VLOG: FOOOD RACE

Hey Hey!
We've created a fun little food race where two teams compete to see who can complete the three obstacle course the quickest.

So what do you have to do to win?
First we have the Weetbix Challenge goal is to finish a weetbix without any drinks as fast as you can.
Second the Apple stacks all you have to do is successfully stack three apples and it needs to stand for a least 3 seconds.
Finally to stop the timer, team member is given a hand full of marshmallows and uncooked spaghetti to build a one level Marshmallow tower however they like.
Finish with the fastest time and you win!

Contributions:
Han - Team 1 member and helped setup
Remy - Team 1 member and recorded team two
Tiffany - Team 1 and 2 member helped set up
Julie - Team 2 member and recorded team one
Casey - Team 2 member and helped setup
Jenny - Into and edited the video.


Question is which of the two teams won the race? Watch our video blog on Youtube to find out!

Happy Watching!
-Fooodadventures team

Top Tips for a Better Workout!

Fueling your body with the right food and nutrients before and after exercise can have significant impacts on your performance, your energy levels, and your recovery. It is important to note that, food can only work as fuel once it has been absorbed – so make sure you have enough time to digest properly (a full meal 3-4 hours or light snack 1-2 hours before training) – then you can workout!

 Pre-Workout

Carbohydrates are the best pre-workout fuel as they are your body’s main source of energy. Not all carbs are ‘bad’ and it is essential that you fuel your body with the right type of carbs such as grains, gluten-free grains, starchy vegetables, oats, low-GI fruits, beans and legumes.

My top favourite snack to have 1-2 hours before I workout:

•       1/2 banana with 1 tbsp of nut butter.

•       2 brown rice cakes with avocado, ricotta/cottage cheese and sliced tomatoes.

•       1 piece of rye or sourdough toast with avocado or nut butter, banana and honey.

•       1/3 cup of oats with yoghurt, honey, and cinnamon

•       Veggie sticks and hummus.

Post-Workout

30 minutes post workout, your body responds best to protein as it is in a state of anabolic repair. Protein is important as it replenishes and rebuilds the muscles. Without enough protein when working out, your body begins to burn muscle instead of fat.

To maintain strong and quick-repairing muscles, you should have protein-rich snack post-workout. My favourite include:

·       1-2 boiled eggs.

·       Poached chicken.

·       A clean smoothie with 1-2 tablespoons of natural protein powder.

·       Natural yoghurt with a scoop of natural protein powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and a sprinkle of nuts and seeds

·       Protein Balls.

If you follow these tips, I can promise you more energy and the end to your sore muscles! 

- Remy 

Mackerel and Grilled Watermelon

In for another weird fruity food combination? How about some makerel and grilled watermelon? Just odd enough to weird out your guests, but tastes good enough for them to come back asking for more.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 small watermelon
• 50 ml soy sauce
• 1 tsp wasabi paste
• 2 large mackerel
• 1 lime
• 1 pinch salt and pepper
• 1 handful fresh coriander

STEP-BY-STEP-GUIDE:

GRILL THE WATERMELON

Preheat a cast iron griddle. Slice the watermelon right through the cross section into slices 2cm thick. Quarter these into wedges and place onto the cast iron griddle for the natural sugars to char for 2-3 minutes on each side.

PREPARE THE MACKEREL

Fillet the mackerel, pick out ay stray bones and remove the skin before dicing up into small bitesize pieces. Season the mackerel pieces in a bowl with a squeeze of lime juice and pinch of salt and pepper.

PLATE

Just before the watermelon finishes cooking splash the soy into the pan to sizzle and reduce, sticking to the watermelon in places. Serve the hot, charred watermelon on a plate with a mound of the cured mackerel on top. Dot tiny blobs of the wasabi on each watermelon slice and scatter over coriander.

SERVE

Serve immediately whilst the fish is cool but the watermelon hot. Enough for 4 as a starter

Special thanks to SORTED Foods for this innovative recipe. Head over to https://www.youtube.com/user/sortedfood for more weird combinations!

If you have any suggestions or would like to show us any of your own creations just send us a tweet at @fooodadventure! Until next time

- Hanna

FOOOD HACKS- FRUIT

What is summer without an extravagant array of different fruits. Brighten up your day with these fruit hacks.

