Mmmmm soup. [post sponsored by La Zuppa]

I've been a bit AWOL lately due to the juggle of work, uni and OUR KITCHEN RENO!! Yes, the Kitchen Reno [the uppercase IS deliberate :) ] is now about 98% finished! But more about that in another post. When it's 100% completed and I've packed away all the bench clutter.

Bench top clutter. And a sneak peek of colours :)

Some of you know that for a few days of this reno we had to live in our basement as most of the timber floors that cover all of our upstairs had to be re-polished. Talk about a major PITA. But so worth it.

So for 5 days we lived on food that could be cooked in the microwave or in a toaster [silly me forgot to take the thermomix downstairs...]. Let me tell you how sick I am of BBQ chicken and toast.

What I'm not sick of however, is soup. Especially as it's now getting colder. And I am SO GRATEFUL to the beautiful people at La Zuppa who sent me a big box of microwavable soup, which arrived a few days before our basement foray. Talk about perfect timing!

Those of you who know me, know how much I generally loathe pre-packaged foods. For so many reasons, but mainly the preservatives and additives they contain [and the resultant, horrifying effect they have on my mood and general mental state :( ]. So when I was asked to trial La Zuppa my first instinct was to say "no way Jose". Until they told me their soup doesn't contain any additives. They are also gluten free, diary free, 99% fat free and most are under 150 calories per serve.  I thought I would give them a go.

They are ridiculously easy to heat up [2 minutes in the microwave] as they come in their own bowl that you cook and eat out of [although I do prefer mine transferred to a bowl once cooked...]. Perfect for work or for those quick meals when it's cold and you're starving! Or for when you are living out of your basement during a Kitchen Reno!

To heat: remove lid, peel off the foil, replace lid, zap for 2 minutes. EASY!

It comes in 10 flavours - my favourite was chicken and corn.

What is your favourite soup? Enter the La Zuppa facebook competition [closing 31 July 2012], tell them your favourite soup flavour and you could win a trip to Italy's spectacular Amalfi Coast to hone your culinary skills at the La Cucina Del Gusto cooking school. Or you could win one of the weekly cash prizes.

And don't forget to let me know your favourite flavour too!

P.S. The pics were taken on our new benchtops - the colour is shitake. Of course!

Queensland Good Food Guide

When I moved to Brisbane 12 years ago I was instantly struck by the lack of decent coffee, the lack of sidewalk eating, and the generally disappointing food scene.

WOW! How far have we come!

Last year I ate at Esquire a few weeks after it opened. I can safely say it was THE best dining-out experience I have had in Australia. And possibly anywhere in the world. EVER.

Last night Esquire became the first Queensland restaurant to be awarded 3 Hats by the newly established Queensland Good Food Guide, taking its place alongside Sydney and Melbourne restaurant luminaries including Tetsuya's, Marque, Quay, Attica, Vue de Monde and more.

I was excited to be invited to the Queensland Good Food Guide Awards last night. Not because I work in the industry [I did once. As the world's worst waitress ever.]. Not because my friends were receiving awards. Not because I wanted to meet celebrity chefs.

I was excited because it gave me the opportunity to applaud the many, many hardworking restauranteurs, cafe owners, wait staff, sommeliers, baristas, chefs, cooks, dishwashers and all those others who have worked tirelessly to give Queensland incredible food experiences.

To all of you I say THANK YOU.

Books like this don't "just happen" - thanks to all those involved  - the lovely Natascha Mirosch who edited this book [and who just tweeted is going out for one last lunch before starting the "mother of all diets" tomorrow!], brisbanetimes.com.au, all the reviewers [how do I get a job doing THAT?], and all the sponsors, including Citibank and Vittoria Coffee.

And to everyone like me, who loves food, loves dining out, loves sitting in a cafe for a sneaky coffee when you're meant to be working, all I can say is, how lucky we are in Queensland.

You can check out all the winners at the Good Food Guide website. 

Make sure you grab a copy of the Queensland Good Food Guide [book, iphone app, digital version, e-book, or website subscription] and get eating! 

Please make sure you tell me reader, what is your favourite place to eat in Queensland?