A Series of Unfortunate Events

Time for my bi-annual whinge (the last time I posted was in February...yikes). A long time between drinks but it has been quite a week and I felt I needed to get it down on paper (or electronic tablet device to be more accurate) for prosperity!

Just in case anyone reading this is not in fact related to me, let me preface this by telling you I am 20 weeks pregnant. Keep that in mind and consider that to be at least 70% of the cause of my current emotional state.

Sadly, my father in law has been battling cancer for a little over a year and though he's a fighter it doesn't look like he'll get to meet his first grandchild which breaks our hearts. It was with this information fresh in my mind that I waddled off to the office Christmas party last Friday in the muggy rain...I lasted until 8pm. As it was early enough to catch public transport home I waddled back up the street to the bus stop and promptly threw up on the street AND LET ME TELL YOU if you throw up on the street, on a Friday night, in December, people will not stop to help you. No matter how pregnant you may look they will assume you are drunk, not legitimately ill!!

So I jumped in a cab and ended up with a driver who proceeded to ask me the following questions:
"What is the meaning of Christmas?"
"What is Santa?"
"What is pitch?"
All of which I answered while covered in my own vomit...

Fast forward to Tuesday when I received a call from my mum informing me that my dad had managed to break his thumb and slice the flesh to the bone requiring 15 stitches...stress levels rising. Dad being a chef I assumed he had a kitchen accident but alas no, he was doing something or other on the roof...of course.

This left it up to mum and my darling husband to collect a shipment of champagne my parents imported from, um, champagne, at the docks at 7.30 this morning. In the meantime I was also at the docs (doctors that is) being informed that my bump was measuring too large for my dates - the fact that I had a perfectly normal ultrasound on Monday did nothing to dissipate my panic and I promptly freaked out and dissolved into a million puddle of tears in the back office of the clinic where they were hiding me. This prompted my GP to consult a private obstetrician in the end and it seems like there's nothing to worry about but everything was just building and building until I snapped...yeah. Word of advice ladies, if you can possibly go private all the way, do it!!! It is worth the money!!

To top it all off, as mum lugged her load of champagne home a wheel came off the trailer - mum is fine (as is the wine)!

So we've had quite the eventful week/month/year and have certainly earned our Christmas break! Look after each other and here's too a safe and happy holiday!! Please enjoy this photo of my cat as a break dancing elf - it's my gift to you x

Too Cool for School...(Prawns) & a Visit to the Colonel

Firstly a gripe. A newly engaged colleague of mine (we'll call him DPB) was telling me of a recent experience at one of Melbourne's most popular eateries. DPB and his fiancé were given a substantial gift certificate to said eatery and as regular customers decided to make use of it straight away. They enjoyed a lovely meal (no one is arguing with the quality of the food) but could only manage to spend half of the voucher in one sitting. After handing over the voucher to settle the bill DPB and his betrothed were informed that they were "all square" and they could be on their merry way. "Pardon me my good man," said DPB "but I believe you are mistaken. Our gift certificate was for x amount, we spent y amount, are we not therefore owed z amount?". "No," replied the waiter, "we don't re-issue certificates for balances unspent. If we did that we would be constantly writing certificates!" ARE YOU EFFING KIDDING ME????

1. This is the most absurd policy I have ever heard of.
2. Surely it is not only absurd but illegal
And
3. They have lost a good customer because of this.

The restaurant has received the "y" amount paid by DPB's generous friends, therefore they are entitled to goods and services equal to that amount. The audacity and arrogance on display here beggars belief as far as I'm concerned and they won't be getting my custom anytime soon either! I don't mind queuing for a table (although this particular diner does take bookings), I am happy to fork over hundreds for a meal but what I get in return had better be worth it. Technically being asked to spend $300 on what would otherwise cost $150 just because you have a certificate is utter stupidity. Luckily the happy couple had the good sense to order up on the drinks...and leave them on the bar.

