280979bc/tumblr_mku3l81fgJ1r84i4co1_r1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;Strawberry &amp; vanilla cream sponge&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;—recipe after the jump—&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Happy Birthday mummy!&lt;/strong&gt; :) I didn’t have time to make anything particularly fancy this year but sometimes something more simple is great too, right? This was actually a joint effort by my siblings and I. My sister did the baking and making, my brother did the slathering of the cream and I decorated the cake.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Strawberry &amp; vanilla cream sponge&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;cake&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Recipe from: &lt;a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3808/strawberry-and-vanilla-cream-sponge" target="_blank"&gt;BBC Good Food&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Makes…a whole cake.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Baking time: 20-25 minutes&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;Ingredients&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;For the sponge:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;-175g unsalted butter, softened (room temperature)&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;-175 golden caster sugar&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;-1 tsp baking powder&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;-1 ½ tsp vanilla extract&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;-3 eggs&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;-175g self raising flour&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;For filling and topping:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;-4 tbsp strawberry jam&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;-284ml carton of double cream or whipping cream&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;-2 tbsp icing sugar, sifted&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;-1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out or 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;Method:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;1. Heat the oven to 180C / 356 F fan forced.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; 2. Line the sides and bottom of two cake tins (of the same size) with baking paper.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; 3. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until well combined before adding in all the other ingredients, combining together well.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; 4. Equally divide your batter into the two tins and level the surface out with the back of a spoon or spatula. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cake batter is springy to the touch and golden brown. If baking the two tins at different levels in the oven, then swap the tins around at the half-minute mark to ensure even browning of the sponge. Leave to cool in tins for about 5 minutes before turning out onto a rack and peeling away baking paper. Let these babies cool completely! Meanwhile, get to work on your filling!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; 5. Spread the jam onto the base of one sponge. Lightly whip together the cream and icing sugar and vanilla bean/extract/paste and spread onto of the jam. Stick the other sponge on top and spread the remaining cream over the top.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt; 6. You can decorate the cake as you wish- I had strawberries, so I fiddled around with them.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Enjoy! &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;-J&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/47271230789</link><guid>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/47271230789</guid><pubDate>Sat, 06 Apr 2013 23:48:00 +1100</pubDate><category>Food</category><category>Dessert</category><category>Sponge Cake</category><category>Strawberry &amp; Vanilla cream sponge</category><category>Happy Birthday!</category><category>A Culinary Affair</category><category>Cake</category></item><item><title>Cream Cheese Brownies
—recipe after the...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/b42734d8e6bac5f8f0d250825858e6d4/tumblr_mkmq3hQnVv1r84i4co1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cream Cheese Brownies&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;—recipe after the jump—&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Admittedly I wasn’t the one who made these; my sister did!  But lemme tell you something. T&lt;/span&gt;his brownie is cray. I don’t care how much you aspire to be Augustus Gloop; you’re only allowed to shovel ONE brownie into your mouth at one time and you must take at least…a long break before another one enters into your mouth. These are share-with-your-family-and-friends brownies; not IMMA-EAT-THESE-ALL-BY-MYSELF-IN-FRONT-OF-THE-COUCH-FOR-DINNER brownies. You’re going to turn into a non sexy fatty if you do that. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;So my sister didn’t bother with the fancy ‘marbling’ of the brownie at the top, but you definitely can. It’s all in the instructions!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cream cheese brownies&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Recipe from: &lt;a href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/barsandsquares/CreamCheeseBrownies.html" target="_blank"&gt;Joy of Baking&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;(You can also watch a video tutorial for how to make these on the site)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Ingredients:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Brownie Layer:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter&lt;/span&gt;, cut into pieces&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;4 ounces (115 grams) unsweetened chocolate&lt;/span&gt;, coarsely chopped&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated white suga&lt;/span&gt;r&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;2 large eggs&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;1/2 cup (65 grams) all purpose flour&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;1/4 teaspoon salt&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;Cream Cheese Layer:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;8 ounces (227 grams) full fat cream cheese&lt;/span&gt;, at room temperature&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white sugar&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;1 large egg&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;Tips &amp; Advice:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The trick to making a dense and fudge-like brownie, besides reducing the amount of flour and using no artificial leavening (baking powder/baking soda), is to incorporate as little air as possible when mixing the batter. