1,2, Cha-Cha-Cha!

So after taking an unplanned hiatus from blogging, I am back!

Let's keep this simple. I started my new job, which has been much harder work (in a good way) than I imagined. As a result, I have had to take a few steps back from some other things in order to not lose my sanity... And sleep occasionally!

After many years, my time with B-Man, sadly had to come to an end. Although I like to share aspects of my life online, I'm not a huge fan of delving into something quite so personal, so I'll leave this one here. 

I have done a massive flip in my attitude to food. Training with my PT of 4 years, harder than I ever have before has taken me to a place I didn't think I was capable of. Without sounding like one of those annoying, 6am work out warriors, that preach their way of kale, when you're craving cronuts, it did actually prove how true mind over matter can be. Eating foods to match my activity levels, and that will nourish my body (oh *cringe* I just used the word nourish) has become more important to me, than what my cravings, mouth and eyes tell me otherwise.

Some things I am learning, that I thought I'd share:

* Time Management - this isn't about finding time, it's about priorities. Sometimes that means sacrificing personal things to get work done, and sometimes that's necessary and worthwhile. More often though, I am much more productive when I don't sack off the gym, give myself the much needed "switch off time" I get by being there, and spend the rest of the evening chilling out with my partner - which is all I want to do at the end of the day!

* Getting Back on Track

After some big, and deeply personal events over a period of 12 months, it is so easy to fall off the bandwagon. As cheesy and cliche as it is, I had my 6 months of partying too hard & neglecting some of the things that were important to me, my health & my sanity.. Funnily enough, these things were entirely necessary for me in other ways & have also put me on a new path, with a new man I adore (who shall be referred to simply as G, Sir Goose-a-lot, G-Dawg etc) and where I am the most relaxed & happy I have been in a long time. Now is the time to get back on the wagon! 

So here is my first post, as a new me. 

Sir G & I are both down with a cold, craving carbs & hot drinks. This morning's breakfast was an attempt to feed that craving & sneak some good stuff in too, so hopefully, we are back on form for another busy week. 

I had been flicking through the ridiculous, too-big-for-its-bookshelf, foodie mag collection, and stumbled upon a Bill Granger recipe for a Bombay Potatoes-esque dish with fried egg. Perfect! 

I worked with what we had in the cupboard & created my own version...

Spiced Potaotes w Fried Eggs, Avo & Chutney.. Serves 2

Ingredients..

* Half a sweet potato, quartered (or 4 x potatoes, cut in half) 

* 2 x tbs sunflower oil

* 20g butter

* 1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

* 2 tbs ginger, finely chopped 

* 1-2 tbs curry powder

* 1-2 tbs ground cumin

* 1 tbs turmeric 

* 1 tbs ground coriander

* 1 chilli, red or green, seeds roved,

Finely sliced

* 2 spring onions/shallots, thinly sliced

* eggs for frying (number of eggs per person)

* fruit based chutney, or similar condiment to serve (we used a store bought plum & tomato)

Avo 

* 1 x Avo

* 1/4 red onion, finely diced 

* 1 x chilli

* 1/2 bunch of coriander

* juice of 1-2 limes

* salt & pepper to taste

Method..

1. Cook potatoes in salted boiling water for 10mins or until just soft. Set aside & cut into bite size pieces (2-3cm cubes).

2. Meanwhile, smash your avo and all ingredients in a bowl to combine - you can use a potato masher, mortar & pestle, food processor/Thermomix to do this. Just chuck it all in & mash it up together. Season to taste.

3. Heat pan over high heat with 1 tbs sunflower oil, add garlic & ginger, constantly stirring, along with spices until fragrant - DONT let the ginger & garlic burn (like I did the first time...)

4. Add butter to pan, and once almost melted, add final tbs of sunflower oil & potatoes, chilli and shallots to pan. Toss to coat potatoes in space mixture & brown slightly. 

5. Transfer potatoes to a plate to keep warm. Wipe the pan clean, and return to the heat to fry your eggs. 

6. Serve potatoes on plates, with fried egg on top, a dollop of avo and chutney on the side. 

A little bit country

Growing up I was a part of a group of four. We were practically inseparable, and although we made friends with others, our foursome was impenetrable.

Then came high school. of new people and new adventures later we had drifted apart and, long story short, by the time we properly came back together, we were a five. 

Two have ended up in Armidale, two are still on the Central Coast and I am in Sydney. We all try to get together in any way we can as much as possible, but some of the best times have been spent in Armidale, or "Farmidale" as we fondly refer to it. 

Last Friday, the Coast girls and I jumped in the car and drove 5 hours north to visit the other two. Going on these road trips it's like we revert to being 12 again, packing the car with as much junk food and 90's music as we can stomach. The girls had brought a cool bag with soft drink, some chips, crackers and Lillie's and I had baked brownies. We kareoke'd until we could kareoke no more and laughed so hard we nearly had to pull over.

The thing about these fabulous women is that we have all grown up to be very different people, yet we know eachother so well, it's like things never changed at all. Big is pregnant and just moved into a new house her and her hubby built, Little is about to embark on a motorbike trip to Finland through Asia with her partner, Sish is slowly doing renovations to her home, and Fizz is newly single. Yes, we all have nicknames and no we will never call eachother by our first names.

We headed into town for lunch a Bistro on Cinders and indulged in two courses. I went for the Thai Beef Salad as I felt more justified in ordering dessert, which I had picked out before we were even shown the menu board - flourless chocolate cake with lime, walnuts and margerita cream. The service was knowledgable and friendly enough to have a little fun with us as well.

