In Shanghai

This was taken a while back (in May) which kinda goes against the philosophy of this blog but meh. I want a record and here it is.

Laur and me in Shanghai. Crazy how we ended up in the same city at the same time on holiday without planning it.

Quiche

c/- joyce :)

blind bake pastry: get a piece of shortcrust pastry. prick it with fork, line with foil. if you have baking weights/rice put them in to weigh down the pastry. i generally don't bother. put it to around 180-200 degrees. bake until it's a bit harder (10 min), then take foil off and bake a little more (about another 10 min) so you have a firm crust (don't completely cook it cos it will need to go into the oven again with the filling and you don't want it to burn).

While its baking: The quiche I make uses 6 eggs but it depends on the size of your pan. beat together eggs, milk (about 1 cup), grated cheese, salt pepper (chilli for me too).

add ingredients into crust (I use whatever is in the cupboard - normally ham/salami, herbs, caramalised onions) and pour in milk. cook in oven at 180 degrees until set.

NB with some fillings you may need to cook them first eg generally veges (mushrooms, onion, zucchini) as you need to cook the water out.

To market

For the first time in about a year, we made it to the Farmer's Market

Check out the colour of the blood oranges! But we were too scared to buy some.Remnants of the old power house and some nice blue sky.
City from New Farm Park.
A passing rose.
And then, after an idyllic morning, we sat in traffic for 3/4 of an hour to get from New Farm to South Bank. The Captain Cook bridge is closed this weekend. Be warned.

Rain and knees

It was a lazy rainy Saturday. A perfect day to practice my fledgling photgraphy skills.

Five-star view from the back verandah.
Our place.
A house on our street. I've always wondered who lives there, with the immaculate garden but in badly need of paint.
Our place falling over.
The boys, not to be deterred, went to play their weekly game of soccer.
But it was all to end in tears when Brett's old man right knee gave way.
What a trooper.

Buy the Bob Evan's "Suburban Songbook". It's awesome.

slc

Sunday Lunch Club at Brek's. Pizza!!!


Pizza dough recipe

1kg flour
560ml luke-warm water
3 sachets yeast
1 tsp salt
pinch of sugar

1. Mix yeast, sugar and water and stand until there are bubbles on the surface.

2. Add flour and salt and mix well with dough hook until smooth dough forms.

3. Knead dough with dough hook for 5 minutes or by hand for 25 minutes until smooth and elastic.

4. Put dough in clean, oiled bowl and cover with damp clean tea towel. Allow to stand in a warm place for 20 min or until doubled in size. Otherwise, seal container and place in fridge overnight.

5. Allow dough to warm to room temperature and knead lightly. Cover and stand until doubled in size. For bread: bake in preheated 200c oven for 25 min or until golden and hollow sounding when tapped.

Dough can be frozen for 3 months.

Pavlova recipe

4 large egg whites (1/2 cup) or 1/2 cup refrigerated pasteurized egg whites
1 teaspoon white distilled or wine vinegar
3/4 cup plus about 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whipping cream
3 cups sliced strawberries (15 oz.)
1 cup sliced peeled kiwi fruit (8 oz.)


1. Preheat oven to 250° (225° for convection) for one large pavlova, or 300° (275° convection) for individual pavlovas.

2. In a large bowl, with a mixer (preferably fitted with wire-whisk attachment) on high speed, beat egg whites and vinegar until foamy. Mix 1 tablespoon of the sugar with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and set aside. Gradually add sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping sides of bowl occasionally, until stiff, shiny peaks form (see tip 2 below). After beating the rest of the sugar into the whites, add cornstarch mixture and 1 teaspoon vanilla and beat just until blended.

3. For one large pavlova, mound all the meringue on one prepared baking sheet and shape into a 7- to 8-inch round, with edges slightly higher than center. To make individual pavlovas, mound meringue in eight equal portions (a scant 1/2 cup for each) on sheets, spacing at least 3 inches apart. Shape each into a 4-inch round (follow tip 3 below).

4. Bake in preheated oven until a thin, crisp crust forms on the surface but interior is still soft when gently pressed, 50 to 60 minutes for large pavlova, 20 to 25 minutes for individual pavlovas. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Carefully remove from baking sheet and transfer to a platter or plates (it's normal for crust to crack a little).

5. In a bowl, with a mixer on high speed, beat whipping cream just until soft peaks form. Turn mixer to low and beat in sugar to taste (about 2 tablespoons).

6. Top pavlova(s) with whipped cream, sliced strawberries, and sliced peeled kiwi fruit. Cut large pavlova into wedges.

Tips for perfect meringue

1. A wire-whisk attachment introduces air evenly into whites and creates small bubbles, which are both stronger and more flexible. Make sure the bowl and beaters are clean; any fat can interfere with the formation of the foam.

2. Beating the whites with an acid, like cream of tartar or vinegar, helps coagulate the egg-white protein. You want stiff, shiny peaks. The mixture should feel smooth when you rub it between your fingers.

3. Shape meringue mixture into bowl-shaped rounds with a small, thin spatula. The edges should be a little higher than the centers.

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Riverfire '06

Victoria bridge was packed.

The Roulettes showed us their stuff:

Some nice photography in the gathering gloom:

Afterwards, some random and pointless crowd control. The use of light sabers (policeman bottom left) was an interesting innovation:

Boo

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