Tag Archives: Food porn

Red meat, white meat and carbohydrates galour

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It’s been an odd weekend. Bron has gone away for a couple of weeks so I have to fend for myself. Thinking of Bron I made Brioche French toast yesterday morning and then we went to the local club for dinner last night. Today I cooked pork belly (my other white meat).

The Brioche was soaked in cream, eggs, vanilla and sugar.

Brioche soaking in cream, vanilla, eggs and sugar

I served it with cream and maple syrup because I didn’t have any berries. Note the Brisbane Broncos mug taking pride of place given they defeated the Canberra Raiders on Friday night.

Served with cream and maple syrup

After breakfast I went to Costco to pick up a new pair of reading spectacles. While I was there I happened upon one of the many meat cabinets. I picked up some red meat in the form of a rack of lamb and some scotch fillet.

I plan to cook this this week some time.

I love my vacuum sealer. I can prepare meat and freeze it to keep for extended periods.

My scotch fillet in food saver bags.

On Saturday night we went to the Southern Cross Club at Jamison. This is a local club and they do a reasonable steak. I tend to go for the scotch fillet with prawns and calamari in a Béarnaise sauce served on a bed of mash potato.

Steak, served rare as I want it.

For dessert we had a layered meringue cake. It was delicious. I should have asked for ice cream too.

Meringue layer cake with cream

The meal was fairly good. The service is okay. Saturday night is a pretty busy night for the Southern Cross Club.

This morning I made a salami and Gruyere cheese omelet for breakfast. It was pretty delicious.

Salami and Gruyere Cheese omelet for breakfast

This afternoon I took a piece of belly pork and slowly cooked it in a low oven. After I got it to room temperature I scalded it with boiling water.

It's upside down but this is after it's been scalded with boiling water

I then seared the skin in a saucepan while the oven was heating up.

After searing in a saucepan

I then put the saucepan and pork into an oven for five hours at 110 °C.

This is how it looked after a couple of hours.

I also made a sweet potato and Gruyere cheese and cheddar cheese bake.

To the bake I added some curry powder we got from the Easter Show.

Madras chicken curry

I served the pork with the sweet potato and some asparagus spears.

Plated up pork belly with sweet potato and asparagus spears

It’s been a good weekend, although I will miss Bron for a couple of weeks.

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Black Friday

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I’m not a superstitious person. Today was just another day. I went for a walk at 0445 AEST and as usual was listening to 2UE via 2CC on my 2CC iPhone app. Tim Shaw does the overnight program. He’s okay, he’s certainly not my favourite radio host. He was banging on about Black Friday like most radio presenters would be today. It got me thinking, will today be a bad day or a good day. Each day is what you make it. Sometimes things happen that we don’t like, it’s how we react that determines how we feel.

I got to work and on my walk to the post office the view of the sky was magnificent. Anyone who knows me knows how often I bang on about how much I dislike the weather in Canberra. It is too cold and dry in Autumn, Winter and Spring and too hot and dry in Summer. I much prefer tropical and sub-equatorial weather like in Darwin. The only glorious thing about Canberra though is the bright blue clear sky on most mornings.

From the Woden Wind Tunnel Check out my instagram post http://instagr.am/p/JVbX5ERNMP/

This morning at work was busy but profitable. By profitable, I mean it was a good morning. More importantly I had lunch with Bron at Thai Spice. The menu is pretty good. we started with (#10) coconut and almond prawns (Deep-fried King Prawns coated with shredded Coconut and Almond flakes served with Sweet Chilli Sauce). You get two of each, that is four per serve. These were delicious.

Coconut and almond prawns

One of the great things about this restaurant is the quirky attitude they have to serving drinks. We simply had diet coca cola, yet each time we have a drink they are served in different styled glasses. Sometimes wine glasses, sometimes dessert bowls, and often with odd fruit. Today our cokes came with apple wedges. We’re assuming is deliberate and not cluelessness.

My diet coke served in a wine glass with an apple wedge.

For mains we each selected a curry. Bron chose a delicious (#19) Gaeng Mussa Mun Nuea/Gai (Beef or Chicken Curry with Peanuts & Potato in Coconut Milk). I chose a reasonably nice (#18) Gaeng Phed Nuea/Gai (Red Curry with Beef or Chicken in Coconut Milk). I say reasonable because the beef was a little tough. The sauce though was heavenly. It was rich a spicy and went well with steamed rice.

Gaeng Mussa Mun Nuea

Gaeng Phed Nuea

I like the Thai Spice in Woden and happily recommend it for anyone who wants a lunch time meal near a big shopping mall.