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span&gt;So, for these Cream Cheese Brownies, instead of pulling out the electric mixer we are just going to mix the ingredients by hand in one bowl. The result is a nicely compact brownie with a dense and fudgy texture. Once the brownie batter is in the pan (we do put a little brownie batter aside for later) we top it with a cheesecake filling. The main component in a cheesecake is cream cheese, that white, soft and spreadable cheese with a slightly tangy flavor. It has a 33% butterfat content so its texture is wonderfully smooth and creamy. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The one thing you do need to keep in mind is that the &lt;/span&gt;cream cheese &lt;span&gt;needs to be &lt;/span&gt;full fat&lt;span&gt;and at room temperature before it is beaten (in the food processor or with a hand mixer) so it will be nice and smooth with no lumps (but do not over process). &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="ingredient"&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Place small dollops of that leftover brownie batter over the cream cheese filling and then running a knife or wooden skewer through it all to give a nice marbleized effect. You can eat these Cream Cheese Brownies the same day as you make them, but I prefer refrigerating them overnight as this gives the flavors time to soften and mingle.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;Method:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;&lt;small&gt;1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. &lt;/small&gt;Have ready a &lt;small&gt;9 inch (23 cm) square baking pan that has been lined with aluminum foil (or baking paper).&lt;/small&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;2. In a heatproof bowl, placed over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and stir or whisk in the sugar and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour and salt and stir vigorously until the batter is smooth and glossy (about one minute). Remove 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the brownie batter and set it aside. Spread the remainder of the brownie batter evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;3. Then, in the bowl of your food processor (or with a hand mixer), process the cream cheese just until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla, and egg and process just until creamy and smooth (do not over process). Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the brownie layer. Spoon 16 small dollops (4 rows with 4 dollops of brownie batter in each row) of the reserved brownie batter evenly on top of the cream cheese filling. Run a knife or wooden skewer back and forth through the two batters until you have a marble effect.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;4 Bake in the preheated oven for about &lt;span class="cooktime"&gt;30 minutes&lt;span class="value-title" title="PT0H25M"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;or until the brownies are set and the cream cheese is just beginning to brown. (A toothpick inserted into the brownie comes out with just a few moist crumbs.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Then cover and refrigerate the brownies until they are firm enough to cut into squares (several hours or even overnight). Once chilled, remove the brownies from the pan by lifting with the ends of the foil and transfer to a cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut into 16 squares. It is a good idea to have a damp cloth nearby to wipe your knife between cuts. These brownies can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Serve cold or at room temperature.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;Makes about 16 - 2 inch (5 cm) brownies.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;Enjoy!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="bod"&gt;-J&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/46934187182</link><guid>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/46934187182</guid><pubDate>Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:26:00 +1100</pubDate><category>Food</category><category>Brownies</category><category>Food Photography</category><category>Cream Cheese Brownies</category><category>Dessert</category><category>recipes</category><category>A Culinary Affair</category></item><item><title>My sister and I have decided to call this cake:
“Cake at...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/ae8e7d6909b4745d5d13023beb09710e/tumblr_mkf28oD1RF1r84i4co1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;My sister and I have decided to call this cake:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“Cake at Hanging Rock”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;*shrug*&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This cake was originally made as a belated birthday cake for my brother. Initially my sister had come into the kitchen with this recipe that looked ridiculously hard but it ended up with her and I just doing whatever the hell we liked to get the cake to what it looks like in the picture. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Obviously it’s not perfect looking, but I think this cake looks rather nice, all pell-mell looking.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It was so much fun making this cake! And it tasted really, really good! (You can’t really go wrong with toffee, strawberry cream, raspberries and blueberries on top of chocolate cake)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;J&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/46582256177</link><guid>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/46582256177</guid><pubDate>Fri, 29 Mar 2013 20:55:00 +1100</pubDate><category>Food</category><category>Happy Birthday!</category><category>Cake</category><category>A Culinary Affair</category><category>Food Photography</category></item><item><title>Orange cheesecake with cocoa base
