Spheres at Bintan, Indonesia

Osaka Twilight Festival

Traipsing to the Japanese Summer festival at the Treasury Gardens out of curiosity was quite a good thing to do on a nice Sunday afternoon. The sun was out, the wind was cool and the Japanese were all over the place, as well as very busy food stalls.

okonomiyaki - a vegetable pancake topped with mayonnaise and a special okonomiyaki sauce
from "okonomi" meaning "what you like" and -yaki meaning "grilled" or "cooked"



Harajuku Crepes
this one with peach and mango ice cream
the queue was extremely long for this particular treat! (waiting time was around 20 minutes)
if you want to skip the queue check them out at Shop 148 Knox Place, Melbourne Central



Takoyaki
a Japanese dumpling made of batter and chopped baby octopus, made yummier with some pickled garlic, topped with okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise.
To make this dumpling you would need a cast iron with half spherical moulds, where the batter is poured.
The ball is then turned over to cook the top side for a couple more minutes before serving.



Takoyaki for $5




Another Japanese sweet treat - chocolate covered banana with candy sprinkles.
Thought it was a rip off at $3 (can get a bunch of bananas at Coles for this price!)
but as it was a novelty item and looked funny for the photos - the small change was fished out of the pocket and the camera geared up.

Not all treats proved to be yummy though, as there was a green latte that tasted of fishy seaweed.

it was green tea powder sprinkled on top of frothed milk.
not very successful.

There were some other events such as basic manga tutorial (japanese anime taught by non-japanese looking people), stalls selling kimono, girls playing the shamisen (a stringed instrument) and a professional busker rocking the house down. Quite funny, as at one point where there were several stalls that was not manned by any Jap folks at all [thus the event was hence called "I Want to be Japanese" festival ]. Just proves how multicultural this place is... in every sense :)

Ingredient : Bamboo Shoots

Bamboo shoots are the edible young tips of the bamboo, seen slowly jutting out from the ground. Pinoys call it "labong", and is a common ingredient used around Asia, particularly China, India and Indonesia. It requires some initial preparation to remove some of the naturally occurring toxins (cyanogenic glycoside, also present in cassava. Apparently there is strong evidence that this one of the plants ways of defending itself from herbivores).

check it out in the asian store near you.

try not to be deceived by the bulk... you're gonna have to peel all those layers off!
Just like peeling off the ears of a corn on a cob, remove what appears to be skin. Starting from the base makes it a bit more easy.

size does not matter

After peeling off the thick leafy layers off, it will reveal a tender pale yellow core. Cut from the tip and you can judge by feel as to what would be the less tougher parts. Usually the lower parts are hard to cut, then you'd know when to stop. Slice thinly.

small circle...small circle....

Once cut, place them in a pot and add cold water. Bring to a boil for around 20 minutes, then replace with fresh water and do it again for another 20-30 minutes. The shoots will remain crunchy, which is one of its great characteristics.

boil baby boil

When that's done, you can leave that cool and then toss into your favorite stir fry. If storing for use, boil for the third time with a generous amount of sea salt, let cool when done but don't throw the water away as it would keep well for a week in the fridge in this brine.

shown here stir fried with beef, brocolli, mushroom and spring onion

bamboo shoot nutrition data
This food is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Riboflavin and Zinc, and a very good source of Vitamin B6, Potassium, Copper and Manganese, but is apparently high in sodium.

4 Cheese Pizza

The basil is quietly growing in the backyard and had enough leaves to harvest...a friend gave a generous amount of freshly harvested tomatoes and there were several cheeses stashed somewhere in the fridge... what to do?

certified yum

A basic margherita has red tomatoes, green basil and white cheese, which represent the Italian flag. This pizza though, had not one, not two, not three, but 4 cheeses! (but just tiny amounts from each...)

A pizza base was made, the tomatoes were bathed in boiling water and the skin removed, the flesh was lightly mashed (for a little texture-imagining sinking your teeth in a sweet, plump piece of tomato... ) and seasoned with salt and pepper. This served as the tomato sauce. Then thinly sliced Castello White and tiny dots of Blue Cheese, a handful of shredded cheddar, thin layer of shaved parmesan, and a sprinkling of fresh basil, were evenly distributed on top. Watch and feel the cheese melt in your mouth... and wash it down with cold beer!

