Couscous Royale

We hosted a birthday dinner for 20 people last Monday night - A Moroccan feast.

The highlight being the Couscous Royale, a traditional dish of lamb, chicken, merguez sausage and vegetables piled on a bed of couscous.

 

 Lamb and Cheese Samoas with Mint Yoghurt and Tomato Chutney.



Garlic breads and Samoas ready to go to the tables.



Beef and Prune Tagine and Chicken and Apricot Tagine.

Behind the scenes in the kitchen, as three large bowls of the Couscous Royale are prepared.

Moroccan carrot salad.

Back from holidays - some photos!

Fresh produce at the Grüne Markt (Green Market) Salzburg, Austria.

 Paprika chillies drying in the Central Market Hall in Budapest, Hungary.

All ready for Easter! Believe it or not this display is in the cabinet of a service station 

roadside stop in Austria.

Mushrooms at the Grüne Markt (Green Market) Salzburg, Austria.

A seafood shop in Budapest, Hungary.

My lunch at a service station roadside stop in Austria. Grilled pork loin, 
baked potato and vegetables stir fried with bacon and onion. 
One of the best meals on the trip.

Indian takeaway at the Camden Markets in London.

Lunch time - Lamb and Chicken Tagine at the Camden Markets in London.

 Super fresh shallots and eschallots at the Grüne Markt (Green Market) Salzburg, Austria.

 Fruit Bread in Salzburg, Austria.

 Crème Caramel for lunch with friends in Strasbourg, France.

Summer fruits at the Grüne Markt (Green Market) Salzburg, Austria.

I'm back and I'm inspired! 

I'm thinking theme nights... what do you think?

Holidays

Chocolate Pots with Pedro Ximenez Sherry soaked Dried Cherries

White Chocolate and Passionfruit Mousse

These are some of the desserts from our Valentine's Weekend Special. Yum! 

If you want to try some of the delicious food at Cafe Alcazar, I'm sorry, but you will need to wait...

Cafe Alcazar with be closed from Monday 24th February until Thursday 4pm 20th March. 

Trish will be taking her annual holiday overseas. She will be visiting Eastern Europe for the first time, travelling through the beautiful countries of Hungary, Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic. She will be visiting the picturesque French region of Alsace, where she will stay with friends, and she will also be staying with family in rural England. 

I expect that you will see many new dishes on the 'weekend special board' inspired by her travels. 

Heartwarming stews and casseroles, just in time for our cooler weather.

Valentine's Day Weekend Special

We are spreading the love this weekend at Cafe Alcazar, with a Valentine's Day Three-Course Special.

 Available both Friday and Saturday nights, just $35.00 per head, for a choice of the following.

Salmon and Dill Pate served with Toast Fingers

Marinated Tuscan Olives

Hommus and Olive Tapenade with Turkish Bread

Smoked Salmon and Caper Fettuccine in a Lemon and Dill Cream Sauce

Ricotta and Herb filled Cannelloni served with a Rich Beef Ragu Sauce and Garden Salad

Marinated Moroccan Chicken Kebabs with Pilaf Rice

White Chocolate and Passionfruit Mousse

Chocolate Pots with Pedro Ximenez Sherry soaked Dried Cherries

Baked Vanilla Cheesecake with Butterscotch Sauce

 Tea and Coffee and Chocolate Truffle

Hope to see you there!

Lamb shanks to die for!

Some pictures of last week's "Weekend Specials" - Chicken, Sweet Potato and Chickpea Tagine with Cous Cous and Slow Roasted Italian Lamb Shanks with Smashed Chat Potatoes.

This weekend there is a special "Valentine's Day Weekend Three Course Menu"

I'll post our full "Valentine's Day" menu very soon... watch this space!

On the weekend

This weekend saw the 'best ever' response to our weekly specials. 

Chicken Tagine with Apricots, Prunes and Almonds

and 

Sicilian Meatballs with Risoni

I think that these dishes will be back on the menu again - very soon!

New spices

More spices have arrived this week. This range of pre-mixed spices have been very popular. Don't forget, the recipe is included in the pack,
making for an easy and delicious dinner at home.

New 'Early Bird' Menu

This week - Chicken Tagine

This weekends special: Chermoula Chicken Tagine proved very popular last night when the 

North Shore Community Centre came for their Christmas break-up party.

I too, had this for dinner last night. Served with pilaf and topped with chermoula and slivered almonds, I was instantly transported back to my holiday in Morocco many years ago. This dish is full of the authentic flavours of Morocco. If you love tagines I suggest you to try this now!

Yum!

New cakes!

With so many christmas parties and the school holidays upon us, our dispay cabinet 

is brimming full of goodies. 

This week, two new cakes for Cafe Alcarzar. 

 Passionfruit and White Chocolate Cheesecake

 and Celebration Chocolate Torte.