Stuffed with food and plied with a good strong shot of coffee we ventured out to Dangar Falls to get some fresh air. Unfortunately it hadnt rained in a while so the falls were absent, but the scenery was still beautiful.

 

Little & I have always bonded over food and this trip was no different. The decision of roast lamb was unanimous, and without much discussion, I got to preparing the veg while Little worked the lamb. It was simplicity at its best.

I'm not sure if I could live out of the city, not yet anyway. But I look forward to our weekend escapes. The next trip is not too far away as we send Little off and welcome Big

Inspire:

Inspiration is such an important thing in life. Without it so many of life's stones would lay unturned.

Can you imagine a world where absolutely nothing pushed your button? One thought did not lead to another, a new fresh idea? Nothing to pick you up when you were feeling flat or down?

There are stupid little things that get in my way every day and prevent me doing the things I want to do and being the person I want to be. And I'm sure most of you would experience the same thing from time to time. These stupid little things are known as laziness, lack of motivation, fear and anxiety. 

When I want to kill those pesky little demons, I look for things that inspire. Things that make me want to do. Lately I have found that when the brain fog settles in and I can't string a sentence together, I imagine making pastry, and I instantly feel switched on and revived.

I have also started reading a new magazine called the Messenger Collective, thanks to my Mum who placed the first issue in my hot little hands and told me I must read it. I am still only half way through issue #1, and issue #2 is on my coffee table waiting patiently for my attention. This is not lust, this is most certainly love. I am reading a handful of articles every day or two and with so many entrepreneurs, thought leaders and creative beings amongst the pages I have found I am absolutely hooked and brimming with inspiration!



Since entering into part-time employment I often find myself busy on Wednesdays and full of motivation, but come Thursdays I am flat. The motivation to get out of bed wanes, I spend time watching terrible (no, really, TERRIBLE!) shows on TV and don't get out of my pyjamas until afternoon.

Aaaand cue the sad, little violin.

The past 2-3 weeks I have not had this problem. I am so buzzing with inspiration, motivation, ideas and concepts that I am surprised I can sleep at night. That said it is a very good thing and I am not complaining! I am on the brink of enrolling myself into a course, with more in mind on completion of the first. I have decided on a business and am working towards it in little steps each day.

From all this I have decided Thursdays will no longer be flat whites. They will be mutli-flavoured Slurpee's with popping candy (that was not meant to suggest they will be cheap, artificial and nasty; more that they will be colourful, surprising and multidimensional)! And my posts on Thursdays will be about inspirational things I am devouring - people, stories, art - anything creative to keep the juices flowing.



Speaking of juices (see what I did there?), today, after reading an article in the Collective on Lorna Jane and then finding my monthly Love.Nourish.Grow catalogue in the mail, I was inspired to try my very first green juice. I've always been a bit hesitant to try them, after all the idea of putting kale and/or spinach in a drink just doesn't conjure up a tasty beverage in my mind. A perfect example of why it is so important to be open minded and always try new things. I started with the Morning Juice from Bec's Green Juice Recipes (you can find the recipe here: a-green-juice-journal-with-lorna-jane-bec-ronald) and I think this will start appearing on my daily breakfast menu. The lemony-gingery kick will certainly wake you up, without any of the nastiness my brain thought the spinach would contribute. The best thing about a juice like this is, no buyers remorse. I might enjoy my gelato shake from the coffee shop down the road, but afterwards I don't feel great and I immediately regret my decision. After a glass of this I feel great physically and am absolutely delighted to be making such a healthy choice. What a great way to start the day! Now all I need to do is come up with a handy breakfast to go and I'll be one step closer to my ideal morning.

I would be really grateful to find out what makes your morning so great - how do you get yourself going? What makes you want to get out of bed in the morning? Please feel welcome to share your inspiration along with any recommendations on great green juice recipes!

Later dudes - xx

Duck, duck, pig...

This weekend was all about slow cooking for me. I love having the time to throw some ingredients in a roasting pan and let it bubble and simmer away, filling the apartment gradually with wonderful aromas like garlic, red wine and herbs.

We are big fans of pork ribs, or American ribs as they're labelled in our local butcher shop. We usually buy the Pre marinated ones as our butchery makes the spice mix and sauce themselves and it is just divine! But of course, I wanted to make my own. Flicking through my Autumn magazines I stumbled across a feature on pomegranate, including a sticky marinade for ribs - I was sold! 

All sweet and sticky, teamed with the right spices and the sour kick of pomegranate molasses the marinade was a great choice as an alternative to BBQ.

3 hours later, I could barely put the ribs on a plate. They were so tender that any attempt to scoop them out of the dish resulted in a lot more scooping! I'll admit the marinade probably needs a bit of tweaking before I'd find it truly amazing, but that said, at the time the only thing running through my head was, "nom nom nom, pork ribs, nom nom, ribs, nom"... Or something to that affect.

Following on from ribs, on Sunday I chose to try my hand at duck. I enjoy duck immensely; it's one of those things I order when eating out but have never been brave enough to try at home. My favourite thing to order from our local Thai is the Larb Ped - Shredded duck meat with lots of fresh mint, Thai parsley, chilli, red onion, shallots, roasted rice and a chilli lemon dressing. 

My duck dish of choice was from the May edition of delicious - Chinese style Braised Duck legs with Crispy Potatoes. I had all the ingredients in my fridge & pantry, and didn't look too technical for a rookie to start with. 

