Summer's End

Reminder of the summer, 1st March being the first day of autumn...

Prayers for those in Christchurch, coping with the aftermath of the earthquake.

Phillip Island

Gaz's brother recently won a prize for a raffle ticket he bought. The prize was 7 nights stay at a villa at Phillip Island which he graciously invited us to share. Phillip Island is located about 150km from the CBD and frequently known as Penguin Island for the many little penguins (they used to be called fairy penguins but some people thought the penguins might object to being labelled homosexuals), seals, koalas and beautiful scenery.

You know the feeling of total carefree? It's good... I did not do much organising for this trip. No countless hours researching for things to do, etc... just go with the flow. Accomodation for starters, is taken care of. Transport? Check. I just needed to throw some clothes into Gaz's bag and go along. Feels great!

Gaz drove the whole 2 hours to PI, and upon reaching there found out that he had forgotten to bring a discount voucher which entitled us to one free Parks Pass (worth $35) for one bought. Oh well... Gaz's brother did his research on where to go in PI and over the next couple of days, we went to:

Rhyll's Trout Farm - $8.50 entry fee, $3 rod hire, $18.50 per kg for fishes caught (no fish and throw back), $3 to clean, $8 to cook either fried or baked, $10 cooked with chips $13 with chips and salad. It was sunny, quiet, perfect for fishing. We had no luck at the big fish pond so we went to the little one and everyone caught a fish. This will be the last time I will go fishing, can't bear to watch the worm being threaded on the hook all squirming like that, and then when the fish is caught we have to hit it on the head with a piece of wood. But I guess humans need to eat, at least we're not killing for just fun. Taste wise nothing much different to store bought fishes, both are fresh..

We went to see the little penguins on the second night. Got there around 7:30pm, was told that they would arrive at 8:30pm. We were ushered to a stadium setting facing the beach and then waited for the penguins to waddle up. When they did eventually come back from a hard day's work in the sea, they arrived in groups and hesitantly waddled in their tiny tiny legs, waiting to see if it's safe from predators.

I brought my binoculars with me so I could see quite well. Many of the tourists were put off by the small group of penguins (they must have thought they would see all 200 of the penguins waddle up the beach doing the congo line, tsk tsk...) and left after the first sighting. We lingered around till around 10pm and were well rewarded. As we walked up on the boardwalk from the beach towards the centre, we could see penguins literally an arms length away from us on the ground walking around. Some were fighting, some were just looking at us, they were so cute. Too bad we were not allowed any photos.

The next day we went to the Koala Conservation Centre. We went on a Treetop Walk - a boardwalk constructed to be close to the tops of the gum trees where the koalas were feeding. Many of the koalas were sleeping but we saw plenty that was wide awake. It's a privilege because koalas spend 20 hours resting and sleeping to conserve energy from their low calorie diet!
Who are you looking at, mate?
I'm so sleepy I could sleep now, here, anywhere!
Gosh, these gum leaves are so delicious I just can't stop eating!

Later, we drove to the Nobbies to try to spot some seals. We didn't see any but we've already seen some in NZ so it wasn't a big deal. The view was spectacular. White waves washed up against the rock, beautiful sunny day and strong strong wind. This was the last shot my camera gave me before the batteries faded away.



All round fond memories of PI, such a beautiful place!

Cooking from the Heart

'Cook from your heart, Joe! Cook from your heart! ' Those words echoed through his mind over and over again, like a broken record. He had remembered precisely each and every moment leading to those words. His hands wet from sweat, twisting nervously even as his brain raced a million miles a minute trying to combine the flavour profiles of each ingredient and decide which combination would impress the judges. The scramble to get the right garlic chopper, the right white tailed sardine for his dish. His perfect dish that would gain him the highest honour yet in his career, one that would accord him the title of Super Chef. Unfortunately, he would go home that night without that honour.