On a happier note - who's paid a visit to colonel tan's? The funky little Thai restaurant at revolver upstairs is going great guns. The food is simply fresh and delicious. Order the Bangkok bolognese and a refreshing cocktail, you shan't be disappointed. Sit at the bar or pull up a couch. Thursday night is locals night (that's tomorrow!) so if you live in the south yarra/Prahran area be sure to take your license for a discount. This little gem pumps new life into the term cheap & cheerful.

Colonel Tan's
@ Revolver Upstairs
229 Chapel Street
Prahran 3181
9521 5985

Last night an iPad saved my life

Well. What to say? It's been a loooong time peeps and I have to be honest and say that since my last post I have not been moved to write anything let alone something worth sharing with the big bad world. But yesterday my best friend (aka that man i wed) gave me a little piece of technology I thought was primarily intended for Facebook and angry birds but as I shredded the wrapping paper squealing with delight I'm pretty sure I heard H say "now you have no excuse not to write". So here I am, 9 months after I last put finger to key, and I have to say it feels really great. The curse is broken....

"the curse?" I hear you ask, allow me to elaborate. 2011 has not been kind to us. Followers if this pathetic excuse for a blog will remember my last post in which I described our emotional state post miscarriage. A few days after that post I was contacted by the hospital and informed I had miscarried because I had a partial molar pregnancy. I wont go into the gory details but basically that meant I was at a risk of developing a very rare form of cancer and faced weeks of tests to make sure that wasn't the case. Evidently I'm fine but it meant we couldn't immediately move on with our lives and I was left feeling very uninspired for months. Since then we've copped a few more blows including a major hit recently when very close family member fell ill.

On new years eve last year one member of our party raised his glass and said "2011, the worst year on record. Sorry but I just have a feeling" and hence he cursed us (side note: the curser himself has had a great year). All jokes aside it's been a real bastard of a year but things are looking up and I'm feeling really positive about 2012. I have a great new job that I really enjoy, exciting things are happening for our friends and family and I'm looking forward to lots of adventures in the new year (and sharing them with you of course).

Well H is cooking duck so I'm going to crack open some vino and watch him do it! Merry Christmas!

Ps we were caught out in the crazy hail yesterday so have included some pics. We were driving and it got really scary, like gun fire! Hope all those British ex-pats I work with enjoyed their white Christmas they were missing so badly!

Such is Life

This is a highly personal entry but I wanted to share it with all the women/couples/families who have or may go through the same thing. Sometimes it helps to put these things out there - I know other people's stories have helped me. Sending love and hope to all of you out there.

Well it has been a while hasn't it? My apologies but 2011 has been quite a strange year for us so far. At the end of January H and I found out we were expecting a baby. We were overjoyed with the news of this much wanted pregnancy, hence life suddenly changed and every spare minute was spent planning and thinking about our new roles as parents.

But alas it was not to be. A week ago we were informed that we had lost the baby. Once again things suddenly changed and we were left not knowing what or how to feel. It seemed like yesterday we were just kids and now we found ourselves dealing with something very grown up.

Grieving after a miscarriage is a strange feeling. We hadn't even had a chance to adjust to the notion of parenthood when all of a sudden the little creature we couldn't wait to know was gone. We were left with a great feeling of loss but it was not the same as the loss of a relative or loved one. Our little person wasn't a person yet so it was like we'd lost a promise or a hope.

Our lives have changed though, not in the way we were expecting but in a new way. We've come through an intense sadness to learn something new about ourselves, about our relationship (a rare occurrence after 12 years!). It surprised me to realise that I assumed H's career would always come first. His refusal to miss a day or work has meant many a missed birthday, anniversary not to mention every single Valentines day. But those things seem trivial and unimportant now because I know that when I truly need him, he will drop everything to be with me - I mean literally drop everything, including knives...mid-service. His extremely compassionate, caring employers did make that very easy, even the week after an 18/20 review had them PUMPING with a new deg menu to boot!

As for me - well I've survived it. This pregnancy wasn't meant to be, in fact 1 in 5 pregnancies are not viable and the number of women close to me who have at one point experienced the same thing is astonishing. One person in particular who has helped me through this - L, you know who you are. Knowing all of the facts and figures does help you see through the grief with a rational, practical outlook. Something was not right, nature did its job and there is nothing to say we won't have a happy, healthy pregnancy in the future, a future we are looking forward to.