Rendering the fat was probably the hardest part for me. I wanted the skin to go that lovely golden colour but it was taking so much longer than the recipe suggested, and I really didn't want to spoil the meat. Powering through, I set the duck aside and started on the braise. Star anise, red wine, rice wine and soy with a bit of sugar. Both my man and I are steering away from drinking at the moment so we had no wine in the house and buying a bottle was only going to go to waste. I decided to improvise and try using a home made blackberry liqueur, which I thought would compliment the flavour of the duck, with a splash or red wine vinegar so it wasn't so sweet. I am happy to report this choice did not spoil it one bit! I shoved the duck into the oven (literally, our roasting dish is a bit too big for our oven) and got to work on the crispy potatoes. I've heard how amazing potatoes roasted in duck fat are, but I have never tried eating them before, let alone cooking them! I think I may have over cooked them in water and could have done with more duck fat as they did not come out as crispy as I was expecting, and fell apart as they were so soft. More practice needed here, but they were tasty so I don't mind!

When I served it up to Bri, I was worried he wouldn't like it. I used marylands and they were quite fatty and really difficult to cut up and eat. But to my delight he thought he flavours were great and the duck well cooked, and even came up with some really nifty ideas on how I could present it next time to save us the hassle of picking the meat from the fat - and yes there will be a next time!!

It was great to be finishing the weekend on a high, having successfully ticked some boxes in the firsts category, I'm one step closer to where I want to be.

Pat and Sticks

When ice cream sandwiches arrived as the new trend on the food scene, popping up in hipster cafes and bar menus around Sydney, I was pleased but wasn't in a hurry to get my hands on one.

Then my man came home with a box of Pat and Sticks Vanilla Lace Ice Cream Sandwiches and I'm not quite sure how I lived prior to devouring this tasty little morsel.

The Almond "lace" is a perfect combination of crunchy and chewy and tastes like caramel and an Anzac biscuit have made sweet, sweet love in your mouth.

Despite being an ice-cream-oholic, Vanilla has always been my least favourite flavour. In fact, I can honestly say I have never ordered a vanilla anything in my life unless it comes with chocolate fudge, salted caramel sauce or something of the like to mask the taste - it's either all fake and syrupy, tasting of nothing but sickly sweet or 'under-beaned' and almost metallic. Pat and Sticks is hands down the best vanilla bean ice cream I have ever stumbled upon.



And on the 6th day (sometime in 2004), God created Pat and Sticks. Bored with their 9-5 jobs, two buddies decided they would never fall short of a date by creating an after dinner treat no woman or man could possibly say no to. Ok, so it wasn't quite like that, but essentially they created a product they loved and believed, starting in their own kitchen making ice cream.

The reason it tastes so good because it's locally made from top notch REAL ingredients and free of preservatives and artificial flavours. The duo still are involved in the entire process and credit to them.

The flavours - so far I have only tried Vanilla - but Caramel Pecan, Mochaccino and Strawberry Choc-Chip are where I intend to venture next!

All in all, I am a Pat & Sticks convert and believe you will be too!

The Soup Challenge

Winter is coming.

The air is different. The light is different. The garden starts changing. This past week I have dusted off my coral ugg boots and found that salads are not really cutting it as 'go-to' quick and easy meals. I am craving meals that are heartier and warming, so I have turned my attention to soups. I can whiz up a batch quickly, easily and with little clean up; freeze it and a la peanut butter sandwiches!, I have a meal that is ready in a few minutes for lunch at work or for dinner during the week. Not to mention that you can cram them full of your favourite vegies and top them with fresh herbs, chilli and a dollop of greek yoghurt so it is full of flavour but with nothing to get all bloated about!

My last post was a Zucchini Soup recipe, and this week I have called upon the greeny goodness of Broccoli. I've always felt sorry for Broccoli. It has long been one of those vegetables that is un-loved and mistreated. I don't really remember being a broccoli or vegie hater as a kid, but I certainly wasn't going out of my way to eat them! As I have grown, my palate has changed and as I have focused more on clean eating, I am discovering just how good they can be.

Broccoli Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tbs olive oil
1 x garlic clove, finely sliced
2 x eschalots, finely diced
1.2kg (approx 3-4 heads) of broccoli, cut into small florets
1L chicken stock
140g greek yoghurt
zest of 1 lemon
chopped chives

Method:
1. Bring stock to a boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Add eschalots and garlic and cook for 2mins until soft. Add broccoli and cook, stirring until bright green.
3. Add hot stock and bring to the boil. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until broccoli is tender. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Remove pan from heat and whiz with a stick blender until you reach your desired consistency*.
5. Combine yoghurt, zest & chives in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve hot soup in bowls with a dollop or two of yoghurt.

* Personally, there are few soups that I like pureed until they're completely smooth, and I prefer them thick rather than liquidy, so I leave a few bits un-blended to give it some texture.

All this talk of soup has inspired me to launch another challenge - a soup challenge. Each week I endeavour to find and create a new delicious soup recipe. The good news is, this can include some of my all time favourite asian dishes - laksa and pho, that I have never attempted at home before. Think dumplings, tortellini, chunky-garlicky croutons vegies, seafood stews - the list is endless and I can see this will certainly keep me occupied! If you're keen to participate, please send me some ideas for recipes I should try and I will give it a go and post the results!

Happy souping!

AMAZING RECIPE ALERT!!

