tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150728372024-03-07T19:16:08.618+00:00Culinary CravingsWhen do we eat?Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.comBlogger180125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-73658367472393028262009-08-28T22:47:00.003+01:002009-08-28T23:17:19.538+01:00Aubergine Parmigiana<div style="text-align: justify;">Aubergine was on good offer in the supermarket and hence this! Easy and no fuss, only downside I'd say is its slightly time consuming, but beats eating the ones outside as this is definitely healthier, so no more guilt after the 2nd helping :)<br /><br />All you need is some garlic cloves, 2 aubergines, 1 can of 400g chopped tomatoes in tomato sauce, 3 tomatoes (optional), 200g-300g cheese (I had some cheddar, you can use other nice melt-able cheese) , olive oil, salt and pepper<br /><br />Firstly, slice the aubergine into round cross sections of about 2 inches thick. Note that I have done it length-wise as per the pictures below, but found that it made serving the dish later more difficult in terms of cutting them into portions. Then, brush some olive oil on both sides of the aubergines and season with some salt and pepper. Get your grilling pan and heat it up for some serious grilling!<br /><br />Grill the aubergines both sides till almost cook and soft. It took me about 5 minutes each side. Be careful not to burn them too much!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivE896YBuhrpj9Q4KXc2WLrfZ_O2Kkf_BkDn5FJtOIPteStYHEJ5Y1OntIHBCOBS697ilGcob47bnefpC4bHSvFP-HALSgWluW0eYV7w3s_k-STV5zV_pq5WahhTvf54L5d_m/s1600-h/P1010460.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivE896YBuhrpj9Q4KXc2WLrfZ_O2Kkf_BkDn5FJtOIPteStYHEJ5Y1OntIHBCOBS697ilGcob47bnefpC4bHSvFP-HALSgWluW0eYV7w3s_k-STV5zV_pq5WahhTvf54L5d_m/s320/P1010460.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375135637002374626" border="0" /></a>The tomato sauce is up next, quite straight forward. I chopped some garlic and fried them till fragrant, before adding the contents of the can to the pot. Lower the heat and simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes till it thickens, finally add a pinch of salt and some basil/oregano if preferred<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77inE3yUsNZi3Is8C808G0OX4sCWgL1qyn3w3Yq1CWED-YDaShOJ-gYQa0EUanWilfOz6ThKeQ-mHKPbOj59JxrUrJoNgH8vLQGWcmM0GZFI7TYTlwU_8_2LWLLeAXxLBTeuL/s1600-h/P1010462.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77inE3yUsNZi3Is8C808G0OX4sCWgL1qyn3w3Yq1CWED-YDaShOJ-gYQa0EUanWilfOz6ThKeQ-mHKPbOj59JxrUrJoNgH8vLQGWcmM0GZFI7TYTlwU_8_2LWLLeAXxLBTeuL/s320/P1010462.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375135646293382290" border="0" /></a>Then the fun part starts! Don't forget to heat up your oven to 200C for at least 15 minutes beforehand.... With the casserole dish, start with a thin layer of tomato sauce at the bottom to lightly coat it....<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AoYNTNQhYTPa950yyjyCjRVidIy4VMg8KZCmfIdDGd0PBiSkPUfrs0w-vPFohqBRKhPZfWwAUX0lYMKPVyAV5AYE-4r7tWF3SKP7UjVQ2RiQGlUIRHWwPerLFIqalTCEK5gu/s1600-h/P1010463.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AoYNTNQhYTPa950yyjyCjRVidIy4VMg8KZCmfIdDGd0PBiSkPUfrs0w-vPFohqBRKhPZfWwAUX0lYMKPVyAV5AYE-4r7tWF3SKP7UjVQ2RiQGlUIRHWwPerLFIqalTCEK5gu/s320/P1010463.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375135653865991122" border="0" /></a><br />... then continue with the grilled aubergines, cheese, sauce, and then repeat again. I added a layer of tomatoes into mine for fun, supplementing the sauce :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2B8EJeilVL-4RyuCIvbcmEJ6yvr5ph3UAT2A9FtVTbsurgTQpwNG4R0V0g0U6IMU3SfkRyTIIuNpN7-H3vMYlwFGZ14muqIilpkuq80hj48yJPaN9QlSXKHLBW78lhzP3Onf/s1600-h/P1010464.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2B8EJeilVL-4RyuCIvbcmEJ6yvr5ph3UAT2A9FtVTbsurgTQpwNG4R0V0g0U6IMU3SfkRyTIIuNpN7-H3vMYlwFGZ14muqIilpkuq80hj48yJPaN9QlSXKHLBW78lhzP3Onf/s320/P1010464.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375135664089033938" border="0" /></a>Try not to overflow the dish though! Finish up with a nice layer of cheese and place it in the oven to bake for 30 minutes and its done!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIBmufnrO7krwiOzE6UDSYNnSazdZ8zfd0waEkn1ra_xUIzU89VnrTmdJyhBfNR9_ev36ETsmw2wzadWx8WHlsOaeIdBZ85B62vrd0XCKXW6OqCreEQiJsYSeHKWSnVDD34VE/s1600-h/P1010465.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIBmufnrO7krwiOzE6UDSYNnSazdZ8zfd0waEkn1ra_xUIzU89VnrTmdJyhBfNR9_ev36ETsmw2wzadWx8WHlsOaeIdBZ85B62vrd0XCKXW6OqCreEQiJsYSeHKWSnVDD34VE/s320/P1010465.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375135673249778050" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRd3nIuxT_zPb1ECOde6xqBeWF6c37R5Dobo3jb7EVtDfn_-wN-uzLNDiZT86TjNGlnDqAnZ9_4gAdVYWNM3VmVhjA7Iq624xqqXtE7Y2YnM0Qo8luXxr1SarrLokY5SuqPQbS/s1600-h/P1010469.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRd3nIuxT_zPb1ECOde6xqBeWF6c37R5Dobo3jb7EVtDfn_-wN-uzLNDiZT86TjNGlnDqAnZ9_4gAdVYWNM3VmVhjA7Iq624xqqXtE7Y2YnM0Qo8luXxr1SarrLokY5SuqPQbS/s320/P1010469.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375136336083270834" border="0" /></a>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-48609128962235641632009-08-22T00:10:00.003+01:002009-08-22T00:26:12.654+01:00About Squids and the Road not TakenThis ain't a blog post about cooking this particular seafood (yet), but I was referring to the tentacles, and wishing I had as many pairs of arms as it has over the past year!<br /><br />A couple of things have changed, I chose a path less traveled by, and fingers crossed, hope this will make all the difference (and more cooking)!Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-9175012121310746312009-05-17T12:40:00.001+01:002009-05-17T12:43:14.960+01:00AliveYes, I'm alive, despite almost half a year of disappearance....<br />It's been hectic workwise, and I do try to squeeze in as many cooking sessions as I can, lots of back log photos in my camera still to be posted...<br /><br />And yes, I finally made my own Chicken Tikka Masala from scratch :) How's everyone doing by the way?<br /><br />Dang, I feel like Beef with Chinese Broccoli noodles tonight...Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-56993513628118051632008-11-24T20:10:00.000+00:002008-11-24T20:10:00.473+00:00HK Style Cheese Baked Rice<div style="text-align: justify;">I'm like on a cooking spree these week, perhaps its just an appreciation of my free time remaining before I start losing it next week in a different work setting...<br /><br />Another new thing I've not really tried before, but conceptually it shouldn't be too difficult, the <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">HK Style Cheese Baked Rice.</span> It basically goes with most chinese stir fried dishes, and just adding an additional layer of cheese on top and baked it in the oven. Tonight, the base is gonna be <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Stir fried Pork with Broccoli and Chinese Mushrooms in Oyster Sauce</span>. Yup, the name is a handful, but the ingredients aren't.<br /><br />You'll need 400g-450g of pork, about 10-12 dried chinese mushrooms (soaked a few hours till soft), 1 big broccoli, garlic (cloves crushed), oyster sauce, shredded cheese (cheddar/mozzarella), rice. So whilst cooking the rice (I used brown rice here, hence taking longer), boil some water and cut the broccoli into bite size pieces. Pour the boiling water into a pan, and steam the broccoli over it in the covered pan for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the pork thin lengthwise, about 2-3 cm each. In a bowl, season the pork with some cornflour and dark soy sauce. Take care not to oversteam the broccoli and it's perfectly cooked with a nice crunch (not mushy!)<br /><br />Heat the oil till hot in the wok, fry the garlic, add in the pork and show of your wok stir frying skills :P After 5-7 minutes, or whenever is pork is almost done, add the mushrooms and broccoli in to the mixture, add a little bit of water for more sauce, and add 1-2 tablespoon of oyster sauce (it's very salty, adjust the amount to your taste buds). Gently mix and coat with the sauce and it should be done when the pork is cooked.<br /><br />The final step is simple just assembling your cheese baked rice, get an oven proof plate/bowl, spoon some rice at the base and gently place the stir fried dish on top, sprinkle generously with some cheese of your choice (red leicester is possible too, giving you an orange topping!), and pop it in the pre-heated oven of 160C for 2-3 minutes and dinner is ready!<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4qwyAQKFOfApTdAt4WrnWptexRmikM9SUBi5BwHh2sMXaLkL7WCJQ-o4QEI-hkfTmjoqS0gl6L_1ElHOw20gxwrCiXkp0zA4_VUHmXbGZ5csMp3AGPYBbcyvXxWJsar1DEHD/s1600-h/P1010205.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4qwyAQKFOfApTdAt4WrnWptexRmikM9SUBi5BwHh2sMXaLkL7WCJQ-o4QEI-hkfTmjoqS0gl6L_1ElHOw20gxwrCiXkp0zA4_VUHmXbGZ5csMp3AGPYBbcyvXxWJsar1DEHD/s320/P1010205.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271453199499903906" border="0" /></a>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-55546589707368490312008-11-23T12:07:00.000+00:002008-11-23T12:07:00.414+00:00My Very Own Beef Stew<div style="text-align: justify;">It's winter time now and wrapped up like a giant snow(wo)man, I decided its time for some comfort food. Taking a peek in my fridge/food cupboard, I have 500g baby potatoes, chestnut mushrooms, onion, 450g of beef shoulder meat, a can of organic chopped tomatoes. With my spice rack, I think I could just about whip up my first winter stew!<br /><br />Having some rough idea forming in my head, its always helpful (and advisable) to sense check with my cookbook collection. There were some beef stew suggestion, but non of them I actually have the exact ingredients and patience for them. So, its the usual Grace-style improvisation and doing it my way :)<br /><br />I normally don't eat beef and have been trying to beef up my consumption of it lately since its so nutritious and contains lots of good-for-you iron and protein, without too much fat. The thing about stews is that although the ingredients list is more extensive than say a chinese stir-fry, but the cooking method requires way less attention to speed/timing. There's always a trade off, but never in flavor, cos you have to have confidence in your awesomeness always (not too much tho).<br /><br />So I just quartered my mushrooms, sliced the onions into thin long strips, washed the baby potatoes and cut the meat into big chunks. Heat up some olive oil, and fry the onions till brown and soft. Meanwhile, put a tablespoon of flour into a plate, season with some salt and pepper, and lightly dust the meat, and fry them along with the onions for another 5 minutes or so. Lastly, add the mushrooms, potatoes and the tomato puree in. Mix thoroughly and season with salt and pepper to taste. I added a glug of red wine in too :P If you find it too dry/thick, add a cup or two of water and let the mixture boil for a 2 minutes. Don't forget to put in some herbs (basil/oregano/thyme/rosemary, I had these mixed in a bottle) and sprinkled some on for a nice aroma...<br /><br />Then, in a slow cooker pot, pour your stew into it and leave it for 4-5 hours on medium heat. Your flat will smell pretty lovely by then and its ready to be served, with warm crusty white baguettes or just a simple buttered brown toast, just like below...<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFuoYWVD9E0pTUwaWoJUgNpyRVGv0zOUk_oZOGPQiQxw0_ppTOnM-SNtiJrvXHTIP29GVVHG-7UHCBoSsszocNJAfrbTRU7j3buX-UA8rR8pkI55aHvtCTiqaMTsVJ5xly50Y/s1600-h/P1010202.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFuoYWVD9E0pTUwaWoJUgNpyRVGv0zOUk_oZOGPQiQxw0_ppTOnM-SNtiJrvXHTIP29GVVHG-7UHCBoSsszocNJAfrbTRU7j3buX-UA8rR8pkI55aHvtCTiqaMTsVJ5xly50Y/s320/P1010202.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271452515044613970" border="0" /></a>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-38248042458127003302008-11-22T12:03:00.003+00:002008-11-22T12:53:08.218+00:00Back to Basics<div style="text-align: justify;">First things you always crave for after not cooking for ages are the ones you grew up eating... And for me its nothing more than simple homey styled dishes, improvised of course with what's available in Britain.<br /><br />Spring onion and ginger is always a match made in heaven for Chinese cooking, it somehow gives a subtle invigorating flavor to meat dishes. Goes particularly well with white meat, e.g. fish, chicken and frog (yes, frog meat, which tastes something like poussin). However, nowadays its common with red meat like beef too, and can be pretty much found on the menu of any chinese hawker-style restaurants.<br /><br />I'll stick with the classics for now, starting with <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Chicken with Ginger and Spring Onion. </span>Thighs/drumstick meat is preferable (chicken breast is ok but drier texture). So for a you'll need about 6-8 sprigs of spring onion, 2-3 inch ginger, 400g-500g chicken meat, dark and light soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, chilli (optional).<br /><br />I used thigh meat, and de-boned about 8 thighs and cut into bitesize pieces. Spring onion stalks are chopped about 2 inch long, separating the white bit (at the bottom) and the 'leaves' (the green bits at the top). Slice the ginger thin, producing a size like your thumb print. For the garlic, I prefer to just skin them and crush the cloves with the back of the knife (yup, I'm one of those that actually love fried garlics, hehe), and we're ready to go!<br /><br />So heat up a little bit of oil, and once hot, put the ginger and the white stalk of the spring onions in and stir quickly. About 2-3 minutes, the ginger should be brown and then add the garlic and chicken meat in whilst tossing as usual. The key point should be here, add a few drops of sesame oil for wonderful nutty aroma and flavor, then the usual light soy sauce for taste, dark soy sauce for a little bit of color... Do add a little bit of water if its too dry, and the meat should be roughly cooked in 5 minutes or so. Remember to add the green leave bits of the spring onions, and continue to stir fry for a minute or so, and its done! You can garnish with finely chopped red chillies on top for that extra spicy kick :)<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWXZW4WQ9aSkaNgEj4gZhzUIPEyBOoBaOGFF-SLsIgakn1SE4bcHad3lACrzs8LIa93dW4zWdrF_jqymuiTtm2_uSIzXrzhvO_vTcTL0a7-xpQS3ulVTQiH3keZGNfWHJTqyu/s1600-h/P1010199.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWXZW4WQ9aSkaNgEj4gZhzUIPEyBOoBaOGFF-SLsIgakn1SE4bcHad3lACrzs8LIa93dW4zWdrF_jqymuiTtm2_uSIzXrzhvO_vTcTL0a7-xpQS3ulVTQiH3keZGNfWHJTqyu/s320/P1010199.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271451885757000386" border="0" /></a>The next vegetable dish is somewhat of an experiment, inspired by a dish in Chinatown recently. It was some sort of tofu dish with leafy vegetables stir fried in bean sauce. Here's my version of it with long beans instead.<br /><br />It's just a 5 ingredient dish!! 1 carrot (sliced into matchsticks), fried hard tofu or <span style="font-style: italic;">taukwa</span> (sliced lengthwise), long beans (sliced into 2 inch pieces), garlic (crushed cloves), and fermented soy bean sauce (<span style="font-style: italic;">tau chu</span>). This sauce is available in many Asian grocery stores, and is basically soy beans fermented and tastes sweet and salty.<br /><br />Heat some oil in the pan, and let the garlic sizzle in it till slightly brown-ish. Carrots in first, and 2 minutes later the long beans. Alternatively, you could actually pre-cook the long beans and carrots by steaming them for about 3 minutes before stir frying if you prefer. It's perhaps faster and healthier. For the former case, the stir frying time is longer, and adding some water helps. 5 minutes later, or whenever the vege are cooked till your preferred level of crunchiness, add in the tofu and half a tablespoon of the bean sauce, adjust to taste, and it's ready to be served with some rice!<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoAbup4ZOyhKKD-irjArqOuTnXHV6z8K-EWPv_VAwCUmHYQuVqTg-SW-GusEfkhyphenhyphenmPh0ksrlqwmFMWVEmQQSl_EHdGcp5lioK0_ZFEl0Ec4F7QwkcognQqS18NamNTDLkUieD/s1600-h/P1010200.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoAbup4ZOyhKKD-irjArqOuTnXHV6z8K-EWPv_VAwCUmHYQuVqTg-SW-GusEfkhyphenhyphenmPh0ksrlqwmFMWVEmQQSl_EHdGcp5lioK0_ZFEl0Ec4F7QwkcognQqS18NamNTDLkUieD/s320/P1010200.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271451887465983986" border="0" /></a>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-5829106704771703362008-11-08T21:12:00.004+00:002008-11-08T21:25:18.959+00:00Seasons Change<div style="text-align: justify;">Last 2 months have been manic, admittedly haven't had much time to pursue my usual culinary endeavors. In crazy times like this, though easier said than done, but the best move forward is probably not to worry too much, cruise along and soak up as much experience you can as it probably only happen once in ones lifetime...