Potato scallops

Finishing February in Food

Posted by Gary

Finishing February with much the same routine

Regular readers will know my routine. I’m one of those people who handles life better if I don’t have to think too much about things that shouldn’t require a lot of thought. So I like routines and finishing February was no different.

Before I get to the food, though, it was an odd week where I mentioned a dream about my maternal grandfather and then I shared a little about my family history. 

Monday and Tuesday evenings mean what for Yummy Lummy?

I hope you answered salmon!

Crispy skin pan-fried salmon with Hass avocado and beetroot coleslaw dressed with aioli Gary Lum
Crispy skin pan-fried salmon with Hass avocado and beetroot coleslaw dressed with aioli
Crispy skin pan-fried salmon with aioli and smoked cheddar cheese Gary Lum
Crispy skin pan-fried salmon with aioli and smoked cheddar cheese

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.

Wednesday means chicken

Before I get to the chicken, Wednesday lunch meant Burger Wednesday at Urban Bean Espresso Bar and I enjoyed the Korean barbecue beef bulgogi (grilled marinated beef) burger with chips and aioli. 

#Humpday burger. Korean BBQ beef bulgogi (grilled marinated beef) with Asian slaw, aioli and UB chips Gary Lum
#Humpday burger. Korean BBQ beef bulgogi (grilled marinated beef) with Asian slaw, aioli and UB chips

I posted a status update on Wednesday afternoon that Wednesday meant chicken tonight and of course, I received comments that included references to the jar of stuff called “chicken tonight” which I’ve never used.

Hump day roast chicken wings on Coon cheesy bread with avocado, vegetables and lime zest Gary Lum
Hump day roast chicken wings on Coon cheesy bread with avocado, vegetables and lime zest
Vanilla ice cream with mint flake Gary Lum
Vanilla ice cream with mint flake

Thursday was all about hot and spicy Spam

Before I get to the Spam, for lunch because it was pay day I enjoyed the SHISH special from Urban Bean Espresso Bar. It was delicious.

#payday S H I S H - P L A T E TIME Braised lamb, Greek pitta bread, Greek salad with a garlic tahini sauce on the lamb Gary Lum
#payday S H I S H – P L A T E TIME
Braised lamb, Greek pitta bread, Greek salad with a garlic tahini sauce on the lamb

I had half a tin of hot and spicy Spam left in the refrigerator and it needed to be eaten because I was going to spend the weekend in Brisbane. Some people would say unkindly that it wouldn’t matter because Spam can’t go off, but I’d like to remind the haters that Spam is food, it contains meat from the porcine shoulder as well as ham.

Hot and spicy pay day Spam with Coon cheese noodles and vegetables Gary Lum
Hot and spicy pay day Spam with Coon cheese noodles and vegetables

Friday was a cooking-free night

I was spending the weekend in Brisbane with my parents and daughters so Friday night’s dinner was on QF1554. It was a chicken and rice dish.

Chicken salad and rice Gary Lum
Chicken salad and rice

Of course, I spent Friday at the Canberra Hospital and for lunch, I had this dish which I think maybe a quiche but it could be called something else. It contained asparagus, mushroom, rice, cheese and egg. You could carve it.

Rice, egg, asparagus, mushroom, and cheese slice Gary Lum
Rice, egg, asparagus, mushroom, and cheese slice

Saturday lunch and dinner

I had a big day in food on Saturday. I took my youngest two daughters to Sandgate for fish and chips.

Larissa and Nicola with fish and chips at Sandgate Gary Lum Gary with fish and chips at Sandgate Gary Lum

I took everyone out to dinner on Saturday night to Hog’s Breath Café at Aspley to celebrate my youngest daughter turning sixteen.

Pork ribs with prime rib and mashed potato and pepper sauce at Hog’s Breath Café, Aspley
Coconut birthday cake Gary Lum
Coconut birthday cake

Sunday breakfast meant that I completed all the food groups in a weekend

So, if we count Friday night, I’ve eaten chicken, fish, calamari, beef (steak) and pork (ribs) so far.

For breakfast, Mum and Dad cooked a bacon (pork again) omelet and some lamb chops plus some scones. So that’s all five food groups in a weekend.

Lamb chops with bacon eggs and scones

How did I cope?

I think I need to fast for a while.

Final thoughts

This coming week will break my routine so strictly speaking I won’t be finishing February with my routine. I’m interstate on Monday, going out on Tuesday night and Wednesday is senate additional estimates hearings. Who knows what I’ll be eating on Wednesday.