As Autumn gets settled in and the weather has become crisper in the mornings and evenings, my attention has turned away from fresh, vibrant salads and onto more humble and heart-warming fair. I stumbled across a zucchini soup that I thought would ease me gently into the full swing of slow cooking, and after catching up on one of my new favourite foodie shows, Ottolenghi's Meditteranean, I felt inspired to jump into the kitchen and knock up a batch. My oh my, this soup is sooo delicious I had to share it straight away! Not only that, but it's super quick and easy, even for Tuesday night cooking and very inexpensive to make. Now I call that winning! And I got to use some mint from my balcony garden, which made this even more exciting.

I made a few changes based on what I like so I'm sharing my version of the recipe here.

Zucchini Soup with Mint, Harissa and Lemon - Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1-2 tsp Harissa paste
1kg zucchini, diced
700ml hot chicken stock
Mint leaves, to serve
Lemon wedges, to serve
Greek yoghurt, to serve

Method:
1) Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and Harissa paste and cool, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 mins until soft. Add the zucchini and cook for 2-3mins until bright green.
2) Add the hot stock, turn heat up the high and bring to the boil. Return heat down to medium and simmer for 5-6mins until zucchini is soft.
3) Season with salt and pepper and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Check season and adjust to taste.
4) Serve soup with a dollop of Greek yoghurt, a drizzle of olive oil, mint leaves and a lemon wedge. If you like it spicy, you can stir through some Harissa into the yoghurt before adding to the soup for an extra kick!

The lemon and mint really make this so don't skimp on them!

GoodGod! Simpsons Trivia!

Tonight we ventured out with JamOrla Corp to Goodgod Small Club for a few drinks, a bite to eat and Simpsons trivia.

If you're into dude food, it's worth a visit. We all ordered hot dogs with a side of salsa fries. The hot dog was worth the bloating I am currently experiencing, the fries so-so.

Simpsons trivia would have been a lot more fun if we were sitting closer to the front. We could hardly hear the questions and admittedly gave up at the end of round two.

The jugs if cocktails though, were the surprise of the night. It's rare you find yourself ordering jug after jug and enjoy all four variations AND feel the lock of booze without feeling like you've swallowed a mouthful if metho. Black Sangria and Chevy Chase were my favourites.

Would happily head back but will certainly be better prepared and book a decent table ahead.

Herb Garden - take 1

At the moment I am working part time whilst looking for a full time job. This week has felt super productive, I have applied for 5 jobs so cross your fingers for me!

I also decided it was time to properly start a balcony herb garden. I say properly as previous attempts haven't had the commitment and I've ended up with a dried herb garden instead! So on Sunday we went to Bunnings and picked up some mint, sweet basil and flat leaf parsley, a trowel, gloves and potting mix. Yesterday was a brilliant day, 25° and sunny, so I took advantage of the opportunity to plant the herbs. Now when I walk past my balcony I feel a great sense of pleasure seeing my green babies up there soaking in the sun! I can't wait to start using them. I am thinking coriander, chives an chilli will be next.

Any tips?

Easter Long Weekend

How was everyone's long weekend?

I took the time to get as much R&R as possible and started watching the first series of Game of Thrones - which I must say is amazeballs!

I am also proud to say I managed to get through the entire weekend with verry little chocolate consumption - this may be a first! I did bake some indulgent Cadbury Creme Egg Brownies for B-man though, which are so rich even he is struggling to polish them off! I am much more of a hot cross bun girl myself, and although I try to eat clean and gluten free 90% of the time, I always end up on a 5 day bun binge over the long weekend.

In a Pre-Easter moment of weakness I stopped by one of my favourite sweet shops, Sweetness Patisserie, to check out their range of bunnies and accidentally ended up leaving with a sample of their tasty delights. My mixed bag consisted of chocolate Easter bunny pops, lime & poppy seed shortbread (gluten free), caramel apples *squeal!*, handmade marshmallows (for the record, I would like to buried on a bed of these light, soft, fluffy & totally delectable delights), lemon curd and chocolate dipped candied orange slices. If you can't already tell, the caramel apples were my fave, and I can never go past a cheeky 2-pack of their marshmallows, particularly the passion fruit ones. The choc oranges went to my Mum, review pending!

I also tried my hand at a moorish salt & pepper chicken that B-Man loved so much he said it was one of the best dinners I've ever cooked him. So, of course, I had to share it with you.

Salt & Pepper Chicken with Thai Dipping Sauce - Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 x chicken breast fillets
2 x eggs white
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup plain flour
3 tsp sea salt flakes
3 tsp Chinese five spice
3 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Rice bran oil, to deep fry
Shredded iceberg lettuce, curled shallot tails and sliced red chilli, to serve
Thai Dipping Sauce
60ml (1/4 cup) fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs sweet chilli
1 tbs fish sauce

Method:
1. Cut chicken, diagonally, into 5mm thick slices.
2. Use a fork to whisk egg whites in a bowl until foamy. Add chicken & toss to coat. Place combined flours, salt, five spice & pepper in a bowl.
3. To make the dipping sauce, whisk lime juice, sugar, sweet chilli & fish sauce Ina bowl.
4. Heat oil to 180°C in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 of the chicken to the flour mixture & toss to coat. Shake off excess & add to the oil, 1 piece at a time, & cook for 2-3 mins or until golden & cooked through. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat in 3 more batches.
5. Arrange the lettuce on a serving platter & top with chicken. Sprinkle with shallots & chilli. Serve with dipping sauce.

What long weekend baking did you get up to? Where do you stand on the choc v hot x bun divide?

The Week That Was...

Another crazy week down!