On that note I'd like to end by thanking my wonderful GP and the amazing nurses and doctors at the Royal Women's Hospital. The level or care and compassion we have received has been second to none and they deserve much more recognition than this.

Good night lovelies xx

Getting off my BIG bum

After a looooooong hiatus I am BACK BABY!!

Stand by for about 3 months of catch ups!

PS. Sorry for being so slack and thanks for sticking around x

Take a deep breath, and.....

Well, it's certainly been a whirlwind of a fortnight with the realisation of our long anticipated European holiday - oh the sights that were seen, the sounds that were heard and the MASSIVE amount of incredible food consumed! So bear with me as I walk you through two weeks of food, fun and several 'cheesegasms'.

We kicked things off immediately upon landing in London. After a quick shower and costume change we met up with my little sister and headed east for brekkie in Spitalfields at St John Bread and Wine (offshoot of the Smithfield restaurant). We gorged ourselves on Old Spot bacon sandwiches (you can see me pictured here with my laughing gear wrapped around one!), porridge and prunes and poached fruit, yogurt and brioche. A perfect way to kick of for a couple of gourmet travellers!

The next couple of days were filled with treats from Hummingbird Bakery , great coffee at Coffee Plant in Notting Hill and tapas in Covent Garden before we crammed a few things in a bag and nicked off to Paris.

After scoffing a desperate microwave cheeseburger on the eurostar and catching a few much needed z's we made are way to the hotel. (A little note needs to be inserted here...I started writing this post in October and stopped after getting to this point because I needed to find the name of the kindly Parisian journalist who made our time in the city of lights oh so faboosh...H has told me a million times but it is very French and I cannot commit it to my hopelessly English speaking brain so the post continues and he will be known only as Mr Paris until I can correct it).

Update - The food writers names is Henri Yadan...YAY!

The Raddisson Trocedero was simply stunning. It was everything I hoped it would be. Classic French furnishings, perfect location! Henri met us before we had even checked in and whisked us away to L'Arc, a modern French restaurant in a prime position with the most perfect views of the Ard de Triumphe you will ever see. We ate like kings and banished all memories of the microwaved cheeseburger. Unfortunately I have no idea what we ate as we didn't order, we were just fed but the butter alone was worth the journey!

That night we ate at Michel Rostang - a hook up via H's employers..who also picked up the tab (it is always a concern when the woman - that's me - is handed a menu with no prices...) Again we were treated and ate like royalty. The wild duck being the absolute highest point among many.

We had only one full day in Paris and that was spent on a day trip to Versailles. A cycling day trip that is. I won't bore you with the details but let me say this...if you book a cycling tour please ensure you know how to ride a bike, otherwise there is a genuine risk that you will fall off said bike and scream the 'F-Word' at your husband in the middle of one of the most picturesque places on the planet resulting in American tourists 'tutting' disapprovingly...let's move on. We did have a fantastic picnic after a stop at the markets (pictured). This was also the site for the aforementioned 'cheesegasms', which involved H making very strange noises as we approached the many fromage stalls.

Our final night was spent at a newish restaurant recommended by Henri, Mini Palais. Again all French menus but very helpful waiters who confirmed my guess at 'chicken' and proceeded to bring me a bit of very fine roast chook...i mean le chook.

We were back in London 5 minutes before my bestie and her husband packed us in the back of the vauxhall for a mini-break in Cornwall which included a visit to Rick Stein's Seafood restaurant in Padstow. It DID NOT disappoint. There is a couple of pics here, yes that is a half lobster/full foie gras lobe salad. That was H's entree. And yes that is me attempting to fit the entire crab in my mouth at once, BRILL!

For our final few days we spent most of the time in pubs with breaks for visits to Borough Markets and a very speccy lunch at the Harwood Arms in Fulham, including English lamb shoulder, venison and grouse...yummers.

So that about sums it up, I'll spare you the emotional turmoil of returning to a place we once called home and still long to, and once again having to say good bye to my most precious friends not to mention my little blister (sister)...hmmm, maybe you weren't spared after all.

