Canberra

Goodbye, Number 69

Posted by Gary

If you’re not seeing new posts each week, I suggest refreshing your browser and clearing your browser’s browser cache regularly.

If you continue having problems, message me via the blog’s contact page.

Dear Reader,

Introduction

I hope you’ve had a good week.

Benjamin Way near the Belconnen Police Station
The Big Belconnen Owl
Lake Ginninderra at dusk
Lake Ginninderra at dusk
Lake Ginninderra after dawn
Lake Ginninderra at dusk

Guess what? I’ve moved to Adelaide. I wanted to live closer to Kathleen. I now live a few minutes from her place.

Coffee at Stella’s by the Lake
Poached eggs with hollandaise sauce at Stella’s by the Lake
Poached eggs with hollandaise sauce at Stella’s by the Lake

I’m still working the same (main) job and will be doing the same work. I’m also likely to work as an Honorary Visiting Medical Officer like I did in Canberra.

I’ll soon have a gas cooker installed, so I can cook with gas. I also have a Weber Q+ barbecue that uses gas for fuel.

Weber Q+

Once I connect to the NBN, I can watch the new TV, too. This will occur later this week. The previous tenants didn’t connect to the NBN, so I require a formal installation service. That said, my new place has an aerial for TV reception, so my new TV is delivering some entertainment. Unfortunately, I can’t watch the footy live in Adelaide on free-to-air TV. Once the NBN is connected, my streaming services will see me as a happy dolphin.

Do you like my Dolphins NRL cap?

Adelaide is the fourth city I’ve lived in, and it’s the first time I’ve lived in a bicameral jurisdiction.

How is the foot?

What’s happened this week?

The foot and knee are continuing to heal. While I can walk without a cane, some stiffness and pain remain in the knee, ankle, and toes.

The move

The removalists arrived, lifted my things from the flat (number 69), and then packed the things I had in long-term storage. They arrived in Adelaide about 48 hours later.

Kathleen did the amazing thing of driving from Canberra to Adelaide with me. We shared the driving. Kathleen has a lot of experience driving between both cities.

The drive from Canberra to Adelaide was great. Kathleen is a terrific driving partner. To break up the drive, we stayed overnight in Narrandera.

Charlie’s on East Charles Sturt Hotel Scotch fillet steak
Boonka’s brekkie Bacon and eggs with sausage, garlic mushrooms, onion, fried tomatoes, hash browns, caramelised onion, and capsicum.
Four fried eggs with bacon at Tangles Cafe from the Boonka’s Brekkie. Kathleen ate the rest.
Tooleybuc NSW 2736 public toilet. Look! 👀 it is air conditioned.

The roads were pretty good. On the first day, the ambient temperature got as high as 38 °C, while the second day was much cooler at 25 °C. My car is over 15 years old and seems to manage the drive well.

What have I been eating?

Tinned corned beef and coconut cream
Eggs and cheese scrambled in butter
Tinned corned beef and cheese
Tinned corned beef and coconut cream
My last meal in Canberra. Tinned corned beef with eggs scrambled in cream, butter, and cheese.
My last meal in Canberra. Tinned corned beef with eggs scrambled in cream, butter, and cheese.
Half chicken at Georges on Waymouth
Scotch fillet steak at Georges on Waymouth
Eggs scrambled in butter. My first cooked meal in my unit
Minced beef and cheese
Lamb offcuts from the pressure cooker

Equipment

  • Weber Q+

Ingredients

  • Scotch fillet steak.

Instructions

  1. Dry brine the steaks overnight.
  2. Heat the barbecue and then clean the grates with a wire brush.
  3. Cook the steaks on the barbecue and flip the steaks every 30 seconds until the meat is nicely caramelised.
  4. Rest the meat for 5 to 7 minutes (minimum).
  5. Slice the meat.
  6. If you’re following a meat-only diet, just the steak will be more than sufficient to satisfy your hunger. You can pick up the steak and just bite into it. This minimises washing.
  7. If you’re low-carbohydrate eating, steak and some plant-based foods like avocado, leafy green leaves, olives, and tomatoes are a good combination.
  8. If you’re not concerned with carbohydrates, fill your boots.
  9. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, this steak won’t be suitable.
  10. Always give thanks to the Lord.
  11. Eat with whatever implements you prefer.
Weber Q+
Weber Q+
Scotch fillet steak on the Weber Q+
Scotch fillet steak on the Weber Q+
Scotch fillet steak cooked on the Weber Q+
Scotch fillet steak cooked on the Weber Q+

Thoughts on the meal

This was my first time using the Weber Q+ (which I’d bought second-hand). I was happy with the outcome. I will need to use it more often to get a good feel for it.

