Showing posts with label Aussie Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aussie Food. Show all posts

Aria Restaurant Sydney - 24 hours and counting.....

Thursday, November 10, 2011 2:59 PM Posted by Mimi and Joe
There is this great couple that recently moved to Sydney from Atlanta.  Their names are Mollie and Dan and their blog is here.  The reason why I bring them up is due to the fact that we have a date with them tomorrow night - a date I have been looking forward to for a month - A date to eat incredible food...

The idea hatched itself over some glasses of wine (could it have happened in any other setting?) - basically, the four of us love to eat really incredible meals in top restaurants and we are blessed enough in our lives to have the means by which to pay for these meals.  So, we decided to make a list of the top restaurants in Sydney (after all, we are in a foodie's paradise - why not take advantage of it?) and then eat at one every month.  Obviously there are going to be some hiccups in the plan as we will be in New Zealand for a good chunk of December and will need to skip that month; but the four of us are also pretty easy going so no rigid schedule is being adhered to.

This month, November, is our first month in action on this plan.  We chose the restaurant Aria (when I say we, I mean Mollie and myself - the poor guys are just arm candy for this project!) which is located just before the forecourt of the Opera House and has a lovely view of both the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

I think any food tastes better when consumed looking at a view like this

The restaurant is owned and run by celebrity chef Matt Moran who is most recently famous for guest-judging on the third season of Masterchef Australia.  Side note, if you don't download and watch this show, you should.... I think it's better than the American version and that's really saying something...

As you might have guessed by now, I'm more than a little excited about our dinner there tomorrow night.  I think we've all agreed to go with the tasting menu (always my favourite way to eat since you get to try lots of things) and with good reason.  Check this baby out:


SEASONAL TASTING MENU
TUNA
sashimi and tartare of yellow fin tuna with yabbie tails, cucumber ,honeydew melon and wasabi

PARFAIT
chicken and foie gras parfait with a salad of smoked duck, rhubarb and black pepper
SALMON
roasted fillet of King salmon with fennel, orange and watercress

PEKING DUCK CONSOMME
with dumplings, shaved abalone and mushrooms
PORK BELLY
Kurobuta pork belly with pork croquette and caramelised apple
LAMB
roasted fillet with ricotta gnocchi, pumpkin and mustard fruit purée and a sage and balsamic sauce
STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM
panna cotta with pistachios, balsamic strawberries and strawberry sorbet
COFFEE AND PETITS FOURS


Suffice to say, my mouth is already watering!

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Christmas Vacation - Installment 3

Monday, January 10, 2011 1:32 AM Posted by Mimi and Joe
** Just a quick FYI for those interested - I wrote this entry 2 days ago; but I didn't have the photos organised for it and plus, it's the weekend, and I was busy relaxing!  - sorry it's so late in coming! **

After our late night of wild and crazy domino playing - we opted for the later breakfast time the next morning.  There were more choices on the menu that day, including some delicious little potato cakes and a few more egg options.  I have to say, both mornings, the breakfasts were very good - nothing super fancy; but really tasty and nicely presented - Barry cooked the breakfast and Rod served the table.  I got fried eggs the second morning and they were some of the best eggs I've had in a while... not sure how he cooked them l but they were crispy on the bottom and soft on top!   Plus there was freshly brewed coffee - flat whites, cappuccinos etc...  After breakfast we packed up and got everything ready to go - we still had about 20 minutes till check-out.  P.I.C was enjoying the paper in the conservatory and I was jotting down some thoughts on my laptop in the dining room when Barry and Rod descended again.  They basically asked us to get our stuff out of the rooms so they could go in and make them up for the next guests - I get it, they have every right to expect us to leave before the final check out time; but in this case we had a bit of time where we were just collecting ourselves for the next leg of the trip.  We felt rushed out and we ended up pulling out of the parking lot still about 10 minutes prior to check-out.  It left a bit of a bad taste in our mouths about the stay.






All in all, Barnsley House was a beautiful beautiful place to stay.  The gardens were overwhelming inviting (see pictures above) - the whole place had this pervasive air of restfulness about it.  I thought that the rates were a good value as well - prices were comparable to some of the nicer B&B's we've stayed at in the States.  I do feel like Rod and Barry's attitudes effected our stay a bit; but, I do feel that if we had stayed at any other time than Christmas (and more than one day), than our experience would have been much more positive.  Also, the fact that it was rainy on Christmas and we couldn't enjoy the outdoor areas was really unfortunate.

We drove back up into town to find it absolutely bustling with activity.  We headed to the visitor information center so P.I.C could ask about the best way to get to Thredbo.  Beechworth is famous in it's own right for being the town where Ned Kelly was jailed and stood trial.  If you have a couple minutes, you should click on the link and read about him.  It's a very interesting story and still very important in Australian culture today.





On our way over the the courthouse, we stopped inside an old telegraph office.  The office is still functional and for a very small fee you could send a telegraph message to anywhere in the world!  Joe promptly wrote one out to his Dad back in Kentucky.  We are still waiting for the call to tell us that he received it - We are figuring that it is probably going to take sometime for it to actually get there as it will need to be mailed once it gets to the States. The guy working the telegraph was an absolute wealth of knowledge and was able to tell us some of the history behind the telegraph in Australia.