I was invited to go and see Fun. with one of my good friends on Thursday night. Despite not really being a fan, or knowing more than 3 of their songs, I had a really good night and was quite impressed!

After a big weekend, I was anything but prepared for my week ahead. Even more apparent by the fact that I haven't cooked dinner all week! With no lunches sitting and waiting in the fridge, I have been buying it every day. Not only does this'd an spending money, but massively cheating on my healthy food plan. This has lead me to discover that white rice effects me in a way I have never noticed before. My week of sushi binging led me on a path of research as to why it makes me so sleepy and I will certainly be skipping out on white rice from now on... That is after tonight!

Tonight I found two recipes I thought would work well together. Both turned out to be Spanish, but that was completely by accident!

Arroz con Pollo, using arborio rice with chicken and chorizo, slow cooked in tomatoes, white wine, sherry and herbs. It's definitely an autumn casserole type of meal that could do with a bit if spicing up so I thought I would have a go at serving with a Tom Kime recipe of Chorizo, asparagus & roasted kumera salad with green chilli and lemon. This salad is fantastic, and I think the dressing really made it. That said how can you resist the combination of sweet potato, lemon and asparagus? As I enjoyed it so much I thought I would share here.

Challenge #3 - Figuring It All Out

In my second post Challenge Accepted I wrote of the desire for a career involving food, but not knowing where to go next. On the road to discovery I created this blog, have tried to post regularly and am setting myself goals or "challenges" along the way that will help me work it out. I have spoken of a foodie education, learning about different cuisines, how to source and prepare food.

I have recently discovered another piece to the puzzle. This is a story, so bear with me!

Once upon a time, as a young girl, it was a thrill to visit my parents at work. My father was a mechanic and on occasion I would be allowed to go and spend a day with him at work. The first thing I wanted to be when I grew up was a mechanic. I think initially I was drawn to this as I loved spending time with my Dad and day at the workshop also meant an early trip on the train to Sydney (we lived on the Central Coast), followed by a chocky milk and pastry from the cake shop for breakfast. My Dad is no longer a mechanic, but I still love the smell of motor oil and grease as it reminds me of him.

As I got older and became more interested in growing up as quickly as possible, I wanted to work at the hospital where my Mum worked in the research and human resources department. I was still young, but desperately wanted my Mum to be at home with me (in fact, there are times when I pleaded with her to not go to work the next day so hard which, in hindsight, must have made her feel so guilty!). Again, the draw card of being with her teamed with the prospect of wearing 'mummy noise' or 'clip clop' shoes and dressing up to go to an office seemed pretty good to a 7 year old.

I fell in love with the sea around 10 and thought marine biology would be amazing... until I got to high school, worked out how long I'd need to spend at uni and the results I would need in science to get there changed my mind.

At 15 I settled on journalism and even did work experience on one of the popular teen magazines, staying with my relatives in Sydney and eating lunch by the bridge. I already knew which university I would apply to and topped the grade in English. Unfortunately my work experience consisted of filing old issues of the magazine in a dingy store room and sorting mail and painted a very different picture of what journalism might be. I did get sent to a photo shoot with Billie Piper, a fleetingly popular British pop starat the time, but given my favourite bands at the time were Nirvana, Offspring, Metallica, Blink 182 and Korn I had to feign my interest. Now I understand these are the kind of jobs that get given to work experience kids but it really didn't give me any concept of what it was about and how it all worked.

Feeling lost and with no sense of direction I decided to leave school at the conclusion of the first term of Year 11 and pursue a career in... well... um... retail? I had an after school job at a bakery that I adored. I loved dealing with the customers, helping make/prepare the cakes, bread and slices and was quite taken with the lady I worked with who's parents owned the bakery. She was younger than I am now at the time but married and 'so cool!' (for any gen y-ers that translates to 'totes amaze'). My parents weren't overly convinced at this desire and, whilst my Mum was furious and distraught that I was leaving school, my Dad was much calmer and agreeable on the basis that I learnt a trade or did some sort of course that would give me a qualification. So off to TAFE I went to study Business Admin.

From there I have spent the last 10 years working my way up from an office junior to where I am now - feeling lost with a vague sense of direction. I have lots of great experience but minimal qualifications. With the responsiblity of bills, groceries and putting a roof over my head the moves I make now are much bigger decisions that unforutnately involve bringing in a certain income as a minimum. The hospitality scene is ruthless and businesses, even the successful ones, open and shut almost as regularly as I change my underwear. Discussing this over tea with my Aunt, she mentioned having read something that suggested to open a restaurant you need $1 million to put towards your first year. Scary? Definitely. Risky? Certainly. Achievable? Yes, but not in the near future.

I have been saying for so long that it is the sharing aspect of food and hospitality that I love. I love cooking for other people. Bringing people together for a meal, homecooked or out. I love discovering new places to eat and drink, and when I find them I want to share it with the world so others can enjoy as well.

'GET TO THE POINT ALREADY!', you say.

I have decided to study online ... Journalism, including photography, styling and maybe graphic design as well. Not just to become another food blogger and instagrammer! I have a grand master plan to work to now (and no I'm not sharing just yet, you'll have to stay tuned!), and it feels really good!

B-Mans Birthday at Mejico

On Wednesday it was B-Mans birthday. Usually he organizes a night out with his friends, but for one reason or another this year it became a little difficult and no plans eventuated. So I decided to do a little secret squirrel business and organize a surprise dinner out with his closest friends. B-Man is a big fan of Mexican food, and it features most weeks in our home cooking, so it seemed fitting to try out Mejico, the latest addition to Sydney's Mexican food scene.

