An update on that list

Turning things around has actually worked for me.  I am not pining over Mister as much, and even though I do think about him, it barely lasts more than a minute or two.

Here is an update on that list and I can happily say that I can tick them all off :)

1. Foodie buddie date - all set for this Saturday.  Growers Markets (yummy!) and then lunch (I am thinking Nasi Lemak)

2. An awesome night out with Jay - I saw her on Tuesday night, we chatted and she told me of some major news... she is packing up and moving out of Sydney.  Saving up and getting rid of her debt, and getting out of advertising.  What a big decision and has definitely inspired me to do the same.

3. A date with Smiz - pencilled in for this Friday night! Though not 100%, at least it's in our diaries and I am looking forward to seeing her as it has been such a long, long time.

4.  Bestie Melbourne catch up - that was last week and it was awesome.  Short and sweet and left me wanting more of Melbourne.  What's not to love about Melbs? 

5. Hair cut - put in for an appointment this Saturday, never been before, but their site looks really good and every time I have walked past, I have always been impressed.

Perhaps the next thing to do is to paint the town red.

gosh - what am I becoming?

I was thinking this morning about this blog and what it is turning into.  I definitely don't want this little space of mine to become a whiny spot and my lack of focus with other things so positive in my life and me leading me into this whiny person.

So this morning, a new perspective, to try and be positive and not focus so much on whining about Mister or the lack of him in my life.  To not mention the fact that I am single and hating it but single and loving life.

I sorta think that this new perspective with my words and thinking will eventually become reality and that is what I need to believe.  What I am doing at the moment is not working and I guess you all know that.

So ... I have made plans:

1. Make a date with my foodie buddies

2. Go for a night out with my awesome friend Jay

3. Make another date with the currently very busy Smiz who I am missing dearly

4. A catch up with my bestie in Melbourne tonight - even though I get in so late

5. Get a hair cut

And I guess now that I have made a concrete list - I can't go back on my word. 

x

I think I just ate a rabbit's ass

It was one of those awesome occasions where me, Smiz and Hollywood caught up for dinner.  We had initially decided on heading to El Loco for some tacos and margaritas but then decided on El Capo.  I had read some great reviews on El Capo and thought it would be great to give it a go.

I got a mandarin margarita which was actually pretty nice.  Whilst waiting for the Smiz to arrive we ordered some starters and we also got given a serving of these weird pop-corny kernals that had some sort of salty seasoning on it.  Imagine eating an oversized corn kernal that was hollow.  Weird and not my favourite but yet I couldn't stop eating it.

Our starters came, corn bread with 'home made butter'.  Not sure if it was really home made but it was tasty, I do love my butter, though I didn't think much of the corn bread which were pretty much like deep fried balls of flour.

The other dishes we ordered were passable, such as the sardines, ceviche and red cabbage salad.

We ordered the rabbit cooked three ways and we were all very excited about it as it sounded fantastic.

I was the first one to try and initially I thought it was just me.  I didn't really like it, but I didn't want to ruin it for everyone so I didn't say anything.  I tried the soup that was poured around the meat when it was served.  It was gross, I think that would be the best way to describe it.

Smiz did one better though and said "this tastes like a rabbit's ass"

Now that I think about it I wish we were more vocal about the dish when we were asked how our meal was, but all we said was that it was 'interesting'.

The night ended perfectly though.

We walked over to Porteno for cocktails and ended up ordering more food.  It was only from the bar menu but it was definitely delicious and we all sighed in satisfaction as we ate our pork sliders and looked at the menu to order more food.  

So it was a thumbs down for El Capo or El Crappo as I now call it, I am not sure what all the rave reviews were about.

One thing we can all agree on though and that is Porteno, absolutely amazing, I always love heading back there, for a drink, bar food and looking forward to heading there for another dinner sometime soon.

I am trying to get a date in with my foodie buddies so I am hoping so in the next few months.

Yours truly

Miss A.

Getting my cooking groove back

I love cooking as much as I love eating.  Now that I am not at my parent's home as often, there has been some pros and cons.

Cons - I don't get the opportunity to eat both my Mum's and Dad's cooking everyday.
Pros - I am starting to get creative in the kitchen again.

The first meal I cooked at home was a pretty basic t-bone and mash dinner.  The second is a little more exciting... home made pie.

