The Coffee Party – A Day with Food, Coffee & Friends

By On May 6, 2012 · 38 Comments · In Blog Events, Events, Home Cooked, Les Petit Truffe

Brrrrrr, I say it’s cold in here! If you can finish that entire stanza, we can be lifelong friends!

BE AGGRESIVE BE BE AGGRESIVE!!

But I digress. It is getting cold. Winter is coming and what not. Leaves are autumnizing (Look Ma! I created a new word :P ), doormice are hibernating, squirrels are nut gathering.

So let’s travel back in time to Christmas! A bird was in a partridge, there were 5 golden rings, blue skies and the weather was scorching.

Remember my awesome Philips Saeco Coffee Machine?

Yes! I am backlogged, but I did mentioned once (a long long time ago) that I would throw a coffee party with a few friends to conduct a Saeco vs. Nespresso test?

I finally got around to documenting it here for you.

But first!

The food we cooked up for our lovely coffee-addict friends, Bryan Boo, Azzie and Alastair.

If you thought we did things by halves, you don’t really know us that well after all.

We couldn’t just invite our friends over and serve them coffee!

We had to prepare lunch for them to keep them entertained as well :)

For entrees, I served up my super easy and highly delicious Paleo Salmon Cakes!

For the mains, the Boy served up his amazing rendition (it made my heart sing) of Thomas Keller’s Fried Chicken (which we later codenamed GFC – Gazza Fried Chicken) and inspired Azzie to reinvent the recipe using Panko breadcrumbs (which we have now codenamed AGFC – Azza Gazza Fried Chicken). This was where our whole fried chicken obsession started.

Why is the Boy named Gazza? It’s a long story, which I’m sure will bore you to endless tears. His name is not Gary either by the way, in case you were wondering :P

Once our guests, were filled to bursting. We allowed them to rest for a bit whilst we cleared up the remnants of our lunch and started up both the coffee machines.

I have to admit. Ever since the Saeco came into our lives, we have only used the Nespresso for the Aeroccino and nothing else.

For this coffee machine challenge, we decided to use the Saeco brand of coffee beans (to keep it neutral) as well as Nespresso’s branded capsules.

Before we knew it, I was gathering the group back at the table for our desserts.

We had to think of desserts that would go well with the coffees we would be having.

The Boy had it in his head that we needed to purchase edible gold leaves (we found them at Essential Ingredients, Prahran Market) for his Berry Jelly Spectacular dessert (using agar-agar powder).

The other dessert The Boy had prepared was a Coconut & Vanilla Panna Cotta with Rambutans which Bryan Boo kept sneaking back for more.

It was the favourite dessert for us all.

As an alternative dessert, as I wanted something heavier (why not?), I bought some deliciously smooth and creamy Weis Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream to make an Affogato (with Amaretto).

What was the verdict at the end?

For ease and simplicity, the Nespresso machine won.

But for a good cup of coffee (nothing beats freshly ground beans), the Saeco came through with flying colours.

In terms of the steam wand attachment on the Saeco, it didn’t have enough power (our personal opinion) to bolster up the steam required to froth the milk quick enough before burning the milk. The milk carafe attachment on the Saeco on the other hand worked better in generating a well frothed milk, but it was hard to control the froth to make a latte or a flat white, as it always came out perfect for a cappuccino (too much froth).

In that sense, the Aeroccino from the Nespresso worked perfectly for the frothing of the milk (and was easier to clean).

Both machines served us well but I would have to say that we have been using the Saeco nearly every day to make our coffees (as we now buy our beans from various cafes’ in Melbourne) but I can’t remember when was the last time I used my Nespresso for coffee.

In terms of our party, we obviously had a lot of fun and a lot of food :) It was a success!

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38 Responses to The Coffee Party – A Day with Food, Coffee & Friends

  1. Fatboo says:
    May 6, 2012 at 10:25 AM

    Wow, that party was definitely very once upon a time last year! I was totally in love with the food you guys cooked, still dreaming of those chicken wings. Mmmm….

    And you so tease me about a coffee post today of all days, just when I’m weaning off coffees. Hah! :)
    Fatboo recently posted..Live Below The Line

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  2. Winnie@Eat.Play.Shop. says:
    May 6, 2012 at 11:04 AM

    Wow, The Boy (He who must not be named??!!) is very talented with his cooking! Those desserts look spectacular!

    We had a Gaggia and we’ve done a reverse to you, and have only used the Nespresso since the kids came along due to its ease of use, and how desperate we are for a caffeine hit in the morning!
    Winnie@Eat.Play.Shop. recently posted..Eat. @ Simon’s Peiking Duck Restaurant

    Reply
    • Ms I-Hua says:
      May 6, 2012 at 6:23 PM

      He doesn’t want to be named!!! :P Ooo.. yeah… I think if I had three kiddies too, I might just go with my “Nessie”!