<br /><br />And yes I haven't forgot about cooking yet, and got a nice cookbook for present, which means more kitchen meddling projects to come, starting tomorrow. Have a few wish list of stuff that I want to start playing around a bit more, like improving pasta making, exploring and building a better spice rack, and making use of the oven more :)<br /><br />Now, just time for some sleep to recuperate ...<br /><br /><br /></div>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-18356381442625979602008-09-06T19:45:00.006+01:002008-09-06T21:09:42.332+01:00Quickest 3 Course Dinner to Impress<div style="text-align: justify;">A presentable one too! Seems like I've been away for a bit, have had so many things happening that need a bit of thinking time ... but I'm back, as usual, this time with an impressive 3 course dinner that takes 40 minutes from start till the end. Good for those who are in a rush with this impromptu, simple classics ...<br /><br />Inspired by what's seasonal/on offer in supermarkets, I got myself some fresh scallops (8 of them), a pack of rocket leaves, some sweet cherry tomatoes on the vine, baby/salad potatoes, and 2 spare rib chops, strawberry flavored Onken yoghurt and some digestive biscuits (optional).<br /><br />The beautiful thing about cooking is that you DON'T NEED to be super skilled/trained to cook amazing food! Most of the time, it can be supplemented with super FRESH, QUALITY INGREDIENTS ...<br /><br />This applies to the starter dish. Was gonna serve <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Pan-fried Scallops with Tomato and Rocket Salad</span>. Preparing the salad first, simply just mix the rockets and tomatoes with your favorite dressing, I used French dressing in mine, done! Ooh, loving the speed eh?<br /><br />Scallops cooks pretty quickly, so just heat up 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, and once hot spoon the scallops on the pan gently, preferably cooking them in one go as they have to be serve immediately once done. Bear in mind that they overcook very easily, and full attention to the pan please for 3 minutes maximum, ok? While they are sizzling away, season with salt and black pepper, then flip them over after a minute. Do the same on the other side, season to taste and it should be slightly brown both sides after another minute. Serve with the salad immediately like below:<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq5xniPIs7IqNSCYjWcCXDXijGNDKXPCc6wfSjmj4QuthA3fpjkKsgdx5MvF_YSQLi1Mdth6rKKOc6q1-DNWOFutQekgBzIudOLHyhyPE3dHbQHc9im6KGFxJdXyjiA5pUBc5R/s1600-h/P1010186.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq5xniPIs7IqNSCYjWcCXDXijGNDKXPCc6wfSjmj4QuthA3fpjkKsgdx5MvF_YSQLi1Mdth6rKKOc6q1-DNWOFutQekgBzIudOLHyhyPE3dHbQHc9im6KGFxJdXyjiA5pUBc5R/s320/P1010186.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242982636240198994" border="0" /></a>Beautiful yea? I prefer having them one minute a side pan fried, to be it's just nice, but if you prefer them 100% cooked, you can have them 90 seconds a side, it'll still be fine. All you want to avoid is eating a rubbery, overcooked texture ... It was perfect, P was pretty amazed at the speed and taste for sure ... this is exactly the misconception I'm trying to prove to many out there who are intimidated by cooking - <span style="font-weight: bold;">taste does not always equal complicated and lengthy cooking preparations!<br /><br /></span>Ok, main course next! First, settle the potatoes: bring a pot of water to boil and place the potatoes in to cook. Meanwhile, the meat: this is my random seasoning which I thought up on the minute since I didn't have time to marinade for hours, but thankfully it didn't taste weird, hehe. So I had some leftover tomato puree from the last cooking of spaghetti, some ketchup, balsamic vinegar, paprika. Basically I put a similar seasoning to the <a href="http://culinarycravings.blogspot.com/2008/08/ultimate-summer-bbq-pork-fillets.html">BBQ Pork Fillet recipe</a>, so listen up. First season the meat with salt and pepper all over and rub them well. Put 2 generous tablespoon of paprika, 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, about 100g of tomato puree (for a bit of sauce for the meat so it's not too dry), and generous dollop of ketchup. Mix the seasoning and rub it all over the meat, leaving it to rest while you heat up your grill pan. The potatoes should be cooked now, as seasoning of meat probably took 5 minutes, so drain them and set aside.<br /><br />Once the pan is hot, place both the spare rib chops and let them sizzle away. Note that you would have leftover marinade and use these to spoon on the meat when you flip them later. Since the meat is cooking away, you can afford some time to set up your simple salad on the plates, which is the same as your starter anyways, with the additional potatoes on the side now. Time taken? 1 minute at max :P<br /><br />So full attention to your meat now, let it cook about 5 minutes on one side and flip them over. Now hopefully you have some professional looking charred lines on it, but if not it's not a disaster either, LOL. Spoon some marinade on top and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Like the scallops, overcooked meat is hard and chewy like rubber, not very nice at all. So avoiding this simply takes a sharp eye and a bit of gut feeling. For those more risk averse, after cooking 5 minutes a side, you can use a fork/knife to put through the meat and if the juice looks clear you're fine. As long as it 's not bloody/red. But that is difficult to gauge with the marinade being of similar color in this case! Hence the gut feel comes in, you know it's almost cooked and perfect when you prod the meat and its slightly springy. Serve immediately and spoon as much of the marinade in the pan on top of the meat. There you go: <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">BBQ Chops with Potatoes and Rocket Salad</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SGiaHPih5FcZUjO-CsFnaBDRzOPdjFKa7zlZwgtDtOM94bA-uJ8A8FuNMM24OXa6XVlMU0MmugMgu93OdqLtsIr6B5mHu_z4E2xgyziM65IGTHGp6C75EgP8FXWKbkBqkJOH/s1600-h/P1010188.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6SGiaHPih5FcZUjO-CsFnaBDRzOPdjFKa7zlZwgtDtOM94bA-uJ8A8FuNMM24OXa6XVlMU0MmugMgu93OdqLtsIr6B5mHu_z4E2xgyziM65IGTHGp6C75EgP8FXWKbkBqkJOH/s320/P1010188.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242982638502495138" border="0" /></a>There you go, 15 mins for starter, 20 mins for main maximum, and of course 5 mins for a simple easy dessert. Just roughly break some digestive biscuits served with dollops of strawberry yogurt, for a <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Quick and Healthy Cheesecake Imitation</span>! Surely you don't need a picture for that :P Enjoy!<br /><br /></div>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-78431046978587756832008-08-17T20:20:00.002+01:002008-08-17T20:42:21.539+01:00Mee Goreng Mamak<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDDeydaQu3ZAVdgoad0O_mfYwIo4ioCvYR6S1Q_8k-AuqYzU6CZvtPaTfAZgQtFw62WSVl5Ikn1NxhFKW_gcNk_YE3nTx9dmjuXwhl_kujtVgVEW9f-vOikJf6466ok3BBK2b/s1600-h/P1010146.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDDeydaQu3ZAVdgoad0O_mfYwIo4ioCvYR6S1Q_8k-AuqYzU6CZvtPaTfAZgQtFw62WSVl5Ikn1NxhFKW_gcNk_YE3nTx9dmjuXwhl_kujtVgVEW9f-vOikJf6466ok3BBK2b/s320/P1010146.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230414251631666418" border="0" /></a>Empty plate with a lime ... waiting in anticipation for the best dish of all time --> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mee Goreng Mamak! </span>(fried noodles, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamak_stall">Mamak</a> style)<br /><br />All you need is fresh yellow egg noodles, chinese greens (I used bok choy/pak choi), fish cakes, potatoes, chilli paste, tomato ketchup, firm (deep fried) tofu, dark soy sauce, garlic, lime juice and some chicken meat (drumstick/thighs are ideal). I had to do it twice, given the small wok, but personally feel that it produces a better result than mass production...<br /><br />As usual, add in a bit of oil on the wok. When its hot enough, stir in the roughly chopped garlic and potato slices (or in thin wedges) for a minute or two. Next is the chili paste (lots of it!), where the heat starts to kick in. Add the chicken, fish cakes, tofu and bok choy next and stir fry quickly for another 3-4 minutes before adding in the noodles. Stir as quick as you can to evenly coat and mix. Finally season with dark soy sauce, tomato ketchup, a bit of salt to taste and its done!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeu_c0nOnDMpqOKue3brGjZayF39axN6GHJbZ-WLfYWgCJGoHXX5bzGje5LgSFfgndls23FQzpzqruAq8H1qsZuGJvg5aJw6H7SmUMsNwYu23Z_sp88cyIMYGTRkGN6ga7SmBJ/s1600-h/P1010150.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeu_c0nOnDMpqOKue3brGjZayF39axN6GHJbZ-WLfYWgCJGoHXX5bzGje5LgSFfgndls23FQzpzqruAq8H1qsZuGJvg5aJw6H7SmUMsNwYu23Z_sp88cyIMYGTRkGN6ga7SmBJ/s320/P1010150.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230414252880203218" border="0" /></a>Serve it on a nice hot plate with a wedge of lime. Always gives the dish an extra kick with a tangy aftertaste. Enjoy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-7O-G_Az-G0euGOltkmmdBovr9MSvjCifXMc3Bv6XzOLOa2OqlKRaqa-dplSUxGVreN6_bFQKjLsOLuaP5T58C6sq-EKb12DLanMqXdVYuV6eeCFzg9ThBlNTIbVAErgkbS4/s1600-h/P1010151.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-7O-G_Az-G0euGOltkmmdBovr9MSvjCifXMc3Bv6XzOLOa2OqlKRaqa-dplSUxGVreN6_bFQKjLsOLuaP5T58C6sq-EKb12DLanMqXdVYuV6eeCFzg9ThBlNTIbVAErgkbS4/s320/P1010151.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230414488744658882" border="0" /></a>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-74182622958621520912008-08-03T23:02:00.002+01:002008-08-03T23:35:48.764+01:00The Ultimate Summer BBQ Pork Fillets<div style="text-align: justify;">This is something inspired both from Jamie's cookbook and the unexpected good weather on Saturday morning: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Blackened BBQ Pork Fillets</span>. Great for parties and ever so popular during summertime since the sauce is just finger lickin' good :) Try it out and see if I'm right!<br /><br />Ingredients wise its <span style="font-style: italic;">slightly</span> lengthy, as we're gonna create our own marinade pretty much from scratch, so let's take this opportunity to build up your spice rack ...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What you'll need:</span><br />500g pork fillets (serves 2-3)<br />1/2 tsp cumin seeds<br />1 tsp fennel seeds<br />1 tbsp full of paprika<br />2 cloves<br />4 tbsp balsamic vinegar<br />120g good quality tomato ketchup<br />4 garlic cloves, finely chopped<br />a small bunch of fresh thyme, leaves picked and finely chopped<br />zest of 1 orange, and juiced (or if lazy, just use fresh 100% orange juice with pulp/juicy bits)<br /><br />metal/wooden skewers (optional)<br />lemon juice (optional)<br /><br />So there you go, not too bad eh? This recipe is a good start for you to start dabbing into the world of spice and knowing what they look like and how they smell, what they go well with etc ... bringing your culinary skills to a higher level with more tools in your hands!<br /><br />Ok, so maybe we need a mortar and pestle, to grind those cloves, cumin and fennel seeds. And since I couldn't find one at the supermarket, I omitted the fennel seeds, bought ground cumin instead, and use all my power and might, with the back of my knife, slamming and trying to crush the cloves into powdery form, with 50% success rate, so not too bad hehe. Best if you have the mortar and pestle to grind it to release the aroma, but if not, don't beat yourself over it yea?<br /><br />So first, mix the cumin, crush cloves, garlic cloves, generous amount of paprika, thyme, orange juice and zest. Then add the ketchup and spoonfuls of balsamic vinegar and gently incorporate them and you got yourself some mean BBQ marinade there, dip a finger in and taste and see ...<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeJti0d5c96kaoVeLL99PXpEV2iqfCPhXqejbAlrK2PptjcAYAd7d443UUQZNeFDyvF3t8PqRJMUGdNc9zI2CC3dH35A9skg1ZXXfuvT5_4B_GPxM0NRTJQKnyr0Pv2KYSUyl/s1600-h/P1010167.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeJti0d5c96kaoVeLL99PXpEV2iqfCPhXqejbAlrK2PptjcAYAd7d443UUQZNeFDyvF3t8PqRJMUGdNc9zI2CC3dH35A9skg1ZXXfuvT5_4B_GPxM0NRTJQKnyr0Pv2KYSUyl/s320/P1010167.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230416030061340690" border="0" /></a>Next up is easy, just put your pork fillets in to marinade, at least 1 hour, preferably whole morning/afternoon for me! Refrigerate and rub your hands (or tummy if you prefer) in glee ...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEL6VWUxUW7bntl7SLJEF8NpMykLI2dAo31bbHByXk-qKI44waaLUBYfh_T2ulfEe8gBQUWFCeIYKn8IZpN8lCgseiicaZnxRmIzCkzal9ecwSuwiVz8vr5TpAyrsawHOQwzic/s1600-h/P1010169.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEL6VWUxUW7bntl7SLJEF8NpMykLI2dAo31bbHByXk-qKI44waaLUBYfh_T2ulfEe8gBQUWFCeIYKn8IZpN8lCgseiicaZnxRmIzCkzal9ecwSuwiVz8vr5TpAyrsawHOQwzic/s320/P1010169.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230416034347247634" border="0" /></a>So after 5 hours, I took them out of the fridge and used wooden skewers to present the pork fillets in kebab style, easier to cook in that sense. But if you don't have them, no worries again, it's not necessary, you can just cook them on the BBQ/grill and flip them around with a tong.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98h_hyphenhyphenKn4b6Vbg015O_oytLezEnbBXgNT2C4h8S78rIkoyMievM_NIsS6AjQabZ-bN-38TG_1IFmrB4XoYc-RxVx_1UR7iygyIQm4sXl-J7gkigQgcBkxDjsI6PxBl5wu42vG/s1600-h/P1010171.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98h_hyphenhyphenKn4b6Vbg015O_oytLezEnbBXgNT2C4h8S78rIkoyMievM_NIsS6AjQabZ-bN-38TG_1IFmrB4XoYc-RxVx_1UR7iygyIQm4sXl-J7gkigQgcBkxDjsI6PxBl5wu42vG/s320/P1010171.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230416038620683618" border="0" /></a>Time to test out my new grill pan, keen to get a few professional charred lines on my meat :P So heat up the grill and start cooking! Should hear a loud sizzling noise right away, make sure you have cut the fillets properly as its quite difficult to cook if it's too thick. You should have extra marinade leftover and use these to brush over the meat whenever you turn sides. Cooking should take about 15-20 minutes per batch on the grill. You should start seeing the marinade getting thicker and meat getting into a nice dark color as below ...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VG0cuxFxMqQdaxu-1HsowCrBRBTEZbsJ-MbMGdvfRbVdTL2Y9UVwuZO2GXzgEC_4CVwEhn7VeRzlGzY56LWuDHIPlq32IMJkGeNgfTqufqZidOyXCfWR_Fg4RyGkwvJMZScz/s1600-h/P1010175.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VG0cuxFxMqQdaxu-1HsowCrBRBTEZbsJ-MbMGdvfRbVdTL2Y9UVwuZO2GXzgEC_4CVwEhn7VeRzlGzY56LWuDHIPlq32IMJkGeNgfTqufqZidOyXCfWR_Fg4RyGkwvJMZScz/s320/P1010175.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230416040411297250" border="0" /></a>When it's done, leave it aside for 5 minutes to rest, whilst you prepare a very simple salad of your choice. I had mine with plain lettuce, cherry tomatoes on the vine and some sweet corn, with a light lemon salad dressing and balsamic vinegar. Then slice your meat up in serving portions and feast!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbgS0lTjK_pX0xALp5g0D_myspjQRMswMj0JGSjiaoZ1tXo-K7Il3qI4UWXv5Zk8QmjRW_46jnrzQaXivYM1nHviGRVfy5Iv1o0QGrktnhIeQMua7GCJf1JPPoBx-4b_snJHL/s1600-h/P1010178.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbgS0lTjK_pX0xALp5g0D_myspjQRMswMj0JGSjiaoZ1tXo-K7Il3qI4UWXv5Zk8QmjRW_46jnrzQaXivYM1nHviGRVfy5Iv1o0QGrktnhIeQMua7GCJf1JPPoBx-4b_snJHL/s320/P1010178.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230416046501975442" border="0" /></a>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-87942778857943552822008-07-27T20:00:00.000+01:002008-07-27T20:00:40.218+01:00Kamari Beach, SantoriniSo I got reimbursed for the wok fiasco in the previous post, LOL :D<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Back to Greece: 3rd day, this time renting a car to venture further out! We got a Toyota Aygo (automatic) for EUR 30 a day, quite reasonable. Make sure you shop around before you finalise because there are a lot of rip-offs out there in Santorini, given its a way too touristy island...<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwytKf41x4UYTdMSPGfEUFGX75gPpeBMBAEqgFOTwZRinsKsm9c5SDgPOJLsZ6qgPIt1dgJ2bedo6vsngItBGW6_dcHoVJnWUBk-iCi5EFo76bc6BsfOXmeQaEE8sZy5wbcEi7/s1600-h/P1000930.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwytKf41x4UYTdMSPGfEUFGX75gPpeBMBAEqgFOTwZRinsKsm9c5SDgPOJLsZ6qgPIt1dgJ2bedo6vsngItBGW6_dcHoVJnWUBk-iCi5EFo76bc6BsfOXmeQaEE8sZy5wbcEi7/s320/P1000930.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224854792961527826" border="0" /></a>And first thing before the road trip is to head to <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Lucky Souvlaki </span>in Fira for some wholesome kebabs<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsfkz0cwXmr19BAhJoLCmsNgFQBtPb4FlJx9qxFO0WbEoVEBQjiJLSBaElnlS2JhU-f9ovMjJIf9xnPKff7OMY75Ltv6nY3usu0fEPU36GIbfIiEO3_8NwrvFx30JWTfM5dWI/s1600-h/P1000932.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsfkz0cwXmr19BAhJoLCmsNgFQBtPb4FlJx9qxFO0WbEoVEBQjiJLSBaElnlS2JhU-f9ovMjJIf9xnPKff7OMY75Ltv6nY3usu0fEPU36GIbfIiEO3_8NwrvFx30JWTfM5dWI/s320/P1000932.