—recipe after the...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/bc6dc2b30273aa147a7930ce6296a073/tumblr_mk34ldoLGh1r84i4co1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Orange cheesecake with cocoa base&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;—recipe after the jump—&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I was feeling all jumpy and restless last night. So guess what? I baked a cake. Just as dad finished off the last&lt;a href="http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/45749958459/cinnamon-rolls-recipe-after-the-jump-more" target="_blank"&gt; cinnamon roll&lt;/a&gt;, I swooped into the kitchen and started pulling everything I needed out of the pantry and fridge. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Yes there is a crack on the surface of my cake D: I’m thinking that I might have over beaten my mixture when adding in the eggs, so you have to pay attention, ok? &lt;a href="http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/bakingtips.cheesecakes/Cheesecakes.cfm" target="_blank"&gt;Take a look at these additional cheesecake making tips to minimise risk of cracking!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Please remember that this is a sometimes-when-I-was-extremely-awesome-and-good-for-the-whole-day type of food and it will do you no good if you decide to eat cheesecake deliciousness every meal. Eat responsibly, remember to share and take care of yourself!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Orange cheesecake with cocoa base&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;Recipe adapted from “&lt;a href="http://kitsch-kitchen.blogspot.com.au/2011/06/chocolate-orange-cheesecake.html" target="_blank"&gt;Kitsch in the Kitchen&lt;/a&gt;”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I would suggest that you use nothing smaller than a 9 inch spring form pan for this.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ingredients&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For the base:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;-80g butter, cut up into small, cold chunks&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-1 1/4 cups granita biscuits/ plain biscuits (approx. 250g)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder (depending on much cocoa taste you want)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For the cheesecake batter:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;-500g cream cheese, softened &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-70g butter, softened&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-120g sugar&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-zest of one orange&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-1 1/2 tablespoons of cornflour, sifted&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-3 eggs, separated&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For the base:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;1. Line the base of your spring form pan with baking paper. This will allow the cake to slide out more easily when it’s done.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;2. Depending on whether you want to line the sides of your cake as well, either butter the sides of the cake tin, or line with sides with baking paper as well.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;3. Using a food processor, crush and combine the biscuits, butter and cocoa powder together. You’ll know when it’s done when your mixture looks like breadcrumbs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;(If you do not have a good processor, then fear not! You can make the base by hand, even if it will take a little bit longer. Break up the biscuits as best as you can using your hands, or crush them up with a mortar and pestle into a large bowl. Create a tunnel in the middle of your mixture. Melt the butter and cocoa powder  together and tip them into your tunnel before giving everything a good mix, making sure that all the biscuits have absorbed a bit of buttery goodness.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;4. Tip your crumbly mixture into the pan and press the crumbs down firmly to create an even surface. Do the same with the sides of the cake tin as well. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;5. Pop your done cake base into the refrigerator so it can mingle with the cold whilst you get to work on your cheesecake filling!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;For the cheesecake batter&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;1. Preheat the oven to 160C/325 F, setting it to fan-forced (this makes the circulation of the heat more even). Place a large tray of water (make sure your tray is oven safe) onto the lowest rack of your oven.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;2. Using a standing electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter, sugar, orange zest and cornflour together. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;(I guess you could use a hand held mixer, but I stress that you must make sure that everything is properly combined and consistent!) &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;Mix everything together on a medium-low speed, being sure not to incorporate too much air. Add the egg yolks in one at a time until they are just combined between each addition. Once this is done, set your cream cheese mixture aside. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;3. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. (That is, little mountains that don’t decide to snuggle back down when you take your beaters away.) Proceed to gently fold your beaten egg whites into the cream cheese mixture.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;4. Now pour your mixture over your chilled base! Use the back of a spoon to smooth the batter out.  Wrap some aluminium foil over the top of the springform pan to prevent the top of your cheesecake burning.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;5. Bake your cake for about 1 and a 1/2 hours on the middle rack. After this time has lapsed, continue to keep your cake in the oven for another 30 minutes, opening the oven door just a crack. Afterwards, transfer the cake to a wire rack and let it cool down to room temperature, before popping it back into the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;6. After all your patient waiting, proceed to decorate your cake as you please! I just garnished mine with strawberries and dusted some cocoa powder. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Enjoy!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;-J&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/46026316494</link><guid>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/46026316494</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Mar 2013 10:33:00 +1100</pubDate><category>Food</category><category>A Culinary Affair</category><category>Cheesecake</category><category>Orange cheesecake with cocoa base</category><category>Food Photography</category></item><item><title>Cinnamon Rolls
