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Dear Reader,
Introduction
I hope you’ve had a good week.
Benjamin Way near the Belconnen Police StationThe Big Belconnen OwlLake Ginninderra at duskLake Ginninderra at duskLake Ginninderra after dawnLake 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 LakePoached eggs with hollandaise sauce at Stella’s by the LakePoached 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 steakBoonka’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 creamEggs and cheese scrambled in butterTinned corned beef and cheeseTinned corned beef and coconut creamMy 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 WaymouthScotch fillet steak at Georges on WaymouthEggs scrambled in butter. My first cooked meal in my unitMinced beef and cheeseLamb offcuts from the pressure cooker
Equipment
Weber Q+
Ingredients
Scotch fillet steak.
Instructions
Dry brine the steaks overnight.
Heat the barbecue and then clean the grates with a wire brush.
Cook the steaks on the barbecue and flip the steaks every 30 seconds until the meat is nicely caramelised.
Rest the meat for 5 to 7 minutes (minimum).
Slice the meat.
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.
If you’re low-carbohydrate eating, steak and some plant-based foods like avocado, leafy green leaves, olives, and tomatoes are a good combination.
If you’re not concerned with carbohydrates, fill your boots.
If you’re vegetarian or vegan, this steak won’t be suitable.
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.
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)
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.
I spent the weekend in Brisbane to visit my family. It was lovely to be somewhere where the weather was warm and moist. This week, on Thursday, Canberra experienced a maximum daytime temperature of 38 °C (100.4 °F). I don’t like hot weather. I like warm weather. It was also dry. I don’t like dry weather, I like moist, humid, sultry, muggy weather. I like to sweat while not doing anything. I like sitting down and have beads of sweat form on my forehead and other parts of my body and move with gravity to a pool of sweat somewhere on the floor. When I got home after work, I closed all the windows and doors and turned on a humidifier.
Flying from Canberra to Brisbane
My flight from Canberra (CBR) to Brisbane (BNE) was delayed at both ends. With all the bush fires, the east coast had been affected by thick smoke haze and Sydney was also being affected by storms. That meant Sydney airport (SYD) was closed for parts of Friday so flights had been diverted to CBR and BNE. The departure from CBR was only slightly delayed; about 20 minutes. The arrival into BNE was okay but because of all the diversions, no aerobridges were available for docking so the aircraft I was in sat on the tarmac in BNE for close to half an hour.
Cafe 63 Westfield Chermside
After arriving in Brisbane on Friday evening, I went out and enjoyed a light meal at Cafe 63 at Westfield Chermside. I had a plate of pulled lamb shank meat with some sweet potato chips, mushrooms, and gravy. It was a pretty good meal.
It was good to catch up with Mum and Dad and my daughters this weekend. It’s always good to see them and hear what is happening in their lives in a bit more depth. I mean, we tend to send each other text messages each day, we chat on the telephone each week, and I can video call my daughters too. It’s not as good as being in person and hearing what has been happening.
Ivy & Lark Westfield Chermside
On Saturday morning I ate breakfast at Ivy & Lark in Westfield Chermside. I had the “Ivy & Lark Breakfast Bowl” which was a whole heap of spinach leaves with lean thick cut bacon, two poached eggs, about a tablespoon of smashed avocado, and lots of halved cherry tomatoes. It also came with a couple of slices of sourdough bread which had been toasted. Everything tasted great but it was awkward cutting bacon in a bowl. The toasted sourdough bread was also tough. I really needed a serrated steak knife for the bread.
After breakfast, I sat down with Dad and watched some of the test match (cricket for those not familiar with sport of the former British Empire) between Australia and Pakistan which was being played at The Gabba. I’ve lost interest in watching cricket, the players no longer hold any fascination for me. When Michael Clarke became captain and cricket became more about the dramas of his personal life rather than the sport I lost interest. I mean, Ricky Ponting was also a bit dramatic off field too but not as much as Clarke. The players of that era to the present day have been more about drama and less about cricket so my reason for sitting down with Dad was enjoying his enjoyment of watching cricket on TV.
Sandgate Fishmonger
Lunch was at the Sandgate Fishmonger and there were six of us so we got the family pack (four pieces of fish, four potato scallops, a serve of crumbed calamari, and a serve of chips) plus some extra battered fish, more potato scallops, and I got myself a pineapple fritter. The fish wasn’t as good as it usually is, and the chips could have been cooked a bit longer. That said, the potato scallops were nice and the pineapple fritter was delicious.
Battered fish, Potato scallop, and a Pineapple fritter from Sandgate fishmonger
Battered fish, Potato scallop, and a Pineapple fritter from Sandgate fishmonger
Battered fish, Potato scallop, and a Pineapple fritter from Sandgate fishmonger
Battered fish, Potato scallop, and a Pineapple fritter from Sandgate fishmonger
Check out the comments on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
I posted photographs of what I ate on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter and got some great interaction from people mostly on Facebook and Twitter. There was lots of confirmation from Queenslanders on Twitter that the correct term is “potato scallop” and not “potato cake”. There were also questions about the pineapple fritter which is a pineapple ring covered in doughnut batter, deep fried, and covered in sugar. I mean, what could be better. It’s even vegetarian.
