I'm back! What adventures lie ahead?

So...it's been like 9 months since I've last blogged and during this time I had considered closing the account since I wasn't doing anything with it. This year has been rather full on with work and the usual weekly activities sapping the enthusiasm from me for doing non-essential tasks.

But 2011 is upon us, and an exciting new year of fooding adventures is set to commence! And why would next year be any different to the sparse postings of the previous years you might ask? Well, I have made the decision to make the jump and immerse myself into the hands on career of food creation... and become a pastrychef!

Ok, so I'm not there yet. I still need to enrol, and I still need to get a job...but I am pumped! I feel like a kid again and I seriously can't wait to learn! Ah, mature-aged students, how I see the dedication they have. Now this is nothing to do with the popularity of Masterchef and the like, but a deep desire that I have had since I finished Year 12. I've given the office environment a go, and am gratefully of the time spent and experienced gained, but now onto new adventures. I have no idea how this story will go but I've got my brave face on and passionate heart ready!

Let the baking begin!

As it's been a while and Blogger updates itself, I may refresh the template and browse through the designs and may post in a more (cake) search friendly way. We'll see... depends how technological my brain ends up finding :P

In the meantime, a snapshot of 2010 will follow...

Goodbye another year

And now we reach the end of another year. How priorities change.
The year in a word: full.

Full time work
Full days
Full weekends
Full belly
Fully tired...

But manageable and not unbearably stressful. So overall another good year.

Blogging has noticeably became a low priority and enthusiam had dwindled a lot with the deterioration of my camera. It was a most odd and unpleasant feeling thinking that I couldnt be bothered to take pics of my meringues that were oh-so-cute.

But with the generousity of John, a spark came back. Say hello to Mr New Camera that turns on in an instant, fits nicely in my bag ready to go everywhere, takes a good macro and just plain works good. (Canon Ixus70)
Oh happy days. 66 photos were taken on it's first day of birth from the box on Christmas day, just because it could :) Still have to figure out the settings a bit better.

Quick December goings on:

Home Bake. Oh the fun, Josh Pyke was the highlight

Bible study group's end of year picnic at Blues Point Reserve

Devouring slippery oysters. Though not a big fan I tried it again. This time it actually tasted ok.

Tried African at Newtown. Hmm new flavours in the mouth, interesting.

Had lots of fun but tired hands from balloonmaking at Carols at church

Surprisingly I didnt overeat on Christmas and Boxing Day. What family fun.

Salads (note, Irene's beloved Casear salad)

Meats

And finally taking mum out to the city for a wander.

Funky Rocks Markets-ware.

Oily lunch at Chinatown. I was surprised by the different flavour/spices added. Now I know for next time, northern Chinese dishes might not be the Chinese I am expecting.
Finishing off with a stop by the Fish Markets.

Bugs are quite unusual looking.

Look at that noggin

We bought a whole salmon for $14.99/kg. Golly it was big. And tasty. The whole time mum and John were prepping it up, I had the Salmon Dancesong by The Chemical Brothers in my head, thanks to John. I'll never be able to eat salmon again without hearing it.

That's all. Here we going into another year soon. I suspect it will be full again, perhaps with new exciting and happy experiences ;) Hmm...let's see.
Cheerio to you.

October

Let's see what goings-on my camera has to tell today...

My brother's birthday where I prepared Vol-au-vents, Salmon on sweet potato mash and topped with aspargus wrapped with bacon. I thought we had orange sweet potato but it was purple. Doh, wrong texture.

Followed by a Layered jelly berry birthday cake


A few weekends later there was also a trip to Strathfield for the International Food Festival at the plaza.

Woo. What skill. The chef guy made a rose out a potato, which I got. Really clever. I think the fish was made out of sweet potato, or pumpkin.

Mmm cakey.

Mmm pancakey. I havent actually tried one of these, but they look good. And funkily made.

Lunch at Saigon Bowl for pork with vermicelli and lettuce.

