Saturday 27th February 2010

Lunch
Tuna & Cheese Melt
Chorizo & Cheese Melt

Using some taco wraps, I spread tomato paste over them, then made one with chorizo and mozzarella, and one with tuna and mozzarella. I folded them in half and put them in the oven for about ten minutes. Yum!


Supper
Wantan Soup with Kang Kong & Chicken

Friday 26th February 2010

I made it home by 2am after work...had enough time to make and eat dinner and then headed out at 3am on a call out. Such is the life of a medical scientist.

Wan Tan soup with Kang Kong & Bean Sprouts

Thursday 25th February 2010

For lunch today I boiled some pasta to have with some of Marissa'a bolognaise sauce that I took for leftovers the other night.

Lunch
Penne Bolognaise with Basil Flowers


The basil in our garden is growing rampant in this warm weather. You need to pick off the stems of flowers or else the plant stops putting its energy towards growing more leaves. You don't throw away the flowers though. They taste just as nice in a dish as the basil leaves. The little white flowers also look very pretty.

Wednesday 24th February 2010

Lunch
Teresa's Zucchini & Egg Stirfry


I ate two of these bowls! That should be enough protein to tie me over till dinner time.

Supper
Bee Hoon Soup with Yong Tau Foo, Beef Balls & Bean Sprouts


One out of six night shifts for this week over.

This is going to be a loooong week.

Tuesday 23rd February 2010

Lunch at Work
Chorizo & Goats Fetta Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Continental's Creamy Chicken & Vegetable Soup


After work I stopped by at Golden King's BBQ Restaurant on William Street, Northbridge. I picked up some BBQ'd meats to take to Marissa's for dinner.

BBQ Pork & Roasted Pork


We broke out a bottle of wine and snacked on the pork.
I absolutely love love love pork crackle!!


Marissa had an assortment of Chinese New Year biscuits.


Teresa had some vegetable and fungi leftovers.
Yes, I say fungi because there were different mushrooms in it.


What's on the menu for dinner tonight? Marissa wanted to try some potatoless gnocci. All you need is flour and boiling water.

Equal measurements of flour and boiling water.


Combine.


Knead.


Roll out dough, cut into small gnocci sizes.


Create the gnocci shapes using a gnocci board.


It was so fun making the gnocci!


Cook the gnocci in salted boiling water.


Marissa made a bolognaise sauce to have with the gnocci.


Delicious!


Baklava and Expresso for dessert.

Monday 22nd February 2010

I woke up early this morning so I had time to make myself a bowl of instant ramen for breakfast. I used some of the leftover yong tau foo capsicums from what was supposed to have been our steamboat night last week. We usually make extra and freeze it.

Sunday 21st February 2010

So, it turns out that most of the girls at work are dim sum virgins! We must rectify that!

I took some of them out to dim sum today. We went to the Northbridge Chinese Restaurant on Roe Street, Northbridge. I ordered a whole range of dishes and most of them were delighted with the new experience. Some were reluctant and less adventurous when it came to the chicken feet though. Not a dining experience I'd recommend to someone who doesn't enjoy seafood since most of the dishes contain prawns.


Afterwards, I introduced them to the world of BUBBLE TEA.

From Northbridge, I drove to Fremantle for a wine tasting being held at the Fremantle Prison. It's the first time I've ever been there but I had no trouble finding it after getting some directions from the girls and checking the street directory. The weather was beautiful and made for some gorgeous photos.



After an enjoyable time tasting some delicious drops from Europe, I dropped in on Benoit and Ivy to help them with some kitchen renovations.

We went to dinner at the Golden King BBQ Restaurant on William Street, Northbridge. At least that's what I think it's called.

We had roast pork, BBQ pork, roasted duck and roasted chicken.
Accompanied with kai lan in oyster sauce.


We polished the food off, as you can see.


We had bubble tea (the second time for me today) for dessert.

What an awesome weekend.

Saturday 20th February 2010

I was in the city today and they had some troops performing lion dances to celebrate the Chinese New Year.



I tagged along to the beer festival at the Supreme Court Gardens with Kok and his friends. We had a great time, but the beers were expensive and there was no complimentary drink with the admission fee of $25.



After gallivanting around the southern suburbs, we finally ended up at Burswood. Not having yet had dinner, we lined up at Snax inside the casino.

Hot Dog


Nachos


With our appetites suppressed, we went to EVE and danced the night away.

Friday 19th February 2010

Lunch at Work
Spud Deluxe from Jesters
Iced Soy Coffee from Dome


After work, Kok came over to hang.

I made a couple of pizzas for snacks before dinner. I used wholemeal wraps with Leggo's tomato paste as the base.

Mozzarella, torn Spanish Proscuitto & Basil.


Mozzarella, sliced Roma tomato, torn Basil.


We polished off these pizzas and I made another two. This time I piled on whatever I could find in the fridge. Mushrooms, red onion, capsicum, tomato...

I couldn't be bothered slicing them up, so I folded them over like burritos!


After catering to Kok's hungry stomach, I rushed to get dinner ready. Ling, Shallen and Meng were coming over.

I've caught bits and pieces of the new series of My Kitchen Rules on Channel 7 and was inspired to recreate this tonight. I had intended to create proper menus (like I did the last time I had a 'Sazzy's Kitchen Rules' dinner) but I didn't have time. Instead, I just distributed some pens and paper and had each guest score my meals and write a comment.

entree
Chorizo & Goats Fetta Salad

I really only decided what I was serving for the entree at the last minute. I wanted something very simple, yet elegant. It took me a few trips to different shops before I could find some rocket salad leaves! But when I eventually came across some, it was on sale - yes! I washed the leaves and arranged them in no particular way on a small side plate with thinly sliced red onion, hot chorizo, crumbled goats fetta. I made a very simple dressing with olive oil and white balsamic vinegar.

9 Only thing wrong was there wasn't enough!
6 Personally not a fan of rabbit food, but was pleasantly surprised with the taste and freshness of it. It is rabbit food.
8 Goats cheese successfully complimented the sausage. The salad created an accent, making it a delectable treat and precursor to our main course.
8 Great tasting flavour, light dish. Just great amounts placed together. Very colourful.

total score for entree: 31


main
Garlic & Chilli Prawns with Linguini

I had a slight panic attack when cooking this dish. Everything was going smoothly, until everyone arrived and I was distracted while greeting them and seeing to their drinks. Ling noticed that the water in the pot with the pasta was beginning to bubble over, and I squealed. I had put the linguine into the boiling water JUST before they had arrived, so about four centimeters of the pasta was sticking out above the water...not getting cooked! I had to immediately push these ends in, then spent a few minutes gently separating the linguine. When I added the linguine to the sauce, I had to snip off some of the ends that were still stuck together and on the raw side. Crisis averted! I could just imagine the horror I would be faced with if I served the judges on the show some crunchy pasta.


9.5 Yummm! Olive oil just right. Prawns beautiful. Chilli is just right. Yumm. 9.5 coz can't give perfect score.
10 OMG I wet myself!
10 Extra spicy and prawnilicious!
9 Tasty, great portion and very tangy chilli and garlic. Delicious! Great prawns! Good presentation!

total score for main: 38.5


Not bad! I have to say though, I think my friends scored me pretty high. Perhaps they were worried I'd kick them out before coffee and dessert. That being said, I feel for those contestants on the TV show...it's one thing to cook for people for fun. It's quite another to be judged on the food you cook. Your friends will be polite and eat what you serve them. Paying customers will complain, ask for their money back and walk out the door.


Coffee at the Globe Coffee House & Patisserie