Little Star

Ok ... I promise I promise I will do more updates soon. But here's a summary of what's been going down so far:

 

(i) Love Unkle, Justice, Simian Mobile Disco and "shock horror" Siobhan Donaghy!!!
(ii) Finally finished training ... now fully into work ... "love" isn't exactly the way I describe it ... but it is much better than before stresswise ... peops are nice ... fringe benefits are great ... location yah!
(iii) still hate PT ... but car is being fixed ... for under a grand ... thank fuck!!! Woods quoted me 3 grand ... so gotta be kidding me!!!
(iv) D is preggers ... YAY!!! caught up with her an M for a fundraiser (i have trouble remembering this word!!!) at the Keilor bowls club ... and D if you're reading this ... at least we were honest ...everyone else sooooo cheated!!!
(v) spent a sunday with the in-laws ... which really wasn't that bad .... until teh end when there were words ... at least M wasn't involved this time ... well at least not directly
(vi) A and the kids are here for a visit this weekend up from geelong .... omg ... how will I survive a whole 2 days with kids!!!!

I am just a little star in a firmament of stars ... no its not a quote ... just how I feel sometimes ... but at least I'm a star!!!

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Comments:

Danise wrote:

 

HOLEY CRAPOLA.
That is the BEST news. I will soooo email her..
i miss you.. come and see me !!
I don't want to be 33.. make it stop .
hugs xxxx

31 July

Dayelsford Photo Biennale

Ok ... so we trundled off to Daylesford on the recommendation of L and S to see some of the exhibitions as part of the Photo Biennale. It was cold and wet, but some of the photos were well and truly worth the visit. We also discovered to our delight how wonderful a vegetarian meal could be when done correctly.

We started off at the cinema/town hall which was hosting portraiture. Saw some fantatic photos from people who I would gladly pay to have a photo-portrait done. No glamour shots here I can tell you ... and who would want them? Why shell out hundreds of dollars to look like an extra in Dynasty??? Hello do these people not have taste??? Bet the men who shoot these as a living have plucked eyebrows, fake tans and gold bracelets!!! Unfortunately I did not take any shots myself apart from the outside of the building:

This was a shot of one of the pottery studios which at some stage had an upstairs verandah, and now looks like a door opening out to nowhere:

Feeling a little peckish and purely by chance we ended up in the Himalaya cafe, which is your standard upmarket, organice, hippiesque cafe run, most likely, by lesbians (I don't mean this perjoratively ... but if it gave you a giggle then "all my best friends are lesbians!!!")

M had a risotto of wild mushrooms ... and I know I use this term alot ... but hello orgasmic!!!! It was truly truly scrumptious!! No doubt about that. I had an open sandwich of roasted red capsicums, avocado with a white bean paste ... and that was pretty much on par!! Not the cheapest in terms of cafe nosh, but money well and truly spent. Coffee was pretty darn amazing too. So if you're ever in Daylesford, ignore all those posh eateries on the high street, and head straight for Himalaya. I'm talking high street here, because you can't go past Cliffy's!!!!

Warmed up from our food, we headed off to the Botanic Gardens where the next exhibition was held in the open with the photos laminated and hanging off the fence. It was raining and really icy but the photos made up for the hideous weather and got us all excited. I wasn't planning to take any photos ... coz it sort of feels wierd taking a photo OF a photo, but when I turned the corner and saw a photo of Lee Li Chin, the SBS newsreader, I just had to have a snap. Which then started the ball rolling, and we took more photos of photos. I'm only sorry that I didn't take any details down ... but honey it was cold!!! And I could barely stop shaking enough to steady the camera and focus.

Tower at the top of the Botanical Gardens near the actual exhibition

On our way back, we stopped at an old church hall that had a 20% sale on fine furnishings ... well, more of the nanna kind, but we did find a sun clock ... which is something I've always wanted!!! And is now hanging in the kitchen ... I love my sun clock. Thank you so much M for buying it. Now we need to do something about the Arkeleys ....

