some recent unfortunate events ..

a very good advice to all bike riders out there .. never ride in the rain! holly cow it hurts like hell when you actually realize how painful it is from an iphone size wound on your knee caused by this stupidity. Yes i crashed .. my bike slipped off the tram lines off Toorongga Road last Thursday when i was driving to uni to do my assignment with some of my mates. I wasn't going fast, probably about 40km/h and was ready to stop at the traffic lights when this car suddenly decides to change lanes, so i changed lanes behind him and before i could notice any beautiful girls around me, i was on the ground. Stood up and felt as if the world just stopped. I looked around and there was my bike lying down flat on the ground with its wheels still spinning. I almost cried when i saw my left side signal lights came off and was lying nicely right beside me. Holy shit that's gonna cost me a bomb. Knowing i probably just annihilated my beloved bike, i was more about worrying how much money i would pay to repair it than my bleeding knee. Came this friendly old guy standing by the tram stop, helping me to the side and so kindly pushed my bike off the road to the sidewalk. He was like my angel. Somehow when i needed help, he magically appeared and i swear i didn't notice him when i was riding down the road. So it was a pleasant experience i would say, fell then rescued by an old man which was a total stranger to me. At least now i know there's still nice people in the world. So the story sort of ends here because i don't really feel comfortable explaining the nasty part of my wound n condition to my readers, since this is my food blog. :) So it has been 6 days since i fell, and my wound isn't healing as quick as i thought it would be. But it seems better. Hopefully ill be able to walk properly by the end of this week, if not .. hospital i go! Hehehez. 

Oh by the way, i wanna take this opportunity to thank my good buddy/great housemate/awesome best friend for my birthday present! CALVIN CHONG ! thank u !!! This guy right here, bought me a book that i always wished i had. Counting the amount of cook books i have now plus many chef biographies and food magazines, i hereby certify myself as a food nerd. I wonder if i will ever want to stop learning.. NEVER! Food is awesome, food is great, food is amazing, food brings people together, food is everything! Ooops i went overboard .. hahaha. My apologies. Oh yeah, so Calvin bought me "Jamie does Spain/Italy/Sweden/Morocco/Greece/ France - by Jamie Oliver" which is a fantastic book! I can't wait to start it after my assignments and exams of course :) So, thanks Calvin !!! 

Yea thats about it guys. If you do want to sign my sympathy sheet to hope for my fast recovery, please do so by sending in your comments. :) Im just kidding .. hahahaha no one actually comments anyway. Is anyone reading this? anyone ? .. someone? I would like to know your existence :) Have a good week guys!

mastering the art of french cooking

Two more weeks and i will be receiving my very own Julia Child cookbook! I can't wait to flip through that 700 page food bible! It will be historic !! Sorry I just got over excited about it, so I decided to share my joy with you guys. Yes yes, i am a food nerdy. who isn't? Hahaha. Who doesn't love good food huh? If you don't and you're reading my blog, i suggest you turn away and just walk away. :) Im just kiddin. 

Bon Apetite!

boeuf bourguignon ala julia child

First recipe to share for the comeback is my personal favourite, boeuf bourguignon by Julia Child. It was seen in the movie Julie & Julia ( a tribute movie to the late Julia Child ) and it sure looks yummy! Ive made it before, and it was awesome. So try it guys and tell me what you think about it! Bon Apetite! 

Recipe:

THE STEW

6 ounce                                       bacon

1 tbsp                                         olive oil

3 pounds                                     lean stweing beef, cut 2 inch cubes

1                                                carrot, peeled & sliced

1                                                onion, peeled & sliced

1 tsp                                           salt

1/4 tsp                                        pepper

2 tbsp                                         flour

3 cups                                         red wine (a full bodied wine)

2-3 cups                                      beef stock

1 tbsp                                         tomato paste

2                                                garlic cloves

1 sprig                                        thyme

1                                                fresh bay leaf

Method:

1. First, cut bacon into 1 1/2inch long slices or whichever shape you prefer.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 450'F or 220'C.
3. Put the tablespoon of olive oil into a large fireproof casserole and warm over moderate heat.
4. Saute the bacon for 2-3 minutes to brown lightly.
5. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.
6. Dry off the pieces of beef (drying the beef with a towel helps better browning) and saute them in the hot bacon oil until nicely browned on all sides.
7. Once browned, remove to the side plate with the bacon.
8. In the same pan with oil, saute the onion and carrot until softened.
9. Pour off the fat and return bacon and beef to the pot together with carrots and onions.
10. Season it with salt and pepper, then stir in flour.
11. Set the uncovered casserole in the oven for four minutes.
12. Give the ingredients a good stir again, and return to hot oven for 4 more minutes.
13. Now lower the heat to 325'F or 180'c. 
14. Remove the casserole from the oven, and the wine. Let simmer on high heat for 1 minute. 
15. Add in the stock so that the meat is barely covered.
16. Add tomato paste, garlic and herbs. 
17. Bring to simmer on the stove, cover and place into the oven and let it cook for at least 2 1/2 hours. 
18. Check after 2 hours to assure its not too dry. If its too try, add more stock. (the sauce should be nice and thick, but not too dry)

Enjoy & Bon Apetite !

back in some chop chop action!

Bonjour ! First of all, i would like to send my apologies to all the readers of my blog for the "missing in action" month. I was very busy with both university and work. Haven't had much time to actually blog and damn i miss it. I am so wanting to blog & blog all day long. There is so much i want to share, so much to tell and so much to brag about. Of course, lots of foodie yummy recipes. 

So lets start off by saying what i actually experienced today in uni. For the first time in my life, i was introduced to a book and movie that made me just so proud to be a cook. I bet you guys heard of it, the movie Julie & Julia and the book by Julia Childs "Mastering the art of French cooking". That movie and book made my passion for cooking bloom like a rising sun from the east, which reminds me why I love what i'm doing so much. Yes, it is one hell of a job, one hard life ahead, but like what Julia Child would say; finding something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it! That is how Julia did it, that is how i will do it. Oh i am sorry, i almost forgot you guys might not have any idea who Julia Child is. You may want to wikipedia it which will provide good information about her. The picture beside is her, real life. Such a passionate cook, who revolutionized every American home with proper French cuisine. It is amazing to see how a simple home cook like her can change the world with pure and simple French cooking. How Julia's famous boeuf ala bourguignon made its way into every American home and into every cook's heart. Simply enchanting.

So when i was watching the movie, which i am now again for the 3rd time today; i had this crazy idea that i want to buy her book and try every single recipe in it in a duration of 365 days like what Julie did in the movie; which was a tribute to Julia Childs. So i am actually aiming to start it next year after my holidays when im back in Melbourne and fingers crossed, it will actually happen.

Final words before i sign off for today, I want to apologize again to my readers for missing in action. I am back for sure. :) Bon Apetite!