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224854796056110786" border="0" /></a>Thing about the kebabs here is that they are stuffed with fries as well, sprinkled with paprika and good ol' tzatziki, which is a Greek meze made of natural yogurt, cucumber, garlic, salt, a bit of lime juice and parsley. Definitely a healthier alternative than mayonnaise :)<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVEqgGrf1F-PJ0n-n8OcmfDppqGqqOMqR1Z0hzp42cIEuE6WyR4lq-2_iZXMxWp7r4Ge9VYVrGzF0e8D_WuYhFoIjrS0Q6GA-kKRx0e0Bsy7CROFNsjxbtwdxP_VE07tNxZzO/s1600-h/P1000935.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVEqgGrf1F-PJ0n-n8OcmfDppqGqqOMqR1Z0hzp42cIEuE6WyR4lq-2_iZXMxWp7r4Ge9VYVrGzF0e8D_WuYhFoIjrS0Q6GA-kKRx0e0Bsy7CROFNsjxbtwdxP_VE07tNxZzO/s320/P1000935.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224854801747728498" border="0" /></a>I tried their falafel with pita instead, and my oh my it was the freshest and tastiest one I've had to date. There was something special about their falafel, which I suspect is extra spices in there different from the usual bean filled ones, and the beans is green-ish instead of the usual brown-ish mash in a falafel, perhaps its local beans ...<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1l-SOkOkksXret5KCn1UZR8izuFV9tnGwvs-mpqbYU5-5ojpSTwIUdH5rH3Eiue098rabfbKR2uGaFOjXw3e2NKENahHzExYh4vO1xRydyT0YN9wGfTZROYQRNJ8boBfRNeI/s1600-h/P1000936.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1l-SOkOkksXret5KCn1UZR8izuFV9tnGwvs-mpqbYU5-5ojpSTwIUdH5rH3Eiue098rabfbKR2uGaFOjXw3e2NKENahHzExYh4vO1xRydyT0YN9wGfTZROYQRNJ8boBfRNeI/s320/P1000936.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224854806772307634" border="0" /></a>And off we headed for the most famous beach in Santorini - Kamari, which took us about 20 minutes drive and was south east of the island. And man, it was tough driving in Greece, firstly being the 'wrong' side with a left hand drive, and secondly... Greece itself. The roads were extremely narrow, yet people still drove fast like F1 drivers, with pedestrians ignorant and walking on the dangerous corners as if they own the roads, plus sign board quality was slightly appalling. But I think once you graduate from driving in Greece, you probably can survive in Malaysia pretty comfortably :P<br /><br />Along the way we spotted many quieter seasides with beautiful beaches as well ...<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-hvap5ZKrQZGgNcpsc1o0_FA4UtXxJXozB0xOwqoC8QXm72FEhgJkkNDD-kpg2eypcc1KL5NKGMZ7VNMUFaWOrIhmiorBIOn4x3xVp31xlFPRkx8sd6Toz0o_53-oERSJRkPT/s1600-h/P1000938.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-hvap5ZKrQZGgNcpsc1o0_FA4UtXxJXozB0xOwqoC8QXm72FEhgJkkNDD-kpg2eypcc1KL5NKGMZ7VNMUFaWOrIhmiorBIOn4x3xVp31xlFPRkx8sd6Toz0o_53-oERSJRkPT/s320/P1000938.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224854810871539954" border="0" /></a>Kamari was all you imagined it'd be for a popular tourist spot. Lots of straw umbrellas with lazy benches for skin cancer creation, many hotels and bars loaded with pools, sofas, alcohol and food. The ultimate hedonistic getaway most Europeans identify with, which is slightly different from my version at least.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRc7K-Bdzm_I8f2cE_Se2MFMWY240d9HZfEWts0uhhBsbZWDCi9M1yGsYaeX12ErIJtyfhEtHbfXIgYRFDc-4PDiYQdatE6hfgjzGCphMNm0obyewdw7sYVPJjgLoYbe8fR1q/s1600-h/P1000942.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRc7K-Bdzm_I8f2cE_Se2MFMWY240d9HZfEWts0uhhBsbZWDCi9M1yGsYaeX12ErIJtyfhEtHbfXIgYRFDc-4PDiYQdatE6hfgjzGCphMNm0obyewdw7sYVPJjgLoYbe8fR1q/s320/P1000942.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224855710343067106" border="0" /></a>Nevertheless, it was beautiful yet awfully hot, and we retreated to a nice cafe with good shades for some thirst quenchers. P went for the local Alfa beer...<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjalUD5F7SuFrSCp_-Y1h0hUYmtADMP5TuZeCtTrBJ-AhSXshwR500_4GHsikQRG1uOO38ZZXt9a1rYdOLOuLjq_oGyTR-TeCf9C7iUh1owF5-_dqzxlDTYLa57yIoqiLB7Skv5/s1600-h/P1000943.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjalUD5F7SuFrSCp_-Y1h0hUYmtADMP5TuZeCtTrBJ-AhSXshwR500_4GHsikQRG1uOO38ZZXt9a1rYdOLOuLjq_oGyTR-TeCf9C7iUh1owF5-_dqzxlDTYLa57yIoqiLB7Skv5/s320/P1000943.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224855715760813666" border="0" /></a>whilst I took the (wrong) risk of trying their local Greek coffee.... which tasted like bleurggrhh with some strange aftertaste and muddy bottom...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgg7-IBxwIAXFhMzM1IdUnD7FoMQJcVx8fIt-b6WfCBjiOKAqUX9guxCAvbihaHrs2PE_J4_WoPC3YT77UM-F73Aa6IgxrsotRGZZqG0X1J2gY5E0fA2lPZugrLeWgobZnPIGF/s1600-h/P1000949.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgg7-IBxwIAXFhMzM1IdUnD7FoMQJcVx8fIt-b6WfCBjiOKAqUX9guxCAvbihaHrs2PE_J4_WoPC3YT77UM-F73Aa6IgxrsotRGZZqG0X1J2gY5E0fA2lPZugrLeWgobZnPIGF/s320/P1000949.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224855721953311122" border="0" /></a>A relaxing stroll towards the end of the beach was nice, and also helped out with some dinner hunting given that all the bars/restaurants were laid along the beach and impossible to choose or judge just by walking by. It's always a fine line between being friendly or just plain hassled when you just walk past a place and any slight indication of interest (e.g. exploring the menu) you'll just have a brigade of overly eager waiters pulling you in their restaurants. Definitely an art some restaurateurs have still yet to master...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjReTvpBDwM3TYfSAEw7yW-_Oe4vJs56LteJykJ_PwZ5_4LjcNCPhDq2m2VwsenYdCr1v7FTE5EPzbRK89P53-nskcd8XOml4YJfafpclXZuBSzAmVGgWD4NzJ62boSuiMfFqsW/s1600-h/P1000950.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjReTvpBDwM3TYfSAEw7yW-_Oe4vJs56LteJykJ_PwZ5_4LjcNCPhDq2m2VwsenYdCr1v7FTE5EPzbRK89P53-nskcd8XOml4YJfafpclXZuBSzAmVGgWD4NzJ62boSuiMfFqsW/s320/P1000950.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224855730882987586" border="0" /></a>And so I tested my theory out by choosing a restaurant that didn't have anyone hassling us in when we were checking out the menu. The place was quiet with not many patrons, something of a warning perhaps. Yet we went ahead anyway as the place, like anywhere else, boasts authentic Greek food.<br /><br />P had <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Calamari with fries. </span>Simple and nice, seafood was fresh, and fries not overly salted, squeeze of lemon and went down in minutes. Nothing extraordinary though, but fresh seafood sufficed.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhKsxTQqKLP_xUb7CFQxNUpvulg8OwTA2eLlEdD3oN1k7-DZmYehW3Lcl07ayUgQdF4n3v0kiW_3jsGPxjv2naIjt6DZlvR80DQQl4moWcUGIvuTUF2Nidn3vROf0LvizpWG3/s1600-h/P1000952.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhKsxTQqKLP_xUb7CFQxNUpvulg8OwTA2eLlEdD3oN1k7-DZmYehW3Lcl07ayUgQdF4n3v0kiW_3jsGPxjv2naIjt6DZlvR80DQQl4moWcUGIvuTUF2Nidn3vROf0LvizpWG3/s320/P1000952.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225212425996341490" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I had some local <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">grilled fish with salad. </span>I remember the fish had an awful rubber sounding name, and was skeptical about it. It was fresh but the fish didn't taste amazing, despite the nice simple grill just with salt and pepper. So theory still unproven, so unfortunately no hard and fast rule for selecting good restaurants without back up research. Just look up into the sky, clasp your hands together, say your prayers and follow your instincts :P<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrO6PQuG0ARMef2fLtdzwhG12hlUVfyu4ZtRfV2spJEEaCZQBMJkfhqgs3mJ9zQKTXkx_L2pizB99OkrK_Ik0RktFzfc-KL6k1NAX-fbZSz4I13i0z9_7SubXMPH0N1f2A3Gs/s1600-h/P1000954.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrO6PQuG0ARMef2fLtdzwhG12hlUVfyu4ZtRfV2spJEEaCZQBMJkfhqgs3mJ9zQKTXkx_L2pizB99OkrK_Ik0RktFzfc-KL6k1NAX-fbZSz4I13i0z9_7SubXMPH0N1f2A3Gs/s320/P1000954.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225212429934427906" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Not entirely satisfied with the portions, we went for second round 'dinner' at <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Gyros Stop. </span>A small family run place serving reasonably priced kebabs. Here's a glam photo shoot of the humble gyros' that made our day :)<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5-RTH9pKqxJQ4wABMjBfBCWRX8ENsWJO2zRQMXI5-dM1sCq81F9rJ55NhwdTPD_5JkiN13kAeoW6kMPTct6iaU9HbqtafMCxVBX97u_A8GSkTcu9jf8oBs5wlvw1lGSUSowB/s1600-h/P1000956.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5-RTH9pKqxJQ4wABMjBfBCWRX8ENsWJO2zRQMXI5-dM1sCq81F9rJ55NhwdTPD_5JkiN13kAeoW6kMPTct6iaU9HbqtafMCxVBX97u_A8GSkTcu9jf8oBs5wlvw1lGSUSowB/s320/P1000956.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225212436199714146" border="0" /></a>Bored and done with the place, we decided to head home early and watch the sunset from our balcony...<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYizX8O6JzkJap-WPE25BfsKcAH4MD0T4s_1tsEc-J-YyxDtf0FA53p20X1Zmfm3RCPF8IDI6q7VmPhVRecjB58Q-I7vW3IJSyatg2AMgFMruVoOEnhLSJT0VkwoSdYKtUBb7x/s1600-h/P1000959.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYizX8O6JzkJap-WPE25BfsKcAH4MD0T4s_1tsEc-J-YyxDtf0FA53p20X1Zmfm3RCPF8IDI6q7VmPhVRecjB58Q-I7vW3IJSyatg2AMgFMruVoOEnhLSJT0VkwoSdYKtUBb7x/s320/P1000959.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225212444394964434" border="0" /></a>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-91053217963780843362008-07-22T00:18:00.003+01:002008-07-22T00:35:17.087+01:00Tao YOUR HEAD!I think this is the best title I've came up with. <span style="font-style: italic;">Ever</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Some may think my brain somehow only works for non-work related nonsense. But spending so much time and effort researching on woks and finally buying one called Tao that gives you a <span style="font-style: italic;">tao-thong</span> (Cantonese for headache) is definitely <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">crossing the line</span>. So here is a little something that I'd love to share with you guys after buying <a href="http://www.kenhom.com/tao/carbon_steel_woks.asp"><span style="font-weight: bold;">KEN HOM'S WOK</span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Here's the beautiful signature on each wok handle:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPwDUyPZU6CVqbWHwAXFPKvKq-eHtYPonVQVHKvEIX2KqTw2BS_HtMZmc1p26dnsBglZIMzgB2dY_eh5bWCzFmShDUWQnhLl6MxyavauEbz1l_I2U_9kEzWOpViT_sZKya6zK/s1600-h/P1010157.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPwDUyPZU6CVqbWHwAXFPKvKq-eHtYPonVQVHKvEIX2KqTw2BS_HtMZmc1p26dnsBglZIMzgB2dY_eh5bWCzFmShDUWQnhLl6MxyavauEbz1l_I2U_9kEzWOpViT_sZKya6zK/s320/P1010157.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225613792297933122" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Here's the related email which you may find entertaining:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: courier new;">From: </span><b style="font-family: courier new;" class="gmail_sendername">Grace Lee</b><span style="font-family: courier new;"> <</span><a style="font-family: courier new;" href="mailto:culinarycravings@gmail.com" target="_blank">culinarycravings@gmail.com</a><span style="font-family: courier new;">></span><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;"> Date: Tue, Jul 22, 2008 at 12:10 AM</span><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;">Subject: Ken Hom 36cm Non Stick Carbon Steel Hanging Wok - Xylan Coating</span><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;">To: </span><a style="font-family: courier new;" href="mailto:cust.serv@dkbrands.co.uk" target="_blank">cust.serv@dkbrands.co.uk</a><span style="font-family: courier new;">, </span><a style="font-family: courier new;" href="mailto:cust.serv@williamlevene.com" target="_blank">cust.serv@williamlevene.com</a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;">Dear Customer Service team,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;"> On 12 January 2008, I purchased one of your product: a </span><b style="font-family: courier new;">Tao 36cm Non Stick Carbon Steel Hanging Wok</b><span style="font-family: courier new;"> from Debenhams Oxford Street, given that it is one of the few woks in the market that is Xylan-coated and comes in this size. It comes with a use and care instruction list which I carefully adhered to at all times.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;">However, even after the first use, it seems that the main selling point of your non stick carbon steel wok range is </span><b style="font-family: courier new;">not at all </b><span style="font-family: courier new;">living up to it's claim.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;">As quoted from your website (</span><a style="font-family: courier new;" href="http://www.kenhom.com/tao/carbon_steel_woks.asp" target="_blank">http://www.kenhom.com/tao/<wbr>carbon_steel_woks.asp</a><span style="font-family: courier new;">), "</span><i style="font-family: courier new;">Our carbon steel woks are coated with <b>Xylan®</b> - a <b>non-stick coating </b>reinforced with particles that are <b>virtually as hard as diamonds</b>, for <b>outstanding abrasion</b> and <b>scratch resistance - making TAO woks resilient and long-lasting</b>.The coating incorporates silicone for <b>easy cleaning</b>, as it is of course dishwasher safe."<br /><br /></i><span style="font-family: courier new;">I certainly found it extremely difficult to clean after the first use, with the food sticking to the wok instantly, somewhat ironic for a non stick wok. Please find attached a picture of its current state, despite all the gentle soaping with sponge pads and usage of wooden utensils whilst cooking.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;">I am deeply disappointed with your product(s) and its unfounded claims, which misleads consumers and violates the UK consumer rights legislations (The Sale of Goods Act 1979 - as amended). I do have a proof of purchase and I would like to receive a full cash refund for this in order to purchase a new wok of my choice, as I have completely lost confidence in your range of cookwares.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;">Thank you very much.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;">Yours sincerely,</span><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;">Grace Lee</span><br /><br /><br /></span> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1iWi8kOAw6Ium7JisJY-AuZ_j7hDE7qj01p7OgB66fT4p7OL7EIz5S_Btt56FwMOvlfoQOKnXrdEjIGoTsaiUV9BSWJbS96PfDnFipehV8cRzdKCdvk7z2hrlaz5eABMlt0p/s1600-h/P1010158.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1iWi8kOAw6Ium7JisJY-AuZ_j7hDE7qj01p7OgB66fT4p7OL7EIz5S_Btt56FwMOvlfoQOKnXrdEjIGoTsaiUV9BSWJbS96PfDnFipehV8cRzdKCdvk7z2hrlaz5eABMlt0p/s320/P1010158.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225613796417703954" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-18688403696177200862008-07-13T23:09:00.000+01:002008-07-13T23:11:03.437+01:00Santorini - The Fairy Tale Island<div style="text-align: justify;">Night time at Athens was another eye-opening experience... Strolling along the streets after dinner, passing by Syntagma square, we spotted a lifesize version of a choo-choo train, and it moves around the city! Apparently its called the Athens Happy Train, an alternative way to sightseeing buses, which from the name sounds like something to fetch around a bunch of people high on dope...<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFRxhKD26O88wpvptQn5NLNdQAEZPHGZMA2-lEKRXctgANmFAlx3oAOc956ZJHIDPYVcHGJrwBbBN7KqKisd5rjQbS5QhwAbPPdbmoMoVPw4rqoapvk5K93Kpxz3lvACoEJE1/s1600-h/P1000816.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFRxhKD26O88wpvptQn5NLNdQAEZPHGZMA2-lEKRXctgANmFAlx3oAOc956ZJHIDPYVcHGJrwBbBN7KqKisd5rjQbS5QhwAbPPdbmoMoVPw4rqoapvk5K93Kpxz3lvACoEJE1/s320/P1000816.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220016866005795874" border="0" /></a>Arriving at the airport for the flight to Santorini, we somehow landed in the local McDonalds where I spotted something Greek on offer - Mozzarella Balls. Didn't try it but looks good!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfhYBJYbOB7T9a76-lzW68XVRwgyiN738W8VjV2l6mRmbLqwfZ5Uo16z8xchpaHZ44t18a8wDZw51wSGxpropD1ormNcSj0SD1y1MzmYJHHqyGj_xouq2pT-ZwVjr04RMcDo8/s1600-h/P1000821.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfhYBJYbOB7T9a76-lzW68XVRwgyiN738W8VjV2l6mRmbLqwfZ5Uo16z8xchpaHZ44t18a8wDZw51wSGxpropD1ormNcSj0SD1y1MzmYJHHqyGj_xouq2pT-ZwVjr04RMcDo8/s320/P1000821.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220017614783243650" border="0" /></a>P was hungry and happily munching <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">McFarm</span>, a burger filled with 2 pork patties that tasted just like sausages, with some salad and cheese sandwiched in between. A tad too salty for me I find, always preferred burgers like GBK ...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnN8Z8MWtqk0xBuN0SyNBoOhITOXAoDCema9YGH-Q48g9R60Re3Jc9iN2K0ZUEDneJRBfnfHWGY8QKios-YzErEltpPedsXivdmAIFuo2t98htXSJJssxk7FB5gPd5mEQadIx5/s1600-h/P1000823.