Scribe's Notes : Olinda Creek Walking Track

The Olinda Creek Walking Track is one of the many walking trails in the Dandenong Ranges National Park. It starts at the overflow carpark across the Silvan Reservoir Carpark, where other tracks such as Greygum Walking Track (2.3 km) and Messmate Track (1.4km) also commence.

The first part of the trail was highly enjoyable, covered by trees, the path littered by thistles, some orchids, and ferns. A quick pace would eventually lead you to a number of wooden steps, so don't stop - keep the heart rate up! But almost immediately this foresty trail ends and leads to a big gravelly road where silver pipes protrude once in a while.

one of the violet colored orchids which name escapes me now

The silence is broken by the soles of trekking shoes hitting against the rockey pavement, while birds swoop down and try to catch you offguard. The trees on either side of the road reach for the sky, and the wind occassionally visits to keep it all cool. Having passed by some folks and meeting some on their way back, this track appears to be a popular destination for brisk walks. Armed with a hydration pack, it's a good way to go out for a walk. But if you're on a lookout for stunning, heart melting views, this is probably not for you.

seen along the trail : a symbol of nobility of character
Scotland's national flower, the thistle

Total walking time : 80 minutes (one way)

Other possible options : combine walking tracks or side trip to numerous picnic areas, lavender farms, tulip farms, or just drive along the long windy roads of Dandenong!

Monteith's Summer Ale

With temperatures reaching even up to 44.3 C in Melbourne, some inevitable results come to play - 200 train service cancellations from Connex, a total fire ban, and a sampling of Monteith's Summer Ale.

Refreshingly light, this spiced ale is made of 4 different malts and rata honey. It is a limited release especially made for summer, and at 5% alcohol stands a notch lower compared to its winter equivalent. Incidentally, it was paired with a nice cold seafood salad of iceberg lettuce, shrimps, crab sticks, tomatoes, spring onions and cucumber with a mustard-olive oil-lemon juice dressing... good enough to beat the summer heat!

Scribe's Notes : Wilson's Promontory

Wilson's Promontory, nicknamed the "Prom", is the southernmost point of the Australian mainland. Take the car and drive 3 hours from Melbourne to the South Gippsland Highway, exiting at Fish Creek, and it will be one of the great things you'd never regret doing.


Taking advantage of the long weekend and the much awaited opportunity to do a proper hike, a quick call to 131963 and the bookings were easily done. This is a must for overnight hikes, especially to this route where camping is by permit only. At $14.20 per night (per tent), $28.40 was a very affordable price to pay. The camp sites have a compost toilet (properly enclosed comfort rooms with a toilet bowl dropping your excrement to an enclosure, no water, bring your own toilet paper - inhale before entering the room, do your gig, and remember to put the seat cover down!) and a water source.

Due to a huge number of people flocking to the prom, the original plan of doing Telegraph Saddle - Refuge Cove - Sealer's Cove had to be changed to Telegraph Saddle - Oberon Bay - Refuge Cove. Turned out to be an excellent way to ease in back into the hiking scene in terms of difficulty levels, hours of hiking per day and the awesome scenes that require a bit more time to take in, simply because it was insane not to do so. The hike is a counterclockwise take towards the eastern side of the prom.


Day 1 : Telegraph Saddle Carpark to Oberon Bay

Summary
12 noon : Depart from Telegraph Saddle Carpark (6.1 km)
1:49 pm : Arrive at Oberon Bay (3.4 km)
Total : 9.5km

By 8am the drive to the Prom had commenced. A portable breakfast of bananas sandwiched in homemade wholewheat pancakes with buttermilk and orange zest gave a good start for the day. By around 11am the booking reference number had been provided to the receptionist by the gate of the Prom and the intrepid trekkers were advised that the road up to the Telegraph Saddle Carpark was closed and a shuttle was provided. This is a normal undertaking during peak season.

Around 30km from the entrance is the Overnight Hikers Carpark where the car was parked (!!!) and the shuttles depart on designated times for the drive up to the Telegraph Saddle Carpark. A good number of hikers were geared up for the challenge, and with the weather forecasted to be hitting 33C, it would be a sweaty day. The hike commenced at 12 noon.

