Quick cooking doesn't mean 'Buy Frozen and Re-heat'

Some days are really busy. When you barely have time to think, there is not much time to plan meals.
Even then, there is so much fresh, healthy food that you can get and still get a hot meal on the table to feed a hungry family in less than the time it would take to order take-away.
Marinated Tofu, left-over rice, mushrooms, peas, tomatos, chili paste. Heat a hot wok, toss in the tofu bits, stir fry it with the mushrooms, peas, tomatoes and chili paste. Stir in the left-over rice. Wash some salad greens and there you go - meal in minutes.
The young girl at the check out asked me what the tofu was like. Hopefully she will try my recipe instead of heating packets of food after going home.

End of Dosa search

Finally back in the city we wound up at 'Goldan Fork' - i think they meant to name it 'Golden Fork' but then again you never know with these places. All the right signs - long queues, good menu supplemented by loud bollywood music. The masala dosas weren't great but the chutneys were fresh and the sambar (clear spicy lentil gravy) finished it off nicely. That concludes the dosa quest. I'm sure there are lots of other places which do have a bit more - have to keep looking. Tomorrow I'm back in the kitchen and we'll see how that pans out.

Looking for a good Indian Dosa in Dandenong

It may take a while to get to India. Some inspiration in the Melbourne suburb 'Dandenong' perhaps? That's where the Indian migrants supposedly live.  So we set off today - camera and tastebuds in tow. We cruised for a long time on the expressway from the city center and followed our trusted GPS's instructions till we hit Dandenong city center. What a disappointment! I was expecting something like Little India in Singapore. Crowded streets, lots of great Indian food, colourful stalls and the general chaos and confusion that makes it so Indian. We didn't see any of that - not even enough Indians. Just dreary suburbia - almost a feeling of hopelessness. We were starving and determined to at least get a small bite. We shouldn't have. The little restaurant had a handle held up with a bit of tattered cloth. The food was tasteless, greasy and frankly terrible. Spongy mushrooms in bright red dye and thick heavy battered deep fried vegetables. It's good sometimes to go and see what not to do. So I guess I'll have to keep looking or take a flight out.

Gotta get fired up

Was told today that I am losing my touch. My food doesn't have the same zap. Gotta travel, experiment and explore

Back to Prep After a Day of Rest

Back to the kitchen to prep today. This starts to feel more comfortable.  A very different feeling when there is no service for the day. The restaurant gets a rest - a thorough clean. Everyone is relaxed and getting down to it. Recipes are doubled and quadrupled. Litres of wine, vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce make their way into sauces, marinades, spice pastes, relishes and more. Hundreds of beans are topped and tailed. Bucketfuls of herbs are washed and picked. Veggies are chopped and fruits are stewed. Everything is boxed and labeled - lots of labels! After 4 hours of peeling dicing and measuring 6 cups of onions, 4 cups of garlic, 2 cups of galangal, 4 cups of lemon grass, 1 cup of turmeric, 6 cups of chilies, 2 cups of coriander root, I was ready to head home. Back to dinner at home - with more stories to tell and school days to catch up with. I was running by the time I was close. A little more understanding of what it is going to take to live this dream. Am I ready? Only time will tell.

Laneway Sausage Sizzle

I did drag my feet yesterday. Not sure whether it was trying to start again after so long or was it facing up to the reality that my passion for food wouldn't pay the bills...

A laneway street party was on in full swing. We pushed our way through the whirling dervishes, the break dancers and the rest who swilled beer or sipped coffees watching and being seen.

Prep in the kitchen was still in full swing - a little more crazy and I could actually find a things. A few casualties - a tray of hot duck fat missed me by inches, 24 painstakingly peeled soft boiled eggs landed on the floor and then in the bin and a few vanishing ingredients.

Orders came in and the chef was on a roll. My head spun with the sounds of the roar of the burners, voices shouting 'behind you', 'hot hot hot pan coming through' and 'I'm on it chef' combined with the DJ pumping it out in the street outside.

Shed the apron, wished my kitchen team good night and joined my friends for a meal. Felt more natural dining and being served. The spicy noodle salad was a winner but we need to talk about the service. Will return to the kitchen next week for an evening of prep.

In the meantime I go back to making waffles, hot cakes, lasagnas and chutneys in my kitchen with my family. Very satisfying.

And so on...

It's like a show that happens each day. Lots of rehearsals and finally the lights turn down for the first scene. Everyone in front is on show and everyone backstage is racing madly to get the timing right. No major drama yet. I am still an outsider - on the inside now - watching and taking it all in. Tomorrow is a another day.