Panic!

Ok .. I hate you, biopsy!

And because there's too much sadness at the moment ...

Ok .. and because there's quite enough sorrow at the moment, its time for some lighthearted relief ... (well unless of course you buy into this particular offshoot of Yoouf! culture in which case why the fuck r u reading this blog?? haha)

Got this from D at work:

Nobody understands Emo Bun
by Meg on June 18, 2009

Emo Bun is going to put on his skinny jeans and play guitar in the garage.
Emo Bun doesn’t expect you fascists to understand his art.
Emo Bun is destined to travel through the misty and cold fog of existence alone and cold.
Life is hard for Emo Bun.
 
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Comments:
 
dan copewrote:


I can't stop laughing.. **SO funny*** As...
28 July

The Fawcett Flick canonized

Ok .. Vale Farah Fawcett ... we all wanted to be Jill Munroe (and by that I mean me) .. but I always copped Sabrina ... and you know what .... that is the story of my life!

Finally Off the Wall

Ok .. so the King of Pop is no more!!

Red Hill Pt 2

Ok ... despite illness and the unecessary drama surrounding the little people, I did have a pretty good time on our weekend way at Redhill, very much thanks to our gracious host, the DMs. (but where was the hot water peops??)

m and a gracious host

M was pumped up as usual and made Anzac bikkies that went down a treat ... apparently. Our other contribution was a La Dolce lemon tart which wasn't even consumed in the end.

The H's sprung for Entree with homemade pizzas - prosciutto and rocket - pizza base from scratch. It was yummy as always. We all helped M with the mushroom Risotto .. but I did the stirring so props to me!!

The drink flowed reasonably well and I won $15 at 31 which was a Bonus!!! MH and myself were the only ones outside for a breather and we were silly with drink and tiredness in the end ... imagining the bubbling water tank as a crucial Boomkat release had us in hysterics for some odd reason ... essential listen indeed!!!

If I lose my inhibitions and he didn't have a kid, we could be rock stars!!!

Anyways, the next morning I helpd DK with the brekkie and KH took a turn for the worst so proeedings pretty much ended then and there.

We were thinking of checking out a couple of wineries or so but a little person got in the way, which kind of suited me fine as I DO NOT function without a shower.

So not exactly Apollo Bay, but a resonable time was had by all.

This week's guilty pleasure

Ok ... I heard this playing at the local general pants outlet and have seen this on high rotation on video hits ... so this is now classified as a guilty pleasure!!



And soak this one up before she crosses over into a knifepoint fashion store playlist .. or maybe too late?

Red Hill Part 1

Ok ... this is probably going to get me in to trouble ... but Joking!! Only Joking!!!

Television the drug of Nation

Breeding ignorance

And feeding radiation

Coppola if you're reading this ... adorable!! Yah?

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Comments:

dan cope wrote:


I know I know.. I CAN"T believe how gorgeous the boys are?? And i mean the babies.. not you and Martini. Oh pls say a big hi from moi.
28 July

Temasek wrote:


Hate to belabour the point ... but if you were here .....
23 June

dan cope wrote:


SO YAH.. I love the kiddies.. How did you know I would so be seeing a little Kj and a little Matty and a tiny Dk and a baby Matteo.. Oh they are soo cute. I am so jealous auntie Cassim.. xxx
22 June

You Young Turks with the floppy hair can suck it!!

Ok ... don't even!!!

The Man that Rhythm Forgot - Deerhunter at the Corner

Ok .... Deerhunter at the Corner - up there with some of the best gigs ever ... oh and P was there too ... I know ... could you die?? We may finally have knocked the soundtrack smarts right out of him!! Oh and whats with the curtain at the Corner?? I do like it!

Isn’t it weird that for a number of days leading up to this gig, the B52s have been playing on my mind and indeed on my iPod. They used to be Atlanta Georgia’s finest (hhmmm - or is that Athens Georgia?? .. damn this would have worked so well!) but that gauntlet has been passed on several times since their heyday and the burden now rests squarely on Bradford Cox’s skinny shoulders.

