Sunday 21st Sep '08

Going to work after having had only three hours of interrupted sleep is NO FUN. However, that's exactly what I did today. So much for the 'not too late' night I was supposed to have last night. We just had too much fun at karaoke and time always flies when you're having a good time.

I have discovered the yummiest instant miso soup! I've tried afew instant forms years ago and they tasted like crap so I've been very weary of instant miso since then. I finally decided to seek out a miso soup that would be good enough to have a place in my locker at work. I found it! It's a Japanese brand miso soup paste - Hikari. The seaweed rehydrates and tastes as if it were fresh from the sea!


The drive home was quite pleasant and relaxing. I managed to catch this nice shot while on Albany Highway.



Back at home, I checked on my plants and was met with a few pleasant surprises. The little mignonette lettuces I grew from seeds have been struggling since I put them outside but today I was greeted by little tiny flourishing seedlings (top left). I've finally got a strawberry that's growing into a regular shape. My spinach seems to have shaken its stunted phase and is now starting to grow. My mixed lettuces are massive! I'll have to start picking them soon.

Tonight I was cooking clams.


Garlic Bamboo Clams

1. Melt butter in pan and sautee chopped garlic and onion.
   
2. Add some white wine.
   
3. Add clams and cook with the pan covered until the clams are cooked.
   
4. Serve with deep fried shallots.

The deep fried shallots really went well with this dish. It complimented the salty taste of the clams and gave it multiple dimensions in texture. By that, I mean it gave the dish a bit of crunch!

Clam & Lobster Spaghetti

1. Sautee some chopped garlic, sliced onion and chilli flakes in some olive oil.
   
2. Add white wine, sliced zucchini and chopped anchovies.
   
3. Melt some butter and throw in clams and shredded lobster meat.
   
4. Toss through al dente spaghetti and serve.

I used the leftover half lobster that I had from a few nights ago to make this pasta. Adding the anchovies gives the dish a really delicious flavour. The clams I used were juicy and succulent! I will definitely be buying these again.

For supper, I was going to make a clam chowder, but didn't have time to thaw anymore clams so it ended up just being a potato chowder.

Potato Chowder

1. Fry roughly chopped garlic and onion in some olive oil.
   
2. Add some chopped celery and diced potato and fry for a few minutes.
   
3. Add a small amount of chicken/vegetable stock and fry until potato has softened.
   
4. Blend/puree soup and return to the pot to heat up.
   
5. Serve with deep fried shallots and fresh chives.

This soup was absolutely delicious!! I didn't want to make too much but had enough for a bowl for supper and a bowl for breakfast tomorrow.