Happy Valentine’s Day!
I had the BEST treat this week. My wonderful friend and fellow food blogger, Liz Posmyk from Bizzy Lizzy’s Good Things is visiting the Sunshine Coast for a bit of a break and asked if John and I wanted to meet for dinner. I took me less than 30 seconds to say yes and where.
She asked where we like to go and I suggested that we go to Cala Luna in Maroochydore, our favorite Italian restaurant. Liz and her partner Peter arrived at our house a few minutes before 6 and I’m embarrassed to admit that John and I were at the liquor store getting chilled wine and nuts. I should have been better prepared but sometimes work just gets ahead of me or I get behind.
After Charlie did some tricks and was completely annoying, we left for the restaurant. John’s dad came along. He’s 93 and can eat like a horse but there’s a bigger reason why he likes to go to Cala Luna. He flirts with the owner. Yes, he does!
Cala Luna is owned by Rita and Osvaldo and they are the most hospitable people I know. Osvaldo is a bit shy, but he can cook the most wonderful food. Rita has the most effervescent personality so when Rob flirts, she’s right in there with him. When it was time to leave last night, Rita took Rob down in the elevator so they could “continue their conversation.” Rob is probably three times older than Rita.
All their desserts are house made and this Torta di gelato with flecks of almonds and toffee served with a coffee zabaione sauce is my favorite. Just saying that made us feel Italian. I plan to review Cala Luna soon.
Recently Liz did a recipe roundup for Valentine’s Day with some of the most enticing, dare I say sex food. If you’re looking for great recipe ideas for starters, mains or dessert, check this post out.
Liz and I pretended not to know the three men were with us and talked shop for ages. I apologize that the food photos are pretty crap. I need restaurant practice or eat really early. Not only were the photos here not the best, the first five photos on the card gave me that “unexpected end of file” thingo that means, “outta luck, babe.”
I met Liz for the first time in Adelaide for the Eat Drink Blog, food bloggers conference a couple of years ago and we became fast friends. Later, we were both invited to the Human Brochure project in Canberra where they invited some of the top social media folks to visit the city and talk about it. We ate a lot of food and drank a lot of wine together on that trip. Liz lives in Canberra and has done so all her life.
Her mother was Hungarian/Czech and many of Liz’s recipes come from memories of her mother — certainly her love of creating wonderful dishes from really fresh ingredients comes from her mother. From her father she gets a terrific sense of self as well as his credo, ‘Every day is a gift.’ He also told her to never forget who she was and where she came from. She definitely doesn’t.
This is her mother Iren’s recipe for Gerbeaud Slice — layers of sweet yeast pastry, ground walnuts, apricot jam, cocoa and a dark chocolate glaze.
Liz has always been involved with food even though she’s had some important jobs in the Australian Public Service and has even won an Australia Day Award for Leadership, Innovation and Service to the Australian Public Service. Several years ago she co-owned a cooking school and cookware store in Canberra and became acquainted with all the movers and shakers in the food business and often invited them to teach classes at her school. I would have loved to have been a student at Liz’s cooking school for Australian cooking stars like Maggie Beer, Stephanie Alexander, Ian Hemphill, Margaret Fulton, Ian Parmenter and many more.
She’s also a writer from way back in 1993 when she wrote a weekly column called, Stirring the Pot which she wrote for the next ten years. Her popularity from the column led to a weekly segment on the Canberra local ABC radio. She’s worn many hats and has truly earned the nickname Bizzy Lizzy.
For her blog and for pure enjoyment, Liz loves taking photographs. Lately she’s been on a bee kick and I’ve been gobsmacked at how she gets those little buggers to sit still for her.
The bee photos were perfect for her mother’s honey cake recipe. Doesn’t this look like it should be on your table tonight?
Liz is on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest
Sounds like a terrific time! Liz writes a wonderful blog — how great to get to hang out with her (and those 3 guys). Fun post — thanks.
John, thank you so much… we really had the BEST time!
I know it would be so much fun to spend time with you Maureen. I hope to make my way to your part of the globe one day! Sounds like such a fun dinner, I know the evening just flew by, well, maybe not for the men!
Imagine the three of us together or maybe five or ten. Yay 🙂
That dinner sounds fabulous, and John’s dad sounds like a real character!
I’ll have to try Liz’s Gerbeaud Slice sometime. I bet it’s to die for!
Mary, it was the best evening… and Rob is such a gentleman!
G’day and sounds like a WONDERFUL night and food, friends and fun Maureen, true!
Lizzy’s Gerbeaud Slice looks very much more than nice too!
Cheers! Joanne
Joanne, it was a wonderful night! Thanks for your kind words.
My eyes are bugging out at these desserts! Thanks for sharing some of Liz’s mouthwatering delicacies!
Hope you have a wonderful weekend
Thanks Shashi!
Oh that is so funny that Johns dad is a big flirt!!
LOL!!!
It is always nice to catch up with other bloggers. The recipe of Liz’s mums cake looks amazing 🙂
I know! We need to do it again.
I am SOOOOOO JEALOUS I might just have to pick a fight with Phil or something.. 🙂
seriously, I would love to be able to meet you both, despite the incredible amount of land and water separating us
What a cool meeting! And the photo of that Gerbeaud Slice will give me sweet dreams tonight, I know that for a fact
Imagine a group of us getting together around food. My mind boggles at the thought – and the joy.
That honey cake looks so good! Love your blog!
Hi Ashley, lovely to meet you and thank you very much for the comment.
How fun! I’m a big fan of Liz’s blog. So nice that your girls could meet. That Gerbeaud Slice looks amazing…just hopping over there to check it out! 🙂 ela
I would take every opportunity to sit down for a chat with Liz!