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnN8Z8MWtqk0xBuN0SyNBoOhITOXAoDCema9YGH-Q48g9R60Re3Jc9iN2K0ZUEDneJRBfnfHWGY8QKios-YzErEltpPedsXivdmAIFuo2t98htXSJJssxk7FB5gPd5mEQadIx5/s320/P1000823.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220017626266150098" border="0" /></a>The short 35 minute flight to Santorini was delayed, nevertheless the breathtaking views made everything worthwhile. This is the amazing balcony view we had at our hotel in Imerovigli, just facing the caldera, with the soothing sea breeze, ever so quiet and peaceful ...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjc9q0Gh4NGIXqDz7YssKmyJvyzyRZ_0s9DAj68fRVLkM6ornPLZFgVX6XkFUjpnvhECrktaQ-sPfn0WV2EVql3dTLiZNFyz1mPZ5KGjTeqPfFXMY77XeOj23DN88My4F10LX/s1600-h/P1000844.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjc9q0Gh4NGIXqDz7YssKmyJvyzyRZ_0s9DAj68fRVLkM6ornPLZFgVX6XkFUjpnvhECrktaQ-sPfn0WV2EVql3dTLiZNFyz1mPZ5KGjTeqPfFXMY77XeOj23DN88My4F10LX/s320/P1000844.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220024098454777426" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMAK7h1G0Cis0SskbE2WI4yUDchJJcwVi3lxkmxBa2UOCmVXbegr3UCLVknMp82mG6cq9jlvjtmwEhI_ysr7CtJ_pjhpQNfpUmcyaYKKGpxAWxbfaFXUBDlM4kShkxkjFXVCo/s1600-h/P1000831.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsMAK7h1G0Cis0SskbE2WI4yUDchJJcwVi3lxkmxBa2UOCmVXbegr3UCLVknMp82mG6cq9jlvjtmwEhI_ysr7CtJ_pjhpQNfpUmcyaYKKGpxAWxbfaFXUBDlM4kShkxkjFXVCo/s320/P1000831.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220017630111709586" border="0" /></a>Apparently people in Greece do everything 2 hours later than the 'norm', something like the Spanish, having dinner at 9pm, clubbing starts at 11pm, waking up after 10pm, etc, you get the drift. So not a surprise that arriving at 7pm in the morning wasn't a great idea, especially after not much sleep the previous night. But then, it was time to explore the area despite the grogginess, we enthusiastically headed for the nearest town Fira, which was the capital city of Santorini ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlx3xa7CtKjVLWdOXDJ9Lw7yACw0JDoK3z6nD5TbXj8slcxQ0blqg56Uaw7O5Jhof6lXQFoOEsEZkBzDrwDDb1cTIOHbkA4n3U_sjVzh2pqZ7dTIdFAEp-u45vL19r9_FQzfEv/s1600-h/P1000853.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlx3xa7CtKjVLWdOXDJ9Lw7yACw0JDoK3z6nD5TbXj8slcxQ0blqg56Uaw7O5Jhof6lXQFoOEsEZkBzDrwDDb1cTIOHbkA4n3U_sjVzh2pqZ7dTIdFAEp-u45vL19r9_FQzfEv/s320/P1000853.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220024104540360082" border="0" /></a>This is a great snapshot of Imerovigli and Fira (further at the back). One thing unique about Santorini (not sure if it's a Greek island thing as haven't been to others), is that the buildings are built as part of the mountain, hence inheriting the hilly and disorganised structures, with a small path connecting each of them. Personal balconies were a big feature of the hotels, as most people came here to have a tan, with outdoor chairs and small swimming (dipping) pools are all readily available.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisKlIccdqaYU13-6TO54rlHapccnXeRSxHfljIPHblNp8UE-QD124pUPFGfcBVm1t2J-5eSEK4zV1oCChuXkSOykRs2iJ2O9RerngjyiM8XVxnM-2on39ox3t3_hp9eYy77oE4/s1600-h/P1000833.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisKlIccdqaYU13-6TO54rlHapccnXeRSxHfljIPHblNp8UE-QD124pUPFGfcBVm1t2J-5eSEK4zV1oCChuXkSOykRs2iJ2O9RerngjyiM8XVxnM-2on39ox3t3_hp9eYy77oE4/s320/P1000833.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220017632836427570" border="0" /></a>We made it to Imerovigli 'town' as still unsure of how to walk to Fira without getting confused (no road signs!). Wouldn't call it a town per se, a street of shops is probably appropriate. But it has all you need as a tourist, a few restaurants, mini markets, souvenir shops, an ATM, car rentals and a bakery. And breakfast at the local bakery called "The Sun" was a good start ...<br /><br />I had a huge <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Apple Pie pastry</span> for €2. It was fresh out of the oven and tasted heavenly, without being too sweet at all, perfect.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwwMDnwfggUVXaLm2rYDnFQA2b62RNBogIyXzrLiEvb-pCfpEzEozqZNR8hd03I_BWpVh3G0Ng1XskMrIudEfBeWGvSQVL7iDpBVirSw5eE-e15c19XdWoJoZmQvRjxIWO3yS/s1600-h/P1000840.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwwMDnwfggUVXaLm2rYDnFQA2b62RNBogIyXzrLiEvb-pCfpEzEozqZNR8hd03I_BWpVh3G0Ng1XskMrIudEfBeWGvSQVL7iDpBVirSw5eE-e15c19XdWoJoZmQvRjxIWO3yS/s320/P1000840.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220024084755902674" border="0" /></a>P had something local, a <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Feta Cheese Pie, </span>which wasn't that great. Basically too little feta cheese encased in too much flour/bread that was too dry to begin with.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIlK8eI2ZPWs38xXGN72WhbQYSbUfALpTDSa3BrFZiyuXvzvzvtteLS4_80IR6dlVypRU-I2pHQXQPNW_K0pNL1Px-iC6aZy9WejBjTIIdRjfFSjphTs6k1HJnGPoF8VxdUnmE/s1600-h/P1000841.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIlK8eI2ZPWs38xXGN72WhbQYSbUfALpTDSa3BrFZiyuXvzvzvtteLS4_80IR6dlVypRU-I2pHQXQPNW_K0pNL1Px-iC6aZy9WejBjTIIdRjfFSjphTs6k1HJnGPoF8VxdUnmE/s320/P1000841.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220024095251854658" border="0" /></a>With not much to do and whole of the island still pretty much asleep at 9am, a morning stroll back to the hotel for a nice big nap was super appealing. Nothing beats the calm sea, cloudless skies and warm sunshine ....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhekJFInCIade0Z43slXHvDnzo40UvKI1RvcEF1-RL3xaZT8wwrDZAKSGiaqfRDvbRLqeVObmcd8oHDjNVo0l-9Tu9bRCFXngxgqkGfeaE7-E7DjiGrXWhvdL2YlpVN2o84x-Bu/s1600-h/P1000867.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhekJFInCIade0Z43slXHvDnzo40UvKI1RvcEF1-RL3xaZT8wwrDZAKSGiaqfRDvbRLqeVObmcd8oHDjNVo0l-9Tu9bRCFXngxgqkGfeaE7-E7DjiGrXWhvdL2YlpVN2o84x-Bu/s320/P1000867.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220024112782293026" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8HFB_WnQXgELo7hFrFTl4OlTDpN_zqSacpHw19-aVelz6m7eMoXTXQdkqWnn8I8bE2AkPWnNU575bX5Lxku-X_qxJC9A2-b5qzvxtpFPDZrGoKpEq03mxjLI1uP1c-cKISQD/s1600-h/P1000836.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8HFB_WnQXgELo7hFrFTl4OlTDpN_zqSacpHw19-aVelz6m7eMoXTXQdkqWnn8I8bE2AkPWnNU575bX5Lxku-X_qxJC9A2-b5qzvxtpFPDZrGoKpEq03mxjLI1uP1c-cKISQD/s320/P1000836.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220017637549707362" border="0" /></a>Feeling more refreshed (and hungry) after a good long nap, we started to make our way to Fira. It takes about 20-25 minutes walk, but it was a pleasant one especially when not too hot in the late afternoon. On the way, in a mini town called Firostefani, we got some 'Mipantas' from the supermarket. At least I think that's what I heard from the lady cashier. Mipanta is a local biscuit, very simple nothing special, but so good and so easy to pop in your mouth, hehe. Made of flour, sugar, egg, it has a slight hint of vanilla sweetness and crumbly texture. Good snack to have with some outdoor reading in the island...<br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlDCVf9aLwJPqkRpGYWsrsocprPa27Bjr3ita6-2aD2kQ1xRn8wMAR54TEeA8xYzl62GMtT9tegJJ_927TunfDUT_tII3lhVuil306MNmxFRg08SuZRKQ8mtoyYIBwNIZh1kS/s1600-h/P1000856.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlDCVf9aLwJPqkRpGYWsrsocprPa27Bjr3ita6-2aD2kQ1xRn8wMAR54TEeA8xYzl62GMtT9tegJJ_927TunfDUT_tII3lhVuil306MNmxFRg08SuZRKQ8mtoyYIBwNIZh1kS/s320/P1000856.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222058472887553186" border="0" /></a>And we made it to Fira! Here's a view of the city from top of the mountainous route we took. A lot of cafes and restaurants are set up here as to the right of this is simply just the sea, all buildings facing the caldera , but from a lower point than Imerovigli ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxPw3Z8jVxVdOwSDPwj77y1FKJQQUkPmXFJELKuCb-IsBycaSwq5AEz34AoG0luoGHIhfSgS8LjK1yWsMLN_m9yhx6gUZtM9VUKtVXIrVebVPDOkpVniYOcUnEjP9UbqGErpQ/s1600-h/P1000872.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxPw3Z8jVxVdOwSDPwj77y1FKJQQUkPmXFJELKuCb-IsBycaSwq5AEz34AoG0luoGHIhfSgS8LjK1yWsMLN_m9yhx6gUZtM9VUKtVXIrVebVPDOkpVniYOcUnEjP9UbqGErpQ/s320/P1000872.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222058482329470450" border="0" /></a>For dinner, we headed to this place called <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Stani, </span>situated right in the center of town, boasting volcanic views of the island. Pretty excited to finally try out some local specialties that I'd read so much about.<br /><br />For starters, we had <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Aubergine and Tomato Keftedes. </span>Keftedes is a generic name for fried items in ball shape I presume. The Santorini Aubergine is special, where instead of the usual purple skin we're so accustomed to, Santorini's is white and hence I was intrigued to see if it tasted different. The aubergine keftedes was crispy outside with a melt-in-your-mouth texture within, tastewise similar to its purple cousins I'd say, nicely spiced and not too salty.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-75joRRO8WAugQxni7poozTau63yrUHLqL5-9J0ZmPflLEhs9loFGIbFOhd_C7jKQ6FmkLa23K0AVjXz-aHWqJlUpJnZwEJKQC0vSnp5A8S7_FtcQF9BLzTFP2mBAi0bVCu1q/s1600-h/P1000875.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-75joRRO8WAugQxni7poozTau63yrUHLqL5-9J0ZmPflLEhs9loFGIbFOhd_C7jKQ6FmkLa23K0AVjXz-aHWqJlUpJnZwEJKQC0vSnp5A8S7_FtcQF9BLzTFP2mBAi0bVCu1q/s320/P1000875.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222058488880038290" border="0" /></a>However, what I was more interested in was the Tomato Keftedes, which just got me thinking how can you deep fry tomatoes without making a mess out of them? Especially after <a href="http://culinarycravings.blogspot.com/2008/07/adventures-in-athens.html">tasting amazing local tomatoes at Athens</a>, would it taste better fried or just left alone simply? And here's what we got ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSh0zXSQb92An3hFjTmy5X0LiEwljvFi8ptpjusHMuvY_IZq7nYln40hDa4UAn3JqGR1j4HuNW1trEOD0Ff-zuo9e1XpIu1QF0QjpPXXM8idzbnUE2qwXwSvJbW0mwD12Mvng/s1600-h/P1000876.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSh0zXSQb92An3hFjTmy5X0LiEwljvFi8ptpjusHMuvY_IZq7nYln40hDa4UAn3JqGR1j4HuNW1trEOD0Ff-zuo9e1XpIu1QF0QjpPXXM8idzbnUE2qwXwSvJbW0mwD12Mvng/s320/P1000876.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222064119145826050" border="0" /></a>It looked like banana fritters (pisang goreng) back home, but somehow they managed to fry the tomatoes in a very light and crispy batter, retaining all the sweet juicy tomato goodness once you chew into it. I still have no idea how they did that, but it was truly amazing!<br /><br />So progressing to the mains, I chose Stani's chef's special, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Lamb in Vine Leaves, </span>which our host assured us it authentic and within the family recipe. It was indeed very homey looking, with the meat stuffed with feta cheese and red peppers, wrapped with a layer of vine leaves and slowly braised to produce the soft texture. Served with boiled potatoes and rice, it was definitely a healthy change from the starters :) I was full from the starters, but thoroughly enjoyed something so simple infused with natural flavors.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-tG3kIFmqiIrNvS6M3rdHswzbhfl_pGFeH4yTIODuItUecVqN26p1MZQvRGNkgKBoQZh6W9H_vlgtbG1CWIc80GXHmHgvom7aCrbekqR9uy8gV19c62qYIf-OGX_1jtANgHB/s1600-h/P1000877.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-tG3kIFmqiIrNvS6M3rdHswzbhfl_pGFeH4yTIODuItUecVqN26p1MZQvRGNkgKBoQZh6W9H_vlgtbG1CWIc80GXHmHgvom7aCrbekqR9uy8gV19c62qYIf-OGX_1jtANgHB/s320/P1000877.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222058495009782802" border="0" /></a>P went straight ahead with traditional <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Mousaka,</span> and it certainly looked mean and done the proper way. No more mushy, cheesy and messy unauthentic attempts one so often see at confused restaurants, this one means business. A thin layer of cheese, lots of aubergine as base, and lean minced beef in between, with a sprinkle of herbs on top, P was happily munching away and it was super filling.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63FUQh2v9nfxSe0x4ztVg65Teb_AH9HXgsO4wUVEoyP5Pfu91nh_14kkgEcLyYpl__iX0NhUv_upsmnv4YMnpLqg5tiGcoPRAaDtG8vek9eBkpFd5S-Fb7izx9GVBI89LtKMV/s1600-h/P1000878.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63FUQh2v9nfxSe0x4ztVg65Teb_AH9HXgsO4wUVEoyP5Pfu91nh_14kkgEcLyYpl__iX0NhUv_upsmnv4YMnpLqg5tiGcoPRAaDtG8vek9eBkpFd5S-Fb7izx9GVBI89LtKMV/s320/P1000878.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222064125633981970" border="0" /></a>It was a good first dinner, but we weren't fans of the local wine I must say. Nothing that interesting and the white was pretty flat in taste, but good food made up for it :P<br /><br />Meanwhile, the crepe shop next to Stani had some interesting (weird) suggestions for the possible combinations for a crepe filling ... Chicken, banana, curry, yoghurt and peanuts anyone?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSKyeGLw1wNQx2XTTStQFA11lfsFktwBBNjRL5BWDCRTbAnMDPiqEFpVcWL66-UGqFK_xTiA6xrbEZ6GPFjW2AdiQuEbE09exwWz1bzV6iDXP_A4CVDViPd-m_YnJxSTbYdCM/s1600-h/P1000880.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSKyeGLw1wNQx2XTTStQFA11lfsFktwBBNjRL5BWDCRTbAnMDPiqEFpVcWL66-UGqFK_xTiA6xrbEZ6GPFjW2AdiQuEbE09exwWz1bzV6iDXP_A4CVDViPd-m_YnJxSTbYdCM/s320/P1000880.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222064127597855522" border="0" /></a>Soon, it was time to head back and here's a sneak peek into the beautiful sunsets I was raving about previously ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0YtM4GoEIW2Dles5s2g7y0Zu4B502puK7MPzC-qWWRBkKELYb6OcDu_ihSOY_AxkskPWAEAtWh1njTPM81Gvamt3aYqngyTR4AfqOJ-m3XqVQqbFv5etTI7es9MpatjH7j-99/s1600-h/P1000887.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0YtM4GoEIW2Dles5s2g7y0Zu4B502puK7MPzC-qWWRBkKELYb6OcDu_ihSOY_AxkskPWAEAtWh1njTPM81Gvamt3aYqngyTR4AfqOJ-m3XqVQqbFv5etTI7es9MpatjH7j-99/s320/P1000887.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222064135824568882" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-77164095236607751992008-07-06T22:31:00.000+01:002008-07-06T22:31:01.452+01:00Adventures in Athens<div style="text-align: justify;">After a 3.5 hours flight, we arrived fresh faced and eager to explore the city of Athens for the first day of our Greek adventure. For me, it's the first time venturing further out in Europe and going for a Mediterranean twist in search for a different sort of holiday. And the best bit (probably stressful/frustrating for some) is I decided to do book this holiday in my usual rashed/irrational style with not much planning, never had time to research more of the cultural history and must-see sights given that I was busy working most of the time. Literally just booked the connecting flights and hotels and just headed off! In a strange sort of way it did pay off and I loved every bit of randomness of this Greek holiday ...<br /><br />Athens feels like a small town living in history, not your typical glamorous and trendy European cities (e.g. Paris, Milan, Barcelona). Buildings are older and less polished, roads are narrow, Greek words and graffiti everywhere (not very English friendly), lots of nuts and olives, and of course, random shops like this ...<br /><br />Colorful bottles of local liquor called Ouzo (which tastes like mouthwash or some toothpaste actually) ...<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWsCp9cbGQ8botMNkKEV9EhoGmWQ_6alFc4gsTL7FsIDIdY_-Padc1JnCSQd241Jv8KRyK9xEvZ50qzfvAYNPnMN0Thd-R5DjhjJHWfL77mwIsnIDaKLyX6jxlkKWNGD5Iqqc/s1600-h/P1000785.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWsCp9cbGQ8botMNkKEV9EhoGmWQ_6alFc4gsTL7FsIDIdY_-Padc1JnCSQd241Jv8KRyK9xEvZ50qzfvAYNPnMN0Thd-R5DjhjJHWfL77mwIsnIDaKLyX6jxlkKWNGD5Iqqc/s320/P1000785.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219609414935603650" border="0" /></a>And then I saw something totally inappropriate which I thought you all would be interested ... -_-||<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZqjbrobTqEjg2F6rco1q9gxffPfckRbv5sfzM5wjwleusBuCoCgBhn097p-qC55KygGhblIEZozyRoE2n7vQYqF5kpKeJaEsfBycVBDzKklwqkAxCCz1v111FFThcoNxxLLX/s1600-h/P1000787.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZqjbrobTqEjg2F6rco1q9gxffPfckRbv5sfzM5wjwleusBuCoCgBhn097p-qC55KygGhblIEZozyRoE2n7vQYqF5kpKeJaEsfBycVBDzKklwqkAxCCz1v111FFThcoNxxLLX/s320/P1000787.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219609421540610898" border="0" /></a>But anyways, we headed straight for a famous taverna for seafood called <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tou Psara </span>for dinner, which is near the Plaka, but pretty hard to find I must say. Well worth the hunt as you can just ask some locals like we did which will point you to the direction once you're nearby.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKm2EKptA6K3YtqG2MEMGHSAOi_UstdogZPgT5XTCTJJog0-o4jFBw4c8gFx9g4hLj3GVgXNFkO2C672iNMjaHYz_cAAnGvJRZ8sEX06animokqfVqnK7LUC95NvW9zuQvnagA/s1600-h/P1000798.