I spent Saturday afternoon chatting with Mum, Dad, and one of my daughters while we sat with the cricket on TV.
Dad’s pickled daikon radish
I also got to try some of Dad’s pickled daikon radish. There’s a story to this…
A few months ago, I’d mentioned to Mum and Dad I was enjoying daikon radish (Chinese white radish) in salads. Dad thought I might like pickled daikon so he made some for me. At about 9.30 am on Saturday without any warning he went to the refrigerator, pulled out a jar, went to the top drawer and got a fork and then headed them to me and said, “Here Gary, I made you some pickled daikon radish. Try it.”
I was taken aback. I’d just finished eating the Ivy & Lark Breakfast Bowl and I normally don’t eat pickles in the morning. I think I may have hurt Dad’s feelings. I made sure mid-afternoon I went to the refrigerator and got the jar of pickles and tried the pickled daikon. Dad could see what I was up to and before I opened the jar both he and Mum warned me that it has a pungent odour. Geez, they weren’t wrong. Not only did it smell like someone had farted in my mouth it was also really spicy. Dad had used a few Birdseye chillies to make the pickles. I also learnt on Sunday that Dad hadn’t pasteurised the bottle. If this is my last post, you’ll know why.
The pickled daikon did taste good. The after taste did linger though.
On Saturday evening we went to Little Singapore in Westfield Chermside. It’s a relatively new restaurant in the newish food precinct in Westfield Chermside. It’s popular. We had a reservation for 6 pm and there was a queue to get a table when we arrived. I was pretty relieved to have a reservation as we were shown to a nice booth which had one side opened to the outside so we could people-watch the queuing crowd trying to get a table.
For an entrée we had chicken satay sticks, some prawn wontons, and some pot sticker dumplings. For a main meal, I had Marmite Pork Ribs. I think it would have worked with Vegemite too.
Chicken satay at Little Singapore Westfield Chermside
Prawn wonton at Little Singapore Westfield Chermside
Pot sticker dumplings at Little Singapore Westfield Chermside
Chicken Satay, Pot sticker dumpling, and Prawn wonton
Marmite pork ribs at Little Singapore Westfield Chermside
After dinner, we had a gelato. I had a chocolate mint brownie gelato in a small cup.
Choc Mint Brownie gelato
Saturday evening was spent watching The Lion King on TV.
Sleeping in Brisbane is always a double edged sword. The weather was really pleasant. I could just sleep uncovered in the ambient temperature. However, the lack of a CPAP mask meant there was snoring. That meant waking up with a sore throat and a feeling that sleep could have been better.
Farm House Kedron
Sunday morning was an early start at the Farm House, Kedron. I had a Farm House Breakfast which was sourdough toasted bread, some fatty bacon, poached eggs, Hollandaise sauce, and tomato relish.
Farm House Kedron Farm House Breakfast with bacon, poached eggs, Hollandaise sauce, relish, and sourdough bread
The rest of the morning, consisted of chatting and watching more cricket and actually enjoying the notion that Pakistan may be defeated by Australia. Australia seems to fair badly to teams from the Indian, Pakistan, and Sri Lankan region. I miss the glory days of Jeff Thompson and Denis Lillie bowling, Marsh keeping wicket, and Doug Walters being the larrikin we could all admire.
The flight back to Canberra was uneventful. The flight was packed. I’m guessing parliament is sitting this week. It’s usually the reason why my BNE to CBR flight on a Sunday is packed like a can of sardines.
What else happened this week?
Mezzalira Ristorante Canberra
I went to Mezzalira Ristorante in Canberra on Wednesday night. A friend from Darwin was in town so we went to dinner. I had the suckling pork.
Suckling Pig Mezzalira Restaurant
Why Darwin is better than Canberra
It was good to catch up with a friend from Darwin and get the latest news of what is happening. I really miss living in Darwin. There are lots of similarities between Darwin and Canberra. Both have really very friendly people. Both exist in territories and not states. Both are unicameral with only a single house of government and no house of review. Both are small with low population density. Both are reasonably cosmopolitan with a significantly diverse population. Both have a focus on Indigenous Australians. Both have no traffic. Both have a public hospital of the same Canadian design because the Whitlam government seemingly had no idea. The difference that makes all the difference to me is that Darwin is subequatorial and is positioned on the beach. The surf is only decent during a tropical cyclone, but at least it does have surf. Darwin’s position means it is humid even in the dry season. Whenever I visit Darwin, my heart is filled with joy. Darwin will always be special to me. Two of my daughters were born there. It really is heaven on earth. If I didn’t love my job, I’d happily move back.