Our next stop was the courthouse - we paid our admission fee and as we prepared to head inside, P.I.C happened to make some remark to the man behind the desk about his major (and I do mean major - P.I.C is obsessed) interest in Ned Kelly.  The man quickly engaged in conversation and we ended up getting a bonus lesson in how the class systems were set up back in Ned Kelly's day.  It was interesting to hear from a local about it and also someone who was so obviously well-versed in the history.  It really added an additional layer to our experience as we went through the courthouse.  One of my favourite parts was that they had recorded "readings" of certain trials playing in the main room.  The result of that was that, if no one else was in the room, you could sit and imagine what it must of been like actually hearing these trials go on.







It was an interesting visit; but the day was hot and we were very tired so when P.I.C suggested going to another museum, we all deserted him.  Joe and I opted for a carriage ride (made even more awesome by the fact that the carriage owner had his two dogs - one adult and one a tiny puppy (but both the most well-behaved doggies ever) tethered to a post by the street where we were able to pet them to our hearts content)) and then the three of us retired to the pub for a cold beer while P.I.C geeked it out in the other museum.



We met back up at one and headed out towards Thredbo.  We briefly discussed having lunch in Beechworth; but we were all still full from breakfast so we decided that we would just find a cafe or winery on the way and stop there.  I have no idea of the route that we took or the route that we were supposed to take - we were listening to podcasts and enjoying the scenery in the backseat while Cristin and P.I.C were in charge of maps and other such navigational tools.  The woman in the visitor's center gave us directions to some scenic highway  that was so new that it was not yet on the printed maps or on any GPS systems.  I don't exactly know if we ever found that highway; but we did find some pretty great scenery - this is the sort of view that makes you stop, sit by the side of the road and wonder at how anything can be this beautiful.





Even though the road was beautiful, it was in the middle of nowhere with no lunch prospects.  We finally passed a little pub around 4 - the kitchen was closed so no luck there; but I was getting sick from being so hungry so I made myself a quick half sandwich while we were stopped in the parking lot.  I ate way too fast and I made the sandwich with hot (really really hot) salami by accident so, by the time we came across a proper town, I was feeling pretty vomitous...  Everyone else was really hungry though so we stopped for a look.  I had noticed a "Man From Snowy River" Museum on our way into town; but it was boarded up and in disrepair so I didn't want to go back and get a picture of it.  Luckily this arcade was right in front of where we  parked so I was able to get some sort of picture to show my sisters.

While everyone else walked up and down main street looking for food, I sat on a bench, felt sick to my stomach and generally had a couple of miserable minutes where I wished for all, each and any of my sisters to be sharing in this Snowy Mountain experience with me.  We met back up at the car in a matter of minute - everyone felt the food choices to be dodgy so we decided to just press forward towards Thredbo and figure out food when arrived.  I discovered that having the window down made my tummy issues disappear, the air started getting much much colder as we climbed and the view started looking quite mountainous!  It was exciting to feel the altitude and temperature change so quickly as we continued.

                                          ........... Ok, Thredbo update tomorrow...........

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What To Do This Summer?

Sunday, January 2, 2011 1:13 PM Posted by Mimi and Joe
Ok, I'm getting a bit nervous seeing as our six month anniversary of living in Sydney has come and gone without us having much to show for it.  We've done precious little in this great city and I plan to rectify that.  Of course, being here in the winter to start with doesn't lend itself to a whole lot of activities; but this summer is chock a block with fantastic stuff to do.

I've cobbled together this list and I'm looking for some input - anyone want to do these things with us?  Anyone been to these in the past with reviews of whats worth it and whats not?  Lots of them are happening in the next few weeks so I need to make a schedule, book tickets and make some plans!

I've underlined my favourites - and am now realising that that was most of them..... Guess I have some hard choices to make...


The Rocks Markets By Moonlight

Chinese New Year Events:

Dragon Boat Races - Saturday 12, Feb and Sunday 13, Feb - Darling Harbour

Twilight Parade - Sunday 6, Feb - Town Hall to Chinatown

Chinese New Year Markets - Friday 28, Jan to Sunday 30, Jan - Belmore Park

Cinema Alley - Friday 11, Feb - Haymarket - Must book seats

China Heart - Sunday 30, Jan to Sunday 13, Jan - Powerhouse Museum

Australia Day - Wednesday 26, Jan
Ferrython - 11am
Parade on the Water - 1pm
Live Music in the Rocks - from 11am
Darling Harbour - from Noon
Short Films
Concerts
Fireworks

Mike Birbiglia - 13 to 16, Jan - Everest Theatre by Central Station

The Giacomo Variations - 19-22, Jan - Opera House

Symphony in the Domain: Midsummer Shakespeare - 22, Jan - The Domain

La Boheme - July to October - Opera House

Sting: Symphonicity Tour - 31, Jan to 3, Feb - Opera Forecourt!