However, there are still all of our old favourites:

Baked Vanilla Cheesecake with Salted Caramel and Macadamia Sauce

our yummy Bakalava and the ever popular Turkish Delight.

And if you are after something not so sweet, maybe something to takeaway, 

perhaps to your next christmas party.

Tapenade 

Hommus 

Fresh locally-grown Figs

Iranian Dates

Marinated Olives

Dolmades

Marinated Feta

Semi-dried Tomatoes

Preserved Lemons 

It's Party season!!

The festive party season has well and truly begun and Cafe Alcazar has been very busy with end of year parties. These photos were taken last week at the  Eumundi Primary School's christmas break-up party. Kiley came once again, to get the party going with her amazing belly dancing.

Diners enjoyed the night with a set 'tasting plate' menu:

Lamb Koftas served with Mint Yoghurt

Moroccan Chicken Kebabs

  Salt and Pepper Calamari

Hommus and Grilled Turkish Bread

Cous Cous Salad

Fresh Garden Salad

You can see more pictures from the night on our facebook page.

Take-home spices

Are you wanting to cook something yummy at home, but don't where to start? 

Cafe Alcazar is now stocking a great range of take-home gluten-free spice mixes. By using the recipe inside the pack, you can create delicious meals from around the world. Our range is ever-changing. With each new order to our supplier, we are eager to have something new for our customers to try. 

This is the range we currently have on our shelves:

Ethiopian Chicken

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

Rangoon Lime Chicken 

Spanish Paella 

Afghani Lamb

Kashmiri Mushroom

Persian Beef

Madagascan Chicken

Chicken Kasbah

Spinach and Pumpkin Curry 

Chicken Balti

Butter Chicken

and spices for you cupboard

Ras el Hanout

Middle Eastern Mix

Harrisa Spice Mix

Za'atar

Dukkah

Which one would you like to cook?

More cake

More cake: 

Lebanese Orange and Coconut Cake

and 

Tonight on the blackboard: 

Chicken and Preserved Lemon Tagine

and 

Turkish Lamb Pide

These pides have become very popular and already looking like taking a permanent place 

on our dine in menu.

and...

don't forget our yummy Turkish Delight Cheesecake.

We hope to see you soon.

Turkish Delight Cheesecake

In the display cabinet - RIGHT NOW!

Our latest offering at Cafe Alcazar for both, our dine in and take-away customers, is this delectable Turkish Delight Cheesecake. 

Think strawberries and cream, with just a hint of rosewater and a buttery pistachio crust.

Delicious! 

Get in fast - it won't last long.

It's Friday!

Lamb and Apricot Tagine with Couscous - this was my family's dinner a few weeks ago - YUM! 

Mum, please put this back on the specials board!

We are really looking forward to a great weekend. It's so good see some of our new customers, fast becoming regulars.

Our weekly blackboard specials are very popular, it's a great way to try out some different flavours. The last couple of weeks we have made some tagines: Lamb and Apricot and Beef and Prune, and tonight:

Chicken Kasbah with Pilaf

And new today in the 'Ready to Go Freezer Meals' fridge, we've made a Moroccan Carrot and Cumin Soup, perfect to take home for a quick dinner.

Hope to see you soon.

Our new menu

It has now been two weeks since we changed over to our new menu here at Cafe Alcazar. It has been very well received by our regular customers, as well as attracting many new diners. We have been delighted by your feedback.

Our mixed sharing platters have been proving very popular. This is just what we had hoped for.

People are already booking parties for the upcoming Christmas holiday period. Yes, Christmas!

As well as booking our already popular Pizza/Pasta Party Deal (we have been doing this for 10 years) there have also been requests for a more Middle Eastern style menu. We are currently working on a menu for this, if you are interested, just contact Trish and she can let you know exactly what will be served.

Happy dining.

We made the local paper!

Cafe Alcazar's opening night has made it into the local newspaper!

"Judging by the comments of the guests at the official opening, Cafe Alcazar should prove a winner and worthy addition to the North Shore dinning scene." - Mike Garry

Practically a full page! Thanks Mike, for your kind words.

Are you hungry?

Just in!

The yummiest Turkish Delight I have ever tasted! Get in quick before the staff eat it all! Really - I mean it!

And due to their success on our dessert patter on our opening night, we have made some more Chocolate and Cinnamon Suspiros (Spanish Meringues). And for other desserts, our old favourites: Triple Chocolate Pecan Cheesecake, White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake and Lemon Cheesecake.

Our display fridge is full - for dine in or takeaway. Our dip plates and antipasto platters have been very popular in this warmer weather. Tonight:

Beetroot and Feta Dip

Pear, Walnut and Blue Cheese Dip

Fresh Iranian Dates 

Marinated Vegetables

Labneh 

Dolmades 

and for mains

 Lamb and Apricot Tagine

Looking forward to seeing you sometime over the weekend.

Cafe Alcazar's New Dine In Menu