Okay, so not the usual post this week. I’ll probably be back to normal programming next week.
It’s getting close to the end of autumn and comfort food on a Sunday is a must. I used some leftover beef to add to chicken congee made in a slow cooker.
Earlier today I recorded a podcast on sous vide cooking and food safety. I recorded video too and while the podcast drops tomorrow night, the video is available now.
Want to use some leftover beef but don't like the idea of beef congee? Then mix beef and chicken together. It's not a bad thing. It's a good thing.
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Australian
Servings: 1
Calories: 500kcal
Author: Gary Lum
Ingredients
1Chicken
250gBeef rib filletLeftover and vacuum sealed
1LChicken stock
1cupRice
Cos lettuceshredded
Spring onionssliced
Soy sauce
Instructions
Thaw the leftover frozen beef and cut into small slices
Unpack the raw chicken and get to room temperature
In your slow cooker add 1 cup of rice and the stock
Add in the beef and the chicken
Set the slow cooker for 6 hours
After the slow cooker has finished, debone the chicken
Mix everything together in the slow cooker vessel
Aliquot two large portions into containers for dinners
Aliquot two smaller portions into containers for lunches
Serve the congee in a small bowl and serve with shredded lettuce, sliced spring onion and soy sauce
Shoot a photograph and then eat the meal
Wash the dishes and write the recipe
Blog and hope your friends share the recipe
Recipe Notes
An all time favourite. Mixing the beef and the chicken is a great move.
[social_warfare]
And now for something cheesy
I was recently approached by Georgia Davies about sharing this cheeseboard infographic. Unfortunately, I haven’t posted about cheese much lately apart from warnings that raw unpasteurised cheese should be avoided because of potentially fatal consequences. Anyway, this cheese platter infographic looks fantastic. It’s full of visually stunning great ideas for you to try. Expert Tips for the Perfect Cheeseboard by Daffodil Hotel
Frequently asked questions
How did you connect your three blogs today?
Well, I blogged and recorded a podcast about sous vide safety, then I wrote a post in My Thoughts and Stuff and mentioned the sous vide podcast, and now I’ve cooked using meat that had been vacuum sealed.
What do you like about congee?
It’s the perfect comfort food for cold nights in Canberra. It’s peasant food. It’s simple to make and better to eat.
Why the leftover beef?
Why not? I didn’t want to waste it and combining meats is a thing. It’s a good thing.
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+
Donkey sauce with an 8-hour slow cooked rib eye fillet roast
Prep Time
20mins
Cook Time
8hrs
Total Time
8hrs20mins
The main part of this recipe is the beef, the donkey sauce just makes it better, similar to the way horseradish can enhance beef.
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Australian
Servings: 1
Calories: 1000kcal
Author: Gary Lum
Ingredients
2kgrib eye fillet roast(rolled and tied)
1turnip(diced)
1potato(diced)
1Hawaiian sweet potato(diced)
1onion(diced)
1carrot(diced)
2stalkscelery(sliced)
1cupwine
1cupstock
spring onions(sliced)
Parsley(chopped)
Lime zest
Caramelised onion
Lettuce
Tomato
Donkey sauce
Instructions
In the slow cooker vessel add the onion, carrot, celery, potato, turnip and sweet potato and then pour in the wine and stock. It doesn’t really matter what wine and stock you use.
Place the rolled rib eye fillet on top of the vegetables and then place the slow cooker vessel into the body of the slow cooker and turn on for eight hours.
After eight hours prepare a salad of tomato, lettuce and spring onion with some parsley too.
Open the slow cooker and lift out the beef. Allow the beef to rest covered with aluminium foil for fifteen minutes.
After the beef has rested, carve the rolled roast into three even portions. Vacuum pack and seal two portions and place in the freezer for later enjoyment.
Place the remaining portion into a shallow bowl and the plate up with the salad. Add a good portion of donkey sauce to meat and a couple of tablespoons of caramelised onion.
Garnish with chopped parsley and lime zest.
Shoot a photograph and then enjoy the sumptuousness that is 8-hour slowly cooked rib eye fillet roast.
Wash the dishes.
Write the recipe and blog hoping people who read this will share it on social media, especially on their Facebook pages and Twitter accounts.
Recipe Notes
This dish will satisfy you and make you happy enough to smile just at the thought of it. Meat is good.
[social_warfare]
Limes ready for juicing and zesting
Eight-hour slow cooked beef straight out of the slow cooker
8-hour slow cooked rib eye beef with salad, caramelised onion, and lashings of donkey sauce
Donkey sauce ready for dripping all over myself
[social_warfare]
Frequently asked questions
Why do you like slowly cooking beef so much?
I love the flavour but mostly the texture of the muscle bundles separating with little effort and that cutting across the grain is almost effortless with a good knife which means chewing is a joy.
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+
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just at the thought of it. Meat is good.
