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food dreams

On Saturday when I went to visit Amanda and Madi they were just finishing lunch, it was chicken with salad. I eyed it off with desire. I had an avocado for lunch. It’s not that I don’t like having braces, I do because it means the end is near but it also means that all the things I like eating are off the menu for the current time.
The other day for breakfast all I could think about was how much I would love some poached eggs on toasted sour dough with mushrooms and tomatoes and a tiny side salad of rocket and mizuna. Of that combo I could eat the poached eggs and the mushrooms and the tomatoes, couldn’t eat the toast unless it was french toast and short of swallowing the salad I can’t see that going down my trap. Instead I had some french toast.

We had prawns for lunch for three days at work last week as the Woolies beside where we work had them cheap and they are soo easy to “throw on the sandwich press”. I will admit that they were hard to eat and mainly involved cutting them up in to small enough pieces that I could swallow them. As the days have heated up and the humidity is kicking in I just couldn’t say no to prawns and with all the family coming home for Christmas I can see us eating many many many kilos of prawns.

I made another soup last night for dinner which was quite tasty a mix of green and yellow lentils with sweet potato and capsicum but oh I would like a piece of grilled chicken with salad. I’m hoping that this week I might start making some light stir fries and see how they go.

My mouth is still saw, biting into anything is painful and now I have a tooth ache to add to the haul as well. gah!

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Good Food and Wine Show

Today I went to the show and oh what a day it was.

Number 1. Ben O’Donoghue has moved to Brisbane and will be opening a restaurant sometime next year, currently looking for a location. Let me repeat that. Ben O’Donoghue now lives in Brisbane (though he is south sider ….) and will be opening his own place next year. Helen excited much?

Number 2. Matt Moran will open his new restaurant at Eagle St Pier in the Pier 9 space next March. Note to self, could be very very good.

Number 3. Helen somehow managed to win not one but two give aways at the cooking theatre. I won a I.O. Shen 21cm Cooks knife in the Alister Mcleod session and then I won a bottle of heavenly Kailis Extra Virgin Olive Oil during the Ben O’Donoghue session.

Number 4. Dairy, Chocolate and other dry groceries are the things that ended up in my bag. I was also so impressed with the Kailis EVOO that after some serious tasting I picked up a bottle of their Dolce oil which is infused with Blood Oranges – so so yummy, I could just about inhale that stuff.

Number 5. I picked up some PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur. Quite tasty

Number 6. I now have a pair of Crocs – Black Prima ballet shoes. I was looking at the strappy sandals but then I tried on the Primas and I can see them getting a work out at Woodford this year.

Number 7. I ran into a handful of people I know which was great.

Number 8. Tasted lots of yummy things, some not so yummy things, would have liked to have tasted a whole lot more but I still don’t have that whole biting/chewing hard things going with the braces yet.

Number 9. I wished that Karl was already here so he could have come and tasted the various beers/wines and picked the good ones.

Number 10. I did enjoy the show more last year – there were a few producers missing this year which was a bummer – no Zone Fresh stand, no Gympie Goats Cheese, no Curtis Stone….

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Photos with a little girl

I spent a little time this arvo taking some photos of Madi, who is the daughter of Amanda, one of the girls I work with. From day 1 at work, outside of the Medical girls, Amanda has probably been one of the people I have had the most to do with. So the other week I got a call from Ms Manda asking me if I could take some photos of Madi, I just couldn’t say no could I? We spent a little time taking photos by the pool before Madi decided she would much rather be in the pool. A change of clothes later and little drive down the road we arrived a gorgeous little tract of parkland that I had eyed off on they way over for a few photos, a little searching for lady beetles and a photo or two more.

Madi Madi in the pool Madi Madi Madi

And a last one to share, Mama and Bubba together.
Mama and Bubba

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the simple things are the sweetest things

This post is so long overdue it is not funny and Ange I hope I do you justice. The other week, ok a few other weeks ago I received a package in the mail. The package contained a CD. A CD that made me smile when I opened it. A CD that I had been looking forward to for quite some time and I am pleased to say it most certainly exceeded my expectations.

That CD was Aniseed Tea by Ange Takats, a collection of 9 charming songs.

First I smiled at the CD cover of a woman with parrots climbing over her, then I smiled at the linear notes. Then I put the CD in the stereo and I smiled at hearing the first strains of My Song. It is rare for me to stumble across a CD that takes all the best things from a live performance (obviously what I enjoy most) and makes it a 1000 times better. This CD is like that, the production, the “noise” is just jaw dropping. I have played the CD countless times over and every time I love it more. The instrumentation is understated and serves with the whole purpose to accentuate the fragility and gentleness in Ange’s voice. The voice that won the Lis Johnston Award for Vocal Excellence at the National Folk Festival this year.

One thing I have adored about Ange’s songs is that they are simple songs telling the tale of life. Songs about temptation, longing, individuality and living. Just plain simple songs with meaning, love and a tune.

Of course one reason I love this CD is also the fact that on one of my photos grace the CD booklet.

Aniseed Tea

Go to Ange’s Myspace and have a listen or pick it up on iTunes or catch her live at Woodford (I can’t wait till Woodford)

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Hippeastrum memories

Hippeastrum (by HelenPalsson)

I took this photo of Hippeastrums in the back yard at Mum’s the other week and came across it just then whilst going through some photos. Hippeastrums are probably the flower that reminds me the most of Grandmum. I wouldn’t say I have memories of Grandmum holding a bunch of Hippeastrums but for quite a few years the flower beds at The Farm have always had Hippeastrums in them. In fact these Hippeastrums were split from a Hippeastrum clump at The Farm. Grandmum died just over five years ago and in some ways I miss her more now than I did before as there all these things I want to share with her and show her. I would love to know what she would have said about the dress of hers that I wear fairly regularly or what she thinks about something. In saying that though, I also can’t imagine how the last five years would have been if Grandmum was here.

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Stuffed Eggplants

I picked up a bag of eggplants for a steal at the fruit barn on the weekend and for the last day or two I have have the idea of stuffed eggplants running through my head. We were given an early mark at work today and on the train home all I could think about was that bag of eggplants. Dinner was great tonight and I am so looking forward to leftovers for lunch the next two days.

Stuffed Eggplants

Stuffed Eggplants
4-6 medium eggplants
olive oil
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
3 anchovies
1 carrot
2 eschallots
1 capsicum
100g diced pancetta
1 large field mushroom
1 large tsp pesto
6 sage leaves, torn
3 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
2-4 tbsp tomato passata
1/2 cup white wine
breadcrumbs and a cheese of your choice to top (my choice was pecorino)

Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise. Using a paring knife, slice/scoop the flesh out and dice into 1cm cubes. Finley dice the onion, carrot, garlic, capsicum and mushroom. Slice the eschallots. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and sweat the onion and garlic. Then add the carrot, capsicum, eschallots and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Finely chop the anchovies and with the pancetta add to the pot and continue to cook for a few minutes before adding the mushrooms, pesto and herbs. Cook for a few minutes before adding the wine, allow the wine to cook off for a moments before adding the passata. Allow to cook for a few more minutes. Spoon the filling into the eggplant halves, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and grated cheese. In a moderate oven bake the eggplants for roughly 30 minutes, serve with polenta and salad or just by themselves.

After stuffing the eggplants I had a good amount of filling left over so I roughly chopped up another capsicum, carrot, mushroom, more pancetta and a zucchini and added them to the pot with more wine and pasaata. Season to taste. I brought the pot to a simmer and allowed to cook for a good 30 minutes before freezing into portions to be used for a quick pasta dish.