      Reply
  3. FiSh says:
    May 6, 2012 at 11:27 AM

    oh i love party :) how can i resist the salmon cake!
    FiSh recently posted..Pearl Discovery @ Sri Petaling

    Reply
  4. Vien @ We Dare Food says:
    May 6, 2012 at 1:09 PM

    My dad bought a Nespresso machine back home in Malaysia and I have yet to try it!!!! TSK. My parents only buy the cool stuff when me and brother’s here:( HAHA after reading what u said, I’m EXTRA excited to go home and try it!!!
    Vien @ We Dare Food recently posted..EARL Canteen, CBD

    Reply
  5. Hannah says:
    May 6, 2012 at 3:14 PM

    There must be some Toros in the atmosphere! Man I loved that movie as a teen. Still own the DVD ;)

    Dear heavens you two always awe me with your cooking prowess! I’ve already said I want to eat your salmon cakes and wheeeeee, dairy free dessert and affogato, the bestest way to have coffee and dessert all in one! :)
    Hannah recently posted..Mast Brothers Chocolate + Cocoa Nibs

    Reply
  6. Ames says:
    May 6, 2012 at 4:34 PM

    Your food parties are amazing! Love the look of those desserts :) .
    Ames recently posted..Brunch at Madame Mango

    Reply
  7. Michelle says:
    May 6, 2012 at 8:26 PM

    I love the look of the panna cotta! It looks so smooth and silky!
    Michelle recently posted..Lunch @ Yogitree, Gardens Mid Valley

    Reply
  8. Hotly Spiced says:
    May 6, 2012 at 9:13 PM

    I love panna cotta and yours looks amazing. xx
    Hotly Spiced recently posted..Easy as Pie

    Reply
  9. penny aka jeroxie says:
    May 6, 2012 at 10:29 PM

    Yum! Amazing looking spread. :)
    penny aka jeroxie recently posted..Chickpeas and smoked cod patties

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  10. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says:
    May 7, 2012 at 12:24 AM

    What a fun party! And I adore affogato! One of my favourite ways to have coffee :)
    Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella recently posted..Neu’s Delicacy, Bondi Junction

    Reply
  11. Adrian (Food Rehab) says:
    May 7, 2012 at 1:29 PM

    Coffee and fried chicken?! Yum! I could have brought over my machine too LOL Let me know if you get some different beans so we could swap and test!
    Adrian (Food Rehab) recently posted..An Unofficial Filipino Food Tour of California

    Reply
  12. InTolerant Chef says:
    May 7, 2012 at 7:21 PM

    Gold leaf- how deliciously decadent! I’m craving some of those desserts right now :)
    InTolerant Chef recently posted..Ploughman’s Pate

    Reply
  13. Miss Kimbers @ Fruit Salad and Mixed Veg says:
    May 7, 2012 at 8:17 PM

    You have good taste in vanilla icecream. The Weis one is my favourite:)
    Miss Kimbers @ Fruit Salad and Mixed Veg recently posted..Enfield Horticultural Society Autumn Show

    Reply
  14. Daisy@Nevertoosweet says:
    May 7, 2012 at 10:08 PM

    I love this post! Because of work i’ve been drinking a lot more coffee lately hehe ~ so this recipe is perfect hehe it must be lots of fun to meet up with other bloggers ~ I wanna try the panna cotta too and I LOVE ESSENTIAL hehe love going their ;P
    Daisy@Nevertoosweet recently posted..Thank you Gem – Awards & Random Facts

    Reply
  15. FiSh says:
    May 8, 2012 at 1:06 AM

    oh ya, i love coffee art too :) can smell the goodness here

    Latest: Frog Addiction

    Reply
  16. Winston says:
    May 9, 2012 at 9:43 PM

    What a great meetup, guys! And OMG The Boy is such a fantastic cook, what a superstar!! Get him to share some recipes leh weh. That jelly and panna cotta looks amazeballs ;p
    Winston recently posted..Beurre Blanc Sauce Recipe

    Reply
  17. Hotly Spiced says:
    May 12, 2012 at 3:11 PM

    I just love the look of the fried chicken. Yum! And the dessert looks pretty amazing too xx

    Reply
  18. Nic@diningwithastud says:
    May 12, 2012 at 3:12 PM

    That Panna Cotta looks awesome! I can see why it was the fave
    Nic@diningwithastud recently posted..What’s your cup of tea?

    Reply

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