Comfort is Secondary

Ok ... so when it comes to couture, comfort is secondary. Anyone who rails against fashion should watch the devil wears prada ... there's a scene where Anne Hathaway sniggers at the notion of choosing between 2 belts that she sees as similar, which leads to Meryl Steep's soliloquy about the cerulean jumper .. top stuff!! But why were we having this convo in the first place ... what was the context and where were we? Well the context was to put it plainly, downing 2 bottles of wine and the where? Well this leads us to the concept of the Cook Up.

P, M and moir get together every once in awhile to do a cook-up. Which is basically an excuse to pig out and drink copious amounts of wine at a leirsurely pace (of course!). However the point of the exercise is to stretch our culinary wings and attempt a meal that we consider to be fiddly and complex enough to stand in the pantheon of haute cuisine ... i.e. if we were running a restaurant, you'd be shelling out at least $40 per plate (we hope).

For our 4th attempt we went to P's  house. And the menu was as follows:

Entree - Buffalo Mozarella in a Red Pepper Sauce

Main - Braised Ox Cheeks in a Red wine sauce with Parmesan and Blue Veined Goats Cheese Mash served with Asparagus and Beans with a Porcini drizzle

Dessert - Creme Caramel with an Orange and Grapefruit sauce

Picking out the menu from our ever burgeoning collection of recipes - glimpse of P's antique table

The day started at about 2pm with a trip down to the organic grocers for some provisions. Those places are dangerous .. they drag you in with their organic and specialty produce and you're suckered at the check out into feeling like you've done a good deed by paying premium prices ... although I have to admit the tomatoes were to die for ... and I'm not entirely a fan.

Then it was off to Simon Johnston ... where I almost had an orgasm in the cheese room ... why is that slightly off fishy smell so appealing? But as per our previous attempt at lobster, we baulked at the prices for black truffle ... $245 for 50gm??? I don't think so!!! So we reassesed the black truffle risotto .. and went with the beans and asparagus. But I am determined to do it one day along with the lobster ... and lets hang the cost!!!

Anyhoo ... back at P's we sat down to a mini lunch of cheese and crackers with scrumptious bread from Babka ... and of course our beloved Turra Murra. And then we got stuck into it ... and the time just flew ... along with any sense of moderation ... so much for my cholestorel level ... !!!

Ox Cheeks: P kindly bought the Ox Cheeks, which he pre-ordered from Jonathan's and then marinaded overnight in wine and your standard provincial carrots, celery, bayleaves, onions etc ... P you are a dedicated follower of all things posh ... and that extends to your wardrobe as well ... I've never seen anyone dress down in cashmere!!!

 Ox Cheeks in red wine marinade

What Ox Cheeks actually look like

I started on entree and got the baking dish ready with the beginnings of the red pepper sauce.

 Red Pepper Sauce Ingredients in tray ready for the oven
 

The rest of the crew started work on the oxcheeks and the creme caramel.

P & M hard at work in the kitchen

Pretty soon the oxcheeks were braising in the pot with the added veal stock ... the smell was heavenly.

 Slow Braising Ox Cheeks in veal and wine sauce

M prepared the orange/grapefruit citrus sauce for the creme caramel.

 Citrus sauce for the Creme Caramel

More wine and friendly banter about music and fashion ensued till it was time for me to finish off the entree.

 Putting the final touches on our entree

Which we then devoured with gusto:

 The Final result on the stove

 Entree plated and on the table ... please note P's gorgeous house!!

 Buffalo Mozarella in Red Pepper Sauce

 2 soon to be satisfied customers

There's nothing like a red pepper sauce ... goes with bread, pasta, rice ... you name it. I do my spag bol with red pepper sauce too!!! Then it was time for the main event ....plated and ready for the table!!!

 Braised Ox Cheeks in Red Wine sauce, Goats Cheese Mash Potatoes and Beans and Asparagus drizzled with Porcini oil

And here's me ... slightly pissed ... and already full as a goog!!

More wine and friendly banter ... then it was dessert! After spending some time in a makeshift bain marie,

the little angels were ready for the table:

 Creme Caramel ... we did it!!!

All in all , I thought the night was a huge success ... so hurrah to all involved!!! And I'm sorry this all sounds terribly pedestrian ... but its late sunday night and I seriously CBA!!

Can't wait for the next one!!!