Hopefully, I’ll be back to normal next week.

Bacon, tomato, avocado and cheese sandwich Gary Lum
Bacon, tomato, avocado and cheese sandwich

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

 

Fun food on the Sandgate mudflats at low tide

Posted by Gary

It’s been a quiet week. Last weekend I was down with a head cold, you know, ManFlu. I ended up working from home on Monday because I was really congested and coughing badly. I’m still coughing but at least I feel okay in my head.

Work was busy with a heap of small or medium sized tasks that just had to be done. Wednesday though was a bad one. Wednesday morning, I woke up at 1 am with something on my mind and I just couldn’t get back to sleep. Coupled with the head cold it meant I felt like a zombie while I was at work. I suppose it doesn’t matter in the scheme of things because Wednesday’s productivity across the globe was probably down slightly because it coincided with the US presidential election. Yummy Lummy isn’t a place for political commentary so all I’ll say is that I made sure I had a nice meal while I was watching the television reporting of the results including the victory and concession speeches.

I’d like to put in a plug for my new podcasting venture. Please check out Medical Fun Facts at https://drgarylum.com/blog/

The highlight for me this week was flying to Brisbane on Friday night and spending the weekend with my daughters and my parents.

The flight from Canberra to Brisbane started well. I got a seat in the exit row and had a meal of meatballs and mashed potato.

2016-11-11_19-00-51_015_gary_lum 2016-11-11_19-17-27_014_gary_lum

Meatballs with mashed potato
Meatballs with mashed potato

On landing the doors opened and a wave of humidity travelled backwards and hugged me like a child runs up to greet you at an airport and grabs you around your legs. Best feeling in the world!

Ms19 was working Friday night so after arriving at my parents’ place I suggested to Miss15 that we go see Ms19 and get ice cream. Ms21 couldn’t join us, so it was just me and Miss15.

I had a nice caramel condensed milk ice cream with a Ferrero Rocher crushed into it.

Caramel condensed milk with Ferrero Rocher
Caramel condensed milk with Ferrero Rocher

After a pretty crappy sleep (I don’t travel with my CPAP machine) we went and had breakfast at The Groove Train in Chermside.

I had a nice granola which I think did something to really stimulate my gastrocolic reflex because my irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) went crazy. It’s a good thing I was close to a clean toilet.

2016-11-12_09-27-40_010_gary_lum

Now that Ms19 has retired from gymnastics we’re not totally bound to a sports schedule. Miss15 had a gymnastics evaluation from 2.30 to 5.30 pm and Ms21 was working so what to do between 11 and 1.30? We ended up taking a short drive to Sandgate and walking from the swimming pool to the big jetty and back. All up it’s about a 5 km walk. It was really warm and overcast and it was low tide. The sea breeze was really nice. The smell from the mudflats though wasn’t that good. In fact, it was pretty rank. That part of Sandgate with a view of the water and the sea breeze is really nice. The low tide smell though would make me think twice about living there unless I could keep the house fresh.

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After a pretty good walk, we went to the Sandgate fishmonger and bought some potato scallops with crumbed squid. Like most good shops, especially in Queensland, when you ask for some potato scallops you inevitably get n+1 with n being the number of scallops you ask for. These potato scallops were really nice. The crumbed squid was also really good. If you’re visiting Sandgate and want a nice takeaway deep fried meal, I can recommend the Sandgate Fishmonger.

Potato scallops and crumbed calamari
Potato scallops and crumbed calamari
Sandgate fishmonger
Sandgate fishmonger
Potato scallops and crumbed calamari
Potato scallops and crumbed calamari

After taking Miss15 to gymnastics, Ms19 and I had been thinking about going out for a milkshake somewhere. As it turned out we were pretty full from lunch and the weather put on a show which made driving less than ideal. Brisbane was treated to a really nice thunderstorm. The rain was heavy, the thunder was loud and the sky almost went black. I love this sort of weather. The rain lasted about 45 minutes and afterwards the air freshened and the heat was gone. Perfect subtropical weather. You can’t ask for better.

For dinner, we went to Thr3e Restaurant in the Kedron-Wavell RSL club. This is a cheap and cheerful buffet affair with upgrades. I had a nice seafood platter and Mum and Dad had a bucket of prawns.

Seafood platter
Seafood platter
Seafood platter
Seafood platter
Buffet plate
Buffet plate

We all went to bed feeling fairly sated.

Sunday broke with a brilliant warm and moist morning. Mum and Dad had planned a big breakfast. We had bacon, sausages, pikelets, fried eggs and cooked tomatoes. It’s always good having breakfast with my daughters and parents.