Well it is not really rocket science to make though it is one of those dishes that you have to be prepared to wait for.  Being patient is not really a great attribute of mine.  So whilst cooking dinner I also snacked on cheese and crackers and of course red wine.

To make a home made pie, the filling takes around twenty to thirty minutes to prepare (especially when you do not own a proper knife set as yet), about an hour and a half to cook and simmer and then another forty-five minutes to bake in the oven.  During which time me and my dinner-mate made a second trip to the bottle shop and returned with a bottle of vodka.

Here is the end result - my first attempt at beef and mushroom pie.

I served it with mash, and it was one of those really buttery and tasty mashes that you just can't get enough of.  I am pretty sure that the right choice of butter played a big role in the mash success.  The t-bone mash was made with a spreadable sort-of-a butter and it didn't have the same texture or taste as this one.  Note - just use the block butter and try and forget about the calories or where it will end up on your body.

I had planned to make mango and cream crepes for dessert, but with the pie being ready to serve at ten-thirty at night and the bottle of vodka opened after two bottles of wine, I wasn't about to embark on the crepe journey that night.  And luckily I didn't as my dinner-mate did end up confessing she didn't like crepes or mangoes a few days later.

What I love about this current groove is looking forward to making the next dish.  With a nose to tail degustation on the cards, a quarter of a cow being bought at the markets with my foodie buddies, and with my newly found Saturday morning hobby at the growers markets, I am constantly brianstorming what to cook next.

Yours truly,

Miss A.

A little inspiration

I recently caught up with my foodie buddies where I was invited over to their place for a Sunday roast.

They told me of the growers markets that happen every Saturday and conveniently, very close to my new apartment.  It was there that they bought a whole lamb as well as a variety of organic potatoes, much more than the ones I'm used to - red, white, brushed or unbrushed.

The roast was a lamb leg and the meat just fell off the bone and it was totally delicious and cooked perfectly.  Accompanied by the loveliest potatoes and a long time favourite of mine with most Western meals - fresh sourdough bread with a generous spread of butter.  A side of squash was also served up and it added a lush yellow colour to the table of browns and reds (the wine).  

I have never really been one for loads and loads of gravy, and always find food cooked as it is to be at it's tastiest.  And this dinner did just that.  

The night has also inspired me to host a little dinner of my own.  

Very excited at the thought of also buying a whole lamb from the markets, I have mentally started to plan a lamb nose to tail degustation.  

The process has started, researching and aiming to host this little event in July.  I am very excited.

Yours truly,

Miss A.

First time Thai Dessert

Last night I had a dinner date with the one and only Miss Janey.

We went to Chat Thai, which I can confidently say is the best Thai restaurant in Sydney.  I have always wanted to eat there but the lines have always put me off and I have never waited.  Last week was my first experience of Chat Thai and I couldn't wait to go back.

The wait last night was not that long, we went for a quick drink at a bar nearby and by the time we got back, we had our table straight away.

We started off with a serving of steamed dumplings, they were pretty standard dumplings, quite delicious though nothing out of the ordinary.  Followed by Pad Thai which was truly authentic I think, I could very well compare it to the Pad Thai I ate when I was in Thailand.

We also ordered a Penang (not quite Thai I know) Curry with beef - yes not the usual thing to have in a Penang Curry but it was really, really good!

BUT - this is what I really want to rave on about, and that is the dessert.  I have never really thought about ordering dessert at a Thai Restaurant before, normally I am so full that dessert is the last thing on my mind.  So tonight me and Janey strategically only ordered enough so that we would have room for dessert.

Although we were both really full, the dessert stomach always has room.  I left it up to Janey with my only request being ice-cream.  She ordered a coconut dessert in which I have struggled to find the name online. But here it is:

The coconut sticky rice was absolutely fabulous and I didn't know that rice could be so tasty when it's sweet and that it goes with ice-cream!  The coconut pancakey layer on the top was also really tasty and because it wasn't over the top sweet it was a definite winner with me.

I would highly recommend this cute little restaurant, especially if you have the patience to wait up to 45mins for a table, it will be worth it.

I have hit up my foodie buddies twice now to head onto Chat Thai, a place I cannot wait to eat at again.  So all I can say to them is hurry up and call me, let's make it a date!

Yours Truly,

Miss A.