Apples turning brown after being cut are a normal thing though it can be quite frustrating. To keep your apple slices from turning brown SOAK SLICES INTO mixture of two tablespoons of honey with one cup of water.

Pomegranates. Are. Delicious. Though they are a huge struggle to deseed. USING A WOODEN SPOON AND BOWL, hit the back of a pomegranate half so that pomegranate seeds fall into bowl. TA-DA. How easy was that?

Avocados are quite a fussy fruit in terms of ripeness. They take forever to be ripe and once they are, they go off really quickly. This is not good for storing avocados. In order to keep avocados fresher for longer, KEEP THE SEED INSIDE THE AVOCADO. 

-Casey

Domino’s Drone Delivery Service!

Another futuristic innovation! Airborne pizza delivery comes to life. The food industry marks another step forward in utilising cutting-edge technology for customers all over the world!

We all know and love Domino’s pizza. When we don’t feel like cooking or just need an easy party food, we turn to domino’s. But it’s not always the fastest option...sometimes traffic is terrible and we end up waiting for what seems to be forever-stomachs growling, mouths watering-longing for the delicious taste of Domino’s pizza.

But wait no more! With the increasing deliveries each year, domino’s have taken a step forward in partnership with the independent drone delivery service Flirtey. Together, the two industries are testing pizza delivery by drones, in attempt to break down current barriers including traffic and access, distance/location and safety. Just think, faster and more efficient delivery, and further distance!

In August this year, they exhibited their first successful demonstration in their launch market, Auckland, New Zealand. Why New Zealand you may ask? Well they have the most current and forward-thinking aviation regulations in the world, enabling businesses like domino’s to test innovative and futuristic technologies to extend their services. The demonstration was conducted under the Civil Aviation Rules Part 101 and will be CAA approved for it’s first launch in stores.

This delivery fleet will be integrated with online ordering and GPS systems and will be available alongside the current delivery options. But it doesn’t stop there! Domino’s are continually looking for more cutting-edge technologies to offer customers and are invested in providing delivery via electric scooters, e-bikes and even the Domino’s Robotic Unit (DRU) which is already in the making. Aiming to utilise drone delivery in all stores, Domino’s is looking at trialling in Australia, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Japan and Germany. But first, the trial flights are set to commence later this year in New Zealand so get excited, it won’t be long until it comes into play in Australia!

Domino's Robotic Unit

Read more at: https://www.dominos.com.au/inside-dominos/media/aug-2016-the-sky-s-the-limit-dominos-announces-partnership-with-flirtey-for-caa-approved-drone-deliveries

-Tiff

REVIEW: Sake

Kingfish Jalapeno

Pacific Oysters

Sashimi Tacos

Pork Belly Robata and Popcorn shrimp in the back

Wagyu Brisket

Sake is a well known Contemporary Japanese Cuisine restaurant. We went to the one of the rocks about a five minute walk from the overseas passenger terminal. Greeted at the door by a lovely waitress who was very polite and promptly showed us to our table. The restaurants design definitely suits their little motto. Service was great all night.
The waitress had explained to us that everything on the menu was designed to share and so thats what we did.

Starters/Mains
Scampi (nigiri 2p) $17: This was delicious, fish was fresh and melt in your mouth. It also has a wasabi kick hidden inside which came as a little of a surprise but was very complimenting to the fish and all the other little bits.

Flying fish roe (nigiri 2p) $7: average

Oysters 6 pacific oysters $30: Comes with Japanese salsas, I wasn't too much of a fan. Oysters were extremely small (except for 1 or 2) yes tasted fresh but the salsas weren't my cup of tea. Fresh oysters with Japanese soy sauce dressing and lemon would have been much preferred if I had known.

Sashimi tacos $19: Salmon sashimi filled baby tacos with chilled tomato salsa and sake shots. When the waitress told us they were small we didn't expect them to be THAT small. Nonetheless they were delicious and the idea behind it is pretty cool and made the tacos taste even better. So you squeeze the lemon on the taco, eat the taco and take the sake shot. Highly recommend this dish!

Kingfish jalapeño $23: With yuzu soy, jalapeño and coriander. This was my favourite dish of the night. The fish was nice and thinly cut with the yuzu soy was just to die for! Especially because I love jalapeño I was a little disappointed that the dish was not spicy AT ALL. All the jalapeno seeds were taken out and all you had was the skin of the jalapeño. But it still left a slight jalapeño flavour and still very very delicious. Favourite dish!!

