Yum Cha

Yum Cha on a Sunday, it is one of my favourite things.  My family does it fairly regularly and it generally involves stuffing ourselves silly with delicious food while catching up on all the gossip.

We see each other so regularly you would think that there isn't much to catch up on.  But usually Mum is cooking, or we are working, or something else is just generally happening.  At Yum Cha all we need to coordinate is the chopstick to mouth action, whilst talking about whatever takes our fancy.

And there are so many delicious things to try.  We have some tried and tested favourites, but we have also discovered over the years, it is a good idea to scope out what is going on at other people's tables - otherwise just as you have crammed the last possible morsel you could in your mouth, something fantastic goes by.

But no matter what, a Sunday lunchtime spent at Yum Cha is always delicious and a real treat for the weekend.

Father's Day

Today is father's day.

We had lunch with our Dad, yum cha - you all know how much I love that. It was great, the food was excellent and the company even better.

We do spend a lot of time together as a family, but it is really nice to take the opportunity to tell Dad how much we love and value him.

Dad likes to make out that Mum was responsible for our upbringing - but Dad's impact is undeniable. He is my sounding board, by business mentor and inspiration, someone I know is there backing me in my corner, no matter what and can give me hugs that make me feel better, no matter how bad the situation.

So Dad, happy father's day. I hope you enjoyed it and I just want to say again that I love you!

Yum Cha

Yum Cha is one of my favourite things. It isn't just the food which is brilliant, it is also because for me yum cha is something I do with my family. There are another two families we are close with and we often form a big group and go, which is fab because you get to try lots of different things, but I really love it when it is just my family.

Today it was just my sister, Mum and Dad. We had a wonderful meal and a really relaxed lovely catch up. After we even went shopping together for awhile. Really it was a perfect Sunday activity.

Oh and the cheesecake from yesterday was as good as it looked. Here is the recipe:

Blueberry Cheesecake

125g butter
1 cup (100g) rolled oats
100g wheatmeal biscuits, finely crushed
2 tablespoons soft brown sugar

Filling
375g light cream cheese
100g fresh ricotta cheese
1/3 cup (90g) caster sugar
1/2 cup (125g) sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
1 tablespoon plain flour

Topping
250g blueberries
3/4 cup spreadable blackberry jam
1/4 cup cherry brandy

Base: Brush a 20cm round deep springform tin with meted butter or oli and line the base with baking paper. Melt butter, add in the oats, biscuit crumbs and mix well, stir in sugar. Press half the biscuit mixture into the base of the tin and gradually press the remainder around the sides about 3/4 the way up, using a glass to firm it into place. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
Preheat oven to moderate 180.

Filling: Beat the cream cheese, ricotta, sugar and sour cream until smooth. Beat in the eggs, orange rind and flour until smooth. Put the tin on a flat oven tray to catch any drips, pour filling into the crust and bake for 40-50 minutes until the filling is just set. Remove from the oven but leave in the tin to cool.

Topping: Scatter the blueberries on top of the cheesecake. Sieve the blackberry jam into a small pan with the brandy. Stir over a medium heat until smooth and then simmer for 2-3 minutes. Carefully brush or spoon over the blueberries. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight until well chilled.