This afternoon was really good at work. There were some last minute urgent things, but mostly a good afternoon.

I have wanted to try the take away place in Jamison for a while. There is also a foursquare entry.

I wanted battered fish and potato scallops. They serve them in a cardboard box that gets wrapped in fish and chip paper.

Fish and potato scallops in the box

When I got to my place I ate from a plate. The meal was pretty good and I’ll happily go back. As one twitter friend says though, this is nothing like the Stokes Hill Wharf in Darwin.

Fish and potato scallops on a plate

For dessert I had ice cream.

Ice cream with cream

So my Black Friday has been a good day.

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Ribs and Rumps Sydney Olympic Park

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Tonight Bron and I had dinner at Ribs and Rumps at Sydney Olympic Park. Bron had read the foursquare tips earlier and noticed many negative comments about the quality of the food and the service.

Shortly after that I received a call from the restaurant to explain that on street parking would be difficult tonight because of the Royal Easter Show. That was nice of them to do that.

On our arrival, our reservation was confirmed and we were led to a great table near a window which gave us a good view into the restaurant and outside.

Throughout the evening the wait staff were friendly and attentive. Our requests were taken and we were pretty happy.

The restaurant has a challenge consisting of 1 kg of rump plus a full rack of ribs. I elected to go for something similar but lighter. I had a 500 g prime rib steak and a half rack of lamb ribs. This came with chips and a creamy pepper sauce.

Seriously good steak knives and big condiment dispensers are a signature.

Bron asked for a calamari entrée and I helped.

And here's my 500 g prime rib on the bone with a half rack of lamb ribs. Bron had a rib eye fillet steak.

I was given a bib to wear.

This is what happiness looks like :-)

I'm a good boy and have finished my plate.

Cleaned ribs

Chocolate mousse with cream and ice cream

Bron had a sticky date pudding

Despite the tips posted through foursquare we were very happy with our meal. I rate this meal highly and would recommend the restaurant to anyone.

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Hot Cross Buns

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It seems wrong that soon after Christmas supermarkets in Australia start to stock and sell Hot Cross Buns on their shelves. I always thought of them as special and specifically for Good Friday. I’ve resisted the temptation to buy and eat them whenever, mostly because I don’t need the added carbohydrate load.

They are best (in my humble opinion) served warm from an oven and with real butter. Margarine just doesn’t seem to be right.

Bron had two different sorts. Both were nice. As you can see I had buns with my butter :-)

I like real butter at room temperature

Two types of Hot Cross Buns

Would you like bun with that butter?

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Three strikes and you’re (almost) out Lemon Grass Woden

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We went to the Lemon Grass again last night with friends. This is the third time in recent months. Each time we all rave about the food and when we check-in through foursquare we get comments from tweeps about the great food. The food is VERY GOOD. Yet we always complain about the service. Last night the service was particularly poor. The staff weren’t rude or anything, they were just run off their feet and there were not enough of them. They basically had three wait staff for the entire restaurant. They needed another six in my opinion. Between courses we waited between 30 and 45 minutes. We had dirty plates sitting in front of us for far too long.

I’m not striking them right out. I go there for work functions over lunch and as I’ve written before, the food is VERY GOOD.

Last night I tried LAAB MOO TAUD which is Spicy patties of minced pork, onion, mint and shallots. This was followed by Bron and I sharing GANG PANANG (Creamy red curry (chicken or beef) with crushed peanuts and kaffir leaves topped with crispy egg noodles) and DUCK NAM TOK (Roast duck with spicy tamarind sauce, red onions and basil leaves). We then finished with deep fried ice cream.

I apologise for the quality of the photography. I was so hungry I ate before framing shots.

I will go back to the Lemon Grass but not for the service.

Pork patties and fish cakes

Beef Red curry and duck

Deep fried ice cream with caramel topping

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Pie again and again it was good

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Okay today has been good at work. Busy but entirely manageable. I spent some parts of it thinking about dinner. I had a boneless and skinless chicken thigh in the refrigerator along with some vegetables. I bought some puff pastry from the supermarket.

I finely chopped some onions and sliced a part of a leek very finely. I also finely diced some salami I had too. While that was softening in a wok I floured some diced chicken meat and then added that. While that was cooking I grated some sweet potato and Gruyere cheese. After tossing the chicken around a bit to brown it off I added a little white wine and cream to thicken the sauce. I combined the sweet potato and cheese with a packet of French onion soup. To this I added the chicken salami, onion and leek. This all went into a Pyrex dish and I added some peas and corn and a little more cheese.I added some Tabasco sauce and chili flakes to add some kick to the hot salami. I covered this with the puff pastry brushed with an egg wash and then covered in freshly ground pepper. The dish was put in a moderate oven for 45 minutes.