Mahler's Sixth Symphony - 3 to 5, March - Opera House

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
MISSA SOLEMNIS OP. 123, D MAJOR
SYDNEY PHILHARMONIA CHOIRS - Sunday 12, June - Opera House

Macbeth - 10, Sept to 8, Oct - Opera House

Sydney Shakespeare Festival - February Weekends - Glebe Harbour Foreshore

International Short Film Festival - Week of 7-16, Jan - Bondi Pavilion - Sunday 9, Jan - Best of Poland Films

Picton Rodeo - 8th of January - Picton

Opera in the Domain - 29th of Jan - The Domain

Annie Leibovitz - to the 27th of March - Museum of Contemporary Art
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Playing Catch Up

Sunday, October 31, 2010 11:40 PM Posted by Mimi and Joe
Just a warning - this will most likely be incredibly long, boring and rambling as I am determined to catch up and write about the last week and half all in one post...  Strap in, this may get bumpy....

In my last post, I left off with my adventures to Chinatown on the Tuesday before last.  I went off to work the next afternoon and when I was passing through Hyde Park, I realised that the Night Noodle Markets which are part of the Sydney International Food Festival were due to end in a few days.  I had been looking forward to this event ever since I saw the first tents being erected in Hyde Park so I made a date with Joe to have dinner there that night.  It's actually a bit strange as he was working from home that day and I was working in the office - it's usually the other way around!  We aren't really the "festival going" type of couple; but this really wasn't too bad.  We didn't get there until a bit after 6 when I thought it was quite busy - silly me, by 8 it was a complete and total madhouse!
We started off by buying a bottle of wine... as we were standing in line, the real estate agent that showed us our unit saw us and came over with some friends of hers to say hello and ask how we were settling in.  It was nice of her to come over to talk to us and it made me like her a bit better.  As you may remember from this post, she was a bit witchy when I tried to see the apartment for the first time so I am now revising my opinion of her!  Anyway, we got some pork and duck buns and then started looking for a decent patch of ground on which to sit (I think you would have to get there around 3 to actually get a table)... We found a perfect place and as soon as we sat down, a family sat down about 4 inches away from us complete with a screaming toddler in a pram that got parked facing us.  Yeah, we totally moved!  I'm glad we did though because; as we were settling our stuff around us in our new spot the woman next to us said something to us and I realised she was American. So, of course, me being the shy thing that I am (ha ha ha) struck up a conversation with her.  I've exchanged some emails with her and I'm hoping to meet up for a coffee soon.  Call it what you will... fate, kismet, providence etc... but I believe that we ended up on that little patch of grass for a reason.  The American woman, her British husband and adorable baby left soon after we sat down.  Joe and I stayed in the park to finish our wine and watch dusk and twilight come down on the market. 
I know you married folks will understand when I say that sometimes couples don't have much to say to each other over a quick weeknight meal.  Especially when you work in the same place and spend as much together as we do!  This was not one of those nights...  We couldn't stop talking - couldn't stop holding hands - couldn't stop smiling at each other.... You know what I mean!  We sat with our wine in the grass and really talked... about the big (and mostly fantastically wonderful) things in our lives right now.  When we finished the wine, we really wanted to eat a yummy desert to round out the night; but there wasn't anything at the Noodle Markets that looked good to us.  We walked down to Circular Quay and had some delicious coffee and some tirimisu at Rossini at the Quay. I think we missed about 2 ferries while we were sitting there holding hands - we just didn't want to leave and spoil the great conversation that we were having.  It's moments like those when I realise just a fraction of how lucky we are as a couple.  How lucky we are that we found each other in the middle of our crazy lives, and how glad I am that we both stuck it out through much of the crap that we had to deal with early on in our relationship.  Our marriage is worth every bit of stress that we ever had to face.
I can't ever have imagined moving halfway around the world - that just wasn't in my wheelhouse... I'm a homebody, I don't like change and I don't like my routine to be altered.  It still seems pretty crazy that we are here and that I'm actually happy with my new and different life here.  The only thing that I can figure is that being with Joe is like being home to me - as long as I have my hand in his than I can go anywhere without fear or worry.  I know this might sound a bit schmaltzy (ok, probably more than a bit); but big life events can either strengthen a relationship or they can reveal all the tiny cracks that will eventually lead to a full break.  Moving in general can be very stressful - let alone moving to a new country.  I was always worried in the back of my mind that our move might shake our marriage up and cause some fights etc... 
In the end though, I was completely unprepared for the effect that this move had on our relationship. I didn't think that this big stressful move could make us fall even more in love.  I didn't think it could strengthen our already rock solid foundation.  I guess that putting yourselves in a position where your spouse is the only one you can lean on for a while can deepen your patience and trust in each other in a way not many things can.
Anyway, I digress ((I mean, that was a seriously long, vomit-inducing digression) I hope you are still reading; but, if not, I would totally understand).  We hopped on the next ferry, still holding hands and then it was homeward bound.
I've been trying to discipline myself into taking pictures of anything and everything that I like or find beautiful - even if it makes me feel silly or even if the picture turns out looking like crap.  I was lying bed that night reading a book and Joe was sleeping - I glanced over and realized that my husband's back, as he sleeps in bed next to me, is one of the most beautiful things that I have ever seen.  So I snapped a picture.