Instead, Joe had received many criticisms about his dish from the judges of the competition. Liz Chatswood, renowned food critic and author of 'Can I Eat This?' had remarked 'I wish you had taken more risks. This seems like such a safe dish for a chef of your calibre'. Funkle Doigh, food critic and food photographer had simply said, 'The beetroot is too red'. But it was Elias Jose's comments which had cut the jugular.

Proving to teenage girls that 35 year old adult males can have idols too, Joe worshipped Jose with his extensive collection of the latter's cookbooks and DVDs. Elias Jose, Executive Chef of 3 star 9w493kjhfk Restaurant had inspired Joe to venture into the world of food while he was still working 5 hours a day as a plumber and charging clients $100 for a 10 minute job. Now, Joe has his own restaurant which has recently been voted the best new restaurant in town. He rises at 4am and works 16 hour days but at least he is happy. He loves his job. Jose had said, 'While the technique is superb, I find it lacks emotion. Where is the love? Cook from your heart, Joe! Cook from your heart!'.

'Yes, Elias. I remember your words, I will cook from my heart today', Joe psyched himself before the competition. He remembers to take a bow when he enters the now familiar Kitchen Field. It did not matter who his competitor today because for today, his competitor is himself. To produce his best dish, he only had to defeat himself.

The judges unveiled the secret ingredient - Durum wheat. While the camera pans in to his competitor looking bewildered, the crowd can see Joe running towards the barrel of wheat to scoop the high quality, $100 a kg wheat into his basket. They cheer him on as he raced back to his station. First, he tasted the grains. His head bobs up and down with approval. 'Sweet, with a hint of the earth in which it has been grown in. The farmers used top grade cow and chicken manure to fertilise the soil every two weeks.' An idea is already forming in his head about how best to showcase the ingredient...

Joe waited anxiously while his competitor presented his dish to the judges. It was a Chinese style fried rice, using Durum wheat instead. The aroma of the dried scallops, conpoy and egg filled the room, while Joe can only imagine the firm texture of the shark fin and abalone as he was not privy to the dish like the judges were. The judges looked impressed with the unconventional dish in front of them. What a match! A Chinese dish, using Western ingredient.

Soon, it was Joe's turn to present his dish. The host announced his dish, 'Macaroni and Cheese'. The judges did not look interested. After all, Mac and Cheese is very ordinary fare. But, they were still obliged to give a fair decision. One by one, the judges took their forks to the plate. First, they scrutinise the shape of the pasta. 'The macaroni is well formed, almost all of them have the same size, shape and weight.' Joe allowed a smile. Next, they smelt the dish. 'I can smell the durum wheat and also the cheese.. they smell very good together.' Then, they ate. Like dominos lined up against each other, the judges began to 'hmm....' They are beginning to comprehend the twist in the dish.

Liz Chatswood was the first to speak. 'There is a a single drop of salmon roe in each of the macaroni, is that right?' Joe nodded, pleased. 'Yes... it is quite a discovery. As I bite into the pasta, the sweet saltiness of the roe bursts and combines with the sweetness of the wheat in my mouth. It is a circus in my mouth right now!' Everyone gasped at Liz observation.

Funkle Doigh looked intently at her bowl and remarked, 'The way you have made the pasta seems to be different... the pasta is more yellow than usual. How did you make it?' Joe explained, 'I used wild duck egg when kneading the pasta. Wild ducks have brighter yellow yolks compared to chickens or free range ducks.' Funkle nodded, impressed.

Elias Jose seemed deep in thought. Joe wondered if he would realise the final twist of the dish. Finally Jose spoke, 'There is something different about this dish, this cheese. I can't quite place it. This cheese is not normal cheese.' Joe beamed. 'No, it is not normal cheese....' Jose seemed to have caught on before he finished his sentence. 'I get it... the mother's touch... No wonder the memories came flooding back when I tasted your dish. This has brought me back to days when I was still a babe... Yes, Joe.. this is what food is all about. Cooking for people, connecting with people. You are finally cooking with love, from the heart!'