It was great cooking a meal and sharing it with Kathleen in my own place.

Final thoughts

  • Do you like moving?
  • Do you like having a driving partner to share the load?
  • Do you like cooking on a barbecue?

Disclaimer and comments

This post and other posts on this blog are not medical or health advice. I’m sharing my personal experiences from my lived experience. My opinions remain mine.

For health advice, see your regular medical practitioner. For diet advice, consult with appropriately registered professionals.

Birthday weekend

Posted by Gary

Dear Reader,

Hi there. How are you? Welcome to another midweek post. I just had a wonderful weekend in Canberra with my girlfriend. It was great to have someone with me to celebrate my birthday.

We spent a lot of time eating. We also spent time walking and enjoying the glorious weather. I recommend it if you’ve never visited the National Arboretum on a fine sunny day.

Two before ten, Aranda 10 Yards (the evening restaurant)

10 Yards

Entrée

Antipasto Plate for 2

This is a share plate of locally sourced cured meats and cheeses, garden salad, Urban Farm lavosh crackers and pickled vegetables. It was more than enough for two people and would probably be enough for the main meal.

Main meals

We shared the mushroom ragu and a special on the menu, viz., confit chicken Maryland.

The ragu included:

  • Aranda grown mushrooms.
  • Roasted tomato and garlic.
  • Garden herbs.
  • Shallots with Urban Farm pappardelle and pecorino cheese.

The confit chicken Maryland included chorizo sausage with cannellini beans. The borborygmi and the aftereffects that evening were delightful!

These dishes were large and probably too much after the antipasto. I’d probably think about sharing a single main course dish for future reference. Both dishes were delicious; however, I liked the ragu more than the chicken.

Dessert

We shared a single serve of bread-and-butter pudding, ice cream, and butterscotch sauce. More than enough, this was a nice, sweet end to a good meal.

Food 4/5

Service 3/5

Stella’s by the lake

One morning we both enjoyed Eggs Benedict with bacon at Stella’s. Stella’s is an excellent go-to local café for coffee and a solid breakfast or brunch, given the proximity to where I live.

Food 4/5

Coffee 4/5

Cheese

Rather than lunch each day, we indulged in cheeses. A blue, a brie, a cheddar, a Pink Lady apple, Bartlett pear, and crackers. We went with Olina’s Bakehouse cranberry and sunflower seeds.

Cheeses, crackers, apple, and Haigh’s freckles with a glass of Blackwell Shiraz

Aubergine

One evening, we dined at Aubergine. It was nice to dress up a little and enjoy the quiet ambience of this well-known Canberra restaurant.

The five-course meal begins with snacks and ends with petit fours. There was seafood in the form of Murray River Cod and yabby. There was poultry in the form of quail and mammal meat in the form of lamb, including excellent lamb shoulder beignet balls.

The food was delicate and artistic in terms of plating and arrangement. Each dish combined flavours so that each could be distinguished along with the textures of each element. Some were surprising, and all were delicious.

The service was outstanding. It was friendly, informative, and attentive.

Food 5/5

Service 5/5

Birrigai café

This café is located within the IRT Kangara Waters Retirement Village. Given my age, it felt comforting to be here enjoying a breakfast of light, fluffy pancakes, a jug of maple syrup, and a ramekin filled with a red berry compote. 🤣

Food 5/5

Turkish Pide House

Rather than go out, we got a takeaway from this long term established purveyor of Turkish delights. The starting combo box had zucchini balls, potato balls, and börek along with garlic yoghurt. The pizza had pumpkin, rosemary, garlic and feta and mozzarella cheese.

The serving size is always huge here, and I had leftover pizza for another night.

