winter

 socks loves getting comfortable right next to the heater.

 or using us as human warm cushions.

this was a yummy steak with caramelized onions and brussel sprouts with a verjuice reduction sauce at Blue Skies restaurant on the docks. very yummy...but...i donno if it's worth the $33 price tag! that much could buy nearly a week's worth of groceries for one person.

fish head meehoon

 I got this at the sandy bay korean mart today, for $1.70 [approx what you'd pay for a single serving of Bulla ice cream from Coles] it's a korean [or japanese?] ice cream dumpling, which consists of a mochi skin [chewy, sweet and flavoured with powdered green tea] and filled with vanilla ice cream and walnut pieces. delicious! if that description wasn't enticing enough, here's the ad on youtube. anyway it's just interesting for a change if you've always had mainstream ice cream.

After church today we made this seafood meehoon [rice noodle] soup which is a Chinese Malaysian lunchtime meal consisting of thin rice vermicelli in a creamy sourish broth with salted vegetables and deep fried fish head pieces. it's nice having a hot soupy meal on a cold winter's day. it's one of my favourite Malaysian meals. Traditionally it's made with deep fried crispy fish head, which is full of bones which I don't like. So, we've made ours with marinara mix [bite sized pieces of white fish, salmon, mussels, prawns and calamari rings] instead.
Below, the pickled mustard greens which go into the broth. I love using a cleaver to cut everything, instead of having multiple sized knives around.

 Tomato wedges and spring onions add flavour to the broth as well.

 Chinese cabbage which I got at Salamanca fruit market for just $3!

 Boil it all up with chicken stock, ginger and sesame oil. Add the seafood pieces near the end of cooking since there's nothing worse than overcooked mussels!

 Soak the rice vermicelli in water before adding it to the broth.

 Add some evaporated milk [or cream] just before eating and there you have it!

This is probably not a very good recipe to follow, so if you want proper instructions, go here.

food...homemade and otherwise

 it's been awhile! but i've not been that inspired to blog. nowadays with so many more interesting blogs out there, i feel like i dont have anythong worthwhile to contribute to this sea of blog posts.

 anyway, above is a caramel cup i had at a cafe in campbelltown. we stopped by here on our way to Launceston. It was nice -  i think, a shortcrust base, with some top n fill caramel in the centre? and white chocolate on top.

 this was the blandest pasty i've ever had in my life! this is what makes people make derogatory comments about English food. it doesnt have to be this bad...surely....

 This burger that the hubby had wasn't too bad though. you can't go wrong with bacon.

 a blue cheese and ham pizza i made using an instant pizza base recipe from Jamie Oliver where you put self raising flour, oil, water and salt in a food processor and roll it out! no yeast or kneading involved. then it's cooked on a stove, then under the grill.

a pecan slice from baker's dozen [ a Launceston bakery chain]