His shoulders are more than ample, despite the fact that he “suffers” from Marfan syndrome. Marfan syndrome, so Wiki “reliably” informs me, is a “genetic disorder of the connective tissue”. People affected by this condition generally appear stretched – they’re usually tall, incredibly thin, with gaunt skeletal faces … although I couldn’t really tell as from my vantage point Bradford was hidden behind a bank of suspended bass bins .. oh and of course tall people .. don’t forget the tall people … who invariably push in front and can never quite stand still. Singers should always be front and centre … or they should not be allowed to go on otherwise!!! (The little glimpses I caught reminded me of Lanky!! My IT lifeline no longer!)

Anyhoo, they’re not the most attractive band lets face it … oh but the sound!!!! 2 guitars, bass and drums and a whole lot of effects pedals … this shit was big!! I just wanted the waves to keep building and building … whoever was at the mixing desk was doing a very fine job indeed. This was not the emotional surge of Sigur Ros, it was more an intellectual response I was having, but this isn’t a dismissive comment. One hits the heart, the other the head … but it’s the punch that matters. There was a point where a vocalesed section kept playing in the background sounding like "banshees for BVs" and I was hit with this visceral memory of when I first heard Kate Bush's Never for Ever ... sweaty in my PE gear under a banyan tree at Macritchie Reservoir after a cross country run feeling the $2.50 in my pocket eager to get on the bus and swing by the neighbourhood pirated casette store to purchase my copy getting it home and creeping into my brother's room to use his casette player the only other one in the house apart from the main stereo which would have been too exposed for this bewailing witchery ...

Well haters will refer to this as indie porn! But we don’t miss em when they’re gawn!! Ha! And admittedly I do harbour resistance to these sorts of groups … you know the ones that fall into the “too cool for school” category, they get the critical web plaundits and the word of mouth buzz and the high frequency download steals .. but if we stripped away all the hype would we still approach their material in the same way … you know a copy of the new Tori amos cd currently sits side by side with a copy of the new Grizzly Bear cd on top of my stereo … so am I forever banished to the prison of bad taste and music depravity if I said that I got more plays out of Tori than some “beardy psychofolktronic throw in a little Tropicana” release that has been elevated to almost messianic proportions??

(Animal collective … anyone?)

Thankfully, I didn’t have to play this over and over again forcing myself to like it for the sake of liking it, Microcastles clicked with me from the word go and Live as it with some albums (Bjork’s Vespertine comes to mind) … it just made the experience so much more …

So if you’re in Melbourne, they’re playing again tomorrow … just go. (oh and skip the support – woeful!! L7/Throwing Muses hybrid wannabees!!)

Oh and why is this post entitled the man that rhythm forgot ... well its a tribute to our moustachioed "friend" with the tryhard floppy hair and op shop chequered sports jacket and the righteous! indie dance moves ... lose the mo and embrace the ho' I say!!!

Akan Datang!!

Ok ... everything's a blur at the moment .. but there will be updates soon

- Deerhunter - wall of sound and banshees for bvs ... longest gig ever ... I hate tall people!!
- weekend at Redhill - I'm over the little people!

I'll bore you later! In the meantime lets all go "Aaww" over my pussy asleep in the winter sun:

Warped .. Seriously!!

Ok ... this is serious talk ... its the best sex you could ever have with your clothes on ... its seething with envy ... its push yo mama in front of the train to get one ... its rob a bank to afford one ... its discounted at £85 (as opposed to £100) if you order before July 5th ... its why aren't you already ordering this online ... its the 20th anniversary Warp records boxset:

the bang for your buck is as follows:
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WARP20 (BOX SET) CONTENTS:


Warp20 (Box Set) comes beautifully packaged in a 10 inch square slipcase wrapped in charcoal Buckram
embossed paper with tipped-on gloss-laminated cover photograph, designed by YES, photographed by Dan Holdsworth.