Thursday was a  free day for me; and I can't remember anything remarkable about it.  There was probably some laundry involved - Ah yes, I believe I finished the last season of The Tudors... yikes, they were really into the torturing and beheading there at the end.

Friday was work and then out for a few drinks with coworkers.  Joe got dinner at the pub; but I didn't eat.  So, when we all left the pub, Joe and I went around the corner to a little Italian place where I got a salad and a bowl full of mussels.  Oh, and I had the best cappuchino of my life...  Really, like the total best.  Also, I think there was a redback spider in the toilets....

Saturday morning (or maybe it was Thursday?  At this point I'm not completely sure of the days) we were quite shocked to hear the buzzer.  It was the postman!  OMG!  The postman actually rang our buzzer and then actually brought a package up to us instead of just leaving a card in the mailbox!  I guess my complaining finally paid off.  The package was a from my fabulous and wonderful sister Julie and it was full of incredible goodies.  Peanut butter M&Ms, Reese's Pieces, Bath and Body Works Lotions, Magic Erasers and some Skyline Chili seasoning packs.  Oh the rapture!  The lotion has to be my favourite item - she sent me one of their new line (I think - I am so out of the loop on all things involving American shopping) called Dark Kiss.  I'm just letting all of you know, up front and right now, that I would consider doing pretty much anything to get my hands (ha ha - literally... wow, that was a bad pun) on more of that specific scent.  I might even consider smuggling a koala out of the country for someone if they offered me enough of this lotion - just saying....
In the afternoon, we headed up to Pymble for a housewarming party for a coworker.  Their new apartment is huge and completely gorgeous!  The company was wonderful, the food was truly beautiful (especially the whole broiled fish with ginger) and we had a wonderful time.  About halfway through the party, the sky opened up and it rained absolute buckets... in the back of my mind I pictured all the open windows in our apartment and had a mini heart attack but what could we do?  It cleared up by the time we left which was good as we had to walk back to the train station to head home.  Well, you can probably see where this story is going...  we got home to complete destruction and devastation (ok, I'm exaggerating a little but it was pretty bad).  Lamps were blown over, there were puddles on the side tables and the couches were completely soaked. Joe's computer equipment was ominously wet; but all survived save his keyboard. Our bed was so wet from the rain blowing in that we actually had to sleep in the spare room that night.  We closed our bedroom door and turned the heater on in there full tilt to try to speed out the drying process.  Really though, we were very lucky that both Joe's desktop and my laptop which were both left right in front of open windows made it through unscathed.  Needless to say, we have been pretty militant about closing the windows every time we leave the apartment now - Lesson learned.

Ok, I am now admitting defeat.  I still have a weeks work of blogging to go and this post is so long that I doubt most of your will have even made it to the end without falling asleep.

Next up, a wedding, a week of being irritated and a Halloween Party. I'll try not to wait another week again so that I can keep these entries a bit shorter.

(Also, can I just say that I am having such a love affair with parenthesis in this post)
(Yeesh!)
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Insomnia - Or - Why I am Writing at One in the Morning...

Monday, October 25, 2010 1:33 AM Posted by Mimi and Joe
I suppose I should be grateful for my insomnia tonight - it certainly lends itself to blogging far better than sleeping an a warm comfy bed would...

As I mentioned in my last post, this past weekend was very productive with the both of us getting a bunch of stuff done around the house.  We made a trip to Ikea for more furniture on Friday night and then spent the weekend getting it all set-up.  I also finally finished re-painting the armoire I had been working on for a seeming eternity...
It's pretty incredible having an actual living room full of furniture - we spent so long with nothing that I had almost forgotten what it was like to invite people over without asking them to bring their own chairs with them!  I was really in a rush to get all of this set-up this past weekend because Monday night I was hosting my ex-pat book club at my place.  I knew it would push me to get more done than I would have otherwise...  Quite honestly, if I hadn't been hosting the book club, I think the armoire would still be unpainted...

Monday morning I had plans to go see "Eat, Pray, Love" with my friend Kim.  I hadn't seen her in a few weeks and I was missing her like crazy...  She had just gotten back from a holiday in Western Australia so we had much to catch up on at our lunch after the movie.  I really wanted to sit around and talk to her all afternoon; but she had to pick her son up from school and I had a ton more to get done before book club.  It was a resounding success, although I hadn't read the book and those that had read it didn't really like it.

(I have to pause here to add that I had ordered the book weeks before but it hadn't arrived yet.  Also, I have to add that I got it several days after the book club meeting, started reading it yesterday, finished it today and I thought it was one of the worst books I have ever spent painful painful hours trying to slog through).