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKm2EKptA6K3YtqG2MEMGHSAOi_UstdogZPgT5XTCTJJog0-o4jFBw4c8gFx9g4hLj3GVgXNFkO2C672iNMjaHYz_cAAnGvJRZ8sEX06animokqfVqnK7LUC95NvW9zuQvnagA/s320/P1000798.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219609430563988258" border="0" /></a>There are tables indoors as well as outdoors. You get a pretty decent view of the city like below<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4XS5aFDt4hoIAq4W3zo_FAKetbECfKtcAtWqNISbD3Bzo-ABLR8k25_mZDzLXnwMViIFI7FptewH4T0Ffo9qnXKPoSUCRZnYKm4A6lrdXPi9LNwtdSrtPJ3OsY2YGTaP0bJ2/s1600-h/P1000791.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4XS5aFDt4hoIAq4W3zo_FAKetbECfKtcAtWqNISbD3Bzo-ABLR8k25_mZDzLXnwMViIFI7FptewH4T0Ffo9qnXKPoSUCRZnYKm4A6lrdXPi9LNwtdSrtPJ3OsY2YGTaP0bJ2/s320/P1000791.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219609424859604370" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Here's a snapshot of the menu, on the starters page. I decided to go for the famous Greek salad for starters, after hearing so much about how its different locally.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ5ZvFcjq2lFOR6yMM_O0wirM0WsMd2ueUljsSCMuj0nV4GEAAmG04Rqk2-l0fv_5mTAQie7i29DYBqo6dRbk9gSzY_m3azVL4KHm3QYrdasXb6-GWsvGiGMuHCw7kwMTJX0nR/s1600-h/P1000800.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ5ZvFcjq2lFOR6yMM_O0wirM0WsMd2ueUljsSCMuj0nV4GEAAmG04Rqk2-l0fv_5mTAQie7i29DYBqo6dRbk9gSzY_m3azVL4KHm3QYrdasXb6-GWsvGiGMuHCw7kwMTJX0nR/s320/P1000800.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219609440429230258" border="0" /></a><br />And boy were they <span style="font-style: italic;">SO</span> right! The Greek salad I've had all along outside of Greece was a poor attempt to replicate what is originally a refreshing, crisp and fresh salad. The key ingredients that made a difference was the local produce: giant red local tomatoes, fresh capers, olives, cucumber, green pepper and onions, dressed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, topped with a generous chunk of feta cheese... absolutely heavenly! The salad is served chilled and what I found interesting was that the raw onions were sweet and juicy and doesn't give the sharp aftertaste which many find unappetising. Now we know the ones available in the UK is not doing this amazing salad justice at all ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhombwtV6D0YJCCr-ofK1D3so-UIBbP1xuUIrBQud4hetPdTV57TbkKT4-6tTLecPUXT0C7ogHsX1duBTpD5Sy8BiFOn_I0y4OHtIE6KP-p0as2vELUuIfuQkS67nWByivkZTB-/s1600-h/P1000803.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhombwtV6D0YJCCr-ofK1D3so-UIBbP1xuUIrBQud4hetPdTV57TbkKT4-6tTLecPUXT0C7ogHsX1duBTpD5Sy8BiFOn_I0y4OHtIE6KP-p0as2vELUuIfuQkS67nWByivkZTB-/s320/P1000803.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219802896152649890" border="0" /></a>P had the <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Grilled Kalamari Stuffed with Feta and Red Pepper, </span>served with a mini tomato salad on the side. And that's what I meant by the giant local tomatoes if you look at the size of it :) He thoroughly enjoyed the dish being a big seafood and cheese fan, and I took quite a liking to it as well especially the crispy tentacles bit ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDeWdykJIKBd7VFAjU93UpU1Gg0eqv28QLqW5sFWdQdNXZ6uAVHFw7xe3ru4e4Zbk92unTj_crMhwE7-ky97CEyguXpocAeEO6uOR1rZ3sXdoUuOuVVpyMLaGn4MuvNDiroir/s1600-h/P1000805.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDeWdykJIKBd7VFAjU93UpU1Gg0eqv28QLqW5sFWdQdNXZ6uAVHFw7xe3ru4e4Zbk92unTj_crMhwE7-ky97CEyguXpocAeEO6uOR1rZ3sXdoUuOuVVpyMLaGn4MuvNDiroir/s320/P1000805.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219802910737358578" border="0" /></a>On the other hand, I ordered <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Lamb Souvlaki with Spinach Pie and Rice. </span>Souvlaki is probably what we normally call kebabs, basically pieces of meat grilled on skewers. The big chunky meat was succulent, grilled pink and perfect, with little charred bits on the green pepper which was nice (but cancer causing unfortunately) ;P The spinach pie was something new I've not tried before, but basically spinach cooked with a melted cheese topping, which is unsurprisingly feta I suspect. Pretty balance dish with a bit of meat, vegetables and carbo.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_ndS6AxrQYySXlK2ky3MQtsFBh-YUlkdQIn9h-_o64RXXOIlkVA4sYR57w4RxeNoqlCRefX6zrJWWJNXpOsCW9VPur32zuCZkNh6ubR5JCG2bOa13xomUVuC4HDyV03HQHch/s1600-h/P1000804.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_ndS6AxrQYySXlK2ky3MQtsFBh-YUlkdQIn9h-_o64RXXOIlkVA4sYR57w4RxeNoqlCRefX6zrJWWJNXpOsCW9VPur32zuCZkNh6ubR5JCG2bOa13xomUVuC4HDyV03HQHch/s320/P1000804.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219802905538247778" border="0" /></a>And there was something red, big and local that I would have missed out if it wasn't for the kind host who gave out fruits on the house. The chilled watermelon was great on a warm sunny day, oozing with natural sweetness and juiciness. All in all a great start to the discovery of Greek cuisine!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6ZFqF9Ej-Tb3Uw0FPcKD8IG1EaPbOec5JgLrsXlaqoojTh8IE-Et-6heD5Nv22Z1D-3quNCaKJquUDM7vFxJOccU3afe-jjxuQYu2Run3_zh6nF3_6DUAfj9kQNhJM1TiujW/s1600-h/P1000807.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6ZFqF9Ej-Tb3Uw0FPcKD8IG1EaPbOec5JgLrsXlaqoojTh8IE-Et-6heD5Nv22Z1D-3quNCaKJquUDM7vFxJOccU3afe-jjxuQYu2Run3_zh6nF3_6DUAfj9kQNhJM1TiujW/s320/P1000807.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219802919810290258" border="0" /></a>By the time we paid our bill, it's starting to get dark and even in Athens, the sunset is so beautiful and an event that you actually have to stop doing what you're doing and just standstill for 5-10 minutes to appreciate this natural beauty that is so often taken for granted ... More on this when we're off to Santorini island next!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnkj2YsNy-b5zOeu2HpPfZ2zHBfrBX6KsPvtNtbZAEiiaGiqcvOnpVBGQEcthvVYgPzCKswPyKBl2_4a2pMNuS7SRPxBK7BJ_aZ-Mz2bZ89FO6eF9GsfRg5sOETtUv7QUx96C/s1600-h/P1000810.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnkj2YsNy-b5zOeu2HpPfZ2zHBfrBX6KsPvtNtbZAEiiaGiqcvOnpVBGQEcthvVYgPzCKswPyKBl2_4a2pMNuS7SRPxBK7BJ_aZ-Mz2bZ89FO6eF9GsfRg5sOETtUv7QUx96C/s320/P1000810.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219904517284134002" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Tou Psara (Fish Taverna)</span><br /><span class="bottomTip">Eretheos, 16. Plaka<br />Athens, Greece<br /><br /><br /></span>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-70592379658317499602008-07-02T22:49:00.011+01:002008-07-03T22:45:10.735+01:00The Simple Life back HomeYes, I'm back from beautiful Greece!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Not that I'm happy that my holidays are over, but its still feels great to come back to London. Yup, I actually missed the weather <span style="font-style: italic;">slightly</span>, as it was just freaking 35C permanently in Athens and Santorini. One good thing about Greek summer is that clouds don't seem to exist there, which proved great for sunsets and spotting shooting stars in the starry starry nights! I'll leave the rambling of the trip to the next few posts as it's still work in progress as I've way to many pictures to consolidate :)<br /><br />In the meantime, there are a few things about Greece that reminded me very much of home:<br />1) The obvious hot weather<br />2) Athens feels and looks like Klang/Petaling Street (no kidding here)<br />3) The slower pace of life in general<br /><br />Which brings us to another episode of home cooked Malaysian food ...<br /><br />This is something I whipped up during the weekend for the housemates since it's been a while I cooked something homey. The beauty about home cooked stuff is that it's simple, no fuss, yet delicious and generally healthier than eating out<br /><br />This is Stir Fried Pork with Mushroom and Carrots, garnished with some chopped spring onions (could have named it some Dragon/Phoenix related/<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha_jumps_over_the_wall">Funky-Pig-Jumping-Over-the-Carrots</a> or whatever, but sod it, its midnight and it's been a hard week with not much brain juice to spare ...)<br /><br />Seasoning is simple like the theme: marinade the pork for at least an hour in a bit of corn flour, light soy sauce, sesame oil (for extra oomph!) and dark soy sauce (for color, if you fancy). For the vegetables, just chopped them in whatever shape you like (I did a flower one for the carrots), and sliced the mushrooms thinly and you're pretty much done! Of course garlic is always your base for stir fries, and all you have to do is brown them in oil, and then add the carrots (they take a while to cook) first, and the pork 5 minutes later, and the mushrooms last, adding very tiny amount of water if necessary. Remember to test the flavor and add a pinch of salt if necessary (season to taste).<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8i5nQxOFc-J5-sqNMzKAbIboEfZjX0b3e69NPDej69f7dZzyY2Yp6HnZZkOEC-yaMunlPkAjuODHK0Br3cn4GuC0o-E3UzQpvzdNtqwgQ3fwE0nIDw8vkpyEBlnOSF88xw1V/s1600-h/P1000769.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8i5nQxOFc-J5-sqNMzKAbIboEfZjX0b3e69NPDej69f7dZzyY2Yp6HnZZkOEC-yaMunlPkAjuODHK0Br3cn4GuC0o-E3UzQpvzdNtqwgQ3fwE0nIDw8vkpyEBlnOSF88xw1V/s320/P1000769.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218538520964232786" border="0" /></a>Bought a 400g loin of cod of the highest grade in the supermarket seafood counter for the classic Cantonese style steamed fish, which costed a tiny bomb, but well worth it as it was fresh and flaky when done. Lay the sprigs of spring onions below the cod pieces, and fine ginger slices on top, and then just add light soy sauce and a dash of sesame oil before steaming it for 10 minutes or less, depending on size/thickness of the fish.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnr5IVIg5vyOEWLjVmpgR1jVw_feIu2vKuEUojx5Gawo_a5qaDDXv6f51lYeOYzLsfIgibD2SjNzE45IMw57gx0rDSbokWzNasOa7qIkmpJoi3KJLFkXdnFyJri5WpCnXgoY5/s1600-h/P1000770.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnr5IVIg5vyOEWLjVmpgR1jVw_feIu2vKuEUojx5Gawo_a5qaDDXv6f51lYeOYzLsfIgibD2SjNzE45IMw57gx0rDSbokWzNasOa7qIkmpJoi3KJLFkXdnFyJri5WpCnXgoY5/s320/P1000770.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218538522793390578" border="0" /></a>If you squint your eyes properly you could probably see another dish in the top left of the picture that just looks brown. Forgot to take a picture of that, but it's a dish that I grew up with: Steamed egg with Chinese Mushroom and Dried Prawns topping. Judging from feedback, it was the most popular dish of them all that night :D Promise to do one special post on the steam egg dish as I recently learnt a secret to the perfect one from a friend.<br /></div><br />Anyways, expect lots of delicious Greek foodie banter next!Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-46995775203584357572008-06-20T21:04:00.001+01:002008-06-20T21:23:53.340+01:00What Scottish Breakfast?<div style="text-align: justify;">Hoho, I'm on holidays at LAST --- for a week only though, but nevertheless, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Grace is going to Greece :) ! </span>Good sun, beautiful beaches and hopefully not <span style="font-style: italic;">too</span> crowded, definitely haven't chilled out properly and the idea of catching up with some story book reading sounds amazing ...<br /><br />Anyways, I digressed and let's go back to my last day in Edinburgh ... time to check out what the Scottish lads have in the morning ... Yes I've been lousy and couldn't resist a nice cuppa cappucino to start off<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEplH8pusUlrrZk3B_nBcjl5thJTeQvWBfJgiWHFyYYM6PzS2dU2HPQ4FwQQS_jzmoA76bW3kPZxjq0sipq0-zdxX_3PMpjZCk0MQLUHCsGgnxI8ZjhnkurOey1gfz0gT0sMu/s1600-h/P1000755.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEplH8pusUlrrZk3B_nBcjl5thJTeQvWBfJgiWHFyYYM6PzS2dU2HPQ4FwQQS_jzmoA76bW3kPZxjq0sipq0-zdxX_3PMpjZCk0MQLUHCsGgnxI8ZjhnkurOey1gfz0gT0sMu/s320/P1000755.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212140175531563554" border="0" /></a>And then the full Scottish breakfast comes ... something in between a British and American fry up to put it simply. You have buttered toasts, lorne, grilled tomatoes, fried eggs, tattie scones, sausages, hashbrowns and of course, black puddings. Lorne, black pudding and tattie scones are probably the Scottish influence there.<br /><br />Tattie scones is easy (bottom left of the picture, near the toast and sausage), if you remember from previous posts, tattie = potatoes basically. It's like a soft potato oatcake in a fan shape, quite thin and chewy. On the other hand, black pudding (black thing in the picture, easy to spot) is a sausage made with animal's blood, typically pig or cattle's. Yea, it sounds a little gruesome I suppose, but it's really flavorful like haggis and I prefer them in small doses, goes well with bread and other fillers.<br /><br />Lorne (the piece rectangular meat near the tomato and baked beans top of the plate) is something I've totally not heard of, but apparently its some sort of squarish sausage. To me it's a Scottish version of luncheon meat (something like corned beef), too salty to me but P's a great big fan of luncheon meat and simply adores it, LOL<br /><br />And do you know this whole serving is HALF a portion for breakfast? I can't imagine how anyone could take on the full monty ...<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVtvDlqvTJQ-t0Krmmcf1MlrGqJHv2Ma6_8CNHXqHkOOM0TdjQOAkL_EELRvZ0YxtLOQ9oDJ1qmfueLGfXJi9ekVirQdkB8_Trz9svmZvsMSDRLeRgREVCAZgz31ijm7_9PVa/s1600-h/P1000757.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVtvDlqvTJQ-t0Krmmcf1MlrGqJHv2Ma6_8CNHXqHkOOM0TdjQOAkL_EELRvZ0YxtLOQ9oDJ1qmfueLGfXJi9ekVirQdkB8_Trz9svmZvsMSDRLeRgREVCAZgz31ijm7_9PVa/s320/P1000757.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212140180877903682" border="0" /></a>Meanwhile we had an extra does of baked beans on toast, just had the odd realisation I haven't had those for ages, weird ....<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMEt8VyRXG4NRpt7IWLstbWjaUUxAH5I-7l_b4oV58r1ZpcfrrIeHjDtXYsYhPYdW9D_YLDpfJMo8_Uv2476hLAfKJNZ9BD8TxNAVuxPQjHUbpp5i7oGOOifGWogZTdU9jl6e/s1600-h/P1000758.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMEt8VyRXG4NRpt7IWLstbWjaUUxAH5I-7l_b4oV58r1ZpcfrrIeHjDtXYsYhPYdW9D_YLDpfJMo8_Uv2476hLAfKJNZ9BD8TxNAVuxPQjHUbpp5i7oGOOifGWogZTdU9jl6e/s320/P1000758.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212140188323691682" border="0" /></a>So that's most of what I had in my short weekend in Edinburgh, but hoping to make another trip in July soon when the weather is even better!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I will be heading to Greece tomorrow to slack in a beautiful island for a week :P Promise to take a lot of breathtaking views of the place and of course share some delicious photos with you all when I'm back!<br /><br /></div>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-3318537573764411212008-06-19T00:13:00.001+01:002008-06-19T00:15:29.123+01:00Edinburgh Eats II<div style="text-align: justify;">Ok, I'm super tired now on a Wednesday night and have to be in office early tomorrow. With about 6 hours left of my precious beauty sleep, let me just briefly show you the best bits of Edinburgh that I was raving about previously...<br /><br />After the quaint market, we head towards town center (Princes Street), with many beautiful architectures around such as this ...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWz9NwhUFcBYaDtfZPXEY4GnTMgzm_wRKjSLeNYyiY_2mUsWwg7zbyGIvGlx6zQnWu2a2kuxRk25VkHGtF7_qpwD46IZ9CRVmh71PbZV_RugH04R2P-YCXY0cUYbJWwb1yG18/s1600-h/P1000697.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWz9NwhUFcBYaDtfZPXEY4GnTMgzm_wRKjSLeNYyiY_2mUsWwg7zbyGIvGlx6zQnWu2a2kuxRk25VkHGtF7_qpwD46IZ9CRVmh71PbZV_RugH04R2P-YCXY0cUYbJWwb1yG18/s320/P1000697.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212117542346422146" border="0" /></a>And I'm determined not to be like one of them, doing typical boring touristy stuff sitting on one of these red sightseeing buses *shudders*<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL32GfyD6dLB26JOpi6BFSMK-Kn-MxK2YSRH63md4wKkMageTijTeS9QpZtPY1qYxhQfG1BhCNnhAhLiUG6snf0EU-ZVdNvRNG_AAVGGdyrGREmkqeRkBrNuk5zF5sJk-Ve3D0/s1600-h/P1000698.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL32GfyD6dLB26JOpi6BFSMK-Kn-MxK2YSRH63md4wKkMageTijTeS9QpZtPY1qYxhQfG1BhCNnhAhLiUG6snf0EU-ZVdNvRNG_AAVGGdyrGREmkqeRkBrNuk5zF5sJk-Ve3D0/s320/P1000698.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212117555597758706" border="0" /></a>and instead headed straight for the beautiful park where the Edinburgh castle is! Definitely have to be there to see it for your own eyes really: fresh air, good sun, shady trees, green grass and most importantly <span style="font-weight: bold;">no crowds</span>, it was pure bliss just lying down on the grass facing the bright blue sky and watching the day go by ....<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cSKR9CPihua67xVDeFDOyfzoqDVaGLklWPtAyKrJ830rIcBwyoXanIJbs4gbn6fkCBtgaY-QL7CUq_hZ1gsAgSasc_waTfgrMOs5WKMZuSa3M2ILucvY4rIlerSCtiRU1IIo/s1600-h/P1000701.