They have a few restaurants, we went to their flagship (and they are open until 2am):

Chat Thai 

20 Campbell Street

Haymarket

Very affordable, our total bill was around $50

"This is the best thing I've ever tasted in my life"

Tetsuya's summed up was pretty amazing and an experience that I would highly recommend.  From the moment we entered and walked up the stairs to our table right through to when we walked out the gates, I had such a fabulous time.  And to be there with my favourite foodie buddies, this will be a night that I will talk about for a long time to come.

It is now tradition with us to start any dinner with a glass of bubbly, last night we ordered a bottle of Perrier-Jouet to go with our fresh oysters - as they say, when in Rome...

We started our degustation with a few courses of seafood including the signature confit ocean trout with konbu, celery and apple.

We also got the degustation with matching wines, which I knew would call for an interesting night to be had especially at the end.  By the time we were finished with the seafood courses, I was well on may way to feeling more than a little happy.

We were then served with an oxtail and sea cucumber dish.

Can I just say that this is the best thing I have ever eaten in my life.  I would have happily given up all of my desserts to have just one more taste of this dish.  As I was eating it I didn't want it to end, there is only one word I would choose to describe it and that is, WOW.

By about the eighth course, I had already asked the waiter why there was no background music, and if I could go into the cellar (twice).  I also started taking photos of my bracelet, and glasses of wine, I even decided to head into the ladies to make an overseas call to the other Miss A to tell her about my amazing ox tail taste sensation.  I don't think I needed all of that extra dessert wine which my buddies didn't take a liking to, and I very much did.  At the end of our dinner, I was pretty tipsy.

I know I have already said this but I'd like to say it again, Tetsuya's was amazing and this time round I definitely enjoyed it, every single bit of it.  The service at this restaurant was pretty close to perfection, we were not over serviced or under serviced, and sometimes it was like they already knew what we wanted.  One of my buddies mentioned she might like more bread and next thing you know, the waiter appeared with a selection - it was almost like he heard.  I accidentally dropped my knife and within seconds another knife came, like he was watching over us.  Our glasses were never empty, our table always organised, ready for the next delicious plate to be served.  To top all of this off, I actually got an extra serving of ox tail and a little cake with a candle came out for mine and my buddy's birthdays... very unexpected and really what made the experience so much more special.

The company was amazing as always, and I always look forward to dining with them.  We have so much fun together, and it never has to be high end dining, we could go to a ramen house for $8 noodles and still enjoy the night.  This is what I love about enjoying food with friends who appreciate it as much as I do, and I love how we plan the next one when we meet.

A night isn't complete without a little stack in my heels, a drunken dance and a bit of a random pash.  My foodie buddies had to go, so I went to Paddington to hit the town.  In my drunken state I answered the cab driver's mobile and was then set up with the caller on the other end on a date.  Did I hand over my real mobile number?  I can't remember, but one thing is for sure, though the driver was very nice, he also helped himself to doubling my fare which made a ten minute cab ride a total of $40.

I did end up nearly stacking it crossing the road, and I did end up shaking my groove thing though I went home again talking crap to the cab driver, without a drunken kiss and forgetting my keys and having to make a call to leave the door unlocked.

Here's to good times and I can't wait for July, the date for our next splurge into high end dining.

Yours Truly,

Miss A.

Tetsuya's Restaurant

529 Kent Street

Sydney

$210 - degustation

$95 - matching wines

Four days

In four days me and two of my favourite buddies will embark on a great journey of taste.

I can't wait, I have been waiting for almost three months now.

The first time I went, I didn't really get a chance to appreciate it fully, rather it was my birthday and I had friends waiting at a pub and I wanted to go and get my drink on.

I told them to hurry with the food, and rather than tasting, I gulped - I didn't even chew.

I also had a new boy-friend, and at the time, I didn't want to keep him waiting and I was eager to see him.  I told them to cut my four-hour food experience short.

Year's later... many many years later, I still regret not appreciating the gift that was given to me by my family, back then it took more than six months to get a table.  I am glad I now have a better appreciation to fine dining, well all types of dining.  Food to me now is to be enjoyed, savoured and talked about with your friends.  To recommend and to spread the word of great food is what I am passionate about.

So, in four days I am heading back, with anticipation, excitement, a new hair cut and a new outfit.

Stay tuned.

Yours truly,

Miss A.