Coffee

What happened to my routine?

Posted by Gary
What I ate this week
What I ate this week
What happened to my routine?
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A topsy-turvy week means no routine and no salmon

So, last week I posted about how I had finished February in my usual eating routine. This week has been a little unusual. A day in Sydney, a dinner out I didn’t end up getting to, and senate estimates put my week out of whack.

Monday Maccas

Rather than the usual Salmon Monday, I went with Maccas Monday after flying back from Sydney.

Two Big Macs Gary Lum routine
Two Big Macs

Please do me a favour

I think I’ve managed to work out how to use e-mail lists for sending post notifications and newsletters. I’d love it if you would sign up using the ‘form’ in the side bar (if you’re using a laptop or desktop) or at the bottom of the post (if you’re using a mobile device).

By subscribing you’ll receive a personalised e-mail from me and from time to time, apart from the blog post I’ll share something new, like my ideas for a cook book sometime this year.

Tuesday dinner out turned into dinner in

I was meant to go out to dinner on Tuesday night with friends from work (hospital) but I ended up having to do something work related.

I ended up buying a roast chicken from Coles and making a roast chicken sandwich.

Roast chicken roll with aioli and spring onion cream cheese Gary Lum routine
Roast chicken roll with aioli and spring onion cream cheese

Wednesday Senate estimates

Three times a year public servants appear before senators to answer questions about their program areas. In days gone by I’d eat a steak at the Hellenic Club, however, lately, my boss has been taking a few of us out to dinner which has been a very pleasant change.

I have no photographs of dinner, just the large coffee I had in the morning.

Happy #humpday I need a large one for today. Thanks Urban Bean Gary Lum routine
Happy #humpday I need a large one for today. Thanks Urban Bean

I also have a shot of an abandoned building near where I work.

Canberra, our national capital. Home of fine public art with #abandoned buildings left for years surrounded by fencing suggesting activity but #noactivity Gary Lum routine
Canberra, our national capital. Home of fine public art with #abandoned buildings left for years surrounded by fencing suggesting activity but #noactivity

Thursday saw some normality

Lunch was crispy squid from Urban Bean Espresso Bar.

Crispy squid salad from Urban Bean Gary Lum routine
Crispy squid salad from Urban Bean

Dinner was leftover chicken on a piece of bread that was smothered in oil and heated in the oven to give it a fried bread effect. I laid the skin over the top to help stop the stringy breast meat from drying out too much. I’m not a fan of breasts, I much prefer thighs.

Leftover roast chicken on a fried cream cheese bread roll with peas and corn Gary Lum routine
Leftover roast chicken on a fried cream cheese bread roll with peas and corn

The best thing about Thursday was that even though it wasn’t pay day, it was the start of the NRL season and the Brisbane Broncos defeated the Cronulla Sharks.

The 2017 #NRL season kicks off tonight. Let's GO Brisbane Broncos. Coffee with Urban Bean almond and white chocolate muffin. Gary Lum routine
The 2017 #NRL season kicks off tonight. Let’s GO Brisbane Broncos.
Coffee with Urban Bean almond and white chocolate muffin.

Friday means a day at the hospital, and…

Lunch in the staff tuck shop. I went with roast vegetables. They were very salty.

Meat-free Friday roast vegetables Gary Lum routine
Meat-free Friday roast vegetables

Dinner was a concoction that included a Chicken Maryland, two mushrooms, lots of Coon cheese, peas, corn and a piece of bread.

Cheesy Chicken Maryland on oven fried Colby cheesy bread with mushrooms, peas and corn Gary Lum routine
Cheesy Chicken Maryland on oven fried Colby cheesy bread with mushrooms, peas and corn
Triple chocolate ice cream Gary Lum routine
Triple chocolate ice cream

How did I cope?

I really prefer routine.

Final thoughts

I hope you had a good week. Did you eat well?

Can you do me another favour please

I’m sort of transitioning my blogging to balance between food blogging and light hearted ‘medical’ podcasting. Please check out the podcast at drgarylum.com/blog

You can also subscribe via iTunes and Stitcher

How do you do a TimTam Slam?

Posted by Gary

Doing a TimTam Slam

On Friday while at work someone brought in some mango TimTams. I tried one, it wasn’t bad. I also learnt that you can buy pineapple TimTams.