It tasted good. It was really nice.

Just ready for the oven

Just out of the oven

It's not a pie without sauce :-)

I cracked the pastry and the creamy cheesy goodness oozed around inside

I want more :-)

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When @Nigella_Lawson meets @donnahay_tweets, well sort of…

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Tonight Bron prepared a lovely crispy skin duck breast with a cranberry and citrus sauce. It was served with a really nice stiff mash of potato and sweet potato along with some greens.

Crispy skin duck breast with a cranberry and citrus sauce

For dessert Bron combined a Nigella Lawson pavlova recipe with a Donna Hay idea for layering the chocolate filling between pavlova slices.

The complete cake. Sorry the lighting wasn't right for the image.

My first piece, yes I had more :-)

I won't say how much more I ate...

It was delicious.

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Seasalt Dining in Bruce

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Last night we ventured out with friends to a newish restaurant in Canberra. Seasalt Dining in Bruce is in The Hub apartment complex in Bruce new The Canberra Stadium and the Australian Institute of Sport.

Last night the Brumbies were playing the Sharks at Canberra Stadium so we were a little nervous about parking. In the end it turned out well (the Brumbies were defeated too). They have dedicated parking and from the kitchen the chefs and wait staff can monitor the car park.

The service was really very good. The wait staff were cheerful and helpful. Nothing was too difficult for them and they enjoyed a little playful bantered when we “complained” our desserts weren’t big enough. The menu is pretty good and the place opens for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I elected not to have an entrée while my dinner companions enjoyed Thai fish cakes and seared scallops. I waited instead for the seafood platter, which according to the menu looked like a collection of entrée dishes plus a piece of fish (salmon last night). That’s what it turned out to be. It was very nice, although, compared with our recent Maestral experience, this was not a seafood platter for two. I ate this easily by myself without any discomfort. The fish cakes were a little rubbery compared with the excellent fish cakes from Lemon Grass. That said, the seared scallops were divine.

The restaurant has a nice cake cabinet and I chose white chocolate cheese cake with cream and ice cream.

I would recommend Seasalt Dining in Bruce to anyone living in Canberra. It will soon have its own dedicated website and all going well my fat face will appear after a photograph was taken of me last night with my seafood platter :-)

I kept a parking spot for our friends.

Fish cakes

Seared scallops

Platter plate 1

Plate plate 2. Oysters natural and Kilpatrick.

It came with really nice potato chips (Fries for friends in the USA).

All together. I also got a plate of Thai fish cakes.

White chocolate cheesecake with ice cream and whipped cream.

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Corned beef sausage roll

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Not much needs to be said. This was yesterday’s lunch. I sauteed onions and warmed the corned beef. I mixed in some Clive of India curry powder and made a sausage roll with puff pastry.

The picture tells all. It was good, very good.

My curry corned beef and onion sausage roll

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Maestral and Max Brenner

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On Thursday evening we met with friends and enjoyed dinner at Maestral Mediterranean and Seafood Restaurant in Cooleman Court in Weston. Our friends had not been there before, however, as thorough seafood lovers we couldn’t get past the Maestral seafood platter for two. Given there were four of us we also asked for the Stubica (Pan fried pork fillet stuffed with sweet dried prunes and served with a plum brandy cream sauce) and Cevapcici (Mixture of minced meats and Adriatic spices served with feta cheese/onions). The menu from my Evernote notebook can be found here.

After the main course we persuaded our dinner companions to have dessert at Max Brenner in Belconnen.

The service at Maestral is good. It’s warm and friendly. This is very popular restaurant in Canberra and so at times, the wait staff are run off their feet. It’s a smallish restaurant so the bathroom facilities are separate and you need to ask for a key. I would highly recommend Maestral to anyone living in or visiting Canberra.

The service at Max Brenner is variable and a lot depends on your timing. The local Hoyts cinema complex is situated close by. If a movie ends as you arrive finding a table can be a challenge. The service on Thursday night was mediocre. The person taking my requests was fine, she was happy and cheerful. The problem was the delivery of the four dishes. They came out one by one so that by the time the last dish arrived three of us had finished our dessert. That does not make for an enjoyable experience.

Stubica Pan fried pork fillet stuffed with sweet dried prunes and served with a plum brandy cream sauce

Cevapcici Mixture of minced meats and Adriatic spices served with feta cheese/onions

The platter for 2

My plate loaded up. The soft shelled crab is amazing.

My toffee waffle with chocolate and ice cream

Max Brenner Chocolate Bar on Urbanspoon

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