But, I digress...  Tuesday was a scheduled "day of adventure" with a fellow blogger.  We talked about doing some walking tours etc; but the day was rainy and overcast so we decided to head down to Chinatown and Paddy's Markets for some Yum Cha (Dim Sum) and some serious shopping.  We met around lunchtime so we decided to start with the food and then go from there.  Yum Cha was delish and wonderful - fellow blogger had never experienced it before so it was neat to get to explain how it all works.  We had a bit of a translation issue at one point and so ended up with a lovely dish of beef tripe (you do know that tripe is stomach lining right?) on our table.  As with most odd things that you can order in a Chinese restaurant, the flavour was great; but the texture was quite um... textured. 
I was quite impressed with the both of us though - we both tried it and we both actually ate more than one piece each.  Actually, when I wiki'ed tripe to make sure I talked about it correctly, I found out that most commercial breakfast sausage in the States uses pork and beef tripe as filler.  I guess I can't honestly say that this was my first experience with it!  The rest of the food was stellar, and so, buoyed up by a pot of Chinese tea, we headed out into the drizzle in search of bargains.  Paddy's Markets were closed much to our intense disappointment; but the upstairs shops were open so we headed up to see what they had on offer.  We were figuring that they would be regular places; but they seemed to all be stores that were geared for lower budgets which suited us just fine!  I was able to pick up 4 pairs of shoes for only $70 and it felt like I was back in America with such bargains. We had just completed a circuit of all the shops when we noticed one off in the corner called Typo.  Fellow blogger and I were helpless - like moths to a flame we went in slack jawed and drooling.  I would try to explain the coolness of this place; but I know I would fall very very short so I am just going to encourage you to follow the link and look at the catalogue.  While in the shop I fell in love with a rather large black canvas with Australian city names listed on it in an arty sort of way. 
I texted Joe some pictures, he liked it, it was a good price so I bought it.  Then I realized that I had to carry it home.  Yikes...  I hadn't really thought that one through.  Luckily it was longer than it was wide so I was able to sort of tuck it under my arm and grab the bottom of it with my hard.  I got lots of stares on the way home... We didn't end up wandering too much through the actual streets of Chinatown as I now had an enormous canvas tucked under one arm; but I am hoping that our next outing can be truly exploratory in that sense...  We did see a bit before we went into the markets and also on our way back to Central Station to catch our respective buses and trains which is when I snapped these couple of pictures.  I'd like to give it a go on a sunny day; with my actual camera and not just a cell phone.

I am going to give sleep another chance; but I will write again in the morning  - I still have to talk about Night Noodle Markets, meeting more ex-pats, being in love with my husband and our busy social weekend.
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I'm Back!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010 9:48 AM Posted by Mimi and Joe
Where did I go?  Well, nowhere really - I was here the whole time... I just wasn't in the mood to write anything.

So, I'll give you the highlights since I've been on hiatus....

We had a long weekend and our first Aussie holiday (it was their labour day) - we had friends over for a dinner/game night that Sunday as it was too rainy for a picnic.  Also, we had Australian Daylight Savings Time go into effect.  So, we used to be 14 hours ahead of the States and now we are only 13?  I think?  These uneven numbers are really screwing with my head.

Also, we went to Ikea and now we are the proud owners of, not one; but two couches!!  It is extremely exciting to sit in something that is not a bed or a bench from a patio set.  We have big plans for this coming Friday evening to go out to Ikea again and buy ourselves two armchairs and a bookcase! Who Hoo!!

This past weekend sucked a bit - our downstairs neighbors smoke and mostly we can't smell it; but Friday night it was really bad and it had Joe and I up all night with allergies etc.... (I do recognize the irony of an ex-smoker complaining about smoke) so Saturday was mostly a bust and rainy to boot.  I think there were like 3 naps that day?  Sunday was better though with blue skies and sunshine.  We decided to walk all the way around Neutral Bay - We made it to the High Street Ferry Wharf and then caught the ferry to Kirribilli.  Then we walked into Kirribilii proper for some brunch.

*Side note - Have I told you about the Orange Juice here?  I didn't think so.....  They don't serve you orange juice from cartons or concentrate here.  They go juice oranges into a glass for you.  Yeah....  The first time I ordered it I thought the place we were eating was extra snooty or something; but no - pretty much wherever you order juice, it will be freshly made.  Yum...

Anyway, after brunch (I swear every time I say brunch I think of "How I Met Your Mother") we walked across the Harbour Bridge into the Rocks/Circular Key.  We had just missed our ferry so we had about an hour to kill.  We got sorbet and sat in the sunshine to people watch - honestly, it was so much fun I didn't even want to go home.

Monday (2 days ago) was our second wedding anniversary.  We both worked (me only half a day though) so it wasn't any huge celebration.  I did make a nice dinner though - pork roast, apple/potato pancakes and green beans.  We got each other cards and little gifts - usually, I am the winner in this department.  I always write long sappy messages in my cards and pick out the perfect presents.  Yea, Joe totally beat me this year - his card (and what he wrote inside of it) was so perfect that I cried and he got me Ugg slippers.  I have needed new slippers for months and I just keep forgetting to buy myself some.  So, he beat me to it and got me like the most incredibly comfortable footwear ever.  I know it's bogan to wear them outside so I won't; but I will be wearing them at every second while I am in my home!