Those who know me, know that my preference is for ‘classic’ or ‘Double Coat” TimTams.

I shot a photograph and shared it. On Instagram, a friend mentioned how much she liked white TimTams and how good they are for slamming. It was sort of a dare! Click on the embedded Instagram images and you can read the comments.

Who knew mango TimTams were a thing?

A photo posted by Yummy Lummy Gary Lum Food Blog (@yummylummyblog) on

So when I went grocery shopping yesterday I bought a packet of white TimTams and last night I recorded a ‘how to’ video on how to do a TimTam Slam.

I’m thinking white TimTam slam @nadia.anderson

A photo posted by Gary Lum (@garydlum) on

What are the important factors in a TimTam Slam?

The TimTam

I like eating ‘classic’ TimTams on their own. For slamming though, I really like the ‘Double Coat’.

For this post however, as mentioned above, I went with white TimTams.

The season

I think TimTam Slamming is best done in the winter, preferably outside in the cold with friends. That said, I’d do it anytime.

The drink

My preferred drink is a nice hot coffee or a hot chocolate

If you’re reading this and you’re not from Australia, I believe TimTams can now be purchased in many overseas countries. I expect it’s to keep expatriate Australians happy along with a little vegemite.

White TimTams with coffee Gary Lum TimTam Slam
White TimTams with coffee

So how was the white TimTam Slam?

It was pretty good. I do like white ‘chocolate’. That said, I still think the ‘double coat’ TimTams are the best for slamming.

Final words

If you’ve never done a TimTam Slam before, give it a go and let me know. Make a video of yourself. That would be very cool.

Monday link love

Posted by Gary

I don’t have much to write about today. Yesterday I shared some photographs from a relaxing weekend.

I’ll get straight into the Monday link love from the Canberra Food Bloggers facebook group

Versatile blogger post

I should also add here that my friend Jennifer from Little Monster Girl nominated me for a Versatile Blogger award. I’m not sure how you feel about these blogging awards. I know a lot of bloggers who eschew them, even to the extent of declaring their blogs award-free zones. I think they’re harmless fun. That said, I don’t always carry through with them. I think the links above can be my substitute for nominations so I recommend you take a look at each of them as well as the LMG webcomic. Just remember the LMG webcomic is NSFW [nudity].

versatile

Here are some facts about me.

  • I like my weather warm and moist. Warm doesn’t mean hot either, I like a range of 28 to 32 °C. I like it nice and humid. Dry weather sucks.
  • I’d be happy wearing thongs and shorts every day
  • I used to be an okay swimmer at school
  • I don’t think I’d try balut
  • I really like speck
  • I want to the Captain of the Starship Enterprise and I want Beverly Crusher as my CMO
  • My favourite Tracy brother is Virgil. He’s so cool smoking cigars and playing the piano.
My morning coffee from Urban Bean Espresso Bar
My morning coffee from Urban Bean Espresso Bar
Tomato and cheese sandwich for lunch while reading about antimicrobial resistance
Tomato and cheese sandwich for lunch while reading about antimicrobial resistance
Zela's ABCD advisory Always Buy Cream Doughnuts | This is a shout out to the Little Monster Girl
Zela’s ABCD advisory Always Buy Cream Doughnuts | This is a shout out to the Little Monster Girl
Baked salmon and coleslaw for dinner while watching My Kitchen Rules
Baked salmon and coleslaw for dinner while watching My Kitchen Rules
Doughnuts | As I blog I've eaten the chocolate and pineapple one!
Doughnuts | As I blog I’ve eaten the chocolate and pineapple one!

The Cupping Room Restaurant Review

Posted by Gary

Sunday in Canberra was pretty glorious. The sun was shining and the sky was a beautiful blue. Bron suggested we have breakfast at The Cupping Room.

The Cupping Room is open for breakfast and lunch every day. They don’t take reservations; just walk in and ask for a table. I suggest getting there early because it doesn’t take long for a queue to form. 

We arrived just before 8.30 and there were plenty of tables available. The staff are pretty friendly and helpful. 

Coffee was the first order of business. The Cupping Room doesn’t do lattes and flat whites as such. They do milk based coffees to create a balance of espresso and textured milk. The milk based coffees are served at 60 °C. We were offered the ‘house’ or the seasonal coffee. The house coffee being more chocolatey while the seasonal is more fruity with cherry overtones.