Most of our party had arrived by the time we showed up, and as our table was not yet ready, we were directed to the bar for chilli infused beer (not as odd as it sounds) and cocktails. I started off with "An Easy Read", basically a pineapple margarita. After all that secret squirrel business I needed the soothing hit of tequila! I definitely recommend this if you're not massive tequila fan or are trying to ease your way into the night, as it wasn't overly tequila-y.

I'm a tequila girl from way back so it lacked the sour punch I was looking for, but was enjoyable nonetheless.

As a fan of tapas and share food (why choose one meal when you can have several?) I was quite pleased to see that Mejico have structured their menu and servings this way as well, even their mains! Given that we had 15 people's tummy grumblings and taste buds to satisfy, I enlisted the help of our wonderful waitress to help me devise an order that had a good variety of dishes and didn't leave anyone hungry. It went a little bit like this...

Market Fresh Guacamole with avocado, spanish onion, coriander, lime juice, pistachios and serrano chilli, served with golden plantain chips. What was best about this is that they make it to order at your table in a molcajete (mortar & pestle).

Salsas - Pico de Gallo and Rodriguez Farm Chorizo (with Persian feta, Pedro Ximinez Sherry, black beans, smoky paprika and charred serrano chilli salt)

Pacific Scallop Cerviche with avocado, pomegranate, jalapeno and crispy eschalots

We tried each of the tacos - Braised Lamb Shoulder, Smoked Pork Belly and Grilled Ocean Trout. All were amazing but the lamb were my favourite.

We decided upon a selection of 3 mains - Archiote Chicken with pumpkin puree, roasted garlic and ancho chilli; Glazed Pork Ribs in a Chipotle chilli marinade with blackened corn and polenta chips; and Chargrilled Black Angus Sirloin with quinoa, black beans, pumpkin, pepitas and green chimichurri. Again, I really cannot fault any of these, but the ribs were a favourite not just with me, but with everyone on the table! Finger licking good and worth the sticky smile you will be left with!

We also had a vegetarian at the table who ordered his own main of Portobello Mushrooms & Croquetas with tomatillo salsa, black bean puree, ancho chilli, sweet potato, cumin, onion & manchego. I didn't try this - didn't want to rob the man of his main meal whilst we were all being cannibals! But he assured me it was very enjoyable.

By this stage we were all as full as googs, so we ordered a last round of drinks (I moved on from tequila to 'The Devils Advocate' - rum, lychee, grapefruit and campari) and one plate of the Agave glazed carame fudge, complete with a candle for the birthday boy, and shared it around.

This was by far one of the best meals out I have had in a while. All of us enjoyed the food immensely and are making plans for a return visit, the bill came out at around $35 per person + drinks and we were all satisfied with how much we ate. The service is friendly and know the menu, making good recommendations. I think we may just become regulars!

NB: B-Man was totally and utterly surprised - he had no idea and was astounded that not one person let anything slip. We came home & shared a special birthday dessert of Peanut Butter Pie. Hopefully, although it is the last of his 20's, it was a memorable day.

The 'To-Don't' List

I have neglected my blog this week. I have spent the past 6 days in bed and truth be told I am still on the mend. The pesky flu took me down on Monday night, along with my appetite, general motivation and happy face. This unfortunately meant that I have done bugger all cooking this week. After some 'happy pills' from the doctor I am finally starting to feel human again.

What I did manage to get up to was checking out some blogs and pages, and through a friend stumbled upon Hayley Carr TV. I have to admit, my first thought was, "this chick is a little nuts"... but in all the right ways. I started off by watching her video on "How to Dissolve Procrastination Immediately". I was instantly hooked.

I'm not usually one for 'self-help' type things - not because I don't believe in helping yourself, but because there is a lot of material out there that is all very similar and all pretty wanky.

Hayley's tips were pretty simple and from there I wanted more, so I checked out "the best kind of list that everyone needs to write". I recommend you watch the video before reading on, partially as Hayley explains it better and I don't want to take away from her message, and also because it will make the next part of this post make more sense!

I am sure this list will grow, but for now I think it covers the necessary bases:

1. I will not neglect to save some money FIRST.
2. I will not exercise less than 4 days per week.
3. I will not cheat on my diet (and we all know I need help with this one!)
4. I will not waste time with activities that do not serve a purpose in my plan.
5. I will not put off servicing the car past May.
6. I will not put off going to the Dentist past June.
7. I will not finish another Financial Year without private health care

As I get a better idea of what I'm aiming for with my challenges I will put together a separate list that's more relevant.

What does your list look like?

Taste of Sydney Festival

Last weekend B-Man & I headed to Centennial Park for the annual Taste of Sydney food festival. Despite being on my hit list for a number of years now, it was a first for both of us, and I have to admit we were very unprepared!

To start off with, all the stalls are cashless, so you're required to purchase 'crowns'. on a taste card, kind of like a credit card. In principle I don't have a major issue with this, but we were surpised that we could not get change and were forced to spend more than we had budgeted (which was not a lot considering it was the week before pay day!) and could not be refunded any money we had not spent at the end of the night.

Enough with the lowlights and onto the highlights!

It was a bit like being in foodie heaven, with rows and rows of stalls serving delicious smelling foods, beer, cider and wine tastings were a plenty, as were bars, demonstrations and products. After a quick lap to suss it out, we decided the best course of action was to grab a drink and work out what we wanted to see and eat! We started at the Rekorderlig bar where I chose to try their new Orange and Ginger cider. I don't usually drink Rekorderlig as I find it super sweet (even for cider), but this was quite pleasant.