Last night Joe worked late - really really late....  I stayed home all day because I was waiting for the Post to deliver something (which they never did - don't get me started on how annoyed I am with these people) so it was a long hard lonely-ish day.  I did have three Skype dates that morning (thanks Ladies!) so it helped break up the day a bit.

Also - just a quick thanks to Jen for the Birthday care package... Everything made it through quarantine.  I literally walked out of the post office, found the nearest bench, ripped the package open and started laughing.  I LOVE MY HALLOWEEN COSTUME!!!!!!  Thanks also for the great card, candy, stickers, chili powder etc....  You will be happy to know that the M&Ms did not taste like chili powder!

Ok, I am off to get ready for work
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The Second Half of a Busy Day

Monday, August 30, 2010 1:00 AM Posted by Mimi and Joe
Friday was very eventful - I met a fellow Yankee and blogger Friday morning for coffee and a museum tour which extended past those activities into lunch, a walk and a ferry ride.

I want to write a longer and better post about that later as I have a bunch of gorgeous pictures to share...

Friday night Joe and I went out.  We had drinks at a pub across from his office while we just sort of settled into "relax" mode and then we set out to find the burger place that had been closed in this post.  They were open, I had brought a bottle of wine (incidentally really really yum - Catching Thieves Sem/Sav Blanc from the Margaret River Valley) and the burger menu looked fairly "normal" so we settled in.  I got my burger with bacon, cheese and caramelized (more mush than onion and more boiled than caramelized) onion.  It wasn't bad; but it wasn't Swenson's.  I always forget that "bacon" here is not the "bacon" I am used to.  So, once I peeled the two slices of ham off my burger it started to improve.  The only thing missing was ketchup; and not the "ta-mah-toe sauce" that is the standard fare here.  I would kill for some real Heinz 57 ketchup.

I know, I know - that Heinz 57 ketchup is sold in the grocery stores here; but it is totally not the same thing.  The ketchup here is darker, more watery and tastes like ketchup that is just starting to go bad - this strange sharp, spicy tang at the end (and not in a good way).  But, for all my whingeing, we had a lovely dinner for a reasonable price and I was too happy being out with my husband to be annoyed by the mother that was letting her sons play tip (tag) in the doorway of the restaurant, right behind me.

It was a beautiful night - hard to capture in film; but as I was walking to Joe's office, dusk was starting to fall in Hyde Park while the sun was still reflecting on St. Mary's.  It was stunning to look at; but didn't come across in the photo as dramatic as it had looked in real life.  After dinner, we walked from Darlinghurst back over to the St. James station to catch a train back to the Quay.  We cut in front of St. Mary's again and it was lit up so beautifully that I had to snap another shot. 
My phone certainly paid for itself on this outing - you'll see what I mean in my next post (mentioned earlier above) when I share all my lovely photos from the Bridge Observatory Deck.  My only regret for the day was not bringing my camera and having to rely on my phone.

Oh, and I saw a guy at the burger place who was drinking a Bundaberg Ginger Beer which reminded me that I needed to try one too.  So, I drank one today and it was epically delicious - a spicier and more robust tasting "ginger ale".  I am thinking that my new favourite drink will soon become Maker Mark and ginger beer!




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Having the Blahs...

Tuesday, August 10, 2010 12:17 AM Posted by Mimi and Joe
Not really feeling in a "bloggery" sort of way tonight.  I've been sick and so I'm still a bit loopy and tired.

We got our real internet up and running which means I can now Skype to my hearts content and I can also spend more time online with all of you!  We have 100GB at cable speed and then if we go over our usage it gets throttled down to dial up speed for the rest of the month.  I am going to try very very diligently to not download a ton of stuff so that we can stay within our limitations!

We also had a little adventure to the hardware store in Mosman - by little I mean a 2.7km walk!
There were a couple of hardware stores that were closer; but they were all shut down or nonexistent.  So, we just kept walking. We got some silicone sealant and also bought out their supply of weatherstripping and then came home to weather proof the apartment.  We stopped on the way home and got a couple more heaters as well so by the time we were done running the heaters and weatherproofing the windows it was starting to feel downright homey in here!  Now if we would just get our stuff....  We got an email asking for some forms and such which we submitted on Friday and they have said 10-14 business days.  We don't have anything remotely dangerous, forbidden or illegal in our crate so I am hoping the customs process goes fast.

We went to the Mudgee Wine and Food festival on Sunday and met Kimberly (of last week's coffee fame) and the rest of her family there.  We had an absolutely lovely time - the food was great, the wine was really nice and best of all, the company was fabulous!  It was held at Balmoral beach and once we got our food and such we walked down to the beach and sat in the sun.  Kimberly made me laugh and really put things into perspective when she made the comment that it is the middle of winter here!  How lucky are we that this is our winter now?

Unfortunately, I got really sick that night from a combination of things; but I think one of them was the tasty tasty lamb ribs at the festival.  Oh well, live and learn!  We were supposed to go out again today; but I had to cancel...  I just started feeling better around 3 today - just in time to straighten up the apartment and make dinner for Joe. 