Bacon, sausage, tomato, egg and pikelet at Wheller on the Park #breakfast #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #iphone #bne #brisbane
Bacon, sausage, tomato, egg and pikelet at Wheller on the Park
#breakfast #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #iphone #bne #brisbane
Maply syrup and bacon on a pikelet
Maply syrup and bacon on a pikelet
These plates are older than me
These plates are older than me

I’m now back in Canberra where it is cold, windy and wet. I wish I was back with my daughters in Brisbane.

What I ate this week

Posted by Gary

Monday lunch was leftover slowly cooked beef and vegetables including Brussels sprouts and broccoli. How do you pronounce broccoli?

Slow cooker chuck casserole steak and speck with Brussels sprouts and broccoli
Slow cooker chuck casserole steak and speck with Brussels sprouts and broccoli

Monday evening dinner was baked salmon with sugar snap peas, beans, broccoli and some Buderim ginger marmalade.

Baked salmon with broccoli, beans, sugar snap peas and ginger marmalade
Baked salmon with broccoli, beans, sugar snap peas and ginger marmalade

Tuesday lunch was leftover slowly roast beef with vegetables.

Leftover slow cooker beef and vegetables
Leftover slow cooker beef and vegetables

Tuesday evening dinner was a chicken Maryland with Brussels sprouts and avocado.

Chicken Maryland with Brussels sprouts and avocado
Chicken Maryland with Brussels sprouts and avocado

On Wednesday I was tempted by the chocolate orange Queensland nut cheesecake in the display at Urban Bean Espresso Bar.

Chocolate orange macadamia cheesecake
Chocolate orange macadamia cheesecake
Woden Wind Tunnel
Woden Wind Tunnel
Woden Wind Tunnel
Woden Wind Tunnel
Woden Wind Tunnel
Woden Wind Tunnel

 

Coffee from Urban Bean Espresso Bar.

Coffee and medical countermeasures New antimicrobials
Coffee and medical countermeasures New antimicrobials

Ginger cake with chocolate chips made by a work mate.

Ginger cake with chocolate chips
Ginger cake with chocolate chips

Wednesday lunch was leftover slowly cooked beef and vegetables including Brussels sprouts and broccoli.

Leftover slow cooker beef and vegetables
Leftover slow cooker beef and vegetables

Wednesday afternoon saw me give in to temptation and I had a piece of chocolate orange Queensland nut cheesecake.

Chocolate orange Queensland nut cheesecake
Chocolate orange Queensland nut cheesecake

On Wednesday night I went out and then watched the first State of Origin match for 2016.

Gary Lum self portrait

On Thursday I flew to Melbourne and visited a manufacturing company.

For breakfast I had raisin toast and coffee at the Canberra Airport.

Raisin toast and coffee
Raisin toast and coffee

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On the flight back to Canberra I had a green eggs and ham sandwich.

Green eggs and ham sandwich
Green eggs and ham sandwich

Because it was well after my normal dinner time I got takeaway. I chose a piece of battered fish with potato scallops on a bread roll.

Battered fish and potato scallop roll with cream cheese
Battered fish and potato scallop roll with cream cheese

On Friday I didn’t go to the hospital, instead I participated in an emergency management exercise.

Friday dinner was a piece of chicken Maryland with a load of cheese cooked with spring onions and chives.

Cheesy Chicken Maryland
Cheesy Chicken Maryland
Cheesy chicken Maryland with avocado, spring onions and chives
Cheesy chicken Maryland with avocado, spring onions and chives

For Saturday I had scrambled eggs for breakfast.

Cheesy scrambled eggs
Cheesy scrambled eggs
Everbean Espresso Cake display
Everbean Espresso Cake display

Saturday lunch was a cottage pie with vegetables.

Cottage pie and vegetables
Cottage pie and vegetables

Baked salmon with pickled coleslaw and potato scallops

Posted by Gary
This is a photograph of Baked salmon with pickled coleslaw and potato scallops
Baked salmon with pickled coleslaw and potato scallops

Before I get onto the pickled coleslaw and potato scallops, I was not meant to be home tonight for dinner. I’d been invited to the launch of Hoi Polloi at Old Parliament House. Unfortunately on Monday evening I started experiencing some mild colicky abdominal pain and on Tuesday morning it was still there. I wasn’t indisposed as such at that time but figured it would be prudent to inform the organiser. It’s a good thing I did because after dinner last night I was up a few times.