—recipe after the jump—

My sister...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/65afd2108d46bedab657fb862f9a7e77/tumblr_mjwotpqttT1r84i4co1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;Cinnamon Rolls&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;—recipe after the jump—&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;My sister broke the rolls up before I got my camera ready! :( although they do look very cute just out of the oven all curled up together, it doesn’t matter. If you take a look at Laura Vitale’s video (link below) you can get an idea of what my rolls looked like too just out of the oven :)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I didn’t put a glaze over these cinnamon rolls because I thought they would be sweet enough without it but I have included the recipe for the glaze below, should you be in the mood for something really extra sweet. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;These are best eaten just fresh out of the oven, when the bread is still hot and soft and then cinnamon swirling throughout the roll is still hot, sweet and crusty :)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cinnamon Rolls&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Recipe from &lt;a href="http://www.laurainthekitchen.com/all/episode.php?episodenumber=300" target="_blank"&gt;Laura in the kitchen&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you click on the link you’ll also be able to watch Laura makes these scrummy rolls! :)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span class="style2"&gt;Makes 14 to 16 Rolls&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="style2"&gt;Ingredients:&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;-1 Package of Dry Yeast&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;-¾ cup of Whole Milk&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;-¼ cup of Granulated Sugar&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;-¼ cup of Water, warmed up to 115 degrees&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;-¼ tsp of Vanilla Extract&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;-1 Egg&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;-1 tsp of Salt&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;-¼ cup of Unsalted Butter, melted&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;-4 cups of All Purpose Flour&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;-¼ cup of Melted Butter, to brush over the top before baking&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="style2"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="style3"&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For the Filling&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;-1/3 cup of Unsalted Butter, at room temperature&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-¾ cup of Brown Sugar&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-¼ cup of Granulated Sugar&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-1 1/2 Tbsp of Ground Cinnamon&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="style3"&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For the Glaze&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;-¼ cup of Cream Cheese, at room temperature&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-1 Tbsp of Butter, at room temperature&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-1 1/4 cups of Powdered Sugar&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-½ tsp of Vanilla Extract&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-3 to 4 Tbsp of Warm Milk&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="style3"&gt;&lt;span class="style3"&gt;Method:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="style3"&gt;&lt;span class="style3"&gt;&lt;span class="style3"&gt;&lt;span&gt;1) In a small bowl, combine the warm water and 1 tsp of the granulated sugar, sprinkle the yeast over the top and let it sit for about 5 minutes.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span&gt;2) In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the egg, milk, salt, sugar and melted butter. Add 2 cups of the flour and the water, vanilla and yeast mixture, mix until its all incorporated and slowly add about 2 more cups of flour. Turn the speed up to medium and let it mix for about 5 to 7 minutes or until you have a smooth dough.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span&gt;3) Oil a large bowl with some vegetable oil and set aside. Take the dough out of the mixer and pull it together with your hands to form a ball. Place it in the oiled bowl and oil the top of the dough with a little vegetable oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place it in a warm spot to rise for about 2 hours.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span&gt;4) In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon for the filling, set aside.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span&gt;5) When doubled in size, punch the dough down and roll it out onto a floured surface into a 15x9” rectangle. Spread the soft butter over the top and sprinkle evenly over the sugar and cinnamon mixture.Staring from one of the long ends, tightly roll the dough into a jelly roll form. Cut into 14 to 16 slices (make sure they are even) and place them cut side down in a well buttered 9x13 baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let put them back into a warm spot to rise for another 1 ½ hours.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span&gt;6) Meanwhile preheat your oven to 350F/176C degrees.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span&gt;7) Once risen, brush them with some melted butter and bake them for about 30 or until golden brown.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;span&gt;8) While the cinnamon rolls cool for a few minutes make the glaze. Mix all the ingredients of the glaze in a bowl except for the milk, once the cream cheese is all mixed, slowly add the milk until you get a runny glaze consistency. Immediately pour the glaze over the cinnamon rolls and enjoy!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="style3"&gt;&lt;span class="style3"&gt;&lt;span class="style3"&gt;&lt;span class="style3"&gt;&lt;span&gt;J&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/45749958459</link><guid>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/45749958459</guid><pubDate>Tue, 19 Mar 2013 22:49:00 +1100</pubDate><category>Food</category><category>Cinnamon Rolls</category><category>Recipes</category><category>Food Photography</category><category>Comfort Food</category><category>A Culinary Affair</category><category>food porn</category></item><item><title>Wild Blackberries - M