Tomorrow morning is on-line grocery shopping and then up to the shops for produce and such.  Going to try to make it a nice easy day!
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Wonderful Wednesday

Friday, August 6, 2010 12:07 PM Posted by Mimi and Joe
We had beautiful weather on Wednesday - sunny, with just enough clouds to provide some visual relief from all that blue. I decided to walk up to Military to do some small grocery shopping.  I had a dinner idea in mind; but I needed some ingredients to make it happen.  I had the whole day stretched out in front of me so I started exploring.  Instead of just walking up and down the street, I started popping down every side road, through every alley and into every arcade that I saw.

I found a bookstore called Dymocks (seems to be the equivalent of a Borders but much smaller and without a cafe) and had that same moment of sticker shock that every American has the first time they walk into an Aussie bookstore.  Wow...  I saw a new Bill Bryson book, which I could've gotten in the States for about $28 and the prices was marked as $55. So, it was a bit of a depressing moment for me.  I LOVE to read and the knowledge that buying a new book would set me back that much was disturbing.

I also found a fully organic meat shop - not that I have any great feelings one way or the other about organic meat; but it was very interesting - Annie, you would be in heaven!  They had everything that you could think of and their own homemade sausages (those I would be interested in trying).  I walked down one side street and found a fabulous cafe and then, around the corner, the local Salvation Army Store (or Salvo Store, as it is called here).  I was in heaven!  They had a whole upstairs loft full of books for about $3 a piece so I decided that I could just live here after all :)  I bought a basket for my counter that I can put fruit in, some salt and pepper shakers, a wine stopper, a fabulous old dusky rose coloured water bottle (well, I used mine for water but I suppose you could really do anything with it), and some books.  The lady behind the counter was as old and sweet as could be. She wanted to know all about our move and how we liked it so far - she and her husband had traveled the States on vacation when they were younger and she quite enjoyed it.  I walked back up to the cafe and sat with a flat white to enjoy the sunshine and write some letters (this one is for you Vicki!).  Two old men in their eighties came and sat at the table beside me and provided me with a great deal of enjoyment.  Their conversation consisted of (and in this order): how old they were, what they ate for breakfast every morning, what was their favourite kind of bread, how regular their bowel movements were, what time they went to bed each night and then the conversation devolved into talk about trying to watch TV with all the LED/DVR and so on.  They both agreed that they just would just keep letting their wives handle the TV stuff since it was just too confusing :)  It was epic!

I headed up to the grocery store to get my ingredients for dinner and it was a very strange set-up.  Coles is inside of a shopping arcade; but the entrance just says Coles.  There was produce to my left and trolleys to my right so I just grabbed a basket and started going through the produce section.  I really nice guy came over to make sure I was OK (I was confused by the coriander - it didn't smell like cilantro; but it sure tasted like it) - I think I concerned him when he saw me eat a leaf of coriander! 
Turns out, I was in a little produce stand that wasn't connected to Coles at all.  I am extremely glad for the mistake as their produce was much nicer than Coles and very very cheap.  The guy and his dad walked me around the whole stand and chatted me up about America and such.  The son was very interested in American sodas and what I thought of the sodas here.  He showed me that he carried Dr. Pepper and Mountain Dew and told me that he would try to get some Diet Pepsi for me and put it in the back for me. I am going back next week to see if he got it!  The shop carried a range of specialty ice creams and even though they were really really expensive, I got a couple just to make you (and by you I mean my siblings who are addicted to ice cream) drool with envy.  And yes, in case you can't read the labels completely, it does say "Vanilla Bean and Elderflower" and "Burnt Fig Jam, Honeycomb and Caramel".

I finished up my shopping and headed back home - I didn't feel like waiting for the bus so I walked the whole way home with all of my purchases in tow (in total, I walked just shy of 3 miles).  In retrospect, it wasn't a great idea as I was really shattered by the time I got home; and with a headache as well.  On the way home, I almost walked directly into a spider that was hanging down in the middle of the sidewalk.  Ugh...  I tried to take a picture; but it was in shadow so no go.  It was just a small orb weaver; but still very nasty and spidery looking.  I had to wait until it pulled itself up further and then skirt around it on the sidewalk - I'm sure I looked like an idiot; but I didn't end up with a spider on me so I didn't care!

It was really such an incredible day!  I was so full of happiness as I realized that this is what my life is going to be like - waking up, thinking of something I need for dinner or whatever, walking up into "my town" and doing my shopping  - all while in the most  incredibly beautiful place I have ever seen.  I had another crazy moment on the way home (my neighbors must watch me and shake their heads), I was walking down Wycombe with all my groceries when I happened to look up to see the city skyline and the harbour appearing through a gap in the trees.  I just started laughing and I actually said (out loud to myself) "You've got to be kidding me!"  It's gorgeous -every little tiny bit of it is so so lovely!