Ela, thank you kindly xo
Dearest Maureen, we have been on the road all day today (to Buderim Ginger), hence have only just now popped in to say A HUGE THANK YOU for this absolutely lovely post… can I just tell you how chuffed Peter and I were to spend time in your company with John, Rob and the talented Charlie (what a cutie he is!). Rob is a charmer and there is a good mind there still ticking away, not to mention what a flirtatious gentleman he is! : ) We loved coming to your home and seeing the beautiful views from your outdoor area. If you feel disorganised for not being at home when we arrived, we feel even worse for coming empty handed! That said, the restaurant was superb… best cassata ever (true!) and the seafood salad I had for first course was so fresh! Thank you for the very kind shout outs here… you are the best… truly the best. Love ya! xxoo
awww, gosh.. [foot shuffle]
I love Hungarian food, especially their cakes! They’re wonderful 🙂 And how lovely to have met each other in real life!
For the third time. I think its time we were able to say that too. 🙂
I’ve been blessed to meet some fellow food bloggers and we’ve come to realize it’s best if no hubs come along; we do speak our own language sometimes don’t we? The only issue I have with food blogging is the making of acquaintances that are so distant…I would love to meet both you and Liz, together. And Jamie. And Amanda. And…well, you get my drift right?
Lovely story; thanks for sharing Maureen!
We need to come up with a financing plan we can all donate time to that would earn enough over time that the group could get together *somewhere*. Someone clever should come up with that. 🙂
Wouldn’t that be a special occasion, if we could all meet!!!?
Sweet! So good to get together with blogging friends! This place sounds wonderful and I love Lizzy’s recipes 🙂
Thank you Donalyn xo
What a great post Maureen! How awesome that you got to meet a fellow food blogger and friend! There are so many fascinating people that I hope to have the pleasure of meeting one day….you being one of them! The restaurant sounds awesome and Lizzy’s family recipes look amazing! Thanks for introducing us to her. Heading over to her blog to say hello!
Anne, thank you so much for stopping by!
Sounds like you had a wonderful time!
Happy Valentines Day!
I hate it when I get that ‘out of luck, babe’ message. Argh! But you seem to have managed the photos just fine.
Thanks for the intro to Liz, Maureen. Yes, the honey cake looks like it needs to visit my house. My theory on how she gets those bees to stay still – superglue 🙂
Ah Hester, you made me smile… : )
How fun to meet up with a fellow blogger. That photo of the shrimp… drool!! Hope you are having a fabulous Valentine’s Day… (even if you don’t celebrate it in Australia). 🙂
You had me at Torta di gelato. But everything looked wonderful. Now I am hungry. 🙂
I’ve slept since then and I’m hungry again 🙂
How fabulous to all meet up together. We’re planning a trip next year and hopefully I can get to meet some of you!! GG
Seriously? That’s the BEST news!
I’m glad you were able to squeeze in some time to meet with Bizzy Lizzy and her partner. It sounds like you had the best time and if that means photography gets put on the back burner well that’s just fine. I would have loved to have joined you! I can’t believe Rob – where does he get the energy! The bee photo is stunning xx
I don’t know but he sure does like flirting with Rita.
Thanks Charlie… wish you were there too, what a party!
Wow! Sounds like you had a lots of fun. Those desserts look incredible especially the honey cake and bee!
Two of my favorite bloggers dining together! Boy, would I have loved to home in on your outing 🙂 It sounds like you had a terrific time!
We would have had so much to talk about, Liz!
Would have been lovely to have you join us Liz!
I adore Liz’s blog, how lucky you were to meet her 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
It was a lot of fun. 🙂
Thanks so much CCU!
Sounds like a fantastic night out. Italians do make the very best desserts, I have to say. My husband has a lot of Hungarian relatives (by marriage) and they make some of the best comfort food. Soooo not healthy but you don’t hear me complaining. 😉 I could eat langos ’til the cows came home. I’m off to blog stalk Liz now!
You’ll love her, Lily!
Hi Lily, thanks for stopping by! Over to your place now… and I love langos too!
Liz sounds like an amazing lady and the desserts look so good. It would be so much fun to learn how to bake sweet treats from another culture.
Sandra, how very kind, thank you.
How very exciting Maureen. Charlie is probably like my puppy was very annoying and attention seeking when people are around. I wondered if the two of you would meet up when I saw Lizzy was going to the sunshine coast. I just love meeting my blogging friends. You already know so much about each other before you even start talking in person. Its a very unique situation. How cute is Rob. ??.
I would like to meet Lizzy again too, one of these days.
The doorbell is ALWAYS for Charlie. He was much better after he did tricks and got ham treats. 🙂
Charlie is so clever… and way too cute!
Maureen, Thanks for introducing to a wonderful new blogger. Her photo of the bee and flower is just amazing. Wow! I am on my way to check out her site now. Have a super weekend.
Liz is a wonderful cook, writer and friend. You’ll enjoy the visit!
Thank you so much, Bam!
I bet you guys had such a great time indeed! How nice to catch up in ‘real life’ and share a meal together xox
I do know Lizzy but haven’t been to her blog in quite a while. I need to get back there! What a fun time you had and I bet it’s wonderful spending time with a friend that is just normally a virtual friend. Looks like y’all had a great evening!
I was SO jealous when Lorraine met you last year 🙂
One of my favourite people. Well, two of them, actually, as her Peter is gorgeous. Well, four of them, actually, as you and John are as well. 😀
Make sure you cover all bases, you lovely woman. 🙂
Thanks for sharing all this sexy food. I look forward to visiting Lizzy’s blog!
Food really looks delicious. Thanks!
The cacao cake and the salad they both look so delicious. Perhaps the most known Hungarian food is their Goulash, which I cook a few times every year.