Food 5/5

Ricardo’s café and patisserie

Ricardo’s cafe and patisserie is in Jamison Plaza.

We had granola with banana brûlée for breakfast and an excellent coffee one morning.

One evening we bought pastries for the birthday cake. We enjoyed two creative desserts, which were out of this world good.

Food 5/5

Service 4/5

Final thoughts

It has been a fantastic weekend. Again, I took no photographs because I was focused on enjoying the whole experience.

The food and service ratings I’ve given should be considered in terms of:

1/5 Poor

2/5 Not satisfactory

3/5 Satisfactory

4/5 Good

5/5 Outstanding

How to make super green pea and ham soup | Yummy Lummy

Posted by Gary

I’ve made some really fart worthy pea ham soup for Yummy Lummy before but the focus in this recipe is to get it to look green and taste good too. My previous attempts have focussed on the taste and flavour [My first go http://yumlum.co/2k2oA4Z and then the repeat a week later http://bit.ly/2ki5w0c] but they ended up looking a yellow-brown colour.

[wprm-recipe-jump]

Super-green Pea ham soup made by Gary Lum
Super-green Pea ham soup

[social_warfare]

Pea and ham soup with an emphasis on the green | Yummy Lummy

This recipe is about two things, flavour and looks. I wanted the soup to be green rather than a yellow-brown like my previous attempts.

  • 1 Ham hock
  • 500 g Green split peas
  • ½ Potato ((small cubes))
  • ½ White onion ((diced))
  • 500 g Frozen peas
  • 2 L Chicken stock
  1. Wash the split peas and empty them into the slow cooker chamber.
  2. Add the onion, cubed potato and the packet of frozen peas.
  3. Place the ham hock on top of everything and then pour in 2 litres of chicken stock.
  4. Put the slow cooker bucket into the slow cooker and seal it with the lid. Set the timer to 6 hours and let it cook.
  5. After the 6 hours, remove the cooking vessel and then remove the ham hock and begin to peel off the skin and pull the muscle bundles apart and put into a clean bowl. Discard the bones.
  6. With a stick blender, process everything in the cooking vessel until it is smooth.
  7. Plate up by adding some ham to the bottom of a bowl and add a dollop of sour cream plus ¼ of a teaspoon of chilli flakes for a spicy kick.
  8. Garnish with spring onions and chives.
  9. Shoot a photograph and then eat the soup.
  10. Wash the dishes and then write the recipe up.
  11. Write a blog post and hope your friends on social media share the recipe and make you famous 🤣🤣😂
This is enough soup for 4 servings. If you live alone, I suggest freezing aliquots and then using a microwave oven to heat it up for lunches and/or dinners.

[social_warfare]

Frequently asked questions

Will this make me fart?

I reckon it will. It all depends on your bowel’s microbiome. If you’re lucky, you can really stink up the place. Just don’t light a match if you fart under the sheets.

Can I make this soup vegetarian?

Yes, but it wouldn’t be pea and ham soup. If you don’t add the ham hock and if you use vegetable stock, you’ll have pea soup. I reckon it would taste okay, but for me, I need the ham in it for the flavour.

Can I eat this for lunch?

Yes, definitively, just don’t attend meetings afterwards if you’re prone to farting a lot.

Can I eat this soup cold the next day?

Yes, but all the fat would be congealed and it wouldn’t be that appealing in my opinion.

Social media

Please follow me on my food-based social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. What I’d love you to do is share this post on Twitter and Facebook and anywhere else you’d like, even Google+

Gary Lum QR Code

The Mystery Bloggers Award

Over the weekend my friend Jennifer nominated Yummy Lummy for an award. I’ve been trying to focus this blog on recipes and so I wrote about the Mystery Bloggers Award on my other personal journal blog.

Pumpkin soup made easy

Posted by Gary

Pumpkin soup is a fantastic way to warm up on a cool or cold Autumn night. It was a perfect meal on Easter Sunday on a cool Canberra night.