Fortunately, it was not as hot as anticipated, and the good cool breeze from the sea was invigorating. The trail to Oberon Bay was quite easy, made a bit more challenging from the Telegraph Junction because the rocky, pebbly pavement became fine sand. With a backpack to weigh you down further then the footprints in the sand go deeper.

along the way

Nice and early at the camp, a late (packed) lunch of adobo and rice (only because it was decided there would be no stopping along the trail!), an afternoon snooze, dinner of chili, lentils and couscous, and a nightcap of gin and tonic with a squeeze of lemon... No complaints there!

The campsite was quite limited and the water source was like a creek (if that was the proper term). Having known beforehand that water in the campsites require treatment, a pack of Aquatabs Water purification tablets was purchased from the local chemist and brought to the trip. One small tablet can purify 1 liter of water, but if gathered from a creek, a filter may also help remove unwanted grass and silt. In this case, a spare quick-dry t-shirt made of highly breathable material served the purpose!

Easing in for the long trek for the next day was made easy by the tune of the crashing waves. Life has become simpler once again.

cheers!
Featured Drink : GSM Blue
the nalgene flask cap has an included shot glass

Sunset at Oberon Bay

Day 2 : Oberon Bay - Little Waterloo Bay - Refuge Cove
Summary
8:45 Break camp and head to Little Waterloo Bay (8.2 km)
10 am Arrive at Little Waterloo Bay
11:15 Depart Little Waterloo Bay, head to Refuge Cove (7.1km)
1pm Arrive at Refuge Cove
Total : 15.3km

breakfast - omelet with chili and coriander, with wholewheat pita bread and coffee

Backtracking to the junction and then branching off to Little Waterloo Bay was not too hard either. Most part of the trail is still sandy and with an early start ahead of the rest of gang sleeping still in their tents, the trail is mostly quiet, only with the birds and rustling of the leaves (perhaps a shy wallaby).

sandy green, or greeny sand?

Boulders that look like a part of Easter Island stand mighty and proud atop a hill, while the trees burned to reduce fuel provide a slightly eerie foreground to the scene. Several steep areas make the heart skip a beat (or thump a little).. or perhaps that was because of a snake crossing the trail? The reptile did slither away quietly though... perhaps the human stink of sweat was a bit too overpowering for the amicable scaly fellow.

Is it Easter Island? And see the snake slither away?

And Little Waterloo Bay.... It was just simply a magical place. The sea was so blue (or turqoise, as they say) that you sometimes can't tell where the sea meets the sky.

beauty beyond words

the awesome white beach

The water was freezing cold but it would just be a shame not to indulge in this paradise!

After an hour in Little Waterloo Bay it was time to resume the walk towards Refuge Cove, the destination for the day.

Campsite is somewhere behind the trees by the shore (a bit to the left side)

The trail to Refuge Cove had a good mix of uphills and downhills, it was very much enjoyable. It was very sunny but most of the trail was covered and the cool breeze was still a constant companion. The campsite is bigger than Oberon Bay, and the water source was flowing water from a hose connected to the creek. The tablets did their magic for drinking purposes, while the rest was boiled away for the pasta dinner that evening.

3-minute rollini with sundried tomatoes, black olives, green peppercorns and mackerel,
finished with freshly grated parmesan cheese!
while the happy tent breathed again, out of the closet and into the wild

The drink of the evening was a flask of Jameson whiskey, unfortunately not enough to knock the living lights out of these trekkers. In the middle of the evening, the girls in the tent-next-door screamed "Help me, help me", while a possum attacked the food that they have left outside their tents. Next time, have more whiskey, and perhaps it is the key to sleep in peace.

Day 3 : Refuge Cove - Sealer's Cove - Telegraph Saddle Carpark
Summary
7:45am Depart Refuge Cove and head to Sealer's Cove
9:15am Arrive at Sealer's Cove (6.4km)
11am Arrive at Windy Saddle
11:30 Arrive at Telegraph Saddle Carpark, end of hike

the long stretch of beach at Sealer's Cove

The park notes described this leg as "A steady climb to Windy Saddle and then downhill through a beautiful ferny glade and forest to a boardwalk over Sealers Swamp"... but this is from Telegraph Saddle to Sealer's Cove. Hence, because the route was inverted, the trek was uphill after quite a while in the lovely boardwalk in the midst of the forest. But the ascent posed no threat to the "greyhounds" (a remark from an overtaken lady with a nice smile). A five minute break at the Windy Saddle was an attempt to finish off the homemade trailmix made from organic sultanas, raisins and pine nuts, before almost sprinting downhill to the Telegraph Saddle. At this point, the aches and muscle pains were beginning to be a bit more noticeable.

