Tuesday, April 28, 2009

We've Opened the Glorious Thai Book!


We've opened our new and glorious Thai Food by David Thompson. It's so pink and beautiful! We bought it months ago in London and had it shipped here to Darwin. It arrived a month or so ago and we haven't had time to play with it yet.
Last night we used the Thai green granite mortar and pestle to make the lovely chicken curry on page 291.


It was clean and fresh, a perfect tropical treat.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

waiter?

I'm just back from a work retreat where someone has been cooking for us for the past three days. I didn't realize how wonderful that would be to be taken care of in that way for three days in a row. The best thing was a lemon curd tart with raspberries and cream. Should have stowed one away in my pack.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

beer after run

After a day of too many morning and afternoon tea snacks at a meeting, I had a good sunset run immediately followed by a cold beer. One of life's most sublime pleasures, to be sure.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

it was time for a picnic

Every once in a while I get a hankering for something particular from back home in the States. Today a dinner menu sprung to mind that was worthy of a Memorial Day picnic (the official start to summer there; the last weekend in May). Maybe because it was hot and rather humid today here it made me think such summery thoughts.

We grilled some ribs in the oven and made a fresh potato salad with mayo, tarragon, a little white wine vinegar and EVOO, salt and pepper in the dressing. Drank a cold beer while cooking and later had a delicious ice cream bar. Couldn't have been more perfect if we'd spread a red and white checkered table cloth or tucked a napkin under our chins.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

early rising, late breakfast

I love getting up early. Well, not exactly. I love having a compelling reason to get up to do something early in the morning. I used to be a caterer for a hot air balloon company and I would have to go in to the kitchen about 2:00 in the morning. That was extreme. Yesterday, though, we got up and went canoeing with a friend. The tide was high, which gave us a chance to explore the mangroves. It was beautiful.

One of the best things in life has got to be doing something active in the wee hours and then having a great breakfast. Our canoe guide came over and we cooked bacon and eggs; Paul's homemade bread for toast; and a smoothie of frozen bananas and raspberries. Sweet, and well-earned.

Friday, April 10, 2009

dreaming of a pizza pie

While I was posting on the headspa blog about something I posted on daily headspa (whew - do I get around or what?) I worked up a real appetite.

I was writing about New Haven, home to my favorite apizza pie. When time and space collapse and we can travel anywhere in the blink of an eye, this is where I want to go first.

this place, in particular:

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

verandah stir fry


Last night we tried out the new set-up for stir fry on the verandah. Verdict? Yes!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Cross Creek



I was doing some reflecting on a sense of place over at the headspa blog and it brought to mind this place from my memories.

It's been 20 years since I've been to The Yearling Restaurant in Cross Creek, Florida, but I can still remember the cooter. That's turtle in Florida Cracker speak.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Hanuman's oysters so lovely

Last night some friends treated us to a dinner out at Darwin's best restaurant (until proven otherwise by experience!)

It's called Hanuman's, one of three in the group (the others are in Cairns and Alice Springs). It's not really a fusion restaurant, just a solid and varied menu of Thai, Indian and Nonya cuisine.

Everyone raves about the oysters and they were delicious indeed. (Follow that link to the recipe.) Amazing how doing so much to them in terms of flavors didn't drown the oyster flavor itself. A very neat trick.

Friday, April 3, 2009

fish curry in a hurry

The other night we were watching "Feast India" on SBS and saw this recipe. Made it tonight, but it requires some adjustments, as in he forgets to put "fish stock" in the ingredients list. Coriander is cilantro to Yanks like me...

It's very good without the tomatoes, also, but lacks a nice color. Tumeric maybe?

Ingredients
2 long green chillis thinly sliced on angle
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp black mustard seeds
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 dessertspoons minced ginger
1 brown onions finely chopped
4 plum tomatoes skinned & diced
1 tins of coconut milk
12 curry leaves
Vegetable oil
4x200g portions of white fish
1 handful of chopped coriander


Preparation
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the mustard seed & cumin seed and stir until it starts to pop (ours popped out of the pan so maybe it was a wee bit too hot), then add the onion, garlic & ginger and sweat for about 5 minutes.

Add the chilli & curry leaves and cook for a further 5 minutes then add the coconut milk, fish stock (see what I mean - not in the ingredients list. I improvised by making a reduction in the fish cooking pan - see below - with water in the coconut milk can and a tiny bit of fish sauce) & salt and bring to the boil then simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.

Refrigerate until ready to use. (or eat right away, also good)

Fry your fish skin side down in a fry pan until golden brown, then turn over and cook for about 2 minutes then add to the curry sauce, cook for a further 3-4 minutes, add the coriander to the sauce and serve.