I'm sorry it took so long to wind this one up, i started writing in October and am typing now well into the new year but here it is...almost time for another trip me thinks!

Sympathy Takes You Places

So yesterday's post got a few people a little worried (by a few people I mean my mother)! Don't worry Mum, I'm not about to fling myself of a bridge!

Not long after the post was published I received a text message from my cousin, fashion blogger @sarahstyle (for those of you on twitter). A little bit of sympathy will get you to exciting places these days, as my cousin was texting to say she had a spare ticket to Melbourne Spring Fashion Week Designer Series 3 and would I like to be rescued from another lonely night in? Ummmmmm, yes please.

So I heeled up, threw on my fab new trench coat and dragged my boring old butt into the Melbourne Town Hall, and MAN, am I glad I did.

It's all about who you know (and @sarahstyle seems to know everyone) we were seated on the floor, a mere metre from the runway and in prime position to see the fabulous new creations from the likes of Gorman, Wayne Cooper, Bettina Liano and Arabella Ramsay. The Gorman polka dot dress was a definite fave and I will be looking into investing into it (yes I see my fashion purchases as investments). It really was a fabulous was to pass a chilly September eve and a BIG thank you goes out to my beautiful cousin for thinking of me.

As I strutted my stuff back down Swanston Street, goodie bag in hand I found myself thinking 'a girl could get used to this' and I practiced my best runway walk all the way home. Now, if I could just grow 3 feet...and lose 30 kilos...

The Dark Side of the Spoon

As of next week H and I will have been together for 11 years. H has been a chef for 10 of those years and I have never once felt like I was missing out on anything, having a partner who works so much...until now.

Most of our friends have now moved out of the city, my closest friends including my sister all live overseas, my parents live down the coast. This does not leave a girl with many options for human contact during the week. To be honest it's not even general socialisation I'm craving, I just miss my husband.

Every night I come home to an empty house, sure the cat is there but no matter how much I talk to him he doesn't answer back, with words I mean, he is constantly telling me he loves me with his eyes...SEE, I've become a crazy cat lady! Twenty-something married women are not supposed to be crazy cat ladies!

H doesn't understand and I can't ever expect him to. He has the opposite problem and I'm sure he craves some alone time but quite frankly I am sick of my own company, I'm just not that interesting.

Being married to a chef has a lot of benefits - great food, exciting adventures and proof that the expression 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' is absolutely true, but lately the mind numbing lonliness has been taking over.

I often think about what it will be like when we have children. Obviously it will be difficult but I guess it is for all new parents, and lots of families have one parent working long hours or shift work or the likes.

This post has been a little less jovial than usual but the blog is supposed to be about the life of a chef's wife and this is a big part of it. We all make sacrifices and compromises for the people we love and I would never ever ever ever expect H to make any changes to his career or choice but sometimes the person who sits around waiting for him gets to have a bit of a winge (once in 11 years isn't so horrible is it??)

So a big hug goes out to all the hospitality widows and widowers out there, this one's for you!

Twitterverse

Don't forget to follow me on twitter - @chefwifelife

Here's a few other twitter-ers worth following:

@Slavisa_ :all things divine and domestic

@fromBecca :up to date info on all things foodie

@eatyourmeal :my hubby!!

@HomeZeroHome :UK based blogger, very interesting info on greening our homes

I am the (equal) Champion

I won the office footy tipping comp! Can you believe it? Yes you say? Well, did I mention I know NOTHING about football?

I have put this win down to pure luck and a good understanding of statistics and probability (one of the few mathematics subjects I received good grades in at school!).

Unfortunately one other colleague also achieved the awesome score of 120 so the prize was split in half however my winnings will still bump my London shopping fund up significantly.

H does not follow football at all. I asked him over the weekend, what if we have a child who is very interested in football, would he become a follower to support our child's interests? He said that by the looks of my tipping scores I could take that job. I reminded him that this win does not mean I can teach our kids anything about football, just about gambling...we're going to make fantastic parents!