In the car park, some hikers have regrouped to compare notes and discuss separate itineraries. A quick stretch may take the niggles away temporarily, but the experience itself is unforgettable. A pat on the back for a job well done, having enjoyed the hike and achieving hiking times well below the published estimated average compeletion time....an awesome hike to one of the most beautiful places in Victoria, worth a return visit for the southern circuit!!!

The drive back to Melbourne was punctuated with lunch at the Fishy Pub in Fish Creek (a small town called the 'gateway to the Prom'), on the menu was an irresistible kangaroo steak and rabbit snag (it was supposed to be an Emu snag, which would have made it more exotic, but unfortunately it was not available during that day).

ending the hike with a bang-er

For a nice day hike there are options for short walks along the many beaches within the prom, just check out the website and take your pick on the very enticing list of things to do... especially now that the concept of going to "the Prom" requires no fancy dresses, high heels nor make-up!

Delirium Tremens

Delirium Tremens is a Belgian beer quite famed for its ceramic looking bottle featuring pink elephants, a design reminiscent of cologne ceramics. While the bottle may be a fake…it’s just a regular brown beer bottle with a little paint :)….the beer is certainly not. It’s a Trippel, using three different yeasts, and packs quite a punch at 8.5%.

Light in colour this beer has a rich creamy head and is packed full of flavour. Lightly hoppy with a stronger malt flavour there are also the fruity characteristics expected with similar Belgian varieties. This is a real treasure that just keeps getting better sip after sip.

Kilkenny

Last weekends featured tipple was Kilkenny Irish Ale. Found on tap at a number of Irish theme pubs, the local draught version is actually brewed in Australia, this time was the turn of the can variety. This version is imported from Ireland and appears to travel quite well.

This is a creamy ale, featuring the draught “widget”, which once poured needs a little time to settle. This is not an ale for fans of the sweet varieties, instead has a rich creamy texture, nutty and malty with a smooth slight bitter finish. Well suited to a sustained tasting session.

Sinigang and Risotto - Sinirotto?

This recipe is a result of sitting down in the sofa contemplating about life.

Not.

It is actually a fusion sort of recipe, inspired by a previous success of experimenting with risotto, and a Filipino dish called sinigang, which is (ahem, because wikipedia said so), "a Philippine dish famous for the variety of ingredients one can use as well as for its taste. Though considered a soup, it is not eaten as is, but rather combined as a viand with rice. Sinigang is typically sour and is most often likened to Thailand's tom yam.

Sinigang often incorporates stewed fish, pork, chicken, shrimp, or beef. Sinigang's characteristic taste is attributed to the ingredient that gives its sour taste, not to the meat's flavor. Meat is stewed with tamarind (which provides the sourness), green pepper, tomato, and onion." Vegetables that can be incorporated into the dish would be morning glory, radish, okra, taro, long beans or eggplant.

sinigang - from the archives!
shown here made with fish, long green chili and eggplants.
the souring agent is tamarind

It is an all-time favorite at home, very simple to cook (just boil the meat with tomato and onions, then add the souring agent, then add the vegetables, then serve hot!) and not very hard to enjoy either. It was made even simpler with the introduction of the powdered mixes which were both tasty and convenient at the same time. My personal choice of eating this dish would be to inundate a bowl of rice with the sour soup, still steaming from the pot, mash some taro with the rice, and slurp the thickened consistency of soups with heaps of vegetables.