 

After a lot of umming and ahh-ing over what to eat, we finally settled on something each.

 

I sampled the Spit Roast Suckingling Pig with Coleslaw and Hot Sauce from Four In Hand, where you could see the team to the left of the stall, cooking mussells whilst the sucking pig was on roation.

 

B-Man braved the Porteno line 50+ people long for BBQ Wagyu Beef Brisket with BBQ Sauce and Pickle - it was difficult, but I managed to convince him to let me have a taste, and the BBQ sauce was amazing. Immediately I want ribs.

 

 

 

As the sun is setting, we agree that the only way to go is straight to the Argyle Exchange tent for Ananas Bar & Brasserie's Salted Caramel Eclair. That alone was worth going for, and I know I am not alone when I say it! In fact typing about it now, I may just need to find some excuse to pop in for another over the weekend!

 

 

 

As our crowns were low and we were keen to get home for Avatar in 3D, we decided to call it a night. I was disappointed to have missed demonstrations by some of my favourite chefs, and on sampling more food (Maggie Beer's Roast Pear & Duck Sliders, anything from Sake & Peter Kuruvita would have realy made my night!) but we have vowed to be much more prepared this time next year when the festival hits town again.

 

 

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh!!

As my partner is Irish, Paddy's Day weekend is usually a big celebration. It starts with a family brunch, a massive fry up  by his Mother of pork sausages, black pudding, eggs, gamon steaks, mushrooms, tomato and other various added bonuses such as haloumi (not so traditional, but I will never say no to a freshly grilled slice!). Soda bread is sourced, or depending on time, freshly baked and served with lashings of butter, fresh a OJ and a steaming pot of tea.

By the time we leave our clothes are bursting at the seams and all we really want to do is slide into a food enduced nap. But, the party animals we are, we have people due to arrive in 3 hours and we have to clean the apartment, decorate and prepare the nights food & beverages. I have started a tradition at our party of jelly shots and each time I promise to be more organised and do layers and fancy flavours. This still has not happened, so I do a trio of lime (green), orange and lemonade (white). I make a batch of vanilla cupcakes, iced with green frosting and dunked in white & orange sprinkles. Meanwhile, B-Man is draping streamers and shamrocks from the ceiling and doorframes, and taping leprechauns to the walls. We finish off by setting up a bench with fun and festive paraphenalia - beer goggles, badges shouting "Kiss me I'm Irish!" and "Póg Mo Thón!", ginger beards, shamrock tattoos, leprechaun hats etc with a big pot o' gold spilling out amongst it. We make drunken plans to head into the parade and after a 4am finish, rarely make it in.

This year, unfortunately, we have been too busy. With little to no time to plan it let alone host it, we have settled for a very quiet Paddy's Day. Luckily though, we did not have to forfeit Brunch, which was amazing as usual and I managed to find an hour and a half to bake a Passionfruit Sponge for dessert.

If we play our cards right, we might get up to the pub for a cheeky Guinness or Jameson's.

Challenge #2 - A Foodie Education

You may have noticed that I blog alot about what I'm cooking, and 9 times out of 10 they are not my recipes. There are two reason for this.

1. I cannot resist sharing good food when I find it. Whether it's a recipe, a bar, a cafe/restaurant or product, when Ive fallen in love I want to share it with the world. Annoying sometimes to some, as I am sure not all my friends and family really care about the new fabulous organic and locally sourced banana Greek yoghurt I'm addicted to, but no one complains when I offer to cook them dinner or book a group outing somewhere!
2. I am forming my Foodie Education.

I know I want a career in hospitality, with food and drink. I have had dreams of owning and running a catering business, a bar, a cafe and a product range. One day I may be able to do all of the above, but I have little experience in all of these areas.

A love of food and drink runs down both sides of my family. My grandparents on my Dad's side used to be caretakers at sheep and livestock stations out in western NSW, including the rich property owners residence. While my Pop worked on the land, taking care of the stock and yards, my Nanny would clean and cook, including catering for the lavish parties the owners would hold with their friends from the tennis club. On a recent visit to see my Pop, he re-lived some of the stories with me, and about my Nan said, "she didn't actually know what she was doing, but it always turned out good". This has really stuck with me, and if you look at some of today's culinary hero's, many of them did not start out with apprenticeships under Marco Pierre White and the like. Many were nothing other than home cooks with a passion and a pallet like a mo-fo, who loved fresh produce and were not afraid to experiment. They were educated by their grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and most of all through a thirst for knowledge, creating art, for a love of food and how it brings people together.

As a child, both my parents worked full time so I spent days with my Nanna (Mum's Mum). Eventually, after my brother was born, Nan moved in with us. I spent alot of time with her so we had a really close relationship. She would help Mum out by preparing dinner on week nights and keep me occupied when I was 'bored' in the school holidays by giving me slices and biscuits to make. I can still remember this amazing luscious lemon cake she made for afternoon tea one day. I have never been able to find the recipe or one that comes close to the memory I have of it. My Nan was also the family historian and managed to track my Pa's side of the family back generations to the 1800's. My great-great-great-great grandfather shipped himself out to Australia from Great Britain and shacked up with a convict. Turns out, he was the republican of more than one pub in the city, when hay mills were still present on Sussex St. I live in hope that one day I will be able to afford to take down the office space that now occupies the address, transform it back into a pub or bar and create a piece of personal heritage.