That night, Joe placed his Super Chef trophy in his restaurant. He just could not stop beaming since the host announced his victory. But an early morning awaits him. Before he flicks the lights off, his eyes lingered on the trophy and the local Leader newspaper cut out with his face at the front, he thought about what a wonderful night it had been...

Kublai BBQ, Croydon

I would never have thought our local area would be one to have a Mongolian BBQ restaurant. My suburb would not be one you would categorise as a hip place. Residents were used to their meat and 3 vege meals, not mandus, bibimbaps, yak butter tea, chicken feet in black bean sauce and so on. I was therefore somewhat surprised that there is a Mongolian restaurant called Kublai in the area.

Our first impression of the restaurant was that for a BBQ restaurant there sure weren't any smoke or overwhelming smell that usually accompanies such restaurants. The reason for this is the person who will be BBQing our meat in enclosed in a glass paned room in a huge, hot girdle with 4 clawed feet and a powerful industrial rangehood which sucked the smell and smoke away. For the meal, I had even tied up my hair and worn some pre-worn clothes which needed to be washed so that when I got home I can throw them into the wash straightaway and not smell too much. I didn't have to.

We had the freedom to select from 4 meats - chicken, pork, lamb and beef, and 6 veges - capsicum, celery, carrots, onions, cabbage and spring onions, then add the sauces which included sugar water, sesame oil, wine, soy sauce, fish sauce (pretty sure fish sauce came from Thailand, not Mongolia), garlic, ginger, black vinegar. Kublai had received some nasty reviews online from patrons who had no idea what sauce to mix in with their meat and veges therefore produced equally nasty tasting food which had sauces that clashed or not in right proportions. So, the owner had pinned several sauce combos for their patrons which I followed religiously.

Despite conscientiously following the sauce recipes, the food failed to impress. What was interesting was the experience - so you select the meat, vege and sauces after which you hand it to the cook in the room via a small opening in the glass window - he takes the bowl, cooks it on the girdle and hands it back to you in a clean bowl at another glass window.

The manager was very attentive, seeing we were looking a bit lost on our first visit to the restaurant, he rescued us from starvation. He had a well rehearsed spill about how things worked in the restaurant which I thought contained some funny jokes, all delivered very well. He has a good way with his customers, and I can see it's highly appreciated by them, many of whom are repeat customers. The place was busy even for a Thursday night.

Overall it was a good experience. We paid $26 each for the buffet and $3 per head for steamed rice.

Mulan and Flash Flood

Yesterday night Gaz and I took his mom and my friend to Mulan, an acrobatic show in the Arts Centre in the city. What became our topic of conversation that night was not about the 15 or so contortionists who made up the Chinese troupe but the sudden downpour as we were heading to the show.

We arrived in the city around 7:oo pm and spent the next 1/2 hour before the show began, first shell shocked at the sleet of rain pouring from the skies above, then praying for some reprieve from the rain, then navigating our way from building to building trying to find cover from the carpark to the Arts Centre a short distance away.

By the time we reached the venue, we were drenched even though we had two large umbrellas between us. The strong winds and rain had rendered the brollies useless. An attendant ushered us into the hall, we squeaking in our wet shoes behind her and slunked into the nearest seats.

Thankfully we weren't the only ones arriving late and drenched from the unexpected downpour. There were another couple of families looking bewildered and wet too. Later at intermission, I went into the ladies toilet and found a row of people perusing the hand dryer to dry their wet clothes and hair... typical Chinese!

On the news this morning, I learned that we were quite lucky indeed to get into the city and out without any dramas. The rains were brought about by the Cyclones Anthony and Yasi which had hit North Australia recently. In the city, the main train station Flinders St Station had been flooded, as well as many other train stations around Melbourne leaving the tracks looking more like little rivers than train tracks.

Around the city, shops were immediately closed as the water started rising into the interior, and cars were stuck on the road with water halfway up to the car doors. A major freeway was closed off due to water rising over the road.

All that time these were happening, we were watching and clapping at the various acrobatic feats of the kids in the Mulan show...