Popcorn shrimp tempura $21: With creamy spicy sauce. This dish was alright, nothing too special its literally deep friend prawns in light batter and a bit of sauce. For something that is under the "Sake Classics" and recommended by the waitress, I was underwhelmed.

Brined pork belly robata $12: Charcoal grilled skewers. YES when this came out finally a dish that was packed with flavour and made my mouth water once we had finished it. High recommend these Robatas. I could imagine that all the other meat varieties would be amazing too! 

Braised david blackmore’s wagyu brisket $39: with miso mustard yuzu and charcoal grilled leek. We had ordered this dish after we finished everything else purely because we were still starving. Pleasantly surprised by the brisket was super juicy, soft and melt in your mouth. Although the portion was tiny the flavours were perfect. Would recommend this dish!

Desserts

Dragon egg $20: With dark chocolate, passionfruit, lime and liquid nitrogen. The famous dragon egg from sake was actually the main reason why I went to Sake. From seeing many pictures and videos all over social media I had to try it for myself. And it did live up to its hype. The mousse was one of the best i have ever tasted. It was so smooth and perfectly made, went very well with the bottom cream layer and chocolate crumbles. If you're a chocolate lover like me, you would love this dessert!

Matcha opera cake $16: With green tea, pink grapefruit and crispy honey. This was a nice dessert, had strange combinations between the green tea and grapefruit but it went really well together. Im not the biggest fan of green tea but if you are this is a nice dessert to finish your meal.

Also their Green Tea Martini is actually pretty nice if you were thinking about trying it 

Overall thoughts on sake.. I was pretty underwhelmed the whole night. Yes there are a handful of nice dishes but would I come back here again? probably not. Most dishes lack that wow factor that would make you want to come back to get it. If you haven't tried Sake before and want to try it, I say go for it but its probably a one time thing. 

For a about $100 more I think you can get an amazing meal from Sokyo one of their biggest competitions down at Pyrmont. I think Sokyo has definitely nailed everything on their menu and everytime I go there I am never disappointed. Still to this day my favourite Japanese restaurant. If it didn't cost me $300-350 every time I ate there for two I would definitely be there every week. So that says a lot.

P.s. It wouldn't let me upload a video of the dragon egg and the liquid nitrogen but have a look on google! :)

Happy Reading! 

- Julie

You think it's healthy, but in fact it's actually not?

video from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APHDrYEHQaY

Hello everyone, welcome back to my Weekly Wednesday post about HEALTHY DIETS! So healthy diets... how well do you know your food actually?

Most people gain knowledge about the different types of food, healthy or junk, fruit or vegetable, from people surrounding them such as familial relatives, friends and teachers etc. However, are they really reliable? Are they passing on to you the correct information?

Interestingly, here is a video that explains the most common 5 foods that many people consider healthy, however it really isn't. It is only assumed through methods like word of mouth and the internet that they are what they are not.

This video explains from people in the industry, and have completed and learned the topic itself, what 5 foods that many people think are healthy, are actually not.

Please give the video a watch, as it really is important for you, someone who is reading this blog in aims of seeing the many perspectives of healthy food.

-Jenny

Eating right for your skin!

Ever wondered how to get brighter skin that glows? The correct nutrition has proven to improve your skin, nourishing your body from the inside out, improving your skins strength, texture, hydration and glow!

Our skin is the largest organ in the human body and is important in protecting us from harmful toxins and exposure from our external environment, minimizes fluid loss and protects our insides.

To boost our skin health, it can be recommended to eat the below foods:

1.  Oily fish such as salmon and tuna- these fish are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which are important in increasing the cellular repair of our skin, making our skin feel and look softer, smoother and more hydrated.
2. Avocado- the fatty acids found in avocado are essential in protecting the skin from sun damage and inflammation, as well as providing our skin with important antioxidants such as carotenoids. These antioxidants improve C, which is vital for collagen formation, and vitamin E, which protects against free radicals.
3. Pumpkin Seeds: the high level of zinc protects skin from free-radical damage, sun exposure and infection, as well as cell renewal.
4. Red Capsicum: packed with Vitamin C, red capsicum protects your skin from sun damage, protecting skins collagen, keeping your skin looking young and fresh.
5. Goji Berries: these berries are known for their high levels of antioxidants, helping to reduce inflammation and even out your skin tone. Additionally, they have anti-ageing properties and help to reduce the appearance of scars.