My challenge is to continue to learn and grow. To continue to work with flavours, styles and techniques I love and to explore the unknown. I have worked in a bakery, a butchers, an Italian restaurant & pizzeria and as a caterers assistant, but as a young adult still finding her way in the world I feel I did not really see what the world was trying to tell me and use those opportunities as I could have. So, this year I am going to get my foodie on, enrol in every kind of course, tour, experience possible. Some of the ones I have found so far are:

• Sydney Bar School does packages that include RSA, Food & Beverage, Bar Skill, Barista and Cocktail courses
• The Grounds of Alexandria offer beginner to advanced coffee roasting classes as well as garden workshops
• Gelato Messina runs two types of gelato courses, a short class which includes sampling (um, hell yea!) and a more in depth course into artisan ice cream making.
• Sydney Seafood School have a range of classes depending on what you're looking for; and
• Victor's Food host meat classes that focus on variety of meats, cuts, knife skills, preparation, influence of feed and cooking techniques

And this is just to start with. I also intend to 'home school' myself by starting with the basics and trying as many new recipes as possible. I have a food porn collection of books and magazines that has surpassed the space we have available to store it in, many of which I have not tried one recipe from.I am sad to say I actually had to go through and cull at one stage. From these I will devise separate challenges focusing on a particular cuisine (three that spring to mind immediately are Sri Lankan - Peter Kuruvita's Serendip, Asian - Adam Liaw's Two Asian Kitchens and Spanish - Jane Lawson's Cocina Nueva), ingredient or technique (Zumbaron's I'm looking at you).

And to think it all started with midnight.

Has anyone out there had the experience of self starting and self educating to get them on the road to the career they dream about? Were you successful?

Would also love to take suggestions or recommendation of other classes and courses that are out there to fill my calendar with.

The Weeks That Were...

So it has been a little while since my last post. I have been so busy burning the candle at both ends, and whilst in the first week I completely went off the rails with my diet, this last week has been much better, even though it was one of the major contributors to the candle! Even worse, Egad Brain, I’ve missed the gym for nearly a whole fortnight!

This week, as I tried and tested recipes for lunch and dinner I stumbled across a new favourite, by none other than one of my favourites – Jill Dupleix.

Gremolata Chicken - Jill Dupleix

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
8 chicken thigh fillets (skin on)
2 tbs lemon juice
½ red onion, thinly sliced
1 long red chilli (optional), thinly sliced
1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed
4 small zucchinis, thinly sliced (a mandolin is ideal)
1 2/3 cups (200g) frozen peas
1 tbs grated parmesan
Gremolata
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tbs finely shredded mint leaves
2 tbs finely shredded basil leaves

Method:

1.       Preheat the oven to 200⁰C. Line a baking tray with foil.
2.       Heat 1 tbs oil in a fry pan over medium-high heat. In 2 batches, cook chicken, skin side down, for 5-6 minute until skin is golden. Arrange chicken, skin side up, on the tray. Drizzle over 1 tbs lemon juice and scatter with onion and chilli if using, then season. Bake for 30mins or until the chicken is golden and cooked through.
3.       Meanwhile for the gremolata, lightly toss the garlic, lemon zest, mint and basil together in a bowl until combined. Season and set aside.
4.       Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil over high heat. Add asparagus and cook for 1 minute. Add zucchini and peas and coo for a further 1 minute or until the vegetables are just tender. Drain.
5.       Toss the vegetables with the remaining 1 tbs oil and 1 tbs lemon juice, then season and arrange on serving plates.
6.       Arrange the chicken on top and scatter with gremolata Top with parmesan and serve immediately.

 

This next recipe I stumbled upon when I was looking for something to jazz up an Arroz con Pollo (Spanish rice dish with chicken, chorizo and tomato). Personally I think the combination of kumera and chorizo is always a winner, but the dressing really makes this, all zingy with a good kick of chilli.

Chorizo, Asparagus & Roast Kumera Salad with Green Chilli Dressing - Tom Kime
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 kumera, peeled, cut into chunks
2 tbs olive oil
1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 3cm lengths
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 chorizo sausages, halved lengthways, sliced on an angle
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup rocket, roughly chopped
Green Chilli Dressing
2 green chillies, seeded, finely chopped
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp caster sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil.

Method:

1.       Pre-heat oven to 200^oC.
2.       Mix kumera and 1 tbs olive oil with salt and pepper in a bowl. Spread in a roasting pan and bake for 35-40mins until soft and caramelised, stirring 2-3 times so it browns evenly.
3.       Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a heavy-based frypan over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until light golden in parts. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice, then place in a large bowl.
4.       Add the chorizo to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towel.
5.       Meanwhile, whisk all the dressing ingredients with salt and pepper in a bowl.
6.       Add chorizo to the asparagus bowl with the kumera, spring onion, parsley and rocket Add the dressing to the salad, toss to combine, then serve immediately.

I was also lucky enough to catch Fun. with a good friend, and then Motley Crue supporting KISS who were just so amazing I am lost for words! Given they’ve been doing their thang for over 30 years and must be pushing 60, they put on a show that would put some of the big young bands these days to shame. What a way to end the week!

 

Fun. at the Enmore Theatre

Tommy Lee Jones, drumming upside down inside a wheel of fire – Motley Crue at Allphones Arena

  Gene Simmons - KISS

 

 

I Wanna Rock'n'Roll All Niiiight, and Party Every Day - KISS at Allphones Arena