Stumbled upon the bush by the sea.  </title><description>&lt;img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/e278ef58cca8a860b91a8f60f0385523/tumblr_mjwjz6IUC61r84i4co1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;Wild Blackberries - M&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Stumbled upon the bush by the sea.  &lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/45746876722</link><guid>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/45746876722</guid><pubDate>Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:04:00 +1100</pubDate><category>blackberry</category><category>wild</category><category>food photography</category><category>photography</category><category>A Culinary Affair</category><category>fresh</category><category>fruit</category><category>pick</category><category>web</category><category>food</category><category>macro food</category></item><item><title>Choc Rough Muffins
I realised very belatedly that the last time...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/63c21a9943d582ab77176117b54ec818/tumblr_mj2z55nMbK1r84i4co1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Choc Rough Muffins&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I realised very belatedly that the last time I made these and posted a picture up, I didn’t post the recipe up. My apologies!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;—recipe after the jump—&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Choc Rough Muffins Makes 12 (perhaps more if you use muffin liners)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Ingredients&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;-125g sugar&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-1/2 cup butter (125g)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-2 eggs, lightly beaten&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-250g self-raising flour, sifted&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-4 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-175g chocolate chips&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-45g desiccated coconut&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;-3/4 buttermilk/milk&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Method:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol&gt;&lt;li&gt;1. Preheat oven to 170C/338F. In a large bowl, place butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;2. In a separate bowl, combine flour and cocoa powder. Add flour mixture, chocolate chips, coconut and milk to butter mixture and mix until just combined.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;3. Spoon mixture into a 12 hole muffin pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until skewer poked into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Turn onto wire wrack to cool.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;p&gt;Enjoy! :)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;J&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/44445928375</link><guid>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/44445928375</guid><pubDate>Sun, 03 Mar 2013 21:44:04 +1100</pubDate><category>Food</category><category>Chocolate Chip muffins</category><category>Food Photography</category><category>Recipes</category><category>Muffins</category><category>A Culinary Affair</category></item><item><title>Italian Breakfast/ Banana bread
—recipe after the...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/ba528e1d652e59edae662b135c97321c/tumblr_mhmn93p1iP1r84i4co2_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Italian Breakfast/ Banana bread&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;—recipe after the jump— &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;!-- more --&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Recipe by: &lt;a href="https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;cad=rja&amp;ved=0CDQQFjAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nigella.com%2F&amp;ei=JaIyUd7nIaOCmQXjmYDQCg&amp;usg=AFQjCNHvlLy5ZdgQwq8cBcKYUP9pnEShiQ&amp;sig2=K-XLmv63ICRBpAJA0yoM_A&amp;bvm=bv.43148975,d.dGY" target="_blank"&gt;Nigella Lawson&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Serves 8-10 &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Ingredients:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;150ml vegetable oil, plus some for greasing (you’ll also need baking paper to line the tin)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;3 medium bananas, very ripe&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;2 tsp vanilla extract&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;pinch of salt&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;2 eggs&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;150g caster sugar&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;175g plain flour&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;4 tsp instant espresso powder&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Method:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Preheat the oven to 170C/338F&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Line your loaf tin with baking paper. Dab and spread spots of oil onto the back of some baking paper to help it stick to the baking tin.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mash the bananas with vanilla extract and salt and then beat in the oil. Follow this by beating in the eggs, one by one followed by the sugar.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Mix the flour with the bicarb soda and coffee, then beat into your banana batter.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake for about 50-60 minutes. The load should be slightly coming away from the sides of the tin, with the top of the loaf bulging. Test the inside of the cake but sticking a skewer into the center, and it should come out  clean/dry.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;And that’s that! :)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Nigella suggests you wait at least half or a whole day before chowing some down, but as for me…that plan fell through.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Enjoy!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;J&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/44416890197</link><guid>http://aculinaryaffair.tumblr.com/post/44416890197</guid><pubDate>Sun, 03 Mar 2013 12:37:00 +1100</pubDate><category>Food</category><category>Italian Breakfast</category><category>Banana Loaf</category><category>A Culinary Affair</category><category>Recipes</category><category>Bread</category><category>Banana Bread</category></item></channel></rss>