      It is important to ensure that your diet doesn’t consist of too many sugars and processed foods, as these are your skins worst enemies! By eating foods listed above, your skin will get that glow you’ve been looking for.

-- Remy 

Pineapple Fritters!

Pen Pineapple Apple Pen ... Like everyone else this song has been stuck in my head the whole day. It's even inspired me to go recipe hunting for you guys. This week we're making some tropical pineapple fritters!

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 pineapple rings (in juice)
• 2 shot coconut rum
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 150 g self-raising flour
• 300 ml sparkling water
• 1 handful desiccated coconut
• 2 l oil for deep frying
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 200 ml double cream
• 1 drizzle honey

STEP-BY-STEP-GUIDE:

SOAK THE PINEAPPLE RINGS

Drain the pineapple rings and place into a bowl. Pour the rum over the rings and sprinkle over the brown sugar. Leave to soak for 15 minutes.

MAKE THE BATTER

Whisk the sparkling water into the flour to make a fairly thick batter. Stir in the desiccated coconut.

PREHEAT THE FRYER

Heat the oil in a fryer to 180ºc (or a pan if you do not have one but never leave it unattended).

FRY THE PINEAPPLE

Pat the pineapple rings dry. Dip the rings into the batter and carefully lower them in to the fryer.

COOK AND DRAIN

Dry for about 4 minutes or until golden brown, turning over half way through. Pluck out the cooked rings and drain on kitchen paper to remove excess oil.

WHIP THE CREAM

Whip the cream with the icing sugar to soft peaks

SERVE AND ENJOY!

Serve a dollop of cream with the fritters and a drizzle of honey. Serves 4

Special thanks to SORTED Foods for this special recipe. Head over to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgwPE6OGLK4 for an instructional video on how to make these!

If you would like to send us any suggestions or submit your creations, please tweet us at @fooodadventure! Until next time

- Hanna

NIGHT NOODLE MARKETS

Hoy Pinoy: Chicken and Pork Belly Skewers

Belly Bao

Black Star Pastry: Watermelon Cake

Photo Credit: "Baogers" One Tea Lounge Instagram 

Sydney Night Noodle Markets as Good food month describes as "...with all the sights, sounds and smell of asian cuisine" set right in the middle of the CBD at Hyde Park runs for two weeks around the beginning of October every year (6th-23rd)

Its an exciting food festival that happens yearly, a place where you can spend your afternoon/night doing, wandering around enjoying the food, music and good vibes. This year is the third year I've gone to Night Noodle Markets and here are some of the must haves that I recommend if you don't know where to start when you get there :)

HOY PINOY: You cannot miss them, you'll see these guys from a mile away with the Hoy Pinoy tent steaming with smoke and the smell of amazing BBQ-ed meat always attracts a long line. But trust me its so worth the wait! They have several options on the menu, but I recommend to just load up on the skewers. "Ini haw na Manok" are their chicken skewers with soy glaze and "Inihaw na Baboy" are their pork belly skewers with banana ketchup glaze. But absolutely mouth watering that you'll want more once you've finished your skewers! They're a must have!

BELLY BAO: Their signature hand made steamed Belly Bao buns filled with a variety of meats choices; Crackling roast pork belly, slow braised pork belly, panko crumbed chicken breast, soft shell crab, slow braised beef short ribs and crispy tofu. (The crackling roast pork belly is a must try)

BLACK STAR PASTRY: Cant go wrong with their famous Watermelon cake. Consists of two layers of almost dacquoise, rose-scented cream, watermelon, strawberries, pistachios and dried rose petals. Its not too sweet or heavy making it a perfect dessert to end your night with.

ONE TEA LOUNGE: Ice Cream Baogers are slider size fried "burgers" with ice cream and miso caramel. Comes in four flavours green tea, black sesame, lychee and red bean. (Green tea and black sesame are my personal favs!)