[wprm-recipe-jump]

Pumpkin soup tonight #yummylummy

A post shared by Yummy Lummy Gary Lum Food Blog (@yummylummyblog) on

[social_warfare]

Easter Sunday spicy pumpkin soup Gary Lum Pumpkin soup made easy
Easter Sunday spicy pumpkin soup

[social_warfare]

Pumpkin soup

Pumpkin soup is a favourite of many. I added some red chillies, jalapeño pepper and chilli flakes to make this soup a bit spicy along with a good nob of ginger to add a slight Asian feel. 

  • 1/2 piece Kent pumpkin (It can be any kind really)
  • 2 pieces Potatoes (Any kind will do)
  • 1/2 piece White onion (diced)
  • 100 grams Bacon (diced)
  • 1 nob Ginger (fresh, cut and crushed)
  • 1 teaspoon Chilli flakes
  • 1 teaspoon Curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
  • 1 piece Red chilli (diced)
  • 1 piece Jalapeño pepper (diced)
  • 1/2 bunch Parsley (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup Cream

  1. In a large saucepan sauté the onion and bacon until softened

  2. Add the ginger and stir until it’s soft

  3. Tip in the pumpkin and potato pieces

  4. Pour in boiling water halfway up the level of the top piece of visible pumpkin or potato to avoid the soup being too thin

  5. To the soup add the garlic powder, curry powder and chilli flakes

  6. Bring the soup to the boil and simmer with a lid on for 30 minutes

  7. Process the soup with a stick blender

  8. Add the chopped red chilli and jalapeño pepper

  9. Pour in the cream and stir

  10. You could fold in some parsley but I just blended it in

  11. Then you plate it up in a bowl and garnish with more parsley

  12. Shoot a photograph and drink the soup

  13. Edit the footage from two cameras and keep swearing about the slow upload speeds in Belconnen

  14. Post the blog post hoping people will read it and share it on social media

One of the nicest pumpkin soups I’ve made. If you try it please let me know. 

If you try this pumpkin soup please let me know how it went.

Social media

Please follow me on my food-based social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. What I’d love you to do is share this post on Twitter and Facebook and anywhere else you’d like, even Google+

How do you make cauliflower soup taste sensational?

Posted by Gary

Cauliflower soup is one of my favourite dishes because it tastes great and is easy to make. Winter is approaching and weekend soup is definitely a thing.

[wprm-recipe-jump]

[social_warfare]

Sensationally tasting cauliflower soup made with chillies, curry powder and blue cheese Gary Lum
Sensationally tasting cauliflower soup made with chillies, curry powder and blue cheese

How do you make cauliflower soup taste sensational?

This recipe will have you wanting another bowl, even after you feel full.

  • 1 piece cauliflower (remove leaves and breakdown florets)
  • 100 grams bacon pieces (bought from a delicatessen)
  • 1 piece potato (cut into cubes)
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder (Clive of India)
  • 2 glugs olive oil
  • ½ piece white onion (diced)
  • 1 piece stock cube (chicken)
  • 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
  • ¼ cup cream
  • ¼ cup cheese (grated)
  • ¼ cup parsley (chopped)
  • 1 litre boiling water (from a kettle)
  1. Add the olive oil to a saucepan
  2. Sauté the bacon pieces and diced onion
  3. Add the potato and cauliflower
  4. Add sufficient boiling water to cover the potato and cauliflower
  5. Add the stock cube and curry power
  6. Bring the water to the boil and turn down to a simmer
  7. Simmer until the cauliflower and potato are tender (at least 30 minutes)
  8. Remove the saucepan from the heat source
  9. Use a stick blender to process the soup

  10. Add the cream

  11. Add the grated cheese, chilli flakes and cream and then stir through

  12. Prior to serving to recipients (me) add the chopped parsley

  13. Serve in a bowl

As winter approaches this is a soup to be made again and again. If you choose, this goes nicely with a piece of bread or a roll or just on its own.

[social_warfare]

As much as I love pumpkin soup, I really enjoy this cauliflower soup.

I’ve previously posted recipes for cauliflower soup, one had celeriac and spam while the other had Pialligo Farm bacon with Gorgonzola cheese.

Check me out on social media

Please like 👍 me on my Facebook page Yummy Lummy, please follow on Twitter @Yummy_Lummy, and please follow me on Instagram @YummyLummyBlog

Thank you