We both asked for the house coffee to begin with knowing that there will be an opportunity for a second coffee at the end of breakfast.

For breakfast I asked for the Ham hock fritters (Ham hock, corn and potato fritters with two poached eggs, ‘cuppers hot sauce’ and a cress and alfalfa salad) and Bron asked for Avo and his mates (Half an ‘A grade’ avocado, whipped goats curd, snow pea sprouts, herb infused Maldon salt and sourdough toast) with poached eggs.

Ham hock fritters with poached eggs, Cuppers hot sauce and alfalfa salad. Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/40sec, ISO 32
Ham hock fritters with poached eggs, Cupper’s hot sauce and alfalfa salad. Apple iPhone 6 with iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 at 4mm and f/2.2, 1/40sec, ISO 32

The fritters were full of lovely ham hock meat and the fritters weren’t too salty. The Cupper’s hot sauce was amazing. It complemented the fritters and the lovely oozy runny egg yolk from the perfectly cooked eggs. The cress and alfalfa salad was lightly dressed and very refreshing. 

I’d happily recommend eating here. The coffees we had were excellent. Starting with the house coffee was a good move and then finishing with the seasonal coffee was better. 

 
The Cupping Room on Urbanspoon
 

The Cupping Room has its own Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/canberracuppingroom

You might also want to read what other Canberra bloggers have written. Here’s a small selection:

http://inthetaratory.wordpress.com/2014/01/12/the-cupping-room-civic/

http://foodpornjournal.com/2013/12/brunch-cupping-room/

http://www.le-bonvivant.com/2013/12/the-cupping-room-canberra/

http://goodfoodweek.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/review-cupping-room.html

http://capitalfoodjournal.com/mushroom-burger-the-cupping-room-canberra-cbd-act/

http://fineeating.wordpress.com/2014/08/02/the-cupping-room-canberra-city/

 
If you have any comments or questions please send me a comment in the space below.

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Breakfast at Silo Bakery Kingston

Posted by Gary

Our first breakfast at Silo Bakery

It’s Saturday morning and we need breakfast. Bron suggested Silo Bakery and Cafe in Kingston. It also meant we could visit the Essential Ingredient too. 

The menu is pretty good as is the coffee 🙂 

Breakfast is served 7 am to 11.30 am

Orange juice, sunrise juice, vegetable or special juice of the day 6
Fresh bloody Mary 8
Bircher muesli, pear juice, almond milk and blueberries 9
Banana, goji berries, honey and labna with toasted raisin bread 9
Vegan breakfast 17
Nut and seed flatbread with tomato, rocket, avocado and cashew hummus
Scrambled eggs and truffle 18
Eggs florentine 17
Poached eggs on grilled crostini with spinach, parmesan and olive oil
Welsh rarebit, egg, bacon and spinach 17
Corned beef and sweet potato hash with a fried egg and mustard cream 16
Tartiflette with mushroom toast 17
Zoolbia with warm autumn fruits and yoghurt 13
Chilli jam, tomato and poached eggs 17
Gruyere omelette 14
Breakfast cheese selection 22
A selection of three mild cheeses with bread
Croissant or brioche with jam 4
Sourdough toast, raisin toast or baguette with jam 7
Ham and cheese croissant 8
All bread, pastries and jams are made at Silo.

 

Bron asked for the scrambled eggs and truffle and I asked for the corned beef hash. 

Scrambled eggs with truffles at Silo Bakery, Kingston
Scrambled eggs with truffles at Silo Bakery, Kingston

 

Scrambled eggs with truffles at Silo Bakery, Kingston
Scrambled eggs with truffles at Silo Bakery, Kingston

 

Saturday breakfast at Silo Bakery. Corned beef hash.
Saturday breakfast at Silo Bakery. Corned beef hash.

 

Saturday breakfast at Silo Bakery. Corned beef hash.
Saturday breakfast at Silo Bakery. Corned beef hash.

We were both pretty happy with our meals. The service is friendly and relatively quick. The place gets busy though so if you want a table get there early or be prepared to wait. If the wait is too long the good thing about Kingston is the number of restaurants open for breakfast so you won’t go hungry 😉  

 

 
Silo Bakery on Urbanspoon

If you have any comments or questions please send me a comment in the space below.

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Hope you have a great weekend and eat YUMMY