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cSKR9CPihua67xVDeFDOyfzoqDVaGLklWPtAyKrJ830rIcBwyoXanIJbs4gbn6fkCBtgaY-QL7CUq_hZ1gsAgSasc_waTfgrMOs5WKMZuSa3M2ILucvY4rIlerSCtiRU1IIo/s320/P1000701.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212117566153754034" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUXtWc8-h47j9GPwTslPT4urzKpmIXJKo9k_ZSrBGKwA3FF_GOe0tba2NqR6ucu92DX9Zu7gStgH-ADNNnGu3wQkAE9B65XkFy9Yf1d6ep4iurbHyz17wq9tLLnPv6f5TITmP/s1600-h/P1000728.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUXtWc8-h47j9GPwTslPT4urzKpmIXJKo9k_ZSrBGKwA3FF_GOe0tba2NqR6ucu92DX9Zu7gStgH-ADNNnGu3wQkAE9B65XkFy9Yf1d6ep4iurbHyz17wq9tLLnPv6f5TITmP/s320/P1000728.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212128714152975522" border="0" /></a>I really liked this picture taken by P in particular, super focused on the park surrounding and the greeneries, pretty soothing and calming, my new wallpaper now, lol. Apparently its good for the eyes too, especially at work when staring at computer screens the whole day, its best to take a break and look at something green and faraway ... yup that was totally random :P<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_FkqmGpRqQol2t4XtYngQ09OVv7kVyQBospJ62rhOolZgl1Bojk7gL4C56-QY4SOk-1AXByNH8GxAObmV6efgTls788UczDqDfY_9HOYYoeEVQyptMHgosZA0GtKditUlA7S/s1600-h/P1000705.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_FkqmGpRqQol2t4XtYngQ09OVv7kVyQBospJ62rhOolZgl1Bojk7gL4C56-QY4SOk-1AXByNH8GxAObmV6efgTls788UczDqDfY_9HOYYoeEVQyptMHgosZA0GtKditUlA7S/s320/P1000705.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212128698508507330" border="0" /></a>And I knew I had to show you guys this Mister Potato statue, as I call it, not sure what it is, or what it was for, probably some memorial, but it's queer shape definitely caught my eye<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDRVoml0jKxGaLN1o2tD2t97CWxENzZitpasHKqxfmbPiyOQLjAE59LriEnFM5lJtIhDRPuGEL39J0Idt07-wki4B0VXHLUmDojz4KBCF9Cc4eGTPS3KcEKCE5B-TQ304KAmb/s1600-h/P1000713.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDRVoml0jKxGaLN1o2tD2t97CWxENzZitpasHKqxfmbPiyOQLjAE59LriEnFM5lJtIhDRPuGEL39J0Idt07-wki4B0VXHLUmDojz4KBCF9Cc4eGTPS3KcEKCE5B-TQ304KAmb/s320/P1000713.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212128705741344722" border="0" /></a>and of course I have to take some Scottish-y pictures for you, here with a man in his favorite kilt performing on the street ... Super keen guy I must say :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYrUE0h2gY9q1gTEMMt_sHvRz2T1eqEli3u1B-O2c0wvrSiWr9PPebG5Ode2_N7riY4McQayFDTlF7zvHEwrhoDmzFQJeCXQdnjuSxyeJWYbaMFjgWqyNcytPlDdswRBY-ZDh/s1600-h/P1000738.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYrUE0h2gY9q1gTEMMt_sHvRz2T1eqEli3u1B-O2c0wvrSiWr9PPebG5Ode2_N7riY4McQayFDTlF7zvHEwrhoDmzFQJeCXQdnjuSxyeJWYbaMFjgWqyNcytPlDdswRBY-ZDh/s320/P1000738.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212128740518763362" border="0" /></a>Next, time to grab some<span style="font-weight: bold;"> FOOD</span> (finally)! There was a shopping mall nearby and I was super excited to check out the local McDonald's, hoping to see the globalised giant have some interesting local specialties just like McRib in Germany or Green Bean Pie in China.<br /><br />I was hoping there was a McHaggis or something which would make my day for sure ... to my dismay, there wasn't anything 'local' and all I saw was this typical menu, what a let down!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIncRUsYNTBR86JsfwDamDaI1PiYWnRglq9CV3cA5E68hMW3RXaSMB_o-jfwxYh0lSq8rFbaOlujVfZ5kbCfHZandzdNgvsnuPo-VQ7Z9Bk6BHWeIeLvip1hlGUlnYZduy8Da4/s1600-h/P1000739.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIncRUsYNTBR86JsfwDamDaI1PiYWnRglq9CV3cA5E68hMW3RXaSMB_o-jfwxYh0lSq8rFbaOlujVfZ5kbCfHZandzdNgvsnuPo-VQ7Z9Bk6BHWeIeLvip1hlGUlnYZduy8Da4/s320/P1000739.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212130960232860482" border="0" /></a>Nevertheless, we walked around and spotted this really nice looking place called 'The Garden Cafe', which offers alfresco dining, perfect for the sunny weather. You know you can't say know when you get such a nice atmosphere like this....<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZyG4pnSicI439gcYxUCjlqFyiOQVo_IUA18f0UMxSb_KQ6qAO7QKmx7XcpuKDGH31GGvO4yh71gulZk5hJg-tJWUpNs0ASUGYuSmQDNxdDJAR0asNzTBOoXLkLalUAjCVNpy/s1600-h/P1000745.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZyG4pnSicI439gcYxUCjlqFyiOQVo_IUA18f0UMxSb_KQ6qAO7QKmx7XcpuKDGH31GGvO4yh71gulZk5hJg-tJWUpNs0ASUGYuSmQDNxdDJAR0asNzTBOoXLkLalUAjCVNpy/s320/P1000745.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212130976248869682" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7uLwrOwGLrJaOCZuo-F5WccmInS0ZXnEfiolRQm1aFtRGb1yGyGYHkVQZfAJtJ_leGWE66nEFe1k2W25O_j867c0fy_ztOY7qsi71zQR4EeA4JzlIkHh56_Sg4uppOlCxK3M/s1600-h/P1000746.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7uLwrOwGLrJaOCZuo-F5WccmInS0ZXnEfiolRQm1aFtRGb1yGyGYHkVQZfAJtJ_leGWE66nEFe1k2W25O_j867c0fy_ztOY7qsi71zQR4EeA4JzlIkHh56_Sg4uppOlCxK3M/s320/P1000746.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212130986229589234" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjrJfQn0aQf_Pg4OcG8Yv3KlS7u2CWb7QuQzXL1OH-APQBsWMGuzHCKrXEOMjRXx-aIKjCL2yuxUuWdlI1tvlEtuwFPFJ0raDVSn0lCeRzNH7YyJuE0Dy2izaI150TYxsiNR5/s1600-h/P1000748.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjrJfQn0aQf_Pg4OcG8Yv3KlS7u2CWb7QuQzXL1OH-APQBsWMGuzHCKrXEOMjRXx-aIKjCL2yuxUuWdlI1tvlEtuwFPFJ0raDVSn0lCeRzNH7YyJuE0Dy2izaI150TYxsiNR5/s320/P1000748.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212130995045254946" border="0" /></a>P ordered <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Haggis, Neeps and Tatties with Brandy Sauce ... </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Come on, how can you <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> order that when you see that funny name?! I couldn't stop laughing at the word Neeps, its probably a Scottish word for mashed swede. Tatties on the other hand is just mashed potatoes, just an old English way to say potatoes I suppose. More importantly, something very Scottish and probably the traditional dish is Haggis - to put it simply its minced animal intestines with spices, something like Christmas stuffings, but the method of cooking is unique, in the sense that it is boiled in animal (usually sheep's) stomach for a few hours.<br /><br />Sounds gross? But it actually tastes pretty good. Only thing is that I can take it in small doses as the strong flavor of offal is not really my cup of tea. But P absolutely loved it, especially with the brandy sauce ....<br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tqelgLFJPBPnaTdQNYSF6mL8IXlTLL8ucrNLR1sg2j7vjAaSC6VqXh_USsnyTb0bZQ_-DqoOMifc9njHyNPYZm6_p8iyf6mTDJcPaQkVleI7z6UmPGf7hVyGUtCSqVv4LPzL/s1600-h/P1000749.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tqelgLFJPBPnaTdQNYSF6mL8IXlTLL8ucrNLR1sg2j7vjAaSC6VqXh_USsnyTb0bZQ_-DqoOMifc9njHyNPYZm6_p8iyf6mTDJcPaQkVleI7z6UmPGf7hVyGUtCSqVv4LPzL/s320/P1000749.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212131002266275634" border="0" /></a>Me ? I ordered a <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Seafood Pizza with Watercress</span> as there were no other interesting Scottish things I'd like to try and the menu is pretty general (pasta, pizza, sandwiches, steak). Pizza was great with the chewy and cheesy texture, a large portion too, unfortunately diminishing marginal returns sets in as I get less satisfaction out of each extra bite, as the pizza loses its chewiness as it gets cold ...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0BWT3oIlknP-bWXMMP-8nvljUXiIOMxGWw2DNyCOzYBNGRzWUpee0GKr3OFe8rnKwNZpuCBOvhoP3BHU5oUhiVOd_tkOfE_7JsuPueoAdmv8hiv9Wop3L2jNj2ItbUrPmr_B/s1600-h/P1000750.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0BWT3oIlknP-bWXMMP-8nvljUXiIOMxGWw2DNyCOzYBNGRzWUpee0GKr3OFe8rnKwNZpuCBOvhoP3BHU5oUhiVOd_tkOfE_7JsuPueoAdmv8hiv9Wop3L2jNj2ItbUrPmr_B/s320/P1000750.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212138918930477522" border="0" /></a>Yes I'm ashamed of myself not having found a fried mars bars place yet and ate a French breakfast and Italian lunch in Scotland, WoooT is THAT?! But I love Edinburgh all in all for its quaint, peaceful and beautiful town, getting all the balances right with a bit of city and a load of countryside :)<br /><br /></div>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-881119782624184582008-06-15T23:00:00.001+01:002008-06-15T23:07:06.282+01:00Edinburgh Eats I<div style="text-align: justify;">So I went to the land of kilts last weekend ... and man, I couldn't resist my laughter when ScotsAir <span style="font-style: italic;">actually </span>had kilt-covered flight seats, it's definitely the first signs of a fun filled weekend :)<br /><br />Even pronouncing the road names in Edinburgh was a task itself, nevertheless the taxi man definitely had a good laugh at my attempts, but we got there finally before midnight. A good night's rest definitely renewed my appetite, as I was famished the next day and went straight into a bakery that serves this...<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7azj3p9aVjG2WqnQelERf5CgKWEGwQh2upY50BLk9Amfv30q3chBSxrNK3K5mPNCXyzhs7UnHG7hWKJOXf7dhsALxkDCqMkdvr-lajrjwfteXVqd0rArsEy8p4FZEQqfkDMu/s1600-h/P1000676.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7azj3p9aVjG2WqnQelERf5CgKWEGwQh2upY50BLk9Amfv30q3chBSxrNK3K5mPNCXyzhs7UnHG7hWKJOXf7dhsALxkDCqMkdvr-lajrjwfteXVqd0rArsEy8p4FZEQqfkDMu/s320/P1000676.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211501990175207970" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCA_feyIWbMFJjvQfmcQbNb4UdM1EJPxj9ItUe4SGZWTfGS5ESpYt3dcs8x5zoq3RPQPGlwbuxNMg5K51zRLQxhZogRK7DaqEZ80OJhKNS6yF3nVnGDstCb4cj8t8ThdRJQ4qg/s1600-h/P1000677.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCA_feyIWbMFJjvQfmcQbNb4UdM1EJPxj9ItUe4SGZWTfGS5ESpYt3dcs8x5zoq3RPQPGlwbuxNMg5K51zRLQxhZogRK7DaqEZ80OJhKNS6yF3nVnGDstCb4cj8t8ThdRJQ4qg/s320/P1000677.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211501999042948114" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LNaDvaiV_jTdVXptTQ5-xoSTDy4xIBsI2B1VgcwNbUu44uX_H3o_FznZBEV3S5NRHVPqVvnnlwobNNMOpyQW8V5BSMg99APpoVQrd-HWIpej78LHufHRbi7jzZ0_6q39v-LU/s1600-h/P1000678.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LNaDvaiV_jTdVXptTQ5-xoSTDy4xIBsI2B1VgcwNbUu44uX_H3o_FznZBEV3S5NRHVPqVvnnlwobNNMOpyQW8V5BSMg99APpoVQrd-HWIpej78LHufHRbi7jzZ0_6q39v-LU/s320/P1000678.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211502003326817890" border="0" /></a>Yea yea, I almost can hear you scream "WooOT?!" when you saw the wines and French flags, not to mention the croissants below, but you've to forgive me, I'm hungry in Scotland and the pain au chocolates were tempting, as you can see from the half eaten one below even before I snapped the picture ... The cappuccino helped too, very comforting to get a slight caffeine jilt with the tiring travel the night before (yes, sadly I love my coffee a lot and display some withdrawal symptoms sometimes, P is convinced that its just psychological)<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlsclHOmdVCKZc4sZ-35UHmM1JvipWfF_tSX-R-Qlqvlkptzrw822Wb8516iaOIONqgTUu78CuBITbetf636rVohGt8erIP3l8DdeTexC6ulz6GjCOMMmcMbepep5dtVmIAF6/s1600-h/P1000680.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlsclHOmdVCKZc4sZ-35UHmM1JvipWfF_tSX-R-Qlqvlkptzrw822Wb8516iaOIONqgTUu78CuBITbetf636rVohGt8erIP3l8DdeTexC6ulz6GjCOMMmcMbepep5dtVmIAF6/s320/P1000680.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211502009607757090" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Nice quick breakie and I'm super charged for the new town I'm visiting. Edinburgh is big and spacious, with many nice buildings just like in Cambridge, but more uniformed, which gives a nice tranquil feeling especially when you walk into town. The air is crisp and fresh, roads are wide, traffic is almost non existent with greeneries everywhere - the perfect place to live and retire :)<br /><br />On the way, we passed by a mini flea market which sells an array of interesting products. Think you all know by now that I'm a hopeless market-y sort of person, having gone to many food markets in London and absolutely love strolling in large supermarkets aisle by aisle, awed by the choice of <span style="font-style: italic;">*insert any food here*</span> (cereals, breads, cheese etc) LOL<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiL2EGuzDd8xZC8xCCEtj-GWBACHPP6wHWhIPUAiTr1rUwW68uCaDYakKtoRNT9imr8riN74q2TTowCkFppZUReMIoXn_ZqbeqRzbrAuTBayDtvekVHPYDVcIywcTdCpcGm_4Z/s1600-h/P1000681.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiL2EGuzDd8xZC8xCCEtj-GWBACHPP6wHWhIPUAiTr1rUwW68uCaDYakKtoRNT9imr8riN74q2TTowCkFppZUReMIoXn_ZqbeqRzbrAuTBayDtvekVHPYDVcIywcTdCpcGm_4Z/s320/P1000681.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211502020919277234" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">This one in Edinburgh is slightly different, there's food as well as local arts and crafts too, even better. There's a chocolate fondue store (yes, in the morning!) selling fruits to go with it, now you know that fried mars bars doesn't sound too absurd after all.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizsfGotiQ0sShpdKzXkkY8fYh4vhRiV6VBD0XDE3QAmZRIFrb56E_Yc3g5bSn5mpfkTC2tYPuu49X-Fb2wGUut_dKEszFdyYO5ObsxWzpn5zkWrtGOCiGQ4SsAjXCrB6vPKUpj/s1600-h/P1000683.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizsfGotiQ0sShpdKzXkkY8fYh4vhRiV6VBD0XDE3QAmZRIFrb56E_Yc3g5bSn5mpfkTC2tYPuu49X-Fb2wGUut_dKEszFdyYO5ObsxWzpn5zkWrtGOCiGQ4SsAjXCrB6vPKUpj/s320/P1000683.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211508574239839170" border="0" /></a>What I really liked was this store selling bags and belts made from some sort of cloth (wool maybe?) which I completely forgotten. They have tiny colorful brooches too<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_iXXOJ39KQHorBHZPBDTIAmavYMVUsr-NrXVDAWQpkFnf7zUA-_JFEG9jXe055ORaN9wPSVD82lYMtASG7kPq1aWJ7Rh5JW4ElMjJtWw99o1AFargoFrR3X9c0cTTPD3B26h/s1600-h/P1000686.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_iXXOJ39KQHorBHZPBDTIAmavYMVUsr-NrXVDAWQpkFnf7zUA-_JFEG9jXe055ORaN9wPSVD82lYMtASG7kPq1aWJ7Rh5JW4ElMjJtWw99o1AFargoFrR3X9c0cTTPD3B26h/s320/P1000686.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211508597657942738" border="0" /></a><br />And belts like these look pretty funky I think .... makes good accessories if you have the height I think<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPR_BCs_I_B7ztPuMy9HSkmImJVTEq1U-snNwyBGJoMDwVtkoXa6GP9dVaiwrC9_iSq6tY7dYLkBk7-daeua1Awfi__sdKzSKWW1ino40-FaYi12_l4uxLtjB8WXhmccuyhNNM/s1600-h/P1000688.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPR_BCs_I_B7ztPuMy9HSkmImJVTEq1U-snNwyBGJoMDwVtkoXa6GP9dVaiwrC9_iSq6tY7dYLkBk7-daeua1Awfi__sdKzSKWW1ino40-FaYi12_l4uxLtjB8WXhmccuyhNNM/s320/P1000688.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211508579851706146" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxeK0kZU4mHpR-nsKgc5y5SgoZcAsTqy-NZ1u6Gqv6agxgkp15M0CvPC4Ku4NClJjyTSlXkG3ppO6qia9zvJNM-BYBZ0DliiTemJ6bxyytSuBp-z7TirlKGXspdTbD1Zo3kkL-/s1600-h/P1000687.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxeK0kZU4mHpR-nsKgc5y5SgoZcAsTqy-NZ1u6Gqv6agxgkp15M0CvPC4Ku4NClJjyTSlXkG3ppO6qia9zvJNM-BYBZ0DliiTemJ6bxyytSuBp-z7TirlKGXspdTbD1Zo3kkL-/s320/P1000687.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211508591657606370" border="0" /></a>My favorites were the bags, especially the one with orange belt around it as below, pretty chic don't you think? Though perhaps cloth materials do get dirty pretty quickly in polluted London. Maybe that's why she doesn't have a store in London but the US, hehe. But it's certainly encouraging and inspirational to see these talented artists gather and pursuing what they love doing and still expanding their business across the continent.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK68qIQR_5qiob2orUMqfdTfYZoUq9o0Xrydzcs5NflEDW-DPY3S3fR6_qOF7JnxLruqumkH1jubTVwV_1qnzhvlI7Fm_nLrXryaEtMTk6nmkNPoTnP6afC16GxUs7HnQhAPJ9/s1600-h/P1000689.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK68qIQR_5qiob2orUMqfdTfYZoUq9o0Xrydzcs5NflEDW-DPY3S3fR6_qOF7JnxLruqumkH1jubTVwV_1qnzhvlI7Fm_nLrXryaEtMTk6nmkNPoTnP6afC16GxUs7HnQhAPJ9/s320/P1000689.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211508603365665282" border="0" /></a>And the hat lady is even better! She has so many cool looking hats made from some sort of cloth as well, which seem to maintain its shape yet bendable.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEuvAv1at20I8IxNVanDhgBLqbOBBmBBCxzzsrxhL92_eHMgCC1K8YWVTS4dX4lCblSNAkqeXkH58oQaHNBHkVnmvTT02zmuaRsNoHccfCc69cwOC-aj5xjSb_vPKByNvnUGi/s1600-h/P1000692.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEuvAv1at20I8IxNVanDhgBLqbOBBmBBCxzzsrxhL92_eHMgCC1K8YWVTS4dX4lCblSNAkqeXkH58oQaHNBHkVnmvTT02zmuaRsNoHccfCc69cwOC-aj5xjSb_vPKByNvnUGi/s320/P1000692.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212117535480070034" border="0" /></a><br />Not something I can pull off I think, but don't you just love this red hat? Very Sex-And-The-City don't you think?