When I first got it I had my usual reaction, regret and disappointment. Another dish with unexpected friedness. But I got over myself and while playing Musical plates, I actually enjoyed it, after pawning off most of the pork. Other plates going round were Pad Thai and some egg noodle dish. Tasty.

And the next weekend a 3 in 1 birthday dinner at Casa Di Nico on King St Wharf in the city. I got a giant Ricotta & cherry tomato calzone which I mistakeningly imagined it to have more chunky fillings. Beware the goat's cheese that is used in many of their dishes (not this one), that's if you dont like goat's cheese.

Other journalistic mentionings:

- I drove all the way to Kogarah, then to the city, then back home again WITHOUT getting lost once. Though I did pull over once, thinking that I was lost when I was actually on the right road. I was very pleased with myself.

- Ghost tour around The Rocks. Interesting but not necessarily my cup of tea. Cool gorey stories of people getting hacked to pieces though :P

- The Belgian Beer Cafe has pink beer! Pink! Least I think it was beer. Had tasty soup & mussels too.

- Went on a most pleasant trip to Windsor for the Sunday markets and lunch. Good service at the little cafe next to fish & chip shop I must say.

That's pretty much October through. And I've managed ok at work without my direct boss. Phew!

Do you feel like CHICKEN tonight?

Mwahahah...I'm feeling a little evil.

I went to a chicken factory with work yesterday and saw the whole process. From the chicken been feathered and feeling fine (as fine as they possibly be hanging upside down on a prodcution line) to being naked and divided into sectioned pieces, ready for your dinner plate tonight.
They look at you with those helpless eyes, making you feel so guilty, next minute they are stunned unconscious, having their necks slit. And then...Ok ok, some people might be a distraught by further details but this is where your meat comes from, that's right ANIMALS, that once were ALIVE! It was really interesting, and smelly, but definitely an interesting experience. My boss was explaining how cows get done, that'd be interesting and a little more disturbing to watch too.
I'm not put off by all this although at first sight of seeing all the raw chickens took a few seconds to adjust to, but I de-sensitized quickly. I naturally have a higher preference for my veges anyway.

2nd day at work

I'm gonna get fat.

As simple as that. There's going to be a mighty lot of eating and tasting going on with my new role. Luckily I'm not focusing on biscuits but still, it's many extra kilojoules I'd rather not be intaking. Everyone has been saying how they've gained weight and have joined the gym. Golly I've only just started and I'm already concerned for my health. Maybe even paranoid. Hopefully enough to get proactive and do exercise.

Today we were tasting juice which tastes a bit gross after a while and prepared up some cheese. Golly. That was a lot a cheese, we'll probably trying them soon. Oh dear. It's only the beginning.
Otherwise it's ok. Lots of walking back and forth from one building to the other. Mmm walking, perhaps not in heels though.
*sigh* 3 days till the weekend....but yes I am thankful I have a job. So torn.

[thing] of the moment

Book of the moment: "What food is that? And how healthy is it? - Jo Rogers

I've been wanting a food reference book for a while now and it seemed like most were pretty expensive or not of much interest. But for $30 from Angus and Robertson, with all the pretty pictures, nutritional info and preping info, I thought this was pretty good.

I've had cheesecake on my mind lately and read elsewhere that cottage cheese or ricotta cheese made good low-fat substitutes to cream cheese. But what was the difference between the two? And now I know. Sort of. Cottage from curd, ricotta from whey...I guess that would affect the taste and texture. Anyway it's fun comparing the different foods, I think.

I was looking for a link to the book but couldnt find one. Instead I found that the author is actually quite a reliable source of info, and that they "introduced the concept of the Healthy Diet Pyramid" (more).

Word of the moment: "Hankering"
def: a yearning for something or to do something (Wordnet)
eg. "I have a hankering for a sweet glutinous asian treat." (I didnt end up getting anything though)

Food of the moment: Chunky vege soup and BBQ pork buns
Both currently sitting happily in my belly, warming me up all over on these cold cold days.