Better Luck Next Year

Last night saw the launch of The Age Good Food Guide 2011. As those of you who put up with my intermittent blogging may remember, my husband (otherwise known as H) was shortlisted for Young Chef of the Year. Epicure readers will have seen his pretty face gracing the pages a couple of weeks ago along with the other four finalists (the photo the paper used was taken about 8 years ago when H was part of an article about up and coming apprentices in Melbourne!)

So H went along to the awards presentation at NGV last night and, as the invitation did not include a 'plus one' I followed the announcements via twitter from home...in my PJs...in front of the heater.

Unfortunately H did not win the award but will have one last shot (before he reaches the 30 age limit) so will throw his hat in the ring again next year. The restaurant did hold onto its coveted THREE hats (that's a major give away as to where he works) so that's a plus.

Also, very exciting news for Loam Restaurant (who I have previously blogged about). It is their first year in the guide and they walked away last night with two hats, best new country restaurant and dish of the year (suckling pig). A BIG congrats to the team, very well done and deserved! Check out the rest of the winners at www.theage.com.au.

By Jorg!!

Let me begin by apologising for being the world's worst blogger (again). I promise to try and be more vigilant from now on!!

H and I went to the newly opened Jorg (pronounced George) on St Georges Road in North Fitzroy last week. The restaurant has only been open a couple of months but judging by the lunch we enjoyed all of the opening bugs have been ironed out. The space - formally a fruit and vege shop - is simply stunning and chefs Michael Smith and Bryce Bernhardt have poured their hearts and souls into creating not only a contemporary, stylish dining space but a warm, exciting menu that encourages plenty of foody conversation with a range of small plates designed to share.

The dining room is beautifully furnished - check out the gorgeous polished concrete floors and 'industrial chic' French light fittings. Even more impressive is the function room at the rear of the building. Light and airy I can envisage it hosting many ubercool parties in the future. One of the first such affairs will be the PinotNow dinner hosted at Jorg on Monday 13th September. To book call 9482 3002.

Another Wild Adventure

Followers may recall my recent blog about dinner at Libertine. Disappointing meal, arguing with friends, doing the splits on Collins Street...

Well, our little dining club met again on Saturday night for a meal at Auction Rooms in North Melbourne. We were much better behaved this time and the meal well and truely met with our expectations. The cafe, situated on Errol Street, is a very cool space offering casual dining and great coffee.

We basically ordered everything on the tapas menu (including some delicious parfait and Mt Zero olives) then a main course each. Four of us ordered the pork belly - sticky and crispy with onion puree, black pudding and baked apple - while T, the non-pork eater, ordered a chickpea lambshank dish that was also very tasty. We all shared a fig pudding for dessert - anything with figs is a winner in my book.

We were all very civilised and no one cried or fell over so we decided to wander up to the Town Hall Hotel for a drink or two. That was when things got wierd.

After a little while 5 became 3 and I sat with my favortie marrieds chatting and laughing. We were then rudely interupted by a very drunk fellow who seemed to take a liking to the only male in our little threesome. In hindsight I can maybe see where the mistake was made, B was sitting with two girls, he's a very snappy dresser...BUT when this drunken idiot grabbed my friend's face and lunged in for a kiss it took us very much by surprise! B's wife and I didn't know what to do, picking different objects up from the table, preparing to throw them at B's attacker. Luckily B had the intelligence and maturity of mind to gently push the guy away, quietly mention to this idiots friends that perhaps they should take control of their mate and return to our little party not to dishevelled.

It was very funny but really, the drunk guy was lucky. My friend is a decent guy and reacted appropriately but I don't think there are too many people, man or woman, gay or straight, who would take kindly to being grabbed like that. If it had been me I would have slapped him!

But it's still kinda funny :)

Seaside Special

Once in a while H has an urgent need to get out of the city. The last time was March labour day weekend. We had a great day at the red hill wineries then spent the night fighting back flood waters!

A few weeks ago H felt the urge again and suggested we head to the Bellarine Peninsula to have lunch at Loam in Drysdale - a restaurant that has been receiving a lot of good press lately. Our booking was made quite last minute and we were really lucky to secure a table in the dining room.