Well, on to dinner, which was really my main point of writing this (seeming to drag on forever)  post.  I bought some Barrimundi that was on sale and I was quite inspired to make the first time I cooked it an absolute success. So, I was inspired by two dishes...  One was the meal that Joe and I had at Mitchell's Fish Market in Newport on the Levy with my brother Matt and my sister in law Natalee.  The fish was broiled and served over sticky rice with spinach and teriayki.  Nothing fancy; but great flavours and very satisfying with the rice.  The other dish was something we got in a restaurant on George St - funnily enough, it was labeled on their menu as "meant to share" which Joe and I took to mean "big" enough to share.... it was not.  It was six small cubes of Barrimundi that had been poached and were sitting in a lovely liquid with scallions and chiles.  It was a good concept; but poorly executed as it was incredibly bland.

So, I decided to combine the best of the two dishes for my own masterpiece. I made sticky jasmine rice as my base.  I reduced some teriayki sauce with a spoonful of sugar and then cooked a couple handfuls of coarsely chopped English Spinach in the mixture.  I divided the cooked spinach and any sauce between the two plates.  Then I sauteed garlic, fresh ginger and red chiles in olive oil - added white wine and then poached the fish in this mixture.  Added the cooked fish cubes to the top of my rice - spooned the wine, ginger, garlic and chile yum over the top and finished it with scallions and coriander.  Heaven in a bowl!


I think next time I would have also done a squeeze of lime over the top; but I didn't have it so.... Also, the next time I prep food this nicely, I am going to take the pictures with my camera and not my cell phone - these look rather murky.


So there you have it - a full happy day, followed by a splendid dinner!  There was also tea and lamingtons to be had after that so it made for quite a lovely evening (wink wink)!


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Sunday at Bondi

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 10:19 PM Posted by Mimi and Joe
Sunday morning we got brave and caught a bus out to Bondi Junction for worship at Hillsong.  We missed the first bus because we didn't realize we needed to pre-pay for our tickets - oops!  So, I ran over, bought the tickets and we caught the next bus...  The service was in a movie theatre (it's like an extension service) so I was nervous it would be weird; but it was totally awesome.  They have another campus in the city so I think we'll try all of the campuses out before we settle on which one will be home.

Bondi Junction was pretty cool - there was so much shopping there!  Too bad I can't buy anything till we get settled! 

Speaking of being settled, we got the apartment on Kurraba in Neutral Bay and we get to move in on the 30th of July!  I have so much work to do before we get settled - When we move in we won't have anything except for clothes and such so I need to buy a mattress set, washer, dryer and fridge and arrange for them all to be delivered that day.... Whew!  Actually, I already bought the washer and dryer off Gumtree - just working on getting them to the apartment at the right time.

Anyway, Bondi was beautiful even though the weather left a lot to be desired....   Even though the beach was really lovely, I didn't really like it as much as I liked Manly. The vibe was really touristy and there was a lot of concrete.  There were a ton of surfers out and we stood on the boardwalk watching them for about a half hour.  It was super - relaxing....  There were also a ton of cute little doggies on walks - it made me miss Oreo in a major way... 

The clouds were rolling in and out and the blue patches were few and far between.   I really wanted to walk the path from Bondi to Cogee Beach; but the weather looked sketchy and it's a pretty long walk. Joe and I made a deal to come back and do the walk as soon as the weather gets nicer.  We headed back up to the main street for lunch and settled on a Greek place that had a nice outdoor seating area that was covered.  I had a lamb wrap which just made me realize even more that I LOVE lamb and it makes me incredibly happy how abundant it seems to be here. 






I decided to splurge with a beer - my new favourite is something called Coopers Pale Ale.  It's not quite as bitter as a traditional pale ale, although there is an unfiltered type that some of the pubs carry that has a much bigger kick!  I had heard some horrible rumours of the beer in Australia not being very good; and I have been so completely and wonderfully surprised with how great they have been. 










After dinner we walked down to the convenient store to buy our return bus passes and on the way we wandered across a cute little ice cream place called Movinpik (or something like that)....  They had fab flavours - pistachio, rhubarb, tirimisu, maple walnut, creme brulee and apple brandy!  Hello Yum! 

Joe got the pistachio and I got the tirimisu - we each got a single scoop and we had a moment of complete surprise when we realized that we got an actual single scoop and not an American version single scoop (i.e. seven scoops disguised as one!).  The ice cream was so completely wonderful - mine tasted like a piece of tirimisu (and not that kind that tastes fake from Olive Garden; but the homemade kind like my brother Andrew makes that's so wonderful) that got melted down, frozen and scooped into a cone.

It rained on and off all day so there was lots of ducking under awnings and usages of my super secret tiny brellie (umbrella - cute, huh?). We caught a bus back to Circular Quay and I soon realized why bus travel is awful.  They keep picking people up even after the seats are full.  Then, even after the seats are full and people are standing in the aisles, they pick up even more people and you get crammed in like sardines.  Ick!  Plus, our bus driver drove like he was trying to make it into NASCAR....  You couldn't just casually hold on with one hand - you had to grip tight with both hands and then still risk being thrown into the people in front of or behind you.

Needless to say, after that trip, Joe and I were both pretty much done for the day...

                                                                                                                                                                                   
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