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNRTv4XGhsxNy0wHishpf-ZdTvuM53Yf5YqfINjD86hyG5zJ-yyxgISIZXKvjwj2Ny_TuNUowwJrEjY9J3_z-1T9GTg79PhlswOl7cycjTzen5xUDzXPqMmm_R-7c0NnRKo39/s1600-h/P1000691.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNRTv4XGhsxNy0wHishpf-ZdTvuM53Yf5YqfINjD86hyG5zJ-yyxgISIZXKvjwj2Ny_TuNUowwJrEjY9J3_z-1T9GTg79PhlswOl7cycjTzen5xUDzXPqMmm_R-7c0NnRKo39/s320/P1000691.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212117526470530034" border="0" /></a><br />More Edinburgh sights and tastes to come in the next few posts!<br /></div>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-81063842898717835932008-06-10T23:00:00.000+01:002008-06-10T23:01:29.812+01:00Review: Lahore Kebab House in Whitechapel<div style="text-align: justify;">Given that my favourite curry place in London (Nutmeg in Pimlico) had closed down recently, curry craving triggered last week and P & I decided to check out a new place called Lahore Kebab House (LKH) in Whitechapel.<br /><br />Location is slightly interesting as I'd not been to this part of London before, but Lahore Kebab House thankfully wasn't too hard to find, and its just at the edge of a T junction and very easy to spot. Be warn though that there are many "Lahore **insert your favorite word**" named curry houses all nearby that area, capitalising on their reputation. So its Lahore Kebab House or nothing at all, make sure you get the right one!<br /><br />LKH is a halal establishment hence they do not serve alcohol, however, they have a Bring-Your-Own (BYO) policy and its definitely a plus point in Britain. There's even an off-license shop just right next to it, very convenient if you'd like a cold beer with your curry. The place seems pretty newly refurbished and clean, and was rather full upon arrival at 730pm, another good sign.<br /><br />For starters, we had a<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> Seekh Kebab</span> each<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" > <span style="font-family: georgia;">(</span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:";font-size:100%;" >£1 each)</span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" >,</span> </span>made from lamb minced, really nicely spiced and grilled just right with very little charred bits. Meat was juicy though a tad salty for me, other than that really enjoyable. Wished I had space for more starters like samosas and bhaji...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJHcci3dcyyaO8slSvrinYncuHzcaF-BfcKbmFmu9ulAUMuSe7oxTnCstIkaJ-pMB7YZ9wXUDgc_Tl4UbpYZQzjX22q-71GHcpFCB9NXMuD0INthdIj4zxygDwvzZX34_Azc7/s1600-h/P1000671.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJHcci3dcyyaO8slSvrinYncuHzcaF-BfcKbmFmu9ulAUMuSe7oxTnCstIkaJ-pMB7YZ9wXUDgc_Tl4UbpYZQzjX22q-71GHcpFCB9NXMuD0INthdIj4zxygDwvzZX34_Azc7/s320/P1000671.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207032822992971458" border="0" /></a>Hankering to try out their famous lamb curries, I ordered <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Karahi Gosht</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> (</span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >£7) </span>- a lamb dish with medium heat curry (which was all I could get as a description from the waiter)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNvISksGPHMy5IpvkJtd0_YEw1_0bfn9wfV90CfmLMIIBWGxuTh2qeWwHCIzxbM4HSKdBuvpSMqEYHBkk_GKs7f3FewK8vI1Dxy80rXutk8uN8Ft1B_BsLEFB_FKz2Xm7oLo1/s1600-h/P1000669.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNvISksGPHMy5IpvkJtd0_YEw1_0bfn9wfV90CfmLMIIBWGxuTh2qeWwHCIzxbM4HSKdBuvpSMqEYHBkk_GKs7f3FewK8vI1Dxy80rXutk8uN8Ft1B_BsLEFB_FKz2Xm7oLo1/s320/P1000669.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207032856149397698" border="0" /></a>whilst P had <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Lamb Curry (off the bone) </span>(<span style=";font-family:";font-size:100%;" >£7)</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, o</span>ne of their signature dishes ...<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcm2DsN1Gr3Bo6XxcdOoPXzGoZKDW7ciT9ze2o1CDxy3-k-yWxccsUqZ3r5tyOYGcXM_4dK8aY5v7YvhgJxUnOKtmxxkDQsKtmismDFOyZXu0psI0kPRXzgH3f0VtPNVy7y3a/s1600-h/P1000667.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcm2DsN1Gr3Bo6XxcdOoPXzGoZKDW7ciT9ze2o1CDxy3-k-yWxccsUqZ3r5tyOYGcXM_4dK8aY5v7YvhgJxUnOKtmxxkDQsKtmismDFOyZXu0psI0kPRXzgH3f0VtPNVy7y3a/s320/P1000667.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207032840285809826" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Chapati/Roti (</span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">£1.50) </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">was j</span>ust the perfect accompaniment for me ... :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0R7kbsIBeQicx4HVoOimHjhzrv7JZIdzxodVxtbqeVTCPOnxiCPYmsZVlrSw2Uvu8LC1hcgEBcmTvfn4kaeoZUGZQNR6IaSKg6wSFm92xGuFnRCsZek3OWYmJK-btg-kWm7_S/s1600-h/P1000670.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0R7kbsIBeQicx4HVoOimHjhzrv7JZIdzxodVxtbqeVTCPOnxiCPYmsZVlrSw2Uvu8LC1hcgEBcmTvfn4kaeoZUGZQNR6IaSKg6wSFm92xGuFnRCsZek3OWYmJK-btg-kWm7_S/s320/P1000670.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207032829931103522" border="0" /></a>Though the curries look the same, mine was thicker and slightly sweeter, but has good level of heat and was great with roti. P's lamb curry would be better off with pilau rice I feel, as it kind of makes the bread soggy, just a personal preference :) Overall, I felt that the lamb curry was nothing to shout about really, the rest of the items in the menu is worth trying as well. This place would be great for a big group, since you get to try out more varied dishes and starters. Prices has apparently increased due to popularity, and services are VERY quick though slightly cunning in the sense that they tend to place bottled water on your table in hope that you'd consume them instead of ordering yourself. And when we ordered them to take it away, another waiter just pops it right on our table 2 seconds later! Must be some sort of strategy, LOL<br /><br />Overall, authentic curries, loved it to bits, worsens my craving (since I wanted more!), price wise reasonable to moderate for central London, I'd say probably expensive for the location. Definitely worth a try despite the location which isn't that convenient to get to by tube.<br /></div><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Lahore Kebab House</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2 Umberston Street, Whitechapel (just off Commercial Road)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> London</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">E1 1PY</span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /></span>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-34807191263974857962008-06-08T19:49:00.001+01:002008-06-08T19:53:37.850+01:00Fried Noodles with Fishball<div style="text-align: justify;">Sorry for the long absence! Just got back from a weekend in Edinburgh and the weather was excellent! Expect an interesting one on Edinburgh this week!<br /><br />Meanwhile, here's a 10 min recipe on something that I'll always miss from home and can't find it even in London: Fishballs :) Always had homemade ones and definitely not taking those for granted when I'm devouring it at home the next time ...<br /><br />This is a usual breakfast/lunch item for me at least, where you just need a pack of fishball, some vegetables (I used chinese leaves here), and some flat rice noodles. Garlic or shallots as usual starts up the frying process, makes the dish a little tad more aromatic. Then simply fry the fish balls for a bit and stir in the freshly boiled noodles and stir fry. Season as you wish, mine here is a little light as I usually prefer my food less salty. But if you like a bit of color, dark soy sauce gives it a dark brown color and a sweet aftertaste which some may prefer. Mix in the thinly slices leaves and it'll be done it a jiffy<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4mx1THpnYDkQpUJYZlk5rTPvMjwDWENvK6sdCOKN_kjL51C9nS1hw3NLSfAhtvmp2CjIWQiFWOOQZLs7ml_tnwFAsyPYoGLV58CNW8PiHH0MD314GZR_7CR_0VXP2ok9B3ta/s1600-h/P1000666.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4mx1THpnYDkQpUJYZlk5rTPvMjwDWENvK6sdCOKN_kjL51C9nS1hw3NLSfAhtvmp2CjIWQiFWOOQZLs7ml_tnwFAsyPYoGLV58CNW8PiHH0MD314GZR_7CR_0VXP2ok9B3ta/s320/P1000666.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207033625619864802" border="0" /></a>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-21467192859363672682008-06-01T12:10:00.001+01:002008-06-01T12:11:30.099+01:00Review: Awana at South Kensington<div style="text-align: justify;">It's been 3 months since I've been home, but yet it somehow feels much, <span style="font-style: italic;">much </span>longer than that ... It may be the working factor, which probably make the days feel more strenuous and long, or it might just be London itself, doing one thing to another non stop, and the only time you can slowdown is the weekend which is way too short to begin with :P<br /><br />So with the taste of familiar dishes from home feeling ever so distant all of a sudden, P and I decided to go for some authentic Malaysian street food, albeit in a fine dining setting, at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Awana Restaurant in Sloane Avenue, London.</span><br /><br />Having been there once, I was pleasantly surprised as my initial doubts of losing the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamak_stall"><span style="font-style: italic;">mamak</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">stall</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></a> atmosphere whilst having those street food wasn't really an issue after all. Awana proved that having authentic traditional Malaysian food in a classy setting is possible and the Malaysian cuisine is increasingly well known and accepted in London just like its other Asian cousins (Thai, Chinese, Indian etc). We had the Rewards Menu as P had enough points for redemption to get us both a 3 course meal free!<br /><br />For starters, we had <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Chicken Satay with Homemade Spicy Peanut Sauce </span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Popiah Sayur Goreng, </span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>which are vegetable spring rolls served with sweet chilli sauce.<br /><br />The Popiah/Spring rolls were fresh, crisp and piping hot when served, always a good sign. It was filled with minced carrots and chopped Chinese mushrooms, nevertheless I found it a little too salty for my taste, but the sweet tangy chili sauce balanced it out so it was okay.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3d1TWQxegJ4-yNMkSjuoV7xN8EMgWseGAN5uLrpaDu6cOU-XZUvEreTzUrpkmipkMwe2ReSRgcyBuuxgMYbKQ9s02jSjRwsRgKwlk6S7DjAyN28-iuGh7ff9RPv26nJJgiHx/s1600-h/P1000649.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3d1TWQxegJ4-yNMkSjuoV7xN8EMgWseGAN5uLrpaDu6cOU-XZUvEreTzUrpkmipkMwe2ReSRgcyBuuxgMYbKQ9s02jSjRwsRgKwlk6S7DjAyN28-iuGh7ff9RPv26nJJgiHx/s320/P1000649.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203895717876603634" border="0" /></a>Definitely preferred the chicken satay starter! Perhaps its the peanut sauce factor, but I found the succulent chicken pieces to be well marinated and grilled to perfection, slightly charred, just the way it is back home. Peanut sauce is delicious, I love the bits they sprinkle on which gives a chunkier texture so the sauce can hold better when you dip your satay into it. Would be more authentic if they had the rice squares (ketupat) to go with it as well! And of course, more peanut sauce, I could drink that thing :P<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8C1bj3KLpL5NeQ_nfP9MvjbFl-dUq8MxHpHfNXC8oxsZoSoiubgzPIXUw-SeB45MsrV8TZc8eSX7nEuH2krJmutmtuV0YngtHsxpigC4BRgHDo30qFxZv69tATJm_QYzVx4KG/s1600-h/P1000655.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8C1bj3KLpL5NeQ_nfP9MvjbFl-dUq8MxHpHfNXC8oxsZoSoiubgzPIXUw-SeB45MsrV8TZc8eSX7nEuH2krJmutmtuV0YngtHsxpigC4BRgHDo30qFxZv69tATJm_QYzVx4KG/s320/P1000655.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203895730761505570" border="0" /></a>P ordered his favorite Bandung drink, which is a pink colored drink consisting of rose syrup with added milk, hence the color. A popular drink back home as its cold and sweet, Awana definitely created a classier version of this drink when served in cocktail style, with swirls of mango and raspberry puree, lychee juice, rose syrup, milk, brown sugar - <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Fruity Bandung</span>. As you can see below, they've not mixed the drink entirely and the layers of red rose syrup and milk and clearly separated.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5ZyG4QX_WUwYSAkaJ9mnvNuMu_9_vf-YE9CdYt9gsMSQTL4Ag8rZid6M0EvglsUk3qju0s9iYntn6fgWqcCalpymO4SYnQs3IuDLi0FfiD5Yy_U8rMhcXPF1Q2if8cV9IwYw/s1600-h/P1000652.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5ZyG4QX_WUwYSAkaJ9mnvNuMu_9_vf-YE9CdYt9gsMSQTL4Ag8rZid6M0EvglsUk3qju0s9iYntn6fgWqcCalpymO4SYnQs3IuDLi0FfiD5Yy_U8rMhcXPF1Q2if8cV9IwYw/s320/P1000652.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203895722171570946" border="0" /></a>Definitely like the funky cocktail glass a lot ...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivw9kX-tHVBEhekc1211Q6459hvrsUXZvBKRJ-uT0YqbHNbngfzXTx3DALAyKO6y_GSISh-AKtUp55zGtRDGz1dWJDNKN4s4H86zYqxf3haPXePmFZFcFlXoZFsTTM7nJ4csdb/s1600-h/P1000653.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivw9kX-tHVBEhekc1211Q6459hvrsUXZvBKRJ-uT0YqbHNbngfzXTx3DALAyKO6y_GSISh-AKtUp55zGtRDGz1dWJDNKN4s4H86zYqxf3haPXePmFZFcFlXoZFsTTM7nJ4csdb/s320/P1000653.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203895726466538258" border="0" /></a>For mains, we chose <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Ayam goreng kacang gajus</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Kari Ayam</span>. The former is basically chicken fillets stir fried with peppers and cashew nuts, whilst the latter is good ol' comfort food of (corn fed) chicken curry served with coconut, potato and snake beans.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The dishes were served in a nice dark green/brown plate, giving the white rice a nice stark contrast. Somehow gives you an impression of the exotic tropical cuisine you're about to experience ...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQps1ga0C8PwEgtFWts8JkkluBP7T3G7LOzp_xU-XKq3AdQ7MzkcqKc9Q4of9nEMpM0GjI728tHwJ84LbJeaVJZ0cIGSZblxGXJkfF99C3l3ZDQX2mj-ulxPiGsFZgJs_7kfdM/s1600-h/P1000658.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQps1ga0C8PwEgtFWts8JkkluBP7T3G7LOzp_xU-XKq3AdQ7MzkcqKc9Q4of9nEMpM0GjI728tHwJ84LbJeaVJZ0cIGSZblxGXJkfF99C3l3ZDQX2mj-ulxPiGsFZgJs_7kfdM/s320/P1000658.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203896825978166130" border="0" /></a>All in all, I felt that they were presented well, nothing surprising or unexpected taste wise.. Perhaps its the choice of the dishes itself that is not too exciting, given that I had higher expectations from previous visit having things like Lobster Char Kuey Teow (Lobster Stir Fried Rice Noodles), so it's not comparable:) The only gripe I probably have, especially for P, is that the portions are too small, but then that serves as a <span style="font-style: italic;">great</span> excuse to try out many other dishes in their menu, as we'll see later ...<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePVRIwSpVKWLpAGDTnTuZOYDfHDgo4GVEXkjXWMB6FLogtuj6QTP8MTUAOFmI2c577vFv34awB7V6XcPTS5Ho6ZM5GKgH50hq58J3pZcCyGdHLAcYXIKzaaWjvPMDOlt8e3FU/s1600-h/P1000657.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhePVRIwSpVKWLpAGDTnTuZOYDfHDgo4GVEXkjXWMB6FLogtuj6QTP8MTUAOFmI2c577vFv34awB7V6XcPTS5Ho6ZM5GKgH50hq58J3pZcCyGdHLAcYXIKzaaWjvPMDOlt8e3FU/s320/P1000657.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203895739351440178" border="0" /></a>Desserts was probably one of the more exciting courses given that I love and miss the<span style="font-style: italic;"> kuih-muih</span> (local Malay cakes/desserts) from home. We decided to go for <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Tiga Krim Chocolate</span> - a trio of chocolate mousses, served on a crisp biscuit with raspberry sauce ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcag80eNqp9MWW_nTZHpdPKRwGie5stqbI4UkDkIhl_GcLEVusa6qltF8i9yyIqX0f4eE2BmSPvkT-Ew5MsbWcnhaB2ReqG3nJQ5AD3p5lNpTrv3_Gyj5zXlQLJBR82P3jk1TC/s1600-h/P1000659.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcag80eNqp9MWW_nTZHpdPKRwGie5stqbI4UkDkIhl_GcLEVusa6qltF8i9yyIqX0f4eE2BmSPvkT-Ew5MsbWcnhaB2ReqG3nJQ5AD3p5lNpTrv3_Gyj5zXlQLJBR82P3jk1TC/s320/P1000659.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203896181733071682" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Dadar </span>- a pandan flavored pancake with a sweet dessicated coconut filling, served with a scoop of coconut icecream! The coconut ice cream was Awana's own addition, but it matched the dadar perfectly as pancake and ice cream usually never go wrong together.