Loam is run by chef and owner Aaron Turner and his wife Astrid. It is a small, intimate dining room overlooking the Lighthouse Olive Grove and Queenscliff. Once we were seated we were presented with a list of in season produce, asked if there was anything we didn't eat and how many courses we would like. We went all out and asked for seven courses (for $90.00, two and four course options also available). In the end we were presented with nine courses - it helps to be in the industry! That same day there were staff from Attica and Pearl also enjoying a coastal Sunday. I think it was just the following Sunday that the entire Attica staff descended on Loam (one of the waitresses is the girlfriend of one of the chefs who works with H so I heard all about it last weekend at the winery).

We were there for five hours, a long, luxurious lunch presented to us by friendly, knowledgeable staff. Astrid was a wonderful hostess and it was lovely to chat to her while H checked out the kitchen and picked Aaron's brain for a moment.

At the end of the meal we were presented with a print out of our courses. Looking around us other tables received different dishes so it was wonderful to be able to remember exactly what we ate...so here's the blow by blow:

1. HEN'S EGG, JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE, BREAD CRUMBS, MISO - perfectly slow cooked egg, creamy artichoke, crunchy bread crumbs and salty miso broth made this rich dish a perfect start to our epic lunch.

2. PINE MUSHROOM, GARDEN SILVERBEAT, PINE NEEDLE YOGHURT - This was one of my favourites. Perfectly seasoned mushrooms with the tart yoghurt. Just yummy!

3. KINGFISH, PINK GRAPEFRUIT, WILD RICE, PONZU - very impressed with the ponzu noodle!

4. SAND CRAB, HORSERADISH, NASHI, CAULIFLOWER - I could have done without the cauliflower on this one but by no means did I dislike it.

5. SOUSED SNAPPER, CUCUMBER, SEAWATER CHEESE, MUSSEL - This was to die for. Beautifully cooked snapper. Fresh flavours of the sea, just the sort of thing I like!

6. BEEF TONGUE, GARLIC, HEIRLOOM TOMATO, QUINOA - Believe it or not I had never eaten tongue before. It sort of freaks me out. I think it's the whole 'it's tasting me while I'm tasting it' thing BUT it was heaven. H was bowled over by this one. the tongue was like the most tender beef I had ever tasted. drooooool.

7. VEAL RUMP, SPINACH, PEARL ONION, WAKAME, BLACK GARLIC - I'm not sure about the whole black garlic thing. H is a big fan but I'm not so sure! Having said that this dish was another winner.

8. OSSAU IRATY - RUBBLE - The cheese course, a very interesting version. Great cheese.

9. MANDARIN PEEL, COCONUT, ALMOND, OLIVE OIL - Loved the mandarin peel sorbet but the coconut cream and olive oil powder gave the dessert a slight fattiness that was mildly unappealing.

Overall Aaron and Astrid have something very special here and we will be back...next time we'll make a weekend of it!

I know, I know

I'm slack. It's not that I haven't been doing anything interesting, I have! Lot's of things. I'm just too lazy to be a proper blogger!

So, stay tuned as there are a couple of reviews coming atcha very soon but for now here is an observation I have recently made...

Chefs are emotionally and socially stunted. I have always know this but just had an epiphany as to why - most of them start apprenticeships in their mid to late teens, while their mates are out on the town, being kids, chefs are working really hard, all hours of the night limiting their social interaction.

Therefore chefs never grow up properly. Case and point - on Sunday I went on a trip with H's workmates to Curly Flat winery (by the way GREAT chardonnay, totally bio-dynamic, very interesting)we had a very pleasant day but on the bus ride home they were like wild children, jumping around, laughing at bum jokes (some were pretty funny I guess) and generally behaving like hyped up kids on the way home from a school excursion.

I don't need a psychology degree but they should give me one for this discovery ;)

Slow Down Ploise

Geez, the weeks seem to be flying by at the moment. Only 17 weeks till our trip now so that's good but I can't keep up with my blog!!

Let's see, what's happened in the past week....