Along with all the amazing asian cuisine food options theres the live entertainment, decorations(the infamous lantern display) and several other attractions makes the night a fun eventful one. If you have a chance to go visit festival definitely go have a browse and try a few of these food options out :) You won't regret it!

-Julie

Dieting: What you should be eating.

If you are one of the people who aren't sure what food is considered healthy, the above video is what you are looking for. Please click on the video above for an interesting video explaining the basics of nutrition and weight loss, which leads you on your way to a healthy diet.

You are not alone in this one! Many people don't understand where to start, especially when they don't have the basics of food down. It is usually what demotivates one to give up attempting to diet, as they don't exactly know how to start and how to maintain one. Well, here is a little something that could assist you in finding that motivation again, as you discover the real basics and grow from that knowledge.

- Jenny

FOOOD HACKS - HEALTHIER EATING

Eating healthy can be seen as such a hassle to many people. Though it is the small things we do that add up. These food hacks can help you eat healthier.

Concerned about all the fat, calories and cholesterol in oil and butter? Fear no more! APPLESAUCE is a great substitute for both of these ingredients when baking. Simply replace half the butter or oil when baking for a healthier approach.

We all know how difficult it is to keep up with the 8 cups/ 2 litres of water a day to keep out bodies hydrated. With summer fast approaching, it is even more crucial to consume the require amount of liquids throughout the day. In order to make water more fun and interesting to drink, INFUSE YOUR WATER WITH YOUR FAVOURITE FRUIT COMBINATIONS the night before. Possible combinations include (but are not limited to)

-          blueberry + orange

-          watermelon + mint

-          cucumber + strawberry + lime

-          any berry + lemon

-          AND MUCH, MUCH MORE

Find yourself constantly digging through the pantry looking for unhealthy snacks to eat? FROZEN GRAPES are a much healthier and tasty snack alternative.

And there you have it, the perfect food hacks for healthier eating

-Casey

Fresh foood: Buying and eating food that is safe for your family

When it comes to going to the supermarkets, it’s often a bit tricky to know what makes food fresh, which fruits are in season and which products are the best to pick.

Here is a quick guide (of a few common fresh produces) to help you identify the freshness of different foods and what’s ready (or not ready) to be eaten.Simply use your senses to inspect the food you eat and buy.

• Bananas: Check to see if they are bright yellow with limited spotting, if they are green that’s okay, just wait a couple of days before eating. BUT soft, brown bananas should not be eaten.
• Apples: Don’t be fooled by the colour of the skin, many apple’s glossy red skins are deliberately enhanced by manufacturers and companies. Choose firm apples and evenly coloured.
• Root Vegetables (e.g. potatoes): Like apples, feel and inspect to find the firm ones. If they have soft spots, limpness or sprouts, don’t buy them.
• Leafy Greens: These vegetables should be crispy and bright in appearance, they should not be shrivelled or yellow.
• Onions: Check the first layer for any marks or cracks or discolouration. These are easy indicators of bad (mouldy) and unfresh onions.
• Chicken: Raw chicken should be odour-free and have little to no liquid in the package.
• Cold Cuts: The colour and texture are good indicators of it’s freshness. It should not be greyish and should not be slippery.
• Red Meat: Buy red and firm meat, not brown and slippery products.

(Guidelines information based on recommendations provided by:  http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1059198/how-to-tell-if-your-food-is-fresh-2)

However, fresh food sold at Woolworths, Coles, IGA or any supermarket may not always be as fresh as you think. These days, the advancements in technology have enabled manufacturers to store, freeze and preserve fruits, meats and vegetables for a few years, when fresh produce would normally only last for a few weeks in good condition. One of the main reasons for preserving fresh foods is due to the increasing rate of importing fruits and vegetables from overseas and picking fruit before it’s ripe (easier for storage and transport). Unfortunately, this means that not only are fresh produce preserved, the quality, flavour and aroma are affected.

So be wary of supermarkets. Sometimes specialist butchers, organic produce and fruit & veggie (farmer’s) markets provide better quality and fresher produce. Try to also eat fruit and vegetables that are in season (Click here to see the Australian Seasonal Food Guide) and choose ripe fruit.

For more information about the effects of preservation and storage of fresh produce, visit https://www.choice.com.au/shopping/everyday-shopping/supermarkets/articles/fresh-food-tricks

-Tiff