Warp20 (1989-2009) The Complete Catalogue: 192 page book

10” square, 192 page full-colour, perfect-bound book. The complete-ist’s dream – a catalogue of artwork of every Warp release from its inception in 1989 to August 2009. Includes artwork from over 400 sleeves including work by the Designers Republic, Julian House, Build, Universal Everything and Kim Hiorthøy amongst others. Foreword by Warp co-founder Steve Beckett. Black un-coated board cover with debossed and foiled typography.

Warp20 (Chosen): Double CD album

The definitive best of Warp on 2 x CDs. Ten songs chosen by you (Warp20.net), ten songs chosen by Warp co-founder Steve Beckett. Packaged in deluxe case-bound 10” folder, exclusive to this box set. Your personal messages and memories from Warp20.net featured on pullout poster.

Warp20 (Recreated): Double CD album

2 x CDs featuring twenty brand new cover versions of Warp songs by Warp artists past and present; including tracks by Autechre, Harmonic 313, Jamie Lidell, Plaid, Clark, Maximo Park, Leila, Seefeel, Luke Vibert and more… Packaged in deluxe case-bound 10” folder exclusive to this box set.

Warp20 (Unheard): Triple 10” Vinyl

Secret treasures newly rediscovered from the Warp vaults. Unheard and rare tracks by Boards of Canada, Autechre, Broadcast, Elecktroids and others cut to 3 x 10” vinyl. Housed in uncoated card sleeves with debossed typography. Vinyl exclusive to Warp20 (Box Set).

Warp20 (Elemental): CD album

Specially-commissioned hour long piece by re-edit master Osymyso, made from sections, samples, and fragments of Warp music from the last 20 years. Exclusive to Warp20 (Box Set) and packaged in deluxe case bound 10” folder.

Warp20 (Infinite): Double 10” Vinyl

2 x 10” vinyl cuts of hand-picked locked-groove loops from Warp tracks. Four sides of loops for mixing fun. Exclusive to Warp20 (Box Set) and housed in uncoated card sleeves with debossed covers.

Go here to pre-order: http://bleep.com/index.php?page=release_details&releaseid=20464

Do it!!! DO IT NOW!!!

Cup Cake!!

Ok ... all apologies should come with cupcakes!!

Wendy's Monkey Wall

Ok ... presenting Wendy's monkey Wall! (don't ask ... I'm completely bored at the moment)

Are you?

Ok .. Marieke Hardy ... Are you reading this blog???

Emergency! Emergency!!

Ok .... in these Days of Swine and Runny noses, its not the best feeling when you know that your partner has gone to the Doctor's and his doctor rings you!!!
 
All I can say is this long weekend is now a complete write off!!!

Hung Duck and the Portuguese Tart Part 2

Ok ... after P had a moment of personal crisis at seeing a dead duck in its entirety, I set about preparing the marinade for the duck which I massaged into the bird in preparation of its hanging:

what made P leave the room

5 spice powder, thick soy and ginger

donald well and trully relaxed

M and P channelled their collective inner boy scout and rigged up a way of hanging the duck from the exhaust:

Donald had to hang for 2 hours so M started on the pastry for the portuguese tarts which also had a 2 hour rest time.

M then turned to shredding the well soaked piece of bacalao:

P got to work on his arrancini balls:

So far so straightforward, after a few more swigs and nibbles, it was time to start on the duck proper. But first the tarts. I helped P with the custard filling as M teased out the pastry in the tray:

For the duck, I started a caramel in the braising pan. Mild moment of panic as the sugar started to separate and extrude its hot sticky liquid which quickly turned a candy brown ... at this point we dunked the duck into the pan and seared it on both sides in the liquid caramel ... then the rest of the braising liquid went in ... lid on ... slow fire for the another hour or so:

caramel

seared duck

the braising liquid - yes those are garlic cloves

braising

With the duck braising away, we boiled potatoes, steamed asparagus and fried mushrooms:

Everything pretty much came together at the same time ... (another indication of our waning interest??) ...