Last Saturday night some friends and I went to Libertine in North Melbourne. I think I have mentioned before that I regularly go to dinner with two particular couples, I'm their 5th wheel. They take pity on me as if I was there sad single friend because I'm constantly sans husband. In fact I went to the Husband's restaurant with the same peeps a few months ago (I was banned from blogging about it but I'll just say this....OH MY GOD). Unfortunately last Saturday nights dinner was not so successful. The wine was great and poured very generously but the food was not memorable. The lack of excitement in the food is, in my opinion, what led to a very heated discussion about politics, theology and history, quickly promoting us to the position of Most Obnoxious Table - you know what I'm talking about, sideways glances from other patrons, waiters avoiding us like the plague...the food might not have been great but nor was our behaviour! That was a weird night. After we cooled down and left the restaurant we headed into the city for a drink. I slipped on the wet footpath on Collins Street and did the full splits - my girlfriend F was super impressed, my hips were not...I'm still hobbling a week later!

Sunday was much quieter, brekkie at Collective Espresso (best coffee) and then a late session of the much anticipated Sex and the City 2...more on that later.

The beginning of this week passed without much fuss and on Wednesday I headed down the coast to visit my mum for her birthday. My grandmother came too and the three of us went to see SATC2, yes that's twice for me. Now, I have always been a massive fan of the show, I think it is still relevant and funny, and the first movie was great. It was such a thrill to see the four girls reunited and the storyline made sense. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the new film, i did, especially the second time when I had no expectations and could just enjoy the fashion and funny moments (especially Carrie's gold Louboutins in the opening scenes, THEY BLEW MY MIND) but the story was a bit weak and there were moments when I wondered what on earth the writers were thinking, scenes they completely broke with the cool, sassy nature of the original series.

After the film it was back to mum and dad's for dinner. I have mentioned that not only am I the wife of a chef but the daughter of one too. Dad is halfway through the second year of his apprenticeship and has taken to it like a duck to the proverbial water. He cooked a delicious sichuan pork belly dish which was, in the words of Seinfeld's Poppy 'even more'a succulent than I could have'a hoped for'. But the highlight of the night was the 'Toblerone' dessert (pictured). He's so clever!!

Thursday and Friday were non-events and that brings us back to Saturday. No plans tonight. I attempted to sew a skirt on an old sewing machine a picked up on ebay a while ago but I only got as far as cutting the fabric out last night before I realised I'd completely screwed it up already, oh, did I forget to mention I have absolutely no dressmaking/sewing/pattern making experience whatsoever? So that's on hold for a while!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful long weekend (thanks Queenie) and hopefully I'll be a better blogger next week.

OH!!!! H has been shortlisted for the Good Food Guide young chef of the year! VERY exciting!

bad bad bad bad girl

Yes I am supposed to be saving, yes I am going on a fabulous holiday in a few months and should be putting all my savings towards that BUT I have also been looking for a pair of red shoes for a long time.

So I tried these on.

And I felt like Dorothy.

And I put them on lay-by....BAD!!

I haven't talked too much about my shoe collection (read obsession) but I had put myself on a total shoe ban to save for this holiday.

But just picture these boots in London, with boyfriend jeans, and tartan Pepe jeans jacket....CUTE!! How could I leave them behind?

H will yell...

By the way, they are Nude and little Miss M spotted them for me after lay-buying her own pair of HOT boots. The shop is Tienda and it just opened on Victoria Avenue in Albert Park. It's packed with lots of gorgeous goodies!

Guess What.....

I've found heaven, and it was so close to home!!

Earlier this week H came home raving about the best bacon sandwich he had ever had, in fact I believe he said 'best sandwich hands down'! Being the typical picky and annoyingly critical chef that he is (if you've read earlier posts you'll see what I mean) it's unusual for him to eat anything new without having something negative to say so naturally I was intrigued...

