Celebrity Chef | Cookbookmaniac

Bitton Gourmet – Cafe and Grocer

Eastern Suburbs By Amy @ cookbookmaniac

I had come across Bitton Gourmet in the Sydney Morning Herald Foodies Guide 2010. Its little blurb about their famous jams and dressings was enticing enough for me to view their website. From that point on my curiosity grew. I loved the description of a green grocer, cafe, and gourmet food shop, and was convinced I had to pay a visit. Pizzaboy and I invite Papa & Mama Bear along with us for a Sunday Lunch. It turned out we got more than what we expected and truly love and believe in this wonderful establishment in Alexandria. We arrive at the store in between the breakfast and lunch rush. We were seated inside the cafe as the tables outside were all occupied. I was slightly disappointed because I prefer my food pictures to be lit by sunlight. I politely ask if we could move when there is a table free.…

Plan B by Becasse – Wagyu Burgers

Australian Restaurant Reviews By Amy @ cookbookmaniac

I have a growing desire to work closer to home. I currently live approximately an hour away from Sydney CBD and use to happily travel the distance everyday for many years. I no longer have the patience to be going back and forth for such long periods of time so frequently. Unfortunately, one of the pitfalls of not working in the city is missing out on establishments like Plan B. Plan B is the off-shoot, miniature cafe of Becasse, the main posh restaurant is just next door. It's only open Monday to Friday, 9to5. Grrrr. This is an absolute bummer for a wagyu-obsessed foodie like myself. Plan B serve a much applauded 600-day grass-fed Wagyu Beef Burger. Ever since I read about it in the Sydney Morning Heralds Good Food Guide 2010, I have been daydreaming about when I make pilgrimage to the teeny-tiny cafe. I took a planned day-off…

Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon & Chives – Curtis Stone

Australian Recipes By Amy @ cookbookmaniac

In honour of Australia Day celebrations, here is a blog post about a wonderful Australian chef, Curtis Stone. Enjoy! Like many people who choose a voluptuous life in the food industry Curtis started his career studying for a degree in business. However, his hunger for food called louder than graphs and numbers, so, he packed his bags and jetted off to London. He made a name for himself in restaurants throughout Europe, Australia and England and his big break came when he was featured in the book London on a Plate. Curtis has appeared in many television programs. He appeared in two successful seasons of Surfing the Menu, along with fellow chef Ben O'Donoghue. He was also the host of the first series of My Restaurant Rules before being replaced by Ian "Dicko" Dickson. He has made several guest appearances on NBC's Today show and most recently appeared on Martha Strewart's show.…