<br /><br />The chocolate mouse fits well into any chocoholic's dream, since it has white, milk and dark chocolate all in one plate. Being a dark chocolate fan, I was slightly disappointed as it was infused with Brandy or some sort of alchohol which distorts the bittersweet taste I was looking for... but that's just me :)<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWOk7WxJrLZyps39w2m11hsTBXe5zziamgilLYevdOpnGSTr7hFubGrSu5b2ybbhDzfXsXIrQe_J5lTQtEkf4LJGGdl_qfYJsmZ205uthYrmhATQyusi9Lezg1bi2oMVDmWLm/s1600-h/P1000660.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWOk7WxJrLZyps39w2m11hsTBXe5zziamgilLYevdOpnGSTr7hFubGrSu5b2ybbhDzfXsXIrQe_J5lTQtEkf4LJGGdl_qfYJsmZ205uthYrmhATQyusi9Lezg1bi2oMVDmWLm/s320/P1000660.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203896194617973586" border="0" /></a>Feeling a bit underfed given the tiny portions, we decided to indulge in some extra <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Roti Canai</span> goodness post desserts :) For those who are not familiar, Roti Canai is a type of local flatbread with many of its variations found mainly in Asia. It's a usual breakfast item or a great tea time snack. Definitely not the healthiest of all breakfast, but heck, its <span style="font-style: italic;">so</span> GOOD!<br /><br />We ordered a Garlic Roti Canai (£5.50) and it arrived on our table fresh and crisp 10 minutes later after witnessing the roti chef exhibiting his roti-flipping skills. Apparently they have a large flat screen LCD focusing on the chef and it seems to be quite a star attraction at Awana. And yes, I can feel all your wide gaping mouth at the price tag for this, especially when it's like 20 times cheaper in Malaysia, LOL. But rest assured, it's well worth every penny when its done to perfection as in Awana. The roti was <span style="font-style: italic;">garing</span> (dry and crispy) outside, but soft inside and melts in your mouth instantly! The accompanying dhal curry was nice, mild and did not overpower the slight hint of garlic flavor in the roti. So they say leaving the best for last, in this case it was definitely accidental for us :)<br /><br />Overall, Awana did Malaysian cuisine a great justice, providing creative improvisation of local dishes in a classy dining ambiance without losing the key authenticity features, very important in our increasingly globalised world of food.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMy_IslEZdBCkulJAvFaE8n3yDErwPb9SjsRpMHrDZmqYflBaXPLcLmuUPg0XZcfgCDZn2EpI7dXc60pRTBGF_34Dt_tMANOZMM0iSjDOuW5ADZQKDZ1oC4yVSGVhpfkBfRI9l/s1600-h/P1000661.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMy_IslEZdBCkulJAvFaE8n3yDErwPb9SjsRpMHrDZmqYflBaXPLcLmuUPg0XZcfgCDZn2EpI7dXc60pRTBGF_34Dt_tMANOZMM0iSjDOuW5ADZQKDZ1oC4yVSGVhpfkBfRI9l/s320/P1000661.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203896198912940898" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">A few words of wisdom to maximise your gastronomic and cultural experience at Awana: be brave, be adventurous in terms of trying out a variety of new dishes and definitely go for <span style="font-style: italic;">at least</span> one Roti Canai!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Awana</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">85, Sloane Avenue,</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">London SW3 3DX</span><br />Nearest Tube: South Kensington<br /></div>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-85509429285643024412008-05-24T11:34:00.006+01:002008-05-25T01:28:59.822+01:00"Konlo" NoodlesIs my absolute favorite breakfast back home in Malaysia. I think you already know that by now, I've blogged about it twice previously :P Seems like it's an annual affair, lol, check out the ones in <a href="http://culinarycravings.blogspot.com/2007/02/seems-like-spring-is-coming-suns-coming.html">2007</a> and <a href="http://culinarycravings.blogspot.com/2006/04/culinary-cravings-episode-2-kon-loh.html">2006</a>! The char siu recipe is in there and it has never failed so far :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">It's probably the char siu (BBQ pork) that I'm more keen in, but nothing beats having them tossed with fresh egg noodles! This time, I decided to make some potato wedges for starters since we've got some leftovers ...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Not to difficult to make good wedges, all you need is some olive oil, salt, and even paprika/herbs if you like for the extra kick. Scrub them well and make sure you dry them properly with a cloth or kitchen towels. Slice them into wedges, thickness wise you can refer to the picture below for a good gauge. Important as you don't want them too burnt or undercooked! I had about 6 baby potatoes, sliced and lightly tossed in olive oil and salt, and grilled in the oven along with the marinaded pork for about 40 minutes at 200C.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAC4ae-PcvQkNEcsNB5YodSZ9afv07e3aey7LPHscqErSoPZd4hababjxORiJ2xJzEwvIOQZsGn-YRd6x5GOyOVQBQqmdFPG_7N00qnSvU_w3Xc9C1k8RN7z_IAWWcov2htSX/s1600-h/P1000638.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAC4ae-PcvQkNEcsNB5YodSZ9afv07e3aey7LPHscqErSoPZd4hababjxORiJ2xJzEwvIOQZsGn-YRd6x5GOyOVQBQqmdFPG_7N00qnSvU_w3Xc9C1k8RN7z_IAWWcov2htSX/s320/P1000638.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203891371369699986" border="0" /></a>The pork is crackling well about 20 minutes into the cooking, don't worry too much as it's usually the honey caramelising into the fat and having the burnt edges! When I did it the first time I was always too worried that my dinner will be black charcoal and constantly open and close the oven to check the meat, but this does impact the heating and the finishing of the meat. If the thickness is about 1-2cm, 40 minutes you'll be fine. You can flip the meat halfway through if desired<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzs6eQ_Q8U5s1DUSJx4curJfHZzl-djAt9K84XiQB5kYaBV3EPe9t8sUbwNuWUJZfONC4gYbqYlsKP1iZwuNGPpmA7EtuK2wK_KhHsDrVyYPNnX6b0e53hSEBIAPwHUrZ5TN3g/s1600-h/P1000639.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzs6eQ_Q8U5s1DUSJx4curJfHZzl-djAt9K84XiQB5kYaBV3EPe9t8sUbwNuWUJZfONC4gYbqYlsKP1iZwuNGPpmA7EtuK2wK_KhHsDrVyYPNnX6b0e53hSEBIAPwHUrZ5TN3g/s320/P1000639.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203891375664667298" border="0" /></a>And the rest was pretty quick to prepare, just steaming some green beans (didn't have the right vegetable at the time, i.e. pak choy or kai lan - chinese style vegetables). But wedges turned out great, brown and crispy skin, but still soft inside. Good with some dipping or finger food. Fresh noodles took a quick 2 minutes boiling and strained under cold water (makes it more chewy, more "bite" so they always say). Didn't toss it with dark/light soy sauce as its naturally slightly salty. One special tip: adding a hint of sesame oil to toss with the noodles does add an edge to the dish - you get an extra nutty aroma and smoother noodles too!<br /><br />Doesn't it look <span style="font-style: italic;">beautiful</span>?<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheudHqSlzJp0HhjUmU1BjcWNAypFoNoW_wdZWR2QFrNU9Eor_bTyb8lot33WIX6xMjJk7U0XSAhngokRtPSqE6rJ3u_ozJfgSEqL3erPCe28SYPqjtWmbdcHEB7A2eSvfzOVSC/s1600-h/P1000642.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheudHqSlzJp0HhjUmU1BjcWNAypFoNoW_wdZWR2QFrNU9Eor_bTyb8lot33WIX6xMjJk7U0XSAhngokRtPSqE6rJ3u_ozJfgSEqL3erPCe28SYPqjtWmbdcHEB7A2eSvfzOVSC/s320/P1000642.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203891379959634610" border="0" /></a>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-27127640812616424132008-05-24T11:32:00.003+01:002008-05-24T12:13:02.724+01:00The Easiest Breakfast in the World<div style="text-align: justify;">I don't know if this is British, or whether even it deserves to be categorized as a recipe, but it's one of my favorite breakfast since I love the versatility of eggs in cooking. Would have had one everyday if I didn't have this amazing 'ability' to produce extra cholesterol in my body :P<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Anyways, its dead simple. Egg, bread and good ketchup. Eggs, any way you prefer, poached, fried, boiled (tho not so exciting this one). I like mine poached, and yes its tricky to get it poached right, but if you're in a rush of time or simply can't be arsed, you can <span style="font-style: italic;">microwave</span> the egg in a minute. Just need to beat the eggs a little with a fork (don't overdo it), and place it in a flat plate/bowl in the microwave for about a minute. The flatter your plate/bowl, the better since it takes less time to cook evenly.<br /><br />This took me 3 minutes to assemble :)<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZWCatRvObHwBBukafFGH0k138hcC_LMVw_tAt0TU_Sxnl_HwIUcu203B3g_9p4lk5eWhk-5sc2KAJyO2vXY8kqXW9iI9st1w6MBa-9EIvN9gssSWZmG4K9xhb1gUgmOBvR9K/s1600-h/P1000644.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZWCatRvObHwBBukafFGH0k138hcC_LMVw_tAt0TU_Sxnl_HwIUcu203B3g_9p4lk5eWhk-5sc2KAJyO2vXY8kqXW9iI9st1w6MBa-9EIvN9gssSWZmG4K9xhb1gUgmOBvR9K/s320/P1000644.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203890598275586690" border="0" /></a>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-62800632146258098832008-05-16T21:15:00.001+01:002008-05-17T07:31:06.437+01:00First Signs of Summer ...<div style="text-align: justify;">Weather in London last weekend was <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">perfect </span>... the kind where you can finally unbundle/unwrap, go around in shorts + T-shirts, have barbecues at your balcony, hangout in the park ... basically making you feel like La-la-la-laaa :)<br /><br />The very first sneak peek into summer weather, and fair enough which doesn't last long, given the grey and cloudy week ahead. Hence apologies for this post being one week late!<br /><br />Nevertheless, my menu last weekend changed to a lighter summer menu, given all my doner kebab craving lately, having discovering a good one just 2 minutes walk from my place.<br /><br />Which relates to another important discussion ... why are doner kebabs so unhealthy? I always thought they were one of the healthier version of fast food given that they are solid (depending on shop quality) chunks of meat roasted slowly over a long time! Not until I saw <a href="http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,2279999,00.html">this report in the Guardian paper today</a>. Apparently it contains a serving contains an equivalent of a WINE GLASS FULL of cooking oil. Now how can THAT possibly be?!!<br /><br />Checking on methods of making a doner kebab, here's what Wikipedia quoted:<br /><br />"There are two basic ways of preparing meat for döner kebabs: <ul><li>The most common and authentic method is to stack seasoned slices of <span style="font-weight: bold;">lean</span> meat onto a vertical skewer in the shape of a cylinder. The stack is cooked by radiant heat from electric elements or gas fired infrared burners. Often meat, tomatoes, and onions are placed at the top of the stack to drip juices over the meat keeping it moist.</li><li>Some cheaper shops serve a combination of seasoned sliced and ground meat cooked on a grilltop as <i>döner kebab</i>. In Germany the amount of ground meat is not allowed to surpass 60% (<i>Berliner Verkehrsauffassung</i>) "</li></ul>The only way to reconcile this is that the research was based on the poorest quality of kebabs (second bullet point above).<br /><br />And apparently one of the best (fast food category) in terms of <u>low salt</u> content<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>was<span style="font-weight: bold;"> fish and chips. </span><span>WHAT?! This sounds like a pro-British food campaign to me, :D. Ok, maybe not the fish, but chips are surely salty, but that result may arise given that the chips portions arent that large and tend to not be salted heavily as well since the Brits love theirs with vinegar. In relative terms to the junk food peer group of heavily salted processed meat burgers/sausages and pizzas, this result doesn't sound that absurd anymore, LOL<br /><br />Ok, back from digression, where was I? *Summer menu* yes. Whipped up something simple for dinner, salad with turkey kebabs (not really the kebabs above). Salad was just a rough mixture of tomatoes on the vine, lettuce, carrots, roasted mushrooms and potato wedges. Marinaded the turkey for barely 10 minutes with grated ginger juice, honey, soy sauce and a little dash of sesame oil. Potato wedges are just lightly coated in olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper just like the mushrooms and along with the turkey went for the oven treatment for 35 minutes or so.<br /></span></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmaS__qulClCxPca2A6BTlWGJB8S8K0r5Tp86a_v_x1VEuu8kV3FedbfvQRBS2_mf2s31c79mIeeLRSh8wsm_-FMvGwjtzRZvGUgrQAT2uUKCb24XzORlqJw9wQihcN4O4Ml1/s1600-h/P1000631.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmaS__qulClCxPca2A6BTlWGJB8S8K0r5Tp86a_v_x1VEuu8kV3FedbfvQRBS2_mf2s31c79mIeeLRSh8wsm_-FMvGwjtzRZvGUgrQAT2uUKCb24XzORlqJw9wQihcN4O4Ml1/s320/P1000631.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196640373476039378" border="0" /></a>Turkey was a little dry as expected since marinading time was too short, but the salad was great, especially with the smoky mushrooms that I love ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO19lFkDufiZFatr9tdzRShvwqNZgQAHq9wEc4UQodp8HrWct6LMVhqPLVwQ3u3BiqlMpMhWtUdemdXfveNClkoBE_T786HBem52G2Fy41h5Z-wj36i10zmndZUTmMOkPTfBXl/s1600-h/P1000633.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO19lFkDufiZFatr9tdzRShvwqNZgQAHq9wEc4UQodp8HrWct6LMVhqPLVwQ3u3BiqlMpMhWtUdemdXfveNClkoBE_T786HBem52G2Fy41h5Z-wj36i10zmndZUTmMOkPTfBXl/s320/P1000633.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196640377771006690" border="0" /></a><br />Just in case any of you are interested in somemore <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kebab">kebabology</a> ...Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15072837.post-19403373695309730572008-05-10T11:00:00.001+01:002008-05-13T23:44:42.976+01:00The Finger Lickin' Good Factor<div style="text-align: justify;">I've always hear comments that KFC in the UK doesn't taste as good as the ones in Malaysia. So this is to supplement What the Foodies' <a href="http://livinlavidalocalauren.blogspot.com/2008/04/junk-food-mood.html">recent post on KFC in Malaysia</a>. Sounds strange to me given that its an international <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">chain</span> and the food should be standardised. Well, the only way to find out is to try it out for yourself! For me, finding a partner in crime was easy, just tag along P who occasionally has to satisfy his fried chicken cravings...<br /><br />So we got a Classic Variety Meal set, which was accompanied with the tagline:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">When you love everything at KFC why not have it all? Original Recipe Chicken, Hot Wings, Crispy Strips plus fries and a drink really answer those KFC cravings!<br /></span><br />Heh, it definitely reminded me of my childhood days, though I was more of a <a href="http://www.awrestaurants.com/">A&W</a> fan then (amazing rootbeer floats!). One thing I noticed was that KFCs in the UK seem to have a reputation or at least give the impression of a lower quality food chain, than say in Malaysia. Back home, KFC, A&W and McDonalds seem to be on par in terms of food standards, restaurant upkeep and customer service. I was surprised that even the KFC branch in Leicester Square seem to be a little bit messy and run down, unlike the now newly refurbished McDonald chains. Seems like they're lagging behind the race ...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1neshGmELLA8-ymszkmXR_3hgzqQy77TKl3RQpa6eCbLgs4txpR7ArqdkeFlxqtAS1dLMmXGiV3xZvyrAcUPxMvw1Ueg1GqzKC9dHHmj7G6_e2nBBez6QeAyu8ji4j2gxMlg/s1600-h/P1000623.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1neshGmELLA8-ymszkmXR_3hgzqQy77TKl3RQpa6eCbLgs4txpR7ArqdkeFlxqtAS1dLMmXGiV3xZvyrAcUPxMvw1Ueg1GqzKC9dHHmj7G6_e2nBBez6QeAyu8ji4j2gxMlg/s320/P1000623.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196639355568790210" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Anyways</span>, back to the fried chicken. I love the crispy strips best! Strips of boneless breast fillets deep fried till perfection. Such a sinful creation since its so easy to eat them all if I'm given a bucket full of it. I think tastewise it's pretty similar to Malaysia, though not ordering coleslaw and mashed potatoes with gravy is probably the reason why most feel that its different to the familiar versions at home. And they have baked beans on their menu here too, strange...<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnbs-JBfcAQhRx2OaB9MY1F7QBkHaUY6K4sTfjh0S8BsStiLD2bZbSEVd2bdgPyotzi_pebh8DyaI_cjveLfy5RnCYh5zuNUF9CKGhrSsOeCA7IzhPgA-fqBKud3NfziPS4WX/s1600-h/P1000625.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnbs-JBfcAQhRx2OaB9MY1F7QBkHaUY6K4sTfjh0S8BsStiLD2bZbSEVd2bdgPyotzi_pebh8DyaI_cjveLfy5RnCYh5zuNUF9CKGhrSsOeCA7IzhPgA-fqBKud3NfziPS4WX/s320/P1000625.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196639127935523506" border="0" /></a>The finger lickin' good factor is definitely a mystery. Will definitely try my own version soon, probably a BBQ one to suit the weather these days :)Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16841538089779636230noreply@blogger.com0