Arrancini Balls, Bacalao Croquettes and that salad leaf I can't remember the name of - "Entrees"

Our "Main" plated

The duck was pretty damn fantastic! And various sides in their simplicity was the perfect foil for the sweet rich taste of the braised meat. I believe there was picking going on!! Which is always a good sign that something has worked. And the meal ended with the most exciting part, our first attempt at Portuguese Tarts:

And to top the evening off, T kindly played us choice bits from The Police - Synchronicity Tour DVD ... Sting rocks my world!!

OK the duck recipe we used can be found here:

http://www.trap17.com/index.php/Lor-Ark-Teochew-Braised-Duck-Chinese-Recipe-Party33_t58843.html

SO get "quacking" already (groan!!) - you know I was waiting to finish writing this whole damn post (all 2 parts of it) just so I could type this at the end.

Get Quacking Get Get Quacking!! - hehe

Hung Duck and the Portuguese tart ... or did we have another cook up?

Ok ... long tedious post alert!!! PART ONE!

We finally had our first cook up for the year. Usually I would suffix this by slamming the Exclammation point key several times. But I've got the "meh" face on while I type this. Why is this so? Have we reached saturation point? Has ennui finally set in? Has our indecision on what it is we're trying to achieve translated into a general malaise over the proceedings? Or do we blame P for bringing swine flu to Fitzroy? (Not my words ... so stick it!!!)

Having said all that, I believe this cook up just gone was a crowning success! AND we scored a freebie .... again!! It must be the 3 of us in cahoots ... we are the Caballieros par excellence for scamming without really intending to scam.

Our inspiration "board"

I called this our recession cook-up as we sourced most of the ingredients from our home larders and only had to purchase a few bits and bobs to complete the whole. So it made sense that we shopped locally ... the duck and bacalao came from our local .... the rest of the purchases was from P's neck of the woods. Regardless, a trek down Brunnie Fitzroy is always entertaining.

But first, the menu!!

We already knew that we would be doing Portuguese tarts for dessert, P decided to ditch the idea of a terrine as we were already having braised duck as a main. I wanted to do a broccolini side with potatoes, but we struck out finding some, and P wanted to supplement our Bacalao croquettes by making some Arrancini balls with left over risotto he made.

So here's how it all panned out:

Entree - Bacalao Croquettes and Tuna Risotto Arrancini balls
Main - Chinese Braised Duck with asparagus and potato with simple green salad (I can't remember the leaves we used .. I'll update this if I find out)
Dessert - Portuguese Tarts

When we got to P's house he had the backdoors open ... it was one of those late autumn mornings ... slight chill in the air but sunny.

So we took a lovely stroll down to the organic grocers for further supplies, stopping along the way for some visual porn at the Galerie Montmarte.

(Mental note - there are quite alot of new stores worth checking out .... I feel a slight cold coming along ... maybe Wednesday next week?)

Always thinking with our stomachs we knew that it was time for a beverage and a spot of lunch so we decided to breeze through Simon Johnson's on the way back. For some reason the chick at the organic grocers thought we had to put up with a grumpy man who I am assuming was ahead of us in the queue. We were too busy with the task at hand to notice but she decided to give us 2 handfuls of mushrooms that we were thinking of buying ... so what you say??? Well said mushroom called fairy something or other was priced at $150 per kilo. We had already purchased 6 morello mushrooms at $250 per kilo (yes folks ... we are posh!!) which came up to about $6.00.

fairy something or other mushrooms

So feeling suitably chuffed, we allowed our personal purveyor of fine cheeses at Simon J's suck us into buying 4 different types ... thankfully all half off which amounted to the princely sum of about $41 (I know I know ... you're saying "Fie on your recession cook-up!!") We had 2 french, one italian and one aussie.

Collecting some take away coffees at Newtown SC (really scrummy coffees!) we arrived back for our mid afternoon repast:

M grilled some of the Fleur de Marquis on some of the day old bread we got at the OGs ... heaven!

We were now ready for the main event ... Part 2 to follow shortly. And here's something to tantalise you ...

Cue Evil laughter ... !!