So, with the familiarity of how to cook arborio rice, knowing its properties which make up a rick thick creamy consistency of a risotto, then why not make a risotto, sinigang style? Of course that addresses a personal choice!

ingredients, from top left to right

(serves 2)
200g arborio rice
5 pieces of okra, sliced
1 tomato, chopped
1 small radish, peeled and halved... half is minced, half is chopped into circles
1 small onion, minced
5 pieces of fefferoni pepper, minced (similar to long green hot chili peppers) - decrease if you don't want it spicy
fish broth (homemade in this instance, made by boiling the remnants of a baked giant red snapper)
1 big basa fish fillet (or any white fish)
1 tablespoon olive oil
dash of fish sauce, to taste

Bring the fish broth into a gentle boil and poach the fish fillet for a couple of minutes, until cooked. Keep broth warm in low flame, take the fish out, flake half of the big fillet and set aside remaining half.

For the soffrito - heat olive oil in a heavy saucepan and add minced onions, peppers and minced radish. When the onions become translucent, add the rice and mix until coated with oil. Then add the broth, one ladle at a time, continue adding when the liquid is absorbed and stop when rice is al dente. Add in the rest of the radish, tomatoes, flaked fish, and a dash of fish sauce to taste (a common Filipino condiment used with sinigang). Serve with the remaining fish fillet on top and garnish as preferred.

shown here with alfalfa and onion sprouts..
best enjoyed with a glass of white wine!

Option for mantecatura (final step in making a risotto creamy) for this would be to add in some mashed boiled taro.... and it would have been one of those sublime fusion recipes that someone may have already thought somewhere on the web.

Tinned Spaghetti

I searched long and hard and looked at every inch of my childhood memory, and there never was a reference about tinned spaghetti. Spaghetti would have been something from Jollibee, (a famous fastfood joint, pinoy version and great competitor of McDonalds), or a dish at a birthday party (kids or adults), usually with a sweet tomato sauce, slices of hotdog mixed with ground beef, or an aunt's quick dish whipped up at the dark ends of the kitchen with a store-bought packet of 'Filipino Style' spaghetti sauce (i.e sweet, like the one from Del Monte.)

Pork and beans would be tinned, yes. But spaghetti, no.

but it exists!

So here's to folks back home, feast your eyes on Tinned Spaghetti on toast.

Apparently this would have been a typical European style snack, or breakfast for some. To me it was an experiment just to see what it's like - would there be any notion of 'al dente' (ha!) , would the tomato sauce be nice and tasty (more ha!), would there be any tiny morsels of meat....

But because the label says "tomato sauce", then it was just tomato sauce.

And some gooey, soft tendrils of white stuff which may have been the spaghetti. :)

Ah well, at least now i know what its like!

*

In case the previous photo has ruined your notions of "toast" hope this one can neutralize it :

smoked salmon on toast with poached eggs and homemade hollandaise sauce
(sprinkled with some homegrown parsley which are not sooo green!)
and cracked black pepper

Chilis

Cayenne

Named after the city of Cayenne in French Guiana, this chili will eventually become red and hot and probably tossed into a stir fry (if not crushed into a dipping sauce...). Seen here as still green, we'll give it a bit more time. The same goes for all the other flowers!

Habanero

One of the hottest chilis, this perennial plant (meaning it can produce flowers, and hence fruits, all year round if good care is practiced!) Thrives in hot weather, and only should be watered when the soil is dry, otherwise the fruit produced is bitter.

Sweet Pepper

Watch this one grow! Check out the previous post. Unfortunately the other chili appears to be quite not much of a grower...seems like all resources are going towards fattening the other one!

Jalapeno

This pepper probably needs no introduction, although some may not know that the chipotle pepper is actually a smoked jalapeno. The red fruits are considered a bit inferior compared to the long green ones. It is also known as huachinangos or chiles gordos in some parts of Mexico, where it has originated.

What contributes to the spiciness of these fruits? Factors include growing temperature, hours of sunlight, moisture, soil chemistry, and the type and amount of fertilizer used. Dried peppers usually end up spicier than their fresh counterparts, and it also depends on the conditions to which they were dried that contribute to their spiciness. Ultimately, it is because of the naturally occuring compound called capsaicin that makes chili spicy (or 'piquant'), and there is a form of measurement known as Scoville scale which measures the hotness of peppers. Wilbur Scoville devised the Scoville Organoleptic Test which determines how much capsaicin there is in the pepper. The sweet bell pepper (capsicums) have a rating of zero. Check out the heat scale here.