As it happened we both had yesterday off - H had his young chef interview at Grossi's and his generous boss gave him the whole day off. Coincidentally I had a work commitment in the city which involved a massive screaming match(yes on my day off, I've really earned my pay rise. PS if you ever get into a screaming match with a crazy person you won't win, they can always out scream you) Once that was over I was quite happy to try on shoes that I can't afford at David Jones for an hour while H finished up, so once we were both done with the screaming and the shoes and the interviewing we were on Bourke Street and looking for some lunch. (FYI, H didn't seem confident, last year they questioned his choice of place of employment, and this year, when he has one of the top jobs in town they just seemed to want to know how his boss runs the business...sheesh!

H was still filled with warm scrummy bacon memories from his first jaunt to our new nirvana, so we whizzed down Little Bourke to the deli-slice of heaven (sorry for the pun), also known as Earl Canteen. We could only wrangle a 15 minute car park so we raced in, H ordered the Pork Belly - crispy skin Otway pork with apple and coleslaw on a crunchy baguette - and I could not look past the Confit Duck, with caramelised wild figs, walnuts, onion jam, radicchio and watercress on perfect ciabatta (half of which is pictured, I munched down the first half before it occurred to me to take a picture...I always do that). It came quickly served by friendly young staff and was scoffed down with 3 minutes to spare on our parking space.

My heaven can be found at 500 Bourke Street (enter from Little Bourke Street, located under Movida) and they open Monday to Friday for brekkie and lunch. Do it!

You can find their full menu at www.earlcanteen.com.au

Sharing The Love

For any of you game to try the magic rainbow cake here is a copy of the instructions I sent to a few friends. It really is quite easy so have fun!!

Ok guys, here is my invented techni-colour dream cake recipe. More experienced bakers might have a better way of doing this, but this is how I went about it. It really comes down to the food colouring. Ok, first the cake. I made three cakes, each a different colour. Try and get good quality gel icing colour as you will only need to use a tiny bit to get vibrant colour and it works for cake and icing. I did all of this in a kitchen aid with a paddle attachment but I think electric beaters would do the trick.

CAKE INGREDIENTS

240g butter
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs (beaten lightly)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Grease and flour a 20-25cm cake tin (if you have a spring base PERFECT)

Mix butter and sugar together.

Sift the flour and baking powder together and add to the butter mix, alternating a bit of flour for a bit of the beaten egg to get a really smooth batter.

Add the vanilla and food colour (a little bit at a time!)

The batter will be quite thick. Pour into tin , smooth out and give it a band to eliminate air bubbles. Bake in the oven for 30 mins.

EASY!!

Buttercream:

This is what makes this cake a winner. You will need one batch of the following for each cake layer and then a double batch for the outside of the cake.

INGREDIENTS

250g icing sugar sifted
80g unsalted butter at room temp
25ml whole milk
couple of drops of vanilla extract

METHOD

Beat the icing sugar and the butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or handheld electric mixer) on slow/medium speed until the mixture comes together.

Turn the mixer down to slow speed.

Combine the milk and vanilla in a separate bowl and add to the butter mixture a little at a time.

Once all the milk is incorporated turn the mixer up to high speed and continue beating until frosting is light and fluffy (at least 5 mins) add your colour at this point so it is totally incorporated.

ASSEMBLY

Slice the tops off your cakes so you have three even, flat layers.

Choose which colour you want on the bottom and make one batch of the frosting in the same colour. Smooth the icing quite thickly over the cake, leaving a little to one side.

Place your next cake layer on top. fill in any gaps around the outside with the frosting and scrape off the excess. Make another batch of frosting the same colour as the middle layer and repeat the process with the final layer of cake. Once your third cake layer is on top make the double batch of icing to cover the entire top and sides of your masterpiece.

Decorate any way you see fit! We used multi-coloured choc rocks and edible glitter. H got this stuff and the food colour from a cake decorating shop in Melbourne which has an online store - I can highly recommend, http://cakedeco.com.au/

If my instructions are hard to follow feel free to call me (or invite me over and we can do it together - I'll even bring my colouring ;)

Good luck cake lovers - and once again thanks to L for the inspiration and inspired method of getting those sprinkles onto the side of the cake!

Good Vibes

H has his interview for Good Food Guide Young Chef of The Year tomorrow morning.

Everyone send him good thought please :)