The good thing is today I felt better and after a good day at work I figured I should indulge a little. Hence the takeaway potato scallops.

Today is also remembrance day when we remember those who fell for our freedom in World War I and as time has passed we remember all war fighters who have fallen for our freedom. I think the Australian War Memorial’s description is very apt and the best I’ve read.

Today also marks forty years since the then Governor-General Sir John Kerr dismissed the Australian Government of the day which was led by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. I was in grade five at Stafford Heights State School. My teacher Miss Smith asked me to go and see Mr Daily, a grade seven teacher about getting wicket keeper pads for a photograph of the grade 5 hockey team photograph. When I got to Mr Daily’s 7A classroom he was there with other grade seven and grade six teachers. They had the television on and they were all crying because of the dismissal of the government. That’s my memory of the day.

Baked salmon with pickled coleslaw and potato scallops
Recipe Type: Dinner
Cuisine: Australian
Author: [url href=”http://about.me/garydlum” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”]Gary Lum[/url]
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 1 fillet of Tasmanian Atlantic salmon
  • Beetroot coleslaw from [url href=”http://coles.com.au” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”]Coles[/url] ½ cup
  • Lemon zest from 2 lemons
  • Juice from 2 lemons
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • Potato scallops from the Jamison takeaway
Instructions
  1. In the morning take the coleslaw, lemon zest, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, salt and sugar and mix together and store in the refrigerator in a airtight container
  2. In the evening after a day at work
  3. [url href=”http://bit.ly/perfectlybakedsalmon” target=”_blank”]Bake the salmon[/url]
  4. Allow the salmon to rest for five minutes and plate up with the potato scallops and pickled coleslaw
  5. Shoot a photograph
  6. Record a [url href=”https://vimeo.com/145366376″ target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”]time-lapse video[/url] while eating the meal
  7. Wash the dishes
  8. Write the recipe
  9. Blog (verb)

Baked salmon with pickled coleslaw and potato scallops from Gary Lum on Vimeo.

Baked salmon with pickled coleslaw and potato scallops

The pickled coleslaw turned out nicely and complemented the salmon nicely.

For lunch today I had the leftover fried brown rice with red quinoa, kale and flaked salmon from last night plus a snickers cheesecake from Urban Bean Espresso Bar.

Photograph of my leftover Fried brown rice with red quinoa and kale and flaked baked salmon. Plus snickers cheesecake.
Fried brown rice with red quinoa and kale and flaked baked salmon. Plus snickers cheesecake.
Snickers cheesecake from Urban Bean Espresso Bar
Snickers cheesecake from Urban Bean Espresso Bar

When you have a good day do you like a fried food treat? Would you make pickled coleslaw?

What I ate today

Posted by Gary

Today is payday, always a great day. After paying off bills I wish it was payday tomorrow too…

I got into work at 5 am this morning to prepare for a 6 am teleconference. I brought in a crunchy peanut paste and Buderim Ginger Factory ginger marmalade sandwich which I toasted for breakfast. I’d been inspired by seeing a peanut paste and raspberry jam cronut in a display cabinet in Urban Bean Espresso Bar the day before.

Peanut paste and jelly cronut from Urban Bean Espresso Bar
Peanut paste and jelly cronut from Urban Bean Espresso Bar
Payday Thursday breakfast at work. Crunchy peanut paste and Buderim Ginger Factory ginger marmalade on rye bread.
Payday Thursday breakfast at work. Crunchy peanut paste and Buderim Ginger Factory ginger marmalade on rye bread.

For lunch the inspiration continued and I bought a Bounty Bar cronut.

Payday Thursday lunch. Payday Pie Day. Bounty cronut from Urban Bean Espresso Bar.
Payday Thursday lunch. Payday Pie Day. Bounty cronut from Urban Bean Espresso Bar.

It was pretty filling.

For dinner I was feeling lazy after a long day at work. I stopped at the Jamison Takeaway and bought a piece of fish, some coleslaw and some potato scallops. When I got home I got some rye bread out of the freezer and made a fish and coleslaw sandwich.

Payday dinner. Fish and coleslaw sandwich on rye bread with potato scallop.
Payday dinner. Fish and coleslaw sandwich on rye bread with potato scallop.

How was your day? What did you eat?

If you want to see the photographs as a gallery check out Google Photos. Click on one image to see it full size. To see the EXIF data (including a map if the photograph was geotagged) click on the information (i) icon in the top right corner. You can navigate through the gallery using the arrow keys or by swiping if you’re using a tablet or smartphone.