A Pretty While

Yes it’s been an age since I’ve last posted something and so much has happenned..

 

I’ve gone back to work as a cheff at a company called cool Nrg and I make them(12-15 people) lunch four days a week. It’s the best job for me as I have a passion for cooking, I get to cook what ever my little heart desires and I only work for half a day.

 

I plan to put together a catalgue of all the meals including recipes as I get at leat one person a day asking me how to make a particuler dish.

 

Andrew, one of the company member has started an Olice farm with his wife and he brought everyone a bottle each of his organic olive oil. At the next dinner party we made this..

Creamy Garlic Sauce and a Tasty Salad

 

I love prawns and will them eat them every way, even raw if it’s been prepared by a professional. This is a garlic prawn that is available in almost every cafe and I’ve taken to copying the recipe by taste.

 

I’ve blached the asparagus to go in the green salad and the cream adds as a dressing. Oh so rich and yummy.

seagrass

For my birthday I was taken to seagrass Restaurant and Bar, www.seagrassrestaurant.com.au  in South Bank. The staff were elegant and professional, the place beautiful stylish with a glass wall desplay of large glass vases and decanters and benches full of fresh white and green flowers. We sat over looking the river and glancing over that the crowds watching buskers on the bank.

 

The menu Changes every day.

 

This is what we ordered:

Freshly shucked oysters with lemon and lime and a hint of something sweet

Confit pork belly, Moreton Bay bugs, apple hazelnut salad, apple balsamic

Caramelised Canadian scallops, truffle polenta, chorizo foam

Grilled Moreton Bay bugs, cherry tomato, radish & witlof salad. anchovy, garlic & herb butter.

 

So it was very comfortable and very fine and I felt right at home

Prawn, Pork, and Noodle Salad

This is really fresh on a summers day.

Mud Crab and “Sweet Fish Sauce”

I have called this sauce Sweet Fish Sauce in keeping with the way the Khmers call it but it’s complete tanslation is ‘water fish sweet’. How clever are we translaters? Anyway I was wondering through the Preston Markets after witnessing the usual parking road rage (‘ you’re going the wrong way! this is my car spot beep beep, are you f***ing crazy?”…. you get the picture).  I usually do a circle, just to see what’s around and to talk to a stranger about something they didn’t understand, like what you would use a bitter melon or a pan dan leaf for and then I do my shopping. The other day at the very busy and always exciting Asian grocery there were live mud crabs from Darwin that brought me to ruins. I snapped one up without torturing myself too much and I made this very simple dish, steamed mud crab with sweet fish sauce.

The sauce has fish sauce, raw sugar, lime juice, garlic and fresh Asian herbs like coriander, red basil. This is the sauce that have won me so much affections amongst friends. You use it as a dipping sauce for cold and hot seafood, fried fish, grilled chicken, and boild pork. You don’t even have to put the herbs in but you must use all the other stuff. I’m not sure of it’s origin but it’s a South East Asain sauce and no one in the reasturants have been able to make it so I’m guessing its also a sauce akin to the provence or village that I came from, maybe.

 

The crab, I steamed, let cool and then put in the fridge to chill before I openned it up and ate it’s sucullant flesh.

Orange Glazed Duck

This for someone very special. The glaze has veal stock and orange rind and it simmers down till it’s like syrup, and just perfect.  The duck breast is seared on the pan before going straight into the oven for baking. Yum.

Cafe La

On the 35th floor in the Sofitel Hotel there lives a spectacular cafe that treats you to a champagne brunch every Sunday and on Mothers day it’s extra special. I helped my self to the entree of fresh oysters, and prawns, and as much cold delights as I could wish for such as cold meats, cheeses, salads and fruit. I skipped the hot stuff although I heard the baked salmon pastry was to die for and went straight to the dessert. Dessert was special because they all came in these tiny little packages so you don’t feel like your indulging too much and yet you get a taste for everything. It was just what I needed. Sigh.

So Quick Prawn Salad

If you can’t be bothered peeling them yourself then get those large packs of frozen uncooked prawns. To make them open up a bit more just cut deeper along the vein line. Prawns are so easy because they absorb flavouring so well. I change the marinade every time I make this dish. I alway put a bit of oil (peanut and sesame oil always gets people talking about the nuttiness of it), a sprinkle of salt, sometimes chilli, or curry paste, or mirin, the list goes on. Heat pan, add oil and garlic if you want or onions, and brown and throw the prawns in for only a little while, just until the prawns start to butterfly and then turn the heat off and leave on stove for maybe another minute. Pour the prawns over an adventurous garden salad.

Soup with Pork Bones and Water Cres

This is the easiest soup. You just put some water in a large sauce pan, add pork bones and a garlic clove the you’ve just bruised. I find the garlic makes the soup smell nicer during the cooking process, you don’t have that full on pork smell going through your house. In 20 min to 1/2 hour after simmering add some chopped carrots and a generous amount of fish sauce, to taste. When the meat is tender add in the water cress and be ready to serve.  You could also use cabbage as well.

This has been a family dish since I can remember and it’s a winner with the children.  Add steamed rice into the soup bowl and break off the meat and serve it to even babies who can’t get enough.

A Barbecue Indoors

I had arranged a lovely day out eating, drinking, and rowing along the river before the weather got too wet and cold. The week was so mild for this time of year and I looked forward to this pretty gathering with enthusiasm. Then of course the weather bureau predicted not only wet and cold but wind and hail as well. So we decided to have it at our loft in Northcote. It turned out to be very delightful indeed.